What are the best ways to use observation for copywriting inspiration?

Whenever you come across a brief, don't delve too much onto the words written in it. Read the brief, understand the problem, and forget the brief. Focus on solving that problem with a real life instance. If you can't find one, take a walk through the park, go for a drive, or just go around talking to different people at your workplace. There's an insight in every corner, waiting to be picked up and crafted into a copy. It could be a stranger's conversation that helps click something, it could even be a lifeless plastic bottle swaying across the street, but as long as you keep your senses open, there'll be an insight that comes your way.

Creating a sensory-rich experience through your copy makes for a more engaging and memorable experience for your audience. Bring your copy to life with descriptors that make your readers feel like they are “there” with you, experiencing the product or scenario, makes connections that lead to conversion.

There is no doubt that observation can help any creative person. But what to observe? You can of course travel and explore the world. But, what if you cannot? Look around you. Look, peek, seek. In simpler words, be alive. Explore the normal, immerse in the everyday, understand and feel the most mundane of the world around you. What's boring you today might become the crux of your next story. That chitchat by the roadside tea stall might give that creative spark. So, live the everyday. Be yourself. The world might just love the way you look and feel the world. And remember, common sense is a very uncommon yet immensely valuable commodity. Don't ever lose it whatever profession you choose. With writing, no moment spent being alive is a waste.

Our lifestyles are constantly changing. It won't be that difficult to see how times have changed and what are its implications. For example, traditionally a lot of people fast for religious purposes across the globe. Why? Because food was precious and for cleansing the body. Today our minds need cleansing because of all the clutter around us. This simple observation can help you create a beautiful copy and campaign for a giant like Netflix, promoting self-care.

I’ve always loved to people watch. Watching strangers walk by on the street, in the grocery store, and the be all end all of yesteryear, the mall, is an exhilarating exercise in curiosity. For a copywriter, this isn’t merely a whimsical pastime. It’s a dynamic way to dive into the tapestry of human behavior, to snatch snippets of real-life stories that breathe life into our copy. It’s about actively engaging with the world around us to fuel our creative engines and deliver copy that’s not only relatable, but also pulsating with life!

The world is rich with variety and humans too. However similar two humans maybe, they are never the same. The very core of writing comes from a deep understanding of people, their habits and their lives. The best writing speaks to people without trying to speak to them. It creates that connect which makes them take notice. And that connect is always based on emotions. Sometimes, the most boring individual you know might give you the most funniest incident. So again, observing people is part of staying alive. A writer needs to be alive, not just biologically, but creatively and as a being. Lose the screen and look around you. You never know the kind of humans and lives they maybe leading. Normal people live just one life. Writers, many.

Observing People: Go to a busy area like a mall, park, or coffee shop. Sit down with your notebook or phone and observe the people around you. Take note of what they're wearing, who they're with, how they're interacting, and what they seem interested in. For example, I recently observed a group of teenagers at the mall. I noticed: They were all wearing athleisure clothing like leggings and sweatshirts. This suggests athleisure is popular among teenagers right now. I could target this trend in copy for athletic apparel brands. Most of them had smartphones and were frequently on them. This shows mobile usage is huge for this demographic. I could focus on mobile optimization and messaging in copy aimed at teenagers.

Observing trends, staying abreast of trends, maybe even foreseeing trends, everything's great. But always remember, trends are trends. Times change and so do trends. Follow trends but don't ever be blind. Trust your instincts and maybe even have the guts to go against the tide. You can either be an trend follower or a trend setter.

Trends zu beobachten, ist eine Möglichkeit, sich inspirieren zu lassen. Die alleinige Fokussierung auf Moden finde ich allerdings nicht sinnvoll. Zu schnell ändern sich diese wieder. Es widerspricht zudem meiner inneren Haltung und meinem Bestreben, originelle und authentische Texte zu schreiben.

As a marketer, it's always a good idea to take note of what works on you. - What emails do you open? - What buttons do you click? - How do you end up down a YouTube wormhole without even realising? Take note of the things that drive you to take these actions – the principles of language at play, and how they tap into your emotions and influence your behaviours. Then think about how you can apply these principles to your next copywriting project.

Note not only what you see, but your response to it: how does it make you feel? What interests you about it? What stands out when you recall your observations? There’s gold in taking time to take inventory of how the things you’ve observed land and prioritize themselves for you.

Observing oneself can in some ways be very limiting. If your experiences are limited, so will your observations. Of course, understanding oneself and looking back to where one came from can offer rich insights. From a writing perspective, lose yourself and write. Be and live the multitude of lives you can lead.

-Observe Conversations: Dive into forums, social media discussions, and customer service interactions. The language and emotions expressed are goldmines for an authentic copy that resonates. -Observe Silence: Sometimes, what’s not said is as telling as what is. Notice gaps in market communication and unaddressed customer needs—these are opportunities for unique and impactful messaging. -Observe Art and Media: Visual and auditory arts can evoke emotions and ideas that translate into powerful copy. Use the themes, tones, and narratives as a springboard for creative concepts. -Observe History: Understanding past trends, successes, and failures in advertising can inform more timeless and persuasive copy that avoids past pitfalls.