Copywriting: Writing for Profit
Course: Seminar Course - Session Outline.
5 weeks, 10 sessions, 30 hours. High Octane Learning.
In addition to the Copywriting: Writing For Profit Manual, (also known as the ‘Copywriting Bible’), you also get to experience the dynamism of learning in a group environment.
Like the Home Study students, you get everything you need in the manual:
Templates, formulas, step by step guides, cheat sheets, tips, assignments, answer sheets, samples of some the world’s most awarded advertisements, and easy-to-follow chapters on everything you need to know about writing professional copy and becoming a professional copywriter.
If you want a comprehensive guide to what’s covered in each session, check out the Detailed Session Outline.
Do you need an extra shove to get motivated?
One of the benefits of attending a seminar is you get ‘pushed’ a little further than when you work alone. This can work for some, it may not work for others.
But if you know you need a deadline, a commitment, a place to turn up to, then the seminar is the right option for you.
Surrounded by like-minded people, you’ll enjoy the interaction and camaraderie with fellow students that only group learning can engender.
Besides, it’s great fun and you get to meet a whole bunch of intelligent, motivated and fun-loving people, just like you.
It’s great for networking too. We’ve even had a few romances blossom!
You’ll also get your questions and concerns answered in real time so you can jump start your career and start building your copywriting business.
How many sessions are there?
You’ll attend 10 sessions over 5 weeks ie. 2 sessions per week for 5 weeks:
- 5 sessions on Tuesdays 7-10pm AND
- 5 sessions on Saturdays 3-6pm
Here’s the Session Outline for the Seminar Course.
Click on the Session heading to get a more detailed outline for that chapter.
- Copywriting: An Introduction
- The Ad Pack
- Great Advertising – What Is It And How Is It Created?
- How To Set Up Your Freelance Copywriting Business
- How To Find Work As A Freelance Copywriter
- How To Find Work In An Advertising Agency
- The Creative Brief
- How To Write Direct Mail
- How To Write Brochures
- Writing For The Web
- How To Come Up With Great Ideas
- How To Write Words That Sell
- How To Write Press And Print Advertisements
- How To Write Headlines That Sell
- How To Create Compelling Offers
- Invoicing The Client: How To Make Money From Copywriting
- Presenting Work To The Client
- Guest Client Presentations
Need more information? Want to know exactly what’s covered?
Here’s a Detailed Session Outline of what you’ll learn in each session:
Session 1:
Copywriting: An Introduction
- What copywriters do
- How to work with art directors/graphic designers
- The difference between products and services
- The different types of copywriting
- What great advertising is and how to identify it
The Ad Pack
- A 120-page compilation of award-winning advertisements from every medium
Great Advertising – What Is It And How Is It Created?
- How to create the 9 building blocks of great advertisements:
- An attention grabbing headline
- A visually arresting image
- A sub headline that expands on the headline
- Succinct body copy that's fluid and informative
- A relevant and targetted offer
- A clear Call To Action
- Evidence/proof of claim
- Easy identification of the product and client name
- A memorable tag line
How To Set Up Your Freelance Copywriting Business
- How to establish your own personal goals for your business
- How to position yourself as a copywriter
- The tools you need to set up your business
- Choosing a name for your business
- How to apply for an ABN and GST
- Personal qualities needed to be a successful copywriter
- How to get 100 business cards for free
Session 2:
How To Find Work As A Freelance Copywriter
- Strategies for finding new clients
- How to create your client database
- How to use your existing career experience to get work
- How to build confidence as a new copywriter
- How to use your existing network as a source of new clients
- How to use PR to find new clients
- How to create ‘speculative’ ads to find new clients
- How to create your personal ‘infomercial’
- The power of referrals
How To Find Work In An Advertising Agency
- Strategies for finding work in an advertising agency
- How to use lateral thinking to get your ‘foot in the door’
- How to create ‘speculative’ ads for your portfolio
- How to apply for industry-based training programmes
- How to cold-call and make appointments with Creative Directors
- How and where to network with ad agency executives
- How to create your portfolio
The Creative Brief
- What a Creative Brief is and why it’s used
- The components of the brief
- How to complete a brief
- The importance of Contact Reports
- Versions of the brief: Long and Short
- Samples of Creative Briefs
- Cheat Sheets
- Templates of briefs for your files
Session 3:
How To Write Direct Mail
- When to use direct mail
- How to write direct mail letters
- How to open with a dramatic statement
- Selling the benefits, not the features
- Getting the consumer to take action
- Using a ‘PS’
- Increasing response rates
- Avoiding common mistakes
- Contact reports
How To Write Brochures
- How to identify what the reader needs to know
- What format your brochure should have
- What to include on the cover and contents page
- How to distinguish between features and benefits
- How to write brochures for service companies
- A step-by-step guide to writing brochures from scratch
Session 4:
- Introduction to your ‘Guest Client’
- How to find your own ‘Guest Client’
- A step-by-step guide to working with your first client
Session 5:
Writing For The Web
- The 11 fundamental principles for successful web writing
- How to create a great website
- Pages you need to include on the website
- Conducting a Web Site Audit
- How to write copy for the web
- Ten guidelines for website design
- How to use email to market a product or service
- How to write email marketing messages that sell
- How to write electronic newsletters (ezines)
- How to optimise your site
- Web etiquette
How To Come Up With Great Ideas
- How to avoid procrastination and get started
- How to develop your own creative process
- How to be creative: a 7-step process to instant creativity
- 6 ways to come up with an idea
- Copywriters on Creativity: how award-winning writers create ideas
- 9 ways to avoid writer’s block
- Breaking the boundaries of advertising – BMW Case Study
Session 6:
How To Write Words That Sell
- How to use persuasive words that sell
- Choosing the right word for maximum effect
- Choosing the right benefits
- How to write body copy
- How to improve the clarity of your writing
How To Write Press And Print Advertisements
- The difference between print and press advertisements
- How to write concepts
- The 3 elements of any print ad
- How to write body copy
- How to write strap lines (or tags)
- 13 ways to improve your ad
- How to advertise a service
- How to write Yellow Pages ads
- How to write small space ads
- Questions you should ask your client
Session 7:
How To Write Headlines That Sell
- The importance of headlines
- The role of headlines
- The 3 basic guidelines for all headlines
- The Top 19 formulas for creating successful headlines
How To Create Compelling Offers
- Why offers and incentives are vital to getting a response
- How they work
- How to motivate a consumer to ‘take action’
- Different types of offers:
a) Unconditional: 5 version of unconditional offers you can use
b) Conditional: 12 versions of conditional offers you can use
Session 8:
Invoicing The Client: How To Make Money From Copywriting
- How much to charge for your work
- How to invoice
- How to book media space for clients
- How to collect money from clients
- How to work with graphic designers
Presenting Work To The Client
- How to present work to a client
- 13 phrases to avoid when presenting your work to the client
- How to write a Creative Rationale
- How to format a:
a) Brochure
b) Direct Marketing Letter
c) TV Commercial
d) Radio Script
Session 9:
- Guest Client Presentations:
- Presentation of work to guest clients
- Feedback from clients on work created
- Networking
- Debriefing
Session 10:
Putting It All Together
- Review and debrief of ‘Guest Client’ exercise
- How to build your database
- How to build your business networks
- Other courses to help you build your business
- Feedback on work created for clients
A final word.
As you can appreciate, there is only so much we can cram into a 10-session course. As a result, a few topics like Writing for TV and Radio, although alluded to, are not covered in detail in the seminar course. The Copywriting Bible however, contains detailed chapters on how to write for these mediums.
Also, due to time constraints, we encourage students to complete the assigned writing exercises at home. There are many opportunities to write and get feedback during class time but the majority of your writing time will be completed at home.
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The ASC reserves the right to change, alter or reschedule sessions as needed. Although we don’t expect this to happen, we live in an imperfect world and we need to be flexible should people be unavailable, sick or indisposed.
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