DIY Copywriting? Four Copywriting Tips & Tricks!
When you have a hundred things going on trying to run your business, it’s easy to push grammar & typos to the end of your list. That’s why it’s helpful to hire a copywriter! If you’re not ready to invest, here are some copywriting tips and tricks to remember while you DIY copy.
1. Confession time: I get absurdly annoyed with this first mistake.
“You’re/your” & “their/there/they’re”
I see this all the time. Let’s review:
▪️“your” is possessive & “you’re” is you + are
▪️ “their” is possessive & “they’re” is they + are & “there” is when you refer to something
➡️An example: “They’re swimming in their pool over there! Wait, that’s yours? You’re sure?”
2. Do you ever write something but it’s wordy or confusing? Lol same.
➡️ Passive Voice vs. Active Voice! This was a BIG one for us in high school AP English. (IYKYK) This is all about where the subject & verb are in your sentence.
Ask yourself: who is doing the action? Is that clear? Does it need to be clear?
It took a lot of practice for me to realize that passive voice isn’t always bad! But knowing the difference is helpful to make your writing sound conversational & clear.
➡️Examples!
Passive voice: This drink is loved by me.
Active voice: I love this drink.
Something you might already say in your business is, “I can be reached at the number below.” (Passive)
But it sounds stronger & more clear to write, “Call me at the number below.” (Active)
This defines who does the action, which is the person reading! It also includes a CTA (call to action) which prompts the potential client to call you! In those examples, active voice is more clear & natural sounding to native English speakers. But sometimes, you might prefer to use passive voice!
➡️Examples!
Passive voice: The cat was chased by the dog.
Active voice: The dog chased the cat.
If I’m writing a story about a cat, I’m probably going to use passive voice here. My subject is the cat, so I want to keep the emphasis on the cat, even though it’s wordier.
You subconsciously switch between passive & active voice ALL THE TIME. Lots of people get jumbled up when they’re writing & can’t pinpoint why it sounds so messy. Being aware of passive vs. active can help clean things up!
3. You might feel silly doing this, but I promise it helps.
Read your writing out loud.
Take it slow, don’t skim. If it’s difficult for you to say, then it’s difficult for someone to read. This also helps you catch typos or misspellings.
Small details like this can be the difference between effective & confusing writing. And while mistakes do happen, and we are all human…. I know you wanna put your best foot forward for your audience!
4. Invest in resources or coaching!!
Girl, we don’t even know what we don’t know! If you wanna get better at something, look to those who can teach you. If you’re looking for some copywriting tips and tricks, find some writers on Insta & stalk their pages for advice.
It’s time for #shamelessplug (or two… or four.)
Download my Brand Voice Clarity Worksheet to learn how to find words & phrases in your business that show off your unique brand.
Instagram captions got ya down? Check out my Mini Workbook: Caption Writing 101!
I always recommend Karsen Murray’s Email Marketing 101 course.
If you wanna learn how to write without pain points and be an ethical writing girlie, I suggest The Brand Copywriter!
Happy writing, bestie!!
XOXO
Beth
