Tag Archives: Writer

3 Dangerously Destructive Writing Habits Every Copywriter Should Avoid

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Beware of dangerous copywriter habitsDoctors do it. Trendy marketing agencies do it. Lawyers are the worst culprits of all. And it annoys us to the point of exasperation.

– You’re told the patient has had a cerebrovascular accident but you’re not sure whether they’ve broken their arm or had a stroke.

– Your creative consultant wants to ‘articulate your message across several marketing touch points’ but you just want to shoot them.

– You’re given an important legal document to sign but need a translator to make any sense of it.

They, and many other professions like them, use their own special language. And because you don’t understand it, you don’t want to read or hear it. Because it just makes you feel stupid.

Now for these people it rarely seems to matter. After all, their living doesn’t depend on it. But if you’re a copywriter, blogger or online retailer it does.

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The Common-Sense Way to Edit Your Writing – Without Going Overboard

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Keep your copy short. Keep it simple. Edit out this. Cut down on that.

It’s what all the top copywriting blogs tell you to do.

Just lately, practically every other post about blogging or writing seems to be giving out the same guidance on how to edit down your copy.

Don’t use long words when short ones will do. Ditch redundant words. Steer clear of the passive voice.

Again all pretty sound advice wouldn’t you say?

So what’s the problem?

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Why Reading Books Sucks If YOU Want Killer Copywriting Gigs

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Who else has never read a book since school?

Now that may seem like a bizarre question to expect from someone who writes for a living. It might even freak you out.

But the truth is that I’ve never actually read a single book since I left high school.

OK, I’ve read a fair bit of non-fiction – and I’ll get onto that in a minute – but not so much as a single novel, play or any other book of fictional or creative nature.

Absolutely nothing.

I detested English Literature at school. I couldn’t even get beyond the first couple of pages of a novel without hyperventilating with boredom.

So how on earth did I end up becoming a copywriter?

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5 Non-Existent Words That Make YOU Look a Halfwit Copywriter

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Are you a stickler for grammar? Or someone who couldn’t care less as long as your copy sells?

Whatever the case, one thing’s for sure:

The last thing you want as a copywriter is to look an idiot.

Because when you look an idiot then so do your clients. And that’s bad for business.

Now this isn’t some kind of spelling or grammar lecture.

Far from it.

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