Are you sick of hearing the same old tired advice on what it takes to become a better copywriter today? You guys, okay, someone has to say it. Handwriting out great ads or emails that you find online word for word will not make you a better copywriter.
In this video, I'll explain exactly why that advice sucks and what you should do instead to actually improve your copywriting skills. So keep watching. Hey Posse, what's up?
It's Alex coming at you this week with some easy exercises that you can start doing today to improve your copywriting skills. Whether you are brand new or have been writing copy for over a decade like I have, there is always, always, always room to improve your skills. And it all comes down to experience, practice, and repetition.
So you know that already. Let's talk about how. Now the inspiration for this video actually came from one of my students during a recent live Q&A.
He had heard that same old classic advice given to new copywriters. Just hand write out winning copy to improve your copywriting skills. That is like a lot of air quotes.
So of course that was what he was doing, which is fine, but he was frustrated because he felt like his skills were not improving despite rewriting tons of great copy, even to the point of memorization. He even told me that he could recite my emails back to me word for word. He wanted to know what I thought about this advice and if there was anything else he should be doing.
And here's what I said. - So I get this suggestion a lot. Practice, practice, practice.
Yeah. Write copy, rewrite good copy. So do you think from your professional opinion that that actually goes a long way in helping you become the better copywriter?
- Yeah, I think to a certain extent. Like I get that people are saying like rewrite the copy that you find like online, and that is one way to do it to a certain extent, right? Because it's kind of like learning a language.
If you say something to me in your language, I can repeat it back to you. Does that mean that I know what the hell I just said? No.
Mimicking and modeling success is one way to improve, but again, it's not embodying it to the point of like, oh, I can recite the email back to you. But are you able to then replicate that in another brand voice for another product in another niche? Now listen, handwriting copy word for word with a pen and paper is not necessarily a bad thing to do.
And before you come at me, yes, I have given that advice before because it can be helpful to model what works if, and that's a big if, you know and understand the copywriting principles, the psychology, the hooks, the strategies that went into why that copy was written the way it was, because only then can you replicate it in your own copy. But the problem is most beginners do not understand these principles. Not really.
And that's why hand rewriting copy can maybe be useful for learning conversational cadence, especially if English isn't your first language. But just like learning a new language, repeating a phrase until you say it correctly, doesn't mean you actually know what you're saying or that you'll be able to use it in practice like in real life. Simply rewriting someone else's words and someone else's brand voice for someone else's product or service or offer is not necessarily transferable when you go to write copy for yourself or for something or someone else.
So what is the solution that is why you are here? Well, first you need to learn the formulaic fundamentals of great copywriting and marketing. You need to learn how to structure copy.
You need to learn how to get inside the minds of your customers and appeal to their emotions, their fears, and their deepest desires. And by the way, I teach all of that and more inside my eight week copywriter coaching program, the Copy Posse Launch Pad. Enrollment only opens once a year so if you want to learn more and join the wait list for the next time I open doors, click that link in the description box below.
But in the meantime, here are nine exercises that you can do right now, starting today to get better at copywriting. Number one, write headlines for different customers. All right, so this exercise is going to help you develop a deeper understanding of how you would craft headlines for different audiences and different customer avatars.
Start by picking a product or service you already know and love. Maybe it's a fitness program that you see ads for all the time, or I don't know the newest iPhone or I don't know a revolutionary ice maker. It can be anything.
And if you're stumped, just open Facebook or Instagram and scroll for like two seconds until you find an ad and then pick that product. And then you are going to come up with five different customer profiles or avatars that might be interested in that product along with their core challenge or objection. So let's use the exercise program as an example.
You might have young professionals who just started their careers and they're struggling to maintain an active lifestyle while also trying to climb the corporate ladder. You might have new parents with babies or toddlers at home who don't have a single extra moment in their day to shower, let alone exercise. You might have retirees who are not necessarily looking to get fit and buff, but they're more concerned with keeping their muscle and mobility as they age.
Or it may be college students looking for fitness on a tight budget or high income executives with high stress jobs. So you're going to come up with five different avatars and you know, feel free to use the ones that I just shared if it works for your product too. Once you get clear on those different target audiences, I want you to write five headlines to promote that product or service or program or app to each selected audience.
Focus on speaking directly to the interests, the pain points, or the desires of each group. So let's go back to our example. A headline for young professionals could be get fit in 20 minutes a day.
No gym required, right? This focuses on their main problem or objection, which is lack of time. Now, once you've written out all of your headlines, you can go back and of course, compare them.
Look at the different language, the hooks, or even the tone of voice used for each audience. How can you tweak and adjust the messaging even more? Alright, onto exercise number two, improve existing copy.
Alright, so now what you're going to do is you're going to go find copy online. Something that isn't quite hitting the mark or you think is maybe missing something. It could be a sales page, an email, a landing page, again, whatever, right?
Then you're going to sit down and analyze each part of that copy, make notes on what you think is missing or what could be improved. Are the benefits unclear? Is the call to action week or is it just missing altogether?
Is it confusing? Is it a weak offer? Is the tone all wrong then?
Yes, you guessed it. You are going to rewrite that copy to see if you can make it better. Now, here's some things you want to look out for.
Clear language. Simplify any jargon or confusing phrases. Strong benefits.
Shift the copy to emphasize how the product solves a specific problem for the customer. Emotional appeal. Here's where you can add urgency, desire, or empathy to make the customer feel something.
And a clear call to action. Make sure the CTA is clear, specific and action oriented, like "start your free trial" versus "learn more". And then the last step, just like before again, is to compare.
Look at your new version against the original version and ask yourself, is mine better? Is it easier to read and understand? Does it create a stronger desire for the product?
Is it more compelling? This exercise is going to teach you how to actually critically analyze, copy, and make meaningful improvements that actually increase engagement and conversion and not just rewrite it, right? Alright, now let's go to number three, analyze successful copy.
So those of you who love the idea of rewriting that winning copy, try this one instead. Find copy that appears to be hitting the mark, right? Something that you really love from a brand or business you follow.
Maybe it's an ad, an email or a landing page. And you can refer to any samples on a site like swiped. co.
And then instead of just rewriting it word for word, you're going to break the copy down into its core components and really try to analyze why it works. Identify the hook, the problem, the solution, and the call to action. Ask yourself, how does the hook grab attention in just a few seconds or words?
What problem does the copy address? Is it clear? How is it relatable to the target audience?
How does the product or service actually solve that problem? What emotions are they trying to evoke here? Is it fear, excitement, curiosity, relief?
What is the next step for the audience? Is it clear and compelling? And finally, what made the original copy so effective?
What elements worked well and how can you incorporate them into your own copy? So again, you are putting on that detective hat, you are analyzing so much more about the copy than just the words themselves and learning so much more than just rewriting could ever teach you. You get to look at the strategic elements of winning copy and then apply those strategies in your own writing.
Alright, number four, rewrite copy from different angles. So for this one, you're going to pick a product. Again, any product, it's, you know, ideally it's something that you are the customer avatar for that just makes it a bit easier.
Then go ahead and write a short, you know, 100 to 300 word description for that product. In fact, write five versions of this description, each one using a different angle. Remember, there is more than one way to sell anything.
So for example, you could focus on the features, describe the key features of that product and why they matter, like dimensions, material, or color. You could talk about the benefits, describe how the product solves a known challenge for your customer, right? Like this bag will keep your laptop dry and safe.
Or urgency, use time sensitive language to showcase scarcity, like only five left in stock. And value, highlight why this product is a total no-brainer. 50% more features at 50% off.
And then there's emotion, evoke an emotional response. Feel more confident when you wear this suit. And remember, you are not cramming all of this into one description.
You are writing five different descriptions with each one focusing on a different angle. And by the way, I do this for emails all the time, right? And once you're done, go back and read each description and ask yourself, hmm, which one conveys the most value and persuades you to buy?
Why? How does changing the focus between emotion and features alter the tone of the copy, right? This exercise is really meant to sharpen your ability to move beyond the dry, boring, left brain facts and focus on what truly drives customers to act, which is emotion and desire.
Alright, moving on to number five, write different CTAs. So here's a really quick one for you if you don't have a bunch of time, but you still want to practice or even just practice in your head, go through your emails in your inbox and find one that is promoting an offer. Look at the CTA, this is usually a clickable link or a button at the end of a sales email.
Then go and write 10 different variations of that CTA. The goal here is to not just change out like one word or two. Try different CTAs with different tones, experiment with urgency levels, swap out the action verb, you know, et cetera.
Each CTA should be different, but no matter what, keep them simple because you want to get the reader to know exactly what to do next and then take action. Some might be more urgent while others may be a bit softer. And focusing on the benefits.
For example, claim your spot before doors close uses the concept of urgency, whereas buy now and get two free bonuses focuses on that value that you get when you join now. And once you're done, go back again and analyze what you came up with, right? Which one do you think would perform better in that email and why?
But remember here with all CTAs, the goal here is clarity. Are you guys loving these exercises? If so, comment below and let me know.
And let's move on to number six, turn features into benefits. Yes, this is one thing I teach all of my students to do. Turning boring features into juicy bennies.
Are features important when it comes to selling something? Yeah, of course. They're the features of your product or service.
The features alone are not why people buy. Remember, people buy because of the outcome of that feature. And this is what is called a functional benefit.
So for example, waterproof, which is a feature, becomes "stay dry and comfortable no matter the weather". See how much different that sounds? So here's what you're going to do.
Go to Amazon or something similar and just pick one of the top five products that pops up. It really, again, doesn't matter. The point here is that we're practicing.
So it could be a coffee maker or a raincoat or whatever. Now you're going to go to that product and list out 10 features that product has. So a coffee maker might have features that look like, you know, quiet, it has a built-in grinder, it's programmable with an app, you know, whatever.
Now you're going to turn those features into functional benefits by following one very simple formula. Feature so you can functional benefit. So as an example, Built-in grinder so you can get the freshest brew every single time.
See how much more persuasive that is. This exercise will really help you go deeper than that logical left brain, you know, stuff in an offer like the features, and learn how to write copy that really speaks to why the customer should really care about that feature. Now, if you need help with this, I actually have a free resource that helps you turn any feature into a juicy benny by answering five simple questions.
And I will link to that in the description box below if you are interested. Alright, moving on to the next copywriting exercise. Number seven, write for different levels of awareness.
Okay, here's an exercise that is a little bit more advanced, but it can really improve your writing. You are going to choose a product to write for. Again, don't overthink this part.
No matter what, you just need a product just like all the other ones, right? And I want you to imagine a customer at three different stages of customer awareness. Now, for the record, there are five in total based on Eugene Schwartz's levels of customer awareness, but we're going to focus on three.
The first is problem aware. So this is where the customer, you know, first realizes they have a problem, but they don't yet know of a solution that can actually help them overcome that problem. So write a headline or an ad that highlights the problem and introduces your product as the potential solution.
Here you want to highlight the key benefit. The second is solution aware. So here the customer is looking for the right solution.
They're likely sifting through different options, deciding which one is best for them. So here you want to educate your reader on how your product actually solves their problem, but in a unique way, highlight the USP and social proof. Why are you the right person, product or service for them?
Why should they pick you? And the third is very aware. So here your customer is ready to purchase.
They are just waiting for an offer. Customers at this level of awareness just need a little bit of incentive and urgency to act now. So here you're going to write an ad or a headline that encourages them to take the next step and buy the product.
Now you'll notice that the copy at each level will be quite different because the customer is at a totally different place on their buying journey. And understanding this is the key to great copywriting, and I go much deeper into this in my Launch Pad program. And moving on to number eight, rework hooks and headlines.
One of the most important skills that you can have as a copywriter is knowing how to write a great hook or headline, maybe even the most important skill. So to improve this skill, start by visiting a few different websites that are notorious for their majorly clickworthy headlines like Buzzfeed or Refinery 29 or Cosmopolitan. Those are some of my faves.
And then just pick a headline and see if you can rework it into something different. Think of new angles, benefits, or hooks that you can use. This trains you to think strategically about the seemingly tiny little tweaks that you can make to optimize your copy.
And if you want to do this together, go ahead and find me on Instagram @CopyPosse where I often find ads and headlines and post them to my page so that you guys, my posse community, can make them hotter. It's really fun to see how copywriters think when it comes to rewriting and tweaking this copy. Alright.
And number nine, I call this one the power of the first sentence. This one is super fun. Go find an email or a social caption online.
Then you're going to rewrite the opening sentence of that copy, not the headline, not the subject line. I'm talking about the first sentence that opens that email or that social caption. And that sentence holds so much power because just like a headline on a landing page or a sales page, that one line needs to spark interest immediately and encourage the reader to keep going.
That is a big one. You never want to open a marketing email or social caption with just pleasantries, right? Like, Hey, how are you?
I hope you're doing well today. Unless you're writing a one-on-one email to someone, pleasantries are a bad idea because they do nothing to grab the reader's attention and actually pull their interest forward. So instead, you want to open a loop quickly with some sort of powerful opening line.
And so your goal then is to rewrite those opening lines in five different ways to grab attention. Try different forms of open loops or stories that really pull the reader in. And then once you're done, go back and read all of the different variations.
You know, which one was most compelling, which one really grabbed your attention and why. And that is it. Nine exercises that will actually improve your copywriting skills.
Remember guys, it's not all or nothing. I gave you a variety of different exercises that you can pick and choose from and then come back to again and again, and I go so much deeper into all of these concepts, including storytelling and how to write hooks and headlines and psychological triggers, all of that and more inside my eight week copywriter coaching program, the Copy Posse Launch Pad. Doors open once a year in January so if you want to join the wait list to be the first to know, go ahead and click the link in the description box below.
I hope you found this video helpful. Give me a thumbs up if you want to see more like this, and I will see you next week with a brand new video. Until then, I'm Alex.
Ciao for now. All right, guys, if you enjoyed that video, make sure to check out the next one for me right here, and you can click right here to get a free gift. What is the biggest secret to becoming a highly paid creative genius of a copywriter?
Well, it's the same secret to becoming an all star NBA player, winning an Emmy for best actor or attaining any other desirable skillset, trait or career. Yeah, sure, there's a bit of natural talent and inherent skill that's needed in the beginning, but what long-term success really comes down to is practice, practice, practice, and then some more practice. So in this video I'm going to share with you five super simple practices that you can do every single day to help you master the ever evolving art of copywriting.
