A copywriter makes money by solving commercial problems. To do this, he or she needs a set of knowledge and skills. That’s why in this article we will analyze the basic skills of a copywriter, the study of which significantly increases the chances of success and a higher check.
1. Basic knowledge about copywriting
The first thing beginners should learn is what copywriting really is, what a copywriter is, what tasks copywriter solves, and how this profession differs from a writer and a journalist. We cover all these topics in detail in the first lesson of free and systematic course “Copywriting from zero in 30 days“, check it out:
2. Understanding the target audience and its needs
Perhaps, this is the most important skill that helps not only in copywriting, but in any other field. And in everyday life too. A good copywriter must clearly know what the target audience is, what target action it should take, what the traffic is, segments and target groups are. A good copywriter should understand the audience needs and be able to offer appropriate solution to cover these needs through the text. See some examples here:
3. Working with sales funnel
It is critical for a copywriter to understand what a sales funnel, leads, conversion are, and how to work with them all. Just because with this skill we can manage the whole system and influence the result. It is important to understand that a copywriter is primarily a marketer, and therefore must be able to solve marketing tasks.
Also, a copywriter should be familiar with special vocabulary and acronyms: PPC, SEO, SMM, CTR, PPM, USP, UTM, etc.
4. AIDA model and text structure
Almost all commercial texts are created according to the AIDA model and have a clear commercial logic. The copywriter must be able to work with it and reveal the meanings in blocks of text. Here’s the lesson with more information:
5. Headlines creation
A good headline is more than half of the success of a copywriter’s text. First, because if the headline fails, the audience may not even start reading the text. Secondly, because the ability to write headlines allows you to convey the key idea to people in 1-2 lines of text and attract their attention, arouse their interest. And this is a very important and useful skill, no matter what you do.
There are dozens of formulas for headlines, but perhaps the most effective is the 4U formula. See how to create good copy headlines using it in this lesson.
6. Converting features and specs into benefits
This is one of the most important skills because it allows you to answer your audience’s biggest question – “Why?”. For example, why people should buy our products or services? Many copywriters mistakenly confuse benefits and features, or try to sell the benefits of the industry instead of the benefits of the seller.
To avoid such confusion, check out this lesson on how to distinguish between all these aspects and how to properly write benefits for B2B and B2C segments.
7. Structural thinking
To succeed in copywriting, you need to develop analytical and structural thinking. This is manifested, firstly, in the fact that a copywriter needs to constantly collect and process huge amounts of information. And secondly, the copywriter must be able to structure and competently present information to readers so that they understand it correctly. This, by the way, is one of the reasons why techies excel in this profession. As a rule, they already have an analytical mind.
Speaking of presenting information. In modern copywriting, plain text is rarely used. Instead of it, we use wireframes or mockups. If you want to learn more about them, check out this lesson.
8. Objection handling
Readers constantly have objections when studying a copywriter’s text. These objections can range from “I don’t believe you!” or “It’s too expensive!” to “I’ll think about it…” or “I’ll buy from another seller I know”. These objections need to be handled and resolved. Otherwise, the audience will not buy our products, services or ideas.
While there can be an infinite number of objections in form, in essence they can be divided into five main categories. And if you know how to work with these categories, objections cease to be a problem. This lesson shows how to do that.
9. Text editting
The copywriter’s text should be clear, well read and understood. That’s why another very important skill is prioritized – editing. This skill is needed to increase readability and sell products, services or ideas to the audience more effectively.
Readability can be measured with a special index that shows the number of education classes required to understand 80% of the text. This index can be calculated using special services such as HemmingwayApp and similar. You can also use various neural networks to improve your writing skills, such as DeepL Write.
10. Persuasion skill
Last but not least. This skill is critically necessary for a copywriter, because the effectiveness and persuasiveness of the text directly depends on it. To do this, the copywriter, firstly, must believe in what he or she sells. And secondly, to know and use the techniques of psychological influence on the audience.
Some of these techniques we have studied in this lesson, take a look.
By mastering these 10 skills, you create a very powerful base that allows you to succeed not only in copywriting, but also in other areas, whatever you do.
Good luck and take care of yourself!
Dan.