The pandemic has led to a recession world-over, learn how to earn a living from home using NOTHING but your writing skills and Wifi!
Are you a victim of unemployment that has swept all over the world for the last couple of months? Have you lost your job to the Coronavirus pandemic? Do you want to increase your income by doing something on the side? Are you a freelancer who has just stepped into the digital workforce? Do you love writing but don’t know how to put it to good use? Are you sick of your boss and want to work independently? Do you want to spend more time with family by staying home and earning money at the same time? Do you want a vacation without taking time off?
If yes, then I guarantee that you’ll learn something very useful and lucrative from this blog post. Fret no more, and read on!
I’ll just quickly give you an idea of what is “Copywriting” and then we’ll proceed to the procedural steps and resources.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is basically about advertising a product or service, so that profits can be earned through their sale. It helps in brand recognition and awareness and persuades people that the thing being sold is worth their money. You see ads everywhere nowadays, T.V, newspaper, internet, billboards.
Let’s look at some technical definitions:
According to Oxford dictionary, copy writing is “the activity or occupation of writing the text of advertisements or publicity material.”
In the words of Steve McKee, the president of Mckee Wallwork + Co, “Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular action.”
Traits of a good copywriter
In order to become a good copywriter, you need to have some qualities. Some of these qualities might be inborn in a lot of you, but some need to be developed.
- You need to read successful copywriters, and study their tactics.
- You need to have good research skills in order to find credible information from the internet.
- You need to have good listening skills, so that when you are out socializing you can quickly pick what problems people are having to which you can provide the solution as a product or service.
- You really need to know your audience or readers, what will grab their attention and what are they looking for.
- You need to have a problem-solving attitude, show empathy for the people who are seeking solutions to certain issues/problems.
- You should be willing to test and try new things, new ideas, strategies to promote a certain product or service. Some ideas work, some don’t, so be ready to face failure. Failures are good because they tell you what to try next, and how to improve your approach for maximum response.
3 Basic steps of stellar copywriting
There are three essential steps of copywriting, and you may spend time on one step more than the other depending on your capability and pace. REMEMBER that anyone can learn this, and that persistence plus dedication can help you master any craft on the face of this earth!
STEP 1: Discover the compelling idea or the Big Idea behind your product or service
You need to discover the “unique” quality that your product or service has, and then promote it in your copywriting. You have to show or prove that what you’re offering is worth getting, and why should someone choose to read your ad and accept your offer.
For example I’m selling a laptop that doesn’t over heat, I’m selling a perfume that lasts for 48 hours, or I’m offering a course in digital marketing that will make you a pro in 7 days! This Chinese medicine can relieve your back pain in two days, get a sample for FREE!
Be HONEST, whatever you’re promising through your product or service, you have to deliver it. Do not lose credibility with lying and cheating, the trick is in “persuading” the prospects, not forcing them.
Offering a money back guarantee can strengthen your ad campaign significantly!
STEP 2: Plan your promotion step-by-step
Every website, ad copy, sales letter must include the elements mentioned below:
- Headline (The hook that will grab/hold attention)
- Salutation
- Introduction (Introduce the product/service)
- The body (Story or reason why should someone buy the thing you’re selling, forge a powerful bond with your prospect with the brand story)
- Bullets (Features that are turned into benefits)
- Call to action (Offers your prospects cannot refuse, Buy my product, click here, subscribe here, limited time offer etc.)
- Post script (“High traffic” part of your ad/letter/email to practically force readers back into your ad copy. Guarantees that remove all risk!)
You also have to thoroughly plan if your ad will be designed around a certain person or personality. You need to decide what proof or credibility you can add to your promotion, and what are the benefits of your product or service that need to be highlighted through appropriate words.
For looking at some successful ads I recommend you to go to Swiped.co, here you can see the ads which are reverse-engineered to show how they are made effective for marketing.
According to a well-known freelancer/mentor from Fiverr Mr. Oren Ben-Ami, the ad must follow a formulaic structure, he calls his formula AIDA:
A for Attention
I for Interest
D for Desire
A for Action
You have to grab the attention of your audience and evoke in them an interest, and a desire to buy what you are selling, so much so, that they are convinced that they have to take an action in order to get it!
STEP 3: Model successful ads or sale promotions
Once you have discovered a certain promotion or ad that was successful, you can design YOUR ad around the same model. This is called “swiping.”
All pro ad writers or copywriters do this all the time and have increased their sales exponentially.
Now you’ll ask me, how can you swipe? Simple.
Take your market or product category and search proven ads that have garnered immense sale. Get on the e-mail lists of your competitors, sign up for E-zines of certain big brands, make a purchase of a product to see what kind of ads you’re bombarded with from that website! Use other ads as guides, and you’ll NEVER face writer’s block again!
This is how you play your game by finding secrets of your competitors!
Craft an effective ad just by modelling other successful ads of the same category, and maximize your sales.
Resources to refer to for studying copywriting
A person who reads is a person who writes well!
If you think you can become a successful copywriter without investing time in learning the skill, you’re doomed.
Listed below are some web resources and books that you must check out and study to master the craft of copywriting:
Blogs to follow for learning copywriting
Books to study copywriting tricks and techniques
Great copywriting can earn you around $3000 to $16000 bucks per month, all you have to do is to invest in your skill and stay dedicated.
I’m sure that by now you’re much more interested in learning the craft of copywriting, and that you believe you can shatter sale records with the written word! Good luck 🙂
The Writer's Dungeon 