“I can turn your ‘meh’ into ‘wow’ with a few well-chosen words and a whole lot of caffeine.”
Here’s the deal…
If you look around the internet, almost everyone defines copywriting as the art of using words to influence someone to make a sale. Then they’ll dish out the same overused tips on how to write “ridiculously persuasive” copy.
But this view is too narrow.
Writing great copy is more than just knowing how to piece together words to form a persuasive sales page.
It’s more than creating a compelling hook, creating a strong emotional appeal, or even being grammatically perfect.
I’ve given this a lot of thought… And here’s a definition of copy that I’m comfortable with:
Good copy is the written execution of a business’s marketing and branding strategy, delivered in an engaging and entertaining way.
Yes, there is a difference between good and bad copy.
You see, anyone can write copy. But not everyone knows how to write good copy.
The problem is, most people end up writing bad copy because they play it safe, color inside the lines, and just follow along a script.
Who cares?
Most people care about ONE thing: did the copy convert?
“Are my sales higher now?”
I believe there are THREE important components of good copy.
It should be:
Profitable
Honest
Sustainable
Yes, it mainly does need to convert. That’s why I listed profitable up right at the top.
But I also think it should be honest and sustainable.
Honesty is something you won’t find mentioned much when discussing copywriting, but I consider it a cornerstone of what I offer.
There’s just way too much bullshit in the world. You can lie, trick, and deceive people to make money if you want.
And you will likely generate massive returns in the process…
But I’d personally feel like shit doing it.
AND you can make just as much money, if not more, by being honest.
This leads directly into the third criteria: sustainability.
Your typical copywriter is entirely focused on making money in the present.
They rely on what people call a “salesy” approach. It works for their goals of short-term cashflow, but it’s also unappealing to the majority of people who read it.
The result is that you slowly lose (or simply don’t gain) authority and trust.
While these approaches may generate great returns at the beginning, they also “cool” the majority of your market.
You may quickly capture a few percent of your potential customers, but you also lose the other 98% in the process.
Call me crazy, but I think copy should both sell now and set the business up for future success.
This isn’t too much to ask.
It takes more work.
It takes more time.
But it’s doable, and the result is a profitable, honest, and sustainable business with fans, not just customers.
Have I caught your attention yet?
Boom. That’s copywriting.