Four years ago, I decided to pursue an online business after years of working in administration for brick-and-mortar companies. Fresh out of grad school and evaluating my career direction, I started to ask: What do I really want to do? I’d spent years in office admin, but I really wanted a creative element in my work.
Starting out, I saw how much I had to learn—and promptly forgot how much I already knew. Writing for clients was much easier than writing for my own business. (Maybe you can relate—it’s often easier to solve your clients’ problems than your own.)
How I Got Started in Copywriting
When I began in online business, a mentor referred me to a digital marketing agency looking for a content writer. Long story short, I wrote content for a client for two years and loved it! Other writing and advising projects followed—websites, sales pages, email sequences. I learned from talented copywriters, took a few classes, and kept honing my skills. I wrote both content and copy for digital marketing and continue to improve my craft.
Copywriting and Content Writing Are Not The Same
Copywriting and content writing are very different. I had to learn this after two years of academic writing in my MBA program. Academic writing is formal, technical, and deeply analytical. Digital marketing content and copy, on the other hand, are about building relationships, expressing brand values, and showing how a business solves its customers’ problems.
Blogging is content writing. Sales pages, landing pages, email sequences, and websites require copywriting. Copywriting uses concise, persuasive language to guide the audience through an offer. Content writing takes a more educational, descriptive approach, like the blog post you’re reading now.
Content writing is often the easiest place to start. Over time, you can layer in your copywriting skills with calls to action and SEO keywords to boost engagement.
Why I Am Sharing This With You
I see a pattern among small business owners—many struggle with marketing because the writing becomes a barrier. It’s time-consuming, the words don’t come easily, and it’s easy to feel like an impostor after reading and watching too many “best practices” online.
But if we avoid marketing altogether, we miss out on connecting with our audience and offering real solutions. Marketing helps us understand our customers better and puts us in a stronger position to serve them.
It requires structure (half the battle) and creativity (the other half). Strategy, analytics, and publishing are the core of digital marketing, and writing is its foundation. It works hand-in-hand with graphic design and tech to deliver value.
Even after courses, blogs, and real-world marketing experience, I’m still learning. I’m sharing my journey to offer insights you might relate to—and hopefully help you move forward with confidence.
Here are the Key Mistakes I Made and How I’d Fix Them Today
Mistake #1 Trying Too Hard to Get It Right The First Time
Being thorough by nature, I spent hours writing my first website. I kept tweaking it for six months before publishing. My website designer gently nudged me to get it published. I finally did. Without her help, it might have taken a year as I kept reworking the language over and over.
Once my website launched, I wrote a few blogs—but didn’t keep up. I focused on client work, and my own content sat unpublished. Looking back, I missed the chance to just create, write, and enjoy the process.
How I Write Today
You can’t grow until you start. Don’t worry about getting it perfect—just post it and move on. You will learn as you go.
Why This Works
The most common advice I’ve read from successful creators: Just get started. Yes, it might feel cringey years later as you will have grown and improved your craft, but you took action. If you never hit “publish,” you never move forward.
Entrepreneurship requires creativity, intuition, and courage. Writing is part of that journey. If someone judges your work, that’s about them, not a reflection of your worth or ability.
Simply write. Be you. Hit publish. Then move on. Confidence grows through action.
Mistake 2# Forgot To Have Fun
I took my business very seriously and wanted to do well and continue learning. Along the way, my marketing became about to-do lists, learning SEO practices, document structures, posting regimes and proper product delivery. These do matter, but I lost the fun I had writing (got into my head instead). Soon, I avoided writing my own marketing materials because it was stressful, not fun.
When writing for clients, I’ve always ghostwritten with their brand in mind – this is a creative challenge, and I love to help people find their voice in business. For my own business though, writing became all strategy with less joy.
How I Write Today
You win in business writing when you marry the logical, linear processes to the creative, intuitive expression of what you want to say. To write and write well, we need to tap into vision, creativity and expression. This is what makes it fun and holistic. My writing has grown, I am happier, and I get more done. I took the pressure off myself, and since then, I’ve been writing regularly for my business.
Why and How This Works
Happiness matters. You can find joy in any task. It might happen naturally or need to be cultivated. Ever notice the difference between grumpy business owners and the ones who are energized and curious? Joy is contagious. Your writing carries that energy.
Mistake #3: Overthinking
Ever start an email or blog and spiral into over-planning, over-researching, and self-doubt? Coming out of grad school, without realizing it, I treated every blog like a thesis paper, doing thorough research, looking at different angles, polished arguments, reworking the language. It took me a ton of time to write and I was often left with the feeling of wanting to give up. I knew the differences between academic writing and copywriting but I had to learn to convert my writing style.
How I Write Today
Now my self-talk is: Keep it simple. Short and sweet. Let it flow. If I hesitate before posting, I skim or skip the final edit and just publish.
Give yourself permission to explore, be curious, and not be difficult with yourself.
Why and How This Works
This works because we are training our brains, rewiring them with progress, positive self-talk talk and learning to take steps to move us forward rather than ruminate, overreflect and get stuck in a mental loop. We become more comfortable, and publishing content becomes a habit, not an event.
Mistake #4: Too Wordy
Coming from an academic background, I had to unlearn a lot. I’ve edited website copy written by other academically trained business owners—and we all tend to write wordy.
Academic writing requires dense language, thorough analysis, and formal tone. Digital marketing copy, by contrast, is conversational and human. It’s about telling stories, solving problems, and engaging quickly.
How I Write Today
Keep it simple, direct, customer-focused, and brand-aligned. Cut the excess, keep the personality, and let the creativity flow.
Why This Works
We must keep learning more about the audience’s needs and wants, as these will evolve as people and the market grow over time. Nothing remains stagnant. Think of your marketing like a recipe, not a textbook or essay.
Mistake #5: Listen More to Others Than to Myself
I used to spend hours on courses, social media, and reading blogs from other writers instead of creating my own content for my busienss. Everyone had advice that often contradicted each other. It left me confused, full of doubt, and unsure how to move forward.
As a lifelong learner, I got caught in the noise. I forgot to trust what I already knew.
How I Write Today
I limit social media and prioritize creative work. I choose courses intentionally and stay aware of when I’m distracting myself. A good mentor or coach can help, but ultimately, you are the one who moves yourself forward.
Why This Works
There’s nothing wrong with learning. But it becomes a problem when it drowns out your voice. We all start somewhere, and you won’t find your rhythm if you don’t practice it for yourself.
I always remember the famous saying from the first Karate Kid movie – “wax on, wax off”. Ralph Machio’s character spent days practicing repetitive training movements to prepare him to step into the martial arts arena. When we practice habitually, we gain skill and our movement, like writing becomes natural, more focused and precise.
In Conclusion
Learning to write marketing copy and content for your business takes time and patience. Even after a few years as a copywriter, I’m still learning and growing—just like every business owner, no matter your industry. Whether you’re teaching healthy lifestyle practices, running a financial planning firm, or coaching clients, growth is part of the journey.
By sharing some of my early copywriting missteps, I’ve highlighted common places where business owners tend to get stuck. From trying to learn everything and write like a pro overnight, to turning a simple webpage into an essay—these are all part of the process. The good news? Your writing will continue to evolve with practice.
What’s one small thing you can do today to show yourself grace and take a step toward better copy?
If you’re looking for guidance, a fresh edit, or just want to take “write marketing copy” off your to-do list,
Click the link below to book a free 30-minute consultation. Let’s get you started!
