Lyuba golovina

I love taking notes.

So for the past 7 years I’ve kept track of every useful piece of copywriting advice I came across in books, coaching sessions, courses and from personal trial and error.

Recently I combed through my notes and picked out the lessons, advice and ideas that made the biggest difference in my work as a copywriter.

Here’s my personal list of 27 “cardinal rules of copywriting”:

1. The fastest way to improve your writing is to read it out loud.

2. You should spend most of your time and attention on your headline and lead — it’s worth 80% of your copy, and yet it’s where most copy fails.

3. Let your copy cool off for at least 24 hours, then read it again — you’ll be amazed how quickly you spot the weak parts.

4. Amp up the emotion in your headlines with power words.

5. Don’t rely on your memory — keep a swipe file with words, sentences, stories and quotes that catch your attention.

6. Every sentence should be there for a reason. Cut the fluff.

7. Use smooth transitions. This cheat sheet was life-changing for me. I use it every time I’m stuck and it never fails to get the words flowing again.

8. Avoid questions your reader can answer with “no” — this lifts them out of a “yes” mindset that you want to maintain until you reach your offer.

9. Captivating stories work best when they serve a triple purpose: Keep your reader engaged, hint at the deeper benefits, and answer underlying questions or doubts.

10. Hold onto your reader’s attention by using a striking image, bolded text, a quote, or with a memorable takeaway every 200 words or 30 seconds.

11. Don’t capitalize words unnecessarily — it’s distracting. Use “government” not “Government” in the middle of the sentence.

12. Lead with emotion, not logic. Only explain the technical features after your reader is emotionally convinced they need your product.

13. Master metaphors to say more with less.

14. The secret to triggering emotion is to feel it first! You have to feel the emotion as you write the words.

15. Curiosity is the most reliable way to keep your reader on the edge of their seat thinking… “I MUST find out more!”

16. Cut out weasel words. People glaze over these overused words because they’ve lost any real meaning.

17. Your copy should always include these 4 points: That your product is new or different. It’s easy to use. It’s safe and risk free. They’ll see fast results.

18. Avoid overusing this/that. It’s lazy. Instead, spell out what this or that is.

19. Address your reader’s thoughts head-on, but handle feelings (especially negative feelings) indirectly. You don’t make your reader feel defensive. No one likes to be told what to think, feel or want.

Instead..

20. Locate your reader’s feelings, thoughts, and desires, then stimulate them. Your job is to provoke the reader to do the feeling and thinking on their own.

21. Use the Rule of One: Present ONE big central idea discussed from 2–3 perspectives.

22. Your one big idea should include: One good idea, one core emotion, one captivating story, one desirable benefit and one logical call to action.

23. Never try to make a simple point sound more complex than it needs to be.

24. Watch out for phrases like “as I said earlier”, or “as I mentioned” — this hints at poorly structured copy or unnecessary repetition.

25. Dissolve doubt and provide the validation your reader craves with a warranty, testimonials and reassuring phrases.

26. Write like you speak. You don’t want to sound like a stuffy university professor.

27. There’s no such thing as “cardinal rules” in copywriting — they’re made to be broken!

What would you add to this list?

Let me know if you have any writing or copywriting advice that has guided you on your writing journey!

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New to Copywriting? Download your free copy of The Ultimate 7-Step Copywriting Guide here.