LESSON #50: Introduction to Copywriting

By | October 4, 2009

In the previous lesson we talked about pricing your product. Now we have to communicate enough value in order to persuade prospects to buy the product, and the way we do that is through copywriting…

(Watch this video…)

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Main points:

  • The perceived value in your prospect’s mind must be equal to or greater than the price… otherwise they won’t buy it.

  • You need to actually deliver the value. We’re not learning copywriting for the purpose of selling junk for inflated prices.

  • Copywriting is using words to promote something. You can use copywriting to communicate value through written words, audio, video, etc.

  • The objective of copywriting is to get the reader to take action. (If you’re selling something, your objective is to get them to buy it.)

  • Persuasion vs. Manipulation

    Persuasion is influencing another person to take action, with good intentions, through ethical means, and for a mutually beneficial purpose.

    Manipulation is influencing another person to take action, with selfish intentions, possibly through unethical means, and primarily for the benefit of the manipulator.

    – The difference is in the intentions of the person doing the influencing.

    – I believe it’s possible to be an ethical marketer, and I practice and teach persuasion– not manipulation.

  • Two ways to get your sales copy:

    1) You can outsource it.
    2) You can do it yourself.

  • Outsourcing – see basics in lesson #39. We will be covering outsourcing copywriting in-depth in lesson #52.

    Recommended Resource: Low Cost Copy

  • Two ways to write your own copy:

    1) Become a great copywriter and write expert sales copy
    2) Keep it simple and write amateur sales copy

    (See video for detailed explanation and benefits of each)

  • Four-step formula to sell anything:

    1) This is who I am.
    2) This is what I have.
    3) This is why you need it.
    4) This is how you can get it now.

    (See video for details)

    Recommended Resource: The Copywriting Pack

    Action step:

    1) Study copywriting. (This is going to help you in your marketing regardless of whether you write your own sales letter or not.)

    In the next lesson we’ll be taking a closer look at the elements of a successful sales letter (after which you will write your own sales letter if you have chosen to do so), then in lesson #52 we’ll talk more about outsourcing, for those of you who are choosing to outsource the task.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

    Have a great day!

  • 95 thoughts on “LESSON #50: Introduction to Copywriting

    1. Gary Pettit

      Eric,
      I remember a few months back when a certain product was released that said videos would soon take the place of copywriting…I really found that hard to believe and I still think nothing will ever take the place of good copywriting on a page with good graphics as well.People just expect that as the norm and can absorb all the info at their own pace.

      I do have a couple copywriting products but I will diffently take a closer look at yours…it looks like one of the best packages I’ve seen(and a great price) I already know you diffently have the copywriting knowledge to teach it…I’ve already looked at your copywriting closely…lol 😉 Inspiring!

      🙂

      Get 150 *Top Quality* NICHE Websites That Pay Directly To Your Paypal Account. Includes Free Hosting!
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      Reply
    2. roslan

      Good lesson – copywritting is my greatest weakness eventhough its the most important in internet marketing .

      Reply
    3. Luca Di Nicola

      Hey Eric,
      Great lesson as always. Persuation vs. Manipulation, this is an area that I’ve always had a problem with. I see so many sales letters with huge clickbank earnings, expensive cars, houses… and the sales copy is designed to take advantage of people that are in need of quick cash. Those type of sales pages make me a little angry because I know that there are many people that are taken advantage of.

      I do realize that a good written sales letter that explains the benefits and features of the product is a big factor in closing the sale. A good example is your sales page for PBM.

      I’m almost ready to do a video about PBM. I’ve made another video about opt-in boxes using aweber. http://www.reachsuccessonline.com/how-to-add-an-exit-popup-optin-box-to-your-blog-using-aweber/ I’m getting the hang of it.

      Can’t believe that this is lesson 50. Thanks again Eric

      Reply
    4. Eric Post author

      I don’t think videos will completely replace written sales letters in the near future, but there are definitely some markets in which videos are already more effective than written copy. It depends on how the particular audience prefers to consume information.

      However, unless the producer of the video is a very talented orator and salesperson who can improvise a salesletter on the fly, the video will still require a script; and thus, copywriting. So really, videos may replace written sales letters, but they do not replace copywriting.

      Also, even in markets where videos are effective, I think there will still be segments of the market that prefer to read a sales letter vs. watching a video, so there will still be need for more traditional sales letters to reach those prospects.

      Reply
    5. Eric Post author

      Thanks Luca, nice job on the video. Looks like you’re gaining quite a few readers too 🙂

      Reply
    6. Rob

      Hi Eric-
      Like you, I had used [redacted]’s services from [redacted] in the past as he produced some decent work for me. The problem I had with him most recently was that he did not completely fulfill his end of one of his offers. Despite all efforts to contact him and resolve it, he never responded to phone calls or emails. I thought it unusual as in the past he and I exchanged emails and he did return calls. I figured to move on until I came across this warrior thread. Apparently there are some warrior members who feel the same way as well regarding his monthly service early in the year.

      [redacted]

      I say be careful with this guy.

      Reply
    7. Michaela

      Hi! This is a powerful lesson. I enjoy and make notes for myself. The copywriting is probably my weakest part.
      Thanks Eric you are a great teacher as always.
      Michaela

      Reply
    8. Eric Post author

      He has always returned my emails, and I did speak with him by phone before making the recommendation in the lesson. I am aware he had some issues earlier in 2009. The unlimited monthly copywriting was not a feasible business, and I think he’s learned his lesson (hopefully).

      Reply
    9. Madhan

      Eric, Excellent piece of information. I have decided to use the tips provided by you in all the lessons.

      Thanks & Regards
      Madhan.

      Reply
    10. Albert Born

      Great lesson, Eric! I think the hardest part about copywriting is really knowing enough psychology in order to persuade your readers to buy your product. And this normally depends on how much you value the product yourself. So if you’re not really a “real marketer” at heart, then it can get so tough writing a good copy. But I’m glad to know, all these can be learned. Thanks!

      Reply
    11. My Marketing Rules

      Great info Eric! Getting really excited now to start my own video series come next year.

      Copy writing is definitely a skill i would like to develop. Do you plan to go over mini-sites and sales letters etc and what key points each and everyone should include to increase sales and be search engine friendly?

      Reply
    12. Val

      Hi Eric,

      Thank you so much for these amazing lessons. I have a link on my site and have personally recommended a number of people to your site. They love your work .. and so do I.

      Val

      Reply
    13. Troy

      Always great info along with great pics of your work on the well. We are doing our first well in Haiti this spring.
      Quick question. I am contemplating an internet marketing business and am not even a newby yet. Did I miss the lesson on how to attract traffic to my sites or is this topic yet to come? This would seem to be a vital part of ones success.

      Reply
    14. Eric Post author

      I’ll be covering sales letters in more depth in the next lesson. I’ll be covering search engine optimization later in the lesson series.

      Reply
    15. Eric Post author

      It is yet to come. There will be several lessons about traffic generation. I’m trying to go in a logical sequence… first you should have a website in place and have a good way to monetize it (ie. selling your product) before spending a lot of time or money to get traffic 🙂

      That’s awesome about the well, glad to hear it!

      Reply
    16. Kabir

      Hi Eric,

      Do you have any suggestion on getting funded to make this http://www.bdstock.com website complete online trading and service oriented? I have not had a chance to go through all your lessons, I guess I should follow them step by step. I am also planning to give online stock market training through videos, if you have any suggestions.

      Thanks for all your great works and helping us.

      Reply
    17. Kabir

      Hi Eric,

      Very constructive and to the point about how to create copywrite articles……based on my site it will be very helpful. Thanks for all your great works.

      Reply
    18. mondo

      Thanks for lesson 50 and the helpful links, im very much dertemined to sell millions of products just like you. thanks Eric

      Reply
    19. Juma

      HI.
      Thanks for your inspiration.I’m about to launch a magazine of internatianal standard.Is it possible for you to market the first issue for me at fee?

      Reply
    20. Guy, Internet Marketing Consultant

      Eric I have now lost count of the amount of times that I have linked to your website! You really do provide excellent information..The fact is, copy is the secret weapon of mass persuasion, without high quality cash-sucking copy your online efforts are doomed!! If anyone wants to contest that, try selling a product without any copy!!! Thanks again for another excellent lesson

      Reply
    21. Avis Williams

      Great post as always :-). Alot of sales letters I have seen use alot of manipulation, sacrity, pictures with a nice house and cars, fake testimonials and no real solid proof that their product works, just to get a quick sell, from desperate people as a potential customer that would put me off.

      I think a down to earth approach is better, outlining the benefits of the product and the value it would provide in the long run.

      I also think people response better with a free sample or a video explaining a little bit about the product.

      Reply
    22. Pingback: How to Write a Sales Letter | Internet Marketing Sales Page Elements | Eric's Tips

    23. Eric Post author

      Yes I think you should follow the lessons 🙂

      You need a solid plan of how you’re going to monetize the site. What product or service are you going to provide…

      Reply
    24. David BUsh

      Eric, really enjoying and learning a lot from your lessons. I recorded a video of myself using my Logitech QuickCam and then converted it to Flash using the FLVproducer Lite. When I view the flash it is predominantly grey with very few colours. Could this be due to the Quickcam being inadequate for this purpose?

      Reply
    25. Eric Post author

      Interesting… It is possible that the Quickcam is to blame but I’m not sure. It is common when converting any video format to FLV for you to lose come color. So it could possibly be a combination of things contributing to the lack of vibrance of the color.

      Reply
    26. Claudia

      Hi Eric, Great lesson…Copywriting is so important that I think it is worth studying! If you don’t mind I will invite people to check your lessons out from my blog, too…I think you are right- persuasion is best and I never feel you are manipulating your students. I truely like buying your stuff ’cause it’s very good! I’m having trouble at times deciding if my prices are set right. ‘Course I’m still trying to get traffic so it’s hard to tell!!!…but looking at what people like Michael Rasmussen or Ewen Chia or Andrew and Steven simply give away…I’m so NOT sure anything I’m trying will sell.

      So far, I have a few money sites up and I have some from you…I’m still trying to uderstand some parts of WordPress! Can’t figure out the slider technique…

      I have to rely on words as video seems light years away for me.

      Reply
    27. Eric Post author

      Keep pressing on. I would not worry about the slider unless it’s something you’re dead set on using. It’s just a feature of some wordpress themes.

      Reply
    28. Kevin

      Eric, will this course be good for writing ads as well? And I mean any kind of ad, from small adword ads to classified ads?

      Reply
    29. Rick Ng

      Hi, Eric:
      If I purchase your “The Copywriting Pack”, can I deliver those ebooks to my customer as a bonus? This is because your ebooks just match what I sell online, Sales Letter Creator. I wanna make it bonuses to my customer. Please note that I am giving it as a bonus, not to sell for profit. Is that OK? I am ok if I need to pay more for this course by you.

      Thanks & regards,
      Rick Ng

      Reply
    30. Eric Post author

      Thank you for the offer. However I am not able to pass on resale rights to all of the material in that collection. But you can include the Masters of Copywriting ebook (it is public domain). Thanks

      Reply
    31. Eric Post author

      The course itself is more geared toward sales letters, but yes… the same copywriting skills can be applied to any type of ads.

      Reply
    32. RAMESH.G

      Hi Eric,

      Thank You for all your lessons.Your lessons are really of high value & unique . you are doing a great job keep it up..and i have a question to u .i am planning to write my own e-book soon.can i use nick name for instead of my real name in Author of the Book column..if i use a Nick Name is there any problem placing my product in click bank or in Amazon Books store..i searched for info on the net but i couldn’t find any answer.could u plz help me..i had already asked for it ..but No answer from your side ..i hope u will help me on this ..u can Answer thru the forum or write me to ..hoping to hear from u soon..
      Thank you for your support once again

      Reply
    33. Dr. Ina

      Hi Eric,

      Thanks for the email, is the $97, all it takes to be part of this JV venture at least to get started? I am following the bids on Ebay, and tried to bid on a couple of sites last Friday, but couldn’t get registered for some reason, so I will keep trying.

      Thank you for your many tips over the years, I have thorougly enjoyed and in fact have them all saved in my Eric’s folder.

      I recently retired from the military after 30 years and I would very much like to learn to make a living online in an effort to help my fellow comrades coming back from the war zones. There is so much devastation, and so much that is not talked about on the news unfortunately.

      My ultimate goal is to open a retreat center where veterans and their families can come have a respite while trying to put their lives back together. But, I want to present it from a prosperity mindset and not from a government entitled one.

      I am a shrink (Clinical Psychologist), but don’t want to be stuck in a 9 to 5 if at all possible, so learning to thrive with an internet business would be ideal. Blessings to you and your family and I look forward to hearing from you soon!!

      Maranatha
      Dr. Ina

      Reply
    34. Eric Post author

      Sorry I did not see this until after the sale. Actually the $97 was not for a joint venture, but just for the software and materials, and the rights to sell it, package it, etc.

      Reply
    35. Eric Post author

      Yes you can use a psudonym instead of your real name, and that’s not a problem. You will just need your real name (or business name) registered on the clickbank account itself, but that’s not on your sales page.

      Reply
    36. Sergio Ogahara

      Eric.
      Thanks a lot for your help and thank GOD there are people like you out there helping others.
      This year I am grateful because I realize that I am stressing out too much at my job which made me realize that I got to get out of this RAT race (R.Kiyosaki).
      I strated investing in pennystocks which is a start to be my own boss.
      So I am grateful for all the bad experiences I faced this past 4 years. I think that in the RAT race you are there in the jungle all by yourself and there is difficult to find real coworker to work side by side and support each other here in Japan.
      So I thanks GOD and people like you Eric and those teaching me how to invest in the stock market.
      Thank you very much

      Reply
    37. Billy

      I’m thankful that we can still worship where we want, love and be loved by our family, and be free to work at any job we choose to support our family. That being said I and many others are also thankful for Eric’s Tips newsletters that encourage us to take charge of our lives to earn more so we can have more time to spend with our families and be able to do good by our neighbors and those less fortunate. May God Bless all of you this Thanksgiving.

      Reply
    38. DJ CAMPBELL

      Eric,
      I surely would like you to drop me a line so that we can chat. I have some questions I would like to ask if I may.

      D.J. Campbell

      Reply
    39. Ken

      Hi,

      What are the pros and cons of using googleanalytics, as opposed to a 3rd party service?
      Some gurus seem pretty paranoid about googleanalytics…

      Thanks,
      Ken

      Reply
    40. Willa

      Persuasion Vs. Manipulation

      Persuasion and manipulation are the same thing. Manipulation is guiding a person down a certain pathway just like persuasion.

      Manipulation is only good or bad depending upon the person.

      Is it possible to have a persuasive person who doesn’t have your best interests at heart?

      Reply

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