Write Copy that Sells: The Fastest, Easiest, Only "Cheat Codes" You Need

Welcome to the first edition of the Copy Code Notes.

This edition will be the most important one you read.

So please read carefully.

In all likelihood, you don’t consider yourself a copywriter.?

You’re a “business owner,” "marketer," or "sales rep."?

You probably don't view copywriting as your primary calling.

But I'm here to tell you: It is.

Whether you realize it or not...

Having the skill to compose persuasive messages that compel people to take action is what ultimately drives results.

And if you aren't working to grow this skill, you're at a disadvantage.

These Copy Code Notes will teach you this skill. More than that...

My personal goal in writing these Notes is to make you self-sufficient in mastering this skill.

Many well-respected and quite legitimate copy gurus promise to dramatically improve your ability to generate sales through the written word.

And you're more than welcome to study their teachings. I sure have.

But the entire goal of the Copy Code Notes is to make you so good at copywriting that you won't need to rely on anyone else's teachings.

Including mine.

I believe a good teacher should share so much of their knowledge with their students that one day the student no longer needs the teacher.

This is my primary goal with these Notes.

I want to help you think strategically about copy.?

I want you to understand why certain copy works in some situations but not others.

I want you to develop your own winning copy templates, formulas, and secrets that others will beg you to reveal.

If the Copy Code Notes have any hope of achieving this goal, it's essential to make sure we're on the same page going forward.

So in this first edition, we're gonna clear up a few misconceptions I often see about copywriting, establish some definitions, and set up our foundations.

That's what makes this edition indispensable.

You're gonna be learning some very advanced copywriting techniques soon.

I don't want to risk you misunderstanding them.

With that said, let's get a few things straight.

What I mean when I say "Copywriting:" Copy vs Content

When we talk about 'copy' in these Notes, we're explicitly discussing a specific type of writing.

When I decided to abandon my sales position to become a copywriter…

I didn’t know what copywriting was.?

I bought every copywriting course I could get my hands on.?

I spent countless hours trying to master every copy trick and tactic ever shared.?

I was a sponge—soaking in the craft of leads, fascinations, headlines, hooks, promises, offers, and any other element of copy the professionals used.

And in my quest to become a copywriting god, I heard a quote from Dan Lok.

With this quote, Dan gave me my favorite definition of Copywriting:

He said, “Copywriting is closing in print.”

Those five words perfectly sum up your job as a copywriter:

Close the reader.?

Whether you’re closing them on buying a product, closing them on submitting their email, closing them on clicking this link, or just closing them on reading the next sentence…

The purpose of copy is always the same: To close.

When we use the term 'copy' in these Notes...

We're describing a piece of writing designed to persuade and compel the reader to take a specific action immediately after reading.

I emphasize this definition because 'copywriting' is often confused with 'content writing.'

'Content' is a different type of writing altogether. It has a different goal, a different audience, a different style, and requires different skills.

When we use the term 'content' in these Notes...

We're describing a piece of writing designed to educate or inform readers to boost general engagement.

Sales letters are examples of 'copy.'

Blogs are examples of 'content.'

Now, copy can be disguised to look like content. We'll unpack that later...

For now, just remember that whenever we talk about 'copywriting,' we're talking about writing that generates instant sales, leads, or calculated clicks.

These Notes weren't written to sell you anything, capture your information, or get you to click on a particular link.

So these Notes aren't 'copy,' They're content.

Which brings me to my next point...

The Fastest Way to Get Really Good At Copywriting

It's widely accepted among linguists that the only way to truly learn a new language is to speak and hear it often.

For example.

Many people have studied Spanish for 7+ years in school.

They can't speak or understand it very well.

Meanwhile, other people have spent 6 months in Spain.

They often become practically fluent.

My point here is...

You can study copy for as long as you'd like.

Take every copywriting course in the world.

But the fastest way to truly master copywriting...

Is to write copy often and read copy often.

You don't have to be a copywriter to do this.

Let's consider how easy this would be and why it's so important.

Reading Copy Often.

Read one piece of copy every day.

It could be an ad, an email, a landing page, or a credit card promotion you got in the mail.

If you want to become a great copywriter as fast as possible, commit to reading at least one piece of copy every single day.

These Notes don't count. BUT...

With the help of these Notes, you'll start to see the "Code" behind the words on the page.

The best copy to read, in my opinion, is Sales Letters.

This is because Sales Letters are the ONLY form of copy designed to take the reader through all 5 Market Awareness Levels in one single piece of writing.

This is very hard to do.

Imagine someone who's never heard of you.

This person doesn't know they want your solution.

Even worse, they aren't even aware they have the problem that your solution solves!

Now imagine that same person receiving a Sales Letter in their mailbox.

Immediately after reading this single letter, they send you a check for $147.95.

That's the power of a well-written Sales Letter.

They turn freezing-cold prospects into "take-my-money" customers in one fell swoop.

Obviously, we'll learn how they do this throughout these Notes.

But you'll absorb the lessons much faster if you read copy daily.

Writing Copy Often.

You don't have to write original copy.

If you want to create original copy, that counts as writing copy often.

However, if you don't find it necessary to write original copy, don't worry.

Simply write by hand pieces of copy you enjoy. Copy the copy.

So, if you're reading one piece of copy every day, just hand copy it once you're finished reading.

Now here's why this is important.

Hand copying trains you to write better copy by engaging your subconscious.

It allows you to see inside the mind of the original copywriter.

Reading one piece of copy a day and hand copying it out is the single fastest way to get really good at copywriting.

I understand if this sounds like a waste of time.

I had to hear this from 4 different copywriting gurus before I actually started to do it.

I wasted a lot of time NOT doing this.

It works. Do it.

The Easiest Way to Instantly Make Your Copy Better

Read it out loud. Read it OUT LOUD. Read it OUT LOUD.

When you're done writing, read your copy OUT LOUD!

Not inside your head. Out loud.

Hopefully I made this point clear.

When you read your copy out loud, you'll instantly find ways to improve it.

Try it out.

If you stumble on a sentence, your reader will probably get tripped up on that sentence when they read it too.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'It's better to be clear than clever.'

Reading out loud ensures your copy is clear.

The more naturally the copy flows when you read it out loud, the easier it will be for your reader to digest what you're communicating.

You'll also catch mistakes that Grammarly misses.

I can't tell you how many times I've reviewed copy and immediately thought, "This copywriter definitely didn't read this out loud."

Reading your copy out loud is, by far, the easiest way to make it better.

The Only (Real) "Cheat Code" That Makes Copy Convert

Many copy gurus will tell you they've developed a bulletproof system to easily write copy that sells.

And if they're any good at their job, they'll convince you that their unique formula will require very little effort on your part.

Making solutions sound easy is a huge part of writing good copy.

Understand that anything worth doing will require work.

If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Since these Notes aren't copy (they're content), I'm gonna tell you this before we begin discussing the juicy copy secrets...

The only system, cheat code, or trick that will make your copy convert...

Is doing thorough research.

Research is the ultimate cheat code to writing copy that converts.

You may think you already know everything about your audience, product, and competitors...

But markets, mediums, and trends are constantly evolving.

The best copywriters are detectives or investigative journalists.

We find all the new dirt on our clients and their competitors.

We uncover the overlooked motivations and challenges of our target audience.

We discover the hidden gems in our solutions.

If anyone wanted to understand the psychology behind their consumers' buying decisions, their best bet is to ask a well-trained copywriter.

So, why is thorough research the most unfair advantage a copywriter can gain against competitors?

How exactly does a good copywriter determine what's important to research?

They could just be wasting time learning about useless facts, right?

Where do they look to find useful insights for their copy?

What tools do they use to research?

How long should it take to know if you've done enough research?

Find out next month in the Copy Code Notes!

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to DM me if you have a copy question. Your question is likely someone else’s question. So don’t be shy! Or let me know what topics you'd like me to cover next.

Talk soon!

• Matt Bauman

New Editions of Copy Code Notes are released on the last Friday of every month.

Special thanks to?Brandon Notheis,?Ignacio Nunez, and?Eddie Maalouf?for making this possible.