Halbert's 30-day crash course: From 0 to hero in Direct Response Copywriting.
Phase 1: Foundation and Education (Days 1–14) * Study the classics: David Ogilvy instructed his employees to read the Scientific Advertising at least 7 times. No man should have anything to do with advertising unless he has read this book minimum of 7 times (or something like that. I paraphrase) * Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins * The Robert Collier Letter Book * Other books good for fundamentals: Jim Edwards Copywriting Secrets Read them once for acquaintance. Then again for notes. Then again and again, so you can deepen the nuggets in the trenches of your brain’s terrain. Ben Settle suggests reading as much as 10 times, throughout the year, and further as you please. Tip: Try Tiago Forte's triple highlight method, coupled with a 2nd (digital) brain. * Study Sales Letters of the Avant Garde writers: * Specific classic ads, such as the Nancy L. Halbert Herald letter. It is a lesson in persuasion * Hand-Copy Ads: Manually, slow and deliberate! Long-form ads, Short form, Emails, Web pages. So you can internalise rhythm and structure * Layout and Design: Create hand-drawn layouts, even digital wireframe layouts, for your ads to understand the full production process * Read and Practice headlines from mass consumer magazines like Cosmopolitan. Specially the Cover Blurbs. They are incredible in capturing attention of any layperson. * ReVisit and Document your findings: Go back through your reading materials, take detailed notes, and identify common headline patterns. More learning happens in revision. * Build a Swipe File: Containing your collection of successful headlines and copy snippets. So you have your box of Inspo Phase 2: Practice and Execution * Research and Competitive Analysis: Galbert uses the 5-3-1 method—read 5 similar ads, bullet-point 3, and marry 1 as a template for your project * Deep Product Research: Study the product or service you are selling until you are an expert on its benefits and features. This one goes back to Hopkins himself. More than a century of best practice.