Good Copywriting,
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In this case, the operative word is “practice.” Writing good, persuasive copy is both a science and an art. Like it or not, if you really want to master the skill, you’re going to have work at it. Even with decades of copywriting experience, I still read and study everything on the subject that I can get my hands on – ebooks, articles, courses, you name it.
The good news is that the Internet has no shortage of copywriting information. If you spend time searching around, you will find plenty of great free copy tips, articles and ezines from web guys like these:
Yanik Silver, Jim Edwards, Joe Vitale, David Garfinkel, Chris Bloor, Mark Hunteridge, Carl Galletti, Gary Halbert, Drew Eric Whitman, Joe Robson, Mike Jezek – and the list goes on.
Note when I said “guys” I wasn’t kidding! (Now why is that? Anyone care to hazard a guess about where the girls are?) Of course there are other names that should probably be up there. But this gives you a good point of reference because these are copy experts you’re going to want to get to know.
Look up the names on search engines. Go to their websites. Read what they write. Pay particular attention to any sales letters you come across. You want to learn how to write good copy? These are the guys to emulate. This is the best
education you can give yourself and, better yet, you don’t
have to spend a penny to do it!
As you explore and find copy that appeals to you, start
printing things out. One of your first copywriting projects
should be creating what is known as a “swipe” file. Just
like it sounds, your swipe file is a collection of
copywriting examples that you’ve collected, studied and
have on hand when you’re looking for inspiration.
Note that I said “inspiration.” These are examples you can
use to adapt copy from. The best way to learn, after all,
is by example. What you don’t want to do is plagiarize or
lift things outright. The greatest thing about a swipe file
is it eliminates that intimidating blank page. If there is
such a thing as a copywriting secret, the swipe file would
be #1. All professional copywriters have and use swipe
files.
Another learning technique that some professional writers
recommend is copying successful ads by hand. While not tops
on my personal list, everyone has their own individual
learning style and some people find the mechanics of
writing and repetition genuinely helpful.
Steve asked specifically how long per day and how many
days that task should be tackled. If it’s a technique that
seems to be working for you, I’d say trust your own
instincts. Spend as much time as you feel comfortable with.
Just be careful not to get stuck on one ad or one style.
There are many different approaches to writing good
promotional copy. If you want to learn how to think “out of
the box, you can only benefit from greater exposure.
If I were going to create a new marketing website right
this minute, the first thing I would do would be to look at
the existing sites of the Internet's best known marketers:
Corey Rudl’s Internet Marketing Center, Terry Dean’s
Netbreakthroughs site, Jimmy Brown’s Profit Vaults site,
Marlon Sanders Amazing Formula site. While not all
marketing gurus have writing back-grounds, they recognize
the importance of using words that sell, and will tell you
that there is no skill that is more important to employ.
While it is not my intent to use this column as a sales
vehicle, there are some highly valuable copywriting
resources that I will be recommending. Each and every one
of them can be found in my own personal collection. Here
are two of the best, both geared for novice and pro alike:
The first is “Instant Sales Letters.” Written by copy
expert Yanik Silver, it’s a fill-in-the blanks template
system that gives you pre-written letters for various kinds
of businesses and situations. It’s a great way to learn and
build your confidence – not far afield from the copying
technique Steve inquired about.
My favorite part of the system is actually a bonus that
comes with it: “The Ultimate Sales Letter Toolbox.” The
toolbox contains over 300 key selling words and phrases,
20+ ways to state your guarantee, plus dozens of strong
closings and postscripts. It’s been a lifesaver for me. Here you
can read more about Instant Sales Letters
The second product I would suggest you take a look at is
“Make Your Words Sell” by Ken Evoy and Joe Robson. This
phenomenal guide covers literally everything you need to
know about writing Internet copy. You get four information
packed volumes on website copywriting, e-mail writing,
online store writing and your own user’s manual to the
English language. It is obvious that a tremendous amount of
thought and effort went into this resource and, at only
$29.95, it’s an absolute steal. You can check it out at
Make Your Words Sell
And that, my friends, is today’s last word.
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Phyllis Schwartz is a longtime copywriter with a career
background in Direct Mail and Promotional Advertising.
Whether you need a sales letter for your home page, keyword
optimized web content, articles, emails or direct mail
copy, Phyllis is the one to call. For a full menu of copywriting services go to Better Copywriting