Are you a seasoned copywriter or someone who hasn’t yet written their first word of copy?
What I have for you are copywriting tip from some of the top pros in the industry.
These 7 copywriting tips from the top marketing pros are must read material if you want to create some serious content.
Tips from, Dan Kennedy, author, Gary Halbert, author, David Ogilvy, advertising executive, Robert Collier, advertising executive, Jay Abraham, CEO The Abraham Group, Claude Hopkins, great advertising pioneer, John Caples, ad executive
Each top copywriter will share a tip with you to help you become a better copywriter.
In my experience, I have followed Jay Abraham and have several of his books, which I can highly recommend.
Big Mistake
One of the biggest mistakes made by marketers in their emails, ad copy, and even blog posts…
… is there is very little use of effective, emotion evoking, web copywriting.
I have read some “ho-ha” blogs that were dull, and had very little content. I know in my heart that the author to the blog just put together words without thought. They blog just to put out a blog.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how great your product or service is if there is nothing compelling in your marketing that motivates people to buy…they won’t and my not come back again. You have lost them forever!
As an online marketer or budding entrepreneur, you’d be foolish not to heed the advice and copywriting tips from seven of the all time best advertising, copywriting and direct response marketers ever to grace our planet.
Yeah I said it…
These pioneers of prose are considered by most to the best ever at their craft.
So if you’re looking for marketing copywriting tips that will enable you to get more leads, sales, and customers from your copywriting…
… you simply can’t afford not to lean in, pay attention, and keep your eyes glued to the best copywriting tips provided below!
With that said, here are “7 Copywriting Tips From The Top Marketing Pros”
Dan Kennedy, Tip #1
Our first of the 7 copywriting tips from the top marketing pros comes from Dan Kennedy.
If you didn’t know, Dan Kennedy is a strategic advisor, consultant, business coach, and author of the popular No B.S. book series.
He directly influences more than one million business owners annually and is the founder of the GKIC.
Here’s Dan Kennedy’s take on mistakes he often sees business owners make…
“A big mistake I see business owners make is writing factually and “professionally” rather than emotionally, with enthusiasm, and conversationally, as you would tell someone about your discovery.
I don’t care if you’re selling to Fortune 1000 CEO’s in sky-high boardrooms or to Papa Bear in his mobile home in the trailer park, your best approach is to write like you talk, and to infuse your writing with enthusiasm and with deeply emotional appeals.” ~ Dan Kennedy
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #1:
People buy from emotion and justify later on with logic.
It is critical that you appeal to the emotional side of your customer’s desires, not the practical or logical side.
Think about your customer’s psyche and ego and how your product could make them “feel” better about themselves.
Or how it will make them “look” better in the eyes of their friends or peers.
Gary Halbert, Tip #2
Gary Halbert is a legend in the copywriting industry and the author of several books including The Boron Letters and How To Make Maximum Money In Minimum Time.
Here’s Mr. Halbert’s take on why you need to weave your passion into your copywriting…
“PASSION. . . Let your excitement and enthusiasm spill out all over the page.
Don’t hold back. Put that pen to the page and RAVE!”
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #2:
Pretty straight forward here… if you’re not excited about your product, how will anyone else get excited about it?
Inject as much enthusiasm into your copy as you can. Then provide the benefits of your product and it will either…
- Help them move towards pleasure (something they want)
- Help them move away from pain (something they want to avoid or get rid of)
David Ogilvy, Tip #3
David Ogilvy was an advertising executive who was widely hailed as “The Father of Advertising”.
In 1962, Time called him “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry” and he also founded Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency.
David Ogilvy’s take on how to produce advertising that sells…
“Do your homework…
You don’t stand a tinker’s chance of producing successful advertising unless you start by doing your homework. I have always found this extremely tedious, but there is no substitute for it.
First, study the product you are going to advertise. The more you know about it, the more likely you are to come up with a big idea for selling it. When I got the Rolls Royce account, I spent 3 weeks reading about the car and came across a statement that “at sixty miles an hour, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock.
This became the headline, and it was followed by 607 words of factual copy.” ~ David Ogilvy
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #3:
Know your product inside and out. Know exactly why and how it will be the solution to your target audience.
Pro Tip #4 from Robert Collier
Robert Collier was an American author who wrote many self-help books in the 20th century.
Collier wrote about the practical psychology of abundance, desire, faith, visualization, confident action, and personal development.
Here’s Robert Collier’s take on the success or failure of a sales letter…
Because getting the results you set out to accomplish with a letter is no more a matter of rule of thumb than landing a fish with a rod and hook. You know how often you have seen some ragged urchin pull in fish after fish with the crudest of lines, when a “sportsman” near by, though armed with every piscatorial lure known to man, could not raise even a bite!
It’s a matter of bait, that’s all. The youngster knew what the fish would bite on and he gave it to them. Result? A mess of fine fish for dinner. The “sportsman” offered them what he had been led to believe fish ought to have – and they turned up their fishy noses at it.
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #4:
Know your audience and understand what they want, not what you think they should want.
Create your Avatar. If you haven’t created your avatar, here are two great articles:
Jay Abraham, Tip # 5
Jay Abraham is known for his work in developing strategies for direct-response marketing in the 1970s.
In 2000, Forbes listed him as one of the top five executive coaches in the US.
He is the founder and CEO of the Abraham Group, a marketing consultant firm focused on providing growth strategies to businesses.
As I mentioned above, I have several of his books and can highly recommend reading them. This is one that I’m currently reading: Money Making Secrets of Marketing Genius Jay Abraham and Other Marketing Wizards.
Here’s Jay Abraham’s take on the style of your copywriting…
“Make your copy straightforward to read, understand and use.
Use easy words; those that are used for everyday speech.
Use phrases that are not too imprecise and very understandable.
Do not be too stuffy; remove pompous words and substitute them with plain words.
Minimize complicated gimmicks and constructions.
If you can’t give the data directly and briefly, you must consider writing the copy again.”
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #5:
If you think impressing your prospects with fancy words will get you more sales, think again. Instead, write to your audience as if you’re talking to a friend. You’ll come across as more relatable and therefore more likable. As in Tip #4, know your audience. Again, create your Avatar:
Claude Hopkins, Tip # 6
I must admit that I didn’t know who Claude Hopkins was. Until a friend mentioned I look him up.
Here is a FREE 78 page PDF called, Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising. Again, it is FREE and is easy to read.
Claude C. Hopkins was one of the great advertising pioneers. He believed advertising existed only to sell something and should be measured and justified by the results it produced.
Considered the “godfather of scientific marketing” he turned an art form into a scientific method.
Here’s Mr. Hopkins’ take on how to view your advertisements…
“The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. It is profitable or unprofitable according to its actual sales.
Treat it (advertising) as a salesman. Force it to justify itself. Compare it with other salesman. Figure cost and result. Accept no excuses.”
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #6:
Numbers don’t lie.
It doesn’t matter how much you like your ad or how well you think it should do.
The market will determine that for you.
So if you want to find your top producing ad, analyze the numbers, and let the amount of sales tell you whether it’s a good ad or not so good ad.
John Caples, Tip #7
Again, my friend suggested I study John Caples. During his first year as a copywriter, Mr. Caples wrote one of the best-known direct-mail ads of all time. Advertising a home-study course offered by the U.S. School of Music, the piece was headlined, “They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play!” It was an overnight success.
John Caples was born in 1900 and in 1925 he began his career as a copywriter and an Ad Exec.
Mr. Caples spent his career as an advocate of testing the effectiveness of advertising.
Here’s John Caples’ take on writing to you reader…
“Remember that the reader’s attention is yours for only a single instant.
They will not use up their valuable time trying to figure out what you mean.”
Copywriting Tips From The Pros – Takeaway #7:
Getting your reader’s attention is the name of the game.
However, once you have their attention, if your reader is either bored or confused they’ll stop reading immediately.
So to prevent this… make sure you’re writing for your reader and not for yourself.
Remember, it’s all about them, not you!
Copywriting For Business: Additional Resources
How To Create Your Customer Avatar
Copywriting Tips: Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read through all of the above copywriting tips from the top marketing pros are you ready to get started?
Well the answer is, yes and no. Copywriting is an art. Time and practice will make you a good copywriter.
My advice, when asked “am I ready?” I say, “just start.” So many people are afraid to start. However, over time and practice they became good. In fact copywriting can be fun.
As AN EXAMPLE: All the great movie actors, singers, dancers, song writers had to start somewhere. Were they good? Probably NOT. However, over time, practice, failing they developed their craft.
We don’t see the struggles they went through to get to were they are today, we only see the results.
The same for you. The key is to START.
Practice, fail, do it again, learn and over time you can and will be a good copywriter.
Your business will thank you. And most of all you will Thank YOU.
So with that:
The best thing you can do is to improve your copywriting is to…
- Write as if you’re talking to a friend
- Be your authentic self
- Be passionate about your products and inject that passion into your copywriting
- Focus and keep practicing
Even though you now understand more about copywriting for the blog, you may still be a bit lost on what to write about.
If that’s the case, I want you to check out The Copywriter Guild so you can create an endless stream of compelling blog posts.
Thanks and until the next time,
PS: Copywriting is not that difficult. What I mean is, if I can do it so can you. I’m by far not great but I feel I am good. I did this by using the recommended The Copywriter Guild and 5 Winning Headline Formulas.
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