LESSON #50: Introduction to Copywriting

By | October 4, 2009
95 Comments

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!

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

    2. P.ranjan

      Would you like to help/support me?

      Respected Sir,Eric
      with lots of hope I am communicating with
      you.I need your valuable help/guidence.Hope
      I will not get dissapoint from your side.
      I want to earn (real money) some respectable
      amount through Internet Marketing
      without investment to help orphans in
      favour of humanity.In Today’s money
      minded world where everyone is busy for
      himself and their comfort,its very difficult to
      find someone for help. Let see.
      Since I belongs to poor family so my financial
      condition does not allow me do my social work
      myself.My ideas and concept become useless
      and dull due to lackness of fund.we know Our
      LIFE is short so we have to do anything in a given
      duration.
      If I earn fund then I will be very supportive to
      Orphans,old age and other needy in favour of
      humanity. For your kind support I will be very
      greatful to you.thanks
      regards
      P.Ranjan

      Reply ↓
    3. Ramesh

      Hi Eric ,Thanks for your reply..it was very helpful to me. Now i almost created my info product .I would like to do a favour for u for your Unmatching support.I will refer your erics tips to all my friends list and give a link to them

      Reply ↓
    5. Eric Post author

      Google analytics is a powerful free resource, and I don’t see a lot of downside to it.

      However, for split testing sales pages, I think there are tools that are better suited for marketers.

      I will be mentioning this in lesson #57. Also if you go to this page you will see a chart about halfway down the page comparing G.A. to this split testing script.

      Reply ↓
    6. Eric Post author

      I’m not offering any personal consulting at this time, but you can ask any questions here on the blog as long as it’s relevant to the lessons 🙂

      Reply ↓
    8. Cayenne Pepper

      I’ve learned a lot about copywriting from Bob Bly who has been doing it over 30 years and has written over 70 books on it and marketing. Good copywriting is non manipulative but gives a preponderance of proof, highlights features and benefits and is a integrity centered.

      Thanks for sharing this info.

      GR

      Reply ↓
    11. Dr. Sanjiv

      Hi Eric. Thoroughly enjoying your lessons. I have just started blogging since the 5th of this month and I would like to request you go through a post of mine at my website and give me a feedback as to how would you rate my copy writing, say ___ /10. Appreciate if you could be frank. My website: http://www.mediconline.wordpress.com

      Reply ↓
    14. Kerry

      Greetings Eric,

      Great lesson man. Thank you, God bless.

      Reply ↓
    15. Kathy Williams

      Hi Eric

      As usual, awesome content and sound advice on the Manipulation vs Persuasion issue. I never miss one of your lessons and can’t believe I’m on #50. Look forward to the rest!

      Reply ↓
    17. Johan Hedin

      Great video Eric. Webcopy is so important that paying a real professional is definitely worth it as it comes with webpsychology and other elements that the average layman would not know anything about…The big challenge I think is to convey trust with all the words, which is crucial for a good conversion…

      Reply ↓
    18. Albin

      This question doesn’t have any thing to do with copywriting. Is it unethical or forbidden to be an affiliate for different companies for the same product [domains, hosts, auto-responders, ect.]?

      Reply ↓
    19. Eric Post author

      No it’s not unethical. In fact, it can be a good affiliate strategy to offer reviews of competing services.

      Reply ↓
    20. kenny jag

      There are manipulative marketers, and conartist.
      You are the only IM that I am tuned-on-to right now. I have my own website, but still trying build it, since September 2010, I spent a few thousand $$ on software and stuff, & I am still stuck on lesson 28. I am now trying to learn enough html, from free tutorials to build my web site. I don’t trust IMs any more, & I delete all their emails without even opening them, except Eric’s Tips. I find his lessons to be genuinely helpful, and I want to learn what I can from his approach, because it seems ‘Just, and good’; the lessons are of good quality & educational. My frustration is great at this point, because IM,s kept leading me on to buy stuff, more and more, much of which I did not need, before I came across Eric’s Tips. I feel like giving up, but I still hope to be a great Int. Mkter., though not like those guys who ‘squeezed me until dried’. So can you advise me as to how quickly I may be able to build & monitize my site???

      Reply ↓
    21. Eric Post author

      “How quickly” is a tough question to answer, because there are so many variables depending on what type of site and how you’re monetizing it. If you’re taking the information marketing business model approach, which is what I’m focusing on in this lessons, you could expect it to take anywhere from a few weeks, up to a year, depending on how long it takes you to complete the steps, and start getting web traffic.

      Reply ↓
    22. kenny jag

      Hi Eric,
      Thanks for the response.
      Your response at least gives me a basic ‘framework’ and prospective to project my goal.
      I am probably more of a ‘newbie’ than I realized.
      Thank you!
      kenny

      Reply ↓
    23. kenny jag

      Hi Eric,
      I need an ASAP answer!
      I built a really nice web page (html) on note pad (ref. lesson 28), with beautiful script banner and even a pop up box script.
      But I can’t upload a jpg picture on notepad.
      The image / picture does not show up on the web browser on my computer (not web site).
      Is it possible, or rather how do I upload a picture / jpg on notepad????
      if not, how do I customize it,s POSITION where I want it, on wordpress, when uploaded to wordpress at website???

      Reply ↓
    25. B

      I’ve had good success with the little bit of selling i’ve done via writing BUT i want to try and push the funnel via a mail campaign i’m doing.
      I have a question: My writing is “weak” WEAK!! lol But i have extensive face to face sales experience. I close real well in different markets and pretty consistent.
      IF I WRITE THE LETTERS (myself), with poor grammer, bad structure ETC AND i take that FRANKENSTEIN to an english major and have that person fix it up, WILL THAT WORK or BE SMART 2do? A

      Reply ↓
    26. B

      Also, who dominates in COPY writing the better writer or the better salesperson? Just wondering if i get a good writer will my face 2face sales scripts in copy or will i need to turn it over to a writer completely..

      Thanks

      Reply ↓
    27. Micah

      Hello B,

      That would be very smart! With just a little cleaning up, your sales letters will come across as much more professional!

      Reply ↓
    28. Micah

      Hello B,

      In many cases, it’s better to let your talents as a salesperson come through! That’s why some marketers who struggle with writing, can successfully make videos for their sales pages, right off the cuff!

      Reply ↓
    30. B

      Hey I hope Eric is doing better, i read the letter about him not feeling to good. Be in my prayers. I appreciate these lessons and your products 🙂 Hope he feels better asap

      Reply ↓
    31. Rick

      I am so tired of the manipulators out there! One e-mail I received even made the claim that they hacked Google, and were able to steal traffic, and all you had to do was buy his software and you can do the same. Really? Talk about manipulation! I would not even consider buying his software!! Google has not been hacked. And if they were, this guy would be tracked down and would be facing fraud charges. Also, I am upset at the number of claims about software. More specifically, some of these offers of “software” is training videos and links! With enough research on your own, you can get what they offer for free. Like you have said Eric, make your content unique.

      Reply ↓
    32. Nombulelo

      Hello Eric. I look forward to practising copywriting on a copy to use when I have caught up with myself on developing my business. I look forward to this, writing is my favorite thing. Keep well.

      Reply ↓
    33. Faisal

      Hi Eric, I just want you to know that you are one of the best out there, and in there 😀 kiddin,
      no seriously, you are one of the best guys I have seen giving tips and advices about making money online, your website is the best I have ever seen, I keep wondering, if this guy is giving all that tons of information for free, so what would his top selling products look like ?!!
      thank you so much, so happy to be one of your loyal visitors,
      Faisal,
      from Egypt

      Reply ↓
    34. Marija

      Hi Eric,
      with your teaching I have learned to differentiate the unethical offers on internet.In this lesson I like Universal formula.
      Thank you Marija

      Reply ↓
    35. Brenda McFadyen

      Hi Eric, Yes I’m following along with every lesson. I have saved them all.
      I sure hope video doesn’t take over from copywriting, I find it abysmally boring. Not yours, of course you are rather enjoyable.

      Reply ↓
    37. A Fitzgerald Hardnett

      Hey Eric, i am a customer of yours from the plr firesale and others, i have like 25 domain names that i would like to sell. I saw that you did something like this on ebay. I dont have a list but i am willing to give you 40% of the profit. They are just names i do not have any content on them. Would love to hear your thoughts

      Reply ↓
    40. Paul Warner

      I personally think that what goes on as to IM market is 99.99% manipulation and without going into ripping details as to why and who I feel that way about here are a few examples that drive me nuts. I don’t know where the rule is that I must receive an email or two, or three, once I subscribe to somebody but it is the most annoying irritating thing I go through everyday and I have learned to get rid of these marketers except a select few. Secondly is the marketer who sends me information on a product to look at and buy, and before I even have a chance to analyze what the product is about and whether it is worth my time, the next day he is back with another product, and the next day another product, I abhor this kind of marketing. These same marketers will send me some deal every day with an opt-in box to fill without a clue as to who you are opting in to, and I have bitched and bitched about this and still they do it, to the point I have to get rid of them. Here is one that really gets me. I have bought lots of different products on line and would you believe I have never once received an email from the person I bought it from as to how I am doing with it, not once. Tell me this is not manipulation. Then there are the marketers who email me with a business email on Sunday, my day. We can’t even have a one day break from this stuff, and I get an email that I have to make a decision by midnight Sunday night. Needless to say I have sent some ripping emails over this kind of manipulative marketing. Now we have a real beauty which is the ticking clock, the countdown, a demeaning manipulative way of selling, and of course I am sure you have heard people’s complaint as to the famed OTO. Dirty deceiving marketing as far as I am concerned. I like marketing as I have sold products all my life and have never had to resort to any of this stuff to sell product to customers.
      I do appreciate this course with the realization that there was a lot of effort put into it for our benefit and I have learned a lot without having to tear up my wallet, and in that regard it is one of the few times since I have been studying this stuff that I feel like I am not being taken for a ride. It is a terrific course.

      Reply ↓
    41. Scott Freeman

      Micah – ‘Just want to say “Thank you” for taking time to send a helpful reply. I will carefully follow your steps as I attempt to download Filezilla.

      Scott

      Reply ↓
    43. Istvan

      Hi Eric,

      Would you answer me with some sentences what are the biggest disadvantages in the internet marketing that I don’t speak a native English? Do You have any recommendation how to overcome this deficiency?

      Thanks Istvan

      Reply ↓
    44. Marc M. Demers

      Hi Eric,

      This is where I have to learn more as it seems the heart of the marketer, the art of writing.

      I might have to outsource my sale letters as I know the power of them.

      My only way to do it myself is to start from an existent one, then modify it to my needs.

      Thanks for your help.

      Marc

      Reply ↓

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