What separates merely ‘good’ copy from the exceptional? Well, it all comes down to purpose! Therefore, before you start putting pen to paper, you need to ask yourself: What motive will this copy serve beyond brand sales? The answer lies in those grey areas.

For example, let’s suppose you need to work on a copy for an alcoholic beverage. To give the campaign some purpose, you can consider creating an ad that promotes responsible drinking.

This is because alcohol is the cause of certain negative events, such as car accidents. See what we mean by purpose?

However, finding a motive is just the beginning. Once you’ve figured out the purpose of your copy, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of copywriting. 

Without further ado, here’s how to become a steller copywriter: 

1. Develop your research skills

A brand needs someone who will always dig deep to find useful information that can help improve the brand’s promotional messages. 

Thus, as a copywriter, you need to stay on top of your A-game when it comes to research in order to create a solid brand curation strategy. It’s through this that a copywriter will pick up on competitors’ content strategies.

Here are points to help you during your research phase: 
  • Study the current brand image. This will give you a clearer perspective on the direction of its messaging. 
  • Focus on the brand’s position. As times change, there are a number of things that can force a brand’s values to become obsolete. For example, the influence of technology; this may compel you to create copy that is in line with the influence of tech to show audiences that you’re moving with the times. 
  • Consume the news. This will keep you informed about things that could be of importance to you. For example, upon hearing news about heightened domestic violence, you can ask yourself: What kind of marketing messages can help curb this social ill? 
  • Make it a habit to research the competition. Investigate topics or even social circumstances that could be beneficial to your writing in order to produce more relevant copy. 

2. Build relationships 

To grow as a stellar copywriter, you need to build industry rapport. Why? Because this will enable you to learn a thing or two from your peers. 

In order to sharpen your skills, you need to be surrounded by specialists and experts. Building relationships with individuals of this calibre are important. Not only will this enhance your copywriting skills but these individuals will teach you how to create copy that’s evergreen as well as inform you of the do’s and don’ts of the industry. 

Now, you may be thinking that building relationships are only vital for junior copywriters. But, even as a senior copywriter, you still need to network with newcomers and every other industry player at large. Learning from all types of generations, especially the younger ones, is essential because, as we all know, they’re the future! 

The best way to network and stay informed is via social media. These platforms offer you a great way to stay in touch with other copywriters and brands. You’ll also be able to pick up on who writes for which brand, their style and tone as well as their writing personality overall. 

As an added bonus, if you’re ever looking to do freelance work, you now have industry buddies who can direct you to any copywriting gigs that are available. See why building rapport is important? 

3. Practice, practice and practice some more

Practicing helps you develop new writing styles, which is important because you need to offer the audience box-fresh content — always. And with frequent practice, your content will improve and audiences will start to decipher your work from others. How, you ask? Through the aging development of your final ads and marketing material.

The more you write, the more your tone and style will develop, which inevitably creates a personality for the brand you work for. This essentially becomes established as a ‘recognisable voice’ for that particular offering. Neato! 

Practicing your writing is one of the best ways to improve your content skills. Once you stop practicing and start to think that you’ve ‘made it’, your writing and content may start to deteriorate because you’re not evolving any longer. 

All in all, keep in mind that you’ll need to keep practicing your writing skills in your career to continue being a compelling copywriter! 

Copywriting is a fundamental need in the marketing space. So, which tips do you think will work for you? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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So now that you have learned a thing or two about copywriting, why not check out this article on How to improve your SEO writing?