How To Practice Good Copywriting Effectively

In this case, the operative word is “practice.” Writing good, persuasive copy is both a science and an art. Like it or not, if you really want to master the skill, you’re going to have work at it. Even with decades of copywriting experience, I still read and study everything on the subject that I can get my hands on – ebooks, articles, courses, you name it.

The good news is that the Internet has no shortage of copywriting information. If you spend time searching around, you will find plenty of great free copy tips, articles and ezines from web guys like these:

Yanik Silver, Jim Edwards, Joe Vitale, David Garfinkel, Chris Bloor, Mark Hunteridge, Carl Galletti, Gary Halbert, Drew Eric Whitman, Joe Robson, Mike Jezek – and the list goes on.

Note when I said “guys” I wasn’t kidding! (Now why is that? Anyone care to hazard a guess about where the girls are?) Of course there are other names that should probably be up there. But this gives you a good point of reference because these are copy experts you’re going to want to get to know.

Look up the names on search engines. Go to their websites. Read what they write. Pay particular attention to any sales letters you come across. You want to learn how to write good copy? These are the guys to emulate. This is the best education you can give yourself and, better yet, you don’t have to spend a penny to do it!

As you explore and find copy that appeals to you, start printing things out. One of your first copywriting projects should be creating what is known as a “swipe” file. Just like it sounds, your swipe file is a collection of copywriting examples that you’ve collected, studied and have on hand when you’re looking for inspiration.

Note that I said “inspiration.” These are examples you can use to adapt copy from. The best way to learn, after all, is by example. What you don’t want to do is plagiarize or lift things outright. The greatest thing about a swipe file is it eliminates that intimidating blank page. If there is such a thing as a copywriting secret, the swipe file would be #1. All professional copywriters have and use swipe files.

Another learning technique that some professional writers recommend is copying successful ads by hand. While not tops on my personal list, everyone has their own individual learning style and some people find the mechanics of writing and repetition genuinely helpful.

Steve asked specifically how long per day and how many days that task should be tackled. If it’s a technique that seems to be working for you, I’d say trust your own instincts. Spend as much time as you feel comfortable with. Just be careful not to get stuck on one ad or one style. There are many different approaches to writing good promotional copy. If you want to learn how to think “out of the box, you can only benefit from greater exposure.

If I were going to create a new marketing website right this minute, the first thing I would do would be to look at the existing sites of the Internets best known marketers: Corey Rudl’s Internet Marketing Center, Terry Dean’s Netbreakthroughs site, Jimmy Brown’s Profit Vaults site, Marlon Sanders Amazing Formula site. While not all marketing gurus have writing back- grounds, they recognize the importance of using words that sell, and will tell you that there is no skill that is more important to employ.

While it is not my intent to use this column as a sales vehicle, there are some highly valuable copywriting resources that I will be recommending. Each and every one of them can be found in my own personal collection. Here are two of the best, both geared for novice and pro alike:

The first is “Instant Sales Letters.” Written by copy expert Yanik Silver, it’s a fill-in-the blanks template system that gives you pre-written letters for various kinds of businesses and situations. It’s a great way to learn and build your confidence – not far afield from the copying technique Steve inquired about.

My favorite part of the system is actually a bonus that comes with it: “The Ultimate Sales Letter Toolbox.” The toolbox contains over 300 key selling words and phrases, 20+ ways to state your guarantee, plus dozens of strong closings and postscripts. It’s been a lifesaver for me. You can read more about Instant Sales Letters

The second product I would suggest you take a look at is “Make Your Words Sell” by Ken Evoy and Joe Robson. This phenomenal guide covers literally everything you need to know about writing Internet copy. You get four information packed volumes on website copywriting, e-mail writing, online store writing and your own user’s manual to the English language. It is obvious that a tremendous amount of thought and effort went into this resource and, at only $29.95, it’s an absolute steal. You can check it out

And that, my friends, is today’s last word.

Phyllis Schwartz is a longtime copywriter with a career background in Direct Mail and Promotional Advertising. Whether you need a sales letter for your home page, keyword optimized web content, articles, emails or direct mail copy, Phyllis is the one to call. For a full menu of copywriting services go to BetterCopywriting.com.

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