'Keep Going' and Other Lessons: A Letter to My 29 Year Old Copywriting Self

Although I didn't know back then, it was around the time I started training to be a copywriter that I'd also begun descending into what would become several years of personal turmoil.

I was around 29, I think -- perhaps I was too miserable deep down then to recall my age later -- and it crept up on me and ruined the life I had. Eventually, I'd start afresh in my early thirties.

Yet while all this was happening, I found hope, comfort, salvation and a sense of direction in copywriting. It's a trade I love now as much as I do chocolate, which is a hell of a lot.

I still find it hard to believe I'm doing something I love.

I don't know why I do, but I guess it doesn't matter.

Every now and then, though, I do look back at how far I've come and what I've learned.

Today, I'm writing a letter to my 29 year old copywriting self, discussing some of the important things I've learned about the trade from those early days and beyond.

Dear Pete,

Can't say I blame you for wanting to be a copywriter. You're going to get paid for doing something you love doing. What could be better than that! Before you start, though, there are a few things I think you need to know if you're going to make it....

Make the most of every opportunity

Keep an open mind and learn absolutely everything you can. This is a tough field to get into, but not impossible. The opportunities are there if you stay positive.

You'll know this already as you learn about copywriting, but I'm going to tell you anyway: knowing about copywriting isn't enough. It's very niche. It's almost an island, but it's not actually one and fits into a bigger picture.

Content, PPC, SEO, (digital) PR, social media.... they all feed into each other somehow, so make the most of any opportunity to learn about them. You'll learn how exactly different elements of the digital marketing mix work together as a whole and where copywriting feeds into them.

That means not ruling anything out. Work in an area that might not be your direct area of expertise, if you have to. Copywriting will come into the picture soon enough. The lead copywriter will be sick or have too much on their plate. The creative team will drown in their workload if they don't find that extra pair of hands. Put on that cape and dash to their rescue, you superhero you!

Inexperience will be a barrier, but you'll overcome it if you just keep going

There was a time when I couldn't get into the trade for love nor money (or at least, if I'd offered bribes at the time, I still wouldn't have been able to get into it!). It's not an easy trade to get into.

Pro bono work -- oh, you'll always have plenty of that and it's fine to do a little bit (or a lot if you love the cause) to get some experience. When it comes to salaried work or paid jobs, things are going to get a lot tougher, though. You're going to face rejections and frustrations because companies are investing in you and your skills and want to know you'll do the job well. You'll go through interview after interview after interview. Just keep taking the feedback onboard from each one and moving forward.

We were all inexperienced once. It's all about being passionate about your trade, putting in the time to learn and develop and showing you've got the knowledge. Someone out there is willing to give you a shot. If you do all this, eventually, you'll convince them you deserve the break (which you do).

Every time you send a CV out, post on social media, ask for a referral, guest post on someone else's blog or do anything else you do to get people to notice you, you put yourself in the running for work. Someone out there sees you and likes you. You don't who, but trust me, they're out there.

So, absolutely never give up. Keep going because although you don't realise it, you're getting closer and closer. At first glance, a rejection is bad, but it doesn't tell the whole story: they might have liked you but just liked someone else that little bit more. You're on their radar now and they might come back to you. A 'no' isn't always a no; it could turn out to be a 'maybe not just now'.

You're the expert, so don't be scared

You're going to get projects you've not tackled before. You'll have to write in niches that are new to you. It's a bit daunting, but it needn't be. It's your chance to sparkle.

Remember all that training you're doing? Remember those late nights you spend reading copywriting books and the evenings in with your course notes and doing assignments? They're won't have been for nothing.

You're the expert. The client is hiring you for your expertise. You can do it, but you've got to research like hell. Imposter syndrome? Not a word of it. Do you know how to write copy? Yes. Now it's all about doing the research. Know your subject and know your audience. Those are the rules. Keep these in mind and you can't go far wrong. Be confident.

Listen to your client very carefully

Being disruptive, edgy, irreverent... they'll get people to notice you. I totally agree. There's a lot of noise out there and somehow you've got to make people sit up and take notice.

Before you start littering content with swear words, bold statements or other edgy devices, though, have a good chat with your client about their brand and what they want you to achieve for them. Pay close attention to project briefs and the aim of the project. Put any thoughts of being edgy or disruptive out of your mind unless the client asks for it.

Some will and some won't. If they do, go right ahead and knock yourself out for them with irreverence. If they don't, check whether they do and if they say 'No', respect that. They know their brand better than you do, they know what they want and you'll save yourself a whole load of headaches.

You see, it's not just about getting people to notice you in a crowded market. There's a method to the madness and you've got to have a reason for going down the irreverent, edgy route. If your client is bringing a fresh take or something new to the game (or you are), you have a reason to be edgy. If they believe there's something about their brand personality that screams 'This is a daring brand', again, you have a reason.

If you're being disruptive for the sake of it, you'll fail your client and miss out on repeat business (because you didn't listen to your client). It's a bit like screaming the F-word in the middle of the street at the top of your voice: people turn around and asks, 'Why did you do that?' and you reply, 'Oh, I just felt like it.' Then they all turn back around, either offended or just muttering 'arsehole' to themselves, and carry on as normal. What was the point?

Edit at the end

Pete, man, save yourself some time and don't edit as you go along.

No one gets it right the very first time. Apparently, Axl Rose started working on 'November Rain' in 1983, but the public wouldn't hear it until 1991. How many lines did he edit as he went along; how many times did he re-record the track; and how many times did he re-film and re-edit that epic promotional video?!

Fair enough, change the odd word or sentence while you write because you just know it doesn't fit in there, but don't keep tweaking every single sentence. It's a draft and you'll still have to edit and re-write bits after you complete it, so just edit the whole lot at the end.

Know your true value

Copywriting - you're writing to help others sell their products and services and market their businesses. That's what people hire you to do and that's why you're training to help them.

What you don't realise is that you're going to provide so much more value than that. You're going to save people a lot of time and worry creating their own content and trying to find the words to say what they mean. You're letting them concentrate on the core parts of their business so they can make money (while you work on content that can help them to make more money, too!).

There's more. Good copywriting can do more than get people to click the 'Buy' button, sign up for a newsletter or do whatever it is you want them to do. It can inspire people to take action that improves their lives in some way. You can motivate them to break out of their comfort zone and/or do something they've wanted to do for a long time but never made the time to do. This is the hidden value of copywriting.

You're about to go on a journey, a highly rewarding one in which you'll learn and follow your passion. I'm not going to lie. It will get tough, but never forget you're doing something you love. Let that drive you forward. You've built the skills and the knowledge, so keep learning and pushing ahead and you'll get to be where you want to be in the end.

Now, get out there and get what you deserve!

Yours in the good times and the bad,

Pete

Sometimes, life moves so fast that we don't always stop to reflect on how far we've come. This is especially the case when we're struggling. We're stuck in the present, focusing on our current dilemma, and we don't always think back to our previous struggles.

One way to get through a harder time is to think back to the same time the year before or several years ago. Where were you? I'll bet you're much further along than you were then! I've no doubt some of my nearest and dearest will remember my earliest days when I was still trying to break into the field.

These are some of the things I've learnt in my journey so as a copywriter. Have you ever looked back on your journey and reviewed what you've learned? What would you put in a letter to your younger self?