Copywriting Pet Peeve Numero Uno
There are a lot of things that annoy me.
- People who chew so loudly I can hear them on the other side of the restaurant.
- Arrogance in any style or form.
- Air conditioning blasting through the vents so hard that it makes you put a sweater on when it’s 110 degrees outside.
- People saying “but it’s a dry heat” and thinking that it makes that big of a difference – 115 degrees is 115 degrees!
- Ignorance about what’s happening in the world (would it kill you to watch the news every now and then?).
- People who drive below the speed limit thinking that they’re making the world a better, safer place. They’re not!
- Door-to-door salesmen. Sorry, I know you have a job to do but you set my dog off on a wild barking spree every time you ring my doorbell!
When it comes to copywriting, I’m no different. I hate seeing the word “we” splattered all over websites. And I hate boring, dry, lifeless sales copy (as if that’s going to get anyone excited to buy from you? Please!)
But there’s one new copywriting trend that’s gaining popularity among some writers and it’s irritating the hell out of me… Now, more and more copywriters are trying to mimic other successful copywriters and it’s just not working!
Table of Contents
Stop Trying So Damn Hard!
There are a handful of copywriter pioneers who made it cute to use provocative language, cuss, and paint lewd pictures as a way of driving sales. Then there are the people who copied them…
It doesn’t work for everyone, and it SHOULDN’T work for everyone!
Just like you can see right through that creepy, voyeuristic look some used-car salesmen give you when you put your big toe on their lot, you can see through fake, disingenuous sales copy.
I get it. I will be the first to admit that when I hit a block in my writing, I look at what others are doing online for inspiration. But when I find that inspiration, I close all the windows, open a word document or good old-fashioned notebook (because yes, I’m that old-school – can you really beat putting pen to paper sometimes?) and write.
I write from my heart. I write without distraction. And I write thinking only of the person who will eventually lay eyes on the text I’m putting out there.
Psych 101
Not to toot my own horn but… I have an uncanny ability to read other people. I used to want to be a psychologist before I realized that if I wanted to make the kind of money I want to make, I’d have to spend the majority of my life in school and then the rest of my life paying back debts. I love business, so copywriting seemed like the natural fit.
Now, I use this bizarre passion for getting to know and understanding other people to help. I help buyers find the businesses they want to work with. I help small business owners make more money by looking as amazing as the product they sell. And I help myself earn a flexible living that affords me the ability to buy a good bottle of wine now and then.
What I don’t do is try to be someone I’m not.
And you shouldn’t either!
Because as soon as you start trying to be someone your not, or start using words you wouldn’t normally use in your conversation with your best friend, the world will know… and they will cringe…. and then they will sprint away from your business faster than you can say, “but wait, there’s more!”
So stop it. Just stop it.
Be who you are. Own the values you stand for (or don’t stand for). Embrace your uniqueness and then find the sides of you that will make your buyers fall head over heels in love with you so much so that you will earn the kind of loyalty you so desire.
Because really… what’s better than showing off your true colors, letting the world see you in all your glory and then making them adore you as you delight them with your wit, grace, humor and brains.
What’s your number one copywriting pet peeve? Let me hear it in the comments.
About the author: Kimberly Crossland
Kimberly Crossland has an unnatural obsession with marketing and wordsmithing. She spends her days creating content that inspires people click, share, and buy. Get more copywriting and content marketing tips by signing up for her email list at KimberlyCrossland.com
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This article was first published by Kimberly Crossland
