Write On: Things I Learned as a Young Copywriter
Making the transition from creative writing to copywriting was not easy for me. It took a few years to find my flow. Thankfully, I had some good mentors who kindly pointed me in the right direction. They didn’t do the work for me, but they did help me understand how to approach problem solving and conceptual thinking. These are some of the most important lessons I learned as a young copywriter:
Lesson 1: Get Bad Advertising Out of Your Brain
After a lifetime of consuming bad ads and content, I didn’t realize how many things were subconciously ingrained in my mind. It’s really hard to get those words out of your head. To avoid regurgitating cliches, I had to unlearn everything that felt familiar. This process pushed me to be more original and conceptual in my thinking and writing.
Lesson 2: Learn How to Think Conceptually
Copy sings when there is a compelling concept or idea behind it. You’ve got to give the message an interesting angle to catch people’s attention. That means thinking first and writing second.
Lesson 3: Don’t Write for Your English Teacher
Perfect is boring. Sometimes you have to break the rules to be interesting. Sorry grammar nerds, but being grammatically correct does not translate to commercial success.
Lesson 4: Get a Mentor
I learned so much by rubbing shoulders with some really great writers and designers (shout out Marion Powers). Don’t be shy about asking for advice, input or feedback. If you want to grow, you’ve got to surround yourself with people who are much further along in their careers. If you don’t personally know anyone, read books, listen to podcasts or watch YouTube videos. There is wisdom out there for you to absorb if you look for it.
Lesson 5: Take Feedback like an Adult
One of the most valuable lessons I learned in college was how to keep my mouth shut during the review process. In my creative writing classes, we were given an opportunity to respond at the end of a critique not during the critique. Developing this habit of openly receiving feedback has helped me on the job and in life.
Lesson 6: Come Up with Multiple Ideas
“Never stop at the first idea on the idea train.” That’s cheesy advice I received early in my career. But I listened. And it’s really paid off. I always push myself to come up with lots of ideas and ways of solving problems because most of the time the best idea isn’t the first one that comes to mind.
I hope these insights help you in your own practice. For more content like this, follow me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-ross-4a66b85b/).