1. Look to the future
What’s going to happen to copywriting in the future? Cast your mind forward and make some predictions about what the future will hold for it. For example, AI copywriting is a big topic right now. Write about that, and how the robots are going to take over in the next few years and enslave us in the years after that. Or, you know, whatever your take on it is.
2. Look to the past
Things were always better back in our day. OR WERE THEY? Take a look at some old examples of copywriting and analyse how it’s changed over the years. How has the skill set of a copywriter changed? Is it better now or then? What can we learn from the past? Are our lives set on a predetermined path, or do we have sufficient independent thought to make our own choices in life? Write about simple, surface-level stuff like that.
3. Look to your competitors
If you can’t beat ‘em….then visit their blog for inspiration. Come on, everybody does it. Take a look around at some other copywriting blogs to see what they’re writing about, and put your own spin on it.
4. Write about the latest trends
What’s happening in the world or copywriting RIGHT NOW? You should have your finger on the pulse. What’s popular? What grinds your gears? Write about it man, write about it.
5. Write a case study
Done any cool copywriting work recently? No? Well, you should write about it anyway. Set out the problem you faced, how you solved it, and the results of your work. Concrete figures are always good. And before and after images. People want to see what you did and what results you achieved.
6. Pick out some examples of good copywriting, and explain why it’s good
We read copy almost every day of our lives, and most of it is terrible. But the (tiny proportion of) good copy tends to stick in your head. For a blog post, pick out some recent examples of good copywriting. Explain why it’s good.
7. Pick out some examples of bad copywriting, and explain why it’s bad
This is likely to be a lot easier than picking out good copywriting, simply because most copywriting is a steaming pile of horse manure. But don’t just say that. Put your analytical hat on. Say why it doesn’t work, and how you would improve it. Remember, these examples can come from anywhere, and we come across copywriting every single day of our lives, so they shouldn’t be too hard to find.
8. Define key copywriting terms
What the funk is a sales funnel? What’s the difference between copywriting and content writing? And what the hell is ‘The Fold’? Pick out a few challenging copywriting terms and explain them to your audience.
9. Analyse emerging sub-industries
Copywriting is a broad church nowadays. Take a look at some emerging sub-industries and explain them to your audience. One good example of this is UX writing, or UX copywriting.
10. Write about copywriting niches
What is a technical copywriter? What about a healthcare copywriter? A landing page copywriter? Explain the difference between these different niches.
11. Write about what it’s like to be a copywriter
You’re a copywriter. Lots of people aren’t, but they want to be. So write about what it’s like to be one. What do you do every day? What is the copywriting process like? How do you manage your time?
12. Explain how you got started in copywriting
Similarly, people might want to know how you got into copywriting in the first place. Did you do a course? Did you pivot from another industry? Or are you just chancing it like most of us?
13. Write a template
People love templates because they’re lazy. Well, not actually, they love them because templates can save a lot of time during the copywriting process. So use your expertise to make a few to share with your fellow copywriters. They might be for a web page, or a blog, or a style guide, or pretty much anything you write.
14. Write a how-to guide
How do you write a landing page? How do you write a style guide? How do you write better, like? Be specific with your advice, and avoid generalities such as ‘write in simple language.’ Outline what simple language is, and what the benefit of using it is.
15. Tell people how they can improve
No matter how long you’ve been copywriting, you should always be looking for ways to improve. Write about the things you do to improve your copywriting skills.
16. Pick out some essential books/blogs/articles/podcasts for copywriters
Whether you’re subscribed to a bangin’ copywriting blog or listen to a handy podcast, share those nuggets with your lovely readers. It’ll make for an even lovelier blog.
17. Do an ‘X vs Y’ article
Pick out two copywriting-related things and compare or contrast them. Copywriting and content writing. UX writing and copywriting. Landing pages and websites. Technical copywriting and tech copywriting.
18. Search LinkedIn
Try looking on LinkedIn to see what your fellow copywriters are writing and talking about. Search for hashtags like #freelancecopywriter, #copywritingtips and #copywriter to get a bucketload of ideas.
19. Use Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a great way of generating blog topic ideas for copywriters. Simply hit some search terms into the box and see what Google comes up with.
20. Do some Googling
Once you have a few possible topics in mind, give them a quick Google search. Scroll down to the bottom and check out the related searches. It’s a great way of generating even more blog topic ideas from your ‘seed’ idea.
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