[Music] It might seem unbelievable that a free course on YouTube could teach you everything you need to know about launching your successful copyrightiting career, even as a beginner. After all, what chance do you have against a market saturated by newbies? How do you expect to earn $1,000 a month, $5,000 a month, even $10,000 a month when there's AI tools like ChatGpt? No, it really doesn't seem fair. doesn't seem fair that you now have to compete against newbies, senior copyriters, even AI. And the truth is, it is not fair to them because everyone who hasn't watched
this course won't stand a chance against you. And no, we're not going to throw around a bunch of super secret hacks, no cliche formulas, no BS, no fluff, nothing that promises instant success, but ultimately doesn't work. And we won't say that this is the best copyrightiting course on YouTube. The amount and quality of information we're about to share will speak for itself, but it's certainly the best thing that we have seen. How we doing on sound, Rudy? Instead, in this course, we will give you the best possible foundation that you can use to build the
copyrightiting career you desire, no matter your nationality, age, or income. But we're not going to push products on you in this course. If you're a beginner, we do not want your money. We created this course to take beginners from zero to one. We created our paid courses to take working copywriters from 1 to 10 and beyond. If we're being honest, we created this course to train the kind of copywriters that we would hire for ourselves or recommend other businesses. We want you to have everything you possibly need to know to get a job or to
land your first client. And if by the end of this course, you do not have that knowledge, well, then we haven't done our job. But if you do manage to absorb all the knowledge in this course and put in the time and effort and manage to land the right opportunities, well, you should be able to scale your copyrightiting income to whatever you want and also enjoy the other amazing benefits of this career. So, if you're just discovering the world of copyrightiting, congratulations and welcome. We'll give you all the basics and take you beyond. [Applause] For
some of you, you might have heard that it's a fun and creative field that allows you to write and come up with crazy ideas for a living. You've probably heard that it's an excellent way to make a ton of money remotely working anywhere in the world. Or maybe you suspect that it's a get-rich quick scheme. Some of you might not know anything about copyrightiting, and some of you might already have been trying to get clients for a long time. But do not worry. The four of us here at Copy That are here to completely demystify
copyrightiting for you over this five-part course. We'll go over the facts of the career paths and bust some common myths. We'll dive deep into the emotional triggers and appeals that drive sales and engagement. We'll show you how to do research better than most pros, allowing you to uncover exactly what moves your prospects to take action. We'll break down writing and editing processes for you so you can easily go quickly from blank page to publishable piece of copy. And we're about to tell you something that may shatter your whole world. The niche you pick simply doesn't
matter. Hi, I'm Lindsay Huff. I'm Alex Ma. I'm Sean McIntyre. And I'm Rod Satderite. [Laughter] The four of us have decades of combined experience in copy, marketing strategy, and entrepreneurship in every niche from financial to e-commerce, from real estate to service businesses, from brands and content. Between us, we've worked for everything from small businesses to coaches to political campaigns to some of the biggest companies in the world. Our words, ideas, and market campaigns have helped generate hundreds of millions of dollars. We've been involved in copywriting, marketing strategy, and the hiring and management for dozens of
businesses. The depth and breadth of our experience gives us unique insights that you won't find anywhere else and certainly not on YouTube. We are living proof that you can become successful in this career regardless of your age, race, gender, academic credentials, or background. Or in Sean's case, baldness. And we all pursue this career for a simple reason. Being a copywriter is the best job in the world. Every day you get to sit down and craft stories, messages, scripts, ads, and sales arguments that have the potential to reach millions of people. Then there's the flexibility. As
a copywriter, your office can be anywhere. A coffee shop, your couch, even the beach if you're willing to risk getting sand in your computer. True story. That actually happened to me. Many, not all, but many copywriters work remotely or freelance, giving them the freedom to set their own hours and work around their own lifestyle. Even copywriters who work with agencies and businesses can get a long leash to do their work anywhere, anytime, so long as they hit their deadlines and deliver good results. And for people who enjoy variety and learning new things, copyrightiting offers the
unique opportunity to bounce from writing for tech startups one day to luxury brands the next to auto insurance companies the next to seaw wall repair companies the next. Your only limit here is your curiosity and the kinds of jobs you're able to get. But the big reason why copywriting has become such a popular career recently is because it can be incredibly lucrative. Certain types of copy, like the copy we're going to be focusing on in this course, has the potential to earn huge salaries, commissions, and bonuses. This is especially true if you specialize in areas
that drive sales or engagement, such as direct response or conversion focused copywriting. Businesses want more money. A good copywriter can be a massive driver for a business's sales. And that means businesses are always willing to pay top dollar for copywriters with skills to boost their revenue. Long story short, copyrightiting has the potential to offer an amazing lifestyle with amazing experiences and incredible wealth. Sha, for instance, has gotten to ride in helicopters with billionaires over the Panama Canal, driven around in Lamborghinis with supermodels, and taken his family to Japan for 2 months out of each year.
All of it related to copy he's written for different businesses. But even though Sha is on the extreme end of what's possible, there are plenty of copywriters who earn way more than him. For the rest of us though, we've opted for a more modest life. Nice houses or apartments, the occasional trip to Portugal or Cancun, and in my case, an ever growing collection of Warhammer 40k figurines. Honestly, that's probably the most expensive thing of everything that we listed. Sean, we do not have time for this. Let the man finish. All right. We're not the only
ones who have reaped the incredible rewards of this career. Over the years that we've been producing content and courses, we've had hundreds of people from all over the world write to tell us about the successes they've had, the clients they've landed, and the money that they've made. And what is it that they've been doing to achieve the success? What is copywriting really? Simple. Writing words that drive action. That is the big difference between copywriting and regular writing. Copywriting persuades a person to take an action either immediately or later on. When copy attempts to get people
to do something immediately, this is called direct response copy. When copy attempts to build a brand or delight or entice people over time, this is called delayed response or brand copy. But don't get it twisted. Persuasion sits at the heart of every type of copy. From Nike's just do it to a blog post about keto recipes to a long aggressive salesy pitch that sells life coaching, all of it exists for one reason. A business wants more money. So they paid a copywriter to create assets it could use to get more money. [Music] Now we did
mostly focus this course on direct response and sales focused copywriting. But here is what we can honestly say. We have included concepts, methods, and resources that will be useful for every type of copy and content writing out there. But we hear you. Okay, YouTube copy guru people, what's the catch? Look, one thing we do not want to do in this course is overpromise or mislead you. If your goal is to make money fast or land $10,000 per month or to get Lamborghini rich, well, it requires a certain skill set and mindset to get there. It
also requires hard work, motivation, and a little bit of luck. What this course can do is help you develop the skill set. What this course cannot do is give you the right mindset, make you work hard, motivate you, or manufacture luck and opportunities for you. We can't reach through the screen and hold your hand every step of the way. There are always going to be things that you have to figure out or initiate on your own. But among all the people who succeed in making money as a copywriter, we have seen something they all have
in common. They don't give up. They practice hard and they continually learn how they can better serve their present or future clients. That's great news if you're prepared to stick with it. But it should also tell you something about the expectations you should have when it comes to copywriting. Copywriting is not a guaranteed path to riches. Nor is it always going to be easy, nor can anyone just do this job. But we especially designed this course to give you the best shot at developing this skill and landing clients. We were serious at the beginning of
this video. If you take what we're going to show you and really run with it, you are going to go far. So, enough yapping. It is time to dig into the meat of the course. We have divided everything into four sections that address the major questions we've seen new copywriters ask when they are getting started. How does copyrightiting work and drive sales and engagement? How do you do research? How do you actually write copy? And how do you land your first client or job? Trust us, we are going to go over a lot of material
that will fulfill our promise and give you the strongest possible foundation you can use to launch your career. We've also put together a companion guide to go along with this course full of tools, additional resources, concept that didn't make it into the final cut of the video. And that is all available to people who join our free email list using the link in the description below. So let's begin the next section of this course, the gold mine in the mind, which will teach you all the foundational concepts and theory you need to write powerful, persuasive,
and engaging copy. Almost every business in the modern era uses advertising to get people to engage with their products, content, and brands. What few people realize is that the techniques they use have existed for thousands of years. From ancient times, people have used the same techniques to move society, armies, even the world itself. That is because the psychological principles that move people to action have not changed. Copyrightiting, all types of copywriting relies on persuasion. And good persuasion has the ability to tap into deep, sometimes even instinctual functions of the human mind. That's why discovering the
fundamental principles of copyrightiting is more important than memorizing any tactics, formulas, or hacks. Because these persuasive principles will give you the ability to write powerful, compelling copy that can sell millions, drive people to engage with businesses, even create whole movements that reshape the world. So, in this video, the second section of our five-part course on launching your copyrightiting career. We are going to teach you the powerful principles that apply to every piece of copy you could ever get hired to write. what it is that actually drives people to take action and buy, the psychological levers
you can trigger with words alone, and the different ways you can effectively appeal to different people who are moved to action by different things. But before we get into all that, we have to tell you where the money in copyrightiting really is. The secret to amazing copyrightiting is not in an acronym or template. Instead, everything you need to be the best copyriter you can be is in here. Well, kind of. It's actually in here. The brain of your reader. After all, your job as a copyriter is to get people to take action. Whether that's buying
a product, signing up to an email list, or just clicking on an ad. The bad news is that in the real world, persuasion doesn't fit neatly into easy blueprints, templates, or step-by-step guides. One size does not fit all. If you rely on just a few templates to write all of your copy and can't think for yourself when new information arises, you're doomed to failure. or at the very least disappointing your clients. The truth is there are three levels to persuasion and most copyriters mistakenly only focus on the first two. Firstly, there's tactics which are low-level
and often very temporary discoveries that move the needle for only a little while. For example, a marketer might discover through testing that a particular button color sells more than any other. or someone might see that a particular YouTube title and thumbnail gets a lot of views and then create a similar video following the same template. But tactics are very easy to rip off and lose their power quickly as a result because they lose one of the persuasive principles we'll talk about later, the human desire for novelty. Strategies are the second level of persuasion, and these
tend to work longer than a gimmicky tactic. A persuasive strategy would be, for example, using a particular style of email to sell dog treats online. You can use all sorts of different tactics in a dog treat email to get attention or get someone to click a link to a sales page. But ultimately, using a particular style of email and not another style, to use email and not regular mail. These are strategic choices. Finally, there's the most crucial piece of persuasion principles. What this video is mainly about. If you don't understand the fundamental principles underlying copyrightiting,
you won't be ready for the new challenges you'll come to face as strategies change and the tactics you've learned stop working for your clients. That is why this section is so important if you truly want to make copywriting a career. You need to be equipped with the knowledge to write copy that works in the future, not just in the present. So before we talk about how to identify your target audience or how to get clients or even how to write copy, we need to make you a master of human psychology because once you know why
people make decisions and how you can truly influence them, you can adapt to any situation you find yourself in. So how do people actually make decisions? Well, let's look at some persuasion in action. I have some sensitive teeth. What toothpaste should I buy? You should buy my toothpaste because it has potassium nitrate which disrupts the calcium ions in your dentin. Don't listen to that nerd. My special toothpaste was made specifically for people like you because it has ingredients that calm the nerves responsible for pain signals. Now, it might seem obvious which appeal would have been
more persuasive to Lindsay with her sensitive teeth. Rod presented a solution to the problem Lindsay expressed, articulated it in an emotionally compelling and understandable way. But the dentists and neurologists watching this might know that Sha and Rod both just said the exact same thing. All they did was phrase it differently. But more importantly, this highlights a major mistake that many people make in their copyrighting. You see, people look too often at how they think decisions should be made, not how they're really made. In school, you were probably taught to look at political debates or sessions
in court for how to make a good argument. After all, that's how the most important decisions get made, right? But regular people are not robots. They're real people with real problems and real emotions. They rely on habits and biases and mental shortcuts to make decisions. They're often emphasis on often not seeking detail and objectivity. The fact is people are just apes in disguise. Now, we'd like to believe that we value reason and consider everything fairly according to the things that should matter most. But we don't. We're animals who respond to the things that actually interest
us the most. That's because our brains are wired to categorize new information immediately. Our ancestors needed this ability to quickly react to danger or opportunity. Is that big shadow a bear I need to hide from? Is that rock flying towards my face actually going to hit me? Now, humans are predisposed to make quick decisions. Although we can sit down and consider all the information we have in a reasonable manner, it's not the best way to react to potentially life-threatening information. As a consequence, we don't have a choice on how we feel about something. If we
hear or see something that connects with what we really want, it bypasses our logical brain and spurs a quick decision we're not even conscious of. We call that immediate reaction the emotional decision. And if you want to be a great copywriter, you must learn how to tap into people's emotional decision-m. The fact is, only after that initial decision do we maybe consider logical reasons behind it. But usually, we're just looking for logic to back up the emotional decision we had already made. Most of us cannot control what kind of music we like. Most of us
cannot explain why we like certain foods. Most of us don't know when or why we started having certain political opinions. But if pressed, we could give plenty of logical sounding reasons for all of it. So to persuade someone with words, we need to entice people to act the moment, sometimes the instant that people make an emotional decision. Human brains are bombarded with information every second of every day. the people around them, the space they're in, how they're sitting in a chair, the sounds around them, news headlines, Tik Tok videos and reels, long YouTube courses. It's
only natural that most people want to ignore anything that doesn't feel relevant or beneficial to them. That means an advertising copywriter has two main tasks whenever they write copy. Percy is cutting through the noise of everything else vying for their attention. Not just other ads, but everything. news articles, memes, sports highlights, grinder notifications. We need to show their brain that what we have to say is worthy of their attention. And secondly, it's ensuring that what we have to say is relevant enough to them that we can channel their attention into the action we desire them
to take. That could be anything. It could be watching a video, completing a purchase, simply clicking on an ad, anything. Because of the emotional decision-making process that comes innately built into most people, we need to understand how to grab a prospect's attention and show them something they're actually interested. We already know we can't rely on cold hard logic or information they're completely unfamiliar with. We need to hit them right in the emotional core of their brain because that's where the copyrightiting gold mine is. If you know how to write in an emotionally compelling way for
the audience you're targeting, you'll know what to write to grab their attention and persuade them to take action. I want you to play a game with us. Allow me to introduce you to Rod. Rod, what's something you've always desired? I've always wanted a fancy job that garners a lot of respect. Great. Now over here we have Sha. So Shan, what's something you have always desired? to build something my own way and carve out my own path regardless of what other people think of me. Fantastic. Now, I'd like to invite everyone watching at home to participate
in a little copywriting exercise. If you were selling a life coaching program, write down a promise that you can make that would appeal to Rod and write down a different promise that you think would entice Sha. Very simply, a promise is a compelling statement that communicates the ideal outcome that the reader or customer will receive by getting the coaching program you're selling. Most importantly for this particular game, a good promise and copy needs to be emotionally compelling to the person you're making it to. The prospect needs to care about what their life looks like if
you're able to fulfill that promise. Go ahead, pause the video if you need to and write down two promises. One to Rod and a different promise to Shan. Okay, got your promises written down? Great. Now, over here we have Lindsay, our copy chief in this particular scenario. Hi, Lindsay. If you were hired to sell a coaching program to someone like Sha or someone like Rod, would you make the same promise? No, absolutely not. And why is that? Well, it's because they desire different things. Rod obviously wants something on the basis of how other people see
him. He has a desire for status, recognition, and respect in a prestigious career. And so, he's going to want something that helps him succeed along a more traditional path. So, what would be a good promise that might appeal to Rod? I would say something like, "Unlock the secrets to landing your dream position at a top tier company, earning the respect and recognition you deserve without sacrificing who you are." Ooh, yeah. That promise grabs me by the ball. So, what about Shawn? Well, it's obvious from what he said that he maybe has a problem with authority
and so I doubt he wants a conventional career. Whatever is driving him is more personal and less about external approval. So, a good promise to him would touch on the independence and yearning for freedom that he has. And what have you got for us? Design your own career on your terms. Break free from the conventional and build something that reflects your unique vision. No permission required. Well, now that somebody is promising something I want, I'm not sure I want it anymore. And that, my friends, was the game of promises. We'll be playing it again soon,
but for now, it's a tool that you can use to craft and even begin any piece of copy. Lindsay, Sha, and Rod just illustrated how to come up with promises to appeal to people based on their desires. But a person's desires is just one of four entryways into the gold mine of their mind. To access a person's emotional core, we can use our target reader desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics. These are the four areas that make up our reader's emotional core, the things that drive their decision-making. We'll go over them briefly for now and dive
a bit deeper in a moment. Desires are the goals that drive a person, whether it's a desire for something or a desire to relieve pain. Simply put, desires are the things that people want. It is crucial to know your target prospect's desires because if we're not offering something they should want, whether that's a product we're selling, the knowledge and engaging piece of content, or the inspiration in a social media post, they would have no reason to listen to us. Their notions are the beliefs they have about the world around them. These matter because a copyriter
always wants to make sure their messages align with what the prospect believes so the copy feels more relatable. In some copy, you can even pander to a person's notions to make yourself seem more trustworthy. In fact, there are many pieces of copy that avoid focusing on prospect's desires altogether and focus entirely on leveraging people's emotions by simply confirming their beliefs. After we have notions, there are a prospect's identifications. These are the labels and values your prospects have given to themselves or acquired over their lives. People often strongly connect their interests and affiliations to their identities
which leads to strong emotional connections. Vegans, for example, strongly identify as vegan. Star Wars fans, sports fans, political parties, pet owners, being a mom. All of these are identifications with strong emotional resonances. Therefore, these are all identifications that businesses appeal to in order to tap into their prospect's emotional core. You want to find and then weave the identifications of your readers into your copy because it will make your target audience feel seen, understood, and aligned with the message, brand, or product. This helps the reader recognize themselves in what you're writing, positioning the product or service
as something especially relevant to them. Finally, characteristics are just plain attributes that people have. And the characteristics worth using in your copy are any that resonate with people emotionally. This is often race, gender, nationality, age, body fat, composition, anything people don't have a lot of control over. Like identifications, appealing to prospects characteristics is an effective way to make a person feel seen, validated, and attended to. Now, in the next two sections, we'll reveal exactly how to find all of this information, and of course, how to translate it into effective copy. But in the meantime, you
need to know how to leverage each of these four aspects of your prospect's emotional cores to persuade them. This way, when you start researching for and writing your copy, you know what to look for and what you should deploy or leave out. So, let's go over the specific methods you can use to appeal to the desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics of your reader. Let's start with the most important desires. At the end of the day, if you know the desire of your reader and how to appeal to it, you can practically get them throwing money
in your face. Now, there are two types of desires. Superficial desires and deep desires. Superficial desires are surface level. What people consciously want right now or consciously want to be rid of. Sometimes there'll be generic superficial desires like being more attractive, earning more money, having more free time, wanting better sleep, feeling hungry, and wanting a snack. All of these desires are easy to channel into action. But there are also specific desires that are more delicate and require a more nuanced approach. Getting rid of back pain, finding the best fishing rod for catching carp, fixing audio
issues with the microphone they use for streaming, wanting to encourage a picky child to eat more. Any of these could be a genuine desire a reader has. Your job is to show them that you can help them achieve it. There are also deep desires. A deep desire is the desire behind the immediately obvious desire. The reason behind the reason for people's yearnings. Deep desires are often unconscious. People frequently do not know they have a deeper desire until they see it put into emotionally compelling language. So, while a superficial desire might be wanting more money, what
would be the deep desire underneath why they want more money? Could it be that what they truly want is the respect of their parents perhaps? Or they're trying to paper over feelings of deep inadequacy? Do they have a psychotic competitive streak that compels them to see life as a constant win-lose game and money as the final score? I'm sure you can see how three different people with those three different deep desires might respond to different appeals, proof points, and details in your copy. Even if they were all originally drawn to a piece of copy that
leveraged the superficial desire they all have for more money. Most copy appeals to people's superficial desires, and you can make your entire career only writing to the superficial desires that people have. Deeper desires are a much bigger and more nuanced topic that we'll discuss more in future videos on youtube.com/copy that. So, for the remainder of this course, let's just focus on people's superficial desires, the things they're consciously aware of that they know they want. Once you find out what people desire, simply show them that whatever you're writing about will fulfill their desire and you've accomplished
your goal. But how do you go about showing your reader in your copy that you can fulfill that desire? Well, you can use the first and most basic tool of any copywriter, one we've already introduced to you, the promise. Most pieces of copy have a primary promise attached to it, whether direct or indirect, stated or unstated. You see promises everywhere in copy. Chances are you've seen copywriting videos with titles and thumbnails that promise how to make $60 per hour as a complete beginner or how to earn 10K per month or how to get clients in
2 weeks. These are all superficial promises connected to superficial desires designed to appeal to people's emotions. Promises are simply statements that say or imply that you can fulfill the desire your prospect has. They can either be explicit like the headline of this sales page. Turn your business into a self-scaling company that drives itself to eight figures and beyond, which appeals to entrepreneurs desire for more money as well as reclaiming more free time. That's what's being implied by self-scaling. Or they can be implicit like this business's landing page with the headline, innovating to power financial confidence
for millions. Throughout this page, you'll see subheads like personalized experiences to help you get your maximum refund. Everyone's sane desires their maximum tax refund. They want the money they're entitled to. But what's the implied promise of a personalized experience? What's the implied promise behind innovating to power financial confidence? It doesn't say it, but this is leveraging people's desire to file their taxes properly by themselves without having to pay an accountant and without possibly risking the amount of money they're going to get back. Let's look at another example of an implicit promise. Look at that line.
Finally, win the battle with her waistline. Most of you watching probably understand what this is promising. The bioharmony switch will help you lose weight and cut fat. But it is not actually saying that winning a battle with her waistline. It implies a promise that's connected to these desires, but it's not literally saying that promise. It's not even saying it'll help you win the battle with your own waistline. It says her waistline. Your brain doesn't notice this stuff, but your emotionally driven subconscious mind does. That's how a good implied promise works. You don't even have to
make a direct promise, but the prospect's subconscious kicks in to connect what is being said to their own desires. In all of these examples, the copy is clearly identifying what people desire and promising people the fulfillment of that desire. The rest of the copy beyond these initial promises simply creates a metaphorical path that shows people how to get from where they are to where they want to be, usually involving buying the product. Of course, promise focused ads are the most common type of ad you will see because again, making a promise is the easiest and
in many cases the most effective way to appeal to the widest number of readers. So, really quick, what makes a good promise? A good promise is benefit driven in that it offers a definite improvement, solution, or transformation possible for the reader. This has to be something the reader desires. There has to be an emotional draw to what you're writing about. A good promise is clear and easy to understand. As we'll say many times, a confused mind does not buy. A good promise is believable and provable. People will often pay attention to you if you make
a promise. But if there's a moment where your prospect finds that what you're saying is unbelievable or not credible, they won't believe you and therefore they won't buy. And bear with me because this one's a bit more complicated. There has to be a cohesion between what you're promising and the action you desire your prospect to take. So, a good promise align with your ultimate call to action. The emotional core of your prospect's brains desire things. If a person sees something that promises to fulfill their desires, that's often enough to grab attention and sometimes to persuade
them to take action. Not all ads have to have promises, of course, as you'll come to see. But for now, just realize that most direct response advertising is based on promising to fulfill a reader's desire. And that's why it's the first tool you can use to extract gold from your reader's emotional decision-making process. The next tool you can use to appeal to emotions is less about what you say and more about how you present it. Gimmicks are incentives that encourage readers to take action by introducing a secondary reason to engage or buy a product. They
usually inject a sense of urgency, scarcity, or intrigue that makes a reader more likely to act. For example, price hikes tell readers that the price will be going up soon, so it's better for them to buy when it's cheaper. Limited stock or limited space or almost gone is used to make products feel scarce. Clickbait headlines are gimmicks. Big discounts are gimmicks. Secrets, hacks, blueprints, tools are all gimmicks. Personalization or making something feel like you're appealing directly to one person is a gimmick. Freebies and bonuses are gimmicks. Now, copywriters aren't always responsible for creating gimmicks themselves.
Usually, a business will have a product that they want to promote and then rely on the copywriter to write the words that power the promotional campaign or frame that promotion for the reader. All gimmicks play on readers emotions by leveraging their primordial instincts. We have mainly focused on desires up to this point, but later on in this video, we will go deeper into the other three entryways. That said, we've also taught you two methods you can use to easily incorporate these entryways into your copy. One is simply by making a promise. If you make a
promise that you can give a prospect what they desire and it is relevant to their notions, identifications or characteristics, you'll be able to effectively engage, persuade, and sell to the majority of people in your target market. We also played a quick round of game of promises, which is a super useful tool you can use on your own to practice writing promises to audiences with different desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics. Another way to incorporate the emotional entryways in your copy is with gimmicks, which foreground and emphasize some secondary reason for engaging with a piece of copy,
such as tacking on a deadline to whatever it is that you're writing about. Everything good so far? Great. Now, let me take a brief moment to say that putting all this information together for you wasn't cheap or easy. So, if you're finding this content valuable, we'd sincerely appreciate it if you could give a good old onetwo punch to those like and subscribe buttons. It really helps the channel and allows us to continue putting out free content like this to help people like you learn copyrightiting and marketing. While we've talked abstractly about the fact that people
buy things for emotional reasons, we have not yet talked about what those emotional reasons actually are. So, very simply, here is a list of reasons why people buy or engage with content or copy. To be liked, to be appreciated, to be right. To feel important. To make money, to save money, to save time, to make work easier, to be secure, to be attractive, to feel sexy, to be comfortable, to be distinctive, to be happy, to have fun, to gain knowledge, to be healthy, to gratify curiosity, for convenience out of fear, out of greed, out of
guilt. An ad like this food delivery brand appeals to the desires parents have to be more comfortable, to save time, to be happy, and to have convenience. All that in a name and tagline. A classic longer form ad like this one for Pepsient introduces an at the time unique explanation for a problem people were facing, film on their teeth being responsible for decay. It also uses a gimmick, a 10-day trial period, to get people's attention and urge them to take action. But what are the real emotional reasons why people responded to this ad? It confirmed
prospects notions and appealed to their desire to be healthy and attractive and their fear of ruining their teeth. But like we've been saying, a lot of these appeals can be indirect, too. Look at this ad for Lego. Lego is normally a kids toy, but an agency copywriter sitting in a cubicle in an office tower somewhere probably wrote a creative deck with the words, "Phograph of a middle-aged man playing with a new Lego set." Why? Because it gives the target market a simple emotional reason to buy. Playing with Legos is fun. Anyway, the list of reasons
people take action is not comprehensive, but it'll take you quite far in your career. Honestly, for most copyriters, it is unlikely you will ever need to think of anything else. Now, as you read more ads, you will discover many failed and unsuccessful ads have a mismatch between the emotional reason in the copy and the desires of the prospects. For example, the brand Bucked Up sells supplements like testosterone boosters to stereotypically masculine men. But then they released an ad with this creative featuring two products. Rut, a testosterone booster, and Buck Naked, a fat burning supplement surrounded
by flowers and sort of parodying copy you typically see for women shampoo. Christ, what emotional appeal is this ad even making? The hyper masculine desire to feel secure, attractive, and sexy. Is it trying to be funny, and ironic? Whoever wrote this ad should have taken this course. Get it out of here. One of the biggest mistakes new copyriters make is wrongly assuming their job is to sell products or drive engagement. People do not want products. People do not want to waste time engaging with content. People want the outcome of using a product or service. People
want the way content makes them feel. Sales and engagement are both a byproduct of that simple fact. If you're able to connect your prospect's desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics to the emotional reasons that people take action or engage with things, you are going to produce an excellent piece of copy. So, do not go into this career thinking that your job is to sell products or drive engagement or whatever. A copyriter's job is to engage and sell emotions, to grab attention and channel that attention into engagement or action. To provide emotional reasons for your prospects to
do what you want them to do. We need to reiterate something of the utmost importance when you are writing copy. Specifically, how immediate people's reactions and impressions actually are. When we're presenting a piece of copy, whether it's a sales page, an email, VSSL, whatever, we only have a second or two to engage our readers attention. and every word counts. Every second counts until they've bought in at least just a little bit to what you're saying. It's no good to have amazing, emotionally powerful copy 3 minutes into an ad if the first two minutes are full
of stuff that the prospect just doesn't care about. Or importantly, for the next concept we're going to teach you, stuff the prospect doesn't even know about. For example, imagine we have Rod here, Rod. And Rod has chronic pain in his elbow from playing tennis. really don't. He does. He has his painful tennis elbow on the top of his mind. Now, look at these two ads and try to think which ad would appeal to Rodmore. The ad that simply says, "How to fix tennis elbow. He'll quickly stop the pain." Or this ad that says, "Tennis elbow
aid with physical therapy and biotouch healing, A to Z." So, Rod, which ad is more appealing to you? Uh, I guess the first one, the one that says, "Stop the pain." And why? Because I guess my elbow hurts and I would like it to not do that. And there it is. But why do you not like the second one? Because I don't know what an elbow aid or bio touch healing is. Is that a solution to tennis elbow? Is that a product or a service? Um, am I just not aware of how it relates to
my problem? The words that Rod just said are aware, problem, solution. Keep those words in mind for later. Because as this little example just proved, we often don't need to do anything special to grab a prospect's attention. As long as we're focusing on what the prospect cares about, their desires at this moment. But you do need to make sure you're doing two things. Appealing to your prospect straight away and not cluttering your message with a bunch of stuff your prospect does not know or care about. You want to join the conversation already happening in the
emotional core of your prospect's mind. But how does a copywriter actually do that? Well, luckily for you, there is something that will make all of this easier, and you will find it in one of the most expensive and frequently stolen books ever published. This is Eugene Schwarz's Breakthrough Advertising, one of the most influential copywriting books ever written. In the second chapter of this book, he introduces a powerful concept that's extremely important for you to understand in this broader conversation about connecting to a prospect's desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics. Over here, he lists three questions you
need to be able to answer before you start planning or writing your ad. What is the mass desire that creates this market? How much do these people know today about the way your product satisfies this desire? how many other products have been presented to them before yours. And in the next section of this course, we are going to give you everything you need to do to research to find the answers to these questions. But in the meantime, we need to talk about the concepts behind questions two and three because you have to have an answer
to these questions before you can actually write any copy. That's because question two forces you to think about a prospect's state of awareness and question three forces you to think about a prospect's state of sophistication. Well, the answer to the first question about desire tells you whether it's even worth writing copy to your prospect. The prospect's state of awareness and state of sophistication determine the words you write, the appeals you present, what your copy should focus on, the order you put everything in, everything. That is because your copy must appeal to your prospect's conscious and
unconscious mind, the things they know they want or do not yet realize they want. And it has to account for things they've likely experienced before. After all, if your copy starts off by telling your prospect something they're not ready to hear, something they won't see as relevant, or something they simply don't know about, they won't pay attention. On top of that, if your copy rattles off the same appeals, claims, benefits, proof points, and offers as five other businesses, your prospects still won't pay attention. Simply put, getting your prospects states of awareness and sophistication right or
wrong can be the difference between your copy generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales or generating precisely natada zilch bub kiss. Let's focus first on prospect's state of awareness. This is their present state of knowledge about your product or service and what they know about that product or service. Whether it solves their problems, fulfills their desires, or what makes it better than other products. You need to know this because even if you are making a powerful appeal that aims right at the desires in your prospect's emotional core, nobody is going to read your ad
if it's doing the wrong things to grab and keep attention. Now, of all the concepts you should know as a copywriter, the stages of awareness seem to confuse new copywriters the most. In fact, let's just start with the very name. Is it state of awareness or stages of awareness? In his book, Eugene Schwarz switches between both because your prospect has a state of awareness. But as a market develops, this state of awareness will go through some or all of the five stages he identifies. Every prospect starts off not knowing well anything really. But as they're
marketed to more, the more aware they will become. And if they become intimately familiar with a brand and the products they offer, their state of awareness might enter the first stage. Most [Music] aware ads written for people at this state of awareness are for people who know the product, know they want the product, and really only need to know how to take action or why they should take action right now. You probably know someone who's loyal to a specific car brand, a favorite band, or a sports team. Even everyday items like toothpaste or an apple
can inspire this kind of brand loyalty. Selling to these prospects is easy because they're already familiar with your product and trust your brand. For them, it's more than just a product. It's already an established emotional connection. Usually, all you have to do is offer something new or discount and they'll buy. Why? Because they're already invested in your market and have answered most of their own questions and are ready to make a purchase. All they need from you, the copywriter, is the opportunity to buy. So, if you're ever tasked with writing an ad to this kind
of audience, in most cases, you want to hook a prospect's attention by simply making a direct offer. Apples. Buy one get one free is often the only copy you need to sell apples to fans of apples. Oh god. I bit off more than I could chew. Here's an example of a marketing email sent by an online precious metals company. The hook in the subject line was simply anniversary sale exclusive bullion savings. For most of you watching, this gimmick probably isn't super appealing. But for precious metals enthusiasts and coin collectors, the very idea of getting a
discount on gold and silver bullion just for this week alone, well, it gets their attention and it taps right into the emotional core of their brain. Here's another example that transforms an offer into an invitation. This ad, a sales letter, gained attention by simply stating, "A personal invitation from Porter Stanbury. Offer expires at midnight on Friday, April 17th. Think about that for a second. What do you have to know for this to get your attention? You have to know the business. You have to know Porter. And you have to be automatically excited to be receiving
an invitation from him. It's a simple gimmick that taps directly into the emotional core of prospects, but really only the prospects that are already fully aware of all this stuff. What these examples highlight is that most offerbased ads loosely follow a formula. Immediately focus on some enticing or exciting detail of the offer. Emphasize in the most eye-catching part of the ad, usually the headline, the most valuable benefit someone gets from the deal being offered. Elaborate and explain the super beneficial component. And lastly, provide some believable and potentially interesting justification for the deal. That last piece,
the reason why, is the piece that most copywriters overlook. In copyrightiting, the most powerful word is you. a direct reference to the prospect reading the copy, watching a video, and so on. But a close second is the word because. In fact, studies show that people are more likely to comply with your requests if you provide any random reason whatsoever, even if all you say is do this because you should do this. This is one of the reasons why seasonal discounts and holiday deals work so well. An example of this we really like comes from the
copyriter Dan Russell who only ever gives a discount on his products when he has another child. In the copy, he just straight out says things like, "I'm only doing the sale because I want money to pay for baby stuff. It's simple, but it's effective." But simple and effective can only go so far. Eugene Schwarz himself had this to say about offer copyriters writing to the most aware audiences. Here, the copywriter is nothing more than the merchandise manager's phrase maker. The price is the most important part of his headline. There is nothing creative about his job
and he should receive the lowest possible scale of pay. Now, most of you getting into this copyrightiting thing probably do not want to sign up to receive the lowest possible scale of pay. So, let's move on to the next stage of awareness you need to know to grab the attention of your prospects and make your copy relevant to them. For most products people know about, you'll also encounter buyers who are undecided. These potential customers are familiar with your product and its benefits, but haven't decided to make a purchase. Yet, almost all ad copy ever written
and that you will write in your career is intended for product aare audiences. And here, your prospect isn't completely aware of everything your product does or isn't convinced by how well the product does it when it does that or haven't yet been told how much better it does it. Now, to win prospects over, you'll need to build trust without overwhelming them as they tend to be cautious. These buyers often seek reassurance by reading reviews, doing research, checking consumer reports, or Amazon reviews. They want to feel confident that your product will deliver on its promises. So,
that's going to be the main way, but not the only way, you appeal to people at the product aare stage, making and then backing up your promises, showing that what you're writing can fulfill your prospect's desires. While convincing a product prospect takes effort, the good news is that they're already somewhat familiar with your product, your main objective is to prove that you can back up the things you say rather than explaining the product itself. So, when you sit down to write an ad to a product audience, you generally want to pick one of seven ways
to capture and keep their attention. Strengthen the product's desire for the product. Demonstrate how the product meets prospect's needs. Highlight the situations where the product is most useful for the prospect. Provide new proof, details, or evidence showing how well your product works. Announce a new mechanism that makes your product even better at fulfilling prospect's needs. Reveal updates that fix previous limitations of your product or completely redefine your product to stand out from competitors offering similar solutions. Later on in section four of this course, we're going to teach you the universal structure that applies to all
kinds of copy. Hook, body, close. Each of these methods is a good way to hook your product aware prospects attention. For example, a really brain deadad easy way to strengthen a prospect's desire for a product is to simply show someone they like or admire using the product. This method of getting attention is the bread and butter for big ad agencies, and Nike's Air Jordans is a classic example of this in action. The ads around this product hooked prospects using the star power of basketball player Michael Jordan, connecting his athletic greatness to the shoe in prospects
minds. The ads around this product also tapped at desires like status, belonging, and self-exression, driving strong emotional connections with a brand. The ads combine aspirational messaging with notions of exclusivity and prospects identifications, making consumers feel that wearing Air Jordans was a path to greatness. The shoe was launched in the 1980s. In 2023, Jordans pulled in 6.6 6 billion in revenue, 16% of Nike's total revenue. And keep in mind, Michael Jordan hasn't played a basketball game in over 20 years. That is the power of an ad that really connects to the emotional core of a market.
You can also hook a prospect's attention by demonstrating how the product appeals to their desire. For a super famous example of this, look no further than the classic direct response headline. At 60 mph, the loudest noise in a Rolls-Royce is the electric clock. Apparently, this headline came directly from a product review of a car. Notice the way this ad's headline uses vivid sensory details and a stark contrast between extremes to make an indirect promise about how quiet and smooth it is to drive this car. Most prospects probably already knew this promise, but the headline sharpened
and focused their image of the way the car fulfilled their desires. We're not going to go over each of these seven different ways to hook a reader's attention. As you study more copy and see everything else in action, you will start to see how everything we're talking about is put into practice. And that is more powerful than anything we can tell you to do in a single video course. But if you want more guidance and additional examples, you can always sign up to our free email list to receive the companion guide to this course, which
will give you examples and additional techniques you can use to grab readers attention. Just click the link in the description below. Once you move past the first two stages of prospect awareness, grabbing attention and selling becomes more challenging. Why? Because customer resistance increases. You'll have to put in more effort to make an initial connection with potential buyers. You might also have to approach your copy with way more finesse. But it's also above this level that really good copyriters can really start to earn big money. At the solution aware stage, you're going to be writing to
people who consciously want some fulfillment of their desire or some solution to their problems. But even though they're aware a solution exists, they do not know your solution exists. A solutionaware audience is like someone searching for a midnight snack. They feel the need, but aren't exactly sure what they want. At this stage, the customer knows they have a problem and that a solution exists, but they're unsure where it is or what to choose. For these prospects, a bit more education is needed before they're ready to weigh their options. Your job as the copywriter is to
show them that your product can help them achieve it. However, before you can make the sale, you first need to demonstrate that you understand their needs and their desires. The process is actually pretty straightforward. Call out the prospect's desire, problem, or the solution. Prove that the product can deliver that solution, and show how your product makes it happen. To be frank or Sean, this is the stage of awareness where you're going to find most fitness and health copy. Lots of people know they have a problem, usually weight, body fat, general health, and they know that
solutions exist, but prospects generally don't know where to begin, what to choose, or whom to trust. So, one of two things will often happen. First is you'll frequently see big bombastic claims and promises that try to outell other competitors. For an example of this in action, look no further than this classic advertisement for the shake. It makes a series of bold promises and claims to really grab a solution reader's attention. In just 6 minutes of day, you'll get strong, toned, ripped arms and chest. You'll increase muscle activity. Shake weight is more than seven times more
effective than a regular dumbbell. For those of you who know about the shake weight and how silly it is, a lot of these claims feel absurd. But that is because you have since become more aware and as I'll talk about later, more sophisticated. However, many people will still respond to novel products that make similar appeals because for an industry like fitness, you have a self-relenishing market of people at this solutionaware stage. That is, people who know they want something but aren't sure what. So, while promises and gimmicks can certainly work to grab attention and appeal
to a prospect's emotional core, the way you draw attention to those promises and gimmicks sometimes work better if they are more indirect. We can see this in action for the P90X extreme home fitness program. There's still a clear promise being made in the ad copy, transform your body in 90 days with P90X, but it is more tempered than the Shakeweight copy. It feels more believable and it's also less prominent than the main hook that gets people's attention because the only dimples worth keeping are the ones above your neckline. Look at what that line is doing.
It's indirectly addressing a problem a woman might have, which is a dimpled, perhaps plump body, and indirectly alluding to the solution, transforming the body so that only a certain desirable part of it has these dimples. Then look at the smaller copy below that which lays out a 1hour per day 12 workout program. Just as Eugene Schwarz suggested for this state of awareness, this ad is calling out the prospect's desire, shows an image that suggests the product can deliver and then lays out how the product makes this happen. This is good copy and it shows you
a reason why P90X has been around as long as it has. There's actually a little mini lesson in these examples. You can often get a huge influx of sales and revenue by using big promises to sell novelty products. But if you want to write ads for products so that they stand out and stand the test of time, it might be worth it to temper your claims and go a bit more indirect. What we're trying to say is that the way you strategically and creatively craft the words and appeals of the ad is more important than
whether you hit all the major points of what you think an ad should do or be. It's here at the stage that the copyriters who are better at finessing language could get paid more than writers who rely on hype or the basic mechanics of ad copy. These are the writers who create breakthrough multi-million dollar campaigns. [Music] When you're writing to a prospect at this stage, you're basically a problem solver. Your prospects clearly desire something and they clearly have a problem in their lives, but they have no idea that solutions exist. A solution aware audience has
hopes and desires. We can appeal to their emotions by grabbing that attention and channeling it into action. But a problem aware audience doesn't have hopes. They've got problems. They don't yearn for something. They yearn to be rid of something because they do not yet know that a solution to their problems exists. The key then to grabbing a reader's attention at this stage of awareness is to show that you feel their pain. As it says in the book Great Leads, it's not just that you know they have a problem, but that you know the frustration, desperation,
or even the fear and anger it causes. Once you identify your prospect's big problem, the thing that causes them dress or anxiety or fear or pain, then you have to find a way to make an emotional connection with them through that problem. The biggest way to do that is to write your copy to be understanding, sympathetic, and trustworthy. You want in your copy to establish this trusting connection before you ever start trying to mention products or naming benefits because well, just imagine it. You go to someone concerned about your problems and the first thing they
do is try to sell you something. That's a surefire way to lose your prospect's attention and interest. At this stage in the next stage, a good way to grab prospect's attention is to reveal a big secret or tease some hard to find knowledge. But for the problemare folks in particular, secrets work best when they're a hidden solution, formula, system. really any kind of enticement that gives some reason behind why they didn't know about the solution. Sometimes though, you don't even need to present a secret. Your copy can be as simple as identifying the problem, establishing
trust, and then providing the solution. Here's a specific example from my life. At the time I'm recording this video, I'm actually moving to a new state, and selling this house. My problem is that after I move, I'm not going to be around to fix all the small maintenance issues. But there I was scrolling through dumb Instagram videos with my wife and I saw an ad for a service that specifically does this for people selling their house. They just show up at your house and run through a lengthy checklist of things to fix and clean. The
shock of discovering this solution to something I'd been thinking and worrying about spurred me to make an appointment with them that moment. Just as Shawn's story implies, adds to problemaware people can often grab attention just by calling out the problem that people have. If you want a decent structure to follow for this kind of copy, target those worries that keep customers up at night. Make sure they're worries that carry deep emotional weight. Stir those emotions. Prove you feel your prospect's pain. And offer hope of a solution at some point that's relevant to your prospect's desires,
notions, identifications, and characteristics. Ultimately, the success of an ad that tries to grab and hold the attention of a product audience really depends on whether your prospects even know that there's something they'd like to change. A big mistake people make in these ads is writing copy that explains or overeducates the reader about a problem. A more important goal is that your prospect's troubles are seen and heard. We've arrived at the most difficult state of awareness to open up here. The prospect may not realize they have a need or desire, or they may not admit it
to themselves until your ad guides them to a realization about their desires. Sometimes the desire is too vague to be captured in a single headline or it's something they can't easily put into words. At this stage, promises don't really work. Why? Because you can't promise to fulfill a desire your prospect doesn't know they have. Gimmicks don't work either. After all, imagine seeing an ad that says, "Urtent special limited time offer on Squigglyorks ends tonight." Almost no one would click that. Again, the whole point of understanding your audience's state of awareness is so that you can
think of how to present appeals that are relevant to their desires and knowledge. And well, what the heck is a squigglybork? If you don't know what's being called out, you're not going to care that some vague special offer for it is ending soon. To put it bluntly, the appeals you make and hooks you use to grab attention in one stage of awareness will not work to a market in a different stage of awareness. And even if you've written a successful ad to a market, once the market passes onto a new stage of awareness and becomes
familiar with the promises and gimmicks you're using to appeal to them or the hooks you're using to grab attention, they just will not care anymore. So, let's make sure you understand what to avoid when you're trying to get the attention of a truly unaware audience. Do not mention price or discounts. Price simply doesn't mean anything to someone who does not know or want your product. Don't name or even speak directly about the product you're selling at first. The longer you can keep a prospect's attention without revealing what you're selling or driving at, the more likely
they are to actually take the action that you want them to take. And hardest of all, do not draw any attention to what your product does, the needs or desires it fulfills, the problems it solves, no functions, no details. Your prospect is going to either be completely indifferent to what you're selling, or find it completely unacceptable. So, if you can't make promises, use gimmicks, or talk about the product at all, what can you talk about at the beginning of your ad? The answer has to do with this appeal, which we've been keeping under wraps for
most of this section of the course. We're going to reveal it and teach it to you in a few minutes, but really, the key thing you're trying to do with an unaware audience is just identify anything they could possibly be interested in. anything that will convince the prospect to read the first paragraph of your copy. And then that paragraph only exists to get the prospect to read the next paragraph. And the second paragraph exists to pull the reader to the third, the third to the fourth, and so on. Now, what you're doing in ads that
attempt to hook unaware audiences is gradually building towards the steady realizations that naturally move the reader through the different states of awareness. That's why old school sales letters are still in use today. It's also why there are still 90-minute video sales letters. It's why email welcome sequences work. It's why copy that seems very old-fashioned still works. This whole process of gaining awareness in a single ad takes time, page space, and lots of words. You can't just tell people what to think. You have to slowly incept the belief into the prospect's brain and nurture their awareness
until they arrive at one inevitable conclusion. They have to buy the product you're selling. Like we said, getting and holding the attention of this kind of prospect is really hard. But if you want to study this kind of copy, research some of big financial direct response publishing houses and natural health businesses. These are the businesses often willing to pay big commissions to copyriters who are able to sell to unaware audiences. But we're going to level with you. There's a 99% chance you'll never need to write for an unaware audience. Many copywriters like Alex and like
Rod have gone their whole careers without ever having to try to grab the attention of a prospect who is truly unaware of their problems, solutions to their problems, anything. But that doesn't mean you can't have an amazing and lucrative career trying to grab and channel the attention of prospects and the other stages of awareness. But listen, before we move on, let's time out for a second. As we said a few minutes ago, lots of new copyriters get really hung up on the exact stage of awareness. Look, it's important to know what your prospects know, but
the stages of awareness are a tool, and tools aren't jewels. Don't freak out if there are times when you just don't know what stage of awareness your prospect is in. Sometimes you might not know exactly. And in that situation, there's a really easy way to estimate your prospect's state of awareness. Use these questions to help guide your thinking. Does your prospect consciously know that they have a problem or a desire? If yes, they're not unaware. Does your prospect know that there is a solution to their problem or a way to achieve their desires? If yes,
they are not problem aware. Does your prospect already know the product you're selling by name or know similar products by name? If yes, they're not solution aware. And does your prospect know the price of the product that you're selling already? Or are they looking for any reason they can to buy the product? If yes, then they are most aware. It's highly unlikely that you'll run through the list and be unable to easily find out which stage of awareness your prospect is in. But if you're still having trouble, try to think of it this way. Does
your prospect know a lot about this product, their problem, their desire, or do they know very little? Based on your answer, take your best guess at the prospect's state of awareness. And don't get too caught up for now. Earlier, we introduced the three questions you need to answer before you can really start thinking about or even writing your copy. What is the desire that creates this market? How much do these people know today about the way your product satisfies this desire? and how many other products have people presented to them before yours. Fortunately for us
at this point in the course, the third question about market sophistication is the easiest to answer. Now, whenever we say market, we simply mean a particular group of people who are the target prospect for a particular type of product. And by sophistication, we mean the increasing familiarity that our market has with a particular style or type of messaging in an ad. By the way, if you're having trouble keeping track of all these new terms or you just want the definitions for your notes, we do have a glossery on our website, www.copyshow.com, where you can access
loads of free tools and resources. Using the methods we teach you in the research section of this course, you should be able to find out your prospect's level of sophistication in a few hours. In fact, understanding this concept is pretty intuitive and easy to wrap your head around. When we're talking about market sophistication, we're really describing a simple problem. The more that certain appeals and details get used in ads, the less effective they become. To understand why, let's look at a simple example. If you see an ad that claims you can make money online fast,
what are the chances you're going to give it a second look? Pretty low. There have been so many ads that make this same promise. We just know it's not really worth our time looking. When we don't recognize anything new, our brain gets comfortable. We're not spurred to make an emotional decision. We categorize what we're seeing as something we can ignore. And this brings us to something we've already touched on. New is one of the most important elements of copywriting. If your prospect can categorize your copy as something they already know, they won't bother reading on.
Because the promise of making money online has been repeated so many times over the years, this example just doesn't pass the new test. So despite earning money online being a desire that people have, the fact is that that phrase and ones similar to it have been repeated so much we just categorize it as the same old advertising that we've seen before and then we ignore it. So how can you avoid that trap of increasing market sophistication? One way to pass the new test with your copy is to make bigger or more specific promises. For example,
the extra income project. Want the chance to put $2500, $5,000, $10,000 or more in your pocket every Thursday? This short video could help you exponentially grow your wealth. Listen, in a world of ads that were just promising to help you make money online, that would certainly stand out. And sometimes creating a new, bigger, or more specific promise will be enough for the copy you need to write. But when other people copy you, you'll have the same problem, and your promise will have to get even bigger and faster. Before long, the promise gets so big that
it suddenly becomes unbelievable. Get $1 million in just 5 minutes online. Maybe a bit hard for anyone to trust, but there are people that are successfully running these kinds of ads out there. You can only go so far with promises to tackle market sophistication. At a certain point, your prospects have heard all the claims and promises, even the extreme ones. They might be seeing ads making the same kinds of promises every single day. So once a market gets this sophisticated, you have to start thinking of ways to distinguish your product and appeals from the mass
of others out there. One way to do this is by introducing what Eugene Schwarz talks about in breakthrough advertising. If your market is at the stage where they've heard all the claims in all their extremes, then mere repetition or exaggeration won't work any longer. What this market needs now is a new device to make all these old claims become fresh and believable to them again. In other words, a new mechanism, a new way to make the old promise work, a different process, a fresh chance, a brand new possibility success where only disappointment has resulted before.
At a certain point, you reach a limit and you're going to run out of appeals to people's desires that feel fresh. So, for that reason, it's important to start doing two things. focusing on other aspects of your prospect's emotional core and using more delicate indirect appeals to grab attention and channel their attention into action. Up to this point, we've really focused on the desires quadrant of your prospect's emotional core. We've done this because ultimately your prospect's desires are the most powerful force behind emotional decisions to engage with the world. That's why we've devoted so much
time to teaching the different appeals like promises and gimmicks and different concepts like the states of awareness and sophistication that can help you channel a prospect's desires into actions you want them to take. But come on, give your reader some credit. They are more than just their earthly desires. They're also their earthly notions, earthly identifications, and earthly characteristics. It would be foolish of us to ignore everything else that makes up a person's emotional core. Not only are the remaining quadrants of the emotional court worthy to appeal to individually, but by doing so, we will subsequently
help strengthen the appeal we have to a reader's desires. Notions are perhaps the most powerful way to appeal to a reader, but they're also the most delicate. If you get any of this wrong, not only will your reader ignore your ad, you may even end up offending them beyond reconciliation. Notions are all about how people perceive the world around them. And unfortunately, but fortunately for you, notions are something that so many copywriters never even consider. Just take a look at this copy. Your new 100% vegan one a day supplement with our unique palm oil formula
for every vitamin and mineral a vegan needs. Approved by doctors. So, what's wrong with it? Well, if you're sitting there looking at the style or the structure, then you need to think again. The problem is actually with palm oil. If you're familiar with it, you know that tons of vegans hate palm oil because its production does serious harm to animals in the environment. Most vegans don't want to harm animals in the environment. So, if you're writing to vegans, it's probably a bad idea to mention it. That's why understanding the notions of your prospect is so
important. If you violate their beliefs, they're incredibly unlikely to do what you want. Hey, Lindsay. Hey, I got you some gum. Oh, thank you. It was made with child labor. I don't want that. I guess she doesn't like peppermint. Notions could include anything from political views to morals to general ideas about how the world works. But there is one key distinction to make. There are actually two types of notions. Believing palm oil is bad for the planet or not wanting to support child labor or what we call firm notions. In other words, a notion that
the prospect holds dear and cannot be convinced to let go of. But the other type of notion is a little more flexible. Shakable notions are notions the prospect holds but would be happy to be wrong about. For example, someone who wants to be able to really shred on guitar may have the notion that learning the guitar will take ages and require a ton of effort, but they would love it if your copy told them that actually it can be done much quicker and more easily than they think. By simply acknowledging a shakable notion the reader
has and showing them how this actually won't be a problem for fulfilling their desire, you will make the appeal of your copy even stronger. Whereas firm notions are beliefs you must never violate if you want to keep the prospect on side. Shakable notions are beliefs that tie in heavily to the desires of your reader. In many cases, the shakable notions you come across are simply objections that you need to overcome in your copy. Discovering what notions your reader has can help you craft copy that's way more powerful than just focusing on desires alone. When it
comes to making the most out of notions, the simplest tool you can use is acknowledgement. By weaving in relevant references to their notions, you can both show that you're on their side and make what you're offering feel even better. Just look at this headline from a sales letter that came out before the 2024 US election. That headline played directly into the belief that the target reader had that Donald Trump would win a second term as president. You can imagine that if the headline instead said, "Trump is a whack job who will never get in again,"
it may not quite connect with the same type of reader. That's why understanding notions is so critical to being the best copyriter you can be. And a prospect's notions about the outside world are closely related to the next quadrant of the emotional core, too. Everyone selfidentifies with different things and multiple things. sports teams, fandoms, YouTube channel fan bases, the church they attend, the university they went to. Humans are built to label themselves, and we love the feeling of belonging to a group. And just like notions, leaning into someone's identity in your copy can be a
great way to make them feel seen or to simply grab attention. A big reason that targeting identifications works is down to the sense of exclusivity it provides to the reader. By simply suggesting that a message was specially intended for a group they belong to, you'll be far more likely to grab their attention. For example, if your reader sees themselves as a beginner swimmer, this headline speaks directly to them. Copy that simply aligns with the reader's identifications often does everything it needs to do to grab attention. When you make it clear that the message you have
is only intended for a specific group that your prospect identifies with, it not only makes the message seem far more relevant to them, it also reinforces the identity they've chosen for themselves, which makes them feel good and makes your copy harder to ignore. Another tool perfect for appealing to the identifications of prospects is mimicking. Mimicking just means intentionally using the language of your prospect in relation to the group they identify with. If you speak the language they understand, they are far more likely to like you and trust your message. This can be as simple as
saying MVP in an ad intended for sports fans. But the more you know about your target reader, the further you can go with this, as we'll explore in the next section of the course, mimicking is just one reason why researching how members of your market talk to each other is so important. Utilizing identifications is perhaps the most intimate you can get with your prospect. But there's still one last quadrant of the emotional core that we need to discuss because your prospects don't get to choose everything about themselves. A reader's characteristics are the final things that
we can appeal to and they cover the traits that readers don't get to choose. Things like the generation they belong to, where they're from, their race, their body composition, and how much they earn a year. But even though your prospect doesn't necessarily choose these things, that doesn't mean they can't be extremely useful. Some characteristics can be used just like identifications to help your prospect feel like they're a part of an exclusive group. But also, the characteristics of your prospect can help you intuitit things about them. If you know they earn less than $100,000 per year,
they're unlikely to understand references to the caviar and private jet lifestyle. Characteristics are the quadrant of the emotional core you're likely to use the least. Appealing to characteristics can still be a good way to strengthen your copy, but they don't usually carry the same emotional weight as the things readers choose to associate themselves with. You should still be aware of your reader's obvious characteristics, but don't tie yourself up trying to reference them everywhere. Only bring them into your copy if an obvious opportunity presents itself. No matter what copywriting task you're given, if you remember that
you're simply trying to appeal to the emotional core of your reader's desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics, you'll be ahead of 99% of the copywriters who fail to think deeper than a few basic formulas. And there's still one last tool you need to know about. In fact, it's the tool that the best copywriters recognize as their secret weapon. And it helps you appeal to all four quadrants of your reader's emotional core in a way that nothing else can. We're talking about how to come up with good ideas. Good ideas are what turn copy from okay to
record-breaking. Knowing how to come up with them and translate them into copy is the true hallmark of a great copywriter. Which is why we want you to know all about it. But what actually is an idea in copy? An idea is simply the core assertion of your copy. The main point you want your prospect to take on board. In normal copy, ideas tend to be basic. Our medicine is the best joint treatment for dogs. This course will help you learn accounting. Hire me for your emergency plumbing needs. But in good copy, ideas go beyond just
promising an outcome. Instead, they make the prospect's desires feel more achievable by weaving in new dimensions to the copy. Dimensions that can also appeal to a prospect's notions, identifications, and characteristics. If you're still a little confused by what an idea actually is, don't worry. It's not the easiest concept to pick up immediately, which is why most newbie copyriters never bother to learn it. But if you stick with us here, you will come out the other side with a skill that few others have. To truly see the difference between copy without a good idea versus copy
with a good idea, let's look at an example. The only idea a reader could take on board from this product page is that the coffee is great value. But is there any evidence to prove that? Does anything else in the copy actually imply that there's great value to be had? Is there anything else appealing to the emotional core of the reader in an obvious and compelling way? No. Let's look at a good example. See what a difference that makes. There are a few things going on here, but ultimately the copy gives the reader a clear
picture of why they might be interested in the product in a way that goes beyond just a basic statement. It also speaks the language of coffee enthusiasts and references things that they already understand. Not only is the idea of getting a high-quality cup of Vietnamese coffee from a simple, familiar coffee maker promising a clear benefit, the copy also appeals to the reader's identification of being a coffee enthusiast by mimicking the language they use. But these fundamentals aren't restricted to physical products you can hold. Let's look at an example from the digital world. First, the bad.
It's certainly clear what this ad is offering, but that's about it. How is this course on meta ads different from the hundreds of others out there? What reason does it give the reader to purchase this course instead of another one? The truth is it just doesn't do a great job at appealing to the reader's emotional core and therefore doesn't set itself apart as the best solution available. Now, let's see how you feel about this copy. Well, that's a lot more interesting. In essence, both products are providing a similar thing, an insight into meta ads. Yet,
this ad feels far more interesting, doesn't it? It's attaching the basic promise of learning about meta ads to proof about why the secrets they have to reveal will be different. The content of their ebook is coming from someone who has an actual insight into the way meta ads work from the inside out. In just a few lines of copy, this ad has communicated an idea that is so compelling that the free ebook it's offering comes across as more valuable than the paid course from the previous ad. You should now have a sense for what ideas
look like in copy. And we'll show you how to create ideas of your own in the next section of this course. And this will be important because marketing to people with ideas can be an extremely potent way to overcome skepticism and also appeal to audiences who are closer to the problemaware and unaware side of the spectrum. For example, if your prospect is in an unaware state, you can grab their attention by hinting at or teasing a hidden problem that prospects did not even know they had or a problem happening in society that they might not
know about. You can also very indirectly appeal to prospects by grabbing their attention with a bold proclamation. Maybe with a factoid that's just incredible, maybe with a shocking future forecast or prediction, or maybe with a bold statement. There are lots of ways to shock your reader to attention. And the goal of an ad that uses an idea to appeal to the prospects is to hold their attention long enough to work your way back to the product and your pitch. Finally, the most indirect way to grab a reader's attention so you can appeal to them with
an idea is by using a story. As the book Great Leads says, everyone loves a story. What's more, stories can engage readers who don't know you or the product well or who might flinch at a more direct unbelievable claim. Testimonials, guru bios, historical proof, or track record all yield story leads. Just make sure to tell the story quickly and keep it in the context of the bigger promise. Ultimately, the best ideas will make prospects glad they read your copy. And in our next section, we'll talk about how you should think about ideas in your copy,
when and how to come up with them yourself, and how they affect the rest of what you write. For now though, just keep in mind that your job as a copywriter is to come up with good ideas that will make your copy more impactful for the prospect instead of solely relying on simple tools like promises and gimmicks. Of course, these other tools can still be useful, but when you come up against sophisticated markets, which will be often, good ideas are what will set you apart from competitors and other less successful copywriters. Okay, is that it?
Did we manage to give aspiring copyriters everything they need to know to get started? Well, yeah, sure. But we could have just left it at right for your audience and been done with it. You could have mentioned that two days ago before we started filming all of this. Well, we've started now, so we may as well finish everything, right? But what would we even talk about? Well, we could talk about how to put the principles of persuasion into action. We could mention the research process, all the parts of the research process, talk about the kind
of formulas they should be ignoring and paying attention to, how to write copy, how to edit copy, how to review the copy at the end, how they can get clients or find work generally, what they should do. Okay. Okay. Okay. We'll do all that, but let's get started with the research process and actually help people find out how to write copy. All right. All right. Let's get started. [Music] [Music] I have no idea how to start writing copy. I want to practice when I get clients, but I just keep pressing the space bar. I'm such
a disappointment. How does Alex do it? Oh, you haven't heard? Alex does something he calls the sticky research process. He does it before he writes anything. Sticky research sounds kind of gross. Writing is hard. There are like 20,000 words to choose from. I wouldn't blame you for looking at what proc copyriters can produce and feeling overwhelmed. How the heck can they write so much of such high quality when you're not even sure where to begin? I'll let you in on a secret. The ability of top copyriters has very little to do with talent. In fact,
they're more like children with a new Lego set. First of all, they make sure they have all the pieces. Then they build something. But because you never get to see the first step of that process, you assume the awesome Lego castle they build just comes from imagination alone. The only difference between you and the best copywriters is that right now you've not been given the instructions that tell you what Lego bricks you need. But luckily for you, today I'm your daddy and it's your birthday. Time to buy you a brand new Lego set. But instead
of a Lego set, it's actually a complete overview of our special sticky research process that you can use again and again to kick off any copywriting project without worrying about a blank screen. That's way better than Lego mostly. But the fact remains, the best copy doesn't come from random imagination. It comes from a process. And in this section, we'll cover the principles of research that allow you to prepare for writing the most persuasive copy possible. You won't have to worry about typing randomly on a blank page. Instead, our sticky research process gives you the starting
place for every piece of copy you have to write. Plus, we're giving you access to our sticky research cheat sheets, which you can use as a useful reminder for what you have to do at the start of any copywriting project. To grab your copies, just click the top link in the description below to access the entire courses free companion guide. Are you excited? Good. Because by the end of this section, you won't be in any doubt anymore about how the top copywriters find the pieces that allow them to build the Lego castles of copy. You
already know that the true gold mine for copywriters lies in the target reader's mind. So, it makes sense that your job as a copyriter is to connect whatever you're selling to the emotional core of your reader's brain that we talked about in the last section. When it comes down to it, that's all you need to worry about. the brain of your reader, the thing you're selling, and how to connect the two. So before you write a single word, you need to make sure you have the pieces you need to make clean connections between these two
sides. For your reader, you need to uncover their desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics. This will show you what you can appeal to in the emotional core of their brain. And for the thing you are selling, you need to understand what it is, what it does, what it's made of. If before you start writing, you break your job into these two missions, you will never suffer from blank page syndrome ever again. But there is one last secret weapon you need to know about before we tell you how to start finding the pieces. It is great to
know all about your target reader's emotional core and the thing you're selling, but without a clear guide on how to present that information and to present only the necessary information, you will end up writing absolutely terribly. So, before we show you how to find all the information you might need to write copy, you first need to learn how you can translate your research into a focused outline that will guide what you actually write. The number one rule is the rule of one. For every piece of copy you write, there are four things you need to
be crystal clear on before you put any words on a page. Your reader, your idea, your offer, your action. Every piece of copy needs one of each of these. In other words, you need to know the one target reader you are writing the copy for, the one idea that will most appeal to that target reader, the one offer you are presenting to them, and the one action you are driving them towards. If you try writing any piece of copy without establishing these four points, you are going to write unnecessary words and risk overwhelming or worse,
boring your reader. This is the concept of Rioa and it works for a very simple reason. The more focused your copy is, the more powerful your message will be and the more likely that you will connect with the emotional core of your reader. Most copywriters make the mistake of thinking they should just write every possible thing that the reader might be interested in. But actually, it needs to appeal to the thing they care about most to grab their attention and then stay focused on that topic. If you make multiple unrelated points, your messaging will become
completely diluted. Rioa is the first step in keeping the copy we'll write focused on topic and relevant to our reader. To put it simply, a reader is always looking for any reason to click away from your copy. You should never give them one. So, let's get clear on exactly what we mean and more importantly, what is and isn't your job as a copywriter. The first rule of one and the first point in Rioa is the thing that dictates all others. Defining your one reader. Let's say for example, you've been tasked with selling many soccer balls,
footballs. It would make sense to target soccer players, right? You could target players with a clear message about how your soccer balls give them the most control over their shots. But what about coaches or parents of soccer players who might buy a ball for their child? Let's look at how your message may change based on the type of person you want to target. Players may want the ball that gives them the cleanest shots. Coaches might prioritize balls that force players to develop their technical skills. On the other hand, parents may care more about how fancy
the ball looks so their child stands out on their team. Different readers prioritize different things. They have different desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics. So, it's impossible to write the most effective copy if you're trying to appeal to different audiences at the same time. And unfortunately, businesses don't always know who their target reader is. When they do, makes your life much easier. But when they don't, you need to put the work into finding what kind of person will be reading your copy. If you ever find yourself in this position, there are two ways you can get
around this. Firstly, just ask the business you're working with if they have a target reader in mind. Sometimes just asking who they intend the product to be used by is enough to find out who you should be trying to appeal to. But if the business just has no idea, ask them if you can see customer data on the kinds of people who have bought the product before. This way, you can put together a target profile of who the product naturally appeals to and work on making it even more appealing through your copy. You should do
everything you can to get a clear idea of who the target reader is because if you don't, your copy will turn into a generic hot steaming pile of mess without a focus. Remember it like this. If you're trying to appeal to everybody, you will persuade nobody. Sometimes the companies or agencies you write for will give you a document with the information and research they expect to use. This is called a brief. But for most copywriters, especially freelancers, you are on your own. Making sure you know who your reader is and thoroughly researching them is on
you as the copywriter. And you should use our very simple one reader profile to get clear on who they are and to help you keep them in mind as you write. You can get a copy by signing up to the free companion guide in the description below. You'll also get finished examples of the one reader profile so you can see how yours should look. You should fill this in as accurately as you can when you know who your one reader is. Not every answer needs to be so specific, though. You can give ranges or general
thoughts if you're not quite sure on a particular element, but the more specific you can be, the better. And this is something you can find from the research we will cover in a little while. Remember, having a clear idea of who you're writing for makes your next steps way easier to complete. Now that we know who the heck we want to talk to in our copy, we can note down the one idea that is going to appeal to them. Remember, the idea you use should be the single most powerful point you can make to connect
with your reader and what they want. There are several ways to formulate your one idea. So, when we show you the research process itself, you will see how what you discover can transform into something relevant, focused, and effective. We will get into how to come up with amazing, compelling, super, super awesome ideas later on in this video, but for now, realize that an idea is essentially an argument for why your one reader should take action. For example, this shampoo makes your hair look thicker because the caffeine in it cleanses your roots. And this is your
most important job as a copywriter. Recognizing who you need to appeal to and crafting something that will tell them exactly what they need to hear to pay attention and take action. Now we move on to the two parts of Rioa that copyriters typically emphasis on typically aren't responsible for coming up with the one offer and the one action. You can certainly make both of these things more persuasive for your reader through the copy that you write, which we'll cover in the next section on actually planning and writing copy, but ultimately the business you're working with
will usually have a fixed offer for you to sell and a fixed action that you want readers to take. You need to know what they are, but as a copyriter, you don't need to worry about putting them together yourself. Copy that does have dedicated materials to crafting marketing strategy which covers how to come up with amazing offers and clear coherent actions from scratch. But if you just want to pursue copywriting, then these things are not essential for you to know right now. You just need to know what they are so that you can properly write
your copy. Your one offer is what fulfills on your one idea. It's the vehicle that allows your reader to experience the benefits you've directly or indirectly promised in your copy. Now, the word offer does have a specific legal definition. It's a transaction or exchange one person gives in exchange for whatever has been offered. But not all copy is purely transactional. Social media copyrights, for example, may not be driving to a purchase, but they are trying to drive an action like engagement. and the businesses they write for obviously want readers to think about a certain thing
or feel a certain way in exchange for engaging with that copy. So for a lot of copy outside the realm of pure direct response it may be easier to think of your one offer as the one objective of your copy instead. In simple terms when we say offer within the context of Rioa we just mean the thing that you are providing to your reader in exchange for them taking the action that you're driving towards. That could be something as simple as a coupon code they get for signing up to an email list, or as complex
as a big 15-part program complete with money back guarantees and free bonuses. And as you'll see later in the course, it's important to lay your offer out clearly and make it as attractive and as easy as possible for your reader to take you up on. Finally, closely related to your one offer is your one action. This is by far the easiest component to understand, the action you want your reader to take. This could be anything from completing a checkout to clicking learn more on an ad to taking a short quiz and anything in between. The
best funnels only present readers with one action at a time, so there's no confusion on the next step they need to take. But there may be exceptions to this rule with some of the copy you write. Homepage copy and welcome emails are perfect examples of this, where there will be naturally multiple actions that a reader could take next. However, the fact remains the most effective copy will be the copy that only focuses on driving the reader towards one action. And thankfully, most copy you write will fall into this category. Make sure you have the one
action noted down in your REOA so you never lose sight of what you're actually trying to achieve. Okay, so how do you conduct the sticky research process yourself? You may recall the three questions that Eugene Schwarz believed any copyriter had to answer before writing. One, what is the mass desire that creates this market? Two, how much do these people know today about the way your product satisfies this desire? And three, how many other products have been presented to them before yours? As luck would have it, there are three kinds of research that will help you
answer these very questions. Wait a minute. Before we show you how to conduct research for yourself, I want to answer a great question we get all the time. How will I know when I'm done researching and ready to write copy? And like all great questions, the answer is it depends. Okay, bye-bye. Wait a minute. That's not a good enough answer. Give him the real answer. This It's my whole thing. All right, fine. A real answer. Um, depends on what? Well, unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule to know when you've done enough research. Look, we
just can't tell you exactly the number of hours you need to spend in the research phase, but here are a couple of useful things to keep in mind, and they're going to help you decide when you have all the information that you need. Firstly, the size of the project and the deliverables that you've agreed to. If you're being paid $5 for a single email, you shouldn't be doing hours of research. Okay, leave that alone. I'd argue that for something small, you should hardly be doing any research. On the other hand, if you're being paid $20,000
to build a whole campaign from top to bottom, or if you've just started a role as a main copywriter for an entire business, you could easily justify doing a ton of research. But how do you know when you're done? Well, the second thing you should consider is when you feel like you have all the information that you need. The only true answer is the right amount of research is the amount that allows you to write persuasively about your product. For me, that is usually when I'm done finding information and I can't see any more. There's
no new information that comes at me. That tends to work. At the very least, though, we suggest researching until you can comfortably answer Eugene Schwarz's three questions. For example, you certainly won't be done researching until you've established your one reader desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics as they relate to your product, and what will appeal to them. With that said, don't stress over it. Do as much research as you feel is right. Worst case scenario, you can go back and do a little bit more to fill in the gaps. Now, you can imagine the three questions
in whatever order feels best for you. However, we suggest starting with the second one. How much do these people know today about the way your product satisfies this desire? In other words, do you know what elements of your product will best appeal to your reader? By considering all the possible elements of your product that may appeal to your reader first, researching your target reader themselves will be even easier later down the line. This is because you'll know immediately if your product is even capable of appealing to the things you learn about them. And that is
why we suggest starting with the first type of research, product research. Almost every client you work for will sell something. It could be a football or a personal training service or even something more abstract like anformational newsletter. People may want to buy for a variety of reasons. So, it's important to know what those reasons might be. The basic way to establish these reasons is actually simple. Every product has facts and features, things that are objectively true. The material a soccer ball is made from, how long someone has been a personal trainer for, the frequency that
a newsletter gets published. These are the true characteristics of different products, which may or may not appeal to the emotional core of a reader. We won't know for sure until we've done our research, but you'll probably find it easier to identify relevant information about your reader if you start by listing out all the facts and features of the product you're working with. To do this, simply take down your product and write down individual statements about what it can do and what it's made from. We'll get to some more examples in a moment, but you can
also see a completed list of what facts and features look like in the companion guide. Next, we're going to do something that's basically the bread and butter of a copyriter skill set. Turn those facts and features into benefits. In fact, to explain exactly what all this means and why it's so important, here's an excerpt from a much longer master class that Sean created about the power of the feature to benefit exercise, including a way to go beyond. Video editor Noah here. What's up, guys? I hope you're really enjoying the video. I decided that instead of
just doing an excerpt of this master class, I really like you guys. So, I'm going to give you the whole thing. I hope you enjoy. Today, we are doing a special master class on going beyond features and benefits. I just want to say that uh if you are joining, hello. Uh I'm very happy to have you and I'm very much looking forward to talking with you all today. I hope that this is helpful. This particular master class was selected by you and once a month or every two weeks I'm going to try to put up
for a vote what master class you guys want to see and then I'm going to basically go along with whatever you want to see. And if you want a say in which free master classes we make for the channel, all you have to do is join our free Discord link in the description below and sign up and participate. It it really is that simple. Here's how this is going to go. We are eventually going to be talking about what lies beyond features and benefits. Every single copywriter worth their salt knows that they need to be
able to articulate and write about the features of a product and the benefits of a product. But we want to go a little bit deeper than that. We want to get into like the real nitty-gritty of like what it is that spurs people to buy, what it is that really entices them and allures them. The subconscious promise there is how to tap into your prospect's deepest desires. from square zero. I am going to sit down with the spreadsheet and we are together going to actually do a little bit of features and benefits research. I don't
know what product it's going to be about. You guys are going to choose and then we're going to go and we are actually going to sit down and take some notes on what features and benefits are and how we can go a little bit deeper than both of those. But before we get into all that, we need to actually discuss some theory like why this even matters, what features and benefits even are, why they appeal to people. Basically, we need to understand a little bit the psychology of desire or why people buy [ __ ]
Here's the biggest myth about copyrightiting. You probably think or at least have thought that your job is to sell products or to cultivate engagement. That is such a myth. And what I want you to do right now is look at this list. These are the reasons why people buy or engage with things. These are all the reasons. If you want to sell them a thing, you argue why they're going to get these results. I want to ask you what's not on that list. Buying things to buy things. If you as a copywriter believe that your
job is to sell products, that's not on the list. So your job in truth is to sell people ideas, not products because people buy ideas and not products. And usually, not always, that idea that people have is a desired self. What you're trying to sell people is a desired self. Not, for example, a ballpoint pen that, you know, is laden with, you know, mother of pearl and gold and silver, but rather the type of person who has a pen that that's valuable. You know, a person who drives a Lexus. You know, there's a desired self
there, a yearning to be the type of person who drives a luxury car. So, if you show people that desired self, and then give them a pathway to get there, they are going to adore you. And that's true whether you are writing car commercials, it's true whether you are writing Facebook ad copy, it's true regardless of the kind of copy you write. You are trying to paint a picture of a desired self and then show the pathway to get there. Usually, that pathway involves buying the product. All that said, here's the upshot. The bulk of
your work as a copywriter is understanding who your ideal buyers are, who their desired self is, what ideas and appeals will entice them the most, and what pathway you can provide to get them to what they want, not actually writing the copy itself. You often see, hey, copywriting is 80% research, 20% writing. This is what I'm actually talking about. It's understanding those desires, those notions, those identifications, and one other thing I'll mention a little later, and finding out how to structure your words in a way that appeal directly to the people with those desires, notions,
and identifications about the world. All of this is sort of dancing around something that we go over in the 5-hour course, the fundamentals of writing to sell. Alex did a very wonderful two hours in that 5-hour course just on research like finding out like what people desire what people's notions are etc etc. This particular master class is not going to be about that the actual practice we will go over that a little bit at the end but this is going to be more about the psychology of desire and the articulation of words and benefits in
such a way as to be appealing to different audiences. And so if you want a good foundation of all this stuff and also some practical methods of actually doing this stuff, go watch that 5-hour video, take a lot of notes, especially on the research process. I I threw a testimonial in there because it has a lot of good testimonials. It comes highly recommended by four out of five members of Copy that. So that's what I want you to do. If if you want like actual like, okay, how do I do this kind of research? How
do I find people's desires for example? Go watch this video. But in the meantime, let's go a little bit deeper and back up. What are desires? These are things that people yearn for or yearn to be rid of. This is what you want. Like in the squiggly bits of your balls, this is what you kind of crave. Your notions are your beliefs about the world. These are the things that you sort of like have in your head as being sort of true. Like you just kind of know that they're true. Identifications are what people align
with and associate with. Like for example, if you are selling to southern conservative Americans, you probably want to lean into the fact that they identify as patriotic American. Now, the fourth thing that can help inform your copy a little bit are their actual physical characteristics. Now, this is sort of tied to their identifications, but like a lot of people have characteristics that they choose or delude themselves into not identifying with, and these are just like what they're physically or mentally like. So like for example, there is a proliferation of people out there who are very
obese and who do not see themselves as as obese. And so if you were trying to appeal to them as having a cure for their obesity, they're not going to respond to your ads because that's a characteristic and not an identification. These things you have to kind of think about. A lot of this stuff is invisible to people. A lot of people desire things and do not know why they desire them. You know, a lot of people believe things about the world, but don't they they consider them to just be universally true and not an
actual belief. One thing you got to understand as you're doing research about this stuff is that they're not going to talk about it. They're not going to question this stuff. You know, they want money because they want money. When in reality, you know, if you sort of dig a little bit and ask them enough questions that don't turn them off, but actually get a little bit revvely, what they actually want is freedom. You know, they want to spend more time with their kids. They, you know, they want, you know, more relaxation. They want more leisure.
uh they want the respect of their friends, uh the envy of their enemies, things like that. Money is just a bridge to all those things. But they don't know that, you know, not foregrounded brain know that. And so your job as a copywriter and a marketer is to detect, discover, and infer that information from surveys, research out there, conversations you have with people. Nobody is going to give you this information. You have to find it or kind of piece it together yourself. That's your job. No client is ever going to give you a brief that
tells you what people believe who have bought their products before. If you do, that's a cushy job and you should do your best to like make sure to keep it. Now, we have to kind of go over why this is important. You can't know what features and benefits in a product or service will appeal to people until you understand whom you're writing to and what they actually want. I'm going to give you a specific example of this. There are two audiences out there that a single product was marketed to that I I think is really
exemplary of like how to connect, you know, different features and benefits to different desires. There are two demographics, MMA fighters, video gamers. One of them desires a strong neck. The other desires less pain and better posture. One has beliefs about the world that a strong neck will help them avoid concussions. The other has the notion that their habits are harming their body and they need to do corrective things to fix it. There are not a whole lot of products that would appeal to both of these demographics, but there is one that is actively being marketed
right now and sold very well right now to both of these demos. The Iron Neck, the best product of all time. It is literally a halo that you put around your neck and allows you to spin and it provides resistance three in 360 degrees around your neck. So, it gets your your, you know, sternocladamastoid, your levators, your scalines, your erector spina. It allows you to exercise the whole circumference of your neck. That is indeed Joe Rogan. Yes. If you were trying to sell an iron neck to an MMA fighter, well, you would probably show ads
along the lines of social proof and, you know, make sort of like engagement pieces that talk about injury prevention and exercise. Obviously, these things would appeal more to somebody who's more on the athlete side than another. That is going to be one way to appeal to those people. Both of these have implied benefits. Training neck is the most important exercise for injury prevention. The implied benefit being, oh, I just need the pathway, the thing that helps me train my neck in order to prevent injury. Do you understand what I'm saying about providing people with a
pathway to a desired self, a self without pain? How do you sell an iron neck to a gamer, though? Well, you have a SEO piece. How to get rid of tech neck. this Facebook ad right here that was all about alleviating pain and looking better. You can reach out to social media influencers and like provide copy for them and talk about how this weird flying head saucer can actually help you with gaming neck pain. You're appealing to the specific desires of the demographic. It's the same product, but you're able to sell to different demographics by
appealing to different desires, notions, and identifications that they have about the world. And so everything that I'm talking about is sort of dancing around a concept that you've probably heard about before but probably don't know anything about which is called position. All positioning is is what details and what characteristics of something that you want to foreground and use to get the attention of your potential customers and what you want to reveal along the way to entice them to buy. If you were trying to talk to the video gamers, you probably don't want to open up
with a discussion from a very burly MMA fighter who's talking about how well now when he gets smacked in the face, he could take it a little bit better. That's not going to appeal to a video gamer. You have to sort of position the details and the outcomes of this particular product a little bit differently. Obviously, one of the things that you can show is a demonstration, somebody like sitting at their desk kind of like this and then showing an after picture of them like this. And obviously, you want to change the lighting a little
bit so that one looks a little bit more ugly and the other looks a little bit more attractive. And all of a sudden, you have an ad that had details positioned a little bit differently and had details that were, you know, might have been omitted in one ad brought to the four in another. That's the point. Now we are finally at the point where we can talk about features and benefits. Cuz features and benefits and which ones to reveal, how to articulate them, it all comes down first and foremost to understanding what people yearn for
and desire, what people believe about the world, their notions, and how people identify. For example, features. And I'm just going to give you some definitions here so that we're all on the same page. Your features are just characteristics, specifications, yada yada yada. This is a 72in television screen. The 72 in is a feature. You're going to go over and look at technical aspects, physical traits, details about the service. Like for example, do you get 247 customer service when you buy a product or buy a service? If yes, that would count as a feature. Features are
just factual statements about what the product is and what it does. A lot of newbie copywriters really sort of get lost in the sauce on features. like they really they really only just sort of spell out what features are cuz they think that that's their job. But again, I remind you, we are not selling products here. We're selling ideas. Here's the thing. That idea, that desired self, you want to show that a product can actually get people to that desired self. You want to show that they're going to get the outcomes that they yearn for,
that they crave, that they will get to be able to sit on a Lamborghini next to several supermodels as I have. The benefits that you want to actually talk about are the positive outcomes that a customer will experience by using the product or service. You want to focus on the value and the impact of the features that they're going to have on a user's life. I don't have a slide for this, but I want to sort of spell out the difference between direct benefits and implied benefits. When I showed you earlier like what my successes
were from like understanding this stuff and yada yada yada, that was an implied benefit. I was not saying, "Hey, you will get this result. Hey, you will get $10,000 a month if you just do this. Hey, here's how to get a client, you know, in 30 days. Stuff like that. Not going to do that. A direct benefit would be more like buy this product and you will get this benefit. Easy clients, clients that you know are calling you instead of you calling them. Things like that. It's the outcomes that you're basically just telling people that
they're going to get as opposed to showing people stuff and letting people make the conclusion themselves. That would be an implied benefit. Let's just go back to the iron neck. If you look at the ads for the Iron Neck, you can very clearly see that they're spelling out features. But I want you to pay attention to this because they're not just spelling out, you know, it's, you know, 14 in in diameter. It has like 13 different like resistance measure, yada yada yada. That's not what people want from an iron neck, especially in terms of the
features. So, look at this air fit bladder. All this stuff is made proprietary. So it actually seems more like a system more, you know, interesting than what it actually is. The rear pad forms to the back of the head, uh, back of the user's head for a secure fit. What is the implication of that copy there? What is the subtext? So this pad, because of the air fit bladder, that feature will actually conform to the back of your head. The implication is that there's comfort there. There's implied benefits to these features. Also, it's secure, so
it's not going to fall off. And if it's not going to fall off, that means it's more certain. It's more safe. Look at this air fit bulb pumps air into the rear pad for a custom fit every time. That means that it's probably going to be able to adapt to your enormous misshapen head. That's just a feature of this. Three interchangeable front pads, small, medium, large. Again, more about interchangeability, more about accessibility. The implication of these features is that you're going to be able to adjust it to whatever you need to be. Now, let's talk
about the benefits of the Iron Neck. Look at this. This is just straight from one of their ads. It's great for fixing neck pain, improving posture, increasing mobility, eliminating stiffness. These are all benefits, things that people desire. Obviously, if you were talking to one demographic as opposed to another, you're going to talk about different benefits, different outcomes, because different demographics desire different outcomes. They all yearn for different things. They all want a different pathway there. A video gamer who just wants their pain to stop is going to have a different desired self than an athlete
who wants to win a competition. Your ads need to spell that out. Here's another example. Let's say you have a you're selling an extra long-lasting cell phone battery. If you look at the features of it, you can talk about the small size, you know, like you can actually spell out the dimensions. You can talk about how it has the universal adapter. You can talk about how it lasts 24 hours. If you're sitting down and you're taking a list of these features, you're looking at the product and you're listing out the features. What I want you
to do as a copywriter is start building a bridge. look at the small size of something and go, "Okay, well, what's the benefit of that?" Well, the benefit of that is is probably pretty convenient, probably easy to carry. If you look at the feature of a universal adapter, you go, "Okay, well, what's the benefit of that?" Well, it allows you freedom. It allows you to work from any phone you have. It allows you to work anywhere in the world. Great. Last 24 hours, there's the benefit. No need to carry a charger. All I did here
was go feature by feature and think to myself, well, what is the outcome a person would want from this? How does this benefit the user? Now, if I were to write ad copy for it, would I have to include all these details? No. I would try to pay attention to the desires, notions, and identifications that people have, and then I would foreground whatever I thought was going to be most appealing or enticing to people. So, like for example, if I were talking about somebody who just needs an extra long-lasting charger because they're going to work
in an office, probably worth mentioning the convenience aspect more than the fact that you can work from anywhere in the world. You see what I'm getting at? What features could you offer for an online course? The number of modules that it has, the length of the videos, the number of worksheets, how many instructors there are, what people are actually going to learn from them, is it downloadable? So you would go you would write down in your little feature column downloadable videos and the benefit of that is that you can watch this stuff offline. That's how
you play this game. Let's go a little bit deeper because this is all sell me this pen [ __ ] This is all stuff that if you have watched the Wolf of Wall Street or any introductory course on YouTube about copywriting, you understand probably pretty intuitively what features and benefits are and how to come up with them. If you don't, then welcome to the fold. I'm sorry for cursing so much. There are actually four levels to this. I don't think I've ever actually seen another copywriting guru really talk about this because I learned this from
Mark Ford who got this from several other copywriters. And I don't think that anybody's ever actually published something recently about this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a Shaunie Max special. Really what we're talking about when we're talking about all these different levels is features, advantages, benefits, and deeper benefits. This is where things get a little bit deeper. You know, you could you can have a solid career. You can make money just understanding features and benefits. You want to make real money. It probably is worth knowing what I'm talking about here. A lot
of people pick up on this stuff kind of intuitively without having given it a name. So, what are features? It just describes what a product is or does. There you go. Advantages describe what a product does better than other products. And this can help you sort of tap into people's identifications or notions. Like for example, if you are selling a product that is made for women, you can talk about well, if somebody identifies as a woman, you can talk about how this product is going to be better for them as a result. Benefits are simply
a product's ability to give people what they desire. Deeper benefits are where we get into a little bit murkier territory. People often do not know what they truly desire. A person who is an MMA fighter who wants a stronger neck so they don't get a concussion probably wants that stronger neck probably doesn't want to get a concussion because they want to win a fight. Why? Well, because they have this insatiable urge to compete. Why? Well, because they probably always felt weak when they were a child and, you know, had a very overbearing father who probably
was a little abusive and they never want to feel weak again. Oh [ __ ] Did we just do a psychology? That's what we're getting at when we're talking about deeper benefits. We're really trying to get at the heart of like understanding why people want a thing, why people want an outcome. The whole point of deeper benefits is to connect a product to what's truly behind a person's desire. This often has to do with their notions of identifications, but not always. So, I want to actually talk about a few different examples, but very simply, the
reason why you want to learn this stuff and why you want to start thinking about deeper benefits is that it makes your copy more understandable, more interesting, more impactful, and more compelling. This is actually something that David Deutsch taught me. It allows you to truly paint a picture of a desired self. This is what's going to take your copy from good to great. Not every piece of copy needs you to go deep into like the advantages of this product over another product. It doesn't need you to like psychologize and like talk about a person's like
mommy issues in the copy or talk about like how they always wanted to see France because you know they saw Ratatouille as a kid and they just can't shake the notion this magic that they have in their head about Paris. No, like you don't need to spell out the deeper benefits of everything. Sometimes features are enough. Sometimes features and benefits are enough for real. Like for example, PCs. Most of the time when you're selling a personal computer, you often don't really need anything beyond features because everybody wakes up in the morning being like, "Ah, crap.
I need a better PC." So, you tell people the features that show people this PC that I'm selling is better than what you have. and then people buy and it's really easy. Most ecom copy is like this. That's why most ecom copy is bad and it gives a huge opportunity for you to come in with just like oh a few advantages, a few benefits sprinkled in here with the features and bingo bango all of a sudden you have winning copy. But here's the thing a lot of ecom products like for example um oh god I
don't know uh novelty pet scratchers you know what's the deeper benefit there you know the benefit is going to be that you know like hey your dog will get a very good scratch. What's the deeper benefit? Oh, well, you're going to, you know, treat your dog better than you were treated when you were a child. Oh, oh my god, we're psychologizing again. You don't need to spell all that out in the copy to make a sale. And part of mastering this is understanding like, okay, when do I need to go deeper? The answer to that
usually is dependent upon whether you are trying to sell against alternatives that mainly rely on features and benefits and you want to try to sell a different angle or position things a little bit differently. Another reason why you would want to go deeper is because you're trying to sell an idea that's a little less in demand. How do I mean by that? Like for example, if you're trying to sell a financial newsletter. Here's the feature. It has 24 pages and it's written with ink. It has a section about stock investing and a section about real
estate investing. Who cares? Like nobody cares about a financial newsletter. Okay. What are the advantages? It has a better track record than others. Okay. Now we're talking. Now we're talking about something that can actually sell. What is the benefit? It's proven that people who follow this particular newsletter have gotten richer. Oh my god. Well, now we're talking not talking about a desire for a financial newsletter. Now we're talking about a different desire, a different yearing to get richer. But why do people want to get richer? Now we start psychologizing again. We start asking why. Well,
if I have more money, I'll be able to buy more stuff. Why do you want more stuff? Well, there's a big gaping hole left in my heart as a result of being raised poor. Oh [ __ ] Now we're on to something. That's that's what we're doing here. We're trying to think about like how we can bring like from surface level details down into the deep deep yearnings that people have. If you want to set something apart, coaching services are a dime a dozen anyway. So that could be useful or when there's like not a
whole lot of nent demand there. So coaching and high ticket services definitely that definitely applies. What would be the features of a coaching service? Okay, once a week you get a call on Zoom. It will be exactly 67 minutes long. What are the advantages? Well, 67 minutes long is longer than other coaches who sell 60-minute coaching sessions. Okay, kind of weak, but that is an advantage, I guess. Benefits. Well, the benefit to this particular coach, if you can prove it, is that learning these particular tips, tricks, tools, etc. that this coach has, you will be
able to have more guidance towards a particular goal. Say it's um you know healing from a past trauma. Well, why do you want to heal from a past trauma? Oh, well, it's because my inability to connect with other people has been a detriment to my work and relationships and I would like to have an advantage in life or at least be a little bit better off than other people who can't recover from those traumas. Hey, that's a deeper benefit. There you go. And so ultimately what you're trying to get at is with benefits and deeper
benefits is the outcome but also the outcome that they truly want but their forebrain has not articulated yet. Again that's what takes copy from good to great. Now I want to give a an example and I love this example from Dan Kennedy. He was talking about what research do you need to do and almost all the research that you need to do is more about the prospect and the market than about the actual product itself. And he said, "If you could get away with it, you wouldn't even ask the client for any details about the
product." You do that to make the client feel better, but it's not actually super useful to you because what's useful to you is finding out people's desires, notions, and identifications about the world. Here's a very specific example that he got from a hearing aid company that he was trying to sell. Now, the company gave him all the technical specifications, talked about the, you know, the frequency, the size, the fit, the stuff like that. And he was looking at this and he was like,"None of that is what people care about." Again, the features are not why
people buy a hearing aid. People buy a hearing aid for the outcome. So, they need to know the benefit. And so, what what was what was this company originally advertising? Like, what were they selling in their original ads? The ability to take a walk and hear the birds again. Dan Kennedy said, "People don'ting want to hear so they could go bird watching. That's ridiculous. That's silly. Nobody wants that." He started actually interviewing and talking to people who were getting a little older and people that were losing their hearing. And the easy way for him to
do this was to actually just reach out to past customers of this business. And what he discovered was that in reality, people were afraid of losing their hearing because the people that lose their hearing exhibit behaviors that are almost indistinguishable from dementia. People wanted a hearing aid because they felt alienated, isolated. Have you ever been around an old person who just like blurts out random stuff and you're like, "Where did that come from?" Chances are, it's because they misheard what was said before. What he found from talking to people was what they really feared was
getting put into a home. They didn't want to be put into an assisted living facility. They didn't want to be taken away from their friends, their home, their loved ones. They didn't want to be sent away to where we, you know, make old people disappear. God damn, that is a deeper benefit. Here's another thing. When parents have kids, oftentimes grandma is the number one babysitter for a lot of families. But here's the thing. They found statistically that if grandma can't hear, can't take care of the kids. Well, parents are less likely to leave their children
with grandma or grandpa. People in general want to feel trustworthy. They want to feel like they can be relied upon. They want to feel valuable and valued. What happens if all of a sudden you have somebody you love saying, "I don't trust you with my kids." Oh, o owam. Deeper benefit. You can't just come out and say like initially get this hearing aid and you'll be able to like take care of your kids. You have to like smoothly incorporate these details. You have to segue in. You can't just come out with deeper benefits. And in
the next example, I'll show you what I'm talking about. Listen, I don't normally do this, but trigger warning. There's a trigger warning for the next example. But one of the things that Dan Kennedy talked about was that like once you have somebody's attention, then you can use deeper benefits to really, really, really tap into people's yearning. Yearning that people often didn't even realize they had. Guess what? Dan Kennedy did not get that from studying other ads. He did not get it from studying other hearing aids. He did not get it from competitor research. He did
not get it from looking at the product. He got it from talking to people and understanding them. That is what you want to do as a copywriter. When you're selling a product that, you know, you're going to get paid a lot of money for. If you're getting paid 10 bucks for an Upwork CL, like an Upwork gig, then, you know, don't worry about it so much. But like, if you want to go deeper, these are the things that you have to do and the things that you have to actually talk about. I've already given a
trigger warning for this, but I'm going to give a trigger warning. But I also have another example from a pickup artistry sales letter. I'm going to self bleep, but if you are sensitive, if you are a little if you're a little sensitive child, little little a little tender underbelly, maybe come back in like 10 minutes. All right. All right. It's important to illustrate a point that I sort of alluded to just a moment ago. This is an example from pickup artistry copy. The sales letter, I believe it was for an offer called Pandora's Box. I'm
going to read this intro. I'm very sorry. It is extremely misogynistic. I do not like it, but we can learn a lot from misogynists. Hi, I'm Ben and this is my magic magnet. In a few minutes, I'm going to show you how this weird little magnet pulls harums of horny women straight to my D. Oh, and this magic magnet attracts even the hottest woman. I'm pulling perfect tens, usually reserved for the rock stars and celebrities like a tractor beam cranked up to full power. Yet, this still this strange magnet works like gang busters on normal
girls, too. In fact, I could point it at your typical girl next door, and she wouldn't even stand a chance. I simply pointed at her, pointed at my C-word, and her P word slides right on. I used it on my ex-girlfriend, who hated me. Then I effed her. I used it on my best friend, Laura, who was in love with her fiance. I effed her, too. I even use it on some bee who had the nerve to tell me she was out of my league. So I effed her in the A. God, just every organ
in my body is just feeling gross. That's how this opens. That's how that sales letter, that webinar opens. Kind of like how I opened this particular discussion with the whole cred section that is more aligned with viewers of copywriting YouTube videos. This opens with something that a lot of young men desire. The ability to draw harams of horny women. I can't laugh. I can't say it without laugh. It's ridiculous. Look at what happens later on in this particular webinar. This is from somebody else who quote unquote used the system. Let me just tell you, I've
never known that a feel a woman's feelings can change so fast when you know what buttons to push. She started talking about marriage and how we're meant to be together and must have been together in a past life. I've never experienced anything like this. My whole life has become surreal. No joke. I even pinched myself to see if I would wake up. In fact, because it is so difficult for me to accept, she constantly reassures me by telling me how much she loves me, can't live without me, and would never leave me. So, long story
short, we're getting married next year and you're invited. Look at the difference in tone. This is the same sales letter. Same sales letter, but look at the difference in tone there. You have to open with this to get all the, you know, insecure, immature men who think that they want just casual sexual encounters to be desired by her of horny women. But you go deeper into that sales letter and what you realize from all the examples and what the real promise, what the real benefit of this particular pickup artistry product is is to teach people
how to love and to be loved. To teach people how to find relationships they can feel secure in. oftent times pickup artistry sales letters appeal best to people who either have had a lot of difficulty with women or who have gone through really bad breakups. And what you find with those particular demographics is that they're deeply deeply insecure and also really really afraid to be vulnerable. These people have a natural distrust of the opposite sex because they feel that they've been spurned from so for so long. But look at the implied benefit there. In fact,
you know, she constantly reassures me by telling me how much she loves me and that she can't live without me and would never leave me. Nobody [ __ ] says that if they're not afraid of being left alone. pickup artistry sales copy leans very heavily into people's deep insecurities about being unlovable. You have to understand that like you often can't just open up and you know really get right at the heart of like people's deepest vulnerabilities. Often times you have to talk about those surface level superficial benefits first before you can get into deeper benefits.
Those are things that you kind of want to keep in mind. And this is applicable whether you're writing pickup artistry copy or not. I would personally prefer you don't write pickup artistry copy, but you do you. Now, I want to give you one final example. This is an example from my own copy. This is from a financial sales letter. The uh whole idea behind it was that um they had finally found a cure for cickle cell anemia and other like genetic diseases were on the way. And I found a poster presentation that was not supposed
to be released yet, but had accidentally been posted to a site that basically showed the preliminary data for a crisper therapy that rewired and remapped somebody's genes so that they didn't have cickle cell anemia anymore. So the whole premise was around like how debilitating genetic diseases were suddenly like these incurable things were now suddenly being cured. And then I attached that idea to like well when biotech companies actually do successfully cure things they it leads to big gains and I showed specific examples of stocks that had gone to the moon in a while uh things
that had like produced a lot of you know income for people. So that was the previous section the actual examples of stocks that had gone up as a result of crazy biotech breakthroughs. Now I'm going to read you my own copy. This is this is for real something I wrote for one of my sales letters. And today you can see how to be an early investor. By the way, I have to when you write financial copy, you have to write things like today you can see how to be an early investor. You can't write today
you can become an early investor because you're selling the information, the research, and not the actual stock. And you have to word things in a way that clearly spells out that difference. All right. Imagine if you were an early investor in Regeneron, Biogen, or Amgen. How do you think you'd feel today? What do you think it's like to live every single day of your life without having to ever worry about money? A life without the weight or worry of financial pressure? A life without ever having to say to yourself, "No, I can't afford that." Every
morning, your coffee tastes a little bit better because you're a multi-millionaire. Every afternoon, your hobbies feel a little bit more fulfilling because you're a multi-millionaire. Every evening, you find it easier to fall into a restful, deep sleep because you are a multi-millionaire. And best of all, one day you might meet a nice young man who tells you a story that he was born with a horrible disease and it was completely cured by the company making the announcement on Monday. The company I'm teasing and alluding to in this promotion. You'd be able to smile knowing that
you played a small role in making the world a better, healthier place. I just showed you that this life is not a pipe dream. It's entirely possible. This is simply what happens when folks make millions by investing in companies announcing real medical breakthroughs. I am going to pat myself on the back. That copy is pretty good. It's it's a hair better than good. So, what what do we have here? We have different benefits of being a multi-millionaire. And like I'm having fun with it. I'm going a little crazy. Then I go deeper and I talk
about what we're really talking about here. We're not talking about you making money. We're also talking about you helping the world become a better place. We're talking about you having an impact on individual people's lives because of the investment decisions that you're making. That is the power of a deeper benefit. Because here's the thing that you have to understand about financial newsletter buyers and people who respond to financial offers. Yes, you can make a lot of money by appealing to greed. For example, I showed you the pickup artistry copy. There's plenty of copy out there
in the world for pickup artists that only focuses on what's up here, the outcome that I'm not going to say because I'm worried about getting this demonetized. For financial buyers, it's very similar. You can sell a financial product by promising people a lot of money. Here's the thing that a lot of people don't realize about themselves or about financial buyers, which is very simply that there's a lot of guilt around making a lot of money. A lot of guilt. People who make money feel like they are selfish and nobody wants to feel selfish. Even selfish
people don't want to feel selfish. What I did with that in my mind was connect those benefits to the deeper benefit. Savo Xek the philosopher talks a little bit about this when he talks about Starbucks coffee which is hey yes Starbucks it's a little bit more expensive but we get our coffee from local farmers. part of the extra cost of Starbucks then you go in your mind again these are the the implicit deeper benefits of Starbucks. Uh these are the desires and notions that you have about the world. The little extra money that you spend
on Starbucks well that helps you allay your concerns about consumerism about exploiting other people. Starbucks helps you overcome those objections that you have. Just as my copy here is helping people overcome that objection that they have. Well, if I what if I'm just making a lot of money, but I'm not helping the actual world. People actually do feel that in their heart of hearts. And so, that's why I wrote that. So, these are things that you want to think about when you're going from benefits to deeper benefits. So, I want to give you just a
a few simple tools to help you go a little bit deeper. First and foremost, if you're looking at features and you want to spell out features, you want to know what features to include, you want to ask yourself what about the product and you want to ask yourself what matters. Personal computers. Again, it might make sense for you in an ad to talk about the capability of a processor, the actual CPU. How many gigahertz does it have? How many threads does it have? You know, what type is it? That all that stuff is what matters
to people. Here's a feature that probably doesn't matter to people. The ability to activate and enable vectorization compiling in your CPU. That's a feature none of you know what the that means. a very very very tiny demographic of people actually care about vectorization compiling. So you probably don't want to mention that in your copy. Like for example, if there's a specific spring type in a pen, unless there's a specific benefit to that, it doesn't matter. Now, there are occasions where a weird feature can actually help a piece of copy stand out. There's a famous ad,
what was it? Oh, wheat fired from guns. And it was like the the the popped grain uh wheat puffs. And the whole thing mentioned that it was like wheat fired from cannons of peace. And all the copywriter did was like look at how this thing was being made. And all puffed wheat was being made the same way. But he was the only copywriter to actually mention that feature all about positioning. Like what do you show first? Like gun wheat fired from guns of peace. What the [ __ ] That's the kind of reaction you want
to get from like a lead or from a headline. It's toasted is another example of tobacco and how that was sold. Advantages. You want to ask yourself what's different. So, for example, if one company is selling a 70inch monitor and you're selling a 72-inch monitor, might be worth mentioning. Other brands are missing some inches. But one of the things I like about advantages, and I really didn't talk about advantages very much because like most of you kind of understand intuitively what advantages are, but you can have advantages that are features and you can have advantages
that are benefits. I'll give you a specific example. If something helps cure your foot warts, that's a benefit. And if you want to know like why a person would want to cure their foot warts, oh, it allows them to go walking with their grandchildren again. Oh, that's a deeper benefit. What would be an advantage? It cures your foot warts faster than other brands. It has a higher likelihood of success than other brands. Those are both advantages in terms of benefits. What would be an advantage in terms of features for this footwart cream? Well, the tube
is bigger, so you get more for your money. That's what you're looking at there. You're looking at what is different and how you can spin that into something that has either a direct or implied benefit. Benefits, that's what we've been talking about mostly for the past 30 minutes, which is why should somebody care? Nobody is going to buy something if it does not touch on the reasons why people buy. Obviously, there are certainly some freaks out there who buy for the sake of buying, but for the most part, people buy either because they desire something
or they desire to be rid of something. And if you go back earlier into the stream, you'll see a full list of the reasons why people buy. A really, really easy way to spell out benefits in your copy is to just go through that list and articulate some of the features as being capable of delivering the results in that list. Let's say you have a feature and I don't know the it's a master class on how to make friends and influence people. Let's say it's a book, a 200word book, and the the actual book itself,
large print font, so it's easy to read, etc., etc. Those are features. But why do people buy it? Why do people buy How to Win Friends and Influence People to be liked, to make money? Those are the reasons, the benefits that you're trying to get at. And you can just go down this list and just look at different features and be like, okay, how does this feature allow for this outcome? These are all the outcomes that you really need to pay attention to. And if you do that, you're probably going to come up with some
really good benefits. Deeper benefits are a little bit harder that you actually have to think very deeply about people's psychology and like what spurs them to do things. And then deeper benefits, you can get at them by just asking yourself, but what does that really mean or why? The thing that you want to keep in mind is when you're looking at a benefit, often times that outcome, if it's not good enough, can probably be made better by simply asking, "But what does that really mean?" A benefit, this will allow you to be liked, but what
does that really mean? It's going to allow you to say things like uh or you know experience things a little bit more in the world because you'll have more people around you that you can experience those things with. And so the deeper benefit is like having a richer experience of life. But what does that really mean? Like why do you want that? Well, you know, perhaps you're afraid of missing out and getting to the end of your life and feeling like you wasted your life. But what does that really mean? Well, it probably comes from
like, you know, watching your father like drink himself to death because he was an alcoholic and he was addicted to Percoet and so he ended up dying before he ever got the one thing that he always said he truly wanted, which was to get to meet his grandchildren. O ow. When you start writing things like as you're doing these exercises and you're coming up with stuff that makes you go like, "Oh, god damn." That's when you know you're on to something. Now, here's the thing. talked about that Pway copy again. I do secretly love that
copy because I think it really illustrates what I was trying to say earlier, which is that you two things. One, the thing that really really sells a product is how it taps into those deeper desires. And the other thing it does really well is it really smoothly like without any friction segways into those deeper desires by attracting people initially with what they think they want. How do we know we are going in the right direction with this? As you do this more, you'll see what I was talking about earlier, which is very simply that not
every product needs all four. Not every product needs features, advantages, benefits, or deeper benefits. They just don't. Butt scratchers, for example. Does it scratch your butt? That's what people want. Now, there might be identifications that people have. Like, for example, if you find that most people who buy butt scratchers are also environmentalists, you might mention that it was like, oh, made from purely recyclable bamboo. Okay, that's a feature that's worth mentioning because you understand whom you're speaking to. And once you sort of start to piece together all these things and start to build a little
like a few constellations of like, okay, these are the types of people that buy. These are the different desired selves that they have. These are the different pathways that they want to take to get there. And like these are the sort of like you know benefits, advantages, features, deeper benefits that would allure and entice them pretty well because they themselves are sort of revealing that to you. You start to develop an intuitive sense. You Michael Palmer calls it the golden gut like at a certain point you just have to try so many different things and
write so many different things and encounter so many different ads that you just develop that intuitive sense. And I'm sure you experience like as I was going through and asking myself, you know, about these deeper benefits and trying to get there, we arrived at some really really like deep yearnings and deep powerful emotions that people have simply by interrogating ourselves. As long as you're doing that, as long as you're trying to go a little bit deeper, trying to look at things through a lens that most people don't think, I often describe this as lateral thinking,
like you want to move a little bit to the side of what people normally do. That's when you're going in the right direction. Before we go any further and before I pull out a spreadsheet that's basically blank at this point, what questions do you guys have for me? Not only does it boil down to empathy, but it also boils down to like your ability to be empathetic with people whom you do not feel any empathy for. Because one of the things that you will realize as you progress in your copyrightiting career is that most people,
the vast majority of people, they just do not want what you want. They do not believe what you believe and they do not identify as you identify. And so a lot of what you need to do is really try to understand as best as you can what people are going through, what people have gone through so that you can tap into what they desire and yearn for more. How do you know you're hitting on the best deeper benefit? Is it ever safer to just stick to benefits and hit a wider audience? Yeah, and that's what
I was meaning too, which is to say that not every product needs a deeper benefit. Not every product even needs advantages. You can make a whole career just talking about features and benefits. That's fine. It really comes down to if you think you can articulate somebody's deep yearning. And often times that comes from again doing interpersonal research. Like for example with the hearing aid example that I gave, Dan Kennedy interviewed a lot of people and what he found was some of the common threads fear of being perceived as demented, untrustworthy, etc. It's all about their
perception. And he sort of like pieced it all together and figured out the why. And that's your job. And once you start to see those deeper yearnings being repeated in your market research, in your customer research, that's when you know you're on to something. And that's when it's really important to actually articulate it. Now, it goes back to person personality and psychology, but more generalized for the specific customer group. Absolutely. And I I gave the example of the iron neck earlier because I wanted to show you guys that like when you start analyzing stuff from
this lens. You're going to be tempted to be like, "Oh, this is my only demographic and this is the only way that I can sell to people." No. There are some products that have multiple demographics and each of those demographics have their own desires, their own notions, their own identifications, their own characteristics. And because of those differences in those markets, you will have to find different features to highlight, different benefits to highlight, different advantages to highlight, different deeper benefits to highlight. When can you stop yourself from jumping to conclusions when trying to figure out the
deeper benefits? Feel like our assumptions are about others can often skew the conclusion we make. Go back to what I said earlier about like making sure that what you're coming up with align with some inference you're making about people based on what they give you. Don't just make [ __ ] up about people. And all the examples that I've given so far in this presentation, not a lot of it feels very far-fetched. Some of it did and I said, "Okay, we need to re rein it back in." And that's what you want to do. At
the end of the day, what features to feature, what advantages or benefits to feature, that's an assumption, too. A lot of copy is kind of a choose your own adventure novel, putting stuff out there into the world, seeing if it works, and if it doesn't work, trying something else. At the end of the day, you you ask this question, how can you stop yourself? Oftent times, you can't. Oftentimes, you don't know how. You just have to come up with the best things that you can and test it. I was talking to a uh a copywriter
who has made not generated revenue, but actually made $40 million from writing copy. I drive a a Lamborghini, ironically, and you know, hang out with supermodels like for video shoots and stuff like that because it's funny, because I like making fun of that. He does it sincerely. He actually drives a Lamborghini and he certainly has the money to do it. I was talking to him and I was talking about like what led to his success and he was writing copy and he hooked up with and became the sort of copy chief for a particular, you
know, health wellness, you know, mental coaching app slash platform. How many VSSLs do you think this guy wrote before he had one that actually made him all most of his money? 34. He wrote 34 VSSLs, 34 tests before the Blockbuster. And remember, each VSSL is, you know, the research, the script, the revision, the back and forth with a copy chief or entrepreneur, the editing, the production, 34. And so if you want those extreme results, you have to go or be be willing to go to extremes. So these are things that you want to keep in
mind part of your job as a copywriter. if you really want those outsized results is to get deeper into the features, advantages, benefits, and deeper benefits a little bit better, a little bit more extremely than other people. But at the end of the day, this is all a numbers game. You're going to have more failures than you're going to have successes. Just ask the $40 million copywriter. His name is Peter Kell, by the way. He has a YouTube channel. It's pretty good. Do you ever feel tapping into yearnings of folks you don't naturally feel empathy
for is inauthentic? Does it ever feel disingenuous? Um, it might to you, but what I found is that when you pander to people's yearnings, they'll like you no matter what. You know, I actually I knew a financial copywriter and he was very successful and very rich and very good and he wrote some of the scummiest conservative pandering copy in the world. What he would do is take the money that he made from copyrightiting and then donate it all to Democratic candidates because he was a staunch liberal. He would say things like, "My goal in life
is to take money from conservatives and give it to liberals." He was inauthentic through and through, disingenuous through and through. No moral compunctions or or anything about that. He he just did it. That was what he wanted in life. And you know what? His copy worked really really well. even though he felt zero empathy for the people that he was writing to. This career is a choose your own adventure novel. Do you do your own market research by going through online forums and conversations? Yes. Um I'll I'll look at Reddit. I'll look at things. But
my favorite way to do research is really to just call people in the demographic that I'm speaking to. Like just talk to them. You know, I a lot of surveys, too. I I've written and sent out a lot of surveys and that's a really good way to get at what people desire. And like oftent times when you send out a survey or do an interview with somebody that like is in your demographic, you just do a transcription. And oftent times what I've done is just like copy paste the survey or copy paste the transcription, put
it into the copy and then blammo. I barely edit it and I just give people or show people what they want like the thing that they're saying and it works. It works really really well. How to develop the deep benefit reasons faster. There's no shortcutting this. It's just hard, you know. it it's it's just a difficult thing and I'm never going to say that it's a fast process because the moment you start taking shortcuts is the moment you start messing up really bad. We're going to practice this is something this is a practiceable skill. You
know earlier I mentioned that like how I knew you guys like how I knew the the typical copywriter consumer of YouTube information. One of the notions that I said was that uh copywriting is a knowledgebased skill and it isn't. It's a practice-based skill really. just comes down to like trying to come up with a product, listing out the features, and then trying to come up with different benefits. Sometimes that's off the top of the dome. Sometimes it's through research. When articulating deeper benefits, dimensionalization is going to play a big role, sort of. Here's what I
will do for you. If you are a member of the copy that Patreon and you go to our newsletter tab, we were doing a free newsletter. We did 12 issues of it, but I have a whole 14page report what dimensionalization is, how to do it, how to do it really good. This is this is available to all patrons. Now, here's the thing. Uh dimensionalization, you know, what is dimensionalization? All dimensionalization is is the articulation of a claim and then the recasting of that claim to give it more dimension and more meaning. And that could mean
a lot of different things. You can dimensionalize features into benefits. You can dimensionalize benefits into deeper benefits. You can also dimensionalize features or benefits into advantages. But really all we're talking about when we talk about dimensionalization is basically coming up with like okay so this feature is that it will help you scrub the stuff out of from in between your teeth there. That's the benefit you know let's dimensionalize that. So emotionally imagine how happy you'll feel with like you know nothing bothering your tongue in your mouth. Okay that's one way to do that. You can
go crazy with it. There's a dimension of history that you can add to these particular things which is like okay you know some of the most successful people in history have had you know clean mouths all their teeth etc etc. You know, that's a dimension that you can add as well. You said to stick for candles, one should stick to benefits, but for financial, we need to go deeper. Uh because one is cheap while the other is expensive. No, there are cheap financial newsletters out there. You can buy a candle for 49 bucks and you
can buy a financial newsletter for 49 bucks. The difference between the two is that candles are a thing that people want. There are people who simply enjoy having candles around. There is not a person that I can think of on the planet who, you know, sweaty naked in bed rips the sheets off and goes, "Oh my god, I need a financial newsletter today." So the reason why you need to go deeper with a financial newsletter is because again, the nent desire is not there. People want candles just like Lamborghinis. People just want it because it's
a it's a symbol of prestige and power. What did I just do there? I just got at a deeper benefit or at least started talking about benefits and deeper prestige and power. If that's the benefit, if that's what a Lamborghini confers to you, well, what's the deeper benefit of that? Oh, well, prestige and power, what can you get? Obviously, a a codery of supermodels to film a very silly video that's going to be on DIY wealth at some point in the future. That's what we're getting at here. Like, some products people just want. And if
it's Lamborghinis, you don't need a whole lot of copy convince somebody to buy a Lamborghini unless you're trying to sell against alternatives. Like for example, if you were a salesman and you're writing copy for Lamborghinis, but you know that you're writing to people that like are trying to decide between Lamborghini and Ferrari, then you might want to get into like benefits and deeper benefits. But with a candle, you don't need to talk about how like this candle is going to bring you closer to nature and that you're being closer to nature is going to get
you more in touch with who you really are in this like horrific consumerized world. You don't need to go there. People just want candles. Let's actually do something. And I want to do this like I did last time where I very specifically ask you guys, okay, what's a product? Give me a product. And then we're going to do some cursory research and we're going to begin to try to turn features into benefits, benefits into advantages, and then all that into deeper benefits, engagement rings. Okay. Ooh, a promise rank. Oh, Ryan, nicely done. I like this
because it's unusual. It's sort of niche. Not a lot of people know it. So, promise rings are sort of like engagement rings, but basically for like a bow, like, you know, somebody that not a bow, but like a like somebody that you're going steady with. Dorkiest thing I've ever said. But basically, they're just an outward symbol of commitment or fidelity to another person. They are not necessarily a promise of engagement, though. If you're really rich, you basically buy an engagement ring before the engagement ring. Okay. Product details stone cubic zirconia. Let's actually start gathering some
stuff. So, double heart sparkling ring. Two heart nestled together at different angles to symbolize the love between a mother and child. We found the wrong promise ring, guys. Weed up. No. Uh, we're just going to pretend that this was not said. ring shank is accented with a half row of pave and asymmetrically attached to the two hearts for a more modern look. That's a feature. Here's the thing. The more modern look is the benefit. So, what are the benefits of some of this? What what's the benefit of cubic zirconia? Cheaper. Cubic zirconia. It's not a
diamond. What do we know about diamonds? They're mined often by children and the conditions are horrific. So they're crueltyfree advantages twice as many hearts. Ah, clear sparkle. That means it's eye-catching. It's elegant, stylish. Absolutely. What are some of the advantages of this? You know, so we can look at the feature cubic zirconia. It's cheaper. That that basically counts as, you know, it's a benefit and it's an advantage over others. And now here's the thing in your copy for it to be an advantage. You want to say like what it's an advantage over the benefit that,
you know, this is cheaper than a diamond. It kind of counts as both a benefit and advantage. So, I'd put this in both camps. But if you want to go with advantages, you know, cheaper than other promise rings with diamonds, it depends. So, it it all depends on how you articulate it in the copy. So, for example, if you say that because this is a cubic zirconia and you say that, well, this allows you to have the elegance of a good-looking ring, promise ring without the problems that come along with a diamond. Well, that's a
benefit. Now if you say unlike other you know rings brands does not use um unethically sourced diamonds. Now we're really we're really emphasizing the advantage here. Another benefit that I want to sort of point out here is that if you look at this, you know, look at that design. It's pretty unique. It stands out. Can it be custom made? I don't know. Let's look. You can select the different size and you can also select goldplated. So those are both features. Okay, let's go at with deeper benefits. Let's actually start listing a few of these. Let's
start thinking. Let's put on our our empathy hats and our thinking caps and actually like try to go a little bit deeper into why people want this. If you're selling to men, a promise ring to men, girlfriend won't leave you because of prior commitment, possibly to look richer, to look more wealthy, to increase your confidence. These would all fall under standard benefits. Why does somebody desire to look richer with a ring? Ooh, now we're on to something. A deeper, more meaningful bond with a person you love. Security knowing someone is promised to you to brag.
Okay. Absolutely. Fits a status. It pleases the significant other's family. I like where you're going with that. So, here's the thing. It it really depends. So, it depends on whom you're trying to sell to. A lot of promise rings if you're trying to sell it to a man. You can have like status bragging rights around the size of the stone. You can have security knowing that someone has promised to you, but also there can be benefits for the woman as well. Let's actually look at this and try to come up with some copy. This is
a good question. When a product is meant as a gift, it really should target ideally the gift buyer. But here's the thing. For some products, it often doesn't matter. And what you'll find for a product like jewelry is that women tend to tell I'm sorry I'm being so gender stereotypical, but women tend to tell men what they want and then the men buy it if they're paying attention. Now, that means that the copy that originally sold the ring actually sold it to the woman who didn't buy it. The same goes on the flip side, too,
where it's like a lot of gifts for men. The copy is for the man. the man is just like, I wanted this thing. And then the woman's like, I'm going to get that for that person. If we're going to come up with an angle, if we're going to come up with positioning for this, what do we want to do? Where do we want to start? I think we would probably want to start with eye-catching elegant design. I would probably want to start there, go here second, 220 hearts, and then once you spell out that copy,
then what I would probably do is a little bit after that, talk about the confidence and the bond right there. So, that would be my positioning for this. You could do that in one sentence. You know, the with an eye-catching, elegant design of two intertwining hearts, it shows the deeper, more meaningful bond that you've established with your spouse. Imagine all the comfort and security that you feel with the person who loves you. It's time to make that last forever. Something along those lines. You know, I looked at this list and I said, "Okay, what is
the best way to enter in? The best thing to position in?" you you think about that as a benefit like that's more going to appeal to people like to reassure them that it's a good purchase which means you don't want to start there you want it to be elegant and eye-catching and what's the benefit of that not only does it create the deeper bond you know what a promise ring is for but also inspires more confidence it also confers more status yeah let's do a couple lines of copy for this I really don't want to
but I want to make you guys happy because I love you so really just opening up with some benefits that I think would be appealing with an eye-catching Uh, elegant twin heart design. It's handfinish. Our handfinish double heart sparkling ring does more than verb. The eternal loving bond and commitment you have. So, what did I do here? I looked at some benefits. I led with some benefits and then worked a feature in there. And then I was like, okay, we need to introduce what this actually is. Just have a call out of what the thing
is. Again, it's product description copy. So it doesn't need to be like super buried. Our handfinish double heart sparkling ring. Okay, that's what it is. Does more than symbolize the eternal loving bond and commitment you have. I wo in some deeper benefits, but also said that there's more to it than this, which invites and pulls the reader in more. Oh, there's intrigue here now. Won't we leave with bond commitment? Rewind back to that the magic magnet copy that I read earlier. You don't want to lead with deeper benefits. You wanna you want to segue in.
You want to have this be the like a a flower that blooms. Why did I say that? Ridiculous. Ryan, you are on fire today. Capture is a good one. Capture. The eternal loving bond of commitment you have. We need another sentence. So, what does it do more than that? So, let's go back to our list. Let's see what would be the next details that we want. The stylish design. We're going to get real into the weeds really quick. The stylish and comfortable design. If you ever feel like you're doing like this and this and this
and this and this and this too much, use a rhetorical device called ascenditon. What is asindaton? Ascendeton. Ascendaton very simply means omitting a coordinating conjunction. What are your coordinating conjunctions? Fanboys for and nor, but or yet so. Asendon simply means omitting one of these and replacing it with a comma where it would normally go. So you have the stylish comfortable design as opposed to the stylish and comfortable design. It's simply a way to make your copy sound a little bit better without being like this and this and this and this and this but this and
this or this. That's what Asendaton is for. Lends the wearer air of confidence. Secure that and they are secure and loved. Yeah, it's totally fine to put hard twice close together. Secure and loved in a unified bond. Ooh, look at that. But there you go. That's that's two sentences, 47 words of product description copy. And like towards the end, that's when you would start to, you know, look at the features and the benefits that are like more about appeasing or overcoming objections. All I did was like I looked at the benefits and then sort of
like wo features into that and then tied it all together. I went through the list eye-catching and elegant with an eye-catching and elegant twin heart design. benefit benefit feature and finished feature does more than capture. These are phrasal templates that you want to sort of like have in your head which is like this thing does more than this thing. It does the this thing and then just play mad libs a little bit and your copy is going to be better for it. The eternal loving bond and commitment you have. Ooh, deeper benefit. But look at
that. We had to get through two benefits and two features before we got to the first deeper benefit. The stylish benefit comfortable benefit design lends the wearer an air of confidence. deeper benefit knowing that they are secure and loved in a unified bond. There you go. The magic show must get bigger. Absolutely. How long should a product description be? It should be exactly as long as a skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting. All I did was just list out the benefits, you know, list out the features and
list out the deeper benefits. There you go. What consumable product should we do? Ooh, dark chocolate. And I want to find something that's a little like off the beaten path. Baraca chocolate. All right, let's do something a little weird, guys. Let's do uh guess chocolate bars. Bourbon cascaded chocolate bar. The tuxedoed sophisticate. So, if you're rewriting people's pages and stuff like that, one of the things that I did was show you like you can really pull a lot of the benefits and features from their page already and then just do a little extra thinking. Single
origin. It's Tanzanian cacao. Ooh, that's a that's that's unique. I like that. Aged in bourbon casts for two months. Deeply nuanced bar. Cocktail-like vibe. Oky and smooth taste with a hint of cherry cordial and finish. Now, one of the things about this that I want to sort of illustrate for you guys is that the description, unlike the previous one where, you know, we had a mix of like features and benefits and deeper benefits, this is basically pure features and it's still really good. I'm going to be honest, guys. This be good copy. It's short. It's
simple, but it's good. It does what it needs to do. It's the bestselling bar. And that's one of the things that I was kind of alluding to earlier, which is like, you know, some products, some situations don't lend themselves to going deep into benefits or going deep into deeper benefits. People want chocolate. You know, just the same way people want computers, people want chocolate. People want chocolate more than they want computers. And so, you really don't need to like connect this to people's deeper desire for like love and commitment and security. I I think that
that's just a a brand thing, a brand voice thing here. Let's let's actually like look at some of the other examples. Candy cane white chocolate sheer winter cheer. Yeah, it's just a brand thing. So like these are these are sort of like like fun little brandy taglines. at a certain point like if we start really going into like the benefits and the features like the benefits beyond the features of this you might actually sell people against it because then it will feel like you're just trying too hard and it will feel disingenuous. So like the
subscription box you maybe you want to actually like go into benefits but let's see if they actually do you know like what what are the benefits of you know single origin know where you're getting your food Tanzanian cacao you could say something like you know uh there's no exploitation involved in the actual harvesting of the cacao unroasted you know gives it a fuller flavor things like that let's actually like look at the subscription boxes and see if they would do that because I I I feel like this is a good illustration of like you know
earlier before I was saying like you have to develop your gut and sort of like get an intuitive sense of like when you would want to go deeper and when not to and this is all stuff where it's a good example of when not to except for their boxes 30 of our bean to bite-size mini bars okay in one pantry ready package. What What's the subtext of pantry ready? It's convenient, easy to store, and that's a benefit. Perfect for those who just need a daily nibble or more. That's a benefit. We offer six flavors in
many form. These are features. Pick your favorite and try our Mixbox. Notice how once we went away from something that people just kind of intuitively want to something that people don't really automatically assume that they want, now we're leading with benefits. That's what's happening here. Subscribe and save $6. That's a benefit. Absolutely. And spelled out right there. Flavor aroma means different things to different people. Who are we to tell you what flavor of chocolate aroma is for you? Celebrate individuality with our variety boxes. Yeah, those are all benefits. And also like that touches on different
deeper benefits, too. That desire for individuality. Absolutely. One um I actually owned part of a chocolate company at one point and was trying to help market it. And one of the things that we really leaned on was selling it the way that wine is sold, which is that different cacao beans and cacao nibs from different regions will have different flavors, different varietals of cacao will have a different flavor profile. And so we were leaning heavily into that. Obviously, that's all stuff that you would want to like spell out in the features and benefits and the
deeper benefits, which is, you know, what is the deeper benefit then? you know, you'll get a greater, more robust experience of the world. And that's kind of what we're talking about here. And I feel like this is a good illustration to like end on because it really shows like exactly when you want to whip out your benefits and when to keep them in your pants. One easy bundle, the easiness is a benefit. The marquee, this, this, and this, and the new yet nostalgic that. So certifi. And these are all features as well. So again, three
bestsellers. That's a feature. One easy bundle. The ease being the benefit. This did it very well. 30 feature bean to bite-sized mini bars features in one pantry ready package. Implied benefit right there. Perfect for people who want this direct benefit. We fold crushed candy canes and our vegan. This and this built out holiday carols. That's fun. This is all feature driven. This is fun. The implied benefit here is that you'll eat it and feel joy. So that's another example of an implied benefit here. Again, very feature driven. here very benefit driven. I want you guys
to really pay attention to that difference there because this kind of shows you when you want to go deeper and when not to. It's the moment that you're starting to ask people for money, more commitment. It's a thing that people don't normally want. That's when you want to start whipping out the benefits a little bit more. Yeah, their copy is very very good. I I'm I I'm a fan of the copy that I've seen from this company. So, you would want to try to find like another chocolate company that's maybe not as big as Raqqa
and take what you've learned from them and apply it there. That that's how you get copywriting gigs, guys. That's that's the whole point of studying and breaking down other people's copy so that you can actually like take what you've learned and bring it to the people who actually need good copy. Rocka, they have good copy. They don't need your copy. So, don't apply to them. Apply to other people that want to beat Rocka. I really hope that over the course of the stream that you guys learned something that you grew that you sort of just
start thinking about copy in a different way and started to connect like oh we're not just writing words to sell things. We're actually like trying to tap into deeper desires and notions of identifications and the features benefits thing is just the way to do that. The fact that you guys like have come aboard that you guys like have stuck with us for a very long time that you support us and watch our stuff it really means a lot. it like because again this is a hobby business for us and we really appreciate you and really
hope that we can have a meaningful and positive impact on your life. Thank you Sean of the past. What Sean illustrated is ideally what you should be doing but to keep things simple start by practicing just a features benefits list with five regular products that you can find around your room. Now something else to look out for in your product is what we call USPS unique selling propositions. In short, this means something that only your product can provide. Perhaps it's the only football used by Lionel Messi. Or maybe the personal trainer is the only one
who also offers massages locally. Or it could be that your newsletter is the only one to have won a prestigious award. USPS help set your product apart from potential competitors. So if a USP also aligns with the desires, notions, identifications, or characteristics of your reader, you found a great point to make in your copy. Be sure to highlight any facts or features that also double as USPS. and of course what advantages and deeper benefits they may have too. USPS are important to learn about and establish in your copy for a very simple reason. Because if
your product is entirely the same as others that are available, nobody is going to be interested in buying it. That doesn't mean your product has to be completely new, though. It simply means that you need to highlight something that differentiates your product in some way. That could be its design, certain benefits or features it has, the way it's made, or the materials it's made from, or in a more complex uhformational product like a newsletter or a course, it could be some sort of mechanism that helps you arrive at the outcomes and results you desire. We
are not going to dwell on USPS here because we will provide a separate longer master class about this and because as a newbie really the only thing you need to be concerned about is what seems to make the product stand apart. Even the smallest thing outside of the product you want your readers to buy. You should also consider the brand the product is being sold by. What kind of image do they have? Does the persona that they convey match up with the kind of reader they want to target? After all, if a gun holster company
plasters flowers and cartoon bunnies all over their website, their target audience might not feel like the brand aligns with how they identify. There's not always much you can do to change this as a copyriter, but you should still be aware of any potential friction points that the image of the brand could create. Similarly, one last thing you should absolutely note down are all the authority points the brand you're working with has to offer. How many people use them? What certifications do they have? How many big names trust them? You'll probably pick these up naturally in
your features to benefits exercise anyway, but be sure you search for everything you could use to make the brand feel more trustworthy in the eyes of your reader. Once you've looked at all of this, you'll have a great idea of what your product has to offer. More importantly, it means that you can clearly see how your product might connect to your reader's emotional core as you move on with your research. But before we get to researching the reader's emotional core itself, we have to know a little bit about what else our reader might see on
their journey first. Something most copywriters have to contend with is high market sophistication. In other words, competing in a niche with a lot of other brands. In spaces like this, persuading target readers has to go beyond just appealing to desires with simple promises. At a certain point, people are going to realize that some get-rich quick scheme making 10K a month promises isn't actually able to deliver. Remember, market sophistication happens because readers eventually get used to seeing the same messaging in ads. So, they already know what to expect when those same messages are repeated by others.
They lose all novelty. The result is that you have to come up with something different. And this is what Eugene Schwarz was referring to when he asked how many other products have been presented to them before yours. The only way to discover what stage of sophistication you're dealing with is to conduct the second type of research we need to talk about, competitor research. The main purpose of competitor research is to see what messages your competitors are running with. This will help you see what your target reader may already be used to seeing. To find competitors,
search engines are your best friend. Just search for terms related to your product or your niche and see what companies pop up. Click into as many ads as you can and see what kinds of promises, gimmicks, and ideas they're using. For instance, if you type in how to lose belly fat, you can see all the different angles that advertisers are using to grab attention. We suggest keeping a brief record of which competitors you found and what promises, gimmicks, and ideas they employ in their copy. After finding a competitor, be sure to also check ad libraries
like the Facebook ad library and Google Ad Transparency Center, the Tik Tok ad library, etc. to see what their copy is like across multiple platforms. You can also sign up for email lists of competitors, check out what they talk about on social media, even scour their product pages. You're able to, it's also a good idea to buy competitor products to get on the inside of what a customer experience is actually like. Truly great copywriters never stop being curious about what other advertisers are doing. With all the competitor copy you see, it's especially important to analyze
how they're grabbing attention in the first part of their ads. Because if you can do this better than them, you will be the one pulling in the readers. And that's it. Don't overthink competitor research. You don't need to become an expert on all the companies competing with you. Just look deep enough to find what other messages are already trying to grab your target reader's attention. If you nail this, you'll be in a prime position to begin the last and most crucial phase of the sticky research process. All right, this is the big one. Yep. It's
important to know your product. Sure, it's good to know about your competitors, but you won't get anywhere without truly knowing your reader. As Eugene Schwarz asked in his first question to copyrighters, what is the mass desire that creates this market? And we can go even further by also finding our target readers notions, identifications, and characteristics. Ultimately, this is all about uncovering what your target reader really wants. So now it's time to master the process of market research. Unsurprisingly, the information that gives us the best idea of what will appeal to our readers comes from our
readers themselves. Therefore, the best way to uncover the desires, notions, identifications, and characteristics of our reader is to see what they say about these things in their own words. This information is something we call voice of customer data. Voice of customer data is invaluable to us as copyriters because it takes the guesswork out of the copy we will come to write. So, do we simply ask the target market what it wants? No. As the advertising great David Oggovie once said, "The trouble with market research is that people do not think what they feel. They don't
say what they think, and they don't do what they say. If you simply ask people what they want, what they value, who they are, and what they're like, they will twist their words to come up with answers that are skewed by the knowledge that someone is asking them a question for research purposes." If Red Bull had listened to their direct market research, they would have never pursued their idea. To find out how to market their new product, they gave Red Bull to a bunch of people to taste test. The feedback from this was overwhelmingly negative.
Reviewers said it tasted bad, left them feeling gross, and couldn't compete with brands like Coke considering the proposed price per unit. But they pressed on, and they have dominated ever since. They're now a multi-billion dollar company. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have a product where the direct market research was overwhelmingly positive. Surveys, test groups, and direct questioning gave the team of the Ouya real confidence about their potential. But if you have never heard of the Ouya game system, this story will probably tell you why. They raised millions of dollars in funding
only for the product to completely flop. People just weren't interested. The bestselling game on the device sold only 7,000 copies. Despite what their extensive market research had told them, the market just wouldn't buy, made all the worse by the dissatisfaction of those who did. And another example of successfully ignoring direct market research comes from the Dollar Shave Club. Their initial research showed that the main demand for razors was that they should last longer and be cheaper. It seems logical when you think about it, and it's married up to what people are saying, but the founders
decided to focus on something they'd noticed from their own experience instead. By digging a little deeper into concerns people shared when not asked directly, they discovered that the core issue was that buying razors is inconvenient. Having to remember to buy razors and mess about with protective casings were real pains, but they weren't something that people openly admitted to, whether out of embarrassment or just simple oversight. It was only by researching without directly asking people what they wanted, that they were able to find the gimmick that helped people buy the most easily. So, what do all
of these examples and hundreds of others have in common when it comes to market research? It wasn't focus groups or surveys that revealed the emotional core of the target reader. It was voice of customer data gathered through accidental, cloaked, or lateral means. To put it simply, the target readers didn't think they were being probed for opinions that would later influence anything. They didn't feel the need to change their answers consciously or subconsciously to fit in with what they may view as a social norm. It's market research that comes from indirect means that provides campaigns with
winning messaging time and time again. Sometimes this will line up with direct market research, but uncovering your reader's emotional core in secret is the only way to be sure that you're hitting on points that people genuinely care about. Therefore, the information you should look for in your market research is actually indirect voice of customer data, which we call IVOK data. And specifically, you want to look for six categories of IBOK data. You're looking for information on your target readers desires, firm notions, shakable notions, identifications, characteristics, and of course, other. for anything else you think might
be important but doesn't fit neatly into the previous categories. You'll notice the four entryways of the reader's emotional core are there. Your job during the market research phase is to find real instances of your target readers referring to those things in relation to your product and copy down exactly what they say. In a moment, we'll show you the best places to look to find these nuggets of gold. But first, allow us to make this a bit easier to visualize. Let's say you're writing a campaign for an ebook on real estate investing. If you go to
an online forum dedicated to real estate and find a post about investing in it, the comments from people who are interested are a great place to source IBOK data. You see one user's comment that says, "I'm worried that the new housing bill those lefty Democrats are proposing will make real estate investing harder to get into." That one comment tells you at least a few things about the commenter. It suggests this person may identify as politically right-leaning. It tells us there's a shakable notion about real estate investing becoming harder. It tells us there's a firm notion
about Democrats making real estate investing more difficult. So, we would want to copy and paste that exact comment into each relevant category of our IBOK data. Not only will this help you with finding the best message, it will also allow you to more easily mimic the voice of your target reader. So, our first aim is to copy as many relevant pieces of ivok data as we can into their respective categories because later on this will help us write some incredible copy. I'm sure you can already see how this exercise will help focus our copy down
the line. But hold your horses, bucko, because we can't just rely on one piece of data. We need to look at several sources and copy over all the relevant IBOK data we see. Remember, we want to do enough research to the point where we can confidently say what the best appeals would be. So, it's best to keep researching until we stop finding any new messages in the IBOK data. You'll get to see what that looks like in just a moment. The best places to find IBOK data are simply places where you think your prospects will
hang out online. You should start by searching for terms around your topic and see where that takes you. But some reliable places to look include Facebook groups, Discord servers, subreddits, dedicated website forums, the comments of YouTube videos, Quora, the review sections of competitor products. really anywhere that your target readers will congregate to discuss the topic you're writing about. Once you've compiled your IVOC data and put them into the relevant categories, you need to create what we call IBOK summaries. These aren't actual pieces of copy. It's just a method for condensing what your IV data says
into easy to read sentences. Let's say you're researching the glutenfree market and you find comments like these. I'm sick of going to restaurants and the waiters not knowing what celiac means. I swear whenever we go out to eat, I spend 10 minutes explaining what foods need gluten-free substitutes to the staff. Why do so few restaurants know what gluten-free is? Those were three points of IBOK data. All things that prospects have said when talking about the topic we're writing about. These three points are all talking about the same thing. So, they'd all come under just one
IVOC summary. something like, "I wish restaurants knew what gluten-free meant." Then, for every piece of IVOC data you see that comes under that summary, make note of how frequently they're mentioned. I like doing this by literally marking down how many times I've seen people make points related to each of my IV summaries. It ends up looking something like this. Then, after completing your IVOC research, you can see what summaries have been mentioned the most by your target readers and use the most frequently mentioned and relevant ones to come up with your one idea. Now, all
of this may feel like a lot to take in. So, to make it crystal clear, here's an example video of Alex going through the IVOC process so you know what to look out for. So, IVOC data, well, it is important as you have just learned. I'm not going to pretend that this is going to be a really glamorous section of this course. My room isn't even made behind me. I'm not wearing anything branded or nice. This is my copywriting cardigan. I'm in a room that's not finished. I just want to do stuff for you on
camera so you can see exactly what the process is for this. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed like I just mentioned and you aren't really sure where to start with this whole IBOK research thing. In which case, I just want to show you what I do. So, if you feel overwhelmed, you're not quite sure where to start or what it looks like or how to get the best out of it, don't worry. Watch me and everything is going to become very, very clear. But first of all, there's a couple things we need to talk about. There
are technically two positions you might be in before you start IVOP research. Number one, you may already know exactly who the one reader is going to be. You'll have a really good idea because the brand that you're working with already knows who they're targeting. They know who they've built the product for. And like we talked about in the one reader profile section, you understand roughly who it is you're trying to talk to, which is great. And that's going to be the vast majority of cases because people have hired you because they have an idea of
who they want to sell to. But you may also find yourself in a position where maybe you're working with a brand or you've started your own business and you're not exactly sure who the one reader is yet. You don't know who your ideal client is. And that can be a bit trickier to navigate. And in those circumstances, all I need you to do is take the same IVOC research process I'm about to show you, but just broaden it slightly cuz you don't necessarily know exactly who you're talking to yet. For example, let's say that you've
just created a product or you're writing for a product that fixes back pain, that fixes something like sciatica. Maybe it's a back band. Maybe it's a supplement. No matter what it is, let's just say you know that it helps relieve pain in the back. There's a few people you could potentially help with that. Older people who have that pain as they get older and as they age. Athletes who maybe have a slip disc or have hurt themselves in some way. new mothers who like have to readjust to losing baby weight and feel like their back
has been out of whack because of having to carry this extra weight for so many months. There's loads of different people you could potentially sell to. You're probably not going to find yourself in that position very often. Most of the time, your client's going to know who they're targeting, which makes this whole process easier for you. But if you find yourself in a situation like that where you just don't know who you're targeting yet, widen your research and have a look at who online is complaining about back pain the most. It's up to you to
find out. All you need to do is take the exact process that I am going to show you, but just broaden it a little bit. Loosen the parameters and start having a look at who is complaining about the problem we solve. And then you can start to see we should target this group because they're the ones who are talking about it the most. That's just a quick note in case you find yourself in that position. If you don't find yourself in that position right now, if that doesn't make any sense to you and you just
want to know how do I start researching for the one reader, no worries. I'm about to make that very clear because you're going to know who your one reader already is, who you're targeting. That's why you've been hired. That's the first thing out the way. The second quick thing we need to talk about is AI. AI is something we haven't mentioned too much in this course yet. There's a good reason for that, but I am going to do a slight caveat and mention it right now. The reason we haven't mentioned AI a lot is because
a lot of people, a lot of newbies coming into copyrightiting get really obsessed with AI, both for writing and for researching. But if you are relying on AI to write your copy or to research your copy, you do not have the skills yourselves, which mean when AI doesn't work, which is most of the time, or when you need something more laterally focused to sell something, or if you're selling something brand new, you're selling to a brand new market, or you need to answer questions to people quickly or talk with other team members, and you can't
rely on AI to do all that for you, you're out in the cold because AI can't do everything, and it doesn't really do copy very well because all it can do is take from existing copy that's already out there online and it doesn't know how to differentiate good copy from bad copy. So, if it's just going off of what's out there the most and the most frequently put, you're not going to have very good copy because most copy isn't very good. So, that's why we haven't talked about AI a lot. We don't want you to
rely on AI. We don't want to be one of these kind of groups of people who just say, "Yeah, like just throw it into an AI machine, it'll do it for you. Just throw in a prompt and then you can edit." No, we want you to be the person that's skilled so you can never be replaced by AI. The reason I want to bring up AI right now is because I hear a lot of new copywriters turn to AI for research especially and they say, "Well, you don't need to spend ages researching anymore. You just
put it into chat GPT and all the research will come back from you." Well, in a little bit after I've shown you this raw example, we are going to talk about AI and why it's not the best thing to rely on for research. But I'm going to start this whole thing off by showing you where you could potentially apply AI to help your research process. Okay, so let's crack into this. So this is what we start with our IVOC research template. This is everything that we need to get started on IVOC research. And as we've
already explained, it has everything you'd expect to find here. It has the categories of IVOC data, desires, firm notions, shapable notions, identifications, characteristics, other, and another section I'll get to in a minute. But also, I have taken the liberty of just starting us off with a focus point here because we obviously can't conduct ivot research without knowing what the heck we're writing for. So, we're going to do an example of a senior dog supplement that helps with joint pain and movement. That is the product that we're going to be selling for this example. So, that's
what we need to do research around. We need to find what people are saying about this topic. Now, the one reader for the purpose of this, it doesn't need to be such a specific profile with a one reader. In this case, we're just going to say it's an owner of a senior dog. And of course, an owner of a senior dog could be anyone. It could be quite a wide one reader profile because anyone can own a dog. a man, a woman, a young person, an old person. You know, dogs age much quicker than humans
do. So, there's not necessarily really one kind of person that we're absolutely reaching out to here. But the one thing we know they all have in common is that they own a senior dog. That's enough for us to go off. Of course, the more specific you get with products, the more specific you go to a type of pain or a type of person you're selling to or a specific hobby you're selling within, then of course the one reader becomes a lot more specific. But for the sake of this, I have deliberately left this one reader
and this product as something that could be bought by a lot of people. There's obviously just one problem that unifies them. The fact they have a senior dog who is struggling with joint pain and movement. I've also put at the top of this template some helpful things to look for. The things that we're going to be searching around are the specific problem that our product solves. So in this case, we're going to be actually searching around joint pain and movement in dogs. and then the general topic that problem relates to which of course is senior
dogs because we want to understand how the owners of these dogs, how the readers were targeting, how they speak, the other kind of things they have issues with, what problems they have, all of this kind of stuff down here in the categories. And then we also want to have a look at other common solutions or competitors as well. This is going to help us understand how they view other things that might already solve their problems or just generally how they form their opinions on the world. That's what we're going to do. Just quickly going through
the rest of this dock, we have the categories. Like I mentioned, this section here, common words and phrases, is just something useful where if we're finding the people who have this problem continuously using a particular reference or a term or a word, we just want to put it down. We want to be able to use the kind of words that they use themselves in our ads. That's going to help them recognize us as a trustworthy source and as someone who's very empathetic to them and feels like they're understood. We'll obviously have a look at those
as we go. We already understand what all these categories are and what we're looking for. other is just there so we can catch anything else we think might be interesting. And then of course we have the IVOC summary section. Once we've gone through and found the IVOC data points themselves and we've pasted them in here, then we're going to go through them and we're going to turn them into actual IVOC summaries. That's the main point of this. At the end, we're then going to rank the summaries by which one was most frequently mentioned down to
what was least frequently mentioned. But the most important thing for us here, we already understand who we're targeting, owners of senior dogs, and we already understand exactly what problem we're trying to solve. The fact that they have an issue with joint pain and movement in their dogs. That means the IVOC data we're looking for is going to be relating specifically to these problems. Now, of course, we are going to look around the general topic of senior dogs as well. So, we might come across some stuff that people frequently say. That's where when we come to
create IVOX summaries and we rank them, maybe they mention something that isn't specifically to do with our problem, but it may still be very frequently mentioned. So even though it might not lead to the basis of our copy, even though we might not be talking about it in relation to our product, it's still really important for us to understand how frequently it was mentioned because potentially we can use it in another way. Whether that's in some content that we want to write, whether that's referencing something within our sales copy, no matter what. The point is
this IVOP research is all about starting a great search which we can filter down into stuff that we can use in copy as we'll come to see throughout the rest of the course. Without further ado, let's actually get into this. I wanted to talk about AI briefly. I have chat GBT up here. So, let me show you a way that people sometimes like to shortcut research which can be applicable and you can use if you really want to. I'm not going to pretend to be a chat GPT whiz. I'm not going to pretend to be
a prompt king. The fact is we all know how to use AI now and it's become a part of our life. But in all of our experiments in copy that, it's only useful for a very few specific things. When it actually comes to writing copy that is used to be persuasive and to sell, it's far far better to tailor it yourself as a human. However, this is one of those applications where you can use it if you want to. Look at what I've typed in here. Find me a list of at least 10 websites and
forums where owners of senior dogs discuss their problems. One of the most timeconsuming parts of research is just finding the places that these people hang out online. Remember, we want to be going to where their defenses are down when they're going to be talking realistically and sharing their real opinions. And sometimes they can take a while to find. Shoving this into chat GPT or a similar AI software means that we can potentially get a list of places to go immediately that could have good IV data. Now, I don't personally do this. The reason for that
is because I really like immersing myself in the market and searching things like a reader would be searching so I can get their direct experience when I'm looking on Google. However, I'm not going to say that, you know, that's like the best way to do it or the only way to do it. You absolutely can. If you're strapped for time or you want to get this done quickly, you can type something like this in when we press enter on something like this. Let's see what happens. So, search on six sites. Here's a list of websites
and forums where senior dog owners discuss their challenges and share advice. Senior dog forum, our senior dogs, pet forums.co.uk, another dog forum, city.com dog forum, Labrador forum, all these kinds of things. So, it's going on quite a few down here. This is a great way for us to kind of start with a list where we can go straight to potential IV data hot zones. Not a bad way to use AI at all. But what you'll notice here, I'm not asking chat GPT to do the research for me. I'm not typing in give me a list
of the most important things to senior dog owners when it comes to joint pain. And the reason I'm not doing that is one I'll expand on later, but for now just remember that research is a journey. It's not a destination. Just getting up a list of things that matter to dog owners is not the purpose of research. We're trying to immerse ourselves in the market so we understand how these people feel and what kinds of things they're looking at and seeing because that is going to influence our copy far more than just getting a list
of bullet points. And so often it's those tiny nuggets of gold that come up that really let you have a look at an insight into the core emotions that we want to try and tap into. So, as you can see, we now have a ton of tabs up with potential places to look for the thing we want to find. But one reason I warn against this and I prefer doing it manually is because if we actually click through these, what you'll start to see is that it doesn't get us direct to source. It just puts
us on websites where these kinds of people will hang out. So, better than nothing for sure and a good way to find potential forums where we can search for things. However, it doesn't get us straight to the hot bed of uh IVOC data that we might be interested in when it comes to the specific problem. In our case, senior dogs and joint pain. Like here, it puts us on an old subreddit that doesn't exist anymore, which is a bit annoying. But as you'll see, none of these go necessarily to exactly where we want. However, still
a good way to try and find potential hotbeds of IVO data. Having said that, I still prefer doing it the manual way. So, let's crack into that. So, the manual way, where do we even start? Well, like I said, we've got three things to search for. The specific problem our product solves, general topic, the problem rates to, and common solutions or competitors. Let's start with the first one. The specific problem, our product solved. Now, bear in mind, I don't want to sit here for 5 10 hours and do this for you because I'm sure you
can appreciate that's going to be relatively boring. What I'm going to do is I'm going to show you a few examples of each and how I go about finding them, what it looks like when I copy them down, and then how I change those into summaries. We discussed earlier about how long research takes and what the right amount of research is. And as we said, it completely depends on the project you're working on and how much you need to know. I've done projects before where I've spent up to 20, 30 hours researching just because I
want to know everything I can about the market and find every single piece of data I possibly can. But for most projects, you're not going to have to do that. So, I'm just going to do a few examples and we're going to go through this so you can understand how it works and then you can go and do it yourselves. All right. So, let's start manually searching for the specific problem our product solves. Now, there's a few ways we can go about this. The first easiest thing is just to open up Google. So, all we
need to do is start typing in senior dogs joint pain. Don't get too concerned or overly worried about exactly how you're typing stuff in. The best thing to do is type it in as your one reader would be doing. And just typing in senior dog joint pain is potentially something someone might search for. Now, there are other ways that we can find specific things. I have a Chrome extension on my browser called Keywords Everywhere. And what you'll find if I turn that on, it brings up other search terms that people are searching for. I've just
typed in senior dogs joint pain. This gives me an idea of what people are searching for. So, what you can see here is you're getting quite a bit of search volume on different uh types of searches. I've just started with a very, very bland one, and in fact, it seems like not many people are searching for this specifically. Of course, the reason I typed this in was just to be quite general to then show you the ways that you can find other ones. Now, Keywords Everywhere is extremely cheap Chrome extension. You don't need to use
that. You can use anything you want because what you'll find here are the exact kinds of things that your audience are searching for. In other words, this is IVOC data. So, you might start by thinking joint pain is the thing that we're going after and we solve. But from a quick search, you can see that actually it seems that dogs are being diagnosed with arthritis, which is leading to joint pain, which is leading people to search in arthritis treatments rather than joint pain treatment. That might be a potential thing that's helped guide the way that
you're going to write the copy later down the line. I digress. The main point here, you don't have to use an extension like this. And for the sake of this video, I'm going to turn it off just to show you how you can do it without it. So, senior dog joint pain. Obviously, I'm based in the UK, so it's going to be giving me ads from the UK. Right now, we don't want to look at other products. We just want to find out what people in the market are saying. We want to go down to
places where people could potentially put comments or discuss these things. I like to just open a few of the top results that aren't overtly trying to sell anything just because often times these will have comment sections on the pages of somewhere and they can be really, really good for finding what people say. Similarly, these are potentially competitors, potentially people who are just putting out content because they want to get money from affiliate deals or whatever. So, we don't necessarily want to read all of these articles, but while we're reading them and trying to find ivok
data, it still could give us ideas. So, certainly not a bad thing. Let's just see just from the first page, just from typing in a really generic term, what's come up. So, this, by the looks of it, is an actual vet. They have an article on this kind of stuff, and it seems like they don't have any comments right now. for this. Right now, I'm going to leave to one side. Let's get rid of this. Here's another one. Again, seems to be an informative article. There's some videos. This is interesting because this is something that
I might open up because if people are coming to this page, likely they're watching this video, potentially they're also finding on YouTube. And YouTube comments are another great place to look. Again, nothing on this in terms of comments. So, let's have a look at YouTube. So, no, no comments on this. This clearly is just a video that gets watched by people who see it embedded on other pages. But look at this. It's given us another treasure trove of potential places to look. Vets having YouTube channels, people talking about their dogs arthritis, um having a look
at pain in dogs, knee pain, etc. Now, some of this might just be about humans, but the point is you're starting to see why YouTube can also be a great place to have a look for IV data. If someone's coming on and they're looking at arthritis in their dogs, look at all of this. My Siberian husky is 10 and he's pretty much all of these symptoms. I assumed you have for about six months now because he'd slow down and become more lethargic over the past few years. It's difficult watching them when they're in pain. I
tried to my dog's back legs when they hurt since that seems to be where he suffers soreness and pain the most. This seems to offer him some relief. What can we notice about ivok days that we can glean from this? He has slowed down, become more lethargic over the past few years. This person has noticed this stuff happening over years. Slowed down. That may well be a phrase that comes up quite common. The point is here is something that they have noticed and this is something that links to an actual desire. The fact they've seen
them slow down means well they don't want them to slow down because it's difficult to watch them when they're in pain. So the first thing I'm going to do is copy this straight back into our IV research under desires. How I like doing this is I like doing them in italics if they're real quotes. I assumed he had authorized for about six months now because he has slowed down and has become morphagy over the past few years. It's difficult watching them when they're in pain. These are not things that they want back here. I try
to massage my dog's back legs when they hurt since that seems to be where he suffers soreness and pain the most. This seems to offer him some relief. This here is a belief they have. They're not saying they absolutely know. They're just saying they try to do this because it seems that it offers him relief. This right here is a shakable notion. It's something they feel like is going to help them, but they don't know. So, if we in our copy wanted to say, "Are you massaging your dog's legs?" That can be something to hook
someone. This is all from one comment. Let's leave this alone right now. But if I was doing this for this kind of project, like I would be on this page for ages and going through all of these and having a look. Look here, we have another one which is 53 likes. If people are liking stuff, it means that they found it useful. They found it interesting. They empathized with it. Those who aren't aware of this or can't afford a vet, cut your dog's nails. It can change your dog's life. Nail clips go for less than
$40. If he doesn't want to do touch, just paws. Make sure he's lying down. Pour a few drops of milk in his bowl. Blah blah blah. Long pro, but it works. he might slip a couple of times because if we're trying to sell a supplement to help relieve a dog's pain, this isn't too relevant to us because this is kind of talking about another solution. So, maybe not something we want to include, but this certainly could spark an idea for an upsell for something else that we can help with or for content in the future.
As you can see, he made me cry. It's like what my dog looks like. Doggy. Now, let's see if that comes up. Remember, we have this down here, common words and phrases. So, something I want to be looking for as I'm going through these are how many times do certain words get mentioned? Doggy may well be one. I love my Cassie. She's the family's nanny. She's truly part of my family, but we have had her for a few years. I've know she's struggling down upstairs. Just sorry to see her in pain. Like seeing one of
my kids in pain. I found the comfiest dog that I could find along with a snuggy overthrow for added comfort. She's fast asleep rolled up with a bowl of clear water. All right, so a few things to unpack from this comment. She is the family's nanny. She is truly part of the family. What is that? That is a firm notion. This is clearly something they believe that they hold on to dearly. You're never going to convince one of these people that, oh yeah, you should treat your dog like a dog and not like part of
the family. Okay, so that's something that's really important. I've noticed she's struggling getting upstairs. Just sorry to see her in pain. It's like seeing one of my kids in pain. She's struggling getting upstairs. This relates to a desire because this is a problem. Now remember, desires here, just as we've spoken about earlier in the course, desires can be positive desires, they can be negative desires. They can be about an outcome or they can be about getting rid of a very visceral pain. Now, this is obviously a pain. She's struggling getting upstairs. That's a big pain.
I don't want to see that in my dog. I'm sorry to see her in pain. It's like seeing one of my kids in pain. This is why I love doing IVOC research manually and not rely on AI because AI might just summarize for you. Dog owners don't like seeing their dogs in pain. Okay. Well, obviously that's not very helpful. But you know what? It doesn't give you a quote like, "It's like seeing one of my kids in pain." And then you have this whole idea that sparks in your head because you've seen this one comment
from someone who's suffering from this problem. It's like seeing my kid hurt. That is so emotional. Can really dig at what people feel, but it's not saying in a clinical way or in a boring way. It's something that feels very personal. My dog is 10 years old and he's starting to cry and pain around me. Sometimes just laying down, he would cry out of nowhere. That isn't necessarily related enough to our point of it being a senior dog struggling with joints. So, we'll leave that for now. And this is what I mean. The more specific
you understand your problem to be, the more that you can sniper rifle this research and you can close the net around things that make more sense. Is this common for an 8-year-old medium dog? My boy just turned eight and we started noticing the lameness of mob on his back legs. We made him a vet appointment because it hasn't seemed to improve. Thanks for the video. Something else you'll start to notice is people will come and say things about different specific problems. So, in this case, they don't know yet if it's arthritis. They haven't gone to
the vet yet. In this case, something very specific has started happening. They've started walking on their knuckles. These are all very different specific points. Maybe the client you're working for has different products to solve each one. Maybe it can do all of it. Obviously, you need to do the product research there to understand this. And this here is key to copy down because it may give you an idea of well, a lot of people seem to be noting these problems before going to the vets. So, instead of targeting people who already know that it's arthritis,
we might want to look at getting the message across that if you've noticed your dog slow down or if you've noticed them wobbling on their back legs, perhaps you need to consider using these supplements. Right? Again, linked to a desire. They don't want to see those things happening. And yeah, of course, we could rely on some kind of software just to pull the comments out and throw them all into a spreadsheet and just have them there. But again, that misses the point of research. We want to be looking through this and immersing ourselves in what
people are saying so we understand what people's core problems are. Look, my dog suddenly started jumping, letting out y pain for no reason. He's done that two times a day. Is that arthritis? Now, as we said earlier, like a minute ago, although that might not directly be linked to the thing we're selling, there are a few people talking about how dogs are just yelping in pain. So maybe that's something to include in an ad that we run or part of our copy to say if you find your dog struggling or wobbling, slower than usual, randomly
yelping out in pain, it's a sign they might have joint problems. So this supplement is going to help them. An objection they might have from that is but what if they don't have joint problems? And you say even if they don't have joint problems, it can strengthen bones generally to help prevent them in the future. So you can see now why these things are important. So that all came just from typing in seeing your dog's joint pain, going on to a specific article, then going on YouTube video, and then going on a related YouTube video.
Now, I would now spend ages going through all these other YouTube videos here because maybe we know that we are targeting owners who know their dogs have arthritis, for example, which is something you would talk to your client about. Are we targeting owners who know their dogs have arthritis? Are we targeting owners who are just worried about limping or whatever. So, if we know that we're targeting dogs that have arthritis, we can come on here. We can move down. We can have a look at what these kind of things are. I'm really trying to do
my best for her straight away. That's another firm motion. You never want to say to someone, you don't care about your dog. You're not doing everything you can because people genuinely do believe that. That can be a great line of copy to turn directly into actual copy. We know you're trying your best. Sometimes it can seem impossible. That is so empathetic and that's going to help people really connect with the message that you're trying to put across. Here you can see just by going through a couple of YouTube comment sections, we have already a little
bit of IVOC data, but let's do a bit more specific searching. Senior Dogs joint pain. Now, we know that as we spoke about earlier, there are a few places to copy that team and I really like to look for IVOC research. One of the places I love to look is Reddit and on specific subreddits and specific forums that are dedicated for these discussions because so often they rank really high in search results when people search for specific questions and so many people have Reddit top of mind when they have issues. So let's just go on
senior dogs Reddit and see what comes up. And here we go. This is an actual real active subreddit. So let's have a look at this. as we spoke about here, which we'll come on to in a minute. We can also just search around the general topic that problem relates to to have a look at what kinds of words people are using and see what else they discuss. But what I want you to do when you come on to subreddit is search in the bar. Let's just search joints because we know that that's the thing that
we can help with. Big dog, bad joints. Anyone have recommendation for an effective hip or joint supplement? Medicine for joints, joint supplements for large dogs. Be careful trying this competitor online. Best bed for arthritis. Already we have a few things up. I'm going to open this one up because it's quite top and they probably mention joints in it. And remember, for the sake of this video, I've put these up here just to give you a guidepost of where you should be looking at. Don't worry if you don't get them in the right order. It's fine
to bounce around. The most important thing is you're immersing yourself in the market and you're looking at what people are saying. My poor baby. Now, again, baby is another common phrase that I've seen come up a couple of times. So, let's actually write that down. Baby slash poor baby. People have likened dogs to their kids. They've used the term baby. So, let's put it down because it's a phrase we see getting used a lot. Her body is stiff, trying to hold herself off her painful swollen joints. I hate arthritis. I also have it so I
know how bad it can feel. These will be her last days. I don't know how exactly when to plan. Blah blah blah. Horrible stuff. Horrible stuff. Horrible stuff. I hate arthritis. That's a very very visceral term. Again, that's a firm notion. Also, I would say that links to desires because it's a desire to get rid of arthritis. If you find a term and it makes sense in a few categories, just put them in all the categories. I hate arthritis. I think is a very very powerful phrase that we could turn into copy. It's clearly someone
crying out for help for this because they hate seeing their dog in this horrible pain. For example, one quick idea off the top of my head in quotation marks, I hate arthritis. If someone knows their dog has arthritis, that's immediately going to grab their attention because it's empathizing with what they're going through, which is obviously where you can introduce your product. Again, look, babies. What a sweet baby. again. Now, this seems to be a bit more around end of life care and things like that and, you know, people just saying sorry, but this can still
be good to find like what kinds of phrases people are using. Quality of life, I've seen a couple of times because that's a term that gets used by vets and people who are going to vets quite often, but also I've seen it a couple times just in these last two comment sections. So, again, that's something else I'm going to put down. We want to make sure that we're using phrases that they recognize and they understand. Let's have a look at this one. This is Opie. Oh, what a what a cute boy. He's an 11-year-old bull
mastiff. Da da da da da da. Now, of course, if I was just doing this myself, I would read all this and we can have a look. But I want to in this post, I want to go straight down to the comments and have a little look. Look, people are giving actual advice on what else they can use. I use CBD for my dogs. So, this is where we start to see common solutions and competitors coming up. What do people like about other solutions? What do people hate about the solutions? What other competitors are they
mentioning? Why are they mentioning them? These are things that you need to start having a look at. Let's just read this and have a little look. Have you tried Adequam? That helped mine a lot. And because the injections are subcutaneous, I was able to do them at home after the initial few. Cheaper that way and fewer road trips, cheaper that way. So, what does this tell me? This tells me that a desire is to save money. And the fact that medicine can be expensive. Now, we're going to see this coming up a lot. And an
obvious desire of pretty much any product you're going to be writing for is the fact that, you know, people don't want to spend more money than they have to. This here is something that I want to make a note of whenever it's referring to a specific product or another solution. Anytime someone's saying, "Oh, it's so expensive or I want it cheaper or like cheap." We need to make sure we're showing that because we may well want to use that in our copy. The fact that our solution is far far cheaper, far less expensive than other
ones. Big helper is losing weight going from almost 100 never really worked for him. High was fun, but again didn't really do much. We also did coer which I do think helped was vet visits. Now there's loads of stuff in here. There's so many common solutions and things that are coming up here that we could copy over. They really could be a shakable notion or a firm notion. Cuz some people are going to be like, "Yeah, we tried that. It didn't work." It could be shakable in the sense of if, for example, you're selling a
CBD product and you see a lot of people say CBD just didn't work. It's shakable in the sense that you can say like if CBD hasn't worked for you, it's because of X. And you need to show why it hasn't worked and then show why yours is going to even though it is still CBD. But I'm going to put this in firm notions purely because if you just say, "Hey, we're selling CBD supplements." And you don't explain why else what's different. They're not going to believe it. So their firm notion now is regular CBD just
doesn't work. So that's something that's really important. Okay. So not much else in this one. Let's have a look at this. Takes loads of joint meds to ease the pain. Um then he's puppy during blah blah blah on the show. He pled moisture works great on the hips. Massages too. Get a massager. We got him on twin mattress with foam top on the stairs. What meds do you find help? Have you looked at Monle? So, not too much there. Anyone have a recommendation for effective hip joint supplement? I know everyone is pushing glucosamine and chondroitin.
I think conidroen. I was hoping there might be something else out there that's super effective. So, a lot of people are kind of recommending quite a few things. If you want to avoid close, I'd recommend CBD and green lip muscle. Here are a few things where people are kind of talking about other solutions. This is probably one of the most common types of IVOC data you're going to find because you can go directly to say Amazon or product pages and look at the review sections and see exactly what people are saying about specific products. So,
this is pretty easy. So, I want to leave this to one side for a second because I want to try and focus more on having a look at just people generally talking about what kind of help they can get, which is when we're going to go back to Google. Let's put a more pointed search in because we already did a very generic one earlier which we just wanted to start with. But now we know that it seems people are searching for arthritis and are talking about arthritis in dogs a lot. That seems to be what's
related to joint pain. So let's actually ask a question to Google. How to treat dog arthritis. Now here are actual ads. Here are other things. Here are articles, blogs, um, etc., etc. Something else I want to show you and really, really simple trick is just to type in forum afterwards. And look at what this gets you. Pet forums.co.uk, golden retriever dog forums, the farming forum, dog forum. This is just such an easy hack because like all you need to do is type in the word forum and you can see what people are discussing. So let's
open a few of these up. All right, and let's have a look. So here you can see a bunch of comments here right now. And remember this will come down to the fact that we know that arthritis is something our product can treat and you may well know that it's something your client wants to target within your one reader. So that's why we're searching for it. Even more so because we can see other people in IV data are asking questions about arthritis. The vet mentioned this, but to be honest, I'm getting a bit confused now
as to which drug, which combination would be the best. Boom. Look at that. Something that people are confused about. Now, we could say, oh, you know, this is desires, firm notions. I'm just going to stick this in other. And this is the most important thing. Remember, later on, I'm going to show you how to like actually create IVOX summaries out of this, which is the most important part. You know, we want to actually find out which ones get mentioned the most. Once you've done that, that's when you're going to get the gold of understanding how
to write copy. Don't stress out about, oh, I'm not really sure if this is a characteristic or is it like a desire. When in doubt, just stick it in another. As long as you've got it down, cuz we're going to go through it later, that's fine. But let's go back to where we just were. I wish they had been around at the start, as there are so many options available to make an arthritic dog's life easier. Now, making a life easier. I'm going to push that not for a specific solution it's talking about. I just
like the fact they're talking about making a dog's life easier. That's something there that speaks to an emotion, which is something we might be able to look at when it comes to coffee. Let's have a look at another forum here. I'm super concerned about my dog's limping. Two days ago, she started to heavily walk and barely can stand up from a comfortable bed. But once going back to her bed, which one stop from the mattress, she couldn't put pressure to the behind legs. So again, people talking about drugs. It's really helped her be able to
enjoy walks more and she's got some of her bounciness back, right? I like that. Now, why do I like that? Because it's talking to a desire. It's talking to things that people want, the desired outcomes. They want their dogs to be able to enjoy walks more and to get their bounciness back. I think that's a great thing to put down because I'm doing this for you. Like I'm kind of skimming through some of this, but if you're doing this for a heavy project or something you really want to get involved with and really immerse yourself
in the market, I really really encourage you to read and to have a look through things and find little nuggets and dig it out. But for the purpose of this and showing you what I'm doing, I obviously don't want to do that cuz I don't want to make this too boring for you. Okay. Now, a lot of this is people kind of giving advice. Now, the people giving advice, this is just something to to be wary of. People giving advice can certainly give good IVOCK data like that last one that we just saw cuz they
are kind of speaking to the desired outcome that they wanted. But we're less so looking at people who are giving advice who already have the solution because we're trying to find IVOC data from people who are trying to find solutions. Cuz in our case, we know what the problem is and we know that people want that solved. So I'm trying to look for people who are asking the questions and people who are discussing what the problems are and how it feels, which is why I'm skipping past a lot of these where they're people giving advice.
Our literature is now 14 and is slow and stiff. for cyber rolling prescription for medam she only has one a day makes a difference that we're twice walk okay so I like that slow and stiff it's a good word to use now what you'll notice here because I'm searching specifically around the problem and because this is about dogs which is about another being there hasn't been much about identifications and characteristics so far which is fine we're not really searching around dog owners themselves and how they view themselves we're searching very specifically about the problem and
what they want out of a solution which is why a lot of stuff's going in other a few in notions And then of course a lot in desires right now. So identifications characteristics may well come up. Don't worry, they're not right now. Those will tend to come up when we start to search generally around the topic about people who have senior dogs. And then also just when we're looking at if we need to find more out about the kind of person who buys. Now in this case, like we said, the one reader is an owner
of a senior dog. So we're not too specific there. There's going to be some identifications they have themselves. For example, I know a lot of people use their a fur parent and things like that. Other times they'll identify themselves as almost kind of righteous or like better than other people because they look after a senior dog or because they've rehomed a dog or something like that. But because this is less about a specific demographic, there are less characteristics and identifications that are going to come up and be so specific to this copy, which is why
a lot of ours is going to revolve around problems a lot more. So let's having a little look. This is what we want to look for. People who are asking the questions. I have a rat terrier who will be 15 in February. He weighs 20 pounds. He has been healthy his entire life. Although last year or so, he's experiencing pain, stiffness from arthritis, stiffness. Okay, stiffness has come up again. So, I'm going to put stiff. I only need to see something come up two or three times for me to go like, "Yeah, I want to
put that down because people are clearly using it a lot." He's been taking this for about a year recently. This um I've been saying once a week for laser therapy for months. I've noticed that he's had a hard time laying down. Some days are better than others. The past week, he said a couple days where it seems even more difficult to get into laying position. Last night was rough. He couldn't get comfortable when he tried to lie down to sleep. Other than this, he still enjoyed the other side and jumps around when he's excited to
see me, get treated, etc. Is there anything more I can do to make it more comfortable for him to lie down or is this the end? I should add he gets a glucosamine treat daily as well as in a prime supplement my vet recommended. He has a heated pet bed and orthopedic bed. I'm having a real hard time with this and really appreciate any advice. Having a real hard time with this. There's a few other bits in there I want to look at, but again, I'm having a really hard time. Again, related to the problem
there. They feel like they themselves are having a hard time. It's not just about the dog. It's also about like I feel like I'm overworked or like I'm at the end of my rope. Someone's I've noticed he's had a hard time laying down. Some days are better than others. So I like that. Again, that's another problem there that we can immediately see. Some days are better than others. Now I would say that that is a firm notion. Sometimes it seems like he's fine. Other times it can feel like he's doing really badly. Okay. So there
we go. We've just had a look at arthritis in dogs. A few things. What I would want to do, I would want to be going on related articles, related questions. Want to be going back to YouTube, having a look through all of these comments. YouTube comments are some of my favorite favorite places to get eyeball data. So, I really really recommend you go there. Facebook groups are another great one. Let's just type in senior dog group. Facebook, senior dogs, 83,000 followers. Senior uh dog club, 7.4. Senior dogs looking for homes. Elderly and old dogs. seen
dogs and goes. Okay, so there's a few at least two or three there that you could do, but also you might want to search something like arthritis in dogs, Facebook group, K9 arthritis management, dogs with arthritis. All right, another group, dogs with arthritis support group, rehab tips for senior arthritic dogs. Look at all of this. I have been skipping through this to try and like get as much kind of down. I've only looked in a couple of places on a couple of articles and a couple of comment sections. I haven't been looking at all of
the comments in such detail and there are still so many groups and places you can go to to look at this very very specific problem. Now this is the kind of research that you need to be doing for IVOC going on having a look at what people are saying and anytime you recognize anyone talking about desire anyone talking about a firm notion anyone talking about shakable notion an identification coming up a characteristic which we'll have a look at in a second or anything else put it down. Remember, you want to make sure you're doing enough
research to a point where you're seeing kind of the same things come up over and over again. The limit I usually do is like 10. So, if I go to 10 new places and I don't see anything new, I'm just getting the same stuff over and over and over again, I still record it down, but after 10 times of not seeing anything else new in loads of different places, that's when I'll say, "Okay, I think I've done enough research now." But again, it will depend on the product that you're working with and the kind of
client, how much you know already about the target market, all that kind of stuff. But for now, we've only been doing this for a little while, and we already have quite a few things written down that we could potentially turn into copy. What I'm going to do is I'm going to look on a couple more resources here to have a look for some identifications and characteristics. If none come up naturally, don't worry about it too much. You don't need to fill all of these. Sometimes the product you're writing for won't really lend itself to talking
about a characteristic that much. We're going to have a little look. I'm going to show you how I would search for those things, and then we're going to look at how to create it into summaries and what I would do. Remember, coming back up here, the general topic that the problem rates to, in this case, senior dogs. And in this case, to look at characteristics and identifications, cuz there things we haven't really been looking at too much yet cuz we've been looking at problems. All I would do is type in senior dog owners. RSPCA, we've
got a thing for caring for older dogs. Um, caring for older dogs. Again, a few things here. Here's one that we saw earlier. Senior dog care club. Let's have a look if there's anything else around here. Caring tips for senior dog owners. caring for your senior dog. Here again, YouTube. So, let's open this up. Nothing much in these comment sections really. Uh, that seems to be a few more views, so let's go on that one. And remember, guys, part of research is finding stuff that just does not work and doesn't make sense and you can't
really use. There's going to be plenty of empty forums to look through. I have a 16-year-old dog and a 13-year-old cat. I've had them since they were born and they're the loves of my life. Little me thought he would live forever. I like that. Now, that's not necessarily a characteristic of identification, but for sure, I quite like that just as something else to mention. Looks so special. She and her son are the love of my life. Again, love of my life. Again, another thing that's come up a couple of times. Often times, I'll just clarify
this. So, like, you know, I'll take it out of italics and I'll just put like referring to the senior dog just to clarify what it means later on. I'm adopting a beautiful senior the week before Christmas. At least a very rough life. No one wants me. My family wants to make a Christmas in the room one. It's going to be hard for her to get used to us because she doesn't family ever see it properly. Now, this is where you need to have some nuance to researching as well because what you'll notice is no one
yet has ever said anything in these comments like, "Oh, I'm a saint. I am a good person for doing this." But you can tell that they're implying that they are because I want to know how to take care of a senior properly. I want to make her last years amazing. There are a few people in the other comments saying stuff like we want to make sure we look after them properly or I can't believe that people don't get the proper care. So really something that people are identifying with is that they are a good dog
owner because they are going out of their way to search for things. Technically that's not a point of ivok data that we have found and we can copy and paste but it's coming up so frequently that what I do is I would put down identifications here and I wouldn't put in italics because it's not a direct quote. I would put they believe they are good dog owners slash superior to people who don't care for their dogs. That's important. What I usually do like now I have this as an identification later on. What I do is
I will create summaries based on the different points of ibok data we have and I'll note down how frequently they've come up. Now with anything where it's not in italics, these have to be things that I have noticed a lot. So, the fact it's not italic shows me that this is something that is probably worth mentioning or implying in our copy later down the line, even though I'm not keeping a tally of how many times it gets said. I've adopted a senior dog who just turned 16. We've been together since she was eight. Definitely learning
curve, lots of love, patience, and willingness to listen to her needs. Again, they are doing good deeds. And I'm not trying to put anyone down who adopts dogs or has senior dogs. Like, I I'm in both those categories. I'm just saying that you have to understand here. It goes a bit deeper than just wanting to care for another life. It's also them wanting to show people that actually they're a good person and they've done a really good job and they're doing a great thing here. These are the kind of things that you need to look
out for and they're nuances within research. They're only saying the stuff and they're telling people these stuff because they really want people to give them likes and they want people to go like, "Wow, you're an amazing person." And that's something that you need to show in your copy. You need to make them feel that way. You need to make them feel like they're really good, that they're a hero for doing anything like this. That's going to help you get them on side. Age is starting to catch up to my 13-year-old buddy. It's heartbreaking. Now, I
like that a lot. That is clearly a desire they or you know a problem. It's a desire they have to fix a problem. And again, realistically speaking, it is kind of in this notion camp as well. Now, I'm going to put this as a shakable notion cuz they know the age is catching up to them, but there is potential there that actually you could help reverse it or you could help stave it off for a while that it's not necessarily the end of the line right now. Now, there are so many comments here like just
in this video, this is why I love YouTube comment sections. And as I said earlier, there's not really a ton of characteristics. Again, characteristics certainly we have seen in a few middle-aged and kind of older women and kind of the YouTube profile pictures and the profile pictures on a few forums we've had. So, that may well be something just to keep in mind. But because this is a product that doesn't lend itself just to a specific kind of characteristic, I don't really feel the need to put it down right now cuz it's not really going
to help influence our copy too much in this case. In terms of identifications, we haven't really seen many others come up. They just identify themselves as they're a good dog owner and of course they identify themselves as a senior dog owner. Those are the things they seem to be identifying with and we've done a bit of research already. Haven't seen really anything else where they are identifying themselves in a particular way or believing something. But this one is certainly going to be. Now, what we will find if we continue to research will be that some
senior dog owners may categorize themselves as we do everything organically or that we fiercely think that raw feed is the right way to go, for example. Those are things that you can certainly put down if you see ones coming up a lot. But just like characteristics, because the problem here is a little bit broader, we don't necessarily want to just make it so we're only trying to appeal to someone with certain types of identification or certain types of characteristics. In this case, because the problem is so visceral and because we're focusing on notions so heavily,
those things will be enough to pierce through the noise, get their attention, and persuade them of something when we translate it to copy. Now, of course, I could go on for hours and hours trying to find more IV research, but we've already gone through so many things from Quora to Reddit to forums to YouTube that it really doesn't matter where you look for this kind of stuff. Of course, we gave you ideas earlier. Just make sure you're going where people are discussing this. Now let's do one more thing which is looking for common solutions and
competitors. So we would search for competitors and we see we talk about competitor research in this course as well. But we'd search for competitors of supplements. In this case I already know competitors that we might be going against because I know the market. In your case you might need to type in joint pain supplements for dogs and a list would come up. In this case I'm going to go straight to one because I already know who it is. You move senior. So we can go to you move senior and on here we can go straight
to one that seems to have a lot of reviews. So let's go to their trust pilot and people saying great stuff. So obviously people going to be saying great stuff because you know that's the one they want to put on their website. What I might do is just type in you move trust pilot go straight to the trust pilot and look at three star to star one star and then immediately now some of these of course are going to be about customer service which may be something you can use in your copy if you find
people are struggling with that but let's have a look and just see if there's any um but again people saying beware of subscription which may be something that people are having trouble with. So if one of the marketing strategies you're going with and of course you need to discuss that with your client and whoever's responsible for marketing strategy is to try and pinch customers from this brand maybe something you want to attack is subscription or you want to like show that you don't have a confusing subscription process. So this is important to understand these things
as well. Here we go. We've used Yumu for a number of months now and has made no difference to her moability. If I wanted to focus on competitors, which you may not be doing, okay, in the stuff that you're searching for, you may just not be writing for a product where it makes sense to do that. But if you are, then this is something that you move over to your ivox. So it comes over and that's a desire. It's a big problem they have. They desire to fix this and it's frustrating. It also becomes a
firm notion as well down here. So something where they are trying a solution and they've tried a solution like I said earlier, but it's just not worked. They have this firm belief that it just doesn't work for us. So going to look at competitors in that way can be really really helpful. But also just searching for common solutions like we say up here, common solutions and just typing in best dog joint supplements. And look, there's a few here. But where we really want to go down to is where people are discussing it. Amazon reviews are
another great place to look. Here are similar ones to earlier. Joint supplements. Again, we can use the old forum trick. Have a look if anyone's talking. Labrador forum joint supplement sessions. And here we have a bunch more. Best hip and joint supplement. Really sad to see your pup is struggling. Pup also seems to be something that people just use because we've seen that a few times referencing seniors as well. So, let's come down here and let's type in pup. I'd recommend bypassing all the popular hip chops. Go with green lip muscles. 7-year-old dog in her
hind legs and tried everything. I've tried everything. You name it. So, again, a frustration, this firm notion. I've done everything. And again, I'm going to put this up here because it's part of the problem as well that they're facing. They've tried everything. You name it, I've tried it all. Of course, depending on what your product is, depending on what your solution is, you can put these kind of things up like, have you tried Dasquin or Cosquin or whatever? You need to see this message or you need to try this instead. These are all different kinds
of things that you could be writing for, but you'll only know if you do the research and see what people are complaining about. So, that in a nutshell, that's how I go about searching for the specific problem that the product solves, the general topic the problem relates to, and common solutions and competitors. The most important thing, of course, is this might change depending on the niche or product you're writing for. You just need to make sure you're searching. You're doing it manually. You're immersing yourself in the market and you're copying down as much IV data
as you possibly can. So, this of course is not a complete dock of IVOK data because I've only been doing it for basically a few minutes and I've been talking while I've been doing it. So, I've been concentrating massively. But, I just want to show you an example of what I would do for the next step so you're very very clear on how to go about it. For the next step, we're trying to fill out the IVOX summaries table. And this is really, really simple to do. Now, what I like to do is I will
do a split screen. I'll copy and paste this Google doc over so I can have two up at the same time. One on one screen, one on another, or if you're just using one screen, just do a split screen. Now, for the sake of you watching, I'm just going to do this by scrolling so you can see exactly what I'm doing. You'll notice that all the IV summaries are split into their categories. So, what we want to do is we just want to take the first thing up here. I assumed he had arthritis for about
six months now because he has slowed down has become more lethargic over the past few years. It's difficult watching them when they're in pain. There are effectively that I can identify there are two desires there. One is a desire to fix the slowing down and fix the lethargy. And the next is it's difficult watching when they're in pain. So it's just to make sure the dog is not in pain. So what I do is those are two IVOX summaries that I can have. So number one I'm just going to put desire to fix slow movement
and lethagy. Remember this in itself is not copy. The purpose of creating IVL summaries is just to give us an idea of the kind of messaging that's probably going to resonate with our audience more as opposed to other messages that we could use. The other thing of course was desire to cure pain for the dog. Boom. Now what I like to do down here as well is I will just mark how many times I've seen this. It doesn't really matter which way you do this. You can either just count this as one or you can
next to it just write a one there. So that's fine. What I'm going to do is I'm just going to write one here. And I'm just going to write one here. And then when I see another one, I'm going to come down and I'm going to put two. Similarly, you could just do it like that. So you just put a little dash for each one. Just for the sake of ease, I'm just going to stick to numbers like this. So that one is done. I'm going to highlight that green for now just to show that
we've done it. She's struggling getting upstairs. Just sorry to hear in pain. It's like seeing one of my kids in pain. Okay. Boom. Now, we've had two for this. She's mentioning that because it's a desire she wants to see fixed and she doesn't like seeing the dog in pain. So, now we've seen these things mentioned twice down here. Okay. My boy just turned eight and we start noticing the lameness and wobble on his back legs. Okay. So, desire to fix slow movement and lethargy. I would say that that qualifies. But also something else is noticed
wobble slash difficulty on joints. Okay. Doesn't matter exactly how you word this. Okay. Now, they were talking effectively about slow movement. I will always give credit to something I think it is kind of referring to, but when in doubt, I'll also just add another thing that is potentially a bit more nuanced and I'll say that's a different point. The most important thing here is I don't want to miss any of the research. I hate arthritis. Okay, so specifically here, desire to cure arthritis. I was able to do them at home after the initial few, cheaper
that way and fewer road trips. A few points here. Let's add some rows below. So, one of them is desire to reduce use veterates and then desire to keep solution cheap. It's really helped her be able to enjoy walks more and she's got some of her bounciness back. Okay, great. That to me is desire to fix slow move and left G because of bounciness. Again, I don't want to say bounciness as a separate point because it's effectively this exact desired outcome here, but we might want to use bounciness in the copy later on. So, what
I'm going to put is I am going to put the walks point is kind of a separate point. Of course, it relates to that, but specifically it's mentioning walks and walking is quite a big thing within, you know, for dogs. So, I want to put here desire to help the dog enjoy walks again. And remember, like it doesn't matter how many things you have down here. There's no wrong answers here. This is just research. You want to make sure you get it as accurate as possible. I'm having a real hard time with this and would
really appreciate any advice. Now, this is desire to make their own life easier. Okay, I'm not stressing too much about how I'm writing this down. I'm just putting down what I feel like that person is trying to communicate by this. For several months, I've noticed he's had a hard time laying down. Again, lethargy, slow movement, also is curing pain because it's a difficult time doing something. And also, it's difficulty on the joints as well. I'm also going to put desire to help them lay down. And remember, this doesn't mean we're going to include all of
this stuff in the copy. It just means that these are things that have been mentioned. Age is starting to catch on 13-year-old. It's heartbreaking. That's absolutely referring to this lethargy, wanting to fix slow movement. It's also difficulty on joints because those things are quite related and also it's about making their own life easier because they're almost complaining themselves about how it's heartbreaking. They don't want to be seeing it. It's not nice for them. We have used Yumu for months and has made no difference to her mobility. Again, mobility, that's the thing. They really care about
being able to actually move. And of course, this is talking about a specific solution. In this case, I'm not really too interested in other specific solutions they've used necessarily right now because I'm just trying to find out like the problem. So, not going to bother mentioning any competitor names right now. Of course, if you know that your client's strategy really relies on knowing exactly what other competitors are available or other common solutions, you may want to be dedicated to writing about that kind of stuff. I've tried everything from Dasquin to Consequent to GMAX, you name
it. Another thing is just desire to find a solution that actually works instead of duds because used a lot of stuff. Now, we haven't done a ton of research here, right? We've only had a look for the sake of this video at a few resources. So, if we kept going and kept going, kept going, we find more and more stuff that would probably add more points, different ones. But what do we see immediately? The desire to fix slow movement and lethargy seems to be the thing that's winning out. And then outside of that, it's just
noticing these things more. And then also the desire to cure pain. Clearly, the thing that's being noticed and the biggest desire that's really striking out of people is just the fact that they see slow movement, they see lethargy. But we've also another kind of outlier, something that's been mentioned a couple times is desire to make their own life easier. So we almost have anything that's mentioned more than once is probably worth trying to incorporate into our copy somewhere or at least into different parts of copies to test which messages work best. But let's finish up
the summaries. So next we go down to firm notions. She's truly part of my family. The dog is part of family. And remember, when we go through all of these different forums and Reddit posts and YouTube comments and all of this kind of stuff, we really want to make sure we are copying down every single instance we see of these things. Doesn't matter if you're duplicating things. The point is if we see one person say, "Oh, she's truly part of the family." Another person say, "Oh my god, she's like my daughter." Another person say, "She's
always been part of the family." Copy all of them down because that would then be three marks for this summary. I'm trying to do my best for her. I'm trying my best. I hate arthritis. That really does help more than anything. CBD never really worked for him. Just chilled him out as fun again, but didn't really do much. Now, we could break that down by specific solutions if we really cared about that. But what I'm going to do just for the sake of this because we might not be trying to attack other solutions specifically is
we might just want to say multiple solutions haven't worked. If I was doing this for a real project and I really wanted to get in depth, I would separate that out into like CBD didn't work or hydrotherapy didn't work just to see how many people are saying it that often. For the sake of this example, I'm just going to put them into one point. And also it's because this is the kind of product where for this client, let's say, I may not really want to attack loads of other solutions because perhaps we offer several of
those services. But the point is, someone is saying, "We've tried a load of stuff and it didn't work." Some days are better than others. She's such an old girl and can be a bit of a hassle sometimes to care for her, but I still love her no matter what. What I'm going to say is the dog is part of the family. I love them. So, I'm going to combine that into one point because I think dog is part of the family slash I love them. Relatively interchangeable. You could argue on that point and say, "Alex,
I would have those as two separate points, which is fine, but for the sake of this, I think they're similar enough to warrant being the same point because I want to have clear winners like, well, clearly the love that someone has for them, the close bond that they share is clearly something that people are talking about more than anything when it comes to firm notions. Also, I'm going to say she can be a bit of a hassle. Still loves their daily walks. dog still wants to walk and function like they did before. Other things made
no difference. So again, multiple solutions haven't worked. And then again, I've tried everything from this to this to this just like we have here. Hasn't worked. Hasn't worked. Hasn't worked. Potentially a big point is the fact that these won't be the first things that people have tried. They've tried loads of stuff before. It just hasn't worked for them. Already we can see a big thing that people have as a notion is loads of stuff hasn't worked for me. I feel like I've tried everything. So in an ad we can very very clearly bring up if
you've tried X Y or Zed and it hasn't worked it's no surprise or you say look if you are ripping your hair out trying to find a solution that works look no further. That then becomes copy that can introduce our product and show how it's different. So you're starting to see how this can start to build the actual copy itself. And again just to kind of belabor the point when I was sitting down to do this section for our course I was thinking like how much do I want to put into this? Do I want
to only describe it and just do the theory? Do I just kind of want to give a summary? I was like, "No, I want to make sure I get this a raw example across of how to do this so there's no confusion," which is what I've done. But one issue with this is I want to be able to show you it in its entirety, but that would require me sitting here for hours and you just watched me do it. So, of course, we've condensed this to make it very obvious. And what you will see is
if you go and do this yourselves, you will have way more numbers than this for different things. And you'll have like 10 instances of this, 16 of this, five of this, two of this. The numbers become bigger. So it becomes more and more obvious which are the big messages that are going to resonate with people. Let's move on to shakable notions. Of course, there's only two in this case, so it doesn't really matter. Trying to sm my dog's back legs when they hurt seems to be where the soft soreness and pain the most. Seems to
offer some relief. Age starting to catch up to my 13-year-old. Shapal notions are massaging the legs seems to help. And of course, in this case, we didn't really do enough research to find loads and loads of instances of this. But it also may be the case, like we've said previously in the video, that there may not be as many shapable notions that are very obvious. It may also be that the product that we're researching or the niche that we're researching doesn't lend itself to have many shapable notions generally anyway. Now, something else I want to
be clear about. Now, I've wanted to keep this more or less to market research, of course, but another thing we haven't talked about too much is objections. In my first iteration of the IBOT research template, I used to have objections as its own section. The reason I don't anymore is because objections can kind of come from any of these. You just need to work out when you come to write the copy, as we'll talk about later in this course, what would make someone not buy? What would make someone not take the next action? What objections
might they have to believing you? The point is, it can come from any of these things. It can come from the desires they have. It can come from the notions they hold. It can come from whatever. But something to be aware of is that objections will often come under shakable notions. For example, it might be quite a boring thing like we saw earlier with the subscription. If we're selling this on a subscription, but they've experienced problems with subscriptions before, that might be an objection to ordering from you. But a shakable notion is, I don't want
to order from subscriptions because they don't work. But you could show them why it works. You could get over that objection by saying, we allow you to pause it whenever you want. You can cancel without paying for anymore, for example. Other objections might be, oh, I don't like anything that's kind of mass-produced in China. Maybe there's been a scandal going on about dog food or supplements where like people are saying, oh, you shouldn't trust these brands, or it's got this specific ingredient in it, so you shouldn't use it. And that's something you need to bring
up when you find those things when you're doing your research. Stick them wherever feels right. It can even be an other if you're just not sure. You can treat this like an objection section and just say, "Oh, I've seen a couple people mention that they'd never buy a product that had this ingredient. They'd never buy a product that was manufactured in these countries or something like that." Just something else to be aware of. Of course, we didn't come across any of that when we were researching and you may not come across it so obviously, but
objections that people have are always something you should be thinking of. Not loads of people mentioned it, but objections often are the things you want to bring up throughout the body copy and in the FAQ sections of pages. So, it's still important to know any that they might be, even if it wasn't mentioned that frequently. Just something to keep in mind. Where were we? Identifications. They believe they're good dog owners, superior to people. Now, like I say, these are things that we have absolutely seen. I didn't even bother copying down the exact italics of specific
quotes. I absolutely recommend that you do that, but just keep a tally even just up here. here. So, you don't need to copy and paste directly from quotes. Just make sure you're kind of keeping a tally of how many times it's implied. For this product specifically, we can paste both of these in. And in all honesty, doesn't really matter how many times it was mentioned because the fact is these are how people tend to identify. So, there something we should try and incorporate into our copy. Okay. Okay. Characteristics, of course, didn't really find any that
were very useful for us in this. So, don't need to worry about that. And then other So, let's have a little look at how we would up change these in summaries. The vet mentioned this, but to be honest, I'm getting a bit confused as to which drug, which combination drugs work best. I'm confused at which solution works best. I wish they had been around at the start as there are so many options available to make an Arthurex dog's life easier. To be honest with you, now I've like look at that again. I would actually say
it kind of probably comes up here as well because we want to make it easier not their own life, but we want to make it easier for the dog. So that kind of relates to fixing that slow movement we spoke about. So, I would actually add a point for that there. We may even want to come up here and add that as a separate point if we want to be nuanced. But, as I've said before, as you're going through this, remember this is process. Copy is assembled. We are looking to improve things all the time.
And if we catch something, we're like, "Actually, that fits in quite well there," or, "Yeah, it makes sense in that section," just add it. There's nothing wrong with while you're going through correcting things and going, "Yeah, actually, I think that fits more into there." As I've just done, slow and stiff. So again, to me, probably wouldn't even put that in other because I think that's age catching up to them. I would have difficulty on joints for sure because they're talking about specifically the stiffness. And that's another thing for other. If you see that you've already
got like a summary that works for it, just add a tally. I got him when it was little. So I guess little me thought he would live forever. To me, that's showing like age is starting to catch up. But also, I'm going to put that down another because it's slightly nuanced. And to me, that really is something that I feel like would make quite good copy as well. And then common words and phrases. We don't need to add these to summaries. These are just things that we should be trying to use in our copy to
make it feel like we're more relatable for the readers. Okay, so now we have all of these points and now we just need to rank them. So what we do is we go to the biggest point first. We control C and say right that's the first big one. What's the next biggest? Was it four? There you go. And then I usually start with desires first. So three. And then before we go on with desires because there are other threes on this now. So multiple solution haven't worked. That's another three. H to catch up. another three
and then we go back up to desires and go to the next biggest number which is two. The owner wants to make their own life easier. The next one pop family dog wants to function like I did before. And then of course we would go through and we would copy the ones as well. Okay, there you go. There you have it. Now we have a ranked list of the messages people seem to care about most and talk about most from IBOK data. Obviously we have the identifications here. We're going to weave through our copy. People
have desired to fix slow movement and lethy in their dogs. They notice wobble or difficulty on joints a lot. They want to cure the pain for their dog. They know multiple solutions haven't worked and they know the age is starting to catch up to them which is obviously frustrating them and they want to make their own life easier because it's so difficult to deal with. They know the dog is part of the family and they love them and they know the dog still wants to work and functionally did before. And then of course these are
things that only came up once but still may be very very relevant to test ads with. But we certainly know where we can link points together. Like this is a really really big one that's important for most people when it comes to solving this problem. All right, there we go. We now have a ranked list of IVOC summaries that can help us structure the copy, which we'll come to talk about in the next section around how we actually plan and write the copy that we use. But the point is here, we now have a way
to try and establish what people actually care about. Not only that, we can then go back up to what we've written down and get exact wording that people use, which can help inform our copy, which we can swipe directly from because we need to join the conversation that's already happening in the reader's head. This is a really, really simple way for us to do it. Not only that, we also have a bunch of common words and phrases they use that we can weave into the copy and we know their identifications that in this case are
going to be pretty much universal, so we can use wherever we're writing. That is a quick rundown of IVOCK research, a kind of full end-to-end process of it without me sitting here for hours and hours and hours. That is how I structure my IV research and how you can do it too, no matter what niche, no matter what product you're writing for. And here I've even given you an example of just a way to keep it on track. Just put the product up here so you remember what it is you're looking for and what problem
you're trying to solve. Put the one reader profile here. Of course, the bigger the one breeder profile, the more detail you have around it, the more your client knows who you're targeting, the easier it's going to be. And then the three kind of areas to search in the specific problem that your product solves, the general topic that problem relates to, and then common solutions or competitors. All of these things are going to help you find below in the way that I've just described. You then get actual IVOC data that you can use and pull from
and swipe within your copy. Then you have a way to put IVOC summaries down on a page so you understand what messages are resonating. then you can rank them, which was going to help you plan out whatever piece of copy you're writing and how you structure the messaging. That is something we're going to talk about later in this course, exactly how to plan and write copy using your IV summaries and just using common sense that you've picked up from the rest of this course of how to write copy well. But for now, that is a
quick raw rundown of how to actually conduct IVOC research. So, that's how you complete the IVOC process. Go to where your prospects hang out online. Record what they say that relates to the topic you're writing about. Condense what gets said into simple summaries and keep a record of how frequently they get mentioned. If you do that, you'll be ready to create a solid profile of your target reader and craft an emotionally compelling idea that will appeal to them. But first, there's a question we need to ask. And maybe it's something you've already been thinking, why
don't we just use AI for all of this? Because using AI misses the point of research. Research is not a game of destinations. It's a game of journeys. In other words, simply having a load of pages filled with IBOK summaries isn't the only purpose of conducting research. You will find that as you go through the research process, you will pick up general sentiments your market has that are hard to put into words. You will embibe the vocabulary they use and the references they make. You will find the diamonds in the rough that may spark inspiration
for a fantastic idea. But you miss out on all of that if you just put a few prompts into an AI software and kick back with a 20page document full of words that you didn't find yourself. Are we saying you shouldn't use AI for anything ever? No. Maybe there are some applications you'll find it useful for, but it should never replace you for the most fundamental parts of your copywriting. Deciding what to write and actually writing. Your best results will almost always come from you genuinely thinking about what might work best and working your hardest
to make it a reality. So, by this point, you will have gathered all the IVOCK data you need and create a summaries to recognize what your target readers are talking about the most. There's only one step left in the sticky research process. You simply need to use your IVOC research to fill out your reader's target profile and to create your one idea. If the business you work with already knows who they want to target, then it's possible that you are already able to fill out some of the reader profile. But for anything you haven't filled
out or if the business just has no idea who they want to target, then now is the time to fill in the gaps with the IBOK data that you have collected. Move the summaries into their corresponding sections within the reader profile and use what you found out about the characteristics of your target reader to fill out the age, gender, income, and location sections. Having this reader profile filled out will be an easy way to keep your reader in mind when you come to write copy. And remember, the companion guide contains a completed version of one
of these profiles so you can see what yours should look like. We suggest you fill in your reader profile just so you can keep a clear focus on who you're aiming to persuade. But even if you decide not to listen to us, and why would you do that? Then at the very least, you should absolutely complete it in the next and final step of the research process. Creating your one idea is a big step, but if you have followed our instructions so far, you will be ready for it. Ideas are a big concept to wrap
your head around. So, here are a few guidelines for creating them. Remember, an idea is the single most powerful point that you can make to connect with your reader and what they want. A good idea will make the copy itself more interesting for the reader, leave the reader with a clear understanding of why what you're offering is unique, and of course, show them why it's worth continuing with the action that you want them to take. If you don't find yourself having sparks of inspiration at random points during the sticky research process, don't worry. There are
a couple of reliable templates that can help you get the ball rolling. And you don't need to be overly creative for these to work. You just need to fill in the gaps with your research. The first is here's the big and relevant benefit, and this is why it works. For most products, this template is both simple to pull off and effective appealing to readers. Identify the iBox summary from your desire category that you think will be the most appealing. If in doubt, base it on the summary that was referred to the most frequently by your
target readers. Then make sure that desire matches the benefit of your product. That completes the first half of the template. Here's the big and relevant benefit. Then you can either take the feature that provides that specific benefit or simply the product as a whole and attach that to the second half of the template. This is how to get it. And there's your idea. Simple, right? Let's take a look at this in action. This page states the benefit in the headline by referring to a desire the reader has. Simplifying recruiting events. And because this desire is
so strong to the target reader, the headline copy doesn't need to say much to grab attention and get the point across. Then the subhead of the page just reveals how the benefit will be delivered through the software that this page is advertising. The idea of this ad isn't anything insanely special. But in this case, it doesn't need to be. The market isn't too sophisticated, so the copyriter could afford to focus more on desires alone, leading to a simple but still extremely relevant message. But what about when you're working with a market that's more sophisticated? Well,
our second idea template is this method you've never seen before is the key to your desire and it's only attainable through this product. This idea template presents a specific method to the reader that is completely new to them and paints it as the way to achieve their desire. Then it states or implies that the only way to access this method is through the product being sold. The method is effectively a description of what your product actually does to satisfy the biggest desire your reader has. You need to describe this method in a novel way for
the reader and then point to your product as a way to access the method. A key here is hinging the idea on the novelty of the method your product uses to deliver the benefit. In other words, this helps you highlight a USP to stand apart from competitors. The Lynchman ebook page did this well by implying that the desire of its target reader, selling more people into a membership program, could be achieved by making just one simple tweak on this funnel, a novel method the reader hasn't seen before. Then they imply that the only way to
uncover this method is by buying the ebook. The idea of this page goes even further by playing on readers shakable notion of how anything that adds revenue to a membership program must be hard to execute. By implying upfront that it's easier than they think, it makes the product even more intriguing and appealing. But these are just two ways of coming up with ideas from the research you've conducted. This is not an exhaustive list. In reality, there's practically an endless number of ways you can come up with good ideas. Often simply looking at the iBox summaries
most frequently referred to by your target readers and combining them into a message is a great way to spark potential ideas. If in doubt, return to these two templates and see what you can make work for whatever you're writing about. And there's one final caveat we should discuss when it comes to ideas and copywriting. You may hear the term big idea get thrown around occasionally, and it's important to clear up what this actually means. So, let's open the floor to our resident big idea man, Sean. Okay, so listen, big ideas have a long history in
the realm of advertising. It originally comes from David Olga who was like coming up with like concepts like the Marlboro man and stuff like that. And it was a sort it was sort of adapted in the direct response days to really just mean any sort of large sales argument that was extremely emotionally compelling. A sales argument is just you should buy these things for these reasons. It later got adapted to sort of mean like a sales argument with bigger social impacts. Like for example, a sales letter selling energy stocks based on the idea that governments
are moving too quickly towards renewable energy for example. That's a real promo that really existed. So I have actually been uh criticized before because I will come out and say that no marketer knows what a big idea really is. And that is true. you talk to 10 marketers, you're going to get 12 different definitions of what a big idea actually is. The key thing that you need to understand for this context is that you're going to see many different definitions of what a big idea is. But when I am talking about it, when we are
talking about it, we are talking about a sales argument. That's socially important. That's all we're saying. So, good luck with that. Finally, to round off Rioa and fully prepare for writing the copy, which we'll cover in the next section, you need to lay out the offer and action you're working with as well. This will give you a full set of guidelines before you start to write. Like we said before, copywriters are typically not able to change the offer or the action, but that doesn't mean you can't use them to strengthen your appeal to readers. We'll
talk about how in the next section, but first, let's get clear on what we mean. In the companion guide, you'll find a simple template for recording the offer and action you're working with along with a completed example. But filling it out couldn't be simpler. What main tangible deliverable are you promising the reader? In other words, what is the main thing you're giving people in exchange for taking action? A free guide on computer programming, a two-lb box of beef jerky, a course on public speaking. How does this main deliverable break down into parts that logically prove
how the main benefit will be achieved? In other words, are there elements to the product that make up the larger whole? And how do these elements deliver the benefit that is being promised? Are there separate chapters that each cover a different essential of programming? Are there ingredients in the jerky that give relevant benefits? Are there a certain number of modules in the public speaking course that go into different skills? Was that I overdid it. No, I don't think so. Next. Are there any guarantees or policies that make this offer more appealing to the prospect? The
free element of the programming ebook makes it a hard offer to refuse. Is there a returns policy on the beef jerky if the customer doesn't like it after the first pack? Does the public speaking course have a money back guarantee? Next, are any bonuses included? Does the programming ebook also include free weekly tips via email? Does the beef jerky include a digital guide to post-workout protein routines? Does the public speaking course also come with a free live call with a personal coach? All of these gimmicks have the power to strengthen the appeal of your copy.
Next, what is the cost to the prospect for taking you up on this offer? Simply put, what price is being charged and are there any discounts available? And finally, quite simply, what action does the reader need to complete to get this offer? Sign up using their email, complete a checkout, fill in an application. If you ask these questions about the product you're writing for, you will have a full set of guidelines for when it comes to writing. Congratulations, you have just learned all the information you need to successfully write any piece of copy. From breaking
down what you're writing for to conducting IBOK research all the way through to establishing your Rioa, you now have the power to prepare for any copywriting project. The companion guide will also cover everything we've talked about and include a complete set of cheat sheets and examples. But even more excitingly, in the next section of this video, we're finally going to do it. It's actually time to learn how to write copy. So, let's go. We're going to be honest. There's a lot of terrible advice out there on how to actually write copy. From buzzword-filled guides to
tips that are just plain wrong. It feels like it's harder than ever to find guidance on how to turn the concepts in your head into words you can get paid for. So, in section four of this course, we're going to show you what you've been waiting for. How to actually write the kind of copy that moves readers to buy and earns you money. By the end of this video, you will understand how every piece of copy fundamentally works. Be able to confidently go from, "I have all the research to," I know exactly what to write,
and know how to translate your reader's emotional energy into action. Think back to what you have learned so far about how the human mind works. By using ideas, promises, and gimmicks, we can tap into our reader desires, notions, characteristics, and identifications to move them to take action. While moving a stranger to action might be a difficult task, remember that your reader is no stranger to you. Because you've done such great research, you already have the foundation to write exactly the kind of message your reader needs to hear to be persuaded. Now, all you need to
do is put that message together. In a few moments, we are going to show you over-the-shoulder footage of what it looks like to write copy from blank page to finished product. But before we do that, we want you to understand how words on a page come together to form a persuasive message. If the thought of having to write copy makes you nervous, this might be the most comforting phrase you ever hear because it means that writing copy is more of a science than it is an art. Though don't worry, there's certainly room for creativity as
well. The point is, as long as you've collected the right parts to write your copy, which is what we covered in the last section, then the process of putting words on the page is more like assembling a Lego set than it is frantically typing and hoping for the best. And that's why thorough research is so, so important. Doing it right pays off in a big way. So, now that you understand the basic concepts behind persuasion and have your research ready and organized, all that is left is to listen to Eugene Schwarz's advice and assemble your
copy on the page. Now, let's talk about how every successful piece of direct response copy functions. Whether that's an email, a sales page, an Instagram ad, whatever. Remember, the ultimate goal of all copy is to get your reader to take some kind of action. To pull that off, your copy needs to do three things. One, grab attention. Two, channel that attention towards an action. And three, give the reader the opportunity to take that action. Conveniently, this three-step process also maps on to three essential components you'll be responsible for in every piece of copy you write.
The hook, the body, and the close. Believe it or not, you already know exactly what a hook looks like, even if you've never written copy before. Intriguing email subject lines, surprising new article headlines, YouTube title videos that make you go, "What?" Even the first three seconds of a Tik Tok video you can't stop playing. These are all effective examples of hooks when they capture the reader's attention. Why are hooks so important? Well, we live in a world in which people are constantly bombarded with information. Without an explicit reason to stop and engage with your content,
the chances of your reader scrolling right past it are incredibly high. The body takes the attention you've captured with your hook and channels it toward an action. Imagine you're meeting up with a friend at a packed concert and you spot them through the crowd a few yards away. You might yell, "Hey." But then what? Are you going to meet up with them near the stage? Do you want to meet them back by the merch table? Maybe you just want to meet up with them after the concert. Whatever you ultimately do, calling out to them is
simply the first step to saying what's actually important. In the same way, your body copy is where you channel the attention you've captured with your hook towards the action you want your reader to take. How long does your body copy need to be? As long as it takes to persuasively take your reader from paying attention to ready to act. That might only take a sentence or two in an email, but it might take 20 pages in a long form sales letter. Once your reader is ready to act, you need to show them what action you
want them to take. That's where your close comes in. The most important component of your close is the call to action or CTA. That's where you show the reader what they should do next. Click here, buy now, like and subscribe, and book a call are common CTAs you've likely seen before. But the truth is that you can invite your reader to do whatever makes sense for your brand or product. Whether it's sharing a post or coming to an event in real life, the goal of the close is to persuade your reader to take a concrete
next step. So, what content goes into the hook, body, and close? That's where we check back in with our research. More specifically, now is a great time to adapt your IVOG summaries into copy that reflects how your target audience truly feels about the subject. Here's Alex to show you how to do that. Adapting IVOG data pretty much does what it says on the tin. Uh, it's the process of using the best source that you have for what your prospect will want to hear and translating it into the copy. And of course, the best source you
have is the words of prospects. It's what they say when they don't feel like they're being questioned. It's the raw data that we've collected, the pages and pages of it. Remember that huge um Word or Google Docs document that you will have filled out um or that you will go on to fill out? That is what we use. So, for this, we're going to need that document with all the raw IVOC data in it. We're going to need your sticky research and we're going to need your spit draft. And it's quite a simple process. All
you need to do is go through your spit draft. Go through the raw data beside it and see which samples of the raw data line up with the messaging that you've already decided on. So the spit draft that you've done, there will be certain messages that you have put in it and points you've decided on. Things you said, right, I need to do this here. I need to do this here. go back through the raw data and match them up, annotate them, comment on them, label them, however you find best to do it. I usually
just do it um with two word documents and then I list them out underneath the points in the spit draft, the the raw data. Uh and then you can work on translating them. So, you want to look for any key phrases or metaphors or adjectives or ways of describing something that the IVOC uses um that links to the specific messages as you go through your spit draft. You should always think of your job in this instance, like we already discussed, to join the conversation that's happening in the prospect's head. So, highlighting pains or desires as
they describe them or using words that they often use themselves are easy ways to make um the copy resonate. and you you'll have that full list um and all those those different categories as well that you can easily go back through particularly the common words and phrases that's actually a very useful one um more often than not uh and let's just have a look an example just one example because it's all we need for this uh because like I say you already have all this work done now it's just uh a matter of making it
fit the style that you're writing in and putting it into context so here again we have real life examples of uh IVOC data that I recorded for a gluten-free snack that we sold. Uh and I mean, I'll just take you through a couple of them. So, you know, I don't want to be a picky food princess and force my friends and family to make big changes for me. What meals can I make that satisfy both the tolerant and intolerant? How do I go about parties? Because obviously, these are for people who have celiac disease and
who can't eat gluten. Um uh another one, I hate feeling like people have to change their plans because of my diet. Uh, you can tell that one's from the real world because of the poor punctuation and spelling. Um, and then the last one, and why making my friends change what meal we eat is embarrassing. So, what we do is we take those because we had a point on our spit draft that said, um, people are embarrassed. People don't like changing plans, people feel bad about it. Uh, something along those lines. So we went back through
the IVOL data and we saw okay well what direct quotes match up to that and then we look at the direct quotes and we merged them into copy and that's what we've done beneath those three quotes become forcing friends and family to make lastminute menu changes isn't fun. Now do you see how we're taking the core concepts of each of these quotes and we're mixing them together and we are making something that is concise but extremely relevant. We use the word force and forcing because that was the emphasis was put on that um as if
they really feel like it's a horrible thing they have to do. Friends and family, it's not fun. It isn't nice. So, we highlight that. This is just a simple example of how you change that raw ivok data into copy once you have the spit draft to go off of. And remember, by the point that you have um you have all this prepared and ready, you will have immersed yourself in this world. So you'll have that kind of natural um indication of of of the contexts that you need to use them in. Uh and you you'll
understand it when you have a campaign and when you have a specific objective set out through Rioa as well. So right now and just looking at this in isolation, it may seem a bit confusing and a bit like I'm still not entirely sure how to do it. But the point is once you are working on a real campaign or real copywriting task and you have all this stuff prepared and you've been through everything, this will feel so natural and it won't feel like you need to struggle to write copy because you have everything you need
at your fingertips. Once we've translated our IBOK data into clear messaging, the simplest way to hook your reader is by leaning on your one idea. If your target reader will immediately recognize your one idea as something relevant to them, then that does the job of cutting through the noise of all the other information being thrown at them. This Gatorade ad is a great example of this concept in action. If you're a young basketball player, Gatorade's idea is both clear and extremely relevant. If you want to play like Michael Jordan, the best basketball player of all
time, you need to drink the same sports drink as him. If you know your reader falls into the unaware stage of the stages of awareness, you'll need to use something that appeals more generally to their identifications or characteristics in order to first intrigue them before gradually introducing your one idea. And remember, hooks aren't just the first snappy line of a sales page. They encompass any first point of contact with your copy that's meant to capture your reader's attention. Always be thinking about the best way to hook your reader given where they'll first lay eyes on
your copy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the hook is the most important part of your copy. No matter how much technology changes things, you can't sell anything to someone who isn't paying attention. That's why old school direct response copywriters like David Olgovie would say that 80% of the success of your copy comes down to your headline. It was the biggest opportunity copywriters of his time had to hook readers. Take a look at how Olga uses the power of intrigue to make this headline incredibly hard to skip. The notion of a book
with every secret is already interesting, but the idea that it's missing one naturally makes you want to know what secrets missing. And because he doesn't specify what kind of secrets are contained in the book, we have the freedom to imagine whatever secrets would be most interesting to us. Now, body copy is all about overcoming the objections your reader has to your one idea. How much overcoming you have to do will depend on how easily your copy appeals to their desires. When you're working with markets with very low levels of sophistication, there often won't be many
objections to deal with. For example, if you're writing copy for the only car mechanic in town, your messaging can be quite simple. But when your reader has more objections to buying, you'll need to overcome those objections in your copy before you can make a sale. Here are a few common examples of objections you'll have to address in your copy. What's in it for me? I don't have enough time. I don't have enough money. I don't believe you. It won't work for me. I don't need it. I can do it without you. Why haven't I heard
about this before? How exactly do you overcome objections? Well, the first step is to call out your reader's objections in your copy. Doing so accomplishes two things. One, it demonstrates your reader that you understand where they're coming from, building trust. Two, it sets you up to overcome those objections with later copy and persuade your reader to act. After you've acknowledged your reader's objections, you need to counter them with a claim to the contrary. For example, if you know readers think the toothbrush you're selling is expensive, you might say that although the price is high, your
product ends up costing the reader less in the long run because it lasts longer than competitors toothbrushes. Of course, those counter claims are only as powerful as the proof you use to back them up. Effective proof can be anything from quick math showing the true cost of your product in the long run to carefully citing scientific studies to demonstrate how a secret ingredient works. A good rule of thumb to follow is that the bigger the claim you're making, the more proof you'll need to make it believable. For example, persuading you that the sky is blue
would be as easy as telling you to look up on a sunny day. But it would be uh quite difficult to persuade you that the moon is made of cheese. The final piece of overcoming a reader's objections is reminding them of the benefits they stand to gain if they choose to believe you. Going back to our toothbrush example, this is where we might remind the reader that the benefit of buying our product is that they'll get a toothbrush that lasts longer, saving them money. Ending with a benefit allows us to demonstrate to the reader that
the negative notion they had about our product was actually a positive in disguise. Now, let's sit down with a procopyriter, in this case, our very own Sean, to hear about how he tackled his reader objections in a piece of copy he wrote. All right, Sean, tell us what we're looking at. Okay, so this was in the body of a big webinar launch about 25 pages in, so sort of close to the beginning. Actually, this was one of the first promotions I wrote that did more than a million in sales. And I wrote this for a
tech guru with a history of making successful big predictions. That was the overarching idea, the gimmick we used to get attention. attend this webinar, hear about the new opportunities he's predicting. Because the guru also had a history of making big predictions on outlets like CNBC, we filmed the webinar like an interview. What you are seeing is what I put on his teleprompter. Okay. So, you the copywriter, you come up with all this stuff, the strategy, the words. Did someone give you a brief or did they tell you what they wanted you to do? creative briefs
and the assistance that brand strategists provide are for pampered cubicle jockeyies and agencies and big corporations somewhere. I heard that at direct response info publishing companies the in-house copyriters will work with a publisher and marketing team to come up with the strategy, the format, the ideas, all of it. But at the end of the day, it is the copywriter who is mainly deciding on the strategy and writing all the deliverables from signup pages to scripts to the emails we use to drive people to the webinar itself. That sounds like a ton of work for one
or two people. Yeah, well, you got to pay the cost to be the boss. Anyway, the big idea of this promotion, the emotionally resonant and socially important sales argument I teased out from the guru's ideas was that there was this huge convergence of trends, uh, what I called in the copy a supercon convergence. Beginning back in 2018, AI and blockchain were just coming onto the scene. So, the whole webinar presentation was trying to sell people back in early 2019 about how massive and socially impactful the growth of AI and cryptocurrencies would be. Wow. I mean,
I know there are a lot of people who are skeptical of direct response financial copy, but I bet they wish they had bought this information back then. Yeah, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Anyway, that's the context of this, but let's dig into the actual objection portion of the OCPB structure. Okay, let's financial copy is challenging because the objections people have shift with the news and how markets behave. At the time, you know, late 2018, early 2019, the market had one of its worst months since the big 2008 crash and the worst December
since 1931. So, look at this top line. Viewers at home have been hearing a lot of chatter about the markets in the news. A lot of it is pretty scary. So, this is me directly acknowledging the justifiable feelings that viewers are having, but I'm avoiding specifics because I don't want to actually worry them. Okay, so you're entering the conversation that the viewer is actually having in their mind. Hey, that's a call back to something that we said earlier in this copyrightiting course. It's almost like the things that we're teaching are useful. But anyway, that emotional
validation was the setup to this next line where I had the interviewer express the logical objection that people would naturally have. What would you say to someone who is watching and isn't sure about getting into the markets at all right now? Okay, so I that's the objection, but the way it's presented, frankly, it feels kind of ham-handed and obvious. Don't you feel like this would push readers away? Well, it comes down to more like presentation and delivery stuff. If the delivery of the objection fits with what is being said and the format, like say if
it were an interview like this, it feels totally natural. But in a written sales page or sales letter, you can often get away with just stating the objection as a question. And then you can use those objections stated as questions to structure the body of your sales copy, as I did here. So, how do you overcome that objection? Well, first thing you do is state a claim like I did here. Notice how there's no transition, no leadup, no explanation or attempt to couch things in context. We're not writing essays. We're not writing movies. Sales copy
has to be tight, tight, tight. Even if a promotion is hours long, the big thing I'm doing here is changing the frame and direction of the conversation. The question was about whether someone should be afraid to get into the markets. But instead of going, "Don't worry, it's fine to invest." I'm using this moment to make a claim about the people creating the fear in the market and why you shouldn't listen to them. This is called selling against alternatives and it is a good way to boost the credibility of the guru or business you're writing for,
especially if you are writing for an alternative media producer. So, is that why you wrote this next part? Can we walk through this? Yeah. So, look at these lines. Take the financial media for example. You are never going to make money on big trends listening to them because they focus most of their coverage on what is already big and what is already known to everyone. They sell fear and they sell what has already happened. These lines blend a claim and the first piece of proof, which is just a logical argument about the way big media
outlets operate. This is meant to appeal to notions my viewers would likely already have or at least suspect about the financial media. And to drive the point home, I pivot to a specific example of the financial media really fumbling. Yeah. It says, quote, "Just look at 2010. On May 6th, stocks crashed. Panic ensued. The Dow dropped a,000 points in 36 minutes." End quote. Yeah, but well, it's not enough to just say these things. You have to show them. So, I brought in this bit after. The New York Times later reported that investors were fleeing the
stock market. Then I capped it off with a prediction from someone from a really reputable and well-known Wall Street firm that ended up being completely wrong. This is all important to show in response to the original objection because well, what are we doing here? The promotion is ultimately telling people they need to buy stocks at a time when people are worried about buying stocks. It's not enough to tell people not to be worried. We have to show them proof that we're experiencing another predictable moment when the mainstream financial media is stoking fear. And what is
the consequence of that fear? Well, that's when I brought in another proof point to contrast with the mainstream financial media and build credibility for the guru. So, I wrote, but I staked my reputation when I put down in print the S&P 500 should go back to all-time highs in the next few years. I wrote that on July 6th, 2010. So, right when investors pulled $33 billion out of the markets, they missed out on the enormous bull run that had just begun. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I totally get it. So, it seems like every line has a
some specific detail, a specific prediction, then a specific date, then a specific dollar amount. All deliberate. Okay. And who found this for you? Where where did you get this research? I did the research. Every detail I found it in books, old newspapers, archive clips from old news broadcasts, and the guru's writing itself. Plus, look what I'm doing in this proof point. It's pointing to a past prediction the guru made that ended up being true. and ended up proving the mainstream financial media and Wall Street economists wrong. So, if I have this right, you stated the
context, you brought in the objection, you made a claim, and then you brought in three pieces of proof. Well, when you write for a skeptical or highly unaware audience, the objection, claim, proof, benefit structure becomes more like objection, claim, proof, proof, proof, benefit structure. So, here's the benefit I ended with. Had you bought the market when I made that call, you wouldn't have had a single day in the red in the last 9 years, every $1 you put into the market would have become $3. Okay. So, what's going on here? Well, I've proved that the
objection, the fear of market volatility was unfounded and that both the financial media and Wall Street uses it to scare people out of the markets. Then I prove that the guru has a history of swooping in at these moments to make big bold positive predictions that go against this negative sentiment and which turned out to be true. And that leads to the B in OCPB the benefit which is that listening to this guru would have h and still potentially could fulfill the viewer's desire to make more money. Stated indirectly of course so as not to
trigger anyone's BS detector. I also phrased it in a way to make the viewer feel like they missed out, like they should have started listening to this person's predictive power earlier. Okay, so you put all that thought and research into 335 words of copy. One page out of the full script was 122 pages of copy. That's ridiculous. What can I say? Long form copy is hard. Not everyone can hack it. And it worked. You said sold a boatload. Wow. Thanks, Sean. Thank you. and I hope that this conversation was helpful to people watching. Now, let's
try running through this exercise ourselves. Pause the video for a moment and pick out an item in your room. I had this Chabbani yogurt. First, what's a common objection someone might have to buying your item? In the case of my yogurt, Chabani is known for being a relatively expensive brand, especially compared to traditional yogurt brands like Yope. Now, while something being expensive for no reason is certainly a bad thing, most expensive goods are expensive because they have some advantage relative to other products, the claim I would make to a reader is that while other yogurts
may be cheaper, Chobani is worth it because it's healthier. What's my proof? Well, it has twice as much protein and less sugar than regular yogurt, plus it has probiotics to aid with digestion. What does that mean for the reader? The benefit they get from purchasing Chobani over other yogurts is that they'll have better health both in the form of lower calorie intake from its low sugar content and an easier time going to the bathroom from its probiotics. We could of course get more specific if we had a certain audience in mind, such as weightlifterss who
might be looking for more protein in their diet, but the process would be the same. After you work through the objection, claim proof, and benefit for the item you picked, try repeating the process by starting with a different objection and going from there. Remember that readers will often have multiple objections to your product, so you'll need to be ready to tackle all of them in your body copy. Finally, once you get to the close, it's all about translating the reader's emotional decision into action. There are two key components to a close. The first is clearly
laying out the one offer, how you're going to deliver on your promise, and the second is asking your reader to take the one action. This whole section is about making the reader understand how they can get the things you've promised them, in what form they'll be delivered, and what they need to do to get it. And remember to refer back to the offer and the action you laid out during your research process. If your offer is a simple product, it may not need much explaining. If it's a complex offer that includes multiple components, you may
need a longer close to explain how your offer works and what your reader should expect. Pointing your reader towards the one action you want them to take is a much simpler task. The most important thing is to make sure your call to action is both clear and direct. Call now. Click here. Buy now. Your reader should have no question about what they need to do next. Sometimes you can pull off your close in a single sentence like click here to add to cart. Other times it might take dozens of pages. Remember that the key in
the close is to be clear and direct about what action the reader needs to take if they want to reap the benefits of your product. And don't worry, if someone's gotten this far in your copy, they are looking for a reason to buy. So don't be shy about giving it to them. Okay? We have just thrown a lot of information at you. Hooks, ideas, body copy, objections, claims, proof points, benefits, closes, offers, CTAs. Ah, like slow down guys. I just want a simple way to write copy. Listen, we hear you. So, even though understanding and
practicing all these components individually is essential if you want to be a great copywriter, is there a step-by-step guide you can follow to make copyrightiting a little more manageable as a beginner? Well, I think so. And so, here's what's going to happen. Alex is going to take everything that we've learned so far and he's going to put it into a clear principle-led process that you can use to start writing copy right now. So without further ado, Alex, take it away. And so we look at the principles of writing copy and specifically how to turn a
blank page into something persuasive start to finish. How do we actually do that? Well, maybe we should cover that for you today. So you now know that copy needs to do three things. It needs to grab attention. It needs to channel that attention towards an action. And it needs to give the reader the opportunity to take that action. And you also know what we need to do to achieve them. We need to write the hook. We need to write the body. And we need to write the close. So we're clear on that. We've discussed what
makes hooks work, why the body is about building your argument and overcoming objections, and what your close needs to do to drive action. But you probably feel a little overwhelmed. In fact, you're probably asking, "How do I actually write copy? Like, what am I doing here? There's a lot of stuff unanswered. How do I actually put this into a process that means I can have a finished piece of copy in front of me to turn in?" Well, let's break down a clear principle-based process that you can use to turn research into persuasive copy right now.
But before we do that, let's discuss the elephant in the room. And it's probably something you've heard of quite a bit. Can't I just use copyrightiting formulas like pass, fab, pp, is that the right number of ps? I think so. ADA, etc., etc., etc. Well, you've probably heard people recommend formulas like PASS, PAS, problem, agitate, solution for writing any kind of copy, or certainly a lot of kinds of copy. But let's look at why that advice is just terrible. Which piece of copy sounds more natural? Let's read these through together and say what you think.
Which one sounds better? Which sounds more natural? Which sounds more persuasive? First of all, the one on the left. Are you tired of not finding the right size picture frame when you want to hang a photo? You have to dig through dozens of pages on Amazon only to find nothing that suits what you had in mind, but you want to hang your photo up now. Is there no answer for finding the perfect picture frame? Look no further. Introducing Whitewall's custom picture frame service. Okay, that versus get custom picture frames here. Choose your own size, color,
and more. Made to fit any photo. Which one sounds more natural for the product that is being sold? It's the one on the right. Because guess what? If you're just selling a custom picture frame, you don't need to overdo it when you're telling people what the offer is and what you're selling and trying to persuade them to buy. You just need to show them they're in the right place for what they want. So, why does the one on the right work while the one on the left is overdoing it and throwing more words onto the
page than actually need to be there? Well, it's because the one on the left focuses on PAS. It focuses on that formula we've just spoken about. Any copywriter who is trying to stick to the principles of PAS thinks that well for a piece of copy that's just trying to move someone to a product page for a photo frame. They think it needs to follow PAS. We throw up the problem. Then we agitate it so it feels like, you know, we really understand the person and then we finally show the solution. But when you're just selling
something as simple as a picture frame, you don't need to do all that. You can just tell people what it is because they've already done the hard work in their heads of trying to figure out what they want. If you just show them that you have what they want already, you don't need to worry about overwriting. So, the difference is the one on the left is boxed into a specific copyrightiting formula that a copywriter is trying to follow and the one on the right is just focused on the principles of persuasion. It's written by a
copywriter who's just thinking, okay, what does this person actually need to hear to get to the next stage? That's it. And that's why the one on the right sounds so much more natural and fits way better. So a formula is not the be all end all for all kinds of copywriting. And often times one kind of copyrightiting formula can't even do much more than a few types of copywriting. You have to understand the context around it to really make it click. Relying solely on formulas to write your copy is lazy and ineffective. Gurus love to
push them because it makes their job of teaching easier. Right? If I was to just sit on camera and say, "Hey, here are six copyrightiting formulas that cover everything. Go and use them." That's going to make my life a heck of a lot easier because all I need to do is sit there and explain these formulas. I don't really need to show much nuance. I can just cherrypick examples and say, "Hey, there passes the answer to everything." Unfortunately, that's not the truth. But we are here to tell you the truth. So, should you never use
formulas? No. Formulas can absolutely be helpful. But there are some rules that we recommend you follow. So, here's a quick guide to using formulas. All right. From the Copy That Crew. The first and most important thing is this. Always always base and check your copy on the principles of persuasion. The stuff we've been talking about throughout this whole course. Okay? If your copy is not adhering to the principles you've learned about, then it's probably not going to work regardless of what kind of formula you're following. So, make sure you always use that as your final
check. Is the copy that I've written here actually adhering to the things that I know makes people act. Secondly, don't confuse copy formulas for other acronyms that we use. Okay, I slipped this in here because I know that some people are going to be like, "Wait, but you've been talking about Rioa and HBC for hook body clothes and stuff like that." Look, not every acronym in the copyrightiting world is bad. And not even necessarily formulas like PAS are bad in certain contexts, but don't just confuse uh formulas for any acronym you see. Okay? Uh Rioa,
for example, HPC. Uh these are all things that like are just helpful for you to know for other parts of the copywriting process. So don't just see some letters and then get scared. The best copy formulas are descriptive, not prescriptive. That is something we try to live our lives by here on copy that. What does that mean? Well, let's take a look at an example. Dick. Okay. Now, we all like dick. D I disrupt intrigue click. Now, that is a formula that's commonly used in something called lift emails, which you're actually going to see uh
Sha write later on in this course. But the reason that that's different from other formulas is because it's descriptive. Now, I'll come to explain what that means in just a sec. Let's have a look at another prescriptive formula like PAS. Well, you've got the four Ps. Promise, picture, proof, push. That is prescriptive. So, what's the difference? Well, descriptive means you're simply describing the effect that you want to have on the reader or you're describing the objective that you should have in each part of your copy. Whereas a prescriptive formula is one that is telling you
to do something specific. It is saying to you, you need to include something. You need to start with the problem. You need to start with a promise. You need to then show a picture. You need to then include a bit of proof. Okay? is telling you you need to insert specific segments, specific components into your copy when that might not actually be the best thing to do because that may go against the principles of persuasion that we know do work. And the problem with pushing yourself into a prescriptive formula is that you then lose any
semblance of control that you want to have over that copy. Whereas a descriptive formula like DIC is just saying to you, this is the effect you need to have on the reader. Okay, let's have a look at disrupt versus promise. Now, disrupt in this context simply means to grab attention, to interrupt the pattern, to disrupt their daytoday life. That's how you want to get attention for the reader. Now, for Dick with Lyft emails, this is typically done in the subject line. So, our subject line needs to be disruptive. We're not saying how you need to
make it disruptive. We're not saying, right, you need to have a promise or you need to start with a problem or you need to start with capital letters. We're just saying do something to disrupt. So in that sense, the things that you can do are much broader. As long as you're being disruptive, fantastic. You've stuck to a descriptive formula. Intrigue. Well, we need to intrigue them. So we need to show them something that's going to be interesting to them, that's going to bring them further into the copy, that's going to um initiate that need of
uh to satiate the curiosity they have. We're not saying how to do that. We're not saying that you should throw some proof up. We're not saying you should tell a story. We're not saying that you should talk about an action. We're just saying you need to intrigue them next. Now, that's pretty obvious. When you look at the PPP, you can see that it's telling you to do specific things, which isn't what we want. That can be very, very detrimental to us writing copy. Now, I know I took a little bit of time just talking about
the difference between descriptive and prescriptive there, but I appreciate that can be quite confusing. So, hopefully you now understand what makes a descriptive formula and what makes a prescriptive formula. Um, another helpful way to think about descriptive formulas is to think of them as objective based. Like I said, you want to disrupt, you want to intrigue, you want to elicit the click. Those are objectives that you need to achieve, and you can use any kind of copy to achieve that as long as you are actually focusing on the objective. All right, brilliant. Next, typically the
more specific a formula is to a format, the better. What do I mean by that? Well, like I just said with DIC, that's typically used for lift emails. Now, it can be used in other contexts as well, but sometimes formulas are designed for specific types of copy. A sales email, a Facebook ad, a an advvertorial, um a product page, a VSSL. Okay, there are a ton of different types of copy and sometimes there are specific formulas that have been designed specifically for that format. Now, this isn't a rule, but usually if a formula has been
designed specifically for that format, it tends to be a more effective formula because it's more specific for that. It's been funk up by people who um know what they're talking about and who have spent a long time uh serving in that space. Typically, that's the rule. I'm not saying that's in every case. And again, we always go back to that first rule we talked about is make sure you're checking your copy against the principles of persuasion. But typically, if it's format-based rather than just a general formula that you should be using for all copy, that
tends to be better. Next, and this kind of links to the point I just made, listen to niche experts when it comes to implementing formulas. Again, if there's someone who is just focused on a really specific type of copywriting and they've done loads of that kind of copyrightiting and they say to you, you know, this formula is actually really helpful for this kind of copy, listen to them. Okay? You know, we're giving general advice. We're talking about principles. We can't cover every single thing. Sometimes if people really know what they're talking about in a specific
space, for example, I could talk a lot about product descriptions and e-commerce video ads and I could give out formulas that I know are useful and helpful for them and tend to work very well. So, if a niche expert says to you, "Hey, this kind of formula works really well for this kind of copy." Fantastic. Listen to them. Learn from them and apply it. still go back to the persuasive principles and make sure you're always checking it, but they tend to be the kind of people that you want to listen to, not just someone saying
that a particular formula should be used for everything. And lastly, remember your research holds everything that you need to know about persuading your audience. Okay? Forget formulas, forget specifics of methods, forget everything we're talking about in this course if you really want to. The fact is if you research well and if you take advice from the research that you have done, you're going to be able to write good copy. So that's just an important thing to fall back on. No single copywriting course, as I said, or guide can teach you all the best practices for
every type of copy. Instead, in this course, we've aimed to give you a solid grounding in the principles of writing good copy that you can apply anywhere. That is the caveat over with. It is finally time to uncover our core copywriting process. Let's crack in to the principles of writing persuasive copy. Specifically, I would like to introduce you to copy that action alchemy ritual or seat. Now, is that a slightly silly name for something that we want to get across? perhaps, but it's an important name and it's one that reflects exactly what we're trying to
encompass with everything we are doing here. The action alchemy ritual really has a few different steps to it. And this is what it is at a high level before we dive into it. You need to lay out your rioa. You need to check your context, both the format and the message matching. You need to answer the five subconscious questions. You need to compile your objections. You need to plot your hook, body, and close. And then create a spit draft. And then you need to translate your IVOC data and fill the gaps. You might be like,
whoa, okay, what does all that mean? Don't worry, we're going to get into all of that in specifics within the next few minutes. So, don't worry on that front, but in essence, that is what we're trying to do. That is the main sequence of events that needs to happen for us to write copy. And particularly if you're a beginner, this is something that I would take to heart and I would make sure you're following until all of this becomes like second nature to you. So, these are the steps that we're going to be completing, but
we are going to need, you know, something to help us along with this. Some kind of template to actually fill out so we're not just shooting at the wind. So, what is that? Well, that is the action alchemy copy planning template, an original name. This here is the Bible. This is something that you can use to plan any kind of copy that you're writing and you can always fall back on to look at and to learn from all throughout your copywriting career. And we would like to give it to you as part of this course.
If you sign up to the companion guide, there's a link in the description for that. This will be sent to you along with all the other resources and the additional tasks and homework and the extra context and tips that we've been talking about throughout the rest of this course. So, click on the link to the companion guide in the description below and you will get a copy of the action alchemy copy planning template. Here we are, the copy planning template. Now, eventually what I'm going to do is I'm going to fill this out live for
you in this course so you can see exactly how I would approach it and I'm then going to write copy from the planning that I do in this document. So, you're going to get to see my whole process and someone actually do this so there's no confusion. But before we get to that, I'm just going to go through this document, talk about the section so you have a clear understanding of what we're actually doing. I'm going to read the text that's already been put down. And remember, once you have access to this document, you can
go back and you can read all of this whenever you want to. So, that's what we're going to do. This document is based on all the lessons you've learned in the copywriting mega course. Use it to help plan any copy you want to write. Fill in the eight sections below to make writing a single piece of copy much clearer. Okay? So when you have a single piece of copy to write, this is the document that you can use to help plan it, right? This isn't for like a massive copywriting project where there's tons and tons
of moving pieces. This is for one specific piece of copy. Okay? You would have one document per piece of copy that you're writing. All right? As you improve, many of these guidelines will become second nature. But for now, you can rely on this planning template to help you stay on track. And as a quick note, you should make a copy of this doc by clicking file and then make a copy and then decide which Google Drive you want to put it in and select make a copy here. Okay, don't try to uh edit this original
file that you're going to have in the companion guide. Okay, make sure that you copy it over and fill in your copy of this document. As you can see, I've already done this. So this is a copy and it's going to be part of the uh project that we're going to be writing today live all about the senior dog project which of course is the same one that I did for the Ivok data section of this course. All right, let's go through the eight sections of this document and what you need to do. So the
first thing is laying out Rioa. So, you want to use this section to plan whom you're writing to, your reader, what you want to focus your copy around, your idea, what you can provide to your reader, your offer, and what you want your reader to do, your action. Right? Like we've spoken about already, these are the things that you need to keep within your rule of one to stay focused on your copy. Fill in the tables below and refer back to them as you plan and write to help keep your copy focused and persuasive. So,
one reader, what do we do for that? Identify common points among your target audience by imagining you are writing to a single person or avatar representing that audience. This will be your one reader. Complete a profile of your one reader below by getting information from the business you're writing for or by conducting your own market research. And for more information, there's a video link there. So feel free to click that and watch another video where we go into depth about the one reader or of course you can refer back to what we've already talked about
in this course today. Now, the important thing for a bit of added context I want to give here is this point. You can complete this profile by doing one of two things. Either you ask the business you're writing for about who it is that they are specifically targeting. If they were targeting one person, what would be representative within that person? What is the thing that makes them a person of that target audience? Okay? Just ask the business and say, "Hey, what are their biggest desires? What are their notions?" All this kind of stuff we're about
to go through. Ask them because they'll have a good idea. But if they're just not sure or if they um have no idea or if you think that you could do a better job because you know they don't quite have a one reader figured out yet, that's where you conduct your own market research like we spoke about earlier on to find who your one reader is. So that's how you get this put together. So what do you need to know about your one reader? Well, the first thing is their desires. What are the strongest desires
that your reader has that you can help fulfill? For example, a pain that they want to get rid of. Okay, that's super important. Like we've already discussed, desires are the thing that drive people to act. So, you need to understand what desire or desires they have that you can actually help them fulfill that's going to drive them to buy your product or to go further through um your marketing strategy or to get to that next piece of copy, whatever it is. So, what desires do they have? Notions. Are there any relevant beliefs that your reader
has about themselves, about the world, or about the industry related to your product? Is there anything that is relevant to what you're writing about that you need to make sure you keep in mind? Something that they believe? Identifications. Are there any strong identifications your reader has or tribes that they would say they belong to? How do they self-identify? Do they consider themselves a football fan? Do they consider themselves a fisherman? Do they consider themselves a new mother? Do they consider themselves an owner of a senior dog? Are there any identifications that they would put on
themselves that are positive ones that they genuinely like or tribes that they choose to belong to? Make sure you have that noted here. Again, if it's related to your product or the solution you're providing, all the better. And characteristics. Now, this is the last of our four entries to the gold mine of the mind. Like we discussed earlier, characteristics often tend to be the least important, but it's still worth noting down, particularly if they're related to the product. Are there any characteristics common among people in your target audience? Are they all of a particular age,
of a particular race, a particular gender? Anything that might be relevant when you're writing your copy. Now, not all characteristics are going to matter, of course. For example, if you are selling a desk, then someone's race doesn't really have any bearing on the kind of desk that they're going to buy in most scenarios, I would imagine. But if you are writing specifically for a um course that's being hosted by uh a black female in America, then it may be you want to take into consideration that she might be targeting people of her group. Or if
it's a uh pain relief tablet that specifically helps with arthritis, then you might want to consider that most people who are buying that are probably going to be of a certain age range. So these are where characteristics start to matter. It's just something you need to discern by understanding the business and who of course they typically want to target. Where do they hang out online? Are there any particular platforms or forums your readers frequently use to share or take in information? So, when you're thinking about your one reader, what do they tend to use? Are
they in Facebook groups? Do they mainly use Tik Tok? Are they in forums all the time? Are there specific websites relevant to a tribe that they belong to where they're always posting or looking for information? Are there particular news sites they use? This is the kind of stuff you need to start thinking about. And then of course lastly we have uh two very important concepts we spoke about earlier in the course. The stage of awareness. Are they unaware, problem aware, solution aware, product aware or most aware? And remember this isn't going to be massively relevant
for every single product because some products will um ride the line between a few of those stages. and it doesn't matter as much, but it's still worth trying to identify what level of awareness they're at relating to your product because that could change where you start the copy. If you're going to start talking about other solutions or competitors, if you're going to start directly with an offer, if you need to first of all introduce them to the problem in the first place, these are the kind of things that you need to consider when talking about
a stage of awareness. So, it's still worth trying to identify what that is. And finally, the stage of sophistication. Has your audience seen many advertisements about this product or similar solutions before? How informed is your reader about what your product's features and benefits are? Okay, those are things you need to ask yourself. Remember, we've already gone through state of sophistication and the stage of awareness earlier in this course. So, go back to those sections if you need a refresher. But these are important to understand the kinds of things that people are going to be aware
of outside of just your copy itself. And that in turn is going to reflect how you write the copy, where you start the copy, and the kind of references you make within your copy. So these are all important notes to get down. Once you've written all these down, you'll have a one reader profile. You will understand things about them that are going to be relevant to your product or to the thing that you're selling that you should either be including or at least be aware of within your copy when you come to write it. Next,
we need to think about the one idea. When you've identified the specific topic that you will write about in your copy by uncovering what's important to your one reader and framing it in an interesting or relevant way, this will be your one idea. Now remember earlier on in the course we spoke about ideas being uh a really really incredible weapon in a copywriter's arsenal. Now, something that you have to keep in mind is your one idea within your copy does not need to be a massive, flashy, perfect, brilliantly laidout copywriting idea like the one we
spoke about earlier. The one idea when it comes to planning your copy is simply the thing that you're going to talk about. Now, it's great if it is an idea like we spoke about earlier in the course, but sometimes it can be really simple. It can just be talking about a benefit as I'll come to talk about in a second. But don't get caught up here on having to come up with the best idea ever. Of course, if you can and if you can follow the instructions that we gave out earlier in the course, that's
fantastic. But if not, and if you feel like you need to keep it simple, then that's fine as well. Okay, so hopefully that makes sense as we move forward. And of course, I'll give you some examples of what we mean. The easiest way to do this is to find the best argument likely to appeal to your reader and persuade them to take action. Typically, this can be done by showing your reader how you can fulfill their biggest desire. Right, nice and easy. Below, we've included three basic questions that can help you come up with your
one idea in most situations. Choose one that makes the most sense to you. And this can be based on the research you already have or what you already understand about your product and about the audience. And if you're still struggling, again, we've linked another video that dives deeper into the one idea. Or, of course, you can um rewind and go back to the section where we talk about ideas within this mega course. So the three things that you can ask yourself to help you formulate the one idea, what big and relevant benefit can you provide
for the reader and how does it work? In what unique way does your offer deliver the big and relevant benefit that will be new to your one reader? So how will the offer itself be new? Is there a unique method or a unique mechanism within that offer that makes it new that your reader won't have seen before? Or why should your one reader believe that you can help them instead of a different business or product? And this of course focuses on the USP, the uniqueness of your solution, your brand, your product in and of itself.
Now, these are three different ways you can think about an idea. Three easy formulas to consider what you should be writing about and the thing you should base your argument around. Use these if they're helpful. Or, of course, if you can think of a bigger idea, like we described earlier in the course, that's fantastic, too. But as long as you are focusing on the desires that the reader wants and how to deliver on them, you can't go far wrong. Next, the one offer. Now, the one offer is, of course, exactly what you're providing to the
reader when they take action. Ultimately, your offer should help them get something that you have promised, whether that is satisfying their desires, as we've just talked about, or simply satiating their curiosity. Note, use offer for copy that drives a transactional action like buying a product or clicking to see the next step of the funnel. or use objective. So, it's still an O. So, instead of offer, just use objective for copy that drives casual engagement like getting a likes, listing comments, or building awareness or reputation. We're aware that offer can have a very specific connotation to
um a transaction or to something monetary. So, if you're not doing something um that is an exchange of something the reader has to do, for example, give you an email or pay you money, then it might be easier to think about it as an objective. just okay well how do I get this like like what are they why are they going to feel good about sharing this why are they going to feel good about our brand at the end so you don't necessarily need to break down an offer into transactional pieces if you're not trying
to drive someone thing that's transactional ideally try and think about it as an offer but if that just doesn't work for you then instead think about it as an objective just think okay well I want to get shares I want to get likes I want to get um a better reputation from this of course and this is my bias speaking but I always prefer writing copy that actually drives to a specific specific offer. This is what you need to ask yourself to help you come up with the one offer. What main tangible deliverable are you
promising the reader that will help them fulfill the one idea? Really easy way to think about it. Okay, the one idea that you've already worked out, what are you actually going to give to your reader to help them fulfill it? Is it going to be a product? Is it going to be some information? Is it going to be a course? What makes this offer irresistible to the reader? I.e., is there a great guarantee? Is there a generous refund policy? Are there proven outcomes? Are there results that you can share with them? Think about how you
can make this offer irresistible and a no-brainer to accept. Are there any bonuses or other extras included? If yes, list them in this table so you don't forget about them. And then finally, what is the cost to the reader for taking you up on this offer? Is it a monetary value? Is it submitting an email? Is it uh sharing a particular level of consent for uh cookies or for a phone number or for allowing notifications? What are you actually asking them to do in order to get this offer? Which brings us on to the one
action? The fewer things that you're asking a reader to do in any individual piece of copy, the better. Wherever possible, stick to encouraging a reader to take just one action. Now, this won't always be possible, of course. Sometimes you might find yourself writing a homepage or you might be writing a newsletter that has multiple CTAs in it because that's what the business wants. In those cases, of course, yeah, you don't need to worry about just one action. However, it's still good to think about what is the main thing you would like them to do and
try to drive them towards that instead of other things. On homepages, for example, is there a main CTA that the business has that you're ultimately trying to drive to? That might be something that you want to put front and center. Don't get too caught up in this, though. If there just is one of those cases where there are just multiple CTAs that you need to put in for some reason, perhaps the business has hired you to do exactly that. In those cases, just make sure you're focusing on keeping each action clear and descriptive so the
person understands exactly what's going to happen after they take action. But ideally, wherever possible, you want to focus on just one, so the reader is not confused and they don't have decision paralysis of, hey, what am I going to do here? One action is always best. Below, you'll simply write a description of what they must do immediately after reading your piece of copy to receive the one offer. So, what is the action that you're asking them to take to get this offer? for example, click to see the landing page or add to car or whatever
it might be. Okay, that's Rioa. So, the first thing you need to do is work out those things. Your one reader profile, understand the idea that you're going to write about. Make sure you break down your offer so you understand exactly what it is that's they're going to get and it's going to deliver the one idea and fulfill on that. And then, of course, the one action, the thing you actually want them to do. Those are things that you need to write down and keep in mind that's going to help guide the rest of your
copy. So that's the first step complete. What's the next? Well, that's where we move on to checking context. Now, this is important. Copy does not exist in isolation. Your reader may have already seen copy related to the product or the brand that you're writing for, and they will probably see other pieces of copy related to the product or brand after they've read the piece that you're currently planning and writing. Different pieces of copy serve different functions. However, all copy should deepen the relationship that a business has with their audience. and ideally turn members of that
audience into happy repeat customers. That's what you're trying to push people towards. When different pieces of copy are linked together for readers to experience in a specific sequence, this is commonly called a funnel. Now, that may be a term that you are very very familiar with, but let's get clear on exactly what we mean because some people may um refer to a funnel as slightly different things. Remember, we're in the world of copyrightiting and marketing. Semantics are a big deal. People have different opinions on exactly what things mean, but broadly speaking, this is what a
funnel is. The easiest way is to show an example. For example, a Facebook ad might link to an advertorial page that builds excitement for a particular product. Then that advertorial page might link to a product page that sells the product. And then that product page might link to an order form or a checkout page. and checking out on that page might trigger an automated email to buyers that offers a discount on another product. Okay, so as you can see in this diagram, the first part of the funnel reaches the largest number of people, but the
funnel gets narrower since fewer people end up taking the actions deep in the funnel. This is commonly referred to as top of funnel, middle of funnel, and bottom of funnel. And you'll have different pieces of copy and different marketing assets throughout this. Okay. Now, we've just given you one example here, but there are tons. There are different types of funnels, and we'll go into that in a second. I'll show you where you can get some more information about that. But for all intents and purposes, this is what you need to think about. There's a lot
of people you can potentially reach. You need to grab them. Grab their attention with that first piece of copy, whatever that might be, whether it's an ad. Grab that initial interest. Then, you need to work on persuading them through the piece of copy that grabs their attention, the next piece of copy that you're pushing them to. and eventually you will get them towards an actual sale where they can buy something. Okay? And of course people are going to drop out throughout that process. So at the bottom of the funnel you always end up with fewer
people than you did at the start of the funnel or the top of the funnel. So hopefully that should make sense. This is crucial to understand because what your reader sees before and after the piece of copy that you wrote can dramatically impact what will work best. You must know where your copy fits in a broader context and how readers will get to your copy. Use this context to inform how you approach your piece. We'll go into that in a second. But for more information about funnels and how they function, again, there's another link to
another video there on the subject. Now, we have a few different pieces of resources on funnels. We have a whole massive marketing strategy course that dives very deep into them. But at this stage, as a beginner copywriter, all you need to worry about is a bit of context on what a funnel is. So go and watch that video. But the role your copy fills within the funnel will impact how you write it. That's what's important to understand. So within checking context, we need to talk about the format of your copy. Consider how your copy will
be delivered and what you need to think about in that given format. For example, if a business hires you to write an email, write multiple subject lines to test with it. Always consider how your copy will go out into the world. So, I want you to make notes below on anything else that you should consider for your copy. Now, this isn't just the case for emails. It can be for Facebook ads. You need to consider if there's going to be a video that's paired with the copy you're writing, if it's a standalone page, anything else
you might need to consider if it's going on a specific software. These are, of course, things that you will um know from the business depending on what they hire you to write. So, make sure you fill these out. What kind of copy are you writing? Is there anything you need to remember about its format while planning or writing it? And then is there a particular formula that you know works well for this format and that you want to follow in your copy? If so, what is it? This goes back to what we were talking about
earlier with formulas. If you know there's one that works really well for the format and you really want to try it for a good reason, then fine, but just make sure you note it down and you give a justification for wanting to follow it. And then finally, let's talk about message matching within the funnel. So, we've just talked about funnels, but how do we message match within them? There's a good chance that your copy will be placed in the middle of a funnel. If you are writing a sales page, for example, your reader may have
just seen an email that made them click through to see your sales page copy. Next, they will go on to see a checkout page so they can order. So, let's imagine that you are writing copy for a sales page. Okay, that means you are in the middle of a funnel. In scenarios like this, you need to be aware of what the reader has just seen and what they will see next because this will affect how you approach your writing process. You need to ensure your copy fulfills the expectations that the reader already has from the
last piece of copy they saw and that you're setting accurate expectations for what will come afterwards. If you fail to do this, the reader may feel fooled, lied to, lost or confused. Any of these will stop them from reading and taking action. So imagine the email has just promised them something and then your s your sales page doesn't deliver on that. It doesn't even reference that thing again. Or let's imagine your sales page says that it's going to be the best offer ever and it's going to be $100, but then the checkout it says $15.
Okay, small cases of error like that where there's a message mismatch can really really screw up your chances of converting someone. So these are the questions you need to answer. What does the copy earlier in the funnel say? What have they already seen? Does it focus on a specific topic or make a promise to the reader? And how can your copy reflect that? And lastly, what does the copy later in the funnel say? What expectations should you set in your copy to stay consistent with it? Those are things you need to make sure you understand
to complete the context section of this planning dock. Next, the five subconscious questions. Every person has five main objections to any piece of copy. These are not conscious objections per se. Rather, these are subconscious questions that niggle at the back of readers brains when they engage with any piece of advertising copy. Now, if your copy fails to overcome these objections, your reader will not take the action you want them to. In fact, they will simply stop reading. So, you need to make sure that in some way you're getting these across. These objections can be framed
as five questions that the reader asks themselves. Again, this happens subconsciously. They're not sitting there and asking themselves these questions one by one at the end of the copy. These are just things that if you don't get to at some point, there's probably not a very good chance they're going to take action. Number one, how is this relevant to me right now? Number two, will this information be new to me? Number three, do I understand the benefits I'll stand to gain from taking action? Number four, do I understand how those benefits will be delivered? And
number five, do I trust the person or business talking to me? Now, one is of course important because we actually need to make sure there's a reason for the people to give us their attention in the first place and that it's related to the desires that they have or the identifications that they give to themselves. All right, all those things we talked about for the one reader earlier on, we need to make sure that it is clearly relevant to them. Otherwise, they just won't even bother giving you their attention. Will this information be new to
me? Remember, we spoke about earlier how novelty often drives action. People don't want to waste time reading or listening to something that they've already seen or that they think they already know. Novelty is what drives people to act. The idea of something new, of learning something new, of seeing something new, of understanding a new solution for their problem. So, we need to make it clear in the copy that this is going to be something that is new to them to keep them reading. If their brain can categorize it as something they already know, they just
won't bother reading it. Do I understand the benefits I'll stand to gain from taking action? We obviously need to make sure that their desire is clearly fulfilled within the copy and we can make it obvious like in the way that it's going to be fulfilled. We understand that we need to include the benefits that are going to be relevant to that desire. And not just that, we also need to make sure that they understand how the benefits are going to be delivered. It's all well and good as just saying, "Yep, these are the benefits you're
going to get." But if they don't understand how they're actually going to get those benefits or like why the logic of our solution like makes sense, then again, they'll just think, "Oh, well, it sounds great, but I don't really understand it. Therefore, I'm not going to go any further." And finally, do I trust the person or business talking to me? Of course, we need to make sure that we're actually trustworthy because people don't buy from people they don't trust. That is just a fact of humanity. We need to show that we have either helped other
people with this or that we're an authority figure or they have some other reason to trust us. These are all different points of proof and authority. Like I said, you do not need to address these questions in any particular order, nor do they need to be explicitly stated in your copy. You can simply use them to help gauge the potential effectiveness of your copy by making sure your copy answers them all in some way. Note down explicit references, points, or piece of evidence that you will mention in your copy to address and overcome each objection
below. So, all you need to do is make sure you write how you're going to overcome each of these objections. Is it a piece of evidence? Is it a specific line that you're thinking of? Is it something you're going to refer to? Is it a particular mechanism that you've you're coming up with? Is it during part of your research, you understand exactly what benefits they want, so that's what you're going to write about. Just make sure that in some way your copy is covering this. You don't need to write the actual copy in these boxes.
You just need to have an idea for, yep, I can cover these with these things. For some of them, you might even have multiple options for how to get over them. But if you fail to answer any of these questions in your copy, people probably aren't going to take action. Then we need to compile objections. Other than the five subconscious questions, your reader will have other objections as well. These objections emerge from the specific product or the service you're writing for. Your specific reader's notions and identifications and the idea you're using to persuade the reader.
Okay? So, these are all things that specifically bubble up because of the person you're writing to or the copy that you are writing. You will find these objections during your research process, particularly within the shakable notions that you identify. And just as a reminder, a shakable notion is any belief that a reader does not hold firmly or even wishes that they did not believe. Now, we spoke about that earlier in the course. The reason so many objections bubble up in shakable notions is because they're often things that people just they don't want them to be
true. And that is something that we can overcome because it's an objection, but also it's not something that we're going to offend them by talking about. Objections will come from other places as well, and you will just find them in your copy. Sometimes it may even be down to things like price to do with how quickly it will be delivered. Of course, it depends on the kind of person you're writing to and it depends on the kind of product you're writing. But what you will find as you plan and write your copy, just keep asking
yourself, am I giving more reasons that people will object to what I'm saying and make sure you overcome each one. So, you need to address and overcome all these objections in your copy. Note down the objections you have found and what corresponding proof points you can use to overcome them. So, here's a table for that. And again, with all of these tables, you can just add more columns or more rows to them if you feel there's another thing that you want to take note of or if there are a ton more objections that you feel
like you need to put down. So that's objections. You need to make sure you have them down and you need to make sure that you overcome them in some point in your copy if it's relevant to what you're writing. Next, you need to plot the hook, the body, and the close. As a copywriter, you are an attention manager. You need to ensure that you can grab and keep a reader's attention until they are ready to act. There's no one perfect method to achieve this. Just like we've been saying throughout this whole course, there's never a
meth there's never a single method. There are always principles to fall back on. So instead, you should focus on using what you have gathered during your research to keep your copy relevant to your one idea. And remember, ultimately, your job is to convince the reader that you are able to deliver on your one idea. Okay? Deliver on the one idea and you will have a good piece of copy. Often it will be enough to simply state your one idea. Use proof to overcome objections and then lay out your offer and ask for action in a
clear way. Grab your readers's attention. Channel their attention towards action. Make them act. Those are the objectives of your copy. We break these objectives down into segments of copy called the hook, the body, and the close. Like we've already spoken about, the questions below are going to help you identify what they should be for you. And by the way, this is something that's important and I want to bring it up and I'm keeping it in this dock just so you always remember it. Don't stress about the length of your copy. There is no correct number
of words. Your copy should be long enough to persuade your reader and concise enough not to bore them. If they need more convincing, then the copy will naturally need to be longer. But in some cases, you know, just to show an example of this, hook, body, and close can all be achieved in a single line. Look at this short form search ad for example. 86% of noise cancelling headphones, including Sony, Bose, and Beats today only. Right? We've highlighted what the hook of that is, what the body is, and what the close is. The enticing offer
itself acts as the hook. The brand name overcome an objection of lowquality products, and the final two words give a reason for the reader to act. For a reader trying to find the best deals on headphones, a clearly clickable ad with copy as simple as this can be extremely effective despite its short length. Why? Because it achieves the objectives of the hook, the body, and the close. So, in some cases, a few words or sentences can achieve two or more of these objectives like in one go. In other cases, more copy will be needed. The
most important thing is the copy achieves the desired effect of grabbing attention, channeling that attention towards an action, and then getting the reader to take action. So, for example, if you're writing a full sales page, there's still a hook, a body, and a close. Of course, they're just a lot longer because you need to overcome more objections because you're closer to the point of sale or because you need to lay out an argument or your thesis because it's something that's brand new to the reader. So, they need more context about how to build it up.
There is no one answer to all of this. You just need to make sure that you are achieving those objectives in a way that makes sense for what you're trying to get your reader to do. So below, state in general terms how you plan to craft the hook, the body, and the close of your copy. So how are you going to get attention? If in doubt, ask yourself, what is the one idea that you have identified? And how can you write about it in a relevant or unique way, right? That can build your hook. Now
this doesn't have to be copy right now. If you start to get ideas for pieces of copy, of course, you can note them down here. But this adjust this is just a way to give yourself an idea of what you're going to do to achieve these objectives. How will you channel that attention into action and overcome objections? If in doubt, ask yourself, is the one idea immediately relatable and desirable so I can simply prove how I will deliver on it? Or do I need to provide more context before moving on to overcome objections? And finally,
how will you close and push your reader to take action? If in doubt, ask yourself, does the reader know exactly what they need to do to get the benefits I have presented? If you can answer those questions, you're going to have a good idea of the kinds of things you need to do to start building your copy out. Which brings us very nicely on to the next thing we need to complete, creating a spit draft. There are two parts to copy, okay? What you say and how you say it. Spit drafting focuses on the former,
what you plan to say in your copy. In other words, creating a split draft will help you structure what you write by deciding what points you want to get across and in what order. This should build on the notes that you've just made for your hook, your body, and your close. So, this is a way of kind of getting the general ideas for how you're going to achieve each objective. The spit draft becomes more of a specific way of what you're going to write when it comes to each um subsection of the hook, of the
body, of the close, of for specific sentences, four things that you know you want to include that are going to help move your reader through the paces. So, use the table below to note down what points you want to get across in chronological order. The more specific you can be, the better. When in doubt, use your IV summaries as a tool to judge what points are most important to the reader. So, remember when we took down our IVOC summaries, we made a note of how often ones were coming up. Depending on what the one idea
that you land on is, you might want to consider also including some of those IVOX summaries within the copy if they're related to your one idea because clearly they're being frequently asked and talked about by people and it may help them move along. As long as you start with your one idea and you don't distract your reader with unrelated points, you will have a strong plan. And I've given a few examples of this just so it's super clear what kind of what a spit draft can look like. State the one idea and reference how their
problem can be fixed today. attack other solutions that haven't worked for them before, reveal the real reason for their problem, etc., etc. Okay, so I'm just, this isn't copy. I'm just stating what I want to say, what I want to talk about in an order that makes sense because this is becoming the structure of your copy. Next, you got to translate IVOC data. A useful technique for deciding how to say the points that you've identified in your spit draft is to use IVOC data that you collected during your research process. Adapting real words of your
target market into copy is a powerful approach to writing because you end up using terms, phrases, and direct experiences that will resonate with your reader. Now, not every line of copy needs to come directly from your target market, but it's worth considering if there is an obvious opportunity to do this. Note down the points of your spit draft that you've just made above. See if there are any corresponding points of raw ivok data that relate to it. And finally, tweak the words around it so it fits the style of copy that you want to write.
Ultimately, this should make the writing process easier for you. So, if you can't find any opportunities, then, you know, don't worry about it. You don't need to do this. It's just a way to make it easier so you can come up with ideas for how you're going to write things more simply. But if you recognize existing statements, questions, phrases, or terms that help satisfy points in the spit draft that you have created, see if you can adapt them into your finished piece of copy. And this is the table you'll be filling out. Here's the point
that you mention the spit draft. this is the relevant piece of IVOC data that I found for it and then this is the copy I want to turn it into. So you can actually use this table to translate from the spit draft defining an IVOC data piece and then actually writing some copy around it. Okay, so if this is going to help you if there are obvious opportunities to do it then please use it. And of course finally we need to actually write the copy. So now that you've set out a full plan for writing
your copy above you need to do a couple of things. Use your spit draft to ensure you write in a linear fashion that holds your readers attention and stays relevant, does not jump around to multiple unrelated points and makes them feel like they're discovering worthwhile information around the core desire that they have and that you've identified. Don't forget to overcome all the subconscious and conscious objections that you've identified, to back up any claims that you make with clear proof, and to cut any confusing, unbelievable, boring, or awkwardly written copy, which is something else we're going
to talk about in the next section of the course. Remember, all copy will differ depending on the research conducted, the context in which it's published, the market it serves, and the product it represents. So, don't stress if things don't feel perfect. They never do. Just concentrate on using the principles of persuasion and your well-ressearched plan to the best of your abilities. Oh, and remember, deliver the copy on whatever platform works best for either you or your clients. We recommend whatever feels comfortable and keep things clear. For example, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Notion. I mean, some
people even submit copy in uh Excel and Google Sheets. The point is, as long as you have an agreement with your client for how they want it to be delivered, fantastic. If you stick to what you've learned, plan things with purpose, and practice every day, this whole process will start to feel completely natural. You've got this. Love the copy that grew, Rod, Alex, Sean, and Lindsay. So, there you have it. That is our action alchemy ritual copy planning template. And there are uh a few headings and subheadings up the side here that will be in
the Google doc that you copy over that you can use to make uh sense of things and to keep in mind what order you need to complete steps in. As we have stated throughout this course, we talk about the principles and we focus on things that you can use for writing any piece of copy because we believe it's the best way to learn. Use whatever works for you. Okay, this is simply a guide. is a set of guidelines that you can use to make the whole process easier. And just so we're in no doubt, next
I'm actually going to use this to plan and write a piece of copy live for you in this course so you understand how to use it and how you can start applying it as a beginner. Now you might remember this doc from earlier on in the course when we did some IVOC research together. Now this is the same doc that I completed. It's got the original IVOC data in here and of course at the end it's got the actual IVOC summary. So I'm going to be using this to help fill out the actual uh piece
that I'm going to write and the copy planning template. This is what we're going to be filling in. We're going to be writing a Facebook ad for this. For the sake of time, I'm going to understand some bits of research already just because I've already written for this niche. So there's stuff that I'm going to be doing here where I'm just going to be writing in the things that I already know about them. Where do they hang out? or the stages of awareness, the state of sophistication. I already know some of this for the sake
of this product because otherwise this course is going to be hours and hours and hours long. But just remember the research that I already did went through so much of what we're already going to talk about. So just bear in mind that during your own research process that we already discussed, that's where you'll come out withum ideas for the stage awareness, state of sophistication and things like that. Let's have a quick discussion around the Facebook ad. Now something we spoke about in the uh copy planning template of course was the context was the format of
the copy we're writing. Now for a Facebook ad there are currently as we speak and as I record this there are four main parts to a Facebook feed ad. There is the primary text. There's the ad creative, the ad headline and the description. The primary text on a regular Facebook feed uh is the what we would kind of refer to some people refer to as body copy. Um, don't get too mixed up. I'm not talking about the body as we've been talking about it, but some people will just call it body copy. This is the
stuff that sits above the um, image or video of the ad, and it's a bunch of text, and it's the kind of thing you have to press read more on if there's more text beyond a couple of lines. The ad creative um, is either the image or the video itself of the ad. In our case, we're not going to write a whole script for a video. We're just going to um say that it is a still image. So that's what our ad creative is. It's an image, but we are going to come up with the
idea for the image just so you get an idea of the kind of stuff copyrighters need to think about in regards to images. The ad headline is the bolded bit of text that sits at the bottom under the ad creative. So under the image or under the video, it's bolded. And I know it's weird because usually we're used to headlines being at the top, but that's just how Facebook describes their different parts of copy. And this is going to be a bolded piece of text just under the ad creative. Then lastly, we have the description.
This is a small line that sits uh just under the ad headline. So those are things that we're going to be uh talking about. This is not going to be a master class on Facebook ads specifically. So I don't want to overwhelm you guys with talking about Facebook ads and different strategies for that. This is just to show you that we can use this uh copy planning template for any kind of ad. Okay. So let's crack into this. Let's actually plan this copy. So the first thing we need to do is lay out the Rioa.
So the one reader is the first thing we need to talk about. Now desire, what are the strongest desires your reader has that you can help fulfill? Well, for this pretty easy, let's just go straight to our IVOC summaries. And we can see in the desire section, we have a pretty clear winner for that. Desire to fix slow movement and lethargy. Okay, that's that's a lot. That's a lot of times. We saw that nine times far more than anything else. There was also decide to cure pain and noticed um wobble or difficult difficulty on joints.
Now these three were seen more than anything else and they are pretty related aren't they? You know slow movement um now not necessarily related to pain like slow movement doesn't necessarily equal pain of course. Um but it's certainly notice a wobbling or difficulty on joints. So I'm going to copy all of these things uh these three over for sure. Um, these are a few other things that we saw related to the desires, but not as many people were mentioning them. So, if we're going for this kind of audience and we're going for the one reader,
these are definitely the three that I'm going to copy over and just kind of keep an eye on. So, let's just copy these and let's just put them in here. Now, I can even I I'll just leave them in the format they are just so I understand. But, desire to fix slow movement, lethargy, uh, desire to desire to cure painful dog and notice wobble difficulty in joints. These are the kind of desires I think are going to be uh useful. This is probably the one that's going to come up that's going to make up the
one idea notions. Are there any relevant beliefs that your reader has about themselves, the world, or the industry related to your product? And remember, when we start looking at filling this out, if there are obvious things to start with, for example, this, then we need to consider like the notions. If notions come up that are related to this, they're going to be extremely important to include because the desires are almost always what drives the copy and what you're going to drive people to act. Let's move down to notions and let's have a look what we
we saw. The dog is part of the family. I'm trying my best. I hate arthritis. Multiple solutions haven't worked. Um, some days better than others. Dog can be a house sometimes. Dogs still want to walk and function like I did before. So again, I'm just going to be really obvious about this and I'm going to paste over the ones that like had the most frequency. Now, like I said, when I was doing this research earlier on, usually if I was uh doing this for a whole new project and it was brand new to me, I
do a lot more research. I spent a lot more time doing this just to make sure I've seen the frequency of these kinds of things that happen. For the sake of this, of course, I didn't spend hours and hours because that would have been really boring for you in this course. Um, so what we're going to do is we're just going to take the ones that have the most. Usually you'll start to see if you do research for longer a larger disparity between these numbers and you'll see fewer on just one and you'll see uh
more with in the double digits and things like that. So it'll be very obvious the kind of things that come out for now. Like let's just take the ones that we saw multiple times because we're going for the things that are probably going to appeal to the most people within that one reader space. Okay. So, um, the dog is part of the family and I love them. Um, that's definitely something we want to put down. Multiple solutions haven't worked. A lot of people are talking about that. And then the dog still wants to walk and
function like they did before. Now, some of these, of course, might be really good to notice, but one of the reasons I really want to include this one is because I think about the main desire we have about that lethargy and the difficulty of movement, but the dog still wants to walk and function like they did before. So, that can tie in really well, right? Identifications. Is there any strong identifications your reader has or tribes they would say they belong to? Before we get to that, there's something else I want to point out. Remember when
you're going through this, not just to focus on the firm notions, but also to have a look at shake notions. Like I said, this is where you're going to come up with objections as well. Now, it's up to you whether you want to copy these into the notions here as well or if you want to leave this for the objections section. Okay? It's completely up to you. But for the sake of this, I'm going to um copy them in because I think that they are still notions that they have. Age is starting to catch up
with my dog. Far and away the biggest one that we identified during our research. So, let's absolutely include that in here. And that is probably going to be a big objection that we're going to need to overcome. The fact that people just think that, you know, well, it's part of the aging process. You know, like I wish it wasn't the case, but it is part of the aging process. So, if we can come in and we can strip them of that idea, if we can overcome that objection, then they're really going to love us and
listen to us. Moving on to identifications, they believe they are good dog owners, superior to people who don't care for the dogs properly. That's a core identification we've noticed. And of course, they talk about a senior dog owner. So, we're definitely going to move this one over because it's something that they absolutely identify themselves as that they own a senior dog. And considering this is one that I found um to be uh very kind of present in a lot of the things I was reading, I'm also going to put this over here. characteristics. Now, we
didn't really note down any characteristics that seem to matter for this product. And like I said earlier on, that's often going to be the case. Okay? Characteristics don't always come into the equation, so we can leave that for this. Anything else? I'm confused about which solution works best. I want to make my dog's life easier. I thought my dog would live forever. Okay. Well, those are all things that potentially might come into the copy that we come to write later, but there's nothing we need to kind of move over with this. Okay. So, we've just
gone through those those four cores, those four parts of the emotional core. We've just gone through the desires, the notions, the identifications, and the characteristics. Now, something I like to do at this stage is I like to just highlight ones that I think are kind of related that might be useful. So, this is the biggest one right here. So, we're definitely going to want to mention that. That's probably going to be the formulation of our one idea. Desire to cure pain. I'm not convinced right now because this wasn't directly related to pain, but it was
definitely related to um fixing slow movement. So pain may be something we bring in, but I'm not convinced at the moment because it's not directly related. But having difficulty on joints, that's definitely something that's related to this here. So I want to highlight that because they're something we can link together. Multiple solutions haven't worked. Considering we're talking about a problem here and solving that problem and they have tried other solutions that haven't worked. Definitely something we want to bring up. Um, dog is part of the family and I love them. I think it's something that
is going to naturally bleed into the copy anyway. But for now, I just want to highlight the things I think are going to be really, really related. And the dog still wants to walk and function like they did before. Absolutely. Something that's related because, you know, they have slow movement. They clearly want to be moving around, but the owner has noticed that it's not something that they can do very easily anymore. Age is starting to catch up to my dog. I think that's going to probably form the basis of an objection later on, but I
don't want to include it just now because it's definitely an objection, but it's not quite related to like these things in a in an obvious way. And then of course they're a senior dog owner. That's definitely something that is relevant to this problem. The fact that well it's a senior dog and you own a senior dog. Therefore it's really relevant to everything else we've talked about. They believe they're good dog owners superior to people who don't care for their dogs properly. Now of course that is something that like I would say is pretty related. Um
and I think that it's something that will come into it naturally when we come to write our copy. But for now I just want to stick to the things like I say that I definitely want 100% really related to each other that I can really simply bring together even just within a one idea. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not going to include any of these other things. Of course, I may well do. That's why I've moved them over to here, but these green ones I've identified as things that are really super linked and things that
might come to talk uh to make up the one idea in a moment. Now, you don't have to do this. You don't have to highlight things here. I like doing it just because as I'm going, as my brain gets working, I start to I start to connect these pieces. Oh, that could be an idea there. So, where do they hang out online? Are there any particular platforms or forums you reader frequently uses to share or take in information? Senior dog Facebook groups was one uh YouTube comments. What I'd recommend for you is to actually note
down the specific Facebook groups, specific YouTube comments, just so you have an easy reference to going back to there if you need it. Stage of awareness. What stage of awareness are they in? Are they unaware? Well, no, they're not unaware because as we can see, one of the desires that we looked at through our found during our research is clearly about a problem. They want to get rid of a problem. So, they're clearly at least problem aware. And something else that we've identified is that multiple solutions haven't worked. So are they solution aware? Well, here's
a way to consider this. Solution aware can mean one of two things. It means either that they are aware of your specific solution. They don't know your product yet. They don't know the brand name. They don't know exactly what you're selling, but they're aware of um solutions that are similar to your product. or it can mean they're aware of just some solution on the market. I'm going to just put them into the problem aware stage for this state of sophistication. Has your audience seen many advertisements about this product or similar solutions before? And how informed
is your reader about what your product's features and benefits are? One thing that I'm going to assume about the kind of people that we're talking to here is that it's the first time they've had a senior dog or it's the first time that they've tried to solve this problem. I just need to put low sophistication, no prior knowledge of why solutions work. That's something I already know about the audience, about the one reader from my research. And I know it's something that the business wants to focus on. They want to focus on people who don't
really know anything about this yet. They're almost kind of panicking like, I've noticed this thing, my dog. What do I do? Potentially, we want to attack other solutions anyway just to show that because they may have heard about massaging. They may have heard about like going for more walks and that is clearly something that we saw earlier on in the research but the actual solution itself they have low sophistication around. These are all things that we can start to use to formulate the rest of our copy. You know particularly the things that I've highlighted here.
So what's the next thing we need to do? We need to think about the one idea. And something else that might be useful for you is just copy and paste like the link of the doc that you're using and split screen it. So that way you can look at two different parts of the doc at the same time or you can look at your research as well. For the sake of you watching this video, I'm not going to do that. So you can see the screen. So what one are we going to use? Well, for
the sake of this, I think the best thing to do is to specifically talk about the big benefit in some way, the big and relevant benefit related to desire and to talk about how it works. So considering that they're low sophistication, they haven't really heard much about this before and we want to we have a very very visceral problem that we can target. I think number one is just going to be super simple for us. What big and relevant benefit can you provide for the reader and how does it work? How do we find that?
Well, what's the biggest desire? They have desire to fix slow movement and lethargy in dogs. So that is the big benefit that we are providing. Now we're not writing copy at this stage. We're just planning. So we can write something as simple as that as we want if we want to. The reason I've highlighted these things is because these are other things that might come into our one idea and might come into our copy. Again, you don't need to write it in a specific way at this point. Just write it in a way that makes
sense to you. So, slow movement and lethargy, noticing wobble and difficulty on joints. Dog still wants to walk and function like I did before. And that person is a senior dog owner, right? Okay. Like those are the things that I've identified. So, what is the big and relevant benefit that our product is actually going to provide? And remember for the sake of this, the uh product is a senior dog supplement that helps with joint pain and movement. Okay? So like that's it's a supplement, right? It's something that you can you can break up and you
can put in your dog's food. So what's the big and relevant benefit? Well, it's fixing slow movement and lethargy in dogs by So that's the big relevant bit benefit. How does it work? By targeting stiff joints. Okay, like that's that's the basics, right? Something that I want you to start to get in your mind is now even though this is talking about how it works by targeting stiff joints, is that an explanation for a normal person like it targets stiff joints? Like not really. Okay, I want to know why and how it is able to
target those stiff joints. Okay, so that's something to consider. Now again, I already know the product. I've already done the product research. You do that by focusing on like the product specifically that you're writing about. And I know for a fact that it does this by uh it does this using glucosamine which strengthens joints in dogs. Okay? Like that's what it does. That's the basic idea here. Okay. So what's the big releving slow movement and leth in dogs? By targeting stiff joints. It does this by using glucosamine. Now that's not a copy yet. That's just
our idea. That's the big the one idea that we're talking about. It's the big thing that we want to start with. We can help people fix slow movement lethy in dogs. Okay. By doing product research, um it helps you to understand, okay, well, we know that this thing about our product is going to help. So, there we go. Like, we have an idea there, right? That's an idea. Now, if that's not copy, but it's an idea. This is the big benefit. This is how it works. Nice and simple. If we simply start by saying this,
as we'll come to look at later on, then that's going to grab attention. Now, not necessarily in that way. We got to think about a better way to state it, but nice and simple. So, one offer exactly what are we providing? In this case, this funnel is running from a Facebook ad straight to a product page. Okay? So, nice and simple. Um, it's going that it's going to cold traffic, which means that these are people just scrolling through Facebook who don't know anything about our brand yet. So, we're introducing them to our brand, to the
product, to the idea, all in one go in this Facebook ad. and then we're moving them to the product page to actually buy it, which means we're going to have to do a lot of selling in this Facebook ad. And I'd like to show you as much as possible. So, that's the kind of funnel that we're going by here. But even if you were doing a different funnel, even it was going from Facebook ad to advertorial to product page, or if you were doing um a retargeting Facebook ad, like they'd already seen another one and
this was a retargeting ad straight to a product page, or anything in between, you can still use this um dock to plan around it. In this case, to keep it easy for you, so you can see the whole process, let's just do an ad that sells the product and leads to a product page. Because we're doing that, the product page itself isn't really going to be adding to our argument very much. It will have it might have some more information about the product, of course. Um, and it might have some more uh cover some uh
objections and rego through things. Um, but we are going to have to sell them on the one idea and show that we can fulfill it, which means we're going to have to overcome most of the objections at this stage. and we're going to have to be careful about the structure that we use. The product page itself is just going to be a way for them to actually purchase the product. Therefore, we don't really need to worry too much about what comes next because the product page is effectively in this case just a way for them
to click add to car and to buy. What main tangible deliverable are you promising the reader that will help them fulfill the one idea? Well, we're promising a um bottle glucosamine supplements. And we'll say it has uh 30 tablets, so one month supply. So, let's just say for argument sake like we're just selling them one in this case. Now, on the product page, it might give them an option for a subscription. It might give them an option to bulk buy, but we're not going to worry about that because we don't need to be thinking about
all those things in the Facebook ad. Remember, we're just trying to sell them on the one idea. So then they can go and select the option that's best for them. But ultimately that is the main tangible deliverable that we're promising that's going to help them fulfill the one idea. A bottle of gluc glucosamine supplements. That's all we need to put. What makes this offer irresistible to the reader? I.e. is there a great guarantee, generous refund policy, proven outcomes? We're going to say that I've done the product research and I already know a few things about
this. So let's say there are a few things. Um first of all, there is a 30-day money back guarantee. No questions asked. What else makes this offer irresistible? We're going to say that we have more than 1,500 five-star reviews. So, it's proven. So, we'll also say we have some before and after testimonials as well. Okay. And for us for now, like those are the things we've identified from our product research that actually shows that we have something here to make this horizontal. We have a money back guarantee and we have a ton of people who've
set up work for them. Fantastic. Are there any bonuses or other extras included? If yes, list them. So, um, for this in this case, um, we're going to say that there is one, and we're going to say that that is a free guide on, um, caring for senior dogs. Okay? And within that, it's going to have tips and tricks. Now, as a copywriter, you may not always get to decide what the business sells, of course. Um, it may just be they say, "No, we're not going to make anything like that. Just sell what we've given
you." But something you can do to actually enhance your service to clients is work on offer building and say, "Hey, I think we should write a free digital guide to sell with all of these products." So, they have a free bonus. It's going to make the offer more enticing. And if we can make the free guide more beneficial um and related to what they care about, then fantastic. It just enhances everything. So, you might even say, "Look, I will write the free guide." doesn't only has to be say like 10 pages and it can have
a bunch of tips and tricks for dealing with senior dogs and it can talk about things like their nutrition and walking and helping them get in and out the car and things like that that might be really useful and that might help enhance the offer. So in this case, let's say yes, there is a bonus which is a free guide on caring for senior dogs. This is something that we don't have to include in our Facebook ad, but if I deem that as I'm writing it it's not going to be a distraction, in fact it's
only going to help, then fantastic. It might be something that I I add to it or it might just be something that's on the product page itself. But regardless, we have it here just so we can use it if we need to. What is the cost the reader taking you up on this offer? Well, let's say that it is $39.99 per bottle or let's say that it's $24.99 for subscription. We're kind of venturing into the world of marketing strategy here and I'm not expecting you as a beginner copywriter to know everything about marketing strategy. So,
you don't necessarily need to worry about all things like the pricing and when to mention it. What is the one action? Well, pretty easy. The only action we're asking them to do here is just click to see the product page. Now, we're not going to frame it like that. We're not going to say click to see the product page because a lot of people kind of go like product page. That sounds weird, but we might want to say, you know, like click to see if there's anything else in stock. We might want to say um,
you know, get more details here. We might want to see like see if it's right for your dog below. and then they click that and go to the product page. Okay, so we're not asking them to add to the cart at this stage because of course this is only an ad. Um but we are effectively saying you need to click to see the next thing. Nice and easy. Don't need them to do anything else. We don't need them to start googling things. We don't need them to start um making notes about their dog. We just
want them to click. All right. Checking context. Remember copy doesn't exist in isolation. So we need to be aware of this kind of stuff. So what kind of copy are you writing? Is there anything you need to remember about it format while planning on writing it? So yes, Facebook ad need elements of the four parts of a Facebook ad. Okay, so that's the primary text, the uh creative, the description, and the headline that we spoke about earlier on. Is there a particular formula you know works well for this format and want to follow in your
copy? If so, what is it? Now, personally, I write a lot of Facebook ads and Facebook ad scripts for e-commerce products, and I strategize for them, and I chief and coach a lot of people to do the same. So, I do know a ton of formulas that work for this, but for the sake of this video, I'm not going to use any of those. I'm just going to go straight back to basics and use the principles of persuasion. Okay, we're not So, I'm not going to type anything in here. I'm just going to go back
to what we've learned throughout the whole of this course and I'm going to write it in that way. Message matching within the funnel. What does the copy earlier in the funnel say? doesn't focus on a specific topic. So for that, we don't need to put anything because of course this is a Facebook ad that's going to cold traffic. So nobody will have seen anything of ours before. Most likely we're just trying to target new people with this. So we don't need to worry about what we said before. This is the first piece of engagement they
will have had with our brand. And what does the copy later in the funnel say? What expectations should you set in your copy to stay consistent with it? So we'll just make a few notes. Again, again, imagine the product page has already been written. So we're saying encourages them to subscribe. I'm going to say it does that like the the checkout page. $24.99 price as we just discussed. It focuses on glucosamine. Let's just imagine that this product is called something like joint care, right? It's just called joint care. On the product page, it mentions glucosamine.
Okay, that's important because it means that we can mention glucosamine and we can introduce them to that. Now, I'm not saying we couldn't if it didn't, but the fact it mentions glucosamine on the product page me means that it's if we didn't mention it in the ad, it might be extremely confusing to them or they might be like, I don't really understand what that is or why it's going to be good. The five subconscious questions, how is this relevant to me right now? Well, pretty easy. That's answered pretty easily. All right, that's how it's relevant
to them right now. Nice and easy. Will this information be new to me? Uh, yes. We will introduce them to the concept of glucosamine and why it works for senior dogs. So, yep, it's going to be new to them. And we're going to we need to make sure we make it clear that it's going to be new to them. Do they understand the benefits that they'll stand to gain from taking action like yes, we can be clear with the benefits by showing what the before and after has been like with other dogs. Okay, nice and
easy. They're going to see the benefits in action. We're going to be talking about the problem. Nice and simple. Do I understand how these benefits will be delivered and we're going to say yes. We will show the product in the ad creative and explain in the copy why it works and how it should be administered. Okay? Because that's something that's important. Remember, this is a tablet and it's a supplement. But even though it's a supplement like and it's going to be in tablet form like we still need to make it obvious that you know it's
one a day you know they need to have it with food all those kind of things because if they don't understand that then they won't get how the benefits are going to be delivered in other words what's going to lead to those benefits happening so we need to make sure we actually cover that and lastly do I trust the person or business talking to me so what points of authority and proof can we use well we can use those 1500 plus reviews uh five star reviews we talked about before and after testimonials and we happen
to know that we're accredited by the American vets association. There we go. That gives them reasons to trust us. See, nice and easy. This doesn't have to be too difficult. I'm not even writing specific bits of copy for this right now. I'm just saying, okay, these are the things that I know are going to make it relevant. The fact that we have even answered all of these at this point is really, really good. So many copyriters like just don't even consider this until it's too late and they don't they're not even thinking about like, oh,
have we actually explained how it's going to be delivered? Oh, do they trust us? Well, we have very very clear ways to answer all these objections. So, fantastic. Next, we need to compile our specific objections that might just come from the product itself, of course, and then how we can overcome it. Now, this is where we come back to the IV research and we can look at the shakeable notions straight here. What objections we have? Massaging the legs seems to help. Age is starting to catch up to my dog. So, that is absolutely something. Ages
um I think we can leave that because you know it's only had one. This had three and considering we didn't do research very long. The fact this has three and the only other thing we saw had one, I think this is going to be pretty useful. Ages starts catch up with my dog. That's absolutely something. And effectively what they're saying is I feel like I can't do anything about it. Like that's what the implication of that is. Okay. And then we need to come over about how we can overcome it. Did we notice any other
particular objections like in this? As I mentioned, you can as you're going through this, note down different objections, stick them in shakable notions or highlight them if you think, "Yeah, this is really going to be an objection." Because something else that we'll do as we write the copy is come up with like other things. But there are a few other objections that we need to consider particularly for like an e-commerce product. Depending on the kind of product you have, depending on the kind of industry you're writing for, different objections will crop up. So, we can't
cover what they are all going to be. What other objections do we know naturally are going to come up? We've already covered the subconscious questions. Fantastic. But what else might come up? Well, some big ones. Now, this is kind of covered by do I trust this person? But this often comes from um uh consumable e-commerce products, okay? Particularly for either yourself or something you love. Is it safe? What else? Um well, let's have a think. Okay, dogs. Will this work for my specific dog? That's another objection. So, naturally, I might think, okay, well, it's great
this has worked for other dogs, but will it work for my dog? Like, how do I know that? Fantastic. That's another objection that we need to overcome. Is there anything else? Of course. Well, a big objection that we get is how much will it cost? People are always usually always worried about this no matter what you're selling. Now, there might be some others. I've just had a kind of a quick scan. I don't think there's going to be many other objections that come up, but if we were really worried, we could go to similar products.
So, for example, you could come to a product page on something like Amazon and have a look at reviews and see what kinds of things people were asking or talking about. Another thing a lot of uh product pages and Amazon pages will have are Q&A sections. So you can go straight to those and have a look at what specific questions people are asking. So for argument sake, let's say that these are the objections that I have come up with for this product. Now we need to think about how I can overcome it. So age of
science catch up with my dog. I feel like I can't do anything about it. How can we overcome that objection? Well, that's where we can talk about for example, and again this isn't going to be copy yet, but the amazing effects of glucosamine, right? Like that's what we want to talk about. It effectively repairs damage to joints. So dogs seem and feel younger. Again, it's a shakable notion in that one. Like they they believe age is starting to catch up with the dog, but they they feel like they can't do anything about it. They wish
they could. Well, we're telling them, well, it doesn't matter how old your dog is. Is it safe? Well, how can we overcome that objection? Point to the American Vets Association accredititation, successful testing, the reviews. In fact, we only make medicine or supplements that are the best quality. So even humans could take these. Will this work for my specific dog? EG is relate and we can say yes. Uh breed has um no impact um because uh every dog has the same type of cartilage. And by the way guys, like for some of these things I'm saying
like you know this this may or may not be true. I'm assuming that some of this might like might be true. For example, every dog has the same type of cartilage. I don't know 100% of that's true. Obviously, I would be researching that and making sure that it is. But for the sake of this, I am just showing you an example of something that you could say. And then how much will it cost? Well, I'm going to say that we don't want to reveal the cost in this Facebook ad. But to imply and overcome the
objection to imply that it's not going to cost a lot, let's make reference to how vets trips or vet trips and prescribed meds can break the bank, right? Okay. So like we're going to reference that in our ad. So the implication is well what we're showing isn't really going to be that expensive in comparison. Okay. So let's price anchor at hundreds or thousands of dollars. Those are the other objections outside our subconscious questions that we need to overcome. And this is how we're going to overcome them. Next, we need to plot the hook, the body,
and the close. And this is a section I'm really excited to show just because I feel like, you know, it may be something that you're still a little confused with. who don't quite understand how to translate what you've got so far into those um objective conquering pieces of copy. So, how are we going to get attention? If in doubt, ask yourself, what is the one idea you've identified and how can you write about in a relevant or unique way? So, really simple for us. How are we going to get attention? We're going to open with
the problem and state clearly that it is now possible to fix it. Okay, that's how we're going to grab attention because this is a desire that is extremely a dear to someone's heart. Um, we don't need to be too clever about getting attention in this case. Like we can just go that remember they're they're a problem aware audience. So we can simply open with the problem and make a promise of saying like it is now possible to fix it. How are we going to channel that attention into action and overcome objections? If in doubt, ask
yourself, is the one idea immediately relatable and desirable so I can simply prove how I deliver on it? Or do I need to provide more context before moving on to overcome objections? So the big question is, is the one idea immediately relatable and desirable? We can help fix slow movement and lethy in dogs with a supplement that targets stiff joints. It does this using glucosamine which repairs cartilage next to joints acting as a cushion. Is that immediately relatable? Definitely. Because it's talking about that problem, the desire. And is it something that is um actually desirable?
Obviously yes. Is it something that I can prove on how I will deliver on it? Yes. So like it's immediately relatable, understandable, desirable. And can we just simply prove how we can deliver on that? Absolutely. Do we need to provide more context before moving on to overcome objections to that? Not really, because it's a really, really simple thing we're trying to get across. We can fix this problem that you have. It's clearcut. We don't need to give more context. We don't really need to massage them more. We don't need to agitate the problem. For example,
we just need to tell them that we have this one idea and we can prove it to them as well. So, can't imagine the copy for this is going to be like extremely long. So, how are we going to do that? one idea is immediately understandable. We simply need to prove why our solution works. Okay, like that's that's the big thing right now. That kind of also comes into objections of course like um how will these benefits be delivered which is something we talked about but this is a clear thing. We can just state the
one idea and we just need to make sure that we prove why our solution works in particular. That's going to be the key objection to this. Like forget all the other objections. The key objection that we have noted is that yep this is great and we want this but how is this actually going to be delivered? Like I we need remember we need to show it's new. We need to go back to those subconscious questions and think are we showing that this is new to them? Are we showing it's relevant to them? Are they understanding
how the benefits delivered? Great. In one line in that one idea let's think about what we do. We show that it's relevant to them by talking about the problem. We show that the benefits are um benefits they want because again it relates back to that problem. We show it's new and it's going to be new information because we're stating that this is something unique they haven't seen before which is something we can bring in in that first couple of lines. And of course now we need to really worry about do they understand how those benefits
are going to be delivered. That is where the proving it comes in because this is a new mechanism. It's something we actually need to show is something they haven't heard before. And then of course we need to make sure that they trust us which is what we can do elsewhere. But then we can move on to the other objections we have identified. And when we come to write the copy, as you'll see, we'll be going back to all the objections you've identified just to make sure, yep, we see all these. We'll have a look at
the subconscious questions. We'll have a look at these other ones. Make sure it's all stated. How will you close and push your reader to take action? If in doubt, ask yourself, does the reader know exactly what they need to do to get the benefits I presented? So, really nice and simple for this. In this case, we're simply going to tell them to look at the product page. And what's the specific action? Of course, it's click. So, we want to make sure we're being very clear about that. Click below. Okay, click below to see X. Click
below to start solving the problem today. As long as we're telling them to do something, then this bit is nice and clear. All right, fantastic. So, we're going to open with the problem and state clearly how that's now possible to fix it. That's really understandable. We just need to then prove how the sol like why the solution works and why it's new. Then, we need to move on to the other objections we've identified and then we just need to tell them what to do. Okay, really, really easy. Next, we need to create the spit draft.
So, let's have a look at how we do that. First of all, let's remove all of these. This is where it can get a bit fluid and it's something that, you know, don't worry if you don't quite get this straight away. Don't worry if you need to practice this. Um, it's something of course that you should be practicing a lot anyway. But all we need to make sure that we're doing is that we are sticking with the one idea because we've said we're going to open with it. Like that's how we're going to open. We're
opening like with the um the problem they care about and then talking and the one idea is going to be how we fix it or that it's now possible to fix it. We need to take into consideration like that main objection we've identified of proving that the solution works because that's the thing that they're really going to be kind of questioning. We need to bring in the other objections at some point and of course we need to have a look at any other IVOC summaries that might be useful to us that are relevant to that.
So let's first of all have a look at our IV research again. Now of course we had a look through these when we were looking at our um reader profile but now I want you to come down to the actual rankings and just have a look if there's anything else here that really sticks out. Now they believe they are good dog owners. Okay. So that is something we may well want to use. Yeah, there's not too much else really that we saw a lot of here. So we don't need to worry about that too much.
Always make sure you check and you come back to this just to see well is there anything else that really like links into this. So what's the first thing that we need to do? Call out the problem slash the um identification of the reader. Okay, so like identification is of course senior dog owners. Now I'm not saying we need to say senior calling all senior dog owners. So, we don't necessarily need to say that, but it's something that we definitely want to imply in that first line. So, we want to call out the problem, make
sure that it's it's obvious, and imply or promise that it is now possible to fix the problem. So then what I want to do is introduce the mechanism of glucosamine, okay? Okay. And why it works and attack other solutions. Again, we're trying to focus on people who are um problem aware. Um and like the business, like we said, the business wants to focus on people who, you know, probably haven't seen much about this before. We did see a lot of people who say multiple solutions haven't worked. Attacking other solutions and being able to kind of
like put other solutions down and say, you know, other people are either like lying to you or, you know, it's not um other solutions just aren't working. That's good for two reasons. Like one, if people are looking at our ad who have tried other solutions, then great, it's going to resonate with them. But two, even if people are looking at our ad who are the people we want to target who haven't seen other solutions before, it's still going to be worthwhile to say to them, look, other solutions don't work. So, you're already in the right
place. You don't need to, you know, the journey ends here. You don't need to go and look around anymore. You're in the right place. For the ease of it, I might actually introduce the mechanisms mechanism of glucosamine um and then attack other solutions. I might even kind of swap these around just because it might make more sense to uh attack other solutions first. We don't have to take too long in that of course. Instead, we want to tell you today like what the real thing is and then we introduce glucosamine explain why it works. When
we're writing that's I think going to start to make a bit more sense to us. As we actually write it, we might say okay well let's introduce for example like the cartilage thing first or actually let's talk about how you know the reason dogs can move their joints is because of this. So when we come to write again like that will make more sense to us. For now I'm just going to leave it like that. We'll come to fix that and and and kind of decide on what we do when we write. But for now,
we already know calling out the problem, attacking other solutions, introducing the mechanism of glucosamine. So what have we done? Well, we've opened the problem and stated clearly that it's possible to fix it. Fantastic. We've made it clear that one idea is immediately understandable and now we need to prove it. So we have set up our selfers to prove it to talk about the mechanism of glucosamine. So next we then need to move on to the other objections we've identified. So let's go back up and have a look at the other objections that we've identified. Of
course, there are these ones. I'm not going to worry about these just yet. I'll have a quick look at them and say, well, we're covering their main desire in the spit draft so far. We're going to introduce them yet. We've already talked about that. We still need to talk about like how it's benefited other dog owners. That's something we need to keep in mind. We'll explain this in the ad as well, and we'll talk about that, too. Now, the reason I'm saying I don't want to worry about it too much now is because the five
subconscious questions are things I often use to kind of like check like near at the end of the process and just to say I'll come back to that and go, "Oh, yeah, okay. We need to make sure we're doing that." I tend to prioritize the kind of specific objections first of all because these are things related to either what you've said already or the product or the industry. So these are going to be things people kind of have more top of mind first of all. Age is starting to catch up with my dog. Like that's
something here that I think is really relevant here. And I think actually this is probably something that we can work into the hook itself because what we're saying here is like they just think age is starting to catch up with my dog. And if we acknowledge that in the hook and we say you know you think it's impossible but it's not then we've stated it and actually the rest of what we're talking about that glucose me thing is overcoming that itself. So it's kind of being overcome in the normal narrative of the copy. So what
I'm going to do is I'm actually going to add down here to the spit draft a reference that age doesn't have to catch up to their dog so quickly. All right. We might reward that but I think that's something I want to do in the hook. Okay. Is it safe? Well, we'll leave that for a second. Will this work for my specific dog? How much will it cost? Okay, so cost is going to be the last thing I'm going to bring into this. I think is it safe is going to be more kind of top
of mind for people. I just wanted to make sure that this is safe. So that's definitely something I'm going to say next. Explain it's safe by referencing the American Vets Association. Fantastic. Uh let's add a couple more rows to this. Then that it works for dogs. So will it work for my specific dog? Okay, fantastic. explain it works for all breeds. And then the last one was of course um price anchoring. So we want to make sure we put that in there. All the other costs. So then I want to say price anchor against vets
and prescriptions. Also mention it can be bought without prescription. So I've just I've just said like okay here's something I'm going to do like oh I should also mention it can be bought without a prescription. Now another objection immediately comes up from the copy I'm writing which is okay well why can if it's so good why don't you need a prescription to buy it? So, that's another objection I've just considered, right? Just writing. And even though I'm not writing the actual copy yet, you see how I'm starting to come up with like, oh, that's something
else I should probably cover because that might be a natural thing. So, if it's so good, why don't you need a prescription? Well, because it's made from a natural ingredient, shellfish, which um is uh not harmful and can be um administered easily. So, not only is it extremely powerful, it's also safe, so you don't need a vet. So, price anchor against vets and prescriptions. So, you know, we'll just state that because it's made from shellfish, it makes up part of a dog's regular healthy diet. So doesn't need a vet to prescribe it. All the power
without the cost like you know and potentially we can even reference how it's nature's secret weapon. Now what we need to do and we might be referencing these throughout but we want to say like show social proof of testimonials to um demonstrate how many dogs have already benefited. Use quotes here. Lastly provide CTA. Okay. So provide the the CTA, the call to action. So tell them to click. As you can see, just by thinking about like the one idea, proving the one idea and overcoming objections that come naturally from that and the other things we've
identified, I now have by not doing anything else. I didn't follow a formula. I wasn't just coming out of this from my head. I wasn't, you know, like using years of copyrighting expertise to come up with this really quickly. I was simply following the plan I'd already put together based on the research already done. And all of a sudden, we have the structure of like a pretty good relevant piece of copy here. But we're not done with this yet, of course, because something I want to do is go back up to these five subconscious questions
and say, okay, are these currently covered by my spit draft. How is this relevant to me right now? Yes, we talk about that in the opening problem in the hook. Will this be new to me? We're going to introduce the concept close to me and why this is for senior dogs. We attack other solutions. We say that it's now possible to solve it. So, yep, we're making it clear that it's new to them. Do they understand the benefits they stand to gain? Yes, we can be clear with the benefits by showing what the before and
after has been like with other dogs. That's something we talk about with the uh proof points. And of course, it's implied within the stuff that we're saying anyway cuz talking about how there are benefits. Do you understand how these benefits will be delivered? Yes, we will show the product in the ad creative and explain in the copy why it works and how it should be administered. So, we haven't done all of that yet. We've talked about why it works. We haven't said how it's going to be administered. So, that's why I have a look at
the subconscious questions. Now, I can come back down and say, well, we need to talk about how often to use it. So, where does it make sense? Well, we obviously in the explain why it works section that might make sense there. And I think that's probably the best place to put it. And again, this brings up another objection which I won't bother putting down cuz it's, you know, like it's an objection I've just come from like this specific sentence like crush into food. It tastes good. Now, we have we explain how it work like why
it works with the kind of science the mechanism and we just say how easy it is to use. Crushing dogs food. Small objection there is like you know sometimes people are like oh if I put anything in my dog's food they notice it. We can just make a quick reference. So, you know, owners are amazed at how their dogs don't even realize it's in there because it tastes, you know, it tastes plain. Not all of this will necessarily be true for your product you're writing for. Of course, you need to make sure you do enough
product research and market research to make sure these things fit together. And we've given a specific way of right how you use this. Do I trust the person of business talking to me? Start the tons of reviews before and after testimonies are credited by the American Vet Association. Now, of course, that's something that we have here and we have here as well. We might want to mention a piece of uh proof earlier on potentially. So that might be something we work in as we write the copy. Let's see if that's something we need. Potentially another
objection that people might have is how long is it going to take to see the results of this tablet? So that's something that we might want to include as well. And again like we talk about promising that it's possible to kind of fix now. We talk about attacking other solutions. So I think kind of in attacking other solutions, this might be a time for us to even bring up the fact that like um other solutions can take far longer to see any results. But this starts to show effects within the first 48 hours. That might
well be something that's worth talking about when we attack other solutions. So not only the other solutions like not great, but even when they do work, you know, like so so it can take months to see results. Now, we may come back. We may like move that bit. We may kind of mention it again like further down here. We might just move it down here. We'll see what happens as we write. Now, we actually have a clear spit draft. Now, the first thing I'm actually going to do is I'm just going to copy this over
before we move on to translating IBOK data. I'm going to copy this over and I'm just going to put it just in here. Okay. So, just in this this dock that we're going to be writing in. So, it's in there for later. um I can come back to it and I can really easily see what the spit draft is like. So the next part is uh translating IVOC data. Remember this is not something that you absolutely 100% have to do. It's only if it makes it easier for you. Now to be completely honest with you
because I as a copywriter one have worked in this niche many times before and two I've been writing copy now for you know seven or eight plus years. I could definitely do this just without IV data. I already know exactly what I want to write. I wouldn't necessarily need to do it. But let's have a look at what this might look like, okay? Because you may just not really understand how you're going to write stuff yet. So, let's have a quick look at the kind of things that we we want to look at. You know,
I have we have we have this section here for actually writing things down from the spit draft first of all. But I I personally don't approach it like that. I what I like to do is I like to go straight into the IVOC um research and just go back to data and just read through some of these because I'm already pretty familiar with like the spit draft I've just put down. So, now I just want to go on here and like have a little look because I already know what the spit draft is. Now, I
might see a bit and go, "Actually, that might work really well for this bit I've just written." Really helped her be able to enjoy walks more. And she got some of her bounciness back. Oh, I like that. See some of her bounciness back. Now, you haven't got to write it exactly as it is, just as long as you've got a an idea. And of course, there's a bit here where you can like translate it into copy if you want to. Here's a few pieces of ivok we're going to use. So, we've got the spit draft
and we've got some relevant IVOC data. We have laid out our we have checked our context. We have looked at the five subconscious questions. We've compiled the rest of our objections. We have plot out the hook, the body, and the close. We've created a spit draft. And we've had a look at what um IVOC data might do well for us in our copy. So, let's write the copy. Now, remember, we are writing a Facebook ad. So, there are different components that we need to worry about. to keep things nice and simple. I know I said
this wasn't going to be a Facebook ad masterclass, and it's not going to be, but just to give you an idea of exactly what we're writing here, let's have a look. This uh top section here, this is what we call the primary text, okay? What Facebook calls the primary text. Bear in mind when you're watching this and if you're watching this in the future, Facebook likes to change names and change things uh like designs of things all the time. So, don't be surprised if it's at some point called something different. But right now, this is
called the primary text. This image here is what is called the ad creative. That can either be an image or it can be uh video. This uh bolded bit here is the headline, the joint care supplements for dogs. And then the um lower bit, the subhead, that is what we call the uh description. Okay, so that's what Facebook calls all those things. This is what a Facebook ad um looks like. As you can see here, like this is uh most likely a retargeting ad as it's going straight in with the offer. Okay, so primary text,
add creative, headline, description. Okie do. So, let's actually start writing. Primary text is really the first thing that they're going to see as the scrolling. It's the thing that's at the top. The ad creative is the thing that draws the most attention. Ad headline is and the description are things that kind of draw the least attention. So, these are the ones we really want to focus on. So, how do we actually come to approach this kind of copy for a Facebook ad? I like to start with writing the primary text first or coming up with
the ad creative first because these are the things that are going to uh decide on what we do for everything else. Okay? So, if I come up with a single really good idea for an image or a video, then that's something that I will absolutely be writing or or describing first. Or as I've done here, I've come up with a spit draft. So, that's what I'm going to be writing first. I've come up with a spit draft. I know what I want to write and how I want to write it. So, I'm going to write
in primary text and then I'll come up with an ad creative to support it, to help grab attention, to help drive home that one idea. Um, and then I will go on to the add headline, the description, just to make sure they message match with the stuff we're talking about up here. Okay, so that is what we're going to do. Let's start with the primary text. And to make this really simple, something I like to do is just copy and paste down here. Okay, I like to write under each of these pieces. Okay, so call
out the problem or the identification of the reader. Imply or promise that it's now possible to fix the problem. Reference the age doesn't have to catch up the dog so quickly. So that's what I'm trying to do. Now, the identification of the reader, the fact that there is a senior dog owner. Now, that's of course going to be implied in the problem we're talking about anyway. But also, I think what I'm going to do when it comes to the ad creative, I think I'm going to really make sure there's a big call out to a
senior dog in that. Obviously, I'm not going to be designing it myself, but I'm going to kind of make a note for a designer to say, look, make sure you have an old-looking dog and I want um a big bit of text on that ad creative that says like for senior dogs dot dot dot. All right, for example. So, we'll come to worry about that later, but I'm not going to worry too much about the identification here because it's going to be implied and I'm going to let my ad creative do that work. Something else
I want to go back and have a look at is the one idea. We can help fix slow movement and lethy in dogs with a supplement that targets stiff joints. It does this using glucosamine which repairs cartilage next to joints acting as a cushion. So, this is a big thing helping fix slow movement and lethargy in dogs. And I actually think slow and stiff that is a really nice way to talk about lethargy. Okay. and stiffness in dogs. I think slow and stiff really really sums it up well and again that comes from IBO's data.
First thing that I'm going to write and again it's not going to be finalized copy but it's just makes easy to write. How are we going to call out that that problem? We could just do something like and stiff. Okay, that's a nice easy way to call that problem. Something that we'll come to talk about later in this course is of course editing and punching up our copy. But you'll see me kind of do this throughout as I'm writing this copy cuz something else that I'll do is for example instead of going for senior dogs
who are slow and stiff I might go ah well maybe we can cut that down a little bit. Okay so like boom right that's an easier way to slow that down. Imply slpromise that is now possible to fix the problem reference that age doesn't have to catch up to the dog so quickly. Slow and sift your dog finally age doesn't have to catch up to them. Now that is literally basically taking that word for word. Now I think we can definitely reward that to make it sound a bit more natural. Um, but all in all,
that as a first sentence is completing everything we've done for a spit draft. So, we could just leave it there and move on. And we've completed this. Do you see how simple that is? If you feel like, oh, I'm not quite sure. That doesn't feel quite right. Then come back up here and then you can go, let's have a look at the ivok data again. Okay. Well, back to being a puppy. That's something that we saw. What does that do? Well, that kind of helps us hit on the fact that you're reversing the aging process
without actually saying that. This new solution practically transforms old dogs back into pups. that is actually saying something that we've got from the audience. So, it's something that people clearly say and care about. Not crazy about this new solution. Practically transforms like we're the reason we we've put practically in there is because, you know, it's not actually transforming them. Not crazy about new solution. So, nature's secret weapon. Now, that's something we could use to actually tease it early on. That could be interesting. We're effectively opening a loop because people want to know what that is.
introducing nature's secret weapon that practically transforms old dogs back into pups. I'm liking that more. That's calling out the problem. It's implying that it's now possible to fix it with introducing cuz it seems like it's new. And it's referencing the age doesn't have to catch up to their dog so quickly. Plus, we've got a bit of a bonus of it's intriguing me to go, "Oh, what is nature's secret weapon?" So, next we need to attack other solutions. Other solutions can take far longer to see any results, but this starts to show effects within the first
48 hours. Not everyone can afford the thousands in vet fees uh in vets fees to help fix bad joints. That's attacking another solution. And for years uh solutions available to buy either wouldn't make a difference or would take a long time to impact anything. Okay, that's getting closer and gets to work. Okay, so I like that because that is first of all setting up this. Now, I want to come back and like change this here, but like I like this because it's one, it's setting up the next section, which is good, which is again why
we've done the spit draft. Two, it is again reinforcing that we've got something new for them. Okay. Instead, I'd like to show you something brand new that relieves stiff joints, soothes stiff joints, and gets to work in just 48 hours. Is this working yet? Not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars in vets fees to help fix bad joints. And for years, solutions available to buy either wouldn't make a difference or would take time to impact anything. I'm not going to talk about how other solutions take a long time to impact anything because I think
on reading this again even though it's important to overcome the objection of like how long will it take to work which is good which we're doing here. I think referencing it against something else it takes too much explaining because we have to like explain oh there are other solutions to do this and that and I don't think that really works. I think talking about spending thousands in debt fees what is of course a real objection that people have and overcome the objection of how long is this going to take is another great thing. This I
think is overexlaining like other solutions when we don't need to. So, I think let's delete that. Okay. So, now this is starting to both overcome objections that we've already established and is building the narrative that we want to get to. Slow and stiff senior dog. Introducing nature's secret weapon that practically transforms old dogs back into pups. Not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars in vets fees to help fit bad joints. So, instead, I'd like to show you something brand new that's affordable, easy to use, and soothes stiff joints in just 48 hours. Introduce the
mechanism of glucosamine and explain why it works. Okay, that's the next thing that we want to do here. Um the answer we need to destroy, fix, alleviate. I say alleviate for now the root cause of joint issues in all the dogs. Dogs get stiff when the cartilage around their joints wear away. This is because there is less cushion their bones when they move. If you ever seen a dog have a hard time laying down or jumping up, it's all because of this cushion. Going to come back and edit this, so don't worry. Have you ever
seen a dog have a hard time laying down um or jumping up? It's all because of this lack of cushion. There's only one thing that can restore this cushion in dogs. It's called glucosamine. Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound that um makes up cartilage near a dog's joints. As they get older, it depletes and the body struggles to make more. The only solution to lagosamine is to give the dog more since they can no longer produce it themselves. In fact, I'm going to reveal how to destroy the root cause of joint issues in older dogs.
The big problem is cartilage. Fancy name for the tissue that cushions joints. As a dog ages, this cushion wears away. That's why there's only one solution to fix slowness and stiffness in senior dogs. Rebuild this cushiony layer of cartilage so they can move around easily again. Unfortunately, dogs can't do this themselves. They need our help. This what I want to say. The naturally occurring compound that rebuilds cartilage is called glucosamine and it is practically a miracle for fixing joint pain. But as dogs age, their body finds it difficult to produce more on their own. The
only solution to psychos is to give the dog more. That's why I've created a natural glucosamine supplement designed for senior dogs and approved by the American Vet Association. So overcoming that immediate thing because I think almost immediately the minute we say we've created something that's probably the first thing comes into my head is okay. Well, let's explain that it's safe. Unlike expensive vet trips, this supplement is affordable and stressfree and is easy to use. So just one tablet a day crushing a dog's food will give them everything they need to rebuild the cushion around their
joints and get their bounciness back. Because cartilage in all dogs is the same. Our sub works for every breed from showers to Great Danes. Slow and stiff senior dog. Now again, we might even like making this look a little bit prettier for Facebook, make it a little bit more um attention grabbing. Slow and stiff senior dog. I want to change like these things into bullet points as like check marks just to so it makes it even easier to read because I've written hundreds and hundreds of Facebook ads. I know that people uh read often by
skimming. So I really want to like point out like the big important bits of it. Okay. No expensive vet trips. Just a new and affordable. I'm going to say solution. That might change that. That soothes joints in just 48 hours. Destroy the root cause of joint issues in all the dogs. Here's how. All right, cool. So, now let's just have a look at this. That's much better, isn't it? It looks far more like a Facebook ad. And this is what it means. You see how I'm dressing this up as I go back and look at
it. This has gone from copy planning template to spit draft to writing the bits that I think are going to be useful to align with it to going back reviewing changing this into copy that becomes far easier to read. Right. Slow and stiff seeing your dog. Introducing nature's secret weapon that practically transforms old dogs back into pups without expensive vet trips. Just a new and affordable solution that soothes joints in 48 hours. Destroy the root cause of joint issues in older dogs. Here's how. First, we need to understand why do dogs get stiffer as they
get older. You see, the big problem is cartilage. The fancy name for the tissue that cushions a dog's joints. As a dog ages, this cushion wears away. If you've ever seen a dog struggle to lay down or jump up, it's all because the years of play and walkies have torn away their cartilage. That's why there's only one solution to fix slowness and stiffness in senior dogs. Rebuild this layer of cushion so they can move around easily again. But unfortunately, the thing that rebuilds this layer, a naturally occurring compound called glucosamine, becomes harder for a dog's
body to produce as they get older. Even though glucosamine is practically a miracle for fixing joint problems, dog just dogs just can't make enough of it on their own. Instead, it's up to responsible owners to give their faithful companion what they need. That's why we created a natural glucosamine supplement designed for senior dogs and approved by the American Vets Association. Introducing Joint Plus, the natural glucosamine supplement that's transformed the lives of 1500 dogs and their owners. Unlike expensive vet trips, this supplement is affordable, stressfree, and easy to use. Just one flavor-free tablet a day crushed
into a dog's food will help rebuild the cushion around the joints and get their bounciness back. Best of all, because cartilage in all dogs is the same. Our supplement works for every breed from Chuhawas to Great Danes. While prescriptions and vets and unpro okay unproven therapies, we'll say can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Joint Plus was created by our vet experts to fix um a serious problem without the need for serious attention. We're doing a few things here like we're overcoming the objection of like, you know, yeah, okay, why should I go and have
a look at other things? No, you're in the right place. You don't want to go and have a look at these other unproven therapies without being too specific. We're again price anchoring, which is obviously something the main point of this. We're talking about hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars. So when they come in, they see it's only 29 or $49. Fantastic. And we're saying like again reinforcing that this was done by an authority without the need for serious attention. So again just showing like oh this is actually super simple like it's really easy. Uh and
then we want to also talk about the prescription bit as well. While most dog medicines have to be prescribed at an expensive price tag. Join Plus doesn't need a vets description because it's made from natural sources that directly banishes the dogs cartilage. Show social proof testimonials to demonstrate how many dogs already benefited. Use quotes. There are some testimonials. Again, like I said, please make sure you have real ones. 30-day money back guarantee if this doesn't work. But the hundreds of happy owners we've helped speak for themselves. Okay, so that's a ton of social proof. We've
got uh an extra guarantee for why you'd want to kind of click through. And now we just need to p the CCA. Nice and simple. And then we'll have a link there as well. PS limited time offer. Yes, limited offer. Get a free caring for senior dogs guide if you buy during March. Okay. Right. So let's have a quick look. we have like just achieved our whole spit draft and we've actually given like good copy to this that actually makes sense and is true to what the research shows us and it's the whole thing. So
again, we did another copyright. Well done, guys. We just did it. And again, now we come to the rest of this. Now, you don't actually have to worry about these so much if you're just writing a single piece of copy, of course, because you might not be writing a Facebook ad. But let me just show you how to think about these kind of things as a copywriter. Well, the ad creative. So, what do I want to show? This is going to be the image. I want to show um older looking dog with a um bottle
of supplements next to him. Let's say in the um like close to the camera with an arrow pointing from the bottle to the dog. That's an example. Add headline. Now, of course, I like to just do this as like the call out. So, for example, I just say fix joints issues in older dogs in 48 hours. You know, 1500 plus um five star reviews, 30-day money back guarantee, free senior dog care guide. This is basic copy and we just proved that we can do it for a Facebook ad from scratch in a very short amount
of time while explaining it to an audience of people. So this is something that if you practice on your own and get used to changing research into spit drafts into actual copy, it can happen very very very quickly and you can get more and more used to it and it becomes a super dialed in, super relevant piece of copy that will hopefully do very well. We've just spent a long time talking about writing copy, but knowing how to revise and edit your own copy is another incredibly important skill. Next, we're going to walk you through
a master class we recently put together to introduce new copywriters to techniques that they can easily use to improve their copy. All right. I know you've been struggling to write successful copy recently. So, I want you to know I'm here to coach you and to advise you so that you can finally put something out that is of publishable quality. Awesome. Okay. Uh after the intro, the first section is right for your audience. Um all right, this is not going to work, but every copywriter talks about that. Just look at the rest of it. It's all
really good advice. I am looking at the rest of it and it's all the same stuff everybody talks about all the time. Honestly, it seems like something AI would come up with. This is a real business. If we can't make our products and ideas stand out and feel unique, then there is no reason for a prospect to pay attention to us instead of somebody else. Okay. So, what should I do? It's not like this is some amazing new topic. We're talking about editing and revising. Like, how do we make this feel new? Watch and learn,
Buckaroo. Have you ever poured your heart and soul into a piece of copy only to have it come out looking like this? Just a malformed, uninteresting rock. Can I throw it? Yeah. But then you look at copy out there in the world and it looks more like this. Captivating, beautiful, polished. In fact, you've probably had the experience where you write something and it looks like this dumb rock and then you try to fix it and it's still just as bad. Trust me, we've all been there. So, we've got to ask ourselves, how do you go
from writing the equivalent of a lame, boring, dumb, stupid rock to a beautiful piece of jewelry or, you know, something worth reading? Well, it all starts with overcoming one of the biggest misconceptions among new copywriters. See, when you're writing, you're going down into the mine and you're digging up rocks. But to refine and mold and polish what you dug up into something beautiful, even the best minor in the planet is going to have trouble with that. It requires a different set of skills. And that's the heart of the problem. You have to realize that writing
and editing are not the same skill. No amount of writing copy is going to make you good at revising your copy. They are as different as mining and making jewelry. So, in this video, we're going to introduce you to the three levels of editing that will turn your copy from this into this. Now, there are three types of edits you need to know about if you're going to do this well. And the last one is probably the most important, so you're going to want to stick around for that. The first kind of edits are probably
the ones you're most familiar with because if you're a beginner, you're probably doing this already and it might be what you think editing is. They are called line edits. So, doing line editing is also often called punching up copy. Uh you'll often hear these phrases used interchangeably. It really just means looking at your copy, sentence by sentence, word by word, and seeing how you can write the copy better. It's like one step cerebrally above proof reading, like making sure the grammar is correct. You want to make sure instead when you're doing line edits that what
you're doing is making sure each sentence not only adheres to the whole idea of what you're trying to say, but also communicates effectively what you're trying to say and also does so in a way that is befitting of the copy that you're writing. So, for example, if you're writing sales copy, you want to make sure that every single line of your copy does the job of selling well. And without line edits, copy can be really hard to read. And what is copy if not something to be read? Have you ever been on a page or
even reading a book where you just can't get across a sentence because it doesn't make sense? There's too many connectives. It goes on forever. Well, that's the kind of thing that line edits can cure. So, in the last stages of writing copy, they are so important to get right. This is your opportunity to make sure that the lines of copy that you write are clear and fully communicate what you're trying to communicate. Because, as we all know, a confused mind does not buy. If we aren't paying attention to what could be confusing to the reader
and seeking to improve that copy so that it's better, well, we're failing. My favorite tip for doing line edits well is reading your copy out loud. My goodness, does it bring up some bad examples of how to write. Just sit there and read as a normal person would what you have written. Read it out loud because your brain treats it in a different way to when you're used to reading it on the page. It will help you pick up on bits that don't quite roll off the tongue. Another tip is to remove weak verbs. This
is actually advice that you'll hear not so much from a lot of copy gurus, but if you go into spaces where there are a lot of like really high paid professional copywriters, they talk about this a lot because your verbs are the things that really do dictate and control the power of your sentences. So instead of writing something like this helps the symptoms of butt pimples, you can do something a little bit better like this eliminates butt pimples or this annihilates butt pimples. This destroys, eradicates, completely obviates, ameliorates butt pimples. These things get a little
crazy, but you see what I'm saying that all these verbs are a little bit more powerful than like helps. Another example is how the verb discover is a little bit better than the verb to learn. Another example is how pretty much any verb is better than the verb to be. That is is, are, was, etc. And another thing, have you ever heard the objection that copy sounds too salesy? Maybe you have said it yourself. Well, that's not entirely wrong. Sometimes copywriting can come across a little bit slimy. And guess what? Line edits are the way
to improve that. In fact, I recorded a video on exactly how you can use line edits to get rid of the salesy elements of copy so you can remove all the slime and make yourself sound trustworthy. Another really important thing to pay attention to is the flow of your copy. For example, if you have lots of really, really long run-on sentences with tons of clauses that are traveling through 30 million different ideas, it's going to be really hard for your readers to follow along. On the other hand, if you have very, very short sentences that
don't say much, your readers are going to have a hard time understanding why it is you're even speaking in the first place. Making sure that the flow of your copy is consistent and makes for a great reading experience is going to amplify the ability of your copy to convert. One super simple way to improve the flow of your copy is to go back through after you finish writing and make sure that you're varying the length of your sentences. If you see that you have all really, really long sentences, break some of them down so they're
shorter. On the other hand, if you have tons of short sentences, try combining them to break up that monotony. But the thing about line edits is they're probably the least important type of edit that you could do. And that's why you should do them last. We still have two more to talk about that are way more important. And if we're being realistic, by the time you're making enough money, line edits are the kind of thing you should probably outsource anyway. So, if you really want to know how to be a great copywriter right now, keep
watching for the next two tips. So, the next level of editing that you should probably keep in mind are called functional edits. And they are exactly what they sound like. You are looking section by section, paragraph by paragraph of your copy and making sure that everything coheres, that you're making a salient argument, that ultimately what you're doing in the copy that you're writing is functioning well. A lot of what you do when it comes to functional edits is actually going through and moving sections and paragraphs around to have the effect that you desire your copy
to have. It's really just looking at the structure, looking at the order in which you deploy things and determining what should come first, what should come in the middle, and what should come last. And ultimately making sure that everything is functioning correctly to convey the idea, convey the argument or to convey the value that you are trying to communicate. Now, as you might have guessed, function edits are crucial to keeping the attention of the reader instead of making them wait to get to the real meat of what you're trying to say. It's pretty obvious that
if you move a section, that could fundamentally change what someone is looking for when they're reading the rest of your copy. And at the end of the day, if the function edits are off, then you're not going to make as much money. You can have all the ingredients you need for a recipe, but if you put them in the bowl in the wrong order or bake it at the wrong temperature, it's not going to come out well. You need to make sure things are structured in the right way. And that's why function edits are so
important. A really simple tip for doing function edits well is to obey a concept called the golden thread. Basically, the golden thread is the idea that you are trying to weave throughout a single piece of copy. What you want to do in your copy when you reread what you've written is make sure that everything is being tied back to the main idea that you're trying to communicate. Here's a simple example. If you are trying to sell somebody a face cream and one of the main ingredients of that particular face cream is elephant tears, you don't
want to be spending an entire section of copy talking about the harvesting of elephant tears. That would be a distraction from what you are trying to do. No, you want to go back and you want to remove the pieces of copy that you've written so that everything is moving and flowing correctly and it's structured in a way that makes the sale and makes a good argument for why somebody should buy what you were trying to sell. How do we know how to structure our copy if we've never written good copy before? That's a fantastic question.
The way you learn how to structure your copy is the way you learn everything else about copy by studying. The best way to study the structure of copy is using a technique called reverse outlining. Reverse outlining is actually quite simple. When you're reading a piece of copy, simply write down what you think each section of that copy is doing so that you're essentially forming an outline of that copy. So, for example, when you're studying copy and you notice that, hey, the credibility section always seems to be coming before they introduce the mechanism in the copy.
That's actually telling you something really important about the way that that copy is being structured. Mark that down. And then the next time you go to write copy, try using that same technique. Over time, you'll develop a series of outlines like this that you can apply to different forms of copy to suit the different situations that you're writing for. Now, if you've seen my 5-hour video where I talk about how to write copy from scratch, you may remember a part of the video where I talk about spit drafting. Spit drafting is one of my favorite
ways to write any kind of copy. And here's how it works. Instead of just writing the copy, you first plot out what you are going to say. Now, I don't mean the words that you're going to write. I just mean describing what you're going to talk about. For example, if you know that after you've made a claim, you're going to need some proof to back that up, you can just write claim proof. Now, you can be a bit more detailed than that if you know what kind of proof you need or what kind of claim
you want to make, but the point is you don't have to worry about exactly how it's going to be written yet. This is going to help you get through your copy and plan it out in a fully functional way before you commit to any specific words. This makes the process so much easier and gives you a clearer path to follow when you come to write. And just like Rod was talking about, when you've templatized other people's copy, you can then break down what it was that they were doing and see if you can replicate that
in your own spit drafts. So, if you're going back to try and edit your copy using function edits, this is the technique I recommend you use to help keep your writing on track. So, this final kind of editing is called value edits. And it is by far the most important type of editing you can do. And it is also the first type of editing that you should do. Now, before I describe what value edits are, I'm simply going to say that value edits can be the thing that separates copy that sells thousands from copy that
sells millions of dollars of a product. And that is because ultimately we are writing to people. People who have seen other stuff. people who feel feelings and have like squishy bits. We are ultimately writing to people that have desires, notions, and identifications. And if we are not keeping that in mind, and we're not presenting them with something that they find interesting, compelling, enticing, they're not going to pay attention to our copy, no matter how good the lines are or no matter how well structured it is. Value edits are where you go into a piece of
copy and you simply ask, "Is the idea good enough? Is the argument good enough? Is the lead good enough? Is the middle bit compelling, interesting, different, unique, etc. And ultimately, that word unique is the thing that you want to be keeping in mind here because people really do tie up the value of something with how different it is. And let me tell you, as somebody who has many, many years of experience with this, the moment your reader says, "Oh, I've seen this before. Oh, I've heard this before." you've lost them. You're never going to sell
as much as something that you can frame as valuable, different, or unique. And often times, if you're critiquing your own copy or critiquing somebody else's copy, this is the point where you want to stop reading if you don't answer this question effectively. One of the best pieces of advice that I give to people, especially who are starting to mentor copywriters is if this particular piece of copy does not pass the value editing test. That is, if it doesn't feel unique, if it doesn't feel valuable, don't do any line edits. Don't do any function edits because
it's never going to be good enough. And as I often say on this channel, a polished turd is still a turd. and you don't want to be revising or editing something that is at its core a piece of [ __ ] A great and actually relatively simple way to start to add some of that value back into your copy is to take a look at what you've written and see if you can frame it as something that's new. A really common way you see the technique used is to take the experience of yourself or the
guru or whoever it is you're writing for and frame the product or service that they're selling as something that has come directly from their experience. We've all heard the story of the guy who starts off really high in life and takes this disastrous fall and comes back to present us with this thing that saved him from his terrible situation and only after having gone through that he can show us this product. By framing the product as something that has just come from this person's experience, what they're saying implicitly is that before that, the product couldn't
have existed. And so what they're delivering is something brand new to the world. That's just inherently interesting. And so your readers are going to be way more captivated by a story like that than simply presenting the product as is. Which sounds more exciting? You can lose weight by cutting food and exercising. Or you can shed buckets of fat with my unique shinone method in less than 44 days. Of course, the latter sounds far more interesting, and there's a reason for that. If you tell people what they already know, as we've discussed, they're not going to
be interested in it. But if you can package it into a system, into something that seems planned and proven, not only does it seem more exciting, but also it seems like it's more reliable. If there's a system that's been built around it, then surely it must work. And that's why systematizing copy is such a common thing when we look at value edits. changing a basic promise or a basic claim into a system that has a story built around it. It becomes so much more alive and you can do so much more of it with the
rest of your copy. It's not just info products and classic direct response niches that can benefit from systematizing those. Huggies diapers are a perfect example. They don't just say, "Hey, we've added a flap to the back that's going to help keep the poo in." Instead, they call it the triple mock anti-sunami system, and all of a sudden, it feels like a lot more effort and thought has gone into the creation and production of it. Therefore, it must be worth more than you think. Or if you've ever bought something as simple as sticky hooks to put
posters on the wall, they don't just talk about, "Hey, put it on and rip it off." Instead, they talk about how it's an airlock system, so your posters are guaranteed to never fall down. By taking regular claims and regular benefits and changing them into these systems at any level, it becomes so much more exciting and so much more believable for the reader. So, there you have it. That was a full breakdown of how to write copy and how to edit copy. But we are not done yet. It's all well and good us telling you what
to do and showing you a single example film for this course, but wouldn't you love to see some real life copywriting in action? So, as well as what you've already seen, we want to share two recordings of myself and Sha writing copy that was actually used. To keep things simple to follow, we'll show you copy that we wrote for this business. Copy that. So, you already know the kind of audience we're writing to and what their desires are because you may well be one of them. But before you watch, there are a couple of things
we need to make clear. Process we just laid out is fantastic for sticking to a principle-based approach as a beginner. So, if you're brand new to copywriting, we recommend you follow it and practice a lot so you get used to planning and finishing full pieces. But as you move on in your career, you may start to find that certain parts of the process work better for you if you adjust them slightly. You may realize that you're naturally more adept at one part compared to the others. Or you may simply work out different ways of doing
things that work better for you. That's all fine. This course is only a guide after all. Anyone who says that they have the single perfect way to write copy is lying. The process becomes quite personal the more you practice. So with that in mind, remember that the approaches Sha and I take to writing copy have been colored by our own preferences of what works best for us. They don't perfectly follow the process we laid out in the course because Shan and I have been doing this for many years now. So even though you will see
the principles of persuasion being used in everything we write, don't worry if you can't see us completing all the steps we've talked about in this course. This course has been calibrated to help anyone start writing copy. So, we still recommend following what we've told you if you're just starting out, but we wanted to show you the full writing process of experienced copywriters in real time so you get an idea of the kind of things we consider as we're actually writing. Okay, let's start with something that every copywriter should know how to tackle, a sales page.
Hello and welcome to this very special video because I'm going to be writing a sales page from start to finish and you're going to see the whole process all the way through. That's exciting in and of itself, but also we're going to be selling a real product. This isn't just a spec piece. This isn't something that's just going to sit on a shelf. It's not just an example. This is going to be used to sell an actual product and you're going to be able to see the results of it. I want to share with you
all the things that go through my brain, how I think about writing copy from the ideation phase all the way through to line edits and how we come up with a finished piece. We're going to be writing for anformational product. I'm going to show you how my method for writing a sales page, my approach can be used for any niche. Copy is universal and learning how to think about it in the right way is crucial. So, we're going to be writing for a product from Copy that because that's the channel and we need to make
money. So, it makes sense that we're going to write about a product from Copy that. We're going to be writing for a product that is a paid course from Copy that called the UGMS, which is the ultimate guide to marketing strategy. It is not for beginners and it is not about copyrightiting. We are not aiming it at anyone who is young or new or can't afford it. This is not for you if you're a beginner copywriter. This is a product as you'll come to see which is all about how to learn good marketing strategy. I
see loads of people in the chat already saying, "Oh, what you know, tell me what the Rio is and and start writing and what's the headline complex going to be?" Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not even there yet. Let we need to first of all discuss the most important thing when it comes to writing copy, which is context. Please make sure you know what product you're writing for and crucially uh what that person already knows about the product or the business you're writing for. So this that you're looking at on the screen right now is
the ultimate guide to marketing strategy. I'm going to cheat a little bit because I already know obviously what's in here. So we don't need to do the whole research process of me going through all the modules and figuring out what it is. Like me and the guys at Copy that made this so I already know what's in there. Um, but crucially, you can see that it's a pretty standard layout for a course. Okay, we've got different modules. We have different resources in here. I'm not going to go through and explain what they all are right
now. We'll do that as we write the page. Um, but this is what we're trying to sell. We're selling access to this course. Uh, currently this is priced at $199, but as we'll get to in a moment and as I'll talk to you about why we're even writing the sales page in the first place, the price of this is about to go up to $399 cuz we're adding a load of stuff to it. Sales pages are pretty much the cornerstone of all kind of selling and all kind of copywriting because no matter what kind of
copy you're writing, at some point you're usually going to have to drive someone to a page where they need to decide whether they buy or not. That's the point of a sales page. So, it's a pretty important skill to have in your arsenal, like actually learning how to write them. We're going to do that today from scratch. Now, you may already have seen my fivehour course where I go through my copywriting process and I talk in great detail about how I would um envision the copyright process and what kind of things you need to think
about and Rioa and getting Ivok data and all that kind of stuff. Um, this video is going to be two things. One, it's going to be an application of the kind of things that I taught in that video. But two, it's also going to be a very realistic view of how a professional copywriter, which is me, actually writes copy. Because I don't sit down every time I need to write copy, because I've been doing this for seven years, I don't sit down and go, hm, I need to think about every single thing that I wrote
in the 5 hour video and lay all of that out in one clean sheet to write copy. I've been doing this for a long time now. So, a lot of those things are just ingrained into my head. So, what you may find is when you're watching me, you may say, "But Alex, you didn't do this one thing that you've mentioned to do." That's because I've been doing it for a long time. And I want to give you not only a practical step-by-step guide on how to write a sales page, but also an insight into if
you keep practicing all these things and you do what the 5-hour video says and you practice your own copy and you, you know, go and get clients and you work for people, this is how it ends up eventually. Right now, we have one blank page. I have a couple of other tabs up. I have a couple of tabs over there as well that I will bring in as necessary. The only things that you need to know are that we don't need to do product research or market research or anything like that. We don't need to
do product research because I made the product so I know what it is. We don't need to do much market research because I'm actually targeting this at pretty much myself of five years ago. Uh and I obviously already know the community very very well that we're selling to. Um, and we don't really need to do competitor research because I I already know all that stuff because we've been doing copy that for a while. So, the research phase we we've kind of done, right? We've got other videos on research. You can go and watch them. This
is just about copywriting. If you're a copywriter, before you do any kind of writing, any kind of planning for the copy, make useful notes for yourself at the top about what do I need to remember around the copy. So the first thing is all right this is a sales page for a campaign lasting two to three weeks. I should probably check the actual date. I will do that in a minute. Um ending with a price hike for the UGMS course from $199 to $399. Okay, that immediately gives me a track to go down. Like I
know that that is why we're writing the copy. The first thing you need to ask yourself before you write copy is why are we even writing the copy? And sometimes you may find that well do we actually need much copy for that or should we be doing a sales page for that? In this case, this is a campaign. There's one specific thing that's going to happen, which is a price hike. Yes, we do need a sales page for it to explain these things to people and convince people to buy. something that you may well be
familiar with if you've watched my 5-hour video. And yes, I still do this for all the copy that I write, assuming like I need to sit down and think about the copy I'm writing, which is Rioa. Now, Rioa is a a term that I coined to help me with what we call the rule of one. Now, the rule of one is a framework to help you keep focused when you're writing copy. Rioa stands for reader, idea, offer, and action. And the idea is that for every piece of copy you write, you're going to be targeting
one reader. You're going to be talking about one idea. You're going to be presenting one offer, and you're going to be driving them towards one action. Now, this is a pretty universal concept. It's not like a formula that only works in some places. Every piece of copy you write kind of has to revolve around these things, or certainly the best pieces of copy revolve around these things, and you make sure you only have one of each. The reader that I want to focus on for this campaign is a most likely a an existing fan of
copy that slash. Now the reason I'm doing slash you might say but Alex that's not necessarily one reader the one reader and this is really important. It doesn't have to be sacred. It doesn't need to be that every single thing is just about that one person cuz copy can appeal to slightly different people. So whether they're an existing fan of Copy that or whether they're not doesn't matter so much. But I'm going to be priming this to people who at least know Copy that as a brand or have seen that we do other kind of
material because most likely that's how they're going to be finding about out about this offer. Either they're on our list already or they see one of our videos that sends them there. So they'll already give me an existing fan of copy that slash um a working copywriter or marketer who can comfortably afford an investment in info products. That's the first thing about the reader that I know we we're not targeting this anyone who can't afford it. We're not targeting this as a beginner copywriters. So the first thing is they already do this stuff and they
can completely afford this investment. That's the first thing we know about them. The next thing we know about them is that um they're interested in earning more money and being in control slash having freedom with their career. Can't even spell with their career. looking for the best way to do that. And we know they're already interested in marketing. Okay, that's my one reader for this. And you see how like I haven't talked about demographics or age or anything like that. I've just given something that is useful for me when I'm writing the copy. So, I
know I'm going to link everything back to this kind of persona. And a lot of people get caught up on the one reader, but the only thing that matters is that it works for you when you're writing the copy and it keeps the copy focused enough so you're not jumping between things. This can easily exist within one person and it's the most important things in relation to the copy I'm writing and the product that I'm selling. An existing fan of copy that is probably the case. Like most likely they've heard of copy that to some
degree. So that means we don't need to spend ages and ages and ages explaining how copy that's the best and going into all of our backgrounds. Of course, we'll still remind people of why that is the case, but we're not we don't have to convince them that we're great people. Hopefully, they should already think that to some degree. Um, they're a working copywriter or marketer. Definitely, this is not meant to be a a piece of copy that's convincing people that copyrightiting and marketing is great. They should already think that they can comfortably afford the investment
in the info products. Of course, we're going to be saying that the the price is a big point and you can save money if you buy now. That's kind of the point of the campaign as we see up here. They can save effectively $200 if they buy it now. But we're not going after people who are desperate for money. We're not going to entice them with like, oh, like you can earn 10K months or like are you sick of not being able to afford things for XY Z. Like we're not after that kind of crowd.
We're just after people who want to earn more money. Okay. And this is why we have the next point. They're interested in earning more money um because who isn't? And it's a very common thing and they probably do believe that they can do more with marketing and with copyrightiting. Um, so we still want people who want to earn more money, but we're not going for the desperate people who are like just think, you know, who think their life is crap and who hate themselves and who, you know, are desperate for a way out. Um, and
we want people who are interested in furthering their career, having a bit more control, having a bit more time freedom over themselves. These are very often linked with people who I know including myself especially in the marketing sphere when people have started copyrightiting a lot of people got into it for that kind of freedom. Um and maybe they're not quite there yet and they they want to find the way of well how do I make more money with this copyrighting and marketing thing and how do I have more control um they're looking for the best
way to do it and of course they're already interested in this. I do not want to spend time trying to convince people like hey marketing is interesting and it's a good thing to get into. That's all I need to know about my reader for now. like that makes me happy because I now know who I'm talking to and the things that matter to them most. Okay, so that's the reader. What's the idea now? Um I I'm going to confess something. I already have an idea. I'm going to talk to you about how I came to
the idea. Um and we're going to develop on it a little bit. But the fact is, as we've mentioned in a lot of other resources, good ideas often just come from being engrossed in the market really already like understanding and knowing it or it just comes from somewhere random. You're doing something else and inspiration strikes. You're like, "Oh, that's a great idea." What is an idea? That's the first thing. Let me talk to you about that. An idea when it comes to copy is effectively your sales argument. it is the big thing that you are
trying to get across to the reader. So for example, as we'll come on to in this case, um if I was selling, I don't know, a course on um property development, okay, like flipping houses, an idea for a piece of copy, a sales page which is aimed at people who aren't into flipping houses yet. An idea might be flipping houses is the path to financial freedom. That is the idea. That's not a particularly good idea and it an idea can be expanded on and made to sound better with copy. But the idea, the sales argument
is, hey, you want more money, you can get more money by doing this thing. Right? That's an idea. It's an argument. It's a thing that we're trying to prove. So that at the end of the sales page, the reader goes, I agree with that. One of my favorites is very simple. It's just benefit the reader wants. You just start with that. Okay. is achievable through unique mechanism that it's effectively what I've just said. All right, it's really simple. There are, you know, you may have like kind of read about sales letters and financial copywriters who
have um different kind of formulas for coming up with with ideas or coming up with big ideas. Um, but if you're just sat there and you're stuck, the the easiest way to come up with an idea is just to bring it back to the reader. Okay, what what's the thing that they want most? So, we can look from our reader here. Immediately, we can see the thing that they want most is they want to earn more money and they want to have more control and freedom in their in their career. Great. So, that's what they
want. And we just need to show them you can get this through this unique thing, unique mechanism. A unique mechanism is the vehicle that you are presenting the solution that can help them achieve that benefit. If your dog has um aching joints and is finding difficult to walk, the idea could just be, you know, um softened joint pain for dogs with and then something like glucosamine supplements, right? That's the unique mechanism. But glucosamine supplements doesn't sound very great in and of itself. So, you could just explain what the unique mechanism is like I've just done.
Or you can make it sound a bit more flashy. So, that's giving it some kind of um interesting name or giving it some kind of um uh code name. So, instead of saying glucosamine supplements, you could say um like magic powder or you could say like um pup 9 tablet or whatever. like something that is I completely made those up, but like something that sounds like it's more of a unique thing in and of itself. What have I done for this? Well, effectively the idea is you can earn way more money and have way more
control, right, by becoming a marketing consultant, right? That's effectively the idea, but that doesn't sound very sexy and very exciting, right? like that's that's not particularly interesting. It's not just about becoming a marketing consultant. Actually, within becoming a marketing consultant, there are two very specific things that you need. Number one is you need competence. Competence equals the skills to actually do marketing. All right? And you need the confidence that is the [Music] self-belief that you can achieve things, right? Okay. You need the competence because you know if you get a marketing consultant job uh and
you you know don't actually know what the you're doing then you're just gonna get fired or you're not going to make any money for the client and you need the confidence because you're not even going to start to pitch people or talk to people or speak as an authority if you're not confident in yourself. You're not going to be able to give confidence to other people. Another question though we need to ask is well why even be a marketing consultant? Why is a marketing consultant the way to earn money? Remember, if you're putting forward an
idea, it's no good to just say the idea. You need to prove it. This may be quite appealing to people because you're saying, "Hey, this benefit you want, there's a way to get it." Great. That's brilliant. But that doesn't sell on its own. You need to show them proof as to why this is the case. So, going back to our reader up here, they're already a working copywriter or marketer. um and they're already fan of copy that. So they're interested in this stuff already. If they're already working in the copywriting or marketing space, the question
they may ask is okay well why can I not achieve this in my current role? Like what is it about being a marketing consultant like that that's different to what I'm currently doing? So what we need to do is we need to make marketing consultant sound far more exciting. The secret to big money and time freedom if you like you know that's not copy but the secret to big money and time freedom within marketing is becoming everything marketer and that's because as a I should just say that's as opposed to just being a copywriter or
just being a specific like performance marketer or another kind of weird madeup title. Right? This is something I see time and time again. This isn't like just something I'm making up for copy. This is something that's real and true. And when something is true, it's far easier to write copy about it. And it's far more convincing, not just focusing on copyrightiting or another specific channel of marketing. Like of course you can just focus on copyrightiting or you could just focus on say emails for example. And yeah, if you become really really good at it and
you become the best in your field at that thing, you may get paid a lot of money. But guess what most people are not becoming? They're not becoming confident to be able to go into any business and say, "Yep, I can I can sort your marketing out for you. I can help you grow." I can do that. And that's why I earn a lot of money because I can do that. Let's synthesize this into a good idea. So, um, my thinking on this is as follows. Copyrightiting cannot make you rich, right? Like again, what this
isn't copy, so like this isn't stuff I'm actually putting out in the world. This is just my internal monologue right now. For example, I wouldn't put this because it can make you rich. Like it could I I can't like sit here and say it definitely won't because that's not true. But just let me run with my internal monologue first. So my basic argument is copyrighting cannot make you rich or I'm going to just change it just so we don't like cause any confusion is extremely unlikely to make you rich. That's because business owners rarely see
the value in it. Okay, that's the first thing. It's the same with so many other niches within marketing. Okay. So like I accountbased marketing or uh SEO marketing or what affiliate marketing like all all this stuff right that people say oh learn this thing you'll be rich forever or learn this thing you can do this for clients and people will love you or email marketing or you know email marketing I'll put that as well. Okay? Like none of these specific things are likely to make you rich because they're, let's face it, like they are within
a very kind of specific framework. Like you can't really do anything. If you say you're an SEO marketer, well then you're restricting yourself to SEO marketing. And let me just tell you like business owners, they are lazy people. Like they they want someone to come in and do as much as possible for them. And if you have to convince them that SEO is a great thing or emails are a great thing, so often they're not even going to give you the time a day. They're gonna be like, "Ah, fine." Like, okay. Instead, and this is
the same like this is what I did. Uh the key is becoming an everything marketer. So, you can walk into any business and immediately know what they need to change to make more money regardless of the niche and regardless of the problems. If you know everything, if you know all that stuff, you can walk in and say, "Oh, it's this specific thing, so we need to focus on it, but also there's these two other things we need to fix." Right? Whereas, if I come in and I'm a copywriter, yeah, I can I can help you
with your your copy and I can say, "Well, this sales page isn't very good, but hey, I didn't realize that you're emailing to a a list, a segment of the list, which has 50,000 people in it, which is 80% of your list, and like half of them are hard bounces." But I'm just a copyright, so I wouldn't even know that. So, it doesn't even matter how good my copy is because guess what? there's another fundamental problem somewhere else in the business that I can't recognize. Therefore, I can't help. So, it means I can't actually make
the business more money. But also, it means the business owner has a more difficult time recognizing why I'm valuable. Luckily, like that isn't as hard as it sounds. Um, like because it isn't as hard as it sounds. Becoming an everything marketer sounds daunting, but actually it's easing you think and it's more conceptual and it's more just about the confidence and competence being in high demand because owners recognize my value knowing that I can go in and fix things and the confidence in my own ability something like That means being high demand because I just recognize
knowing I can go fix things means um I never have to worry about finding clients or money again. Okay, so that's why you should do it because it's just the best [ __ ] thing in the world. Like, and again, this is just anecdotally between us, something I'll probably include in the sales page. Now I think about it. I've just resigned from my job, my in-house role, uh, just because it's not it's just not for me anymore. Um, you know, we've done great stuff there, but I want to go back to work on my own
businesses. But like I I didn't have to stress about that like at all because I'm like, I'm not enjoying it anymore. I'm going to do something else. That's only because I have this. That's it. Like I know I'm absolutely fine for money. Like I already make enough and I know that I can just reach out to like 15 people and say, "Hey, I'm on the market." And immediately I'll have a job. I'm lucky as well because I get to work on my own businesses. So great, but it's only because I can do this. show the
key to becoming an everything marketer um which I think we're going to call like e-arket. We're going to call it like an e-arketer is um uh gaining the competence and the confidence and then ultimately the UGS UGS e-arketer or we'll call it I think like the e-arketer master plan or something like that I think is what Sewan suggested. Um so e-arketer um has been designed to give you both. I started with here's just like a simple formula for creating an idea like if I needed it but like I say it's already ingrained. So my first
thing is you can earn more money and have more control by becoming a marketing consultant. That's the basic idea of this whole [ __ ] sales page. Um then I started to expand out which is the secret to big money and time freedom with marketing is becoming an everything cop an everything marketer not just focusing on one specific niche. Um the way to achieve that is through gaining the competence and gaining the confidence. That's the key. And then I extrapolate all of that out into this. So let's just read again. This is this is not
copy guys. Just want to make this clear. This is not going into sales page this bit. This is just me stringing out the idea in my head so I have a clear idea of it. So copyrightiting is extreme is extremely unlikely to make you rich. That's because business owners rarely see the value in it. Uh it's the same with so many other niches. Instead, what I did, the key is becoming an everything marketer. So, you can walk into any business immediately know what they need to change to make more money regardless of the niche, regardless
of the problems. Luckily, it's not as hard as it sounds. Being in high demand because owners recognize my value, knowing I can go in and fix things. And the confidence in my abilities means I never have to worry about finding clients or money again. Um, plus I I command way higher rates. Um, so the key to becoming everything marketer is gaining the competence and the confidence and the UGMS is there to do that. So how do we boil all of that down into one nice little phrase I can stick at the very top of the
dock so I never lose focus of what I'm actually writing here? That is effectively the idea of this sales page. Does that line up with the reader that we've put down there? Someone who already works in copyrightiting marketing. Yep. So we know that um they can already come to me afford this product. Yep. It's going to be expensive, you know, for for beginners. So, like they they should still well steer well clear of it. They're interested in earning more money. Yep. And being in control of freedom. Yep. We've got that. Um and they want the
best way to do that. So, what have we said? The real key is become an e-arketer, not just a single niche. And this is going to give you it. It's going to provide the confidence and the confidence. That effectively is the idea. Okay. So, let's just delete all this. There you go. That's the idea of the sales page. I know we've just spent many minutes doing it this because it's the most important part of the whole [ __ ] sales page, right? You need to know what the sales argument is because otherwise you can't write
anything. So, I wanted to talk you very thoroughly through how I came up with that. Now, if I wasn't explaining it to a camera, that only would have taken me a couple of minutes to do, but I want you to understand everything. So, you don't need to spend that long necessarily coming up with an idea, but oftentimes it will help, especially in the early days. Like often you'll be stewing on an idea for a while and then you'll come and be and you can as long as you can logically explain right this matters because of
this and this matters because of this. Fantastic. It works. We've got the reader. We've got the idea. What's the offer? Well, we know the offer is this course. So ultimately it's that. But it's not that simple. An offer is not a product. An offer is a web of promises and benefits and potentially bonuses. It's everything that the reader is going to receive from doing what we ask them. Now, yeah, they're going to get a product, but what do they get that's attached to that product? What extra guarantees do they get? Do they get anything else
that's useful? Do they get anything else that benefits them more abstractly? Like, do they get it immediately, for example, that could be part of the offer? They haven't got to wait for it. Free shipping, for example, is part of an offer. An offer isn't just the product that you're buying. It's all the things around it. buy the EMP with all its modules. Uh oh, not so buy the EMP, just say the EMP with all its modules and free bonuses, which are obviously things we will uh will come to discuss, is currently $199. 2024. the price
goes up by $200 and we're adding um a bunch of new content which I will break down at some point soon because remember like this isn't we're not just doing this price hike for no reason. We're not just being mean. Um, we have created uh Sean's offer masterass recently, my master class on cross-pollination. Um, we also have a bunch of resources around offer building we're going to be creating. And crucially, you get lifetime access which includes all future content that may be added because the EMP is our only course on marketing strategy. Like that's the
whole point of it. It's the only product that we have on marketing strategy. So everything that we think is related to marketing strategy is going to be going in there. So, if you buy it before the 20th of August, you get it for $200 off of what it is going to be and then you get lifetime access to it as well. So, you will never have to pay any more increases that happen. Like, it's just $199. That's all you'll ever pay for it. You don't need to pay anymore. Plus, you'll get content in the future.
Plus, patrons get uh $20 off. Okay. Okay. So, if uh so again, I need to obviously after I've written the sales page, I need to um like put it up and then I need to go and sort all the admin stuff out for this to launch tomorrow. One of those things will be um creating a discount code for any patrons who will get $20 off. And then the action is quite simply go to the checkout page to buy. That's the action. Easy. See, if so, if only they were all like that. Um but now we
have our Rioa built out. So, we know that it's an existing fan of copy that and a working copyright or marketer who can afford this. They're interested in making more money and having more freedom over their career. They want the best way to do that. We already know they're interested in marketing. The idea is that the real key to high rates and time freedom is becoming an e-arketer, not just relying on a single niche. And the product and the EMP, I should say, and the EMP gives you both the confidence and competence to make that
reality. Okay? Like that is what the idea is. The offer is the EMP with all its modules and its bonuses is currently $199. If you buy it now, you're going to save $200 because on 20th of August is going up by $200. Plus, we're going to add a bunch of new content. Um, you'll get lifetime access to it and it's going to include all of the future content we add. Plus, if you're a Patreon member, you get $20 off. And the action is go to the checkout page to buy. What will the reader see before
this page? Okay, important question to ask yourself. Now, this is usually quite important if like you're not creating a whole campaign in one go because I'm creating the whole campaign. So, me and the copy that guys, we're writing the emails for this. We're doing the videos. We're doing the live streams. So, we're creating a lot of assets that are going to push people to the sales page. If you're just writing like for a project and you're writing one piece of copy within a framework that already exists, you need to understand what the people seeing your
copy have already seen because that can really change how you talk to them. If you're writing a squeeze page to try and get them to download a free guide on uh building biceps, but they've just watched a video on how to build biceps and it's given away all that information already or it's kind of told them what the what what the main ideas are. You just writing like fascinations, you know, writing bullets that are kind of teasing the things that they already think they know. That's not a good idea. Instead, you need to build on
what they've they've just seen and make it sound even better. Like, oh, to complete the training or to get the full picture, I need to download this thing. So, this is a really important question to ask yourself if you are writing any kind of copy within a framework that already exists because you need to make sure you're not writing something that goes against what they've just seen. Lift emails, um, live stream master classes, and copy that videos. Okay. and maybe Discord messages. Right. First thing that I want to say before I do any planning is
that I was asked earlier what formulas and what frameworks I use. Um I do not use many formulas. I use concepts and things that I've picked up over the years which helped me to have a starting point with certain pieces of copy. So Rioa is one of them where it helps me put on the right track. This is not a prescriptive method. This isn't telling me, hey, you your reader, you need to write the reader in a certain way or you need to write the idea in a certain way. It's just saying, hey, Alex, you
need to make sure you have this down. What type of lead do I want to have for this p sales page? Effectively, the lead is the start of the sales page. And they can either be indirect where you're not really talking about the offer straight away. you're more just trying to um grab attention through something that's intriguing or interesting or maybe somewhat relevant to the reader and then push them into thinking they need your offer. So that's indirect all the way over to very direct where you basically just say here's this offer. This is what
it costs. Buy it. Okay, that's a very direct lead. When I look at this reader and who they are, they're an existing fan of Copy That or they've seen one of our videos recently, like that's why they know of us. So they already know of what we do. um and they already know about copywriting and marketing. So, because they already know what we do and they're already looking for a solution for this, we can be very direct with our lead. I want to float around the promise lead to offer lead kind of section. A promise
lead is where you're leading usually with um a big benefit um or you know a claim, something that you're promising people that they're going to have. It doesn't have to be a direct. You don't have to say I promise, but it could say, you know, lose 50 pounds in three weeks or the key to happiness or the key to like becoming a car mechanic or whatever. You're effectively promising a result. You're promising something. So, that's fairly direct because you're saying, "Hey, this thing that you care about, this benefit, I can show you how to get
it to an offer lead, which an offer is you are literally just showing, presenting the thing you're offering, telling them how much it is, and saying, "This is what I want you to do." So, that's probably where we're going to gravitate towards that kind of area because we can afford to be quite direct because the people already know us. They know we're going to sell something and we already know what their big problem is. Where do I start? Well, as you guys will know, um, if you've watched my 5-hour video, I like doing things called
the messaging hierarchy and spit drafting. Now, there's been a lot of confusion as to what the messaging hierarchy is versus spit drafting, and I understand why. Um, if I could remake the five hour video, I would definitely clarify a few things in it. That being one of them, especially now because now that I have gone on and on in my career, I don't really sit I don't really find myself doing like here is a messaging hierarchy and here is a spit draft. It kind of all just gets jumbled into one. Like it's more just a
kind of I kind of just call it plotting now. I just kind of plot out what I know I need to write about. So if I had done all if I'd done all the research of this previously like um and I had it all in front of me I'd be using that research now to plot things out. As it happens all the research is in my head because I already know about this market and the product. So I'm just going to plot things out as to the way I think it should be. So the first
thing that I want to write about is definitely like call out to um the one reader. So effectively just reminding people of like the desire they have and what they want and the big benefit they're after and presenting the idea. Okay, that's effectively the first thing I want to do here. Um, this in in and of itself is effectively um uh promising the biggest benefit. So, almost the first thing I want to do, obviously I'll write the actual copy for it, but like I kind of just want to show them the idea, right? I want
to call them out and I want to show them the idea. Like this thing you've already heard. Like don't it's stupid. I'm going to show you the way to actually get what you want. Okay, that's the first thing I want to do. Then the next thing is I want to remind people um of who I am. People already know me most likely if they're watching this and they'll know copy that. Um but a effectively a small recap just in case someone doesn't know me or like isn't quite sure who we are. So, I just want
to do a a small recap just on something that's important that's also going to leverage trust. Okay. So, that's not like necessarily going to be a full backstory, but I just want to leverage my authority. So, remind um uh of my success and recap gurus. We just copy that like just say and remember we've got 40 years experience. So, can you immediately see instead of me starting at some kind of existing sales page formula or framework and me going, "Oh, I have to do this, I have to do that, I have to do that." I'm
literally just reading what the realer is, thinking about what my reader wants, and now I'm pling it out based on that. I'm not getting myself trapped in a corner of, oh, I have to I have to do this or I have to do it in this order or now I have to introduce the proof section or now I have to because that's a stupid way of writing. back up my um idea with logic because I'm going to start here by saying something like look guys you copyrightiting or whatever is not the best way to earn
money. If you really want to earn money and you really want to do this then you have to become an e-arketer. You have to become the everything marketer the e-arketer. I'll explain what that is in a minute. Then I'll give my leverage my authority and say about how this has led me to success. I'll recap why copy that should be listened to now because I've effectively opened the loop and teased it. Now I'm going to back my idea up with logic and why it works. Okay, so that's the first thing. Um, then this is really
important to me. I want to tell the reader who this isn't for. These are called not statements. I really like not statements for a few reasons. Um, number one is because in case someone is reading this who is, for example, a beginner copywriter or is like under 18, we don't want them to buy this or if they don't have enough money, we don't want them to buy this. So, one saying like this is not for people who cannot afford it. This is not for people who aren't working copyriters, blah blah blah blah blah. One, it
stops those people from buying, which is what we want because this is too advanced for them. uh and two it shows the right people the people we are after that oh well if it's not if it's not for these other people then it means it is for me so that's great so not statements are definitely something I want to introduce um this also kind of helps uh give a bit more to the call out that we've already done because we've already called out to the reader which is like hey if you want this thing you're
in the right place and now we're just solidifying look you should only be doing it if you want x y and zed you shouldn't be doing it if you're in another category as you can see we haven't really done much so far and like I said it's because this can be quite a direct lead. So then I want to just do the offer reveal. Um part of me honestly like would be tempted to make this even more direct and just have like hey we have this course and there's money there's going to be money off
of it. The reason I'm not doing that is because I want to talk to people who even if they have already seen the UGMS I want to talk to people who like just need a bit more convincing of like what is the right path to take. There's no good in me just saying, "Oh, there's loads of money off a course that we have." Because they might not know they need that course right now. They might not be sure. But what I do know, if they are like just wanting to earn more money in their career,
and they are wanting to um uh find a way to like actually have that freedom, but stay within marketing, this is the answer for them. So, I don't just want to launch straight in with the offer and say, "Hey, it's loads of money off." But it is still quite a direct lead. So, I do want to do that fairly early on. I don't want to wait until the bottom to reveal the price or anything like that. It's not. It's not. Then I want to give like a bit of a spiel about why the offer uh
or actually why the um product I should say not the offer is good in itself. So that's actually then describing the EMP and saying okay well this is why we built it. So like why it was built, what it covers, um what else? why it was built, what it covers, um why it works, all that kind of stuff. Um then we want to kind of give a bigger reveal to like everything. So we want to actually break down the modules, break down the modules, our product and add-ons of the offer. So that for example is
stuff like um uh the free bonuses and that's also making a starting to kind of make a big deal about how also you're going to get lifetime access also you're going to have all this other stuff added to it right also I want to talk about the campaign slightly so like um behind the scenes peak into our campaign [ __ ] always get those ones wrong peak into our campaign and tease the master classes here. I want to tease the master classes with dates and basically say, look, you know, you can turn up on these
dates if you want and you can watch it for free, but like if you miss that date or if you can't make it, then it's gone forever. Like you can only get inside this course. Then we want to do like a big testies push. So big testimonial and then final push with urgency. That is pretty much how I want to plot out this sales page. But let's just go through that one more time to show you the reasoning. Um, I want to call out to the reader because this is a direct lead and I want
to show that they the desire they have, the benefit they're after, I can deliver that for them and I want to start by presenting the idea because it's a strong idea and it piqus their interest into okay well how can I achieve this benefit that you've promised me, right? So I'll reveal the everything marketer. Okay. Um, then I want to leverage my authority saying how this has worked for me that I've got a load of good cred. remind them of my success and recap on just who copied that R and why people trust us in
the first place. Then I want to close the loop effectively on this first bit which is back up my idea with logic and show why it works. That's the stuff I was talking about up here when I was coming up with the idea, you know, about like how um business owners, you know, don't trust copyriters to actually make loads of money and people just think about wanting a marketing consultant, all that kind of stuff. Then I want to show about who this offer just isn't for before I reveal the offer because we're doing this quite
early up and not leaving it till like later on because people are going to want to see what we're actually selling them immediately. This is quite direct. Um talk about generally why the product, why the course is actually good, why it was built, what it covers, giving that um that added context so people understand it a bit more and they feel more comfortable with it. Then we'll break down the modules. We'll do a bunch of fascinations there. Um, we'll give a behind the scenes peak into our camp peak into our campaign, tease the master classes
just to make it seem even better and like we're because ultimately and this is something this is something that we've been copy has been praised for quite a lot by you guys which I really appreciate but you guys always say we're really transparent and say that you know we we do just show you like this stream how we do stuff and why we're doing it. Um, so I I I want to kind of include that in this campaign and say look like this is part of a campaign and this is why we're doing the campaign
and here's the stuff you need to know about it. Then we end with a lot like testimonials that we have um which we may use through throughout the page as well. And then a final push with the CTA. Um that all makes sense. The first thing that I want to type at the very top is for working copywriters and marketers who want to make the most money. possible possible is marketers only. So what I am what I'm doing right now is this is going to be what we call the eyebrow copy. So the thing at
the top of the page just to let people know, hey, this is who this is for, right? So I definitely want for working copyriters, marketers So there we go. The this is obviously not all copy that's going on the page. I'm just writing out the first ideas I have when I'm writing this. So working copies and marketers definitely something I want to say. Make the most money possible. Bit weak working copyright and marketers only. Like yeah certainly gets across who it's for. Again, like the only isn't really adding too much because it's not saying much
more than for working copyright and marketers is, but something along this is more where I'm getting to who want to break their earning ceiling and achieve real freedom. I definitely like that because it's something that resonates and appeals to me is that I'm looking for freedom, right? In my career, I want to freedom to make choices. All right, something like that. As for the headline itself, what am I trying to do? I want to present the idea. We can either basically play it safe. This isn't copy. This is just me saying. So we can play
it safe like the key to earning what you want and setting your own hours. Um is to become an everything marketer, right? Something like that. Obviously that's not a copy. That's that's why this is just this is a spit draft. Okay, that's playing it kind of safe just cuz we're just repeating the benefit. Or we can start to immediately create an enemy and do something a bit more intriguing which is something like so I just have the idea of creating an enemy which is like they are lying to you. The key to riches and freedom
marketing isn't copywriting or SEO or affiliate marketing etc etc. um the truth and then you could say something about the truth or the other thing I have in mind is playing like the savior slash um guru route where I talk about it from basically my perspective and this this obviously it's still about the reader but it becomes more about me and about this is how I actually did it okay so like how I actually achieved the highest pay and you know freest hours which is obviously [ __ ] It's not real copy but how I
show the highest pay and free is freest even a word? um how I actually achieved um uh riches and freedom in marketing. And then you say like nothing to do. So you can still go with something kind of like what we got. Nothing to do with X, Y, and Zed. Instead, the secret lies in what I call e marketing or becoming an e-arketer. Right? So, those are kind of the three routes I have. I would definitely do between B and C is my first thing. I would I personally wouldn't do A. A. A again, it's
it does what it says on the tin. It plays it safe. Like, it's fine. It will it would work. And I'm confident all of these would work no matter which one I like went to, but ultimately like it it it's not really doing anything. Now, between B or C, honestly, I think you could do either of these. I really do. Um I am going to uh more towards a hybrid. I'm going to owe more towards C. Um because the savior route of like this is how I actually did it immediately leads in to leveraging my
own authority which is something I'm going to do anyway. Um but I'm definitely going to mix these two. You can see I kind of was already doing that with the nothing to do with XY Z and then we've got this. Um I'm still definitely going to include like they are lying to you. This is an an example where I've come up with a couple of ideas that are very similar that are that can complement each other. So instead of like com deciding between them, I'm just going to work them into each other and use function
edits to move them throughout the page so they still make sense. Working copyrighters and marketers who want to break your own ceiling and achieve real freedom. Allow me to reveal surprisingly boring truth of e-arketing. How I actually got rich and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedal by get rich quick gurus. What I want to do here is um um you may already know me and I've earned millions of dollars personally. I personally I personally earned millions of dollars from marketing. Take me back when I started seven years ago. That's crazy to say,
but it's true. I want to just kind of share a bit of proof. I will what I call becoming an E marker. And no, that's not just a fancy way of saying in the last seven years. I've worked for you. Now, this guys, what I'm doing here, just I I need to remember I'm I have people and I I'm talking to them. Um, this is effectively like the cred section. The reason I'm bringing this up here, I'm definitely going to be cutting a lot of this down. The reason I'm doing it now and I bring
it up here is because like I just need people to know that this claim that I've just made like it's it is a reality. Okay. Sounds like Uni Lever. I've started and sold my own e-commerce companies and I've been paid uh tens of thousands for single projects. So now I'm actually rich. Uh again, the stuff I'm putting out here, I'm just putting down to like get out of my head. Like that line, like I know I'm definitely not going to keep, but I just want it down because it's going to help me thread through the
thoughts I'm already having and the conversation I'm having with myself. Like my goal is for this section, this like cred section to be no more than like three lines for myself. And then I also want a line about copy that. And I want to have some kind of like strip or banner that just shows our photos. Show it shows we're real people. We've done stuff. Okay. And I get to decide who I work with and what businesses I set up. But I'm not alone because the whole copy that crew have similar stories between us. We
have over 40 years marketing experience. So you can trust us. when we tell you we know what it takes to succeed marketing. All right, this is kind of like the cred section I want. So now again, I I'm quite ruthless when I when I edit. I go through and I cut just like as I'm as I'm writing. So right now you already know me. I'm Alex M. I've personally earn millions of dollars from marketing. Like um don't need that. You already know me. Like Alex M. personally millions from marketing. Great. That is the start of
the proof that backs this up. We're still going to need more proof from this. Um, think back to when I started seven years ago. That's crazy to say it's true. Don't need that. Um, uh, we will. That opens the loop. Um, I don't think we need that either. Like, I thought we might need that. So, I'm Alex M. I've personally millions from marketing and I also what I call becoming an e marketer. um and it's all because and it's all because I figured out how to become an e-arketer. More on that in a minute. Okay,
so We've started firing the proof by saying, "Look, I've actually done this. I'll prove it in a second." We've now opened the loop for, "Hey, you want to keep reading?" So, I'm going to reveal how I did this myself. Um, me. Now, I want to introduce the Hulk. I can't really me and Hulk of that group have similar stories between us. We have over 40 years of marketing experience working for brands like um and this is where I turn I'm going to turn this into bullets so it's easier to read. So, um, no [ __
] hell. Where are you bullets? brands like uh Uni Lever, Nike and Agora Financial earning tens of thousands for single projects, launching and selling our own businesses. And then here I want photos of uh copy that crew marketing has been an extremely kind career to us. So it's super So it's really frustrating when we see um working copyriters and marketers. a working corporate marketers who are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours and in the same position not knowing how to progress. If that's you, it really isn't your fault. I'm sure you'll
agree that there are dozen there are hundreds even gurus all promising the path to riches and happiness through And then copyrightiting blah blah blah blah x no x x or any combination or any any other line of work you can think of. So let's just move back to the top quickly and just see what we've done so far. So we've got the call out for working copyrighters marketers um uh who want to break their earning ceiling and achieve real freedom like bit weak. We we'll improve that. Allow me to the surprisingly boring truth of um
I kind of like that line and I think I might keep it even though part of me feels it may be shooting myself in the foot by saying it's boring but like I think that kind of helps set us apart. Um allow me to reveal the surprisingly boring truth of e-arketing. How I actually got rich and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedled by get-richqu gurus. I'm Alex Meyer and I personally earn millions of dollars from marketing. Me and the comic crew all have similar stories and between us we have over 40 years
of marketing experience. Photos of us working for brands like Uni Lever, Nike Financial, owning 10,000s for several projects, launching and selling our own businesses um and generally um being able to decide our own fate. marketing has been has been an extremely kind career to us. So, it's really frustrating when we see copyrighters and marketers who are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours in the same position, not knowing how to progress. And if that's you, it really isn't your fault. Classic kind of line. You always want to tell people it's not their
fault because it makes them feel much better and it often isn't their fault as well. Um, so what am I actually doing? What's the thought process here? Um, so I've started with the call out. Like I said, I've communicated the idea, which is just the effectively the hook into, okay, well, I'm immediately setting myself against other gurus and other things you've heard. And remember, the people who are on this page like we set up here probably already know. Copy that. Like, so that's good because that I already have that like innate trust there that people
are going to trust me. Um, so then I talk I reveal the benefits like I got rich and earned time freedom. Both of which are true things without listening to the lies pedled by get-richqu gurus. Um, then I effectively just start the proof or I I kind of um what what I call validating the claim. So I've implied that I'm rich here and I'm implied I do something. I now need to kind of validate the claim, back that up to say, look, I'm backing myself on this. It's not [ __ ] I'm not trying to
pull the wool over your eyes. I personally earn millions of dollars from marketing. Um, then I open the loop into what this is. You know, we've mentioned it up here. I open the loop just to say, you know, look, more on that in a minute. We will get to it. But before that, I need to tell you who the [ __ ] we are just to remind you of like why we're authorities to speak on this. So even if you know us, you just go like, yeah, like I I'm ready to listen to you guys
because you I I get that you understand all this. Um, so highlighting our biggest USPS, which is look, you know, we're not like other gurus who have just come onto the scene and are kind of bullshitting with courses. We have over 40 years of marketing experience. You can go on any of our LinkedIn profiles and see all the [ __ ] history we have with all the different brands that we work for. Um, and there's four of us and we all work together on it. Uh, photos of us just to add that trust there to
show that we're real people. Um, we've wor and then obviously this is all just, you know, posturing. Here's proof. We've done this. Um, I would like to add um images here potentially, but might not be the kind of thing that's so easy to do on Google Docs. So, we'll see. But if if I can, I will. marketing has been extremely kind career to us. So, it's really frustrating. And here is again where what we're doing here and what I'm why I've written this this line specifically is because I'm just reminding and letting people know who
are reading this that there is about to be a solution for you. The fact that we find it frustrating means that well, we must then have the answer. You're not frustrated about something if you can't see the you can't see a way around it. You don't know where you want to go. We're frustrated about this because we've already achieved it. We know how people can too. So, it's actually annoying to us. And if that's you, it really isn't your fault. Now, I'm leading up to and I'm working round to the thing that I set up
here, which is creating the enemy, which is like, you know, you will have heard all these different things, but actually, you know, the real truth is in e-arketing. The next thing I need to do is back up my deal with logic and why it works, which I'll come to. But none of it makes sense. Seriously, just think about this logically for a sec. Business owners. Business owners and decision makers only want one thing. For someone to do the most amount of work for the least amount of pay. They couldn't give a flying fish. I'm not
going to say about what? Oh, that's something else I do and I recommend you guys do that. Like if you if a word if you can't just quite get a word or a phrase or a sentence, just put an X there. Just like and come back to it. It's fine. Don't I I hate stopping the the flow. The key to what extra is to convince them um is the new solution their problem. They have a whole business. think about they don't care difference between a conversion copywriter and a um ROI focused SEO marketer. All they
want to know is, "Can you make my business more money?" Oops. And can you deal with everything marketing related so I don't have to? It's very rare that the people with the budgets to spend are actively looking for specific roles. They want to hire someone in the easiest way possible. Someone the easiest possible. Um, all they know is they need a marketer or a marketing consultant who can deal with their marketing problems. If you're giving them any reason to doubt that, if it's not immediately clear, what do you do? If it doesn't, if it can't
see how your title would fit the role, then they won't hire you. Okay, I'm definitely going to delete some of this because like this is just I've just written a load of stuff here, but I'm just still trying to get what I want out of my head because I know I know exactly where I'm going with this. Um, for me, I've worked with countless businesses businesses and none of them or and like No, no, no. That's not fair. And hardly any business owners are impressed by fancy sounding jobs. They just want someone uh is all
results. No BS. So, so far happy with that. Happy with that. Happy with that. Um I want to basically cut this down into like two or three lines. And this is what I Like this is how I write copy. I I literally just like I just write everything that's in my head and then I go through it with a weed whacker. Let's not say that because that also sounds quite negative and it's not it's not the best way to put it. There's no decision makers only want one thing. Um, a person who can fix Jesus
Christ who can fix all their marketing problems. They don't care. That your job title. They don't care use. They just want [ __ ] bro. I like that cuz I think that that person Well, yeah, believe me, they don't know the difference. between a they don't care what meth you use. They don't job title. They don't care what methods you use. They don't have time to analyze the problems themselves. Business owners and decision makers only want one thing, a person who can fix all their marketing problems. They don't care about your job title. Believe me,
they don't know the difference between a convert and R foc. Um, they don't care what methods you use. They don't have time to analyze problems themselves. They just want [ __ ] fixed. They couldn't give a Right. Okay, fine. That's good. This this bit's just too confusing. I've worked with and actually I won't say countless. I'm going to say how many I've actually worked with. I've worked with over a hundred business owners basically in my time. I've had 80 I've had 81 clients or more than definitely at least 81, but definitely I think more than
that. So, I've had at least 81 clients and then I've also set up my own businesses alongside other businesses which who I've worked with and I've done affiliate deals with other businesses which takes it well above I think probably to like 110 but I'll just say 100. But here's a little trick. I'm going to say like 104 plus because specificity always sounds like it's, you know, more real and it's definitely more than 104. But instead of just saying 100 and 110, I'm just going to say 104 plus because it also sounds like it's very specific
and it sounds even more true. It is true. It just sounds even more true. Same thing. Someone who's all results. No BS just calls themselves a marketer. Gurus may like to push the idea of a specific role or job title because it makes it easier to sell courses. But the reality is business owners want simple the word simple um easy to understand package. Okay, so we've called out the one radio, print the idea. Yep, we've done that. We've leed up our authority, reminded people like what we're good at. Uh, have we backed up the idea
of logic and why it works? It's really frustrating when we see copyrighter marketers who are stuck at the same pay grade, at the same hours, in the same position, not knowing how to progress. And if that's you, it really isn't your fault. Hundreds of different marketing gurus all promise to path through its happiness lies in a specific solution like or any other line of work you can think of. But none of it makes sense. Seriously, think for a second. Business owners and decision makers. All right. To I want to add one more bit of context.
To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to people to the people who have money. i.e. business owners and decision makers. The truth is business owners and makers only want one thing. A person who can fix all their marketing. all marketing problems. Right, let's see. Like this is starting to now form into more of a story. This is better. This is getting better and better. I definitely need to clean this up a little bit. But right, so it's really frustrating when we when we see copyriters and marketers who
are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours in the same position, not knowing how to progress. And if that's you, it really isn't your fault. Hundreds of different marketing gurus all promise the path to riches and happiness lies in a specific solution like copyrighting du or any other line of work that you can think of. But none of it makes sense. Seriously, just think about this logic for a second. To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to the people who have money to spend, i.e.
business owner decision makers. But the truth is, business owners and decision makers only want one thing. A person who can a person who can fix all their marketing problems. They don't care about your job title. Believe me, they don't know the difference between a conversion copyriter and an ROI focused SEO marketer. They don't care what method you use. They don't have time to analyze the problems themselves. They just want [ __ ] fixed. I've worked with 104 business owners and they all want the same thing. Someone who is all results, no BS, and just call
themselves a marketer. Um but the truth is because just wanting problems I like that gurus may like to push the idea of a specific role or job title because it makes it easier to sell courses. The idea is business owners want the full package with no fluff. Need to rework that a bit. Who is like to pier specific job uh specific role or job title because it makes it easy to sell courses. But the reality is business owners want the full package with no fluff. Um and move back up. Next section is not statements. So,
and that's why that's why I want to share the power of e-arketing with you over the last well I guess nine years technically I've been doing marketing for so I'll say that in the nine years that I've been doing years writing copy doing marketing. I've picked up pretty much everything about how to be a good how to be a marketer that gets results. In other words, to be a marketer, business owners love uh a marketer that business owners love to pay thousands. Uh I won't say love to pay but I will say are happy to
pay thousands. In other words, market that business owners uh are happy to pay thousands to. But oh yeah, good note. So we've got that. See done. Next is not statements. Now reading that back in I picked up pretty much everything about how to in other words how to be a marketer that business owners have to pay thousands to with the help of the rest of the copy that crew. Um, we've packaged everything we know about marketing and how to succeed. Uh, how to build a career in marketing into one place. To help the rest of
Copat crew, we've packaged everything we know about marketing and how to build a career in marketing into one place. Before I share it with you, I want to make a few things [Music] clear. This is not for beginners. You have to be or I say you should be you have to because you don't have to be but you should be a um you should be someone who already um does already works someone who already works in marketing. Okay. Copyrightiting or a similar field. Um, yeah, that's fine. This is not for beginners. You should be someone
who already works in marketing copyrighting or a similar field. Um, this I'll say I'm not sure what I'm going to call it yet, whether we call it a master plan or a course or it's not a blueprint, but like you know, it's kind of a blueprint I guess, but like this, you know, I might say like this, whatever. For now, I just say this. This not for beginners. This is not for anyone who can't afford investment in themselves. Um the information we have to share share is extremely valuable and not cheap. And crucially, this is
not for anyone people who aren't sure about their next steps. Only continue if you know want to be successful marketing. Before I share it with you, I want to make a few things clear. Before I share it with you, I want to make a few things clear. This is not for beginners. You should be someone who already works in marketing, copywriting, or a similar field. This is not for anyone who can't afford investment themselves. The information we have to share is extremely valuable and not cheap. And crucially, this is not for people who aren't sure
about the next steps. Only continue if you know you want to be successful in marketing. Okay, here it is. Right. There we go. Done the not statements. There you not statements can can be as simple as that. Um, now it's the offer reveal, right? And then this is where I think we're going to call it um the E master master plan. a full guide on how to um so money freedom you put them there cuz I'll put them into my coming. I know why I'm doing it in caps for some reason. Now, um we'll go
ahead and by becoming the best marketer fake market in the room. I don't know how to and the highest rates and Set your own hours email a full guide on how to earn the highest rates and set your own hours by becoming the best marketer in the room. There we go. That's effectively what it is for working copyriters and marketers who want to break their earning ceiling and achieve a real freedom. Allow me to reveal the surprisingly boring truth of e-arketing. How I actually got rich and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedled
by get-richqu gurus. Um, and I think what I'm gonna say here is um included below below um limited two week discount. Is it two weeks or three weeks? Three weeks. discount. Save $200. Something like that. I I might I might change that slightly, but like yeah, I want to like I I do want to make it obvious that hey, you know, this is something that if you want to like take advantage of this, then it's happening now. Um probably will include a button here as well. Um a button because I actually quite like doing this
for info products. I've never really seen anyone else do this, but when it's like a launch campaign, but we're doing stuff like this and people have already heard about it. I like doing a button. It's like, I already know I want this. All right. E-arketing. How I actually got rich and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedal by Get-Rich Quick Gurus. Included below. Limited free discount. Save $100 before we raise the price. I'm Alex Mer and I personally earned millions of dollars from marketing. And it's all because I figured out how to become
an e-arketer. More on that in a minute. More on that in just a minute. Little things like that, guys, by the way, because like someone asked earlier when when I just tweak little things. I literally do that for no other reason than it sounds better in my head. That is the only reason I do that. Don't know why. This is why I need to read books that talk more about line edits to see if I should be doing that or not, but again, it's my style. I want it to sound how I want it to
sound. And it's all because I figured out how to become an e-arketer. More on that in just a minute. Me and the whole copy of that crew all have similar stories and between us we have over 40 years of marketing experience working for brand for brand working for brands like unilver Nike and Agora Financial earning tens of thousands um for single projects launching and selling our own businesses and generally being able to decide our own fate. Marketing has been an extremely kind career to us. So it's really frustrating when we see copyriters and marketers who
are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours and in the same position not knowing how to progress. And if that's you it really isn't your fault. Hundreds of different marketing gurus all promise a path to riches and happiness lies in a specific um I'm going to say niche. I'm going to call this niche all and happiness lies in a specific niche like sales copyrightiting, SEO copyrighting, affiliate marketing, conversion optimization, drop shipping, consulting, or any other line of work you can think of. But none of it makes sense. But this simply but this
but this way of thinking simply doesn't make sense. But this way of thinking simply doesn't make sense. Seriously, just think about it. Seriously, think about this logically for a second. To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to the people who have money to spend. But the truth is business. Hang on. But this way, but this way of thinking simply doesn't make sense. Seriously, think about this logically for a second. To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to the people who
have money to spend, i.e. business owners, decision makers. But the truth is, business owners and decision makers just want a person who can fix all their marketing problems. They don't care about your job title. Believe me, they don't know the difference between a conversion copyriter and and and I'm doing an like that and an ROI focused SEO marketer. They don't care what methods you use. They don't have time to analyze problems themselves. They just want [ __ ] fixed. I've worked with 104 plus business owners and they all want the same thing. Someone who is
all results, no BS, and just calls themselves a marketer. Gurus may like to push the idea of a specific role or job title. Gurus may like to push the idea of a specific niche because it makes it easier to sell courses. But the reality is business owners want the full package with no fluff. And that's why I want to share the power of e-arketing with you. In the nine years I've been writing copy and doing marketing what is I've marketing in the nine years I've done marketing I've picked up pretty much everything about how to
be Hang on that doesn't sound right in the nine years I've been doing nine years I've done marketing been doing sounds better there to me in the years doing I picked up pretty much everything about how to how to get good results. In the nine years I've been doing marketing, I picked up pretty much everything there is to know. In the nine years I've been doing marketing, I picked up pretty much everything there is to know about how to get good results. In other words, how to be a marketer the business owners are happy to
pay thousands to. So with the help of copy that So with the help of the copy with the help of the rest of the copy that crew. So with the help of the rest of the copy that crew we packaged everything we know about marketing and how to build career how to um hit the big leagues know about how to hit the big leagues. I want to change that into um like something actual solid that's dimensionalized, but we'll do that later. So, the help of the rest of the copy crew, we've packaged everything we know
about how to hit the big leads into one place. Before I share it with you, Before I share it with you, I want to make a few things clear. This is not for beginners. You should be someone who already works in marketing, copyrightiting, or a similar field. This is not for anyone who can't afford investment themselves. The information we have to share is extremely valuable and not cheap. And crucially, this is not for people who aren't sure about their next steps. only continue if you know you want to be successful in marketing. Okay, here it
is. The e-arketer master plan. A full guide on how to earn the highest rates and set your own hours by becoming the best marketer in the room. This is the exact um these are the exact steps. This is the exact um what's the word knowledge? should have known. I say this is the exact kind of set of steps that I took because it is like I'll think on that. But anyway, how do we feel about that? I'm pretty happy with that. I think that's good. I think that we hit on the idea that we want
to get across. We're actually talking about the [ __ ] they're going to care about. We're giving enough proof. We're setting ourselves apart. We're making it obvious this is something new. We have the USP that we've actually like linked to our idea. I think I want to be a little bit stronger around here. about like how um it it really is just as simple as like businesses just want marketing and like that's how you're going to earn a lot of money is just by being the best marketer in the room. Like I I want to
pull that up a little bit. Um but that's pretty good so far. This is the bit where I'm about to about to start talking about like hey this is like why it's we built it for this reason. is the only thing you're going to need. Blah blah blah blah sometimes emphas that I personally used to go from five,000. Uh, should I do it in dollars? It's a bit more relatable. So, what's that in dollars? Like £7,000. Something like that. A month to I need to do this. Hang on. Let me do my phone. Oh, I
do. What? Why? Why was I going to do it on my phone when I've got a computer right here? Uh although I'm doing on the other screen. So So this is GBP to USD. So what was it? 5,000. So $6,429. So 6,400 we'll say. Run it down to uh So yeah. So 19,500 is 25,000. Is that right? Yeah. $25,000 to $25,000 a month. In simple terms, the EMP contains everything I personally used to go from $6,400 a month to $25,000. um all through the power. What I call everything marketing because it's true. Um there there
is no single magic bullet to start earning loads more money instead. The only thing that I know works I know can work. So I I don't want to guarantee that it works. I know can work because I did it said the only thing that I know I know can work is um learning not learning um is picking up a varied collection of marketing skills and using them to get results for the bests instead. The only thing that I know can work is picking up a very collection marketing skills and then using them to get results
for the best clients. It doesn't sound too sexy when I put it like that, but it's the truth. Truth. I don't want to dress it up as bad. Don't need that. making a lot of money and having the freedom to set your own destiny time. Making a lot of money and having freedom to control your own time is 100% possible. And it comes down to Um smart um smart learning knowing the right stuff. making a lot of money, making a lot of money and having to train your entire hunch bottle. And it comes down to
knowing the right stuff. And the best thing, you don't need to to spend hundreds of hours becoming the best at everything. You just need to get good enough at the right selection of things things and the compounding effect just need to get good enough the right selection of things. Um because when you multiply them all together, you end up equaling the best marketer in the room. And that is what business owners are looking for. The e-arketer master plan, EMP, a full guide on how to earn the highest rates and get and set your own hours
by becoming the best marketer in the room. In simple terms, the EMP contains everything that I personally use to go from $6,400 a month to $25,000 a month all through the power of what I call everything marketing. Because it's true. There is no single magic bullet to start earning loads more money. Instead, the only thing that I know can work is picking up a very collection of marketing skills, then using them to get results for the best clients. It doesn't sound too sexy when I open like that, but it's the truth. Making a lot of
money and having the freedom to control your own time is 100% possible. And it comes down to knowing the right stuff. And the best thing, you don't need to spend hundreds of hours becoming the best at everything. Best everything. You just need to get good at the right selection of things. Because when you multiply them all together, you end up equaling the best marketer in the room. And that is what business owners are looking for. For example, this is where I want to demonstrate this example. Let's picture two scenarios. Scenario one, you the um conversion
copywriter, big money client. We need to increase profits. Uh okay. Right. Increase profits. right? See what I'm going for here? There we go. Make it a bit more obvious. Uh, I wonder if you guys can tell what I'm doing here. I assume you can, but I'm also gifying the sales page. making it more engaging to read because when you see like a little kind of story box when you put these in little boxes, it breaks the page up. It helps you actually kind of look at something. It's more entertaining to look at. There's a tiny
bit of humor in there. Um, so, you know, works. Great. I was thinking the same thing. need to look an email list. That's the quick source. And we've actually emails. Oh, I need to change it. Um M interesting, I bet. Interesting. Now, a second list. I don't think we ever have Okay, I'll jump first thing. Um, additional bit of a Bit of a fun bit of the end. Yes. But I can still Yes. And I can can even write a new sequence sequence. Work with your team. Let's get it running ASAP. The reality is scenario
two is 10,000 times more likely if you become become a one person marketing a one person problem solver for businesses is what becoming an e-arketer is all about. immediately having answers ready for everything that may come your way. Everything that comes your way. Imagine changing says fortunes in a single conversation for 45xing monthly revenue introducing something they never would have thought of on their own. or even just being able to half the number of hours work because there are five different businesses chomping at the bit. to work with you and prepared to pay you 200%
more than you used to charge. I'll say double just because it makes more sense. pay you double what you used to charge or even just being able to half the number of hours you work because there are five different businesses chomping at the bit to work with you and will pay you double what you used to charge. I don't know of a single other role in marketing that can achieve this. I've only been able to do it myself because I stopped chasing a single magic bullet and instead embraced the power of knowing. Knowing enough, knowing
just enough about everything. If this sounds like the path you want to take, let me show you how to get there. Let me show you how I got there. Two things I need to punch this copy up, but I'm just going to put it here. There are two things you need to master. It's not the right word. What's the word? Two things you need to know. You don't need to spend hundreds of hours becoming the best at everything. You just need to get good enough at the right selection of things because when you multiply them
all together, you end up equaling the best marketer in the room. And that end up becoming not equaling because equaling makes it sound like there's another marketer in the room who's the best and you're just equaling them. And that is what business owners are looking for. For example, let's picture two scenarios. Scenario one, big money client. We need to increase profits. You as a conversion copyriter. Um, okay. Okay. I'm just going to read this out. We need to increase profits. Um, okay. What do you want me to write? Well, what can you write that will
increase profits? Um, I guess I could write sales email. Email revenue has dropped every time we've sent a campaign recently. Hm. Sorry, but I don't think we can justify operating in the budget anymore. That kind of sucks, right? Well, compare that to we need to increase profits. Great. I was thinking the same thing. We need to look at the email list as that as it's as that will be as that will be the quickest way to see results. Oh, okay. We've actually seen revenue drop from emails recently. Interesting. Have you seen interesting how have you
segmented the list? Um, what? I don't think we ever have. Okay. I'll need to jump on that first thing so we can separate the best revenue opportunities from the time wasters. Oh, fantastic. Would you like to pay more for that? Yes, but I can also write a new email sequence and work with your team to get it running ASAP. OMG, you're so amazing, smart, kind of hot. Your eyes are so The reality is scenario two is 10,000 times more likely if you become one person problem solve for business owners. And that is what becoming an
e-arketer is all about. I think it's fine though. Immediately having answers um immediately having answers. Okay, that's what I'm going to say. That is what becoming e- master is all about. Immediately having answers for everything that comes your way. Imagine changing an entire business's fortunes in a single conversation or increasing monthly revenue by 4,500% after introducing something they never would have thought. or increasing monthly revenue by 4,500% after introducing something they never would have thought of. Or even just being able to half the number of hours you work because there are five different businesses chomping
at the bit to work with you and will all of you and we'll pay you double what you used to charge. I don't know I don't know a single other role in marketing that can achieve this. I've only been able to do it myself because I stopped chasing a single magic bullet and instead embrace the power of knowing just enough about everything. If this sounds like the path you want to take, let me show you how to get there. Let me show you how I got there. There are two things you need to know. Become
an e marketer. You need a baseline of need a base understanding of marketing strategy and some underlying some key marketing concepts people know how to get. There we go. To become an e- marketer, you need an understanding of marketing strategy. To become an e-arketer, you need a to become an e- marketer, you need a deep understanding of marketing strategy that very few people know how to achieve. Yeah, that's fine. Deep understanding that very few people achieve. Fine. I'm planning on doing it. And and to convince business owners to pay you and to command the highest
rates and the most flexible hours. You need to know It's about confidence. You know, you need to speak. You need to be seen as an authority. To run the highest rates and the most flexible hours, you need to be seen as the marketing the highest not highest the um X marketing authority by your prospects. That means you need to things. I'm going to change things but again I just can't think of anything else to say right now competence competence and then I I want to break the EMP offer breakdown into competence and confidence but as
it stands confidence there's there's there's more confidence stuff than confidence stuff. Yeah, two things, competence, confidence, which is exactly why we've designed the EMP the way we have. Nobody will work with you. Can't actually because nobody your chance. You don't see yourself. So now we want to break down the EMP into actual like modules. So this is kind of where we go like everything you get inside the EMP, right? Everything you get inside the everything marketer master plan. So before we get to that, I want to read everything through again and see how I like
it. Now for working copyrighters and marketers who want to break their earning ceiling and achieve real freedom. Allow me to reveal the surprisingly boring truth of e-arketing. How I actually got rich and earned the and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedled by get-richqu gurus. Included below a limited three-week discount to save $200 before we raise the price button. I already know I want this. I'm definitely going to add some stuff to this bit. I'm Alex Meer and I've personally earned millions of dollars from marketing. And it's all because I figured out how
to become an e-arketer. More on that in just a minute. Me and the whole copy that crew all have similar stories and between us we have over 40 years of marketing experience working for brands like Uni Lever, Nike and Agora Financial, earning tens of thousands for single projects, launching and selling our own businesses and generally being able to decide our own fate. Marketing has been extremely kind to career career to us. So it's really frustrating when we see copyriters and marketers who are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours and in the
same position not knowing how to progress. If that's you, it really isn't your fault. Hundreds of different marketing gurus all promise the path to riches and happiness lies in a specific niche like sales copywriting, SEO copyrightiting, affiliate marketing, conversion optimization, drop shipping consulting, or any other line of work you can think of. But this way of thinking simply doesn't make sense. Seriously, think about this logically for a second. To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to the people who have money to spend, i.e. business owners and decision
makers. But the truth is, business owners and decision makers just want a person who can fix all their marketing problems. They don't care about your job title. Believe me, they don't know the difference between a conversion copywriter and an ROI focused SEO marketer. They don't care what methods you use. They don't have time to analyze the problems themselves. They just want [ __ ] fixed. I've worked with 104 plus business owners and they all want the same thing. Someone who is all results, no BS, and just calls themselves a marketer. Gurus may like to push
the idea of a specific niche because it makes it easier to sell courses, but the reality is business owners want the full package with no fluff. And that's why I want to share the power of e-arketing with you. In the nine years I've been doing marketing, I've picked up pretty much everything there is to know about how to get good results. In other words, how to become how to be a marketer that business owners are happy to pay thousands to. So, with the help of the rest of the copy that crew, we've packaged everything we
know about how to hit the big leagues into one place. Before I share it with you, but oh, but before I share it with you, I want to make a few things clear. This is not for beginners. You should be someone I'm definitely going to bring back some of the stuff I do further on. Like I'm going to bring that back up here just to talk about oh imagine this and imagine that. It it just needs a bit more. Um there's not enough focus on the benefits, but I'll bring that up before I share it
with you. I want to make a few things clear. This is not for beginners. You should be someone who already works in marketing, copyrightiting, or a similar field. This is not for anyone who can't afford an investment themselves. The information we have to share is extremely valuable and not cheap. And crucially, this is not for people who aren't sure about their next steps. Only continue if you know you want to be successful in marketing. Okay, here it is. The earketer master plan, EMP, a full guide on how to earn the highest rates and set your
own hours by becoming the best marketer in the room. In simple terms, the EMP contains everything that I personally use to go from $6,400 a month to $25,000 a month. All through the power of what I call everything marketing because it's true. There is no single magic bullet to [ __ ] uh the e- marketing master. There's no single magic bullet to start earning loads more money. Instead, the only thing that I know can work the only thing I know can work is picking up a very collection of marketing skills, then using them to get
results for the best clients. It doesn't sound too sexy when I put it like that, but it's the truth. Making a lot of money and having the freedom to control your own time is 100% possible. And it comes down to knowing the right stuff. And the best thing say about the best thing, but the best thing, you don't need to spend hundreds of hours becoming the best at everything. But the change that to greatest, use best too many times. You don't need to spend hundreds of hours becoming the greatest at everything. You just need to
get good enough at the right selection of things because when you multiply them all together, you end up becoming the best marketer in the room. And that is what business owners are looking for. For example, let's picture two scenarios. Scenario one, we need to increase profits. Uh, okay. What do you want me to write? Well, what can you write that will increase profits? Uh, I guess I could write a sales email. Our email revenue has dropped every time we've sent a campaign recently. Hm. Sorry, but I don't think we can justify copyright in the budget
anymore. That kind of sucks, right? Well, compare that to we need to increase profits. Great. I was thinking the same thing. We need to look at the email list as that will be the quickest way to see results. Ah, okay. We've actually seen revenue dropping through emails recently. Interesting. Have you How have you segmented the list? Um, what? I don't think we ever had. Let me say I don't think we ever have. Okay. I'll need to jump on that first thing so we can separate the best revenue opportunities from the time wasters. Oh, fantastic. Would
you like us to pay you more for that? Yes, but I can also write a new email sequence and work with your team to get it running ASAP. OMG, you're so amazing and smart and kind of hard. The reality is scenario 2 is 10,000 times more likely if you become a one-person problem solver for business owners. And that is what becoming an e-arketer is all about. Immediately having answers ready for everything that comes your way. Imagine changing entire business's fortunes in a single conversation or increasing monthly revenue by 4,500% after introducing something they never would
have thought of. I'm going to say true story. or even just being able to half the number of hours you work because there are five different businesses chomping at the bit to work with you and will pay you double what you used to charge. I don't know a single other role in marketing that can achieve this. I've only been able to do it myself because I stopped chasing a single magic bullet and instead embrace the power of knowing just enough about everything. Knowing I say knowing just enough about everything. If this sounds like the path
you want to take, let me show you how I got there. To become an e-arketer, you need a deep understanding market strategy that very few people now achieve. Brackets make it feel like it's more separated from the sentence. Therefore, they make it seem like it's a different point. To become an e-arketer, you need a deeper you need a deep understanding of marketing strategy that very few people know how to achieve. Because nobody will work with you if you can't actually make them more money. And to command the highest rates and the most flexible hours, you
need to be seen as the top marketing authority by clients. There you go. Because nobody will give you a chance if you don't seem certain about things. skills. That means you need two things, competence and confidence, which is exactly why we've designed the EMP the way we have. Everything you get inside the everything marketer mastering plan. Now, here comes the easy bit, but also the slightly annoying bit because we have to go through everything that we already offer in there. Then I have to consider putting all the stuff that we're going to be adding into
there, which are five new master classes, and I need to write bullets for those. But let's start with the easy stuff. What happens if we copy this? There we go. Uh, miss a piece of the puzzle. We must show you the work reveals the most important concept you need to know for building strategies from scratch. See, not going to rewrite a bunch of bullets. I wanted to have a section at the bottom which was like, oh, plus the free live, you know, the free live stream's coming up. I'll give the title. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's
what I'll do. That's what I'll do. Just because I also don't want to lie. I can't really do bullets. Like I can't really lie, you know? I don't want to I don't want to like say like, oh, like it's going to contain this and it's going to contain this because the live streams haven't happened yet. So, I don't know if they're going to coming soon. um will be added after August 20. Full master class on creative brand strategy. Rod works with one of the biggest advertising companies in United States. He's led campaigns by Nike um
international It pains me to say this, but I'm gonna have to write soccer because I know that most of our audience are Americans. Um, God, that's horrible. um he's he's led campaigns for Nike, international sock teams, um and even been mentored by Creative Legends. Um do I name drop Jared? I won't just in case he doesn't want to be name dropped on our sales page. Um and he wants to show you What makes a good brand? So you have all the basics covered and then we'll do another one which is going to be uh Sea's
one. Money do getting more for less is every marketers dream. Fact is earning more money for clients. Now increasing budget usually leads to earning more money for yourself. So Sean is here to walk you through one of the simplest ways to do just that. Becoming the everything Mart supplementary walk through for how to raise your rates and set There we go. Something like that as a direct companion guide to the whole e marketer master plan. Alex will run will go step by step through the resources. This course and explain how best to apply them on
the map. give you an in-depth view to achieve levels of confidence you never knew you had. So you can go with the heights That'll do. Okay, so that's coming soon. Then we also have the cross pollination and we have the 11 star offers class which I could do bullets for because they are done. Whether I have the mental wherewithal to to write bullets for that right now, I'm not sure. I will certainly put it here and then I may do it as a placeholder and then I might come back to it. 11 star offers. How
to create compelling offers that make people buy. I think that's what it's called. It's something like that. Probably has a slightly better name than that. the core to all marketing strategies. At the core of every marketing strategy is an offer. The better your offer, the better everything else. [Applause] It's crucial to get it right. It's crucial to get it right. So, which is why Sean has created a behemoth of a master class to show you everything to um reveal everything you need to know and then some because it is it is gargantuan. And then we
should put includes additional cheat sheets and material which we still need to make but we will make them at some point. So I need to add what do I need to add? What I need to add? I need to add my crosspollination one. crosspollination. How to steal from other niches to your your own success. Finding the best ideas is hard. That's why Alex doesn't rely on blind luck. Instead, he's developed a method for making sure never runs out. No. And it's probably way more simple than you think, but still insanely effective. Uh, okay. F say,
use this to stay two steps ahead. of everyone else. Cool. Plus free bonuses when you sign up when you buy now. When you buy now. All right, there we go. That's effectively the offer section broken down. We have called out to the reader and presented the one idea. We've leveraged the my authority and spoken about like the recap of why copy that is good. We've backed up the idea with logic and why it works. We've uh spelled out our not statements. We've revealed what the offer is. We've talked about why the product product in itself
is good. And we've broken down the modules. This I'm getting rid of because it's too confusing and I've kind of mixed it into here. So next we need to talk about the testimonials and then we need to do a final push with urgency. So what I like doing and I do this with any offers I'm doing for info which you know has tended to just be copied that. I've worked with a few coach before, but I always like kind of doing a kind of not I don't know if you call this a summary, but like
a last kind of um spiel about like why this is great. Then I'll do a summary, reveal the price, then I'll do testimonials. So, just like we have here, this is effectively what I'll do. The EMP is the culmination of 40 years experience. So you can finally um charge the rates you always wanted to experience. We can finally charge the rates rates and command the respect. That might be a bit too cheesy. Personal note, right? I want to throw this in to be personal and this is coming from heart and this is totally true. Nine
years ago, I never would have believed I could charge 33 hours for a single project and work on it from my home office. On the one hand, I was thrilled that gig. On the other hand, I was really I was incredibly annoyed. It had taken me so long to realize they could justify those rates. I was stuck in the trap of copyrightiting for years assuming I would make more and more just through words alone. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work like that. Business owners just couldn't see the value in copyrighting. So often what's up just
couldn't see the value prop that all changed when I accidentally said yes to and this is true um to uh funnel building opportunity. One small landing page and Facebook ad. Oh, no, no, it wasn't Facebook ad. Google ad. Once more Google ad campaign landing page and it opened my eyes to the power of knowing more things about marketing. That was years ago now, but I'm still so grateful. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take something new on board. Since then, I've learned the best ways to master marketing and how to make
most money from it. So, I'm even more thrilled. I now get to share it. If you know me, you know I'm not one to make promises. Marketing is always a game of chance after all. But The concept of becoming uh the concept of an every marketer, everything marker is so close to my heart and on which I pin so much success. I'm more than happy to say 100. I'm supremely supremely confident to say I believe becoming an e-arketer is the best thing you could possibly do. N years ago, I never would have believed I could
charge $33,000 for a single project and work on it from my home office. On the one hand, I was thrilled when I landed that gig, but on the other hand, I was incredibly annoyed at it taking me so long to realize I could justify those rates. I was stuck in the trap of copyright for years, assuming I would make more and more just through words alone. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work like that, and so often, business owners just couldn't see the value in copyrighting uh on its own. That all changed when I accidentally said
yes to a funnel building opportunity. One small Google Ads campaign and landing page. One small Google Ads campaign and landing page later, and my eyes were open to the power of knowing more things about marketing. My eyes were open to the power of knowing more things about marketing. That was years ago now, but I'm still so grateful I decided to step out my comfort zone and take something new on board. Since then, I've learned the best ways to master marketing and how to make the most money from it. So, I'm even more thrilled I now
get to share it. If you know me, you know I'm not one to make promises. Marketing is always a game of chance after all. But the concept of an everything marketer is so close to my heart and on which I've pinned so much success that I'm supremely confident to say I believe becoming an e marketer is the best thing you could possib you for your career. Right now, the E marker master plan is just $199. But in less than three weeks it will go up to it will jump up $300 and then I'll go through
and pepp as well through this like when I'm done. Um, why? Because we're adding a metric. No, I say that. I'm not going to I I don't want to keep swearing. We're adding a ton of new stuff, including what it be. Oh, I mean, God, it'll be at least five plus hours worth. Five. I mean, I'll put five plus now because it will be at least that, but like I think it's going to be way more be five plus hours worth of um indepth video content and walkthroughs. We simply can't justify keeping the price so
low and so much effort has gone into making it making it. But that's exactly why we're issuing everyone or issuing you you with this weak warning and that time frame may be even shorter now depending when you're reading this on August 20th, 2024, this offer will end price will go up by what is it 100%. 199* 2 is 398. So yeah, we'll go by 100% or the price will will double. What sounds better? Feel like double sounds better. Just easy to understand. Off wind and the price will double to save yourself $200. fire now. Um,
okay. Plus few bonuses. And then we also want to say, oh, and one more [Music] thing. If you buy EMP. Now you'll also get lifetime uh you'll get lifetime access which means you'll also automatically get all future content we add without having to pay a Any more out you get lifetime access which means also content And $0. I just wanted to have that on there. It's good to have a number and the dollar sign because it's going to draw their attention and they're going to see zero dollars and then they're going to read that and
be like that's really good. Okay, so then we kind of we just want the testimonials really big old testy section which we've just have and then a final push with an urgency CTA quick summary of what you get. Let's copy this. Okay, here's a quick summary of what you get. This and I'm going to use the word ultimate as a homage to UGMS. This is the ultimate solution if you're looking for a realistic way to command higher pay and set your own hours. hours as a marketer. There's no single solution offing the money. No single
skill become 100% reliable time and time again. The key to true success career ability to just enough everything so you can be Best marketing becoming everything marker is the most reliable way to achieve experience control and everything you need to get started. Just click button below button by now. Oh, no. Hold on. Um, I want to become Yes. Remember, I'll say important. Remember the $199 price will only be available until August 20th, 2024. After this, the price will go up to $399 by now to void off and then Ps and then that's going to be
this. So, let's sit down and read this together. For working copyriters and marketers who want to break their earning ceiling and achieve real freedom, which we could probably cut or change, but anyway, allow me to reveal the truth that most people will never see. E-arketing, how I actually got rich and earned time freedom without listening to the lies pedled by get-richqu gurus. Reveal below. Copy that's only course on how to achieve your full potential as a marketer. plus a limited three-week discount to save $200 before we raise the price. I'm Alex Meer and I've personally
earned millions of dollars from marketing and it's all because I figured out how to become an e-arketer. More on that in just a minute. So, it's really frustrating when I see well-meaning copyrighters and marketers who are stuck at the same pay grade at the same hours and in the same position not knowing how to progress, especially when there is a solution. In fact, I and the whole copy that crew have all benefited from that solution in our 40 plus combined years of marketing experience. Understanding how to bake through that break through that ceiling has granted
us some amazing opportunities. Working for brands like Uni Lever, Nike, and Agora Financial, earning tens of thousands of single projects, launching and selling our own businesses, and generally being able to decide our own fate. But if you're scratching your head, wondering why you haven't reached that place yet, don't worry, it isn't your fault. You've probably been stifled by choice paralysis. Which path is the right one to go down? Let's add. After all, hundreds of different marketing gurus all promise the way to riches and happiness lies in a specific niche, like sales copywriting, SEO copywriting, affiliate
marketing, conversion optimization, drop shipping consulting, or any other line of work you can think of. But this way of thinking simply doesn't make sense. Seriously, think about how this uh maybe I should say, but this simply doesn't make sense. Yeah, that's fine. Seriously, think about this logically for a second. To earn more money and set your own hours, you need to become in demand to the people who have money to spend, i.e. business owners and decision makers. But the truth is, business owners and decision makers just want a person who can fix all their marketing
problems in one go. They don't care about your job title. Believe me, they don't know the difference between a conversion copywriter and an ROI focused SEO marketer. They don't care what methods you use. They don't have time to analyze the problems themselves. They just want [ __ ] fixed. I've worked with 104 plus business owners and they all want the same thing. Someone who is all results, no BS, and just calls themselves a marketer. Gurus may like to push the idea of a specific niche because it makes it easier to sell courses. But the reality
is business owners want the full package with no fluff. And that's why I want to share the power of e-arketing with you. Imagine changing an entire business's fortunes in a single conversation or increasing monthly revenue by 4,500% after introducing something they never would have thought of. True story. or even just being able to half the number of hours you work because there are five different businesses chomping at the bit to work with you and will pay you double what you used to charge. In the nine years I've been doing marketing, I picked up pretty much
everything there is to know about how to get good results. In other words, how to be a marketer that business owners are happy to pay thousands to. So, with the help of the rest of the copy that crew, we've packaged everything we know about creating real value for businesses into one place. Before I share it with you, I want to make a few things clear. This is not for beginners. You should be someone who already works in marketing, copyrightiting, or a similar field. This is not for anyone who can't afford an investment in themselves. The
information we have to share is extremely valuable and not cheap. And crucially, this is not for people who aren't sure about their next steps. Only continue if you know you want to be successful in marketing. Okay, here it is. The earketer master plan, EMP, a full guide on how to earn the highest rates and set your own hours by becoming the best marketer in the room. In simple terms, the the EMP contains everything that I personally use to go from $6,400 per month to $25,000 per month. All through the power of what I call everything
marketing because it's true. There is no single magic bullet to start earning loads more money. Instead, the only thing that I know can work is picking up a varied collection of marketing skills, then using them to get results for the best clients. It doesn't sound too sexy when I put it like that, but it's the truth. Making a lot of money and having the freedom to control your own time is 100% possible and it comes down to knowing the right stuff. But the best thing, you don't need to spend hundreds of hours becoming the greatest
at everything. You just need to get good enough at the right selection of things because when you multiply them all together, you end up becoming the best marketer in the room. And that is what business owners are looking for. For example, let's picture two scenarios. Scenario one, big money client. We need to increase profits. you as a conversion copywriter. Um, okay. What do you want me to write? Well, what can you write that will increase profits? Uh, I guess I could write a sales email. Uh, our email revenue has dropped every time we've sent a
campaign recently. Hm. Sorry, but I don't think we can justify a copyright in the budget anymore. That kind of sucks, right? Well, compare that to big money client. We need to increase profits. You as an everything marketer. Great. I was thinking the same thing. We need to look at the email list as that will be the quickest way to see results. Ah, okay. We've actually seen revenue dropping from emails recently. Interesting. How have you segmented your email list? Uh, what? I don't think we ever have. Okay, I'll need to jump on that first thing so
we can separate the best revenue opportunities from the time wasters. Ah, fantastic. Would you like us to pay you more for that? Yes, but I can also write a new email sequence and work with your team to get it running ASAP. The reality is scenario 2 is 10,000 times more likely if you become a one-person problem solver for business owners. And that is what becoming an e-arketer is all about. immediately having answers ready for everything that comes your way. I don't know a single other role in marketing that can achieve this. I've only been able
to do this myself because I stopped chasing a single magic bullet and instead embrace the power of knowing just enough about everything. If this sounds like the path you want to take, let me show you how I got there. There are two things you need to know. One, to become an e-arketer, you need a deep understanding of marketing strategy that very few people know how to achieve because nobody will work with you if you can't actually make them more money. two. Oh, and two, to command the highest rates and the most flexible hours, you need
to be seen as the top marketing authority by your clients. Because nobody will give you a chance if you don't seem certain about your own skills. That means you need two things: competence and confidence, which is exactly why we've designed the EMP the way we have. Here's everything you get inside the e-arketer master plan. To achieve competence, the missing piece of the puzzle, building marketing strategies that work. Join Alex as he reveals the most important concept you need to for building uh you need to know for building strategies from scratch. It's universally applicable and once
you know it, you will never look at marketing the same way again. From macro strategy to the three goals of marketing, this gives you more knowledge on marketing strategy than 95% of copyrighters marketers in just two hours. Discover why Alex has been has never been satisfied with any marketing course online until now. Why most marketers want you to fail by making you believe marketing is harder than it really is. When products die by marketing strategy overgrowth and how to revive them. Your three north stars. How to orient your planning around three main profit driving goals.
Why the best marketers I know call this masterclass better than two years worth of marketing school. Macro versus micro strategy planning. Use this two-tier approach to drive all your campaigns. The three-step precursor to setting a successful macro marketing strategy. MMAP. Alex's markers for identifying what your client really needs. The OA grid. Alex's stupid simple structure for setting a micro marketing strategy. Funnel hacking. How to ethically spy on your competition and find ideas. Shan and Lindsay will take you through the simplest way to access a limitless supply of good marketing ideas. Our step-by-step funnel hacking guide
means you'll never be lost where to start. If you want to shortcut your way to confidence, then this is the masterclass for you. Discover what your copy clients really want from you, the truth behind why businesses say they want copy when they really secretly want a funnel. Cash now or cash later. Depending on the business, one might be more profitable. Once you understand the two major funnel types, plus where they fail and where they succeed, you'll know which to deploy. Warning, you have a narrow time frame to market to engage customer. Here's how. How to
create your own treasure map by effectively using upsells, downell, crossells, and more to ramp up cart values. Is that right? I don't know. Uh, peek over Sha's shoulder as he shares two funnels he created, plus why one pulled more money. The optimal funnel exit. when to let someone out of the funnel, when it's time to add something to your funnel, and how to do it profitably. How to sneak into your competitor's funnels even when they don't want you there. How to distinguish between front and back uh back of funnel copy. The nice guy funnel versus
the hey baby, want to get in my funnel funnel, which one gets more action. You'll know by the end of this master class. Good funnels need 18 types of copy. Here's how to see examples of all of them. Everything you need to know about marketing metric metrics. 34 pages of nothing but facts. This could be the difference between you feeling ultra confident in your next pitch call and having no idea what to say. Enjoy your new guide on almost everything you need to know about KPIs, metrics, and marketing acronyms. Why vibes based marketing doesn't work
and why it won't make you rich. Two years to learn a new language. Learn marketing speak in 34 pages. 25 terms plus how to use, interpret, and calculate each and every one. Discover the one metric that represents the business's report card for its advertising campaigns. How to use the fruit tree metric to determine your marketing budget. Why the lemonade stand metric is best for monitoring your front end ad campaigns. Fill in the gaps. The things they don't teach you at marketing school. Despite how super important the theory of marketing strategy is, there are a few
lessons you should uh you just don't understand until you've seen them firsthand. So, we want to give you a head start. These many lessons will share some insanely valuable insights that often get overlooked. The passive active marketing dynamic strategy works best when one hand shakes the other. How to turn the sleepiest, most passive components of your marketing into active money makers. The anvil and the hammer. The ideal marketing ecosystem for virtually any product promotion. What most marketers get wrong about the front end and the back end. Five black holes in your marketing strategy and how
to fix them. 11 star offers. How to create compelling offers that make people buy. At the core of every marketing strategy is an offer. The better your offer, the better everything else. It's crucial to get it right, which is why Sha has created a behemoth of a masterass to reveal everything you need to know and then some. Includes additional cheat sheets and material. Full masterass on creative brand strategy. Rod works with one of the biggest advertising companies in the United States. He's led campaigns for Nike, international soccer teams, and even been mentored by creative legends.
And he wants to show you what makes a good brand so you have all the bases covered. Make more money, do less work. 16 ways to increase cart value. Getting more for less is every marketer's dream. The fact is, earning more money for clients without increasing the budget usually leads to earning more money for yourself. So Sean is here to walk you through one of the simplest ways to do just that. Crosspollination. How to steal from other niches to fuel your own success. Finding the best ideas is hard. That's why Alex doesn't rely on blind
luck. Instead, he's developed a method for making sure he never runs out. And it's probably way more simple than you think, but it's still insanely effective. Use this to stay two steps ahead of everyone else. With more to come to achieve confidence, up your income, the best marketing skills for increasing your earning power. These five marketing skills were directly responsible for Alex going from $6,500 per month to $25,000 per month without working any more hours. It's crazy what people will pay when you're the only one who knows about a few fundamentals. Fair to say that
Alex is pretty excited about sharing these with more people. FA OBGA. These are the four marketing skills that are most worth knowing about according to someone who used them to earn his first five figure month. Discover how suggesting just one reframe of what a business sells can lead to 10x results. Literally. Should I be a funnel builder? Yes, but not in the way you think. Check out slide two to see what we mean. A 19K project to 21 years old. That's the power of marketing skills, baby. But please don't waste time on the fluff Alex
warns you against at the end of the master class. Finally, understand why you don't need to know coding or design to be a good marketer or SEO for that matter. By the way, make sure you combine this master class with the advice in video mini lessons for the best results. Becoming the everything marketer, a supplementary walkthrough for how to raise your rates and set your own rules. As a direct companion guide to the whole e-arketer master plan, Alex will go step by step through the resources in this course and explain how best to apply them.
More than that, he'll give you an in-depth view on how to achieve levels of confidence you never knew you had, so you can hit the heights you had your eyes set on. With more to come, the EMP is the culmination of 40 years experience so you can finally charge the rate and work the hours you want. A personal note from Alex. 9 years ago, I never would have believed I could charge $33,000 for a single project and work on it from my home office. On the one hand, I was thrilled that I when I landed
that gig, but on the other hand, I was incredibly annoyed it had taken me so long to realize I could justify those rates. I was stuck in the trap of copyrighting for years, assuming I would make more and more just through words alone. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work like that. And so often, business owners just couldn't see the value in copyrightiting on its own. That all changed when I accidentally said yes to a funnel building opportunity. One small Google Ads campaign and landing page later, and my eyes were open to the power of knowing
more things about marketing. That was years ago now, but I'm still so grateful I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take something new on board. Since then, I've learned the best ways to master marketing and how to make the most money from it. So, I'm even more thrilled I I now get to share it. If you know me, you know I'm not one to make promises. Marketing is always a game of chance after all. But the concept of an everything marketer is so close to my heart and on which I pin so
much success that I'm supremely confident to say I believe becoming an e-arketer is the best thing you could possibly do for your career. Right now, the e-arketer master plan is just $199, but in less than three weeks, it will jump up to $399. Why? because we're adding a ton of new stuff, including five plus hours uh worth five plus hours worth of in-depth five plus hours five plus hours of in-depth video content and walkthroughs. We simply can't justify keeping the price so low when so much effort has gone into making them. But that's exactly why
we're issuing you with this 3-week warning. And that time frame may be even shorter now depending on when you're reading this. On August 20th, 2024, this offer will end and the price will double. So if you want to save yourself $200, buy it now. plus free bonuses when you buy now. Free bonus number one, Rod's brand marketing strategy masterclass. Our resident brand man, Rod, wants to take you inside and show you how strategy works the highest levels of the brand advertising world from his experience working with both multi-million billion companies. They're both multi-billion dollar companies
and grassroots political campaigns. He'll help you answer, how do you go about building a strategy that goes beyond sales metrics? Get a behind the scenes look at the brand world. Free bonus number two, AB testing. What is it exactly? Sean and Alex have tested more marketing emails than 99.99% of people on Earth. So, they know a thing about a thing or two about split testing marketing assets. From landing pages to button color, listen to them ramble about what is and isn't worth optimizing for your clients. Real examples and a few extra chips, plus unhinge rants
about the kinds of tests that are stupid and not worth doing. Free bonus number three, Sha's acquisition break even calculator. Is your marketing plan doomed to fail? Simply enter your budget, metrics, and results, and Shaun's magic spreadsheet will show you what you need to change to stay on track. Direct direct access make a copy includes all formulas. Sean even recorded a video showing you how to use it to strategize your next campaign. Oh, and one more thing. If you buy the EMP now, you'll get lifetime access, which means you'll also automatically get all future content
we add for exactly zero dollars. You won't have to pay a penny more. Testimonials. Okay, here's a quick summary of what you get. Achieve competence in all things marketing. And then there's all the modules. Master confidence and self-belief to complete the package modules, plus free bonuses. This is the ultimate solution if you're looking for a realistic way to command higher pay and set your own hours as a marketer. There's no single path to earning good money and no single skill that you can 100% rely on. Time and time again, the key to true success in
this career is the ability to know just enough about everything so you can be the best marketer in the room. In our experience, becoming an everything marketer is the most reliable way to achieve total control of your career and your ability to earn money. To get started, just click the button below and join us on the inside. PS, important. Remember the $199 price. $199 price will only be available until August 20th, 2024. After this, the price will go up to $399. Please buy now to avoid the cut off point. If you're a member of the
Patreon, you can also find additional discount on the recent Patreon on a recent Patreon post. PPS personal note from the CT team at Copy that. It's very important to us. You only invest in our products if you can afford it. We're not here to squeeze money out of people who just want to make a living. So before you purchase any of our products, please make sure you are in a position to do so. We keep as much of our content free as we can, and we always price products fairly. But regardless of low prices, only
buy informationational products if you can afford the investment. All right, there we go. First draft. And to be honest, as I was going through, there wasn't too much where I was like, "Oh, this is not good." During my writing process, I'm sure you noticed how I took what I already knew about the product and my one reader and used that knowledge to plot out a clear structure for the copy, even if I was using some different terms or some slightly different categories than what you might have been used to in the course so far. But
by keeping my rioa in mind and always asking myself what my one reader would care about, I was able to craft copy that worked and would go on to drive tens of thousands of dollars in sales. Like we said earlier, everyone's copywriting process ends up being slightly different. So, even though I may not need to follow the full beginner's guide that we laid out in this course anymore, you can still see how the principles of persuasion work their way into how I like to write after years in this career. But let's go a little further
and also take a look at Sha's writing in action. This time, we'll look at how Shawn tackles writing a particular type of email. In fact, emails are an important weapon in the arsenal of most copywriters. So learning why they work is another reason that you should pay attention to Sha here. In this video, take note of how writing a different kind of copy can sometimes benefit from a different kind of approach depending on the context like we spoke about earlier. But again, look at how the principles of persuasion remain consistent no matter who is writing,
what process they use, and what kind of copy they are tackling. So Sean, let's get into it. Hello everybody. Everybody, hello. What is going on? I am Shawn McIntyre and today we are going to do something a little bit different than what we normally do on Wednesdays which is when we typically you know review and critique uh subscriber copy. Today instead I actually want to give you an overthe-shoulder look at how I actually write emails. Like over the course of the next two hours, you're going to see me talk about, introduce you to, research, and
go from blank page, like I don't have any copy in my head whatsoever, to actually sending out an email to thousands of people. Like, you're going to see the whole process souped nuts, all that fun stuff. Why don't I just sort of get started with a fairly simple spiel? You know, a copy spiel. You know, if this were like a a planned and like polished presentation, you know, if I were good at this YouTube thing, I'd be like, you know, there's one type of copy that's better than any other type of copy. It's the easiest
to learn and it makes you the most money. And in fact, you can get retainer clients for $3,000, $5,000, even $10,000. And like, yeah, that's all like true, but it's not true for most people. And in fact, like email copywriting, like it can be really liberating, but it could also be very limiting in some ways because if you get hired as an an email marketer, um, in all likelihood, they're probably not going to tap you, for example, to write like landing pages, for example, and you could probably get paid a lot more to write landing
pages for businesses. And so, you know, like with everything in life, everything is a sort of fouian bargain. you have to go in kind of knowing the pros and cons of stuff. Um, but one of the advantages of email marketing in particular is that emails are short. You can read several hundred of them in a single day and get a lot of like the tropes and the patterns and the tendencies in that kind of copy in your brain and then execute it fairly well as opposed to like long form direct response sales letters which like
maybe you could read one per day. they are just longer. This is a very practical consideration you need to make. Uh I'm going to talk briefly as I already have started about why marketing via email is actually a good idea and why you want to do it. Um just for context, you know, copy that we have a fairly small email list. We haven't really done a whole lot of work to grow it. Like we don't really do any lead genen campaigns or anything like that. Almost all the people on our email list come to us
organically via, you know, clicking on the link in the description below our videos. And I started sending to this list on Sunday. And as I'll explain, I really I haven't been sending lists. I've been sending like actual value emails, like emails that are fairly lengthy and try to teach a thing. So, if you've been on the email list, you have getting exclusive lessons from me since Sunday. And since Sunday, I've also been including like little like, "Hey, PS, by the way, we're doing a Black Friday thing. That's you know what I'm trying to teach you
this particular week." And since we started this campaign just in Sunday off of three emails so far, we've generated about $2,655. Not bad. Not bad at all. And because this is, you know, we don't really push courses too often. Um, and we definitely don't promise very much. And one of the reasons why like this has done so, uh, I think fantastically well, in fact, it's generated nearly 10% of all the net revenue we've ever done selling courses. Um, is because we just don't market to our email list very often. And one of the reasons why
I decided to start with value as opposed to starting with lifts, I'll explain what those are shortly. um is because I actually think that people signing up to that particular list, it's a it's a covenant and you know it's my responsibility as a course creator and you know educator to try to provide as much value upfront especially for people that can't afford to buy the things that we're making. So that's kind of where we're at. Um where can we subscribe to this list? Like I said there are links down in the description below but if
you go to www.copy copy that show.com you will find it. Um, and you'll get a 21day free course. Uh, and that's just really like some of our best videos sort of stacked in a sequence that makes sense for beginners, but also we're eventually going to rejigger that and add more stuff. Yeah. Don't listen, as I'm going to explain, if you cannot afford our stuff, don't buy our stuff. You know, we make the free stuff to help you get to the point where you can afford our stuff. That's why we're doing this. So, another reason why
we market via email is simply because, listen, it's a really good return on investment. We haven't spent any money on lead genen. And just as I showed you, in three days, we've generated about $600 per day from sales just from marketing to a list that we barely ever market to. So, that's one reason to market via email. Another reason too is, you know, it's still one of the most lucrative marketing channels out there. And as I said before, it's easier to learn the tropes, the trappings, the skills you need to write a decent email, especially
the certain types of emails I'm going to introduce you to than, you know, learning how to, I don't know, set up a billboard campaign or make a commercial or, you know, create a landing page or something like that. Yeah, it so this is something you also have to be uh watch out for. This is one of the drawbacks of sending out marketing emails which is in the past few days. And here I can even show you this is these are our results from the campaign. So this is the first email that I sent uh this
was the subject line. The Blackest Fridays is coming for you this week. Um you know just because I'm having fun. The open rate was 30%. The click-through rate was 16%. And just from the start, I'm just having fun with this. That's clearly signaling that this is not going to be a marketing email. This is just it's going to be fun. It's going to be valuedriven. And here I'm actually teaching people what Black Friday even is and like why it's called Black Friday. And sort of have a passing illusion. This is called an edmen or editorial
mention. Um, an editorial lift or valuebased email is going to basically be talking to your audience like engaging them, giving them value, giving them information. And here, as you can see, like we have this editorial mention here. Uh, and that's just a link to the promotion that I'll talk about shortly. So, I'm explaining here like why we're doing this. I'm sort of setting the groundwork. So, over the course of this week, I'm going to be emailing you every single day. We're going to be getting information. And the first piece of value that I gave was
a link to a whole like two plus hour stream that the whole crew did where we basically shared everything we knew about holiday and seasonal offers, like how to actually market like in a campaign around some sort of like holiday or something like that. Black Friday is usually the big one because that's the first day that people start buying stuff for Christmas in that holiday season, but there are other days like Labor Day, um, Memorial Day, I guess, Veterans Day is another big one, uh, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc., etc. So, we linked to
that video. And then we also, as a PS, this is also called an Edman um or an Edman PS. Oh, yeah. forgot about our Black Friday bundle deal. It's amazing. I'd go so far as to call it delightful. That's actually a reference to the podcast that I just did with Kyle Milligan. So, you know, just slight call back for the fans of the show. Whipped up a quick sales message explaining the nature of the deal. Some other details here. And really, like at the beginning of this campaign, I'm not pushing very hard. I'm just very
simply like, this is what this is. This is what's going on. You know, here's some of the details of the deal. Here's where you can get more information if you're interested. And bango bango there you go. So this is you know what I was trying to do here and what were the results. So of the people that received this all 3200 that names that we have generated so far got onto our list and that have accepted marketing 30% of them opened 16% of them clicked. And of the people that clicked, the vast majority of them
actually clicked through to the sales message as opposed to the stream where we teach everything that we want to provide value for and for people to know about seasonal offers. So, here's an interesting thing. The next day, I followed it up with this email, the single word behind billion-dollar copy. Now, same list, nearly the same number of opens, way fewer clicks. And I suspect that the reason for that is because this actually very directly is about Black Friday and the deal. And there's a novelty aspect to that. Like people have never seen this before. And
what is this? I mean the sales page which I'll show you and walk you through momentarily. Now, for this second follow-up email, the single word behind billion-dollar uh campaigns or copy, I really wanted to teach people a lesson about the nature of reasoning and justification and why holiday campaigns even work. And so for this particular email, like I literally pulled a page from Robert Calaldini's influence, this book right here, uh, to show like there's yet there's one word that is responsible for so many marketing successes. Um, and if you read the actual copy, you'll see
what it is. As you can see, I have a sneaky little admin here when I'm giving examples. One more try. Copy that as having 46% off sale or copy that as having a 46% Black Friday sale. So, people who click that link go to the sales page. And again, uh just to explain the logic there, um I tend to do what's called the link sandwich, which is I'll have like a subtle like implicit or like sneaky sort of link to the sales page early on and then something more direct and teasery later on and then
a very direct one at the very end. Just having three and like sometimes I'll have six, sometimes I'll have two or one. It doesn't really matter, but like I I tend to do three uh especially for these longer format emails. Uh especially where I give, you know, value or try to teach a lesson. And then here, as you can see, I'm not relegating the sales message just to the PS this time. I'm getting more direct. I'm saying like, hey, this is what you get when you buy the Black Friday bundle, etc., etc. And then I
have a PS that adds just a sprinkling of more urgency there. this this particular thing, this particular email, again, valuebased, not pushy, and it got fewer clicks, but still a decent number of clicks. You know, if you if you want a good benchmark for email copy, a 15 to 25% click-through rate is like the sweet spot for like something you know is working very very well. If you get above that, you've you've done something um like you've, you know, ascended to Super Saiyan level two or something like that. But if you, you know, are getting
in that that like 5 to 15% like it's okay. It's only when like nobody is clicking that there's clearly a problem. So, and again, 50 people clicked on to the sales message. Now, interesting fact about this this email where I gave so far the most value like actually taught you taught people something and gave a really I think important lesson for newbies. This got the most unsubscribes right here. Oh, shouldn't show the uh emails, but yeah, that got the most unsubscribes. The reason why there were a lot of unsubscribes here, a couple of different reasons.
Uh a very simple one is this sub subject line. It's a little bit more in line with what people typically see like from copywriter gurus and stuff like that. There's an implicit promise there. You know, people, you know, they'll they'll see words like billion dollar copy and they'll be like, "Ah, how dare you say numbers next to the word copy." Like, uh, I'm doing this for the art and I just want to make $40,000 a year. And anybody who says that you can make money as a copyriter is a scammer. And you know, also shut
up. So anyway, so people respond negatively the moment you start implying a promise or attaching a dollar amount to anything. And that's just a fact of life. Um, even though I'm not doing it in any sort of smarmy way, I'm just stating a fact about how and why these large campaigns work. Another reason, and this is something that Alex brought up when I spoke to him uh a few days ago, when you have a email list, and we just email people once a week or so, and then you start emailing them more than once a
week, like two days in a row, people are going to be like, "Oh my god, I'm getting spammed by these people. How dare you send me the things that I signed up to receive." And then they'll unsubscribe. Now, here's the thing. You want them to unsubscribe. like you unsubscribes are good because one that's basically people telling you like listen I don't want any information from you I'm good and two that keeps the list healthy and it allows you to send to people who are actually engaged with and want to receive your stuff that's great and
the more people unsubscribe who don't want to read your stuff the more percentage-wise people are going to open your stuff so getting that polarizing message out there is actually a good thing and basically trying to push people to unsubscribe a little bit can actually be a very good thing for deliverability and for list health. This is the third email. Um oh I guess I guess people don't like free value. Yeah, it's true. It it really is true. How dare I try to provide free information to copyriters on benchmark. What's a good EP open rate benchmark?
Now I have not been talking about open rates. Now, as you can see here, for the past three emails sent on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, today is Wednesday. We've gotten about 30% of our people to open. And that's generally pretty good. Now, here's the thing. I don't care about the fact that we're getting these open rates. And I'll explain why. Open rates as a metric are no longer reliable. They just aren't. Open rates are being artificially inflated by the fact that Android and Apple are now scanning the contents of emails via proxy servers. What does
that mean? It means that a robot is opening the email first, reading it and then, you know, getting a summary or scanning it for spam, whatever. which means that that is flagging the signal to mark an open even if a person hasn't actually opened it. So we're going back to the days of like 1991 where the only way to know if somebody opened the letter that you mailed them is if they sent something back. So clicks clicks are the most important metric when it comes to emails. And I would say below that it would be
earnings per click. Um, also, you know, deliverability, like actually landing in people's inboxes is pretty important, too. So, as you can see here, 62 people actually clicked this link. So, we had a boost in clicks, but still around that same percent. Not as good as that first day, which you're going to notice that with campaigns. you're going to see, you know, in the beginning at the launch, high response, a dip, and then a another spike as you approach a deadline. So, that's a thing to keep in mind. Fun fact, I wrote a pre-sale last month
and pitched it to the publishing company I work for, and they told me exactly the same thing about the most important word because to make it stronger. Yeah, absolutely. If you go back and read that email or even go to the YouTube community tab, um, and I I'll explain that in a moment, you can see the reasoning for it and you can see like why the word because is so powerful for emotional copy. You would think it' be logical copy, but it's not like because even if you provide a almost illogical reason for something, it
still boosts response. And that's just because humans crave reasoning. They want justification for their already impulsive or emotional decisions. Anyway, this email, why gurus charge $499 for the courses. Now, here's what I did in this email. The value that I delivered in this email was explaining the actual business model of not only info publishing, but front-end and backend marketing, like why it works numerically. And if you read this particular email or you know if you've received it and you read it um it explains like how all this stuff works. And I even showed excerpts from
my calculator. Now there's a sneaky reason why I did this. Like one yeah I I wanted to provide value and actually explain like how this kind of marketing works and that was the main objective but also the secondary objective that I had was to show off something that's in the product that we are marketing this week. So, by explaining how this kind of marketing works, I was able to actually use a tool in one of our products, the ultimate guide to marketing strategy, I built a calculator that lets people project and predict how much money
they could get based on how they price stuff and based on their ad spend. And I even showed an example from that. And this all links to the Black Friday bundle. And I explained like, you know, this is where you can get this tool and you can get it for cheaper than ever before in the Black Friday bundle. So, you can kind of see how subconsciously like the two things that are going on there. There's the text, which is here's how to like understand the business and how to like understand why things are marketed this
way. So that's the value that's given. But then I'm using as proof of the value a tool that we're selling which automatically implicitly shows the value of the tool and why people would want to buy. That was the logic for this particular email that I wrote. And again um if you want you can sort of pause or do whatever. Um, you can also like go back into your inbox if you're uh a member of our email list already and read it. Um, or you know eventually patrons will be able to get access to this doc
where I actually wrote everything. All the emails I'm writing in a single doc so that I can share it. Just to recap that. Okay, that's the email so far. That's the results that we've had so far. Now, we need to do something. We need to sort of think about what we're going to do for the rest of this campaign. That means we need an email today. Black Friday is on Friday and one of the best ways to market for any sort of like weekl long campaign is usually about one email per day and then two
or three on the final day of the campaign. So, let's count it out. Wednesday, I need an email. Thursday, I need an email. Friday, I need two emails. So, that's four. That's why I'm going to write four today as you're watching. Now, for the rest of this particular presentation, I'm going to show you how to write them. what I'm going to do. We're going to start from a blank page and go from there. I'm also going to show you how to research and prep for emails. I'm going show you how to swipe an email. Like
there's one that I'm just not going to write. I'm just going to swipe it and see if I can apply that. I'm going also show you how how to send an email, how I did all of this. It's really easy and it's going to completely like be like, oh, so that's how emails go out into the world. It's really simple. And then I'm also going to show you how to double dip with your email copy on social media. I've already implied how I'm doing that. So, there are four emails that I'm going to do for
this campaign. The reason why I'm going to do this is because when you have a campaign, you want to sort of like it's like a crossfader between delivering value and engaging the list and getting them excited about an idea first and then gradually transitioning over to things that are more urgent, things that are more pressing, things that are actually getting them to understand the value of what it is that they're doing. and you know taking the action that you want them to take. The reason why we do that is that's going to be different from
company to company and business to business. There are certainly businesses where like let's say you're writing for an umbrella company. It doesn't make sense to write a value delivery email or you know what I would prefer to call it an editorial email. Like what long essay can you write about the benefits and intrigue of umbrellas? Like it just doesn't make sense for some businesses. So, there are just some businesses that will never hire you to do this. And it just doesn't make sense to do this because again, if you are signed up to, oh, I
don't know, a pet toy email list, you're probably not going to get a whole lot out of your customers if you provide value. Um, however, you might get more if you do these two things. Now, what is a lift? A lift is what you would write, and this is different from a sales email. So there there are five types of emails here, but I'm only going to write four for this particular campaign. So we're not going to do a sales email. I'm going to do a graphical sales email. And I'll explain what that is later.
So a sales email is what you would write to build intrigue, show testimonials, show the benefits. Um it basically it's a full sales argument, but it's in the email and then it links to your actual page where you're selling stuff. So, right now I have an actual landing page and I whipped it up in Google Docs. Uh, that's kind of in vogue right now. So, if you don't have a web page, but you actually still want to sell stuff, or conversely, if you don't want to take the time to actually mock something up on a
web page, just build it in a Google doc with this pageless format. And as you can see, it has basically all the impact of a web page and it works pretty well. So, that's a that's something that's converting fairly well for a lot of people right now. Uh, very simple direct offer headline. Uh, not really much of a lead. This blackbox thing I totally ripped off from Chris Orcowski because he's real smart. You should follow him. Um, but this this is very obviously me and my style. Um, hi, I'm Sean McIntyre and I approve of
this hot, sexy, limited time, crazy, sexy, mega awesome, insane. Did I mention sexy, ludicrous, but also at the same time perfectly reasonable and sensible deal? Now, I I write this way for me. I don't write this way for all of my businesses. Um, because part of my brand is that sort of, you know, ADHD wildness combined with uh purposeful contradiction. Not everybody, that's not going to land for everybody. That's just a personal style that I've developed over the years. Now, yeah, it's it is the GIF. So, here we're just launching straight into credibility and we're
transitioning from credibility here into and by the way, just to confirm, this is the landing page. This is what I'm linking to in the emails. So, here we're actually explaining like what our mission is visav our credibility and why we got started this way. And then I'm using that to transition to o overcome I think the chief objection that we should get from people who follow our stuff which is the fact that we tell everybody hey don't buy a course but on the other hand we also sell courses and here I provide the reasoning a
because for that I show what people search for how write copies beginner course free 2023 free. And here's what people don't search for. Now, I did a sneaky here as well, which is I treated these as like, oh, this is what people don't search for. And I wrote bullets for what people don't search for. Bullets are little fascinations, little teasers, little things that are like things that people want or could want potentially. And then I basically say like, hey, these are all references to actual resources in the products we're selling. So, I use this like
this is what people you you know are doing. This is what they're not doing. But then I actually am using like teasers and bullets to show like what is in the products that they could potentially buy. And then I go quickly into just a a qualification section. So with any qualification section, and not every piece of copy needs this, but I prefer to have this for my longer form stuff. And so I like to straight up tell people like this is not for you if you are any of these things just it's not for you
go away you know and I even have a little snarky like I copy pasted the what people search for when they are just beginning like beginning on YouTube and I say everybody if you're in this camp go search for that go away but but if you're a little bit more advanced if this is something that's interesting you this is something that could actually help you if you have that basic framework of knowledge that you can learn newer stuff then this is for you and it's at this point where I introduce the actual product and with
offerdriven sales messages you want to have well the proof that the offer is good so you know say you're selling a diabetes supplement or something like that your message is probably going to be like hey this can solve some of your you know like help you overcome some of your diabetes symptoms, right? Okay. So, the proof is not going to be the product. The proof is going to be what in the product can actually help lead to these solutions, can actually like help ameliate the problem. And then you want to show the product. But with
an offer lead, hey, this is a good deal on these things. Well, you actually want to show what these things are. You actually want to show what's in the product. And so for this, I actually took copy from the sales pages for these products, rewrote them for this particular context, showed bullets from those actual sales messages, and I did that for both. It honest to god, this 36 page uh sales message, it took me about six hours to write. So when was the last time you wrote 36 pages in six hours? Probably never. And the
reason why is because like I knew what I wanted to say and how to say it. And I also had a sort of framework like copy that I could swipe from and pull from that I could recapitulate and sort of like rejigger and reapply for this new purpose. So really it did not take long to write this at all. And so here in this section I'm going like okay this is where we're approaching the close. If you bought these courses separately you'd have to spend this. And here I'm clearly doing something called price anchoring. Compare
that to other YouTube copy gurus. And by the way, all these three are real. I went to like popular YouTube copy gurus and I went to their most popular products and I just copy pasted the prices for them. Uh I'm not going to say who who whom I'm referring to, but yeah, these these are all real numbers that I got from YouTubers and what they're selling these their lame ass [ __ ] products for. Oh, did I say that out loud? Anyway, um and then I said like listen, like the free stuff that we're putting
out, people are saying that that's better than their paid stuff. And so the whole notion or implication that I'm playing with there is, well, if our free stuff is that good, surely our paid stuff must be much better. I think that it is, and I'm hoping that people agree that it is. So, but that's the ultimately the implication I'm doing here for the sales page. Anyway, so again, I'm just going through the sales message because one of the first things that you need to do when you are researching and prepping for an email is look
at what you're selling and how it's being sold. So, that's what we're doing right now. I'm also doing this to sort of explain the difference between sales emails and lifts. Now, here we're explaining why the price is low. Again, providing justification. And this is a real exchange that I had with Alex where I was just like, "Hey, we should do a Black Friday deal. what do you think about doing it for like 199? And he was like, nah, do it for 150. And I was like, I'm just going to screen cap this because it clearly
shows that interaction where we lowered the price. So that's what we're selling this for. Um, and then people can click the link and go here and they can actually see like a place to actually buy stuff. Just because I'm being cheeky, social proof from real humans perhaps like yourself who actually bought these courses and generally had nice things to say. So here I'm actually showing like what positive things people said and it was really cool that people were willing to share testimonials. And then um one thing that I did and one thing that I have
done in a few sales letters before that I really enjoy doing is actually showing a bad review because here I it allows me to overcome the objection the natural objection that people are going to have that I'm only cherrypicking testimonials that I'm only showing the good that I'm ignoring the bad that like clearly nobody has you know there are people that have had not had success with this and there are complainers that I'm just ignoring. No, I'm like, you know, showing myself warts and all. This is a real Survey Monkey survey. Like, we got one
on one star review. Just one out of the 293 people that have purchased it and the 26 people that have actually responded to the survey. So, one person hated it. Now, I try in the copy to actually explain why they hated it and show what they wrote. What did this person hate about it? They said that they bought it to start a copyrightiting career and it didn't help me at all. Listen, and I'm saying and rather than spin that into a posit, I'm saying listen, let's be real, not every product is going to work for
every single person. So, if we just break down the numbers, yes, there is a 3.8% chance that this course will not help you at all. Just straightforward like that. But I added another detail from the survey that they put in, which is, "What content, tools, or templates would you like us to add in the future?" And their response was, "Stop with the six figures in six months stuff." Now, everybody who's watched us for a while, guys, how often do we promise that you can get six figures in six months? We've never done that. So, the
reason why I added this in here, like, why show this? Here's the reason why I showed this. Because it automatically discredits or undercuts their negative rating. It shows for people that are fans of us that this person who gave us a bad review might not be all there, might actually not be in their right mind, might actually not be like fully aware of what it is we're actually doing. They might be responding to something else. I'm very subtly showing that, hey, maybe the person who made a bad review, maybe you shouldn't listen to them. But
I'm using that as a transition into a promise, which is you probably will not achieve six figures in six months. And that's a credibility booster for us. Be really cool if you did, and I certainly hope you do. But that said, if you want an honest to goodness shot at scaling your income to six figures, you do need to learn the skills, the skills that you can get from these two products. And I say straight out, you can get that from us. You can pay somebody else more money to learn it. and I already showed
the proof of that. Or you can gain it through years of experience. Basically giving people a choice. We certainly hope you choose us. This, by the way, is a variation on the three options close that comes out of Russell Brunson's expert secrets. Um, it's a really good way, you know, just give people three choices. You can do this and, you know, shorten the time that it takes to get into the result. You can do this, uh, which is like, you know, do something that's not going to produce a good result. or you can do this
which is nothing at all. And you know the choice is yours. Ultimately I hope that you choose us. And you know that's one of the very many closes that you can pick. And so here I just get down into an offer section. I say listen um you know this is the deal Black Friday. Uh if you wait even a minute a second after that no deal expired page commence regret. So there's natural urgency there. And that's going to be one of the emails that I write today which is you know the value that I'm probably
going to give. Um, I'm actually going to put it to a vote. Uh, which is should we like write an email about FOMO and how it works? Basically, that's one of the reasons why holiday campaigns work in general. There's just natural urgency there. Another thing, too, is in the previous times that we've offered this, there's never been a refund policy, but for this offer in particular, we're giving people a refund. Now, this is I call this a Shawn McIntyre special, which is a joke. It's not a Shawn McIntyre special, but there are two ways to
anchor something. You can anchor something high and then bring it low, or you can anchor something low and bring it high. And um I was talking to several other famous copyriters about this. I actually taught them this relatively recently. Uh which is why I call it the Shauny Min Shauny Mac special. Um but everybody knows how to do price anchoring where they set a high price and they bring it down and show what the real price is. Obviously lower than the other comparison thing. And that's persuasive because of the nature of comparison. You're starting high
and you're bringing it down low and this is the price. Um, everybody knows how to do that. A what I like to do also is do what's called a reverse anchoring, which is you start with something where like normally we don't add any bonuses for this, but for this deal only we're adding these three bonuses. You've gone from zero to three. So people have anchored in their head the number zero. This is what you deserve. Precisely nothing. Oh, but wait, there's more. and you get three bonuses. Here I did it with the guarantee where I
actually showed like normally there's no guarantee. There's no refund policy, but for this offer you actually get a refund policy. And so we're actually, you know, we I've anchored the refund policy to nothing, but here you get something. Also, I give the details for discounts if you are one of these subscribers. And then uh because I'm me. Heys, buttons murder your family when you were a child. to click this link instead. Now, I actually did that for accessibility reasons. When you click a link, like some people just don't trust buttons, like period. And also, like
some um digital readers for people with, you know, visual impairment or things like that, they don't handle buttons or images, linked images very well. So, I just threw in a link. And seriously, that just do stuff like this and it's going to boost your conversions a little bit because it's just being helpful to other people that might want to buy your stuff. So, keep that kind of stuff in mind. Ah, well, so that's the sales page. That's the that's the how we're selling this. And so it raises the question, do I need a lot of
copy in my emails to convince people to buy stuff when I'm doing all the persuading here? The answer is no. So I don't need a very long sales email. Boop. A lift is just a little bit of text to get people intrigued enough to click on to the sales page. Usually these lifts, these emails are very, very short. super short and we're going to write one today. I'm also going to show you a graphical sales email. Uh these are very short as well. I think that that would be very good for uh either Thursday or
Friday. And then we're going to do deadline email. That's going to be on Friday night. The value delivering email we're going to write. That's going to take the longest. Uh so maybe we'll do it last. So any questions so far? How is this going? Well, no questions so far. So let's press on. So I've told you the difference between lifts and sales emails. I walk through all the copy and that is going to take us into the email prep that we kind of need to do whenever we sit down to do any sort of email
marketing or copyrightiting. We need to ask ourselves six questions. What are we selling the CT Black Friday deal? How are we selling it? By driving traffic to this page, which then drives traffic to an order form. Who's buying it? So, copywriters. And this, by the way, these four questions are going to change for each email. So, let's actually copy these and let's actually do a lift here. Let's go to break page break. Okay, we're going to put a prefacing material up here. So, let's [Music] do CT Black Friday bundle email campaign. And by the way,
what I'm putting here is going to be context. And I'm showing you what I'm doing so that if you ever do submit email copy to a client, you can do something like this. And it will help your client work with your copy a little bit better. And then, so this is going to be uh email X because I don't know what day it's going to go. Um and then x out of uh let's say uh 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Okay. Let me ask you guys. Let me ask you guys which one would
you like to start with? Do you guys want to do a value delivering email and watch me stare at a blank screen and try to talk about stuff and deliver value and actually teach you some lessons as I'm writing the lesson? Or should we start with some of the shorter stuff? I I the choice is yours. Choose your own adventure. Lifts. Oh my god, we want some lifts. Oh, baby. I'm lousy with lifts. So, let's do that. So, I'm thinking about a lift. I think that I want the value email to go out tonight, which
means that that gives me Thursday and Friday. Let's do a lift for Thursday. No, let's do a lift for Friday. the AM send. That's going to be email 6 out of 7. And so this is going out on Friday AM. That's going to be our Friday AM send. Now, who's buying this? Who's our ideal reader? You know, prospective copywriters who have exited the newbie phase. Okay. How do we appeal to them? What's the idea? Well, if we're sending this on the last day, we probably want to appeal to them. We probably want the lift to
be built around some urgency and scarcity. So, let's have that be our main idea. So, let's press on urgency to take action. What is our objective? Now, you, my love, might be thinking, "Oh, the objective is to sell the Black Friday bundle." But no, no, this is the objective for this particular email. And with a lift, the objective is almost always to drive traffic to the sales page. Why do we do that? Because this is already spelling out why a person should want to buy the thing. We don't need a whole lot of copy in
the email to do that if we're already doing that elsewhere. So, we just need to get people's eyeballs from this thing onto this thing. That's the purpose of a lift. What do we want people to do the action? We want people to click the link. Okay, let's start there. Now, you can provide this before. Um, I've also done more context in the past where I've explained like, you know, this is the campaign, you know, the this is a folder with all the proof that I provided. Basically, you want to put all of your prefacing material
up at the top of whatever you submit to your clients. I me personally, I like to highlight that. And then so all this stuff, this is this is where you explain context for clients. Now, why do you want to explain context for clients? After all, they hired you to write some emails. Now, listen, as a business owner and as somebody who's paid for people bring me copy before, I've given people an assignment and then that part of my brain, I hit the delete button. I'm like, "Okay, this is no longer my problem. This is your
problem." And then two weeks go by and I've heard nothing. And then all of a sudden, I get hit with like, "Oh, there's this thing. What did I want you to do again?" Because I'm busy. I stop talking to you and I go do 30 other things. And you sort of get lost in the serial bus between the RAM and the CPU. And so because of that, because that's going to happen to anybody that you work for ever, you want to make sure that you provide enough information up at the top of your emails that
you submit to remind them, to refresh their memory, to uh encourage them that you know what you're doing and that you did a good job. So, don't operate under the assumption that your clients know who you are even after they've hired you or what they've hired you to do. Okay? So, if I were doing um list segments or if I were marketing to multiple affiliate lists, one of the things that I would do is do three to four different subject lines um and then, you know, have different alternatives. But we have such a small email
list that it doesn't even really like if we split the email list into like 1,600 and 1600 and send two subject lines just I've have enough experience to tell you that that's not going to give you good data. If you want to split test subject lines, you need tens of thousands of emails to send and but anything before that point just, you know, pick one and roll with it. But this is going to be a lift. So, let's actually do some swiping. So, I promised earlier that we would I would show you how to swipe
an email. So, why don't we actually swipe an email? So, this is my actual email inbox. And I search for Black Friday. As you can see, I'm signed up for a lot of stuff. Oh, hey, look at that. Todd Brown early Black Friday deal. Let's look at this email copy. Subject line early Black Friday deal. All hyphenated exclamation point. That's so exciting. Here's the copy of the lift. Kicking off a crazy Black Friday deal for you tonight. This gives you 85% off a hand selected collection of 17 private market trainings, marketing trainings. And FYI, none
of these trainings are available for purchase separately anywhere. They were created for my top tier clients, but right now you can access them all for pennies on the dollar. Happy Black Friday. Enjoy, Todd. On a scale from 1 to 10, how good of an email is that? I'm going to say go ahead and say that this is somewhere between a seven and 11. I think that this is very, very good. It's very good. And anybody who doesn't think this is very good doesn't actually understand email marketing or how it works. Now, again, this is a
lift. So, a lift is designed to get people intrigued enough just to click. Now what is the common structure of a lift? A lift has a disrupt, an intrigue bit, and a click bit. Oh, it certainly depends on the quality of the list. Absolutely. But I'm going to go ahead and say that if you took this style of writing, this style of lift and applied it to very many other products that also use longer form sales pages, th this is something that's worth learning from. This is something that's worth swiping. So let's actually break down
this email in terms of like what's actually happening. And we are going to copy paste it. We're going going to show the landing page. As you can see, there's copy on the page. It's like what I showed you before where it's an offer, a direct offer where you have the direct offer like the sales and like what you can get. There's not really a lead. All the proof is actually in the products that you get. There are teasers up here, two of 17 goodies, and it actually shows you piece by piece everything that you're getting.
And it's all bullet driven. So, good sales page for this kind of offer. Now, let's actually go into my page and see what's going on. Okay, so that depends. It really depends on the angle that you're trying to approach with. But one of the things that might be problematic is if people see 85% off, they might send it to spam. However, that's not always going to be the case. And so if you are trying to open up with like, hey, early Black Friday deal, the subjectline hook is going to be the fact that it's a
Black Friday deal that you can get beforehand. So that's the notion that you're tapping into. We're not leaning into the value of the deal just yet. And here's the thing, if you wrote 85% off in that subject line, people would have no reason to click because they'd already know what the deal is. Again, it's all about building intrigue when it comes to lifts. All right. Disrupt we're going to do in red. Intrigue we are going to do in light blue. Click we are going to do in magenta or purple or whatever. I'm color blind. Kicking
off a crazy Black Friday deal for you tonight. Okay. Interesting. That is some disruption. It's a crazy Black Friday deal. It's happening tonight. We're kicking it off. All right. Again, don't take your notions of the word disruption like too too much. It's like anything that can get attention counts as a disruption. So, this gives you 85% off a hand selected collection of 17 private market trainings. Ooh, 17 private market trainings. What's that all about? That is intriguing. Oh, and FYI, none of these trainings are available for purchase separately anywhere. Ooh, I wonder why. Blue, they
were created for my top tier clients. Ooh, that makes them even more intriguing to me. But right now, you can access them all for pennies on the dollar. What? What? That's a crazy dimensionalization of this deal. Okay. So here we're sort of building intrigue and also this is the point where we are getting the click. So that's a good blend of building intrigue and also this is the final point where we are asking for the click and then this is a signoff. Uh it is commonly called a validiction if you are a nerd like me.
So, does this email, this email that I received about a Black Friday deal, does it obey the dick? It clearly does. This this email has dick written all over it. Let's think about how we want to swipe this email. You don't swipe an email by copy pasting what somebody else has done. What you want to do is you want to adopt the structure and look at each line and go okay what is that doing and how is it doing it and how can I do the same so let's start with the subject line there we
we are just going to purely swipe for this particular email we are not going to write from blank knowledge at all we are just going to do what somebody else is doing slightly differently for our stuff okay early black Friday deal. Okay, since this is the last day of the campaign 67 happening on Friday, final day for this Black Friday deal exclamation point. Here's my opinion of Dick versus Ada. If you are getting somebody's attention, you are disrupting them. If you are building interest and desire, you are intriguing them. If you are calling for action,
you're asking for a click. ADA and PAS and Pastor and almost every other structure like out there that you can name is subsumed is absorbed by Dick Dic. Don't demonetize us YouTube. So that's my opinion about there. I personally think that um in terms of structure, I like DIC because it allows you to do different things. If it's a PAS quote unquote email, you think, oh, I have to start with a problem. even though that might not be the best or only way to disrupt or get somebody's attention. So I like DIC because it is
less prescriptive of what to do. Let's see final day for this Black Friday deal. What should the secondary subject line? Let let me explain what that is. So the SSL when you are looking in your email inbox, you have the subject line here in bold and then you have the secondary subject line here in white text. And actually, we used to call these back. You know, I'm an old fart. I've been doing this for a long time. And the way that we would get secondary subject lines to appear in this little preview bit is we
would actually have text like in the email, but we would get um use HTML codes to make it white so that it was invisible when people opened the email. And so reader like, you know, preview readers would actually show the white text, but then it wouldn't be visible when you clicked on it. And so you can see the preview text here is percent off Black Friday deal. You get 17 rare marketing trainings. Obviously that's different from how this starts. So the preview is different and the preview is designed to get people uh to click. Let's
have the subject line huge savings are ending today. So SL SSL. Now let's see if we can transmogriphy this particular disruption. So, here Todd is kicking off a crazy Black Friday deal. Hey, we are closing our crazy Black Friday bundle deal tonight. There we go. Talk to your audience. Yes. Yes, guys. Always. It's true. Whether you're prospecting, it's true. Whether you're like managing clients, it's true when you're writing an email. Always adjust your language contingent upon whom you're speaking to. Why do you think I make so many dick jokes for you guys? Anyway, so there
we go. Hey, that's a pretty decent opening line and it's ripped off of Todd's email. He is focusing on how he's opening up or starting a Black Friday deal. Here I'm talking about how we're closing it because again we're starting with the final day of the campaign. Now let's see this bundle allows you to lock in. Let's see. He has 85% off. We are doing a 46% off deal. 46% off. Let's do a 46% discount. A 46% discount on our two most advanced copywriting courses. Now, one of the things I think Todd does really well
is he changes the frame of what he's saying. You know, private market trainings sounds more enticing than a course, the same way that a dossier sounds more enticing than a special report. So, we could probably punch this up a little bit. So, our two most advanced copywriting courses, what are other ways that we can frame that? Copy trainings. They include master classes. So, it wouldn't be master classes. H to most advanced copy. I'm going to put a placeholder there so we can keep moving on. And FYI, none of these trainings are available for purchase separately
anywhere. So that's scarcity. So what do we want to write to imply like how this is not easy to get? For the record, this is probably the cheapest we'll ever offer this bundle because we plan to raise the price uh for each word soon. Let's get rid of that and to tighten it up. For the record, this is probably the cheapest we'll ever offer. I would say this is this is the cheapest. Yeah, this is the cheapest because if we're going to raise it, then we'll set a baseline and say like we'll never offer this
bundle again for 150 bucks. It's always going to be more expensive relative to the higher prices. For the record, this is the cheapest we'll ever offer this bundle because we plan to raise the price for each course or thing soon. Advanced copy repositories courses. We'll just stick with courses for now and if we think of something better then we'll put something better. But in the meantime, it is what it is for one of these courses soon. Let's see. They were created for my top tier clients. We made them especially for copywriters looking to boost their
knowledge, skill set and income. But right now, so do you guys see what I'm doing with this particular line? So the line was they were created for my top tier clients. So, okay, this thing was made especially for this group of people. So, here the subtext in Todd's original email was that you as a as a normie get access to these private trainings that were intended for top tier clients. So, it makes you feel like you're like getting the inside scoop on something that you shouldn't actually have. So, that's the subtext there. I don't want
to use the same subtext, but I want to use the same sort of structure like this was made for something. And here, because I'm a big softy, I want to do something a little bit more sincere. So, we made them especially for copyriters looking to boost their knowledge, skill set, and income. And here we have the implied benefit as well. But right now, you can access them all for pennies on the dollar. How do we want to? You can get lifetime access for nearly Here we half the cost. So the way that I'm dimensionalizing it
now is at nearly half the cost. I could also write just about half the cost at pract at virtually half the cost. I like virtually. So what I'm doing here is I have the thing and then the dimensionalization right here. So 46% discount virtually half the cost. Virtually half the cost is the dimensionalization because it adds a new dimension to that detail. That's how dimensionalization works. Half the price. Yeah, that's basically half the price. I like that. Good job, dude. We're gonna we're gonna roll with it. Okay, let's see. If you say a beginner shouldn't
buy your courses, then who should? Because after I get a few clients, I probably won't need your courses, right? Oh, well, there you go. No, that it's our courses are for people who basically like have a toll hold in this, like have an understand like they know this is what they want to do. You go to the qualifying thing, it literally says, "Listen, I don't want you if you're new to copy. I don't want you if you're broke. I don't want you if you're under 18. And I don't want you if you're still trying to
figure out if copyrightiting is right for you. I don't want to take your money. Like I don't want you to buy an outreach course and then six months later be like, I don't want to do this. Like that sucks. Like I I really don't want to take your money if that's the case. But if you already have some competence and you're ready to start reaching out to clients, that could include people who don't have clients yet, then this is for you. Let's see. In your opinion, when is it better to use a fixed price sale
like $150 off and when would you use percentages like 50% off? Uh, I'm going to give you the answer that everybody hates, but it's the true answer. It depends. Like we don't actually know. Like there are certain cases where um actually I was talking to a copyriter about this relatively recently. for physical products, uh, he was saying that he was noticing that dollar amount discounts worked better and for info products, percentagebased discounts work better. Now, here's the thing. That was for a golfing list, a golfing email list, performance golf. And so, I don't know if
that's going to apply to this, but for it's info, so I'm sticking with the discount, the percentage. So, You should change our brand to copy that to copy curriculum. How about copy curricula? How about copy quadrivium, the trivia and the quadriium? Okay, but right now you can get lifetime access at virtually half the price. See you inside. Best Sean. Okay, this is officially a swiped email. So, let's get rid of the source material. All right, subject line. Final day for this Black Friday deal. That has the emotion that we want to get because we're trying
to stoke a little bit of urgency. Hey, we're closing our crazy Black Friday bundle. Insane and sexy Black Friday bundle deal tonight and we're going to link that eventually. This bundle allows you to lock in a 46% discount on our two most advanced copy courses. For the record, this is the cheapest we'll ever offer this bundle because we plan to raise the price for one of these courses soon. We made them especially for copyriters looking to boost their knowledge, skill set, and income. But right now, you can get lifetime access at virtually half the price
by clicking this link. See you inside. There you go. That's an email, guys. Hello. Welcome. We just wrote an email together. I couldn't have done it without you. I could have done it without you, but I used your help and I really appreciate it. Uh I Some people just find my personality just deplorable and that's fine. So, here's what we're going to do. We are going to I'm going to show you how to send this email. It reads well. It has all the information and the subtext we want. It gets people to sign up to
the link. We did it. We did it as a team. FTC live. Good [ __ ] Yeah. And we have three more to go. So, okay. And this is going to be one of the easier ones. So, let's actually I want to show you guys how this actually works. So, what did I promise at the beginning of this? What I what I was going to do today? How to uh research and prep for email writing. Showed you how to do that. How to swipe an email. Showed you how to do that. Now, we're going to
do how to send an email. So, let's actually You've done a job. H I love this. I can't believe that. Um, this is part of what I get to do during a day. I am so delighted. All right, so we're going to go into our CRM Squarespace. We're going to add, we're going to use one of the templates that we use. I'm just going to use the same template as before. Use this template. Boom. Okay. Now, the way that an email builder works is it works kind of like a sort of out of the box
like website builder like Wix or Squarespace or whatever. So, everything is in blocks. So, you have a text block, you have an image block. Let's delete the image block. This is another text block. We really only need one text block right here because our email is just mostly text. So, we're going to take that and copy it. I'll put it in there. Now, what you'll find is when you go from a word processor to any sort of CRM or web-based thing, like there's always going to be little formatting duads that get copy pasted over that
you don't really always have control over. So, you need to be careful about that. Uh, I'm sure many of you have seen when I work with a word document, I actually keep the formatting icons on. Uh if you you know go to the Patreon and see the old streams that I've done where I'm working on Microsoft Word, I just keep those on so I can see like what all the invisible formatting looks like. Okay, see you inside. That's Sean. Show something with dimensionalization versus with none. Just listen, man. Go into the Patreon. I have a
whole freaking like 9,000word report on dimensionalization. It is a really like boring and abstract topic and if you really want to learn how to do it well, you kind of have to put your brain meat like down to the grindstone. Also, if you've been a member of the copy that email for a long time, uh, everybody got it for free before it went into Patreon. So, search your inbox if you've been with us for a while. All right, Black Friday bundle deal. Want to hit that link button right there. Boom. And we can check to
make sure that it's going to the right place by right-clicking. And there it is. So anyway, we are linking to this and this link works well. So we are going to do that. This bundle allows you to lock in a and let's actually bold that too and click the B. This bundle allows you to lock a 46% discount for the cheapest we'll ever offer this bunnel because we plan to raise the price. We made them especially for copyriters looking to boost their knowledge. But right now, you can get get lifetime access at virtually half the
price by clicking this link. Okay, we're gonna apply. We're going to bold. And then what else? Why do I feel like you'll take off your shirt just like you did before with Kyle? Well, listen, uh, you know, writing it, it's draining and fatiguing. So, my prefrontal cortex might be completely worn down by the end of the stream. You never know what's going to happen on copy of that. So, this bundle allows you to lock in a 46% discount. For the record, this is the cheapest we'll ever offer this bundle. Let's let's link that as well.
Sort of the implied the implic. It's all about the implication, guys. So, as you can see, direct teaser ask for the click dic. There we go. See you inside. That's Sean. Now, all the formatting is good. This all the formatting is done. Okay. Subject line. So, we're going to copy paste our subject line from here. Right there. Email preview. Huge savings are ending today. Let's go there. Preview. Okay. Unique recipients. We want to make sure that our mailing lists are not everybody that we got for free. We want to get leads that who, you know,
people who have not made a purchase, customers, and repeat customers. These are all people that have accepted marketing. So, no segments, no tags. Um, yeah. So back sender details we're sending from copy that uh schedule. Now we're going to do this not immediately. We schedule it for Friday time. What's a good time? Let's do 10:45 in the morning. How about we do 8:45 in the morning? Um when is the best time to send an email? You have to think about like the the time zone of the people that you are sending to. Um you know
our main demographic is eastern United States because that's where most of the people are. East West Coast United States. And you have to think like okay you know what are the pockets of time when people check their email? It's in the morning before work when they're pooping. It's around lunchtime when they're bored and you know they have a chance to. and it's around 3:00, four o'clock before their workday ends when they're bored again. And then it's around like 9:00, 10 o'clock when they're scrolling through the phone and you know they're about to go to bed.
So those are the fourish windows when it's good to send an email. Um but again, time zones matter and your list is what ultimately determines it. So okay, 8:45 in the morning on Friday. Uh I think that's it. Now, I think we should send a test to make sure that this looks good. So, let's do that. I'm going to Hold on. Even though it's been visible for much of this stream, I'm going to send a test to my email address. And all I did there was hit send test. And then I put in my email.
So, let's actually look into my inbox and see. So many marketing emails. Okay, it'll it'll arrive any day now. Yeah, I've been I've been doing I've been doing marketing for a while. So, copy that test email. Final day for this Black Friday deal. And this is what the email looks like in my inbox. So, this is what it's going to look like when people get it. There you go. And if we want to see like what this looks like on mobile, it looks like this. Perfect. totally fine. So, I think we're good to schedule this
campaign. Oh, one last thing that you should always test when you're um doing a test is you should make sure that the links work. And they all do. Look at that. Two, three, four. Okay, I think let's send this email. Schedule campaign. This email will go out at this time to these people schedule. Guys, did you see what just happened? We went from nothing, blank page, I don't even know what email is to sending an email to over 3,000 people. And we did it. Christ, you know, the actual from blank page to sending that was
like what 10 15 minutes. There's a copyrighting I came across and he said that cold email cold outreach is for brokies. What do you have to say about that? I I have to say we we did our whole spiel about cold email. There's a great video that we did where we talk about how to do it, how to do it well, how to do it better than the people that are spamming a bunch of people. Um, I the one thing that I try to articulate well uh as often as possible is that here's the only
thing that will lead to you being broke as a freelancer. Over relying on one method of getting clients. That's it. That's it. If you over rely on a single method, you probably won't get as many clients as you need. The truth is you need to kind of become oh, how should I say trans channel the same way you should become trans niche. Everybody should be trans. So what you want to do is you want to learn how to operate and work on all these different channels to get your best results. Because here's the thing. You
might find that with the services you offer or the way that you write, you might have better results cold emailing or messaging unlike Instagram. You might find also that maybe that isn't leading to the best results for you. It all depends. Yeah. And we have we have multiple master classes on different forms of outreach. even put out an entire book on how to actually get clients who are working in really weird niches that basically have no competition. So that's all on the Patreon, too. Anyway, how much copy have I written in my career? A lot.
I mean, I write about 30 to 50,000 words per month. So, I've been doing this for 10 years. So, just do a multiplication thing. I'm glad. I hope you benefit from it a lot. How long did it take you to get your first client, Sean? Precisely zero minutes because I started in-house and I talk about that a lot. Um, when it comes to freelancing, Alex and Rod are the experts. I've done freelancing mostly for fun and to keep skin in the game and to stay fresh and to well, mostly for fun really uh and occasionally
for the paycheck. But my version of prospecting is emailing people that I know and going, "Hey, can I write for you?" And then going, "Okay, would you like $15,000?" That that's it. And I I have a 100% success rate doing that. So that's the advantage of networking, which is one of the courses inside the copyrighting career accelerator, which by the way is also on sale in our Black Friday bundle. Look at me. I did a plug. All right. So, that's our first email, one for the record books. Let's go back to this. So, we got
our lift. How do I join your Patreon? You just go to patreon.com/thecopy that show. Oh, do I have one of these banners? Hold on. I need to find the banner. Oh god. Uh, yes. patreon.com/thecopy that show. And then you just sign up. That's it. It's easy. It's one of the most frictionless things. And also, you don't have if you're new, don't sign up. I don't want your money. I mean, I do want your money, but like only if you like you think it will benefit you. So, graphical graphical. Let's do it. Graphical sales emails. Now,
here's the thing. Let's look for inspiration. Let's see. Let's do Black Friday. Um, Stitch Fix. Look at this. So, we got logo and what I'm do I'm not going to swipe. I'm just going to um Yeah, get some inspiration. So, we got a little gift. 25% off everything. All your freestyle items are done on this that shop the sale clear CTA some links. Okay, let's look at some other ones. Um I think I saw one earlier that I liked. Uber one. Okay, as you can see, these graphical emails are pretty simple. 60% off Uber one,
90 days free. make Black Friday wonderful. I hate that. I absolutely hate that. Deck the halls with these Uber one benefits. All right, so I could either Yeah, let's see. Must reads. There was one that I saw that looked interesting earlier. Dan Rosell is doing that. And so by daily. Well, that's not really a graphical email. This might be pre-B Black Friday sale. Look, look at the graphics on this. Got a GIF. Make room for more deals. All right. I think I like this idea of using like a funny GIF to sort of launch this
off. So, let's see if that's the inspiration. Let's see what we have to work with. So, email campaign create. We're going to do a blast. What? Hold on. Did I just see that? A Black Friday email. Let's try it. Okay. All right. All right. I see you. All right. Which one of these are we going to use? This is kind of fun. Black Friday. Sale sale sail yoga bra. I can imagine this like you know using this template and then doing like a gif. It does feel too black. I do agree here. Let's see if
we can play around with it. Use this. So, we're going to use the logo. Let's do, you know, that's a little eyebrow. One day left. One day remains. That's so ominous. Okay. And then we're going to do that. Let's do a an image. And let's do a text block. and let's find a fun GIF. But before we do that, let's also email background. Let's change it to match the site. What do you guys think? Creamy brown. I like it. Matches the site. Perfect. The blinking one was better. TBH. All right. I was going to do
a whole gif, but like if you want the blinky one, we'll do the blinky one. God. Everybody has add. All right. Black Friday sale. Can we do this? Oh, and it makes it that little panel black. What do you guys think? Do you think I should go back to the way it was before or should I stick with this? Should I go site theme and like keep the the little the little bits? Do I have any experience selling browsers? This is the first time. That's funny. That was that was a good joke. All right. Uh,
black. Black was better. All right, we'll stick with black. Black Friday sale. So, this is a discount block. So, let's actually do a text block. So, rather than the discount block, let's do All right, we'll center bold. We want bold. So, let's do um one day left to secure 46% off. Let's delete this. And let's delete all these. And then let's include a little image of the actual bundle. So CT bundle. Okay. Spacing small. And this we want to link here. So solid button brown. Let's change the text to to click here to secure your
access. I like that as a CTA. That's not terrible. I also do buy now, but I've always I've never like I know buy now works, but also like I think it works better for non-info. Let's see. You are doing AB testing in parallel on future prospects by taking responses. Email should work technically. Yes. Uh that's true. Uh but also like all the people that are watching now have probably already bought the products or the deal. So, you know, there you go. Okay. Off the copy that Black Friday bundle. And let's make this text a little
bit bigger. That's too big. Medium heading. Yeah, that works. Only one day left to secure. New easy safe big and only. Don't forget that. Okay. I don't know if I love this, but it's fun. So, listen. This you guys, you guys wanted to learn how to write a graphical email. We looked at some examples and guess what? They're not really that different from this. I could probably if we want like look and see like other ones. Black Friday deal up to 40% off. Gifts for men. Tis the season. I could add more copy. Would it
help? Maybe. Yeah. Graphical emails make $3,000. Don't scoff at e-commerce. Yeah, absolutely. It's It's totally true. Maybe I can add a testimonial. Sure, why not? here. Hold on. Hold on. Um, somebody way way back had nice things to say about the bundle. Okay, look at this. To anyone who hasn't purchased the Black Friday bundle, seriously, I bought both that before this bundle at regular price. It was absolutely worth it. Okay, so we are going to screenshot that. Let's do it down here. Add image. Upload. How meta is this? When I was writing this email, Colby
jumped into chat to say this to say unprompted. So, thank you Liveream for helping me get testimonials that I'm using for the live stream. Anyway, when I was writing this email on live stream, anyone that hasn't purchased the Black Friday bundle, BFB, big [ __ ] bundle. Seriously, do it. I I'm going to do ellipses to omit some middle text. Okay, let's see. I think that's good. It's not bad. That's fun. I honestly like that's as good as we're going to get for a graphical email. Like most of these just suck, you know, they're easy
to write. They're fun. Let's see. We got a graphic that's obnoxious. God, this is annoying. Only one day left to secure 46% off the copy that Black Friday bundle. We had a space where we could put some optional copy, but I don't think it's necessary because again, all the copy is here, you know. So, click here to secure your access. You got a picture of the bundle itself. And then, look at this. One more CTA at the bottom. Yeah, why not? Let's do another button. Actually, let's make our lives easier. Copy this and then move
this down. This is how this works, by the way. Clear security access. Delete that. That goes to the right thing. Okay, look at that. We We finished another email. And then this is gonna I'm gonna send this out on Thursday. Get bent, [Music] buddy. All right. So, Black Friday starts now. Let's go and think about Black Friday starts now. Let's do an emoji in the subject line. Our Black Friday bundle deal ends soon. Could use a dick pun somewhere. Yeah, that's the thing with graphical emails. There's there's really not a whole lot of space or
reason to like have a lot of copy. Like it's just not necessary. You don't need it. And so like the whole point of this is to be extremely direct and get people to click and then hopefully this does the job of the selling or the product page does the job of the selling. Like honestly like you very rarely would ever ever ever use an email like this for selling info. Like it just does not make sense to use this kind of like email format to sell an info product. That's just the way that it is.
All right. So, email preview and I'm using soon in the email subject line because it's a little bit more intriguing than ends tomorrow. So, do a little turkey or Black Friday bundle deal ends soon. And then we'll do a dollar sign flying away emoji. Dollar wings. Oh, emoji. And then we'll do a sad face emoji. There we go. Let's see if we can make this the most obnoxious email like ever written ever. Let's get rid of that turkey. Go to hell, turkey. Bad meat that nobody should eat. I'm kidding. I love turkey. All right. Don't
miss out on the biggest sale of the year. Eh, we'll keep it. I don't care about this email. Unique recipients. All right. Mailing lists. We want leads, customers, repeat customers. Now, the customers incorporates all that. Um, okay. Back schedule. We're going to do this for tomorrow. And let's schedule this for around 10:15. Now, I I mentioned the times that people typically check their email, and that gets thrown out the window for holidays. And so, for each holiday, you have to think about like how people interact with that holiday depending upon when you send stuff. And
so, you have to think about like, okay, what do Americans typically do on Thanksgiving? They typically will sit down at a table and have dinner, their dinner at around like 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Thanksgiving dinner is typically fairly early because people wake up and start cooking like early in the morning. That's what's going to happen tomorrow for a lot of people. So, and yes, if you want to take bets on unsubscribes, go for it. Now, here's the thing. I actually think that this email is going to get fewer unsubscribes than the valuebased
email. So, let's do I want to do so for like Thanksgiving holiday, what would be the best time? I'm thinking it's going to be either 9:15 in the morning, like it's a holiday, so people are going to be waking up a little bit late, so we want to email it a little bit later. Um, alternatively, nighttime might be good, but people might be drunk by then, which actually might boost conversions. You never know with these things. And so, we're back. We are going to send the email that we care about the least and we are
going to send it on the day where we should should logically expect the fewest number of sales because it's Thanksgiving. It's a holiday. And so here we send Well, hold on. I'm going to turn off and I'm going to actually do a test to make sure that this works. That would be perfect. Oh, hidden drunk people leverage method. Yeah, it's true. Do I segment based on location? only is has Thanksgiving holiday. No, I don't segment on location. I operate under the assumption that Americans will buy from an American and the rest of the world who
doesn't have Thanksgiving is just unfortunately living in a world where they don't have Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is literally the best holiday and I'm I'm sad to say that everybody else is missing out. But no, I don't segment based on location. Most people don't. Um, and especially we wouldn't because our email list is so small. It makes no sense to do segmenting like that granularly. Okay, our email arrived. Our Black Friday bundle deal ends soon. Money, money, money. Sadbase. And then this is what it looks like in my inbox. Clear access. Okay, it works. The this works.
When I was writing this email on live stream, Colby jumped into chat and had this to say unprompted to anyone who has hasn't purchased the Black Friday bundle. Seriously, do it. It was absolutely worth it. Look at this. And there we go. That's how we got a testimonial. Like we we did it live, guys. We did it live. And oh, one other thing I should do is link this. I should link this. All right. Link. There we go. And then we want the other image to be linked as well. And that's just because people click
images. They operate under the assumption that images are all interactable. And so it's good to anticipate that when you send uh any email with images in it, link the images. Okay, cool. So email, everything's linked. We tested it. It's looking pretty good. It's so obnoxious, guys. This is so annoying. This is just It's just terrible. Like, I I am appalled by this email, but I hope you learned something. Yes, you can get paid to write this. I literally just whipped out a like a website-based template, and then just wrote some [ __ ] added some
links and some details about the offer, and bingo bango, we got a graphical email. All right. Boom. Schedule campaign November 23rd, that is tomorrow, 9:15 a.m. Eastern time, sent to this many people. Scheduled. And just like that, look it. We've gone from zero to having sent out two emails in the span of two hours to 3,000 people. Look at that. We're We're just styling. We're styling. All right. So, graphical sales emails. All right. Now, I can tell you right now that the value email is going to take the longest amount of time. So, yeah. So,
I get six figures from this. Give me a break. Value. Let's swipe out the deadline one quick. Value, please. All right, let's do it. So for this one, we want to get our preparatory material as well. Value value value. All right, let's insert break page break that. Let's copy paste that email. This is going to be four of seven because tomorrow is the graphical one. That's five of seven. And so this is going to be today Wednesday PM. Uh what are we selling? Uh answers are the same. Who's buying it? Same people. Now here's the
thing. The only real thing that's different between like that's going to be different is the idea. The objectives are the same. We're trying to get people to click on to this. But ultimately with a valuebased email, the objective is more complicated because the objective really is to provide valuable information first and foremost and from there people will be enticed by the product or not. Now I have two topics that I thought of for the value email. One is the power of fear of missing out and the other is the four types of emails in a
campaign and when to send them. And really that would just be a meta description of everything that I've been talking about in this stream. So you guys have a choice. We can either do number one, number two, or pick number three. One, two, three. So in the chat, hit one, two, or three. And three is going to be a wild card. We're just going to kind of brainstorm together, but one, two, or three in the chat, and I'll go with whoever wants to see the most. Oh, lots of threes. People want people don't like these
particular topics. All right. Three years rise. All right. So, we need to brainstorm something that we're going to write about. If you guys really want three, just freaking ridiculous why you would want that. That's the stupidest thing ever. You guys made the wrong choice, but we're gonna do it. This is so dumb. All right, so let's think about some possible topics. We'll sort of brainstorm and whittle down from there. So, when it comes to a Black Friday themed campaign, what are the elements that people want to learn? People want to learn about deadlines and what
makes them work. That was going to be this. So, we can't really write about that. Uh, people want to learn different kinds of emails. Can't really write about that. So, with a Black Friday campaign, um, now we have to brainstorm a new topic value email. What do people want to learn? Well, let me just ask you guys. What do you guys want to learn? If you were to receive an email from Oh, wait. Hold on. How many of these threes are just one person spamming three? I think to make my life easier, we should just
go with this. H how about that? Are you guys okay with that? If we're okay with that three years we're spamming. Yeah, I think we're just going to roll with this then. Those dirty three years. Yeah. Trying to disrupt. Like honestly, that was very disruptive. I I did this as a joke and I I was foisted by my own petard as they say. Nobody actually says that anymore. All right. So we are going to put as our topic four types of emails when to send them. Okay. The idea is that and the action is the
same. get people to click and the reader is the same as before. Okay. Insert horizontal line sector line SSL. Now before all my spamming wasted just like that. Yes. So subject lines. One of the things that I like to think about when it comes to subject lines is the desire that people have. like what makes people buy and you know there's the typical one that people sort of like overrely on which is money uh but people want things for all sorts of different reasons and so when it comes to the types of emails in the
campaign we can certainly do money the first subject line that comes to my mind is like okay the four types of cash flow email you can send. Four types of cash flow email you can send. Four types of cash flow email and when to send them. That'll be a good placeholder subject line. But um Constantinos, if you're still watching, uh really when it comes to subject lines, I do think about like what makes people tick, what makes people want to buy, like why would people want to pay attention to this particular piece of information or
open this intriguing lift or what have you. And I think about like, okay, well, what is this? you know, if I can tell people exactly what they're going to see. I can make it more interesting because ultimately what are we doing? We're writing sales emails. So, these are emails that generate cash flow. And then this is an extra additional benefit, information that people might want to know when to send them. So, secret subject line or secondary subject line. Uh, let's do um get get good at these four types of emails to generate thousands from your
list. And that is a promise that I'm perfectly comfortable with making because as I showed you earlier on in the stream, these types of emails have been generating thousands of dollars for us. So the proof is in the pudding. Now we need to think of like we can't use dick for a value email. It doesn't work. Um dicks is dicks are good for lifts and lifting people up. Um, but the dick is not really good if you're trying to hold somebody's attention for a very long time. So, do we want to test a different promise
for the second email? I don't know what you mean. Either way, so we have to think about how we're going to open this. And no, we don't want to test it. Like again, my email list is too small to get good data from split testing or segmenting. So no point in doing it. So let's actually think about how we want to approach this. Four types of cash flow email. Not going to be one of those people who tells you how to get rich by writing a few emails per week. That sort of gig is rare
and exceptional and most people that sort of gig is rare, rare and exceptional. But that doesn't But it is true that you can one write emails and two be paid well for them. So, one of the first things I'm doing in this particular intro um is just setting expectations. Uh making the implied promise, making a direct promise here. The key is to just make it interesting and to keep people's interest, but also to set reasonable expectations so you're not captivating the interest of somebody that you know is an idiot. be paid well for them. The
key getting paid. What most people say 99% of people do not realize however is that businesses do not what what is it that people don't realize? People don't realize that well what are some of the things that people don't realize? Businesses don't just want one type of email. They want multiple types of emails. Businesses want uh people with versatility. People businesses want a lot of things. By the way, guys, this is how I actually write. Like this, it's slow. It's plotting. You know, I don't use templates. I don't use structures. I think logically about like
what would come best next. And this is the boring part of the stream where everybody starts to click off and be like, "Oh, this is the life. This is what a copywriter does." Just look at a blank screen and a blinking cursor and wonder. Let's see. What 99% of people do not realize, however, is that businesses Yes, businesses need email copy and yes and then squared and yes squared copywriters can be paid by businesses to write email copy. By the way, when I do stuff like this, it's really just a personal stylistic thing. You know,
yes squared. You know, you will, as you develop your own voice and your own writing style and you write enough, you will develop your own quirks and stylistic things. The key is less like specifically what quirk you are adding to stuff so much as the structure like it is true that you can this yes this is true yes this is true but guess what most businesses do not so let's do that let's actually go along with this advice common misconceptions is about email that there's only one type of email that sells well. Uh common misconception
is that um you need to talk about the product. Common misconception is that you need to be direct. Common misconception every email needs a hard cell. Do it now. The doors are closing. So yeah, the final thing that we're going to talk about is the deadline email. And that's going to be where we sell the hardest. Um, what you want to do over the course of any sort of email sequence or any sort of campaign is sell harder the closer you are to the deadline because that's when you're going to see the biggest results. But
it is true they can be paid well for else. Usually comes after being in this game for a few years. You Even people just starting out can be paid well for writing emails because let's be real for a moment. Businesses need email copy. It's true. People just starting out can be well wring emails because let's be real for businesses need email copy. for many online businesses. Their email list is the most lucrative marketing channel they have. One study shown, and I forget the statistic, is it like for every dollar invested into an email list, you
get $38 back? Let's actually see if we can find that statistic. Email list generate 38 times returns. Yep, there it is. email marketing $38 for every $1 spent. So we can use that stat show that fact for every $1 spent building and email list businesses can generate 38 on average it's 38. Let's see. And so, um, FYI, so in any sort of value- based email, one thing that I like to do and adhere to is, you know, have one primary idea or one primary goal, which is to, and this is going to be to teach
people about four different emails that they can use and utilize. The other thing you want to do is have one emotionally compelling fact and then one like monetary numerical or quantifiable fact. And so in this lead, I'm sort of foregrounding the emotionally compelling fact, which is this is possibly this. Can't get paid well for writing emails. And then that's, you know, because that's also doubling as the promise. And then $1 spent building an email list. Businesses generate $30 on average. And that's going to be our quantifiable fact that adds credence to what we're saying and
makes it more specific. sell against alternative. I guess it would be media buying, but honestly, I think that that's going to make this this prefacing material a little bit too bloated. Um, so I'll just have a little placeholder there for now and we'll come back to it. In fact, for every $1 spent building an email, the business generate $30 average. But guess what? Most copywriters do not know what the heck they're doing with emails either. So in this particular email, I want to show you four specific types of emails that have been proven to generate
massive cash flow for businesses selling online. That's good. All right, let's recap and start from the beginning. Look, I'm not going to be one of those people. Let's see if we can trim that down and make it more punchy. I'm not going to tell you Look, I'm not going to tell you it's possible to get rich by writing a few emails per week. That sort of gig is an exceptional. It usually comes after being in the game for a few years or years. But it is true that even people just starting out can be paid
well for writing email copy because let's be real for a moment. Businesses need email copy. For many online businesses need it. That flows a little bit better. For many online businesses, their email list is the most lucrative marketing channel they have. In fact, for every $1 spent building an email list, businesses generate $38 on average. Here, I would sell against the alternative Marcos's idea. I don't think we're going to do that. I think I just want to speed through and like get the introduction good. And then, you know, because this is already going to be
like everything that's visible above the fold of the email. So, it's already going to be a little bit long. But guess what? Most businesses do not know what the heck they're doing with emails. Most copyrighters do not know what the heck they're doing with emails either. So in this particular email, I'm going to show you. So in this email, I want to show you four specific types. So today, I want to show you four specific types of emails that have been proven to generate massive cash flow for businesses selling online. [Music] Let's start with the
one email everyone is probably accustomed to one. And let's start with the graphical sales email. Here's what they commonly look like. You'll commonly see some provocative image at the top. sometimes capped with a specific deal or GIF at the top. And I will challenge anyone to death if they want to pronounce it GIF because that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Who pronounces it GIF? Do you give your child a GIF for Christmas? Uh GIF. GIF people annoy me. Sometimes capped with a specific deal. It is not GIF. What is What What's the G? It's
It's The G stands for graphic, doesn't it? GIF abbreviation. Graphics interchange format. It's not graphics, it's GIF. Yeah, only fools pronounce it GIF. Fools and peanut butter fans. All right, brought an image on top. Someone who's kept with a specific deal. There's also typically a headline followed by a very brief section of copy before some sort of call to action in button one. One thing I I want to show you is This is good, but you have to understand how when this gets put into an email, let me show you. It's not going to be
a single line. Like, it's good to have a single line, single line per sentence because it's easy to read. Like, how do people read their emails? By staring at a light bulb, an LCD screen. So, let's actually create this. Go in here. Email blast. Let's just, you know, use one of the templates that we used. Drafts. No, we'll do sent this. Use this template. Okay. Delete. Now, I'm going to copy paste in the thing that I was just writing because I want to show you. Look, when you're writing one line per paragraph, when you put
it into an email, it actually becomes multiple lines per paragraph. So, and like anything beyond three, you really slow down the reading process. And this is especially true for mobile, as you can see, we're getting we're pushing it here. So, you want to be conscientious about your line length when you write because again, it's hard to traverse on a screen. So, look, not going to tell you it's possible to get and so this is something I do whenever I'm writing any anything that's like longer. I'll reread from the beginning a lot and see if there's
any opportunities to improve stuff. Four types of cash flow email and when to send them. It's not a great subject line, but it's good enough. Get good at these four types of emails to generate thousands from your list. Look, I'm not going to tell you it's possible to get rich by writing a few emails per week. That sort of gig is rare and exceptional. usually comes after being in this game for years. But it is true that even people just starting out can be paid well for writing email copy because let's be real for a
moment. Businesses need it. For many online businesses, their email list is the most lucrative marketing channel they have. In fact, for every $1 spent building an email list, businesses generate $38 on average. But guess what? Most businesses do not know what the heck they're doing with emails. Most copyriters do not know what the heck they're doing with emails either. So today I want to show you four specific types of emails that have been proven to generate massive cash flow for businesses selling online. Let's start with a type of email everyone is probably accustomed to. The
graphical sales email. Almost every business on the planet sends this kind of email. Brand agencies especially love this kind of email. since it gives them a reason to make and use fancy creative images. I feel like cash flow email like is provocative and interesting and intriguing enough. It's still a placeholder. I don't love it, but it's still working for me. The graphical sales email. Almost every business on the planet sends this kind of email. Brand agencies love this kind of email since it gives them a reason to make and use fancy creative images. Especially common
for e-commerce stores and information publishers who haven't yet learned that they uh shouldn't try to sell like an e-commerce brand. You'll commonly see some sort of provocative image or gift at the top, sometimes capped with a specific deal. This image sometimes called a hero image um is sometimes called the creative. the creative as opposed to the copy a bro promise. Oh no, we can't have those. Yeah, we'll go back to it. gift on top sometimes captic deal. This image is sometimes called emo and sometimes also creative as opposed to the copy. Okay, we're teaching. We're
teaching. There's also typically a headline followed by a brief section of copy before before some sort of call to action and button form. Now, now you should Now it's No, you should probably intuit it. Sometimes there are additional images or bits of copy below that first CTA. Either showing more items from a business's catalog or um in the catalog or showing the benefits and features of the product being sold. Repetition legitimizes. Don't forget either showing more items from business catal or showing the benefits and features of the product being sold. Now, you should probably intuit
it something right away. These types of emails work better when you have some physical product to actually display. That's why they're popular among e-commerce stores and affiliate marketers don't have a physical product. Oftent times the creative guess displays some nonsense image graphic or text emphasizing the deal. Many of these emails are fully templated within a email service provider. or templates you can use in a free service like Canva. The key to making these sell well is to provide best deal possible for a larger e-commerce brand. That usually just means highlighting different products in a catalog.
And seeing which ones tend to sell best. and to spell out the deal as succinctly and directly as possible. Okay. One, the graphical sales email. Almost every business plan uses this kind of email. Brand agencies love this kind of email. Especially common e-commerce stores and information publishers who haven't yet learned that they shouldn't try to sell like an e-commerce brand. They're especially common for e-commerce stores and information publishers who haven't yet learned that they shouldn't be trying to sell shouldn't try to sell like an e-commerce brand. You'll commonly see some provocative image or gift at
the top. Sometimes c with a specific deal. This image is sometimes called the a hero image and sometimes called the creative as opposed to the copy. And then here's an example. There's also typically a headline followed by a very brief section of copy before some sort of call to action button form. [Music] Find additional images or bits of copy below that first CTA either showing more items from a business's catalog or benefits and features the product being sold. Now, you should probably be in something right away. These types of emails work better when you have
some sort of physical product to actually display. That's why they're popular among e-commerce stores and affiliate marketers. You don't have a physical product. Oftentimes, the creative just displays some nonsense image, graphic, or text emphasizing a promotion or discount. It's silly, but it can work. Many of these emails are fully templated within an an email service provider or templates you can use in a free service like Canva. The key to making these sell well is to provide the best deal possible and spell out the deal as succly and directly as possible. Bonus points. The image is
there to capture attention and attach notions. you want your prospect to have in their head when they think about your product. can easily charge anywhere from $20 to $50 per email for this type. for this type. And you can get images from if business does not have images you can edit. for the email can use a stock image site. Okay, let's reread that section. Type of business and plan send a kind of email. Right? I just love this kind of email, especially common for e-commerce stores. This is already getting a little bit long, but I
think that's kind of the point. So, let's look for opportunities. Yeah, 470 words so far. We want to keep this around a,000. So, let's look for opportunities to edit. Frankly, neither do most copywriters. Yeah, that's Yeah, that's a small change. Unfiltered copy. Let's get rid of this paragraph. The image does the work. That means you these work better. work better when the creative captures the notions prospect desires. Well, and when the discount clearly spells out a good deal. This feels too abstract, so I'm going to replace it. some live editing and revising for you. This
is the content that people wanted. Yeah, I think this reads a little bit better without that information. It's already giving enough value. Okay, I think that section's good. did have to delete like 150 words from that but it's all right. Such is the business two and we are going to talk about value email. Okay. the editorial email. I feel like that should come last two lift. Everyone always asks what a lift email is. Answer is simple. A sales email has copy or creative that does tries to sell or persuade a prospect before asking for the
click. then it is typically a sales email. But if the email is just linking to a page that has a sales argument on it, it often doesn't make sense to recapitulate. Now, the same information in the email as well. And often this kills conversions because you suck all the persuasive power and intrigue out of the sales message you're linking to. So, what's a girl to do? Tease what's on the page. All right, let's reread this two. The lift. Everyone asks always ask what a lift email is. The answer is simple. And then let's use our
an example from here. Jeff Nippard also does a lot of Black Friday stuff. And again, the image does the heavy lifting. Pun intended. Let's see. But yeah, if you're going to write for e-commerce, like learn how to write graphical emails. But really, like what you want to learn is also how to do the graphical and design bits. Built arrives in 36 hours. Interesting. This is a lift. Black Friday sale. Easy. Your face. Our black ops team will be carving away or pressing to bring you all your membership tiers for Black Friday. That lift sucks. That's
a shitty shitty email. This is a good one. We'll just run with this. It's too direct, though. Let's find one that's a little less direct. I think if we do um this this is a good lift. Yeah. Look at this, dear reader. This orb represents the largest untapped energy source in the world. And although this energy source is unknown by 99% of the public, it makes gas, coal, oil, wind, hydropower, solar fusion, it makes them all look small fry on top resource in the US alone provides five times as much power as the largest oil
field on Earth. I'm pretty sure it's hydrogen. Love it. I I love that kind of copy, but it's that is what I write professionally. So let's use this as our example of a lift. Can see an example of that down below. This orb represents the largest un energy source in the world. That's all a D. That's disruption. Although this energy source, it's not actually teaching you anything. It's not actually revealing anything. It's all teasing. And this resource is about to be unleashed in the world like never before with the help of one tiny Silicon Valley
company. It again it's all teasing. You see they've discovered how to do this breakthrough means this tiny Silicon Valley company is sitting on a trillion dollar energy reserve and their revenues are exploding as a result. Again the whole point is to build intrigue to build yearning to I got to know what this is in order to get people to click. Shorter is typically better than longer. And the structure you most commonly see for these is the IC or disrupt intrigue click. Get attention. Build fascination using as many specific details as possible. Then ask for the
click. can earn $20 to $50 or more for these kinds of emails. In the past, I've also paid a $250 bonus for writers who got above a 20% clickthrough rate. also also. So at least one sale. Will this doc be available after the live stream? Yes. To patreon.com/thecopy that show subscribers as I said earlier in this stream. Okay, let's do a quick reread. We'll go from the top, see how it's flowing. Look, I'm not going to tell you it's possible to get rich by writing a few emails per week. That sort of gig is rare
and exceptional. It usually comes after being in this game for years. But it is true that even people just starting out can be paid well for writing email copy. Because, let's be real, for a moment, businesses need it. For many online businesses, their email list is the most lucrative marketing channel they have. In fact, for every $1 spent on email list, businesses generate $38 an average. But guess what? Most businesses do not know what the heck they are doing with their emails. Most copyrighters do not know what the heck they're doing with their emails either.
So today I want to show you four specific I don't seem to be focusing on this. This really needs to go. So today I want to show you four specific types of emails that have been proven to generate massive cash flow for businesses selling online. Let's start with the type of email everyone is probably accustomed to. The graphical sales email. Almost every business on the planet sends this kind of email. Brand agencies love this kind of email. They're especially common for e-commerce stores and information publishers who haven't learned that they shouldn't be trying to sell
like an e-commerce brand. You commonly see some provocative image or gift at the top sometimes capped with a specific deal here. So to keep the format here like who uses these I'm going to use that at the top. lift um I giving away too much and then ask a person to click or l onto the page that would be low. Let's see. These types of emails are most common for information publishers, coaching programs or other kinds of products frequently sold with uh long form copy or VSSL's information. which the sales page or bsl then provides
here the structure you most commonly see for these is dic or disruptive entry click get attention build fascination using as many specific details as possible and then ask for the click you can earn $ 20 to $50 for these kinds of emails in the past also paid $250 bonus for writers who got above a 20% clickthrough rate and also So at least one sale. It's also while graphical emails are often purchased. It is much more common to see retainers offered to people who know how to write these emails. Well, it is the simplest one email
is the simplest one to understand, but the hardest one to sell. Well, often they generate the worst sales of all different kinds of emails. If you have a business or a an email list that requires any that offers or shares information, then value emails serve to provide a nugget of information as well as a this little bit of infotainment to keep people coming back, opening and reading. Daniel Rossell and Tarzan K are masters. and Ben Settle, masters of this kind of email. Long can't view an example except to say this email is an example. [Music]
Get to a [Music] good sales. Often they generate the worst sales of all the different kinds of emails. They're still worth doing and value emails serve to provide a nugget of information as well as a little bit of infobotainment to keep people opening and reading. You know, Thrust and Tarzan K and Ben subtle are masters of this kind of email. Why send them? Because if you just send promotional emails every single day, you will end up in the promotional or spam folder. If people actually read your emails, however, they will be more likely to receive
and be receptive to your marketing messages. Also, bonus value emails work really well when reposted to other social media platforms. So, you're able to hit multiple birds with the same stone and market the same content to many groups of people. So, what I'm mentioning here is actually something that I teased at the beginning of this. So, also bonus, value emails work really well when we posted other social media platforms or blogs. So, you're able to hit multiple birds with the same stone and market with the same content to multiple groups of people. I actually want
to show you an example of that because um we're going to do that. So, in this same document, uh let's scroll back here. I had the second or was this the third email of the campaign? Why gurus charge uh $499 for their courses? Understand this in the world's wallets open up to you. I'm just going to take this and I'm going to put this as a YouTube community post. You know, this was an email that I sent out and so for every email that I sent out for this campaign, the value emails anyway, I've been
posting it as a community post so that people can learn stuff and like benefit from it. So, I want to do that again. And here's the cool thing about value emails. They work really well as value posts, too. And oftent times um if you have a valuebased email that works really well in one context, it will work well in another as well. So let's get that into the community post. Okay. After you read this, I doubt you'll ever think about business or copyrighting the same way again. At the very least, you'll get a greater understanding
why so many courses cost so much. I have to warn you to understand throw some numbers at you. Best to follow [Music] along. So, all I'm doing right now is copy pasting yesterday's email into a YouTube community [Music] post. Why do twice the work? Yeah, know formatting. It's the bane of my existence. Formatting. Why do I have to do this formatting? It's really freaking dumb. Formatting. I'm not having any fun. Can't imagine that anybody is. Can't imagine why anybody's watching this. Can't imagine how this is valuable at all. But this is what marketing and copy
[Music] involves. Going insane. [Laughter] All right, here's the fun thing I've learned about posting on YouTube, okay? Is that the formatting I'm going to have to go in and change the formatting like after I post it. Like there's just no in the normal use, there's just no way to do it in a way that it makes it look good. All right. Coaching power relation. I designed it to help marketers answer the too much sort of campaign. Exactly what you need. money to price the price on that and what metrics you need to hit. Honestly, it's
one of the reasons why we're eventually going to increase the cost of the go. It's like pricing a Ferrari so low that a 16-year-old can buy it. And trust me, you don't ever want to let a 16-year-old drive a Ferrari. That's true. Based on this, you might be asking, is this an elaborate funnel? Am I going to buy a copy of that Black Friday bundle and then suddenly see an upsell for coaching or mentorship for $5,000? The answer is no. Is currently only back on product and we price in such a way to actually discourage
movies from buying it. The reason buying should go up. Listen, this week and this week alone, our bundle and then that and then that and that. Okay. And YouTube very helpfully, I'm being sarcastic, uh doesn't have a uh preview feature. So, we just kind of have to post this. Hope for the best. We went through it. All right, let's look at this. All right. Yeah. See how all the spacing is messed up? So now I have to go in and do it again. I'm sure there's a better way to do this. I have not found
it yet. If anybody out there knows, let me know. Hey, look at that post. And we fixed the formatting. We got a an email that doubled as an email and as a post. There we go. All right. Valuable. Valuable. Valuable. All right. Yeah, it's looking good. All right. So, that officially checks off the other thing that I was going to do today. So, let's see. We've talked about that and we've talked about this. How to research and prep, we talked about that. So, format text striketh through, how to swipe, showed you guys how to do
that. Maybe we'll do that again because I don't feel like thinking anymore. How to send an email. We did that. And how to double dip. I just showed you guys how to do that. Look at that. We've hit everything that we were trying to do. We're almost done with this here. Let's actually let's do this here. Let's try this. The value email, the editorial email. This is type of email is the simplest one to understand, but often they generate the worst sales of all the different kinds of emails. We're going to try something really quick.
They're still worth sending in certain circumstances. However, if you have a business or an email list that offers or shares information that value emails serve to provide a nugget of information as well as a little bit of infotainment to keep people opening and reading and thrustful and gutt or masters of this kind of email, but since they are long, I can't show you an example except to say this email itself an example is itself an example. Why send them? Because if you just send promotional emails every single day, you will end up in the promotional
spam folder. if you want people act if people actually read your emails. However, they'll be more likely to receive and be receptive to your marketing messages. Also, bonus value emails work really well when reposted to other social media platforms or blogs. So, you're able to hit multiple birds with the same stone. Okay, that's a section on why and like the type of email. That is the section on value emails. Let's go to open AI. All right. Now, okay, let's look at this in the context of a an email describing to a list of copywriters and
marketers. Provide a section describing what the value email or otherwise known as the editorial email is. talk about the benefits and hidden benefits of writing them and generally write in a simple and way such that people immediately understand why they're an important piece of copy in anyone's arsenal. Going to copy that. We're going to go to GPT4. Okay. So, we're going to have ChatGpt rewrite us that section. Now, I just read through what I wrote without any prompting. All right. Here's what ChatGpt wrote. A value email is a type of email content focused not just
on selling but on providing real tangible value to the reader. It can take many forms. Informative articles, industry insights, practical tips, even entertaining content. The core idea is to offer something beneficial without immediately asking for something in return. Why are value emails important? One, building trust and credibility. By sharing valuable content, we establish ourselves as knowledgeable and trustworthy. Two, enhancing engagement. Value emails are more likely to be open, read, and share. They keep our audience engaged and looking forward to our communications rather than just seeing us as another sales pitch in their inbox. Again, it's
saying the same stuff that I said, but I said it in a way that's better. So, h let's press on. Long-term relationships. These emails help in nurturing long-term relationships with our customers. They feel valued and understood which fosters loyalty and can lead to repeat businesses and referrals. This honest to god this reads like a freaking technical manual for like a oh god it's just awful. Hidden benefits SEO boost. Sharing these emails on our website. What? Like that's what I said as a blog can improve our search engine rankings as they often contain keywords and valuable
content. Market research. The feedback and interactions from these emails provide insights into our audiences interests and needs. Networking. Sharing expert content can attract attention from industry peers. In essence, value emails are a strategic way to offer more than just a product or service. They allow us to contribute meaningfully to our audienc's lives. As copyriters and marketers, mastering this tool can significantly enhance our ability. It's just so sterile. It's so boring and sterile. I hate it. It's awful. Compare that to this, which basically says all the same stuff and isn't boring as hell. and also required
fewer words. That's why I don't use AI anywhere in the writing process. Like one, if I wanted to know this stuff, well, I already knew this stuff, so I just wrote it. And so like that wouldn't have helped me. Like here, write it in such a way that you sound less like a [ __ ] tool. Now, let's read it again. It's the same thing, but less like a tool. But is it really? Think of a value email like a cool blog post that lands in your inbox. It's not just selling stuff. It's about giving
your readers something genuinely useful or interesting. Could be tips, insight, or insights, or just something fun and relevant. Why bother with these? Well, trust is key. Like again. It's just such garbage. It's garbage. Gh. Yuck. Anywh who, so I, arrogant as I am, think this is just better. It's just better. And the reason why it's better is because I'm thinking about the context. I'm thinking about in the terms of like what people need to learn based on what I understand of my audience and people for example like chat GPT probably not going to recommend you
look up Dan Thros Tarzan K and Ben subtle like without pro like unless you specifically prompted it to give that that piece of advice and so yeah it's one of those things where it was just faster and better to write it this way like without chat GPT. So actually earn quite a bit for writing these kinds of emails. But usually they are reserved for staff writers, people working in house or people on a regular retainer. The reason why is because That's because often these emails subtly communicate or cohhere with a business's tone or broader messaging.
And freelancers are notoriously terrible at capturing these things since simply they are not in the business's culture. The deadline email. All good things come to an end. The movie Amaly. What are other good things that come to an end? Movie Amaly. A tasty churro. your brilliant working campaign of my career. I didn't want to believe that deadlines worked. Certainly not one deadline after another week after week. And yet here I am, hat in hand and bile in my mouth telling you that yes, deadlines always work. I already have a movie in there though, a better
movie than Harry Potter or Star Wars. So there there was one study that compiled the results of split tests. There's one study that compiled the results of 6780 split tests. So just for reference, I'm pulling this statistic out of Robert Calaldini's influence. I am I found a statistic earlier when I was uh doing some uh preliminary research on FOMO and like deadline emails and found a passage where it talked about this what I'm writing right now. So maybe split tests researchers evaluated 29 features of the copy and marketing messages from let's see from button placement
to tone. Here are the top three uh features that produced the most sales most consistently. Scarcity highlighting products low in stock. Social proof testimonials and describing trending items. Urgency, time limits, deadlines, countdown. A deadline email allows you to hit both the scarcity button and the urgency button because the promotion or product you're selling is ending. It appears or because you're no longer so selling product. It appears scarce because you are putting a firm time limit for people to take action. They are urged to do so. And then let's see if we can find a good
example of a deadline email. Open for a new 24-hour deal. 17 days till Black Friday. I So if you guys want some great um graphical style emails, sign up for emails from like government.com or JM Bullion, like any sort of gold or silver stuff cuz like look at this. A half gram gold gingerbread man. Like who would want this? Idiots would want this. That's why I want it. It's so dumb looking. This is so stupid. Oh man, I love it. But yeah, this stuff sells really well. Not seeing a whole lot of good deadline emails
in my immediate vicinity. This, by the way, also is going to be you when you're writing. You're just going to have a ton of emails to go through and hopefully a more organized swipe file than I have. And you're going to end up like being like, "Hey, you know, just poke a threeoop. What would be a good swipe for this? What would be a good swipe for this? Where can I draw inspiration from this? And so on and so on and so forth. So more of a sales email. I guys, if you need a a
good person to follow when it comes to like email copy, Chris Orzakowski is also really really good. Tax Act. Look at this. A graphical email for Tax Act. Didn't I tell you that like a lot of businesses were just doing this stupid kind of email? It's just nonsense. One cool thing that uh they've started doing and this uh Mr. Beast does this too is like actually have like coded like interactive emails. That's pretty neat. Have a lot in common with lift emails. But the emphasis angle you're taking is less about intrigue and more about compelling,
direct, and immediate action. You want in these types emails to make people feel like if they don't finally take finally buy the product you're selling that they will miss out forever. Ideally, you want this to these will work better. Of course, if your customers know that you're telling the truth. Are you guys ready? We're about [Music] to we're about to make a an epic transition. So, here in this section four, the deadline email, all good things come to an end. the movie Amalia tasty churro the your brilliant marketing campaign in the beginning of my career
I didn't want to believe the deadlines worked certainly not one deadline after another week after week and yet here I am hat-in- bing my mouth telling you that yes deadlines always work there was one study that compiled the results of 6700 AB split tests researchers evaluated 29 features of copy and marketing messages from button placement to tone here are the top three features that produced the most sales most consistently scarcity social proof and urgency a deadline email allows you to hit both the scarcity button and the urgency button because Because the promotion is ending or
because you're no longer going to be selling a product, it appears scarce. Because you are putting a firm time limit on people to take action, they are urged to do so. These have a lot in common with lift emails, but the angle you're taking is less about intrigue and more about compelling, direct, and immediate action. You want in these types of emails to make people feel like if they don't finally buy the product you're selling, they will miss out forever. This will work better, of course, if your customers know that you're telling the truth. Are
you ready for an epic pivot, an epic transition? For example, longtime fans of copy that know that most of our previous promotional campaigns have been price hike campaigns. We announce that a product is going up in price at a certain date and people have a chance to take action before that deadline. To this day, we have never discounted anything that we've raised the price on. And that's going to be true of the products of one of the courses in copy that's Black Friday bundle. So, do you guys see what I did here? So, in describing
the deadline email, what it's for, how to take action, I'm transitioning into a sales pitch. I'm actually showing like hey like I'm using our own business and what we are planning on doing on Friday to actually illustrate the concept that I'm talking about. Very meta. I love it. That's going to be true of the courses of the Black Fridays bundle soon. And then I'm going to link that. Let's see. Certain date and people have a chance to take action before that deadline. To this day, we have never discounted anything that we've raised the price on.
That's going to be true of the course of the little soon. This Friday will be the last opportunity anyone has to secure access to our two advanced courses for prices. this low for such a low price. I know that most of our previous, you know, uh promotional kind of price campaigns, we announced that people have a chance to take action before that deadline. To this day, we've never discounted anything that we've raised the price on. That's going to be true of one of the courses and copy. That's why soon. That's probably the last thing I
have to secure access to our two events for such a low price. And if we ever do a bundle offer again in the future, it certainly won't be as heavily as cheap as it is for this week only. you'll be receiving an example of a deadline email from me soon enough. But if you don't want to wait to take advantage of our Black Friday bundle, click here to see the details about this offer. Okay. Link. Link. And I think I had one link up top in a very cheeky way. Yeah. Like this one. That's three
links. That's for me. That's my optimal number. I think guys, I think that's an email. Okay. Subject line. And this is I think this is the end of our of our value email and then we'll do the uh deadline email and that's it. Okay. Four types of cash flow email. What types of email copyrighters can sell feels a little weak. Chat GBT. Give me 20 possible subject lines for an email that reveals four types of email that copywriters can get paid for. Here are 20 catchy sector lines for an email that reveals four types of
emails copywriters can get paid for. Rocket ship unveiled. Four email types that can boost your income. Ide bulb. Discover four lucrative email types for copywriters. Money mouth. Copyriters get paid more with these four email types. Popper emoji. Copyrighting gold. Four email types that pay [Laughter] off. Oh my god, these are just terrible. Oh, just awful. All of these are awful. Write 20 more, but make them less awful. Professional insight. Four email formats that pay well. Jesus Christ. Get paid more. Master these four types of profitable emails. Craft winning emails. Four. Four types that guarantee better
pay. The profitable four email types that enhance your career. God, this is just it's just so this is garbage. This is [ __ ] terrible. Copyrightiting success. Four email formats to focus on. We're going with my gut. Four cash flow email formats. There you go. Four cash flow email formats and how to use them. Like there you go. That's That's a better subject line than the 40 that Chad GBT just produced. Look at you. Oh, that's good. That's good. Four proven cash flow email formats and how to use them. Yeah, that's it. That's That's the
one, baby. All right, we're going to do a final like proofread and edit, look for things to cut, and then we're going to send it. And then we're going to do our deadline email. And then I'll be done with every single email for this week's campaign. We will have done it in one single 4hour session, most of which was just me goofing off. Look, I'm not going to tell you it's possible to get rich by writing a few emails per week. That sort of gig is very unexceptional. Usually comes after being in this game for
years. But it is true that even people just starting out get paid very paid well for writing email copy because let's be real for a moment businesses need it. No they don't. So today with the four types okay the business selling online. Let's start probably custom too graphical sales email. Almost every business on the planet sends this kind of email and brand agencies love this kind of email especially common for e-commerce stores information persu affiliate marketers many of these emails are fully template The lift. Everyone always asks what a lift is. The answer is simple.
The sales email has copy or creative probably before asking for the click. Typically it emails linking to a page that has a sales argument in it like this one. It often doesn't make sense to have the same information in the email as well. And often this kills conversions because you suck all the persuasive power and intrigue out of the sales message you're linking to. So, what's a girl to do? Tease in the email without giving away too much and then ask a person to click to lift onto the sales page. You can see an example
of that down below. These types of emails are most common for information publishers, coaches, or other kinds of products frequently sold long form copy or VSSLs. The whole point of an email like this is to build intrigue, fascination, yearning for more information which the sales page or PSL then provides. Shorter is typically better than longer. Here the structure you most commonly see for these is dic get attention build fascination using as many specific uh details as possible and then ask for the click. You can earn 2050 in the past I've paid 250 bonus for writers
that got above 20 at least one sale. This is true. Um there are several people who can vouch for this. I have paid them this to write emails for me. Um it is much more common to see retainers offered to people who know how to write these emails uh well than other types of emails. I'm experiencing semantic satiation. The point where I've said the word emails so much that it has lost all meaning to me. The value email, aka the editorial email. This type of email is the simplest one to understand, but often they generate
the worst sales of all the different kinds of emails. They're still worth sending in certain circumstances, however. If you have a business or an email that list that offers or shares information, then value emails serve to provide a nugget of information as well as a little bit of infotainment to keep people opening and reading. Daniel Thros, Tars and K and Ben Settle are masters of this kind of email. But since they are long, I can't show you an example except to say this email is itself an example. Why send them? Because if you just send
promotional emails every single day, you will end up in the promotional or spam folder. If people actually read your emails, however, they will be more likely to receive and be receptive to your marketing messages. Also, bonus value emails work really well when reposted to other social media platforms or blogs. So, you're able to hit multiple birds with the same stone and market with the same content to many groups of people. You can actually earn quite a bit writing these kinds of emails, but usually they are reserved for staff writers, people working in-house, or people on
a regular retainer. That's because often these emails subtly communicate or cohhere with a business's tone or broader messaging. And freelancers are notoriously terrible at capturing these things since simply they are not in the business's culture. The deadline email. All good things come to an end. The movie Amaly, a taste of churro, your brilliant marketing campaign. In the beginning of my career, I didn't want to believe that deadlines worked. Certainly not one deadline after another week after week. And yet here I am hating hand and b in my mouth telling you that yes, deadlines always work.
There was one study that compiled the results of 6,700 AB split tests. Researchers evaluate 29 features of copy and marketing messages from button placement to tone. Here are the top three features produce the most sales most consistently. Scarcity, social proof, urgency. Deadline email allows you to hit both the scarcity button, the urgency button because the promotion is ending or because you're no longer going to be selling a product. It appears scarce because you are putting um because these have a lot in common with lift emails, but the angle you're taking is less about intrigue and
more about compelling, direct, and immediate action. You want in these types of emails to make people feel like they if they don't buy the product you're selling, they will miss out forever. This works better, of course, if your customers know that you're telling the truth. For example, longtime fans of copy that know that most of our previous promotional campaigns have been price high campaigns. We announce that a product is going up in price at a certain date and people have the chance to take action before that deadline. To this day, we have never discounted anything
that we've raised the price on. It's true. And that's going to be true of the courses in Copy that Black Friday bundle soon. This Friday will be the last opportunity anyone has to secure access to our two advanced courses for such a low price. If we ever do a bundle again in the future, it certainly won't be as cheap as it is for this week only. You'll be receiving an example of a deadline email from me soon enough. But if you don't want to wait to take advantage of our Black Friday bundle, click here to
see the details about this offer. In the meantime, start signing up for email lists and keeping a collection of these and other types of emails so that you have plenty of inspiration to draw from when you heading for your clients. I'm going to break this up so that it's a little bit choppier, a little bit more succinct. Keep use the grammatical imperative. Keep a collection of these and other types of emails so that you have plenty of inspiration to draw from when you're writing for your clients. If you notice that clients aren't using types of
emails or if they're misusing them, that's an opportunity for you to step in and show what kind of value you and deliver to them. Email sound good. Great. The email I'm sending you tomorrow is the stupidest, dumbest one of this entire campaign. and I sincerely regret writing it. I'll sending it to you. See you then. Sean, I didn't I didn't immediately see anything that I wanted to cut. I'm sure if I worried about it for like another 3 hours, I could find other stuff to do. But I think this is an email. What do you
say we schedule it or just send it? Let's create something. Create email blast sent this one. All right. And we will copy that. Hey, I said the words. Let's get rid of the chat GPT ones. Okay. Yes. Use this template. All right. only format anything there. And just to break up the monotony of this um we'll bold some stuff. So bold that. Yeah, it's this and that becomes medium heading image box text box. Okay. Spacing small like that. Also medium heading. Frankly, terrible. All right, good enough. The spacing is all wonky. Like, if you're a
new copywriter, you you're going to be tempted to like be really finicky about formatting and design and stuff like that and trying to get things perfect. And nothing is ever going to be perfect. And so you just have to sort of like settle in life for the battles that you can actually win and the things that are actually worth caring about. Because listen, anybody that didn't buy your product because the kerning of something was a little off, you didn't want them as a customer. They would have been a miserable customer for you. So don't even
worry about it. Paragraph, medium, heading, deadline, email. That's bolded. That's [Music] bolded. That's not bolded. Let's bold it. Bold. Yeah, man. Just focus on what you can control. You know, if you're young, there's very little you can control. So, get real good at sort of going with the flow and doing your own little thing on the side when nobody's looking. I love how meta this email got like and how smooth the transition to um the actual push was like. I feel like this actually gave good value, taught people some stuff, gave for people to think
about and ultimately ended with I think a strong uh compelling reason to take action. This is a sign off that I used to do like the final transition I used to do in my DIY wealth emails. Really haven't done that in a long time. I can do a whole spiel about PS's, but there are two big reasons to have a PS. Maybe three. One is if what you have in the PS would violate the rule of one of the email as in like it's a different idea or different angle or different thing altogether. Just throw
it into the PS. if it's like really important for you to mention either about the product or like some other detail about a promotion that you're actually putting out there. Uh the other thing to think about with PS's and I mean you know PS like postcript here's another thing another reason to include them is if you have something in the headline or the the subject line that isn't really addressed in the email itself but warrants like actually like teasing out or spelling out. Uh, I uh got that from Jake Hoffberg and that's worked really well
for me as well where you can have like almost like a subject line and a text in the email that's like almost disconnected but it's in the PS where like you finally tie it back to the subject line. It's pretty good. And then PS's um like are also really good for adding in like a sprinkling of urgency or scarcity that was not there before. But this, you know, I'm literally talking about scarcity in this particular section, so I don't really need to do that. I can hear my daughter in the distance screaming like a banshee.
She's either upset or she's happy. With children, you never know. Uh like this one. Okay, I want to link that. Copy that. Haha, I said the thing. I will be watching shows now and people will say like, "Copy that." And I'll be like, "Hey, he said it. He said the thing." And again, it's a soft push. It's a soft push. Value emails, you want to do a soft push because you know it's the main objective in a value email is to deliver value to write editorial to provide information and infotainment. The secondary you know thing
is to include admins admin links little pushes to a promotion. This is going to be of value to people. So let's actually test it and then send it. Okay, for proven cash flow email formats and how to use them and then get good of these four tips thousands from your list. Okay, recipients. We got that schedule immediately. Okay. And this is what the email looks like in my inbox. Uh, oh, I need to link the images for sure. Yeah. Boop. Boop. We proofed it. We edited it. It gives good information. It is certainly good enough
to go out. And for having sat here and written, gosh, how long was that email? Like a thousand words long. And I did that in what, like an hour? Not too terrible. Not too shabs. All right, let's send it. Oh, after we fix the this Oh, has the correct link. Good. I think this is ready to go. It's like a Republica song. Who here has been thinking as much about the band Republica as me? Probably nobody. All right, I think we're good. I think that's an email. Send to recipients. Send guys. If you're on the
copy of that email list, you just got an email. All right, watch. Everybody watching is just like, "Oh, I've already seen this. Unsubscribe." All right, last one. So, the final one that we're going to do is a deadline email, and I'm going to do it in this in uh Google Docs just so that you guys can see the process. But it's really simple and like you really like you can find templates for it, but you don't really need one. You just need to make a clear like articulation of like why people need to take action
now. If you can do that, you've done a good job. Deal ends. Now, let's go with a different angle. So, I've been doing a lot of like previously I've done some like dealheavy stuff and the angle I'm going to use for this subject line is like more about FOMO, like things I'm pulling away. You haven't purchased yet. A few hours left to act. Walk in the best price challenge. Throwing a Republica big idea into this email. Well, that's not a big idea, but like hope you're ready to go, my friend. There. Done. Ready to go.
Yeah, there you go. There's your Republica reference right there. If you haven't purchased yet, you only have a few hours left to lock in the best price. You can't lock in lifetime access to our advanced courses at the best possible price. Hate to be pushy, but now's the time to act. You're still interested in this deal. Yeah, that that's that's the purpose of this kind of email. It's we're trying to get people to make a hard decision like by giving them a finite reason. Do I want to send them to the order form or do
I want to send them to the sales page to get the details? But don't take too long. to decide. I've set the order form to expire. I hope you're ready to go, my friend, because the copy that Black Friday bundle deal ends tonight. If you haven't purchased yet, you have only have a few hours left to lock in lifetime access to all of our advanced courses at the best possible price. I hate to be pushy, but now's the time to act if you're interested in this deal. Click here to get the details, but don't take
too long to decide. I set the order form to expire at exactly midnight. Don't miss out. Okay, we go. Let's make that a link, too. Okay, I think that's an email, guys. I think that's a deadline email. Sorry to take this from you. I hope you're ready to go, my friend, because the copy that Black Friday bundle ends tonight. If you haven't purchased yet, you only have a few hours left to lock in lifetime access to all of our advanced courses at the best possible price. Hate to be pushy, but now's the time to act
if you're interested in this deal. Click here to see what's included, but don't take too long to decide. I've set the order form to expire at exactly midnight. Don't miss out, Sean. Yeah, midnight Eastern time. Don't miss out. And again, like you guys, as you get as you progress in your career, you're going to discover something. You're going to work on a piece of copy and you're going to reread it and you're gonna be like, "Well, I can change that sentence. Oh, I can punch that up. Oh, I can change that word. I can optimize
that." And like 90% of that isn't going to give you really good results. The things that you want to really worry about and be finicky with is like the quality of your ideas, how powerfully they're articulated, how emotional your language is, like the types of proof that you show, things like that. Really, like swapping out something entirely is going to give you more interesting data than changing a word here or there. And really, you can get away with like a lot of suboptimal line by line copy and still sell very well. It just depends on
the subtext of and like the larger message that you're communicating. And these are things that you'll just discover in time. I'm old so I can, you know, be lazy about stuff, but you're young, so be finicky. All right, let's do it. We're going to schedule this email blast sent. We're going to use this template again. Hope you're ready to go, my friend. Because the copy that Black Friday bundle deals night to be pushy. Also, BTDub, if you are sending like submitting a Google doc or a Word doc to um marketers, oftentimes it's a good idea
to highlight, sorry, not highlight, but have the color of the text be the links and tell people in your top material like this is the text that I want to be linked. And by doing it this way, it clearly communicates without you having to waste a lot of time explaining stuff what words you want to be linked because you can just show them it. So that's a little tiparoon for working with clients and people who uh design your emails. Okay, that that internal links. Yeah, if I were linking to an actual website works, but I'm
linking to an external site. Internal links are really good for SEO, FYI. And the best possible price. There you go. Okay. Okay. All right, guys. I think That's a good deadline email. Look at that. It says, "Hey, there's a deadline. You should act on it." This is the end. My only friend. The end. Any Doors fans out there tonight? No, just me. Nobody's really into Apocalypse now. 8:15 p.m. Seems like a good time to send this. Let's do it. All right. Hold on. I remember to do this. Guys, over the course of the last five
hours, I have taught you about four different types of emails. I've shown you why it is worth getting good at emails and why it's worth learning. I've also shown you how to think about emails and how to sequence them and like when you want to send some but not others and when you want to send others but not some. Uh I've shown you how you can like double dip and like turn your value emails into social media posts so that you're on multiple platforms. Um, I've explained like the value and like how to approach these
emails well. I've shown you how to swipe stuff. And by golly, by gum, not only have I been also talking you through like how to deliver copy to clients, I've also been showing you how emails actually go out. Hm. H I have a feeling, I have a sensation, I have an inkling that this might have been a valuable stream. If you took away one lesson from that video, I hope it's this. The skills you use to write email copy are transferable to nearly every other type of short form copy. That transferability makes it one of
the best types of copy to study when you're just starting out. An added bonus is that it's easy to study and practice writing emails because they're so short. Remember that writing copy is a process, but it's ultimately your process. Feel free to experiment and adapt your process to what works for you because at the end of the day, you're the only one that needs to get the process to work. The more you practice, the easier the researching, planning out your copy, and finally writing your copy will become. So stick at it. You've made it. You
are now equipped to write real copy for real businesses. From organizing your research and knowing how to structure your copy to hooking your reader and overcoming their objections to editing and revising your copy, you are now ready for the last step, getting copywriting jobs. In the next section, we're going to walk you through everything you need to know to start getting your first jobs as a copywriter. From building your portfolio to job outreach and managing your projects, we're going to equip you with everything you need to launch your copyrightiting career. [Music] Look, we're not going
to insult you by pretending that there is a single best way to find work as a copywriter that's universally suited to everyone. Why? Because the path you take and the methods you use to earn money should ultimately come down to what you really want. I got into copyrightiting because I wanted a career that would let me earn a lot of money to look after my family. Plus, I hated the idea of having a boss. I got into copyrightiting because I wanted to build businesses. I got into copyrightiting because I wanted my words to have a
real impact on the world. And I got into copyrightiting because I just wanted to get paid to write. We all got into copyrightiting for different reasons, which meant all of our paths were different. So instead of just shoving one method down your throat and claiming it's the best way to find work, we're going to be real with you. You are going to learn about five detailed paths for finding work. Paths that we have personally used to build fulfilling careers, meet amazing people, have great experiences, and of course, make a lot of money along the way.
We will also give you our take on what type of person each path is best suited for. So whether you're after all the cash you can get or if you just want a career where you get to write from anywhere in the world or if you're anywhere in between, allow us to explain the reality of earning money as a copywriter and finding the kind of work that suits you. Sure, the last few hours have proved we know a lot about copywriting, but why the heck should you listen to us when it comes to finding work
or landing clients? Well, I started freelance copywriting when I was 17 and have since made over a million dollars in income through copyrightiting marketing. I've landed over 200 copyrighting gigs in more than 30 niches, written for dozens of clients, led the marketing for an 8 figureure health tech business, and launched my own e-commerce stores. I'm the managing director of an 8 figureure financial publishing company, a business builder, and a fin pub business owner myself. And while I have a traditional media background, having worked at NPR, Slate, and more, I started my career in direct response
copywriting over 10 years ago as a managing editor actually. And I've spent the last decade writing my own copy, running my own ad campaigns, building and launching products, and helping copywriters to develop their skills. I've spent the last decade of my life working as a writer. I've landed jobs doing technical translation for Japanese companies and written copy for marketing agencies and political campaigns, earning a living as a freelance copywriter, and now I work in one of America's most storied advertising agencies. If a job involves writing words, I've probably done it. And I've done a few
things here and there. To put it bluntly, we know what we are talking about when it comes to finding work in copyrightiting for both ourselves and for others. And yes, we believe that success is 100% possible for you, too. The fact you've watched this far and haven't skipped anything shows us that you have the drive to make this work, too. But we're not going to sugarcoat things. Like we've already discussed, most people do not succeed as copywriters for a reason. They're not prepared to put the work in, and often their expectations are set way too
high. To begin finding paid work, there's something important we need to do. See, you first of all need to make sure you can write copy pretty well. And you need to be able to prove this to potential clients, too. So, we're going to start teaching you how to organize your own learning process for copywriting and using the byproducts of this learning process as material for finding work. And we'll do this by practicing what we've learned and turning the finished pieces of copy into our initial portfolio, something we can show to potential clients if they ask
for proof of our work. So, you've completed our section on copywriting theory. You've gone through how to research everything you need to write copy and then learn the real mechanics and processes behind writing great copy yourself. So, there's basically nothing left to learn, right? Well, now that you have the tools to work as a copywriter, it's time to start sharpening them. That means practicing the skills that we've taught you so far so that every day you're writing better copy faster and with less effort. Why is practicing every day so important? Because if you can improve
by just 1% a day, after a year you'll be nearly 38 times better than when you started. Small consistent improvements add up in the long run. How do you structure your daily practice to improve by 1%. Well, let's kick it over to Sha for a breakdown of exactly what you need to do. I would recommend following the daily practice. What is the daily practice? Every single day that you are trying to become a copywriter, I want you to study a piece of copy. doesn't have to be in the niche that you want to go in
or the type of copy you want to write. I suggest going farther a field because you start to notice things that they're doing over there that you're not doing over here and then that gives you ideas. See, step three. Second thing is writing a page of copy per day. And the third thing is writing down one idea per day. Now, we of course have a video about how to study copy and what to look for. We also have a video where I interviewed Kyle Milligan, somebody who sort of went through the ringer with me and
learned this very thing from Joe Shrier. And we talked about like what it means to write down an idea per day. That video is on the channel. You can go watch it if you want to know what an idea is when I talk about an idea. Now that you have the daily routine down for continuing to improve your skills, it's time to start talking about finding work. But before we get into proven methods for how to find work, there's one misconception we need to clear up about how to do proper job outreach. Your job application,
your emails, your outreach, your proposals on Upwork or whatever, they are all copy. For most of you, if you've been trying to get a job or failing, you probably have not thought about your outreach, your jobs or proposals as copy, but they are. and you are the product that you are trying to sell. If you've ever put together a resume, your resume is copy. Bad copy probably, but copy nonetheless because it is trying to sell you. Now, here's the thing. Would you ever write a piece of copy that doesn't bother to demonstrate or prove that
the product you're selling actually works? No. Nobody would ever [ __ ] do that. But I see people doing it in outreach all of the time. No matter how you're doing outreach, remember that what you're ultimately doing is selling yourself as a product to potential clients. If you want them to hire you as a copywriter, you need to provide them with proof that you can do the job. Your portfolio provides that proof by demonstrating that you can write what they're looking for. You have just spent hours learning exactly how to prepare and write great copy.
So, all you have to do is apply those lessons to building your own portfolio, and you will have a great proof point to show potential clients. Essentially, you just need to pick a product, conduct your research, lay out your Rioa, and write your copy. Let your copy sit for 24 hours, and then return to it and start revising. Repeat this process until you feel you can't improve the piece anymore. And voila, you have your first portfolio piece. But if you want a step-by-step approach, let's go back to Shawn and discover how you can easily build
a portfolio specifically designed to impress potential clients. This is going to be basically a sort of free version of the master classes we typically do on patreon.com/thecopybat show where I'm actually going to run through and sort of talk you through a little bit of the logic some of the things that you need to think about uh when it comes to practicing copywriting. And by practicing copywriting, I mean also straddling um the gap between that and also preparing, you know, portfolio samples because, you know, you can practice copywriting and then also show off what you practice
to help you get jobs. So, you know, all this is beneficial. All of this is designed to help you. What are we going to do today? Well, this particular free mini master class is going to have two parts. I'll talk about part what we're going to cover in part one in just a moment. But part two later on if you want to like leave and only come back for that. Um I'm actually going to be writing a piece of practice copy. I don't know what I'm going to write. I don't know what the topic's going
to be. I don't know what the product is going to be. I literally I have this blank page ready to go right here. I have no idea what it's going to be about. I'm actually going to put it to a vote in the chat and we I'm just going to roll with whatever the chat decides and I'm going to show you how I would approach a practice piece for that whatever y'all decide. Now, that is going to be of course, you know, a little bit further along in the journey than where most people are. And
that is why part one of this particular mini master class is going to be focusing on the general considerations and things that you need to be thinking about and like keeping in your head when you like write practice and spec pieces. Uh because you need to make sure that when you're doing this stuff, you learn the most from doing this. And I want to emphasize that little bit. If you are practicing copy and you're not learning from it, you're practicing wrong. Period. The whole point of writing a spec piece of writing a practice piece is
to get better. And if you do are not getting better from practicing, you are either one unaware and unable to self assess properly. Two, you're not getting good feedback or three, you're just not practicing very well. And so that is something that I want you guys to keep in mind as we go about this. That's the whole point. And like if you want to just skip the next three hours, you can walk away from this live stream with that particular thing. The whole point of a practice piece is to learn stuff. And if you ain't
learning stuff, try something else. Done. You've officially completed this mini master class. You've graduated. Congratulations. A certificate is in the mail. Now, uh, before we get into other stuff, I should probably do the whole yada yada, why I'm the best person to teach you this credibility reel, testimonials, you know, treat this YouTube thing like copy so that the channel grows and you give me more money and I can give the money to my custom Lamborghini maker and he can like create like basically a Lamborghini that can actually like Decepticon transform into a Ferrari whenever I
feel like slumbing it. But um I'm not I'm not the best person to teach you this. Like I'll be completely honest with you. Like I'm like nine years out from any point where I had to practice to get a job. Now whenever I want a job, I just open my mouth, tilt it towards the sky, and a job falls into my mouth. Like that's how easy it is for me. That's the advantage of getting good at this stuff. Um so what I want to emphasize to you is that there are a lot of different ways
to practice. I'm not going to sit here and be like, "My way is the best way." No, no. There is no right way to practice. There is no best way to practice. There is only a best way for you. So, there's also no best person to learn from. If I were again like trying to sell you on copy that and our services or whatever, I would say like, "Oh yeah, I'm the best person. I, you know, nobody delivers more value than me or whatever." No, it's it's just not true. you if you want to get
better, try to absorb as much information as you can from as many sources as you can so that you do actually progress, so that you do actually get a voluminous variety of information that you can deploy and synthesize as you grow. So everything that you're going to see today is this stuff, but from my slant. And I want you to go in knowing that. and some of the stuff that I talk about may not be right for you and that's okay. So, you will figure out and you'll find out your own journey. So, that's the
first thing to consider. It's a garden of forking paths. The second consideration I want you to keep in mind is that in order for you to find out the right way to practice and to learn from what you're practicing, it takes time. It takes time to figure out what's optimal for you and it takes time to learn how to like develop the internal architecture in your brain to assess your own skill level. You actually need to be like, I don't know, kind of good at stuff to be able to look at what you do and
determine whether it's kind of good or not. You know, it's a whole Dunning Krueger thing. The the the things that you use to assess competence are the same as competence themselves. Um, and here's the thing that I've learned from personal experience and from teaching a lot of newbies of various ages. The younger and less experienced you are, the harder this is going to be because again, you're lacking the time. You have not put in the time. You don't you just haven't been alive long enough. No amount of experience has been able to sort of transmogriphy
into wisdom for you yet. Um, I'm sure many of you have had friends like in the teenage or early 20s years who thinks that they're just really really great at something like singing or playing guitar or doing back flips or karate or whatever and they just kind of suck. Like you see it and you know that they suck, but it totally appears that they are completely like unself-aware of their suck. Now, here's the thing. For most of you in the first few years of your copyrightiting experience, that's going to be you. You are going to
suck and you're not going to have the mental tools to know whether or not you suck. So, what is a girl to do? Just kind of press on and keep practicing and trust the process. What is the whole point? Why write practice pieces? Why bother with this stuff? There's a simple answer to that and it's a realization that whenever I drop this casually in Discord chat, it seems to awaken a concept of the cosmos and the people that I'm talking to. And by that I mean it seems to be something that should be obvious but
people have not considered before. So, your job application, your emails, your outreach, your proposals on Upwork or whatever, they are all copy. For most of you, if you've been trying to get a job or failing, you probably have not thought about your outreach, your jobs or proposals as copy, but they are. And you are the product that you are trying to sell. If you've ever put together a resume, your resume is copy. bad copy probably, but copy nonetheless because it is trying to sell you. Now, here's the thing. Would you ever write a piece of
copy that doesn't bother to demonstrate or prove that the product you're selling actually works? No. Nobody would ever [ __ ] do that. But I see people doing it in outreach all of the time because they have not put two and two together and realized that what they are writing when they're trying to sell themselves is copy. And so what I've sort of discovered over the many years that I've been doing this is that your portfolio, the sample pieces that you stuff in there, that's the proof that you can deliver what you say you can
deliver. in your copy that is your cold emails your job applications your what have you that's all stuff where you're promising things hey you have problem I can and am fix problem hire me the portfolio is the proof that you have the capability to do that and if you start adopting that mindset you're going to have a much better time getting jobs because you're actually approaching it the way that it is like a sales situation. And so what I've noticed from working with newbies and working with beginners and juniors and even intermediate copywriters, 90% of
the problems that I see with other people's outreach, that is what they do to try to either get an in-house job or work with an agency or get hired as a freelancer or whatever, they're copy problems. They are problems with the actual copy. If you are not getting clients, I'm sorry to say it's probably because your copy sucks. That is, if you're not getting a response, that's the same as you sending an email out to prospects and not getting a response or getting sales or whatever. It's a copy problem. The other 10% is like product
market fit problems. Like so for example, if you you know are a email writing specialist and you reach out to a business that doesn't market via email and they don't want to, they're not going to hire you to write emails. So, you know, a little bit of research goes a long way. But the other 90% uh that's all copy problems. That's all like understanding what a business needs. Uh using the language that they would appreciate and using the sort of level and register of speech that they would appreciate. uh knowing your audience, you know, co
customer and prospect research. It's the same for getting a job as it is for selling somebody an umbrella. It's the exact same. You are just the product in this case. So, this is something that I really want you to learn well and apply. And guess what? your sample pieces, your portfolio pieces. That's going to be what helps you kick your copy, especially in your job getting copy to the next level. Because this is the cycle, you get a job, you do good work for that job. If you do good work for that job, you get
a testimonial or a referral or you get hired by the same job again. And then the stuff that you did for that job, that goes into your portfolio. It becomes a virtuous cycle. and the stuff in your portfolio. Well, guess what? You can now use that to get either another job or to get more money from the same job or what have you. And then the cycle repeats and you keep getting more and more money that way. That's how this works. Or at least this is how it should work. And if you are doing a
good enough job at doing the good work and putting good work in your portfolio, you will make that coveted $10,000 a month, six figures a year or whatever. It might take you three months, it might take you 10 years, but it will happen so long as this cycle is happening. But guess what? Most people that I have seen in the course of me doing this whole YouTube copyrightiting education thing, they are entirely focused on this from day one. How do I get a job? How do I get clients? Where do I look for clients? What
do I search for? Where are all the where all the clients at? This is these are the questions that people ask. They don't focus on what they should be focusing on that will allow them to get clients more easily. This putting good work in your portfolio first and foremost. Most people like if you're doing a sample portfolio for you, it's like checking a box. Oh, this person on the YouTube said that I need a sample portfolio. So, I guess I'll just write up a few emails really quick and throw it in the portfolio and then
I'll start doing outreach. And that's how it goes for most people. And that's why most of you are not going to get any work. Man, truth hurts. I had to pull up my fine gold there. But here's the thing. What I have discovered is that people with a solid portfolio and solid results for the pieces in their portfolio have no trouble getting work. They have no trouble getting like five figure retainer gigs. None whatsoever. Why? because the work in their portfolio actually proves that they're capable of doing good work for the client. The client is
only going to hire you if they think you can make them money. If they look at your portfolio and it just has a few emails in there and they're like kind of bad and like they're full of like, you know, they're not professionally like, you know, organized or they're not edited or, you know, they don't seem like that they would sell well for the business that you're prospecting. They're not going to hire you like ever, not even once to try it out. And so here's the thing again, that is just a copy problem. You have
to go back and actually try to improve the work in your portfolio if you are not getting a good job. And guess what? Once you start improving the work in your portfolio, your cold outreach, your job applications, your, you know, proposals that you send, those are going to improve too because you're going to start thinking more and more about what works, what works in this situation, what works in this context, what works for these people. And the more you practice and the more you put out, the more you can actually start to snipe and like
contextually cater your portfolio to individual jobs that you're applying for. Like for example, if somebody is trying to hire you for a sales letter, you don't want to show them a bump bunch of PPC ads and like squeeze pages. No, you want to have a few samples of sales letters that you can actually like these are the kinds of things that I can do. That way the person hiring you for the thing can say, "Oh, he can do the thing." And then hiring is easy. There's no friction there. Do you understand what I'm saying? just
to sort of like put a little cherry on this point. This is an excerpted uh segment of an interview that I did with Jason Bagley. Jason Baggley is the former executive creative director for possibly the biggest advertising agency in America. Um he's won two Emmys. Um if you are familiar with uh the Nike swoosh, just do it. Um that was this guy's mentor. So, let's see what he has to say about what he thinks about or what he's looking for when he's hiring people. You have been on the hiring side. What are you looking for
in that resume, in that portfolio that makes you go, I am looking forward to talking to this person. I am interested in pos possibly hiring this person. First of all, it's not a resume. Oh, I don't care about anybody's resume. Nobody looking to hire a creative at a good create ad agency cares about a resume. They only care about your portfolio. Your portfolio is everything. It's not your resume. Don't care if you're a high school dropout. Don't care if English is your second language. Don't care if you have a college degree, you know? Don't care
if you have like scabs all over your face. I don't care if you're really ugly. It's all about your portfolio. So, keep that in mind. Your portfolio is everything. And if you aren't getting jobs, it might just be that. But sometimes the clients require samples from a particular niche. What do you do if you have that sample, but it's not from the requested niche? You write the sample as quickly and as well as you can. This none of the things that I'm going to be talking about today are rocket science. You know, everybody sort of
learned about copywriting as this sort of like, oh, an easy way to make money working from home and like get money p like getting paid online and stuff like that. It requires work. It you got to pay the cost to be the boss, my friends. So, put in the work. If you ever find yourself in a situation where like, oh, there's this thing that this person wants. What do I do? You do the thing that they want. That's almost always the answer. You do the thing. Oh, I have to read that book. Yes. Oh, I
have to prepare a portfolio. Yes. Oh, I should like wireframe this to make this look more professional? Yes. The answer is almost always yes. Cuz anything that you do above and beyond the norm, above and beyond like where you just kind of want to stop, that's what's going to be what gets you extraordinary results. If you want just like ordinary run-of-the-mill average results, just keep doing what you're doing or what everybody else is doing. And guess what? The average results for most copywriters is nothing. That's what you get. The average result for most people trying
to get into copyrightiting is never getting any work. So, if you want to get work, you got to do a little bit more than that. If you want to know how to actually organize a portfolio or what your portfolio should look like, we have videos about this stuff. For the most part, I can anticipate that a lot of you are going to be like, "Well, how do I put together a portfolio?" We have a video about that. Well, what niche should I pick? We have a video about that. Oh, what samples or like things should
I write or what product should I choose? We have videos about that. Are there any practice exercises I should do? Yeah, we have a video about that. Oh, you're telling me I We have a video. So, if you want to know about portfolios, I'm going to link or point to some other ones. Go to youtube.com/copy that. If you have any doubt or any questions about like things that are probably likely that we've answered before, click on the videos tab, sort by popular, and then just watch, learn, take notes, and get good. That's it. I know
several copywriters who have gone from just absorbing and consuming our free stuff and have been able to get work. You don't need to pay for a course, and I'm not going to ask you to. You don't need to pay for anything. Maybe a book or two, but that's it. So, go consume free content. And don't just consume our free content. Like, there's a wide variety of stuff on YouTube, on the internet. Ju seriously cast a wide net and learn from everything that you can so that you can bring it to bear on what you're trying
to accomplish. I believe in you, but I only believe in you if you actually do the work. When it comes to that whole getting good thing, before I get into more stuff about like how to actually practice and things like that, I'm going to give you some practical advice for getting good. If you want very simple ways to actually get good and get better at copywriting, I would recommend following the daily practice. What is the daily practice? Every single day that you are trying to become a copywriter, I want you to study a piece of
copy. Doesn't have to be in the niche that you want to go in or the type of copy you want to write. I suggest going farther a field because you start to notice things that they're doing over there that you're not doing over here. And then that gives you ideas. C step three. Second thing is writing a page of copy per day. And the third thing is writing down one idea per day. Now, we of course have a video about how to study copy and what to look for. We also have a video where I
interviewed Kyle Milligan, somebody who sort of went through the ringer with me and learned this very thing from Joe Shrier. And we talked about like what it means to write down an idea per day. That video is on the channel. You can go watch it if you want to know what an idea is. when I talk about an idea. Now, we don't really have a video though about the whole writing one page of copy per day, like what that looks like. That's what this video is and what it is going to be. So, on that
note, I want to also give you because you know, you're looking at this and you're like, "Oh, man, that's going to take a lot of time." Yes, all this stuff takes time, dude. I That was consideration number two from like 30 minutes ago. The second thing that I want to give you is some practical considerations for how to divide your time. Because one of the common questions that I get is like how how should I be spending my days as a copyriter? Like what should I do? Like when I sit down at the chair like
like what should I should I just like look up porn? That's what most of you do. I want you to stop that. You know, practice retention a little bit. I'm not kidding. Follow the rule of 255025. What is that? So this is from Robert Bllye, the writer of the copywriter handbook. 25% of your day, spend it on learning and upskilling. 50% of your day is towards the work, writing, and research. And 25% of your day is on outreach, prospecting, or research related to outreach. I threw that last part of the parallelism in there because like
some people were like, "Oh, but I'm new. I'm not ready to start prospecting yet." Yes, you are. You can start looking up the businesses that you might want to look for. You can start building a spreadsheet of possible contacts you can reach out to the there's things that you can do every single day. So you have eight hours to practice copywriting. Two of those hours 25% that's going to be on the first thing learning and upskilling. 50% four hours is going to be on the work. Two hours is going to be on outreach. And I
would recommend doing outreach last because that requires the least amount of your brain meat to be firing. Like I'm sure many of you have had the experience where you write for like 30 minutes to two hours and you're just like, "Oh my god, I'm just drained. I'm brain dead." yada yada yada. Go have a Snickers bar, drink a pint of water, and then come back and focus on your outreach. Because that's stuff that you can do with your brain on like 25%. So maybe that's why it's it says 25%. Anyway, so here's a typical breakdown
of what a 4-hour day would look like, you know, if you were copyrightiting. So, say you have a 9 toive job. You're working full-time, which I applaud you. That's what you should be doing. Work full-time as 9 to5 and then do copy and learn how to write copy from 5 to 9. So, you know, that could be 5 to 9 in the morning or 5 to 9 at night. Whatever you want this side hustle time to be. So, what do you do spending what what do you spend your first hour on? you read books, watch
YouTube videos, you know, ask questions or solicit solicit advice in Discords or forums. Um, organize your notes, collect resources and templates and tools and things like that. That's the learning and upskilling. Now, after that, after you sort of get some fresh ideas into your head, I want you to start actually doing the work, the writing, and the research. That's two hours of practicing, collecting swipe files out there, studying and breaking down copy, templating, reverse outlining, writing copy, revising copy, editing copy. Those are all different. And then to cap off your day, I want you to
spend some time on the outreach and prospecting part. Study businesses, do funnel hacking. That is to say like you know if you find a squeeze page or a place where you can put in your email address, put in your email address. Look and see what they send you. Click on the links that they send you. Find out what that business is doing to either get new customers or monetize those customers. Because guess what? Once you understand how that business is marketing and selling, well, now you know how your services could potentially fit in with that
business. That's why you do this stuff. Another thing, you can also create research decks on the businesses you want to work for one day. Like for example, uh say you want to write for, I don't know, Farmer Bill's Beef Jerky. Like you can look and see their landing pages, their copy, their emails, their things like that. You might realize, oh snap, they're not on Pinterest. Well, guess what? That's an opportunity for you. The world needs Pinterest copy, maybe. I don't know. Then you can build a list of future contacts. I said that before. You can,
you know, work on your profile for Upwork or Fiverr. You can set up your own website. That's what you do in this one hour. A common mistake, possibly the most common mistake I see a lot of newbie and beginner copyriters make is that they spend all of their time on this and none of their time on this. And they spend way too much time doing this. You're guilty of this. I know you are. All of you were asking like, "Should I get an email address with like a custom URL? Should I set up a website?
Should I get it perfect? Should I host my portfolio pieces on my website?" I get these questions every single week. Every single week. And the answer is that is 25% of your priority. The other 75% is getting better. If you get better, this stuff gets easy. So, here's the thing. Why do I recommend learning and upskilling at the beginning of the day? Because that's how what works for me. And as I said at the beginning of this particular presentation, what works for me might not work for you. If you want to just wake up screaming
naked and just immediately start typing copy, man, go for it. Just do it. I am not going to stop you. And if that works for you, it works for you. But for me, I like to have stuff in my brain. I like to consume stuff before I start regurgitating stuff. Otherwise, I'm just mentally dry heaving. Anyway, before we sort of move on, I want to quickly delineate and explain some terminology to help you. There's going to be talk of practice pieces, sample pieces, spec pieces. You're a newbie. I know different words for the same thing
confuse you. So I want to quickly spell out what the difference is between them so that you are not confused. A practice piece is what you write to practice to get better. Sort of the same way a violin player, you know, running a CC scale, you know, D. They're not about to play that at Carnegie Hall. You know, they're not going to whip that out to impress people. And they probably shouldn't. You shouldn't either with your various practice pieces. So your practice piece is what you're doing to deliberately try to get better. A sample piece
can be a practice piece that you have polished and refined to show what you're capable of. These are the things that would go in your portfolio to show to prospects and people that you would want to hire or you want to hire you. So a sample piece is a sample of your work. It is literally an example. Your practice pieces you can hide away forever. You can just be like, I don't know what I was doing there. I'm just going to stow that away. Not everything you write ever needs to see the light of day.
And it certainly doesn't need a critique. I will talk about that in a moment. Now, doing something onspec. People talk about spec pieces all the time. What does that mean? So, here's the definition of onspec. It means you're doing something in the hope of success, but without any specific plans or instructions. So like say for example there's a business that sells like um GPS chipped like dog collars. All right. And you want to like you see that oh maybe their product page for this particular item in their store kind of sucks. Maybe the copy is
just kind of terrible. So on spec you would do it in the hope of success but without any specific instructions. You would just rewrite a new product page for that business and then send it to them. You would send it to them on spec and you would say, "Hey, I wrote this this piece uh because I thought that the copy would be a little bit better than what you currently have. I you know, totally fine if you want it, totally fine if not, etc., etc." Basically, it's an example of like you doing the work by
actually doing the work. And I got to tell you, if you are the type of person who's watching this and going like, I'm going to be the best financial copywriter on the planet. I cannot wait to write a financial copy. Um, this is typically how freelancers get hired in the financial copywriting space. They will write a lead, that is the first 1,000 to 2,000 words of a promo or sales letter or whatever, and they will send it to a publisher or to a copy chief on spec like, "Hey, I wrote this. Do you want me
to finish it? pay me. That's how this works. That's how that world works. So, that's the difference between these three things. Here's another question I commonly get. When do you need a critique? Now, this is a sort of unstated question because more often than not, somebody will have written their first piece of copy and then say, "Okay, where do I get this critiqued?" Like, they have this process and procedure in their mind because they don't understand the distinction between a practice piece and a sample piece. They think everything that they do for practice of course
needs to go in their portfolio. But that is not the case. The purpose of practice is to practice. The purpose of a sample piece is to show off later. You don't need to critique a s a practice piece unless like you don't know how to make it better. So here's the thing. You need a critique this. You only need a critique when you by yourself cannot see or think of a single other thing that could possibly improve the copy. especially when it comes to achieving its intended purpose. What does that mean? Okay, I don't want
you to show your first, second, or 10th piece to anyone. In fact, if you're totally new to copywriting, like if you've never written a piece of copy before, buckle up, buttercup, because the first 50 pieces of anything that you write are going to be trash. Just totally awful. I don't care if you have 10 years of experience in journalism, it's going to be bad. And I know this. I was a professor of writing for seven years. And when I first started learning copywriting, everything I wrote was terrible. I had to really relearn how to write,
how to think, how to think about putting words on the page. Everybody has a steep learning curve for this stuff. And I use the, you know, the first 50 pieces as an arbitrary large number to tell you to just let it go. Like don't focus so much on trying to make the first thing that you write good. You certainly don't need a critique for it. But if you still want a critique for it, here's what you do. You put it away. Just throw it into a drawer, put it into a file folder, whatever. Don't look
at it for one to two weeks. That is 14 days. If you are working on copyrightiting for four hours a day, that's one hour per day, 25% where you're learning and upskilling. So that's 14 hours between you writing that thing and you looking at that thing again. That's 14 hours where you've been learning new stuff, looking at new pieces of copy, doing more things. So when you go to reread it, here's what you need to experience. Well, if you think it's great and you can think of nothing else to critique, like nothing to improve it,
well, then you need to reach out to your peers, you know, on the copyrightiting discord, copyrightiting collective or copy that channel or the Patreon. We also, you know, critique stuff. Um, but I'm not going to pressure you to like sign up for that. That's when you can use a a critique because here's the thing. It's only at that point where you can actually learn something. If you turn in dog [ __ ] and you know it's dog [ __ ] and you get a critique that tells you it's dog [ __ ] what have you
learned? You've learned nothing. So, don't get a critique yet. Make it as good as you can to the point where you know that anything anybody else says is going to help you stretch and progressively overload and get better. That's the point of getting a critique in the first place. And so if you see anything on that page after you've put it away for one to two weeks, revise it, get it as good as you can, and then put it away for another two weeks. And repeat this process for as long as it takes for you
to get to the point where you're like, "Oh man, this is actually pretty good. I think I'm ready for a critique." Now, here's the thing. This part of the process, remember back to consideration number two that I mentioned however long ago it was. I mentioned before that one of the biggest problems that a lot of newbies have is the fact that like hey I don't know like what I don't know I don't know how to self assess. Guess what? If you write your first piece of copy you put it away and then you look at
it and you see that it's great but then you get a critique and it they tell you that it's awful. Well now you have a little bit more information that you can use to self assess. you know, are you actually learning something? If everything that you write, you look at again and go, "Oh my god, this is great." You're not learning anything. You're not developing the ability to self assess. That's the value of this process. Something that I want you to keep in mind. And again, going back to consideration number one, sorry, no, I got
them reversed. Going back to consideration number two, the real number two, not the fake number two I mentioned earlier, this stuff takes time. It just takes time. If you are desperate for money, like, "Oh my god, I need a client like in the next 10 days or my family is going to starve." Don't do copywriting. This is not for you. Stop it. Just stop. If you want to actually get better, if you're the type of person like me who like actually like before I even heard about copyrightiting would collect ads and study ads for fun,
you're on your way. You're going to be fine. But if you like are desperate for work, this is this is not gonna be it, fam. Sorry. Truth hurts. All right. I've been talking around this issue quite a bit, which is that you need to, especially when you're starting out, give yourself permission to suck and you need to start having fun and trying things. Now, here's the thing. Earlier in the chat and earlier on the Discord, I got a question. Basically the same question. I sat down on a blank page. I had no idea what to
write. One of the problems that a lot of newbie copyriters have is that they're trying to do too many things all at once. They're trying to not only write a piece of copy that they can practice to get better, they're also thinking about like, oh, it needs to be good so I can put in my sample portfolio. Oh, like I need to like make sure it uses all the techniques and tools of persuasion that I've been learning from all these different videos and gurus on YouTube and books and oh my god. Um, this is all
doing something called raising your affective filter. And when your affective filter is high, you are incapable of learning and you are incapable of producing anything that is worth reading. So what is a girl to do? Hey, you have to give yourself permission to have fun. You have to be able to like let go a little bit and like find ways where you can make this process enjoyable for you. Most violin players who get good at violin don't hate the violin. You know, most novelists don't hate reading novels. This that's just how this works. I enjoy
reading ads. That's something I legitimately enjoy doing. I'm like happy when I can spend more time during my days actually studying this stuff. If you're not that person yet, you can become that person. If you're not that person yet, you got to find some little toehold where you can actually find enjoyment in this. I'm going to give you a very specific example from my life of like how I actually was able to learn something by having fun with it. Here's a very specific example of when I needed to learn something. I needed to practice something.
I didn't know what to do. So, I just started having fun with it. I had never written a Facebook ad before, not once. And so I sat down and I was like, well, this is a a skill that I need and I want to learn it. So I sat down and I just let myself be ridiculous. Look at the copy here. Sup, blood? This magic hand gesture holds the key to raking in money from this new banking tech. Click to read more. And then headline, must readad for real hustlers. I just let myself be goofy.
Here's the thing. By allowing myself to just let go, I was able to produce a practice piece. This was my first Facebook ad that I ever wrote. I read it, I reread it, I polished it, I revised it a little bit, and I was like, "Huh, you know, I'm never going to publish it, but it's fun. It's fun to look at." By the way, all these ad mockups I produce at httpsadmockups.com. Whenever you see a tool or you're like, "Hey, how did you make this thing?" just, you know, Google it. Don't worry about it so
much. All right. So, that was where I started, but I was like, "Okay, now I want to practice a little bit more." So, I did this. I decided, you know, I want to get a little weird with it. So, for absurd wealth today, we got handpicked personalized investment advice that actually makes sense and dollars. Little pun there. Investing should make sense, says the horse but to the manhorse. And then the headline, forget mutual funds, go nuts in the options market, which is make it. Go nuts in the options. Make it. Again, I'm just allowing myself
to play. I'm having fun like doing whatever I feel like doing at the moment, sort of based around the topic that I know I'm going to be writing about. And I was like, okay, I got weird with it. I had fun with it. Let's try to do something sincere. I got a little bit better. Tried to refine. actually made an effort and then I still went goofy. And what I did was I was like, "Okay, well, I'm just going to write this like a valuebased email, but I'm going to use as many emojis as possible,
like just for funsies." So, I wrote, "I can't believe the size of those gains." Rocket ship diamond hands said no one ever. A good little disruption there, by the way. Uh that's when I say like write down an idea per day like oh have a claim and then have the next paragraph completely undercut that claim. That's an idea you that's now something that is in your brain that you can use in emails and ads. It's just a rhetorical technique, a framework that you can use. You're welcome. News flash sparkle emojis. A 200% gain in the
stock market isn't going to help you build wealth. And it's definitely not going to get you closer to your money goals. If you're always swinging for the fences, according to a 27-year long study, you'll strike out and end up broke 96% of the time. Down chart. Pay attention with colons all around because investing is only one part of a safe certain financial strategy. Here are the real facts and then fax machine about wealth you need to know. Fact. The wealthy know how to balance their saving. Dollar sign spending and investing. Upchart. Fact. The two biggest
wealth destroyers are homes and credit card emoji debt. Fact. The single greatest wealth builder is a variety of income streams, including stocks, including options, including rental real estate, including a side business, including passive income. Fact, it is possible to go from broke to rich because we've done it, studied how others have done it, and are ready to whip out our knowledge and show it to you. A little again, I'm having fun here, you know, whipping it out and showing to you. Want more facts about wealth? See more by clicking the button below. And then that
whip out our knowledge to show it to you is a sort of sly reference to this image which I believe Sean Ferris calls like an attention grabber. Like he has like a whole thing if you want to look up Sean Ferris around like social media and having like a really bizarre image that just captures attention. I think he calls them scroll stoppers. Scroll stoppers are the images you want to look for. And then we have the article facts and lies about wealth of which the above copy really is just a summary of this is where
I was actually like okay I've had fun sort of figuring out this Facebook thing. And by the way as I'm writing these and making these I'm also looking at like dozens of other Facebook ads and like getting inspiration for like what to do, how to do these, like what to model. like I'm trying to like put as many ideas into my brain. And after doing that, doing these three like fun practice pieces, I finally arrived at something that I thought was pretty good. Let me read the copy to you. The worst money mistake I see
parents make has to be with their kids' college fund. Now, here's the thing. That's a disruptive like again what I've learned from writing Facebook like posts is that the logic for a good Facebook post that does well and scales well is actually like to write it kind of like an email. Use dic disrupt intrigue click like and what what am I doing in that disruption? The worst mistake I see parents make. I'm immediately calling out whom I'm talking to. I'm immediately pointing out a mistake that they're making when it comes to their children. And guess
what? There's nothing that parents are more self-conscious about than messing up their kids. A lot of guilt when it comes to parenting. They dump all this money into high fee, low return plans with no guarantee it will be there by the time their kid is studying for the SATs. Even worse, if there's an emergency or a crash, that money can't be touched without penalties. To avoid this for my own kids and again using proof and like making myself seem like the avatar, I developed a simple blueprint to brain emoji. Avoid complicated and expensive savings plans
that trap my money. By the way, everything you're about to see are examples of bullets. We'll come back to bullets in a moment. And then another emoji, set up a simple, flexible account that gives me access to the assets of my choosing. Upward chart emoji. Then move m money into a handful of sleep well at night investments that can survive any market conditions. Again, fascinations all benefit driven. It took me about 30 minutes to set all of this up. The subtext there is that it is easy and it is quick and turn my kid's college
fund into a free automated machine I can feel safe and secure thinking about. Again, I'm living the dream that the prospect wants. implied benefit and implied promise. Want to see exactly what I did? Check out my simple DIY college fund blueprint right here. Link. This 30inut video blueprint gives you an overthe-shoulder look as I take you step by step through the setup of my own kids college fund. And the companion article gives you everything you need to know to make an informed choice about the types of accounts and investments that will fit your kid's needs.
now and 18 years from now. And my scroll stopper is actually a picture of my daughter when she was an infant. Her face when she show when she sees the college fund you created. And then headline, build a better college fund today. I don't make up stats. Every time I whip out a stat, it's always from an actual study or a scholarly article or something online that I found via Google. Like I what I learned from writing in a very tightly regulated industry is to only ever speak in facts. I never ever want to put
out into the world a piece of copy where some fact or some claim is not corroborated. The whole point of me showing you all that and the whole point of me talking about like having fun, the whole point of me like telling you to have permission to suck is because you need to weed the suck out of your brain. It takes work to get the bad copy out of your brain so that the good copy has room to grow. It is like a garden. You need to remove the crap so that the good stuff can
flourish. And again, I'm going to reiterate for the third time. It takes time. It takes effort, too. So allow yourself to suck in the beginning. Just give your per give yourself permission to write the worst copy on the planet. It's a practice piece. You don't need to show anyone. You can literally right now write an email selling sporks. I give you permission. You have everything that you need to start writing copy right now. You can log off this presentation, this mini master class, and literally just start writing copy for anything. It could be a PPC
ad. It could be just a headline. That's all you need to do for a spork. That's it. Just start. Get the suck out of your brain and then move on. Few other final things before we actually get to the practicing bit. Now, and these again, we're just circling around questions that I commonly see and commonly get. What type of copy should you write as practice? If you are truly, and I mean truly brand new, like you like you just discovered this copywriting thing. You just began like learning like what copywriting even is. you're still probably
using the term copies even though it's never copies, it's always copy. Um, if you're truly truly know bullets, start with bullets. We have several shorts about bullets. We have like advice and like other videos about bullets. But if you want like actual good advice on like how to write bullets and how to revise bullets and how to think about bullets, we have a very long like truncated edited stream like I think it's an hour long where I ran a bullet writing contest for subscribers to our patreon.com/thecopy that show and I paid people like I think
it was like5 or $10 per bullet for a thing that we were writing. And I don't want you to like get caught up in that. I want you to get caught up in the fact that like bullets teach you a lot of things. one, they're everywhere in copy. A subhead is basically a bullet if you want to go there. Taglines are basically bullets. Um, you saw the copy that I wrote for Facebook. Like most of those incorporated bullets somehow. Now I and Alex reviewed a ton of bullets. Look for this video. Um, if you're truly
brand new, you can also consider hand copying. like actually take a a legal pad or piece of paper and pull out an ad that you find and then hand copy like hand write every single word word for word in that piece of copy. But a lot of people don't actually learn from that and it's kind of more of a right of passage and I'm only going to recommend it that to you if you're like the most hardcore of hardcore. Most people are not going to benefit from it. So I leave that entirely up to you.
Your mileage may vary. But if you want some advice on bullets, we got a video for you. And that's going to teach you. Bullets are also really good for newbies because it teaches you the register of copy. And what do I mean by that? Like when you speak as a salesman or as a persuader, you are not talking to people the same way that I'm talking to you or that you would talk to a bank teller. It's an entirely new, you know, Kyle Milligan, the copyriter, would call it a new language. I would call it
a different register of speech. And you need to learn this register. And every register has codes, has like certain tropes and things that you need to keep in mind. And bullets are a really good way to start internalizing that. And so if you want to yoke this back to the whole like, you know, four hours a day, two hours you can spend just writing bullets about a product, it can literally be about, oh, I don't know, this particular watch. Pretty nice watch. Never wear it. Um, so you can literally just go into like and start
writing bullets like you know like one of your bullets could be you know amazing leather uh you know lambkin uh you know wrist strap never chase never gets dirty period. There you go. That's your first bullet. I just wrote it for you now. And then do a 100,000 more. And also that was a bit personal. I imagine you're talking about the Facebook ad where I talked about the college fund for my kid and using that as a blueprint for what people can do for their kid. And guess what? One of the easiest ways for you
to start practicing copy and getting better at practicing copy is for you to look inward. Look at your own desires, your own problems, the things that you solve, the things that you're doing, and write about that. Because guess what? Like most of you have not like done a whole lot of work for other people, you know. Most of you have probably never tried to sell an air conditioning unit. Most of you have probably never tried to sell a cold plunge. So where do you look for inspiration? In here. Look in here. Look in your heart.
Look at what you yearn for. Because guess what? Everything that you desire is probably something that other people desire, too. Like keep in mind, you're unique like everybody else. Nobody is special. And so what you crave, what you desire, it's probably going to be out there and it's probably going to be something you can write about. So, uh, that's actually something that, uh, Chris Hadad, the copyriter, talks about a lot. uh which is he was he was like he didn't understand the premise of doing um voice of character research because he was like listen out
there I'm writing copy for a 45-year-old dissatisfied mom if I want to know how to talk to that person I just need to look in here and find the 40-year-old dissatisfied mom in me and find out what she needs and what she's thinking about what she's worried about. A lot of empathy comes from understanding your own pain and your own struggles. If you can get in touch with that, you can write some really amazing copy. Keep that in mind. Now, your past bullets, you've spent a week writing bullets. You have thousands and thousands of bullets
for stupid products that you see around your room. Okay. Now, what do you do? You're ready to start actually writing samples. You want to start, you know, monetizing this whole copywriting thing. Well, what do you need? Well, we have a video about that. If you're ready to start practicing something more complex and you that you might want to put into a portfolio, you know, maybe not what you write first, but down the line, this is what I want you to study and write. A squeeze page, that's a type of landing page where it tries to
get one piece of information, a welcome email, few sales emails or lifts, and a Facebook ad. Now, I have a whole video about this that I did with Alex. You should have one squeeze page. A squeeze page is a landing page or any sort of web page where somebody is going to try to drive traffic via Google PPC or Facebook ads or even just a random link that they're posting or spamming in Discords or Facebook groups. Uh, and the goal of a squeeze page is to get a person to do one action, typically to put
in an email address. Then the second piece should be a welcome email for whatever that squeeze page is. Now, we've gotten a lot of related questions to or sorry, questions related to uh what services or what businesses and niches should my spec pieces be for. It can be literally anything that you want. Invent a carpet cleaning company. Seriously, just do that. Literally anything. find like a book off your shelf and the squeeze page is yo sign up for this email list and I will send you a digital copy of this book and that's what a
squeeze page could look like. It literally doesn't have to be any more complicated than that. The whole point of this is just to illustrate and show well one get practice but two to show that you are capable of making this thing and you understand what it is and the purpose that it serves which is important for a copywriter and a marketer. welcome email that welcomes people that sign up for that squeeze page, whatever it is you promised on that page. Make sure you have some sort of welcome email. Why a welcome email? Because a welcome
email is going to be different from a marketing email or a piece of content that you would send to a list. And the reason why it's different is because, well, think about what has to happen when a person signs up for a list. Not only do they like have no interaction with your business whatsoever, your madeup carpet cleaning business, uh they also uh like need to be given something like whatever you promised them on the squeeze page. You also need to like instruct them how to whitelist your email address. And if you understand what I
mean by what I just said, then you're already ahead of the game and you're probably going to do great in this business. And there's so many like a combination of both like engagement, sales copy, and actual like functional operational stuff that goes on in a welcome email that everybody should learn. And then write three sales emails for literally any product. Like again, if your squeeze page is for a carpet cleaning company, the sales emails can be for a like a shampooing service. And one of them can be like, "Here's a coupon to get a cheaper
shampoo for your rug." The next email can be like, "Do you have specialty rugs like you know, you know, Persian tapestries or things like that?" Well, we specialize in that, too. And here's what we can do to make sure that your rug is taken care of. Do three of those. And then the final piece of the puzzle is I would recommend taking one of those sales emails and turning it into a Facebook page or not Facebook page, sorry, uh a Facebook post. You can literally copy paste and then just change the words and change the
context to fit what would look good on a Facebook post. And that's it. That's your starter portfolio. It will take you all of a week to make your first draft of all this stuff. Most of your time is going to be spent gathering and researching what all this stuff is, which you can find out, that's another beginner question, by just like googling any business, anything, and then clicking the links that you find and signing up for email lists, every single one that you possibly can. Also, making sure you turn off ad block because otherwise you
won't see ads, and so you won't get a chance to actually study the things that you're trying to learn to write. Everything I said, I think this is over a year ago, still holds true today. Here's the thing. I want you to learn how to write a squeeze page and a welcome email and three sales emails or lists or a Facebook ad for a few different reasons. One, it gives you access and forces you to practice different kinds of copy that's going out in different contexts to different people that are in different stages of awareness.
Obviously, somebody who's getting a welcome email is going to be different than somebody who's just looking at a squeeze page that they've never seen before. A welcome email they only get because they willingly signed up for something. So, and a Facebook ad is going to be different in terms of writing from a sales email or a lift that they get. Now, that's important because one of the most important things about becoming a copywriter is learning how to some gurus will say write for your audience, but I would say pay attention to context. Not just context
of like where you're writing and where you're writing goes, but also what your reader has possibly seen before. If you can actually like keep that in your head and articulate and craft your message to that level of awareness, you're going to make money, like big money, because most people can't do that. Like are actually mentally incapable of doing that. Believe me. Now I another practical consideration here. I've looked on Upwork. I've looked on Craigslist. I've looked on Fiverr. These are the kinds of things that people are hiring for the most. A squeeze page is just
a type of landing page. And in fact, I want to show you an example of one in just a moment that I wrote. A welcome email is just again something that you get from all these different businesses that you sign up for. I actually forgot to include an example of a welcome email that I wrote. Um, and then you know there's three se sales emails or lifts. Um, I have a whole video about that. Now, here's the thing. Once you practice these different genres, these different types of copy, then you can start thinking about like,
you know, I really don't enjoy writing emails. Like, I just don't want to do it. I want to write landing pages. Well, listen, you had to go through the suck to get the suck out of your brain. And now you can actually focus on what you want to do, what you want to get hired for. Do the practice first. Take a little taste of everything at the buffet and then narrow down. That's my advice to you when it comes to this stuff. But if you want just a simple starter portfolio, like something that you can
literally put together a first draft quickly, something you can do, something you can study, like this is a good place to start. It's not where you should end up, it should certainly not be where you end up. Like if you if you're like two years in and this is like all you have in your portfolio, go back earlier in this presentation when I told you that your copy probably sucks. Now, here's an example of a squeeze page because I want you to make sure that you have a frame of reference for everything that I'm talking
about here. A squeeze page is, you know, somebody clicks on an ad, either a Facebook ad or a Google ad. They go to a web page and literally all they see is, you know, a headline, some information, some bullets, teasers, you know, some social proof. Um, what people get when they sign up and put in their email. This is legitimately for a business that, um, a list building business that I actually owned at one point. So, this was a real squeeze page for that I wrote for one of my own businesses and it did fairly
well. We got a very low cost per lead on this. Here's an example of a squeeze page. This is what this looks like. If you want to practice writing a squeeze page, go look up 10 of them. Get a general sense of like what they all look like or entail. You can even use this one if you want. And then write your own. Craft your own. And like the formatting, I didn't do it in Canva. They literally did it in Microsoft Word. You don't need to do anything fancy. You don't need any special software. A
lift email. Lift email as distinct from a sales email. A sales email actually persuades people. It actually tries to get people to buy the thing that's for sale. Now, here's the thing. If you are linking to a page that has a VSSL or a sales letter, you don't want a sales email because the sales email will sap and remove a lot of the persuasive power of the sales letter, the sales page that you're linking to. So, a lift email is designed to do the same thing, but tease and gently lift a person from their inbox
into whatever it is you're trying to show them. So, this is a real lift email that I wrote for a real promo that I really wrote sales, you know, subject line, the $3 stock set to soar thanks to estimated 200x sales growth. And then I actually had like uh disrupt, I had some intrigue, I had to click. And if you want to see more examples, like literally like think three or four hours of me like talking about different kinds of emails, different types of emails and writing them and actually showing you like how these get
sent out into the world. That's, you know, go look for this video. Do you actually design the web page for the client or just provide the words or images? Typically, a copywriter only provides the words or images. Now there are exceptions to this and one of the things that you need to understand about businesses is that they want the most from you for the least amount of money. So there's a balance there which is to say that like if you have a portfolio that's of equal quality to somebody else but that somebody else is also
able to like wireframe and whip up in Canva a design of what they want that piece of copy to look like. Guess what? they are going to get the job because again going back an hour ago, your outreach, your proposals are copy. And if you can prove that you can do stuff better than other people, you get the job. That's how this works. If you can prove that your product is better than others or alternatives or can solve a problem, you get the sale. It's all the same. So keep that in mind. Here's the final
question that I commonly see people ask. What product should you write about? You know, we went over the types of copy you should write, but what should you actually like write about? Starting out, literally choose anything you want. In fact, one of my favorite bits uh from anything that Alex and I have ever done. Like it was my second favorite comedic bit. I literally just like randomly came up with a bunch of ideas and Alex was like, "Those all sounded random and I need the perfect one." Well, again, go back to earlier in this presentation
when I said there is no best, there is no perfect, there is no right. So, you need to do what works for you. And when you are practicing, you need to do whatever is going to allow you to practice the best that you can. If you're looking at a page, you're having like blank pain page syndrome, like you're not able to come up with any ideas. You just freeze up. It could be because you've selected the wrong product. It could be because you have no ideas about the product that you're trying to sell. It could
be because you've not given yourself permission to have fun. Like listen, if you really want to like write about, oh, I don't know, Magic cards and things like that, you can write a write a promo, write a squeeze page, write a sales letter, write a sales email, write a VSSL script for Magic Cards, anything you want. Now, here's the thing. You can make up products, too, like solve problems that have not been solved. Many copywriters have started businesses by doing that. They've actually just been like, "Hey, I noticed this problem and here's a potential solution."
And guess what? They write the copy first and then they come up with the product. That happens all of the time. These can be products from random companies. It can be products you like and use. Uh it can be products you make up. It doesn't matter. Whatever allows you to practice. Be pragmatic about this. Don't get in your head. Don't overthink. Just do something or pick something that allows you to get to the finish line, that allows you to get words on the page. Don't stress. Whatever you do, lower that effective filter and do what
you can to get moving. Now, here's the thing. As you practice more, as you spend the weeks and the months doing this, as you become more skilled, you can start to get more specific. What I want you to do is I want you to start blending your product research with your prospect research. What do I mean by that? Well, let's say during that whole, you know, 2550 25 thing, you start collecting a lot of businesses and you start noticing yourself like really gravitating towards businesses that make pet products or like lawyers or dentists, whatever. Now,
once you start noticing that you're collecting like a lot of potential prospects that you can reach out to later that are like dentists or have a dental office, well, now all of a sudden that tells you, well, maybe I should write some sample pieces that would be applicable for a dental business, that would be applicable for a lawyer or an accountant or a lawnmowering service, whatever. Once you start assembling your actual list of prospects and the businesses you want to write for at some point if you're not already doing outreach, then start looking at like,
okay, well, I notice that I'm reaching out to like a thousand carpet cleaning businesses. Well, guess what? Now you can start practicing more specifically about copy that would be applicable and make sense for carpet cleaning services. There you go. That's how you decide what product to write for. First, you start random and then you calibrate. You get ready, you fire, and then you aim. That's what you need to do, especially if you want to get good at this. The only people who fail are the people who one don't spend a lot of time thinking about
who they're prospecting. They're just scattershotting like emails to every single business person that they can possibly find, every single business that they can like scr up on LinkedIn, every single coach that they see on Instagram without like any strategy or like any deliberateness to it at all. Like those people are going to like totally fail at this business. The other people who fail at this business are the people that never go back to their list like their samples or their portfolio. They never think about like, huh, how can I cater this more to the businesses
I want to work with? If you avoid those two traps, you will succeed. I don't guarantee it, but you stand a better chance. For inspiration, if you want inspiration, you can always go to the Facebook ads library or the Google ads library. The links are on the page. Just use those. Also, remember to browse without ad block on. That is a common newbie mistake. And like people are weirdly like they want to write ads and yet they don't want to see ads. And I'm like, man, if I were a short story writer, the first thing
I would do is read a lot of short stories. Man, if I wanted to like write a sonata, I'd probably listen to a lot of sonatas. If you want to write copy, you got to read copy. And guess what? You're not going to be able to read copy if you are literally preventing yourself from reading copy. That's how this works. Turn off ad block. Start absorbing copy. That's how you get better. What questions do you all have for me? I'm I'm going to start writing an actual practice piece, but I want to know before I
move on like what questions you have for me. What if I have a lot of pieces of portfol in my portfolio, but I don't have analytics, sales figures. I want to focus on direct response. Listen, it's fine. Like one thing that you can say in your copy, like your outreach, like, oh, the client loved these pieces so much that they hired me again. If no client has hired you again to write for them more, then honestly, your copy might suck. But one of the things that you can do as you start doing more work in
this particular industry is with emails, landing pages, things like that, you can start requesting data. And you request data by just straightforwardly asking for data. Like, you know, please sir, may I have some data? That kind of stuff. you know, don't be shy about this stuff. Like the types of entrepreneurs and business owners that like are worth working for are going to be understanding of like what you need as well as what they need. What are your thoughts on Instagram outreach uh specifically to online fitness coaches? Um I think that if you're a beginner and
that's all you want to do, I I think that you are painting yourself into a corner that you know that's like saying like, you know, I want to work on cars, but I don't want to work on every car. I only want to work on Volkswagen Beetles made in 1968. Only want to work on those. I'm going to make a shop. I'm only going to work on those. Any if I see any other car, I'm going to turn them away. No, I don't want that customer. I'm not going to reach out to any other customers.
Not going to advertise for anybody else. I only want to work on 1968 Volkswagen Beatles. So, you know, a little too narrow for me for people that are just starting out. You know, my opinion is don't niche down very, very early. Start wide, then go narrow. And typically what happens is your niche will choose you just because you excel at some things that you didn't even know that you could excel at. Now, second thing, I've mentioned this in another stream, but any type of outreach that is sold, especially by certain uh who people who shall
remain anonymous, YouTubers and gurus, if you see a guide or a YouTube video that's just like how to get clients on Instagram, how to get fitness clients on yada yada yada, you could probably presume that they did that and then it got crowded and they're only making a video now about it because they aren't getting work from it anymore. The thing that you want to keep in mind as a copywriter and a marketer is that there are principal strategies and tactics. You know, getting clients via Instagram, it's not different from email. It's just a new
channel. It's a tactic. And tactics are mutable. They change all the time. The rules and the trappings and the tropes that you need to like follow. They're they're ever evolving. And if you're not evolving with them, you're not going to succeed. And so once Instagram becomes a little saturated, which it may might have been, um, time to look on for greener pastures. Do we need to do research when writing practice copy? I always do, but you don't need to do anything. Especially if you're in that stage where you're practicing and just having fun with it,
man. Write whatever you want. Whatever comes to the top of your head. Can we offer clients more than just copyrightiting? Not only can you, but you should at a certain point in your career. And guess what? Yes, we have a video about that. Listen, we have a whole slew of videos about at what point you should start thinking about like dipping your toe into content marketing, dipping your toe into like marketing marketing. Like when should you combine marketing and copyrightiting? Uh that's how Alex is making like his millions, you know, like Lindsay and I like
you know, we're both constantly straddling copywriting, marketing, and strategy. I spend most of my time doing a combination of like uh copywriting and editorial writing. So that's how I make my money. So you can absolutely at a certain point in your career, you know, start offering more because guess what? If you see a need in a business for more, you want to be the person who can offer that. When working with tight deadlines, how do you know if your copy is good enough? I mean, what I'm writing in four days will almost always be worse
than what I can do in two weeks. Um, listen, that's just one of the like the facts of life, you know? I I took eight months to write a promo once. It was my bestselling promo ever. It took three days to write a promo once. Like, it was definitely worse. But also looking back on that promo that I wrote in three days, like there was some amazing copy in there that I actually ended up repurposing for a project later on. And so like I I'll give you another example. There was a famous uh not a
famous but a very successful copywriter named Scott Bardelli. He um he hadn't written a promo in several months, like four or five months. and then he got an idea and like it just happened to line up with a particular deadline and so he wrote an entire promo in just two weeks and that promo went on to sell over $50 million. It was the control for years. So again, you have to sort of like especially when you're under deadline, remove the sort of like burden of quality from your mind. Sometimes done beats perfect. In fact, I
would say done beats perfect almost every single time. Now, if you're first starting and you're trying to get better, you know, it makes sense to, you know, practice your reps with good technique, at least until like you can start getting a little sloppy. You know where you can be sloppy. But when you're first starting out, be more deliberate. when you are under deadline and you're actually getting paid for this stuff on a regular basis, then you know like what dials you can, you know, twist to actually like get stuff out and get stuff done good
enough. And that's what you want there. Just good enough. Let's see what if I don't know what kinds of businesses I want to write for yet. That's so that hour. So like you know that 25% where you're doing outreach, that's where you just explore. Just look around like look at their copy, look at their funnels, see what you like. Develop a like an idiosyncratic sense of what you want to do. That's that's how you figure out the businesses you want to write for. You explore. Let serendipity be your guide. Figure stuff out like gradually by
feel. Would the real estate niche be okay to start off with as being a beginner? How would I outreach to those in that line of business? Okay. Any niche is fine if you're a beginner. I again don't think people should go into this business with a niche in mind. Like you have to have a good like for 95% of people it's a bad idea. For the 5% of people where you're just like I I know the ins and outs of real estate. I think about real estate every single day. I wake up and I'm just
like man I cannot wait to do a proforma. Like I that's all I want to do. If you are that person like that's all you think about. Yes. real estate is the perfect niche for you. Oh man, like you're going to kill it. But if you're not that person, let it [ __ ] go, man. Like just chill. Like let again explore a little bit. See what's out there. Now, how do you outreach to those in that line of business? It really depends on the kind of products that you want to write for. Are you
selling like for example um like MBS or you know certain SAS software solutions to real estate agents? Well, then you would want to reach out to and find on LinkedIn or, you know, in the contact, you know, us pages uh of these b businesses their email address. Uh you want to look up and see like who the competitors are, who are the players in that space because that's all part of like, okay, here are the businesses, here are the people that work for these businesses, here are people that I can reach out to, uh oh,
they have job postings on Indeed, I can work inhouse for like, you know, a real estate software company. Cool. like that's how you figure this stuff out. But it really does require like exploring and like sort of like figuring out and tinkering with stuff. I can't recommend a singular blueprint. I don't think that anybody is going to succeed. In fact, I don't know anybody who has succeeded by following like a strict blueprint of what to do. When should you outreach? Maybe it's a fear blocking me, but I don't want to feel like a scam artist
when I know I'm new to copy. It's crap. Other gurus say start outreaching and learn from mistakes. Again, I revert back to ready, fire, aim. You might still be in the get ready point. Now, I mean, the question that I have for you is, do you have a good portfolio? Do you have a list of clients? Do you know whom you would reach out to? If not, well, maybe take some time to start doing that stuff, looking that stuff, re researching that stuff, and then start getting prepared and then start firing out. The other thing
that I would want to recommend is definitely start reaching out to people before you're ready. I I'm sorry to keep doing this, but the video that I did with Alex where I interviewed him, there's, you know, go to videos page. is the one where I talk about him hitting seven figures officially. He was so nervous and had such imposter syndrome about switching from I think content to actual copy that he didn't reach out to people for like over a year, two years if I recall correctly. And his big regret is that he didn't start sooner
cuz he could have, especially once he learned like, oh, even though I was new, I still I still could have done this. So, that's something I want you to keep in mind that it's always better to start before you feel ready because you're never going to feel ready. There's always going to be more that you can do to prepare. And so don't let the fear of not being ready stop you from doing the things actually applying to and like reaching out to people that will actually help you get ready. I if I have two choices
of career email marketing for e-commerce brands the strategist thing or copyrightiting what should I learn first? I'm confused in making a decision. Um there's many more questions but I'm going to tell you a story. When I was 23 um I was working at a pharmaceutical company called I'm sorry, I shouldn't say that. I actually did sign an NDA. Sorry, it rhymes with ham jet. And in 2008, you know, everybody was losing their jobs and so I lost mine and I wasn't sure really what to do. And so I signed up with the actor Sean Penn.
I volunteered throughout the American South. I rebuilt homes in New Orleans. I marched with um you know, AIDS activists in Tucson, Arizona. Um I cut down uh invasive species in Austin, Texas. I I did a lot. I did a lot. I got back and I was crashing at my friend's house and I wasn't really sure what I was going to do. I had spoken to an army recruiter. Um, this is, you know, when Iraq and Afghanistan were active wars and, uh, they wanted me to join OCS, you know, get into officer training. And I was
speaking to my on-again, off-again uh, girlfriend at the time and she was living up in San Francisco getting her law degree. Basically said like, you know, what do you think about me? You know, I have a college degree. I have a lot of experience. Like, what do you think about me like joining the army? and she was like, "No, just move to San Francisco." So, I was really torn and I got really drunk and I decided, you know what? Ultimately, no matter what decision I make, I'm going to look back on it as being probably
a pretty good decision. You know, what got me here got me here. I'm probably not going to feel regret if I excel at one thing or another, if I do one thing or another. So, I flipped a coin. I drunkenly flipped a coin. I had a quarter and I flipped it. The next morning, I was on a bus to San Francisco. If you really like are completely torn between two things and you cannot decide, flip a coin. One of two things are going to happen. One, the coin will land and you'll say, "Okay, that's what
I'm doing." Or two, the coin will get up in the air and you'll be like, "Oh [ __ ] I really hope it's not that." Well, then you ignore the coin flip and then you just do the thing that you want to do. Just it's one of those things where it's like it really doesn't matter what decision you make so long as you make a decision. How do you synthesize and absorb so much information out there about coping? Is it just a matter of doing reps and time? Yeah, it's reps and time. I also have
a a very unusually good memory. What does control mean? A control is a piece of copy that has been used and reused again and again and it performs better than anything else that is tested against it. Love your content, guys. And I learned so much from you. No offense. You guys don't look like millionaires. Um that's purposeful. You know, that's that's not the not what we're trying to front. And like you know they there was a big study the most the car most commonly owned by millionaires is a Toyota Camry or was it a Honda
Accord? It was like it was one of those types of cars. So like everything that you see on Instagram about like oh I'm a millionaire. I have this like Lambo and stuff like that. It's all it's all it's all fronting and I don't want to front. If I have portfolio with pieces on subscription boxes, can I use that to showcase if a clothing company asks to see my portfolio or should I go back and write something on that niche? So, of course, again, this is a yes no question. The answer is going to be yes.
Now, going back a few things, as you become more skilled or specific, start blending your product research with your prospect research. Actually, start making practice pieces and sample pieces that highlight what you can do for the company you want to work for. It's that simple. The one mistake that you're going to make that will cause you to fail is by never changing or improving your sample portfolio based on what you want to do. The people that will fail like they just aren't willing to grow. So, be willing to grow and you'll be fine. How niche
is too niche? I mean, go back to my I'm only going to work on 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. uh say I want to do uh choose martial arts uh equipment courses, clubs, etc. Would this be too niche? It is not too niche. But again, like if you're just starting out, the odds of you landing the job of your dreams, the client of your dreams when you're just starting out is very close to zero. Again, the people that do succeed with that like are just monoomaniacally driven. Like they have no other purpose. They only want to write
copy for this thing and they will not accept anything else. They just live, sleep, eat, breathe it. And so if that's you, man, more power to you. You have a much better chance of succeeding than most people. But most people are not like that. Um, why do you think you were able to move up so quickly in 13 months at that company that you mentioned? Uh, what did you do? Um, I so I will tell you exactly what I did. So, I started as a part-time proofreader because I had gotten a few copy jobs and
content jobs through Craigslist. That was actually the first platform I ever got freelance work from um when I quit teaching and I got to work at as a proofreader and I had a lot of downtime and instead of like playing video games or scrolling my phone or looking up Reddit, I looked at what the business was doing. I looked at the various newsletters and the copy that they were putting out and I was like, "Huh, I think I can write that." And so I just started writing pieces on spec and I sent them to other
managing editors that I knew because I worked at the same company. I was like, "Hey, I noticed that you do this. Would you be interested in publishing this?" The answer was yes. So I got pulled out of the proofing pool within two months. That's how you that's how you do this. And then like I got promoted to managing editor uh within 6 months because like um I stumbled across a really big opportunity that we didn't really have any resources for and I started writing reports about it and doing like boots on the ground research. That's
how that's how I got promoted. Again, a lot of these questions about individual copyrightiting gurus like they're fine. All of them are fine. As long as they are not trying to exploit you, they're fine. And if they have stuff out there that you can learn from, learn from it. And if you stop learning from them, move on. That's it. Don't worry so much about it. How long do you usually take to research a new product or service? Um, and how much time would you advise newbies to take on researching? So, the time that when I'm
on the job, if I have been hired as a freelancer to work on a promo, there's usually an 8week turnaround. Every now and again, like I'll take my time with something. Again, the bestselling promo that I ever wrote was eight months, but most of that was research. I actually learned to code so that I could like do some machine learning to like figure out a trading algorithm like what was responsible for certain gains. It was a very complicated process. I have written about that elsewhere. Um, so like don't do that if you're a newbie. I
don't recommend that. But if you are gen just taking a normal job, it should be about four to five weeks of research and then one to two weeks of writing and then one week of like revision and compliance. That's typically how this goes. And that's again that's for like a true campaign. That's like sales letter, emails, order form, upsells, downells, like the whole campaign. If it's just like a single like value email like two pages long man like again the amount that you research should be dependent on how much you're getting paid. If you are
getting paid 10 bucks the amount of research that you're doing is like oh I will Google two things. That's it. Nothing more. So and so that's my answer. How much uh would I advise newbies uh take you know how much time you take for practice and portfolio pieces as much time and research as you need to produce the best thing that you can. If you are producing I'm going to use a term I used earlier. If you're producing dog [ __ ] you might need to do more research. And because it's a practice piece you
have total permission to take as much time as you need to and do whatever you need to get it good. So keep that in mind. I have my first ever sales call scheduled in the first week of January. How can I ace it and close the deal? Okay. Uh we have a whole video about selling your services as a copywriter. Now, um the thing that I want you to keep in mind is that a lot of copywriters go into sales calls sort of blind. Like they don't actually take the time to understand the business, how
the business makes money. They arrive at the interview without any ideas. So, don't do any of that stuff. Um, one of the most common questions that I ask people if I'm hiring them is, uh, what is a piece of copy that you've read recently that you thought was really good and why? And if they say something along the lines of like, oh, well, there was this, you know, great YouTube ad selling Dr. Squatch's soap. I'm going to be like, all right, you know, normie next. But if they say something along the lines of like, "Oh,
well, you know, Stanbury Research like had this promotion that used the angle of like actually having one of their dissatisfied customers like be the person that was actually like selling the product. Like the business actually won them over and that was part of the story of the sales letter." I'd be like, "Huh, interesting. This person knows the business that I'm in, the niche that I'm in. They they're like plugged into like the heavy hitters of the industry, things like that. So that's that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for people that clearly and obviously are
plugged in. And if you display that during the sales call, you're going to ace it. Do I use AI to help you with research now? No, not at all. actually um there was a time when I was like when I'm writing something about like with pain points or with um other things like that uh I will like ask it for like a list of pain points or a list of distressing things or a list of bullets or like obvious benefits for something and then what I will try to do is not actually use what's in
chat GPT if I've done my research well chat GPT is not going to come up with anything that I haven't come up with but I'm going to look at that list and like I'm going to refresh it a few times and ask it to produce more and refine more. Um, and if it's I you it gets repetitive because again it's all based on averages like you know it's a it's a prediction algorithm like you know statistically this text follows this text. So eventually you're going to exhaust uh what it is able to produce just statistically.
So I go okay well it came up with this list of 20 things. What can I come up with that's not on that list? what can I do that would make what I'm writing unique? And that's how I do that's how I mostly use chatbt for research. Every now and again I will ask it to like explain something like um at one point I was a little like iffy on understanding how carry trade works. So I asked it how carry trade works and then it told me how carry trade works. There you go. That's that's
how I that's how I use chatb. How do you know for sure your copy can get a certain percent of conversion rate requested by a client? If your client requests a certain conversion rate, they are a bad client. Copy, my friends, is a game of any given Sunday. You never know if something's going to work or not. Even the best copywriters on the planet, their stuff only works 30 to 40% of the time. And by that I mean it's like, you know, it's a true like hit, not a breakout, not a like a breakthrough like
Blockbuster. But even the best copywriters have a majority losing percentage. It's either mediocre or gets shuffled under the rug or it just doesn't work. That's a fact. And that's something you need to keep in mind as you're like getting into this. Most of the stuff that you are writing, especially as a beginner, is not going to work. The way to succeed then is by taking more shots on deck, not by practicing your aim. Oo, the arts and nonprofit organization niche profitable. I'm an artist myself, so I understand that area more. Yeah, that's absolutely a good
place to get direct response. And in fact, like like you'll get like the Metropolitan like symphony orchestra, they send out direct response mailers like uh all sorts of arts agencies will send out like mailers asking for donations. nonprofits will all like St. Jude's it has some of the best direct response copy on the planet. They are masters of the direct mail like of the direct mailer. So, what's the best way to get inbound clients, man? Like just just hungry thirsty. All right. Best way to get inbound clients? Um, basically you have to set yourself up
as an agency. you know, get a really good web page, get a good presence where you're not selling advice to other copywriters, but rather you're selling advice to businesses about how they can grow their businesses. You want to sort of frame yourself more as a marketing guru rather than just like as a copywriter. And of course, you can make like ads and stuff like that, but like a lot of copyriters don't, you know, succeed doing that. You have to like sort of present yourself as a business or agency. Do I have videos on doing research?
Oh, man. in the patreon.com/thecopy thatshow. Alex literally has I think over 15 hours of videos of him just doing research. Also, our free 5hour video, the whole course that is like the most popular video on our channel like that goes very deeply into research and how to do it and how to do it well. Uh yeah, St. Jude's like they sent me like a check and they were just like you know whatever you write to us we will match it. It was it was brilliant. Like you learn so many tactics and strategies from just looking
at really good direct marketers and St. Jude's one of the best. I think that's I answered every question. That's amazing. Now I am going to write a practice piece. Now I'm going to put it up to a vote. What should I write about? Well, first off, what type of copy do you want me to see? Do you want to see me write? and what product or niche should I write about? People seem to be leaning towards surfing lessons. So, let's sell some surfing lessons. Okay, the first thing that we want to do is find out
how surfing instructors sell or their services or require them. So, let's actually go to Google surfing lessons near me. Surfing lessons, Ocean City. Okay. Look at this. So again, a lot of a lot of you have probably at one point asked the question, "Hey, uh, how do I select a product? How do I find out businesses to write for? Look at what I just did. It took me 5 seconds to find a business near me that probably needs copy. Look, all of this is copy that's bad. Oh, sorry. All of this is copy that's bad
that can be improved." So we got that how it works. Lessons and you can see the page now. [Music] Pricing. Okay. Lessons are 1.5 hours. People wanted surfing copy. So we're going to do surfing copy. I just give the people what they want. Register. Insert surfing lessons. December late April. H. Okay. So, I mean this I can tell you right now that the way that they get customers is, you know, this is it's basically a a a sign up to call funnel. Like you put in your information, they're going to like call you or you
can reserve some stuff with us. Reviews. Why us? So, here's the thing. Based on that, what do we know? We know that they don't collect emails, it seems, or at least they don't send emails very easily. Oh, wait here. Email subscription down here. So, they do send emails. Let's let's sign up. I'm do what I'm doing is basically funnel hacking right now. I'm looking and seeing like what this business does. Do they have a welcome email? I'm looking at my email inbox right now and I'm waiting to see, you know, they are not sending me
a welcome email. That tells me that there's possibly a need for a welcome email. So, guess what we're going to do, guys? We're going to write a welcome email. Okay, let's find out. Let's find out who these people are. Yeah, there there's no welcome email. So, let's let's actually find out let's actually write a welcome email for these people. Okay. Wavewriting school and team of the best watermen in the region. Surfing instructors have a skill set is very un that is very unique and specific to what we do. I Yeah, I'm I'm doing research. I'm
actually looking at the page and finding out, you know, what these people are all about. Okay. So, it's a surfing school, so the actual content should probably not be super formal. You know, probably better if it's even more fun. team has traveled the globe competing on world level. All this is very like feature and benefit driven. It's there's not a whole lot of personality here that I'm seeing. So would this be an example of an opportunity to cold email them about writing a welcome email? I mean, yeah, I literally did just imply that and that
is absolutely an opportunity. Like I noticed that they are collecting emails, but they're not welcoming emails. They're not getting confirmations. they're not interacting with people who get onto the list in any way. So, what I'm going to do is write a welcome email on spec, you know, congratulations. I just showed you like all the research that you need to do to like not only like like make write things on spec, but also to add things to your portfolio and also to see businesses that need help. What is the question I'm trying to find an answer
for with this research? Okay, there are several things. one, I'm trying to find out who they are, what they what their values are, what they're selling, how they get customers. Um, I'm trying to find out like any points of cred, you know, things like that, you know, all this stuff. I'm also trying to find out what their tone is, like what the voice of the company is. This surfing business is about to get flooded with pitches. Oh my god, it's terrible. I hope not. But God, yeah. H Christ, I didn't even think about that. So,
let's actually go to the page and start jotting down some notes. Okay. uh they need a welcome email and it's kind of obvious because you don't want somebody who signs up to your list to go without some sort of point of contact. wavewritingchool.com the world famous wavewriting school.com I would not do an alt subject line for this. Now we're not going to do an alternative subject line because you can't really test a welcome. Some automated sequences allow you to do that but most don't. So there's not really a point in doing it. The only reason
you would do it is is if you want the person, the prospect like to [Music] choose. Now oftent times the best subject lines for a welcome email are just super basic because the people are already in a fairly informed state of mind. They know what they just signed up for. [Music] So I think it's something like ready to hit the like this. What is SSL? A secondary subject line. So let me show you. So this is my real email inbox. You'll notice that there's a from line and then a subject line that's in bold. And
here lighter is the preview text right here. The secondary subject line is this preview text. We used to if you were if you're an old head like me, you call it white text because the way that you got preview text was you put a little little bit of HTML copy at the top of an email and then you HTML coded it to be white so that people couldn't see. So, almost feel like this this would be. That's just going to be a placeholder. Uh, subject line. Doesn't need to be perfect. Just needs to get done.
Again, this is a practice piece. We're here to have fun. So, let's actually have some fun with it. Surf's up, dude. You got you gotta lean into the cliche. It is literally a a surf instruction. Like, you know, do you do you want to learn surfing from people that aren't going to act and talk like surfers? No. So, let's actually enjoy the proc like the process of writing this. And I'm I'm just going to write and then I'm going to review and like with you guys and sort of talk through my thought process and then
like we'll do a little bit of revision, but like for the most part it's just about like getting stuff onto the page and thinking like, okay, what would this business need to properly welcome people? And so we need a proper salutation. And I'm going to give you an outline that you can use and sort of like, you know, mix and match and like, you know, sort of assess next to other welcome emails that you see out there in the world. The salutation. This is your welcome. This is like, hey, this thing happened. You signed up.
Um, congratulate people. Introduce business or guru. provide any necessary info uh a person needs to properly engage with the business. Subject line, welcome to the wavewriting community. Secondary subject line. Ready to hit the waves? Surfs up, dude. We just got word that you're interested in surf. Let again this is a practice piece. We're We're allowing ourselves to be playful and fun with this. Can always go back and fix stuff. Tubular surf lessons. Hey, it's the early 90s again. And then let's let's do the congratulate people later and let's introduce the business or guru now. And
so what do we got? We have bio. We have Brian, Colin, and Luke. Brian just about wiped out when he's Hey, let's actually copy paste some of this stuff in. We'll see what we can use. And let's reduce the font size so that we can actually like manage this. Share this tab. Instead, all I did was just take these bullets from the bio page and we're going to work some in. Brian just about wiped out when we got the notification. He's one of the top surfing instructors in the co in the country. He can't wait
to see you gliding across the waves on your board. Is it just me or did the name scream surfer? Yeah, absolutely. also ju just saw who's the other dude. Colin, let's get his bullets in here. Colin, hands up. Excitement. He caught the highest hair ever. recording to bodyboard magazine can teach you how to fly off the waves too if you call in and ask for him. Call into and let's introduce the business there too. call into the wave writing school and ask for lessons from him. Writing copy for this company. If sales didn't go up,
could you explain the website could be the problem? They should update things on the site. Um, so working as a copywriter, it's basically the same as like writing copy for any sort of client. You don't want to tell people that what they're doing is their fault. Like, you know, one of the reasons why Copy that is never going to be a particularly big big or super profitable business is because I will get on stream as I have for the last two and a half hours and say, "Listen, the reason why you're not getting any clients
because your copy [ __ ] sucks." Like, nobody else is going to do that. Like, so that's that's how this works. If you come out and you write a welcome email, well, guess what? I'm not going to be selling in this welcome email. I want to be have a CTA, but it's going to be like to place a call. So, they're probably not going to track it unless you use like something like Call Slang or some other service like that. So, impossible to know whether this is going to increase sales like sales or not. But,
it's certainly going to be better than what they have right now, which is nothing. So, even if they got one sale from this, it was probably worth it. All right. He can teach you how to fly off the waves, too. If you if you just want a chill time out on the rolling waves of Ocean City, Luke's your man. He's been surfing since he was five years old. And if teach you stand up, ride. It's him. Okay. [Music] So, you made a good choice. So, congratulations. You made a good choice. Hi up with wave ray
school. now. Um, as a thank you Can you add preview text if you don't have a special software? Can be done in Gmail. Um, I think that Gmail will only allow you to show the first line. We're so amped up that that's thank you. We and let's have a line break here just to emphasize this. Bold it. Call in today. Call in to call in that. Okay. for lesson when you call in today. Pick up the phone and dial 443 203 wave pricing. All lessons are 1.5 hours and include a gift from our [Music] sponsors
when you call in and schedule your 1.5 hour. Notice, by the way, how I just copied something from their website and put it in here. You're allowed to do that. You're absolutely allowed to do that. That is a thing that you can do. You call in and schedule your 1.5 hour lesson and get your free gift. You also get a free gift. Give us a ring when you can. We will catch you on the flip side. Oh yeah. And then who are these people again? It's Brian Colin and Luke. Brian Colin. Okay, look at that.
So, within a matter of like 20 minutes, I just wrote a practice welcome email. It's not perfect. I wasn't even trying to make it perfect, but let's actually read it and kind of assess and see what's up. Subject line, welcome to the wavewriting community. That feels very weak to me. So, that's something that we can come back to and fix. Secondary subject line, ready to hit the waves. All right. Okay, not bad. Radical surfs up, dude. We just got word that you're interested in some totally tubular surf lessons. Brian just about wiped out when he
got the notification. He's one of our top surfing instructors. He's one of the top surfing instructors in the country and finished in the top 10 of the Pro Tour for over 15 years. He can't wait to see you gliding across the waves on your board. I also just saw Colin throw his hands up in excitement. Did you know he caught the highest air ever? According to Body Board magazine, he can teach you how to fly off the waves, too. If you call into Wave Writing, the wave riding school and ask for lessons from him. But
if you just want a chill time out on the rolling waves of Ocean City, Luke's your man. He's been surfing since he was 5 years old. If anyone can coach you to stand up and feel the wind in your hair as you ride the waves, it's him. So, congratulations. You made a good choice signing up with RA Wave Writing School. We're so amped up as that that as a thank you. We'd love to offer you 10% off your first lesson when you call in today. Just pick up the phone and dial 443203 Wave. When you
call in and schedule your 1.5 hour lesson, you also get a free gift. Give us a ring when you can. We'll catch you on the flip side. Brian, Colin, and [Music] Luke. PS, what we want is the PS. Typically, in a welcome email, the PS, it's either an offer or it's um like some other additional information, typically like white labeling, like like whitelisting. Uh, but that's that's more common for like info-based businesses where you're going to be sending a lot of emails to people on a regular basis. You don't really need to do that if
like all this business needs is like a three email welcome sequence that sells people on a particular service and then that's it. Um, another thing that you can use a PS for in a welcome email is providing some other information like PS. Tomorrow, we're actually going to send you an email with a list of the top 10 surf spots in Maryland. Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox. And if you want a coach to help you snag some I feel like such a poser. I I've never been surfing before, so I have no
idea like how surfers actually talk, but I'm just like sort of riffing based on like what the stereotype in my head. Again, we're having fun here. If you want to a coach to help you snag some radical air, gnarly wave, make sure to give us a call at Okay, so we got another another CTA here, plus also some like foreshadowing of what to expect. Give us a ring when you can. Check out our pricing and services on our website. Now, here's the thing. If this were a more direct responsey like you know trying to sell
info or things like that, trying to be like very optimized, you want to focus on just one CTA. Like give people one piece of information, one thing that they can do and only that. But my friends, this is for a surf instructor. We don't need to it doesn't need to be the perfect welcome email. It just needs to be better than what they have, which I let me remind you is zero things. So calling is the only way to reach the business. I mean, that's the the CTA that they have on their site. Call today
443203 wave. So there you go. And another thing, too, is like also you can have other CTAs and and welcome emails like, you know, follow us on Twitter, follow us on YouTube, like, you know, things like that. People go crazy with it, but you know, I'm of the opinion that the fewer the better. And like if you're going to welcome people, you might as well have like five emails in a row that introduce all that stuff one at a time. So Oh. Oh, Joe, look at that. PS. No prior surf experience necessary. That's good copy.
I'll give it right here. No prior surf experience needed. If we can't get you up on your board and coasting on the waves I've already I so this is an editing thing but I've already use the if you here let's let's control F if you call this if anyone can do this but if you just want so I've already overused if as a like a clause. So I'm going to just pay attention to that know that I've overused it. I'm going to change the subject, the sentence accordingly so I don't use it. Notice what I
did just there. I noticed myself doing something that could be distracting and a little repetitive. And so I searched for it and then I changed it. That's how you make copy better. And it doesn't have to be if. It could be the word just. It could be sentence structures. It could be like overuse of the same ideas over and over again. Just be conscious of what you're doing and you're going to write better copy. We'll get you up on your board and coasting along the waves or your money back. So, give us a ring when
you can. Would chat GPT be good to help us understand how surfers talk? Maybe. I'm not particularly interested. Like like honestly like how how long did this take me? Like when did I first when did I first start writing this? Was it like 20 minutes ago? In the span of 20 minutes, I researched a business. I got into their funnel. I found a missing piece in their marketing strategy and then I made that piece. I didn't need to open up chat GPT for any of that. Like again, that's the whole point of like getting good
and like practicing this stuff. I've written a lot of welcome emails and guess what? Of all the ones that I've written, this is definitely one of them. So, notice how I just allowed myself to have fun. I could go and improve this. I could go look up like other businesses and how they welcome people. I could probably like all of this this copy right here that's all introducing like the people the actual coaches I could shorten this like this can be shortened and like it will probably be better for it and like make it less
about the individual instructors and more about the business itself but right now it's for a practice piece it's fine and like it's done like I can put this away now I can put this away. And if I wanted to revise it and try to make it better in two weeks, I could pull it out again and be like, "All right, I did write that one welcome email for that one business. Wonder if there's anything that I can do to improve it." Then I'll look at it in two weeks and be like, "Oh man, like all
this like the cliche surfer talk is really cringey." And then I would change it again. That's how this process of getting better works, of practicing works. It's just being really kind to yourself, being really forgiving of yourself, being really playful, like being attentive and conscientious, but not so much that it forces you into analysis paralysis. If you do all of those things, you're going to write some kick-ass practice pieces. And guess what? After I revise this and make this better like two or three times and like I can't think of anything good and like all
the people critiquing it are like, "Yeah, it's it's good to go. It's a sample piece now. And again, the whole baked in all like research, writing, framing, all of it took 20 minutes. It's a first draft. That's all I'm expecting you to do. That's all I'm asking you to do. When you write a first draft, when you write a practice piece, it does not need to be good. You don't need to get it critiqued either. Again, it's a practice piece. It never needs to see the light of day ever again. But you had to use
your brain to actually get this done. And that's how you get better. You frowned at the puns. What are some other nos? Um, so puns and other forms of like obvious rhetoric are the problem with them is that they draw attention to themselves. They're like, "Hey, look at me. I'm indulgent." And you don't want your copy to be indulgent. You don't want your copy, unless it's like contextually like it makes sense for it to, you don't want it to like actually be like something that draws attention to itself. Rather, you want your copy to almost
be just almost like a veil, like a gossamer veil that allows people to see beyond the copy to the things that they want. That's what I was trying to do here. Like rather than just being like, "We have one surfer instructor named Brian. We also have another surf instructor named Carlin. We have another one named Luke and he is your man." No. I wo in their bios with the benefits that people potentially want. Did you know he caught the highest air ever? According to Bodyboard Magazine, he can teach you how to fly off the waves,
too, if you call and ask for lessons from him. how to fly off the waves, too. Like, how to catch high air if that's what you want. That's the benefit. That's the desire. That's the outcome. Notice how I wo it all in without it being like obvious or hackne. So, so yeah, I mean, instruction for whitelisting. Yeah. Yeah. So, here Google is your friend on this one. How to whitelist an email. So what you do is you look up whitelisting instructions and then you get the instructions and then you sorry and then you provide those
instructions. Hubspot is a a good source for that. There you go. How to whitelist an email. There you go. So again, any welcome email is always going to have a proliferation of CTAs because like I was saying earlier, there's a lot of stuff that you need to do in a welcome email. You need to one, welcome people. You need to tell people what they signed up for. You need to tell people what they're signing up for. if they signed up on a squeeze page that you know had like some sort of downloadable thing, you typically
provide a link to that thing in the welcome email. Like there's also typically an offer in the welcome email. Welcome emails are a lot like there's a blend of like sales uh function like marketing all that. And so yeah, uh basically the CTA rule, it's always better to just have one. Um and so sometimes what businesses will do is that like if there's like a downloadable link, um the welcome email will say, "Hey, we're going to send you your what you signed up for um in just a few minutes. We just want to make sure
that you get it. So, whitelist this email, you know, whitelist our email address first to make sure that you get the thing that you requested, the the thing that you signed up for. That's a very common uh strategy for making sure that people whitelist your email. Happens all the time. Again, it doesn't really make sense for our surf instruction shop, like welcome email because again, like they're not going to be they're probably not going to be blasting people with like offers. If people don't sign up for the wave riding, you know, course like, you know,
surf shop course within a few days, the actual drop off for surf instruction is going to be precipitous. It's going to be really, really fierce. You know, for one, like people need to be in Ocean City. So like, and people only go to or live in Ocean City for like vacation. So if people like sign up for this email, you have a very small amount of time to get people to like call in and make like schedule an appointment. So that's why you would want some sort of like 3 to five day sequence and not
more than that. So just stuff to keep in mind. And that I think gentlemen, ladies, everything in between. I think that was everything you need to know about how to practice copy. Like that that was that was that was the full kitten kaboodleoodle. That was that was the whole bag of burritos. That was the that was the mama jama. Now, something else we need to talk about is niches. Oh boy. If you've watched videos like this before, then maybe you've heard about picking the best copywriting niche. Well, we're about to tell you something that may
shatter your whole world. The niche you pick simply doesn't matter. Usually, people who say that some niches are better than others are doing so for ulterior motives. They know that being black and white about the topic is nicer for their audience to hear and will make it easier to sell to them later. But no, take it from the people who have openly worked in over 50 niches combined. Money is everywhere. There is often zero correlation between the niche you work in and how much you get paid. Instead, it's far more important to know things like
how to position yourself when pitching a business or what green flags to look for when identifying prospects, no matter the niche. Now, if you don't know what a niche is, let's make it clear. A niche is an area of expertise, something that you specialize in. Niches can be defined by industry, for example, the fitness niche, or they can be defined by the type of copy, for example, email copywriting. The point is, niches are something that you can focus on and gain expertise in. Focusing on a single niche gives you an air of authority. So, you
can understand why people think that niching down straight away is a good thing. But this is actually the wrong impulse. The reality is niching down and only looking for work in one type of niche when you start is extremely limiting. Instead, our advice is to look for opportunities everywhere and then use some very effective tactics to still have the authority that niching down would normally give you. Seriously, I made $126,000 from working in the industrial piping niche. And I almost guarantee that no gurus on YouTube have ever considered suggesting that as a place to start.
The point is, you don't need to overwhelm yourself with picking the right niche. We will show you what to do instead. Only niche down from the start if there's a good reason for you to do so. For example, if you've been a vetinarian for 6 years and already have great connections in that field, then you can focus on animal and pet related copy. But if you're only trying to niche down right now because you've heard you need to, then ignore that advice. Instead, pay attention to what we tell you and learn how most successful beginner
copywriters actually find their first clients. Okay, I think you're ready. Let's find out which copyrightiting career path is right for you. There are only a finite number of types of careers a copywriter can actually have governed by ultimately who's paying you money. So, in this particular section of the master class, we are going to go over the major types of career that you can have and maybe throw in a few nuances and tips along the way. The first type of career we're going to talk about is freelance copywriting because it's the one you're probably most
familiar with as it gets talked about quite a lot for newbies, even though the reality is most people actually end up here at the end of their career rather than start with it. Having said that, it's completely fine to start with as well, but as you'll come to see over the next few sections, there are plenty of options for people who want to get into copywriting. We know people really like to put freelance copywriting on a pedestal, but should it really be there? Is it possible to be your own boss? Is it really a case
of following your own route? Let's find out. So, first of all, what actually counts as a freelance copywriter? Well, the first and most important thing is that you get paid to write words for businesses. That is pretty much can define any copywriter, but it's particularly important in freelance because that is what you are doing no matter who you're working with. Typically, you are self-employed, which means you are responsible for finding a wage. There is no one else who's going to do it for you. It's all down to you, which can feel a little bit scary.
You are typically hired for short-term contracts and you're usually working on a deliverable based workload, which means you get paid for delivering something to a client. And also, typically, you'll be working with multiple clients at any given time. And most horribly, in my opinion, you are responsible for your own contracts, your own taxes, and all of the legal stuff as well. But don't let that put you off from freelancing because in truth, you really don't have to worry too much about contracts or legal stuff for the first little bit of your career. Especially since like
if the dollar amounts that you're working for as a freelancer are so low, it doesn't make any sense to put things on paper because that is going to ultimately cost you more than you're getting. Well, if those are all the similarities between freelance copyriters, what actually differs? because you're guessing that there's probably not just one kind of freelance copywriter. Yeah. And you'd be right. There's a ton that can differ. So, we can't possibly put all of it into one video. Freelance copyriters could have different industries, a different number of clients they work with. It can
sometimes even depends whether or not they use a contract for their services. They might specialize in different types of copy. They set different rates. They do different working hours. They will offer slightly different services compared on who they're working with. and how they deliver the end product can also be different. So, if you're going into this thinking, oh, freelance copywriting is just one kind of thing, you might need to think again. But wait, Alex, if I'm a newbie copyriter, I'm looking at all these like differences and all this nuance, like which one's the best one?
We get that question a lot and I understand, but there's a simple way to answer that which we're going to unfold over the next sections when we talk about finding client work. Remember, a few times in this presentation, we've talked about how niching down isn't necessarily the right option. And that kind of goes for everything listed here. There is no best, there is no perfect, there is no right. There's just the thing that works best for you. But before we get into any of that, which we'll cover later on when it comes to finding different
kinds of work, let's first of all discuss if freelancing is even right for you in the first place. So, there are a few reasons why freelancing as a type of copyrightiting that you can do is actually pretty cool. And the first one that gets bandied about the most is the fact that you get to be your own boss. Though there are a million caveats and nuances to that that we're going to have to discuss in a few minutes. You also get the option to choose your own clients. Now, that's pretty cool for a number of
different reasons because you can choose clients that only work in niches that you're interested in writing for. You also have the freedom to fire your clients if they are a pain in the ass. There's no ability that you have if you're working inside of a nine-to-five to fire your boss. But as a freelancer, you can actually do that. The other option that you have is to choose your own hours. And that's a huge benefit for freelancing as a career. The other thing that you also sort of learn as you go through a freelance career is
that unlike working a nineto-five where doing more work faster often just leads to more work as a freelancer if you can increase your speed and increase your efficiency you ultimately get to see a higher reward because again typically you're either being paid on retainer or you're being paid per deliverable which means the more deliverables you can send out the more money you can make. The other thing that you can get as a freelancer that is advantageous for a certain type of personality is that you undergo a sort of baptism by fire. Now what does that
metaphor mean? It effectively means that now with the urgency and the pressure of having to perform for your clients. Well, now you really get to put up a shut up. There's no time for practicing. There's no time for like, you know, ringing your hands and worrying about stuff. You actually have to do the work. that's going to force you to learn and that's going to force you to grow. Steel sharpens steel, as they say. There was like five metaphors in there, but it's fine. Another thing with being a freelancer that's advantageous, too, is the fact
that it's easier for you to change direction. So, if you decide ultimately that you don't like writing emails anymore, well, guess what? You can take what you've learned from writing a million emails and then suddenly apply that to writing Facebook posts or landing pages or commercials. There's so many different types of copyrightiting out there and as a freelancer if you get to pick the clients you work for and the jobs you take well that just allows you to take different jobs if you're able to sell yourself well. The other advantage of being a freelancer is
that you ultimately get to work in your own way. There's no company that's handing you a process stock. There's no business that's handing you a very specific formatted brief. There's nobody telling you exactly what to do or like how to think or how to go about your work. You get to decide everything. And so for people that really value their freedom, freelancing, well, free is in the name. So that's why it's good. But of course, we also need to look at the flip side of being a freelance copywriter. What are the cons? Well, first of
all, and a lot of people struggle with this, you are responsible for everything. You have to find your own work. You have to make sure your taxes get paid and you have to manage your life on the side. So often it can get overwhelming if you don't know how to manage this properly, which of course is something we'll come to talk about later on in this course. One thing that I've discovered when teaching newbies is that younger people tend to struggle with freelancing the most for this very reason. And that's because there have been very
few situations in your life thus far if you are very very young where you've actually had the opportunity to direct your life, especially every facet of your life. Now that you're a freelancer, you can't rely on anybody for anything or for people to tell you how to do things. You're on your own. Another problem a lot of freelancers will face, especially early on in their careers, is inconsistent income. Like we said on the previous slide, it's ultimately a game of deliverables. How much can you deliver to a client to get paid in return? And if
you can't find clients to pay you for something, if you're not putting out enough work, then your pay is going to reflect that. And so often it can leads to months where you get paid a good chunk of money and then the next month where you lose a contract or don't quite know how to continue something with a client and all of a sudden you don't have as much or in some cases nothing. Now, there are ways of course to counteract this, which again we'll go into when we talk about how to find work, but
inconsistent income can be an issue for some freelancers. And in a similar vein, if you are freelancing with a company so often, and I've experienced this and unfortunately had to be the executioner myself on occasions, you are the first on the chopping block when a company needs to cut costs. That is just a reality that you will have to face. Not all freelancers are going to be the people that businesses want to save. You are often the first in the firing line. A simple way to think about that is this. When a company hires an
employee, they have to invest in that employee. But the whole reason a company hires freelancers is because they don't have to invest in a freelancer. And so for that reason, a company will ultimately have no loyalty to you if you are a freelancer. Oh boy, there's one more thing as well, and I know this all too well, as I know Sean does, too. When you have a 9 to5, you can pretty easily squish in your work and keep it contained. When you're freelancing, 9 to5 can often become 5 to 9, 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
That's many hours in the day. What I mean by that is when you rely on yourself to earn money and you have to do a load of work for clients, you can be working around the clock to get it done. Either because you need to hit deadlines or just because it becomes all-encompassing and you find it difficult to separate work from play, from leisure, from relaxing with family. And if you're not prepared to either have a very very clear system to keep those two separate or you're happy with embibing freelancing into everyday life, it's something
you might need to think about avoiding. And the last point, loneliness. Being a freelancer sometimes means you get lonely. You're not going into an office every day. In most cases, you don't have a kind of close camaraderie feeling that you have with teams when you're an employee. And I've experienced this too. It actually led me to stop freelancing for a couple of years within my career because I wanted a team and I wanted to be friendly with people and be socialable again. And often times that loneliness comes because you're working so darn hard as a
freelancer, you don't really have time to look after the social side of your life. If you are perceptive to loneliness or you feel like it might be a problem, then freelancing may not be the way to go for you. One thing that I've discovered working with a lot of copywriters is that once people go freelance, especially if they started in house is they tend to actually stall out and their abilities and their skills just sort of plateau. And one of the reasons for that is because all of a sudden you are no longer as a
freelancer getting exposed to other people to give you not only feedback on your work but also social feedback which is extremely important for what we're doing which at its core really is trying to reach out and be empathetic with other people. It's kind of hard to do that if you've been sitting in a dark room for the last 13 months working 14 hours a day. So ultimately we have to ask ourselves what is it that makes for a successful freelance copywriter and there's one thing that rises above all and that is your ability to sell
or pitch yourself. One of the things that we frequently talk about is the fact that the copy that you write for clients and the copy that you use to sell yourself is the same. That ultimately the act of pitching clients is an act of writing copy. the product or the service in this case is you. And a lot of people really struggle with that if they are relatively new copywriters because they have not learned how to sell themselves particularly well. And if you can't sell yourself well, you're never going to get any clients. But don't
worry because if you're worried about your ability to pitch, that's exactly what we're going to cover in the next section of this course. So stick around. Another thing that you have to keep in mind as a freelance copywriter is kind of what we were saying before. because you're responsible for all of your finances, you have to be smart with your finances. And since life as a freelancer is very uh, as Lindsay would call it, lumpy, you're going to have some months where you make a lot of money and some months where you make very little
money. And if you are the type of person who when you make a lot of money spend a lot of money, you're ultimately going to really really struggle because not only do you have to take the large amount of money that you make and take percentages of that and save it for taxes and future savings, you also have to spread it out just in case any of your future work falls through. Having a safety net is supremely important if you're a freelancer. Another thing that you need to become a successful freelancer is extraordinarily good time
management. As we said, there are certainly going to be times in your freelancing career where you are working 5:00 a.m. into the morning until 9:00 p.m. at night or longer. I have definitely had situations where I had to stay up for 36 hours straight working on a project. And do you think the copy that I was producing on hour 33 was good? No. And so you don't want to make my mistakes. You want to have good time management, a really, really good routine or schedule that allows you to complete your tasks and your work on
time and at a high quality. The other thing that you need to become a successful copywriter is very simply unrelenting grit. Very simply, there's going to be a lot of failures that you encounter in your career. Your copy's not going to work. Clients are going to let you go. You might go a couple of months without any clients actually wanting your services. Lord knows if there's an economic recession, people are not going to be hiring freelancers. And so, one of the things that you need to make freelancing work for you is just the ability to
keep working at it and keep working at it no matter what and at the same level of energy that you had regardless of the situation that you're in. The other thing that you need, and this is probably a little counterintuitive, is as a freelancer, you actually need more social skills. You need to be more of a likable person than like an employee. An employee, you can just sort of squirrel away into a basement cubicle somewhere. But if you're a freelancer, you are effectively establishing relationships with business owners and decision makers, which means that you need
to be the type of person that they like and want to work with. you are effectively a vendor and that establishes a business relationship. Another thing that you have to consider to become a successful freelance copywriter is the fact that you are going to be dealing with imposttor syndrome quite a bit. You are going to be constantly feeling like the work that you do is not good enough, like the stuff that you do is not good enough. We have plenty of other resources that help you work through your imposter syndrome. But at the end of
the day, for this particular instance right here, all I can say is that you need to find a way to get coping mechanisms and work your way through that imposttor syndrome so that you can actually execute the tasks on time at a high quality. And finally, and this is a a little bit of a bonus, not a necessary thing to become a successful copyriter, but certainly something that we have seen other people do that has sort of made their income go parabolic as a freelance copyriter. And that's simply the ability to go beyond copywriting. A
lot of the best copywriters right now working with smaller or mid-size businesses actually provide an abundance of services. They're hired more as like a marketing consultant rather than as just a person who writes words that sell things. And so if you have the ability to incorporate consulting, marketing strategy, design, other facets that could help a business acquire more customers or monetize those customers. That ultimately is going to be a thing that is going to lead to you making more money. And so don't go into freelance copyrightiting just thinking, "Oh, I can just make a person's
words sound kind of good and I'll make all the money." No. The people that make the most money as a freelance copywriter are the people that can actually handle a huge number of different tasks for a business. Remember, a business's goal is to maximize profit and reduce expenses. And so, the more they can get from you with the less expense, the happier they are going to be to keep paying you again and again and again. This is something we're really passionate about here at Copy That because we've all kind of experienced the benefits of this
and we want to tell you the best possible way to make money if that's what you're interested in. If cash and having a great lifestyle is really what you're in this for, then going beyond copyrightiting is something you need to get quite serious about. Now, as we always say, we've said previously in this course and we'll say again in the future, copywriting is where you need to start because you have to understand how all of this works from the ground up. But going beyond copywriting and offering the services that Sean's just spoken about is a
fantastic way to increase how much you earn. And a little bit later, I'll talk to you about that a bit more. So freelancing is not the only type of copyrightiting career that you can have. And in fact, normally for most of the copyriters on the planet, what they do is actually apply and get a job. They work a 9 to5. They clock in. They collect a salary. They have a white picket fence and a dog that they pet. and you know 2.5 kids and that whole I'm not going to be neurotic. So in this section
we are going to go over whether the 9-to-f5 salaried type of position might be right for you. So what does working inhouse actually mean? Well very simply it means that you are a full-time employee who writes solely for one company or business. There is a boss and you are an underling and you are in charge of producing the work that they are asking you to produce. You will get tasks assigned to you based on whatever the company's goals or values are. Very little wiggle room for you to just sort of venture out on your own
or do your own thing. You will typically have a manager or a supervisor who checks and approves your work. Sometimes they'll give you feedback. Sometimes that feedback is pretty atrociously terrible. You will also have someone else responsible for ensuring you get paid. They'll handle your payroll taxes. They'll handle like all the filings with the government and things like that. They'll handle benefits for you. That is what is going to happen when you are working in-house. And one thing that you'll notice is that there are just simply fewer variables that you have to figure out and
control when you go in-house versus when you are a freelancer. So, the differences between different in-house copywriters tends to be their industry, their specializations, or the types of copy that they write. There will be a huge range in terms of salary. There will be a huge range in terms of royalties or residuals that you can get if you are more on the conversion side of copywriting. You'll also have very different responsibilities. For example, I've known copywriters who are actually in charge also of media buying. I've known copywriters who are also in charge of like editing
uh fulfillment and newsletters and things like that on top of their sales copywriting duties. There's a huge wide range of responsibilities that a company can drop on your lap and they'll all call it being a copywriter even though you might have a different definition of what a copywriter is. Another huge difference is the systems and software that you would be required to use. And in fact, some of the businesses I've worked for used entirely proprietary software that you can't get anywhere else. And so when I exited and became a freelancer, I was trained up on
software and CRM and stuff like that that had no way of teaching me how to use what's actually commonly available in the market today. So that's something that you need to keep in mind and be aware of. Now, you've probably intuited that the first big advantage of working inhouse is the fact that you get stability and a routine. You go in at the same time, you leave at the same time. Typically, every place is a little bit different, but you know when you're going to get paid and you know how much you're going to get
paid. There's no stress associated with the uncertainty of whether or not you're going to get paid or a client or whether your client's going to stiff you or whatever. That's all handled by the job that hired you. Another thing that you'll find is that when you're an in-house copyriter, there's a little bit more job security, at least typically. And that's for the reason that I said before. When you're an employee, a business has actually spent money to invest in you. Hiring people costs money. Few people actually realize that. And so if a business is taking
a chance on you, well, that gives them the incentive not to fire you immediately. So, as long as you keep up a high quality of work and you're constantly adding to the business's bottom line, you're ultimately going to be a good person that they want to keep on. The other thing that you get inhouse that you don't get as a freelancer is a clear path of progression. If you're a freelancer, you're effectively in a sandbox. You get to sort of create your own adventure. But if you're working in-house, you have an entry-level job, a job
above that, a supervisor job all the way up to the very very top of that company. There's a hierarchy. And if you want to play the game, and if you want to politic your way towards the top of a business, you can. and working in-house gives you a clear sense of what you would need to do in order to achieve those other milestones and potentially more money. The other thing that you get in-house that you don't get as a freelancer is a familiar and established set of success criteria. In fact, many in-house roles will actually
give you a yearly or quarterly review telling you what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong and how you can improve. And so ultimately, you know what you would need to do to improve. And that's ultimately going to force you to grow as a copywriter and that's going to force you to grow as a person. Unlike being a freelancer where if you get really good at one thing, you could probably just keep spamming out the same thing without ever changing anything. The other part of that, of course, is that it's not just you growing
as a person. It means you're always working with usually the same people within the business. So, you know what they're expecting. You know what makes them happy. You know what they're going to ask for afterwards. When you're a freelancer, you have to deal with a ton of different clients a lot of the time, and they can all be different. They can all have different things they want to see in different ways at different times. Within an in-house setting, you know that you have to do the same thing again and again. Another thing that you get
as an in-house copywriter is potentially mentorship. And at the very least, when you get in as an entry-le copyriter, you typically have somebody at least teaching you what you need to be doing. That's extraordinarily valuable. When you're a freelancer, you're constantly stressed because not only do you need to learn how to sell yourself and not only do you need to figure out how you're going to get paid, but you also need to be learning this copywriting thing. There's a huge learning curve and there's a whole lot of stress that goes along with that. But if
you're working in-house, those expectations are typically a lot lower. You get paid to learn. Few people realize how amazing that is. Sort of like I touched on just a moment ago, you also have a huge opportunity for job sponsored training. I've known so many junior and intermediate level copywriters who have been paid by their business to travel all over the world to go to different marketing and educational functions. Some businesses will even pay for you to go take college classes so that you can learn other skills that you can bring into the business. Again, one
of the huge advantages of working in-house is that the business invests in you and you get to benefit as well. One other huge advantage that you get as an in-house copywriter that you don't typically get as a freelancer is the ability to mentally switch off. And you know, every business is a little different. Some businesses are more demanding and require you to be always on and always available. We're not going to discuss the ethics of that. Rather, we're going to simply say that if you work for a typical nineto-5 and you're writing copy during that
time and you go home, very often you don't need to answer your phone, check Slack messages, like go on to Discord, keep writing. Your time is your time and your business's time is your business's time. There's a clear delineation between the two. Whereas with freelancing, your work sort of bleeds over into every other facet and time of your day. And finally, and this relates to something Alex and I both experienced, which is very simply the fact that when you are inhouse, there's less loneliness. You have team support. There's socializing. You actually can make really, really
good friends with your co-workers. Now, some people consider this a pro and some people consider this a con, but we would both consider this a pro having worked freelance for so many years and also compared that to working in-house and realizing just what a huge benefit having other people that you can talk to or bounce ideas off of or even just socialize with is. But just like freelancing, in-house has its cons too. The first of which seems pretty obvious, but you are an employee. Now, like we've discussed, that certainly can be a pro, but you
might be listening to this thinking, I don't want to be an employee. I don't want a 9 to5. I don't like anything that comes with that. Which fair enough, you can totally see that as a con. I certainly saw that as a con when I first started out. Next, and this is important for a lot of people, you often have a lack of creative freedom. Now, this isn't the case for every in-house company, of course, but so often they will want you just to work from brand guidelines or from a certain rule book. And of
course, this can also happen when you're freelancing, but it's far more common in house. And you may sit there finding yourself just kind of like not really enjoying what you're doing because you don't feel you can put any originality in it. And as we've discussed throughout the whole rest of this course, originality is one of the most important things when it comes to copy. Some copyriters might get, for example, the assignment to write tweets from the perspective of a particular brand or a particular product. And you might think, "Oh, wow. this is going to be
really fun to write tweets from the perspective of like a Twixb bar. But then after the 20,000th tweet that you've written from the perspective of a Twix bar, you start to realize that maybe this creative endeavor is not as free and as fulfilling as you originally anticipated. A Twix bar, there's a whole Twitter from the perspective of whoopy pies. FZ. Another big con of going inhouse is that typically you get a hard cap on your earning potential. It doesn't matter what you start earning in house and it might feel great to have a salary, but
usually businesses will have an idea in mind of their ceiling, how much they are prepared to pay for a copywriter. And they're not going to pay you any more than that because either they can't afford to or they just don't see copywriting as that big a deal. That's a problem that a lot of people are going to face when they go inhouse. Now, that might not matter to you, of course, cuz maybe you only have a certain amount in mind anyway. But if you're someone who's looking to really take copyrightiting to the stars and earn
as much as possible, going in-house may not be the thing that allows you to do that long term. Another con, and this is a slightly weirder one, but when you go inhouse, you do often have to deal with office politics. Office politics can be quite simply defined as people wanting to climb the corporate ladder within the business they're in by perhaps backstabbing or gossiping or trying to position themselves as slightly more adept than their colleagues. It doesn't really matter what you call it. The fact is whenever you join a company, you're joining a new social
hierarchy that you have to navigate. And that can be exhausting at times, especially if you really can't be bothered to play the socialite game of trying to get a promotion. Now, something else you have to contend with in a similar vein is that there are some businesses who just don't understand good copy. Now, of course, this is not every business and there are businesses who hold copy in very very high regard more than anything else like some of the traditional direct response businesses that we have worked for. But you have to kind of accept that
most people don't really see copy or words as massively important. And some people actually think that's kind of easy to do. And unfortunately, that transpires within companies themselves. So if you end up in a company that don't really think copyy's that important, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle the whole time you're there. And the last con, which is something I have experienced personally, is that going inhouse can sometimes lead to boredom. Like we've mentioned, doing the same thing again and again can be comforting. There can be a stability to it, and you do
know what's coming and what's expected, but man, that thing gets dull quick and I really don't like it. So, if you're the kind of person who needs variety, who always needs something new to be doing or needs to create your own path forward to make sure you've always got something interesting to look at, in-house may be something that you want to avoid. So, what are the skills that you need to become a successful in-house copywriter? Well, there's actually overlap here between being in-house and being a freelancer, and that is you have to be able to
sell yourself to get the job in the first place. The big mistake that I see a lot of copywriters make is that they will file a resume and go through a typical job channel and completely forget everything that they've learned about copywriting and marketing in the first place and not realize that actually applying for a job is another situation, another context in which you are writing copy. Your resume copy is selling you. And a lot of copywriters forget that. And we have a whole section coming later all about how to land jobs in house at
a company using CVS and similar things. So if you want the secrets to that that have led to our successes, you might want to watch that. Another thing that you need to succeed inhouse is just smart communication. There are so many copywriters out there who got into this job not wanting to really talk to other people. They just wanted to sit and write and come up with ideas. And unfortunately, that's not a path to success. In order to succeed as a copywriter, you need to be able to communicate with your superiors, communicate with the people
below you, and also communicate laterally with the people on your team. And if you are not able to do that, what often frequently happens is that well, you know, somebody is always going to have a problem with the work that you're doing or the way that you are communicating the work that you're doing. Not to put too fine a point on that, but ultimately, if you are working in a job, you have to make sure that your superiors know that you're doing a good job. They are not going to be paying attention to you. And
so it kind of often falls on you to be able to report on those wins that you've racked up for the company. Another thing that you need to succeed inhouse is that you need to understand the wider goals of your team and your business. Too often I've seen employees just sort of do their own thing at their own pace with their own sort of set of notions about what they should be doing as their job. And really, just because something's on your do job description doesn't mean that's what you should be doing in order to
advance the goals of the business. And so having a nuanced understanding of that is really important if you're going to be working in-house. Another thing that you need to succeed as an in-house copywriter, very simply, is the ability to work well with other departments, art, design, uh the the webdev team, editorial and fulfillment, the product team, the marketing team. You need to be able to make sure that your copy is really going to work well with everything that all those other people are doing because when you're working in house, you are not going to be
working on all this stuff alone. You need to be able to play well with others and that's what makes for a successful in-house copywriter. To that end, in order to succeed, you need to have good social skills. Just like with freelancing, you need to be likable. In order to advance in your career, you need to have allies. This goes back to the con, the politicking thing. But if you are a sociable and likable person, you can actually establish good relationships with people, and that's going to actually be a lever that you can use to get
more and better results throughout your entire in-house career. Another thing that you will commonly see with successful in-house copywriters is their ability to proactively seek development and opportunities. Too often, I see employees will just sit around waiting for work. Those are the people that are going to get fired at some point. But the people who are constantly nagging their boss for more work, more responsibilities, more opportunities, the people who actually pitch ideas to their bosses and superiors. Those are the people that make more money and rise the ranks because their superiors know that ultimately that
person is invested in the growth of the business which benefits everybody. Finally, the thing that makes for a successful in-house copywriter is just pure research expertise. Your ability to know your product and your market better than anyone. And if you're working in-house, there's no excuse for you not to really know your product and your market extremely well because you're going to be talking to these people every single day of your life. If you do not have a solid and just firm understanding of the products that you're trying to sell and the people you're trying to
sell to, ultimately you're not going to have a job for very long. And the last main type of career we're going to talk about today is agency copywriting. And quite simply, this comes down to a question. Do you want both stability and some variety? Well, it may be right for you. Let's have a look. So what is the difference between freelancing in-house and agency copyrightiting? Like a freelancer, an agency is going to try to get other accounts that is other clients for you and then ultimately like an in-house copywriter, you work for that agency for
this variety of clients that they have landed. Now, one of the things that's actually interesting about agency copyrightiting is that you can be a freelancer that works for an agency. You can also be an employee that works in-house for an agency and ultimately you're still doing the same thing typically writing copy for a variety of that agency's clients. That means that you typically sit within a marketing team and you will work on multiple what are called accounts. That is the clients that these agencies have booked. And that often comes if you're an employee with a
fixed salary as though you were an in-house copywriter. Just like we said, you get the benefits of working in-house, but you also get the variety and novelty of working with an agency that has multiple clients. But remember, all of this is typically there are a ton of different agencies out there that all have slightly different models. So, don't be surprised if you're going out searching for them and they maybe work with fewer clients than you expected or they don't need you to work for everyone on their roster. The point is this is typically speaking. So,
just like freelancers and in-house, of course, there are things that differ among agency copywriters. But the most important thing to point out here is that it's pretty much the same as inhouse. The same kinds of things differ. The only thing that will be very different are the number of accounts because if you're at an agency, like we've just explained, you'll usually be working with different kinds of people through that agency. Other than that, being an agency copyriter is very similar to being in-house because you're still working with a single company. What are the advantages of
working with an agency? Well, it's typically the same advantages of working as an in-house copywriter, plus you get the chance to gain more experience with a variety of products like you would as a freelancer. So, there's a nice little hybrid action going on there. And just like in-house copywriting, the cons are pretty similar as well. Typically, you're going to have most of the cons of being an in-house copywriter, but also you're going to risk suffering from a production line approach to work. What I mean by that is because agencies are usually working with a lot
of different clients or accounts, they have to put out a lot of work. That means that clients are coming in, deliverables are being worked on, and then finished work is being sent back to them. That is happening with a ton of different departments within the agency for a load of different accounts. So no wonder that typically within agencies the need to have a very very systematic approach to work is increased. Now not every agency is going to be like this of course there will be some that allow for a bit more freedom but just like
with inhouse there is a risk there of not being able to be too creative or put too many original thoughts into pieces of work. So often it is just a case of get it done get it done get it done. And that's the same reason for the final con, which is a lot of the time there are fewer opportunities for advancement within agencies. And it's because everything is working like a welloiled machine and they're just looking to put cogs in certain places. They often don't want cogs to move up because usually agencies are run by
a very very tight senior team or perhaps even one person and they just want the work to continue. So they're not really looking to bring people up to change roles or take on more responsibility. That's something you have to look out for if agency life seems like it might be for you. One of the things that you're going to see that makes an successful agency copywriter are basically the same things that make for a successful in-house copyriter. Again, you need to be able to sell yourself. I feel like we've said that a few times over
the course of this, but it still remains true. You have to be able to sell yourself well. You have to be able to present yourself well. And if you do that, you should be able to get a job in the first place. Again, remember the copyright for yourself to get jobs is fundamentally trying to do the same sort of persuading that your actual copywriting tries to do to a prospect. The other thing that you need just like working in-house is smart communication. You have to manage up, you have to manage down, you have to manage
laterally. You have to be able to communicate and play well with others. Same as in-house, you also need to understand the wider goals of the team and business. You need to be able to work well with other departments. And if you are a vendor for a client, you need to be able to work well across companies, too. Typically, you'll have people who are liaons that work with your agency and get the work your agency produces into production. And so, you need to be able to work well with people who may not even be on your
team. A great way to have a leg up when it comes to that is again good social skills, being a likable person, being able to write emails that are not like five words all lowercase and include the word bro. Like if you actually have a good way of communicating with people in a context of a business, you will be fine. Another thing that makes for successful agency copyriters is again proactively seeking development and opportunities. There are fewer of these if you work inside of an agency, but there's still an ability to actually get some more
mentorship, get some more resources, get some more investment from the agency owners themselves. And one thing that I've actually seen happen very often is that a copywriter or marketer will work for an agency and they will actually get staked. That is, they will get handed a blank check to start their own agency with their own ideas. if they get into the good graces of the agency owner well enough. Another thing that you need for an agency that is even more important than working inhouse is just superb deadline and time management and your ability to multitask.
You will have days where you'll be writing Twitter posts for Whoopi Pie, where you'll be writing emails for a sex toy brand. There's going to be a huge variety of work that you will need to do when you're an agency copywriter and it's all going to be thrown at you very often at the exact same time, especially if it's a smaller or upand cominging agency. Wait, are those really all the career options I have as a copyright row? Well, Alex, I am glad you asked because the answer is no. So, one thing that to keep
in mind is that there's a variety of other ways that you can get into this business. There's going to be also hybrid careers that you can have that blend agency and in-house work. You're going to have situations where you're going to be freelancing for, you know, businesses or freelancing for agencies sometimes at the same time. Not only is there variety there, but there's also going to be situations potentially at some point in your career where maybe you start your own agency and that's going to come with its own success metrics, its own pros and cons.
There's starting your own business. There's actually establishing your own offer as an individual and becoming an offer owner that you can actually hire copywriters to help you with, but ultimately that you need to start by writing copy for yourself. What we recommend is following one of the three types of copywriting career that we've just mentioned, freelancing, in-house work, or agency work before you embark on trying to start your own business or create your own agency or what have you. But of course, if you want to skip all of this, you could just start selling your
own copywriting course, recapitulating everything that you've learned from this free one. Now that we've gone over the major types of copyrightiting career that you can have, let's actually go into the nuances and details of how you can get paid work. So, let's kick it over to Alex with perhaps one of the most important skills that you can learn for actually acquiring clients or getting jobs. So, Alex, take it away. Subject: Copyrightiting services. Hi, client. I'm X, a freelance copywriter eager to help businesses create impactful content. While I'm just starting out, I'm committed to delivering highquality
work that meets your needs. I'd be happy to discuss how I can assist with your projects. Let me know if you're interested. Best regards, X. Now, this was an example piece of outreach that was shared in the copy that community. Um, and I won't name who shared it, but this is typical of what I see from most beginner copywriters when they're looking for work. And this is what we're going to try and remedy because, and no disrespect to the person who sent this because everyone else does it when they're starting out, but this is the
exact kind of outreach that you need to avoid. It's seriously crucial that if you're interested in making outreach work and landing clients that you never write something like this and send it to them because it is the exact opposite of what you want to be doing. So, what do we want to be doing? Well, let's start this big foray into landing clients with probably the most popular kind of client landing methodology that there is cold outreach. In other words, we're going to talk about a proven path for freelance copywriters to find work. And I don't
want to start with any confusion. So, we're going to go right back to the basics so you understand exactly what I'm talking about when I say cold outreach. Cold Outreach is suitable for you if you want the freedom to choose your own clients, the ability to look for clients with no restrictions, and you want to be able to find freelance work, agency work, or in-house work. Now, typically we associate cold outreach with freelancers. However, cold outreach, as you'll come to understand, it's more of a concept. It's not limited to one kind of copywriter. You can
cold outreach to anyone. And in a moment, we'll discuss exactly what typifies cold outreach. Cold outreach is not suitable if you aren't okay talking to new people and if you aren't okay getting on sales calls or negotiating. But to be honest, you should definitely get yourself okay with both because if you're trying to land any kind of clients or just, you know, go ahead living your life, you probably need to get kind of okay at talking to new people and be confident enough to talk about your services with confidence. Let's just play a game. All
right, your prospect. Okay, a potential client, so someone who might hire you. They're going to hold one of two opinions of you. All right, and this is what they're going to hold. Let's do some roleplay. They're either going to think, "Hey, I already know you or, yeah, I am looking for a copywriter." And that's great. We call them warm. That's a warm prospect. Or they're going to hold the opinion of, "I don't know you and I'm not looking for a copywriter." uh and unfortunately not many business owners or decision makers wake up in the morning
suddenly desperate to hire a copywriter. This is a fact that you need to get okay with. If you can be okay with that, cold outreach is going to be much easier for you because this means if you want a chance of working with most businesses, you will need to figure out how to get past that cold barrier. And that is what cold outreach aims to do. We're going to talk about methods related to warm outreach and things like approaching businesses already looking for copywriters or networking later in this course. Okay? So, there's going to be
plenty of that later on. But if you can grasp the power of cold outreach, it means you are able to find work whenever you want it with any business you could possibly imagine. So, what counts as cold outreach? Let's get this out the way so there's no confusion. All right. anything that involves talking to someone who doesn't know you and isn't actively looking for a copywriter. That's pretty much what cold outreach is. Um, in other words, anytime someone isn't expecting to hear from you, cold outreach is not limited to a particular platform or medium. Cold
outreach is not limited to a particular style of writing and cold outreach is not limited to a particular niche. The aim of cold outreach is for you to get your target into a conversation, ideally on a sales call, which is something we'll talk about later. Here, just like our example at the very beginning, is why 99% of copyriters cold outreach sucks. This is what potential clients get every single day. Hey, can I help you? Dear Lansancy, hello. I hope this email finds you well. I recently came across your company uh company and was really impressed
by the work that you do. I see from your hat that you are a brunette. Keep killing it out there. I am writing to see if there might be an opportunity for us to work together. My company marketing and copy solutions solutions specializes in copy and marketing and I believe that we would be a great fit for your company company. I would love to learn more about your current needs and how we might be able to help your business grow. Could we schedule a call at your convenience to discuss further? Thank you for considering my
request. I am looking forward to working with you and your business. Best regards, a cold emailer. Nobody wants to receive cold outreach. It clogs up our inboxes and distracts us from what we would rather be focusing on. You need to treat your potential clients with the same respect that you would want. If you are going to be distracted from the stuff that you would rather be doing, there needs to be a damn good reason for it. You need to actually be able to be saying, "Oh, that was worthwhile. I enjoyed getting that email out of
the blue." If you're not doing that, why should anyone listen to you? Which brings us to an important decision that you need to make as a copywriter. There are fundamentally two ways that you can approach cold outreach. Quality and quantity. Here's a diagram representing that. It's pretty obvious when you look at it. quality that we have on the left means that you put more effort into outreaching an individual client. Okay? It means it can be tailored to the individual person or the business. Whereas quantity means that you put less effort into the actual writing because
you're using a template and it's very generically templated and it could basically apply to any business. For example, saying something like, "Hey, wouldn't you like to make more sales? I bet you would. I can help with that." And then in the middle, we've got templating by niche or type of business, which is a little bit better, a little bit more relevant, a bit a little bit more towards quality because if you're just talking to say um pet store owners or people who do fitness coaching, then that's not going to be relevant to every business. But
you see what I mean? So, this is the dichotomy that we need to work within here. And I recommend you take the quality route. I've been doing this for a long time. I'm going to share a lot of examples throughout this about how to do outreach and my specific advice on what's worked and what hasn't. The number one thing is that quality always outperforms quantity. Why? Well, simply ask yourself, are you more likely to prefer a gift bought by either someone who is thinking about what you actually want, someone who knows you and cares about,
you know, your happiness, or a gift bought by someone who is bulk buying for a large group of people. Unfortunately, if you do the quantity side of the dichosi, it means that you're effectively being bought like a keychain with a brand's logo on it that 100 other employees are getting. It's as simple as that. Every time you're doing cold outreach, just think of that analogy. And of course, we'll go through this in action and we'll put it into action and I'll show you what those things mean. But for now, just remember the simple fact that
humans are more likely to prefer and respond to things when a focused effort has been made to be personal. And of course there is a mathematical reason that quality beats quantity. This is pretty much the exact diagram that we use in our marketing strategy course to talk about the difference between why one funnel works over another funnel. Let's use the same logic but put it towards the quality and quantity of outreach. On the left side we have quality on the right side we have quantity. Quantity starts with 200 sends 10 times more than quality. But
soon enough conversion rates come into it. In this case how many people actually opened? What was the open rate of that message? When you've got more quality, the open rate can be as high as 50%. So 10 of those 20 people are going to see it. On the right side, 20 out of 200 are going to see it, only 10%. And then the same logic is applied for the replies. And the same logic is applied for those who accept. If you're spending more time putting effort into your cold outreach, the metrics at each stage are
going to be better. And if you look, even though you started with 10 times fewer messages being sent, you can end with two or three clients being on boarded. Some people say just copy and paste a template, then message it to thousands of business owners. One of them is bound to reply. No, don't do this. Okay? I'm telling you, do not do this. It's so annoying. It's true that the more businesses you pitch to, the more likely you are to get a client, but as we have just seen, your outreach can't be generic. That would
be the same as knocking on a door and offering someone a bag of dog waste. Right? It doesn't matter whether you visit one house or a thousand. Hardly anyone is going to accept your bag of the unspeakable. Respect the time of your prospect. Make your outreach good. That's the first part you need to understand to cold outreach. Right. Before we talk about how to create high quality cold outreach, you need to understand three mistakes that new copyriters make before they even begin. This is something that we see at Copy that all the time. Mistake number
one, they think there's a best niche. Now, we already talked earlier in the video about why limiting yourself to a single niche is a silly thing to do. But I need to highlight it again here and really reiterate this point. Unless you have a good reason to focus on just one niche, by the way, a good reason is not I want to earn more money, therefore I'm going to look at the best niche. That's not a thing. Unless you have a good reason to focus on just one niche, don't stress about choosing the best one.
There is no best niche. Money is everywhere. Instead, I want you to think about it like this. These are all representative of niches that I have written for or worked within. Some that the exact business that I've written copy for. Some are just representative of the industry, right? I have written for all these things. Can you see a thread that connects them all? I hope not. No, there isn't one because these are all completely different. All of these made me good money. A couple of them made me very good money. And I bet that most
people would not be able to guess which ones they were. Please do not get caught up on choosing a best niche. As long as a business exists and there's money being made there, you can make money as well. But of course, you have to start somewhere. All right? So, you will need to choose a starting niche. This should be the one that you know you're genuinely interested in or one that you're genuinely interested in or perhaps the niche that you've used to build your first portfolio that we took you through earlier. But the trick is
you only commit to that niche within a set limit. This is what I call intermittent niching. And this has been my secret throughout the years. When I finally cracked the code with cold outreach, I realized my best approach went like this. Choose a niche I wanted to work within. Make sure that there are businesses who clearly make money in that niche. Practice writing for that niche by building a mini portfolio within it. Send 10, 20, maybe even 30 cold pitches, quality cold pitches to businesses that I liked within that niche and then switch to another
niche I was interested in and start the process over again. Okay? In other words, I niched down when I needed to or when I wanted to. I didn't stress about finding a single best niche and building a whole persona and brand around it. I simply focused on one niche at a time and it worked like a charm. Intermittent niching allowed me to stop stressing about a best niche, be okay with trying out different niches, practice more types of copy, which made me made me a better copywriter, come across as an authority to potential clients thanks
to my mini portfolio, and this is the most important point, it helped me to stay focused on a reachable goal during each phase of outreach. I knew that if I chose a niche, I had to pitch to at least 10 or 20 people within it. So, it meant I always had a goal. All this meant that I wasn't on shiny object mode, jumping around from industry to industry without giving outreach a proper go. So, there, give yourself permission to try different things to find what feels best for you. Because the other point to all of
this is by trying new niches, you may well just find one that clicks and you actually enjoy. The second mistake is thinking that there is a best platform for cold outreach, right? Like I said earlier that there is no best platform or medium for sending cold outreach. Okay? Unfortunately, gurus like these knobheads pretend like to pretend that there is a single best method or a single best platform because it makes outreach feel easier. The only reason they say that is because it makes it easier to sell courses. Instagram, emails, LinkedIn, X, etc., etc., like whatever
you can think of. As long as you can contact people through a platform, you can use it for outreach because there isn't one platform that works best. Here is a experiment to prove what I mean. Let's imagine you receive this message. Your mother is in the hospital. Now, I hope you never have to receive that message, but let's imagine you did. Does it matter where you see that message? Does it matter if it comes via a Facebook message or an email or a text or a Discord message or if you see it written in blood
on your on suite? No, not really. If a message like that is clearly intended for you, it will undoubtedly grab your attention. It doesn't matter where you see it. The only thing that matters is getting the right message in front of the right person. As long as you can get it in front of them, your actual words can do the rest. And you know, just by the way, disclaimer, please never tell potential clients their mother is in the hospital to get their attention. Different platforms do work better for different kinds of people, of course, but
purely if that's where they are more likely to hang out online. So, if you know that your prospect is more likely to check one platform over another, then of course that will be better for getting their attention. And look, just like we've said about all things copy throughout the rest of this course, certain tactics may be better suited for certain platforms, but if you aren't thinking with a principle first mindset, you're setting yourself up to fail. So don't be tricked into thinking that you should be focusing all your outreach on a single platform, okay? As
I'll teach you, there are far more important things to consider. The third mistake, thinking that outreach should follow different principles to copyrightiting. And this is perhaps the easiest mistake to to understand and to correct because as we said earlier in the course, outreach is copy, right? That's how you should be treating it. You're selling yourself. You're trying to persuade someone to to hire you. Of course, I am going to give you tailored advice on how to do it properly throughout the rest of this section. But if you take anything away from this lesson on outreach,
let it be this. When in doubt, just use your copyrightiting skills to persuade your outreach targets. Like, take everything that you've learned in the rest of the course and put it to your own use. I want to introduce you to something called the universal checklist of cold outreach. For a cold prospect to start working with you, three things need to happen. They have to pay attention to you. They have to believe you can help them. And they have to think the value you provide is worth the cost. The checklist that you are responsible for fulfilling
if you want your cold outreach to succeed is simple. Grab their attention. Prove your value. Present a fair offer. There are many different ways of achieving these things. Listing all the possible tactics and all the variations would take hours and hours. Though I will certainly give you a few that are simple to understand and execute. But I want to give you something much better than a list of templated approaches. Just like the rest of this course, I want to introduce you to the principles that will let you start finding clients right now, no matter what
situation you're in. So listen carefully if you want the core truth about how to find clients consistently with cold outreach. Let's go through the principles that will help you fulfill the universal checklist that we've just mentioned. And remember, these can be applied anywhere in any niche. Get their attention. Now, there are two ways that you should be looking to get attention as a copywriter who's looking for work. First of all, be different. Interrupt the pattern of the rest of the outreach they usually receive. And second, be relevant. Talk about something that matters to them specifically.
This is one of my favorite things to bring up. When I go into my Gmail inbox and I type in quick question, this is what I get. I'm a business owner. Uh I'm also a consultant and I am somewhat of a YouTube person, right? So that means people see me or people find me or people want to have a business with me or have some kind of agreement, right? So I get cold outreach a lot in my inbox. The first thing that goes through my mind is great, someone else wanting my money. So I don't
even look at it. Why should I pay attention to you when there's eight other people in the last couple months who have all used the exact same subject line to try and grab my attention? Remember, if someone doesn't want to hire a copywriter yet or doesn't know you, you need to treat them with care. Now, of course, these aren't just from copyriters, which is something else you have to be aware of. These are from graphic designers or people who want to like protect some insurance or people who want to get my business on a program
or people who want to sell me on coaching or whatever. So, I think you can understand why this is a problem and why it's so important that you need to be different. So, how do you be different and why be different? Well, it cuts through the noise of everything else vying for their attention. It shows their brain immediately that your out outreach is something new. And lastly, it acts as proof that you're good at your job. If you're reaching out to someone trying to be a copywriter, why on earth should I trust you to write
persuasive copy for me when the copy you've written initially and my first impression of the copy you can write is so bland and generic? Let's move on to being relevant. Let's have a look at these two examples. Dear sir/madam, I can help your business make more sales by writing copy versus Raphael, your cookie box sold out again. I think you could do the same for your red velvet cake, too. Which of those emails when they pop up when you see the preview text come up on your notification bar? Which of those two emails do you
think is going to be more relevant? It's number two. The second, the fact that they've put down your cookie box sold out again. They can only know that if they're a real person and they're looking at my my results that are happening right now on my store. Now, forgetting what the rest of the cold outreach might be, which of course we'll come to talk about later, you can see how relevant that is to me and how much more interesting it would be for me to read it. Bear in mind, okay, you might be watching this
right now and you might be thinking, "Oh, Alex, but like if someone emailed me saying, you know, I can help your business make more money uh more money by like writing copy." Yeah, I'd be really interested in that. You're not a business owner and your inbox does not look like my inbox. You need to make sure that it is relevant as heck to the person that you're targeting because if it is, then I might give it the time of day. Being relevant immediately proves that you're not a bot or template. It shows you respect their
time and you've done enough research to actually understand what they are and the things that they, you know, do in their business. It makes your message almost impossible to ignore. Even if I'm just not in the the position to hire at that time, if someone sends me really good outreach, I will reply. That's because business owners tend to feel grateful when people are actually, you know, a human and are interested and are trying to be relevant to them instead of just quantity shoveling tripe. And lastly, it proves that you understand the things they really care
about. Ultimately, all of your cold outreach efforts are utterly pointless if you don't manage to get your prospect's attention. If they don't open your message, then there's no point. Just like a headline or a subject line in copy, the first thing they see is the most important part of your copy. So, you need to get it right. Next, you need to prove your value. Nobody is going to work with you if they don't think you provide any value. So, remember this. You need to demonstrate how you can help them. And you need to be someone
they would actually like to work with. When we talk about value, someone perceives value by you solving a problem for them, by taking a pain away, by giving them something they already desire. So firstly, just demonstrate how you can help. Remember what we said. Not many decision makers are desperate to improve their copy. Instead, they worry about things like how they're going to get more customers because they want to give themselves a pay rise or the fact that their profits have flatlined for the last two quarters and they are worried they're not going to be
able to pay any bonuses out this Christmas. or they're super stressed because everything is collapsing and they're not really sure where to focus. So, this is very important to remember. You aren't selling words. You're selling what those words lead to. That is how you can help them. I understand as a beginner copywriter, you've been so conditioned to think that copy is really important. However, so many business owners don't understand that yet and they don't fully embrace that. The only way they're ever going to understand it, particularly if you're cold outreaching, is if you start by
talking to them and demonstrating how you can help via the things they actually want. The thing you need to demonstrate is how your knowledge and the execution that you put behind that knowledge will lead to the actual desire they have. So the purpose of your outreach is to lay out how you would go about achieving their desire. At its core, this is how you need to think about outreach. Prove that you have the knowledge and ability to help them. The logical conclusion then is this. You need to identify how your skills as a copywriter can
help them achieve something they want. Luckily for you, you already know that they're a decision maker within a business. So even if you can't find something that's really specific that that business really wants, you can always assume that they would be interested in more sales, higher profits. Okay? Because every business is interested in that. That means you need to look for things that you could write for them that would increase sales. The basic idea is you look for things in their marketing that you could improve. For example, let's say that you have identified a few
things that you could help your prospect with. Let's say that you could help with the fact that their homepage CTA and the hero copy, which is a copy at the top of the page, isn't sales focused at all. It's not what you would call good copy. You notice that they only send one welcome email and it doesn't try to sell anything in that welcome email either. And you see that their Facebook ads only have the same copy across like 20 of them. And they're not testing different messages. And those Facebook ads aren't going to dedicated
landing pages. So, your mission is to demonstrate why these things need fixing and how you would fix them. That's how you prove your value. Okay? And by the way, I recommend that you look for anything you could possibly improve for the prospect. And don't limit yourself to just looking at one part of this strategy. Firstly, this is going to give you a more full complete understanding of what they're trying to do as a business if you're looking at everything they have rather than, you know, just one element. Um, and it may give you more ideas
for your outreach. Also remember what we said about niching down and how we shouldn't be doing that. This is usually the part where other copyrightiting gurus may tell you to just focus on their emails, right? Or some other part of their marketing. And look, if you're 10,000% sure that you only want to focus on emails, then fine, I guess. Like fine, you can do what you want. But your chances of landing them as a client and getting paid more are much higher if you prove your worth beyond just one element of their business. A fact
is business owners are always looking to spend as little as possible to get as much as possible. You coming in as a copywriter and being able to help them increase sales in several channels is a far more persuasive proposition than just narrowly focusing on one element that you're interested in. Be someone they actually want to work with. I hate how much this point gets overlooked. Look, we like working with people that we like. Yet, I have seen advice that new copyriters should employ the equivalent of negging for potential clients. Okay, by which I mean they
like kind of insult them a little bit or they kind of dunk on the current marketing they have and are a bit of a dick about it. Don't do that. Okay, if you start a relationship by insulting their business or talking down to them or just generally acting like a prick, it will probably be over after the first message that you send. In a world where warped takes on what success looks like are being thrown around all the time, I see a lot of new copywriters thinking that acting like alpha is a good way to
get respect from prospects. It's not right. Don't be fooled by tiny weird bubbles of the internet telling you that stuff. Most business owners are normal people who want to be treated well and engage with other nice people. Be confident, not cocky. Be positive, not patronizing. Right? Just be nice. Showing you're an empathetic person goes a long way. Third, present an offer. Finally, you actually need to tell your prospect what you think a business relationship would look like between you. And to do that, you need to link the value that you can provide that we just
talked about with what you will actually do for them. And you need to make the next steps really easy for your prospect. So, how do you link your value to what you will do? Well, remember the examples that we spoke about a minute ago? Unsurprisingly, fixing these things are what make up your initial offer. But also, you need to make it clear how this would work. So, for example, do you have a set time frame in mind for how long fixing these things would take? Do you need to discuss specifics further with the prospect on
a call? Do you want to start with a single project or do you want to propose a retainer up front? As a beginner, you're not necessarily going to know what all that stuff means right now, and that's okay. The thing you need to keep in mind is that if the prospect doesn't understand what the offer is, they're probably not going to work with you. You don't need to lay out an extremely detailed offer straight away. Remember the point of the initial cold outreach is simply to get them on a sales call where you can close
them properly. But you at least need to give an idea of the vision that you have for working together. Okay? If a prospect is in any doubt as to what a relationship would look like, they won't have the energy to find out for themselves. You want to make things as simple as possible for them. So the rule that I like to follow is this. Make sure they know what you can do and give them a minimum viable vision. What is a minimum viable vision? This is an example, a real example like within an outreach message
that might get sent. I can make these improvements for you myself. It would simply be a case of completing them over a twoe period and delivering the final copy to your team, but I'd be happy to discuss details on a quick call. Now, that's actually a relatively detailed one. Okay? So, I've actually put a time frame in there. I've said, "Yep, I can make these improvements myself. I've given you an actual time and I've said I will work it out with your team and we can discuss things further on a call." If I'm receiving that
as a business owner, I do kind of understand now what this person is proposing. There are literally thousands of way you could lay out an MVV. The principle, however, is always ensuring the prospect has a basic idea of what executing on the value you've spoken about would involve, either by a time frame or a description of the deliverables that you're going to give or simply a reference to how you need to talk to them more to to find out detail. Never leave them without an understanding or a promise of further explanation on a call, but
just make sure they understand what a relationship would look like. Okay? And then you need to make the next steps easy. If you have done everything else right, then your prospect will be at least pretty interested to get on a proper call with you. So all that's left is to secure that next step. Don't introduce any friction. Make it as easy as possible to get on a call with your prospect. Give them a clear indication on what the next step should be, but don't be so rigid as to make things difficult. So a simple, if
you're interested, are you available for a call later this week? Thursday afternoon works well for me, but let me know if you prefer another time will suffice. So there, these are the basic principles of cold outreach. Get their attention, and you do that by being different or being relevant. Prove your value, and you do that by demonstrating how you can help and being someone they actually want to work with. presenting an offer, which you do by linking your value to what you will do, and make the next steps easy. As long as your outreach aligns
with these principles, you can't go far wrong. Like I said, there are thousands of different ways to do these things, which is why expecting a single set of templates to do all the work for you is ridiculous. Not to mention that using templates makes you same like sound the same as all the other copyriters who use them. To become incredible landing clients, you need to rely on your own unique research of your prospects and turn that into persuasive outreach copy powered by those core principles that we just went through. But of course, I will share
a few of my favorite tactics with you just to kickstart your inspiration, grabbing their attention. Here are a few of my tactics. And on the next slide, we'll take a look at a few examples as well of how I did this. Reference a recent event that they were involved with. So, let's say they were a guest on a podcast or they were on a stream. Reference one of their passions or hobbies, something they've talked about publicly before. Ask a specific question about something that they will recognize. So whether something about their product, about their brand,
something on their website, an offer they're running, something that they will have had a hand in creating. You can send them a handwritten letter or a physical package. So few people do this. Of course, it's not viable to everyone, but I still remember, and I'll show you it in the next slide, like one of my favorite pieces of cold outreach I ever received was a physical letter. You could engage with them in a non-sales environment first, joining a stream they're a part of or joining a group you know they're a part of or talking to
them in like comments of a LinkedIn post. Not in a slimy obviously, oh, I'm just trying to to build up um rapport with you so you'll buy from me kind of way in like a genuinely interested way. Ask actual questions, engage with them, talk about, you know, use the other tactics on here in that environment. Or you could use a bizarre or lateral subject in your subject line or your first um your first uh line of copy or the preview of a message. This is something that really leans into that different that we talked about.
Use extremely short or extremely long lines of icebreaker cy. So have a really shorter subject line or a really long subject line or something that's like a big paragraph long to begin with or something that's really really tiny. Icebreaker copy just simply means it's the thing that I use to refer to that first line of copy in outreach. Most people try and stick within 20 to 40 characters in subject lines. And that means that most subject lines end up being pretty similar in inboxes. Whereas, if yours is really short or really, really long, that's going
to stand out immediately. Buy their product or use their service and reference that fact. Sign up to it. Buy a month subscription. Do something. You can reference the fact that you then were a customer or you had a few ideas when you saw the marketing that came through. Anything that gives you a reason to talk to them in a way that isn't a generic template. reach out to two members of the business with tailored messages and reference each person to the other. Uh, one of the things that I love doing no matter kind of what
tactic of outreach I'm using is I like sending outreach to two people within the same business and I always leave a note either uh, usually in the preview text, sometimes in the subject line, they'll be like in parenthesis and I'll say something like, uh, I sent this to John as well because it kind of buys them into the fact that, oh well, if this other person in my business has also received this, I don't want to be out of the loop, so I I should probably open it. Um, it also has the added benefit of,
you know, you're doubling up on the people within the business who might see your outreach. Here are a few examples. Feel free to pause the video and have a look at them yourself in your own time. Your best startup interview. I have a question. Very simply, reference something that they had recently been on. Okay, so they'd recently done an interview for a thing called best startup. I reference that in my subject line. Top right subject line. Congrats on 80% panom growth with this company. They just put that out as a um uh like a report.
I think that was actually from an example that I did in one of our videos. Yep, you ruined my shoes. That is an example of a completely lateral or bizarre opening line to start with. If someone sent me an email going, "Yep, you ruined my shoes." I'd be like, "What?" Of course, as we'll talk about later, you need to make sure that you actually link that subject line to the rest of your copy. You can't just do something really random. The context behind that one was um I actually walked uh to a um marketing agency
uh that was local. This was actually a local thing. Uh I I walked to a marketing agency that was relatively local to me because I wanted to see where they were based, but it was snowing at the time. Uh and I went in like kind of my trainers and uh my trainers ended up just getting soaked and like that the inside kind of wore a bit. So when I got back and I I was thinking, "Oh, maybe I should pitch that agency and see if they've got anything going." I then decided that would be good.
Yep. You were in my shoes. Um but this is a really good way and I don't see a lot of people do that. Can I book a call out on your website asking a direct question about what they do? Ribble spring sale was too good to miss. You did an awesome job with the emails. I was hoping to pick up the product, but you were already out of stock. Showing that again, I'm not a bot. I was kind of involved with the business. I'm potentially a fan of the business. Here was a handwritten letter that
was sent first class. On it was attached a lottery ticket, which really got my attention. Now, I'm not saying as a copyriter you need to send all your potential clients lottery tickets, but it's an example of, and I hate this term, thinking outside the box, that really, really worked. Here's an example of one where I reference people. The subject line was for Franchesco and Nio Reaciflow's comparison pages and more. They know that, oh, well, this has also gone to my business partner or my boss or whoever it was, so maybe I should look at this.
Okay, grabs their attention. Milo looks like a good boy. That's referencing a dog that someone had on their website who was called Milo. Shows that I'm super different. show that I'm not just going off of a template or generic stuff. Lastly, are you free to chat but not about Sar? Sar's refer to Sar's who are an English rugby team. I'm a Harlequins fan who are their rivals and the person who I was um outreaching also happened to be a Harlequins fan. Looking for things that are relevant just to that person. And this is just about
grabbing attention. All of these things work. And if you're the one doing them compared to the hundreds of other copywriters who are just doing the same generic templated stuff, you're the one whose cold outreach is going to be viewed. Now, let's talk about the don'ts. Right? I've been quite positive up till now, but let's talk about the do nots. What you definitely shouldn't do, do not bait and switch them with false promises or alarm. That stuff's annoying. I know you think that that might be clever, but doing things like that where you're just bait and
switching to just grab them with something so kind of crazy to then be disappointed by, oh, it's just a pitch. You need to make sure you're walking the line between good attention grabbing and attention grabbing that goes too far. Do not only reference generic benefits. This was like the first piece that we looked at at the very beginning, right, of this section. Do not start by just saying, "Hey, I can make you more money." And like that's all you say. There are loads of people saying, "Hey, we can get more money or you can increase
your profits or you can do X, we can do Y, you can do Z." You need to be more inventive about that. And if the only thing you found that you can prove your value with is, for example, helping them make more money, that's fine. But when it comes to grabbing attention, that should not be the only thing you reference. That's where you need to go a bit deeper and do your research. Do not mention names of their loved ones. One of my junior copywriters was working for me in an agency. Also, they were doing
their own freelancing stuff and uh they were asking my opinions on some outreach they were sending and they said, "Oh, I did get a really like horrible reply from someone the other day, though. What happened was they used the name of this person's wife. The subject line was like, "Mary looks healthy." Something like that. Okay? cuz he was referencing a photograph that was on that that person's social media account on a trip they they'd been to. This guy was furious. You don't want to cross the line of talking about people's loved ones because that feels
slightly cyberstalky um and a bit too personal. You can absolutely reference people's passions or hobbies, you know, things they've publicly posted about or or mentioned things that, you know, are like part of their identity but aren't, you know, they're not going to kill someone over. Mentioning someone's family, someone's children, someone's, you know, like very, very private life, other people they care about. That's a no no. Do not use outreach cliches with nothing else. Please do not say quick question. Now, I have used terms like quick question and like, oh, I have a question in my
outreach before, but they've always been paired with something else that's relevant. Do not mention copywriting. This is cold outreach. The only reason you should be using copywriting is if you have seen that they actively hire for copywriters. The point is if you start like our example much much earlier on at the start of this section by saying copyrightiting services, one of two things is going to happen. Either I as a business owner don't understand what that means and I don't really get what copyrighting is so I'm going to ignore it. Or two, I know what
copyrightiting is and I've already decided in my head that I don't need it. Just be wary of that and do not insult them. Again, this is comes back to the negging thing that I spoke about earlier. If you insult them by saying like, "Oh man, this funnel can't be getting you any sales or man like this page is I'm gonna be on this page is crap." Don't do that because they might have been the one that wrote that page. To have a stranger in your first interaction come and dunk on you, it's not a good
feeling. Let's move on to proving your value. How do you prove your value? Or here's some tactics. You can either send them a full report in an email or in a PDF. Like a full report of the findings that you have made when looking for things to improve on their site. shows that you're super willing to put work in before you send anything to them. So, that's pretty good. And it gets something of value in front of their face immediately. You can just do a bulleted summary. A bulleted summary is quick. It's easy to look
at. I haven't got to open a different link. I haven't got to spend ages reading something. Or you can combine those two. Start with a bulleted summary, but also attach a PDF and say, "I've got a full report here if you'd be interested." That's something I used to do quite a lot. You could create tailored spec pieces for that business. We spoke about um earlier on doing spec pieces and building mini portfolios for each niche. Now that's fine and that's certainly good, but something you could do that's even more relevant is actually write something as
if you were writing for their business. Also make sure you explain why it would improve it. Similarly, you can offer copy for free. So you can write spec pieces for them, but you can actually say, "I wrote this for you. Please go use it. If it works, you can hire me. If it doesn't, no problem." So often that would just start the conversation that they would that would then get me hired anyway. Now a video audit is kind of like a full report but you're putting in a video form. So it's you on camera and
you are going through their funnel or whatever it is you're looking to improve that you've noticed that you can fix and you're explaining each thing what you do and why it would be better and stuff like that. Anywhere between kind of you know 3 and 10 minutes is pretty good. You can send that in uh via something called uh Loom. You can send that just as a file or you can upload to Google Drive. This does a few things that I really really love. The video audit is fantastic because it introduces you as a real
person. It shows you're confident and you can get very good at video audits as well. As long as you're sticking to the principles we've already spoken about, put those into a video audit and you'll be fine. Competitor comparisons or identifying gaps in the market. You can reference competitors that they might have. Now, this I found sometimes to be a bit of a risky tactic because sometimes people don't really like that you're talking about competitors. As long as you grab their attention, then showing a competitor within the email, that's quite that's quite ballsy. I know that.
I know those people like I don't like them. why why is why is this logo in front of me? If it's you kind of explaining, well, this is something that they do that's that's really really bad and I think we could take advantage of this or if you go this is something that they're doing that I notice like you're not doing. You can see why that sometimes is risky but it has worked for me in the past so I I still think it's a viable tactic to use. Similarly, you can use competitors to identify gaps
in the market. That kind of stuff you can uh share your niche portfolio as well. If in doubt, nothing wrong with just linking the portfolio you've done for this business and you can just say something as simple like, "If you want to have a look at a few of the things I've written, here you go." I recommend trying to design the pieces if you can. You can either just hire a designer to do that or get yourself Canva. It's not needed, but it helps because like we said, people don't really care about copy. They just
want to see that you've done something that actually looks like it could fit into their marketing. And lastly, you can quote testimonials and results. If you're a beginner, you're sitting there and you're thinking, "But Alex, I haven't got any testimonials or results. I'm new." If you want to get testimonials and you want to get results, you can pick these up as a beginner by doing free work for friends, family, local charities or businesses. My first experience doing any kind of marketing or copyrightiting really was in a dog rescue where I volunteered and I saw donations
go up when I would write things in a certain way through the leaflets and the drives that we used to put out there. So, definitely something that's worth looking into. And here's some examples of how you would prove your value. Uh, we won't go through all of these because I appreciate that some of them are quite long, but we've got examples of me doing a whole report and building out like a funnel diagram for them. Right here is a link to a video audit. This is a small message that again, you can see an example
of uh grabbing attention up here. Hey, how was this trade mission? And then here's a link to this video audit I've made for you specially. This down here is a screenshot of a video audit. You can see me in the corner and going through like a um a software uh and showing people like what I thought about their marketing. Here you've got I think this was part of a slideshow that I made about like here's an example of the kind of funnel that I would do and and what I might suggest. Here was an email
just kind of saying oh these are the different things that I can do and here's one of uh me writing a spec piece. I took something they had and I just rewrote it. All this kind of stuff has been working for ages and still works so so well um because so few people do it. So there are some ideas of how you can actually prove value. proving your value. Do not do not say things that are the equivalent of just trust me, bro. Don't just kind of accept that people are going to trust you or
believe in you. Don't use phrases like I have done this many times in the past. If you're a beginner copyright and you're saying you've done this many times and you don't tell me who you've worked with or you don't have any logos of previous clients, why would I believe you? As a beginner copywriter, you're not going to have a ton of results or proof necessarily yet. You know, we talked about a way that you can get that, but if you don't, you shouldn't be lying. You can still land clients just by showing you're putting the
effort in. As long as you're showing the logic and you're explaining why this stuff is going to work, they don't need to know that you're a beginner. Don't tell them you're a new copyriter. I see this all the time. That's the equivalent of needing an operation and just as you know you get injected with anesthetic and you're slipping away into unconsciousness, the surgeon leans over you and he goes, "Now, this is my first time, but I think I know what I'm doing." And then you black out. That would be terrifying. People don't really trust people
who are brand new to things. Don't do that. Don't use generic benefits to describe what you do. Don't just say, "Oh, yeah. I'm going to help you make money, and oh yeah, I can make your copy look better." And, "Oh, yeah, I can make people more engaged with your brand." What the hell does any of that actually mean? I need to be specific about what you want to do. Explain how you're going to do that. Do not be vague about what you can do for them. Don't be like, "Oh, yeah. I can help improve your
copy." Don't say, "Oh, yeah. I can I can kind of I can help with the pages that you write. I can help with the content you put out. What content? What pages? How is it going to help?" This is the kind of stuff that even if you grab attention, this is what's going to cause it to fall flat. Don't send a long message without good reason. There's nothing wrong with sending long messages if it's packed with value that proves you know what you're talking about. There's nothing wrong with having a short piece of outreach, but
you need to make sure whatever you're sending, there's no dead space. There's no fluff. You really need to make sure of that. Don't use cliches in your writing. You shouldn't be saying things that are very, very generic that other people use. Avoid that kind of stuff. Be specific wherever you can. Do not presume to know their business better than they know it. A very, very quick way that people can lose respect from their prospects is by going, "Oh, yeah, you you need to do this." Basically patronizing them. Don't be so blunt about it. Like I
said, people like working with people they like. Do not use poor quality equipment. This is particularly important if you're doing video audits. Don't use a really crap camera. Don't use a crap mic. Um, don't have a load of stuff up in the background in a messy room and like make it obvious you've got like a bed sitting by you. Most businesses don't want to work with people who still live in their parents house. There's nothing wrong with being in that position, but you need to then mold your outreach around that. Don't then be recording loads
of videos of you lying on your bed going like, "Oh, you're right. You know, yeah, yeah, I'm Ethan. Yeah, I can help you with copy." Don't make errors in your writing. This is so much more common than you think. Don't make spelling mistakes. Don't make grammar issues. Uh don't send the wrong name or like write the business name in like the wrong format. You know, if it's like all one word, don't write it in like two different words. If you're coming to me and your whole thing is you're a copyriter and you can help me
make more money through your words, but then your words are rubbish. Well, why should I believe you? And then lastly, do not apologize. Do not gravel. Do not beg. I know earlier on I said like you don't want to try be like all alpha and start negging them and like borderline insulting them and pretending like you're you know God's gift to the earth. You also don't want to go too far the other way and just be like an absolute for one of the better phrase like pansy just being like well oh yeah no I'm I'm
sorry for interrupting you and I I really don't want to like bother you. Do not do anything like that. Don't apologize for outreaching because remember you're only reaching out because you can offer them a valuable service. As a business owner, I do not want to work with someone who is having to beg for work because that does not give me much confidence in their skills. This is a business deal. Your equals. Lastly, you need to present the offer. The tactics for presenting an offer. What are they? Well, there's a few. And this is somewhat related
to the value you can provide. If you've done one kind of tactic for providing value, you can link it to a relevant tactic for presenting the offer as well. You can use the offer formula that I previously mentioned. That was just my uh MVV, my minimum viable vision. That's just like an a quick offer formula. So, if you really need something you just can't think in your brain, you can just use something like that. Or you can use a bulleted list of deliverables. You can link this in to the value that you've proven. But you
can say, you know, here's all the stuff I noticed and here's how I fix it. So, I would I'd love to offer you um some email, like an email writing service, get your welcome sequence up and running. I'd love to write a couple of Facebook ads for you because I think we could really start driving those. And I'd love to do whatever else. Bullet those down so there's no doubt in the prospect's mind about what kind of stuff you want to do. Set a clear time frame. Just say, "Yep, this will take me two weeks.
This will take me a month, 30 days." Only you are going to know how long it's going to take. And if you've been following the rest of this course and you've been practicing, you started your daily practice, you'll start to get a better idea of of that. Defer details to the sales call. If if you're really struggling with the offer or how to present this stuff or you feel like you really need to talk to them before you present anything massive, there's nothing wrong with just giving them some idea of what you want to do
and just say, "Uh, I'd love to talk on a call about this further to see if it's something that you'd be interested in." Layer on the ease of getting started. Make sure you're ending with something that makes it really, really easy and simple to say what the next step would be. It's either book a call here or would you be available this day. The other side of that is make the offer seem simple to um execute on. You also want to say things like, "I won't need any extra help," or, "I don't we won't need
you won't need to invest any more money in software," or, "You won't need like a big budget. I can work with your existing team members." Just make it clear to them that there's not going to be any more work for them to do. You can add a guarantee. You can just say to them, look, I'm so confident about how this worked for you. If you don't get any more sales, you know, in in the first month of this, don't pay me. I'm so confident that I'm happy to do this for free, and then if it
works, you know, you can pay me. That really is the kind of guarantees that you can make as a copywriter. You don't need to present guarantees. I know some people get very um worried about kind of promising anything or saying, you know, like, oh, well, you can have your money back. Uh you don't have to, okay? But if you're trying loads of tactics, certainly something to consider using. You can also add bonuses. You can just say something like, um, oh, I also I'd be happy to create a tone of voice talk or I'd be happy
to record what I did for your uh your in-house marketing team or I can also look at um your emails as well. Like if you're not talking about emails on the things you can fix, for example, you could still say, I'd also be happy to look at anything else that you are thinking about. Use a diagram. I liked creating diagrams because something I learned very early on is humans are visual creatures. If there's an image in the email you send or in the message, it helps people visualize what the heck you're actually talking about. And
then present examples as well. That can even just be your niche portfolio. Presenting examples is just to make it easier for them so they understand like, oh, this is what I'm going to get. This is what the finished product will look like. Here's a few examples. Feel free to pause, read through those if you want to. The basic idea here is some of them are bulleted. It would be great to have a quick call like this one in the middle so I can share all my thoughts about increasing conversion rate on your heat bottle product
page. A few quick changes that would help uh visitors find your sale. The copy on your Facebook ad creatives. Even the changes above could have a big impact and would only take two to three weeks of updates. so I could pass that I could pass your team. Really simple, right? I'm just kind of laying out the things that I will actually do and setting a little bit of a time frame for them. These questions can wait until after you've considered what I've said so far. Looking at the potential of the project and the work needed
for my team, we could either complete this as a onetime project for a higher fee or look at agreeing a retainer deal. That's an example if you want to be very forward. Here's an example of a diagram. Here's an action overview that I did within a report to be very clear about the things that I was going to work on. Um, and you can also see like in fact, do you have time for a call at any point this week? I can even do this afternoon if you happen to be free. It'd be helpful if
I could share my screen and take you through what I'm thinking since I think it will be easier to explain visually giving a reason to have another conversation about all this. Okay, hopefully these all make pretty good sense and you can see how they relate to the slide before the do nots of presenting an offer. Do not make demands. Do not tell a business owner that they must do something or you you need something, you know, and you can't possibly do it without this certain thing. It's okay to suggest. It's okay to recommend. I can
see cases where, you know, you could possibly put a line in about saying like, oh, the only um the only prerequisite is we need to make sure we have like this email software in place. As a beginner, you don't have to worry about stuff like that cuz most likely you won't be saying things like that. However, you do not need to be making demands of your person, especially in a rude um abrupt way. Do not tell them that you can do anything for them. Don't let that be your offer because again it has the same
thing of like having a message that's just so broad and it's so wide that it's so diluted and there's nothing specific there to grab onto. Do not be vague about the next steps. Don't just end your report or whatever you've sent and don't say anything. You need to be specific about what you envision the next steps being. It'd be great to get on a call to discuss this in detail and then we could see if this is right for your business. Do not lie about your history or results. I have seen people actually suggest that
copyriters should lie. Just don't. You don't need to. Most of the copyriters who I know who are doing this now, I know for a fact did not lie. They simply made good spec pieces and were clearly engaged when they were outreaching to people or applying for something and they got the roles. They networkworked to get their first positions which is something else we'll talk about of course in another section. But the point is do not lie. It's not worth it. It's quite easy to check sometimes. And also it's a case of you don't want to
start on the wrong foot where later down the line it could come back to bite you. Do not play hard to get or give a sense of false urgency. You can use genuine urgency. For example, if you're reaching out to someone and saying, "Look, you know, I I the reason I'm reaching out to you is I really want to work with your brand because I love what you guys do and I've been using you for a while." Um, but to be completely honest, like I only have one slot left or um I I'm getting like
a a new retainer deal like in a month or I don't have much time so I'm kind of like deciding between a few clients. That's fine. If that's genuine, like no worries about that. But don't play hard to get and be like, I just have so few slots. So, you know, you need to make sure you book in. If you had so few slots, you wouldn't be outreaching. It's so transparent. People can see through it. It doesn't actually work. Especially does not help you out with cold outreach cuz this person who doesn't know you is
just like, "Okay, fine. Go and do whatever else." Do not be inflexible about timings or circumstances. Now, of course, there are some things you can't get out of like if you just can't do a certain day for a call or something like that. But wherever possible, do try to be flexible. Even though this needs to be a relationship of equals and you don't want to gravel or beg, ultimately they're still the one paying you and you're still trying to con convince them that they should hire you. You just have to accept if you're going down
like the lifestyle of freelance or cold outreach generally, um you're going to have those situations and do not state your fee upfront. You're allowed to state your fee upfront when you are an in demand copywriter and there are people knocking down your door to work with you. I'm very fortunate to be in that position now. I could not do that as a beginner. And if you do that as a beginner and you immediately just say like, "Oh yeah, it's going to be £1,000 for all this." A lot of people then will make a decision based
on the money you've sent rather than the value you've provided, you need to be able to have them on a call and to actually talk them through the value in more detail to further justify your fee, whatever that might be. There you have it. You now understand the principles, some proven tactics, and the don'ts of cold outreach. So, how do you start putting all of this to use? Well, let's move on to how to find potential clients. We've talked about the principles. You have a few tax guns your sleeves. You've seen examples of what good
outreach looks like. You should now have a much better idea of how to actually execute on this. So, now it's time to put intermittent niching into action. Like we discussed earlier, remember intermittent niching is a way to still appear as an authority when you're pitching to clients without limiting yourself to just one industry for your whole career. The idea is you pick a starting niche, you write practice pieces for that niche, and this has the added benefit because it makes you research the market, test your skills in the niche, and it proves that you can
do what you're claiming when you reach out to people, then you create a list of targets to pitch to, send tailored outreach to all your targets, and then you pick a new niche and repeat the process. Okay, this is what I did, which led to my success. We've already discussed how to do one and two. At the very beginning of this, we talked about and continuously throughout this course, we have talked about how the niche you choose doesn't really matter. If businesses exist within that niche, it is possible to make money from them. That's why
we suggest you start with a niche you're personally interested in. If you follow these steps and you focus on the principles of cold outreach, the chances you have of landing clients are so much better regardless of the niche you pick. Which is also the reason that we recommend learning the principles of copywriting instead of limiting yourself to a single type of copy like emails. If you know how to write pretty much any type of copy, then there are so many more opportunities to pitch to potential clients. Okay, you already know how to create a portfolio.
So, how do you go about finding targets within your chosen niche? The principles of searching for targets online should be pretty obvious. So, in this case, I am actually going to share my personal preference for finding prospects with you right now. Uh the principle of finding people online is just, you know, searching within a niche that you're interested in and listing out businesses. I want to give you a bit more insight into how I actually do it so you have a bit more structure to go off. If you already know where your targets are, the
people within the niche who you might be interested in pitching to, then great. But if you don't, then Google is your best option. You can just search for the thing that you're interested in writing within. Okay? Online fitness course, buy anime figures, mechanic near me. Could be dozen, well, not even dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of potential things that you could search. Just search that on Google. That's all you need to start by doing. Let's take online fitness course. So, we've just searched for that and already immediately four businesses have come up. And these businesses aren't
just businesses, they're also running ads. So, that shows us that they're not afraid of investing money into marketing, which is good for us because it means they're even more likely to hire someone who is going to help them with their marketing. If you're um not in like a western country or you're not in an English-sp speakaking country and you want to write for English speaking clients, this is where I recommend using something like a VPN because this is going to help you to identify businesses more easily. And just as a quick note, if you are
a non-English-speaking copywriter, this doesn't work for everyone, of course, but try writing copy in your own language and try finding businesses in your own country that might be open to hiring you. Now, that may not be an option. So, if it isn't, that's fine. You can use the VPN method and you can search for for businesses in um English-speaking countries, but something to keep in mind. Point is, all we've done is search on Google and we found and obviously this is just within the screenshot of my computer. We found four businesses. And then you simply
fill in a table like this one. This table is included in the companion course. Okay, so the companion guide to this course. If you haven't got it yet, you can go down in the description and click the link that says the companion guide and you will get this uh spreadsheet there for you. Simply fill in a table like this one and the important columns that you want to look at, particularly uh the website, the main focus that business has, and any notes that you think are interesting about that business. So when you're looking for the
stuff to build your cold outreach from, you can put all your research notes in there. That's just going to help you keep things relatively organized. Skim through the sites that you've opened up after searching on Google. Fill out where the website is. Say what their main focus of the business is and just any notes. So, for example, here the Google ads weren't benefit focused. The homepage is unclear and the CTA is confusing, but I love their ethos about um why fitness matters. This is really where your research comes into play, which we'll talk about in
a moment. Let yourself go down rabbit holes when looking for potential clients. There's nothing wrong with having your own red lines as well. If you see something that means you could or couldn't help them, you can decide based on that. If you keep skimming through and then you decide, no, actually I can't help this brand. I don't really know where to start. That can be a red line for you. You can also have red lines for location, how big they are, if they're spending money on ads, you can set your own red lines. But most
importantly, allow yourself to just search everywhere. Okay? Click on random links, have a look at different businesses you see on Google, go to the second page of Google, use different search engines, open them up, and then see if you can uh identify ways that you can help them. If you've decided you can help them, put them down into your spreadsheet. Some red flags that I personally watch out for. If it's hard to find information on decision makers within businesses, I tend to avoid them. If there's no official company information and if they're not running any
kind of advertising, so they haven't got an email list, they've got no way to sign up to an email list on their website, and they don't have any social medias, those are some red flags to look out for purely because they may not even be in operation anymore or they may not be in a position where they can hire people. But there's nothing wrong with including those in your spreadsheet if you um are really just trying to find as many as you possibly can. And you just complete your short list. Aim for at least 10
prospects within your niches first batch. I personally kind of go for at least 20 like we said earlier on with intermittent niching. This is all about giving yourself a goal that you're going to hit and you're going to achieve. And this is also going to help you weed out the hard nose. You know, writing everything down and you might have those red lines we discussed and then you go actually know I really don't want to reach them reach out to them. And this should act as a signpost for the most important information about that business.
So when you come to create cold outreach about them, you already have a highlevel um filled out table of okay, this is what kind of business they are. Here's the main focus. These are some paid ads they're running currently. These are the decision makers that I found, which we'll go into in a moment. Um and here's some notes about like what I think about them. I also like to rank mine as well. So I rank them from highest priority to lowest priority. Sometimes I might spend more time on the higher priority ones if I know
that I haven't got that long to like spend on outreach this week. But you can spend as much time on any of them as you want to. You don't have to rank. It's all completely up to you. And there are plenty of other places to find targets if Google isn't cutting it for you. You can go on YouTube. You can look at YouTube ads. You can go on Reddit communities. You can look at Facebook groups. You can go to Amazon. You can find brands anywhere. You can find businesses who are working within a niche you
want to to to work for. Also, there's a couple of good uh software out there that might help you. One is called Store Leads. I've been told is no longer free. When this video goes out and when you're watching this, I don't know if they'll still have a paid plan only or they will have some free stuff. Again, if you're in a position where you can invest in something like this and you know you want to go for e-commerce, for example, store leads is a great um website to look for. A free alternative to something
like store leads might be something uh like myip.ms and similar websites where you can go there and you can break it down by um server hosts like Shopify like have their own servers or Amazon have their own servers or Magento or Big Commerce. Some software like Clickfunnels also might have their own servers and you can go to my IPS and just search for those hosting providers. It will give you a list of all the websites being hosted on those companies. So that's also a pretty good way to find potential customers or clients if you know
where your uh the business you want to pitch to tend to host their websites. All right, so you have a short list. you have found at least 10 or 20 or even 30 or 40 targets that you want to pitch to within your niche. So now what do you do for each business? You need to identify one or more decision makers who would be responsible for hiring copyriters. If they have a LinkedIn profile like for the business, if you go to the company's page and then you go to um people within the business, uh it'll
it'll give you an idea of how many people are working there. It tends to be if there are few than 10 to 15 employees, it's probably going to be the CEO that you're going to want to pitch to. but also it could be the head of marketing. For bigger companies especially, you want to look for people who are going to be directly responsible for hiring people within the marketing department or for hiring freelancers to do copy for them. If you go on a LinkedIn profile page and you see all there is a head of brand
even though they're below 10, then of course might be worth reaching out to them. But like I said earlier, one of my favorite tactics is finding two decision makers in the business and making sure they're both looped into your outreach. Finding contact info. When you have identified who you need to reach out to directly, you need to find the best way to contact them. Thankfully, because your outreach is going to be super tailored, reaching out via any platform is going to feel far less annoying for them than the rest of the outreach that they get.
So, you could send via LinkedIn or another social media profile like Instagram or Facebook. Just go to their profile that you find. You could try to find their email manually via their company website. Some people also list it in their LinkedIn profiles. Or you could use a software like Hunter.io to scrape a business for individual contact details. Again, that costs money um I think for for a lot of those software. So, you might not always be able to use something like that, but you can always fall back on manual methods. If nothing else works and
you really want to um pitch to a specific business, but you just can't find any specific contact info for any decision makers, there's nothing wrong with simply outreaching to the general business email within that company. That's kind of a last resort, but if you really want to work for a business, there's nothing wrong with doing that. Congrats. You now have a set list of targets and plans for how to contact them. You know the people you can reach out to. You know the people who could potentially give you a lot of money. That's important. All
you need to do is conduct research on your targets and apply the principles we discussed earlier to create outreach like they've never seen before. Researching your decision makers and the business itself is pretty simple. Use LinkedIn, use company about us pages, personal social media, wherever you can to learn more about the people that you need to target. Align this research with the principles we discussed earlier. So ask yourself, what will help me grab their attention? What can I reference that will be really relevant to them as an individual or to the business? Do they mention
sports teams they like? Have they talked about hobbies or passions anywhere? Does the business talk about like an away day they just did or, you know, team building exercise or the fact they've just been nominated for an award? All those kinds of things. What can I help them with that will prove my value? What parts of their marketing could I improve? This of course just comes down to like your internal audit looking at the funnel, looking at the website and asking yourself, okay, based on all the copywriting knowledge I have, what could I help them
do? How is that going to help them uh build more sales? And that's where you can of course translate that into actually demonstrating that value via something like a report, a video audit, all the stuff we talked about earlier. And what can I reference the business itself claims is important? Is there anything that I can infer about the business's aims or ethos that will help me connect with them? on their about us page. Do they talk about what they really value as a business or what they're proud of or what they like about it or
how they work as a team? You can say within your outreach, you can allude to the fact that those things matter to you as well, either very directly or subconsciously. Like I said, treat this whole process like you're researching and writing for a piece of copy. You need to find out what your prospect wants and show them how to get it. When in doubt, sales is what they want. Showing them how to get it, that's all to do with what you would change about their marketing that proves your value. And then you simply need to
do the first step of grabbing attention in a way that is being different or being relevant. Kind of last stage of this is how to follow up. A lot of people always ask, you know, when they're doing outreach, they say, "Okay, but but what if people don't reply? What do I do?" If your prospects don't reply, there's nothing wrong with following up until you get a response. But most people don't really appreciate just receiving, "Did you see this yet?" again and again. Instead, keep your follow-ups relevant to what you know your target is interested in.
And better yet, include something new, like a new idea or a spec piece, and send messages through different platforms just in case the original medium that you used isn't something they check regularly. I tend to leave it about one week before following up, but there is no right amount of time to wait. And just remember, you need to assume that the issue was grabbing their attention because the value you've proven should be good enough. They understand why it's relevant. If you assume that grabbing attention is what failed, and you focus on improving the grabbing attention
piece, at least you know they're going to be opening your follow-ups. So work on improving that principle in your next message. And my suggestion, again this completely personal preference, follow up at least seven times before giving up. I've often heard the mantra people sometimes need seven touch points before they reply to a salesperson. So I always make sure I follow up at least seven times before I give up completely. Please try to be original and relevant and new in the follow-ups as well. Don't just say the same thing again and again. I also thought this
would help dot dot dot. That is relatively generic. However, because it's referencing something that came before and you can forward your email, I thought this would help is quite a different email subject line to get something like that, but then attaching a new spec piece or a new image or a new report or a new diagram. That would be an example of giving them something new, giving them something else to look at. That was cold pitching, right? That like that was it. Perhaps the best part about cold pitching and one of the reasons I love
it so much and I'm so passionate about it is you hardly need anything to get started other than an internet connection and then the relevant accounts you want to use. So like an email or LinkedIn or Instagram or whatever. You don't need a website. You don't need a personal brand. You don't need a content posting strategy. You don't need a network. You don't need previous clients. You don't need testimonials. As a beginner copywriter, you can literally start this right now. and there are no limits on where you go or what you do. Sure, you can
invest in a software like the ones that we've mentioned, but you can also do it all for free without them. Regardless, following the advice that we've set out is going to give you a better approach to cold outreach than 99% of other aspiring copywriters. And I say that with absolute confidence because even if you're watching this course right now, and even if there are thousands of other copyriters watching this, I know that most people will never act on it. And I know that there are far more copywriters who are sending god awful outreach every single
day. And that was just one method of finding work as a copywriter. Cold outreach isn't for everyone. And so most copywriters get their start thinking, "Oh, I should just be emailing people or cold emails to people I'm finding on LinkedIn or I should be doing cold outreach on Instagram or cold outreach on LinkedIn itself." And one thing you find is that that is a really really tough game to get into, especially when you're a beginner. The reason that happens is because many new copyriters start with cold outreach methods because they think they're easy to start.
But the truth is they're actually really really hard. There's a really low message to response ratio even for pros. And so think about when you're a beginner, you're just learning copyrightiting, your messages are not going to be the best. They're not going to be structured that well. Your credibility is not going to be that great. And so the responses you get are going to be even more abysmal. A 1% response rate is considered pretty decent. And so think about if you are just beginning, it's going to be even lower than that. It's gonna be a
long time before you get jobs consistently. Another thing is that we spend a lot of times wasting messages on businesses who aren't hiring because we don't have an inside look into who they are or what they're working on before we message them. And so one of the reasons your response rate is so low is because a lot of the time you're messaging people who just don't need your services. Because of that, there's also this potential for significant periods between getting work. And so if you are just getting started, you're trying to make copyrightiting your full-time
career or even just like a side hustle that feels like it's worth hustling for. If it's a really long time between getting jobs, you know, it it's going to be really discouraging if that's like the main outreach method you're using. And then the last thing we don't really talk about, but is really really true and I think is something that is really important is that uncertainty and not getting responses for a long time is super mentally draining. We're already spending so much time practicing copy, reading copy, writing copy, thinking about copy, talking to people on
Discord servers and on LinkedIn and all these other places about copy. And then we're also asking you to go out and do an hour or two of outreach every single day just to maybe get a job once a week or a month or however long it is. That's super taxing when you're already at a really stressful stage of your career. And so cold outreach is a viable technique, but it's definitely not one I would first recommend to someone who's just getting started and trying to find their feet. But there's good news. You have options. And
so with that, I would like to welcome all of you to the wonderful world of job boards. And so, as an overview, here's what we're going to cover in this session. One, what are job boards? Why are they important? Why are they notable? Two, how do you build a profile that sets you up for success by setting you apart? Then we're going to talk about the magic tool for finding great gigs with little competition. And then we're going to get into why most freelancers job proposals instantly get rejected. And then finally, we're going to talk
about the hidden money opportunity behind most gigs that way too many people fumble. What the heck is a job board anyway? And the answer is pretty simple. Job boards are basically just boards where people go to post gigs that they want your help with. And so the process plays out pretty simply. First, someone posts a gig that they need help with along with relevant details. What is the work? What's the job? What's the timeline? Then freelancers like you apply for the gig. Then the business sorts through the applications, maybe interviewing candidates and select somebody to
do the work. And then you complete the work and you get paid. It's super super simple. And just like one note up top, today I'm talking about all job boards. Upwork and Fiverr tend to be the most popular, but the things we're talking about in this session are applicable to whatever platform, whatever niche website you're using for actually any industry. So if you are a developer who happens to be watching the stream because you want to learn copyrightiting as a side thing, these same principles will apply to your development based projects as well. And so
let's just start with some pros and cons. So, first job boards are really good because you have access to lots and lots and lots and lots of warm leads. What we mean when we say warm leads versus cold leads is cold leads are people who you could potentially do business with or get money from, but they're cold because they're not warmed up to you yet, which is to say that they don't even know you exist. They don't even necessarily know that they need a job done for them. You're reaching out to them in hopes that
they realize that there's an opportunity to work with you to do something really great. On the other hand, warm leads are leads that are already thinking about doing the work, are already looking to do work, and it's just a matter of finding the right person or opportunity to do that work. So on Upwork or other websites like that, all those leads are super warm because they're literally at the point where they are posting on a website, someone please help me with this job. That makes it super super easy and actionable for someone like you to
come in and say, "Yes, let me do it." And go from that yes to actually doing the work. Another great thing about job boards is that the details about each job are visible upfront. And so there end up being way fewer surprises. For example, if someone wants you to write emails and it's for a product that you find questionable, like dick pills up front, you can see, oh, this is going to be about dick pill emails, so I don't want to do this job. That's a lot easier than finding yourself in a situation where you're
negotiating, you're reaching out, and then surprise surprise, a week later, you find out what the product is, and you're like, "Shit." Another fantastic thing is that you agree upon rates upfront. And so there aren't nearly as many awkward conversations about how much do you want to get paid, how much should I make, when am I going to get paid, all that is structured for you. And the expectation is that you're going to have those conversations and negotiate around that. And so if you are just starting out and you're not used to having those conversations, it
actually gives you a lot of really good practice doing that and it's much more comfortable. And then finally, and this is one thing I think most people sleep on is that you can very easily do competitor research to improve your success. And what I mean when I say that is you as someone out there on a job board have your profile, you have your pitches, you have your style. What you can do is instead of searching for jobs, go search for talent like yourself. So other copywriters, other marketers, and see what they're putting on their
profile, and you can actually find the most successful people on the platforms, copy their style, then apply those same techniques and rhetorical approaches to your own profile to increase your own personal success. Super super super simple to do that kind of competitor research to improve your results. The downside of job boards is that because there are so many warm leads, there is lots of competition. And while I think that things kind of end up evening out, if you're not someone who is interested in putting effort into your applications, into being aware of the types of
messages that people are out there or what your audience is used to hearing. One, you probably won't be a very good copyriter, but two, job boards are going to be a much harder platform to find work on. The other thing is that because there's so much competition to an extent, pricing is a little bit more competitive. And so there is a level to which there's a kind of a race to the bottom. And so if you are not confident in your pricing, if you are tempted to kind of set your rate super low because you're
desperate for work, you're going to find that you're not going to make very much money on these websites. Someone posted a comment in chat earlier about people doing work on Fiverr for literally $5, which is ridiculous. But that's the kind of situation you find yourself in if you feel the kind of pressure of everyone around you setting your rate super low. So you also set your rate super low. I will say that this is a little bit of a trap and we're going to talk about that later. So I personally would not worry too much
about that last bit, but it is something to keep in mind. Some other things to keep in mind, this is a competition because there are a limited number of jobs because only one person can do each job typically or a limited number of people can. You are competing against other people to get this work and so you have to approach it with that mindset. Another thing, generic is boring and boring is bad. If you don't want to put effort into standing out, you're going to have a bad time on these platforms because jobs get so
many applications that if your application looks just like everyone else's, it's going to be pretty unlikely that a job poster is going to pick you versus the guy next to you. Good question, Chad, is can we work for free on Fiverr for testimonials or should we? I think the answer is I don't think you can work for free. You do have the ability to work for very small amounts of money. I don't necessarily recommend that. There is a caveat to this that we'll get into a little bit later when you're just starting out, but in
general, I think whether we're talking about a job board or any kind of work, it is actually better for you to get paid because of what that's going to do with your client relationship. Again, standing out is key. I know I've said that like 15 million times, but it's that important. And finally, be honest. Don't lie to get jobs. Don't lie to people in general. Not just from a moral perspective, but you can very easily find yourself in situations where you're way out of your depth or you've misrepresented yourself and it becomes harder to get
work. The worst case scenario, you could actually end up being kicked off these platforms for certain types of lies. So, just be very careful about that. So, next I want to get into some job board basics in terms of how to get started on job board. It's this simple. The first step is building your profile. Making sure it's set up in a way that is attractive to people who might want to hire you, but is also very clear about the value that you're going to provide. Number two is we're going to talk about setting rates,
how you do that, different sorts of thoughts around the best way to do that and why you should be less worried about that than maybe you think. Three, we're going to talk about how to find the best gigs both for your level of experience but also in terms of like going after gigs that are less competitive but still pay well. Then we're going to talk about sending job proposals and how to one literally do that. Two, do that well and compellingly in a way that people actually are like, "Holy [ __ ] this person's impressive."
And then finally, we're going to talk about getting hired and getting paid. So, let's start with building your profile and setting your rates. But before we do that, I want to talk about some strategy, which is my favorite thing to talk about. So, just at a high level, we need to approach the process of getting work the same way we would approach the process of writing copy or doing anything else we're serious about. We need a strategy for this. And when we talk about strategy for selling your services, selling yourself as a professional, it's not
about who you are. It's about what you do. which means that your framing should always be based on the value that you want to provide for your clients. So if you want to write emails for someone, that means naturally that you should be an email copywriter. And I think that this is a really important thing to wrap your mind around, especially if you are new to copyrightiting, new to marketing, new to freelancing, because that framing that you put around everything you do is going to inform one, what you say, two, how you say it, but
also three, how people are going to find you in the first place, which we'll get into in a second. But if you don't know what it is that you want to do, you are very likely to talk about things that don't matter. If someone's trying to hire a copywriter, they probably don't care if you went to school for basket weaving, for example. But if you're the type of person where that's been a big thing in your life, you are likely to talk about a bunch of credentials that don't really matter or not relevant to the
service you're trying to sell. And so step one with everything we're going to do is develop that frame for how we present ourselves. And then once we have that frame, we can operationalize it throughout our copy. And so that's telling people how what we do is different from what other people do. If you are already at that point in your career, you can start writing that down as you listen to this and just take some quick notes. And doing that will allow you to like directly link the service you're providing to the benefit that you
want your client to experience at the end of your journey together. And this is something you should always keep in mind. So not just when you're building your profile or applying to a job. Every interaction, every conversation, everything you do, you should do with the understanding that as a professional, this framing is the way that you're trying to show up. With that in mind, what goes into a profile? Using Upwork as an example, a profile consists of a profile picture, a job title, there's an about section, there's some sidebar info, usually you have your rates,
and then there's a section to upload a portfolio, which looks something like this. As you can see, there's a profile picture up here, our job title, here's my hourly rate. Here's an about section. Here's some other details like the languages I speak. First things first, let's talk about your profile picture. And this might be a little bit controversial. However, your profile picture is actually incredibly incredibly important when it comes to getting people to hire you. Not because you need to be like the most attractive person in the world, but because people are visual animals and
we are very quick to make assumptions about the type of person someone is based on the way they look. That's obviously not like the best thing, but this is a true thing. And so when we're out in the world, we're thinking about presenting ourselves to people. We need to be very aware of what those presentations are doing to our chances of finding work and having the kind of success that we want. Long story short, you want a clear, high-quality image that presents you in a flattering and appropriate manner. And so very quickly, you want a
picture that's like, hey, this is me. You can tell it's me. It's just me. I don't look like someone who's a slob. I don't look like someone who you couldn't trust to do work. It looks like I took a photo specifically to present myself. So, I'm not in a large group of people and you can't even tell who's me. Depending on the type of work you're trying to go out to do, the choice of picture really matters, too. So, for example, in this picture here, I am in Dubai in a casual shirt with a backpack
strap over my chest. That's fine if I'm presenting myself as like a, you know, nomad, freelancer, adventurous, world traveler type person. But if I were applying for a job doing political work, I might want a picture that is more like the one that's currently on my profile where I'm wearing a button-down shirt. I'm in a fancier setting. All of those things play into the way people perceive me. And so if my framing is, hey, I am this immaculate professional. You can trust me to this work. I exist in these professional contexts. Even though I'm quite
attractive in this picture on the left, this picture would not be the best match for the type of jobs I'm trying to present myself for. And so that's a really important thing to keep in mind. Next up is your job title. Your job title tells potential employers who you are. So you need to be specific. The title needs to be useful and it also needs to be honest. And so examples of good titles are things like brand storytelling copywriter, email lift copywriter, social media conversion specialist. Bad job titles are things that are not specific like
copywriter or marketer or things that don't feel particularly honest like 100% conversion rate mega ultra badass copywriter. Your job title needs to be very specific in what you do. Not just because it tells potential client about who you are, but also for SEO reasons. One thing we don't think about as much on the freelance side is that people aren't always just posting jobs. Sometimes they're looking specifically for certain types of professionals. If someone is going out there with the idea, hey, I really need help with storytelling in my copy, they're going to go in and
search for storytelling in copywriter or copywriting. And so, if that's in your job title, you're going to come up in their search results more easily. And so, they're more likely to look at your profile. They're more likely to reach out to you and pitch you for a job. All of that helps. If you are like a thousand other people and your job title is just copyriter, when you come up in a search, people have no way to distinguish between you and anyone else with that title. And so just putting in that extra little bit of
effort helps a ton. That does not mean that it's the only thing you do or that's the only type of job you apply for. I had brand storytelling copyriter as my job title for a really really long time and I would still apply for other types of roles. But if there is one particular type of work that you're really interested in doing, definitely lean into that and be as specific and useful and outstanding as possible because the main takeaway here is that the way you frame yourself to your audience tells them a lot about you.
Next is the about section, which is is the section that most people need help with because there's room to write a lot and people do write a lot, but people tend to write a lot of things that don't matter and are not relevant to their audience. The most important thing when it comes to your about section is that you sit down and structure it like any other piece of copy that you would write. And so what I mean when I say that is you need to think about your audience. You need to think about what
your actual one message is that you want to convey. And then you need to sit there and think deeply about what is the best way to convey that. The first thing I always do and in other successful profiles I've seen too is that the first line of their about section is a one-s sentence value proposition. I do X to get you why. Everything in your about section is about you. But the secret thing is that really it's about the value that you provide to your potential clients. While it is things you do or experiences you
have, all of these things are in service of the message that hey, I am set up and I am thinking about what I can do to get you that extra conversion, to get you that extra dollar, to get you whatever goal it is that you want to accomplish. And so everything you do has to exist within that framing. That one sentence value proposition is the most distilled condensed version of that. And so I would really sit and think deeply about that one sentence first and then you go back and write everything else and think, okay,
are all these things supporting that value proposition that I set out to say at the beginning. For me, that first section is, okay, my background, I'm an ex-transator and now I work in direct response these days. I spend most of my time working with these types of clients. So if you're that type of client, I would be a good fit for you because I have that background. Then it's literally what do I do to help you? So in terms of deliverables, in terms of like types of work I do, I do brand audits, I do
copy audits, I do brand voice development, I do this, I do that. Again, these are things that are going to come up in search results. And so making sure that you are thinking about the types of work you want to do and the types of work that people are looking for in order to make sure that that match happens so that when they see that in your profile, they're like, "Oh, right. This is the right person for me." They have that experience. They have that mindset. One additional thing I always add even in having that
one message is just kind of showing other types of work I've done or other types of experiences or thinking that I do. And so I talk about political speech writing, personal speech writing. I talk about working with startups specifically because there are so many startups that are looking for that type of talent. And then of course on copy that and so I'm talking about, hey, I've helped develop podcasts and things like that before. And so not only do I have that sort of business context, but also I know what type of writing works well for
that. And then finally, you always want to have a call to action. The one here I have is not the strongest, but really just saying, "Hey, you've read through this whole thing. You've seen what I'm about. You had to have been somewhat interested if you got to the bottom of this. Reach out and message me. Even if you don't know the exact details, even if you don't know this or that, you're not sure. I would love to have a conversation." And the reason you do that is because if someone is interested in you or is
curious about you enough to read through the whole thing, there is the potential that a conversation with you, even without a formal job proposal, might lead to some sort of collaboration or they might find a reason to work with you if you're not the right fit for this moment. You could be the right fit for next week or next month or whatever. It's all about building those connections and reaching out to people first, extending your hand so that they're like, "Oh, right. Let me shake his hand virtually and then we can talk about the work."
All right. So next, it's really important when we are thinking about writing for other people and selling our services that we avoid certain forms of self- sabotage. One, don't be witty. Don't be too cute. We are here not just to have fun and write copy. We're here to help people's businesses. These are people who are going to be paying you for your services with money that they could use for so many other things. While it's okay to be a funny person, it's okay to have a sense of humor. We should approach these people's endeavors with
a sense of seriousness. So when you're writing, if you come across as super jokey or non-serious, that is going to make you less attractive to people who might otherwise want to hire you. Don't make your profile all about you. And what I mean when I say that is don't just write stuff about yourself cuz it makes you sound good. Everything again needs to be in service of how you're going to help your potential client. If they cannot draw the connection between something you've written and it being relevant to their life or their goals, you should
not have it in your profile. Don't talk about topics your prospects don't understand. This is a really crucial topic, especially for copyriters, because we have a tendency to talk about, oh my god, this PS framework or we're going to get into talking about some really niche copyrightiting techniques like headline complex and oh this testimonial section, this that and the third. The reality is is that most people who are hiring you in situations like this are not copywriters and often they're not even marketers. And so you need to be not just willing but able and proactively
speaking in terms that anybody could understand. If there is a 60-year-old man who's run a lumberjack business for the last 40 years of his life, he needs to understand your value proposition just as well as Dan Blazerian or any other marketer who's famous. This is a way that we shoot ourselves in the foot so much. If you think about like LinkedIn posts and the Instagram profile of a generic newbie copywriter, it's so much like, oh my god, I'm delivering value. I'm going to write all these posts about copyrightiting and like how much I know about
copyrightiting. But the reality is the only people who engage with that content are other copyriters and those other copyriters are not trying to hire you. They're not going to launch your career. That is not a good use of your time and it's not a good use of your bandwidth. Instead of posting about how good you are at copyrightiting, you could just be getting better at copyrightiting or you could be doing client outreach or you could be doing literally anything else that actually positively benefits your career. So when we are talking about how we present ourselves
to people we want to hire us, we need to approach it with the seriousness that we would for anyone else we care about in our lives. We need to make it about what they stand to benefit from and we need to make sure that is written in terms that they understand. Another thing, please emphasize the value that you're bringing to the table or or that you want to bring to the client over promises. Do not say, "I am going to make you a million dollars tomorrow with this specific campaign." Because you have no way of
guaranteeing that. You have no way of understanding how that client works, their businesses actually run well, if their product is actually good. And so, it is very, very, very dangerous to make promises when you're not in a position to actually deliver them. And the reality is is that as a copywriter, particularly if you're coming in as a freelancer or someone who does not have any sort of equity in the business, your ability to make sure that the things that need to happen actually happen is very very limited. So talk about the value that you're bringing
to the table, what your copy can do, and what it can unlock, but don't make claims about what is going to happen in the future. Another thing is do be specific about what you specifically do. An example of a bad claim would be I maximize conversions because there are 15 bazillion different ways to do that. And if the way that you specialize in maximizing conversions is just changing the colors of buttons on people's websites, that is very different than you having a sense of how to write email copy so specifically that you know how to
actually maximize clickthroughs. Completely different things, but that would both fit under that category. So when you are talking about what you literally do in that section of your about section, make sure you're saying, "Okay, this is the actual deliverable." Be specific. The other thing that's very underrated is do present yourself as a friendly, positive person. It is very easy to become cynical, to become jaded, to get burnt out because of how hard we have to work to get these jobs. The truth is, no one cares. And if you show up meeting a client for the
first time and you do not look like a friendly person, you do not look like someone who's going to be easy to work with. People will not want to work with you and that is really bad. Please just do whatever you can to show up the same way you would show up to like meet your grandma. Don't be a dick. Just smile and nod. Even if you don't feel great. Next is a little sidebar section. And so there's not a ton here. I pulled this from someone else's profile, but do not consider this a throwaway
section because this is a section that people are actually judging you on whether or not you realize it. And so there's a few things here. There's stuff like total earnings, total number of jobs completed, how many hours you've worked, these are all proxies for experience. And so if you are coming to the website with zero jobs, you've worked zero hours and you've earned zero dollars. It is a lot harder to believe the things you're saying because you have no experience yet. Obviously, that doesn't mean that you're bad at your job or anything like that. Even
the most professional people start at zero when they join these websites. We need to be cognizant that that is sort of making our profile look a certain way. And so until we've done a few jobs, until we've made a bit of money, there is going to be an extra level of skepticism that people are viewing our profiles through. Similarly, I would be honest, but do note your languages. For most people, English is going to be the most relevant language because the copyrightiting you're doing is in English. And so being able to say, "I'm native or
bilingual," is very important if you want to write copy in that language. Other languages are definitely nice to have if there are jobs that require you to write in multiple languages. And then there's verifications and certifications you can get put onto your profile that largely aren't that important, but if for example you're trying to work with like a bunch of veterans associations and you are a veteran, that can be a great thing to put onto your profile. Be mindful of this. You're not going to spend a ton of time here, but this is a big
place where a lot of value is created. Next, let's talk about setting rates. This is a controversial subject because there are many different competing theories on how you should set your rate. Should you set your rate really high to signal value that you are an important person who does really good work? Should you set it low so it looks more affordable so you can get in the door and demonstrate the value and then work up to a higher rate? The truth is that there's no right or wrong answer. And personally, my suggestion is just set
it to whatever you feel like you want to make and then play around with it if you need to. The other caveat to this is that the rate you set on your profile is not necessarily the rate you will get paid for a job because people posting jobs also post rates for those jobs. And so it's less of a, oh, I'm going to set my rate to $100. And so when I go and apply for another job, people might have a certain perception of my skill or my ability based on that discrepancy. And I think
the other thing too is the closer your rate is to the rate that someone is setting, there is a sense of good fit. And so if you are trying to apply for premium jobs and your rate is really low. So let's say you want to apply for a job that is $100 an hour, but you've set your rate to $10 an hour, the person looking at your application might be like, is this person really qualified? They don't seem like they make very much money or they are looking to make very much money on these projects.
So do keep that in mind. It's something you can always tweak. So if you have a reason to change it up or down, go ahead and do that. And then there's the portfolio section. Long story short, put work in here. You can talk as much as you want about how good you are, the work you've done, all these great qualifications you have, but at the end of the day, people are paying you for work, and there is no better persuasive piece than them being able to see past relevant work that you've done before. We can
be a little bit choosy here about what type of work we put in here. It should definitely look good. It should represent some of your best work. It should definitely fit the type of work you would like to do going forward. So, if you have spent the last 20 years writing long- form sales letters, but you only want to write emails from now on, I would definitely take all of your long- form sales letters out of your portfolio starting out or just in general. If you're open to lots of different kinds of work, there's a
really good opportunity here to feature lots of different types of work. And so, you can have emails, you can have VSSLs, you can have larger conceptual pieces. It really is just an opportunity for you to showcase how talented you are in a way that people can just easily access and click. So, I would take full advantage of this opportunity even if it is just spec work. And I think that's a big piece for beginners where you haven't had a lot of work published or maybe you've had no work published. Go ahead, do some really good
spec work, get it critiqued, make revisions, put it in your portfolio just to show people what you're capable of. And particularly when you have no experience and you're going for your first project in something, being able to say, "I may not have had a real lift get published before, but here are some examples of lifts that I would love to write for you." that can help demonstrate that you're actually capable of doing the work that you want to do. So, now that we know how to structure a profile, now we know what to put in
it, now we know how to frame ourselves, let's talk about finding jobs. It's pretty easy. There is a search bar. You will search for jobs using the search bar. It is very simple. However, I think we underestimate how powerful of a tool this is. While yes, you can just search for copyrightiting jobs, the specificity with which you can search for things and the results that it brings up for you are a superpower when it comes to finding work that other people are not even looking for. And so when it comes to niche jobs, when it
comes to less competitive jobs, the more specific you get in your keywords, in your search, the more targeted you're going to get in terms of jobs that come up. And especially for jobs with things that are maybe a little bit more obscure. Instead of general copyrightiting, we might be talking about PPC ads or something very, very specific. It's going to let you find jobs more quickly that other people are not searching for. The other thing is that there are lots of filters and so you can sort by newest, you can sort by how much the
job is paying, you can sort by hourly rate. All of these things let you manipulate the types of jobs that are showing up. And if you have a very specific niche, so for example, let's say you want to do high-end luxury yacht copywriting, the copy for those jobs is probably going to be more expensive. And so if you search for jobs that are more expensive, you're going to only get those back. And so it's going to allow you to spend your time most effectively because you'll only be targeting the jobs that you want and you
won't have to wade through dozens and dozens of jobs that you're not even interested in. It saves you time. and make sure that you're spending your effort on things that you're most likely to get because I know that at this point you framed your profile specifically for those jobs. This is like arguably the most important part of your job board process is making sure that you are going after jobs that fit what you're looking for for your work. Now we've found jobs found jobs that we've liked. It's time to talk about sending proposals. The first
thing I'll say is sweat the details because your potential clients are paying attention. Whenever you click into apply for a job, lots of things come up. things like setting your rate, the cover letter, all these other things come up. Pay close attention when you're doing this. For example, Upwork will by default put your hourly rate in that you've set on your profile into the application. That is great except for when your hourly rate does not match your client's budget. And so, in this case, I clicked on a job that was for $15 to $40 an
hour and my hourly rate is $100 an hour. If I just don't pay attention and scroll through the whole thing and say I want to charge someone $100 an hour for something they're willing to pay at max 40 for, I am not going to get that job. So pay close attention here because your clients are and something that very innocuous you just like slipped your mind might end up losing you a job that you otherwise would have been a good fit for. The most important part though is the cover letter. And when we talk about
proposals, I think these can get a little bit synonymous or mixed together. Your cover letter is a big part of your proposal. It's not the entire thing. Long story short, this is where you say, "Hey, here's why I would be a great fit for this job. Please hire me." What you need to do here is write a personalized, which means no copy paste template letter for each job you're applying to. Be a human. Demonstrate that you're a good listener. Refer back to the job posting. Make it about the client and their goals. This is the
space where you really win the gig. You should be doing things like listing your relevant work experiences or anything else that would suggest you'd be a good fit as a partner. For example, if you have worked in software your whole life and you're an avid video gamer and now you're writing copy and you want to write copy for someone who has a video game project or something, this would be a great place to mention that, hey, I've been playing games my whole life. I'm really fluent in this vocabulary. I actually love the type of game
in particular that you're making. And so, I would bring a whole bunch of passion to this project even though I have no professional experience working on this. That is like actually a really important thing. And your client knowing that, oh, hey, this guy knows what this is all about. I'll have to do less teaching them of what's important or why something matters goes a long way in terms of getting you hired. Another thing you can do is upload relevant work samples, video audits, etc. specifically to the proposal just so it's easily accessible and it demonstrates
that you are willing to go above and beyond. Unfortunately, the bar for cover letters is incredibly low. And so lots of people are just copy pasting templates. They're just saying, "Hi, please hire me." They're not doing any work in terms of saying, "Hey, this thing you're doing is really cool. I understand why it's so important. I would love to help you reach your goals. This is a specific goal you've mentioned in your posting that I'm referring to, demonstrating that I actually read the post." All of these things sound really dumb and really silly and really
easily. The reality is is that the vast majority of people don't do them and often don't do them with good grammar and punctuation, just that bare minimum level of professionalism. There are so many great ways to write these cover letters. I know I've approached in the past usually submitting like a video audit and so if they've uploaded their website or something else like that I will actually go in and walk through it or talk through how I would approach the project which works. One thing to consider is that if a job poster likes multiple proposals
they may invite you to do a video interview and so typically that's to narrow down their candidates from many to just one. If you get invited to do an interview, make sure that you show up professionally. Dress well, be on time. Do like the tiniest amount of basic research about their business or their niche beforehand so that when they show up, you actually have something interesting to say or you're able to talk about it beyond just like, "Oh, yes, I do the marketing thing." Again, just the bare minimum of effort goes such a long way
in making you stand out as a candidate who is not just capable, but interested and would be a good partner to help grow their business or help them meet their goals. This is all about helping people change their business, change their lives. These are very serious topics and so we need to show up with that same level of seriousness. And then last but certainly not least, we get hired and we get paid. And just again a reminder, be professional. Doing the work now, even if the job doesn't feel really huge, will make it much easier
to do bigger, better work in the future. And so if you're doing a small tiny project just to kind of get snowballing on the platform, still take it seriously, still treat those people professionally, still do your best work. Not only is it good practice for copyrightiting, it's good practice on how to interact with clients when you're doing lower paying work, too. It's lower stakes, which means that you should show up the way you would want to show up for a project that is more serious for you. If the first time you're trying to show up
seriously is for something that really matters. You're more likely to be nervous. You're more likely to panic. You're more likely to be critical and do something rash when things don't go well. Use each and every one of these opportunities as an opportunity to become better at your craft across every dimension. It's not just about copyrightiting. When we're in this realm, we are doing client service. We are managing relationships. We are looking for opportunities to do bigger and better things for everyone that we work with. And so, keep that in mind. Even as you're doing just
the copyrighting thing, there's so much room to grow. And taking those opportunities earlier on will make doing them later so much easier for you and will make clients love you. Last but not least, just a lot of miscellaneous tips and considerations and things that I've learned over the years. First thing to keep in mind is that job posters get flooded with applications. And so you have to stand out. I know we've talked a lot about being unique and positioning yourself and stuff. And I cannot say enough times how important that is. When you post a
job, it will just be 20 applications, 18 of which will be like, "Please hire me." No effort. And so if you could just do like the bare minimum to not do that and be interesting and curious and be engaged, you will have a much much much better job on the platform. In that same vein, details matter a lot. And so make sure you're using punctuation. Be mindful of word choices. Don't be on there talking about like Skippy Riz Ohio toilet. Most of your clients are not 15 years old and so you need to speak to
them like they are adults. Another thing is again these are real businesses you're working for and so there's always an element of them trying to avoid risk. And so like I mentioned earlier, if you have an account where you haven't done many jobs, you haven't earned much money on there, you definitely don't have that built-in credibility that veteran accounts do. And so definitely do not be afraid to take smaller jobs early to kind of just boost your credibility. And while the platform may feel slow to get started, the opportunities do snowball and it's quite quickly
too. I know many people who their first month or two they had a really hard time getting jobs, but once they started getting a couple, then it's holy crap, now there's almost too many. And so just keep at it and don't be afraid to take on those small opportunities to help you get the bigger opportunities. Also, do be mindful of scams. And the short version of this is basically don't send people money. If someone's like, "Oh, you need to buy something before we do the job." They exist. They're pretty rare. Stay alert. If something sounds
too good to be true, it probably is. And if you just get like a weird feeling, just do a quick Google search. Typically, something will come up. A real client will always be happy to provide more information to you. If you have anxiety about anything, don't be afraid to ask. Another thing is that it's really, really hard for businesses to find good freelancers. A lot of people are flaky. A lot of people are lazy. A lot of people do the bare minimum. And so be one of the good ones. When you're one of the good
ones, people do not want to let you go. They will come back to you with extra work. And that's one way that one-off gigs end up turning into long-term partnerships. And so, I know for me personally, I've done lots of like, "Oh, I'm just going to do this small thing." And then it's like a week or a month later, they're like, "Actually, we have this other thing, too, and we have this other thing, too. And, oh, now that we've worked with you, we kind of trust you more. So, do you want to do this bigger
thing for us because we know how good you are?" With that in mind, act like every opportunity you have has the potential to turn into something even bigger. When you conduct yourself with that level of seriousness, professionalism, opportunities will present themselves. Do yourself the favor and show up the way that you would want a full-time employee showing up to any type of job because people really do appreciate it. And when someone realizes that you are consciously trying to help them achieve the goals that they have in their life, they will look to reciprocate in whatever
way they can. And yeah, that's about it. So, one thing that I wanted to uh talk about today is a sort of variation on cold outreach, which is what Lindsay and I did for a very long time, which involves uh effectively basically being your own little mini agency and selling your services to niche markets that you have probably never heard of. And by niche, I don't mean like financial, survival, health, etc. what we normally talk about when we talk about copy and marketing niches. Instead, uh we're talking about like actual niche industries. One example that
we'll be talking about in a little bit is eyebrow micro blading and permanent makeup. It is a subsection of a subsection of a subsection of an industry and actually finding those clients and talking to those clients and doing copyrightiting and marketing for them can be incredibly lucrative. some of the ones that we kind of have run across something like seaw wall repair. I'm down in Florida. There's a lot of canal front homes and there are companies that fix deteriorating seaw walls on the canals and that's a niche business that you probably have never heard of
or thought about. Christmas light installation, exterior lighting companies, parking pavement striping, boat marine repair. What really surprised me when I started meeting other newbies um was that no one else had done this. It's quite easy because there's just so many businesses who are local, who are niche. You can actually make a whole revenue stream off of this and just have this as a business. Also, just think about how you can apply it not just in this business sense, but also to your own copywriting client getting abilities because no one else is thinking this way. If
the only thing you know how to do is copywriting, you are going to be significantly limited in that the only thing you'll be able to do for your client is to write the landing page, but you won't necessarily know when you need a landing page or when you need an email or when you'd be better suited with um an advertorial or to change up your funnel or you know any of those sorts of changes. And so it is so important for people to develop knowledge around where their writing exists in the general business sense. What
we're what we're basically talking about is is using leveraging your your copywriter skills. You know, beginner level is what we're talking about and launching in your local community your own kind of mini marketing agency. It is very templated and it's very formulaic. And I know because we've launched Sean a number of businesses this way and each and every time it's effectively the same thing. We can say we launched effectively three businesses. Each one took us a week to get up and running. It was that simple. And each business was profitable within the first month. One
business never saw a single month with a loss. And by months 8 to 9, it was pulling in 10 to 15 grand per month. Another business was on the path to six figures within the first 30 days. And then the third business, we were just kind of running the marketing arm, but it generated $150,000 in revenue within the first 10 months. And by year two, that number had grown to 500,000. If you're a copywriter and you're looking to get started, it doesn't have to take you, you know, a year studying the craft of copywriting before
you can put your first, you know, piece out in the world and see how it does. And then, you know, maybe you'll make a couple bucks from that. like if if you're interested in making a career out of this and funding your copyrightiting education, you can do this very very quickly. What are some businesses that are better suited for, you know, to to reach out to? And what are some businesses that might not be? You're going to go out there and cold call business owners and you are going to get them to put you on
a retainer to market their business, generate leads for them, and push those leads over to, you know, their front desk or whoever, right? is going to answer the phone. You're just the marketing piece. You're going to have to justify somebody paying you a retainer, however much that is, $1,500, $2,000, $3,000. And so, you know, if you think to justify that marketing cost to somebody who doesn't really understand marketing, you know, maybe they've, you know, they've advertised in some local magazines and they don't really know if that works. You know, they put out their business cards
or just, you know, they're not really, they want, they need customers, but they don't know how to market themselves. you know, they don't know you. So, it's a lot to kind of ask for that money upfront. The sweet spot is really finding services that have a really high ticket, high price service. So, you know, like the ones that I mentioned before, like a seaw wall repair. If you're hiring a company to repair your seaw wall, you're looking at like a $600 to $2,000 per linear foot job. And then, you know, it's a multi-million dollar home
on a canal and they've got a big repair job, right? That's that's thousands of dollars. If you can bring in several of those clients in a month, for example, and each of those clients averages 5,000 bucks or whatever, you know, surely they can they can cut you a $2,000 retainer, you know, or a percentage of the business, the profits that you bring in. As opposed to, you know, clients that are paying, for example, 50 bucks to have a ser a service, something very uh low price. It's just it's going to take a lot of volume
to justify a business owner cutting you in or paying you a monthly retainer. For beginners watching this who are thinking, "Oh, yeah, but you know, I'm a beginner. What if I don't have any experience?" Uh, one, these people aren't used to getting pitched. Um, so you're not going to be against loads of other people who are trying to get their services. I mean, seriously, just look at their marketing. It isn't good. Two, uh, you haven't got to mention that you're a beginner and start a conversation by saying, "Oh, hi. I'm new to this. Sorry." Like
if you just build something and you come in with a strategy and you say, "Let's do this." Guess what? That's going to instill confidence in the person who's receiving your pitch as well. That's why choosing or finding that niche is so important because if you can find a company that exists within a very small market where there are only a couple of competitors or they may be the only business offering that service, the risk to them to bringing you on if your offer is just, hey, I'm going to get you more leads is very, very
low. Because of the magic of the internet, you can find these businesses in basically every town. Once you have the assets that you build for one of these businesses, you can essentially duplicate the same model from town to town, especially once you work. The cool thing about this is is it also gives a very low stress way of getting into copyrightiting and marketing for newbies because hey, if you really mess up with one client, well, guess what? They probably aren't talking to their competitor, their lead removal competitor, about the marketers they're working with. So, you
can just talk to them. and all of a sudden like you take what you learned the first time and then you do it better the next time. And so ultimately, you know, that's better than Upwork because there's no reviews. You're not getting rated. Oh my god. Whether you start your own agency, whether you are just a copywriter, whether you're working in-house, whether you're working elsewhere, it is going to be extremely rare that you going to be working in a position where somebody is just thrilled, excited, jazzed about paying you just for emails. And so one
of the other cool things about finding clients in this manner, actually like thinking laterally, looking where people aren't, is the the simple fact that like in order to do this, you're going to need to build assets and practice building assets that you might feel uncomfortable with. A landing page, for example, Google PPC ads, advertorial, perhaps even email. And so what is cool about this and this is really cool is that say you try this, say you like make a landing page, say like you drive some traffic to it. Guess what? Everything that you just made
is not only something that you could pitch to these businesses as, hey, do you want the leads coming via this funnel? Well, it's also now a spec piece. You can use it to get other jobs. Not only is this thing something you build and you own and it can make you money, but also it becomes an example of the kind of work you can do. People are always asking me, "What should I write first? That's my spec piece." And like this is an avenue that would allow you and give you a very clear path because
every business is going to need certain deliverables. So you make them, you try to do this business. If it doesn't work out, well, hey, you still have spec pieces. Great. It was 2020 and similar setup. had a friend who was a teacher and it just had her first child and wanted to stay home, take care of her child, but you know also was concerned about becoming, you know, her family becoming um single earner family. Her husband was making the money and she wanted to do something on the side. she started tutoring on the side and
was just finding it uh insane having to take care of her child and then somehow arrange to go tutor tutor students at night. So we approached her and we just said why don't we again set up a little marketing arm for you and rather than you doing the tutoring let's hire a bunch of tutors and dispatch them to take on clients that we send to them. So, we launched our tutoring business and in the first month uh over 6,300 people uh searching for tutoring in our specific city. They saw our ads. 228 of them clicked
and landed on our website and we spent close to $1,500 on ads for an average cost per click of $6.51. Same lowcost setup. It was less than $500 to set up and it was profitable within the the very first month. This is the business that I mentioned was pulling in $10,000 to $15,000 per month by months 8 to nine. Now, caveat, I said we launched in 2020 and that was in January and shortly after the pandemic hit, we thought that our business was going to have to get shut down. Actually, what ended up happening was
a lot of parents started turning towards the learning pods. And this was a very new concept that nobody had really talked about before. We had written a couple articles pretty early in the process about learning pods. And we had a bunch of teachers that we hadworked with who were now looking, you know, to do something on the side to make money, extra money during the pandemic. And so we made some connections, hooked up some Learning Pod clients with some Learning Pod teachers, and you know, these people were doing six hours a day every day. And
the early months of the pandemic all the way through 2020 into 2021 were, you know, really great for us because we had a ton of hours that we were pushing through and it was great. All we had to do was get the tutors on board and set up the ads again in a website and then our business partner at the time, she agreed to answer phone calls from clients, match them with the respective tutors and then once the match was made, they were on their merry way. They did their own scheduling. All we kind of
did was back office. By the end of year one, we had gotten an automation platform where we basically had the tutors upload their hours into a platform and our website scraped all those hours, build the clients, paid the tutors and within 15 minutes of work a day, everything was handled. Our part was handled. It was done and our ads meanwhile were just kind of churning in the background generating clients. our business partner do the same thing. Ma, make those matches and then send everybody on their way. If you start doing this, what you will realize
is, oh man, yeah, this marketing is actually really bad. And even though I've only been doing this for a month or two, I know that this is bad copy. I know that these Google ads aren't like appearing to people in the right stage of awareness, for example. um you start to realize these these things um and suddenly it becomes wow life really is just people like making little business deals and writing something and putting out in the world and then oh it works oh awesome because and I cannot stress this point enough most small businesses
they are good at their business they are not good at marketing their business so you can be that missing piece for them if you're just a bit better at marketing they are slot yourself in write some good copy run a few very bas basic ads and then all of that traffic, all those conversions are going to you and your business. We needed to put a fence in around like the perimeter of our house. Fencing company came out. They wanted like 10 grand for it. I literally pitched the fencing company and it was a conversation with
a business owner and he had no clue why his business was terrible for generating leads. tried to negotiate with him over in a weekend, build him a website, run the ads, enter a 30-day trial, and then agree after that. You know, not only do I get the deal, but then I get the contract after that. It's like what you said, Alex. just conversations between two people and you happen to have a little bit more marketing expertise than or a lot more marketing expertise than these business people who have spent their careers operating a service business,
you know, that grew by word of mouth. They have no clue how to market themselves. Moving into a third case study, it is real estate. The commissions that realtors make, you know, 3% of a deal, for example, is so outsized relative to what we spend in ads, which is actually it's a lot of money because real real estate's very competitive, but it is just so well justified because of how much they actually earn. It's very easy for a realtor to, you know, cut us a $1,500, $2,000 check every month to keep the lead flow going
when he's, you know, turning around and in his first year real estate making $150,000 in commissions, you know, and then by year two, $500,000 in commissions. On this business, the budget was sizable, you know, basically 12 grand in year one. It's just over a thousand bucks a month, but it drove over 1,200 leads to the business. So, that's like three to four leads a day. It's an average of about 10 bucks a lead, but you know, the average revenue on a sale is like 18 grand. This is a form of copy that you do not
need to study a year to put out into the world effectively and start making money next week. And you know, there's a handful of things you need to learn how to do. None of them masterfully, you know, use this to fund your your copy study and launch your copy career. The next big piece of client getting that we need to talk about isn't really to do with clients at all. It's all to do with inhouse copywriting. What is in-house? Well, it's kind of what it sounds like. It basically just means that you're an employee. Now,
we've already discussed the pros and cons of these things and why some people might prefer freelancing over in-house or agency over freelancing or what have you. But the most important thing to remember is that you just go down the route that suits you best. And if earlier on you were thinking, "Yeah, in-house sounds like the kind of thing I want to either start with or that's where I want to be longterm," then this section is going to be for you. We're going to talk about how you can land jobs inhouse with real businesses, whether that's
part-time or full-time, but most importantly, it's for employee positions where you're looking for long-term work. So, that is what this section is all about. With that being said, let's crack into it. So, quick recap. Who is this actually suitable for like we spoke about earlier? Well, first of all, if you want to apply for jobs, it's usually more suitable if you want a typically more stable role than freelancing like we spoke about. If you want someone else to deal with the admin of payments of taxes and all the legal stuff, it's super good for that.
And if you want a clear structure in your work finding process, cuz you might find that looking for clients and doing freelance and doing this all yourself is quite overwhelming. Well, looking for in-house positions, as we'll come to find, is usually a bit less stressful and tends to be a bit more pointed in what you need to do. But this is not for you if you hate the idea of having a traditional boss or a traditional 9 to5 in most cases. Like there are certainly in-house positions where you can work part-time or remote or the
9 to5 may be a bit more relaxed, but typically if you really hate the idea of having a boss or working in that environment, you might want to consider something else first. And it's not for you if you are looking for a higher ceiling more quickly. Now what I mean by that is you have a floor and a ceiling of earnings wherever you start to do anything. Okay, the floor means how much is the minimum you could earn. Now for copywriting freelancing for example, the floor is extremely low. It's effectively zero. You could attempt freelancing
and never get any clients or you can only get maybe one client and you only get a few hundred a month. Okay, so very very low floor. The ceiling is effectively the cap on your earnings, the limit to what you can earn. Now, with freelancing, as we discussed earlier, potentially that is limitless. You could earn $100,000, $400,000, a million dollars. Technically, you could earn anything because you get to choose how many people you work with and what kind of clients you work with. Now, of course, as we discussed, none of those results are typical, but
the ceiling is typically higher for sure. When it comes to in-house work, the ceiling tends to be lower because businesses who are hiring copywriters usually put a cap on what they think a copywriter is worth. And usually that tends to be in the region of between $80,000 to $150,000. The fact is you are somewhat limiting yourself if you are just relying on a salary role. Now, that can be a negative. But if you're looking for the stability, if you're looking for someone else to deal with all the annoying stuff, if you just want to be
paid to write words and you want something that's nice and stable and can earn a solid paycheck, there's nothing wrong with going in-house. It can be a fantastic opportunity. And indeed, some people will suggest that you start there. So, what do we actually mean when we're talking about applying for job roles? Well, when we talk about roles, we're talking specifically about roles that are being actively advertised by businesses. Now, that is in contrast to cold outreach that we spoke about earlier because remember with cold outreach, we're going out to uh businesses and to people who
aren't necessarily looking for someone to hire right now. Whereas, anyone who's posting a job role and is actually looking for someone to bring on board, well, that's not cold outreach because they're expecting applications. So, when we talk about applying for job roles, that's what we mean. We're also talking about following that business's application procedure. So, they might want you to apply in a certain way, to send a CV, etc., etc., which we'll get to in a minute. And you need to be going down that path. And almost always, we mean if you're aiming for full-time
employment with just one business, typically you're going to get that through applying for job roles. Now, of course, you can get that through cold outreach, as we discussed earlier, but when we talk about applying for job roles, usually you're looking for full-time jobs where you're just working for one business. Of course, you could manage a couple of part-time roles, but that's what we're talking about. Here is a bit of an example of what you probably understand in-house to mean. Looking for job roles on sites like Indeed, Jobs to Careers, LinkedIn's job pages. These are all
places where businesses are specifically saying to the world, hey, we are looking to hire copywriters, marketers, chefs, fishermanmen, whatever. You'll have seen them throughout your life. These are where people look for jobs. Very, very simple. This is what we're talking about. How do you see, find one of these kind of posts and then actually land that job? Just like the previous paths for finding work, you can use elements of this section in all of your money-making activities. So before we start, remember to focus on the principles. Super, super important. Oh, and one more thing, keep
in mind that not all job roles are equal. The same principles we'll discuss can be used for in-house agency, part-time, apprenticeships, and even voluntary positions. I know we're focusing and talking a lot about in-house here and I'm using the phrase in-house a lot, but this really can apply for anywhere that you see someone advertising to hire and who have a specific procedure they want you to follow. So keep all of that in mind. Focus on the principles and similarly use tips and tricks from the other job finding paths that we've already discussed and we're going
to discuss to give yourself the best possible chance of making money. Okay, so how does getting an in-house job even work? Well, this is the basic step structure to getting an in-house job. You create a CV or a resume. They're the same thing. Number two, you search for job posts like the ones we've just looked at. Number three, you apply for the jobs you want. Number four, you have one or more interviews depending on the process. And number five, you get hired. Boom. The first, creating a CV. Now, a CV, just before we even look
at anything, it should be something you're familiar with. You've probably heard of one before, but effectively it is a summary of you and your job history, and it should give your potential employer an idea of why you might be worth hiring. Almost every job role you apply for is going to require you to share a CV. So, it's something I recommend that you make regardless. And even if not, it's good to just create a CV for yourself to remind you of what you're going to talk about in interviews or with people or as a starting
point. So you can write better answers to interview or to application process questions that might come later. So I recommend no matter what stage of career you're at at the moment, even if you're not looking at in-house stuff, create yourself a CV. Now I got to admit to something a little bit embarrassing. This here is my first CV. Or maybe not my first, but it was one of my early CVs. You might be looking at that and going like, "Hey, that's not too bad. That looks kind of nice as a CV and the writing is
like relatively okay. What do you notice about this? Well, it might be a little bit difficult to read. Let me just read this out for you. Listen to the first line of my CV. A determined, creative, and social person, I enjoy innovating strategically to help people get what they need. I have considerable experience in risk management and planning with the ability to see tasks through, backed up by my time working in several roles for different organizations. Most of all, I aim to use my passion for copywriting and online engagement to pursue a successful career. Oh
boy, that's not nice reading that back. But this is the reality of it. And I hope you watching this, it gives you a little bit of inspiration because like I used to suck. This is how bad I used to be, right? This is real. And you you might even be looking at that now and going, "Oh man, that's better than I could write." But the fact is like if I went from this to being able to land jobs on demand, you can as well. I did not have any secret source at that point. I was
just like everyone else. Okay, now here's a little game. Where do your eyes go? Everyone, at least 99% of humans, I would wager, are going to look at the blue one first. Now, this is not how people look at CVs. They don't just spread them out on a table and look at them like this. But the fact is, and again take it from me, who has hired dozens of people and seen hundreds if not thousands of CVs, 90% of CVs off the bat are just black and white, black and white, black and white, black and
white, black and white. If you are reading CV after CV and one comes up with a big splash that is obviously extremely different from everything else you've been looking at, it wakes you up. It grabs your attention. It actually makes you read it. So with that in mind, let's just discuss some principles for writing a great CV first. Remember these are the principles. These are the things you need to keep in mind. And if you follow these, you can't go far wrong. Be different. Be relevant. Become memorable. Just like we spoke about earlier, be different,
be relevant, and you will become memorable. And believe me, when you're trying to get the attention and stick in the mind of an employer who has to come back and read CVs properly, it's far more likely they're going to put you in the maybe pile straight away if you have a CV that's different because you're making it easier to read for them. and they will love you for that. You need to interrupt the pattern like we just spoke about. Those are the two most important parts of having a good CV. Stop trying to please everyone,
okay? Because you're going to appeal to no one. A big mistake that people make with CVs is they try to make it extremely inoffensive. They just try and make it a fact file, super basic. They don't want to offend anyone. And the problem with that is if you're trying to appeal to everyone and you're trying to play it safe and be middle of the road, you're not going to appeal to anyone. Remember, humans are visual creatures. We spoke about interrupting the pattern and something to kind of double down on that is that we're not naturally
evolved to read small text. That's why people have to wear glasses and we have to squint because text is annoying to read. It's small. It's loads of it. Especially if you're getting CV after CV, it's annoying. We're visual. We like having things that we can deconstruct very quickly that make a big difference and that grab our attention visually. You should treat your CV like a cover letter as well. Now, cover letters are uh it's simply a term for supportive letters that you will send um as well as your CV in an application that uh states
why you want the job, right? Some some jobs will require you to send one, others will just say it's, you know, they recommend you send one. Some won't even mention it at all. If you just send a generic CV out to every single job you apply for, even if it's good, like the one we just saw, it's still effectively trying to appeal to everyone because it's one CV for everything. you need to tweak small parts of your CV as we'll come to look at in a second. But just for now, what I mean by that
is if you're going for a specific kind of role like a senior copywriter or you're going for, you know, a copywriting apprentice or you're going for an SEO copyriter, you need to tweak your CV. Have a ton of different versions of your CV that you tweak for that job post specifically. So, you can actually make it clear in either the thing you write at the top of your CV or some of the bullets you use or the references you're making. You can refer to what they're talking about in the job application. You can either do
that very directly by literally showing that the CV was customized for them, or you can do it more subtly, which is just saying, you know, just starting to tweak the words that you're writing in your CV to relate more closely to the job you're applying for. Okay? Barely anyone does that, and it's something you should probably be doing if you want to stand out. End with a CTA is the next point. Okay? People often treat CVs just like they are fact files like I mentioned and they don't need to say anything else in them which
yeah sure you you can but a problem with that is remember a CV is copy okay just like cold outreach just like all the stuff we've been talking about so far a CV is still copy and someone is still reading it so don't just leave it blank at the end with you know just a random set of qualifications put a little summary at the bottom give them um a nice easy um roundup of what's so great about you in relation to that role and tell them what to do next. Give them your email, give them
a phone number, give them a calendarly link. Even if those things are already included in your application, the fact is if they're reading your CV or they're skimming it and they get to the bottom and you're giving them a CTA, which is like, you know, if you're interested, if you want to know more, just shoot me an email. It doesn't have to be, you know, so super direct. It doesn't have to be you must do this thing now, but give them an option. Usually an easy way to contact you is really, really simple. A direct
phone number to say if there's anything you want to discuss further, feel free to call me anytime here. Okay? I'm not saying they're going to take you up on that CTA. But what it does is it shows a few things. It shows you're even more interested than potentially other people and it's something else different in your CV which engages their brain and makes them feel, oh, okay, how thoughtful of them that they've put this thing here to make my job easier for me. If you're worried about an experience, if you're watching this course, then the
likelihood is you're you're a new copywriter. And you might be saying, "Alex, all this is great, but I haven't got any experience yet, so I don't have anything to put on a CV." If you're worried about experience, then use freelancing, which we discussed earlier, or voluntary writing for different businesses, friends or family who have gigs, passion projects you're really interested in, whether that's like a free website or a hobby of yours, um, and do spec work to fill in the gaps. All of these are ways that you can get experience with copywriting and talk about
stuff. Okay? You you don't have to put the salary or the money that you are making on your CV. You can just do things to make um yourself more interesting and to show to an employer that you have actually done what you're talking about before. Voluntary copyrightiting in my opinion is one of the best ways to do that and it's something I did at the very start of my career. So let's cover actual tactics. Just like in the other work finding paths in this course, we've talked about the principles. Let me give you a few
ideas of tactics. And you may be like, "Whoa, well that's a lot of words." But don't worry, we're going to break it down piece by piece. Let's start up here at the top left. Okay. A bold header with a photo. I love doing this for CVS for the same reason I mentioned, which is humans are visual creatures. You need to interrupt the pattern. Doing this immediately breaks that pattern and shows someone why they should be looking at the rest of your CV. Just like good copy, the headline or the hook at the top or the
lead needs to show them why they should read the rest. And so often it can be as simple as showing them that reading the rest is going to be far more interesting than reading all the other CVs they've got to look at. Okay, including a photo is good because photos make you immediately more trustworthy and make you feel far more human. I know it's uncomfortable for some people, but choose a good either professional or in my opinion a um interesting photo, an engaging photo. So, in my case, I used one where I was uh hawking
because that's a conversation starter. And people go like, "Oh, he might be an interesting individual." Little do they know, I am not. I even sprinkle a little bit of humor in mine. You know, just a little caption that says, "I'm the one on the left." You can be the judge of whether you think that's funny or not, but I like to throw that in just because it shows I have a bit more of a personality. Again, reinforcing that it's probably going to be more engaged and interesting to read my CV as opposed to someone else's.
And of course, I have marketing strategies, copyriter geek, just getting across that I am a sociable, personable person without saying I'm a social person. Compare that to the other my first CV that we looked at a minute ago where I'm telling I'm telling I'm telling I'm telling, hey, I'm really good at this. I'm great at this. I'm sociable. I'm nice. I can do all this stuff. Um, what are one of the rules of copyrightiting? What are one of the things we've discussed in this course time and time again? It's show don't tell. Prove it. Imply
within your copy that you can deliver on what you're applying for. That is what this is doing. I'm actually showing that I'm an interesting person. I'm showing I'm social. I'm showing I have a personality. All of which are things that are useful for landing jobs. Okay. So, this in itself does actually do more than just have a splash of color. I'm not saying you have to try and be funny or add humor to your CV. In fact, like if you're not really sure, I would just play it safe and don't. But the reason that I
like to do something like that or add a little bit of a tidbit there is because it doesn't just show that I am different, but it also shows to me that I'm not just trying to throw my net as wide as possible. Not trying to appeal to everyone because I'm sure you'll agree this isn't exactly the most professional CV in the world. But one of my parameters, one of my red flags when I was looking for a role was that I didn't want a hyper professional company. I didn't want a company that took themselves too
seriously. I wanted a company who were open to actually doing interesting, new, fun, exciting things. I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I'm showing I'm a good marketer by doing all of this stuff. And I'm showing I'm not just trying to appeal to everyone by playing it safe. Portfolio and testimonial links. Now, this is totally something else that you can do if you want to provide more proof for what you've done in the past or what other people have said about you. Just um provide you don't have to put it within the the CV
itself. You can just provide links to show, hey, if you want to look at the work I've done or if you want to uh see what others are saying, slap them there. It shows you're backing yourself up and they can investigate further if they want more proof. One more down. An intrigue opening. Let's just read this. Want to know why an obscure newspaper ad from 1903 holds the secret to successful influencer marketing? In fact, discovering, studying, and analyzing this ad helped me earn an extra £215,000 in sales for a national supply company. I promise to
share it with you by the end of this CV. It took dedicated research to secure those results. And this extra mile mentality is what you'll get from me as a marketer. Now, you can analyze that as copy and you you'll see there are a few things going on there, but strip back all of the kind of copyrightiting stuff that we that we talk about in this course. That's more interesting to read than the normal generic lines that people use at the beginning of the CV about like, oh, I'm a great person. I am a team
player. I work well on my own. That kind of stuff. This is so much more engaging for someone to read and be like, okay, what's what's happening here? Okay, I'm effectively trying to build a narrative up to make my CV more enticing to read. You can even see I open a loop there saying about hey I promised to share this ad for you at the end of the CV. I'm also implying uh showing proof within that to show previous results of course which is something you can do. There's a few bits going in there. You
don't need to do that of course. Remember these are just tactics. These aren't part of the principles but that's one of the things that I did that helped me land a really good role and make my CV very different. You can have a qualification matching section. Now remember when I said you need to tweak your CV if the job post says that they really want someone who can do say email marketing or knows how to use HubSpot. If that's the case, you should match your qualification section on your CV, which again, there's no perfect way
to structure a CV. We we'll go into that a little bit more in a minute, but if you have a qualification section on there, or you want to show that you tick those boxes, then stick them there. Those things they ask for, put them front and center. Put them at the top of that section so they can see easily and clearly that you do what they want. Overcome the why a new job objection. Now, as someone who's employed a lot of people, I can tell you a big kind of question I have that sometimes is
a little bit awkward to ask is why are you moving on? You know, why why are you looking for a new job? Is it because you got fired from your last job? Is there a a red flag here? Are you going to jump ship as soon as you kind of come on board with us and discuss you don't like it? That was always an objection. So, for anyone who kind of, and I say for anyone, no one put this up front in any CV I ever reviewed. If that's someone's objection, include it somewhere in your
CV. Why am I leaving my current role? and then explain why. I'm going to pause here and I'm going to say to you something you're probably wondering, which is Alex, you've just shared like four tactics and they're all like new things and they're all different. How are you going to fit that all onto one or two pages of a CV? Well, I'm going to come to that in a minute, so keep watching if you want to know. Let's go to the next tactic. Summary boxes. This actually for me when I redid a CV that actually
ended up replacing the intrigue opening for me. So, I went from using that intrigue opening to using these summary boxes. You can test all of this stuff in your own time for different roles you apply for. All of these are adhering to the principles we discussed on the last slide, but you can include a summary box which just effectively shows a logo of someone you work for, explains what you did for them, and maybe has a couple of other summary points as well, and an open loop ending. The reason I opened a loop a minute
ago was to prove to you that you're probably now sat there like, well, I need to know about the one to two pages thing on the CV. See how effective that is? We talked about it earlier on in the course. We've done it in this course itself. I've done it just again. Now I open a loop. It's super effective. And that's something that you can do in the CV as well. Now I discussed a moment ago about how you can also an open a loop at the beginning, but you can also open a loop at
the end. And I actually referred to this um thing that I mentioned at the beginning, which is this ad from 1903. Uh and I used this to say like, hey, here's the ad I was referencing at the start of this um this CV. Or even if you didn't reference at the beginning, you can just say, "Oh, for a bit of fun, here's my favorite ad of all time, if you're curious about why it did so well. I'd be happy to geek out about it during our interview or during our call." Okay? Now, is that going
to necessarily secure the interview? I'm not saying that alone is going to, but it just adds an extra layer of curiosity or intrigue, which makes them go, "Hm, this guy knows his stuff. I'm interested. I'm intrigued now. I want to get on a call with him." And this I the true story, I uh got the job and about three months went by and I was out at a dinner with um the CEO and the rest of the senior team and um one of the uh one of the guys, the the head of operations, he turned
to me and he was like, you know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. And I'm like, yeah, the ad you included in your CV, what was that all about? Why did that do so well then? And like after three months, that thing from my CV was still in his head and he just remembered it out of the blue and was like, "Yeah, what was that?" And it led to obviously a really fun conversation. I told them about what it was. Really, really good fun. If you include these like small tactics in your CV
and you're you're really putting effort into this and being different, it can stay with people for months. And don't worry, I will close the open loop in a minute about the one to two pages as well. Another tactic, numbered lists. Um, you can pretty much correspond this to whatever. I tend to look at the job description that the uh company has written like I've spoken about already customizing it to that and if they've got certain skills that they want you to hit bleed those into a numbered list saying my five core skills or the things
that I'm best at or you know things I've achieved or whatever just a nice one two three four five set the expectation for them for how many things there are going to be and what you'll notice pretty much all of these tactics section by section this is very simple to read and things like a numbered list or bullets help with the um ease of reading an easy to read background as well. So often when I would get CVS, I would really hate having to scroll down the whole CV like just to work out where people
were at certain times like how long they were in places kind of like what their history has been and it was a bit like h I can't really be bothered. So what I started to do was this kind of boxto-box summary of my career in like chronological order just saying look for something more tangible here's my quickfire career summary that will take less than 32 seconds to read. I think that should actually be fewer than 32 seconds, but you know, who's counting? Specificity. See how I'm just sprinkling little bits of copyrightiting into this whole CV.
32 seconds doesn't feel like a very long time, and it's specific, and again, it's just a bit more interesting than if I just had all those boxes there. So, making people feel like, oh, this guy, he's got a CV that's actually fun to read. A personal page. I always like having a personal page in a CV. People are not hiring a document, okay? They're hiring a person. A CV is a great way to demonstrate what kind of person you are, but so often people get lost in the idea of needing to keep it professional, which
means all the personality bleeds out of it. I've spoken a lot about personality already. Don't just have like a tiny hobby section and in hobbies it says I like singing, baking. Actually, you know what? Those are too interesting. That that's actually not even what it usually is. Usually it's I like traveling. I like spending time with family. I like sports. I It annoys me. Like I have read so many CVs and I'm just like this tells me nothing about you as a person. Nothing. Like I don't I don't feel any close to you. I don't
feel like I understand you anymore. Give me something to hold on to that shows me why I might actually like you beyond just hiring you for this job. Because I hate to say it, people hire people they like. Okay? It's not just down to merit. It's down to do they seem like they would be a good laugh in the pub. things like that come into play. So, I always recommend having a bit of a fleshed out personal section which just genuinely talks about the interests that you have. Make it, you know, you don't have to
worry about someone not being interested in the same stuff as you. Although, if you are really trying to customize your CV and you really really want to be a bit little bit devious, you can of course look up the people who are going to be hiring and see what their interests are and put that here as well. I have done that in the past. Just do something that shows you're a human being with actual interest. You know, in my I've put like I like history and historical biographies. I like Warhammer 40k. I, you know, I
um like uh rock music and Prague rock and stuff. And I I also did some book publishing in my part. Like little things like that are kind of interesting that make people feel, oh, this is a real person. Let's look down uh here, which is um a logo banner. Every single website that you go on to or product page or, you know, SAS company or whatever, you'll have seen this all over the place. They often like putting up who they've worked with previously, the stuff they've achieved, a load of different companies logos. All right, here's
an example of that. Okay, if you have like a nice roster of people, it doesn't even have to be that many, even if it's three or four. Um, if you have actual company's logos who you can say you've worked with, whether that was of from the voluntary writing you did or if it's a friend or family's company or it was of course genuine other jobs you've done in your life, even if you didn't do copywriting for that job, okay? Even if you just worked there, feel free to put the logo there. It acts as proof
that you know what you're doing. You're effectively saying, "These other companies have trusted me in the past, so you can too." The last tactic, probably my favorite, a role or a project story with proof sections, okay? Which which will take up like a page or at least half a page, showing a recent role or roles that you think are relevant to what people are going to talk about or a project that you've done um that proves what the person is going to be hiring you to do. I know you're probably not going to be ahead
of sales and marketing, but you can do this for um an SEO copyrighting project I did or an email copyrighting project or um a website re, you know, rebrand stuff or whatever. But the point is, show proof of what you did, screenshots, if you've got results, stick them in there and give an actual summary of that, of what you did and um what you achieved and any kind of uh key results that you brought in. Now, of course, the more you have to say, as we know, long copy typically works better. If the copy, you
know, justifies itself in being there. So, the more you can put, if it's relevant, if you're writing it clearly and it's just showing, layering on proof after proof point, fantastic. You can do a really big section. But don't worry if you only have a small section to give, okay, that's fine as well. So, there you have it. There's like a collection of like 10 or so tactics that I love and have used in CVs and I know work. Let's talk about mistakes to avoid when writing a CV. And I promised you that I'd close the
loop, didn't I? Make sure you keep your CV to one or two pages. This is perhaps the worst CV advice I hear, but people say it again and again and again. Even people who I respect or like don't think are idiots will say this and say, "Oh, you've got to make sure you sum everything up in one or two pages." No, you don't. Imagine if you had that restriction in all the copy that you wrote. Okay, everyone says, "Oh, you've got to get this done in 200 words." Like, has to be 200 words. It's like,
well, what if I've got more to say than 200 words that's relevant and it's going to help sell the product? Well, that'd be stupid. We we've spoken in this course about why you should be writing as much as you need to to get the points across. Okay? Restricting your CV to one or two pages is ensuring that you have to squeeze out or leave out some stuff that could be super interesting and it commits another sin which goes against one of the principles we said earlier. It becomes the same as every other CV if it's
one or two pages. Because if you're having to cram everything into one or two pages, you kind of have to almost do like a bunch of black and white text that's like all squeezed up together because it becomes difficult to read. I just want to scroll and show you how long my CV is. Okay, now I'm not saying that yours has to be exactly this long, but can you see how much easier this is to digest and read than just a single black and white CV with a ton of text crammed into one or two
pages with no visual elements and no proof points on it. Okay? Right now, you don't need to look at every single thing that I've written here. You don't need to worry about all of this, but the point is this CV is 12 pages long. 12 pages. This landed me a six-f figure job and got me invited to interviews I think 80% of the time. Do not let the one2 rule scare you into not writing things you think are going to be relevant or useful. Okay. Next, another mistake that I see, writing an adjectivefilled wet blanket
of an about me section. Now, we've already seen an example of this from my old old CV earlier on, but the point is 80% of CVs I see start with some variation of I am an adjective individual who works well within a team and individually. Okay? Like I see that all the time. Really, really annoying. Please do not do that. Another mistake to avoid is not paying attention to what the job ad actually says. So, just spam applying. It's the same rule as we talked about in cold outreach. Don't just go for quantity, go for
quality. Look for jobs you actually want. Tweak your CV and the other things which we'll come to later to be more relevant to that job. Okay, that going to be so much more likely you get invited for an interview that way. You don't have to write in chronological order. Okay, that's another mistake that you can avoid. A lot of people just think, oh, right, I need to just kind of write and show, well, my last job was this. The last job I did before that was this. The last job I did before that was this.
Or as I've also seen it, oh, my first job was this. my next job was this, my next job was this. You don't need to do it like that. Do it in um the order of what feels most relevant to the job and feels most interesting. Okay? You don't need to just go, "Oh, this is my first job, then my second, then my third. This where, you know, this is where I went to school, blah, blah, blah." Because no one really cares about that. They're not they're not after your entire job history necessarily. They just
want to see why you're right for this role. The only caveat to that is do make sure that you include the most recent job that you've been at just because that will raise questions about like oh well why is there a gap immediately before this thinking that the ability to use Microsoft Word is a skill that's a mistake to avoid and any variant of that I see a lot of people just go like oh I can use Excel I can use Word I can write words like cool those aren't skills that that's taken as red
these days don't just refer to bland boring and basic hobbies which we covered earlier on okay don't just say the same old stuff that everyone else says. Show that you're an interesting person. Don't just keep everything black and white. Use color, use images, use things to take advantage of the fact that people are visual. Do not name the file something confusing like the date in a weird format with final Alex Ma CV. Okay? Because I can tell you that when employees are going back through CVs, so often they're just saved to the local hard drive
of the of the laptop they're using um or the the system has organized them alphabetically and it's so annoying and difficult to find a CV once you've closed it. So just have your name, Alex Matt CV. I mean don't you put Alex Matt CV, but put your name CV because that is going to allow them if they've remembered your name, which hopefully they will because yours was uh relevant and different and memorable, they are just going to look for that when they come to find it. Oh yeah, that was Gregory. Oh yeah, that was Sarah.
And lastly, as Sean said earlier on in this course, do not make the mistake of not treating this whole thing like copy. You should be treating a CV like it's copywriting. Okay? Like you are trying to write to persuade someone because ultimately you are selling yourself. That is the product you are selling. So you should not make it bland or boring or confusing or unbelievable or irrelevant. You need to make sure that it's pointed, it's relevant, it's good copy. If you're doing that in your CV and you're selling yourself well, then guess what? Not only
are you more likely to get an interview and get the role, you're also proving your ability to do the thing that you're applying for. Okay? So please make sure to keep that in mind. So, the next step, of course, after you've created your CV, you actually have to search for job posts. So, what crazy step-by-step process with tactics and principles have I created for this then? Well, you better strap it in. Just search everything and search everywhere. Okay, that's it. There are only a few places you can find job posts, job sites like Indeed or
jobs to careers or any other type of job website there is. just going on there and searching keywords you're interested in. Copywriting, content writing, marketing, SEO, email, whatever it is, okay? Like just search that into those job sites and also search that into Google, search that into Bing, search into the search engine of your choice. Similarly, if you know there are specific companies you'd really love to hire for, go to their websites, go to their careers pages, see if they are hiring. LinkedIn is another great one. Go to the job section on LinkedIn and search
their those keywords. Okay, so the next step, applying for the jobs that you actually want, right? You've made the CV, you've found job posts that are interesting, but how do you actually apply for the jobs you want? Well, let's talk about it. One, customize your approach for each role. Now, I don't just mean the CV here. I mean customize everything that you're doing for this role. And we'll come to discuss that in a bit more detail in a moment when we come to tactics and exactly what I mean. But the point is when you're applying
for a specific job role, give them the benefit of actually changing what you're doing and what you're sending and your approach to fit what they expect or what they're looking for. Okay, that can be extremely useful. Show that you have put effort in for each role, which links back to that first point. Okay, again, it's going to stand out and be different from everyone else. Venture outside the realms of official channels to stand out. Now we spoke at the beginning how a lot of um companies will have their own procedures uh and how they will
say right you need to send a CV and then maybe answer these questions and like that's it but you can do more than just that as we'll come to discuss when we look at tactics follow up now a lot of people think following up only applies to cold outreach or when you're talking to people outside of those official channels but the point is like if you have applied for any role send messages to the pe to the company to the people you know are doing the hiring ing and ask for updates. Okay, if you don't
hear anything back, you can even just send something as you'll come to see like, oh, you know, I'm really interested in the role. Just wanted to see if there's anything else I could do to support my application or if there's anything any questions you had about my application or whatever. Something as simple as that. Even though that's not the greatest copy in the world, even though it's not the best thing to do, and we'll talk about tactics in a moment, it shows that you're interested. And that passion, that enthusiasm, that effort really can go a
long way in changing the opinions or shaping the opinions of an employer. Don't give up until you get a definitive no as well. Okay, so that comes um under the follow-up uh principle and also just the principle of applying generally. You don't know you haven't got it until you've been told no. Okay, so if you haven't received an actual no, keep following up with them. We come to tactics. A few things we need to discuss here are tactically speaking as I've mentioned different roles and different companies will have their own procedures for you applying. So
some of them will make you answer questions on forms. Just make sure you follow those things. Okay? I can't possibly predict all the things they might want you to do. Some of them might want you to do um specific tasks. They might want you to send something in as an example of of your copy or something like that. But the point is like just make sure you are ticking the boxes what they've asked you to do. But you can still apply these tactics and the principles outside of that as well. So, the first we mentioned
cover letters earlier and I talked about treating your CV like a cover letter. Well, you should be sending very custom cover letters. If you're treating your CV like a cover letter, you should treat your cover letter like a letter to a lover. Okay? It should be so hyper specific and hyper relevant that someone reads that and goes, "Wow, they put a lot of effort into this." Okay? Do you need to do this? No. But you don't need to do anything I'm telling you. But if you want the best chance of getting a job, absolutely send
a very custom cover letter. And I do not mean a cover letter that is just like, "Dear sir slash madam, I like this job. Thank you." I mean something that shows you've been on the website. This was um a real cover letter that I sent to um a company and it I just did a screenshot of the website, circled some stuff that was interesting and I was referring to that and saying, "Oh, it's really great that you guys are interested in this. this actually lines up with my priorities, etc., etc. Send a custom video introduction
as well. Man, that's such a good piece of advice. I know I'm biased because I'm giving the advice, but the point is it works so well. Video is the most engaging media that there is. It's visual for one, it's different for two, and it's the easiest thing to sit there and engage with. So, videos are fantastic, and so few people are doing it. You can just send a short, it can even just be one or two minutes introduction of yourself just saying why you want the role. Sending it with a cover letter, maybe instead of
a cover letter if you really wanted, but even with a cover letter is even better. Just saying, oh, just want to explain a couple of the things like in my cover letter or there's another point I really wanted to say because I love that you guys are doing this or I' I've seen your company. I follow you for a while now. I've bought some stuff from you. Be fantastic to work with you directly. Next, search for info about the decision maker. Like I hinted at earlier on when I said about uh potentially customizing your CV's
interests to show that you you have something in common with them. Go on LinkedIn, go to the company's page, go to people, and then search for the person who's most likely to be hiring for this role. So it could be a head of marketing, could be the head of brand. Have a look at them, cyberstalk them. Go on LinkedIn, go on their Facebook, have a look at the kind of interesting things they enjoy, things that you feel like might give you a slight edge in your application. Now, don't be too weird with this. Don't be
like, "Hey, I saw you were in the Moldivas at this hotel with your wife and children and you had a pinina colada. I also like pina coladas." you know, don't do that because that's kind of weird and actually is stalkery. But you can certainly allow it to open up um possibilities for talking about like, oh, hey, you know, I didn't know you liked, you know, that football team. Like you just can say in your CV, oh, my interests are um I support this football team or I'm really into football or I I go hiking because
you notice that they go hiking, things like that. Okay? Send something physical to their office. Okay? fantastic, fantastic way to to get notice and grab attention. Whether it's a handwritten letter, doing something, spending, you know, 50 cents or a couple of dollars just sending something physical to their office addressed to the person who's likely to be hiring you. And write a nice handwritten letter in there that has your cover letter within it. Even if it's just a physical version of your CV and the cover letter, but the more inventive you can be there, the better.
Giving detailed answers to form questions. Now, believe me, I understand that this can be a real pain. often times as part of the application process, companies will want you to answer a load of questions. You just have to kind of show that you've put effort into it. I can't tell you exactly what to write because I don't know what all the questions are going to be, of course. But do write a fair few paragraphs. Um, make sure it's simple to read. Again, write it like good copy. Answer the questions directly. Make sure you have a
summary of it as well because these people don't really want to be reading all these answers in detail. They often just want to see that you've put effort into it. Okay? And lastly, just send messages to show you're keen. Okay? You don't even have to do something like a physical letter. You can just reach out on LinkedIn or send an email. Okay, this was again a real email, a real LinkedIn message that I got from someone who applied to a role that I was hiring for. Look how simple that is. It's not even particularly imaginative
or inventive. Hi, Alex. I think you're the right person to speak to. I sent an application for your marketing executive role, Alther, and just wanted to check it came through. Okay, something as simple as that is indicative of someone who actually cares. So few people do things like that, and it sticks out in my mind. Like that's actually nice that they've kind of sent to show they are keen because you know what else it proves? It proves that they're not just spamming applications, okay? They are actually kind of interested at least in who they're applying
to and trying to find some more information. And just like our CV, there are certain mistakes to avoid when applying to jobs. Spamming out CVs and cover letters with the same leads. Okay? Eg. Dear sir, sludge madam. Like I said earlier, please don't do that. I I I honestly would prefer people didn't send a cover letter rather than send one that said, "Dear SL madam, here are my skills." That's not a cover letter, okay? That's stuff that should be in the CV if it's just gen like generic stuff about you for why you're good for
the role. The cover letter is to be specific. That's what it's for. Don't stop at one touch point. Don't just send the C your CV and your cover letter and then that's it. Don't just press email. Don't just, you know, apply on their website. That's a mistake. Message on LinkedIn. Send them something physical. Send an email follow-up. It gets your name up and in their faces and it helps them to remember you. Do not make it hard for decision makers to find what you have sent. We already spoke about how to name your CV, but
similarly with this stuff like please just make sure you are labeling it clearly. You are not burying it under wads and wads of stuff in an email. Not like loads and loads of text and then like a small link. Please make sure it's really obvious where it where it is. Whenever you're going to send something, just reread it yourself. Read it out loud. Make sure it makes sense. and make sure that a normal human can find what you're trying to point them out to easily. And another mistake is not ticking all the boxes that your
potential employer has asked for. Job posts are a fantastic way to just find out what they're looking for that you can include by tweaking in your CV or writing in your cover letter. And so many people like don't even make sure that they're they're doing everything that the the employer wants. So like please do that because it actually does make a difference. If they've asked for a specific set of skills or a specific uh level of competency with the software, make sure you're stating that you have those things. Make it easy for them to go
like, "Oh yeah, actually they do everything we want." If they say, "Oh, you need to have two years experience." Make sure that you have shown that you have two years experience. Now, of course, you may not have had two years of experience yet, but that's where you need to be inventive. That's where you need to show that you've been doing like other passion projects, voluntary stuff. You don't have to necessarily point out it's voluntary stuff or passion projects, but just showing that you started something in 2018 or whatever. Okay? Don't draw attention to your lack
of things. Don't draw attention to, you know, oh, I don't actually have cheese experience. Oh, actually, I'm a complete newbie. You don't need to draw attention to those things. Draw attention to the good things as well. Don't lie if you're asked like we've been saying, you know, don't like outright lie to someone, but there's certainly ways to make you concentrate on the positives rather than, you know, potential things they might feel don't tick boxes. Okay, those are mistakes to avoid when you're actually doing the applying. The next step, having an interview. So, your CV was
brilliant. You found the job of your dreams. You applied to it very well using principles that landed you in the yes bin. Now, you've been invited for interview. How do you do interviews? Nerve-wracking, right? Well, as much as I wish I could hold your hand through them and tell you exactly what to say, when to say it, and build up your social confidence, I can't do all of that via video. There are certainly going to be ways and methods and techniques that work for you to help build your confidence if you're not feeling like socially
fantastic. We can't do all of that on a course about copyrightiting, but I can certainly give you principles to follow in interviews, things that have worked for me and things that I like seeing when I interview people. Principles of having a good interview then uh be confident in yourself. Like that is the biggest thing. If you're not confident in yourself, if you seem unsure of your answers, if you're kind of like mulling around like that and you're like, "Oh, well, I don't know on one hand this, on the other hand, this." um they're not going
to feel confident in you. Okay? Super important that you actually back up what you're saying with a level of bravado. I'm not saying you have to go in there and be the biggest like most fantastic most energetic person ever. Just be true to yourself. Be confident in what you're saying and remember you are an expert at this. Okay? You have even if you're a beginner, okay? You have by this point potentially watched hours and hours worth of copyright material, practiced, maybe even had a couple of like small gigs and stuff like that. So you are
in a position where you know how to do this stuff. Okay? Trust in yourself. The reason that you are there in an interview spot is because they think you have what it takes. If they think you have what it takes, do not give them a reason to doubt you. Next, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know," or to take your time in answering. A big mistake I see when I'm interviewing people is they'll just bumble through answers really quickly if they're not sure or they feel nervous. And that can be a big mistake because
it's obvious that they have no idea or they're really just thinking, "Oh my god, I have to feel the silence. I have to feel the silence." So instead, take the time, take a breath, even say like, "That's a great question. Let me think about that for a second so I make sure I give you the best answer." If you really don't know, there's no worry in saying, "That's a great question. I don't actually know what I do, so I think I would probably redirect that to someone who knows better." Now, of course, that's a risk,
and you can certainly risk bumbling your way through and, you know, BSing if you really want to, but there's nothing wrong with saying, "I don't know," or taking your time answering if you're just not sure. Prepare examples of past work before you go in. Okay, that's another good principle. Make sure you're not suddenly fumbling about in the interview trying to think of examples of things. If you've put things in your CV, in your cover letter, make sure you can reference them quickly and easily. a few facts and figures in your head of results or things
you've worked on or why it went well or what you would have done better just so you can um give examples when people are asking you questions. Just make sure you've got a few in your back pocket that you know off the back of your hand. Okay. Next, prepare examples of future work before you go in. I'm not saying that you have to um do work for that company and do spec pieces for that company necessarily. You certainly can and it may well give you an edge if you bring them in with you. However, preparing
to answer what you would do for that company or ideas that you have to make things better for them. You say, "Oh, actually, I noticed this thing and here's how I'd improve it. That might be one of the first things I want to do when I come on board." That can be a great way of doing that. Similarly, moving back to preparing examples of past work, there's nothing wrong with just having quick and easy access to your portfolio. So, just make sure you've got a link on you. You can even bring it in in paper
form if you really want to. But the point is, as long as you've got specific things to point to in both of these scenarios, you're going to do great. show you have done your research on the business and on the industry, right? There's nothing worse than someone coming in to an interview or getting on a phone call with me and they have no idea what the company is, okay? Or they just they've just like forgotten to kind of prepare. They don't really have an idea of what we do. If you've been invited for an interview,
make sure that you actually understand the company well and you can talk about things on their level. So you know who their competitors are, you know what the names of their products are, you understand what their principles are, what they're going for, the kinds of marketing they're doing right now. And lastly, have a conversation, not a Q&A. Okay? Think of an interview as a mutually beneficial experience where you're talking to someone to see if you're both right for each other. Okay? That's what this is. This is not they ask question, you answer, they ask, you
answer, they ask, you answer. The more that you can make your interview like a conversation, the better it's going to become. So don't be afraid to actually talk to them to ask them questions back to clarify things to um tell them that like oh that's a great point or a great idea. Try and turn it into a conversation rather than just a Q&A because the smoother that it can flow the better an interview they will feel that you've had. So some tactics here are genuine things that either I have done or I've seen or experienced
or wish people would do that I think would make for a much better interview. Get there or be ready 15 minutes early. Okay? If it's in a physical location, make sure you're there at least 15 minutes early because nothing is worse than someone being late for an interview and it happens far too often. I would say 10 to 20% of the interviews I've ever conducted, the person has been late. Super annoying. I don't know if I've ever actually hired someone who was late to an interview. Open with sincere conversation about their week or their weekend,
etc. Now, you might look at that and go, Alex, isn't that pretty bland? Like asking how someone's weekend has been? Like, yeah, but it shows you're human and it shows you're sociable. It's small talk and it's what you do. Okay? If you have a good idea, show them a short presentation explaining it. This comes back to the principle of preparing to show future work or to talk about the future work that you might do for them. If you really want to go beyond, just make a little presentation about something that you think would be great
for their company or something you could really see yourself doing for them. Refer back to the job post in the interview as well. You don't need to be so direct about this. You can just um reference it as you're going as part of the conversation that's happening, but just keep in mind that there's a reason they wrote the job post the way they did. Keep in mind the skills they were looking for, the things they were hoping, the expectations they had for the role, and just make sure you're matching that throughout the interview as well.
Mention specific things that you like about what they're already doing. If you're going for a copyrighting position and you're in an interview, you have to bear in mind you're probably being interviewed by the person who's responsible for their current marketing. Okay? So, you never really want to completely blast their marketing and say it's rubbish. Do the approach of this thing's awesome. I love what you're doing. I had an idea about how we can make it even better or something else that I think would work too. Prove your knowledge of the industry by referencing recent big
news. So we talked about the principle of showing that you've done your research on the company on the industry. A tactic and a way of doing that is if you're in SC like a science scientific field, you know, if you're into particle physics or whatever, like that's a company you're applying for as a copyriter, um, and there's been a recent particle physics breakthrough, reference that in the interview. Say like, "Oh, did you, you know, I don't know if you guys have discussed the news yet about this such and such thing." There's a couple of questions
I think are good ideas to ask in interviews and I I don't necessarily think you you have to ask specific questions, but one that I quite like is how will you measure if someone has been successful in this role after their first six months. Okay, some variant of that. Basically, this just shows that you're actually interested in being good for them and trying to work out the expectations of what they actually want. So, I think asking that directly is quite a good move in an interview. As I mentioned, cyberstalk your interviewer beforehand and revolve parts
of the conversation around their interests. Try and do this naturally. Try and slip it in. Try not to reveal that you've cyberstalked them or been weird. Just see if the conversation moves over to that thing naturally. You don't have to force this, but always good to have in your back pocket. And end your interview with pointed questions about something that they do. You will get to a point where they say, "Do you have any questions for us?" You can ask the question I mentioned a second ago. And also, you should be asking questions about the
broader company, about a specific thing that they've experienced in the company. Even just something as simple as like, "How have you enjoyed working here?" because it makes them feel like it's more of a conversation like we mentioned earlier which was one of the good principles and it just gives them a better memory of your interview because it feels like you were quite a fun person to talk to because they got to speak and everyone loves to hear their own voice. Let's talk about mistakes quickly. Now, there's a few mistakes in interviews that we really need
to talk about. Hopefully, these are pretty obvious. If you're on a video interview, do not have a messy background, okay? Like my background right now, it's pretty clean. It's pretty neat. It looks pretty professional. You do not have to have a background like this, okay? But if you're in your bedroom, for example, do not show the bed, okay? Work something out. Buy yourself a small chair or go and get a stall from downstairs or sit on a box or something. Same applies for dressing, okay? How you dress yourselves in an interview. This goes for both
video and in person. Don't dress like a slob. Dress relatively respectfully to show that you actually have made a bit of effort for this interview, okay? Because first impressions do matter. Another mistake is giving short sentence answers. Like in most cases, don't just when someone asks you something, they're usually asking you because they want you to expand on it and they want you to prove and show that you know what you're talking about. If someone says like, "Oh, so um what would you say you're most proud of in your career so far?" You go, "Probably
the emails I write." All right. Like don't do that because it's like, "Okay, cool. Moving on. It's made the conversation awkward. They were looking for something more than that." even if the questions are bad like you need to make sure that you expand on them. It's fine to answer directly to begin with because that shows strength. Um so it's fine for you to if someone says what are you most proud of? You can say probably my emails and then you can go on to explain why that is. Okay, you don't need to go around the
house going oh let me let me think about that like oh well on the one hand and I have to consider many variables and because that kind of gets boring. It's always best to answer questions directly and almost to summarize to begin with and say give like a yes or a no where possible um like a single word or a short sentence answer but then expand on that. Okay, and give your reasoning for why. Show proof. Elaborate. Don't draw attention to your inexperience. We already touched on this but it's really important. Don't look at the
boxes that are unchecked. So if you are inexperienced, don't don't say, "Oh, I'm be copyright. I'd love for you to take a punt on me." Um talk as if like you you know what to do for them. Yeah, you're willing to learn and you want to do more things and you're looking forward to like having the opportunity to to be mentored by people in that team or to be managed and develop your skills, but don't be like, "Oh, yeah, I'm not very experienced this. I'm not really sure." Okay? Avoid that where possible. If they ask
you directly how many years experience you have, then tell them directly. Okay? But you can also say, um, you know, copywriting is what I study every single day because I actually love this. Okay? I'm not just someone who's here to just write a bit of content then clock out. This is my career. This is what I want to do in life. Okay? Okay, there's there's ways to to answer those questions effectively or to, you know, move around it, okay, before it's asked. Another mistake to avoid is having no proof to back up the claims you
make. If you're claiming anything, you're talking about projects you've done, or you're trying to make a point, please make sure you have proof to back it up. Whether those are results, examples, anecdotes of um things you've experienced, uh testimonials of people saying you were great, being able to point to other companies and saying like, "Yeah, they they really love me." Or, "Oh, yeah, I've I've seen that before. I've experienced that." Just make sure you have specific examples and things you can point to whenever you're trying to back up claims. Okay? Super important. Both in copy,
as we've already discussed, and in interviews. And if you do all that, you're hired. Congratulations. Well done. That's all you need to follow. Pretty simple steps to go down this path. Okay? As long as you get all of those things in line and you follow those principles and you're being relevant and you're being different and you are applying the tactics that work most for you. And remember, these are things that you should test. As long as you're doing all of that, you are very likely to end up with a well- paid, stable job that makes
sense for you if inhouse is the route that you want to go. And so, there you have it. That was yet another method for finding work as a copywriter. But there is still one more thing that we need to talk about when it comes to finding work as copywriters. So, let's have a look at yet another path. Hello and welcome to this part of the course. By this point, you should have already seen a number of different videos covering theory, covering practice, and covering different types of outreach. And in this particular video, we are going
to go over the final type of outreach that many people consider, but which you can also start your career with. And in particular today we are going to be talking about networking and referrals. And the playful little copywriting title that I have here is infinite clients zero outreach. That is of course a little bit of hyperbole. One cannot handle infinite clients. 2 million at most. And zero outreach well naturally you have to talk to people in order to do networking. So naturally there is a bunch of stuff that we need to cover for this but
this is not going to be as indepth or detailed as a lot of the previous segments on for example cold outreach because for that there are a lot of different tactics and softwares and things to consider. Whereas here with networking, a lot of what we need to talk about is how to be cool, how to be a good person, how to like stand out, and like where do you even find networking events? Here's the first advantage that networking has over other types of outreach. First and foremost, that if you go to a networking event where
there are other business owners and other copywriters and other marketers or people who are hiring, chances are they want to be there. they chose to be there. If somebody is opening a cold email, usually it's begrudgingly. Sometimes it's on accident. Nobody is sitting there in the morning going, "Ah God, I cannot wait to get another cold email from another copywriter who took another course." Nobody really wants that. It doesn't pass the bed test, as we say. However, with networking, one of the things that you'll notice is that the people that do arrive at these events,
they're typically excited. And usually they go to these events with the intent of hiring. In fact, most of the copyrightiting conferences I have gone to, I have gone with the intent to hire people. I was specifically looking for people to give money to. So networking events pretty cool on that front. Now, another thing that is truly advantageous about networking, and a lot of people don't really encounter this until they have done enough outreach, is that uh in business, there's a lot of gatekeepers, especially if you're approaching bigger businesses. And by that, I mean that, you
know, a lot of what we try to do when we do cold outreach is try to find those decision makers, copy chiefs, directors of marketing, CEOs, founders, owners, things like that. But in any large enough organization, these people, well, their time is extremely valuable. So valuable in fact that anything that is remotely distracting to them can actually harm the company on a dollar-dollar basis. That is why they erect these sort of layers of middle management to sort of handle the influx of information that is constantly coming in, requests, HR departments, things like that. There is
a lot of information that is constantly being thrown at companies and a lot of business owners will try to erect these gatekeepers around them in order to protect their time because of course time is money and time is valuable. If you're at a networking event or if you are at a bar and you have to be talking to an entrepreneur or a CEO, where's the gatekeeper? You can just have a conversation. Pretty cool. Now, another thing that a lot of people don't consider when they talk about networking and stuff like that is the fact that
with other forms of outreach, for example, sending an Upwork proposal, you might not know what you did wrong. You might send out 500 cold emails and not hear a single reply. And how are you supposed to get better at that? Well, elsewhere in this course, we have taught you how to get better. But the problem is that you don't have a very clear vision of how to improve. If you're speaking to somebody at an event, if you're speaking to somebody in person, you can remember the things that you said that may have rubbed them the
wrong way or that they criticized you over or that maybe uh like push them to go talk to somebody else. You can keep a mental tally of what works and what doesn't. And the feedback is immediate. You instantly know whether things are going well and whether what you are doing is the right thing to do. The other cool thing about networking as a concept, as a process, as a mode of getting clients is that it allows you to establish long-term connections. A lot of my closest friends I have met at networking events or through people
that knew other people. And one thing that I want to stress is that these relationships, they're not just friendships. It's often very much a reciprocal I scratch my back, you scratch mine. I'll get into that a little bit more later. There's an open loop for you there. But I want to stress that this game that we're in, you think that you're going to learn to write words that sell things. In reality, this is a game of relationships. You need to establish with your copy a relationship with your readers. You need to establish with your outreach
and your work a relationship with your clients, your bosses, your superiors. You also need to have a constant relationship with the other people sort of at or near your level because they are going to give you advice, tips that they discover, cool resources. When you set out to do networking and you're in somebody's face or you're speaking to somebody live and you're actually having a conversation, there's an immediiacy there. There's a familiarity there. And the rules and interactions that people have when there's a live back and forth, they're different from what I would call a
chronological communications. So, for example, sure many of you have noticed that most Reddit comments are relatively rude and seems like people are talking at odds with each other. I'm sure many of you have had the experience of like sending out emails and maybe not getting responses or for example having somebody say something rude to you via email. When you are actually speaking to somebody live, there's an instant sort of social urge to be on your best behavior. And it goes both ways, both the person that you're trying to network with and yourself. And that tends
to get missing from these sort of how should I say abstracted digital communications. And so there's a really really huge advantage there because it allows you to build up credibility instantly in a person's eyes simply by being you and talking about what you both have in common with. The other thing that I like about networking is that it gives you the chance through these conversations, through learning from other people how to actually rewrite your copy in the future, how to rewrite your other forms of outreach in the future because you're not just doing indirect voice
of customer research. You're actually having a conversation with somebody and learning what their pain points are, what they yearn for, their desires, the things that they've tried before. You can get more research from a single conversation than six or seven hours of googling or at least research that you can more readily use to inform your copy. So there's a huge advantage in that. And I can tell you that many of the best sales letters and best packages that I have written, I've almost always had a conversation related to the idea with somebody who would either
be affected by the idea or who would know something about it. So networking hugely hugely valuable in that regard. The final thing that I want to sort of draw your attention to and this is this is how should I say a secondary benefit rather than a primary benefit of networking is that you get great stories. Most of you who have watched me for a long time over the last four years that I've been doing this I've told a lot of stories. I've shared with you a lot of anecdotes that I've experienced along the way with
different copywriters, different famous copywriters, different people, different situations that we've been in. I only was able to get those stories by going out and being in the places where people are by being near other people that are doing what I'm doing. So, I have stories about Chris Hadad. I have stories about and I can just namerop continuously for the next 20 minutes. The point is that because I have these stories, I have cultural capital that I can use with you to prove my points, to show my credibility, and ultimately to entertain and hopefully delight you.
So, great stories are a really, really good secondary benefit to networking. This is actually now at this point in our career the primary way we get work. So for example networking talking on a discord and making friends that way is how copy that got started. It's literally the beginning of this channel. That's how this you are watching this right now. Networking birthed it. Rod only has a job with one of the biggest ad agencies in America right now because he met somebody again through the Discord, the Copyrightiting Collective Discord. That person worked at that agency
and through conversations with him, Rod found his way to become a creative strategist networking. So right now, Lindsay is also the publisher of probably the fastest growing Finn pub in the world at the moment. Her time spent as editorial director at Legacy Research, you know, through her work with Mark Ford and me, through the relationships that she's had, she built up a very robust network. And that network parlayed into a guru who eventually wanted to start a business with her. And then they parlayed that relationship into you know via another relationship into a sale of
that business and that is how they launched inside of the uh marketwise universe. So networking basically got her her job as well. Here's the thing with Alex. You know, Alex has met just so many different people because he's worked through so many brands. And most of what he's done, like for example, through Daily Mentor or through other businesses that he's worked with, he got a ton of referrals. So like somebody would work with him for one business like for example selling hot tubs and then he would meet somebody in that process and that would sort
of like snowball into other jobs with other ecom brands and other businesses and things like that. He actually was just having a lunch I think the other day with somebody he met through a networking event and this dude is a multi-millionaire financeier who specifically strategically buys domains around the world and then decides either to build them up or to flip them. And this dude he has a lot of money and Alex was able to network with him. And so Alex's career has been, I guess, stupendously benefited from actually doing some networking. And then of course
there's me. The only reason I'm in this room right now is because of networking, because of the work that I did at Palm Beach Research Group and then Legacy Research Group, the work that I did at Agora Financial, the work that I have done for Mark Ford and through different affiliates that we have together. I have met so many people in this room um that I I can't even like Dan Ferrari, you know, uh Rich Sheffren. Um I've met uh David Deutsch here. Even beyond that, just making friends with and staying in contact with people
that sort of came up as a copywriter, not alongside me, but sort of beneath me and then went off to do their own thing. One of the last freelancing jobs that I did before I started doing mainly entrepreneurship and working inhouse is basically this copywriter who was a junior after I had been in the business for five or six years. He went off to become the copy chief of another financial publication and he was looking for a sales package about a specific kind of topic and he basically put out a little post on Facebook and
I just DM'd him and within 20 minutes I had signed a contract for a $20,000 gig all because I hadworked with my colleagues and then maintained those friendships and relationships over the years. That is the power of networking. And so this is the part of the mini master class. This is the slide where I try to show you proof that you don't have to be a seasoned expert to do this. In fact, whether you are a newbie, whether you are experienced, whether you are somewhere in the middle of your career, networking, I have seen it
work just so often, so frequently, and so well for getting high quality clients. In fact, I have uh one of the screenshots here is of one of the copy that uh Discord members who basically has only done networking and he has only been studying copywriting for about 3 months and he's already landed six clients. What does he do? He goes and he talks to people, has conversations with gym owners, with bar owners, with people who do different sorts of services in his local area. He just goes and has conversations with people. It's purely networking and
purely referrals. And with that, he's been able to just like strap a rocket launch booster to his career. He's going to have more money and more clients than several other people I've known that have been studying copywriting for years. And why? Because he specifically chose this form of outreach. But it's not just him. Like networking works for basically any type of like service vending that you are trying to do. For example, my wife, she used to be a hair stylist. The best way for her to get high-paying clients was to go to networking events. Now
she's doing graphic design and marketing. All of her clients are now coming through meetups, networking events, conferences, online communications, people that she knows or people that know who she knows and referrals. So ultimately, this is a really, really good strategy for you to try, especially if you are really just starting out. And again, one of the reasons why it's good for you to try is because it allows you to get that immediate feedback. So even if you would prefer to do cold outreach via email, going and having conversations with people that you would want to
work with, well ultimately what that does is give you the sort of information that can inform your cold email outreach. So no matter what, even if you don't get a job, you benefit from trying to do this. Now, here's the part where we do some qualification, uh where I tell you like, okay, great. I just sold you on the concept of networking. Networking is great. It's amazing and you should do it, but it might not be right for you under certain circumstances. So, this is suitable for you if you want clients who are excited to
work with you. Like again, I said before, one of the benefits of networking, of reaching out to people that you know, of reaching out to people that you meet, is that they actively are interested in talking to you. there's already a sort of baseline of interest with cold email. You have to get them excited. You have to use your your copywriting skills to get them excited to work with you. Why not just skip that? Well, networking allows you to do that. Networking is also really good for you if you are interested in building these sort
of longstanding relationships with people. If your ambitions go beyond copywriting, like merely sitting down in a chair and like typing words, you need to do networking. Like hands down. Like if you want to be an agency owner, if you want to be an offer owner, if you want to be a business owner, if you want your copywriting career to sort of like grow into something else, networking is not a cool thing. It is a thing that you need to learn how to do. So if you are ambitious, you got to do it or at least
learn how to do it. Hopefully this master class will sort of show you the ropes or at least introduce you to the concepts that you need in order to do that. Another thing that is very useful for you to know when it comes to whether or not networking is suitable for you is that you kind of want to establish credibility in your field fairly early on. Again, if you are doing cold emailing with business or you're working with, you know, a lot of Upwork clients and stuff like that, a lot of those jobs are just
one-offs. Like you do the job and then they never think about you again. But a lot of the jobs that you get through networking, you have an pre-existing relationship with them that you've parlayed into work. And now what you get to do is work with them again potentially or get referred to other clients through them. You ultimately start to build cred and a reputation much faster if you are going through networking than through other means. With other means, it's a lot harder to build up that cred and to build up that reputation because again, it's
harder to establish those relationships, especially people are thinking that you're just a hired gun to do a job very quick and hopefully cheaply. Most people, they don't want to be that. And so, why would you want to be that? Networking allows you to get around that. Now, why would networking not be for you if you have crippling and I mean crippling social anxiety and awkwardness? Maybe stay away from other people. I am a very awkward and very anxious person, but it is not crippling. So, with a little bit of social lubricant, I've been able to
overcome a lot of those anxieties and make a lot of friends along the way. Another thing that you should keep in mind that would prevent you from engaging in networking as a mode of outreach is if you expect immediate results. There is I don't want to say it's everybody, but there is a strong population of people who get into copyrightiting thinking that it's going to be quick, easy, fast, big money. And networking and building relationships by their very nature take time. And no matter what I say to you, if I say to you, listen, the
big money, the huge piles of money, well, it's on the other side of a mountain called networking. 99% of people are going to hear that and go, well, yeah, but I need money now, so I'm just not going to do that. And then they go do other stuff, fail at that, and quit copyrightiting. What I want to encourage you to think about is that if you are the type of person that just needs money immediately, like within weeks, not only is networking bad for you, but copywriting is probably bad for you, too. Here's another thing
that would indicate to you that networking is not the path that you should go down. If you have zero interest in other people and want to spend no time learning about others and beyond that you just do not care about other people, networking probably will not work out for you. Networking is very much a game of empathy, of consideration, listening. You actually do have to build up meaningful relationships with other people. And some people out there in the world, especially if they are drawn to the sort of hole of copyrightiting where it's like, "Oh, I
don't need to talk to people. I can just like write ads about dick pills and like get away with it and like not have to see the sun." A lot of people would choose to do that and avoid talking to people. If you're that type of person, networking ain't for you. You know, that's it's just not going to be your bag. You actually do have to go out there and, you know, whip off the sheets and be excited about meeting new people. You can be nervous about meeting new people but there has to be some
desire there as well. Now the final reason why networking might not be suitable for you in your copyrightiting career is that you live in a hut in Nepal and there is not another living soul within 500 miles of you. One of the objections that I'm going to try to quash over the course of this little mini master class is, you know, a lot of people who try to learn copywriting and will say things like, "Oh, but there's no such thing as copywriting in like India or people don't know about copywriting in Argentina." I can tell
that they are not good copywriters because a good copywriter would say like, "Oh, so it's a fresh market. I get to dominate it." And so there is two sides of this. A lot of people are going to think like, oh, you know, well, like there's not many business owners that are interested in copywriting. You know, if I go up to them and talk about copyrightiting, they're like, what's copyrightiting? Don't use copyrightiting terms with people who are not copyriters. Like that's our language. That's those are our words. Don't use it with like the normies. That's besides
the point. You need to be able to talk to business owners using the language that business owners use. You, as a copywriter, need to be able to frame things for those business owners. Now, here's the thing. A lot of you are going to be thinking like, "Oh, you know, there's no other copywriters here. It's not really well known here. Like, there's not a lot of businesses that do advertising here." That's not an excuse not to do networking. That's actually more of an opportunity than less of one. It requires a different approach, a different copywriting tactic,
but it is still an opportunity nonetheless. Now, when I'm talking about this particular bullet point of why networking might not be right for you, I'm specifically talking about the people that do legitimately like live thousands of miles away from people like they see their parents and they see cattle and that's it. Like it's going to take you like three buses and a train to get to the closest networking event. If that's the case and like talking to people online is a no-go for you as well, like you just don't have good internet access, well then
networking is probably not right for you. So, now that we've sort of gone through the preamble bit, here's what we are actually going to go over in this little mini master class about networking. I'm going to show you where to find people who actually want to work with you. Like, I've been talking up networking as a concept, but where do you find these people? Like, where where do you go? Are there spaces online? Are there spaces in person? What do you even begin to search for? I'm going to I'm going to unveil all of that
for you. I'm going to teach you the four-part Ford method that allows you to actually talk to people and sort of like break the ice so that you don't feel awkward approaching and talking to somebody else, whether online or in person. And trust me, this works even if you are an introvert and even if you hate small talk. I'm also going to give you a list of tips and hacks for going into networking events and basically becoming unforgettable. Like, I'm going to show you the things that you can do that are going to stick out
in people's brains. And a lot of people don't do this stuff, but trust me, it works. Another thing that I'm going to try to help you with is whether or not you are likable. I'm going to show you basically easy ways that you can make yourself appear more likable to other people in networking events. Basically, if you feel like you're not a particularly likable person, I don't know why you wouldn't think that. You're adorable. Um, I'm going to give you a very simple three-part framework for basically hacking your way into it so that you would
be likable even to the most tculent and sort of, how should I say, annoyed and skeptical person. And then I'm going to end up at the very end of this particular mini master class with a brief discussion about how to maintain your network, how to strengthen your network, and how to turn that network into basically just this garden bed of referrals that keep giving you work over and over again. Basically, where the four of us at Copy that currently are. Now, before I get into all that, I have to explain something. Why are networking events?
Why are referrals? What where is the power of this coming from? Like I just spent a whole spiel selling you on the idea of networking, but why is it so good? Why does it confer such an advantage both in terms of like the speed at which you progress, the speed at which you get clients, the amount of money that you can potentially make? What makes it so good? Why? Where is that coming from? I will show you. And I will use an analogy that I've used in other master classes before. I call it the circle
of cred. When a client is looking for work, more often than not, they're not looking for you. They are overworked. They're overt tired. They want more money for less effort. They don't want BS. They want basically to leverage their time and they want to buy their time back. You person are made of meat. You're very fleshy and you want money and respect and you want this person to respect you. And so you're arriving at this table and you have to ask yourself a question. What can you bring to the table? And what you would bring
to the table is what you would put into the circle of cred. And again, I've talked about this in several other places, but what you bring to the table can be resumes, it can be spec pieces, it can be samples, it can be a portfolio. Those are all very good ways to show that you are credible because they clearly illustrate that you can do the work. But it's often not enough. Some people are able to actually get work with just ideas, with just their personality with just like seeming like they would be a good fit
for a business. But how do you get to the table? How can you put that in the circle of cred if people aren't answering your cold emails? You can't exactly cold email somebody and be like, "Listen, I'm really funny and I have a really good work ethic. You should hire me." It never happens. But when it comes to networking, it happens all the time. And there's a reason for that. Your goal when you are filling the circle of cred through any means of outreach, whether it's cold emails, whether it's networking, whether it's Upwork proposals, what
you are trying to do is demonstrate value. If you show a portfolio of spec pieces or show a portfolio of samples, what you have done is demonstrate that you have some element of value that you can confer, some skill that you can confer to the business. That's what you're bringing to the table in that situation. In networking, it's a little different. And the reason why it's a little different has to do with a simple fact. It's easier to demonstrate value and your value as a person when you're having a conversation with them than if you
were emailing them. If you are talking to somebody live and in person or having a DM conversation that's actually pretty good, it is much easier to demonstrate value simply because there's already a baseline of trust there. Again, there's enough trust for you guys to have a conversation with each other. And so you can use that trust, you can leverage that into more conversations and then you can leverage that into work. And that is why with a lot of networking, with a lot of meet and greets, with a lot of conversations that happen in networking spaces
online, you don't even need a portfolio of samples to demonstrate value because again, the person just wants to work with you because you've shown yourself to be valuable. you've brought something to the table to put into the circle of cred. With that in mind, I want to have a little quick tangent on value and what value even means. So, one does not give or provide value. I'm not giving value in this master class. Value is not a thing. Value has more to do with a person's perception of utility. That is, value has a lot more
to do with the packaging of a thing than with the actual contents of the thing itself. That's why a lot of people can go to networking events, get jobs writing copy and have never written copy before in their entire lives. That has happened and it's because again it has everything to do with the packaging. The perception of value that one person sees in another. That means that value when you are doing networking or really anything for that matter, value has to be something that you embody that you demonstrate and that you perform in a Judith
Butler kind of sense. Your customers are not going to buy from you if you cannot demonstrate and perform value. That's also true in your outreach and applications. If you are sending a cold email and you do not seem valuable, you do not demonstrate value, nobody's going to answer them. This is especially especially true if you are going to network. You need to go into this with the mind that you are trying to perform value for another person so that they can see what you bring to the table. With that in mind, value can emerge from
your personality. It can come from your sense of humor, your interests. It can come from your ambitions, your knowledge, your cultural capital. It can also come from what you have to offer in exchange. And I mean that strictly in the sense of like what you can do for a business in exchange for money. But often times these conversations, these interactions that you have with people, they have nothing to do with the transaction and they have everything to do with these other softer forms of value that we're talking about. One important thing to keep in mind
about networking and one of the things that makes it so powerful is the psychological principle of reciprocity. And if any of you have read Calaldini's influence, you understand immediately what reciprocity is all about. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. We do things for each other. And if I do something for you, you are going to feel obligated to do something for me. And that occurs at the macro level. I have written you copy. please pay me. It also occurs at the micro level like telling a joke that the other person thinks is funny. That
person doesn't realize it, but they are going to like you a little bit more. That the thing that they're going to give back to you reciprocally is liking you. And so there's all these little little micro exchanges that are occurring constantly throughout any sort of interaction. And so to that end, if you go into networking and this form of outreach with the basic premise that you are trying to establish relationships, you're going to win. But if all you're doing is just hunting for transactions, like trying to close the sale, networking is not going to work
really well for you. Or at least not for very long. Let's actually get into the tactical stuff. Where do we do it? If I want to do a network, how do I am do a network? Where where do network be? Let's answer that. Here are some simple places to network online. All the places that you've probably thought about before. You can reach out to people on LinkedIn. You can join Facebook groups. You can go on to Twitter or now it's called X. There are all sorts of also uh niche online forums and websites around different
interests. Uh most of you were not raised in the message board era. I was raised in the message board era. These message boards still exist. They were a pre they were Reddit before Reddit was Reddit. A lot of businesses and professionals, they maintain message boards and participate in them actively. And so you have all these sort of like little tight-knit communities of like message boards that have existed for like three decades. It's crazy. You can actually do networking on these message boards. And then of course there's the standards, your Discord, your Telegrams, your Slacks, all
those sorts of there's going to be a new one in like 10 months. So like don't get too caught up on like the names of these things that they don't exist anymore. The point is that there's always going to be some new form of basically a business that functions as a way for people to congregate and chat with each other. It existed in 1998 when I first got online in the form of AOL chat rooms and it exists today in the form of Discord servers. Nothing has changed. Everything new is is is also old. So
there you go. But also if you want specific places and specific advice of like where like you can go and meet other copywriters, not necessarily business owners, but like if you want to network with and learn alongside other copywriters. Um there are some places that I do kind of like recommend places that I think are safe for you to participate in. That of course is the copywriting collective where copy that started. We of course have our own diff server now but the copyrightiting collective is where we got our start. There's Copy Squad, which is owned
by Kyle Milligan. There's Copy Chief, which is owned by Kevin Rogers. Um, actually know a lot of people who have gotten jobs through Copy Chief, the networking online via Copy Chief. There's also Copy Skills. Uh, that's owned by Nabil Aziz. Uh, there is Cult of Copy. Uh, there's the copywriting club. There's also nothing held back, the Facebook group. The point of all these different places is that they afford you the opportunity to go and network with other working copywriters. Now, here's the thing. If you're going to a lot of these online spaces and you want
to do networking, you do actually have to participate. And every single place has its own little culture, its own little etiquette, and you have to sort of like read the room and pay attention to how people communicate with each other and sort of like give what you get. Some spaces are not going to be right for you. I, for example, if I had to network on LinkedIn, I would probably quit. LinkedIn sucks. But I know another copyriter, friend of the show, Jonathan. He has gotten a ton of clients by networking on LinkedIn, going to their
posts, liking, commenting, messaging, being present, showing, and demonstrating value. It works for people. I hate LinkedIn, but it works for people. And there's no real special hacks or things like that. I'm not going to be the type of person on YouTube who says like, oh, like send a bait and switch kind of message like first, you know, ask them about something like that they're interested in and then immediately like offer your services. If you go in like that, people will tend to smell the transactional intent that you have behind your messages. It's why that doesn't
really work more often than not. But if you go in and you try to be a real person with real interests who really tries to establish relationships, you're going to do a lot better than most other people. These are all places you can go online. Is anyone the best? As I always say, there is no best. There is only a best for you. And you cannot figure out what is the best for you until you try a lot of stuff. So try a lot of stuff. You might find that Discord actually sucks for networking. You
don't really like it. You might find that LinkedIn is an awful cesspool of people putting on a mask and and pretending to be something that they're not, you know, the way that it is. And then you might decide that LinkedIn is not right for you. Now, here's the part where I lose most of you. Because while networking online is rainbow magic fun, it's actually probably better to network with people in person. And you are probably going to find the best results if you can network with people in person. So to that end, it is worth
it to you to go to conferences and trade shows. There are hundreds, thousands of these that happen all over the world in basically every country all of the time. There are so many conferences especially for entrepreneurs especially for business owners but basically if somebody's putting on a conference a business in order to get a booth there has to rent the booth in order to advertise their stuff. That means that there is a captive audience in any conference of hundreds if not thousands of businesses that you can go and talk to. You can go to a
gun show and network. I have seen this happen before. Another thing is seminars and workshops like actually paying to go learn from a guru or paying to go attend a seminar on sales or copywriting or real estate or what have you. These can range from very cheap to very very expensive. I've known seminars and workshops that cost upwards of $50,000. Masterminds for example. But ultimately, who are the people that can go to these? It's the people who can afford to go to these. And so again, if you ever reach the point that you can get
into these higher ticket workshops or even get into one of these lower ticket workshops, you know, at the very least that somebody had to pay to get there to improve their business. And what do you do as a copywriter? What is the service you provide? You help business owners improve their revenue and their sales and their messaging. Why not go where these people are going? Sometimes you have to pay the cost to be the boss or in this case meet the boss. Another thing is also business networking events. If you look in any local chamber
of commerce, a lot of these chambers of commerce, they have networking events. They want local businesses to meet other service providers in the local area. So, so go to these. A lot of these are free, too. I actually went to uh one of these. It was a like a business networking event at John's Hopkins University, and it was put on by the university to like introduce local businesses to people that were graduating college, but I was there with like three other copywriters, and they were just like sharks in the water and they smelled blood. I
swear to God, like the people that I was with, they were just like meeting so many business owners that were like, "Screw you college kids. I want to talk to you." And god, it was it was very fun to watch. I ate way too many stuffed mushrooms that night. Just a silly anecdote. I wasn't there to network. I was just there to hang out with my friends and like, you know, talk to people. But like the people that I went with, like they were there to network and those businesses, they were there to hire. And
again, it was a free event at a local university. These institutions, governmental, universarial, they advertise this stuff all of the time. You just have to be on the right like email lists. Again, you have to sign up for every email list you possibly can. If you want to be a copyriter, you have to just pay attention to the right events pages and make sure to go to these things. They crop up. So, pay attention to that. to a lesser extent. One place that I've seen a lot of people do networking is at co-working spaces. And
again, this falls under the same logic. Like why not go do networking at the places where the people you want to work with will be? And so a co-working space, you know that somebody is paying to be there to work either for a business or on their own business. Whenever I travel, I usually find a like a local co-working space and I will rent a desk for a day, two, or a week. If you go into the channel and you go watch the uh interview that I did with Tanya Yo and Daniel Thrasell in Nashville,
that was at a co-working space. I rented that room to do that podcast, but I also worked from there, too. And so, you can go to these spaces and guess whom you'll meet? other people that are doing the kind of work you do, great to meet, or other people that are looking to hire people like you to help them take off the load so that they can make enough money to get out of the co-working space. That's how that works. To a lesser extent, there's also coffee shops. I can't tell you how many business owners
I have met just sitting at a coffee shop and like overhearing a conversation and then like chiming in and asking a question. And like if you are the type of person who like that sounds like I can't like just butt into a conversation. 80% of the time it's fine. As long as you're not a weirdo, as long as you're not like intrusive, as long as you are again demonstrating value, people will be happy to invite you into their conversations. Again, they're not having a conversation in their parlor. They're having a conversation in a coffee shop,
a public space. So that is one possible place to actually meet other people. One of the newbies that has been learning from copy that actually has done the vast majority of his networking outreach in bars. He just goes and meet business owners at bars and and closes them as clients. Again, having drunken conversations. True story. I know the vice president and eventually the CTO of an enormous direct response marketing company was a bartender. And Mark Ford went to the bar to get drunk and was having a conversation with his bartender and by the end of
that conversation had hired him and brought him on as an employee and then that person rose up to eventually become the vice president and then CTO and then retired a multi-millionaire. Why? Cuz he talked to somebody at a bar. Networking, it's amazing. Another space that I have seen networking done um particularly well is libraries. Now I don't just mean like go up and talk to homeless people sitting at the tables in libraries. I mean a lot of libraries will actually have what are called community development courses, seminars and meetups. They advertise these things online or
at the library itself. All you need to do is go to these. I cannot tell you like how many life coaches and like the types of like Jordan Belffort types of people, they got their start on the lecturing circuit, the giving talks to salespeople and business owners circuit strictly by going from local library to local library and like talking to like five local people in but Nebraska. Like that's how a lot of these people got their start selling their like their method, their system, their book or whatever through seminars that they give in these local
libraries. If you want to meet these clients and help them grow their business and get even bigger and like be like own a piece of that future progress, go meet them at the library. Like these events are happening all of the time. All of the time. Then of course I also know that a lot of people have actually done networking at gyms. Uh people have done networking at offices. They just walk in actual places of business. Like you can and you have the ability to go and just strike up conversations with people especially if it's
like a small business or a local business. And what I'm trying to encourage you to think about is that every conversation is an opportunity to grow your network. So think of it that way. One thing that I've encouraged people to do and that a lot of people don't think about is the moment they decide to become a copywriter, there's almost this like like this membrane of embarrassment that sort of coats over them. What you should be doing is like announcing it to like friends and family like, "Hey, I'm starting to study copyrighting and marketing. Hey
cousin Tony in San Diego, I know that you are actually working on like your boat retrofitting business. I was wondering if I could I I don't know, maybe write some ads for you or maybe like, you know, start an email list for you, something along those lines. And then cousin Tonyy's like, "Yeah, sure. Come on board." And then you have this like super low stress like super familiar place where you get to learn the ropes and test different ideas and cool [ __ ] and get paid for it all because you simply and the technical
term for this is called extend out a shingle and just let people know what you're up to. That's networking too and working with friends and family. Sometimes that can be the key to actually getting into this business and succeeding in it really really well. All right. So those are the places to network in person. Now you may be wondering but God how do I find events? Now I have already told you that you need to be signing up for you know all the mailing lists. You need to be like looking at event pages for all
these different institutions just checking stuff out. But there are two resources that you can use today to find a networking event near you. One of them is Meetup. It's a literally a place where people can organize and advertise meetups free and paid. Right now I have it filtered down to free. And this is what I was talking about. It's literally like one of these is like an entrepreneur like dating night. One of these is literally a seminar on like building an Amazon FBA business. Do you think that somebody who shows up to learn how to
build an Amazon FBA business? Do you think that they're going to need copy? A yes. So go there and meet people and like be the person that can be like, I got you, fam. That is the advantage of going to these events. So, Meetup might not be available in every single country on the planet, but it is a useful resource to know. The other place to look at is Eventbrite. Eventbrite people use it for concerts and stuff like that, but it is also very useful for these entrepreneurship and business building and like again use different
keywords to find different events near you. And I have again this filtered down to free events and there's what is this pivot and prosper own your career. So it's a whole bunch of like people that are career-minded and people that are building their careers that are going that are going to be going to this event. Embrace change structured networking for women of color. If you want to write copy for women of color, that's where they are. Business owners who are women of color. if that is the niche that you want to write for, they are
literally going to that event like tomorrow. So, you can use these resources to actually meet and go to places where the people, the prospects, the clients and fellow copyriters will be. It is extremely useful to use these websites and go to the events. And what I would recommend to you, especially if you're just starting out, is go to one event per week. Try to like go outside once a week and try to meet people. I know it's uncomfortable, but again, the more you do it, the better you're going to be at it, just like copy.
So do that. And what may happen to you is that you'll get a gig, perhaps your first gig, out of it. So I highly recommend it to you. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you immerse yourself in communities and meet other people, you will often discover other spaces and other communities that you can explore. For example, if you are in the copyrightiting collective, you've probably heard about copy that, which might have led you to the copy that server, which might have led you to other networking opportunities there. If you go to one
of these spaces, you might talk to somebody and they might tell you, "Hey, we actually have a meetup every single Thursday for entrepreneurs of this particular type of business. We're really interested in hearing more from blahy blahy blah. Why don't you come?" That actually just happened to my wife relatively recently. Like she went to a networking event and she didn't really meet anybody that would be a prospective client for her graphic designer or marketing services there, but she did meet somebody who basically held a separate networking event where she did meet other people that wanted
to hire her. So again, there's this the cool thing about networking is that it basically creates for you this like chain of association that you can leverage again and again and again, but you have to establish those initial links in the chain. So let's get down to brass tax. Let's actually talk about tactically how to network. Like when you go to these events, how do you talk to people? Like do do you say words? What do you say? Do you like like do you use a pickup line? Like what is the business equivalent of a
pickup line? Don't worry, I got you. So, I recommend using the Ford framework. If you want to not seem like a chronically online weirdo and you want to have like real conversations, you have to find the kinds of topics that lead into deeper conversations. And for most people, there are four things that basically serve as an entry point into those deeper conversations, more elaborate conversations. Family, occupation, recreation, and dreams. Dreams is another word for aspirations, but the fora method did not roll off the tongue. So, let's talk about family questions. And again, we don't need
to ling we don't need to linger on this for too too long, but basically you want to effectively ask like, you know, do they have any kids? How old? You know, if it's one thing that's universally true is that parents love to talk about their children. They love it because it is a source of external pride for them. They get to take credit for everything that their children do. And so they are going to be more likely to talk about their kids if you ask them about it. You can also like ask them questions like
like hey like as an entrepreneur like how do you and your family like spend your weekends and holidays like are are you working or like do you like have specific points in time where you are fully off the grid and like not working on your business? That opens up a whole line of conversation about work life balance about like you can take that conversation through. so many different like meandering forking paths and it leads deeper and deeper and deeper into what this person values and of course if you start talking about the things that they
care about they're going to care about you and that's the goal here. So again, another kind of question that you can ask is like how do you strike a balance between like your work and your family life? And you can even open that up with like something that is a little vulnerable like hey I have a really hard time balancing like how to be a copywriter or like how to be a marketer but while also like maintaining a social life like what have you done to overcome those things? So those are all different things that
you can ask. Now those are good questions like good little icebreers but when it comes to family it is absolutely easy to cross the line and in fact Alex asked me to censor the bad questions to ask that I originally had and I had to replace them with these more mundane innocuous questions that like the questions that I originally had that you should not ask were wildly inappropriate because I want to illustrate to you what was wildly inappropriate. But now we'll have to settle with, "Hey, so your parents alive?" Yes. How about, "Hey, your daughter,
is she single?" If you want to put somebody off and make somebody uncomfortable, ask that question. It's not a good icebreaker. You ever feel like your family is holding you back from your dreams? Let's be real for a moment. The answer is always yes. But nobody wants to admit it. And so because they don't want to admit it, they certainly don't want you to draw attention to that. So don't ask that. Don't let that happen. On that quick note, I want to have a quick interlude about rude questions. So here's the deal. Rude questions have
a lot more to do with how a question is framed rather than the question itself. Hey yo, I heard your brother died. So, is that like super hard on you? Seems insensitive, right? Compare that with, listen, I'm sorry to pry, but I saw that your brother had recently passed. If I may ask, have you been doing all right? If you compare those two questions, which one do you think is going to land better? It has everything to do with the framing, and yet both questions are the same. You're a copywriter. packaging and how things can
be interpreted is what you should always be thinking about always. So, what you can do, and this is just a little hack. It doesn't fix every single problem, but this is a little hack. Use sentence softeners. It makes you seem less aggressive, which is bad in some situations, but in conversation, it can be really good. I don't mean to pry, but may I ask, "How are you doing?" If it's not too forward, I was wondering about things like that. If you use these sentence softeners, it allows you to ask questions that may otherwise have felt
a little too, how should I say, invasive, a little too rude, things like that. So, let's keep that in the back of our minds. Rude questions and how to soften them a little bit. So, when it comes to the O in Ford, occupations, how did you get into coaching? How did you get into accounting? What first introduced you to the theory of constraints? I actually asked that to Alex from Mosy once because I had read about the theory of constraints from one particular source and I was curious how he came to know about it. So
I as I asked him that in person at a networking event. Crazy, right? What is your favorite ad campaign that your business has put out recently? Or conversely, what's your favorite ad that you've seen recently? That's actually a really really good one for introducing your services as a copywriter because it lets you know like is this person just watching commercials or did this person like be like hey you know like I was actually scrolling through Facebook and I saw this like you know video pop up. The moment somebody says that you should be like this
is a person I want to work with because they are familiar with the kind of value that I can give them. Cool stuff. Hey are you working on anything exciting right now? What are you working on? What are you up to? I actually asked that question of somebody literally today, a life coach of all things who like used to be a VP at Microsoft for real. Like I literally spoke to and had a conversation with a real human being in person and I literally opened the conversation with what are you working on right now? That's
how that's how I broke the ice with this person and it worked really well. We had a long conversation. I'm sure you can intuit it that there are many bad things to ask. How much money do you make? Hey Sean, why aren't you driving a Lamborghini? Are you embarrassed that other people have surpassed you in skill and money and fame? Don't ask people that. Like, don't go to an entrepreneur and be like, "Hey, does does it ever make you feel bad that other people are better than you?" That's a great way not to continue that
conversation. So, what do you do? Again, that's another framing thing. Notice how a good question is, "Hey, what are you working on right now that's exciting to you?" versus, "Uh, what do you what do you like do?" That's a bad question. Don't do that. Another one, uh, this is occupationally related. Hey, will you mentor me? If you're talking to other copyriters, that's that has to come way later. You have to build up a relationship first. You do not want to be mentored by somebody that you do not trust and already have a good established relationship
with them through some other means. When it comes to recreational questions or things related to like what people do like on the side of their business or for leisure, you can do like you know what did you think of like relevant recent event? Hey person, what do you what do you think about the tariffs? Another really good question is like what good books have you read lately? A lot of entrepreneurs, especially high performers, they are constantly reading and so they often have a just a a font of book recommendations for you and that's a really
good way to like, oh, you read that? Well, I read that too or I heard that that was really amazing for this and this and this reason. It's a conversation opener. That's all these are. How do you recharge after finishing a big project? That's actually one that got asked me and I had a very long conversation with somebody at a networking event after they asked me that question. It's a good opener. Here are some bad questions to ask when it comes to other people's like recreational hobbies and their habits and things like that. What's your
gamer tag? Do you have any like real hobbies or do you just work all the time? Hey, what Space Marines factions do you play? Things like that. Anything that seems too casual, anything that seems too, how do I say, unprofessional, at least early on, is going to be a bad question to ask here. Things that are too forward, things that are too personal, you don't want to ask them. Again, when it comes to networking, it's all about striking that balance between like being professional versus being a human. If you're too professional, you don't seem very
humanlike. You seem like a robot. But if you're too casual, you seem like an unserious person. And so, you want to make sure that you strike a good balance between those two things. Now, we're on to the D in the Ford system where we're talking about dreams or aspirations that people have. And this is I really like asking dream questions. They these are not always the best to like open a conversation, but they're really good about like when it comes to deepening a conversation. Like if you've already like broken the ice and gotten to talk
to somebody about their occupation or their interests or their recreation or what have you, it's really really good to talk about like down the line of a conversation about what they want out of life, out of business, out of whatever it is that you're talking about. to that end like you can talk about like so what goals or business targets do you have for this year you know you can talk about like hey what do you think is going to happen to I don't know like lawyers as a result of chat GBT or AI what
do you think is going to happen to this industry as a result of this problem it's our passion project that you're working on almost every single entrepreneur has some little small thing on the side They have their main thing. They have a small little side thing. And asking them about their small little side thing. Even if you don't get to work with them on their main thing, they might be looking to partner with you on their side thing. So ask them about it. It's a good way to start a conversation at the very least. And
if that conversation is, oh, I don't have a passion project, but I have always thought about starting a charity around this idea or starting a business around this idea. Well, now you as a copyriter get to put on your your thinking cap and think like, well, how could we start that? What would be the easiest way to spin that up? What would be an offer we can create that would spin that up? And then bingo bango, you're off to the races. You're literally brainstorming with a business owner about starting a business with them. Pretty cool.
When it comes to dream questions that are not particularly good, I don't have this on here, but one of them is asking about their literal dreams. I did not think that I had to put that down. But I was reminded recently, very recently as a matter of fact, that yes, you should not be asking people about that dream they have where their teeth fall out. Don't ask them about their literal dreams. Ask them about their aspir as aspirations, the things that they aspire to and want. Another bad question to ask uh when it comes to
asking about dream or aspirational questions is uh so I bet you can't wait to retire. A lot of times entrepreneurs like they'll hear that and be like retire retire. For a lot of entrepreneurs like their business is their life and so many of them have not planned for the point after that. That's just it. They're going to do that until the day they die. Especially if it's like a family business. Hey, are you eager for AI to like take all the work away from you? Again, that's a framing problem. Are you eager for AI to
finally be useful to help you leverage this particular opportunity a little bit better? Maybe a little bit better because it shows insight and curiosity on your part. But hey, are you eager for AI to just like take over and do all the things that you're passionate about? Probably not a very good question. Hey Sean, I bet you can't wait until you have AI writing all your copy for you. And like in my head I'm going all I have wanted to do since I was 5 years old is be a writer. No, I'm not eager about
that moment at all. There comes a point in these conversations that you start where you will find a natural opportunity to start gently steering the conversation towards what you can do or the value that you can demonstrate or really what their problems are or what this person is looking for. And the best way to do that is just pay attention to what they're saying and sort of like try to hear the thing that they're subtextually articulating but not really revealing. A lot of people when they have a business, they might say something along the lines
of like, you know, I know it's a it's a total slog right now. Like, yeah, I'm just right now the problem is inflow. like the customers we have like we're we're selling them a bunch of stuff but getting new customers is just like such a slog that's your opportunity to be like yo so is acquisition a problem like are you having trouble scaling on a particular network or like what's the deal and then you might find out like oh you know we tried Facebook ads but it didn't really work yada yada yada and like then
you'd be like well did you try this thing or this thing did you try this did you try interstitial pages like there's so many things like once you learn marketing marketing and copywriting and all the different slots that your copywriting can fill. You will have so many insights that your business owners that you're networking with don't have. Because again, most business owners are worried about strategy, vision, accounting, legal stuff, meetings, bisop like partnerships, fulfillment, quality control. Entrepreneurs have a lot on their minds. Most of them do not know how to do like copyrightiting for a
PPC ad. That's why they hire people like you. So over time, as you're having a real conversation with a real person, you want to be paying attention to the things that would allow you to gently segue into these deeper conversations about what you can do for them. And it doesn't have to be so ham-handed as like, well, let me tell you about what I can do for you. No, it's like, well, have you considered this? Have you tried this? Are you worried about that? You know, I actually funny you mention this particular problem. I actually
was working with a client. I'm a copywriter, by the way. What I did for them was blahy blahy blah. And then you talk about the cool result that you did for that person. And then all of a sudden, you have just literally demonstrated value to this person you're having a conversation with that might suddenly transform into how you can solve that problem for them. in exchange for money, which is what we're why we're doing this, right? It's why we're doing this. Here's a list of just general quick tips to keep in mind when you are
at networking events and when you are trying to have conversations with people. And all of these things help you stick out in their memory or conversely help you steer the conversation in a more productive direction. Here's a simple one that a lot of people are bad at, but with a little bit of practice, you can get really good at. And let me tell you this, it really makes a difference. Remember the person's name that you're speaking to. Sounds small, but small things add up. Anyway, the other tip that I have for you is let topics
emerge naturally. If you're having a conversation with somebody at a networking event, like you don't have to force the thing back into business. You can just be talking to them about baseball or cricket depending upon where you are in the world and like over time that conversation can naturally evolve. Don't give up and like try to force a conversation in a particular direction because again just because you're talking to somebody at one event, that doesn't have to be the last time that you talk to that somebody. You can get their information. You can talk to
them later. You can continue and resume the conversation at another point or see them at another networking event. The point is for these situations to seem likable, to seem affable, to establish the relationship, to establish the connection, and then build that and cultivate that over time. Like I said, networking is not for people that need the money now. Networking is for people that want big money gradually. All right, this next tip that I have for you is it's actually a sales tactic, but it works really, really well for natural conversation, too. So, say for example
that you're talking to somebody and this person reveals that they have had a problem with a particular workflow or a particular process in their business. What you can do not only to aid your memory but also to give your brain time to think up a response is you can say you know it from what I'm hearing it really does sound like you're having this particular problem with this process and that means and then you say whatever you want to say. What is the advantage of that in a sales context? First and foremost, it recasts and
takes the actual person's language and represents it to them so that they're not just saying it, they're actually hearing the words and thinking about the words that they have just said, reaffirming a problem or a thing in their mind. When people talk, oftentimes people are not very deliberate about what they say. But when you deliberately repeat something back to somebody now all of a sudden that thing becomes very very real and it becomes the thing that you're talking about and it becomes the thing that you're considering. It is so useful for you to do that
if you are the type of person who's ever going to be like selling on the phone. It is one of the best hacks tactics for sales that I know. gently, subtly recapitulate and represent the things that somebody has said to you back to them and then use that as the segue into the next thing that you're going to say or use that as the segue into whatever pitch that you have in a sales situation. In a conversational situation, it just makes you seem like an attentive listener who's actually really absorbing what the person is saying.
That's why it works. Oh, here's a fun one. Don't be the first person to brooach sensitive topics like religion or politics or social issues or things like that. You are not going to make any friends by being the person who starts every conversation with like what about the trans people in ladies bathrooms? Like even the people that agree with you are going to think you're a schmuck. So don't be that person. Like if somebody broaches that topic, if somebody like actually talks to you about a particular thing, politics or religion, you have the choice to
respond or talk about that or not. Or you can sort of gently steer the conversation in a more politically sound direction. You don't want to be the person who brings up controversial topics. Let the other person do that and then decide what to do from there. Another thing that is going to help you in your career overall and help you with your social life and especially help you in networking events is don't judge people or at least don't be quick to judge. When you have conversations at these events, especially ones that are fueled by alcohol,
you know, networking events, you know, social events at bars, things like that, people are going to reveal things to you that you may not agree with, that you may not like. And here's the thing, you get to decide for yourself where you draw your moral lines. That's entirely up to you. And I say that because I don't judge you. you get to be the person you want to be. So when you're networking with somebody, let them be the person that they want to be. Don't feel like you need to proitize. Don't feel like you need
to like, you know, bring the hammer down, you know, via your opinion on somebody else's lifestyle or choices. Don't be quick to judge. Because again, if you are the type of person who can only be friends with people who agree with you on absolutely every single thing, you're not going to have any friends. at least over time. You have to have some wiggle room to allow for some things that you don't like. And let me tell you something, entrepreneurs, they're not all good people. Business owners, like to be a good business owner, there has to
be something so fundamentally broken about your personality that starting a business seems like a good idea. So that translates not just from business and their personal life, but to other things that they do and say and think and feel. It is incumbent upon you if you are trying to do business with these people not to judge them for their personal shortcomings because they will have many of them and you have to be conscious of that. Now the intuitive among you probably figured out this next tip earlier on when I was going through the Ford method.
If you're trying to have a conversation with somebody, do not ask yes no questions. Where is a conversation going to go from yes or no or sometimes or I think so maybe ask open-ended questions that sort of leave space for people to respond to you and to think about what they would want to say to you and then respond in kind. Don't just how should I say ask questions that close the conversation off and usually those are yes no questions. Hey, how like like is it true that you did the thing? Yes. Oh, well that
was cool, I guess. Yeah. Don't be that person. Another thing to keep in mind that I would like you to keep in mind is that not every single person responds to questions or triggers or rhetoric or different modes of conversation in the same way. To that end, I want you to sort of keep in mind like you have to be a little versatile. You have to sort of pay attention to how people are responding to you. Watch their eyes. Watch their body language. If people are like closing off to you or like, you know, moving
away or like shifting their body language away from you, that usually means that they don't want to talk to you. But there are other subtler signs like that that tell you whether you're losing somebody in a conversation. And as you do this more and more and more, you'll become more perceptive to that kind of thing. And then that will allow you to sort of recognize this stuff in the future and avoid it in the future. Again, that goes back to that instant feedback advantage that networking has. So, just keep in mind that like there is
no like universal like here's how to always have a winning conversation in every networking situation ever. Depending upon the type of person that's attracted to an event, they're going to be more or less receptive to different kinds of ice breakers, conversations, etc. Now, just to follow up with that, if somebody seems uninterested or like they don't want to talk to you, give them space. This is another sales tactic, and this actually I got from meeting Orin Cloth, who wrote the book Pitch Anything. But he talked about how like if somebody isn't interested in a deal,
you want to be the person to take that deal away from them first before they ever say no. And in a conversational or networking context, that usually means like if it seems like a person is not interested in talking to you, all you can do is just be like, "Oh, hey, it was lovely talking to you, but I see somebody over there that I need to speak to about blahy blah. Love to talk to you later. Have a wonderful night." Then break it off. There is a subtle power in that. you being the first person
to like break it off in a really charismatic and like deaf way, it leaves a positive impression in a lot of people. And all of this is sort of dancing around a broader conversation and a broader goal, which is to seem likable, not not be likable, seem likable. Again, value is in perception, the perception of you. So likability can be a thing that you have or don't. It doesn't matter so long as a person thinks it. And so all of this stuff is going to help you seem likable. But I do have some specific tips
to help you seem even more likable in networking context that I will give to you momentarily. All right, so let's move on really quick to those tips for seeming likable. A lot of these are going to sound simple and like really straightforward and like why am I even paying attention to this? Because they're so obvious, but like most people don't think about this stuff. A lot of people when they're having conversations don't do this stuff instinctively. And so I need to tell you this stuff so that you can be like, "Okay, I got to remember
to smile." Here's an interesting thing. This seems silly, but it really isn't. Not only does it affect how other people see you, like people are always going to respond more positively to somebody who smiles than somebody who doesn't. That's been proven. But there's another knock-on effect. You can find out more about this by reading Amy Cuy's presence. Here's what they found. that people who privately practice smiling in a mirror experienced longlasting changes to their happiness and to their confidence. Just practice smiling by yourself in a mirror for 3 to 5 minutes. Again, psychopathic maybe, but
for people that lack confidence, like insecure or introverted people, smiling, doing this practice can really, really change the way that your brain works. Because again, any action that forces your brain to fire and focus on a specific thing is going to change your neuronal pathways and then as a result change your behavior. Read Presence. It's a good book. Same thing with how to win friends and influence people. That book, if you are the type of person who's just naturally likable, you're going to go through that book and be like, "So wait, do all these things
that I do normally already?" That was my experience reading the book. Half joking. But for a lot of people, there are all sorts of different ways that you can seem a little bit more likable to other people and really ingratiate yourselves to them. And smiling to people is one way to do that. So don't knock it. It's useful. All right. The next useful thing that you can do to seem likable is very simply to praise people. Like, and I don't mean like do hollow or like superficial praise. I mean like legitimately like think consciously about
a thing that you know that they have done and done well and praise them for it. I often use the anecdote of somebody that I was working with who wrote a cold email and his personalization in the first line was like, "Hey, I saw that you went to like the University of Colorado. Keep killing it out there." And I was like that that is the most hollow awful praise I've ever heard in my entire life. Like actually investigate what people are doing. Did they go on a podcast? Did they appear something? Did they put out
an ad? Did they do a thing very in a focused way? Compliment them on that. Praise them for the work that they have done. And my suggestion is to always praise the effort as opposed to qualities that people have. Like, "Dude, you are so handsome," is a worse compliment than, "Dude, it looks like you went all out on your outfit." Or, "It looks like you like went to a really, really good barber." Because the difference between, hey, you're really handsome and hey, like your barber did an amazing job is that handsomeness is not a thing
that they can control. Hey, you went to a barber that did a really good job reflects their taste and their choices, their intention. And that is worth complimenting. And many people when you compliment them on that, they respond positively. If you cannot be sincere about it, make it sound as sincere as humanly possible. The key to really good praise, it comes down to good copyrightiting or or at least a concept that you should be constantly applying to your copyrightiting, which is how do you be more specific? How do you drill down to very specific finite
details and notice them and draw attention to them? It's it's important for your copyrightiting. It's important for praising people as well. Now again, this is another one of those like it seems obvious, but too many people at networking events do not do this. Too many people, again, go into networking events with a very transactional perspective. They talk and they do not listen. There's a power in shutting the hell up. I should learn that someday. There's a power in sitting back and letting the other person do the talking and you do the considering. I've had whole
conversations with people where I barely said five words aside from back channeling. Uhhuh. Oh, wow. Yeah. Really? Stuff like that. And ended up having great conversations with people as a result. Um, actually, speaking of of networking, we might actually Hold on one second. We need to pause this for a moment. I did not think that you were going to be working so late. You You can come on if you want. How you doing? Thank you. I'm I'm actually live right now. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, do do you want to say hi to the world? Uh, thank
you. You look amazing. Uh, that's hi world. Oh, hi world. And here here's the the microphone. Okay. Hi world. This is Mark Ford and Sean is here with me and we're having I don't know what we're having. He's doing something live right now. And here I am. So So I'm I'm here to answer questions if you need to, but I have to get quickly. I have to get a tequila in my system. So, actually I I just finished my drink. So, I I would love it if you sat down with me and answered some questions
at the at the end of this. Uh I'm almost done. So, just just to give you some context, I am giving a little mini master class on how to network and do networking and get referrals as a copywriter. And so, I thought what better place to do that than here. So, yeah, that basically 90% of the networking I've done in my career has occurred in this room. So, and uh I'm actually glad you're here because that way you can say like, "Hey, all the stuff that Sean is saying is absolute [ __ ] and you
shouldn't listen." So, just to put a little bow on this particular hack for networking events is listen to people, ask questions, and then sit back and let them tell you what they want to tell you. Because oftent times, you don't need to do very much to appear likable to somebody. You just have to listen to them and give them space to tell you what they want to say. How to Win Friends and Influence People was one of the the books that really changed my life when I was younger. And uh and he said that uh
you know and we know this as as copywriters that people most want to hear their own name and their own voice. And uh it's very true. Usually copywriters become copywriters because they don't you become a writer because you don't really want to interact with people. But it's immensely powerful if you can just just insert yourself, you know. And the the one thing I I think that I've learned about that is it's almost better when you don't have a you're not trying to negotiate something or get something done right away like those those high-powered networkers do.
But just just, you know, make yourself available, drop some hints, let people know that you're around, and um you know, and say yes more than no. and a year later, 6 months later, you'll get a a contact and it'll turn into a whole business for you. So, it's happened many times for me. So, anyway, amazing that that I think just validated everything that I've given in this presentation so far. Everything that I've been sort of talking around in this particular master class, it all dances around just being kind. Like if you can be kind to
other people, and I don't necessarily mean nice like that Los Angeles superficial fake niceness. I mean like you can be a dick to somebody and be kind to them. For example, telling them something that they don't want to hear, but they need to hear. If you can be kind to people in any sort of interpersonal space, you will ultimately be very good at networking. And that's the goal that you want to keep in mind. We were sitting here having a conversation right in this room and I brought somebody in, a friend of mine who was
an art professor and I had some young people here. They were in my nonprofit sphere and I was afraid that my friend would not would be uncomfortable because the people weren't exactly, you know, his types. And and there was one one of the women was just everything he said she found to be so fascinating. And I I mean I was like, "Wow, is she really this interested?" I don't know whether she was or not, but he was completely delighted by her. And he and I I could tell he was having fun because he got into
his, you know, his thing that used to used to annoy me, but now I love love it when he gets that way because he's so full of good information. And uh and he he was he came back the next week. I think he was hoping it was for her because she was just genuinely interested or if she wasn't genuinely interested, she sounded like she was. So, now we have to talk about how to preserve and grow your network once you start building your network. And here I have another lovely list of tips for you lovely
viewers. First thing, and this is a simple thing, but too many people don't do it, is um follow up. People are going to forget you. If you go to networking events, people are going to forget your face. They're going to forget what you talked about. But if you follow up with them immediately thereafter or a couple weeks later, all of a sudden that that conversation you had, all of a sudden that little niggly, oh yeah, you were the person that talked about the thing with the stuff that happens all of the time. But it only
happens if you maintain and cultivate the relationships that you build. So, if you need a framework for this to help you, use the 226 method. 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 months. Follow up with somebody 2 weeks after an event. Hey, remember me from, you know, Copy Chief Live or what have you. If you don't hear anything back, follow up two months later like, "Hey, I noticed that you did this thing. It looked amazing. You know what? What possessed you to to write an ad like that or to put out an ad like that or what
have you? These are the sorts of things that you would want to follow up with people on. Two, two, six. There are things you don't want to do. You don't want to like follow up. Assume the person remembers you. That's a big mistake right away. And then ask the person for a favor. It's it's almost like a slap in the face. Presumably, you're talking about networking people that you want to be in touch with because they have more power, more reach, more whatever than you. So, you're trying to kind of glom on to their past
success. And you just got to know that these you're not the only one doing this. That they're they're getting a lot of it and they're only going to respond if they if they find you to be authentic and and also not overbearing or not asking too much. The people that you most want to reach are people that are busy, already successful, already have networks. They have things that you don't yet have. So what can you give them? There's not too many things you can give them. Affirmation, which is very good. you know, as as Sean
was saying, like you you've noticed them. You actually know what they do and you commenting on something that they do positively. Of course, you want to be positive. Um, you can you can get away, you know, there's some people that teach negative uh stuff, but it's it's very tricky to make that work. You can it can work, but it's very tricky to make it work. I think staying positive is better. having your own unique um personality like a mini personality that people remember you from like uh it could be anything. It could be a name
you give yourself. It could be a funny bit. I remember one person that works for us um one of the best copywriters at Agora. Uh when my son introduced me to her uh she said she only was being a copyriter because she wanted to open up an ice cream parlor when she got enough money. And that stuck with me for immediately. I liked her. I love the fact that this was just, you know, she was gonna earn now she probably earns, you know, close to seven figures so she could one day open up an ice.
It was like the perfect little thing that I would never forget her that I remember for forever. So something like that if you it's kind of like a call you know people try to you make calling cards that are so amazing but you know I don't know if you've talked about this and I hope I haven't um contradicted you but the the the least effective thing in networking is giving somebody your card. I I don't care how cool your card is. Every time when I go to event if there are 300 people I end up
with 30 to 50 cards and I throw them all in the garbage right away. I don't need why do I need their card? I don't need them. They need me not to be that's the deal, right? So why do I want to bur? So somebody gives me a card I just gracious I take it. But I really feel like saying you should be trying to get my card and and once in a 100 reactions I will actually give somebody my card because they've said or done something that makes me very interested in them that maybe
there's something that in knowing them that would benefit me. So, so anyway, I that that's one thing I I that's a secret little rule I have. Giving somebody your card is not I don't know if it contradicts something that Sean said, but it's not going to get you very far. What you need to do is do something that would make the other person want to give you his card. Even if he doesn't, there's something about you that's fun and interesting and and that's it. And you're not asking for any more, just that little bit. And
and so when you're you're you get back in touch, the guy re remembers you and they go, "Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's the uh that's the person that's going to do the open the ice cream parlor or that's the person that that always rares only red or that's the person that whatever that that thinks that thinks that I am uh the the Shakespeare of copyriters, you know, you know, I would remember that. I have to admit my way of following up with people is usually by sending information that I think is going to be valuable to
them. Like for example, if I was having a conversation with somebody about a project they were working on and I read something that's related to that project, I'll send it to them. All right. So the next piece of advice that I have for following up with people and staying top of mind, remember the wins and generally what people are working on. If you were the analytical type, you can use a spreadsheet if necessary, like be almost sociopathic and just keep a log of like, you know, Kim Krowy Schwam likes Pomeranians and this thing and like
that one Bahamanian island or what have you, children's books and things like that. Um, and then you just keep a log of what people That may be too much. I can just imagine. I know you like children's books and Bohemian pottery, so I thought I would and you might you might get a little stalking. You got to watch out. Again, like I said, the the the data analytic part is is only to help you if you feel like you need it. But generally, just try to keep one, two, maybe three important details. Like for example,
if you see somebody like have a really good campaign, bring it to their attention and remember it and talk about it cuz it will make you seem like you are interested in them and that will make them feel validated. Another thing that you can do for follow-ups is to just block out some time every month to just catch up with old friends or acquaintances, people that you've met at conferences, people that you've met at networking events. A lot of this stuff does not take concerted specific effort hours a day, week after week. You can spend
a few hours per month and achieve all the quality time with people in your network that you need to make those relationships successful for you. So, that's another little valuable time-saving piece of advice that you can use. Another thing too is don't just let your relationships exist purely online. Arrange for coffee dates. Meet up in other people's offices. Go have lunch with people. Go grab a drink with people after hours or on the weekends. Actually build up relationships beyond just the work. And more often than not, 3 6 12 months down the line, you'll be
having a cigar or having a drink with somebody. you'll hear an interesting project that they're working on and you will be the exact person who can successfully achieve and knock that project out of the park. So the way that you become the person in that room, you have to cultivate relationships in this way. Now another important aspect of this whole networking thing is to maintain these friendships and these relationships at all levels. Don't just like try to network with only people that are better than you or only people that are business owners or only people
that can get you jobs. Try to make friends and build a network with people at your level as well. Why? Because you never know if the person that you started learning copywriting with at the same time is going to like grow up in a few years to become an agency owner or an offer owner or to be the copy chief of some business and be looking for copywriters like you. Again, you learn this stuff by becoming friends and meeting people at networking events and by constantly making sure that you cultivate these friendships and relationships over
time. So, another thing that also helps in regards to this whole networking thing is don't be a schmuck on social media. I think that there is a tendency among people, especially young people, to be edgy or to overshare or to make long rambling posts that don't have a point and make you seem like a crazy person. Um, don't do that. Uh remember that what you put onto social media reflects on you as a person as well. And so you want to make sure that you are always putting your best foot forward in those spaces as
well. And that takes me to the people that work inhouse. If you are working at an agency or at a business, you know, you want to cultivate relationships with your colleagues, with your agency clients, with the vendors. You want to make sure that you do stuff with them like plan trips, go to conferences, plan projects together, have strategy sessions together, build up that working relationship with them because again, you know, 10 years down the line, that person might have quit around year five and then started their own agency and is looking for a number two
and you can be that person. So, make sure that this networking thing that you're constantly doing it or at least constantly thinking about it. So, now that we've talked about how to follow up with people, we need to talk a little bit about how to ask for referrals or for follow-up work. When it comes down to it, about 40% of your ability to get a referral comes down to the quality of the work that you've done or how cool you were to work with and the value that you've demonstrated. The other 40% comes down to
the timing of your request. Some people are in a mood and some people are not in a mood to give you a referral at that time. It really depends on how busy they are and you don't have any control over that. And the other 20% is in how you ask for the referral. So if you want advice on that 40% of how to do the good work, well obviously watch this course and pay attention to it. Make sure that you revise. Don't be that type of person who like submits work and if the client like
is like I don't like these things. Please change them. You don't want to be the type of person who's like, "Uh, revisions terrible. How dare you? I'm an artist." No, just do the revisions. Like, make the revisions and make the client happy. Another thing that goes along with that is be easy to work with. I have known too many copywriters who have scuttled their career because they were just a pain in the butt. If you if you don't play nicely with others, you are going to be harder to hire in the future. So regardless of
whether it's the client or a marketing team or a designer or anybody, always try to be the best person you can be and be easy to work with. That dubtales nicely into going above and beyond. If you were hired to write five Facebook ads, deliver six. If you were hired to write an email sequence, offer like one or two that they can AB test. If you were asked to write a sales letter or a promotional package, include two leads or multiple headline complices or do the offer like the order form page before you're asked to
do it. Always go above and beyond when it comes to the deliverables for your client. Don't let people take advantage of you certainly, but be the person who overdelivers and you will almost always be rewarded for that. Another thing too, and this is important, is to broadcast your wins. Uh, and this is especially true if you work in-house. If you have a campaign that works particularly well, it's not always the case that the person who hired you is going to be aware of how good that campaign did. Now, let's talk about the 40% when it
comes to timing your request. Just like the best time to sell somebody something is when they have just bought something, the best time to ask for referral is right at the moment when you have done and submitted the work. You are top of mind. Same thing too. If you want to ask for follow-up work with the same client, the best time to do it is to ask immediately at the cessation of the project that you just completed. Again, you've done it. Let's do something else. Barring that, the second best time is when they wrap up
a big project. And this goes back to what I was saying earlier about paying attention to like the wins that people are racking up or the things that people are doing in your network. If you see somebody just put out a really successful promotional campaign and you see it scaling on the networks, reach out to them. Ask if there's anything that you can do to help support the campaign or to help write another campaign because again, now that they have a scaling campaign, they'll have the money to hire more copywriters and put out more campaigns.
So, you want to time your requests for referral around that. And then when it comes to the how you ask, the best way to ask is to just ask. Asking is always going to be better than not asking, even if you are bad at asking for a referral. So don't worry about getting it perfect. The second thing that you want to keep in mind is have an idea in your mind already about who in their network you would like a referral to. So, for example, if you were working for a health publisher and you know
that they do a lot of affiliate deals with a supplement manufacturer and you want to write for them, ask. Be specific and ask actually say like, "Hey, I know that you have this relationship with this person. I was wondering if you might be willing to give me an introduction because I would love to write for them." And again, like I said, be specific. Do you know anybody who needs a copywriter? is bad copy and it's bad networking. But hey, I'm looking to connect with some more high ticket coaches or people who sell high ticket programs
specifically in uh the life coaching niche. I was wondering if you had anybody in your network that you might be able to refer me to. And again, this goes back to you would only ask the question that way if you knew that this person had somebody in the network kind of like that. Another thing that you can do to get easy referrals is to just write the referral for them. like to make it a no-brainer, you can just write the little introductory blurb for them and include it like be like, "Hey, like you know, if
it helps save you time, you can copy paste this." I've seen people do that before. It tends to work because again, you know, more often than not, the person will like ignore what you wrote and then write an honest response and they'll actually feel more obligated to do it now that you've written that little blurb because they might want to set the record straight even if it's positive. Another thing is you want to remind people. If you've asked for a referral and they haven't done it, remind them, but don't nag them about it. Again, these
people are busy. They don't want to beounded like to help you. You know, they they are the p person that typically needs the help. And again, remember the 226 rule that you won't go wrong with that particular framework. And another thing too is you can actually combine cold outreach methods with referrals. Like so for example, if you have a past client you and you have done something like of substance or like of merit recently, you can actually almost like remind them, your past client, of your existence by like being like, "Hey, I just did a
$2 million campaign for this business in the SAS niche. I was wondering if you happen to know any other people like that that would be interested in those kinds of services, things of that nature. It's a really really good way to like again become top of mind again remind people of the value and demonstrate it and uh that can of very often lead to either follow-up work or to a referral based on your request. And these are all things that are valuable and things that are worth keeping in mind. And again the promise at the
beginning of this was you know infinite clients and zero outreach the hyperbolic claim. This is how you get that flywheel going. This is how you ultimately get into that position where you barely ever have to do outreach again like at a certain point in your career, which is you just have done such good work and you have such good relationships with the people that you've worked with in the past that you can just ask them. You can just ask them for more work or ask them to introduce you to other people in their network. And
ultimately that leads to better quality clients, that leads to better relationships, that leads to you expanding your network. And that leads to you making more money. And that, my friends, was the networking master class. That was a rundown, an introduction to how to start networking, where to go, what to do, what to think about, how to be likable in those contexts, and ultimately what you should be thinking about when it comes to this particular topic. Bingo, bango. The five paths to find paid work as a copywriter. All of which work right now and will continue
to work forever. Once you've compiled your portfolio, choose the path that best suits the kind of career that you want as a copywriter and then just do your best. If one method doesn't quite gel with you after you've been at it for some time, try another one. But remember, if you always keep the principles of persuasion in mind, you will always be giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed. Now, it's time to discuss some more practical things that are on your mind. When you get on a sales call with a potential client, what on earth
do you even say? And how much did you charge? How do you set yourself up for earning even more money in the future? Don't worry, we've got you covered. For some of these methods of finding work, you will have to speak to potential clients and win their business on a sales call. That can seem very intimidating. So, we want to give you a clear strategy that you can fall back on if you ever feel nervous. But before we cover this method, it's important to note just like everything else, this is not cut and dry. Different
styles of sales work for different people. So, if you find one that fits better with your personality, there's nothing wrong with using that instead. Having said that, we would still like to give you a specific reliable method for selling your services on a call. So, here you are. You most likely have chosen a path for getting clients or finding work. And not always, but for most of those paths that you could pick, at some point, you're probably going to have to get on what we discuss as a sales call. I'll tell you what a sales
call is in a minute, but the basic idea is this is how you close deals and how you close clients as a copywriter. So, we kind of need to discuss them. It doesn't matter if you've chosen the cold outreach path or you want to have a go at the no man's niche local business method. It doesn't really matter. At some point, you're probably going to have to jump on a call with someone and try and convince them that you are a good person to work with. So, let's discuss how to do that. As always, some
of what you're about to see will be super applicable to the path you've chosen. Sometimes you might have to pick and choose. Remember, this is a toolkit, so use what you can, what feels right. And of course, I will be describing as I go along when and where you should be using all these different tools. You are a newbie copywriter most likely if you're watching this. Um, and you may well be scared, okay? You may be scared of getting clients and of talking to real people. And I want to show you this. This right here
is a young about 25 kilo lighter, brighter, happier, more optimistic version of Alex Matt. Uh uh that was probably about six, seven years ago now. Um, and that was actually a swipe card I got from my um, first ever 9to-5 before I went into copywriting um, full-time or as I was trying to get into copyrightiting full-time. I remember back then being so deadly afraid of talking to real people to try and get their business. Even though I was bought into the copyrightiting dream, even though I was so passionate about making money with words and and
finally kind of breaking free from these chains of a 9 to5 and having freedom, which was the way I saw it, I was scared and I thought all of these things that you can see on the screen right now, like, ah, what have I overcharged my services? Like, I don't really want to show my face. I'm really bad at small talk. I'm too introverted. I'm not confident enough. I'm not good on the phone or video calls. All right, these are all things that I used to think, but I'm here to tell you now that you
can conquer the fear. I promise you, it's so easy to overcome. You just need someone to show you the way. I wish I had had that when I started out, and I wish I'd had this presentation that we're about to go through because it would have made things a lot easier. And one of the biggest concerns and questions I had at the time was, man, do I have to get on calls to close clients? Um, I don't want to do that. So, can I just do it by email or via DM? You know, some people
were saying copywriting is really great for introverts, so surely I don't need to talk to people in real life. Um, and after seven years of doing this, this is what I've learned. Is it possible to get clients without getting on calls? Yes. Is it easy? No. If you want to get work consistently, you should become okay with the idea of sales calls. I am not here to sell you the dream or to sugarcoat things and be like, "Yeah, you don't need to do any work. You don't need to put yourself out of your comfort zone
at all if you want to land clients." All right? You don't need to do any of that. You can just do this one method and you like get all the clients you want. We're not here to do that. And hopefully you already know that by now. So, I'm going to tell you straight. It's much easier to land clients when you're okay to speak to real humans on the phone or on video calls. And there's a few reasons for that. Okay? Why do you need the skills of sales calls? And why do you need the skills
that lead to good sales calls? Because people trust people, not text. Ultimately, like I said, it's not impossible to land clients just through DMs or just through messages. But at the end of the day, if people don't see your face and don't hear your voice and see you can react to things in real time, often it just strikes them as untrustworthy, okay? Because they they don't know you're a real person at the end of the day. So people trust people, not text. Remember that. Commitments made face to face are far more likely to stick as
well. When you know someone and you've promised them something like your business to their face over a call, it feels far more poignant and you don't want to go back on that. So, it just makes the hit rate so much higher. Speaking directly forms far deeper bonds which allows people to refer more work to you or feel better about working with you or want to work with you more. And getting used to this will benefit you far beyond just sales calls. Okay, of course this whole course, you know, all these hours that we've been talking
about things, yes, it's about copywriting, but if you learn these skills about sales calls and and how to close clients, it's not just your copywriting or just your sales calls which are going to benefit. It's so much more. It's how you interact with people. It's how you deal with um existing clients. It's how you negotiate yourself better pay with clients you have in the future. It's how you network more effectively. All these skills kind of move into that social platter that you can effectively use anywhere in your life. And ultimately, of course, closing rates are
far higher on calls. I can speak from direct experience with this. So, what actually is a sales call? Now, you probably already know this, but let's just make it crystal clear in case you don't. There are five basic steps to being hired by anyone, no matter what path you pick. You find a prospect to pitch to. You send your outreach with a CTA, for example, a call. They agree to a call, then you have the call, which we're calling the sales call because it's where you sell yourself, and then they hire you. Now, of course,
not all the paths necessarily conform exactly to this, but at some stage, usually you need to have a call with someone just like we spoke with in-house and having the interview. The sales call is a similar kind of concept, right? Wherever you're talking to anyone and they are deciding whether or not they want to work with you, that is effectively the sales call. What actually has to happen on a sales call? Well, there are only really two things that need to happen. You explain in detail how you would help the prospect, number one. And number
two, you state your price. Like that. That's it. The the rest just comes down to preference, planning, and situational responsiveness. Okay? There are only really one or two things that have to happen outside of that. It's all dressing. It's all stuff that you get to decide how you move forward with it. So, if anyone is screaming at you over a YouTube video saying, "Hey, like you must absolutely follow this five-step structure to complete a sales call, like don't listen to them, okay?" Like, that's that's not how it works. You can do pretty much anything, but
the two things that you do kind of need to make sure that happen are you tell the person what you want to do for them and you tell them how much it is. Cuz without those two things, well, there's nothing that they can pay you for. So, what is the right way to tackle a sales call? First, let's talk about you. Okay, before we get on to the the right way or the way that we think is the best, let's actually discuss you for a second and and this is super important. Okay, this is a
lesson about mindset. Remember, you are a solution, not a charity. Chances are, if you're a newbie copywriter, you are probably sitting there thinking, man, like I don't yet deserve the respect of clients. I don't know enough yet. I don't understand everything there is to understand. But you need to remove that from your mind. And I'll tell you why. Ultimately, the only relationship that matters is between you and the prospective client that you're talking to. Okay? To them, you are a solution. You are not a charity case. Too many people have low self-esteem. Okay? This particularly
true among newbie copyriters. Maybe you feel bad when you send an email to someone or you're worried that you're going to waste someone's time on a sales call. Enough. All right? Enough of that. It's natural to feel that way. Most humans do. But you want to be more than that. Okay? You need to start respecting your own time and effort. This is a little bit of a lesson in self-love for you as a newbie copyriter. Does a plumber apologize for wasting your time as they fix a leak? No. That they they know what they're there
for. You are no different. You are someone who can fix a real genuine horrible heart-wrenching painful problem for a prospect. Okay? So, start acting like it. The only reason a prospect would be on a sales call with you is because they already respect your opinion. You are the expert. You know more than they do. So act like it. We've already discussed in this course multiple different paths of finding work as a copyriter of how to get that first piece of contact down. How to persuade someone to even get on a call with you in the
first place. All right. If you're at the stage where you are on a sales call, they've already showed that they are interested in at least something that you have to say. Okay? So take that tiny tiny piece of comfort and let it grow within you. Okay? I am giving you permission to stop feeling bad about your job. Pitching and sales calls and prospecting and everything in between is part of your job. Okay? You are there to fix people's problems, but you can only fix their problems by actually finding them and explaining their problems to them.
Okay? And showing you have a solution. You have to go through this pitching and sales call process. So do not feel bad. Do not feel like that you are an imposter. Do not feel like you have nothing to give. If you have gone through this whole course that we've just laid out for you, then I guarantee you know more about copyrightiting than 99% of the entire population of planet Earth, you are a solution that they likely have never come across before. That's such a powerful position to be in and you should start respecting that and
yourself. Okay, for real. What makes a good sales call? That is what you're here for. As always, let's talk about principles first. You know the drill by now. principles are the thing that you can rely on for the rest of your career. So, let's start there. The principles of a successful sales call are as follows. People only buy to cure pains they already know they have. All right, these are things that you need to remember that help build the principles. People only buy to cure pains they already know they have. So, you need to focus
on what the prospect already wants and you need to prove that the prospect's pain is caused by a problem that can be fixed. Number two, people don't buy on uncertainty. Okay? Okay, people do not buy when they're uncertain about something. The prospect must gain a clear understanding of what you will impact and how you will impact it within their business and you must present a clear offer of what you will deliver and what you require in return. All right, those things are non-negotiable. You need to make sure they happen. People don't hire people they don't
like, generally speaking. So, you need to show a genuine interest in their mission and what they're proud of. And then you need to show that you care beyond just the gig that you're applying for or that you're pitching to. Okay? You need to make sure that people have a pretty positive response to you and have a good first impression of you. And then lastly, people only hire based on expertise, cost effectiveness, speed, or ease. Right now, I know there's there's a few things to that, okay? There's four things, but when you break it down, those
are the only reasons people hire. Okay? They only hire you if you're an expert in a subject. if it's going to be more cost-effective or revenue driving for them to do so. If um it's going to achieve something that they want achieved but in a faster way than they could do it or if it's going to be easier for them to hire someone for it instead of doing it themselves or keeping it within their team, right? But those are the reasons someone would hire someone. So, you need to show why the prospect can't fix the
problem themselves or can't gain the same results or can't afford to spend time or stress to do it themselves. Right? Those are the things that you need to be concerned with. Let's move on beyond the principles and actually have a look at how we would put this into practice. So let's talk about that first principle. People only buy to cure pains they already know they have. Okay. So focus on what the prospect already wants. That's the first thing we need to do. So these are just principles. How do we do that? How can we achieve
those principles? You need to message match from your outreach or your first point of contact. Message matching is something that um we talk about in copywriting. Meaning, we need to keep our messaging congruent and coherent throughout the funnel or throughout the steps that people are taking. If we run an ad that talks about nosebleleeds, it better go to a landing page that also talks about nosebleleeds. We can't then talk about kittens, right? We need to make sure the message matches through every step. Similar thing here. If you're on a sales call, it's because someone's agreed
to have a call with you. You need to make sure that you're addressing the same thing that you spoke to them about within that outreach that you did or within the Upwork post that you saw. Okay? You can't just like not mention all that because that's the reason that they've wanted to hire you in the first place potentially. So, make sure you're message matching from your outreach or that first point of contact with them. Super super important. Next, research the business or the decision maker. Okay, this is going to help you find out what that
prospect already wants. What are they already doing with their business? What do you are they posting a lot of blogs? Are they sending a lot of emails? Are they running a ton of Facebook ads? These are things they're already familiar with and likely they're going to be open to improvements on. Have they already said that they want to improve anything? Have they been mentioning anything on LinkedIn or on their company's pages or are they hiring for a specific have they been hiring for a specific kind of team like designers who are really great at um
advtorials for example? Is there anything like that that you can just see from doing research on them that they are looking for? And at the end of the day, just keep it simple, okay? Like, if you can't really find anything from those other two points, if you're not quite sure what to do, just keep it simple. What's going to earn them more money? Ultimately, all clients, all businesses want to earn more money. So, as a copyriter, using your skills that you've learned from this course, what is going to make them more money? What's going to
make their copy more persuasive? What's going to make their marketing more effective? That ultimately is going to lead to more money. Therefore, you can focus on that in your sales call. Then, you have to prove that the prospect's pain is caused by a problem that can be fixed. So work out what will actually fix the prospect's problems which is down to your skills. Then establish a clear link in your head between those their problems and your skills that I just mentioned. So make sure that you know in the what form that solution is going to
take. We need to decide on the exact deliverables that you plan to recommend to them because yeah it's all well and good you understanding the problem solution in your head. What form is actually going to take. Does that mean you're going to write them more emails? Does that mean you're going to ramp up their product page? Whatever like what is that? and make sure that you are able to crystallize it into something that is that is real that they're going to understand. Okay? And then you need to work out clear reasons why each deliverable will
fix the problems you've identified. So if you are going to write them more emails, why is that going to fix the problem you've identified? You know, eg how is that going to make them more money? Next, you must present a clear offer of what you will deliver and what you require in return. Most copyriters think of themselves as waiters, not doctors. You need to be a doctor. Before I go any further, let me explain what that means. Firstly, yes, I know that this is the worst representation of a waiter versus a doctor ever, but I'm
a copywriter, not a designer. This is the dichotomy of copyriters that I see all the time. And the very best copywriters, they act like doctors. Most beginner copywriters, they think of themselves as waiters. They think that they are simply providing a really simple service to potential clients and all they need to do is go up to them and say, "Hey, I'm a copywriter. What do you want?" Eg. What do you want from like a menu? Just tell me what and I'll go and get it or I'll do it for you. But ultimately, you need to
tell me what it is that you want from me. That's how most copyriters think. They just think, "Oh, well, I can list out my services. I can say I do 15 things." And then they'll say what they want me to do. and yeah, maybe I can give them some samples of what I do. The problem with that is that you are making the client, the prospective client, do the work for you because they have to decide what's good for them. They have to decide what it is they want. And as we've already discussed earlier in
this course, most clients don't understand what is going to help them. Some might have a vague inkling of what they need, but when it comes to the specifics of the solution, they don't often understand. which is why people are rarely looking or understanding they need copyriters immediately to fix their problem. So, especially if you're um using a cold outreach approach, you cannot afford to act like a waiter because people just aren't interested enough to pick from a menu or to tell you what they need. So, what's the solution? Act like a doctor. When you go
to the doctors because you have a problem or something doesn't quite feel right or you feel like it might be time for a checkup, does the doctor just sit there and say, "So, what do you want me to do for you?" Do they go, "So, what are you thinking? Do you want um a colonoscopy? Are you looking for a labbotomy? Do you want your shin removed? What's up?" No. No. They don't do that, do they? You explain what's wrong. Or better yet, they investigate what's wrong and then they tell you what they think and they
give you a specific solution tailored to you. All right? They do not have a menu of surgeries there for you or a menu of medicines that you have to go in and kind of think, "Oh, well, what am I feeling today? Yeah, I think I want this thing." No. When you go to the doctors, you expect them to be able to analyze, assess, identify the problems, and then give you specific solutions. and you are far far happier because of it. You feel much much safer and you feel like wow that was really worth it because
now I know what's going to cure me and solve my problems. That is how you need to think as a copywriter. You need to be a doctor. You need to be the one who sets something in front of your prospect and says this is what I think you need. Doctor versus waiter. Be a doctor, not a waiter. And I've put in parenthesis there, you know, just sending your portfolio or samples is asking them to do the work which you really want to avoid. Remember, you're meant to be the solution for them. You're not meant to
be making more work for them. After that, you need to work out your price using the pro ratta range style. Now, what is the pro rata range style? In the past at copy that, we have actually just put up on our website um and which we'll we'll have in the companion guide as well, like rough guidelines for what we feel beginner copyriters should be charging. But as with everything, there are no hard and fast rules to this, okay? like there there is nothing that says you should or shouldn't be charging a certain amount. Ultimately, it's
down to you. So, this is how I price my services. First of all, you um work out how much you ideally would would like to earn. Now, don't kind of go like, "Oh, I want to earn 10 million a year." All right, that's not what I mean. I mean what would be comfortable for you? Like what is a a good amount where actually you'd be like, "Yeah, I'd be quite happy earning that." So, for example, something that means you can comfortably pay rent or you can start saving up for a deposit or you can treat
the people in life that you want to treat. Okay, work out what that is as a monthly figure. Okay, let's for argument sake on on this video, let's just say that's $6,000 a month. Okay, let's say that's really what you're aiming for and you'd be super happy if you're earning $6,000 a month. Then I want you to work out what the bare minimum is that you have to earn a month. Okay, what is going to make sure that you scrape by and you get by? You can live like okay on that. It's certainly not what
you want to be earning, but at the very least, it's something that you need to earn just to get by. Let's say that's $3,000 a month. Okay, that immediately gives you a monthly range that you have to be earning from all of your copywriting, right? And all of the work that you do, $3,000 to $6,000. That there is your range. What you do from there is you pro rata it. Okay. When you are planning what deliverables to offer to a client, you work out roughly how long it's going to take you. I appreciate this can
be a little bit difficult, but this is why we recommend practicing and writing spec pieces um and doing uh free or voluntary work where you can because it's going to help give you a sense of, you know, how long it takes for you to do these things. Work out roughly how long the offer that you're putting forward is going to take you in a month. Is it um a one-off project that's going to take you the whole month and it's going to be all your work? Is it probably going to take you 10 hours a
week? Let's say a 40hour week is a regular for you. Is it going to take you 10 hours a week to do? Is it going to take you half of your time? Just work out what that is and then prorater it. Okay. So, for the sake of this video, let's just say that it's gonna you think it's going to take you 50% of your working hours to complete the deliverables that you've said. That means you need to charge at least somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000 for that project. Okay? The bare minimum you have to earn
to the ideal amount that you want to earn. Right? That gives you a range. And that's 50% of what you've said you want to earn in a month because it's going to take half your hours. You simply half the amount that you want to earn in a month, right? That makes sense. That then is what you charge for that project. Where you put the exact marker is completely up to you. If you really want to go for that comfortable range, then you quote $3,000. That was what I used to do. I used to just quote
the highest amount and then it gives me space to negotiate down later on in the sales call. But of course, before the sales call, you need to be working this kind of stuff out. So, you say, "All right, I'm going to start at $3,000, but I know if the price is just too big an issue for them, I can go down in $500 increments to, you know, $1,500 if need be." That is, in my opinion, the only way that you should be pricing something, okay? You price per project or you price on a retainer fee
if you know it's going to be months and months of work. But the point is that you work it out based on what you need, not what anyone else has charged, okay? not what anyone else tells you you should charge, just based on what you need. Because ultimately, if copywriting can't provide for you what you need, why are you doing it in the first place? Okay, so that is how I went about setting my prices and it worked extremely well for me. I recommend you do the same. Next, you need to decide on your offer
type by using common sense. So, like I was just talking about, is it a one-off project versus a retainer? Okay? Like, how long is it going to take? Um, how much do you need to do? If of course they're they need Facebook ads constantly written, then that's going to be a retainer project because you could be doing that forever. If it's simply that um you think that a one email um welcome sequence would do them really well and that's all you want to offer. Of course, that would be a one-off project. Okay, ultimately only you
can decide, but just use common sense. And importantly, even if your offer isn't perfect for them, it gives you both a starting place. Okay, they may decide that the deliverables you've set out just aren't entirely what they're looking for or that your price isn't quite there for them, but it gives them something to go on. Just like our doctor analogy, okay? If a doctor tells you, right, you need to rest, you need to drink fluids, and you need to take this antibiotic. Now, you might be fine taking the antibiotic and like drinking plenty of fluids,
but you don't want to rest. Okay? But you know that he's given you something. Okay? that doctor has given you something there to go off. You can do a couple of them that you might be like, "Yeah, okay. I'll I'll do those. That's fine, but I'm not doing that last one." Right? It's a similar thing here. As long as you give them enough to go off, they can then start talking about, "Oh, actually, I didn't quite have that in mind." Or, um, no, actually, I think this might be a better idea. Or, no, I don't
want that thing, but I would like more of that. Okay? It gives you a starting place. Whereas, if you do the waiter approach and just give them a menu, they're like, well, I don't know anything. Next, the next principle statement that we need to try and achieve is that people don't hire people they don't like. Generally speaking, I say generally speaking because of course sometimes, you know, if someone's just so brilliant at something, then yeah, okay, maybe you'd hire them even if you don't like them. But as a beginner, likelihood is that people aren't going
to take a chance on you if they don't also like you. You should probably make sure you're relatively likable. How do you do that? Well, one, show a genuine interest in their mission and what they're proud of. Use real talk, also known as small talk, but meaningful, which we'll talk more about later, okay? But use real talk to actually connect with them. Look at their recent social media posts or the businesses social media posts and ask about clear passions they have. For example, opinions on the industry, but actually talking to them like a normal human
being about things they're interested in is a really easy way to get someone to like you. Just asking questions about what they think. Really, really easy. And then just keep the cool conversational. Now, I know conversational is a term that gets bounded around a lot in the copyrightiting industry, but when it comes to sales calls, remember it's a conversation, okay? Like, you're not just necessarily there to present something to them. And you need to show that you care beyond just the gig itself or beyond just this this pitch that you've done. Praise their business, their
mission, or their efforts so far, and all the things they've built. Okay? Ask what their longer term vision is for the business. And as a bonus, like just be presentable. Like, wear nice clothes on a sales call. Make sure your background isn't messy. And lastly, people only hire based on expertise, cost effectiveness, speed, or ease. So, how do we achieve that? And how do we we live up to that principle? So, you need to show why the prospect can't fix the problem themselves or they can't gain the same results or they can't afford to spend
time or stress to do it themselves. So, how do we go about that? Well, you need to be specific in your solutions. Okay? the more specific you are, the more things you spell out for them and say, "Well, um, I want to use uh this software, for example, to help generate these Facebook ads." Or as a copywriter, it may be, I want to conduct, um, indirect voice of customer research into people who have already bought from you because I think there's some gold laying there just in your reviews alone. Being specific and laying out what
you're actually going to do, some people feel reluctant to do that because they they go, "Oh, but what if they what if they steal my ideas and do it themselves?" Well, the point is the more specific you are on your solutions, the less likely they're going to want to do it themselves because there's different steps to it and there's things they hadn't even considered and you're showing the knowledge that you have about all of this. So, all of a sudden it seems like, wow, if we have to do this ourselves, I have to explain to
my team all of these things that they've just explained or I have to go and do all these things. I don't want to do that, man. Yeah, okay, you do it because you've already got a clear plan in place. So, being specific is a great way to show that, you know, they can't just fix it themselves. refer to proof points, you know, with real results or references to other businesses if you haven't got real results for yourself yet. Just show that other businesses are doing what you're suggesting, businesses they'd ideally look up to. And I
just go, you know, this is what these guys do and they're raking it in or like, you know, they and they've recently, you know, just appeared on like in the media for all this and they they've said how their their most recent like um quarter was the best ever they've had and I don't think it's a coincidence they introduced these email sequences last year. Okay, things like that. If you haven't got real results yet that you can share from other projects you've done or from voluntary positions you've had, then just referencing other businesses is a
decent way to show that um this stuff is real. Assure them that you can manage everything yourself. That's a big thing. Make sure that all the stuff that you're talking about and the off the offer you're laying out for them is clearly achievable by you yourself. Highlight that you can start immediately, assuming you can, of course, because so often when you present this to the prospect, they're going to feel like, "Oh my god, yeah, right. I want this. I want this. I want this." if you during your offer tell them um and and like something
I used to do um I used to always be like oh and um I have a I have a slot free which wasn't a lie because I did have a slot free but made it sound a bit like oh yeahve I can do this right now like I've only got one thing left um I would never actually lie or say something like that but I would often kind of use language like oh and and I do have a slot free so I can start from next week if it's something you're interested in and also remind
them why they took the call with you in the first place you don't need to do everything from the ground up like they already somewhat trust you because you must have given them a good pitch or showed them that you understood copywriting in some way. So, you're already ahead than most other people. So, remind them of that. Okay? And the reason that they're on a call with you in the first place is because you go the extra mile. Remember, and I'm sure you're sick of hearing this from the copy that crew throughout this course, there
are principles, strategies, and tactics in everything. In the following slides, I'll give you my personal favorite strategy and tactics for sales calls. Okay? Like we're going to discuss that. But first, let's acknowledge that outside of the principles we've already discussed, there is no best approach. Only preferences. As always, the reason we've hit on the principles is because as long as you have them in the back at the back of your mind and you're trying to fulfill them, you are probably going to do pretty well. In fact, here are a few other sales call strategies that
you might hear about. So, there's the two-step sales call. Okay. A couple of friends of copy that are really into this and and help teach this to other people. The two-step sales call effectively splits the process into a discovery call and an offer call. So the first call you have with them is all about getting information. And then you use the gap between that call and the next call, usually between one to seven days, depends on who you talk to, to create a tailored plan using the information that you gathered on the discovery call. And
you typically you'll do that in a funnel flow or a report format. Okay? So using a specific software where you can show like, okay, well this is the kind of funnel we're going to build. This is where the copy's going to go into it. Some people really like the two-step sales call because it gives off the feeling and the idea that you have already pitched them successfully, but then you wanted to go the even further and you wanted to get the information um about their business on the the sales call to begin with before you
put together any kind of plan for them. So, it feels a lot more tailored and a lot more custom. So, the idea is that because it's more tailored, they'll feel like you've put even more time into doing this. It's going to be even better and it's more for them. Therefore, they're going to be more likely to close with you. Now, I never did the two-step sales call personally. Um, I don't find it as effective as a method I'm going to talk about in a little bit, but if it works for you or if you want
to try it, totally something you can do. There are certainly some people I know who who always go that route. Uh you can also do a full presentation or a report. This is effectively where you create a full slideshow presentation or a report usually in kind of like a PDF in preparation for the call that goes into a lot of detail about what you're going to do. We spoke about being specific in your solutions. This is like the ultimate version of that. Pretty much laying out exactly what you're going to do in writing in loads
of um specific references all laid out in a report or in a presentation that you go through with them. You run through each slide and page with the prospect to show your logic in your plan. something that I know a couple of people do. Uh it really really shows, oh my god, how much time and effort have you put into this before we even got on the call. So that can be a big like, wow, that's fantastic. Look how much research they're prepared to put into it. And just being able to give them a finished
report or a finished presentation immediately is a pretty cool thing to be able to do. And then lastly, what I call the inbound agenda. We've talked a lot in this course about cold outreach. We've also referenced warm outreach and people either putting up um jobs and you applying to them or there being um Upwork uh or other job board um gigs that you can apply to or of course someone being referred to you and wanting to talk to you. Okay, so that's the difference that we mean when we say cold and warm. Um the inbound
agenda is more for warm prospects. Okay, so it's for warm prospects who have reached out to you or they've accepted a proposal on a job board from you. So they already want to hear from you with that. And if that's the case, a strategy I often see is simply asking them directly what their expectations and their current plan are. So in that sense, you can almost be a little bit more like a waiter like we spoke about earlier because they already have kind of an idea of what they want and what they want to go
for because they've got a gig up. So you can basically ask them, okay, what's your plan right now? Or like if you weren't hiring a copywriter, do you have any idea of what you would do? Um or are there any expectations you have for what you think a copywriter might do? And then they explain it to you. And then on the call, you tell them why their current thinking is is not quite right or why it's incomplete, and then you introduce your solution as a replacement. So, it's almost a case of ask them what they
do, explain why it hasn't quite worked in your experience or why it's not something they should be pursuing, and then come in and swoop in with a clear solution. It kind of helps dislodge what they're thinking was and introduce them to a new path forward so it feels like they've gained even more knowledge from the call. Typically, that works best with inbound because they're already likely to have an idea of what they want. But you can certainly pull slight ideas from that for outbound as well. But there's just a few other strategies that you can
look at. Okay, none of these are wrong. No sales strategy is wrong as such. They're all like they all have their own merits that you can pull from. You can combine any of these. You can do hybrid models, whatever works for you, of course. But look, there are also a ton of other strategies and tactics that you know could do just as well. You just need to find what works well for you, right? That's the important thing. With that being said, let's actually move on to the one that I would really recommend. Okay, my favorite
structure of a sales call. Let's call it the showand tell structure. Okay, it kind of entails involving your prospect within the process quite a lot and specifically showing them and taking them through what you're talking about. Not just things that you created, but real things that exist. So, what do I mean by that? Well, these are the 10 steps of it. And again, not saying this is the perfect way to do it, but this is my approach and this is the sales call structure that I have used time and time again to close clients and
land jobs. Okay, it's this exactly one. Start with real talk, which we mentioned earlier, which I'll come to give you some examples of in a minute. Right? Start with real talk. Show them you're a real person. Set the agenda of your call to avert boredom. We'll go through all this in detail, so don't worry. Ask a few confirmation questions about their business. State your aim and take aim at one to three problems that you can fix. Walk them through your vision and your logic. Share your screen while you do this. Share results or proof or
previous projects or spec pieces that prove what you've been talking about or to show that you are an authority in all this. Lay out your offer, which is a proposal slide without the price. Ask if they're happy and introduce your price verbally by speaking it. Use the meta close which I'll come to explain and then be ready to kill any objections. Okay, so first step, start with real talk. What do we mean by that? Here are examples of real talk. How was your weekend? Did you get up to much? I saw the news about industry
thing. How do you feel about it? Your post the other day mentioned you spot Watford. I bet you were happy at the weekend. Ah, cool. Is that topic related to thing in the background? like in their backdrop. I actually thought of you guys yesterday because relevant thing happened. Anything interesting planned for the rest of the week. Anything other than a solitary, hi, how are you doing? How are you today? How's it going? Okay, that's what real talk is. All right, these are all things that like they're a bit more than small talk. It's not like,
oh man, God, this weather's crazy, isn't it? It's not just like, oh, um, man, how you feeling? Uh, oh man, God, it's days are getting shorter, aren't they? Wow. Okay, it's not that. you're actually inviting discussion, inviting questions, or better yet being relevant either to their industry or something you already know about them. Okay? Start calls like that. Okay? Just start with a normal conversation because if you don't, then you come across as a bit of an [ __ ] who just wants to talk about business. And it's quite nice for people to understand that
you're not an [ __ ] and that you are a real person and you are interested in them beyond just the gig like we spoke about earlier. So again, as we're going through these, just remember about how each of these will help you fulfill those principles we spoke about earlier on. Two, set the agenda for your call to avert boredom. As well as being a copywriter and a marketer and a business owner, I've also led sales teams. At one point, I was leading a sales team of seven people, okay? And I watched so many sales
calls. All right? They weren't copywriters trying to get clients, but they were trying to sell something to cold prospects. And something I saw time and time again on the sales calls that um I I just I just couldn't understand was that the sales people would just start and launch into the rest of the call and like they they would just talk about the product they were trying to sell. So what that led to often and these sometimes these sales calls sometimes lasted 45 minutes or an hour. What that led to and I could see it
during the calls because the calls would be recorded. I would just see I'd see this from the prospect. Okay. I just I'd just see because they had no idea where the call was going because the saleserson was just talking to them like on the other end of the call. So when I took over the sales team and I started like looking at these calls, I was just like, "Okay guys, there's this bunch of stuff we need to improve." But one of the things is we need to set an agenda to avert boredom because as it
stands, they just think you're talking about something and they don't even know if it's going to be worth their while to keep listening because you haven't actually told them what's coming next. So, they're sitting there going, "Man, when's this call going to be over?" You need to give someone a good sense of what you're actually going to talk through. Okay? So, this is what you do. You can start just saying, "So, here's what I'll cover in this call. First, I'll ask you a couple questions just to make sure we're on the same page. Then, I'll
show you what I think will work really well for you guys. And finally, we'll chat about what a good relationship looks like for the both of us." Right? So, nice easy call, three parts. Have you got any questions about how it's going to go? And then they'll probably like, "No, perfect." So then they understand where they are in the sales call and what's coming next. So setting an agenda at the start to say what kind of things you're going to go through really really useful. You don't even need to be too specific. Just let them
know how many parts of the call there are going to be. Okay? How many things you want to talk about. Similarly, let them interrupt with questions throughout the call. Keep it conversational. Like we said, agree with them when they give opinions or when they talk about something. Make sure you nod. Even if you don't necessarily agree or you want to work it around to your way of thinking, always affirm what they've said and think, "Yeah, I that's that's a great way of thinking about it." And another thing to add on is this. Instead of contradicting
them, instead of saying like, "But," and challenging them loads and saying they're wrong, make them feel good, agree with them, make them feel smart, make them feel smart for bringing up a point, even if you're going to move around and kind of contradict it. Okay? those things. As long as you allow them to do that and you've set an agenda, they're then not going to feel bored during the call and they're going to be engaged with you and what you have to say. Next, ask a few confirmation questions about their business. What are confirmation questions?
Well, there are three that I use and you don't have to ask these exact with these exact words, of course, like as long as you get the kind of vibe that they're going for. Now, I've already assessed what I think will make you more money, but I want to make sure I give you as much value as possible. So before we even start, are there any areas you'd really like to discuss throughout our call? Right? Something like that. Just giving them a chance to, you know, reassuring them that you're going to be giving them a
ton of value and that you're going to be helping them do the thing they really want, but giving them that chance to say like, oh, is, you know, actually I did want to talk about like email marketing specifically or like, oh yeah, I did want to talk about that. Most of the time they go like, no, no, I just want to hear what you have to say. That's what they'll say most of the time, but really helps open up the conversation so you can take notes on things you need to mention. Just out of curiosity,
was there anything in particular that made you think a call with me would be a good idea? Basically, just asking, "Why did you get on the call with me? Why did you accept my pitch? What did you like about what I'd said in the past?" This does two things. One, it gives them a reminder in their own head of of why they're talking to you in the first place. Okay? So, super useful because they then have a really good opinion of you going forward. They just remind like, "Oh, yeah, it was a really good pitch.
Oh, yeah. I was thinking about like that thing." So, one, that's good for them. And two, it allows um you to understand what it is that they think most positively about. So you can then use that throughout the call to focus on other well they really liked what I talked about emails or they really liked the fact that I laid it out for them in a specific way. They really like the fact that I was referencing real examples. So I'm going to make sure I do more of that in this sales call. Okay, really good
thing to ask at the start. Finally, just so I know what success looks like for you. What are you hoping your business looks like in six months? And it's fine if you just say higher revenue. Okay, I I would always include that at the end because often people can get a bit like overwhelmed by that question. They're like, "Oh my god, I don't really know." But some people will have a very specific idea of go like, "Well, I just want to make sure that we hit this threshold or I don't want to have to worry
about email marketing ever again or I really want my team to just have a process for creating Facebook ads." Okay, might be any of those things. This helps tease out the biggest thing on their mind, the biggest problem they have, which again you can make sure you mention throughout the sales call. Even if you haven't planned talking about it, refer back to these answers throughout the call. Okay? So ask at least one, but if not all of those confirmation questions in a very natural way, just so as I said, so it makes it feel like
you're on the same page. Okay? And that they feel like there's um there's a good rapport there. Next, you need to state your aim. Okay? Take aim at one to three problems you can fix. Now, these will be the things that you have already established prior to the call that we spoke about earlier. Understanding what deliverables you're actually going to offer to them, what you're going to talk about. You need to make sure you lay out the problems you identified in one go. So, remember in the agenda, you know, you said like, oh, I'm going
to go through the things to that I think are going to make you the most money or whatever. When you get to that section, after you've asked those first few questions, I would then just say, okay, so there there are a few things I've identified. Sometimes I might put this on like a little slideshow. Sometimes I just say it. it. I don't don't think it really matters either way, but I would just say the three areas I really want to talk about are how you can make more money with your emails based on what I've
seen and what I've had through to my inbox in the last couple of weeks, how your product page could be converting even more. So hopefully we can push up how many people are actually buying one when they're there. And lastly, how I think you could be increasing the number of um items that people buy on every single order. So those are the things I want to talk about. So, it's like you're setting almost like a mini agenda again. So, you're just like setting those three things before you go into talking about them for a couple
reasons. One, it opens loops. And we've already discussed several times in this course why opening loops is a good thing. It keeps them engaged. It keeps them wanting to actually get to that next point. Just referencing those three things you're going to talk about, there might be one like the second or third, they might be like, "Oh man, yeah, that sounds really interesting. Therefore, I'm going to stay engaged and listen to everything they have to say." And then, of course, you're going to go through those one by one. So after you've stated what the three
are, then you say, "Right, so let's start with emails." Which leads us on to the fifth point. Walk them through your vision and your logic. Make sure you share your screen. So before the call, make sure you have all the tabs and material up that you're going to reference. Okay? Share your screen and go through each of the problems or solutions and solutions one by one. And this is the important bit. showing their real assets make the call way, way, way more engaging. Okay, now I know I keep using that word engaging, but it's so
super important that you keep people responsive and interested in what you're having to say through a sales call. So, showing the real assets. What do I mean by that? I mean, if you're talking about their emails, if you're talking about their product pages, share your screen and show a live real version of their product page, of their emails. Have them up in tabs ready to go. They cannot argue with what you're showing them in front of them. if it's live. Okay. Plus, it forces them to kind of confront the problems that they might be seeing
with it. And you want to use this structure, okay? Show the problem and explain why it's a bottleneck, the thing that you've identified or the emails or the product page or whatever. Tell them what fixing it means in real terms. So, they'd get a higher conversion rate, they'd get more leads, they get a higher average order value or whatever. Then you show them the solution by sharing either a spec piece that you've written for them um or that you know, one you've you've written for someone else. the industry um or an aspirational swipe failing those
if you don't have those um just another logical image. So you can even just like create um a diagram of a funnel and just explain the logic of oh well if you see like more percentages of a higher percentage of people will go to this page if we build the funnel like this and then you explain why it works. Okay, explain the logic so they understand. Reassure them that you can build the solution that you've just revealed and then ask if they understand why this would help and invite them to ask questions. really important just
to say, "Can you see why that might help what you guys are trying to achieve?" Because it's just going to get them to say, "Oh, yeah, I can." And again, they're agreeing and they're buying themselves into the service you're talking about more. So, really good way of doing that. And then you just repeat those steps for all the problems you've identified. Remember, you set that mini agenda of we're going to talk about this problem, this problem, this problem. Now, you go through them one at a time. Number six, share results or proof or previous projects
or spec pieces. If possible, show them results that you have personally achieved in previous projects, whether they've been paid projects or they've been voluntary projects or they've been family projects. If you do have something like that, show it just to add that sprinkle of proof. Even better if you can show it while you're sharing the other things. Um, if they're especially if they're related. If not, if you don't if you just don't have any results yet or any direct experience in that, then swipes and or spec pieces that you've already showed during your screen share
will suffice. The point is here, you just want to be proving that what you're telling and what you're showing can happen and it is real. Next, you need to lay out your offer. Okay? So, for this, I put together a proposal slide without the price on it. Okay? And that's super important. What I would say is I say based on all this, I think the best thing to do would be focus on these X areas, okay? These three areas I've just spoke about. And then I would share a prepared slide and I would talk through
a prepared slide that details the deliverables that you can build to address each problem. Okay? And that's like we spoke about earlier, you will have um because of your own copyrightiting knowledge, you will have identified what um deliverables you can build for them. This is where you actually just want to run through what they are. Make sure you state the expected time frame of that as well and any other requirements you might have and state the expected client relationship. Is it going to be retainer? Is it going to be a one-off project? What do you
suggest? Again, remember this is all about acting like the doctor. Okay? Saying what you think would be best for them instead of just leaving it up to them. It's so crucial you have this slide. This is the most important thing for you to have. Okay? And do not show price on this slide. Okay? Super important, which I'll get to in a second. I'm gonna share um a real example of this in the companion guide. You can get by clicking the link in the description. Okay. After you've done that, after you've showed the proposal slide, which
of course lays out your offer and you haven't mentioned price, this is where you need to ask if they're happy and introduce them to your price verbally. Okay. Why do we do this? Well, we do this because the next thing that you want to do is immediately after taking them through that offer, ask them if they think it sounds like a good plan. Okay? Make sure you ask them that before you talk about price or anything. Just explain what you want to do for them, show them the deliverables you want to build and say, "Does
that sound like a good plan for your business?" Now, hopefully they'll say, "Yes, yes, it does." If they say, "No, it doesn't." Fair enough. Might not be the right uh the right client for you. Um but they should say like, "Yes." Or maybe they'll give like, "Oh yeah, it sounds good. I just have one concern." They might ask a couple more questions, of course, but wait for their response because they'll either say hopefully yes. Or they'll bring up the price there themselves. They'll say, "Yeah, that sounds really good. How much is it?" The reason we
don't want to state it ourselves immediately in their offer slide is because we don't want their eyes to go straight to the price because that's all they will be focused on. The minute you show a dollar sign or a pound sign or a yen sign or anything else, that is where the eyes go. And they won't be looking at any of the cool stuff you've just read out to them. They'll just be looking at that £15,000. Hm. £15,000. £15,000. £15,000. That's all they'll be thinking. And you don't want that. You want them, first of all,
to look at all that and go, "God damn, yeah, I want all that. Yeah, that looks good. I'd really love we had that in our business." Because if they've thought that, then they will be far more likely to accept the price that you're going to state for it. Okay? Regardless, like your next step, even if they don't ask you, after they've said, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." Your next step is to state your price confidently. And then you ask them, "If that feels fair to you, would you like to move ahead?" And then
shut up. Just do not say anything. That's the important bit. This is almost a cliche of sales, but it works really, really well. It kind of lets this awkward silence linger if they're not prepared to say yes just yet. And so often that in itself will make them be like, "Yeah, okay. Yeah, let's do it." Now, I'm not saying you want to push someone to be sold because of an awkward silence, of course. But those little tiny tactics will have some bearing on how they go forward. Of course, the thing they should be excited about
and they should be sold on is the value that you've brought to them, which is everything else you've been talking about. However, I certainly have found that it helps just to not say anything after you've said your price and ask them if that feels fair. Let them speak. Okay? But if they don't or if they say, "I'm not sure," then we can address that in the next point. Using the meta close, okay? Now, this is a term. Now, I don't know if this is a term elsewhere. This is a term I have coined because I
love this type of closing. First of all, they may well accept without needing a hard close anyway. They might as soon as you've stated your price instead of it feels fair, they might go, "Yep, let's do it. Fantastic. Well done. you just landed a client. So fantastic. Congrats. But if they don't, I like to use the meta close. This is kind of how it goes. Look, ultimately I want to work with you because I like thing about your business. So if we can work something out, I'd love to do just that. I'm not going to
pull the hard sell on you because I'm just not like that. So what do you think isn't working for you about the plan as it stands? Why do I call this the metal close? It's because you're almost removing yourself from any kind of sales tactics. You're basically just saying, "Okay, fine. I know you've said that it's too much for you, but I really want to work with you because I I actually like you and that's why I've spent so much time putting this together and and researching you. The reason I reached out is because I
actually enjoy the business, but I'm not an in-person salesperson, right? So, I'm not going to sit here and just give you a load of [ __ ] about like, oh, but think about this and think about that." Ultimately, I want to make sure we're both happy. So, if you just tell me what isn't quite working at the moment or if you what you feel might be too expensive for you, it'd be great to hear cuz I would love to work out something that means I can work with you. I ended up use not just using
that in every single um sales call that I did. I taught the sales teams that I led to do that exact same thing and close rates went up because all of a sudden they're not getting, you know, jerked around and, you know, made to feel like, oh god, I I just want to get off this call now because they're just trying to sell to me. Instead, it's a refreshing like, look, you know, you know, this is my job. You know, you know, I have to try and get clients. You know, I've got to try and
sell to you, but I want to make sure you're happy about it because I want a good relationship here. So, so what isn't working? And so often that just disarms them. And then it makes them go, "Well, to be honest, I would like to pay it, but like I just we just don't have the funds right now." And and that's when you can start to talk about things like, "Okay, well, we can work out a payment plan." Or like, "Okay, well, what what other things are you funding right now that you feel like, you know,
are more useful than me?" Works super well. So, I really like that. Of course, you don't need to use that. You can do the kind of traditional sales closes if you want, but I like it a lot. And from there, you just let them tell you their problems. Now, sometimes you might get people who are just like, "Nope, nope, can't do it. Don't want to do this. Nope. Doesn't work for me." Fair enough. But more often than not, they will start to list out their problems. And that is when you move on to the last
and final point of the showand tell structure. And finally, just as we talk about in copyrightiting so often, you need to be ready to kill any objections. You got to be ready to overcome any specific objections that the prospect might have. Now, there are potentially an infinite number of objections they might have about something you said or about the way you pitched or about a example that you made. And of course, I can't be here to tell you exactly what to do in every scenario. Unfortunately, you have to work that out for yourself because you
know what you're pitching. Just use good copyrightiting methodology to make sure that you are preempting that and that you know what to say if someone does bring anything like that up. But there are certainly a few universal objections that I've heard over my time. So number one is it's too expensive. That's probably the one that gets banded around the most. Here's what I like to say in response to that. Are you concerned that you won't make your money back on on this investment or is it something else? And often times they might it puts them
in a position to go like ah they don't want to say no because it's like then it makes it feel like they don't trust you and your expertise. So if they kind of go like no no it's not that. And if it's a case of they said oh well they're not concerned about ROI and they think you will do a good job. Then of course like you can start to move into other reasons. So you're really just trying to eliminate any objection they might have. Um but they might say yeah I'm not fully convinced that
it's going to get money back. So then you can expand and say oh why not? and they might say, "Well, I just haven't seen this work before or you haven't provided enough proof or I don't understand how emails would drive traffic." So then, you know, right, well, I need to talk more about that. So, you have the objection. This part is just identifying what what objection they really have. It's super important. And then, of course, if um they kind of say like, "No, no, no. I'm not concerned about not making my money back." You can
hit them with, "Are you invested in anything now that you can't track direct ROI on?" Just trying to eek out if there was something else they were spending money on which they could effectively free up. Asking questions like that leaves them no place to hide when it comes to, oh, this is too expensive. It can be awkward to ask those things, but this is where you need to train yourself on this. If you want to be a good salesperson, you want to close more clients, train yourself to be okay with a little bit of awkwardness.
Train yourself to be okay asking these questions, which might be a little bit like, oh wow, that's a that's actually cutting right to the heart of the issue. Another one you can do is what would you be prepared to invest to get everything built as I've described it? Because of course, sometimes it's not they don't want to pay you at all, it's just you've quoted too high. And that's when it comes back to, of course, our pro rata range that we spoke about earlier. We've got the ideal, we have the minimum, but you know, there's
a range you can negotiate in there. So, you know, you can go down to $5,000 if you really need to, for example. Because remember, at this point, you've stated a price and you've laid out a plan and they've said no. So, now the ball is very much in their court. You are well within your rights to say, "Well, what would you be prepared to invest?" I don't agree with copyriters who don't state their price immediately. Like I I know it's easier to do that and I used to do it in my first calls so I
understand because it's much easier to go ah um what would you be willing to pay for all this or like oh what's your rate for this project because it's easier because you're putting the ball in their court straight away but believe me if you do that they will immediately throw it back at you and say what would you charge or they will lowball you or they will just feel awkward and feel like you don't really know what you're worth and what all of this should be charged at. So this way you have already stated your
price but now you can rightfully put it into their court and say okay well you've said this isn't okay so what would you be willing to invest then if it comes within your range of course you can accept or you can negotiate. Another common objection that I get is um oh I I want to look around first. I want to look elsewhere. I don't want to sign up to the first the first thing that comes up. To be fair, that hasn't come up too often for me personally. But a way that I kind of came
up with to to to get sales teams to overcome that is just asking the question, are you worried about working with someone who approached you first? And quite often they'll say, no, no, I'm not worried about working with you. I just want to see what the market's like. And to that, I will often say, okay, fair enough. There's, you know, nothing wrong with that. But something I would say is that the fact that I have approached you and done all the research and put all this in front of you hopefully shows that out of everyone
that you could potentially work with, I'm the person that's willing to put in the extra work to actually get in front of you and make this a reality. If there's any other questions that you have to understand why I would or would not be a good fit, please feel free to ask now because again, you're giving them a reason why actually, well, yeah, the fact that you're sat there and then no one else is sat there is quite telling. So yeah, they can go and look around if they want, but ultimately they're not going to
get that same commitment and potentially expertise as the person who's approached them directly. Often they'll say they need to talk to their business partner first. Really common one. Just say, "What do you think their concerns might be?" And they will basically give you objections that are really their objections because oftentimes they don't need to speak to their business partner. Okay? It's just their way of getting off the call and not coming back like, "Oh, uh well I I'm, you know, they deal with the money or the cash flow." That's when you can bring back to
all these other objections that we're talking about. Okay? then you can bring back to it's too expensive or they want to look elsewhere or they need to think about it or all these you know or other things right so it's just another way to dig out the objection from them and I haven't put this down because you don't need to ask this but if if they're really kind of hung up on the partner thing you can say would it be helpful if I spoke to them on a call as well okay because it almost certainly
would be but they might feel awkward about saying no yeah they might turn around and say oh no I'll talk to them but occasionally they may say yeah okay let's go on a call with them so you're kind of giving them nowhere to hide if they say I need to think about about it, then really what they're saying is you just you haven't convinced me fully yet. So your job is to find their real objection. Here are a few ways you can do that to eek out if it's one of the things we've already talked
about. You can say something like, "If it were free, would you accept?" Like, "If I was offering this for free, would you be happy to work with me?" So often that forces them to say like, "Oh yeah, yeah, of course I would." So then you know it's an issue of price. Is there anyone else who needs to make the decision with you? That's a way to figure out if there is because they need to go and speak to someone and they're not saying it. Is there anything obvious stopping you from making the decision now? Like
just ask that. You know, if all else fails and they keep saying, "No, no, no. What should you think about anything?" Just ask that and see what they say. See where they take it. They may well bring up something that you didn't think of. Of course, they may still not bring anything up and it may just be a case of, "Well, they're not the most receptive, but at least you've tried pretty much everything." So if they still say no after all of that and all that objection digging, a really really nice way to go about
it is effectively to apologize for not meeting their expectations and ask what you could have done better to convince them. So actually take the take the thing like oh I'm sorry to have like spent your time on this you know when you weren't sure about taking it. Can I just ask um is there anything in particular that I have done or anything in particular I've brought up that you just haven't found has persuaded you or doesn't quite convince you of the value. really really nice way of seeing again digging if there are objections but also
of making them kind of reassess and go oh well actually it was pretty good. Um but if nothing else it gives you a clear path to walk down to improve for the next sales call. Okay, so it can be quite useful. Delay the decision yourself. Okay, that's if they've just said no to everything. They said they need to think about it or whatever. Then just say, "Okay, I respect you might need time to think this through. So how about we don't make any decision just yet?" So almost take the ball by the horns and kind
of be like almost accept defeat but just do it in on your terms. Say, "Okay, well like you know I I don't want to pressure you to make a decision." Almost using that meta clothes you spoke about earlier saying, "Well, I don't want to press you cuz I'm not like that. So let's not make any decisions right now." Fair enough. If you get to that point, it's not a bad thing to say. And lastly, the most important thing, if they've just kept saying no, secure the next call. Yeah, you might not have got them this
time, but it may well be the next time that you can close them because there is still a chance that they might come back and say okay. So securing that next call makes it more likely. Simply asking, "Are you free for a quick chat to confirm me the way next Tuesday?" But most importantly, you need to find the approach that suits you. Okay, that was my strategy. That was my preferred strategy for winning clients and for closing gigs. Okay, and it's worked for me so many times and I love it and I stand by it
and I recommend it to any new copywriter who wants to land clients, okay? Or who has any kind of sales call coming up. But of course, you can take bits from that that you enjoyed. You can take things that you feel like you really really jelled with, and you can remove bits you just didn't like or didn't feel is quite you. You can combine it with the other strategies that we looked at. You can go and find other strategies on your own. You can do research online. You can just test in the wild and see
what feels best for you. Do whatever it takes to get an approach that you feel comfortable with and that seems to work. But the most important thing is that you actually do this and you try. Okay? Just like we've said with everything else with writing copy, with practicing, with pitching, and now with sales calls, just make sure you have a plan as you go into this and make sure you attempt something that can make a difference and can up the number of clients that you close. So, as long as you're doing all of that and
you're being active about what you like best, you can't go far wrong and you will become better at closing clients and earning more money. So, that is Copyat's take on how to successfully conduct sales calls. By the way, just quickly, I know that we've only just discussed how to negotiate pricing and how to decide what your charges should be as a copywriter, but it's super super important. So, we're going to discuss it one more time just to be extremely clear on what our suggestion is for how to price your services. So, just quickly, let's recap.
Time to discuss the elephant in the room. How much should you charge for the work you do? Look, different copyriters charge different amounts. Duh. And if you want the only genuine answer, you should charge based on how much money you want to earn. We do provide you with a list of average ranges for what copyriters charge for different deliverables in the companion guide. So, if you really want our biased take on what you should consider charging for sales pages, emails, or anything else, then be sure to download the companion guide in the description below. But
just like everything else in this course, if you want the principle for how to set your own rate, then here's our method for working it out. Wherever you can, we recommend you charge per project rather than per hour. This usually allows you to earn more money and stops any arguments about how much the client owes you after you're done. When you're discussing a copywriting project with a potential client, you first of all need to estimate how long it will take you to complete and how much of your time it will take up. It can be
difficult to guess exactly how long this will be when you're starting out, which is why it's important to set clear parameters with your client for what you will and for what you won't do. Then, if you know the project will take up, say, half of your working hours for a whole month, you work out what you will charge based on that. Work out how much you absolutely need to earn to survive. Perhaps that's $3,000 per month. Then decide what you'd ideally like to earn. Maybe that's $6,000 per month. The range between these two numbers is
your negotiation area. If you need to earn at least $3,000 per month and you estimate the project will take up about half of your time, then you need to charge at least $1,500 for it. And by using the same logic, you know that you'd ideally like to charge up to $3,000 for it. $1,500 to $3,000 would be your target range for this project. If you want to play it conservatively and increase your odds of landing the client, you can quote on the lower end of that scale. or if you really want to charge what you
think you're worth, then you can start by quoting at the top end. You can always negotiate down if you want to. But at the end of the day, if you really want reassurance on what we have seen other copyrighters charge, then you can check the list in the companion guide. Okay, just quick, sorry to interrupt again, but before we get to the end of this course, we need to make something super clear. Now, you may want to be a copywriter because you love writing and you you are just enthralled with the idea of being a
writer for a living and you get a high out of it and it's super fun and that's fine. Okay, this message is not for you. But if you're in copywriting because you've heard it's a good way to make a lot of money, then we need to have a very serious chat. Look, we've been hinting at this and outright saying it a few times throughout this course that a lot of people try and put copywriting on a pedestal and say that it's the best way to riches and it's the best way to get money quick in
2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2030. Okay, people are always going to say it's a good way to get rich. And we have a problem with people saying that because it's not necessarily a good way to get rich. Okay, it's a fantastic career and it can open doors to big financial gains and it can open doors to freedom and to fulfilling work. But to say that anyone who get goes into it is going to get rich is is just wrong. Okay? Which is why we don't say that. So if you are here for that, let me give
you a few truths. There are really only three ways to make a lot of money through copywriting. The first is that you juggle loads of clients, okay, as a freelancer. So you can yep have as many contracts going as you want, as many gigs as you can handle, and you're just working constantly. And if each one pays a couple of grand, great. You can be earning six figures plus per year. The problem with that, as we've discussed previously, is that, you know, some people can't deal with that. Sometimes it's 80, 90 hours of work a
week, and it just becomes like, well, what's the point in earning so much money if you got to work all the time? And I know people like that, and I've been there before. juggling loads of clients isn't always the most fun way to get rich, but that is one way that you can feasibly do it. You just need to be prepared to put a lot more effort in. The second way that you could get rich with copywriting is working with people or with companies where copy makes a huge financial impact and the companies respect that.
Typically, these are more traditional copywriting companies around the direct response space where they're selling things in financial or health or otherformational products. Not just those, of course, there are others, too. But the point is, they understand the value of copy. And whenever they send out a new sales letter or um a new package of loads of different kinds of copy, they know it could potentially be bringing in millions of dollars. If you're working with those kinds of businesses and you get really really good and you become one of the top copywriters there, yes, it's possible
through a base salary and through commissions and royalties to earn a lot of money. We've seen people do it, but is it is extremely extremely rare. Okay, it is not very common. Most people will crash out before they ever get to that stage. And the truth is, if you don't get to the top five to 1% of people within those kind of companies, you're probably just going to be earning a pretty average salary. So don't count on that as a way to suddenly get very very rich. All right? Finding companies who respect copy and where
copy alone can make such a big impact where there's a welloiled machine around it, it's not common. And even though it's possible, uh, it takes a lot of work to get there and no one can guarantee that. All right, so that's the second way you could potentially get rich as a copywriter. Again, not easy. And the third way that you could get rich through copywriting is going beyond just copywriting. And I'll explain what I mean by that in just a moment, but I just want to double down here. And the whole crew wants to double
down on this. There is no certain path to riches as we've already discussed throughout this course. But we do have our own opinion on if you are just here for money and you really want to get as much cash you possibly can on what to do. We do have our own thoughts on the best way to do that. And it's actually the path that I have taken and the thing that's worked for me. So I'm not going to leave you hanging high and dry. I'm going to tell you what that is. Firstly, the piece of
advice I want to give you is do what you enjoy and work hard at it. Okay? If you do those things, the money will come. All right? In some form, the money will come. I'm not going to say you're going to get absolutely rich, but if you're working hard at something, you're in a sensible area, and you're enjoying it, fantastic. You are wealthy because you are happy and you're doing what means something to you. But if you really want my take on the simplest way to earn just a lot of money, then here it is.
I suggest picking up skills like marketing strategy and the ability to help businesses make decisions on everything that's going to earn them more money. Okay, that's not just copywriting. That's things like full-blown marketing strategy, telling them where to put different pieces of funnels so you're getting more people in, how to drive traffic into those funnels, how to up conversion rates on each stage of a marketing plan. There are so many things that sit around it. We can't possibly get into it all right now, but that is the way that I earned a lot of money.
I started as a copywriter and of course I did fairly well. But it was only when I started picking up those skills beyond just copywriting that I started becoming completely indispensable for business. I I was like the the person they would go to to get more money because they knew I would always have ideas and plans on how to get them richer. All right. So, if you want the key to riches for all of this, not that there ever is one because at the end of the day, it comes down to you and your ability
to work hard and stay focused on anything, but if you want our opinion, or certainly my opinion, it is that going beyond just copywriting is probably the most reliable way to earn a lot of money in this kind of career, okay, in the marketing world. But before you, you know, get really excited and go running off and typing in a marketing strategy and funnel building and how do I do all this stuff, copywriting is the foundation of this, you can't just go into all this other stuff, in my opinion, without a strong foundation in good
copywriting. You need to understand persuasion at a core level and you should be trying to get clients just for copywriting as you learn all these skills. So everything we've gone through in this course, you should be learning this and practicing it and trying to get clients in it. And then after you have had those clients and after you're comfortable with those skills, that's when potentially you can start picking up more. You cannot shortcut this. You cannot jump ahead. You cannot cut the queue. You have to actually put the work in if you want to get
money back. Okay. Now, look, we do have other resources in picking up these new skills. And indeed, we have resources on what I call e marketing elsewhere on this channel and in other courses. And we will explain it in detail as part of the companion guide in case you're interested. So, if you are interested in that, make sure you have signed up to the companion guide for free in the description. Okay, let's continue to the home straight of the course. And congratulations. You now know everything you need to start getting copywriting jobs. From building your
portfolio to finding and landing gigs, you are ready to embark on a journey into what we hope will become a fulfilling career in copywriting. Are you feeling confident? It's okay if you don't yet. Confidence comes from repetition and you have so many opportunities to write copy ahead of you. And the only thing you have to do is start. It doesn't matter what path you take or what niche you choose. If you commit yourself to doing something, you will soon surprise yourself with how much progress you've made. Heck, you've made it through this course, didn't you?
We each want to take a turn giving you a piece of advice to help you start your journey. But before we do, there is something we want to say. Thank you. People like you are the reason we started Copy that and continue to make free copywriting content to this day. And the truth is, we could have made a lot of money by simply repackaging and selling the same five templates that other copyrighting creators tend to. But over the years, we've had the privilege of interacting with so many budding copywriters that wouldn't have had the resources
to begin their career if not for the free content that we've released. Now, we would be lying to you if we said we didn't want you to engage with our business. But above all, we want you to take what you've learned from this free course and use it to pave a career and a life that will fulfill you. We've seen the incredible people, the amazing places, and the surreal experiences that copyrightiting has brought to our lives. We can only hope this course will help you experience the same. So now each of us wants to leave
you with a final piece of advice that will propel you into the first steps of your career. The first piece of advice that I have for you is very simply this. Keep learning because the more knowledge you have, the larger base of knowledge you can pull from, that's only going to increase your trajectory through the course of your career. And remember, it's about the journey, not the destination. And in fact, with copywriting, you may find that you never reach the destination because it is all about the process. And like Sean said, learning. And you can
always continue to learn every hour you invest in this career. In becoming a copywriter, you will only improve from day one to the very end. It's it is all part of a process. Say yes to the opportunities that pop up in front of you. It's super easy to get hung up on these huge goals you set for yourself, but it's often the tiny opportunities that randomly arise that will take you the furthest. This started out as a couple friends joking about copyrighting on a stream and look where we are now. And finally, going off of
that point, just be nice to people. It can be very easy to start thinking of everyone and everything as a business opportunity and cash and different career paths that you can take. But ultimately, if you just try engaging with real people, whether people at your level on the same path as you or people who are a bit ahead of you, treat them like real friends, and you will have the rewards come back 10 times. Make sure you get involved in communities, talk, ask questions, be genuine, and get the rewards that come from that. Thank you
everyone for watching and good luck. Okay, and that's a cut. We are living proof that you can become successful in this career, regardless of your age, race, gender, academic credentials, background, or in Sea's case, baldness. I like how you say it. Uh, let's reset. And Rod, could you put your foot down if that's possible? Yeah, it's just like kind of right in the lens. Mhm. Uh your your right foot also. Yeah. So, I mean both outside. Are you sure? I mean, yes, please. One size does not fit all. You're nodding. Okay. Oh my god. Do
you want to do that again and like touch your head? No. not wanting to support child labor or what or what we sorry the child labor comment get you I'm excited for the real of this I'm definitely going to make one I I love child labor can I get one more take of that yeah just the just the last line you don't have to pull it all the way up or parents of soccer players who might buy a belt I don't like how much I get bullied on this set how many bold jokes have there
been In a moment, we'll show you how the best place I show you the best places. But first, to make this easier to visualize it what a big idea is. I can see Noah sort of hitting his brow. So, let's take this from the top and I'll try to make this a little bit more coherent. You don't have to. It's good. You keep going. I'll be sure to cut out the parts where you're insulting the guy's copy. [Laughter] I was actually just thinking that you're going to go dig around and be like, "Oh my god."
Yeah.