How do I learn the art of copywriting? I think I have fair enough English skills. The only problem is that I don't know where to start!
But this is a thread about specifically learning the art of copywriting and the type of English needed for it. My other thread was asking how to make money from it. I Realized that I have to know how to copywrite first in order to make money. Thank-you for your help.
Look at the links I gave you on the last page. There is plenty of info to answer that specific question. Don't JUST read it, STUDY it. Also, look at their controls. Good stuff to learn from. Especially from Carline Anglade-Cole http://www.carlinecole.com/, one of today's top writers. Here is one of her controls that is my favorite http://www.carlinecole.com/kick butt controls/Covers/JournalofHealingDiscoveries.jpg I did not include John Carlton copywriter because he is highly overrated. He is mediocre, at best. I didn't include any from the copywriter warrior forum message board because they are just too laughable. You don't need to know the "type" of English because there isn't such a thing. The "art," yes. Example: I got an assignment with Toyota just by writing them a sample sales letter. I wrote it as if I was talking to a friend about the product, which was, of course, their vehicles. There is no "type." Hell, you don't even need to have the skills of an English professor. Over half of the A-List writers don't have it. But, they have the "art" of writing. Once you start studying all that I have given you, you will understand better. Good luck with it.
My first response is if you need to ask, you need to find another occupation. Having fair enough English skills simply means you can put together sentences. It might even mean you could become a fairly decent writer. But, becoming a skilled copywriter entails so much more than putting together sentences. For any given copywriting project, the time I spend actually writing is the smallest portion of the project. Most of the time is spent learning about the business and/or product to be sold, researching the competition, researching the target audience and coming up with a strategy or approach. Sales copy that will appear online also requires SEO and keyword research. Without skills in those areas, you could be Shakespeare and it wouldn't matter.
Perry makes a good point. I started with The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugerman. Its my copywriting guide I refer to almost daily. The one thing I will say is stay away from courses and stick to books. Books are more credible. And good authors put a lot of golden nuggets in there. But before you write a single word you have to understand the following: Who is your customer? What problems do they have? What are the emotions and thinking that come with that problem? What are they looking for and how do they want it? Your goal: Match the Most Important Problem, With the Strongest Emotion to the Right Customer in a way that doesn't sound like your selling. There's a lot more to it than that. But if you start there you'll be miles ahead of most people.
Correction: One of the links I gave in the last thread was on Clayton Makepeace, the Toal Package. He took down the other copywriters' articles. The interviews are also gone. His articles are the only ones up. Something must have happened that he had to take everything else down. Oh well, another one bites the dust.
just write and write almost all of the best article writers today started their profession by just practicing. Also, it is helpful if you read some write-ups written by other people. This will give you a better understanding of what the art of copy writing really is.
You can read up on copywriting all you want, but you won't get anywhere until you practice a lot and put what you learn into action. Start by writing copy for your own sites or for imaginary sites or whatever and putting concepts you learn/ed into action. Getting critique and feedback on your writing is also important. Results are the best indicator of whether your writing is any good. If your copy makes you money, then it works! Clients (Don't take them on until you are a decent writer), other writers and netizens can also help you with evaluating your copy.
Let me be frank. Somethings are inborn. This is with writing skill. If you have by birth features or writing, then you will go very high. And if you want to learn, you can't be skilled writer. Anyway study more and more to learn the skills of copywriting
Becoming "Good" at copywriting is relative to the results you hope to achieve with your copy. Writing copy that sells is a far different skill set than writing news copy, which is again different from writing copy for SEO. First, decide what you want your copywriting efforts to do. Then, Start Writing! Ask for feedback, then write some more... The one thing that all great writers do is write a lot. (by "great" I mean writers that get results) Nothing will outperform practice and action in honing your craft.
From experience. From practice. From hard work. From dedication. Could't have said it any better. We'll maybe a little. Master, shall I do your laundry now?
"Fair enough" skills is nowhere near good enough, you need to have perfect skills. If English is not your primary language then I can't think of very many worse things to get into than copywriting.
If you are hoping to write articles for pay, then go to eHow, Associated Content, and EzineArticles and study those articles. If you are hoping to write copy/sales letters for pay, I really don't want to discourage you but most people are looking for writers with great/native level English writing skills. You can go to ClickBank to find sample sales letters to study, or check out a copy of my sales letter at http://www.makemoneywritingfromhome.com Good luck! Stephanie
The book Influence by Robert B. Cialdini had a big influence on helping me understand why specific words can move people more than others. I also got some mileage out of this headline writing course on Wordtracker.com: http://www.wordtracker.com/academy/near-perfect-headlines And I enjoy dissecting headline formulas, some of which are available on Copyblogger: http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work/
If you really want to learn copywriting, here's something that you must give a look. copy-e-writing.in/blog Especially the copywriting section (it has a training series going on).
I think that best way to learn copywriting is copywriting. If you will write articles and express your ideas, you will get experience and improve your skills. Good luck for you, me and all colleagues on this hard deal!
Thanks everyone! With a website in desperate need of a rewrite some of these links have given me great food for thought.
The best course I have completed is the AWAI 6 Figure Copywriting course. It teaches you all you need to need to know in order to become a good copywriter.