This skill is only really developed when you study for a copywriting course. However, in order to become a competent writer, you have to put the theory learned from the course into practice.
The ideal practice is to get as many jobs as you can. The more experience you get, the better your writing will be.
Blogging is a great way to sharpen your writing skills. The majority of copywriting courses will encourage students to start a blog as soon as possible.
Not only is it the best way to display your writing ability, but posting at least once a day will give you the discipline needed to keep up with the demands of a professional freelance copywriter.
Of course posting a blog everyday is time consuming and without the prospect of a pay cheque at the end, it can feel like a chore. This is why it’s important to set realistic goals that you can stick to.
If you’re in a full-time job and are learning copywriting on the side, then posting once a week is far more realistic and productive. You’ll still be benefiting from the experience and your writing skills will be improving all the time.
Another secret to sharpening your copywriting skills is to get hold of some existing advertising copy and write them out by hand, word-for-word.
It might sound tedious but this discipline will help you digest the writer’s content and style.
The reason why this is so effective is because of muscle memory. When a movement is repeated several times, long-term memory is created for that action which allows you to carry out the work without conscious effort.
This makes copying your favourite ads by hand, one of the best training exercises out there.
It’s important to make sure that you only copy from the best as you want to absorb only the best techniques and styles.
Look at the copy in newspapers, magazines and online. Which ones were the most effective?
The disadvantage to this technique is the tedium and sometimes the pain that comes with it.
However, it is a technique that you should try for at least a week to give you the best training for embarking on your copywriting journey.
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