On editing:

Read your copy out loud, if possible. Let someone listen to it.

The ears sometimes pick up disjoints in your copy that the eyes don't.

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Submitted by Akinwunmi Bello

On ideation:

Never assume you'll remember that brilliant idea in a few minutes. Take two seconds to write it down now. Or record a voice note. Too many good ideas die on arrival due to lack of documentation.

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Submitted by Camille Trent

On editing:

If your copy seems convoluted, messy, too long, or unclear, start by deleting the word 'that'. Removing the word 'that' can often lead to even more clear and concise sentences.

"We know that you are a hardworking professional."

can be:

"We know you are a hardworking professional."

or better yet:

"You are a hardworking professional."

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Submitted by Brittany K. King

On process:

Never start with a blank page. Start with an outline.

I always pop an outline into the doc even if I end up changing it. That way, I’m not staring at the dreaded blank screen. It could be as simple as writing out: problem > solution > features / benefits > cta.

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Submitted by John Lombard

On headlines:

Here’s a formula that makes it super-easy to come up with a winning headline: I = B + C

Which means to generate ‘Interest’ from readers, combine the ‘Benefit’ with ‘Curiosity’ in your headline — and you’re sure to get a winner.

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Submitted by Ibrahim Umoru

On editing:

When I edit copy, the very first thing I do is separate each sentence into its own paragraph.

This makes it easier to see fluff sentences that can't stand on their own two feet.

Then, in my notes, I'll outline what the relationship is between each sentence (i.e. A connects to B because [problem] creates [agitation]).

There is usually some gap in logic or skipped step in the story that comes to light.

But it all starts with making the friends with the enter button.

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Submitted by Christian Schick

On punctuation:

Em dashes are your friends!

Especially when you’re writing in a more informal, conversational way. They function with a lot of variety and can help to differ the effect of the sentence depending on how you use them (can be used instead of colons, semicolons, commas, or parenthesis).

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Submitted by Helene Cohn

On proofreading:

Read your copy from the last word of the last sentence back to the first one. This helps to detect mistakes more effectively.

This technique helps to break brain biases. When we work on something for a long time, we might not see small typos or errors because our brain fixes them without us noticing. But if we read the copy backwards, our brain doesn't recognize our text and all the errors pop up.

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Submitted by Francesca Cappellini

On research:

The best way to top off competitor analysis is by checking the reviews and complaints regarding the product.

Before you start writing your copy, go through your competitors reviews. Pay attention to the complaints. These are the gaps you can fill in with your copy. By writing copy that can address those complaints you're creating space for yourself in a very saturated market.

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Submitted by Parthiva Mewawala