Copywriting Secrets From a Secret Rain Dancer

It’s about 5 pm when I hop on my bike to head to the grocery store.

Now, I live in Oregon.

And here, it rains.

A lot.

And we like it that way.

But it also means I need to edit my first sentence.

Let’s see here …

It’s about 5 pm.

I hop on my bike to head to the grocery store.

Pedal after pedal, I reach the end of the block down the street from my apartment.

Then, as if Zeus himself commanded it, it begins to torrentially rain.

Out of nowhere.

Even though it was sunny just moments before.

Ah, yes. That’s better.

I keep pedaling, but the grocery store is 1.5 miles away … or a good 7ish minutes of riding.

I have to make a choice. Do I turn back, park my bike, and drive to the grocery store like some sad, hydrophobic alleycat?

Or do I throw comfort to the wind, press on, and roll up to the grocery store sopping wet?

Well … neither happened, actually.

I did ride to the grocery store, of course.

But I didn’t get wet. Like, not even a drop.

Because as soon as I crossed one more block, the rain completely stopped.

Like, the road was dry. It hadn’t even been raining down the block.

So I happily continued on my way, glad that I was able to avoid the rain, and got my groceries for the night.

But what does this have to do with copywriting?

Admittedly, not very much.

But I think this scenario illustrates an important part of being a copywriter.

Throughout your career, you face many challenges.

The rain will seem heavy and torrential and right in front of you.

It’ll feel like everything is stopping you from achieving your goals.

But it’s temporary.

And if you push just a little harder, you might find that it’s not even raining where you’re going at all.

I remember having the same feelings in my first few years as a copywriter.

Especially when I got laid off from my first real marketing job. Or when my first Facebook ad campaign totally tanked. Or when I …

Ah, you get the idea.

Being a copywriter — and a successful one at that — requires a little grit.

It requires you to be willing to ride your bike even in the torrential rain.

Because chances are … it’s going to be dry just a few streets over.

David Patrick