3 Beginner Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid

$1,000.

$3,000.

$5,000.

We all want that first high ticket copywriting client.

That first big payday.

To finally put in our two weeks notice.

To finally book that trip.

To finally be able to wake up and choose what to do with your day (rather than have someone else choose it for you).

So, we start practicing our copy.

And then we start outreaching.

But months go by and still no clients.

Sometimes the issue is your outreach skills need work.

But often?

It’s actually your copy that’s not impressing prospects.

Here are 3 beginner mistakes to avoid when writing copy:

#1: Forgetting frameworks

I don’t care if you’ve been writing copy for 5 days…

Or you’ve been writing copy for 5 years.

Don’t try to outsmart proven copywriting formulas.

If Gary Halbert swears by the AIDA framework…

And this guy has sold $1 billion as a copywriter.

You should probably listen to him.

AIDA works on every piece of copy you could ever write.

Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

My other favorite is PAS.

This one is great for copy that’s not necessarily fulfilling a nice-to-have or a want…

But instead - PAS works great when you’re solving a NEED.

So if someone’s running towards pleasure (to buy your product), use AIDA.

If someone’s running away from pain (to buy your product), use PAS.

If you fail to follow these frameworks, you’ll lose people. Your sales argument will be incomplete. There is a logical, psychological flow to these frameworks.

If you avoid them, then clients will avoid you.

#2: Not researching

If you want to be a great copywriter…

You’ve gotta become a great researcher.

This means diving deep into your audience’s mind to understand them completely.

If you want your copy to resonate with someone (and convince them to hand over their hard-earned Benjamins)…

You’ve gotta know them inside and out.

Too many newbie copywriters are writing copy without knowing what problem they’re truly solving. They don’t understand their audience’s wants, pain points, desires…

And they don’t understand their language.

So, don’t skip this.

An easy place to start is Reddit forums in your niche. Facebook groups, Quora, and Amazon reviews also work well.

Look at the exact language your audience is using.

And use that language in your copy.

#3: Ignoring readability

You could have the best sales argument ever.

The perfect combination of words.

Destined to make anyone pull out their wallet.

But…

If your copy looks like this… you’re screwed:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque porta odio eros, ut sodales ex vehicula sit amet. Donec pellentesque imperdiet elit a euismod. Sed sed sapien vel lorem pellentesque blandit. Nullam et lacinia nibh. Nam in turpis lectus. Nunc est metus, varius quis magna et, scelerisque ultrices urna. Pellentesque felis diam, finibus eget dignissim in, venenatis eget risus. Nam placerat malesuada eros, at maximus lectus ultricies vel. Aliquam non scelerisque enim. Curabitur id mollis ligula. Etiam molestie odio velit, non finibus leo vulputate sit amet. Pellentesque posuere enim quis pretium eleifend. Nullam in magna massa. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque porta odio eros, ut sodales ex vehicula sit amet. Donec pellentesque imperdiet elit a euismod. Sed sed sapien vel lorem pellentesque blandit. Nullam et lacinia nibh. Nam in turpis lectus. Nunc est metus, varius quis magna et, scelerisque ultrices urna. Pellentesque felis diam, finibus eget dignissim in, venenatis eget risus. Nam placerat malesuada eros, at maximus lectus ultricies vel. Aliquam non scelerisque enim. Curabitur id mollis ligula. Etiam molestie odio velit, non finibus leo vulputate sit amet. Pellentesque posuere enim quis pretium eleifend. Nullam in magna massa.

So, clean up your copy.

The look of your copy is just as important as the words.

I used to work in the restaurant industry.

You know what I learned?

The dining experience isn’t all about how the food tastes.

That’s only 50% of the experience.

Presentation is the other 50%.

If it looks bad, it won’t “taste” as good. It’s psychological.

And the same is true for your copy.

Don’t write huge walls of text.

Add white space.

Write short words. Short sentences. Short paragraphs.

And, please don’t forget to mix it up every now and then by adding a slightly longer sentence like this one (you don’t want all your sentences to be the exact same length).

Add headers.

Subheaders.

Bold.

Italics.

• And

• Bullet

• points

If it ain’t easy to read, nobody’s reading it!

So, make it easy on the eyes. And you’ll make it easy on your reader to pull out their wallet.

Okay, that’s all for today.

But next week?

Here’s what’s happening:

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Grab my copywriting course.

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-Brandon “not grabbing my course might be a mistake” Storey

P.S. The course will teach you the 4 phases to six figures:

1. Master Copywriting

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So, whether you’re a complete beginner… or you need some extra help landing clients… you’ll want to check it out.

Read the full sales page here (it’s a copywriting lesson in itself 😉).