Why Is Copywriting So Hard? | Challenges & Overcoming Them


If you’re interested in the copywriting industry, you may have heard that this is a lucrative profession with lots of room for growth. This is true, but you’ve also probably realized that this is a challenging industry with several built-in difficulties.

Copywriting is hard because it requires a lot of detailed, targeted research. Even after writers find this valuable data, they have to find the appeal in it, so they can properly sell it. The day-to-day routine of finding ideas and working with clients can also make copywriting difficult.

As a copywriter, you’re going to face a lot of hurdles. It’s better to be aware of the challenges before you stumble into them. Don’t worry; there are ways to overcome these struggles and improve your work!

What Makes Copywriting Difficult?

There are four main aspects of copywriting that can be stressful and difficult: Research, finding unique selling points, developing your idea, and writing the copy.

Though the process gets smoother as you practice and improve your craft, even experienced copywriters can encounter these problems. Consider this difficulty to be a part of the job.

1. Research

Without proper research, a copywriter can’t start their project. Research is the foundation for the idea.

Otherwise, the campaign they develop will be full of misinformation and will thus fail to resonate with the audience.

Therefore, for every project, copywriters should use the first few days to become familiar with the brand, its audience, the market, and competitors in the industry.

Sadly, this valuable information won’t be readily available on the first Google page. This is where it gets tough for copywriters to find crucial and reliable data.

Senior copywriters will sometimes hire someone to help with their research or develop their own special research hacks. The goal is to find valuable and relevant information in a short amount of time.

As a beginner, you should be prepared to read a lot of case studies, journals, and community forum threads. Don’t just skim the surface; really dive in.

2. Finding A Spark

Imagine getting consecutive projects that don’t personally interest you. This is a common occurrence for copywriters.

The tricky part is that they have to dissect the brand, its product, and its mission to find something exciting.

You can see how this can be difficult and time-consuming for copywriters, especially if they work on several campaigns at once.

Since copywriters heavily rely on storytelling and evoking emotions, they need to immerse themselves in the experience before anyone else.

Consider this to be an essential part of the job. After all, how do you get the audience to be enthusiastic about a campaign if you don’t see any spark in it yourself?

Sometimes a good place to start is to find the unique selling point (USP) of the brand/product.

3. Idea Development

Unlike content writing, copywriting isn’t just about using the right words. Before writing anything down, copywriters must develop a great idea.

It has to be creative, unique, and in line with the brand’s campaign objectives. A copy without an amazing idea behind it will fall flat and fail to generate revenue.

The idea development stage is generally the hardest part of copywriting. This calls for multiple brainstorming sessions and extensive research.

You must lay the proper groundwork for the campaign before making it pretty for the audience. In most cases, you can’t decide on an idea on your own either.

It’s important to communicate with your client and any other employees who are working on the same project as you. Compromise is essential, but make sure your final idea is something you can be proud of.

4. Writing Copy

Once you have an idea, then you can start writing your first draft.

This may sound simple, but it’s far from it. Your copy has to simultaneously follow the idea you generated, be original, and stay consistent with the brand voice.

In addition, it should make your audience feel specific emotions and motivate them toward a decision.

As a copywriter, you need to study a lot of previous campaigns of the company as well as content from its competitors.

After all, the copy must be impactful enough to make the campaign stand out against the competition.

What Makes Copywriting Difficult

Challenges Copywriters Have To Face

In addition to the process of copywriting, there are other hurdles that make this job challenging.

1. Picky Clients

Whether you’re a freelance copywriter or working full-time at an advertising agency, you will probably be frustrated by your clients.

Many experienced copywriters have come to expect that clients will reject their brilliant ideas in exchange for simple and boring ones.

This can be very exasperating, especially if you’ve worked on an idea for days and felt really good about it. At the end of the day, it’s the client’s word that goes.

If you’re thinking of going into copywriting, prepare yourself for this harsh reality. If you’re naturally creative, you may find it tough to sacrifice some of your ideas.

However, you will also find clients who will give you more creative freedom and trust you to make the right judgment. Unfortunately, the vast majority will be picky and difficult to convince.

Understanding what the client wants can also be tricky since they might not always be able to clearly explain their goals and expectations.

As a result, many copywriters struggle to produce work that meets their clients’ vague guidelines.

2. Competition

Even though there is a high demand for copywriters, numbers are what companies care about. Brands don’t care how much effort you put into the copy if the end result doesn’t generate revenue for them.

If you want your clients to keep working with you, you have to stay ahead of the competition.

Moreover, since copywriting is a high-income and high-demand skill, more people are becoming copywriters.

The increased competition pushes copywriters to polish their skills continuously and build their professional portfolio.

This can be tiring, but it is also a faster way for copywriters to rise through the ranks and stabilize their career.

3. Negotiating Rates

Since there is a lot of competition in this field, a lot of copywriters who don’t have an extensive portfolio and sufficient testimonials end up settling for cheaper rates in order to get hired.

The negotiation stage can be daunting for some people, and it requires strategy and tact. If you’re careless, you may lose a potential client.

However, the balance between asking for a rate you deserve and adjusting according to the client can be tricky.

This is especially true when you’re a new copywriter who doesn’t have much experience.

Even senior copywriters can struggle to re-establish rates with their existing clients after working with them for an extended period of time.

Negotiating Rates

4. Creative Blocks

Copywriters have to stand out with their creative concepts and must always come up with new ideas. Eventually, anyone can run out of fuel and get stuck.

This, in turn, affects their turnaround time and client satisfaction. Overwork, which is common for copywriters, is the quickest way for them to feel burnt out and uninspired.

Another threat is their own perfectionism. It’s great to hold yourself to a high standard, but eventually, you’ll have to accept that not everything can be perfect.

Endless re-evaluation and damaging self-critique remove creativity from the copywriting process.

In addition, it is common for copywriters to latch on to the first idea for the project instead of letting it develop into a different one as the project progresses. This stunts creativity and can lead to blocks.

5. Managing Several Projects

If you’re a copywriter, you need to juggle multiple projects simultaneously. Even the most seasoned writers face difficulty while managing projects for different brands.

This is because they need to focus on each business’s distinct brand voice, goals, and strategy. This requires excellent time management and organizational skills.

Copywriters cannot create duplicate copy or use the exact same ideas for different brands. Moreover, staying on top of deadlines without mixing them up is another challenge.

Many experienced copywriters handle entire brand campaigns across various channels, which can become overwhelming.

6. Working Overtime

Combine all the previous challenges, and you’ll get an overworked copywriter. Unfortunately, this is pretty normal in the copywriting industry. In some cases, it’s even expected.

Advertising agencies sometimes hold back their copywriters because of sudden client demands and feedback.

At this point, it is important for copywriters to push for overtime payment, even though their employers may try to evade this expense.

You probably think that freelance copywriters have it better since their employers can’t hold them back, right? But unfortunately, freelancing often leads to an even worse overtime situation.

While freelancing, copywriters tend to work all sorts of odd hours without any fixed breaks. Their personal and work life are entangled since they work from home.

Hence, they can’t really escape from work. Without clear on or off hours, they might always be thinking about their workload.

Though they have a greater ability to set healthy boundaries, they tend not to because of a fear of upsetting the client.

In addition, they don’t have the stability of a salaried job, so they need to work rigorously in order to get paid.

7. Technical Niches

Copywriting gets even harder when working with clients in a specific niche. This requires extensive research, and you’ll need to include more technical jargon in your copy.

The market, consumers, and trends are all very specific. As a result, it takes writers more time to develop technical copy.

Some businesses try to hire technical copywriters on a full-time basis, so it can be tough for freelancers to attract clients that offer technical copywriting projects.

If you’re a beginner copywriter who is trying to break into a niche, you will need to invest a lot of time into getting familiar with the topic and becoming an expert at it.

Therefore, it is recommended to opt for a technical niche that is relevant to your academic background or personal interest.

Challenges Copywriters Have To Face

How To Make Copywriting Easier?

1. Fuel Your Creativity

Copywriters fool themselves into believing that working non-stop will help them produce better copy and be more efficient.

They forget that taking a break and finding inspiration around them would be much more beneficial to their work and lifestyle.

It’s important to create a healthy balance for yourself, so you don’t hit a huge creative block. But if you still get stuck in a rut, shift your attention and try writing a creative story for a while.

Alternatively, you could read a book and write a review on it. Find writing prompts online and use these to let your imagination run wild.

2. Develop A Niche

It can be tempting to apply for every copywriting gig that pays well. But this will prevent you from polishing your expertise in a specific field.

Clients are more interested in copywriters who possess an expert understanding of a niche. This also encourages a long-term client relationship that provides consistent work.

If a brand can see that you know what you’re talking about, they will be more comfortable trusting your process and giving you creative freedom.

Make sure that the niche you choose to specialize in aligns with your writing style. For instance, a journalism background will give you an edge if you want to write for a magazine.

3. Write To Compete

As a copywriter, you’re chosen a competitive career. Participate in copywriting competitions as a way to refine your skills. This also gives you a chance to find out what your competitors are doing differently.

Competitions and personal goals will also help you improve your speed and efficiency.

The best part is that if you win a competition, you can use the award to give yourself an advantage when you’re applying for different copywriting opportunities.

4. Use Project Management Tools

There are a ton of free and affordable resources that can help you manage and organize your copywriting projects.

Using project management tools will impact the quality of your copy since you will allot time for each campaign.

Good project management will help you maintain a faster writing schedule and better client relations. In addition, you’ll be aware of current and upcoming deadlines.

This way, you can develop an efficient workflow that will help you minimize stress.

5. Declutter Your Writing

Instead of proofreading your copy until you hate it, use a tool like Grammarly. Tools like this can identify structural issues and make your copy less wordy.

Once the proofreading tool removes all the filler and unnecessary content, you can work on adjusting the tone of your copy. Try making sections for your copy with headings that follow the AIDA rule.

This will remind you why you wrote a specific sentence and help you determine if it fulfills its purpose. Moreover, you can logically place information in the right order, so it delivers a great final impact.

Finally, with decluttered writing, your creative ideas will flow naturally.

How To Make Copywriting Easier

Points To Remember

Copywriting is hard because you have to spend a lot of time researching and writing brilliant copy.

While it is true that copywriting can be financially rewarding, there are plenty of difficulties that come with it.

You’ll need to find ways to stay relevant in this competitive field, come up with creative ideas, and write copy that suits the needs of your clients.

Although there are ways to make the job easier, copywriting will always be challenging.

Shailen Vandeyar

A proud Indian origin Kiwi who loves to plant trees and play with his pet bunny when not taking a plunge into the ocean of funnel development, conversions, and customer retention.

Recent Posts