4 Ways to Learn Copywriting Without Going Broke

Today, I’m going to show you where to go to learn copywriting without spending a pant-load of money.

But before I do that, I have a little story for you.

When I first got the bug up my butt to learn copywriting, I was green.

In Alaska, there is a term for the type of person I was…I was what the natives called a “cheechako”.  (I lived there back in the ’80s, I guess some of the native cultures rubbed off on me.)

Basically, a “cheechako” is a person who is new to the Alaskan wilderness.  You know, like a newb, a greenhorn, wet behind the ears — that sort of thing.

Cheechako’s do moron types of things like trying to feed a grizzly bear a marshmallow with their teeth or trying to use an outhouse in 40 below weather. (Yeah, it’s always fun trying to get your nekkid butt cheeks off of a frozen toilet…)

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Learn Copywriting the Right Way

So in the copywriting realm, I guess you could say I was a “copywriting cheechako” when I got started.

Yep, I did a lot of really stupid things like:

• Sending out several hundred sales letters with misspelled words in the title
• Critiquing seasoned copywriters/entrepreneurs on how I could make their copy better
• Not having a niche to write for
• Marketing to entrepreneurs that obviously didn’t have any money
• Not studying and practicing the craft enough before approaching experienced clients
• Asking busy professionals for help…for free…Ugh!
• Advertising my services on Craigslist
• Thinking Fivver and Upwork were going to make provide me a stable income

You know, stupid junk like that.

The Gauntlet is Thrown – Learn Copywriting or Die

The one good thing I did was not cry about all of these failures.

I don’t mind being a copywriting cheechako, but BECOMING A WIMPY SNOWFLAKE OR QUITTER WAS NOT AN OPTION.

So if you can take one thing away from this post, it is persistence pays off.   The problem with most people is that they start a business or venture and expect immediate success.

I’ve owned at least 4 businesses and in all cases, it took years to get experience and marketing traction.

Starting a copywriting business is no different.  Initially, for most people going into the business, it takes a lot of time and effort to get started.  However, if you work it hard you’ll see results.

The best advice I got from another copywriter is to make sure you market your business every day and work on your craft every day.

Why All Entrepreneurs Should Learn Copywriting

I want to point out that if you’re any type of entrepreneur, you need to know the principles of copywriting.

[Tweet theme=”basic-white”]If you are a blogger, copywriting will help you write posts that will keep your audience on-page.[/Tweet]

If you’re selling something online or off, copywriting will help you sell using words. (Wouldn’t you much rather send out one letter to a targeted audience than hire an entire sales force?)

Any time you advertise, knowing how to write copy will increase your conversion rates. You will get a lot more traffic if your advertisements are compelling.

Not only that but knowing how to write great sales letters and advertisements will save you a ton of money.

If you ever have to hire a copywriter, you’ll know what you need to have done in advance. You’ll understand the copywriting process and what your writer has to do to get the job done.

You’ll also be able to tell if you have hired a decent copywriter or not.

Incredible Resources on How to Write Sales Copy

Over the years, I’ve collected a large library of copywriting courses and books. My shelves are loaded with stuff by copywriters like Dan Kennedy, Bob Bly, and Gary Halbert.

Now I’m going to take you off-road to other copywriting resources that will help you learn the art of copywriting. These are courses and sites that are very reasonable.

I have used these sites myself and they loaded with great information.

The Warrior Forum The Warrior Forum (A.K.A. the WF) Is the Internet’s top forum for entrepreneurs to learn and exchange ideas.

On the WF there are sections on how to run and market an online business. There’s also a section on copywriting, where copywriters answer questions and exchange ideas.

Many times, members of the WF will post ideas about how to get started in copywriting. Usually, these are very long sections that are a collection of posts that you can read and learn from.

The resource on this site that will be the most valuable to you is the 1000th Post: Best Resources for Copywriters

That one post has tons of information for you to read on the subject of becoming a copywriter. I guarantee you could spend weeks trying to read this section and never get finished.

Of course, the material is divided into sections so that you can look at only the stuff you need.

You Can Learn a Lot About Copywriting From a Cult

Cult of Copy– This is a site run by a gentleman named Colin Theriot. The premise of the site is to use the “darker side” of persuasion in marketing and copywriting.

I have taken one of Colin’s courses in the past and it was excellent.

The course I took breaks down an entire sales letter step-by-step. He goes through each section in a very detailed manner so you can understand what he was thinking as he wrote it.

His courses are screen capture videos with audio which makes it very easy to learn copywriting. So, you can see what section he was working on as he discusses it with you. His sales letter course will run you over $100 bucks but it is well worth it.

You can also learn a ton from Colin by going to his YouTube Channel here: Cult of Copy Channel

He also has a presence on Facebook the Cult of Copy page.  That page has gained a massive following and also a lot of information on it. Much of the information is from copywriters that have been practicing their craft.

You can take one of Colin’s courses on Udemy and it will run you a mere $49.

Online Courses that Teach Copywriting

Over the last couple of years, online courses have become very popular. The primary reason for this is the delivery systems make it easy for teachers to set up a course.

Udemy is one of the learning sites that are most popular. (The other contender is Lynda.)

When I last checked, Udemy had 60different copywriting courses. Most of those didn’t cost more than $49.00 to take. Almost all of those courses were videos and included worksheets and assignments.

One of the video courses I looked at showed that the course offered 2.5 hours of on-demand video, 6 Supplemental Resources, Full lifetime access, Access on mobile and TV, and a Certificate of Completion

Weed Out the Good Copywriting Courses From the Bad

How do you weed out the good courses from the bad?

If you know who wrote the course, and if they have a good reputation, that’s an excellent sign.

The best way to tell is by checking the comments and reviews by the people that took the course. You’ll need to look carefully at the reviews because people are sometimes being nice.

Not only that, but a lot of people would like to comment and get on with their day, rather than waste time writing a review.

If you see very simplified answers like, “I liked the course.” or “good course!” you may want to read as many comments as you can and probe further.

If you see several detailed answers, then that’s a good indicator of a well-thought-out and honest review.

Try to figure out a way to contact several people that have taken the course, so you can ask them questions. People are usually very interested in helping others when it comes to stuff like this. Remember to stay polite and thank the folks you get help from graciously.

You Can Learn a Lot From Hanging Out

AWAI – America Writers and Artists Inc. is a massive freelance writer’s course site that has been around for years.  I have a subscription to this site and it is massive.

You can subscribe to the membership site for about $50 or you can buy one of their courses.  The courses on this site run from about $50 up to $700.

Usually, you can make payments on the more expensive courses of around $150 a month until it’s paid off.

One of the more expensive courses that are well worth it is Joshua Boswell’s “Start Your Copywriting Course in a Day” course.

It is very popular and well worth the money and presents different methods you can use to learn how to copywrite.

Conclusion

As you can see, you can learn copywriting without spending loads of money. However, writing copy is one of those arts that requires a lot of time.

Just like learning a musical instrument, you’ll need to take time each day to learn and master your craft.

If you’ve been learning how to write copy and know of any other great freelance writing courses, please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

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