Learning how to Copywrite

by zigato

Posted: 15 years ago 15 replies

COPY WRITING

Without having to hire a professional Copywriter, what materials can I use to learn how to learn how to create sales letters well?

#copywrite #learning

RickDuris 15 years ago

Hi zigato,

You can go out and sell the items personally and record the conversations where you have succeeded. Then get them transcribed. Then take the best parts and get them formatted and posted up the way you want.

- Rick Duris
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- Snow_Predator 15 years ago
  
  I'm in no position to answer your question, but I can relate my experience.
  
  I've read a bunch of modern copywriting books that all promise the world! They all claim they'll make you rich, or convince you that reading this particular book is all you need to become come a master copywriter.
  
  I'm starting to think however, that the best way to learn is to do two things - study the old classics (the one that all the new books recommend), including Breakthrough advertising by John Caples, The Robert Collier Letter Book and How To Write A Good Advertisement By Victor Schwab. I think it would also be a good idea to study successful ads by yourself.
  
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John_S 15 years ago

Let me guess the very next question. "Without having to hire a professional sales person, what materials can I use to learn how to sell."
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John_S 15 years ago

Want to learn? Then go write copy. Sell stuff.

Book finished. The End.
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- tpw 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by John_S
  
  Want to learn? Then go write copy. Sell stuff.
  
  Book finished. The End.
  
  This is correct, but I would recommend your reading as many books as you can find on the subjects of sales and copy writing... The two topics go hand-in-hand...
  
  I chose to learn sales, before I chose to learn copy writing... And I am still learning both...
  
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Gary Pettit 15 years ago

Get a hold of E.B. White's classic essay, "The Elements of Style." It remains the shortest, clearest and best tutorial for effective writing. I'm sure it's available online, or any librarian would be happy to guide you to a copy.
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we_got_tops 15 years ago

I'm here at the forums to learn more about this as well, and I definitely would agree that practice is key. Write some copy, see how it does, then ask for advice and suggestions.

As far as resources go, I wouldn't have thought of "The elements of style" off the top of my head, but I think that's a great idea. I don't know much about the classics, but I will certainly be checking them out too.
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Stephen Bray 15 years ago

There are many routes to learning
copywriting, but all take time.

A little hunger probably helps too.

I started out by selling ads for
a local paper, and thought I
needed lots of slick sales phrases.

I was wrong, people bought from
me, not from me putting on an
act.

But my main obstacle was the
ads I was selling didn't get
results because the ad
department was bland, and
wasn't paid on a commission.

Things improved considerably
When I started writing the ads
I was selling.

The first copywriting book
I bought was 'Ogilvy on
Advertising'. I have never
regretted it and still have
a copy on my desk 20 years
on. Not only is it an intelligent
well illustrated resource, it
also cites a wide variety of
further references.

Ogilvy enabled me to move
from hype, to a more subtle
form of writing.

Some markets respond better
to this, many however require
a little extra adrenaline than
Ogilvy's prose.

Do you really know your
market? That's the first step
to understanding how to write
effective copy.

Stephen
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Gary Pettit 15 years ago

Speaking of classics, one of the volumes of The Harvard Classics is a collection of the greatest speeches of all time. What a place to learn true copywriting! Another volume is the greatest book prefaces of all times. Again, something written so well as to be remembered and immortalized has to have something very valuable to teach me. Language and diction and style can change over time, but the purpose and effectiveness of the craft remains consistent throughout history. Any volume or collection of famous speeches would be a great course in copywriting.
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topsytoppy 15 years ago

You do not necessarily need to have a particular book to read although books are good but i guess you should start by reading what other people have written. There are so many sales copy online that you can read. Just pick them one by one; the ones that appeal to you and will make you want to buy a product are the ones you want to build yourself up to par with. Thats a very good way to start off. I hope this helps
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Raydal 15 years ago

One thing you learn after spending tens of thousands of dollars
on a a college education--everything your professor taught you
came from a book.

Then why pay the professor? S/He was there to motivate you and
keep you accountable.

Some people have the background and discipline to learn copywriting
on their own--there are a TON of free and cheap resources so you
can do that. Others need some motivation and guidance from those
who have been doing this for years.

The choice is your really about which route you want to take. Each
has its advantages. One is cheap and the other is fast.

-Ray Edwards
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- ARSuarez 15 years ago
  
  Zigato,
  
  There has been a lot of GREAT advice dispensed in this thread. One more pointer I offer is... ripping apart sales letters.
  
  I've just started doing it again with some Brian Keith Voiles pieces.
  
  Very informative experience!
  
  Here is what you do: take a pen and a successful ad. Sit down at your desk or kitchen table. Wherever you can be alone and quiet.
  
  Then, I want you to go through EACH LINE. Actually, each WORD. Doing this, you'll understand:
  
  1) What were some of the main motivations the writer used - hot buttons, etc.
  
  2) The use of certain phrases for impact
  
  3) How to increase product value throughout the copy in subtle ways
  
  4) How the writer tears apart the reader's defenses (or disarms them, whichever you prefer)
  
  And a whole score of other things.
  
  By far, next to handwriting copy, this is a very revealing experience.
  
  I highly suggest you go to:
  
  Marketing... copywriting... and all things related to making your business more profitable.
  
  And sign up. The content on the site is good, and the three bonuses for signing up are incredible. Ross' "Stripped Naked Sales Letters" is a real nugget.
  
  On top of that, go to Kevin Rogers' site (Kevin Rogers|Direct Response Copywriting Expert|Marketing Consultant|The Copywriter's Edge) and sign up. His breakdown of a successful Clickbank letter is well worth the time.
  
  Craig Garber also offers some sales letters breakdowns, as do most big copywriters.
  
  For me, it's the most effective way to learn. But as has been said... everyone learns differently.
  
  Seeing everything the books, courses, etc, talk about at work is a big help.
  
  All the best,
  
  Angel
  
  Thanks
  
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madison_avenue 15 years ago

If you like language: fiction, poetry, drama etc you have the potential to become a good copywriter. You are a dramatist; your copy must create drama, and get an emotional response, whatever that may be, from the reader.
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Len Bailey 15 years ago

Check out Clayton Makepeace's site: The Total Package -- it's free and packed with tons of info. And make sure you hit the archives.

A couple other good sites:

Jack Ford - "Learn to Sell or Else..."

Gary Bencivenga - Marketing Bullets

Gary Halbert - The Gary Halbert Letter

John Carlton - John Carlton's Official Blog - The Marketing Rebel RANT

You could also pick up a copy of Denny Hatch's Million Dollar Mailings - Amazon.com: Million Dollar Mailings...
Hope this helps,

Len
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Quatrel 15 years ago

zigato,
What helps a lot is to follow Gary Halbert's system of just taking great ads and copying them by hand, word by word. Writing out other ads will get you into the flow of things. I first thought it a was silly advice, but it works. By writing you learn faster.

Great old ads you can find at Lawrence Bernstein's infomarketingblog .com
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