Based on what I'm seeing in the copywriting game right now, here's what you should and shouldn't do in 2025:
DO use AI if you want to. Not because it's going to write amazing copy for you - it won't. But it can help with research, give you ideas, and suggest different approaches. Just don't let it anywhere near your final draft.
DON'T fall for the ‘six-figure copywriter’ bollocks that's all over social media. Most of these charlatans couldn't write their way out of a paper bag. Instead, concentrate on learning your craft properly.
DO focus on emotion in your copy. Logic backs up a buying decision, but emotion drives it. And that's something AI can't do properly - which is good news for us humans.
DON'T work for free. Ever. Not even for 'exposure'. If you can write, you can get paid for it from day one.
DO keep learning. The basics of good copy never change, but how you present them does. What worked five years ago may bomb today.
DON'T obsess about niching. Yes, it works for some. But as we’ve said previously on the pod, being able to write persuasively is a specialisation in itself. Niche if you want to, not because you feel you have to.
DO look after your clients. Turn up for meetings, deliver on time, handle feedback professionally. You'd be amazed how many copywriters don't do this basic stuff.
DON'T let imposter syndrome cripple you. If people are willing to pay you to write, then you're a copywriter. And that’s a very special skill.
And finally...
DO listen to Brave New Word. Saw that one coming, didn’t you? But Hayden and I have got some great stuff lined up for the year – Q&As, competitions, more Y-Fronts, special guests, and much more.
Keep all these in mind and you'll do well in 2025.
- Martin