The Worst Things About Copywriting

Unless you were an English major, chances are you loathe writing. But as every entrepreneurial thought leader will tell you, copywriting is a key to landing clients and growing your business. 

While there are plenty of articles out there about what makes good copywriting, there’s not a lot of information out there that tells you what to avoid. 

It isn’t just about good writing. These costly mistakes can actually decrease your conversion rates if you’re not careful. 

So if you’re a business owner/newbie copywriter who can’t quite afford a pro yet but still doesn’t want to look totally foolish (and doesn’t want to lose money), make sure you’re avoiding these things like the plague. 

Bad Grammar & Punctuation

Yes, we’re going back to English class my friend. Even though most people don’t hold themselves to the highest standard of grammar, they do expect it from professionals and businesses. A misplaced comma or improper use of “their” can hurt your image and even discourage some potential buyers from exploring your website further. 

We’re all humans, and we all make grammatical mistakes. But don’t let one mess with your business. 

Download Grammarly. Use spell-check. Take a quick course. Google grammar rules you’re not sure of. And, at the very least, have a team member or close, grammar-savvy friend, give what you’re writing a once-over before you press publish.  

Being Self-Centric 

You’re great, really, but not great enough to make every single piece of business copy all about you. Even if you’re the face of the brand or a one-woman-or-man-show, your focus should always be on your customer. 

I see so many solopreneurs make this mistake. They over-explain their story and their credentials to a point where it becomes a serious turn-off. 

An easy way to avoid this? Read over the “you” part of your copy and ask yourself: how can I say what I’m trying to say 10x faster? Remember, people are busy, and the sooner you can get to the point, the better. 

Another way to keep your copy from being too narcissistic, is to ask yourself why anyone would care to read this? If you can’t think of one thing a stranger might benefit from reading this, then it probably needs to be rewritten with your client in mind. 

Toxic Negativity 

Whew. Some people love to talk about what they hate. Pessimism and negative copy will not earn you the conversion rates necessary to grow your business. 

While it is important to speak to the pain points of your target audience, you don’t want to harp on them. Present the problem and immediately dive into the solution. The after-party. The incredible benefits they’ll experience once they’ve gone through your signature process. 

If you have too many “can’ts” or “don’ts” or “shouldn’ts” in your copy, challenge yourself to write it in a more positive light and see what happens. 

And if you’re just tired of writing your copy altogether, click here to schedule a call with me and see if one of my copywriting packages will work for you.