Business owners often become frustrated with the process of copywriting (and copywriters, too!). Often this belief comes from a misconception about how the process works.
Anyone who’s written professionally knows that writing is rarely a linear process. Very few writers sit down at their desk or keyboard, dash off a page or two, send it off, and wait for the money to roll in.
Here are 2 surprising ways to create better copy
(1) Don’t rush to the keyboard to start writing…and don’t stay there when you get frustrated.
The majority of writers spend more time revising than writing. I certainly do.
For content creators who write in support of marketing, there are 2 extra steps: finding your prospect’s story and finding your own brand story. Without understanding these steps, it’s impossible to write persuasive copy.
You also need two types of time: actual writing time and calendar time. I might spend an hour at the keyboard writing a sales letter. But that hour probably won’t happen in one swoop. I might draft some bullet points, go off for a while, come back and write a draft…and then go off again.
I might be thinking about the sales letter while I’m working out at the gym.
Ideas might be percolating while I’m reading a murder mystery or watching a video completely unrelated to marketing. I might even be taking a nap.
(2) Talk out your ideas.
When you’re trying to put words around a concept, you may need to step back and talk about the topic. The act of talking can get your brain cells moving around creatively. (I don’t know if that’s neuroscience. It’s what my experience tells me.)
This is why experienced marketers – even copywriters – will sometimes hire a copywriter for a strategy session. When you’ve got a big project – such as launching a new high-end, big-ticket program – the challenge can seem overwhelming You have a lot of pieces to put together.
If you don’t want to hire someone (maybe your project is too small to justify the cost) try finding a way to talk about it. You can call a client or two to ask about their experience. You can talk to a friend who asks what you’re up to these days.
Ultimately most people I know will find their own process. Eventually you’ll understand how much “thinking time” you need before setting a deadline. If you work with a copywriter (or strategist), you’ll need to send your background materials in time to allow your copywriter some thinking time. Otherwise you get a lower quality product.
For talking about your project, many of my clients are copywriters themselves. Or they are experienced business owners who appreciate the value of a good back-and-forth conversation and sounding board. My program for doing this is the Strategic Intensive. Typically the prework begins to get the brain cells jumping around…and you get content that delivers results with a lot less hassle and frustration.