Copywriting For Beginners

This post isn’t going to be about the usual stuff you usually hear about copywriting. It’s going to be about why copywriting isn’t creative writing and why the words you already have might be just the words you need.

The good news (for women who don’t think they’re writers):

Copywriting isn’t creative writing.

The bad news (for people who think copywriting will be easy):

Everyone thinks writing is easy, don’t they? It’s a word for word transfer from your brain. But let’s get really practical. When was the last time you tried to write a love letter? It’s different, isn’t it? It’s a different process for an instruction manual or a sales letter or a newsletter or a persuasive letter. And copywriting is about understanding that process.

The truth about copywriting for beginners:

Writing your own conversion copy doesn’t require you to be a good writer.

You also need to get out of the mindset that copywriting is purely creative. If you feel like you don’t have a creative or writing bone in your little body, the good news is conversion copy doesn’t solely rely on you being a writing whizz. In fact, that’s a total myth – that all conversion copywriters are good writers.

I’ve known (and mentored) talented, super talented – way smarter than I am – writers who just don’t make good copywriters. Or end up hating copywriting.

Because copywriters mangle sentences, stomp all over conventions, and we don’t even write in paragraphs.

AND good conversion copywriters don’t fall so in love with their own words that they hesitate to rip the whole lot apart and rewrite them in the case the data is showing that they’re not working. Because pretty words on a screen are nice and all, but if they’re not making the reader take an action, they’re not conversion copy. So, the good news for you is that copywriting is only a teeny tiny bit creative writing.

Because it’s part research, part creativity, then part data analysis, you’ve got a nice mix of skills there you can fall back on.

You’ve got to know your numbers, what’s working, what’s converting, why (and you know the why by having a brand voice that resonates with your people), and then testing and tweaking until you can duplicate the parts of your copy you know will help your reader make that transformation from “ooooh, this is interesting” to “ooooh, I have to have this in my life”.

Copywriting is a step by step process and pretty much anyone can do it with training and practice.

Not that I want to talk myself out of a job!

For business owners and entrepreneurs, writing is one of the most important skills you need to have. You need to be able to write emails and social posts, deliver marketing campaigns, and write sales copy. Copywriting is a skill that is easy to learn but surprisingly hard to master.

But it’s not not doable. Just takes practice. Sometimes some hand holding. Often a tantrum and delete and start again.

The best copywriters in the world are the ones who understand people. And the best way to learn copywriting is to learn it by doing it.

No more reading. It’s time to start doing. Sign on for the free Truth About Conversion Copy class, and get the ball rolling on your new copy.

You are already creative enough.

You already have the words.

You just need to know where to put them.

Some Crisp Copy links may be affiliate links - like the ones in this blog. Hello, recurring income is amazing and don’t we all want to work smarter? Howbeit, I’ll never recommend anything I don’t think is absolutely the coolest thing since Botox parties. Also, howbeit is the grooviest word in this post. Yes, totally copied this disclaimer from the bottom of my emails - I'm so amused I'm fully prepared to repeat myself.