There are so many mediums for which you can write copy, there are probably more examples around you right now than you even realize! Emails, magazine ads, banner ads, product packaging: it’s everywhere!
Here’s where you can start your search—and how to evaluate whether it’s good or bad.
Search online
Start your search online (which you’ve probably done if you’re reading this blog post!). Google “great examples of emails or “examples of magazine ads.” You’ll certainly find tons of examples!
Look for ad agencies, too. For example, you can search “ad agency in Kansas City.” Most ad agencies will have examples of some of their best work. And all the words on those pieces or voiceover in videos? Copy.
And all the words on the website for that agency? That’s copy, too.
You can also look at individual copywriter portfolios. If you know someone is a copywriter (whether if you found them on LinkedIn or doing a search for “copywriter in Boston, MA”), then they should have a portfolio. And in that portfolio should be examples of their copywriting, with explanation of who the client was, what the project was, and how they approached it.
Notice copy around you
One of the things that’s really going to benefit you as you begin your copywriting career is to start actually notice the copy that is around you at all times. I guarantee you are seeing a ton more copy than you even realize.
When you go into your inbox every day, actually read what’s there instead of going through and deleting emails. Even the emails you want to delete, notice you’re going to delete them. Ask, “why do I want to delete this?” Is the subject line not compelling? Is it not giving you a reason to open?
Once you open the email, and read through it. Does anything grab your attention? How is it laid out and formatted? Are there headlines and subheads? Is it a letter style? Does the format work for the message? Is the CTA clear? Does it make you want to click?
Websites
As you scroll the Internet, make yourself stop and look and notice the banner ads instead of scrolling right past them.
Social Media
Same on Instagram: pause through your stories when an ad pops up. Or, if you’re scrolling through your feed, notice the ads. Do some feel less like ads than others? Do any grab your attention? Same goes for Facebook, TikTok, Threads, etc.
One of the biggest mistakes would-be copywriters (and even new copywriters!) make is thinking print is dead. There is so much opportunity for copywriters who can write for print projects (it’s why we have an entire module about print in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy).
Pause when you’re flipping through a magazine to read the ads. Or even buy a newspaper and see what kinds of ads are there.
Billboards
Eyes on the road, but if you happen to see a billboard and can safely read it, do so! Writing for a billboard is one of the trickiest mediums because you have a large space, and yet so little space with the text needing to be so big so people can read it.
See if you understand the billboards you’re driving by.
Hand copying ads is a waste of time. Do this instead.
Of course, step one is to notice the copywriting examples. Pause, take the time to read.
If you’re a Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student, you know that step two is to start analyzing the copy.
- Based on the copy, who is the target audience?
- Does the tone work for the target audience?
- Is it written in the brand’s voice?
- Is the benefit clear?
- What is the CTA and is that clear?
- If you’re in an email or reading a banner ad and you click the CTA, does it take you where you’d expect to go? Or is the next step not where you thought you’d go?
That’s just the start. Go through an analyze each element of what you know makes for effective copy.
Then, if you’re up for it, rewrite the piece! How would you improve it? It may be as simple as a CTA swap or you may come up with a more effective headline that hooks readers to reading the rest of the copy. Or the entire piece may need an overhaul.
Good vs. bad copy
There is some great copy out there. And there’s plenty of copy that could use improving, too.
But one thing to note is we won’t actually know if the copy did its job or not. We can make educated guesses, but without the data, how are we to judge whether it was effective?
For example, you may read an email and think, “this copy stinks!” But the client may have seen a huge open and click through rate on the email and it may have served its purpose.
Just because someone doesn’t like a piece of copy (that someone may even be you!) doesn’t mean it’s bad copy. It may be the person reading it isn’t the intended audience. Or they’re a use case of 1.
Just because you don’t like Chardonnay, for example, doesn’t mean a bottle of Chardonnay is bad. It just means it’s not the wine for you. Same with copy.
It’s not a matter of liking or not liking copy. It’s a matter of is it effective or not?
There are tons of copywriting examples out there and I guarantee once you train yourself to start to stop and notice the copy that is there, you are going to be amazed by how much copy you’ve been seeing and how much copy people see on a daily basis (and don’t even realize they’re seeing).
So, pause instead of scrolling or deleting or flipping past pages.
You’re swimming in copy right now. Guarantee it.
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