Advice on what to write my first copy for?

10 replies
Hi All,

Please forgive me if this is a question that has you smacking your head saying, "THIS guy wants to write copy???" -- I promise to learn and improve quickly!

I've been reading and getting excited about writing some sales letters and similar materials. I've been working through the much-maligned AWAI 6-Figure book, Halbert's Boron Letters, the Direct Mail Bootcamp audio, lots of sites, and of course, here. Since I'm traditionally a computer nerd, I find it possible to forever read about things, so I'm wanting to stop simply reading and get some "doing" into the mix!

I don't have my own product to sell at this point and if I have to create one before I write copy, that could take long enough to nix my current excitement. Looking at Clickbank and places like that, most of the products I could write letters for already have comprehensive sales materials, so I don't think there's much opportunity there. Obviously, on my first time out, I'm not comfortable being hired by someone, so a JV/contract job is probably out.

So, what advice would you give someone looking to write their first letter on where to find a product to work with and learn from (including split testing, etc.)? Something I can build a squeeze page, small site, do some testing, and practice analyzing the stats/etc.

I know it's an ultra-basic question, but oddly enough, it's got me stumped. I guess I've spent too many years behind a keyboard and lost my creativity! Any tips or processes you've found handy would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
#advice #copy #write
  • Profile picture of the author Adaptive
    I really like your style, Mr. Cheeze. (Or Ms. Cheeze? Sorry, I can't tell from your post.)

    If you don't need to generate cash immediately, you could research a niche, register a domain name, pay for inexpensive hosting, install Wordpress and start a blog. Add some articles with resource boxes, and put up a squeeze page getting people to subscribe to your free newsletter. Find some affiliate items you'd like to sell, insert ads in the site and your newsletter, and split test the provider's sales materials versus your own writing. You can do all of this for $30 for a year, without needing anyone else's permission or collaboration.

    You're guaranteed to learn from real world experience this way, and maybe make a profit along the way.

    Next, you can find some local, offline business owners and offer to write sales letters for them. An inspiring example is in one of Gary Halbert's back issues, at
    The Gary Halbert Letter
    Skip the rant to the part that begins "90% of all business owners."

    Now expand on that with the "offline gold" threads here, such as this terrific one:
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...e-clients.html
    In that thread, Chris Byrnes pitched web creation or SEO. In your case, you could pitch web creation and newsletter and sales letter writing. I can't find it right now, but there's also a terrific thread about selling a $75/month autoresponder add-on to an existing web site. You could blow the roof of that value at twice the price by including the actual writing as well as the autoresponder hosting and coding.

    Additionally, you can browse here at the Warrior Forum for people looking for rewrite suggestions, or for someone to collaborate on the writing.

    Finally, check out Bob Bly's books for examples of the sales letter he used to get his first copywriting clients - this was when "offline" was all there was.

    Regards,
    Allen
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    • Profile picture of the author cheeze69
      Thanks Allen.

      I've actually got a few sites/blogs already, which I use AdSense, TLA and stuff like that on. I'm rather tired of having to force myself to write blog posts, so that's why I'm investigating the product creation and selling.

      I got introduced to the subject of copywriting a while ago by someone who said that they thought I'd be good at it, as I tend to write fairly conversationally, and that's what's been driving my desire to "get my feet wet" and try to get a real source of income going. The 3 and 5 cent ad clicks on my blogs don't exactly pay the bills.

      Also, I'm glad that George chimed-in and shows similar interest -- at least I know I'm not out in la-la land all by myself.

      Oh, and it's Mr. Cheeze.

      Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author George Chernikov
    I think this is a great question - I'm facing the same situation at the moment. I'd like to get into offering copywriting as a service, but I'd want to have a track record of some sort to back my offer up (as well as to make sure that I'm actually delivering value to my clients).
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  • Profile picture of the author Adaptive
    Oh, and it's Mr. Cheeze.
    Thanks for clearing that up, Mike.

    I tend to write fairly conversationally
    Yes, you do, and that makes your material easy to read. That's a superb and rare skill, not to be underestimated! Do you realize how many superb products and inventions are already available, but hidden behind baffling prose that keeps people from understanding all the benefits?

    I've actually got a few sites/blogs already
    Oh, so you're already familiar with those mechanics. In that case, you could do online copywriting and easily coordinate with the client's existing technology infrastructure.

    The 3 and 5 cent ad clicks on my blogs don't exactly pay the bills.
    It seems to me that copywriter-for-hire might be a great gig for you. It doesn't take that many $500 & up projects to replace a lot of 3 to 5 cent clicks. Let someone else come up with the great niche research and product design, while you explain it all conversationally. Bob Bly's material could be a great help for you. You could get one of his how to be a freelance writer books very inexpensively.

    Bly mentions several high paying niches for copywriters who serve major corporations: speech writing, article writing, writing case studies, and writing audiovisual scripts. With your conversational style, you might do great at any of these. You don't need to limit your career to what fits into a squeeze page or sign-up form online.

    Did you read Halbert's discussion of the art gallery project?

    Regards,
    Allen

    P.S. Hi George, thanks for joining the conversation!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author cheeze69
      Originally Posted by Adaptive View Post

      It seems to me that copywriter-for-hire might be a great gig for you. It doesn't take that many $500 & up projects to replace a lot of 3 to 5 cent clicks. Let someone else come up with the great niche research and product design, while you explain it all conversationally. Bob Bly's material could be a great help for you. You could get one of his how to be a freelance writer books very inexpensively.

      Bly mentions several high paying niches for copywriters who serve major corporations: speech writing, article writing, writing case studies, and writing audiovisual scripts. With your conversational style, you might do great at any of these. You don't need to limit your career to what fits into a squeeze page or sign-up form online.

      Did you read Halbert's discussion of the art gallery project?
      Thanks again for the feedback Allen. I'll go dig-up that art gallery piece and look into the Bly stuff right after this.

      I hadn't really thought much about doing work for companies, since my confidence isn't up there yet due to just getting started, but I'll keep that in-mind for the longer term. Nearer term, I was planning to offer services for people here on WF who need simple sales pages and things like that. Walk before I run, and all that stuff

      As for the CB idea Tina mentioned, can you link to the order/purchase page with your affiliate code somewhow? I wouldn't think it is a good idea to write my own sales page and then drive the reader to another sales page, but that's what the normal CB "hoplink" does. I've done a bit of searching, but it looks like this is not something "officially" available from CB.

      Mike
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      • Profile picture of the author I Write Junk Mail
        Don't sell yourself short just because you've never written a sales letter before. None of us were born with a Montblanc in our hands. Here are some thoughts ...

        Take that passion of yours - computers - and run with it. Whether you fix 'em, hack into them, or play WOW all day (and all night) there's something you know that others don't. People pay to learn. Your assignment is to sell yourself. If what you can offer doesn't fit the Internet model, put a print ad in your local paper.

        If you don't have a service you can offer, then hook up with the local computer store. Yes you can do a joint venture! The economy sucks. Every retailer is hurting. They'll give blood for paying customers.

        So you call the owner or go right down and visit the place and you say: "I live and breath computers just like you. But my other hobby is studying direct response advertising. What I've learned is just mind boggling. People have become insanely wealthy just by making a few changes to how they advertise. I want to put into practice what I've spent the last 6 months studying. But I don't have a business. So what if I created an ad for you, using the same techniques that made all these other people wealthy? I won't ask for a penny upfront. Would you share 10% of your sales on the business my ad brings in?

        Here's another approach ...

        Come up with three things you can get really passionate about. Write an ad or sales letter for each one. Now you've got a portfolio. Then go to Elance.com and sign up as a provider. I cringe at the thought, but that's where I made my public debut so many years ago. You'll need to be a little thick skinned, but if you're creative and resourceful, you can beat the pants of most of the providers there. Don't expect to make a lot of money. Very few prospects know the value of a good direct response copywriter and fewer copywriters understand their true worth. You'll find a lot of bottom feeders there from both camps.

        Okay, one more thought ...

        Set up a blog and start talking about a passion you hold near and dear. Just make sure this passion is something you can monetize down the road. The object here is to first develop a loyal following. Then, develop a product to meet the needs of your loyalists. Don't know what they need? Ask! That's what surveys are for.

        At the very least, keep studying and just practice. Pick a product

        Wait a minute. Wait a freakin' minute!

        You're a student of direct response marketing. Fine. Contact a local business owner. One whose business you have at least some interest in. One who just put a real sucky ad in the local paper. Tell him (or her) you're taking a course in DRM. Your assignment is to write an ad for an imaginary business. You, however, want to write one for a real business. You're willing to do it for free if the owner will give you a half hour of his time so you can learn about his most pressing needs. This way you can create a winning ad and get a good grade. Hooah!

        At some point in the interview, say something like, "You know, sitting here listening to you, I'm remembering some of the techniques I learned that made owners of businesses just like yours rivers of cash. If I write an ad for you that's as good as the ads I studied, would you share 10% of your sales with me for bringing in new profits?"

        That should be enough to chew on for a while.

        Take care.

        Roger
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  • Profile picture of the author vistad
    Since you know quite a lot about tech stuff you could try designing e-brochures as well.
    Try getting some print media work as well, even if it is not sales pages. it will help you with writing. Some of them may give you work. After all you can operate as a single stop shop for a website only having to outsource content.
    When you look at a sales letter or sales page you are not seeing the number of iterations it has gone through. If asked around someone could possibly scan and send you the early versions of a sales page. This would be very instructive.
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