9 copywriting ideas to get you started

Ian Lurie

ideas
OMG I CAN’T THINK OF WHAT TO WRITE!!!!!!
We all say it. Truth is, it’s not that you can’t think of what to write – you don’t want to think of what to write. Every day you’re bombarded by potential ideas for articles and blog posts. Here are a few I’ve used time and again:

  1. Answer the common question. What question do you hear the most times per week? Answer it. In painful detail. Your painful detail is my clarity because I don’t do what you do every single day.
  2. Brag about yourself. It’s perfectly OK, once in a while, to explain why you’re so damned great. The trick is to back it up with hard facts and use the example to teach. That’s a joke. Sort of.
  3. Review a bunch of related posts/sites. Smashing Magazine has turned this into an art form. They don’t just list stuff – they list it and explain specifically what you can learn from it. Every article is one fantastic example after another.
  4. Point out your own mistakes. Then prevent them. I’m an endless font of mistakes. Writing about how I made them, and how I’ll try to avoid them in the future, could keep me busy for years. You’re probably more perfect than I am, but give it a shot.
  5. Make a list of lessons you’ve learned. This is as helpful for you as it is for your readers. It still works great though.
  6. Make a list of things you hate. This one only works if you’ve grown up cynical and sarcastic. If it has, though, you’re set, lemme tell ya. I write lists of marketing practices that piss me off,
  7. Make a list of things you love. Write down things people do that you like. What’s your best customer? Who do you most like working with? Why? List it all, and you’ve got a great article.
  8. Connect two dissimilar things. Sometimes, a great way to teach is to link two unrelated lessons: Learn more from my blog on how marketing is like Dungeons and Dragons.
  9. Use reverse psychology. If you teach fitness, give folks 10 reasons they should give up exercise. If you’re a cyclist, give 10 reasons not to wear a helmet (The best reason – you can save money on books).

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Comments

  1. Frankly speaking I believe people who can’t think of anything to write are just plain lazy.
    About 3-4 years ago, I read Hypnotic writing by Joe Vitale. He talked about “Setting an Intention” before writing.
    His advice was for writing sales letters but I started using it in every situation. I am yet to be dissapointed by setting an intention.

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