To succeed as a copywriter, you need to make sure your work is error-free. A typo or grammar mistake could ruin the effectiveness of your message or reflect poorly on your client. If we immerse ourselves and our children in the truths that the “copybook headings” offer, we may find ourselves closer to that point than we think. To answer these questions, many people will recommend Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Robert Cialdini is a notable psychology professor who took a ton of research on persuasion and identified these 6 principles of persuasion:

Here’s another book that should be in literally every copywriter’s collection. Tested Advertising Methods is about exactly what the name suggests: proven strategies to sell more. John Caples, a literal advertising legend, was literally obsessed with split-testing, which means every insight in this book was vetted and tested before being featured.In the poem, Kipling's narrator counterposes the "Gods" of the title, who embody eternal truths, against "the Gods of the Market-Place", who represent an optimistic self-deception into which it supposes society has fallen in the early 20th century. [3] If you want to get into the nitty-gritty about what makes an advertisement work on a tactical level, this book will teach you. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This is Sullivan’s guide to making great ads. It’s all about why good ads work and bad ads fail—and a few famous exceptions to both rules. In these letters, Gary shares his insider tips on how to convince and convert buyers using copy, and he sprinkles in a few pieces of life advice along the way. Bond also throws in his two cents underneath each letter to link the principles to modern advertising.

This headline written by David Ogilvy in 1958 is considered one of the best copywriting examples of all time. Kipling’s poem does not include any exact examples of these copybook headings. In his day, that was unnecessary. In ours, it requires a bit of research; that done, the meaning and the relevance of the poem come into focus. Every copywriter today needs to understand inbound marketing. If you don’t, you will end up guessing in a lot of situations, the value you provide to your clients will be limited, and your earning potential will be a fraction of what it could be. These books are useful resources for anyone looking to improve their copywriting skills and produce more effective copy. They include a wealth of valuable information and insights that can help copywriters of all levels write better copy. Additionally, Gary V has a great feel for the cadence and rhythm that results in social media traction, and it’s illustrated incredibly well by the title of this book: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. Social media traction is a bit of a science and a bit of an art, and understanding what you are aiming for from the beginning of your journey will help you grow faster than you would otherwise.He then speaks about the complimentary method to this, which is to Will Ferrel it. Then he shows how when you combine the findings from the two methods, you can give birth to truly fresh and creative ideas. But well worth the read, especially if you’re in direct response copywriting or work with paid advertising campaigns. I hear Chapter 5 is literally the best. The same cannot be said of today’s schoolchildren. Scripture has been taboo in schools for decades, and even if it were permissible, the scorn heaped on the penmanship, dictation, and rote learning needed to incorporate “copybook headings” into the curricula would prevent such a practice from ever seeing the light of day. Thus, today’s “copybook headings” tend instead toward politically correct mantras about “social justice,” “white privilege,” and “saving the planet.”