I learned from Gary Halbert's letters that a great way to learn copywriting is to rewrite a great AD. So you can feel it in your brain and be one with it, something like that. What techniques do you guys use to master it? (for the masters) what were your best learning methods?
My the best copywriter is Joe Vitale. He is a amazing man, I like he's book Hipnotic Marketing. I think that the best method to learn is read books and many letters. ;-)
a big part of web copywriting is fonts, colors, boxes etc... if you find a really good salesletter online that looks super neat, you might want to rip the CSS sheet and use all of the styles. I know it's not writing skills...but makes a big difference presentation-wise
This so smart Gary Halbert - for sure, rewriting a great ad can lead a marketer to very unexpected insights. I've written down this advise to use it some time in the future. All the links in the thread come very helpful to me and I am very eager to share with you one of my latest brilliant copywriting findings: The Copywriting Secret They have some very intriguing food for thought out there -Tiggs-
Gary Hilbert's archive of letters is really helpful. This resource not only gives you the model but the explanations as well. Michel Fortin and his copywriters board is another one. All the participants there shed light on every aspect of writing and the techniques involved. Of course there are many other that could be found on the web. You just have to find them.
Beyond the elements of a basic sales page I use software to test different pieces of the page and show the highest converting copy more often... Ultimately no matter what copy you swiped to build from your results will vary and this helps to hone it in. -SS
thanks for your insights folks, i'm still learning to be a copywriter, soon I will practice really well (making my sales letter for my products) and I love to do copy for other people. any other places to go to?
Has any soul mentioned the Copyblogger? A place to stop by and have a handful of copywriting secrets, francisj
No, nobody's done that so far. Let me get your attention on this one - http://www.kyletully.com.au/free-copywriting-resources/ It is far better than the previous one, I think. It has shed loads of free resources for copywriters. This is definitely the place where you can boost your inspiration, get your imagination flowing and gather the latest tips and hints for quality article writing.
Reading and writing. Read books on copywriting and sales letters written by other people. Then write a sales letter. Put it away, come back to it later, and read it again. Test it out on friends and family. It doesn't matter if they're interested in the product, a good sales letter could make a snail buy salt.
I've been writing for as long as I can remember; and written quite alot of sales copy as well as a hell of alot of articles but even so I decided to try the AWAI copywriting course and the first lesson they teach is to read and copy great sales letter over and over again. It has now become something I do as a matter of course. Writing and rewriting good copy instills the strucutre and technique in your mind and creates a greater sense of awareness for good copy. I highly recommend the discipline. Phil
Do you know any sites where you can get a couple of sales letter listed, I found some sites sometime ago but I lost the links do you have any ideas where to look?
I'm not sure if I understand your question completely; but I think you are asking for a link to some copies of good sales letters since that is what has been suggested. Here are a couple of links you will find useful: http://www.hardtofindads.com/home http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/newsletters/zfkj_hands_on_experience.htm All the best, Phil
Gary's newsletter is awesome. I read Michel's blog almost every day. John Carlton and Gary are also excellent resources. I read so many sales letter. I need to get the time to rewrite great one. By the way, Gary liked the tube traffic sales letter, he advised to save it and study it.
The American Copywriter blog? Check it out, they have a new article hitting this thread on the head - Improving your creative life for tomorrow starts today.
This is a great thread! I love the CopyBlogger - great info, and the design of his site is fantastic. Lynne
I guess that if you want to master copywriting, one of the things a writer should do before he/she starts to write is answer the following questions: 1. Why is this product made the way it is? 2. What consumer problems, desires, and needs is it designed for? 3. What's special about it—why does it fulfill a consumer's needs better than the competition? 4. Who says so besides you? 5. What are your strongest proof elements to make your case believable? 6. What are all the product's best features and how does each translate into a consumer benefit? 7. If you had unlimited funds, how would you improve this product? 8. Who are its heavy users—the 20 percent who generate 80 percent of sales? 9. What irresistible offers might trigger an explosion in sales? 10. What premiums can be tossed into the mix to press your prospects' hot buttons? Since the product itself is the star of your ad, you should fiercely resist all temptation to be clever, cute, or entertaining, all of which only call attention to your creativity and away from the star. Puns in headlines are advertising malpractice. As David Ogilvy warned, "If you spend your advertising budget entertaining the consumer, you're a bloody fool. Homemakers don't buy a new detergent because the manufacturer told a joke on television last night. They buy the new detergent because it promises a benefit."
Shuttle - Very good post - I'm going to save this! Excellent marketing advice for anyone who needs to sell. Thank you. Lynne