Going for Gold: 6 copywriting tips from Team GB winners (kind of)

Armchair sports fans everywhere will have been drawing parallels between our Olympic superstars and the world of copywriting.

Ok, maybe not. So just in case you've missed any spurious copy analogies with top athletes in the last few weeks, here are a few top tips from Team GB's golden generation.

Men's 200m relay tip: Every sentence counts

See those GB 200m freestyle relay boys go?

Length after length, leg after leg. Leading from the start, they powered through 800m of unnecessarily shallow Parisian pool to victory. No let up. Every man did his turn.

Your copy needs to do the same. Every sentence needs to do a number on the reader. You can’t start brightly, add some filler or waffle and then come good again at the end.

Remember, your reader doesn’t know what’s coming next. A dull sentence will kill their interest and they’ll never get to your brilliant conclusion.

Women's quad skulls urge 'End strongly'

Having said every sentence needs to work hard, it’s undeniably true that a strong finish can make all the difference.

Just channel the GB women’s quadruple skulls team who pipped the Dutch with a surge at the end. A photo finish was needed to separate first from second. Similarly, a strong call to action might be the thing that clinches victory for your pitch.

But all too often copy flags towards the end. Writers often invest heavily in a snappy beginning but run out of steam just when it’s needed most. You can read just how to make those endings more effective in our post on Calls To Action.

Men's MTB champ says 'Zig when the others Zag'

Oh, how French mountain biker, Victor Koretzky, must hate the tree on the last lap of the Men’s Mountain Bike final.

Tom Pidcock, in the lead, punctured and had to fight his way back up from 9th place. Battling through, he still had to get past Koretzky. Having passed the same tree on the right on every one of the seven laps, Koretzky chose to go right again. Pidcock went left for the first time and surged ahead for Gold.

Do the unexpected. Surprise is a hugely effective technique at managing your reader’s attention. Perhaps it means using an unusual word. Perhaps you can conjure up an vibrant image in words. Be contrary. Defy convention.

Whatever you do, don’t be ordinary.

GB Triathletes recommend you just deal with it.

Fancy a dip in the Seine?

Thought not. Pity the poor triathletes who had to brave E.Coli with a swim in the fast flowing river. Suggestions that the event might come down to two events were roundly dismissed. These guys wanted to do it properly. So, they held their nose, took the plunge and, for Alex Yee, Gold followed.

When you’re writing, conditions won’t always be perfect. Source material might be sketchy. Your client may insist on not beginning sentences with ‘And’. The brief might change. You may have to use jargon because those terms search well.

If any of this is the case, dig deep into your locker of wordsmithery and find creative ways around the problem. Who knows, maybe the constraint will bring out the best in you.

Top trampolinists believe practice makes perfect

How does trampolining champ, Briony Page, know where she is at any point in her trampolining routine?

Because she’s done it thousands and thousands of times.

Upside down she’s still in control.

If you're planning some verbal gymnastics like headline writing, or snappy soundbites, you can do the same. Arm yourself with a toolkit of persuasive techniques and you’ll be prepared for any copy challenge. Don't just stare out of the window waiting for inspiration to strike. More often than not it won't. But with a practiced set of techniques you'll crack the problem in no time.

In our Sharper Copywriting workshops, we'll take you through building your toolkit so you can solve the challenge standing on your head.

Golden girl Keely says believe in yourself

Was there ever any doubt in Keely Hodgkinson's mind that she had the 800m sewn up from the start? We doubt it.

On the outside modest and self-effacing. On the inside, steely resolve.

With the tips above to hand, you too can possess the same inner confidence that your writing is gold standard.

If there's one thing we know from training thousands of writers, it's that folk aren't confident that they've done a good job - when actually they've smashed it.

So believe in yourself. You are a great writer. Take our advice (literally) and your copy will be taking its rightful place on the podium.