I Completed a Udemy Course in One Day to Enhance my Copywriting Skills

Due to my growing passion for the art of copywriting, I decided to take a copywriting course on Udemy to further my skill set. Through this course, I gained a deep appreciation for copywriting as a career and picked up tricks to strengthen the way I write existing copy. This post will break down the main takeaways from this course and how I plan to implement them into my copywriting journey.

Sell The Result, Not the Product or Service

“People aren’t interested in you. They’re interested in themselves”- Dale Carnegie

When writing copy, it’s essential to get into the habit of asking, “So What?” to turn features into benefits. As I write copy, repeatedly asking this vital question will allow me to interlace the features and benefits of a product or service. This visualization is crucial for customers to determine if the features are beneficial enough to outweigh the cost. Copywriters must become masters of digging out the hidden emotional benefits to paint a picture of a life without the product or service.

This piece of copy from the Hyundai Tucson landing page is a stellar example of showcasing the benefits that make purchasing this innovatively safe, top-of-the-line car exceed the price tag.

The copy reads:

Always ready, even when you aren’t.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with available Pedestrian Detection was created for those heart-stopping moments where something–or someone–unexpectedly crosses your path. Not only will it warn you of a potential collision, it will even apply emergency braking if you don’t begin stopping in time.

Power words like heart-stopping pull at the strings of potential buyers and lead them only to consider buying a vehicle that takes the importance of car safety as closely as a set of new parents.

“Emotions are the fire of human motivation, the combustible forces that secretly drive most decisions to buy. When your marketing harnesses those forces correctly, you will generate explosive increases in response.” -Gary Bencivenga

Step into your customer’s world. What are their dreams and aspirations? What are their pain points? Addressing this upfront will allow for a deeper connection within my copy’s words and establish a higher level of trust compared to not taking the time to research my reader.

Key Takeaways:

• Write copy that evokes a genuine feeling in the readers.
• Use the language of customers and write with a conversational approach.

Ask:

1. As a copywriter, how do I want to make my reader feel?
2. How can I help my reader solve a problem?
3. How can I help them get more of what they want and less of what they don’t?

5 Tips for Crafting Copy that Speaks

1. Write for one person, not a crowd. Make each prospect feel like the only one in the room. Addressing them leads explicitly to feelings of importance and recognition.
2. Use simple language. Readers shouldn’t have to decode the message before they can absorb it. For example, the word facilitate easily translates into ease or help. These smaller, more elementary words are easier to digest and ensure readers won’t run away at the sight of a tricky word they don’t understand.
3. Ask questions to engage the prospect/reader.
4. Use short sentences and paragraphs. Remove sentence bloaters such as really, very, almost, and probably.
5. Use contractions. Allows copy to read more humanly.

3-Point Plan for Keeping Copy from Derailing

When composing copy, ask these three questions to write copy that stays on track:

• What do I want the reader to KNOW after reading this copy?
• How do I want them to FEEL as they’re reading this copy?
• What do I want my reader to DO after they finish reading?

How to Write an Irresistible Call-to-Action

Be direct and use active language. Don’t gently suggest the CTA. Grab the customer’s interest and use powerful words to encourage immediate action. Hint at the urgency to boost conversion rates. When acceptable, take advantage of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to further create a sense of time sensitivity.

Above all, remove the risk. The odds of getting the target customer to pull out their credit card significantly improves if they feel confident they are purchasing with low to no risk involved.

The line “Cancel anytime” acts as a financial cushion for customers who aren’t sure if the Netflix life is for them.

Key Takeaways:

• Write human.
• Keep a conversational tone, steer clear of tricky words and long paragraphs, and take a customer-first perspective using “you” language to address the prospect specifically.
• Take extra care of developing a strong, clear CTA.

Tried and True Formulas

In copywriting, there are a few step-by-step setups that are proven to lead to heightened responses. The first one is the acronym PAS.

PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, and Solution. People will do almost anything to avoid pain or hassle. Rubbing salt in the wound is an effective way to get prospects to take action. Just make sure that there is no confusion regarding the solution and how to heal the freshly aggravated pain point.

The next acronym is AIDA. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

In this copy, Apple presents the Apple Watch Series 6, making it almost impossible to want. The headline grabs the reader’s attention by using power words like future and health. The paragraph starts by piquing their interest, further outlining the features and benefits of the new watch. The last sentence creates a sense of desire for a more active, healthier, and connected life. Lastly, Apple makes the action item clear by having two links easily accessible to help potential buyers learn more — — ultimately bringing them closer to a purchase.

I realize that my career is in my own hands, so deciding to improve a skill that will only reap benefits was easy. Even though I completed this course in one day, copywriting success doesn’t come overnight. Copywriting involves embarking on a journey and developing the confidence needed to sell, inspire, and move an audience to achieve something bigger and better.