I used to be one of those copywriters who jumped straight into writing. Client sends brief → I'd open Google Docs → start crafting headlines. Then I'd wonder why my copy felt generic, why clients kept asking for revisions, and why I was always second-guessing every word choice. Everything changed when I forced myself to follow one rule: No writing for the first 48 hours. Here's the exact process I use now before touching a single word of copy. Before I even think about messaging, I need to understand what I'm actually selling and to whom. I start with questions most copywriters skip: What does this product/service actually do? (Not what they say it does, what it really does) Who's buying it right now? (Actual customers, not imaginary personas) What's the real reason people need this? (The problem they're solving, not features they're buying) How do they sell it currently? (Existing copy, sales conversations, processes) I spend time on their website, social media, and any existing marketing materials. Not to copy them, but to understand their world. This is where most copywriters think they're done after reading a few testimonials. I go deeper. I look for: Recent reviews (especially 3-star reviews - they're honest about problems) Social media comments on their posts Forum discussions about their industry/problem Competitor reviews (what people wish was different) Support tickets or FAQ sections (reveals real customer confusion) The goal isn't finding what people love. It's finding what frustrates them, confuses them, or keeps them up at night. I'm not looking at competitor copy to steal ideas. I'm looking for gaps. What does everyone in this space sound the same about? What pain points is no one addressing directly? What language does everyone use that customers might not? Where are the opportunities to be different? Every product has reasons people don't buy. Most copywriters guess at these. I hunt them down. I look for: Abandoned cart emails (what objections do they address?) Sales team feedback (what questions come up repeatedly?) Refund/cancellation reasons "Why didn't you buy?" surveys if they exist Comments on ads (people openly share concerns) Here's what changed everything for me: I test messages before I write full copy. I'll take 3-4 different angle approaches and test them as: Simple social media posts Email subject lines to a small segment Headlines with different value propositions Even casual conversations with friends in the target market Whichever direction gets the strongest reaction becomes my copy foundation. By now, I have: Real customer language for headlines Specific pain points they actually mentioned Objections that come up in reality A tested message angle that resonates Competitive gaps I can fill The outline practically writes itself because everything is based on real research, not my assumptions about what should work. "48 hours of research sounds expensive," clients sometimes say. But here's what I tell them: I can spend 2 days researching and 2 days writing copy that works, or I can spend 1 day writing and 2 weeks revising copy that doesn't. The research time pays for itself in fewer revisions, higher conversion rates, and copy that actually connects with real people. We think our job is being creative with words. But our real job is being detectives who uncover what people actually think, feel, and say about their problems. The writing part is easy when you know exactly what to say and how people naturally talk about it. Research isn't the boring part before the real work. Research IS the real work. What's the something you've discovered that completely changed your copy approach?   submitted by   /u/Shot-Sky7970 [link]   [comments]