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Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

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TacticalWordsman
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Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by TacticalWordsman »

I've been trying to build a business for 3 years and I've failed miserably many times that I considered digging myself a grave


Had a lot of sleepless nights and evenings alone. Got the bags under the eyes to prove it. Let's leave it there

However, if you're STILL running 3 years in and not made a single penny, or hit a goal post, then that shows a deep level of ambition and determination in yourself.

That fills you with confidence. That's your screeching-at-the-mirror gratitude right there


So, only the other day I've just re-discovered copywriting and something hit me.

Like instantly, a strange creature of the gut woke up and said "I'm gonna be the f*ing best at this" :) .. <<< anyone else ever got this ??

Truth is - copywriting was screaming at me for a while now. I've got an intimate connection with writing because of music. Absolutely in love with how a simple sound can go from 'beep' to 'bawling out to Foreigner' ( I think we all know the tune.. )


It's that process of using words and sounds to move people. Getting them to act or emote. That gets me HOOKED



And so, when you're knee-deep in trying to figure out systems, what service to provide, who to reach out to etc., on top of other shit in life - you quickly get overwhelmed.

You also don't realize how burned out you get. When I experienced this, I just thought there was something wrong with me.

I've invested a few thousand pounds £££ into programs to help me grow and scale my business.

I've received the knowledge and I'm thankful for that, but the one thing they didn't teach me was above all the most important thing you need to be successful in business ..


.. It's also one of those things where it's not actually common sense, until it becomes common sense to you ... :roll:


And that one thing is SKILL. Once I realized that I didn't have a highly profitable skill - that's when shit lit up like a spark.

I was juggling so many things before this realization. No wonder I was so spent for those 3 years.

I was running on E, but tilted my head to make it look like an F lol... Some of you reading this now know what I mean ??

But that deep gut feeling just drew me in. 4 days in and I'm consuming hours of content, joining forums now, writing and writing and writing.


(( Though I think my writing is still pretty shit because I haven't built a feedback loop yet haha ))



I'm a beginner sales copywriter from the UK, previously more of a 'bedroom businessman' trying to build out a marketing agency that brings tons of value to other people.

I have a sweet offer that I marketed to Financial Planners because I have a budding interest in money and understanding wealth, also because right now I'm about $7k+ in consumer debt and want to get out so it's a good learning path


So that's a bit of my background, don't want to get too in depth now. This is an intro after all ;)



I've got some value to give you and 2 questions to ask too:


MY VALUE ADD:-


If you have spent years trying to do something, like build a business or lose weight, and you keep failing at it - keep on going. You're gaining strength each and every day that passes that you don't win. And the more you do it, the closer you get to winning.


I'm actually thankful for those years, as painful as they were. And yes, ok, I haven't actually succeeded just yet... But in my mind - I've won already.

I've got the personal skills that most starting entrepreneurs don't have when they achieve quick wins from the get-go.


And if you have the patience to endure the pain, consistency and resilience to get back up from the ground, learn from your mistakes - that speaks more to many than any first time ego-preneur can say "I got 10k in 4 weeks".

Ego is the enemy.


MY QUESTIONS:-


1) - Should I get really good at sales copywriting for health & fitness / supplement companies, if it's the shortest path to getting XP and making a bit of money?


2) - And to be more specific - shall I get into sales letters or emails?
As I said, I'm only 4 days into this but my feet are heavy on the metal. So any further guidance around this would be greatly appreciated :)


I've got 8 years of health and fitness consumer experience. So I do have a deep level of understanding here. I will do more research of course, and to practice the process too but already off to a good start with what I'm familiar with

^^^ Honestly guys, I hate to put the first question like that. I'm really in this to build something phenomenal, but right now I'm struggling financially and currently getting some aid


Long-term strategy is to work with financials / blockchain sales copy because of interest. But right now - I should double on my strengths with H&F ??


A pretty long intro but I hope someone finds this valuable in one way or another. Really looking forward to the engagement on this forum, masses of learning and giving back in whatever ways I can 8-)


Best,

Tom
" The Tactical Wordsman "

**EDIT: for spacing**
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by SARubin »

Hey Tom, welcome to the forum.

First, let me just say "I love the way you write".

You pulled me from one sentence to the next, like I was sitting in the front row of the theater watching a story unfold.

If you bring this same conversational prose to your sales copy, you could be a copywriting force to be reckoned with.


To answer your questions...

Of course it's your life, so all anyone can do is offer opinion based on their own experience, but I'll throw in my 2 Bitcoins worth (that's my 2 cents - adjusted for inflation :) )...

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 13th, 2021, 7:32 pm
1) - Should I get really good at sales copywriting for health & fitness / supplement companies, if it's the shortest path to getting XP and making a bit of money?
My first thought is "yes".

You've been a health and fitness customer for 8 years so it's something you already know about intimately, and you already have a head start understanding the language your target market uses - wants, needs, pains, fears, desires...

This could give you the shortest path to a solid reputation for writing winning copy. (aka Portfolio)
And from there you can branch out, if you even need to.

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 13th, 2021, 7:32 pm 2) - And to be more specific - shall I get into sales letters or emails?
If I had to recommend one to start with, in the current climate, I'd have to pick email

Lately I've noticed a lot more interest in email copy. Many businesses are looking for more personalized marketing channels with their customers. And the market for quality email copywriters is growing huge right now.

A brilliant sales page is still needed, to make the sale, but more business owners are realizing personal engagement through email is a powerful way to build brand loyalty.

Plus email is a great way to drive traffic to that "brilliant" sales page.



Let me know if I can help once you get start writing some copy. Even if it's just as a sounding board to bounce ideas off.

All the best,
Steve
A good marketer knows how to think like a marketer - A great marketer learns how to think like the customer...
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TacticalWordsman
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by TacticalWordsman »

Hey Steve, I appreciate your response so thank you!

SARubin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:33 am Hey Tom, welcome to the forum.

First, let me just say "I love the way you write".

You pulled me from one sentence to the next, like I was sitting in the front row of the theater watching a story unfold.

If you bring this same conversational prose to your sales copy, you could be a copywriting force to be reckoned with.

Thank you for the generous words. That's about 3 years of self-research on that part lol. And that's 80% of copywriting from what I understand so far? ..

.. Hey, maybe I should find someone with a solid offer that would attract many buyers with that story? ;)

But I'm happy to hear that it somewhat compelled you to keep reading


On a side-note - I've recently figured that although copywriting is creative writing, it's not 'creative writing'.. what are your thoughts on that?

( If I'm not fitting that right - then perhaps ' writer's writing ' ? )


I'm saying this because it seems that a lot of new copywriters I come across have this idea that copywriting is like writing a fictional book or a novel

But my impression is a complete 180 degree opposite .. it's as you said: conversational... easier on the eye, not hard to grasp, kids can understand it, etc. I think that's true especially with sales copy


Any thoughts on that too?



SARubin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:33 am
If I had to recommend one to start with, in the current climate, I'd have to pick email

Lately I've noticed a lot more interest in email copy. Many businesses are looking for more personalized marketing channels with their customers. And the market for quality email copywriters is growing huge right now.



That's fantastic to hear.

It makes sense to start with email. I researched that short-form copy is best to learn first if you wanna learn fast (please correct if that's wrong..)

And from what I know already - email is one of the top channels for client acquisition, B2B and B2C. So it absolutely makes sense to start there if you wanna get off to the races



SARubin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:33 am A brilliant sales page is still needed, to make the sale, but more business owners are realizing personal engagement through email is a powerful way to build brand loyalty.

Plus email is a great way to drive traffic to that "brilliant" sales page.

Can I begin with getting super good at email copy and building rep, and then add VSL script/sales page copy to my services?

Or is it best I specialize with being one of the go-to-guys for email marketing?



SARubin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:33 am Let me know if I can help once you get start writing some copy. Even if it's just as a sounding board to bounce ideas off.

Thank you Steve. You can never be sure on the credibility or intentions of someone who doesn't have much skin in the game so it's great to hear you offer this!

I will be looking forward to reaching out to you for guidance. I know you're on the WF too, will be signing up there very soon


And of course, if there is any way that I could give back to you, just for the experience, then that'd be fantastic

Speaking of which - is there anything in particular you're working on that you could do with an assistant?


I will admit - networking for me has been a real struggle since I was very young. It seems a little intimidating at times, ironically for an extrovert... either way, there's always something good that comes out of struggle :)


Best,
Tom
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by Franklin »

Hi Tom,
Welcome to the forum :)/ Glad you found us.

3 years with no results and you're still trying. I think that your never quit attitude makes you more likely to succeed than most people who give up when shit doesn't work out right away. Everybody falls down, the losers stay down but winners get back up, learn from the mistake, and try again.

One thing you need to be a good copywriter is sales experience. At its core copywriting is sales.
Learning psychology and sales tactics can give you a big head start on your way to becoming a top copywriter.

Another thing you can do is get a hold of some good sales copy from one of the masters and write it out word for word by hand. Do it a few times and you'll start to build eye-hand coordination and recognize patterns to the structure of a good sales letter.

These are just a couple of ideas.

Good luck
-F
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by TacticalWordsman »

Hey Franklin, thank you for the warm welcoming

Franklin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 4:59 pm
3 years with no results and you're still trying. I think that your never quit attitude makes you more likely to succeed than most people who give up when shit doesn't work out right away. Everybody falls down, the losers stay down but winners get back up, learn from the mistake, and try again.

Absolutely mate. The beauty of adversity is that the personal skills you gain through it are powerful. Completely transferable elsewhere.

Like walking through thick fog but you're wearing sharp lens to help you see!


Franklin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 4:59 pm
One thing you need to be a good copywriter is sales experience. At its core copywriting is sales.
Learning psychology and sales tactics can give you a big head start on your way to becoming a top copywriter.

100% something I'm doing right now too!

Recently discovered behavioural economics. Diving deeper into that and it's truly eye opening. It seems like a brutal competitive advantage.

Thankfully I've got some sales experience - been working since I was 15 (I'm 28 now)

Had a total of 12 or so jobs in total, all temporary


It's not that I'm not built for that life. That life isn't built for me ;)



About sales in copy -
Would you agree that full research into the market + understanding the psychology of use in words adds to delivering winning copy? What are your thoughts on that?

Franklin wrote: November 14th, 2021, 4:59 pm
Another thing you can do is get a hold of some good sales copy from one of the masters and write it out word for word by hand. Do it a few times and you'll start to build eye-hand coordination and recognize patterns to the structure of a good sales letter.

Yes! Doing this right now


I'm writing control ad copy every day at the moment. Spending about an hour at least. Claude Hopkins so far and I've just started writing Gary Halbert's $400mm 'Water' ad today.

Which reminds me - gotta put an Amazon sub on some notepads and pens ...

^^ I've found the effects on handwriting for just one day were almost instant

I wrote a short piece the other day. It felt like I was really writing in the style of Hopkins.. the psychological effects of hand copying others' writing style is... creepily fascinating :shock:


Have you got any advice on setting myself up for getting the most out of handwriting winning copy?


Another thing is - I'd love to do is get into some challenges. Specifically for email copy. You got any suggestions pal?


I'm still looking around, when I can at least.. trying to balance out 70/30 practice vs consumption!

Grateful for the support here :)

Cheers,
Tom
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by SARubin »

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm
On a side-note - I've recently figured that although copywriting is creative writing, it's not 'creative writing'.. what are your thoughts on that?

( If I'm not fitting that right - then perhaps ' writer's writing ' ? )


I'm saying this because it seems that a lot of new copywriters I come across have this idea that copywriting is like writing a fictional book or a novel

But my impression is a complete 180 degree opposite .. it's as you said: conversational... easier on the eye, not hard to grasp, kids can understand it, etc. I think that's true especially with sales copy


Any thoughts on that too?
Yeah, we always want to keep it easy for our readers to grasp.

One good tool you can use is the Flesch-Kincaid reading score. The average reader engages at a high school reading level. Not because they can't read at a higher level, but because they don't want to.

Here's a quick post I wrote about it a few months ago...

This Number Helps You Write More Persuasive Copy…

I'm a firm believer that we always want to start with the people we're writing to. And our market sets the tone for our copy.

If we're selling fashion accessories to the tik-tok crowd then it's all about flash, fantasy, peer conformity and being a part of something fun.

On the other hand, if we're selling health insurance or life insurance to baby boomers we need to take a more serious tone if we want to connect to our market.

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm
Can I begin with getting super good at email copy and building rep, and then add VSL script/sales page copy to my services?
Absolutely yes.

In fact I recommend getting good at one thing so you can be the go-to guy, and then once you have a foot hold branching out from there.

Imagine working for a company as an email copywriter, and one day they're looking for someone to write a sales page... It may as well be you who gets the job, right?

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm Speaking of which - is there anything in particular you're working on that you could do with an assistant?
I don't really have much going on at the moment other than a few consulting gigs. But if something interesting comes along we can talk about it.

I've been on a bit of sabbatical for the past couple months while I try to learn about investing in the stock market. I know I'm a little late to the game (at my age I should have been doing this for the last 30 years by now). But here we are...


TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pmI will admit - networking for me has been a real struggle since I was very young. It seems a little intimidating at times
Yeah, networking has always been a little tough for me too. I think it's because most networking meetings I've been at seem to be filled with people saying "look at me... here I am... how can I get your business".
And it's fine for some people, but to me it always felt a little intimidating (and a little desperate).

The best thing I ever did, when it came to networking, was read the book "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.

The original book is almost 100 years old, but it's been revised a few times since then.

One of the biggest takes I got from the book was - Talk to people about their interests and soon they'll think you're the most interesting person in the room. Then they naturally want to be around you and do business with you.

It can be hard to keep our own ego in check, but like you said in your first post... Ego is the enemy.
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by Franklin »

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 6:08 pm
About sales in copy -
Would you agree that full research into the market + understanding the psychology of use in words adds to delivering winning copy? What are your thoughts on that?
I agree. Research is sometimes 80% of the job, and writing is the other 20% - It's the Pareto principle at work :geek:

Knowing the product and knowing the customer always makes the job easier.
TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 6:08 pm
Have you got any advice on setting myself up for getting the most out of handwriting winning copy?
Just doing it in the first place is more than most new copywriters will do. My only advice is to keep doing it until it feels natural to you, or until your hand cramps up :lol:
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by TacticalWordsman »

@SARubin - Steve, thank you for patiently waiting on my reply

I took a break from everything to re-organize and refresh myself

Coming back with better focus. Clearer mind. And a more developed plan to get ahead in all aspects of life

It was well and truly needed. I must say that 8-)

SARubin wrote: November 15th, 2021, 12:13 pm
Yeah, we always want to keep it easy for our readers to grasp.

One good tool you can use is the Flesch-Kincaid reading score. The average reader engages at a high school reading level. Not because they can't read at a higher level, but because they don't want to.
Fantastic share. Just had a mess around with this and it's pretty cool to see. I already try to keep my copy less than 3 syllables per word to not over do it...

I think you can easily get into Shakespeare mode with your writing if you're not careful haha


SARubin wrote: November 15th, 2021, 12:13 pm
TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm Can I begin with getting super good at email copy and building rep, and then add VSL script/sales page copy to my services?
Absolutely yes.

In fact I recommend getting good at one thing so you can be the go-to guy, and then once you have a foot hold branching out from there.

Thanks for the clarification

I am building my network at the moment. Speaking to some other guys in the same circles I'm affiliated with and we're already talking about working with each other.

Chances are - it may be sales letters to start because he's B2B. But I'm fine with that as I'm doing some rapid learning at the moment.


Do you think this is great or shall I find someone who needs emails? If I should then please let me know

SARubin wrote: November 15th, 2021, 12:13 pm
TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm I will admit - networking for me has been a real struggle since I was very young. It seems a little intimidating at times
Yeah, networking has always been a little tough for me too. I think it's because most networking meetings I've been at seem to be filled with people saying "look at me... here I am... how can I get your business".
And it's fine for some people, but to me it always felt a little intimidating (and a little desperate).

I hate that. They just put themselves across as grifters

That's one of the reasons I'm coming out of that side of the agency space. They scream about aggressive lead gen.

I understand because your ROI is based on acquisition through their programs

But it's bad for B2B. It can really throw you off especially if it's your first time learning to network.


Now I'm networking (properly), I feel genuine about my approaches because they're backed by shared values and beliefs. And now I'm starting to build better relationships.

I'm glad I took that break to really think ahead

SARubin wrote: November 15th, 2021, 12:13 pm
The best thing I ever did, when it came to networking, was read the book "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.

Thank you for sharing that. I've got this book and will dive into it asap. Currently reading books on the powers of networking and already seeing massive successes which I didn't before.


Best to read books as and when you need them. This whole 'buy these 10 books' is great but not helpful ..

People just creating content for the sake of it :roll:

Read for when it's directly applicable. For problems now or soon coming. That's when reading is really effective imho


Steve - I'm starting to reach out to other Copywriters to give and gain some value in terms of feeback and insights.

Does your offer to help in this manner still stand? If so, where's best to reach you?


Best,
Tom
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by TacticalWordsman »

Hi Franklin, thanks for waiting on my reply

Took a short break to refresh everything. And now it's like I've got goggles that can see ahead of time. Connecting process and progress to plan :-D
Franklin wrote: November 20th, 2021, 11:13 am
TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 6:08 pm
About sales in copy -
Would you agree that full research into the market + understanding the psychology of use in words adds to delivering winning copy? What are your thoughts on that?
I agree. Research is sometimes 80% of the job, and writing is the other 20% - It's the Pareto principle at work :geek:

Great to hear this. I've started to learn more about research recently now I'm back.

Planning out for days ahead - different offers to look at, research and then write copy for spec practice


Franklin wrote: November 20th, 2021, 11:13 am
TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 6:08 pm
Have you got any advice on setting myself up for getting the most out of handwriting winning copy?
Just doing it in the first place is more than most new copywriters will do. My only advice is to keep doing it until it feels natural to you, or until your hand cramps up :lol:

Really? No one does this?

Now I think of it.. surprisingly, that doesn't surprise me


For something as easy and effective as copying multi-million-dollar winning words down, it's very obvious how people don't believe it.

The idea is like snake oil to them.. but on print.

... Snake oil on print. Lol. I'm tagging that

And, of course as they say - something around 1-5% will do it. So of course people won't do it


I've been hand-copying every day for the past couple weeks now. At least 5-20 mins a day, building it up to 40-60min

I might be complicating it. But is it better to copy the same control piece down each time or change it up? I'm also doing email control copy from Swiped to fit into my future prospects.. I imagine whether email or letters, it makes not much a difference?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated


Best,
Tom
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Re: Copywriting's got me hooked 🔥

Post by SARubin »

TacticalWordsman wrote: December 13th, 2021, 2:56 pm
Fantastic share. Just had a mess around with this and it's pretty cool to see. I already try to keep my copy less than 3 syllables per word to not over do it...

I think you can easily get into Shakespeare mode with your writing if you're not careful haha
So true.

Although, if we're selling to a shakespearean crowd then maybe we do want to use a poetic flair?

Hmmm... To prose or not to prose... That is the question.

TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm
Chances are - it may be sales letters to start because he's B2B. But I'm fine with that as I'm doing some rapid learning at the moment.

Do you think this is great or shall I find someone who needs emails? If I should then please let me know
That's great. I was only using email as an example. I could have just as easily said "if you're writing sales letters for a business and they need an email copywriter, it may as well be you".

I only meant to get good at one thing first, before branching out and spreading yourself too thin.


TacticalWordsman wrote: November 14th, 2021, 2:30 pm
Steve - I'm starting to reach out to other Copywriters to give and gain some value in terms of feeback and insights.

Does your offer to help in this manner still stand? If so, where's best to reach you?

Best,
Tom
Of course it stands.

I don't know how much help I can be (because I can't predict the future :? ) But I'm more than happy to help you when and where I can, Tom.

You can reach out to me here. Or you can send me a private message from your user control panel and I'll send you my personal email.
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