7 rookie copywriting mistakes (from old emails I wrote)

Oh boy! Today, I decided to punish myself and read some old emails I wrote from the beginning of my copywriting career. I'm talking reeeeaaal old stuff. Like 4, 5, and even 6 years ago when I was just starting out in the copywriting (and had no idea what I was doing). It's funny because while reading I could definitely see some golden nuggets and signs of promising copy in there... But mostly, it was ROOKIE MISTAKES. Left and right. (And truthfully, I could barely read it and not cringe). I wrote down a few of the things that I was doing wrong. And it came down to 7 BIG mistakes (things I see many rookies do as well): 1. Everything needed to be cut by 50% (or more). A lot of copywriters (particularly newer ones) read a book about the power of long copy. And then, they think they have permission to take up pages and pages of copy for life. But in a lot of cases, "long copy" is really a code word for sloppy thinking (and even worse editing). As my first copy chief used to say: "What happened with this sales letter? Did you not have time to write a short one?" And it's so true. Every email I looked at today would have been 2x better with 1/2 the words. In fact, I actually rewrote one of the emails and cut it from 1700 words down to 700 with essentially no change in meaning. But it's infinitely easier and more enjoyable to read. Cut accordingly. 2. Bouncing around like a bumblebee. Some of the emails I reviewed had pretty good copy... But they had nowhere near the level of crystal clear focus I require of my writing today. They were ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. It would be one idea here. Another there. And even I (the writer) would get confused or bored and stop reading! I'm sure I thought I was strengthening my argument by cramming more and more info into it. But in my experience, it's far better to laser-focus your copy on one key point than bounce around like a bumblebee. 3. Not using nearly enough intrigue. In school, you learn that specificity improves your writing. But good writing learns there's a dance between pulling you close with details... And backing away with just enough intrigue to keep pulling you through the writing... As my second copy chief used to say, "Never give the prospect so much to 'digest' along the way that they have their fill before you finished serving the main course." There should be an "invisible thread" that pulls your reader through to the end of a piece. 4. Not addressing unbelievable things as they come up. This is a big one that rookie writers get wrong all the time. They use big claims in their writing and think the claims strengthen the copy. For example they might say something like, "You could take this exact system and make 6 or even 7 figures over the next 12 months." And they would think that claim made the copy better. But it's not believable. And an unbelievable claim, left unaddressed, only hurts your argument. The fix is to say what the reader is thinking in real time. Even simple phrases like, "Don't believe it? Me either until..." can be so powerful. 5. Too many CTAs. - Buy. - Click. - Reply. - Unsubscribe. Those are your CTA choices. But you must pick one. It's rare that you can mix and match CTAs with great success. And yet lots of newer writers will try have you click to read this, and also buy this, and also reply to this, and also if you don't like it, UNSUBSCRIBE!! Just cut the number CTAs in half. In my experience, every additional ask decreases the chance of any one of them working well. 6. Too much "wind up" A lot of the emails I read were pretty good topics. And moderately good copy. But there was so much lead up to the real "meat" of the email that most people never would have gotten to that part. For a lot of them, simply deleting the first 5 or 6 lines removed the "wind up" bit and helped get to the point I was really making all along. In other words, don't let your lede lead you astray. 7. Too many "buts" "But" is a VERY harsh word to use in your writing. It essentially ask the reader to pause and reconsider a point you just made. As opposed to "and" which slides your reader along to the next line. Use too many "but"s and your reader will feel batted around. And your writing will feel like it never gets that "crescendo" build up effect. And your reader will feel confused. Notice how these "ands" just kept pulling you along. But, the second I introduce a "but," you pause. In other words, you must watch your "buts" carefully. (God, I know I'm going to get eviscerated for that line haha). Of course, there were lots more things to critique. BUT... :) I'm going to follow a combination of these rules and: - cut it short - stick to one point - leave a little intrigue - And give you one CTA Here it goes: All the growth I've experienced as a writer (to be able to see these flaws) is because I consistently had a place and environment to practice my writing and see results. AKA, I had clients. Really good ones. Really big ones, too. [Here's everything I know about getting them in one place](. Rob "Who wants my 'rookie' card?" Allen Are we connected on Twitter? [Follow me here!]( No longer want to receive these emails? [Unsubscribe](. Kings of Conversion PO Box 1175 Boise, ID 83701 ‌