7 Mantras to Seriously Improve Your Copywriting

by | Aug 18, 2016 | Copywriting

Repeat after me:

will become a better copywriter.

Great, we’re off to a good start!

If you love copywriting, you’re likely always looking for ways to improve your craft and become more efficient.

Luckily, we’re here to help.

If you’ve been looking to improve your writing skills and boost your expertise, read on to learn more.

copywriting mantras

7 Smart Mantras to Make You a Copywriting Guru

leading copywriting mantras

1. I will never stop reading

Reading is essential to good writing.

In addition to building your vocabulary, instilling new ideas, inspiring you, and helping you learn more about the industries and environments you work in, reading is a great way to keep the brain active and get more out of you day-to-day life.

Yet, many copywriters simply breeze over the articles, books, and blogs that are most relevant to them.

What a shame!

If you want to improve your copywriting: commit to reading.

While we hope you’re reading for fun, you should also be devouring everything you can about the art and skill of copywriting. CopyBloggerQuickSprout, and HubSpot are all fantastic places to start.

By reading everything you can get your hands on about copywriting and content marketing, you’ll grow your skill and knowledge in no time.

2. ‘I think’ is not a strategy

Precision pays in the world of copywriting, and it applies to virtually every facet of this fascinating industry.

To be a successful copywriter, you can’t go into anything without knowing exactly what you’re doing.

For example, posting a blog just because you think it will be interesting to a company’s clients is never a good idea.

Instead, you should do the research required to know that the audience will love the topic and to understand exactly why that’s true.

This involves good target personas, keyword research, topic mining, and much, much more.

Shunning the mindset of “I think” will also help you create more relevant and authoritative content.

Instead of citing blurry statistics (“many marketers do the following…”), you’ll be able to blow your audiences away with solid statistics (“70% of marketers lack a content strategy…”).

This, in turn, helps to make your content more authoritative and ensures that all of your writing hits the nail on the head.

3. I will be known by the content I create

If you want to improve your copywriting, quality has to be your priority.

Your reputation is your best form of marketing in the world of copywriting, and the web’s top brands aren’t going to want to work with someone with a reputation for sloppy content or less-than-reputable sources.

With this in mind, aim to produce the best-quality content you can at any given moment.

This means reading, editing, and proofing your content, and being vigilant about learning everything you can about new trends in the industry and the climate of copywriting as a whole.

4. I will measure and improve my performance

If brands are going to hire you, they want to know why you’re the best choice, and if you can’t tell them, you’ll likely lose the potential client.

Because of this, it’s essential to measure your performance.

For example, how many of your content pieces have made it to the front page of Google? Have you ever drastically improved a company’s views or traffic in a given month? How many shares and comments does your most popular piece of content have?

While there are dozens of different metrics by which you can measure your performance, committing yourself to keeping tabs on the outcomes of your work is a great way to ensure that you’re meeting the goals you’ve set for yourself and exceeding client expectations at every turn.

5. I will handle criticism professionally and promptly

Let’s face it: copywriting is a job that comes with a fair level of responsibility.

If you write a bad piece of copy, you’re going to hear about it.

If your client is unhappy with your work, you’re going to hear about it.

If you cite an irrelevant or incorrect statistics, you’re going to hear about it.

While the gut reaction for many people in these situations is to get defensive, a copywriter that’s genuinely committed to improving their copywriting skills will understand that the only real way to handle these situations is to approach them professionally.

Everybody makes mistakes, and ultimately it’s the professional who handles them the most efficiently who will succeed in the world of online copywriting.

With that in mind, resolve client concerns when they appear, aim to produce the best possible content at all times, and double-check everything.

Criticism alone doesn’t spell the end of your career, but the way you choose to handle it can.

6. I will connect with my readers on a real level

In the world of copywriting, storytelling is a crucial aspect of success.

Without good storytelling skills, a copywriter’s copywriting is just… writing.

Why is storytelling so important in copywriting, you ask? Great question.

Think, for a moment, about a brand like Freeze. Today, the fabric-odor removal spray brand is worth upwards of $1 billion. Just a few short years ago, though, the brand was on the verge of bankruptcy. Try as they might, Proctor & Gamble, the parent company of Freeze, simply couldn’t figure out how to market the fabric spray effectively. Until that is, they discovered the power of storytelling.

No longer was Freeze just something that the mothers of teenagers used to de-stink shoes or the backseats of family station wagons. Now, Freeze is a must-have home good that can transform even the ickiest spaces into a tropical-smelling getaway.

Need proof?

Check out this commercial:


As a copywriter, it’s not enough to just tap up a piece and send it off to a client. Instead, copywriting has to merge with storytelling.

What’s the best way to appeal to a reader’s emotions and why? How can you weave elements of storytelling into a brand or marketing message?

By asking yourself these simple questions as you create your copy, it’s easier than ever before to boost your copywriting skills to epic levels.

7. I will keep it simple

The copywriting of today is a little bit like modern home design – it’s simple, elegant, and to the point.

If your readers need to break out a dictionary or corporate handbook to make their way through one of your blog posts, you’ve gone astray.

With this in mind, repeat the mantra, “I will keep it simple.”

This applies to everything from your sentence structure to your word choice. Short, simple sentences and words that don’t exceed an eighth-grade reading level are the best choices for online copy and will go the furthest in terms of boosting your reader engagement levels.

When it comes to copywriting, simple is better, and the copywriter who produces the cleanest, easiest copy is ultimately the one who will win readers.

The Case for Great Copywriting

Let’s face it – we live in a text-dense world.

Right now, every brand that has an online presence also has a need for great online copy, but few know how to create it themselves.

This is the main reason that the importance of great, not just good, copywriting has skyrocketed in recent years.

In addition to conveying a message of quality and brand originality, great copywriting is also essential for any brand that wants to define itself as an original in its industry or attract new and more engaged customers.

As businesses everywhere turn their focus to the importance of copywriting, copywriters that are dedicated to improving their skills are being placed in positions of increasing demand.

Today, it’s possible to make a full-time living as an online copywriter, but only if you stay committed to learning and improving at all times.

Luckily, copywriting is a fun thing to improve on.

From learning new techniques to keeping up with trends in the copywriting industry, there are dozens of ways to boost your skills and stand out as one of the go-to copywriters in your given industry.

As you seek to improve your copywriting skills, keep these seven helpful mantras in mind.

By helping you focus on what’s truly important in the world of online copywriting, these simple mantras can boost your skills and capabilities in no time at all. 

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