Copywriting isn’t just stringing words together. It’s content strategy, psychology, and persuasion wrapped into one. Whether you’re writing sales letters, product descriptions, or email marketing campaigns, the rules of the game have changed.

If you want to become a professional copywriter—or simply want to learn how to sell your products or services online—there are some foundational truths you need to internalize from day one.

Rule 1: You are first and foremost a marketer, then a writer.

Copywriting isn’t poetry. It’s persuasion with a purpose—usually to sell, educate, or inspire action.

Every word you write should move someone closer to a decision.

Think of it like this: writing is the vehicle, but marketing is the engine. The job of a great content creator isn’t to “sound clever”; it’s to deeply understand your audience’s fears, desires, and objections—then craft content that makes them say, “This was written for me.”

Rule 2: Copywriting alone won’t cut it in 2025

The days of being “just a copywriter” are over. Today, clients want copywriters who also understand:

• SEO and digital marketing fundamentals

• Social media marketing and content creation

• Email marketing automation and campaign strategy

• UX, design, or even video scriptwriting

This is where your skill pyramid comes in. At the base is persuasive writing. Layer on complementary skills—like optimizing email marketing campaigns, planning content strategy, or wireframing landing pages—and suddenly you’re not just another writer… you’re indispensable.

I personally learned UX and web design early in my career. That single decision doubled the value of every project I worked on, because I could deliver both the website and the conversion copy that powered it.

Rule 3: You MUST know how to use AI better than the average user.

AI is everywhere in 2025. Tools can generate blog posts, suggest headlines, or draft product descriptions in seconds.

But here’s the truth: tools don’t replace skill.

The copywriters who thrive aren’t the ones who let AI write for them; they’re the ones who use AI to brainstorm hooks, analyse competitor content, or generate A/B test variations at scale.

But if you don’t know how to write persuasive content yourself, how could you judge the quality of your AI output? How would you know what tweaks to make?

Learn the craft first, then let AI amplify it.

Rule 4: Empathy beats everything

The best copy doesn’t scream “buy now.” It whispers “I understand you.”

Whether you’re writing direct mail, sales letters, or a LinkedIn ad, the difference between mediocre and magnetic content comes down to empathy.

Empathy means uncovering the pain points, hidden fears, and unspoken dreams your audience lives with—and then reflecting those back in your copy.

Do that well, and your words will feel less like marketing and more like mind-reading.

Rule 5: Test the waters for free before going all in

Still wondering if copywriting is right for you? The good news: you don’t need to spend a cent to find out.

Start here:

Read these 4 articles

• Copywriting 101

• Backlinko copywriting guide

• Will AI make copywriters redundant?

• Dr Robert Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion

Build a healthy content diet:

Analyze how top content creators structure their writing. The more your immerse yourself in good writing, the better yours will become.

Here are some of my favourite blogs:

• Lisa Pierson

• Copyhackers

• Justin Welsh

• Talking Shrimp

• Conversion Copy Co

• Eddie Schleyner’s Micro-Lessons

As well as these marketing newsletters.

Read the classic copywriting books

Any of these are great starting points:

1. “Influence” by Robert Cialdini: Teaches the psychology of persuasion (reciprocity, scarcity, authority, etc.), which is the backbone of copywriting.

2. “Ogilvy on Advertising” by David Ogilvy: The “father of advertising” breaks down what makes ads work, with examples that still hold up in 2025.

3. “Cashvertising” by Drew Eric Whitman: A no-fluff guide to 17 human desires that drive buying behavior, plus 100+ tactics to exploit them.

4. “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This!”: Luke Sullivan explores honest and practical insights into the sometimes crazy creative process of advertising.

These books will give you a solid foundation in persuasion, marketing psychology, and content creation.

Rule 6: Practice until your fingers ache

You don’t become a copywriter by reading about copywriting. You become one by writing.

Start small: rewrite yesterday’s draft. Create different versions of a single email subject line. Test out a new hook for a product description.

Here are formats you can practice daily:

• Landing pages for lead magnets

• Webpages (home, about, services)

• Email flows for email marketing campaigns

• Scripts for YouTube ads

• Social media marketing copy

Pro tip: Build a swipe file—a personal library of great online content, sales letters, and email marketing examples. This is your shortcut to learning what works.

Here are the best public swipe files:

• Marketing Examples

• Swipe File

• Swiped

Rule 7: Keep expanding your skill pyramid

If you want a long career in digital marketing and copywriting, you need to keep learning.

A modern copywriter isn’t just a writer—they’re a marketing generalist who can help a business plan, create, and distribute online content.

That means leveling up in areas like:

• A/B testing and conversion rate optimization

• Website design and UX

• Product messaging and marketing

• Running email marketing campaigns end-to-end

• Planning social media content strategy

• SEO and content marketing for organic growth

• Branding and positioning

Every skill you add makes you more valuable—to your clients, to your marketing team, and to yourself.

When to invest in copywriting courses

Eventually, free resources will only take you so far. If you’re hooked and want to accelerate your growth, consider a reputable copywriting course.

Some great options include:

These are all great courses with reputable creators:

• Copyhackers is perfect for whenever you’re ready for more in-depth training. Most of the students have already worked as copywriters for 6-12 months or more.

• Everything from Katelyn Bourgoin at Customer Camp

• Transformational Landing Pages by Eddie Schleyner

• The Content OS by Justin Welsh

• Ship30for30 if you’re ready to get into a daily publishing routine. Most of the community is active on LinkedIn.

But here’s the key: don’t invest until you know you’re committed. You can learn the basics of copywriting and digital marketing for free.

The internet is filled with free resources and you’ve got more than enough to get started.

All you have to do is start practicing, and never stop learning.