Podcast Summary: "What Is Copywriting? 20 Tips For Beginners"
Podcast Information:
- Title: Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast
- Host/Author: Nicolas Cole
- Description: Weekly deep dives into the Art & Business of Digital Writing, Ghostwriting, & Self-Publishing
- Episode: What Is Copywriting? 20 Tips For Beginners
- Release Date: February 3, 2025
Introduction
In the episode titled "What Is Copywriting? 20 Tips For Beginners," Nicolas Cole delves deep into the intricacies of copywriting, offering a comprehensive guide for both budding and seasoned writers. As one of the highest-paid copywriters and ghostwriters globally, Cole leverages his extensive experience, including generating nearly $15 million through his digital product businesses like Ship 30 for 30—a premium ghostwriting academy—and other ventures enhanced by AI.
Business Insights and Achievements
At the outset, Cole shares a snapshot of his business achievements:
"In the past couple of years, we've generated close to $15 million in our digital product businesses." [00:00]
He emphasizes the dynamic nature of his business metrics, illustrating the cyclical nature of monthly revenues with a light-hearted analogy:
"Don't worry, our business isn't dying. It just restarts every month." [00:00]
This sets the stage for understanding the practical applications of the copywriting tips he’s about to unveil.
The 20 Essential Copywriting Tips
Nicolas Cole structures his advice around 20 pivotal tips, each addressing fundamental aspects of effective copywriting. Below is a detailed exploration of each tip, supplemented with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.
1. You Aren't Selling Anything to the Customer
Core Idea: Shift the focus from selling to offering an opportunity for change.
Cole narrates his early career at a small ad agency where his mentor instilled the philosophy that copywriting isn't about convincing but about presenting possibilities.
"It's not about convincing them. It's about showing them what is possible." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Educate your audience to help them envision a transformation rather than pushing a sale.
2. Avoid Fancy, Formal Language
Core Idea: Simplify your language to ensure accessibility.
Cole highlights that most people read at a third or fourth-grade level, drawing a parallel with literature being the smallest book market due to its complexity.
"Keep stuff like this in mind and go, how can I write this for the average person?" [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Minimize cognitive load by making your content skimmable and easy to understand, catering to the average reader.
3. Don't Assume the Customer Has a Problem—Say They Might Be Experiencing One
Core Idea: Use tentative language to engage without alienating.
By stating that customers "might be" experiencing a problem, you open avenues to address diverse pain points without making unfounded assumptions.
"You might be experiencing this problem, which is a little bit more approachable." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: This approach allows you to cater to different customer archetypes and their unique challenges.
4. Avoid Using the Word "Better"
Core Idea: Eliminate comparative language that implies competition.
Cole explains that terms like "better" inadvertently validate the competitor’s strength, leading to subconscious comparisons.
"When you say, my thing is better, you're sort of admitting that the thing that people already use or already like is so great." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Position your offerings in a different category to avoid direct comparisons and establish a unique space.
5. Be a Painkiller, Not a Vitamin
Core Idea: Address immediate pain points rather than offering long-term benefits.
Cole distinguishes between vitamins (proactive benefits) and painkillers (solutions to current problems), advocating for the latter to create urgency.
"You always want to find ways to frame things and anchor them back to the painkiller side versus the vitamin side." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Emphasize how your product or service alleviates present discomforts to enhance compellingness.
6. Sell the Results, Not the Process
Core Idea: Focus on the end benefits rather than the mechanisms.
Using the example of a writing program, Cole suggests highlighting the outcome—like having a published library of content—over the features like prompts and modules.
"30 days from now you are going to have a published library of 30 atomic pieces of content." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Customers are more interested in the transformation they’ll experience than the steps to achieve it.
7. Write for One Specific Reader
Core Idea: Target your copy towards a singular, well-defined persona.
Cole recounts advice from his mentor Craig Clemens about creating a detailed profile of a fictional individual to tailor the copy precisely.
"When you write for one specific person, the Internet's job is to go find all the people just like Susie." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Narrowing your focus ensures clarity and resonance with your target audience, leveraging the internet’s ability to identify similar prospects.
8. Sell the Category, Not the Brand
Core Idea: Anchor your marketing efforts within a specific category before promoting your brand.
Cole illustrates this by referencing Google’s failed attempt to create a social network, emphasizing that brand strength alone doesn’t guarantee success in a new category.
"You are not selling the brand. You have to spend all of your time, energy, and effort selling the category." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Establish and define the category your product belongs to, making the brand an afterthought that naturally fits within that space.
9. Teach, Don't Sell
Core Idea: Prioritize education over direct selling to build trust and authority.
Cole advocates for educating prospects to address their knowledge gaps, thereby enabling informed decision-making without overt sales pitches.
"The most compelling copy is actually not sales, it's education." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Educative content fosters trust, making the eventual sale a natural outcome rather than a forced transaction.
10. Never Blame the Customer
Core Idea: Maintain empathy by not attributing faults to the customer’s struggles.
Instead of making customers feel inadequate, offer alternative explanations or solutions that alleviate their self-blame.
"You don't want to do that, right? Chances are the customer's beating themselves up enough as it is." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Creating a supportive narrative encourages customers to seek solutions without feeling judged.
11. Separate Copy for Insiders vs. Outsiders
Core Idea: Tailor your language based on the audience’s familiarity with the industry.
Cole uses Discord’s strategy of targeting gamers with specific slang to illustrate how specialized language can create a strong connection with insiders while alienating outsiders.
"If you weren't a gamer, you wouldn't understand half of what the homepage was trying to say to you." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Decide early whether your copy targets industry insiders or a broader audience, adjusting your language accordingly for maximum impact.
12. Ground Your Argument in a Shocking Statistic
Core Idea: Use surprising or unconventional statistics to capture attention and validate your points.
Shocking stats act as hooks, keeping the audience engaged by continually presenting new, intriguing data.
"The more weird or unconventional the stat, the more likely you are to pattern interrupt the person listening." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Integrate unexpected statistics to maintain interest and reinforce the credibility of your arguments.
13. According to Science
Core Idea: Reference studies or authoritative sources to substantiate your claims.
Especially effective in fields like health and wellness, citing reputable sources enhances the persuasive power of your copy.
"Whenever you can say, hey, this study was done two years ago, and according to Harvard Business Review..." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Incorporate scientific evidence to build trust and authority, making your arguments more compelling.
14. Organize Information into Lists
Core Idea: Utilize lists to make content skimmable and easily digestible.
Lists serve as cognitive anchors, helping readers retain information even if they momentarily lose focus.
"Lists do an amazing job of helping someone keep information organized when they're consuming it." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Break down information into bullet points or numbered lists to enhance readability and comprehension.
15. Don't Oversell the Problem
Core Idea: Present problems clearly without exaggeration.
Once the problem is established, trust the reader to understand its significance without relentless emphasis.
"Just say what it is." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Maintain credibility by avoiding hyperbolic statements about the problem, ensuring the message remains authentic.
16. Don't Oversell the Solution
Core Idea: Describe solutions succinctly without overhyping.
Focus on clarity and simplicity when presenting solutions, avoiding repetitive assurances or guarantees.
"Same idea as the problem. Just say what it is." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Clearly articulate your solution without excessive embellishment to maintain trust and prevent skepticism.
17. Provide New Language for the Problem
Core Idea: Coin specific terms to give the problem a distinct identity.
Naming a problem (e.g., "leaky gut") makes it more tangible and allows customers to relate and seek solutions.
"You've probably heard leaky gut syndrome. What you didn't know is that it was a marketer who came up with that." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Create unique terminology to define and highlight problems, facilitating better understanding and engagement.
18. Remind Customers of the Consequences of Inaction
Core Idea: Highlight the negative outcomes of not addressing the problem.
By illustrating potential downsides, you create a sense of urgency and necessity for your solution.
"If you don't fix this, then what's going to happen is..." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Balance the benefits with the risks of not taking action to motivate customers towards your solution.
19. Sell the Benefits, Not the Features
Core Idea: Focus on how features translate into tangible benefits for the customer.
Features relate to the product, whereas benefits address the customer's needs and desires.
"Nobody cares that your wing medusle has these 14 different knobs... Nobody cares. The only thing the customer cares about is the benefit of those features." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Articulate the advantages customers gain from using your product rather than detailing its specifications.
20. Remove the Fear of Buyer's Remorse
Core Idea: Mitigate post-purchase doubts by offering guarantees or assurances.
Providing guarantees alleviates the fear of making a wrong decision, enhancing purchase confidence.
"If you're unsatisfied within seven days, we'll give you your money back." [00:00]
Key Takeaway: Implement clear, risk-reducing measures to reassure customers and encourage purchases.
Conclusion and Overarching Insights
Throughout the episode, Nicolas Cole consistently reinforces a central philosophy:
"Great copy is about education. And the more that you sufficiently educate the prospect, the more likely they are to buy." [00:00]
Key Insights:
- Education Over Sales: Prioritize educating your audience to build trust and facilitate informed decisions.
- Clarity is Crucial: A clear understanding of your customer’s needs, challenges, and aspirations underpins effective copy.
- Integration of Tips: The 20 tips are interrelated, collectively enhancing the psychological appeal and persuasiveness of the copy.
- Avoid Shortcuts: Effective copywriting isn't about quick fixes or isolated tactics but about a cohesive strategy grounded in understanding and addressing customer psychology.
Cole emphasizes that successful copywriting emerges from a deep-seated clarity about the customer and a commitment to genuinely educating them. This approach not only drives sales but also establishes long-term trust and authority in the marketplace.
Final Thought: For anyone venturing into copywriting or seeking to refine their skills, Nicolas Cole's "What Is Copywriting? 20 Tips For Beginners" offers a treasure trove of actionable insights. By embracing an educational and empathetic approach, writers can craft compelling copy that resonates, engages, and ultimately drives meaningful business results.