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All copywriters have tips to share that can save you lots of time and aggravation and help jolt your creative thinking when Starbucks or Red Bull fail. Here are 17 top Madison Avenue copy tips that will help make your copy a hit:

1. Go Beyond The Creative Brief It seems creative briefs either have too much information, much of it irrelevant to the copywriter, or too little of the information needed to write a great ad. Don't rely exclusively on information the client provides. Clients often are "too close" to their product and are unable to provide direction or information that helps the creative team think outside the box. Search out other sources to get a fresh perspective. The internet is the best place to start. Use Google for starters. Be sure to check the organic listings as well as the paid sponsorships. Don't overlook competitive and trade industry association sites, and anything your search or your gut tells you is worth exploring.

2. Don't Self-Censor Too many creative people kill their own great ideas through self-censorship. "It was tried before", "The client will never buy it". "Nobody else is doing it" and negative thinking kill too many solid concepts. The fact is that maybe the reason it didn't work, the client didn't buy it or nobody else is doing it is because nobody is going to develop the idea and create an ad as good as you. If someone's going to kill your ideas, let it be the creative director or the client. Think positive. It will always show in your writing.
3. Write Visually- Words are artwork, just like photos or illustrations. Use picturesque words to create mental images that help attract and convince customers. Words with strong visual appeal when combined with the right layout, photos or illustrations assure a powerful and effective ad. One word can be worth a thousand pictures!
4. Write "Across" Not Down. Avoid being condescending and talking down to your audience, unless that's part of the creative strategy. Advertising is a mass media and not everybody reading your copy has your education and command of the English language. Keep vocabulary and sentence structure appropriately simple. Also remember that American is becoming increasingly "global" and for many in the audience, English may be a second or even third language.
5. Write In Rhythm Great copy is like music to the audience's ears. It should flow easily and not be choppy. Try reading the copy aloud. If it sounds choppy or awkward to you, it obviously needs some polishing.

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