Learn what a copywriting mindset entails and why you need this mindset before you start working on your copywriting projects.

What is a copywriting mindset?

A mindset is an established set of attitudes. It’s a frame of mind, a way of thinking.

A copywriting mindset is the group of attitudes and beliefs you have before you start working on your copywriting projects.

These beliefs will continue to inform your writing and creative decisions throughout your health and medical copywriting projects – whether you’re writing five words or five thousand words of copy.

Now, copywriting is writing to inspire action and get a response.

This is your mindset. This is your approach.

As a copywriter, you need to think of how you will persuade your readers to take the desired action so you can achieve the client’s or employer’s most wanted response.

This mindset might come naturally to some of you. Or, you may find it more challenging.

If you come from an academic background, are used to writing about research, have traditional medical writing skills or usually write feature articles or pitches, it can be difficult to embrace the copywriting mindset.

You need to move from writing straightforward facts to focusing on persuasion psychology and generating leads and sales.

As a writer, though, you’re naturally curious. You might discover some really cool facts which are fascinating to you, and you desperately want to share them! But, unfortunately, this is not your job as a copywriter.

It’s not that your job is not to share stories. Stories absolutely persuade your readers. But, your job is to inspire action, and get a response from your reader.

So, with that in mind, you’re not a journalist anymore. You’re not a feature writer anymore.  You’re not a technical or scientific writer anymore.

You’re a health & medical copywriter.

Your job is to write compelling copy that inspires action.

This is your mindset.

Your mindset is about moving away from those traditional forms of writing.

Getting comfortable with writing about selling

There is often a financial measurement in copywriting – at the end of the day, you’re probably writing to make someone some money.

And, if you’re writing your own content – updating your website, starting your own health blog or updating your LinkedIn profile, for example – then you’re essentially writing to make yourself money.

The power of your sales copy is linked to your financial outcomes.

The better you write, the more you will sell.

While your copy may not be the only reason why a product does or doesn’t sell, you can understand how well your sales copy is written based on the financial outcome it produces.

Some writers baulk at writing sales copy – especially in the health and medical industry, and especially physicians and health professionals.

The idea of developing a money mindset and selling stuff, of getting people to give us their money, makes a lot of writers uncomfortable.

You probably already know that selling is a part of copywriting, and you’re not worried about it or afraid of it.

And, that’s great. You absolutely can’t be afraid of sales and action-driven copywriting.

I think hesitation comes from the fear that we are somehow viewed as snake-oil salesmen if we sell – and that, by selling, we become evil people who just want money and have no integrity.

But this is absolutely not the case.

You can be a credible health copywriter. You can be a copywriter with integrity. It is possible. I’m not here to teach you how to trick your readers out of all their money (hat’s not what copywriting, and especially health & medical copywriting, is all about).

But, if what I said about hesitations rings true to you, then I just want to reiterate that you must confidently embrace sales as a part of the copywriting process.

Because confidence is also a part of the copywriting mindset.

Growing your copywriting confidence 

Your copywriting needs to radiate confidence.

If you want to write persuasive copy, you must be confident.

A reader can feel it if you aren’t 100% confident in your writing.

And if you’re not confident, your reader won’t be, either. They’re not going to buy, sign up, click, read, share, or comment if the copy isn’t confident.

So, you won’t achieve your most wanted response, your desired action.

A copywriting mindset is about believing in yourself, believing in what you write, and being a confident copywriter.

Easier said than done, but you can learn more about how you can develop your copywriting confidence here.

Here’s a very, very important point about the copywriting mindset, though.

Confidence comes from knowing your subject matter.

The better you know your subject, the more confident you will be.

And, on that note, there probably will be times when you’re not confident about what you’re writing about.

This might be because you don’t know the product well enough.

You don’t know who the audience is.

You don’t know what the benefits are.

Or, you simply don’t believe in the product.

And, in order to write well about a product, you must believe in it.

I’m bringing this up because I want you to be aware that it’s a potential issue – and hopefully by being aware of it, you can try to prevent this scenario from happening.

There’s no use writing vitamin supplement copy if you don’t believe in taking vitamin supplements.

There’s no use writing a detailer for a new medication if the idea of selling medicines to doctors makes you uncomfortable.

Nobody is saying that you have to do those jobs as a health & medical copywriter. If it doesn’t sit well with you, then don’t do it.

I regularly refuse jobs that I know I couldn’t do because I don’t believe in the product.

Maybe I refuse for ethical reasons, maybe I refuse because I’m simply not interested.

In my experience, it’s always best to say no if you don’t 100% believe in the job.

It’s better to say no than to get halfway through and find yourself in an ethical dilemma.

As a freelance health copywriter, you have the luxury of saying no to jobs you know you couldn’t do – or don’t want to do.

As an employed health copywriter, it’s a bit different. Before you apply for jobs, you need to think about the types of projects you could be working on for certain employers and consider whether there could ever be any ethical issues.

These issues make some medical copywriting jobs challenging. But it’s something that does become more familiar with time.

The final word on the copywriting mindset

So, I’ve said that a copywriting mindset is about inspiring action and eliciting a response.

I’ve said that a copywriting mindset is about confidence.

Now I have something extremely important to add, which is probably the MOST important thing about the copywriting mindset.

Want to know what it is?

Join my next copywriting course, Principles of Health & Medical Copywriting, and I’ll tell you all that and more!

Principles of Health & Medical Copywriting teaches you how to write persuasive, compliant health copy and grow your copywriting career. Learn an evidence-based approach to copywriting and gain exclusive industry insights.

• Get paid to write about health and medical topics
• Transition to copywriting with confidence
• Learn what’s involved in writing quality health content
• Target the clients who need your niche skills
• Turn your love of writing and passion for healthcare into a lucrative, meaningful career
• Enhance your job prospects and professional credibility.

For all the latest info on course dates, fees, the curriculum guide, testimonials and bonus inclusions, visit the registration page here.