Copywriting Basics To Kick Start Your Writing

Learning to write persuasively, or what they call copywriting, is a skill that brings in the big bucks. In fact, it is the one skill that most top online earners have mastered.

It’s also the skill that is about the last thing anyone trying to make a buck learns.

While it can take you years to effectively figure out copywriting, it is indeed possible to learn the essentials relatively quickly.

So, what is copywriting?  I’d say it’s writing words strategically in a way that is intended to promote something and get readers to take an action.  You see how this includes bloggers trying to get readers to leave a comment, or white paper authors trying to get readers to opt in so they can read it.

One other top copywriter, Bencivenga, once reportedly said “problem + promise + proof + proposition = persuasion”.

If that doesn’t unlock the copywriting genius within you, try these 4 tips:

1. To write an attention getting headline.

By attention getting, I mean it grabs someone by the eyeballs and gets them to read the line below it. You can achieve this by creating an interesting claim, or write a fact that leaves a question unanswered.. or a sentence that is unfinished.

2. To continue it so the next line gets read, and ties in with the headline.

Important point: take out all the fluff in your writing.  If you ramble, you are not copywriting.

3. To make a promise to the reader that you fulfill later on (usually by having them buy something from you).

Don’t be afraid to conjure up emotions in people.  It’s a well known fact that impulse sales are based on emotions, even though everyone justifies their actions with logic.

4. To backup all the claims you make with proof, to leave no doubt in the mind of the prospect.

So, while you can fill people up with anxiety, or stress, or anger, be sure to leave every last fact and piece of proof on the table, so when they tell their husband (or wife) what they did, they can refer back to the proof that justifies it all.

Some call this the greased slide, or the slippery slope to making a sale.

At the end of the slide is the offer, with the price justification that makes the purchase a complete no brainer.

After the order form, be sure to summarize what you said, what they get, and perhaps one of your best testimonials (many people on websites read the headline, and then scroll to the bottom and read the very end, so that’s why we do this…summarize what they get, the incredible value, and a strongrecommendation from your best customer).

Needless to say, writing copy means you need to position yourself as an expert authority, to build up trust with the reader, and present your story in a way that gets everyone nodding their head in agreement.

Often, sellers get so excited about making their point, they forget to be persuasive, and that’s why most of the do-it-yourselfers fall flat on their face.

Your writing must lead the reader to take action.

It does take time to master, but boy can it pull in the profits when you do figure it out.

Guys like Joe Sugarman, or John Carlton, or Harlan Kilstein, or Clayton Makepeace, or John Hostler are going to cost you a ton of money to get something well written by them.

If you can’t afford the home study courses, or mentoring programs these copywriters offer, then perhaps this can help you…

John Hostler, famous online copywriter

My copywriting friend, John Hostler, did a 3 hour workshop to get newbies up to speed on web copywriting, and packaged up a ton of necessary extras,  and has it selling online at this copywriting basics page.

What I can do for you is offer you a $10 coupon for this package, and give it a 10/10 rating, which means if you don’t have a compelling salesletter working for you yet, and you want to learn the copywriting basics, then this package is the one you want to get to start off with.

Use the coupon code ch10jh when you order the Chunk Copy Course.

Tagged as: copywriting basics, copywriting course, copywriting introduction, john hostler training course