5 Copywriting Exercises You Can Do Right Now To Get 90% Better

Summary

This video outlines five practical exercises to improve your copywriting skills. The speaker emphasizes the importance of action over mere study, comparing it to boxing. Key exercises include building a 'swipe file' for inspiration, seeking feedback from experienced copywriters, converting sales pages into emails (and vice versa), trimming excess copy, and minimizing distractions by cutting out entertainment. The video encourages focusing on education and practice to rapidly enhance your copywriting abilities, with additional resources offered at the end for further learning.

Takeaways

• 💡 Beginners often get stuck in learning without actually practicing copywriting, which is crucial for mastering the skill.
• 📝 Building a swipe file with effective copy from other companies is essential for finding inspiration and avoiding blank-page syndrome.
• 📧 Sign up for company email lists and analyze ads on social media to build a rich swipe file.
• 👍 Feedback from experienced copywriters is key to improving your skills; friends and family may not provide the best critiques.
• 🔄 Convert a sales page into an email or vice versa to test and improve your copywriting skills.
• ✂️ Trim down your copy as much as possible without losing the core message since people's attention spans are shorter.
• 🚫 Reduce entertainment consumption like Netflix and social media, and replace it with educational content to rapidly improve your copywriting.
• 👥 Join copywriting communities (like a Discord server) to exchange feedback and gain exposure to other writers’ work.
• 📜 Focus on writing concise, powerful copy that conveys big ideas in as few words as possible to keep readers engaged.
• 🎓 Actively consume educational content, implement what you learn, and practice daily to fast-track your copywriting mastery.

Q & A

What is the main point the speaker makes about learning copywriting?

The speaker emphasizes that many beginners focus too much on studying copywriting content without actually practicing and implementing the skills they learn, which is essential to mastering copywriting.

Why does the speaker compare copywriting to boxing?

The speaker compares copywriting to boxing to illustrate that just studying the theory (watching videos or reading about boxing) isn't enough to master the skill—you need to practice it in real-life scenarios.

What is a swipe file, and why is it important?

A swipe file is a collection of effective or interesting pieces of copy that can serve as inspiration when writing your own. It helps avoid writer's block and provides ideas based on what successful businesses use in their copy.

How can you build a swipe file?

You can build a swipe file by signing up for companies' email lists, noting the copy used in ads, or breaking down the sales pages and ads from companies you’ve interacted with to see what makes their copy effective.

Why is getting feedback on your copy important?

Feedback is essential because it allows you to learn from others who have more experience. Constructive criticism helps improve both your skills and the specific piece of copy you’re working on.

What is the benefit of converting a sales page into an email or vice versa?

Converting a sales page into an email (or an email into a sales page) is a great exercise because it forces you to test your ability to communicate the same message in different formats and lengths, helping improve adaptability and versatility in copywriting.

What is the significance of trimming copy effectively?

Trimming copy is important because attention spans are getting shorter, and concise copy is more likely to be read and absorbed. Communicating ideas effectively with fewer words makes the copy more engaging.

Why does the speaker advise cutting out entertainment like Netflix or social media?

The speaker suggests cutting down on entertainment to focus more on educational content, which will significantly improve your skills faster by replacing time-wasting activities with activities that enhance copywriting knowledge.

What is the importance of studying ads on platforms like Instagram?

Studying ads on platforms like Instagram allows you to see real-world examples of persuasive copy that businesses use. Breaking down these ads helps you understand what makes them effective and provides ideas for your own swipe file.

What resources does the speaker offer to help improve copywriting skills?

The speaker offers access to a free Discord server with over 4,000 copywriters who review each other's work, as well as free copywriting training resources and courses available through their YouTube channel.