Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
Are you tired of the same old advice about how to get better at copywriting, like writing out great ads or emails you find online word for word?
Doing so will not help! You have to learn how to structure copy; learn how to get inside the minds of your customers and appeal to their emotions, fears and deepest desires.
Following are some easy exercises you can practice instead.
Anyone can use them – beginners or seasoned copywriters. You can always improve your writing skills with experience, practice, and repetition.
1. Create Different Headlines
To create headlines for different audiences you should get a deeper understanding of how to construct them for various viewers and customer avatars.
Start by choosing a product/service you already know and love.
If you can’t come up with anything, check Facebook or Instagram and scroll for a few seconds until you find an ad.
Once you’ve decided on a product, create five different targeted audiences that might have an interest in the product along with their main objection or challenge.
These could be:
~ Demographic-based audiences based on measurable characteristics such as gender, age, family status, education, income, location, occupation, and ethnicity…
~ Geographic-based audiences determined by segmentation which takes into account the location of prospects to help determine marketing strategies…
~ New parents at home who don’t have extra time in their day…
~ Retirees who are not looking to be fit and buff necessarily, but want to keep their muscle & mobility as they age…
~ College students looking for fitness on a tight budget…
Now write 5 headlines to each audience promoting the product/service you selected.
Focus on speaking directly to the specific interests, pain points, or desires of each group.
For example: Discover simple ways to maintain muscle mass and improve mobility as you age.
The focus is on the main problem, which is muscle mass for mobility.
2. Weak Copy
Now you’re going to rewrite weak copy. This can be an email, sales page, ad, or anything that seems not quite right or has something missing.
Analyze each section while making notes on what you think is missing or could be better written.
Is the offer clear? Are benefits clear? Is there a weak CTA (call to action) or no call to action at all? Is the offer strong and does it have the correct tone?
When doing this exercise, be sure to find something that actually has a flaw.
Now, rewrite the copy and fix the flaws you noted.
Look for:
Clarity: Simplify jargon or confusing phrases.
Benefit-driven language: Change the copy to place emphasis on how the product solves a particular problem for the purchaser.
Emotional appeal: To make the customer feel understood, add urgency, empathy, or desire.
Stronger call-to-action (CTA): Be sure the CTA is clear, specific, action-oriented, and that it creates urgency.
“Grab your free trial now” vs. “Learn more.”
Compare your new version to the original.
Is your version easier to read and understand? Is it more compelling? Does it create a stronger desire for the product?
Be absolutely honest with yourself! If what you wrote isn’t better, improve it.
Use this exercise to help you learn how to critically analyze copy and make MEANINGFUL improvements that actually increase engagement & conversion.
When you’re satisfied with the revision, send it on its way.
Here’s the third step to take for getting better at copywriting.
3. Reverse Engineering
If you’re one who loves rewriting winning or “proven” copy, you can use this reverse engineering technique instead of just rewriting it word for word.
Break the copy into its core components.
Then isolate the hook, the problem, the solution, and the CTA.
Now go back and rewrite each section of the copy using different phrasing or structure while sticking to the main persuasion principles.
As you proceed, ask yourself this:
How does the hook grab attention in the first few seconds or words?
What problem does it address, and how is the copy relatable to your target audience?
How does the product/service solve the problem?
What emotions are you trying to evoke (e.g., fear, excitement, curiosity, or relief)?
What’s the next step for the audience to take and is that step clear and compelling?
Lastly, what made the original copy so effective? What elements worked well and how can you incorporate them into your copy?
This exercise does MUCH MORE than simply rewriting the copy word for word ever could.
It shows you how to identify the strategic elements of winning copy and then how to apply those strategies to your own writing.
How to Get Better at Copywriting (Part 1)
By Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
Are you tired of the same old advice about how to get better at copywriting, like writing out great ads or emails you find online word for word?
Doing so will not help! You have to learn how to structure copy; learn how to get inside the minds of your customers and appeal to their emotions, fears and deepest desires.
Following are some easy exercises you can practice instead.
Anyone can use them – beginners or seasoned copywriters. You can always improve your writing skills with experience, practice, and repetition.
1. Create Different Headlines
To create headlines for different audiences you should get a deeper understanding of how to construct them for various viewers and customer avatars.
Start by choosing a product/service you already know and love.
If you can’t come up with anything, check Facebook or Instagram and scroll for a few seconds until you find an ad.
Once you’ve decided on a product, create five different targeted audiences that might have an interest in the product along with their main objection or challenge.
These could be:
~ Demographic-based audiences based on measurable characteristics such as gender, age, family status, education, income, location, occupation, and ethnicity…
~ Geographic-based audiences determined by segmentation which takes into account the location of prospects to help determine marketing strategies…
~ New parents at home who don’t have extra time in their day…
~ Retirees who are not looking to be fit and buff necessarily, but want to keep their muscle & mobility as they age…
~ College students looking for fitness on a tight budget…
Now write 5 headlines to each audience promoting the product/service you selected.
Focus on speaking directly to the specific interests, pain points, or desires of each group.
For example: Discover simple ways to maintain muscle mass and improve mobility as you age.
The focus is on the main problem, which is muscle mass for mobility.
2. Weak Copy
Now you’re going to rewrite weak copy. This can be an email, sales page, ad, or anything that seems not quite right or has something missing.
Analyze each section while making notes on what you think is missing or could be better written.
Is the offer clear? Are benefits clear? Is there a weak CTA (call to action) or no call to action at all? Is the offer strong and does it have the correct tone?
When doing this exercise, be sure to find something that actually has a flaw.
Now, rewrite the copy and fix the flaws you noted.
Look for:
Clarity: Simplify jargon or confusing phrases.
Benefit-driven language: Change the copy to place emphasis on how the product solves a particular problem for the purchaser.
Emotional appeal: To make the customer feel understood, add urgency, empathy, or desire.
Stronger call-to-action (CTA): Be sure the CTA is clear, specific, action-oriented, and that it creates urgency.
“Grab your free trial now” vs. “Learn more.”
Compare your new version to the original.
Is your version easier to read and understand? Is it more compelling? Does it create a stronger desire for the product?
Be absolutely honest with yourself! If what you wrote isn’t better, improve it.
Use this exercise to help you learn how to critically analyze copy and make MEANINGFUL improvements that actually increase engagement & conversion.
When you’re satisfied with the revision, send it on its way.
Here’s the third step to take for getting better at copywriting.
3. Reverse Engineering
If you’re one who loves rewriting winning or “proven” copy, you can use this reverse engineering technique instead of just rewriting it word for word.
Break the copy into its core components.
Then isolate the hook, the problem, the solution, and the CTA.
Now go back and rewrite each section of the copy using different phrasing or structure while sticking to the main persuasion principles.
As you proceed, ask yourself this:
How does the hook grab attention in the first few seconds or words?
What problem does it address, and how is the copy relatable to your target audience?
How does the product/service solve the problem?
What emotions are you trying to evoke (e.g., fear, excitement, curiosity, or relief)?
What’s the next step for the audience to take and is that step clear and compelling?
Lastly, what made the original copy so effective? What elements worked well and how can you incorporate them into your copy?
This exercise does MUCH MORE than simply rewriting the copy word for word ever could.
It shows you how to identify the strategic elements of winning copy and then how to apply those strategies to your own writing.
Part 2 will be covered in the next article.
Try this viral mailer that pays