Why is copywriting so neglected in most ecourses

I gotta disagree on that one. Copywriting is the SEXIEST part of marketing. In fact, it BETTER be sexy.

The last sales page I wrote starts out with this headline:

If you'd rather have both your eyeballs sucked out with toilet plungers than look at another crappy ebook featuring the latest online money gimmick, then you've come to the right place...

What could be sexier than THAT.

Hi Guys and Gals,

Understanding the psychology needed to create a compelling sales message that persuades strangers from all over the world to gladly send you money on demand takes time and dedication.

And it isn't limited to just sales letters, either. Because every communication with your prospective customers has to be created to tickle their buying gland.

Look on this forum and compare the less than 100 folks currently in the copy writing forum with the 4,000 + in the WSO area, looking for the latest instant quick fix, and you'll understand why only about 3% ever make any serious money on line.

I made my first sale 51 years ago and I'm still learning, which is why most programs just gloss over the most important part of any business - it's just too difficult.

Warmest regards,

Paul

IS it something that can be learned, Alex? I would be very interested in learning but if it has to be IN you then I would be wasting my time, as it isn't IN me that's for sure!

XponentSYS

I completely understand your concern. I was not meaning tomorrow. I realise I have a lot to learn. I am always looking to grow my skills as a marketer, and move forward, so I can give good value to my subscribers and customers.

I would never assume to act like an expert in the field of copywriting. However I can mention the importance of copywriting, and direct them to places like copyblogger and other well known sources for more information.

XponentSYS, Where did you learn your skills as a copywriter? I am always interested in learning to improve my current skills. Like Paul mentioned in the earlier post I am always learning.

I just want to say thank you to everyone for your comments. Paul what is the name of the copywriting forum so I can check it out?

Sarevok LOL I think I noticed the copy in your post well done.

Hi jbprich,

The copy writing forum to which I refer is here, on Warriors.

It's the eleventh one down on the Home Page.

And I stand corrected: there are 160 folks there, right now (but compare that with the 5,500+ on the WSO section and nothing changes).

Warmest regards,

Paul

Hi I agree it needs to be something that is not to be taught by beginners. However if you are quantifying this to the average "affiliate marketer" that is promoting someone else's product, then you are more than likely right. But for those that wish to create products, and market them as a vendor and have other marketers promote it for them, then I believe that it should be taught as a package for those wishing to start a product of there own.

Copywriting is overrated. Every copywriter and copywriting book will tell you it's by far the most important skill you need in any business, but this statement is complete bs.

I study copywriting and it has taught me a lot. The way I write now is completely changed from the way I used to write. My writing is now clearer and very simple and easy to read. The readership of my articles has improved dramatically thanks to learning some basic principles of copywriting.

However, the success of my business is not hinged around copywriting, like most copywriters would have you believe. Most copywriters would have you believe that you need to sit down and study copywriting intensely for two years before you can even think about starting a business.

I would say, study copywriting, it will help you, but do it on the side, something you read about regularly, but don't put all your focus on it. Put your focus on proving value, becoming an expert in your field, creating products, and learning to outsource.

Also, when learning about copywriting, read a few good copywriting books to establish some basic principles, and then STOP. All of these multitudes of copywriting books just keep saying the same stuff over and over in different ways. Read a few good books, then spend the rest of your copywriting study-time following what great copywriters DO, rather than what they ADVISE in their books and programs. Get a hold of their salesletters, emails, and other communications, and follow how they write. Read it and absorb it, like you would a language.

If you are learning Spanish, you might start by taking lessons, but after a certain point, the best way to progress would be to throw yourself in the middle of Spain, and to live with Spanish people, not to take more and more advanced courses.

Also, I'd like to comment on this:

Alexa is a thousand times better than me at everything in IM, but I'd just like to say that though copywriting and content-writing are indeed different, learning copywriting will make you a hell of a lot better at content-writing. Your words will flow better, you'll use more colourful and persuasive language, you'll be better able to sell your ideas, and sell your reader on taking the action you want them to take from reading your content articles.

I agree with this. There are a ton of ways to make money which don't involve writing your own sales copy. Most of these guys with high priced courses don't write their own sales copy and outsource it. They do realize the importance of it and that is why they pay the big bucks to hire professional copywriters. They don't really have the need to learn it because they outsource it anyways. I think that learning about it can be it's weight in gold, especially if you're a product creator without a huge budget for outsourcing copy writing. That is how I started out and it took a lot of education and even more trial-and-error to get good at it.

Good copywriting is like changing your underwear every day . . .

We all know it's something we should do but sometimes we're in a hurry.

Let it go too long and people begin to notice.

Steve

Want to know what every marketing guru and almost every highly successful marketer have in common? All of them have learned how to write their own copy. Maybe they can't write it at a world-class level (a lot of them can though) but when budget or time constraints mean they can't outsource their copy, they're able to write it themselves and still produce sales. And early in their business life, they were writing their own copy because they couldn't afford to hire someone else to do it for them.

I've been writing copy for my own businesses and for copywriting clients for over 20 years now... never used a fake screen shot or wild claims once and I've still managed to produce over 8 figures in sales during that time. I learned how to write my own marketing many years ago because at the time, I couldn't afford to pay someone to write it for me. I kept studying, practicing my skills until I was able to write marketing extremely well.

It's not a wild claim or exaggeration if the product does what is promised in the copy.

Good copywriting is salesmanship in print. I'm not talking used car salesman tactics either. A lot of GREAT copy is written in an easy to read, conversational tone. It's talking one-to-one with someone who already has an interest in your product, explaining to them how their life could become better by using your product and then asking them for their order.

Very true. Copywriting does not create desire for a product. It helps remove the mental obstacles holding back the existing desire for a product.

No, the FTC came down hard on marketers who were ripping off the general public with products that didn't deliver what was advertised. If you claim your product will cure baldness, then it better or you're looking at all kinds of legal troubles with the FTC and other government agencies.

99% of copywriters know this. In addition, they also know that the FTC and other government agencies hold EVERYONE involved in a fraudulent product or service (i.e. something that physically or financially hurts consumers -- NOT something that a consumer deems is "too hard" to implement) legally accountable. That's copywriters, graphic designers, webmasters, hosting company -- EVERYONE.

Would you want to go to jail or get hit with 5-6 figures worth of fines simply because you wrote a marketing piece for someone else? I doubt it. Neither do 99.9% of copywriters out there so they don't write crap that rips people off.

At the end of the day, the final decision rests with the product owner on what is used to sell their product.

There also is a level of accountability with the consumer. If something sounds too good to be true, then it's in their best interest to keep their wallet in their pocket and do some more research on the product before they buy.

Hey Robert Puddy

You have made some excellent points, especially about the PS's at the bottom, and the the truth that people scroll down to see the price. LOL I do that too

Thanks for your comment.
PS LOL (just a add on to your comment) I am a member of a couple of your sites. ISPG being just one. Oh and it is one I am making money from thanks for an awesome program

Thanks

A long time ago, after reading just about every copywriting book I could get my hands on and absorbing all the mumbo-jumbo, I sat down and wrote a book that's no longer for sale (sorry folks) called "Basic Copywriting In Plain English" because I was sick and tired of all the gobbly gook and confusing explanations.

Teaching copywriting CAN be very simple. That's not what's hard.

What's hard is...

1) Understanding your product and target market.

If you don't truly understand what your target market wants to get out of the product you're selling them, you won't be able to come up with the proper words that will push their buttons into buying. No copywriting book in the world can make you understand your target market. And you'd be surprised how many people DON'T truly understand their target market.

For example, somebody selling an acne product thinks that understanding what they're target market wants is simple. They just want to get rid of their acne.

No, they don't want to get rid of their acne.

They want that cute girl sitting across from them in chemistry class to notice them so that maybe they can score a date with her. And that's just one of the many reasons people want to get rid of their acne.

But you have to dig deep down and understand what it is you're selling and why people really want it. Because of the fact that this is something copywriting can't teach (too much human psychology involved) marketers stay away from making these kind of products.

2) Developing your talent for using words.

No matter what I teach you about headlines, sub headlines, bullet points, guarantees, pricing and blah, blah, blah, I can't turn you into a talented wordsmith.

Personally, it's not in my makeup to come up with stuff like "suck your eyeballs out with plungers" because I just don't think like that. I'm a more to the point copywriter. But I do understand my target market and I know how to push their buttons. I just don't do it with the flair for words that some copywriters have, which is why I don't technically consider myself a copywriter even though I have always written my own copy since day one.

Again, I can't teach you how to pick your words. I can't turn you into John Carlton if you write like John Doe. Nobody can. That's a talent that has to be developed. My own talent has only developed so far and that's as far as it'll go until I push myself to develop it farther. Right now, I have no desire to do that. So it won't happen.

So yeah, any decent copywriter can give you the ABCs, but I think most realize that very few people will ever really take a copywriting course and run with it because of what I pointed out above. It's why my copywriting book, of all my products, was my worst seller.

Gee, I can't imagine why.

Hi GaryRodriguez

Now not to squash your creativity, I will steal a quote from one of the most read books on the planet. "The Bible" Ecclesiastes states "There is nothing new under the sun" Everything we do is taken form someone else, even the words that we speak.

Creativity is good, but it can stifle action. People can get so caught up trying to create something new, that they loose track of the thing that matters most, getting things done.
In other words creative action. Just because you use ideas from someone else, does not make it less relevant.

Don't get me wrong I admire creative people as they bring beauty to the wold, and the world is a much better place because of them. But why not reuse something that works and in the mean time try and come up with something new for later.

I heard someone say the other day that I thought was so creative. It was referring to writing content. they said. "You need to write in a way that will grab your readers by the eyeballs and force them to read." grab them by the eyeballs LOL now that is creative.
Don't begrudge people who use other peoples Ideas, It is what works that matters, not weather it is original.

Yeah, that too.

As a customer, which would YOU rather have?

"Learn how to write great copy so you can make people buy your stuff"

or

"Get this biz in a box, stick it on a domain, and make all the monies"

Go to the WSO forum and take a look at the offers.

That pretty much says it all.

In my online experience I have found this to be one of the truest statements ever spoken. It took years for me to realize but what I found is that some of the most important aspects of succeeding as an online marketer are rarely discussed.

Wishing you all much success,
WealthyClark

100% agree. Headline is one of the most important factor for the success of copywriting. Of course other factors come into place as well.
But headline create the first impression. It either catch the buyer attention or not.
A person that decide reading the rest of the copy will determine on headline.

I remember when I first started. I neglect the headline. And my conversation drop greatly.

Well, I don't agree.. I believe with the right training, practice and experience.. Anyone can do it. It is only a matter of how long it takes for one to master this skill.
But for those who start from "0" knowledge of what is copywriting, it will takes more determination, hard work and time to learn.