Here's how you can overcome the potential drawbacks of lacking emotional intelligence in copywriting.

Boosting empathy is vital in copywriting, as it helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level. To enhance this skill, immerse yourself in the experiences of your target demographic. For example, in Indian scriptures, empathy is beautifully illustrated by Lord Rama, who exemplified compassion and understanding towards all beings. His ability to feel the pain of others and respond with kindness is a lesson in empathy that transcends time. Similarly, by cultivating empathy, your copy can resonate more profoundly, creating a genuine connection with readers.

To overcome the potential drawbacks of lacking emotional intelligence in copywriting, I focus on enhancing my empathy and understanding of human emotions. I actively listen to feedback and engage in empathy-building exercises to better connect with my audience on an emotional level. Additionally, I seek out diverse perspectives and collaborate with others to ensure my copy resonates with a wide range of experiences and emotions. By continually honing my emotional intelligence skills, I can craft copy that not only informs but also inspires, engages, and ultimately drives action from my audience.

Analyzing feedback is a critical step in honing your emotional intelligence as a copywriter. It’s about listening—really listening—to how your audience interacts with your copy. When you notice patterns, whether they’re positive reactions or areas of disconnect, it’s an opportunity to learn and adapt. Feedback isn’t just about what’s working; it’s a window into the emotional pulse of your readers. This isn’t just tweaking language; it’s about evolving your emotional acuity to craft messages that resonate on a human level. Emotional intelligence in copywriting means your words don’t just speak; they feel.

We've all seen advertisements that fall flat on their face and wondered how they ever made it to print/screen, let alone past the drawing board. With a few more outside perspectives, there's a good chance these examples would have been replaced with something more suitable. Collaboration, or at the very least using a focus group or sounding board, is a simple way to check if your copy will hit its mark. If you are already investing the time, effort, and money in such a project, why close your eyes at the last second when there's still a chance to polish and perfect the work before it is released into the wild?

If all else fails, seriously consider whether copywriting is right for you. Whether you write Marketing copy or government online services, emotional intelligence is a crucial skill for any copywriter. World-leading banks have realised that their websites lacked emotional intelligence, for example, and that good Marketing copy reflects in-depth understanding of the clients’ perspective and needs. If, like I have done, you get to write content for social security applicants or crime victims, emotional intelligence is absolutely vital. It’s not a trick you can fake. It’s a talent you can develop. Work on it. Practice makes perfect.