Six Strategies To Make Use Of The Incubation Process In Copywriting
"The incubation process is the power of your subconscious mind to use all your knowledge and experiences to solve a specific problem, and its efficiency is dictated by time, creative orientation, environment, and ego."
This is one of the axioms of Joseph Sugarman’s book Adweek Copywriting.
And it’s probably the biggest lessons I’ve had in copywriting.
I wanted to share some of the strategies I have incorporated into my writing process to make the best of the incubation period within copywriting.
Although this is a post specifically on how I use it in copywriting, I have considered how it may translate over to other areas of business and areas of expertise. For example, a lawyer could use these strategies to be better prepared for the day in court defending their client, or public speaking professional could take these principles to be better prepared to speak.
Continually build on your specialised knowledge
Specialised knowledge is knowledge in your field. It what makes you an expert.
For us writers, it could be knowledge of our craft (writing) or the specifics of our work (the type of work we write).
Since the process is revolved heavily around your subconscious ‘connecting the dots’ and putting your skills to use, the more specialised knowledge you have, the better work you will produce. Period.
Continue to read, experiment and become more proficient in your area of speciality.
As I become a better writer through practice and educating myself, the better copy I can write.
The more time you spend defending clients and studying the law, the better lawyer you can become.
The more recipes you learn to cook and continue to practice, the tastier your food.
The more you learn about management and work with people, the better the manager you will be.
Nothing will take away from that. Building on your specialist knowledge and your craft is an inevitable first step.
Give yourself time
Deadlines are important because they keep the pressure on, but don’t try to complete full assignments within a day.
But you should never find yourself rushing a job.
Complete them in advance, and give yourself time to contemplate what could be improved.
Reiterate, proof-read and then publish – over weeks, not days.
As you research all the specifics on a project, your mind is slowly compartmentalising the information.
Sleep on it. Give it time. Allow your mind to do the work.
Remember the axiom – one of the points is that it’s ‘dictated by time, creative orientation, environment, and ego.’
Did you read ‘time’?
Set your expectations and deadlines with this in mind, and you will never fail.
Start the research process early
Related to the above point, this is equally important.
Don’t try to cram all the research in just before you do the job. It doesn’t work like that.
You need to find the subtly in the message.
There may be a small detail you can spin in your favour for the marketing campaign. You will overlook these golden pieces of information unless you start the process early.
As we mentioned, your mind needs time to do the work – even if it’s in your subconscious.
Once the topic is in your mind, and you’ve done the research, the process starts.
The longer you can give yourself to contemplate these ideas, the better.
Work on many projects at once
Who is to say you can only work on one project at once?
That’s not what high-performing people do.
They work on multiple projects. With focus and discipline.
I’m not saying multi-task. I’m not.
I’m saying work on several projects over the space of a week. Have multiple things going off.
When you burn out with one activity, switch to the next. You don’t need to switch over to Netflix – do something else. Work on a different project. Read something for another assignment. Start another advertisement you’ve been waiting to work on.
There is no rule that states ‘only work on one creative endeavour at a time’ – anyone who says that, unless they have written a masterpiece, are uninformed.
You need to be working on several projects at once to keep your creative juices flowing. At least – that’s what works best for me.
Become more disciplined with your focus
You can work on multiple things with discipline.
When I’m working an assignment or project, I don’t switch between them. I fully focus on the task at hand and I work until I have reached my goal for the day.
By setting yourself goals and deadlines, you will have a well-thought-out strategy as to how you tackle assignments and projects.
You can give yourself enough time for the incubation process, then simply get down to work and let it all flow.
Set time aside for thinking. For leisure. For work.
Control your day and become self-disciplined.
Without it, the incubator process is useless – you will be forever incubating, never creating.
Trust yourself to delve deep
You have to have faith in yourself and your abilities.
If you are nervous about the process or you are worrying when you think about your ‘subconscious doing that work’ – take a step back.
Think about all the times you’ve had something happen – a smell, taste, sound – that has reminded you of something you thought you’d completely forgotten? How easy is that trail of thought to pick back up, now you’ve been reminded of it?
We don’t know how powerful our minds are. There is too much information to retain consciously.
When I speak to others, I am often shocked at how well I can explain copywriting concepts that I learned just four to six weeks ago reading new material. It’s astonishing what our brains can retain. It takes in millions of pieces of information every minute, yet we only decode a small percentage of it.
Your mind is powerful – and you need to trust that it’s doing the work, even when you don’t feel like it is.
Even when you sleep your subconscious mind is at work.
Be heavily invested in the success
How can you succeed within such a highly competitive field without being invested in the success of your endeavours?
Sugarman was a big advocate of this point too, putting emphasis on ownership of your own business and suffering through the losses of your mistakes.
For those looking to use this technique outside of writing, it can be applied: but the same rules apply.
If you’re not heavily invested in the success of whatever you’re working towards, why would you subconscious do the work?