5 Surprising Copywriting Lessons I Learned The HARD Way 😳

5 Surprising Lessons Learned in Building a Copywriting Business

In this video, Alex shares the top five lessons he has learned while building his copywriting business over the last eight years.

Lesson #1: Sales Pages Are Not Everything

• A well-written sales page is not the only portfolio asset that matters.

• Other assets like emails, webinar scripts, abandoned cart sequences, relevant upsells, retargeting ads, and landing pages are also important to boost conversion rates.

• Understanding how to use congruent and compelling messaging across the entire ecosystem of a campaign is critical for success.

• Having a diverse range of copy assets in your portfolio can help you prove to clients that you understand the complete picture of a sales campaign.

Lesson #2: The Importance of Writing Authentic Copy

• Authenticity is key when it comes to writing copy that connects with audiences.

• Copywriters should focus on understanding their target audience and crafting messages that resonate with them.

• Avoid using manipulative tactics or making false promises in your copy.

• Instead, focus on building trust with your audience by providing value and being transparent.

Lesson #3 - The Power of Niching Down

• Niching down can help you stand out from other copywriters and attract clients who need your specific expertise.

• Focusing on a niche allows you to become an expert in that area and charge higher rates.

• Niching down can also help you create more targeted marketing messages and build a stronger brand.

Lesson #4 - The Importance of Building Relationships

• Building relationships with clients is crucial for long-term success as a copywriter.

• Focus on providing value, being responsive, and delivering high-quality work to build trust with clients.

• Don't be afraid to ask for referrals or testimonials from satisfied clients.

• Networking with other professionals in your industry can also lead to new opportunities and collaborations.

Lesson #5 - The Value of Investing in Yourself

• Investing in yourself by learning new skills, attending conferences, or hiring coaches can pay off in the long run.

• Continuously improving your craft can help you stay ahead of the competition and provide more value to clients.

• Don't be afraid to invest time and money into your business if it means achieving greater success in the future.

Overall, building a successful copywriting business takes time, effort, and dedication. By following these five lessons learned by Alex over his eight years of experience, aspiring copywriters can save themselves some time while building their own businesses.

The Importance of Optimizing Existing Copy

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of optimizing existing copy and not just focusing on new products and funnels.

Fixing Existing Copy

• Businesses tend to focus on new products and funnels rather than optimizing existing ones.

• Copywriters can offer to improve a company's existing copy conversion rate.

• Business owners would pay good money for even a 10% boost in conversion rate on one landing page, sales page, or checkout page.

Inspiration for Writing Effective Copy

• Sign up for funnels and buy programs to get inspiration for writing effective copy.

• Study other funnels religiously to learn from them.

Decent Copywriters are Hard to Find

In this section, the speaker talks about how decent copywriters are hard to find and why she created her community.

Difficulty Finding Good Copywriters

• Decent copywriters are hard to find because they lack experience in the relevant niche or were never honest about their skill level in the first place.

• The speaker created her community to help aspiring copywriters create copy that both connects and converts.

Niche Specialization

• Aspiring copywriters should consider specializing in a particular niche as part of their marketing approach when approaching potential clients.

Time Management for Copywriting Projects

In this section, the speaker talks about the importance of time management for copywriting projects.

Importance of Time Management

• Copywriting is only 50% writing and requires research, ideation, and structuring.

• Allocate enough time for important steps before and after writing to avoid panic mode at the 11th hour of a deadline.

Saying No to Timelines

• Don't be afraid to say no to timelines that even seasoned copywriters would balk at.

How to Manage Your Time as a Copywriter

In this section, the speaker discusses how copywriting is similar to writing a novel and that there is no one-size-fits-all timeline for completing a project. She recommends logging hours diligently and getting familiar with your own process and flow.

Managing Your Time

• It took J.R.R. Tolkien 16 years to complete The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

• Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in just 6 days.

• As a copywriter, it's important to get familiar with your own process and flow so that you can produce quality work within deadlines.

• Logging hours diligently can help you figure out the steps you take from start to finish and the number of revision rounds needed on average for each project.

Why Copywriting is a Numbers Game

In this section, the speaker emphasizes that copywriting is a numbers game where creating and putting skills into practice leads to improvement over time.

Copywriting as a Numbers Game

• Only about 1% of Picasso's work ever made it into the record books, similarly not all pieces will be successful in copywriting but failure leads to learning and improvement over time.

• Clients pay for both your time and experience in producing quality work within deadlines.

• Reaching out to clients requires persistence since not everyone will say yes or even respond but adding value positions yourself with authority leading eventually to success.

• The best copywriters in the world are the best because they have failed the most.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes by summarizing the five lessons she learned in building her copywriting business and encourages viewers to watch her video on her secret 6-step copywriting process.

Final Thoughts

• Copywriting is a numbers game where persistence and practice lead to improvement over time.

• Failure leads to learning and improvement over time.

• The speaker recommends watching her video on her secret 6-step copywriting process.