Michael Jordan turned the ball over 546 times in his career. NASA accidentally taped over the moon landing. Music producer Dick Rowe passed on signing The Beatles to Decca Records.
It’s safe to say that even the best of the best make mistakes from time to time!
To err is to be human. It’s important for budding copywriters to realize that even the top-of-their-field professionals make the occasional mistake.
The thing about mistakes is, you need to learn from them. If you don’t and keep making them, they become habits. Correcting your mistakes is one thing; not learning from them is where real problems start to develop.
Here’s a look at the top 10 mistakes even experienced copywriters are prone to and how to avoid making them yourself.
Passive voice
Passive voice is easy to slip into when writing. Make sure you’re writing sentences that focus on the subject, not the action. For example, change a sentence like “attention was directed to the stage by the conductor” to “the conductor directed attention to the stage.”
Mixing contractions
Use contractions or don’t—pick one or the other and stick to it throughout your piece. Don’t write “you are” in some cases and “you’re” in others. Consistency is the key to readability and will add a polished presentation to each piece you write. The exception to the rule is when quoting someone or making a standalone statement.
Repetitive word choice
If you find yourself using the same word over and over again throughout a piece of content, break out the old thesaurus and find a synonym. Better still, find a new way to talk about your subject in a way that’s descriptive. Just don’t get too obscure with your word choices!
Generalizations
Words like “things” and “that” don’t belong in a good copywriter’s vocabulary. These are generalizations. Instead, be as specific as possible and make it clear what you’re talking about. On a broader level, avoid generalizing ideas or concepts, too. Specificity is the key to targeted messaging.
Burying the lede
Get to the point! If you take too long in saying what you’re trying to say, you’ll lose the reader. They should know what you’re talking about in the first paragraph—better still, the first sentence. Burying the lede (main idea) means burying your best idea and making readers work harder to get to the main point of your message.
Assumed colloquialisms
Will everyone know what you’re talking about if you make a reference outside of the content? In the age of memes, inside jokes and niche colloquialisms, you can’t always assume someone will get the allusion. Avoid these types of references unless you’re prepared to explain them.
Negative statements
Always frame ideas from a positive, constructive standpoint—even when they’re negative. Using negative verbiage inspires negative emotions. For example, you might rephrase a statement like “small business owners face an uphill battle to success” to read “small business owners succeed when they do X, Y and Z.”
Writing features vs. benefits
Readers want to know what they’re getting out of it. Why should they pay attention? Too many writers tout features when they should showcase benefits, because that’s what readers want. Instead of saying “this truck features 400hp” say “this truck can tow 14,000lbs.” It’s not about what something offers, it’s about what someone gets.
Blocky presentation
Formatting matters for readership. Consider what 500 words looks like when split into five 100-word paragraphs. Now, imagine splitting up that 500 words into shorter paragraphs with subheads, a bulleted list and an indented quote. Readability plays a big role in whether someone will take the time to digest your message.
Overuse of clichés
Cliché phrases and sayings may be a fun way to articulate a point, but avoid overusing them. Your message loses its originality when it’s rolled into a cliché, and many people gloss over these oft-used sayings, which can diminish the impact of your message. Be original and let your own words make a point.
Try as you might, you’re going to make all these mistakes at least once or twice in your career.
Don’t beat yourself up over it!
Go back, make corrections and learn from your mistakes. It’s how the pros got to where they are today, and it’ll make you a better copywriter.
Every mistake corrected is a lesson learned. Incorporate these 10 lessons into your writing habits and you’ll quickly set yourself apart!
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