Reading things out loud after you've wrote them helps you determine whether or not what you're saying would sound right to the person reading.

It's amazing what we can think of at time, but it can sometimes be counter productive to our goals.

Then I realized that misspellings are one thing, but bad grammar can totally take your meaning and destroy it. Plus, it’s helpful to review since we’ll be teaching it to our homeschooled kids soon. So it’s back to grammar school for me.

It’s my first time here (found you on Twitter), nice blog!

I’m a student of copywriting and I mainly do it for free to help friends (for now).

I believe that after you’ve become 1000% intimate with a product or service and then set the intention to write great copy, you engage the Infinite Intelligence (yep, from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill).

One thing I do is walk away from it for a day or two, then come back and try to read it fresh (pretending this is the first time). I may do this several times.

I find that getting away from it for a while and allowing the subconscious to work on it while I do other things is highly beneficial. Many times, I get an A-Ha! moment out of the blue.

Also, since I am always reading wonderful blogs (like this one) as well as mini-sites, reading books and collecting things for my swipe file…I tend to come across ideas and other things that help (like reading it aloud …and 10 times…Thanks Ryan and Ben!).

I love to get that feeling: “this is cool!” -when I find something really helpful.

Which I’m feeling right now…!
;-)
Carl

P.S. -LOVE the check boxes and capture for .pdf you are using here, very innovative haven’t seen this before…new trick…lol…happy dance…w00t!

@Ben – That’s what I love about you. You have the ability to stick to something far longer than your average dude or dudette.

It’s also what makes your copy outshine your peers. :-)

Ryan

I’ll take it even another step further (actually 10 steps further) :

Read it aloud 10 times — spaced out over 4 or 5 days (if possible).

Yes, it’s boring, it’s redundant and it WILL drive your spouse bonkers.

BUT… I promise you will not only catch many more errors and mistakes, but you will also get many more ideas for your ad as you do it.

In fact (and I do not know if this will be the case with everyone) the ad I read aloud the first time is often far weaker than the one I read aloud the 5th, 6th or 10th time. Sometimes it’s almost a completely different ads, with more meat, benefits and persuasive elements in it that come out of nowhere later in the process.

Just my 10 cents…

Ben

Thanks a lot for the tip.

Thanks, Ryan.

- John