13+ Ways You Are Ruining Your Copy And How To Fix It

If you’re reading this, I can only assume that you’ve read one of my previous blog posts and thought, “Hey! This is pretty good. 

But this could be even better if only someone took a few minutes to edit it for me.” And who am I to deny the wishes of my devoted readers? Read on for 45 ways you could be ruining your copy and how to fix them and then go forth and conquer the world (or at least get more people reading your blog).

Takeaways
1. Avoid using overly complex language.
2. Check for grammatical errors and typos.
3. Ensure your copy has a clear and compelling headline.
4. Don’t ignore the importance of formatting and readability.
5. Use relevant and persuasive calls-to-action (CTAs).
6. Eliminate excessive jargon that may confuse readers.
7. Test your copy’s effectiveness on different devices.
8. Incorporate storytelling to make your copy engaging.
9. Address customer pain points to resonate with your audience.
10. Keep paragraphs and sentences concise and focused.
11. Use visual elements to enhance your copy’s impact.
12. Review and update your copy regularly for relevance.
13. Test different approaches to improve your copy’s results.

Formatting And Paragraph Styles

You can use paragraph styles to format paragraphs consistently. For example, you may want all of your headers to be bold and centered. Or maybe you have a lot of text that needs to be italicized, but not all of it has the same tone; some are formal, while other parts are casual. 

Or maybe you have a series of anecdotes that need different formatting for each one with an ellipsis (…), another with asterisks (*…*), another with single asterisks followed by periods (….), and so on.

Using paragraph styles is easy: choose the text or images that you want to apply it to (from anywhere in your document) then click on Paragraph Styles (which can be found under “Formatting” on the sidebar). In this case, we will select our entire document by clicking Ctrl+A or Cmd+A if on macOS/OSX; then click “Bold” under Font Style:

You can also apply this style across multiple paragraphs at once by holding down Shift while clicking each one individually or selecting them all at once first:

If you’re looking to enhance your copywriting skills and avoid common mistakes, you should definitely check out our comprehensive guide on 13 Ways You Are Ruining Your Copy and How to Fix It. Learn valuable insights to improve your writing today.

Proof Reading

Proofreading is the final step in the copy editing process. It’s also the most important, but it’s also one that most people skip because they are too busy.

Proofreading is not a waste of time or unnecessary effort; it simply involves re-reading your work to ensure no errors have crept into your content.

Proofreading is an investment in your brand, and I’d bet that you don’t want to miss out on money because of simple spelling mistakes or grammar errors!

Grammar

Grammar is the structure of language. Every word you write has a grammatical purpose, and when you write without paying attention to grammar, it’s like writing without rules: your words can’t hold together. This leads to confusion in your readers’ eyes and ends up hindering their ability to understand what you are trying to say rather than helping them along with it.

Here are some common mistakes people make when they don’t know basic grammar rules (or pay attention):

Using “they” as a singular pronoun instead of “he” or “she.”

Using “it’s” when they mean either “its” or “it has.”

Starting sentences with conjunctions (“and,” “but,” etc.).

Spell checking and grammar checkers

If you’ve ever used a grammar checker and didn’t like the results, you’re not alone. Grammar checkers aren’t perfect, and they won’t catch everything. They can help you identify some of your mistakes (like double negatives), but they will often miss others (like run-on sentences).

It’s also important to remember that spell checkers are no better than grammar checkers in catching errors; they won’t tell if two words are spelled correctly or if there’s a homophone used instead of its intended meaning. 

The only way to catch these kinds of mistakes is with proofreading, which means reading over your work multiple times and looking for any errors that stood out to you.

Proofreading takes time which means it takes money if someone else does it for you—but it’s worth it because it catches all types of errors: spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, homophones, etc.

Are you struggling to establish yourself as a copywriter? Our article on 14 Reasons Why You and I Are Not Copywriters sheds light on common challenges and how to overcome them. Get inspired to elevate your writing game.

Cleansing Your File Of All Unnecessary Information

Before we get started, let’s talk about how to clean up your file.

There are multiple ways to do this. For example, you can use the Find and Replace function (Edit > Find and Replace) to remove certain characters from the text:

Select the text that you want to search for. The whole document will be searched if nothing is selected (this is usually what you want).

Click Edit > Find & Replace.

In the Find field type in what you’re looking for for example, “.” or “?” or “!” and press Enter on your keyboard.

In the Replace With field, type in what should replace those characters when they’re found for example,”!”, “.!” and so on and press Enter again

Using Lists

Lists are great for breaking up text or providing a summary of a longer statement. They’re also great for adding a punch to your point. As such, it’s important to use them in the right way.

Use lists to help break up text: Lists should be used when you want to separate sections of content related by topic but not necessarily one after the other. If you have several paragraphs about an item and want each paragraph to stand out as its mini-section, use a list format instead of just breaking up each paragraph with asterisks (*) or dashes (-).

Use lists when making a point: When you want something new, fresh and exciting like an idea! listing it will make it stand out more than just stating it as one continuous sentence would do alone [*].

Use lists when providing a summary: A list format can provide quick summaries if needed, especially when there are many details in what might otherwise seem like long sentences [*]. This is especially helpful if the reader needs help understanding how everything connects; doing this via text alone could get confusing quite quickly!

Use lists when providing conclusions: Lists are great for concluding all that prior information we provided earlier on; they’re also useful for summarizing points made before so that readers don’t feel overwhelmed by having too much information dumped on them at once (or worse yet ignored altogether because they didn’t read anything past page 5!).

Crafting compelling copy that drives results is an art. Dive into our guide on How to Write Copy That Sells Anything & Everything to master the techniques of persuasive writing and boost your conversion rates.

Placing Quotes To Break Up Long Blocks Of Text

Quotes can be used to break up long blocks of text. They can also be used to add some humor, a human element (the author is too lazy to write out their own words), or a personal touch (the author has never written before, so no one cares what they have to say).

Placing quotes as your content’s main element will only make readers hate you. Quotes work best when they are part of the story, not when they’re the focus of it.

Choosing The Correct Title For Your Blog Post

Choosing the correct title for your blog post is important. A short, descriptive title will help you rank higher in search engines and get more clicks on social media. It also helps readers decide whether or not to read your article before they click through it.

Choose a title that is short and descriptive. The shorter and more descriptive the better! If possible, keep it under 60 characters (including spaces) so that it shows up on Google News, where most people go when searching for content related to keywords like “marketing” or “growth hacking”.

This might seem counterintuitive at first glance since keyword-rich titles are thought by many SEO experts to work best in Google search results but there’s evidence that this isn’t true either way; some studies show that longer titles perform better than shorter ones while others say otherwise.*

Choose a keyword-rich title if possible but make sure it doesn’t sacrifice clarity or length unnecessarily. You should still focus primarily on writing something clear and concise so your readers can understand what they’re getting before clicking through; however, if there’s room then adding some keywords won’t hurt either!

Choosing A Good Headline For Your Post

The headline is the first thing your readers will see and it should be short, catchy, and relevant to the content. 

Your headline should also be specific to your post; don’t just write “15 Tips For Copywriting.” Instead try something like: “How To Write Copy That Closes Sales.”

You can also use this opportunity to ask an intriguing question: “How Do You Write Great Headlines?”

Make sure your headlines are easy to read and understand. You don’t want your reader confused by a jumble of letters or strange words or phrases that have no meaning to them. 

Use simple, clear language that people are familiar with such as “I” rather than “me” or “us” instead of “we” whenever possible because these words tend not only to make passages easier on readers’ eyes but also increase comprehension levels significantly!

Ready to take your copywriting to the next level? Our step-by-step walkthrough, 15-Step Guide to Writing Your First Real Copy, will equip you with the tools you need to create impactful and engaging content that resonates with your audience.

Sticking With The Same Font Size, Color, And Position Throughout Your Post

Consistency is key. When it comes to your design, consistency is a little like a secret weapon, because it can make your content so much easier for readers to follow. When you have the same font size and color throughout your post, there’s no need for them to adjust their eyes as they move through each section (and even fewer distractions). 

It also makes it easier for them to find the information they want as long as it’s all in one place!

Do you want people who are reading this article right now? They’re probably in front of their computers or phones right now, sitting at home by themselves or at work with other people around them! Keeping things consistent makes sure that everyone who reads through this text has an equal experience: 

No fumbling around when trying to find what they’re looking for because everything else around it looks different from where their eye should be focused (which would just confuse anyone).

Never Using Track Changes While You Write

Track Changes is a Microsoft Word feature that allows you to view each revision of your document as it changes. By using track changes, you can see what needs to be fixed and edited before sending your copy out into the world.

In addition to helping with editing, Track Changes is also useful for seeing when something needs to be added or removed from a document. Track Changes will show up on the side of your document and let you know which parts need to be changed or added, so no more wasting money on horrible campaigns!

Labeling Important Sections Within Your Posts With Headings Or Subheadings

One of the most important rules of writing is to organize your thoughts. It makes sense then that when it comes to blogging posts and articles, you should use headings to help readers scan and skim through your content.

Headings are also very effective at helping readers find information within a post. When they know what they’re looking for, they can quickly scan over the page and locate the heading that interests them most.

Unleash your creativity and make your writing stand out from the crowd. Our article, Quirky Tips for the Average Copywriter That Might Surprise You, shares unconventional yet effective techniques to add a unique touch to your copywriting endeavors.

Not Proof Reading Your Copy Until After The Content Is Written And The Images Are Added

Doing this is a huge mistake. When you publish a piece of copy, it’s there for good. That means you can’t edit it, later on, to fix mistakes or add in content that didn’t make it in at first. 

Make sure your text is perfect before hitting publish and then go through it one more time using a spell checker and grammar checker tool to make sure everything looks good from a technical standpoint as well as an aesthetic one.

Copy Editing Is Vital To Success As A Blogger

Copy editing is the process of making sure that your copy is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. It’s also important to make sure your writing is easy to read and consistent throughout the post.

You may be thinking, “I’m an awesome writer! Who cares if there are mistakes?” Well…the truth is people do care about those things. If you want people to read your blog posts then you need to make it easy for them by taking time out of your day (or weekend) to ensure everything is good before publishing it online.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article and learned something new. We also hope that the next time you find yourself writing copy, you’ll be able to spot these common mistakes before they happen. And if not, fear not we have plenty of resources for you!

Further Reading

13 Ways to Ruin Your Website: Discover common mistakes that can negatively impact your website’s performance and user experience.

How to Stop Self-Sabotaging: Learn effective strategies to overcome self-sabotage and achieve your goals with confidence.

10 Ways to Make Your Copy More Effective: Enhance the impact of your written content with these practical tips for more engaging copy.

FAQs

What are the key factors that can ruin a website’s effectiveness?

Common factors that can negatively impact a website’s effectiveness include poor navigation, slow loading times, outdated design, lack of mobile responsiveness, and unclear call-to-actions.

How can I stop self-sabotaging behaviors and achieve my goals?

To overcome self-sabotage, practice self-awareness, set realistic goals, challenge negative self-talk, build a supportive network, and seek professional guidance if needed.

What are some strategies for making copy more effective?

To create more impactful copy, focus on understanding your audience, crafting clear and concise messages, incorporating storytelling, using persuasive language, and addressing customer pain points.

How can I avoid making my copy less engaging?

To maintain engagement in your copy, avoid jargon, keep sentences and paragraphs concise, use descriptive headings, incorporate visual elements, and make sure the content is relevant to the reader.

How do outdated copywriting practices impact my message?

Outdated copywriting practices can make your message sound stale and unappealing. By adopting modern techniques, you can connect with your audience more effectively and convey your message in a compelling way.