In this article we will talk about exercises to improve copywriting. We have selected the 9 best exercises for more successful copywriting. You can do most of the exercises in your car while driving to work.

1. Mental processing of advertisements

Every time you see an ad, you think, "Hmm, what could I do with this ad to make it even better?"

Let's say you're driving down the street and you pass a DM billboard that says "I'm a man here, I'm buying."

What should you do? You should think of ways to make this ad even better. This is called mental processing of advertisements.

Copywriters do this all the time, they practice, they stay up to date with trends and developments and thus improve their skills.

Or let's say you see an ad for a self-filling dog bowl.

Think about what you could add or take away from that ad, or even change it completely so that the automated dog bowl starts selling in droves!

How do I convince someone that this is exactly what they need?

These are the questions you ask yourself when you're mentally re-creating ads.

You can practice this by walking around town or on Google, Facebook ads, Instagram ads..

You always think: how can this get any better?!

Put yourself in the role of a customer. Think about it, what is missing from this advertisement to knock me off my feet? What is missing, mentally add it!

Best of all, you can do this exercise anytime, anywhere, and you don't even need paper and pencil.

2. Create a folder with your favorite ads (Creative folder)

In that folder, save all the great ads you've seen and the copy you've read.

This folder can be digital or a real folder full of newspaper clippings. It doesn't really matter, as long as it inspires you.

The folder serves so that when you open it and see it, you experience all the great ideas Wow effect and get inspired for your own creative creation.

Whenever something interesting catches your eye, screen it or cut it, print it and save it in your Creative folder.

It's great to have this folder on your phone, because nowadays we don't leave our phones so we always have inspiration with us.

Save the things you fell for, the things you wanted to buy because of the ad, the things that are funny, that are really good! The commercial is great and we learned something new thanks to it? In Folder!

The point is to keep the ideas for later, when we run out of ideas, we look in the Folder and get inspired. When we write e.g. landing page and we run out of ideas, we go to the Folder and look at some landing pages that we saved earlier and get an idea, at least in which direction to think.

3. Benefits, not features!

This topic is discussed a lot, but let's see with a concrete example.

We have a software company that forces features on their page, which can be very confusing. They say that their software can "work under the load of several basic data structures at the same time" which translates to mean that even in difficult circumstances the server will remain stable.

Put a specific feature to the sales page (especially using terms of a certain profession) is risky because it will be clear only to another engineer and no one else.

People need to be introduced benefits. What can they get from our product/service?

The benefit for the previous feature would be: "Even though your site would be visited by 300,000 thousand visitors at once, it would not crash." That's how powerful this software is!”

People are interested in the benefit, and all of us who are not in the IT sector understand it. And we perceive the previously mentioned feature as blah, blah, some engineering term, blah, blah.

Another example:

In the ad, the airline offers 50,000 points if you sign up for their loyalty program. And that is all. It doesn't say anything else. Wait.. what does 50,000 points mean? Is that a lot and a little? Free miles? For one flight, two flights? The average traveler is clueless, confused and will give up on registration. But if the airline would advertise that you can receive enough points for two return tickets to any destination as a gift during registration... well, that's something else!

The bottom line is to create an idea available for many people.

So, we turn a feature into a benefit that everyone understands.

4. Cut it, cut it some more and then cut it some more

The point of copy is not to be a certain length or width. The point is to convey essence. If possible in as concise a form as possible.

When we write copy, the first version is likely to be quite long and rambling. That's okay. But then we will rework it again and we will throw out unnecessary phrases, repetitions, even whole sentences. It's better now.

But let's see if it can be reworked to be more more concisely, without losing the essence at all.

And so until we get it as short a text as possible which is at the same time effective!

Here's another example for an airline:

"We would like to introduce you to our offer, which includes a variety of tools and services for the aerospace industry. Our primary purpose is to use software to improve blah blah blah..” Long and boring, rambling.

Let's cut it short and process it:

"Our most important goal is to successfully use the software to make every passenger's flight safer and more comfortable." This is already better.

But let's try some more processing:

“We make software that automatically flies an airplane.” This is almost a tweet.

It is not necessary for the copy to be short, but it must be murderous. It must convey the essence and make it clear to everyone what it is about.

5. Manual copying of known copies

If you have any role model in copywriting, for example Warren Buffet, take his copies and copy them word for word.

It is best to do it by hand, that is, with a pen on paper because the human brain absorbs information the best, but you can also type on the computer, as you prefer.

Copy the sentences verbatim and you will notice that you are speaking attention on the punctuation of sentences, on words, on expressions, on phrases, on style, on the length of paragraphs... on the way of enumeration.

You will simply adopt the way of writing and thinking of Warren Buffett, which does not mean that you will be his copy, but you will enrich your style and your way of thinking.

Rewrite i historically successful commercials for example. a one-sentence commercial for the Apple iPod: "A thousand songs in your pocket."

Here, so short sentences fail. Practice short sentences.

Break this Apple sentence down into parts, and see what train of thought preceded it. That's why it's important to transcribe, because the brain perceives differently while transcribing element by element but while reading while drunk.

6. Push your limits in writing

The problem of many who want to write copy is that they don't dare to step out of their comfort zone and write more risky, to give some new elements a chance.

Let's face it, it sure is boring.

In a world that is vying for attention, it certainly does not pass. You need to get your writing up to one more exciting level.

Let's see an example:

"With good marketing, you need to convey your message and thus reach the desired goal." In order for your message to be noticed, it needs to be more noticeable than your competition's marketing, and you will achieve this by analyzing the competition..blah, blah,” This is boring. Safe, but boring.

Let's take it up a notch and spice it up a bit:

"If your ad is the same as your boring competition, you won't achieve anything." You are changing her.” This is already more interesting!

A more relaxed way of expression is not always suitable for everyone, but it is more interesting and energetic. You remember at school, everyone liked professors who were not too formal.

Simply, energy captures attention. Energy needs relaxation, not stiffness.

7. Read your texts out loud

This is very important and transformative exercise!

The most common problem people have with writing is that it is unnatural.

Let's think about it, we sit in front of some glowing screen, and by pressing letters on the keyboard we try to convey some thought.

It's not natural for a man, more natural is when we talk.

And when we talk we use different expressions than when we write. That's why it's important read aloud what we write to see if it sounds natural.

You can use the voice recorder on your phone to help you 2 ways:

To record yourself at the moment of inspiration, so that later you transcribe it into text...

Or to turn on the dictaphone, read your text and then listen to it later and add or discard what doesn't sound good and natural enough to you.

8. Use earplugs

Or you just work in silence.

However, few of us have exactly such conditions. We mostly work in offices where colleagues are talking, cars on the street are honking, maybe you can hear some music. It all distracts us and spoils our concentration.

So, earplugs. When you are in silence, you are alone with yourself, inspiration, ideas, facts... It is good for writing to be in to his world.

9. Be multifunctional

Today's world is a world of media, various media.

Especially video has gained importance lately.

And that's why it's better to take it easy you learn more tools and techniques. Because today a good copywriter is not only a person who writes text, but his task is often also video processing, script writing for that video, design, Photoshop...

This should not discourage you, but encourage you motivates to climb the ladder little by little by being "everyone's guy" and therefore more productive and a sought-after copywriter.

And here we are at the end. We ran through 9 essential copywriting exercises.

It would be best if you applied them daily, especially since most of them can be done mentally while waiting at traffic lights, and earplugs are not that expensive.

These exercises are proven to work, have been used and are still used by successful copywriters.

If you apply the exercises consistently, you should significantly improve your writing skills. If you need additional help, feel free to contact us, we are here for you.

Source: youtube.com/KopywritingCourse