How long does it take to write good copy?

 

I just completed writing a landing page for a client.

 

It is a little over 500 words.

 

And it took me four days to write it.

 

Not that I spent all day every day on that one page. Far from it. But I was making changes to the text right up to the end.

 

What I find a little scary is that I made a significant change to the headline on the final day. And almost completely rewrote the call to action just an hour before the deadline.

 

So what's that all about? How come it takes me four days to get the headline right?

 

Here's what's happening...

 

When I am writing a landing page or sales page, I know that the copy I write can have a direct and immediate impact on my client's revenues, one way or the other. So I always ask for a reasonable deadline. I set aside a big chunk of time for the job. And I estimate accordingly.

 

Then I approach these pages in a very different way, when compared to writing an email or a site content page.

 

When I start to write a sales page, I don't try to get everything perfect. Nor do I try to write the page in a single sitting.

 

I write a bit, just getting some words in place, and then walk away.

 

An hour later I come back, make a few changes and keep writing.

 

By the end of the first day, I generally have an imperfect first draft in place.

 

I then print it out and put it to one side.

 

Day 2...

 

On day two I read the printed version and make notes where I can see places that need improving.

 

I also look closely at the formatting of the text. Maybe I'll add some more subheads. Maybe I'll change a block of text into bullet points and indent them.

 

Then I print it out again, put it to one side and leave it for a couple of hours.

 

When I read it again, I'll see some more areas that clearly need work.

 

So what happens on days 3 and 4?

 

On these last two days I go through a process which either identifies me as a very good copywriter, or as a reasonably good copywriter who does a good job of compensating for his weaknesses. I'm not sure which.

 

Here's what I do.

 

I print the latest version of the copy and read it very carefully.

 

While I'm reading, and feeling the flow and persuasion of the page, I try to identify moments when the flow hesitates or stumbles.

 

These moments can be very, very, very subtle.

 

As soon as I identify one of these moments I stop and try to figure out what the problem is.

 

I'm actually listening to an inner dialog in my mind. A very quiet and very smart part of my brain is saying something like, "This is weak. You need to work on this phrase, sentence or paragraph." And a loud, vain part of my brain is saying, "Rubbish, it's fine. Let's keep reading."

 

Unless I go through this process and really focus carefully, the loud voice will always win.

 

And here's the big learning point...

 

On those last two days, when I make changes they are almost always changes to WHAT I'm saying, and not to HOW I'm saying it.

 

I can spot the HOW to say it problems easily enough on days one and two.

But where I really, really get to make my copy work harder is when I identify a spot where WHAT I'm saying is wrong.

 

As an example of what I mean, you can look at one of the examples from my article in the last issue, in which I wrote about expressing offers.

 

Here's how I wrote two ways to express an offer:

 

Version 1: "Get your 2 week FREE TRIAL at nicksaudiodownloads.com"

 

Version 2: "Get FREE AUDIO DOWNLOADS at nicksaudiodownloads.com"

 

The second version is stronger. I didn't make it stronger by changing HOW I wrote the first version. I made it stronger by changing WHAT I said.

 

Concluding thought...

 

In the title to this article I ask how long it takes to write good copy.

 

For me at least, the answer to that is that it takes the time I need to be absolutely certain that WHAT I am saying is as close as possible to being exactly right, from the beginning of the copy right through to the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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