A Message from Kelly

Welcome to The Copywriting Connection!

This week we are talking about ten different things you should review AFTER you've finished a writing project and BEFORE you submit the piece. There's nothing worse than spending days writing a piece and then your boss rips it apart because of errors and weaknesses you should have caught.

The Copywriting Connection has a new feature, the word of the week. While as copywriters our goal is often to write simply, that doesn't mean your vocabulary prowess needs to go down the tubes. Challenge yourself by using the word of the week at least twice today - maybe to describe the new hair color your sister is considering.

Happy Copywriting!

Kelly

10 point copy checklist

By: Kelly Robbins

When we write copy, whether for ourselves or others, we often write under a time crunch. In the rush to research, schedule interviews, determine the direction of the article, and talk directly to the target audience among several other things, there is room to make mistakes.

There are many simple mistakes copywriters make repeatedly that have a huge impact on their copy's response and on their client's satisfaction. Developing a checklist to use when you've finished a writing project can help ease your mind. You know that you are submitting quality copy, that you've hit your writing goals and that the copywriting basics are correct.

1. Headline: Does your headline focus on an emotional benefit or a pain? What attention grabbing techniques did you use? Did you ask a question? Make a bold statement (that you prove right away in your copy)?
   
   
2. Copy: Is there "meat" to your copy or is it filled with fluff? Write with depth vs. breadth. You are more likely to educate and grab reader's attention value when you go deep on one specific topic rather than discuss more and go wide. Readers find more value in the depth.
   
   
3. Have you effectively used reputable facts and statistics to either prove a point, grab attention or both?
   
   
4. Who did you talk to in your copy? Was it one specific person and not "all" of the people that could be reading it?
   
   
5. Can you delete any unnecessary words? Words like that; and; really; like; is; are; will be; were; to name a few.
   
   
6. Do all of your sentences end with a strong word? Nothing should end with weak words such as "that". The end of the sentence is the word you are leaving your reader with. The words you use at the end of your sentences are immediately and automatically emphasized, so as a copywriter it's important you use them wisely.
   
   
7. Overall: Have you read your article out loud? Does it flow smoothly in all areas?
   
   
8. Use your readability menu if you are using Microsoft word. To set this up for yourself go to "Tools" and click on the "Options" button at the bottom. Click on the spelling and grammar tab and then check the box for "show readability statistics".
   
   
9. Check for variability in your sentence length. In general, shorter sentences are better when writing copy. Try not to have many sentences above 15 or 20 words, and check through your copy to see that there are a variety of lengths.
   
   
10. Call to action: Is your call to action clear and specific? Could there be any confusion about what step the reader should take next?

Having a post-writing checklist helps ensure your copy is strong and efficient before you send it off to your clients or your customers, and can reduce both a writer's anxiety and unnecessary errors.

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Copywriters Challenge

I challenge you to create a post-writing checklist before you begin your next copywriting project.

Word of the Week

This week's word of the week is autumnal [aw-tuhm-nl]. Autumnal is belonging to or suggestive of autumn; produced or gathered in autumn. It is often used to describe fall such as autumnal colors. Another definition means past maturity or middle life

Tools for your Success

Google Docs and Spreadsheets - Are you looking for a place online to store some of your important documents safely and securely. Do you use different computers and want to access documents virtually? Check out Google Docs and Spreadsheets (it's fr.ee and easy to use)

If you have any other great resources you'd like us to share with everyone, let us know and we'll check it out. rachel@thecopywritinginstitute.com

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