How to Become a Better Copywriter: Advice I Wish I Had

I’ve made over seven figures online, and it all started with copywriting. 

Specifically, I founded and sold a digital marketing agency and am currently a partner in Copyblogger, a seven figure course and community.

And copywriting has been my secret to customer acquisition.

Nearly all of my revenue has come from written marketing channels like blog posts, social media, and email newsletters.

I’ve tried a variety of copywriting tips and tactics, and these are the most important copywriting tips I wish I knew earlier. 

What Makes a Great Copywriter?

First, becoming a better copywriter doesn’t mean you write more eloquently.

In fact, the opposite is often true. 

Great copywriters are clear, concise, and ultimately convert readers into customers.

So instead of focusing on improving the craft of writing more eloquently, focus on how to generate more revenue from your words. 

If you can prove that your copywriting can generate a higher ROI than the market average, you’ll have a much more successful career as a copywriter.

Keeping that in mind, here are my ten best pieces of advice to become a better copywriter.

1.) Talk to Customers

Your job as a copywriter is to capture a potential customer’s attention, build trust, introduce them to a solution, answer their objections, and ultimately convert them into a customer. 

To accomplish this goal, you need to understand the customers’:

• Pain Points: What is compelling them to look for a solution?
• Objections: What are the most common concerns about the product or service?
• Language: Do they resonate with a professional or more casual style of writing?

For example, if you look at Ramit Sethi’s landing page for his course, Earnable, you’ll see that he perfectly paints the picture his ideal customer currently faces. 

Instead of just saying “here’s how to make more money,” he captures the reader’s attention by mirroring the exact pain they currently experience (9-5 job, Netflix at night, weekend trips to Home Depot, endless scrolling on Instagram). 

Great copywriters deeply understand the exact situation prospects are experiencing and repeat it back to them, as this proves to the reader that you understand the pain of that reality. 

The more precisely you can paint the picture of their reality, the more effective you’ll be at converting them because you’re illustrating that this product is specifically designed for them. 

Ramit also dives into the specific objections a prospect may have. In fact, he even labeled them as “scripts”:

Keep in mind that you can apply this concept to any form of copy, not just sales pages. 

For example, this ad from HubSpot highlights the pain point of sorting through endless data in a CRM:

From a tactical standpoint, how do you actually talk to your customers?

If you’re working with a client, you might not realistically have time to talk to multiple customers before your work is due. In this case, ask if you can speak with their sales reps. Ask the sales reps to share the most common pain points and objections. 

Alternatively, if the client records sales calls, you can download the call recording transcripts, upload them to an AI tool like ChatGPT, and ask it to identify the most common pain points and objections. 

If the client doesn’t have any sales data, at least visit Reddit and join Facebook communities to learn more about the pain points. 

For example, if you’re writing for a weight loss program, go into a weight loss Reddit thread and learn everything you can about people buying similar programs. 

You can even copy and paste a bunch of the Reddit threads into ChatGPT and ask it questions like:

• What are the most common problems people run into when they start a weight loss program?
• What are the most common diets people use?
• If someone plateaus during a diet, what are the most common reasons cited?

All of that information is valuable research you can incorporate into your copy. 

These communities also provide a better understanding of the tone of voice and language these people use. 

2.) Learn From Your Competitors

The leading competitors in your industry have likely already invested a significant amount of time and money in testing copy that works.

Instead of starting from scratch, use their copy as a starting point to learn what works and what doesn’t. 

I particularly like to use the LinkedIn or Facebook ads library as a starting point, because paid ads are easy to test, and you can see which ads ran the longest.  

In general, the longest running ads are the most effective and therefore likely feature a winning pain point. For example, here I can tell that this ad for Synthesia started running almost a month ago (Sept 2, 2025), and the main pain point they focus on is the pain of coordinating and executing shoots for training videos:

Even if I’m writing email copy or a sales page, I still use my competitors’ paid ads to help me narrow down the most important pain points to discuss. 

Some of the pain points will be rather obvious, but you’ll occasionally find some excellent gems. 

For example, this ad from Close illuminates that a key pain point of messy CRM data is that it leads to lost deals due to noisiness. 

This is very valuable pain point information that I can include in my copy. 

3.) Create a Swipe File

Similar to studying your competitors, you can also start a swipe file of the best copy that catches your attention. 

Inside the swipe file, save headlines, sales pages, and even ad copy that catches your attention.

In addition to creating your own swipe file, I also recommend referencing SwipeFile.com, which is a website maintained by esteemed copywriter Neville Medhora.  

I find it helpful to look at copy that other esteemed copywriters value, as they often have a better eye for effective copy than a beginner copywriter (especially given that you’re not necessarily the ideal customer for all advertisements). 

4.) Establish a Writing Process

As you become a better copywriter, you’ll learn that copywriting is really the culmination of well placed pain points, objections, and CTAs.

Creating a writing process is useful because it ensures you don’t miss any steps required to construct effective copy. 

Your process will vary depending on the type of copy you’ll write (e.g., email newsletter, blog post, sales page, etc.).

For example, if I’m writing copy for a blog post, this is the writing process I use:

1. Customer research: When I’m writing content for Copyblogger, I actually start by reading through the posts on Copyblogger Academy to learn what people are struggling with as those are the best topics. For example, I decided to write this post because a number of the group members stated they joined specifically to level up their copywriting skills:

2. My Anti-Best Practice Angle: One of the problems with most SEO content is that it all sounds the same. So instead of giving best practice advice, I come up with a unique angle. For this post, I decided that while most people focus on the skill of becoming a better copywriter, I would focus on the angle of “how can I build skills that make my copy drive more revenue?” 

3. Write Using Real Examples and Experiences: The final step of my process is actually writing the content. However, instead of just providing theories, I find an example for each point I make and then provide action items.  

That’s my entire blog writing process. It’s short and simple, but it ensures each piece:

1. Addresses the audience’s pain points
2. Speaks in a tone of voice that resonates with them. 
3. Provides unique value. 

Additionally, I never have to worry about staring at a blank page and facing writer’s block.

5.) Practice Writing

This might seem obvious, but the only way you can get better at writing is by practicing. 

However, instead of just writing more, here are some practical tips to practice writing productively:

1. Schedule it into your calendar: Set aside 30 minutes in your calendar to write something each morning. 
2. Hold yourself accountable: Make a pact with a friend to share your writing with them each day. They don’t have to read it, but it will keep you accountable. You can use a platform like stickK and stake money on it to really hold you accountable. 
3. Rewrite existing copy: Remember the swipe file from earlier? Instead of writing your own copy, rewrite (by hand) the stellar copy of other esteemed copywriters. This practice will help you internalize effective copywriting details.

I also encourage you to write copy for your own products or services. 

For example, if you want to become a LinkedIn ghostwriter, start writing LinkedIn posts for yourself and grow your following. 

Writing your own LinkedIn posts will not only make you a better LinkedIn ghostwriter, but it will also help you understand what kind of content drives revenue (e.g., generates clients). If you can tie revenue to your copywriting, you’ll be able to charge clients more.

Additionally, you can use your own profile as a case study when pitching potential clients. 

If you want to be an SEO blog writer, you can start an affiliate marketing website in any niche and try to make your content rank in Google for specific keywords. 

Or, if you wanted to be a SaaS blog content writer, you could even vibe code a small tool using a platform like Loveable and then market and sell it.

Another option is to start a dropshipping store. 

In fact, a friend of mine (who is now a six figure copywriter) began her journey as a copywriter by starting a dropshipping store selling cuckoo clocks.  

She began writing articles on how to repair cuckoo clocks, which generated calls from people seeking repair services rather than purchasing new cuckoo clocks. This lesson taught her the importance of writing content for purchase intent rather than visitors.

Best of all, if you build demand copywriting for your own products or services, you might find that the side project makes even more money than writing for clients.    

6.) Embrace AI (For The Right Use Cases)

I was previously against using AI for writing, though I’ve figured out that it can be an effective partner to help you write more effectively.

I still come up with all of the ideas for my content, but I have a few main use cases for ChatGPT that I believe make my copy more effective:

• Pain point research
• Sentence phrasing
• Example extraction

I’ll show you specific prompts I use for each of these points. 

Pain Point Research

In addition to talking to customers and searching Reddit, I also use ChatGPT to research pain points. 

For example, when I was doing research for this article, here’s the prompt I asked ChatGPT:

ChatGPT provided some very useful information. For example, as mentioned in the point above (Practice Writing), I provided guidance on how to practice writing (e.g., have an accountability partner, set aside time each day, etc.). 

I also know that these pain points are true from my own experience as a copywriter. So even though ChatGPT is listing these ideas, it’s more of a tool to jog my own memory rather than blindly generate copy. 

Sentence Phrasing

If I’m struggling to invent a phrasing that makes sense, I paste it into ChatGPT and ask it to reword the passage for me. 

I use this prompt:

“Can you rewrite this passage with more clarity?”

I might still tweak the passage further, or ask it to write with a slightly different tone, but this exercise can open your eyes to new ways to phrase sentences and make you a more effective writer. 

Example Extraction

As a copywriter, you’re often hired to write about subjects in which you aren’t an expert.  

In these scenarios, it’s essential to find examples and quotes from other people who are experts. 

ChatGPT is an excellent partner for finding examples. For example, I once wrote a post on influencer marketing partnership styles, and I wanted to find some influencer marketers discussing the efficacy of influencer gifting strategies. 

Therefore, I asked ChatGPT to find me some quotes regarding the topic from real influencer marketers on LinkedIn. 

It directed me to some truly outstanding LinkedIn posts from influencer marketers running influencer gifting campaigns:

In fact, I ultimately referenced this post in my copy:

AI isn’t generating the post for me, but it does help me uncover insights that I might have otherwise overlooked. 

7.) Master One Platform

Different platforms require slightly different hooks, writing styles, and content substance.

For example, thought leadership content performs well on LinkedIn, whereas actionable, how-to style content tends to be better for blog writing. 

Additionally, if you learn the nuances of the platform’s algorithm, you can generate a better ROI for your work and ultimately justify charging more for the same work. 

For example, if you’re a blog writer, learning about how Google’s algorithm works and keyword research fundamentals will allow you to charge more, because these skills will make your content more effective (i.e., it will attract more potential customers).

Similarly, if you specialize in LinkedIn ghostwriting, you can learn the platform’s algorithm and how partnerships with other creators work to ultimately generate more engagement on your client’s posts. 

By generating more engagement, you can then justify charging more for your LinkedIn ghostwriting services. 

8.) Measure The ROI of Your Work

If you give the same copy to ten different people, they’ll give you ten different opinions on how it could be better. 

Instead of just asking peers for subjective feedback, use data to understand what content drives the most ROI and then break down what made that content successful.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to track the ROI of copywriting, but here are some guidelines for tracking the ROI of different channels. 

LinkedIn/Twitter Ghostwriting

Copywriters often make the mistake of equating engagement with revenue. However, not all engagement is equally valuable. You really only want to attract the attention of your ideal customers. 

Therefore, look at the type of people commenting on the posts. 

For example, if you’re selling B2B sales software and the people commenting are sales directors, that’s a pretty good sign that your content is attracting the right people. In contrast, if the people commenting are junior sales hires or non-sales professionals, your content isn’t generating the right attention.

Below are just a few of the people who commented on a post from Gaetano Nino DiNardi, an SEO expert. This is a good sign that he’s attracting the right people (high level marketing executives):

You can also ask your client to add a “how did you hear about us?” form to your demo signups and purchase forms (or any event they’re tracking as a ‘conversion’) and ensure one of the options is “(your client’s name) Twitter/LinkedIn posts.”

Blog Content

Most people equate traffic with success, but not all traffic is valuable. For example, if you write for a cybersecurity company that sells to enterprise corporations, a blog post that generates thousands of visitors from students interested in learning about cybersecurity as a career won’t drive revenue. 

Instead, ask your client to set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics. You can even send them this article that discusses how to set up conversion tracking for blog content. 

If you can tie revenue to your blog content, you’ll be able to generate significantly more revenue. 

Sales Pages/Email Funnels

Revenue from sales pages for specific offers or products is usually fairly easy to track. Most clients will already be tracking these metrics, so ask them to share the results with you. 

9.) Join a Community and Ask For Feedback

You can learn by making mistakes or observing others’ mistakes.

Learning from other people’s mistakes is much less painful and speeds up your growth tremendously. 

This is a key reason why joining a group or community of copywriters is valuable. 

However, simply joining the group won’t instantly make you a better copywriter. You need to leverage the group effectively.

Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Ask for feedback on your work: Share your latest work with the group and ask the community to identify specific elements they would improve. When asking for feedback on your work, be specific with questions like “How would you improve the hook?” 
2. Ask about their trends and learnings: Ask good questions, like “What did you learn this year about LinkedIn ghostwriting that has improved your copy the most?” or “What’s your process for writing LinkedIn posts?” Ensure your questions are as specific as possible to receive the most useful responses. 
3. Build genuine relationships: If you foster relationships with people in the group by commenting on their content and sharing your own insights in their discussions, you can collaborate to support each other and even refer clients to one another. 

However, as you’re asking for feedback, consider carefully who is giving you feedback. 

For example, if the person giving you feedback is also a beginner copywriter, take their suggestions with a grain of salt. That isn’t to say that their suggestions will be bad, but use your own judgment as well when evaluating feedback and weigh the feedback of accomplished copywriters more heavily. 

Unfortunately, finding a group where you can receive feedback from six and seven figure copywriters is challenging. 

In fact, the process of building your career as a copywriter can be lonely and challenging. 

That’s why I created Copyblogger Academy. I know that building a business and career as a copywriter can be challenging and lonely. 

Copyblogger Academy gives you the support and accountability you need to succeed as a copywriter. 

You’ll have access to our course on copywriting, as well as other courses on digital marketing, from SEO and copywriting to email marketing and personal branding. 

However, the most valuable element of Copyblogger Academy is the community. You can drop your copywriting in the chat and ask for feedback from me and my partner, Charles Miller. 

Both of us are seven-figure marketers (Charles is a personal branding expert, and my expertise lies in SEO, content, and email marketing), and we’ll personally review your copy and give you feedback.

You can also build relationships with others in the group and exchange job referrals, engage with one another on social media, and more. 

It’s truly the community I wish I had as an up-and-coming entrepreneur.

You can join now to start improving your copy and connecting with others today. 

10.) Be Impatient With Action and Patient With Results

This is a quote from famed investor Naval Ravikant. 

The idea is that you should push yourself to write, test, and improve as much as possible each day, but execute continuously over a long period of time and don’t expect results for the first several months.

Consistency is one of the hardest skills to master, but if you continue to write and improve over a long enough period of time, you’ll eventually find success. 

Start Improving Your Copywriting Today

Every copywriter has a different path to success, but all of them have mentors, friends, and a community that helped them improve. 

If you don’t have that community yet, consider joining Copyblogger Academy. 

It’s only $1 to join the community, and you’ll immediately have access to everything, from all of the courses on copywriting, personal branding, and more, to the community and direct feedback on your work from me and Charles.

Copyblogger Academy is the group I wish I had as a younger entrepreneur. Join today for $1 to become a high earning copywriter.