When I first heard about this tactic, I was shocked. Someone left a comment on a post asking if there was any use in hand-copying other people’s ads to learn copywriting.
Then, someone else sent an email to the Filthy Rich Writer team. And, after that, I found out that a few copywriting courses make hand-copying ads a major pillar of their teaching.
Let me make something very clear:
No, there is NO benefit in hand-copying ads when you’re trying to learn copywriting.
(And I think that so many people are asking because they already suspect that’s the case.)
Unless your main goal is to improve your penmanship, you’re not going to learn anything from hand-copying ads!
Which makes sense, right? That’s like hand-copying War and Peace to learn novel writing.
Here’s why it doesn’t work—and what you should do if you want to hone your copywriting skills.
Why Hand-Copying Ads Doesn’t Work
When you’re copying other things, you don’t learn the principles and the strategies that went into creating that copy.
When it comes to painting or drawing, there may be some benefits to copying someone else’s work to learn how it was created. You follow the steps, learning how certain strokes evoke a certain motion with the pain or how a specific line creates dimension. But that’s not possible to learn by hand-copying copy.
The way to build and improve copywriting skills is to learn the basic principles, the advanced principles, the most effective way to organize messages, how to incorporate the brand voice, and the other central tenets of copywriting.
For example, if you don’t understand the difference between features and benefits (take our features vs. benefits quiz here to learn more) or what a call to action is, copying the ad isn’t going to teach you these principles. If you’re just starting out, it’s likely you don’t have the vocabulary, never mind the understanding of the principles, to know what you’re copying beyond the words themselves.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t start practicing copywriting! There is a far more effective way beyond hand-copying ads.
How to Practice Copywriting and Improve Your Skills
You need to practice by writing your own copy pieces—not hand-copying someone else’s!
Now, there absolutely is validity in learning from the copy that’s out there in the world, but it has nothing to do with copying it. Instead, as you learn the principles of copywriting, it’s very useful to take time to notice, read, and analyze the ads you’re seeing.
1. Notice Copywriting Around You
The first step may sound obvious. But after working with 10,000+ students over the last 10+ years, one thing our team observes is that copy can be so obvious that we overlook it!
Stop and take a look around you. What copy is around you?
If you’re on public transit, what ads are on the bus, at the bus stop, or lining the subway stop or subway car If you’re on your phone, look at your inbox. If an email is from an organization, chances are a copywriter wrote it! If you’re at home, what mail have you received recently?
Once you start training yourself to look for copy, you’ll notice it in even more places than you could have imagined. (And here’s a pro tip: Keep a swipe file of ads that you find most effective and compelling for inspiration.)
2. Learn the Principles of Copywriting
If you’ve been part of the Filthy Rich Writer community for a while, you know that a major key to finding success as a copywriting is getting trained. (If you’re new to the community, welcome!)
Copywriting is much different than content writing and requires more strategy and skill. You can learn these strategies and skills, but they’re not intuitive. Like learning to fly a plane or bake a flourless chocolate cake, there are steps you need to follow and skills you need to learn and practice.
Whether you opt to get training via the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy or another program, the point stands: You need training.
3. Analyze the Copy You See
Okay, you’ve learned copywriting principles. You’ve found copy in the wild. Now, instead of hand-copying the ads, you want to analyze the copy in front of you. (Certainly write down the ad as a step 3a if it helps you—or if it’s copy you see on a subway and want to analyze later—but the next part of this exercise is far more crucial).
Based on what you’ve learned, is the ad effective? Why or why not?
Is the benefit clear?
How about the CTA? When you take the action, is what happens next what you expected? For example, you click “download” on an email. Does something begin to download? Or you clicked “buy now.” Did you make a purchase or would “add to cart” be more accurate?
Does the tone make sense for the audience? Or is it using words that make sense for a different demographic? For example, copy that says, “The OG razor for some serious rizz” but is aimed at the 50+ demographic isn’t going to land well (or, frankly, at all).
4. Rewrite the Copy
This step is the game-changer. It’s the difference between copywriters who continue to hone their skills and deliver effective copy for their clients and copywriters who never quite grasp the principles.
In order to practice copywriting, you need to…practice writing copy!
Take a piece of copy that is not written particularly well. How would you rewrite it?
It’s true that it’s necessary to learn how to write copy before you try to land clients. (We’ll say it again: It’s a career and it requires training.) But it’s worth being at least a little wary of anyone who tells you that it’s a valid learning method to hand-copy what someone else has written.
I’m not at all saying that our training is the only one or that we’re the right choice for everyone. But before you do commit to learning copywriting, first, make sure that you’re learning copywriting and, second, make sure that their “methods” will help you learn.
Watch More
Want to hear more about why you shouldn’t hand-copy ads? Watch the video below!
Your Turn
What other weird “teaching” methods have you heard of that you’re skeptical about? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll help set the record straight based on our team’s decades of industry experience!
Last Updated on October 12, 2023
Thanks for posting this. I was one of probably many people who asked about this in the last few weeks. I’ve come across other online copywriting courses that use the hand-copying of ads as part of the training. One such course uses the hand-copying of ads as its primary teaching tool, and they want you to pay $1,000+ for the course, when you can just as easily find swipe files with just a quick Google search. That idea didn’t sit well with me, which is why I asked the question. Thanks, again for your answer.
Hi Mike,
Well, thank you for asking it because it seems like there were also plenty of people who were wondering but hadn’t asked! 🙂 And yes, not only will you not learn much from hand-copying (if anything), there are also so many better and more useful ways to spend that time!
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Agree and disagree. Yes, your time may be better spent learning the things about copy you mentioned above. And making that practice a “major pillar” is certainly not gonna get you anywhere. Still, I bet 100$ that there is Some benefit apart from improving your penmanship. (wanna hire a scientist? :D)
Anyway, you asked for other weird methods.
There is a landing page I got on recently.
It said something like: Read this amazing sales letter and through some kind of magic of the here-written words the ability to write compelling sales copy will be teleportet through the screen into your brain. And tomorrow, you’ll probably be Filthy Rich!
Awesome, right?
I immediately transfered the 2000bucks he asked for.. And now, I’m dead broke 😉
Hi Stephan,
I look forward to hearing what that benefit would be. 🙂 Even if a course used hand-copying to “help” students “learn” how to structure copy, there are much better and more efficient ways to learn that.
As for your example, I’m not sure I’m getting the joke – but there certainly aren’t any shortcuts to learning to be a great copywriter. Training and practice will always win out! 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Thanks so much for this email. I course I had almost taken, was teaching this. Copy other people’s work, and that will make you better. I questioned it, but I’m no expert, so I tried it, but it just felt boring and tedious. I felt like I was writing sentences for teacher because I was in trouble. Thanks for clarifying.
Hi Kristy,
I’m glad it was helpful! Yes – I’m really not sure why this “method” is so common. I have a suspicion that someone once taught it and all of those people who “learned” via that method are re-teaching it, without ever thinking about whether or or not it actually does anything. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Your article is actually quite incendiary, as most new copywriters have heard both from current copywriters as well as the masters (eg Halbert) that they strongly endorse this form of learning.
Even the AWAI Accelerated program (which I’m currently taking) requires you to hand-copy a few sales letters, offering convincing reasons as to why it’s effective.
One in particular makes a very strong case in favor of this technique, “How ‘Structural Priming’ Will Make You a Better Copywriter” by Will Newman.
I don’t think anyone ever suggested that someone just copy a sales letter for the sake of just copying it. They usually instruct you to actively think, as you’re doing it – about the reasons an ad is powerful, how it uses effective psychological techniques, structure, words, etc.
As for me, the only prior experience I’ve had in this regard was as a senior in high school when I used to meticulously transcribe notes by hand. I would transcribe and transcribe using tiny little letters, for hours and hours – the result being straight-A’s in all my AP classes.
Could this really have been from the transcribing? Who knows, but it seemed to have worked for me at the time.
Anyway, this experience came back to me when I learned of this copywriting technique, which seemed to make sense logically and also from my own experience.
So while it’s not something I practice often, I figure it couldn’t hurt to throw it in there every now and then for good measure.
What are your thoughts to the contrary?
Hi JDM,
We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one. 🙂 And I’d also suggest that just because something has been done and taught by smart people doesn’t mean that it’s the best method. I’m glad that you’re finding it to be beneficial, but what I’d suggest to be so much more beneficial than hand-copying are techniques like analyzing the purpose behind word usage, rewriting ads that aren’t effective, diagramming pieces of copy, etc.
It’s true that hand-copying notes from school is an effective method of learning, but a large part of what makes it so effective is that hand-copying is a good method for memorizing and synthesizing the words in ones notes, and that, of course, isn’t a goal when it comes to learning copywriting. Instead, students need to learn and practice copywriting principles, as well as develop their strategic thinking, their insight into audiences, their abilities to self-edit, and their abilities to receive and utilize feedback.
Thanks for commenting,
Nicki
I should have mentioned that I have no affiliation whatsoever with AWAI or any other copywriting course – just sharing my personal experience and open to all opinions to the contrary….
Thx,
JDM
Hello,
I and trying to learn copy writing. Iam trying to get all info on freelance copywriting.
And how and how long that it to money?
Hi Gloria,
Well, we have 440+ articles up on our site, so this is definitely a great place to start! Here’s an article that you mind find particularly helpful: https://filthyrichwriter.com/copywriting-qa-how-soon-can-you-make-money/
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Hey Nicki,
The idea of rewriting a sales letter by hand is a controversial one – one where those on either side of the divide will never agree.
When I decided to become a copywriter, I actually wrote out out some of the most successful sales letters of all time by hand. This was after I had studied and understood the fundamentals of copywriting.
The exercise “forced” me to read the copy at least twice.
First, I read the original version as I was writing (obviously) and then I read the one I had written out after.
I also analysed the logic and thinking behind various parts of the copy.
Overall, it made me have a better understanding of why the original copy was successful.
Hi Olusegun,
That makes sense – but your use of hand-writing ads isn’t the proscribed reason that most of these “courses” suggest it. I’m glad it worked for you, but I’d also suggest that people could be just as successful at analyzing ads without having to literally write them out with a pen and paper. I’d further suggest that a better use of that pen and paper (or keyboard) is to rewrite ads to make them better after taking the time to analyze them. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Yes! I absolutely agree.
You won’t believe the idea of rewriting some great sales copy just hit me yesterday and I guess hearing it from you again is just proof that the idea is worth it’s weight in gold.
So THANK YOU, Nicki.
Hi Olusegun,
You’re welcome – analyzing and rewriting is a great tactic for improving your skills. It will help speed up your learning to an exceptional degree. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I am SOOOOOOO happy to read this. I had been seeing rumblings of this practice online and immediately came to the FRW blog. I am a student of CCA and thrilled that we learn and practice and don’t rely on rote word-for-word copying. Pun intended. Thanks, Nikki!
We couldn’t agree more, the CCA is the real deal!