Having been a copywriter for 6 years, I’ve seen and heard it all, from the idea that nobody reads blogs anymore (they do) to the belief that good copy is just about clever words. *Rolls eyes*.
These misconceptions can hold back businesses from creating copy that actually converts, and could be the reason your own website copy just isn’t resonating with your audience.
Below, you can find some of the most common copywriting myths I come across all the time, and the actual truths.
“Short copy always works best”
Short copy can work, especially for low-cost or impulse buys, and for social media content (I see you, TikTok), but it’s not a one-size-fits-all rule.
When you’re asking someone to spend more money on a bigger product or service, or make a big decision, they want details, reassurance, and proof. The length of your copy should match the level of trust and information needed, instead of sticking to the idea that short is better.
This is why, generally, insurance service pages offer significantly more information than a product page for a dress. The user has lots of questions, they want to know precisely what the insurance is, what it includes, what is excludes, what the policy covers, and so much more.
This is because it’s a larger investment for the user, and they want to ensure they’re buying the right thing, unlike a vase or a pet bed that can easily be returned post-purchase.
Would you buy insurance from a website that only had a couple of hundred words on their service page? Possibly not.
“No one reads anymore”
People read what interests them. If your copy is dull, vague, or irrelevant, then they will skim past it. But when it’s engaging, clear, and genuinely useful, people will read every word—and sometimes go back over it more than once or save it for later.
It’s about your copy being worth the reader’s attention, and the same goes for blog content. People are still putting long-tail keyword questions into Google, such as ‘Why is my fridge making a humming noise’ and ‘How do I install a garden fence”. If they’re being asked, you should provide the answer in a way that’s engaging and interesting.
“Good copy is just clever words”
Copywriting isn’t about showing off with puns and wordplay (though this is the more fun aspect of my job that I love and I love a writing pun).
Persuasion also relies on understanding your audience, speaking their language, and clearly showing the benefits of what you’re offering. Clarity always trumps cleverness.
I think it was David Ogilvy who uses the ‘Greyhound’ principle with his copywriters. Greyhound buses are like the National Express here in the UK: long-haul trips across the country. If he found a copywriter using overly complicated language or jargon, he’d tell them to get on a Greyhound and if they heard that word from fellow passengers while on the bus, they could use it in their copy.
I love this principle because it really shows that actually, the opposite of this myth is true. Clever words can hinder you, and simple words work best.
“Anyone who can write can be a copywriter”
Being able to write isn’t the same as being able to write copy that converts. Copywriting involves psychology, audience research, brand strategy, and the ability to craft messages that move people to act. It can take years of practise, unlike simply having good spelling and grammar.
Although as a past proofreader and editor, it’s not that easy to learn perfect spelling and grammar either!
“Great products sell themselves”
Even the best products need a story, and what better way to create a story than with words?
Without strong positioning and messaging, your audience won’t understand why your product is valuable to them. Copy helps to bridge that gap by turning features into benefits (one of the well-known copywriting formulas) and helping potential customers see what’s in it for them. This is imperative if you want to make sales.
“Copywriting is just writing”
This one makes me laugh every time.
Writing is the visible tip of the iceberg. Great copy comes from research, testing, audience analysis, and a solid strategy. The words on the page are just the final piece of a much bigger puzzle.
I can’t just open a blank page and begin aimlessly typing words, hoping for the best. I need to understand who the brand is, what their tone of voice is, who I’m writing for, what are their pain points and their desires, what the outcome of the copy will be, and so much more. That’s before I’ve even created a copy document.
Once I’m ready to write, I’ll generally consolidate all my research notes, create a draft, change the draft multiple times, proofread my work and then finally, it’s ready to send to the client.
There’s so much more to copywriting than writing. In fact, I’d say I spend 30% of my time actually writing copy. The rest is strategy, wider marketing and research.
“Editing AI copy is easier than starting from scratch”
Many copywriters are now being offered reduced rates to create something using AI and then edit it. The idea is this will take less time than coming up with something from scratch.
In my experience, the editing and refining and restructuring actually takes me longer than you’d think. AI is so hit and miss, and the tell-tale signs are always there, that I never trust anything it says and pretty much rewrite the whole document. It might knock half an hour off the time it would take me to write it myself. So is it worth it?
I always prefer to write my copy from scratch, though I do use AI to help me research the topic or pinpoint my audience.
“It’ll be quicker if I write the copy myself”
A lot of businesses want to write their copy themselves, which I understand. No one knows your business better than you, so who best to provide the copy that will hopefully bring in sales?
When I worked for a marketing agency, we were often delayed because clients wanted to do the copy themselves. But they just didn’t have the time. Inevitably, projects were stalled and therefore the client was paying the agency but not doing the most important part of the strategy — getting things live. It was frustrating on our part, as the teams worked so hard to get things off the ground that just weren’t implemented.
While most clients have good intentions, it’s generally easier and quicker to pass the work off to a copywriter whose sole job it is to get that copy written (and get it written well). Think of it as an investment. Copywriters get it done so you don’t have to stress about it and you’ll see results much faster.
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