How to Write Memorable Copy

Take it from a copywriter: our job may not be as time-consuming as other ones in the creative industry, but that doesn’t make it easy by any stretch of the imagination. When you write copy for a brand, you’re not just stringing words together because you think they sound cute or clever; rather, you’re setting its tone and crafting a personality.

It’s trickier than it sounds. While you won’t usually nail it on the first try, I’ve share a few tips that I’ve picked up both from professionals and personal experience.

1) Write, Write, Write

Barfing is also an acceptable term. It’s easy to clog your stream of thought with particular ideas. The simplest way to get rid of them is to write them down. From there you’ll have the opportunity to explore other angles, different approaches, and discovering new and interesting ways to tackle your copy. Keep in mind that if you just settle on one idea and your superiors reject it, you’ll not only be in a sour spot, but your work will reflect poorly on you as a creative.

Furthermore, cliches will likely populate your first thoughts. If you’re advertising speed and using something obvious like “cheetah” in your copy, it’s going to get scrapped. Don’t settle for such mediocrity.

2) Did You Feel Something?

Writing something that makes you react is always a good sign that you’ve written something of interest. Did it excite you? Did it stop and make you think?

Continue to build on that idea, and if you feel strongly enough, highlight it as one of your favored choices to present to your superiors. Which leads me to my next tip.

3) Have an Opinion on Everything

It’s not uncommon to get this tip from an experienced creative. These are your ideas. If you can’t speak your mind when it comes to your work, your ideas may not see the light of day. Having an opinion fosters the growth and development of everything you write and can influence work that exists outside of your specialty (art direction, strategy, etc.).

4) Be Original

Not so original at first glance, but it’s true. If the guy next to you could come up with the same scripts or tag lines as you, then the ideas you had weren’t all that great. Memorable copy is a rare occurrence.

5) Puns Stink

Some people are suckers for puns. If you’re one of them, I advise that you use them sparingly. It’s easy to make a cheesy copy with them and it can reflect poorly on the brand you’re working on if it isn’t their character.

Wordplay in general can be tricky. Making it work is tough, but if you can nail it without sounding forced or corny, then you’ll have some excellent copy on your hands.

6) Make Work That’s Publishable

If your copy is unnecessarily vulgar or obscene in any way, at best you’ll scare off your client. The worst case scenario would be if the client green lights your copy and it horribly offends the public, ruining the brand’s image. Don’t be responsible for that.

7) Universal Truths are Winners

Universal truths are sometimes hard to come by. Everybody knows what they are, but are rarely obvious to most. After all, the most natural aspects of our lives are the ones we think about the least.

HBO Go released a successful campaign based on how awkward it can be to watch shows with adult content with your parents. It was awkward and brilliant.

8) You’re Going to Fail

Even after everything you’ve just read, you’re going to apply these skills and you will fail. That’s the reality of this line of work. It’s terrible, it’s frustrating, and most of all wonderful. It’s wonderful because every failure leads to the most memorable copy of all, and with great copy comes an even greater campaign.