Our Biggest Copywriting Mistakes (And How Newbies Can Avoid Them)

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On this episode of Copy That! we reveal the truth no professional copywriter wants you to know: even the best copywriters can make embarrassingly huge mistakes!
So instead of telling you that we're perfect and only write "copy that converts!"... we decided to share with you some of the misconceptions we had as new copywriters and the biggest fails we've had in our careers so that you don't have to learn the hard way. We've pulled all nighters. We've lost clients. We've been yelled at by legendary copywriters. Trust us: we know how to fail and these are copywriting mistakes you want to avoid.
Some of what we get into:
- Why focusing just on "words" ruins your copy
- The biggest trap beginner copywriters face when studying copy
- The truth about getting "good" clients who pay premium rates
- Why focusing too much on one kind of copy can ruin your career
- And how to fix literally any problem you have during a gig
Honestly, this is one of the most important episodes we've done and we wish every new copywriter could learn this stuff before they make the mistakes we have. Please share this with any copywriter (whether they're a freelancer or in-house) who you know would benefit!
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Copy That! is hosted by Alex Myatt, Rod Satterwhite, Sean MacIntyre, and Lindsey Hough.
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Want to score clients and close more gigs? Watch our DEFINITIVE Guide to Selling Your Services As a Copywriter: • How to Sell Your Copyw...
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[@thatWonKrnGuy]

Honestly, I've always been put off by people who flaunt their background, but that's probably because I've had some bad experiences with people whose ENTIRE identity is composed of their background. With that being said, fucking love Sean. Was put off at first, but it's just credentials, yknow? Because yeah, I will never mess up so badly that MARK FUCKING FORD is boutta clap my cheeks. I mean, these videos make up so much of my copywriting education and it's thanks to Sean and the gang that I get to enjoy all these free resources. And this video man, it's such an amazing eye opener. My very first client had me write an intro article for their project. It was a $250 gig and I was so stoked. I took extensive notes during our call, felt like I had a perfect grasp of what they wanted and... They got back to me with "the voice is too aggressive and it's not how we want to market ourselves." I was sk excited to have a client and so confident about my capabilities that I completely missed the mark. They had told me that they were trying to do something big, but they needed to build a reliable and humble brand name. Somehow I took that and built up a crazy confident message that was nothing like the humble roots they wanted to portray. Thankfully they were understanding, and they ended up giving me a $25 tip because they loved working with me. I also have a creative writing background and what you guys said about focusing on the overall message instead of the nitty gritty mechanical decisions really struck a chord with me. Y'all are right. I've been spending WAY too much time making sure that EVERY single word is perfect. Word choice and flow is great and all, but if don't sell, then it don't matter. This is gonna stick with me for awhile I'll tell you what. Thanks for these videos guys, honestly. Today I landed my first 4 figure retainer client, and I'm absolutely stoked

[@CopyThat]

Sean fucking loves you. But more important than that, we're stoked as well to hear about your retainer client and your successes! Excellent work! Keep up the momentum and let us know how things go!

[@miguelkalombo5512]

how long have you been doing this for

[@thatWonKrnGuy]

@@miguelkalombo5512 little over a month

[@TheBrainRebel]

Heyy where have you reached? ​@@thatWonKrnGuy

[@naniehurley]

Where else can we get four experience copywriters telling us about the things that went badly? Seriously, learning your path into copywriting, some of your successes and now some of your mistakes is an amazing way to get to know the profession beyond the theory. Thanks for the video 😊

[@gladysvencer6186]

Great stuff! Been binge listening/watching your fundamental of copywriting vid like 3 times over now. Thank you, guys! You are heaven sent for a novice copywriter me!💗

[@k.b.thecopywriter3400]

A great show that keeps getting better! Great stuff, guys!

[@immarketingpranav6589]

Love your content 💯

[@DanielleD2895]

This is such a great show. Thank you for invaluable content. One thing that was slightly distracting was the volume of the background music. If It was turned down a couple decimals it would have blended into the show much better without any distractions, putting the full focus on what was being said.

[@CopyThat]

Good note! Thank you!

[@jdecamp100]

Question for Luke regarding the client you fired 29:38 How was your contract structured? Did you get paid for the work done up to that point? Did you have to forfeit payment? How do you typically structure re-writes into your contract?

[@realistUPLOAD]

I think my hang up in just starting and writing something is copywriting is just so broad I get stuck. So choosing a niche might help me actually do something. Let me know if thats wrong though I'm on day 4 of the guide via email and I still havent written my brain is frozen

[@TheBrainRebel]

Hey what did u write?

[@ohominavictor9346]

Question for luke, what are the best sales letters to read?

[@mrwoodcat]

19:00 two best kind of clients

[@adriangurung5917]

11:17