You want to write good copy? Write to a friend.

I have two best friends. One, my girlfriend, is my partner in all that I do and she knows everything about me.

The other, let’s say his name is Shane (it isn’t), has been my closest friend since 10th grade.

We’ve travelled every continent together, except Africa and South America.

However, as close as we are, we are markedly different.

Case in point: I feed on meat; he is vegan.

I work in advertising; he hates the idea of consumerism.

Friends don’t let friends buy dumb shit

Shane, again not his name, lives in Australia and I in Singapore, our friendship is stronger than ever—he recently joked that “our relationship can handle any distance”.

This is our friendship. Formidable. Amicable.

The last time I saw him, our last meal together was over a sandwich—a meat-laden sandwich. This was two years ago.

Clearly, a lot has changed. And I’m all for it. He’s doing a Master’s course on reducing waste and relying less on buying things: sustainable living.

That is literally the opposite of what I’m paid to persuade people to do.

My job requires you to buy more shit.

He has joked about it; how we are so close, yet have very different opinions on consumerism.

Mind you, I’m not fond of consumerism. It’s just a necessary evil.

I’m in advertising to change minds; I hope one day, my work will stop people from making bad choices: for themselves, for those around them, for their future vis-a-vis the state of our planet.

However, like ZZ Top once lyricised, “I gotsta get paid”.

So I write copy. And hopefully, you will buy the things I write about.

Write to someone you care about

One thing I learnt quickly is that there’s nothing worse than writing for the brand.

Marketers write for the brand, for themselves. They load up a thesaurus and misfire with adjectives left, right and centre, inflating their brand’s image.

Advertisers write for the consumer. Or at least that’s what we’re supposed to do.

I liken the pretentiousness of writing for the brand to a woman meeting a man on a first date who only talks about himself.

So what do I do to avoid this?

I write for the consumer. Not just any consumer: Shane.

All my body copy begins with, “Dear (Shane’s real name)”.

I make sure whatever I’m writing has the slightest chance of convincing a man who is a staunch anti-consumer.

That way, I have to be persuasive and just as importantly, I speak to one person.

More than that, I’m writing to my closest friend and I want him to have something worth his time and money.

So I’d better be bloody convincing.

Don’t be the conceited guy at the pub

Look, I get it, ego-stroking is part and parcel of advertising and marketing—heck, it’s all about getting noticed and beating the competition.

But narcissistic copy won’t attract customers. They’ll just end up blocking you.

The egoist may date the girl once, but the concerned, nice-guy stays in a relationship with the girl.

So think carefully the next time you write; whatever it’s for, write to your customer.

Write to someone you care about.

At the end of the day, as advertisers we want a relationship with a customer.

Thank you so much for reading.

I am a Malaysian copywriter living in Singapore. If you’d like to see my work, check out my online portfolio: www.imranatwork.com