10 COPYWRITING MISTAKES TO AVOID (AT ALL COSTS)
28 March 2024
Written by Omneya Nabil
When I started as a copywriter, I made a whole lot of mistakes—from using plenty of pretty adjectives to writing overly verbose sentences and cliché-ridden headlines.
You can blame our education for that (for context, I was a journalism undergrad).
18 years later, as I look back on those early days, I know that those mistakes are what reshaped my approach and helped me hone my writing skills.
Here are 10 copywriting mistakes I made (so you don’t have to make them).
1. Lack of audience understanding
Failing to understand your audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points leads to disconnected messaging.
2. Ignoring the power of headlines
Without an attention-grabbing headline, your content is less likely to capture interest and compel further reading.
3. Using jargon
Overloading your copy with industry-specific terminology alienates readers and confuses them.
4. Not proofreading
Skipping the crucial step of proofreading results in embarrassing typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies
5. Missing call-to-action (CTA)
Not including a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) leaves your readers unsure of the desired next step.
6. Neglecting storytelling
Failing to weave engaging narratives deprives your content of emotional resonance and fails to create meaningful connections.
7. Overpromising
Making exaggerated claims or promises affects trust and credibility, which can lead your audience to disengage.
8. Ignoring SEO
Neglecting to optimise your content for search engines reduces its discoverability and limits its potential reach and impact.
9. Emphasising features, not benefits
Stressing product features without highlighting the corresponding benefits fails to communicate the value proposition effectively, leaving readers unconvinced of the product’s relevance to their needs.
10. Lack of empathy
Failing to empathise with your audience’s challenges, aspirations, and emotions results in tone-deaf copy that fails to establish genuine connections.
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