Introduction to copy...

I truly believe that anyone can write good long copy. There's no need to have an extensive vocabulary or a degree in English. Simple words suffice. Simple words feel more natural to a customer.

The ability to write like Dickens is redundant in today's world of advertising. You should be more like The Sun than the The Daily Telegraph. There are times when 'proper' English is appropriate. Brands such as The Economist, perhaps, or a financial company like Delloite. But 99% of the time, customers will be more responsive to everyday, maybe even colloquial language.

Each brand will have a different language or a different tone of voice (I will talk more about this in a later post). Our job, as a copywriter, is to use that voice and choose the words that fit best with the brand and more importantly the customers. Communicate with customers as quickly and succinctly as possible and the results will look after themselves.

I should probably say that I work mainly on long copy for Direct Marketing (DM) and digital, but I have written across many different forms of advertising in my short time as a copywriter. But what I write about in this blog will usually refer to long copy in a DM format.

If you're just starting out as a copywriter I recommend going to a small agency that specialises in DM. This way you get to learn the rules passed down from generations of advertising greats. Then when a moment of genius hits you, you can break those rules and hopefully create some 'killer' copy.

Another tip if you're at university or in-between placements is getting some work as a salesman! This doesn't have to be a door to door nightmare but could simply be at your nearest mobile phone store or on a market stool selling fruit in Albert Square! I chose the mobile phone option while at university. I worked in a store where you get useful insights into the language ordinary people respond to, as well as learning creative ways to sell products. Basically, I learnt how to make a shit phone sound awesome! And this has been priceless in helping me develop quicker as a copywriter.