Tips to Make you a Better Copywriter

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Do you love to write? Are you currently working as a copywriter or hoping to in the future? There’s plenty of work available for those that excel in the copywriting field.

This is a highly skilled group of individuals, and if you aren’t already, you can become one of the elite writers on the web.

Here are some great tips to help you do your very best.

People Watch

You might be surprised that people watching can be of any help to you, but actually, it is extremely beneficial. That’s because by watching people you learn how to read emotions, what excites them, how they react to certain stimuli, etc. So when you are writing copy you can transfer what you’ve learned into producing better writing

Steps in reading a peson:

Check out their appearance

1. Select a piece of clothing that identifies a person’s occupation.  That clothing may be a lab coat, tool belt, paint-spattered overalls, suit or uniform and it can tell you what a person does professionally. You can utilize that information to determine whether they are young (too young for a job), a professional, a skilled worker, or are retired.
2. Check for wrinkles. They may have lines near the eyes, mouth or neck and this can tell you how old the person is likely to be.  If you see age spots on hands that can also be a good indication of their decade as well. If they have had a lot of sun exposure or have smoked, they may display more wrinkles, while those living in cooler and moister climates may have smoother skin
3. Look for affluence.  Sometimes a person’s wealth or their desire to be wealthy is shown in the quality of garments, shoes and even a haircut.  Check out their wristwatch, diamond earrings or designer bags. However,  you should be wary – many educated people shun such articles, and wear more casual clothing. Some may even sport unkempt hairdo’s and have facial hair (beards or moustaches in men.).   You can also check for signs of thriftiness. Faded clothes, discount clothing labels or worn shoes might tell you if a person has less money available, although many principled people shun the pressure dictated by fashion and make a point of wearing simple clothes made of natural fabrics which naturally fade faster.
4. Look for signs of fastidiousness. If the person has hair that is neat and in place, their clothing is pressed and an they show attention to style, they may be very detail oriented. Someone with a more casual wardrobe or “wild hair” might be creative or messy, although its possible that a detail orientated person may have made the choice to focus on detail in their work and not to spend too much time and financial resources on their personal appearance

Check out their body language

1. If the person you are talking to leans away from you when they converse, this can indicate that they are feeling stressed. Also, rubbing the hands against the thighs or the head also indicates stress.
2. You may see siigns of anxiety/nervous or physical tension if their jaws are clinched or they purse their lips. If they start crossing arms and legs or looking away, that is seen as negative body language too.
3. Look for eye contact.  Avoiding eye contact and staring too long into someone’s eyes can be a sign of anxiety and of maybe of lying. Eye contact is hard to fake, so if you do not notice darting eyes or prolonged stares, the person is more likely to be relaxed.
4. Look for signs of distraction. Looking toward a window, clock, a watch or a phone might mean the person is nervous or bored or they may be may just be  used to habitually checking their phone or email frequently. Starting a new task when they are talking to you is a better judge of if they are paying attention.
5. Check for blinking.  An increased blink rate will indicate they are  nervous. But this can be a positive thing, such as physical attraction, or an unconscious manifestation of stress from being the center of attention.
6. Give your instinct some credit.  People often have micro-expressions that may convey more accurately what they are thinking; and they may flash by so fast, it may only be your subconscious that registers it. Micro-expressions can potentially tell more than most body language cues.

Check out their Behavior and Motivation

1. Check their smile or laugh to see if it is genuine. If the person’s mouth is upturned at the corners, but their eyes aren’t wrinkling, then it is a fake smile.  They may be lying, uncomfortable, or anxious.
2. Look for changes in behavior. If they keep their arms and legs crossed at first, but then start opening them or reaching out, that is a sign they are more comfortable with you. Also, if someone you are close to begins to use a lot of new postures or expressions, they may be going through an emotional or physical change.
3. Signs of someone who wants power. A person like this will seek awards and leadership positions. They work hard to win arguments and seek out opportunities to manage and influence others.
4. A person who is motivated by affiliation or contact with others, tends to have many friendships, and may serve as mediator between their friends and acquaintances. This person seems to seek acceptance from others.
5. Look to see if they have motivation to achieve. If the person sets high standardsfor themselves and, likes to work individually and seeks a challenge, they are most typically motivated by a sense of personal achievement rather than seeking power or affiliation.

I bet you didn’t think of noticing and looking for all the above things when people watching.  If you would like to know more about  this, check out the books below:

 

Join a Writing Group –

There’s nothing that will get the creative juices flowing better than open dialogue with other writers. You can also help each other with proofreading, editing, and even just to bounce ideas off. Many times there are writing contests. These can help you improve your writing skills.

Groups on Facebook for Copywriters:

Freelance B2B Writers

Freeland to Freedom Project website and https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftfpcommunity/group

Creative Freelancers Unite (facebook) and Wanterful World (website)

Visit the Scene

What this refers to is simply this – if you are writing about a beach then go to the beach to do the writing, or if you are writing about a baseball game then go to one and write. Your visual description will be much better when you “live it.”

Reach Beyond Your Comfort Zone

If you want to become a really good copywriter, you need to reach out beyond your comfort zone. That’s because if you stay in your comfort zone there is really no challenge to your writing, and therefore no improvement. You also won’t learn anything new when you stick to your comfort zone.

Analyze Other Peoples Writing

Find authors whose writings you enjoy and then analyze them for content, grammar, flow, etc. By doing so you learn from their mistakes and you are far less likely to make the same mistakes.

Monotasking

Writing is one of those skills that actually require focus and concentration if you plan to do your very best. So set a timer for a specified time and write uninterrupted until it goes off. You will be surprised at how much faster you write and how much better your content is.

Know the architecture of your story

You would be surprised on just how many people do not understand their story’s architecture, which is about the same as doing heart surgery by the seat of your pants and without the right training.

Conculsion

There you have it – some of the best-kept secrets for writing better copy and being a better copywriter. Why not put it the test?

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