Copywriting 101: The Foundations Every Beginner Should Learn

So you want to learn copywriting.

Not just clever-sounding words and “cute-but-confusing” taglines. I mean copy that gets people to click, subscribe, buy, or book (without feeling coerced or manipulated).

Welcome to the world of conversion copywriting—part science, part psychology, and part “how the heck do I get this person to care?”

If you’re a new copywriter, freelancer, or DIY business owner, know this:

You don’t need to be the funniest or most creative writer in the room.

You do need to understand your audience on a deeply human level.

By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of the four pillars of copywriting:

1. 1. How copywriting is different from other types of writing
   2. The Rule of One (and how it can save you from Franken-copy )
   3. Market sophistication and stages of awareness (aka: why people aren’t buying yet)
   4. Frameworks and formulas to help you beat the blank page

 

Let’s dive in.

1. How is copywriting different from “regular” writing?

Most people think good copy = creative copy. Not really.

Conversion copy is salesmanship in text form. It’s your 24/7 salesperson with one job: get your reader to say yes to your offer.

Can it be creative while doing this? Sure. 
But it can do fine without. If you’re new to copywriting, focus on the fundamentals before getting ✨creative.✨

It’s not about pretty prose and proper grammar.

It’s about getting people to do something: click, sign up, subscribe, inquire, buy, buy, buy.

That’s what sets it apart from “regular” writing and content writing.

Copy shows up everywhere: ads, billboards, social media, brochures, commercials, and websites (my specialty). Sometimes it’s a 5-word headline. Other times it’s a 5,000-word sales page. Whatever the format, the goal is the same: sell someone on something.

It’s not measured by how clever your wordplay is. It’s measured by how well it converts.

I’ve run a lot of split tests over the years, and sometimes the less creative variant wins. That’s just the name of the game. Does it get someone to do something? Yes? Perfect. Job well done.

Don’t get so caught up with creativity, prose, or grammatical correctness that you lose focus on that one singular goal. Forget everything you learned about “proper” punctuation and 5-paragraph essays. You get to break the rules in pursuit of your one goal.

If throwing an em dash in the middle of your headline makes a point—do it.

If breaking a paragraph into 3 individual lines makes it easier to read—go for it.

And if it’s repetition you need to grab their attention—repeat away.

(See what I just did there? ^^)

But even if you break the rules, remember: copywriting is based on research, facts, and data—not “making it up” as you go.

Here’s what that looks like:

• • Gather Voice of Customer (VoC) data. Listen to real customers—via calls, surveys, forums, chat logs, etc.—to understand their goals and struggles in their own words.
  • Use copywriting frameworks that have been tested and proven to convert. More on these in a minute.
  • Measure how your copy performs and tweak it like a mad scientist. Run surveys and tests to know what’s working vs. what’s missing. (I use Lyssna to test my copy with real humans.)

 

In a few words: it’s psychology + persuasion + UX + empathy.

Once you nail that formula, your words will feel less like “marketing” and more like helping. Because that’s what conversion copy really is: helping someone understand an offer and make a confident decision.

2. The Rule of One: Because confused people don’t take action

Here’s the simplest (and most underused) rule in copywriting:

→ Say one thing to one person about one offer.

That’s it. That’s the Rule of One.

Sounds easy, right? Yet, most websites and emails try to do too much. They’re like a buffet: overwhelming, chaotic, and full of mystery meat.

The Rule of One forces you to focus.

Let’s break it down:

One Reader:
Picture your “one reader” as a real person. Give them a name, a favorite snack, a pet peeve. They don’t have to be a demographic (“millennial moms who like matcha”); they just need to be a real person you can picture when you write.

One Offer:
What are you asking them to say yes to? A course? A call? A newsletter sign-up? Stick to it. Don’t ask them to follow you, subscribe, buy, and download all in the same paragraph. That’s desperate energy, and readers can smell it. People are also less likely to make a decision when presented with too many options.

One Value Proposition:
Why should they care right now? What’s in it for them?

That’s your value prop: the one big thing that makes your offer irresistible. When you nail the Rule of One, your message stops fighting itself. Every line has a job to do—and every button points to the same goal.

So before you write a word, ask yourself:

“Who am I talking to, what am I offering, and why should they care?”

If you can’t answer that, you’re not ready to write.

3. Market sophistication & stages of awareness

(A.k.a. why you can’t sell a Tesla to a horse cart crowd.)

Even the best copy won’t convert if your reader isn’t ready to hear it.

That’s where market sophistication and stages of awareness come in.

Think of market sophistication as:

“How much does your audience already know about your type of offer?”

If you’re selling something brand new (like when electric cars first hit the market), you need to educate people.

If you’re in a mature market (like skincare or copywriting services), your audience already knows the options. So you’ve got to differentiate.

Let’s break it down with some examples:

When Tesla launched, they weren’t just selling cars. They were selling a new category: a high-performance electric car that didn’t suck. They had to educate the market about what it is.

Fast-forward to today: everyone knows what an EV is. Now brands like Rivian or Lucid need to convince us why theirs is better. That’s market sophistication in motion.

Then there are stages of awareness. These are the five mindsets your reader moves through before buying:

1. 1. Unaware: They don’t even know they have a problem.
   2. Problem Aware: They know something’s off but don’t know the solution.
   3. Solution Aware: They know solutions exist, but not yours specifically.
   4. Product/Offer Aware: They know about your offer but haven’t decided yet.
   5. Most Aware: They’re ready to buy, they just need guidance through the point of conversion.

 

Your job is to meet your reader where they are on that spectrum.

For example:

If I’m selling website copy templates to DIYers, my reader might be Problem Aware (“My website isn’t converting”) or Solution Aware (“I know I need better copy”).

In this case, I’d speak to their frustration and promise clarity—not bombard them with jargon about SEO and messaging strategy.

On the flip side, if I’m selling a done-for-you website copy service, my audience might be Product/Offer or Most Aware. They’ve already tried DIY; they’re over it. They want to hire someone who can take the reins.

Different awareness level = different message.

Once you know where your audience stands, you can stop shouting into the void and start saying the right thing at the right time.

4. Tried-and-true frameworks and formulas

Every copywriter has had that “stare at the cursor, question all life choices” moment. The cure? Frameworks and formulas.

Think of them like scaffolding; they provide structure without boxing you in. You still get to choose what goes inside the structure.

Let’s clear something up: templates ≠ frameworks.
While templates are typically fill-in-the-blank, frameworks are flexible. They help you think like a copywriter.

For example, you might use:

• PAS (Problem–Agitate–Solve) when writing sales emails.
• AIDA (Attention–Interest–Desire–Action) when crafting landing pages.
• FAB (Features–Advantages–Benefits) when you need to explain what makes your offer valuable.

These aren’t new ideas—they’re time-tested because they work.

The magic isn’t in following them perfectly. It’s in knowing when to bend the rules.

Let’s say you’re writing a home page:

• • You might start with PAS, calling out your reader’s problem (“Your website isn’t converting”).
  • Then you agitate (“You’ve rewritten it six times and still cringe when someone asks for your link”).
  • Finally, you solve (“Let’s fix that with strategic, research-driven copy that sounds like you and sells for you”).

 

Boom. Framework in action.

Use templates and formulas to punch up your headlines, frameworks to structure your story. Use both to save yourself hours of “where do I even start?” brain fog.

Congrats! You’ve learned the foundations of copywriting

Let’s recap the foundations of conversion copywriting:

• • It’s not about creativity. It’s about connecting your offer to what your reader needs.
  • The Rule of One keeps your message laser-focused.
  • Market sophistication and awareness help you meet your reader where they are.
  • Frameworks and formulas make writing copy faster (and easier).

 

But here’s the through-line in all of this: Your job is to make people feel seen and understood. That’s the real art of copywriting.

When you can articulate what your reader is thinking before they do, you don’t have to “sell.” You show them they’re in the right place.

So next time you sit down to write your website, sales page, or even a single headline, remember:

→ You’re not writing for everyone. You’re for someone.

One person. At one stage of awareness. In one specific market. Using one proven framework.

When you focus on one thing at a time, writing great copy feels a lot less overwhelming.

Now go forth and write the kind of copy that makes your dream clients say:

“Oh snap… it’s like you read my mind.”

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