“The best favor you can ever offer yourself is to keep learning. Whether it’s new things or reexamining old ones, learning about yourself or other topics, the pursuit is an unending task.”

While I don’t offer a guide or a handbook because everyone can create their own, what I do offer is perspective—things I’ve learned along the way. At times, they might be helpful, and at times irrelevant, because even though we’re all on the same journey, our paths are separate. So, pick and choose what works for you; I trust you know what that is.

Copywriting and copywriters

Writing is a form of communication that uses language to express itself. Copywriting is no different. It follows the same rules but utilizes a different set of tools to achieve a purpose. And in copywriting that purpose is to compel the reader to perform a specific action. To get them to click here, read this, buy that, trust in this. To grab their attention and hold it for as long as they’re willing to give it. 

And even though it may sound hollow and manipulative, it doesn’t have to be. Afterall, it’s still an art form. The art of persuasion— devised to connect, engage, and maintain long-lasting relationships with like-minded people. The difference between manipulation and persuasion is intention.

As such, every copywriter bears the responsibility to decide where that line is drawn. Every copywriter decides how much art to pour into the work, and for what intention. But if we are to be honest about something, it’s rarely worth raising the standard anymore. When the client themself is uninterested, when their motivation is a shapeless blob, or when you see a great idea crumbling down before you because they can’t see its potential, it’s just easier to give the industry what it wants. 

There is a lack of understanding and appreciation for copywriting. It’s handed out to marketing specialists, and graphic designers, as though it’s the fries on the side you order just because. Especially recently with the craze of artificial intelligence— everyone is a copywriter. When in fact, it just means that everyone sounds the same, and so boringly so.

If you want to copywrite for yourself, use whatever means at your disposal, I’m all for it, but just learn what copywriting really is. If you want to hire someone to do it for you, then make sure you know what copywriters really do. Just like how art isn’t just about understanding color theory, or how teaching isn’t just about knowing the material, copywriting isn’t just about a good use of English.

In essence, what you give is what you will get. You have just as much responsibility deciding what lines to draw and what standards to uphold. Because while the copywriter is the one who holds the pen, it is you who provides the ink.

Know what you want

The biggest sign that tells me a person doesn’t really know what they want is when they want everything. They want to reach everyone. They want to sound like everything. Serious but fun. Luxurious but affordable. Professional but friendly. The real issue here is not the diametric opposition of these characteristics, even though it is, but it’s the request itself. I want to be seen as… I want to sound like… I want to give the impression of…

If this is the character you wish to be portrayed as, then go become that character first. My job is to uncover your voice and use it to write your message. If that’s not really who you are, then the voice isn’t really yours.  And without an authentic voice, the narrative lacks heart.

Heart. Authenticity. Uniqueness. These elements are not to be fabricated but rather revealed. And while I can just tell you what you would like to hear and call it a day; it’s not why I do what I do. It’s unfair to you, to your audience, and to the craft. Your audience is not dumb. They won’t believe you. Your message will not resonate with them. And you’ll find yourself questioning where things went wrong. 

So, the best thing you can do for yourself is figure out what you really want. And more importantly why. Learn about yourself enough to be certain about who you are. And be honest enough about it to let it be recognized, and I assure you people will see it. Your voice and narrative will surely reflect it. It’s really that simple.

Who you are to yourself and who you are to others.

To be authentic and honest doesn’t mean you have to walk naked bearing your heart in your hands for people to form their opinions. We aim to present the best version of ourselves, emphasizing the good and concealing the bad, and that is something to be appreciated— to present the best version of yourself takes effort. To be authentic, however, means to be honest about the person you do choose to present.

Who you are and who people want you to be will clash at times. It’s inevitable. You’re not everyone’s favorite person and it’s unreasonable to think you can be. And let’s face it, you don’t like everyone you meet yourself. People are either drawn to each other or pushed apart, that’s just the way it is. So, minimize the effort and compromises you make by seeking like-minded people. People who can appreciate who you are and overlook who you’re not just because that’s who they are. 

But that requires you to know who you are and who you’re not. What you have and what you lack. What can be appreciated and what can be forgiven. Because to have something, automatically means to lack its counterpart. To be fun and serious makes sense on paper, in a controlled environment where things are perfectly balanced, but in reality, one characteristic comes more naturally to you. You can either embrace it, shed it, or keep it as it is, so long as who you need to be is who you want to be.

The relationship between you and your audience is one you aim to keep for as long as possible. Whatever person you present is the person you should uphold. You can evolve and grow, but you can’t suddenly break character. They will feel cheated. So, do yourself a favor and be yourself. Ask yourself who that is, understand and embrace it, and then it’s just a matter of connecting with your people.

Voice

Let’s clarify something. Voice is not the sound you make when you talk. It is not the tone you use while relaying a message. It is not the beautiful or poetically dark words you use to form the sentences. And it’s not the combination of all three. This would be voice as it relates to written and verbal communication.

The voice I am referring to is much more than that. It is one of the main pillars of identity, the culmination of beliefs, fears, and desires. It is the unique representation of the self that relies on communication to express itself. And whatever form of communication it uses— song, dance, photography, standup comedy, there will always be a voice present; a unique and personal mark that distinguishes us from other people expressing the same thought or feeling.

To a writer, voice is all about language (tone, coherence, word choice…). But to a copywriter, voice is all about identity. Whether it’s our own voice we’re using or someone else’s, we aim to be as natural and as authentic as we can be. To reflect that identity truthfully. Because that is what resonates most with the people you seek to address.

So, before you start communicating, you need to have found your voice. Or at least some of it. As skilled as your copywriter can be, they can’t create your voice for you. They can read between the lines when your words fail you, they can guide you when you’re lost, and they can shape and polish your voice, but they can’t invent it. There’s no need to, and you wouldn’t connect with it anyway. You have a voice whether you acknowledge it or not. Your challenge is to own it. Mine is to present it.  

Find your voice

Your thoughts have voices. Sometimes they’re yours, and sometimes they’re echoing someone else’s. We’ve been raised by parents, teachers, friends, and strangers, and the voice inside our heads is influenced by theirs, even after we began to think for ourselves. Sharing voices is a powerful quality. It makes it louder, more resonant. It protects it. And to know that you’re not alone, that your voice works harmoniously with others is acknowledgment and validation.

But while those voices may work in harmony with yours, it’s important not to forget that they represent only a fraction of it. One thought. One ideal. One opinion. To allow them to speak on your behalf gives them control over the narrative. To mimic without question gives them control over you. You owe it to yourself to preserve the integrity, autonomy, and authenticity of your voice. And you do that by listening.

There’s a voice inside you, whether you know it or not. Whether you listen to it or not. It’s there, speaking. It uses thoughts and emotions to get your attention. It’s there in the things you forget, and in the things you never do. In your mistakes. In your convictions and conflicts. In your fears and doubts. Whispering quietly on those lonely cold nights and screaming in fits of rage when the noise gets too loud. It’s using a language only you can really understand.   

It knows you better than anyone. It knows what you want, even when you don’t, and it wants it just as much. It is as flawed as you. As forgiving and as critical. It is you, in its most authentic form. Finding it might be the result of rejecting false teachings. It might be a matter of sifting through the rubble or filtering out the noise. It might be as simple as observing and noticing discrepancies and contradictions. The pursuit is a personal one. There is no formula. No one can tell you what your voice is, they can only hear what is being said. They can only see what is being shown. They believe you based on how convincingly you present them. As good as someone is at seeing through peepholes and reading between lines, only you can see and hear the real truth. 

So, start a conversation with your voice. Ask questions and listen intently. Extend empathy and allow it to express without fear of judgment. Forgive its flaws so it can forgive yours. Give it what you want yourself so it can return the favor. And when you become in harmony with it, show it to the world.  

The language you speak

If you’ve ever wondered why you couldn’t reach someone no matter what you said, or why you keep being misunderstood or dismissed, it’s because of the language you’re speaking. Language is so rudimentary that we rely on it to express almost everything, yet it is one of the most complex forms of communication. If we had sufficient time to write down our thoughts before saying them, then we end up saying something completely different. The urgency in verbal communication forces us to think faster than we would prefer, and sometimes, not think at all.

We miscommunicate because we make false assumptions. We assume that the person on the receiving end can hear what we are really trying to say. We misunderstand because we assume that we’ve received the message as correctly as it was transmitted. That the space between us did not distort it. That we’ve decrypted the message correctly; stripped it from presumption, defense mechanisms and misleads, and identified its intention and roots. But what is said and what is being heard do not always align.

The complexity of language stems from the complexity of people. Words can mean different things to different people, and differently within context. The challenge becomes not only to figure out what you want to say but also how to say it in a way that reaches. Because the most profound of messages means nothing if not understood, or worse, misunderstood.

Your voice may be centered around you, but your language is centered around your audience. To say something to no one is impossible. Talking to yourself just makes you the target of communication. Writing a piece that is not meant to see the light of day addresses an invisible reader. It’s always a dialogue, even if the other side doesn’t get to respond.

So, mind your language. Be aware of who you’re talking to, because that’s whose language you should use. That’s one of the real skills to copywriting; the ability to understand the audience. Lucky for you, if you’re doing it yourself, if you’ve found your voice, if you really care about your audience, then you already speak their language. And the rest is just technical.     

With that said, there’s a lot more left to say

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