This is the time of year we’re making, and breaking, resolutions. Resolutions about our health, our wellbeing and our business. I think, as we get older, we start to see resolutions for what they are. High expectations that we inevitably fail to live up to… so we stop making them and cut ourselves some slack. Rather than making resolutions, I try to create habits. I might need some prompting to begin with, but after a while, they become part of what I do every day. Here are 5 copywriting habits you’ll find easy to stick to all year round.
Always visualise who you are talking to.
You know your target market in general terms. You might even have quite specific market profiles written up. Even better! Before each new marketing campaign or blog post, it’s worth spending 5 minutes or so considering the precise person you want to attract. Hold them in your mind while you write.
Make a plan.
When you create a new piece of marketing, don’t just sit down and start to write. Spend another 5 to 10 minutes making a rough outline of what you need to communicate. You know to whom you’re talking; now jot down a few notes about what they need to know in order to take action. A few notes will help you structure your concepts, making them easier to read and digest.
Leave plenty of time.
Some people are great under pressure, able to organise their thoughts with unseemly clarity. Me? I am not one of those people. I need time to let ideas germinate and time away from my copywriting to give me some fresh perspective. Give yourself enough time to tackle your marketing copy with the attention it deserves, rather than having to write it all in one go just before it needs to go out. It’s worth it.
Get your copywriting proofread by someone else.
Fresh eyes that know a thing or two about correct spelling and punctuation are worth their weight in gold so it’s really worth paying someone to proofread your marketing copy before it’s published. If you don’t quite have the budget, find someone who knows their possessive apostrophes from their subjective prepositions and bribe them.
Always include an action.
Action is the critical step of effective marketing so always make sure you finish your copywriting with an action. It might be to call you, to book a consultation, or to leave a comment with their thoughts. Make it an easy action and give them a compelling reason to do it. So there you have it – 5 super-easy copywriting habits you can stick to all year. They aren’t complicated or time-consuming so they’re easy to put into practice. Pop them on a note on your desk to prompt you and before long you’ll be checking them off without thinking. I’d love to get your new habits for 2013. I’ll send a copy of my copywriting cheat sheet (with 20 incredibly useful tips that will transform your copywriting) to the best new habit!
