You May Not Be A Copywriter, But Your Kids Definitely Need To Be One

The first time I saw a copywriting test, I knew my days of writing marketing material were over. It was the summer after my sophomore year in college, and I had just finished taking a class on copywriting at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The assignment was simple: Write 75 words about why people should buy eggs from your local supermarket chain. When we turned in our drafts for critique, the professor asked us all to raise our hands if we thought this message would persuade people to buy more eggs from that particular store.

At first, no one raised their hand; then one student did so hesitantly and slowly lowered it again when everyone else in class ignored him (including me).

We kept going around until finally, everyone agreed that yes, this message would indeed convince people to buy more eggs from that particular supermarket chain – but only because it was so laughably bad! Our teacher’s point was clear: If you want results, don’t write like this – no matter what industry you’re working in or what kind of copy you’re creating!

Can I Be A Copywriter If I Suck At Writing?

Takeaways
Encouraging kids to develop copywriting skills can be highly beneficial.
Copywriting skills promote effective communication and critical thinking.
Copywriting can prepare kids for various careers in the digital age.
Fostering creativity through copywriting can boost confidence and self-expression.
Teaching copywriting early can set kids up for success in a content-driven world.

Table of Contents

1. Keep It Simple

The first step to writing a great ad is to keep it simple. Simple. The best ads don’t use big words or long sentences; they just say what needs to be said in as few words as possible.

The best copywriters know that if you can’t explain your product or service in one sentence, then there’s probably something wrong with it or at least with how you’re selling it. So if your pitch comes out sounding like “We sell high-quality products at affordable prices,” try using this instead: “You’ll love our stuff!”

If you’re still having trouble cutting down the length of your message, try using shorter words than usual words like awesome instead of incredible and extraordinary; things instead of articles or items (unless you’re talking about clothes); now instead of soon; today instead of tomorrow or next week; us instead of I or me (if appropriate).

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2. Create A Headline That Makes People Want To Read The Rest Of The Copy

I mean, you don’t want this happening to your copy. That just won’t do:

Don’t use a vague headline. Vague headlines leave readers feeling confused and uncertain about what they can expect from the rest of your copy. It’s like walking into a movie theater and finding out that there’s no air conditioning you’ll probably be disappointed in the overall experience.

Don’t use a boring headline. I’m not saying all exciting headlines are good (see below), but it’s important to avoid uninspired ones that don’t make people want to read more because they’re so incredibly dull and cookie-cutter-y (*cough* “The best thing since sliced bread”).

Don’t overpromise with your headline.* Your promise must be believable enough for someone who isn’t familiar with your product/service/company yet! This means that if you’re selling tires, then don’t promise something like “your car will never get stuck again.” Instead, focus on something more concrete (e.g., “our tires are guaranteed against punctures”).

3. Write Like A Human

You may not be a copywriter, but your kids need to be one.

There’s a lot of money in copywriting. A writer only needs an idea and the ability to write well there are no other requirements. That said, it’s still not an easy skill to learn by yourself. You need guidance and practice to become good at something like this.

So if you want your child (or children) to grow up into great writers, teach them how to write like a human beings!

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4. Write To One Person

Write to one person. When you’re writing to a company or a brand, it’s tempting to use the word “you” (e.g., “You should…”). But it can be more effective if you write directly to the customer instead of using “you.”

Use active voice when possible. Active voice makes your copy easier to understand because it puts important information first and allows readers to process in a linear fashion that mirrors how they read: top-to-bottom and left-to-right on the page.

In contrast, passive voice delays action until much later in the sentence and sometimes even after several sentences have passed (in which case it becomes difficult for readers).

Direct address is also an opportunity for greater clarity. Instead of saying “your company should do X,” try saying “you should do X.”

5. Focus On Benefits – Not Features

Kids are far more likely to pick a product that promises them something they want. They’re not going to look at all the features of your new product, then decide which one is best based on those features.

Instead, they’ll just focus on what you tell them about the product’s benefits. If you tell them it will make their lives easier by making their favorite foods taste better, that’s what they’ll buy.

There are three simple ways you can use this information in your copywriting:

Tell people how much money they’ll save by buying your product over another option (this works especially well if there’s a limited-time offer on both products).

Explain how much easier or faster using your product will be than using other options available.

For example, if you’re writing about toothpaste for kids who hate brushing their teeth because it tastes bad and makes them gag, talks about how many calories the average child saves if he stops eating dessert every day and starts using this new paste instead! He might even lose weight in the process!

Use social proof to prove how popular something is with other people: “Our top-selling crowd pleaser is…”

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6. Write Your Copy In A Single Draft

If you’re not familiar with the term, “single draft” means writing the whole piece at once, without editing as you go.

To get started, start by writing down every idea that comes to mind and putting them all into one place. Then take a look at all those ideas and pick out the ones that are most interesting or exciting for your audience these are the ones you want to include in your final piece!

Once you have chosen some paragraphs that meet this criterion, put them in order based on how much time they’ll be shared with potential customers (the first paragraph should be the longest since it will likely be seen first).

Once this is done, begin writing each paragraph as if it were being read aloud for someone else this will help keep things natural sounding instead of overly formal or dry sounding like some people tend towards when trying too hard!

7. Don’t Use Words Unnecessarily

There are some words that you should never use in your copy.

Words that don’t add value to your message: These are words that don’t help the reader understand what you’re saying, like “very,” “actually” and “basically.” They just take up space and make your copy feel sluggish.

Words that are too complicated for your audience: This includes jargon and acronyms. Your audience may not know what an acronym means, or may not be familiar with a term commonly used by professionals in the field (e.g., UX designer).

Words that don’t make sense: For example, if you say something like “the client wanted to increase his conversion rates by 25 percent,” online readers may not get a clear idea of what you mean unless they already know how conversion rates work (not likely).

In this case, it would be better to say something along these lines: “The client wanted his conversion rate increased by 25 percent.” Now it’s obvious what we’re talking about!

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8. Use “You” And “Your” As Much As Possible, Never “I”, “We” Or “Our”

There’s nothing wrong with using the first person singular (I, me, my) but it’s best to use these words as little as possible. It takes away from the conversational tone of your writing. When you do need to refer to yourself using “your” instead of “me” or “I”. For example:

Your child is learning about subjects like math and science.
You have a choice between using white paper or colored paper for their projects and activities.

So now that we’ve covered how to avoid using the first person singular let’s look at how you should use other pronouns such as they/them, their/theirs, he/him, etc. Again these are often unnecessary so try not to overuse them either!

9. Use The Active Voice Whenever A Possible

The active voice is more direct and engaging. It’s also more concise because it gets straight to the point without adding extra words to make a sentence longer.

For example, if you knew someone who was a high school wrestler, but they were not a high school wrestler, then you might say: “He wrestled in high school.” Using the passive voice, in this case, would mean saying “He was wrestled by his teammates.” That’s just awkward!

Even though your kids are young now, they will soon be using English as their primary language when they leave your home for college or work. As soon as they start writing papers at school, it’ll be important to get them into good habits from the beginning!

10. Use Direct Address

Use “you” and “your” as much as possible. The active voice is one of the most important things you can do to make copy more engaging, and a direct address is a great way to get that point across. If you’re writing something like a blog post or an article, use the first person whenever it’s appropriate.

Think about it: When someone says something directly to us, we tend to pay more attention especially if they’re saying something we agree with! Use this technique in your writing by addressing your reader directly when possible.

Your kids need to know that direct address isn’t just for people over 40 who want some kind of creative outlet after retiring from their corporate job or something like that; it’s for everyone! Kids love hearing themselves talked about by other people (and especially parents), so why not give them what they want?

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11. Forget About Fancy Or Flowery Words If You Want Sincerity And Impact In Your Writing

If you want to get your message across, it’s important to use simple words. Your goal is for the reader or listener to understand what you’re trying to say without having to do any mental gymnastics. That means no fancy or flowery words in your writing if you want sincerity and impact in your writing.

It’s also important to keep sentences short: one or two clauses at most before a period or semicolon (if using one). You’ll save yourself time and space by keeping things brief with every sentence that follows this rule!

12. Be Positive And Show Enthusiasm

The final element of being a good copywriter is to be positive and enthusiastic. Positive writing is more persuasive than negative writing, so don’t be afraid to use positive words like “can” and “will.”

Showing enthusiasm helps readers connect with your message, which makes them more likely to respond positively. And it’s okay if you’re not a natural optimist just try not to sound too gloomy (this goes for all writers).

13. Write Persuasively, Not Informatively

You might not think of yourself as a copywriter, but you are. And so is your kid. As they grow up and learn to write, they will encounter this concept over and over again: persuading readers or viewers to do something takes more than just informing them of what you want them to do.

Persuasion requires knowing who your audience is and how relevant their interests or needs may be about the topic at hand; it also means identifying what makes your brand distinct so that your content speaks directly to them in an authentic way.

This principle applies not just when it comes time for kids (and adults) to write persuasive essays for school assignments but also in everyday life: when writing emails about work assignments, messages on social media channels like Twitter or Facebook, and blog posts pretty much any kind of written communication that relies on someone else reading it!

14. Tap Into Your Readers’ Emotions

One of the most exciting things about copywriting is that it can be used to help people solve problems. And that’s not just something we say; it’s backed up by science! According to researchers at Michigan State University, emotional copy that taps into your readers’ emotions is far more likely to be shared and remembered than plain factual content.

In other words: if you want people to read your content, make it emotional. If you want them to share it with others (and therefore reach a wider audience), make it even more emotional!

15. Show Value

If you are a copywriter, one of the main things that you’ll be doing is showing how much your product or service will be worth to readers. You do this by telling them how it will help them solve problems, save money and time, or make their lives easier.

You can also show value by saying why your product or service is better than others on the market. For example: “…we offer the best customer service in the industry!”

Conclusion

Copywriting is a skill that can be learned, but it’s also a job title that makes people think you’re just some advertising guy. However, your kids need to be good at copywriting to engage with the world around them.

By emphasizing these 15 principles in your kids’ writing, you’ll help them succeed at every level from a simple grocery list to an essay for school or college admissions!

FAQs

What skills make a successful copywriter?

Successful copywriters possess a blend of creativity, persuasive writing skills, understanding of audience psychology, and the ability to communicate effectively through various mediums.

Why should I consider hiring a copywriter?

Hiring a copywriter can elevate the quality of your content, improve engagement, and drive better results by crafting compelling messages tailored to your target audience.

How can a copywriter enhance my brand’s voice?

A skilled copywriter can capture and enhance your brand’s unique voice, ensuring consistency across all communications and creating a more memorable and recognizable brand identity.

What types of projects can a copywriter assist with?

Copywriters can assist with a wide range of projects, including website content, advertising campaigns, social media posts, product descriptions, email marketing, and more.

How do I collaborate effectively with a copywriter?

Effective collaboration with a copywriter involves clear communication of your goals, values, and target audience, allowing the copywriter to create content that aligns seamlessly with your brand message.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.