5 Copywriting Mistakes You Might Be Making
As a copywriter, I’ve written and read my fair share of copy. Despite all this reading, even I catch myself falling into some common copywriting pitfalls. These copywriting mistakes don’t just make your writing sound basic, but they can actually confuse your audience, prevent you from building connections, and turn people away from buying.
Here are some common copywriting mistakes and what you should do instead.
#1 Not Opening Up
A lot of business owners are afraid to open up to their audience. Sometimes they want to remain an anonymous face. Other times they see talking about themselves as self-centered, or they think their audience isn’t interested.
However, not opening up to your audience can actually prevent you from making deeper connections. Now, I’m not saying you need to post your address or give an hour-by-hour breakdown of your day. But think of some things you enjoy, and share them!
For instance, you might enjoy reading and can talk about your newest book. You might have a certain struggle within your business that you know your audience can relate to. You might be really silly and goofy and want to let that part of you come through in your business.
How you open up (and how much) is up to you, but letting people in can build the know, like, trust factor. Just think of all the random facts you know about people you follow online. You may not know those people IRL, but sometimes it feels like you do!
#2 Staying on the Surface
A common mistake I see a lot inside of copy is keeping things surface-level. This is actually a great way to hurt your sales and trust. When I say surface level, I mean talking about what’s included in a product, but not how it benefits someone. I mean giving tips on copywriting mistakes, for example, but not giving an in-depth explanation.
To fix this, you need to take things deeper. When you are trying to sell a product or service, talk about the benefit, the problem it solves, how it’s helped someone else, etc. You can even tell a story about how you’ve benefited from the product or service.
The same goes for your content. Make sure you aren’t just feeding people surface-level tips. Give them an action they can take to move closer to a solution. Give them a step-by-step guide. Provide some words of wisdom.
#3 Copy that is Too Long or Chunky
This common copywriting mistake is an easy one to fix. The truth is - people are intimidated by long, chunky copy. If you’ve ever looked at something and thought, “I am not reading all that”, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Instead, break your paragraphs into smaller chunks. With emails and captions especially, you don’t want a paragraph to be more than a few lines. Before you put copy out into the world, take a look at the “chunks” of copy and make sure they don’t look too intimidating.
#4 Using Too Much Jargon
This is a really hard copywriting mistake for some people. Oftentimes, we think our jargon is necessary or that it makes us appear more knowledgeable. But the reality is that jargon can be confusing and turn your customers away.
Now, I do want to note that for certain industries for niches, jargon might be necessary. However, ask yourself what level of experience your ideal customer has. If they are new or a beginner to your industry, the jargon might be a turn-off. However, if they are experienced, then you might be able to get away with it. Use your best judgment.
Instead of relying on jargon to get the job done, try making your messaging and language more accessible. This will bring clarity to what you are selling and attract more attention.
#5 Focusing on Yourself
Lastly, another copywriting mistake is focusing on yourself too much. This might seem contradictory since I did tell you to open up more, so I want to clarify what I mean by focusing on yourself.
Focusing on yourself too much might mean your website, emails, or social media is littered with information about who you are and what you do, but you don’t talk enough about how you HELP or the TRANSFORMATION someone might experience.
You are going to talk about yourself if you’re the face of your business, but make sure within that context, you are positioning it on how your knowledge, services, and products benefit others.
Hey, I’m Branda! I’m a copywriter and content strategist for female entrepreneurs who want personality-packed, nurture focused copy. Let’s make your copy something people want to read.
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