14 Copywriting Tips Learned the Hard Way and How They Changed My Approach
Struggling with your copywriting skills? Learn invaluable tips from owners and writers who have mastered the craft through hard lessons. This article uncovers fourteen expert insights, starting with the importance of writing with the audience in mind and concluding with how to adapt tone for each platform. Each piece of advice is a testament to the transformative power of experience in copywriting.
- Write with Audience in Mind
- Focus on Specific Details
- Prioritize Clarity Over Cleverness
- Meet Audience Where They Are
- Target Authenticity Over Perfection
- Know Your Audience First
- Write for the Reader
- Avoid Keyword-Stuffing
- Understand and Speak Audience's Language
- Balance Technical Accuracy and Readability
- Educate Clients on Clarity
- Answer the Five W's and How
- Build Trust Through Transparency
- Adapt Tone for Each Platform
Write with Audience in Mind
One copywriting tip I learned the hard way is to always write with the audience in mind, not just the brand's voice. Early in my career, I focused too much on making the copy sound clever and on-brand, using industry jargon that I thought added professionalism. But the audience found it confusing and unapproachable, and engagement suffered.
This experience taught me that clarity and relatability always come first. Now, I prioritize simple, direct language that speaks to the reader's needs and problems, using terms they understand. It changed my approach to ensure that every piece of copy is easy to digest and focused on delivering real value to the audience rather than impressing with style.
Focus on Specific Details
One valuable copywriting lesson I learned the hard way is the importance of specificity. In the past, I often used vague and generic language, hoping to appeal to a wider audience. However, I discovered that this approach can actually be less effective. By focusing on specific details and benefits, I've been able to create copy that resonates more deeply with my target audience. This experience has taught me to avoid generalizations and to tailor my messaging to the unique needs and desires of my readers.
Prioritize Clarity Over Cleverness
I talk about this in my book, An MFA For Your MBA: being clever doesn't always mean being profound. What this means is that clarity beats cleverness, every time, in copywriting. Sometimes we fall in love with our own work, and early in my career, I got caught up in being overly clever, crafting copy that sounded witty but left readers scratching their heads.
I remember writing an ad campaign that I thought was brilliant—it was full of wordplay, metaphors, and all the literary flair I could muster. But it flopped. The audience didn't connect with it, and worse, they didn't know what the product was.
That experience was a wake-up call. I realized that if the message isn't clear, all the cleverness in the world won't save it. Now, I focus on simplicity first: making sure the value proposition is front and center. Cleverness should enhance clarity, not replace it. That shift changed how I approach every project, whether it's for a marketing client or a literary piece in Abandon Journal.
Meet Audience Where They Are
One copywriting tip I learned the hard way is the importance of meeting people where they are and using a tone and voice they understand. Early on, I made the mistake of focusing too much on what we could do—highlighting the product or service as the "hero" of the story. The messaging was all about us instead of focusing on the audience's needs, their struggles, and how we could guide them to a solution.
It became clear that the audience wasn't connecting, and engagement wasn't where it needed to be. The turning point came when I shifted the approach to focus on the customer as the hero of their own story and positioned our brand as the guide. I started asking, "Where are they right now, and how can we speak to them in a way that makes them feel understood and supported?" This shift in tone—meeting them where they are—made all the difference.
Now, every piece of copy I write focuses on understanding the customer's journey, their pain points, and how we can help them succeed. Instead of talking at them, we're walking alongside them, guiding them to the solution they're looking for. This change in perspective not only improved engagement but also built stronger connections with the audience. It taught me that in copywriting, being the guide, not the hero, creates far more impact and resonates deeply with the people you're trying to reach.
Target Authenticity Over Perfection
Typos don't matter.
I spent years in a bilingual role, agonizing over every critique claiming we had typos. In 400-word books, our editorial would average 7-8 typos that were not impediments to understanding the sentences. I felt terrible when I misspelled something in my native language if it might appear influenced by my second tongue, and this wasn't purely self-inflicted.
With the rise of AI generation and recycled content, minor errors are the least of our worries today. Human writers are now targeting authenticity, true stories, and professional anecdotes to stand out, not perfect grammar.
Know Your Audience First
One copywriting tip I learned the hard way is the importance of knowing your audience before crafting your message. Early in my career, I wrote a compelling piece intended for a broad audience, using industry jargon and complex phrases that I thought would showcase my expertise. However, the response was disappointing, and engagement was low.
After reflecting on the feedback and analyzing the audience’s reactions, I realized that I had failed to connect with them on a relatable level. My copy didn’t resonate because it was tailored to impress rather than address the audience’s needs and interests.
This experience changed my approach significantly. I began prioritizing audience research, creating personas to better understand their pain points, motivations, and language preferences. Now, I always start with a clear understanding of who I’m writing for, which allows me to create more targeted, engaging content that speaks directly to their needs. This shift not only improved my copy’s effectiveness but also boosted conversions and strengthened the connection between the brand and its audience.
Write for the Reader
One copywriting tip I learned the hard way is the importance of writing for the reader, not for yourself. Early in my career, I was working on a marketing email for a product launch, and I focused heavily on the technical features of the product, thinking that highlighting every specification would impress potential customers. I crafted what I thought was a detailed, informative piece, but the campaign fell flat—low open rates, minimal engagement, and hardly any conversions.
That experience made me realize that I had been writing from a place of expertise rather than focusing on what the audience truly cared about: how the product solved their problems. Customers didn’t need to know every technical detail; they wanted to understand how the product would make their lives easier or improve their workflow.
After that, I shifted my approach to prioritize benefits over features. Now, I always ask, "What's in it for the reader?" and structure my copy around answering that question. Instead of overwhelming potential customers with unnecessary details, I focus on clear, concise messaging that speaks directly to their needs and pain points. This change in mindset has consistently led to better engagement and higher conversion rates, making it one of the most valuable lessons I've learned in copywriting.
Avoid Keyword-Stuffing
One of the biggest lessons I learned in copywriting was the danger of keyword-stuffing. In my early days, I believed that cramming as many keywords as possible into my articles would boost my SEO. I thought this approach would help me rank higher in search engine results. However, after consulting with other experts and analyzing my website's performance, I discovered that this tactic backfired.
Instead of improving my rankings, the excessive keyword use hurt my content's readability and credibility. My articles became robotic and less engaging for readers. This experience taught me the importance of crafting content that flows naturally while still incorporating keywords.
Now, I focus on creating informative and valuable content that addresses my audience's needs. I integrate keywords in a way that feels organic, allowing the writing to shine without compromising on SEO. This shift not only improved my rankings but also enhanced reader engagement, leading to a more loyal audience. Balancing keyword optimization with quality writing has been key to my success.
Understand and Speak Audience's Language
No matter the industry or the purpose of your communication, it is important to understand your audience and speak their language. Early in my career, working for agencies, I occasionally got caught up in the excitement of creative campaigns with flowery language that sometimes missed the mark. It's important to remember that communication is a two-way street between sender and receiver—you have something to share, but you need to do so with deference to your readers. Word choice is important, but it doesn't necessarily mean filling your piece with industry jargon. That said, you should have a solid understanding of your audience and their business, including industry terminology, tone of voice, important issues, and the latest trends—this is absolutely essential to ensure authenticity and build trust.
My early experiences compelled me to always do my homework—following industry news, professional associations, and trade publications—in order to gain insight and communicate appropriately. Ultimately, these practices help to connect with readers, deliver desired results, and build meaningful and lasting relationships.
Balance Technical Accuracy and Readability
The one copywriting tip that I had learned is how to balance technical accuracy and easy readability in your copy. Earlier, I used to impose very technical and difficult terms in my writing, and even though my business is B2B, I realized that the content didn't only turn out bland but that clients weren't able to understand it because of the overflow of technical words. Clients used to ask for a simpler explanation. This experience taught me that a copy should not only be accurate with factual terms but should be easy to follow as well.
Educate Clients on Clarity
Prioritize clarity over cleverness. Early in my career, I was all about catchy, creative headlines and copy that I thought would wow and engage readers. I quickly learned that if your audience has to try to figure out what you're saying, you've already lost them. It's important to educate and explain this to your clients as well—sometimes they get caught up in wanting to sound edgy or overly creative, but the primary goal of any copy is to communicate value instantly.
Answer the Five W's and How
One copywriting tip I learned the hard way is the importance of answering the five W's—who, what, when, where, and why—while not forgetting the 'how.' Early in my career, I focused too much on fancy wording and overlooked the clarity needed for the reader to fully grasp the message. The 'why' and 'how' are especially crucial because they speak directly to solutions and benefits, connecting your audience emotionally to your offering. I've also learned that brevity is key; attention spans are short, and you have fractions of a second to make an impact. Keeping copy simple, direct, and centered on what truly matters ensures the message lands effectively and resonates.
Build Trust Through Transparency
The most recent lesson I've learned in copywriting is that it's no longer just about persuasion—it's about building trust through radical transparency. We've moved beyond crafting catchy headlines to creating narratives that resonate on a deeper level with our audience.
This shift demands a data-driven approach to storytelling, where we use insights to understand our audience's needs and craft messages that truly speak to them. Interestingly, AI has become an invaluable tool in this process, not by replacing human creativity but by augmenting it—helping us analyze vast amounts of data to uncover patterns and preferences we might otherwise miss.
The future of copywriting lies in this delicate balance of authenticity, data-driven insights, and technology-enhanced creativity. It's about using every tool at our disposal to create content that converts in the short term and builds lasting relationships with our audience.
Adapt Tone for Each Platform
It might seem so self-explanatory, but one that I think is often overlooked (especially if you're new to the industry) is that you need to adapt your tone of voice for each platform while making sure it aligns with your brand guidelines.
The audience your company is speaking to on Facebook will often differ from your audience on TikTok, for example. Make sure you're speaking directly to them like how they're speaking to their peers—it will only encourage reliability and authenticity.
