5 essential copywriting tips for startup founders

Hey Indie Hackers, my name's Mantas. I'm the head copywriter for an 8-figure online fashion brand. I've recently posted the story of how I landed this job coming from a design background if you're interested.

5 tips are obviously not enough to become good at anything, much less copywriting. But as a startup founder, you probably don't have the luxury to dedicate several years to master a craft before launching your product. And you don't have to.

As with any skill, much of the needle-moving essentials can be learned fast—you just need to know what to focus on. In this case, I'll cover 5 actionable tips that will significantly increase the ROI of your copy with the least effort.

The hook is everything. In the past, this tip would have been called "the headline is everything." While still true today, the headline isn't always the attention grabber—the hook. It can be the first line of your tweet, the title of your newsletter, or the first sentence in your YouTube ad's voiceover script. Whatever the case, the hook is what stops the prospect in her fast-paced tracks. Make it short, sweet, and to the point. Strike where the pain is and relate as much as you can. Bonus points if you can make it clever, funny, or shocking, but that's a nice-to-have, not a priority.

Write how you would talk to a friend. Prospects can smell used-car-salesman vibes from a mile away. They're cheap, overused, and lazy. Think phrases like potential—unleashed, supercharge your sales funnel, and revolutionary brewing experience. No one talks like that. Neither should you. Describe your product like you would to a friend. Let the value do the talking. And if your proposition appears weak? Then you should revisit what your product has to offer in the first place.

Keep it short. This applies to sentences as well as paragraphs. People's attention spans are getting shorter. Say what you need to say. Don't drift off into unnecessary side stories, sugar-coatings, and explanations. If you have a valuable offer, it can be put into 10 words or less. Try it!

Give CTAs the attention they deserve. Be honest, you just slap a Read more or Buy now on a button and call it a day, right? Most do. But CTAs are often the last barrier before a prospect converting. Do you want to risk them turning away just because you got sloppy with your labels? People hate uncertainty, so help them see what's waiting for them on the other side of that click. And help them make the leap with a nudge they can't refuse: Start free trial—no credit card details, One-click sign-up, Take a 1-minute survey

Write drunk, edit sober. Copywriting isn't something you do in one sitting. Pick a time of day when you're most creative—and let a rip! Bust out several ideas, no matter how ridiculous they might seem. Show no one. Save and stash them until the next day. Most of the ideas will be trash, but you'll find some gold nuggets in there. Filter those out and refine them using (at least) the tips above.

Thanks for reading. If you found this helpful, you should follow me on Twitter, where I'm sharing more copywriting tips like these.

If you have any questions or suggestions, I'd be happy to discuss them here!