Great article! It’s a subtle but powerful strategy that I know I’ve violated repeatedly… I’ll be concentrating on this lesson the next time I write promo email.

Thanks for the tip.

Paul Jenkins

The lack of a “standard” in the copywriting industry is really a double-edged sword. It means that anyone can get in by just proving their worth which is great, but at the same time it can take longer for a client to sift through the slackers before they get to the real copywriters.

I see your philosophy as being that the cream will rise to the top but the bigger the pot of milk is the harder it will be for the cream to be recognized.

I agree that there is no 100% “reliable” way to measure copywriting skills but we should attempt one I think–much like those “matching” sites that try ti find single people a life partner.

-Ray L.,

And I really doubt that you need one.

If a marketer hires a copywriter and he makes a good profit from the copy he’ll probably stick with that copywriter (if he’s smart).

Over time if he’s really smart he’ll pay that copywriter more based on the profits the copywriter creates for his business.

If you really can write good converting copy eventually you’ll find clients who’ll pay you for it.

And if you continually write copy that tanks eventually your list of clients will dry up.

I’ve never seen any reliable way to measure copywriting skill.

But a good copywriter can usually tell from the copy if another copywriter has mastered the fundamental skills or not.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

Many great points and as someone who considers themselves a apprentice copywriter it certainly makes sense but also as you pointed out challenges the grain that many of the greats were self taught.

I am digging into some of the greats of writing and some current great copy writers.

Who would you recomend?

Regards

Rich Regards
Rich Muir

http://www.companiesnow.com.au
Making registering your new company easy

Point taken. But suppose I write copy for a product that the
market just loves and get a 10% converting sales letter AND
I write another letter for a product with less appeal to the
market and get the same 10% conversion–my point is that
the second letter was better.

If I just allow the market to determine how I measure my copy
then I have no real GAUGE to judge if I’m improving my skills
or getting worst.

A “standard” is not just for other people to judge but for the copywriter himself to assess how well he is doing.

I don’t only want to make clients happy but myself happy. Making clients happy is easy because I could write a crappy letter for a hot selling product and because the client was happy with the results then I have nothing to worry about when I know that if I had done a better job I could’ve gotten a higher conversion.

And holding to your driver’s license analogy–I’m sure you will want to know the guy in the next lane does have license even though it is no guarantee of good driving.

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject.

-Ray L.,

Sorry but I disagree.

First of all I don’t think your proposed standard is any better than any other. Even a veteran copywriter can fail in an untested market with an untested product and even a total bonehead can succeed with a product the market takes a shine to.

Second I think the only measure of the effectiveness of copy is the market’s.

Your copy, mine or anyone else’s is not going to make a client happy unless it produces results. (unless, of course, you’re working for an ad agency and you can afford to chalk the copy up to “improving image”)

If you make enough clients happy, you’ll be able to eat and you are likely to continue in the biz.

If you don’t , you may need to find a day job.

As far as I’m concerned the market is a perfect judge of who can write good copy and a perfect self-adjusting standard. Anything else is misleading.

So what about all those posers who can barely write the word “copywriter”? Let them pose.

Personally I think it’s the responsibility of whoever hires a copywriter to at least have an understanding of what good copy is.

Just like holding a driver’s license cannot guarantee someone will be an excellent driver, passing some arbritary test - especially one that cannot be replicated - cannot guarantee someone will be a good copywriter.

God bless,

Andy