The entrepreneur?s life is a busy one. Whether you?re running a full-scale business or you?re just trying to get your first product off the ground, you have a lot to think about and a lot to do. Product development. Distribution. Sourcing. Order fulfillment. Setting up a website. These are just a few of the issues that occupy the mind of the modern business owner.
Oh yeah, and then there?s the small matter of getting people to buy your product, which of course requires you to know how to write copy that sells. You could hire a copywriter to handle this for you, but you probably don?t have that luxury if you?re running a small to medium business.
What?s an insanely busy entrepreneur to do?
Psst…here?s a secret: You can write good copy even if it feels like you?re already working 26 hours per day, and even if the last thing you wrote was a horribly misspelled crayon letter to your grade-school love. Here are some of the keys to effective marketing copywriting.
Write with a specific person in mind
You know what you?re selling, and you should know who?s most likely to buy your product. Before you begin writing, think about that person. A generic description doesn?t cut it here. You want to think about a specific person who lives, breathes, and purchases. If you sell lawn-care products, think about your neighbor who trims his grass with scissors. If you sell kitchen accessories, think about the amateur chef in your family or friend group.
Take some time to clearly envision this person and get in their mindset. You should be able to imagine the type of work they do, the people they socialize with, the things they do for fun. Once you get a clear picture of this ideal customer?s persona, you can really speak to their hopes, needs, and/or fears. And when you truly speak to those elements of your customer?s identity, you?re all but guaranteed to make the sale.
Think about what would get you to purchase
You are just as important a source of good copy as your ideal customer is. So take some time to get into your own mind and reflect. And no, you don?t have to sit under a waterfall humming with your legs crossed and eyes closed to do it.
The key here is to think about non-essential purchases you?ve made. Why did you buy? Think beyond the surface reasons; consider the deeper hopes or fears you appeased by making these purchases. Sure, maybe you bought the filet mignon and shrimp because you knew it would be delicious. But it probably also gave you the comfort of knowing you?re worthy of the finer things. Once you understand your own motivations for purchasing, you?ll find it much easier to find words that convince your prospect to buy. Speaking of which…
Use powerful words
Duh, right? This may sound like a no-brainer, but what exactly are those powerful words? Fortunately, we have some well-conducted research to tell us! It?s all about context.
Context words ? words conveying insight, time, space, and/or motion ? have been proven to create ?emotional engagement? in readers. And emotional engagement can lead readers to take an action, such as buying your product. These context words are especially useful in writing headlines. For example, the headline ?How to Boost Your Productivity in Just 30 Minutes? contains words conveying insight (?How to?), motion (?Boost?), and time (?30 Minutes?).
Be clear, concise, and authentic
Or to put it another way, use short sentences with plain words. Write as if you?re speaking directly to your customer in person. This is how you sell without sounding ?salesy.?
The best way to find your proper tone is to just start writing, plain and simple. Don?t worry about finding the perfect words. Don?t try to be overly clever. Don?t spend hours searching the web trying to find a piece of advice to guide every sentence. Now is the time to let the words fly. If you?re passionate about your product and know your customer, your words will be effective. Once you?ve got those words committed to paper, you?ve completed the most difficult step. Now it?s time to edit.
Give yourself some time so you can edit properly
We all know editing is a hugely important part of writing. But many people don?t realize the key to editing is to give yourself time. Ideally, you want to give yourself a day or two ? half a day at the very least ? before you go back over your written piece (assuming it?s more than a few paragraphs, which most of your important sales messages should be).
This is because you want to approach your piece with fresh eyes, i.e., the eyes of your potential customer. Read through and see if it would convince you to buy the product. See if it holds your attention. If it doesn?t, make some changes (remember the power words) and try again. Have someone else read over your piece, if possible. This is the best way to take your sales message from ?good? to ?convincing.?
Going Further
Of course these tips are just the beginning of great copywriting, but they provide a great start for a busy entrepreneur. The important thing to remember is that nobody is a perfect copywriter. It?s a constant process of learning and doing and even experimenting to see what works best for your business specifically.
There are a lot of resources out there to teach you how to write copy that sells. This is just a quick guide, but it should have you well on your way. We encourage to keep learning, because great copy is among the most powerful tools an entrepreneur can have in their arsenal!

Matt Clark is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Amazing.com, a serial entrepreneur, and investor. He’s been featured on Forbes, CNBC, and Entrepreneur.com.
I’m always eager to improve. Show me how!
Ditto on no download (Chrome) – sent me to a landing page that advertised video series. Then in a loop on video – no download button appeared.
Yes please, kindly send me the free guide/video series. Thanks.
Did you enter your email on this page? http://amazing.com/report/copywriting-for-business We will send you the free guide and video series if you sign up there 🙂
I agree sales copy writing excellence is essential
could not down load report did not work
Thomas, what didn’t work? Did you enter your email? The repot should have been sent to your email if you entered it.
Hi I left a ‘didn’t download’ comment above, however it came by email – It would be good to mention in response page that “The report is on way to your email box” that way users would know what to expect.
Hi John, thank you for the feedback and we apologize for the confusion. I will try to get this fixed to be more clear in the future. As for the videos, video 1 will be available on Wednesday. We will let you know when it’s ready by email, but I can see why the language on the page before it is a bit confusing!
There you go – copywriting – always room for improvement!
Downloading it didn’t work in Firefox (just showed the endless circle), but when I used Chrome, it worked immediately.
Thank you for letting me know, Cindy.
Yes, I would like very much to see your information.
Yes I would very much like to see these videos thank you so very much
Hi Jill! Our videos will be coming available next week starting on Wednesday. Check back then to watch…or if you put in your email, we will let you know as soon as they are available! Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for all of “learning” tips. I am soaking them all in. I have just finished my Autobiography. At the present time I am writing my R&BSOUL MUSIC BOOK. So, yes I am “Busy, busy, busy. I have to be ALL THAT I CAN BE IN COPYWRITING.Paul L. AllenPauly also Northwestpauly. Who has released a 14 track R&B album titled: Pauly CANCER SURVIVOR. I can be found at hhtp://www.reverbnation.comnortwestpauly. For Cancer Survivor track./
Great tips on Copywriting which is so essential for Great Sales!
but when I go to the video series why does it show live in 4 Days-hrs-mins-secs?
Hi Bela! Thank you! The video series will be released next week, starting on Wednesday. If you added your email address to get the download, you should be notified by email on Wednesday as soon as its up! 🙂
I downloaded the guide on how to write better copy. I read it with interest. I look forward to putting it into ation to improve my existing copy and use it as a guideline for our next product. I am going to see how it affects our sales.
Wonderful Jerry! Let us know if it helps! 🙂
I am using chrome and no download
Cynthia, if you submitted your email, you should be receiving your report via email shortly. Let us know if you don’t get it!
I’ve submitted my e-mail 3 times and no report
oops it’s was in my spam
Waiting for the REPORT!
Hi Adil, you should have received it in your email. If not, try checking your spam folder.
Many thanks for your remarkable , teaching, guiding article&video
You the best
Yossi
I am interested.
Show me the Money.
Great and lovely post TC,
Writing is an act which can be well perfected with time, its something you’ll get used to with time and constant practice.
I agree with all your points here. Its very necessary for a marketer to master the act of copy writing indeed but its a very awesome skill that can open doors for you.
One mistake that you can make as a copywriter is to just write for yourself or to write for no one. Like you mentioned, its very very important to know the person you’re writing your copy for using yourself as an example.
My interest in taking this offer.
Thanks
Sharief
Sure I want to write, but I’m still reluctant where to start my writing. Hoping this would be the beginning for me to be come a writer. Thanks a lot.
Just watched the first video. Expected it to be like a lot of other IT guru free videos, “over promise and under deliver”. Well not in this case, it under promised and over delivered. Well worth the time to sit through it. It makes me wonder that if this is what I get for free, what would I get if I paid for something?
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That’s exactly how you should feel! And that is what we teach you how to do for your customers! 🙂
I am curious if the ‘founding member special’ of copy command includes content on “social secretes”? I not only need to know how to write copy but how to do it in social media.
Copy Command and Social Secrets are separate courses, however, the principles you will learn in Copy Command can definitely be used for social media and social advertising copy. If you do become a founding member, your free piece of copy could be social-focused! 🙂