Pursue This Knowledge If You Want to Be A Copywriter In Demand

Bloodhound by Pears

by Matthew Loomis

What does it take to be a good copywriter?

Knowledge. Plain and simple.

You are probably thinking, that’s a pretty broad answer. What sort of knowledge are you talking about?

Well, general knowledge.

Gee, that narrows it down, doesn’t it?

Okay, before you bail here, understand that I’m dead serious about this. To be a good copywriter, you must chase knowledge like a bloodhound chases a wild boar.

Knowledge Hunters

Throughout history, all great writers, copywriters, novelists, playwrights, and technical writers have had an insatiable curiosity about life. They are voracious readers who delve into various hobbies.

Just ask my wife how easily distracted I am by anything that looks like a magazine, newspaper, or a book. I even stop and read “junk mail.” (Copywriters love junk mail because we learn from both the well done direct mail and the lousy direct mail.)

Take a look at my background, and you will find a wide variety of interests.

• I’m a ravenous reader. From the Bible to the Drudge Report, to a classic novel. Or maybe a biography or Football Digest.
• Speaking of Football Digest, I’m a big sports nut who follows several major sports, especially the NFL. One of my passions is the KC Chiefs.
• I’ve played many sports, like football, basketball, baseball, and still today enjoy golf, racquetball and a bit of tennis.
• I’ve taken ice skating lessons and horseback riding lessons.
• I’ve water skied and snow skied.
• I listen to a wide variety of music, was a member of a huge inner city gospel choir, and have performed as a bass singer with a 16 piece, Branson style band for fifteen months.
• I played the alto saxophone for several years.
• Studied additional college credit hours in the psychology field and worked several years with children and adults who were dealing with mental health issues.
• Majored in English and Communications.
• Studied french, mais je n’ai pas la prétention d’être à l’aise en français. Je sais juste assez pour être dangereux.
• Interested in the arts, including fine art, film and design.
• Religion and politics are two of my FAVORITE topics. I’ve done church outreaches to help the poor, taught Sunday school, played Jesus in a play, as well as volunteer work for various political candidates over the years.
• Am a student of health, nutrition and alternative medicine. I even earned a Personal Fitness training certification.
• Love to travel and desire more opportunities.
• Wrote a screenplay.
• Eagle Scout.
• Interested in wildlife. In grade school, I wanted to be either a conservationist, zoologist or a veterinarian.
• Enjoy fruit and vegetable gardening.
• I’ve been a son, husband, father, uncle and friend.
• I’ve received a paycheck working as a lawn mower, fast food cook, telemarketer, office clerk, swimming pool construction worker, hospital food worker, video store clerk, doing school district maintenance, as a salesman (over the phone, door to door, and in person, especially during my four years as a hardcore Amway distributor), security guard, cashier, mental health tech, youth case worker, family advocate, and a staff writer for five years at a well-known ministry/humanitarian aid organization.

Why I’m Thankful I Haven’t Sat In a Cubicle My Whole Career

A wider variety of interests will lead us to a wide variety of experiences. That’s helpful for copywriters, because there’s this old saying in the writing universe that goes like this: Write what you know.

You never know when you will be able to tap into all that general knowledge that’s stored up in your brain and create some great copy. For example, an experience you had volunteering at a boys home years ago just might provide a spark of creativity for that advertising campaign you’re working on.

Or a funny story from your days playing professional rugby could give you an edge crafting a direct mail marketing letter for a sporting goods retail store.

Or your time working as a barista will come in handy when Starbucks hires you to do some web writing.

Don’t think you are too unfocused if you enjoy many different things. Not only are you experiencing more of life, you are half way to being an excellent copywriter.

Don’t Do This

This last thing a copywriter should do is approach his or her craft with only one tool in their toolbox. If you only have a hammer, then you will approach every writing project like it’s a nail. With more “tools,” or streams of knowledge from different experiences, you will be able to solve more writing challenges.

To be an outstanding copywriter, cultivate a thirst for knowledge, develop a hunger for new experiences, and most importantly…

Enjoy the journey.

Next Time

Did you notice how I said that general knowledge will take you half way to copywriting excellence? There is another type of knowledge I want to cover next time that is as equally important if you want your phone and email box to blow up with prospective clients.

See you then.