A copy masterclass with INNOCENT SMOOTHIES...

Guess who’s back? Back again? Amy’s back — and today I'll be sipping on my bottle of Innocent Smoothies while listening to Innocent Smoothies in a live masterclass...

(mind blown).

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BACK TO BASICS

I’m gonna be super raw and vulnerable and honest with you right now.

Sometimes in copywriting people get too excited and try to run before they can walk.

Heck, they try to bungee jump before they can walk.

And I love the enthusiasm, but sometimes we’ve gotta go back to square one and learn the very basics of WHAT copy is and WHY it is that way.

We’re not writing fiction. We’re not writing poetry. All of that is very useful, but it’s separate from marketing content and articles and blog posts… I could go on. What’s the one mistake I see brand new copywriters make time and time again?

Over-explaining things.Instead of saying, ‘Buy this new sports drink!’ they’ll say, ‘This is a BRAND new sports drink, armed with electrolytes forged from the finest atoms, marketed with the power of four coffees before midday. Don’t YOU want to drink this sports drink? I mean, it’s not my cup of tea, I’ve already had those four coffees, and…’ yap yap yap, etc etc etc.

What I’m saying is, less is more.…Except when more is less. Confused? Me too. Let me explain. Check out this packaging from Nudy Rudy Soap (brilliant brand name, btw –?thank you Hazel from the Word Tonic server for sharing!)

It’s so basic.

It physically couldn’t say less if it tried without losing its meaning and tone (which is clearly quite blunt and cheeky). And yes, I am very annoyed I didn’t come up with, “Just Soap. No Opera.” People only have a few seconds to grasp your message. Super clear wording can draw people in.

LET'S LINKEDIN IT!

I’m no LinkedIn pro.

I still have to climb the cringe mountain (a phrase I have fully stolen from LinkedIn goddess, Lara Acosta) every day just to post something that will inevitably get 5 likes.

But I do have some tips for you.

Maybe you hate LinkedIn and think it’s full of guys in suits. Maybe you don’t mind it but have no idea how to get 500+ connections super fast like seemingly everyone else. Don’t fret, pet. I’m here.

Firstly, to get connections… and try not to get your mind blown here… you’ve gotta connect with people. Crazy, I know. But you don’t go and spam that button willy-nilly. I currently have 152 unanswered connection requests on LinkedIn.

And a lot of others that were straight-up declined. Why? Because they’ve made no effort. There’s nothing to tell me WHY we should be a connection.

LinkedIn isn’t like Facebook in 2012 – you can’t just befriend everyone that comes across your feed (I wouldn’t know, I had strict parents). Play it like you would IRL – say hi, introduce yourself, say something you like about their profile or portfolio. Prove to them you’re worth having in your circle. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t write a Shakespearean sonnet to each and every request. Trust me, I’m not paying for Premium just to send more than like 4 messages a day.

Because there’s another thing (and this one’s crucial):

Credibility.

If you have no profile photo, no banner, a name that isn’t formatted correctly (unless it’s a stylistic choice to write all lowercase, for example) and just ‘Copywriter’ as your bio, I’m sorry, that looks spammy as hell, and nobody will want that in their network.

But you know what will?

- A nice, clean photo of yourself for your display photo.

- A banner with either a simple background or some details about you – this is mine (all made on Canva for free):

- A simple bio that describes who you are and/or what you do. For example: "I’m a freelance copywriter helping B2B brands drive sales."

I’d avoid using ‘aspiring’ or ‘junior’ in your title, though. In my experience, those kinds of words just make people take advantage of your darling ingenue status. No need to aspire – you’re a fully-fledged copywriter, baby! Because I said so!!!

For all of you lovelies reading, I will say that promoting what you’re doing as a copywriter is a HUGE green flag – you can see the Word Tonic seal of approval in my banner.

If anyone’s banner or bio says ‘Word Tonic’, I usually instantly approve, even if there’s no connection message. Because we’ve gotta look out for one another!!

COPYWRITER CORNER WITH...

Isabel Strychacz -?Copywriter at Make It Happen Studios + Author at Simon & Schuster

1) What do you love most about copywriting?

I love the magic of it. The fact that that perfectly-crafted sentence you just wrote can sell thousands of product, can change minds, can start a movement, can create the exactly-right brand identity. Plus, it’s the ultimate playground for creativity—great copy happens when copywriters are given the free reign to play around with words, get creative with it, and lean into trends.

2) What’s your one top writing tip?

Remember you’re not just writing words—you’re creating a connection. Winning over hearts and minds can be the success or failure of copy, so don’t be afraid to get a little personal and a lot empathetic.?

3) What’s your one top copywriting career tip?

Lean into what makes you unique. You’re a whole person, and being a copywriter is just one aspect of you. This whole-person-ness is what will make you stand out in your writing and from the other thousands of copywriters out there.

For example, along with being a copywriter in the communications and PR industry, I’m also an author. Do fiction and copy mix? OF COURSE. I’m a storyteller either way—just a little differently. So find your uniqueness and let that influence what you write.

4) What advice would you give to a GEN-Z copywriter and what advice would you give to an aspiring copywriter?

The Gen-Z copywriter is digitally fluent, so embrace that! You grew up in the age of memes and viral trends and can use that to your advantage. Sure, learn writing skills and the principles of copywriting that have been around forever, but you’re perfectly primed to keep copy fresh and relevant.??

For the aspiring copywriter, you have to learn the rules before you can break them. Practice writing in all different styles, taking note of things like tone of voice and sentence construction.? And read widely—books, blogs, ad copy, Instagram captions, cereal boxes—to analyse what works and what doesn’t. And once you’ve got the rules down, then step outside that box, take some calculated risks, and watch your copy go from commonplace to compelling.?