COPYWRITING
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T BE A DIGITAL STORYTELLER?
I don’t believe in digital schadenfreude. But when I hear someone claim that creating digital content is a job for a select few—only those with magical storytelling abilities—I get my knickers in a twist and want to call them out on it. Recently, Stefan Sagmeister did just that. Now, Stefan may be a great guy, but in this video he suggests that the average Joe’s attempt to craft content is as silly as the average Joe’s attempt to join the New York City Ballet, earn first-chair violinist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or make an Olympic team. Only a few can write, and everyone else should know their place and stay away. Why? Because it’s bad for brands when amateurs try to do this stuff.
Please.
It’s true that only a few writers will ever be recognized worldwide, showered with awards, or earn an astonishing salary. But everyone—with coaching, practice, and a desire to improve—can write compelling copy.
Consider this parallel example. Although I make my living writing and consulting on content, I also create abstract mixed-media paintings. I’ll never be a professional, and I’ll never be remembered for my paintings. But I’ve taken classes, spent hundreds of hours observing art in modern museums and poring over art books, honed my style over the years, and created a handful of paintings that I believe to be beautiful (along with ten times as many that are terrible). Those few good ones hang in my home, and in the homes and offices of friends and family. My many terrible ones get painted over as I try again.
Now, imagine a professional artist telling me that, although it’s fine for me to paint for myself, I have no business creating paintings to hang in a friend’s home or business. My amateurness will cause embarrassment and damage the reputation of my friends and their brands. Only professional artists’ work should hang in public or semi-public spaces.
But why do we assume that amateur work is bad? Can’t something amateur be quite good, given a desire to learn, dedicated practice, and good coaching? Can’t an amateur athlete turn in exceptional performances? Not world-class, but still exceptional? Can’t amateur musicians give a concert that results in tremendous enjoyment? Can’t an amateur cook create a masterful meal?
Just to be clear, I’m not talking about people who wish they were good at something but don’t lift a finger. After all, watching This Old House or Property Brothers doesn’t actually renovate your home. To improve, canvases have to be painted, and repainted, and repainted. Miles have to be run. The saxophone has to do more than decorate the living room. That canapé recipe may require dozens of tries before it actually tastes fantastic. But with practice and honest feedback, amateurs—including amateur digital-content creators—can indeed produce quality work.
How can you work at your digital-content craft? Consider these tips:
Study. Look at ads, watch videos and talks, dissect shareable graphics, and analyze web copy. Study and study and study some more, until you begin to recognize the elements of great content. And then keep on studying, because once you get started, you’ll never shut off your desire to learn.
Practice, every chance you get. Write ten new taglines (a descriptive sentence or sentence fragment) for the breakfast cereal you’re eating. Write ten more tomorrow. And ten the day after that. Of those, maybe one is something you let anyone else see. Keep going. Rewrite terrible copy you may see on some websites. Craft speeches and emails for made-up events or situations. Write the story of your career in 30 words. Then 20 words. Then 10. Just keep writing!
Get feedback, and then try again. Submit your copy to a trusted advisor—maybe a friend, a coach, or a mentor at work. Don’t argue with the feedback; embrace it. Armed with that feedback, try ten more taglines, rewrite that web copy, craft another speech, and churn out another email. Become serious about being a content crafter, whether or not you ever do it for your living.
With enough cycles of study, practice, feedback, and revision, you’ll become good at it. Maybe even quite good.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.