My Selection of The Most Valuable Free Copywriting Courses
There are tons of free copywriting resources on the net.
But let's be honest: for one valuable resource, there are thousands from amateur copywriters...
It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But don't worry.
I've done the job for you.
In this post you'll find:
- the best free copywriting courses
- the best free copywriting books
- the best copywriting podcasts
- the best copywriting swipe files
- the best copywriting blogs
Read on if you just started your copywriting learning process.
Best free copywriting courses
A Free Copywriting Course by Neville Medhora
It's a great yet basic resource to start learning copywriting. It will cover in 8 parts the core principles of what is copywriting so you can apply it right after. Plus the author is Neville Medhora, a quite successful author and entrepreneur which I recommend you to follow.
The Ultimate Guide to No-Pain Copywriting by Joanna Wiebe
This free course is coming from Joanna Wiebe which owns the great CopyHackers blog.
In this 10k+ words article, she recapitulates 100+ formulas and categorizes them by type of copy: web pages, sales pages, vsl, headlines, lead-gen pages, value propositions, bullet lists, CTAs, testimonials, email subject lines, Facebook ads, tweets...
Although it's a bit too much IMO, I would say it's at least an exhaustive resource.
Simple Writing System by John Carlton
Who the hell is John Carlton? It's one of the best top-of-the-game copywriters still alive. He's also been teaching to a lot of copywriters his method.
In his free 10-pages Simple Writing System ebook, he will teach you the essentials of the sales process: from nailing your prospect's need to closing the deal. It also comes with 3 exercises you can do to practice all you just learned. It's free, so why deprive yourself of it?
Free copywriting books
The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
You must know Gary Halbert if you're interested in copywriting. I couldn't press you enough to read this book. Testimonials speak by themselves:
A fantastic insight into the psychology behind copy intended to attract customers and sell to them.
One of the guys that I follow...Dan Kennedy spoke so highly of this guy I just knew I had to see what he was about.
Even though these letters were written in the 80's, many of those insights are timeless, like different tips and tricks on how to attract attention, stimulate interest and desire, and call for action; how to go about getting the leads, to write simple and to read your copy aloud several times until it reads smoothly.
Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
In Ogilvy on Advertising (another great marketing book), Ogilvy called Hopkins "the father of modern advertising". Yet again, testimonials speak themselves:
On a list of the great copywriters of all time, most students of advertising history would rank Hopkins first.
This book is so good it's very surprising how long ago it was written. It is one of those reads that are required for every marketeer or advertiser. Not only because Claude Hopkins is one of the first modern advertising genius but also because the information given is still very applicable nowadays.
This book has open my eye and see ads in another way. I'm really surprise of what I learn from this book.
Best free copywriting podcasts
Copy Chief
This wonderful nugget is brought to us by Kevin Rogers, former comedian... turned into a brilliant copywriter. I love the way Kevin selects his interviewees and how he connects with them on an emotional level.
All Good Copy
You'll find tons of great interviews on AllGoodCopy, with tons of invaluable insights in them. The blog belongs to Glenn Fisher, a great author and copywriter who has written the best-seller The Art of the Click.
The Copywriter Club
The Copywriter Club has more than 200 episodes on the odometer which probably makes it one of the main copywriting podcasts out there. I've especially loved the one with Parris Lampropoulos.
Best free copywriting swipe files
If you're still a beginner copywriter, you probably don't know what a swipe file is. Basically, it is a directory where a copywriter stores all his favorite ads and sales pages in order to analyse them or get inspiration later.
If you don't have yours yet, I strongly encourage you to do it. You should put your email into all landing pages you can find on the web to analyze the sequences you receive. You can also checkout the affiliate marketplaces (like ClickBank) in order to find examples of sales copy.
But the easiest way if you just started out, is to go check the few available swipe files out there:
- swiped.co is my favorite directory since it allows me to search for a specific copywriter or type of copy (email vs Fb ads for example).
- swipefile.com which is also a nice resource, although the filter functionalities are less advanced and ads are not analyzed.
- But you should go search by yourself, you'll be able to find many more swipe files like this one about Schwartz Headlines.
Best free copywriter blogs
Here are a few of my favorites blogs around copywriting:
Conclusion
As you can see, so many free resources to learn copywriting.
But to be honest, if you're serious about learning copywriting, I wouldn't recommend any of them.
I'd rather recommend you to invest in a paid copywriting course to learn from a great mentor.
A+
Vlad Kowsky