7 Copywriting Exercises You Can Use to Improve

7 Copywriting Exercises You Can Use To Improve

 

 

No matter what your skill level, there is always room to improve and grow. This applies to everything, even copywriting. The more you write the better copywriter you will become. Just like your body needs exercise to thrive so does your mind.

 

Here are 7 copywriting exercises you can use to improve your skills and get your copywriter brain into shape.

 

Copywriting Exercises Tip #1 – Study & Take Notes

Fill that copywriter brain with every piece of information you can get your hands on. Whether it be reading classic copywriting books, surfing the Internet, taking every copywriting course you can, or joining a copywriting community, knowledge is power. If you’re looking for a first great copywriting book, The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly is the ultimate guide. It’s filled with copywriting exercises and tips. Then, take notes and record everything you learn. You never know when you may need to refer back to your notes. Plus, writing important things down helps you retain information better.

 

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Copywriting Exercises Tip #2 – Practice

The phrase practice makes perfect was coined for a reason. Write something every day. It could be a headline, a lead, sales letter, radio sport or even a quick journal entry about your day. You never know when a life experience is going to turn into a great piece of copy that you can use in the future. It doesn’t even have to be for an actual client. Make one up if you need do. It’s practice. The point is to write, write and then write some more.

 

 

Copywriting Exercises Tip #3 – Set Goals and Timelines

A to do without a when will never get done. Give yourself some clear direction and set time to practice each day. Even if it’s only 10 minutes or one headline that counts for something. Definitive goals and detailed timelines help to keep you on track and focused. Keeping a timeline allows you to look back on all that you’ve accomplished and use that as a guide for future goals.

 

Copywriting Exercises Tip #4 – Challenge Yourself

Extend your copywriting reach beyond traditional projects. Think outside of the box of sales letters, ad copy and social media posts and truly challenge yourself. Take a social media post with a few short words and turn it into a sales pitch for a company. Take an otherwise ordinary object like a pen and make it sound like the most exciting pen on the planet. A good copywriter can use words to sell anything so start practicing and take the challenge.

 

Copywriting Exercises Tip #5 – Start a Collection

Save every piece of copy that piques your interest no matter what the format. A link from a website. A picture of a billboard. An email campaign with the perfect headline. A page from a magazine. A direct mail piece. The point is to capture all of the great copywriting work that surrounds us and organize it into a collection that can be used at any time. Set a goal to look for one piece of great copywriting each day and add it to your collection. If you’re afraid you’ll have drawers full of paper, then start an electronic version. This copywriting exercise will not only help you improve, but it will create inspiration for future copywriting.

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Copywriting Exercises Tip #6 – Listen

Copywriting is very internal, and we can get lost in our own heads when we write. Sometimes the thoughts pour out so quickly that our fingers can’t keep up on the keyboard. That’s why it’s important to read your copy back to yourself. Even then you may not catch everything. Read it out loud or have someone else read it to you so you can hear what you actually wrote. The read aloud function in Word is your best friend and saves you from that extra word or run-on sentence.

 

 

Copywriting Exercises Tip #7 – Keep an Open Copywriter Brain

Pay attention to your surroundings, soak in every word and open your copywriter brain. Great copywriting is everywhere, especially when you start to look for it. You’ll start seeing it in TV commercials, hearing it on the radio and reading it in your email inbox. But you’ll also find it in books and while watching movies. You’ll even find examples in regular day to day conversations.

Find examples of good copywriting and identify what you liked and what you didn’t like. Identify the main benefits or determine what issues or problems it solved. Practice re-writing the copy to see if you can write it even better. There are many copywriting exercises you can do with just one piece of copy.

Talking to others, whether they be fellow copywriters or just regular people buying products and services, is another great copywriting exercise. Delve deeper and take it a step further to find out what motivates purchase decisions. Get opinions, feedback and suggestions from the people that you are ultimately copywriting for to find out what motivates them to buy.

 

Copywriting Exercises Bonus Tip – Join the Copywriter Brain Community

The most important copywriting exercise is to keep exercising. Always stay active and exercise your copywriter brain every day. Sometimes you need a workout buddy to stay motivated and that is why I created the Copywriter Brain community. It’s an opportunity to meet other copywriters, share best practices, and find even more copywriting exercises you can use to improve.

My name is Michael Giannulis and I’d love to invite you to our Copywriter Brain community to learn more about you. Please join us and also check out my new online course and check out these other helpful resources with even more copywriting exercises. Start your copywriter brain exercise routine today!