Understanding Copywriting

What’s up Elite Team! We’re back with another blog post.

So unless you’ve been living under a rock (or binge-watching Netflix while pretending you “work from home”), today we’re breaking down copywriting.

Copywriting = salesmanship on paper… or, in today’s world, salesmanship on keyboard. The whole point? Get people to do something. Click. Buy. Sign up. Or at the very least, stop scrolling TikTok for five seconds. (Fun fact: I don’t even have TikTok yet. Shocking, I know. Maybe I’ll make one later, but for now, I like having a semi-functioning brain. We’ll talk about dopamine/serotonin frying another day.)

Anyway—copywriting isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about results. If your words don’t get people to act, it’s not copy… it’s just English homework.

What Is Copywriting?

Like I said earlier: Copywriting = salesmanship on paper. But good copy has a few traits:

Persuasive: Pushes buttons in the reader’s brain.

Action-Oriented: Always aiming at one thing—click, buy, sign-up.

Targeted: Written for one person, not “everyone on Earth.” Example: “Tired of your 9-5? Here’s a new way to make money online.” Boom—now you’ve got the attention of the right people.

Clear & Concise: Nobody wants a novel on a landing page. (Though, to be fair, some people do read all of it. That’s why you test different angles.)

Benefit-Driven: People don’t buy drills—they buy holes. Or, “Buy these shoes and you’ll dunk like Jordan.”

Where do you see copy? Everywhere. Billboards, ads, pop-ups with fake countdown timers, emails that magically know your name, and those taglines you can’t get out of your head. (“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there…” You’re welcome for getting that stuck in your brain all day.)

The Psychology of Copywriting

Copy works because it doesn’t fight human psychology—it hacks it. A few tricks:

Pratfall Effect: Admit a flaw → people trust you more. (“Yeah, our pizza’s greasy… but dang, it’s good.”)

Novelty Bias: People love shiny new things. (Pumpkin spice toothpaste, anyone?)

“But You’re Free” Effect: Tell people they don’t have to do it → they weirdly want to. (“Try it… or not. Your call.”)

Open Loops: Hint at a secret → brains have to know the answer.

Other favorites:

Social Proof: “Everyone’s buying this… why aren’t you?”

Scarcity & Urgency: “Only 2 left! Don’t be number 3.”

Pain > Pleasure: People want pain solved faster than pleasure gained.

Benefits > Features: Features = snoozefest. Benefits = “Shut up and take my money.”

Copywriting Frameworks You Can Steal

People way smarter than me (and with way too much free time) made these:

1. AIDA (Attention → Interest → Desire → Action).

Attention: Grab them with a headline, hook, or bold claim.

Interest: Build curiosity with relevant details or a story.

Desire: Show benefits, proof, and what’s in it for them.

Action: Tell them exactly what to do next (CTA).

Here’s a few more

2. PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solve)

Problem: Identify a pain point.

Agitate: Twist the knife — make them feel the pain harder.

Solve: Present your product/service as the relief.

3. 4P’s (Picture → Promise → Proof → Push)

Picture: Paint a vision of the reader’s ideal future.

Promise: Show how your offer gets them there.

Proof: Back it up with testimonials, case studies, data.

Push: Nudge them with urgency or a CTA.

Quick Copy Tips

Headlines matter more than the body.

If you confuse them, you lose them.

Clarity > cleverness. Every. Single. Time.

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