Copywriting Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them
May 6, 2008
Most copywriters make these same three mistakes that hurt the effectiveness of their copy, resulting in fewer opt-ins and fewer sales. Of course, the goal of the direct response copywriting game is to get as much response as possible.
By eliminating these mistakes, your copy will demand attention, with more sales and more opt-ins than before.
Today’s resource is www.WebCopyWritingExplained.com where you can download some free copywriting videos. This is, of course, my site.
What are the three most common mistakes made by copywriters? They’re not grammar or syntax errors. They are rather errors in approach or mindset. While these may seem to be “soft” topics, they directly affect your results.
Here are three common mistakes you should avoid:
Not writing to the reader. Robert Collier, a direct-response genius, tells writers that they must join a conversation with the reader, one that is already going on in the reader’s mind. You don’t have to become a mind-reader. Just get to know your audience - what they want, need, and desire. Use words that echo their thoughts and emotions. That is the only way to get their attention. In his book Breakthrough Advertising, Eugene Schwartz says, “You cannot, with your copy, create desire. You can only channel desire that already exists.”
Writing Copy That Sounds Like Copy. A lot of copywriters are guilty of this! We read great copy, we get inspired by it and we want to emulate the style, the flow, the rhythm, the language, even if our product or service is nothing similar. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use good craftsmanship, it just means if you’re writing material that you hope other copywriters will think is cool, that’s probably the kiss of death for your promotion.
Not understanding the product they are selling. Eugene Schwartz wrote many book promotions. Before he began writing, he would take time to read the book. And he didn’t just read it once or twice - he read it several times, making pages of notes. He didn’t start to write his copy until he understood the book intimately. Too many copywriters skip this step, trying to write copy for a product or service that they don’t understand. What a terrible mistake! This isn’t just a disservice to the reader, but to the client as well. You can get better copy (and increased sales) by knowing your product, inside and out.
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