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What do YOU hate most about the copywriting industry?

by Geenius
17 replies
Hey

Since I'm still getting my feet wet in copywriting..

I've always wondered what are the pitfalls I should be aware of early on In the game..

So my question to all copywriters out there is, what irritates or gets you strung out the most in this industry?

Is it the fact that clients failed to pay on time, or that its hard to get yourself clients? Or maybe that your letters still aren't that great at converting yet?

Whatever it is, I'd appreciate if you shared- really would give a holistic revelation to how copywriters truly feel about their own craft!

Thanks
#copywriting #geenius #hate #industry
  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Farthing
    My first costly lesson was to set a clear agreement beforehand how many rewrites (if any) my bid included. I spent so long rewriting I ended up making about the same hourly wage as in the retail job I had just quit.

    By the way, my first jobs were explainer video scripts, so I couldn't just say "test it, then complain," and I hadn't yet developed the confidence to stand my ground.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Forget the pitfalls. Don't go planting unnecessary stuff in your head. It will take on a life of its own and will become your reality. I'd bet you anything someone will post some ridiculous imaginary "issue" in this thread that you hadn't thought about and you'll internalize it and make it real. Focus on what works. Deal with everything else as it appears.

    Be like Forrest Gump. Believe only what Mamma taught you and forget all the BS. Worked well for the Gumpster.
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      Forget the pitfalls. Don't go planting unnecessary stuff in your head. It will take on a life of its own and will become your reality. I'd bet you anything someone will post some ridiculous imaginary "issue" in this thread that you hadn't thought about and you'll internalize it and make it real. Focus on what works. Deal with everything else as it appears.

      Be like Forrest Gump. Believe only what Mamma taught you and forget all the BS. Worked well for the Gumpster.

      This is great advice.

      My other 2 pieces of advice would be:

      1. Charge a substantial fee upfront before you do anything
      (half your fee is normal but if the total fee is $1,000 or less
      it's okay to charge the full amount upfront).

      2. Write your first drafts FAST. Thinking too much and taking
      too long tends to dull out copy.

      You can and will spend plenty of time rewriting later.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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      Old School Copy Like This Is BACK & Converting Like Crazy!
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  • Profile picture of the author digidoodles
    The people in it. (not hate, dislike)
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    My niche is feeding my family... What's yours?
    http://www.DoOrDieMarketing.com
    Watch Us as We Do It Or D.IE... Are you Along For The Ride
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  • Profile picture of the author JustinDT
    Banned
    The general assumed value of copy.
    While copy is extremely important most people write it off as just another service.
    So instead of being able to charge properly we must charge competitively
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    • Profile picture of the author triedtruefitness
      The copywriters.

      Seriously though, copy is the LEAST important part of the 3-part formula for success. It's #1) the list -- #2) the offer --#3) the copy (in that order.) For some reason copywriters always seem to forget that.
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      • Profile picture of the author scrofford
        Originally Posted by triedtruefitness View Post

        The copywriters.

        Seriously though, copy is the LEAST important part of the 3-part formula for success. It's #1) the list -- #2) the offer --#3) the copy (in that order.) For some reason copywriters always seem to forget that.
        I think you're wrong. Yes you should have a list. Yes you should have a good offer, but that isn't 100% required. Someone could write a sales letter selling anything. True, they might get a lot of refund requests, but the point is that if you don't have good copy selling your products, you are pretty dead in the water.

        It doesn't matter if you have the best product in the world. If your prospect doesn't know about it - about all of the benefits as to why they need your product, you're stuck. So I think, most marketers that don't know the value of a good sales letter tend to forget about this!
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Scott
      Originally Posted by JustinDT View Post

      The general assumed value of copy.
      While copy is extremely important most people write it off as just another service.
      So instead of being able to charge properly we must charge competitively
      That's your issue, bro. A lot of copywriters are kicking ass and taking names.

      The trick is to find the clients who understand good copy costs money...

      OR, don't talk in terms of copy. Talk in terms of results.

      I'm working with a guy who was doing $5.5MM a year in sales on one offer. He wasn't looking for just a copywriter - he was looking for someone who could increase his sales.

      We're expecting to do $10MM this year. He's not even upset he has to pay me royalties, because again, he's making more money.

      Contrast that to the WSO sellers who freak out at paying $500 for a sales letter, and you'll see what I'm getting at...

      When you're playing with guys who understand how business works, it's a lot easier to get results for both of you.

      So if you're struggling, you need to aim for different clients. People who can get results are few and far between. Guys who can do that and are a pleasure to work with are even rarer.

      There's demand out there. You just gotta get in front of the right people and have the skills to back it up.

      -Daniel
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      Always looking for badass direct-response copywriters. PM me if we don't know each other and you're looking for work.

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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    I mirror what Ken said.

    There isn't a formula to writing copy that makes money. And as much the experts and gurus want to say there is (so they can sell their courses and seminars,) the fact of the matter is...

    ...you have to always be willing to test, refine and even redefine your copy to make it work.

    Anyway...

    I hate the often pretentious attitude that a lot of copywriter have (who think they know it all... and therefore act as if you're just dump as mud.)

    However...

    For every elitist copywriter, there are three copywriters (by my calulations) who are humble - no matter how much money they've personally made or generated for their clients.

    Which side of the coin would you rather foucs on?

    What you hate about copywriting?

    or...

    What you love?

    That's my counter-question.

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author triedtruefitness
      I think you're wrong. Yes you should have a list. Yes you should have a good offer, but that isn't 100% required.
      No, I'm not wrong. I wasn't sharing an opinion, I was stating a fact. It's a basic rule of direct response: #1) List #2) Offer #3) Copy.

      If you don't like the word "list" then feel free to use "audience" but the same principle still applies.
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      • Profile picture of the author scrofford
        Originally Posted by triedtruefitness View Post

        No, I'm not wrong. I wasn't sharing an opinion, I was stating a fact. It's a basic rule of direct response: #1) List #2) Offer #3) Copy.

        If you don't like the word "list" then feel free to use "audience" but the same principle still applies.
        Then maybe you ought to say what you mean and say "audience" instead of list. Then people wouldn't get confused. Just sayin...And your fact is WRONG. Again, you can have the best offer in the world, in front of the best audience, but if you don't know how to communicate that offer to that audience, you're screwed. Period. That's a fact, not an opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author Geenius
    Thanks for the feedback guys, will definitely focus more on whats working rather than whats not.
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  • Profile picture of the author triedtruefitness
    Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Best of luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author ParkerArrow
    I get the feeling that the core of good marketing lies in the innovation of a good solution to a pernicious problem.

    Get that right, then you know who to put on your list and you get a copywriter who gets out of the way.
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