As any Google search will tell you, copywriting is the act
of writing words that sell stuff.
Okay, cool. But what does that actually mean?
In this video, I'm gonna explain exactly what copywriting is
and how it's different from other forms of writing,
and I'll even show you some examples of copywriting
and action all in less than 10 minutes.
Keep watching.
Hey Posse, what's up? It's Alex. Here on my channel,
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So what is copywriting?
Well, copywriting is defined online as the activity
or occupation of writing the texts of advertisements
or publicity material, which makes it sound really,
really boring and kind of transactional.
I, I know I'm biased,
but I actually think copywriting is
a lot more fun than that.
Copywriting can start movements, it can rally audiences,
it can spread awareness about important topics.
And yes, it is the lifeblood of every single business.
Because without copywriting, you have no business.
It is literally the words you use
to communicate with your customers.
So although yes, copywriting does get your audience
to buy from you through ads
and other publicity material,
it does so much more than that.
Like for example, when you read an email that gets you
to attend an event or donate to a cause that matters to you,
or you read a social post that gets you to comment
and engage with it. Or maybe share it
or DM it to your friend.
Or you enter your email address to sign up
for a free workshop or online guide.
Yes, it was copywriting that convinced you to do that.
So that is why I define copywriting as words
that are specifically designed to inspire your audience
to take any sort of action.
So now that you know what copywriting is,
you might be wondering, okay, Alex,
but where do you actually use it?
Is it the same thing as writing blog
posts and social captions?
What does it actually look like in practice?
Well, let's get into it.
And I'm gonna start by talking about the difference
between copywriting and content writing.
Well, you might be surprised to know
that my opinion on this has actually changed a bit since the
very first and kind of awkward video
that I posted on the topic back in 2019.
But to break it down, simply,
copywriting is not the same thing as content writing.
They are both very important in business today,
but they have two very different end goals.
A content writer's number one goal is to create engagement
and build brand loyalty.
And they do this through writing things like blog posts
or educational emails, long form social media posts
and content video scripts like this one.
Whereas a copywriter's number one goal is
to get the conversion AKA sale, a click, a view,
a signup, or a donation.
That's why copywriting is also called direct response
copywriting because the words evoke a direct response
or action. Huh!
So this means that copywriters aren't typically writing
things like blog posts.
They are writing things like sales pages, emails,
landing pages, marketing
and webinar scripts and advertisements.
Now, as a copywriter, you might be asked
to write every single one of these pieces
as a marketing funnel designed
to strategically take a new lead
through the entire sales funnel from start to finish.
Or you could get hired by a business
to audit their existing pages and funnels
and make tweaks to boost overall conversion rates.
So by its more traditional definition, yes,
a copywriter helps businesses get more leads
and then turn more leads into paying customers.
But in my opinion today, a great copywriter also needs
to understand how to create emotional resonance
with a reader, build trust and authority, and properly guide
and nurture new leads through a valuable
and memorable buying experience.
Which begs the question, wait, Alex, isn't
that a lot like content writing?
Well, you're not wrong.
I actually think the lines between great copywriting
and content writing are becoming more
and more blurred as audiences today are seeking out more
conversational, personalized,
and educational sales experiences.
So while there definitely is still a place
for traditional direct response copywriting
and purely educational, entertaining,
or inspirational content writing,
I think the best copywriters today are really great content
marketers where storytelling and brand experience
and sales all meet together.
And that is exactly what I teach at the Copy Posse.
I believe that the best copywriting combines the power
of authentic brand storytelling
with proven direct response marketing principles,
which brings me to what a copywriter
actually does day to day.
Okay, so what does all of this actually look like
for someone like you who is interested
in becoming a copywriter?
Let's break down the most common things a copywriter
might be hired to write.
They are ads, landing pages, sales pages, and emails.
And by the way, these are all the assets
that I teach my students how to write
inside my eight week copywriting program,
the Copy Posse Launch Files.
I actually structured this program specifically
to teach brand new writers everything they need to get hired
and start making money in just eight weeks
as a copywriter from foundational copywriting techniques,
checklists, and formulas for you to base your writing on
to diving into the more fun
and complex things like bio-psychology hooks,
and how to use storytelling
and specific language to get people to buy
and a whole lot more.
And you can learn more about the Launch Files program
and the description box below.
But for this video, let's just do a quick overview of all
of the assets that I just mentioned so you have a good idea
of what all of this looks like.
Okay, so ads. The first step of any marketing plan is to get
to traffic, AKA new leads,
to hopefully turn into paying customers.
You want people actually landing on your website,
and this is where ads come in.
So think of the paid ads like this
that you see on Facebook and Google.
Each and every one of these ads usually has one
of two purposes. A, to get a new lead,
or B, to get an immediate sale.
There are other types of ads like engagement ads
and awareness ads, but we're gonna talk about
the most common ones right now.
So which one you'll be asked
to write really depends on the specific
target audience you are writing for.
But in general, when you're writing an ad, you'll need
to one, think of a compelling hook
that captures the reader's attention, right?
You want them to stop scrolling to actually look at the ad.
Write a strong opening to get them
to continue reading the ad, which brings me
to compelling body copy that convinces them that you have
what they need and then you wanna end with a strong call
to action to get them to take action.
Yes. Okay, the next asset you may be asked
to write is a landing page.
So if your ad does its job, then the user will click that ad
and then go to a landing page or a sales page.
Now, if the purpose of your ad was to generate new leads,
that means you're not trying to sell anything right away,
and your leads would likely go
to an opt-in page or a landing page.
Now, this is different from a sales page in that, again,
you're not trying to sell anything.
Most of the time you simply want them to sign up
for something for free, like a workshop, an ebook,
or some sort of free guide.
Landing pages are usually pretty short and to the point.
You'll start with a strong hook, give a few strong benefits
or reasons why they need it,
and then yes, of course, give them a call to action.
So they sign up for this free thing,
which means they've officially joined your email list
and you can begin the process of nurturing
and marketing to them.
But let's talk about the other option.
Your ad is selling something,
and in that case, you'll take them directly to a sales page.
Now, of course, this is where you'll wanna outline all
of the features and benefits of your product
or service, include social proof, like testimonials
and stories along with a really, really great offer
that convinces them to take action.
So as you can see, this sales page is pretty long.
Not all sales pages are this long,
but most will follow the same core conversion triggers.
And I go through this in so much more detail
inside the Launch Files program.
You'll learn how to create sales pages just like this.
You'll learn where each conversion trigger should be applied
for maximum impact, how
to actually write a sales page in a compelling
and persuasive way, and why, this is really important,
why each section matters.
So if you wanna see that whole page in action
and check out the Launch Files program,
you can click the link in the description below.
Okay, so we've talked about ads,
landing pages, and sales pages.
Now the next, and probably the most common thing you'll be
asked to write as a copywriter is my favorite, emails.
So this is a big one
because email is such an important part
of the whole sales process.
It is pretty rare that a brand new lead will see an ad
and then immediately become a customer right there.
Like on day zero it does happen.
And of course, we love those people,
those fast action takers, but it is pretty rare.
More often than not, a new lead will sign up
for your email list and then they'll receive
a set of welcome emails.
Now, I always recommend sending at least three welcome
emails where email number one welcomes new leads,
gets them excited to be part of your community,
and gives them next steps in email.
Two, you wanna share more about your mission,
and most importantly, get them to feel included
and like they're part of something with you.
And email three is
where you tell them exactly how you can help them.
And at this point, you really wanna make a strong offer
and tell them where they can go
to get your product or service.
But your job doesn't end there.
A new lead could take a few days, weeks, or even months
before deciding whether or not you're the person
they want to buy from.
It can be a long process to nurture a new lead
and turn them into a customer,
which means high value emails need
to be sent on a regular basis
to keep your audience warm and engaging with you.
That way when it comes time to promote something,
you're already gonna have a lot of trust established
with your list, and the promotion will go
so, so much better.
Now, in terms of
what writing those promotional emails will look like for you
as the copywriter, inside the Launch Files program,
I teach you my proven six email promotional sequence.
You'll get my formulas, tons of examples,
and even my exact email
and social copy that I use during my own promotions.
I have put everything you need to start a thriving
and successful copywriting career into this program.
I'll walk you step-by-step through the entire process
with detailed video trainings, downloadable PDFs, templates,
and formulas for you to reference and swipe
and so, so much more.
And you can learn more about the Launch Files in
the description box below.
Now give me a thumbs up below if you're excited
to start your copywriting career.
And if you wanna go even deeper down the copywriting rabbit
hole, make sure to check out my next video
where I break down the secrets
of the highest paid copywriters today.
You can watch that next.
And I'll see you next week with a brand new video.
Until then, I'm Alex. Ciao for now.
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