The 4 Common Copywriting Mistakes Killing Your Engagement (with Examples)

As mid-career professionals embracing Solopreneurship, we view our time as a non-renewable resource. We cannot afford to engage in the "brute force" of publishing content that yields low ROI. We need systems and Digital Leverage to ensure our valuable expertise is seen and monetized.

I discovered the hard way that a poorly written thread can receive less than 5% of the engagement of the exact same thread written with strong copy. The painful lesson is that bad copywriting kills good content.

If you are struggling with low engagement, you are likely making one of these four common and fatal copywriting mistakes:

The 4 Copywriting Mistakes Crushing Your Content

1. An Uninteresting Opening Line

When writing for social media, 95% of your content’s success depends on the opening line. This is your "scroll-stopper". If it fails to break the reader's scrolling pattern (Pattern Disruption), your content is dismissed.

• Mistake: Leading with a bland or generic statement.

• Fix: Make it dramatic, use a polarizing statement, or share a big, intriguing accomplishment. For example, instead of saying "I launched a successful business," try: "How this stay-at-home mom built a 6-figure ghostwriting business from her living room (for just $143)".

2. Poorly Designed Formatting

While content is king, format is often the queen. If readers cannot easily digest your content, they won't read it to completion.

• Mistake: Failing to utilize white space, using large blocks of text, or using hashtags in place of writing naturally.

• Fix: Utilize white space aggressively to break up large blocks of text. Ensure your content is easily scannable, especially for mobile users.

3. Using Complicated Jargon or Sophisticated Grammar

Experienced professionals often use complex industry jargon and sophisticated grammar to "impress the easily impressed".

• Mistake: This is the "Kryptonite" of online writing. It creates confusion, forcing the reader to work, and the human brain avoids confusion.

• Fix: Prioritize Clarity, not Cleverness. Aim to write at a simple reading level (6th to 8th grade). This ensures your deep insights are effortlessly consumed.

4. Pointing Fingers Rather Than Alleviating Blame

Readers never want to feel responsible for their current predicament. Blaming the reader generates immediate defensiveness and scroll-offs.

• Mistake: Directly blaming the reader for their challenges.

• Fix: "Throw rocks" at an external "enemy"—an ideology, the system, or a faulty convention—to alleviate the blame.

    ◦ Bad Example: "If you want to get promoted at work, you're going to need a plan."

    ◦ Good Example: "Most corporations lack well-defined career paths. Here's how to get promoted at work, even if your company career pathing stinks."

• This approach makes the reader feel seen and heard.

Personal Takeaway: The Necessity of a Formula

My content failures taught me that if you don't use a proven formula for writing, you risk wasting time and producing messy content that nobody cares about. To scale your brand, you must study copywriting and continuously analyze which structures (like using a Contrarian Take or the PASTOR method) resonate best with your audience.

The successful content you publish must be meaningful content that attracts buyers.