6.3Best practices & pitfalls
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Golden rule: you never write for yourself or the brand — you write for the reader and the action you want from them.
- Do: start from the avatar, open with the benefit, one single CTA, rewrite by cutting, only promise what is deliverable.
- Never do: write for everyone, clickbait, price before value, publish a first draft, false urgency.
Mehdi thread — 1 year on: three habits that pay
One year on, Mehdi reviews: what counted most was not a trick, but three habits — writing ten headlines instead of one, letting it rest then cutting, and only promising what the offer keeps. And his biggest trap narrowly avoided: publishing a brilliant but fuzzy first draft on a rush evening.
Pick a single habit to anchor in your writing routine, then move to the next.
The do / don't of a text that converts
The difference between a text that sells and one that falls flat comes down to a few habits. Here are the ones that recur most.
✓ Do
- Start from the customer avatar and their real words before writing.
- Open with the benefit, keep the feature as proof.
- Write several headlines and pick the strongest (and honest) one.
- One idea per sentence, concrete words, active voice.
- Anticipate and lift objections directly in the text.
- One goal and one clear CTA per page/email.
- Let it rest, then rewrite by cutting ("when in doubt, cut").
- Only promise what the offer keeps: honest persuasion pays.
✗ Avoid
- Writing for "everyone": the message touches no one.
- Lining up features without stating the benefit.
- Clickbait: one click gained, trust lost.
- Announcing the price before building value.
- Multiplying competing CTAs: conversion dilutes.
- Publishing the first draft with no rewrite.
- False urgency/scarcity and dark patterns (L5.5).
- The "corporate" tone that talks about itself, not the reader.
Ready-to-say script — check your text before publishing (30 s)
"Benefit up front? Proof present? Objections lifted? One clear CTA? Did I cut the filler? Is it true and deliverable? If any no, I fix before publishing."
Copy-paste template — monthly self-check (8 questions)
THIS MONTH (yes / to improve):
1. Avatar: did I write from the audience's real words?
2. Benefit: is the main benefit up front?
3. Headlines: did I write several options before picking?
4. Clarity: short sentences, concrete words, active voice?
5. Objections: are the main ones lifted in the text?
6. CTA: one goal and one CTA per text?
7. Rewrite: did I let it rest then cut?
8. Ethics: true and deliverable promise, no false urgency?
MY PRIORITY NEXT MONTH (only one): ...Small business / tight budget
One habit per quarter is enough: benefit up front first, the rest after.
Algeria SME
Fit habits to peaks and real channels: a routine that survives the rush beats ten resolutions.
Remote / hybrid
The #1 discipline at a distance: read aloud and check understanding before sending.
Cross-cultural
Check message reception (rephrasing by a local reader) rather than assuming shared understanding.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Fill the monthly self-check above on your latest text and pick a single priority to anchor in your routine.
- I know the 8 reflexes to adopt and the 8 traps to avoid.
- I have filled the self-check and picked one priority.
- I did the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.
Before publishing his page, which reflex protects Mehdi best?
Golden rule: you never write for yourself or the brand — you write for the reader and the action you want from them.