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The AWAI Method, Part 3

11/2/2022

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My Thoughts So Far

I was right to be terrifyingly excited for part 3 of the AWAI Method. It was a nice, easy cruise through the basics of copywriting.
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Well, maybe not THAT basic, but close enough.

What I Learned


  • What direct response marketing is
  • The Three Fundamental Rules of Selling
  • AWAI calls Robert Bly "Bob" (so now I will refer to him as "Bobby" Bly because I like alliteration and implying a familiarity with someone I've never met by referring to them with a potentially annoying nickname. 
  • Bobby Bly is BRILLIANT. (I already sorta knew this from seeing him pop up on numerous lists of "COPYWRITING BOOKS EVERY COPYWRITER SHOULD READ OR DIE TRYING." Yes, that title is a bit fatalistic. No, you really don't want to know what copywriting sites I've been going to.)
Letterkenny The Dark Web GIFfrom Letterkenny GIFs
  • All about simple text ads
  • That Google Docs can save files as .docx
  • What AWAI's "Four U's" for online ads are 
  • A smidge about PPC (Pay per click) ads
  • You never know when a knowledge gained from a life experience will come in handy

Not all of those are lessons the AWAI Method teaches. I'm throwing in some extra lessons I learned while learning from AWAI . . . and dicking around on the internet when my ADHD kicked in.

I Finally Got To Write Some Copy!

Granted some of it was copying a sample e-mail by hand multiple times, but the part 3 assignment had me write a simple text ad! Okay, so it had me improve a "lame" one, but I primarily used the lame one as a source of information and then did the COPYWRITING my own sweet self. Not sure when the feedback on that assignment will appear (since "within 14 days" encompasses quite a bit of time), but I'm really looking forward to it. While I'd LOVE to hear some positive feedback, what I really want is constructive criticism. I want whatever copywriter reads it to tear it apart and then tell me how it SHOULD have been pieced together. Hell, I'll even settle for "this is a good effort, and here are places that could have made it great."

Thoughts, Criticisms, and Anything Else Rattling Around in My Head

The AWAI Method defaults to he/him pronouns. This seems really old-fashioned and out of touch to me. I hope they update the course at some point and default to they/them. 
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I mean, did my COS mentor call me from one of these?
While AWAI put great emphasis on how you could make lots of money by writing a series of simple text ads, googling "Google Simple Text Ad" led me to this interesting article about RSA's being the new default ad . . . and basically the new hotness.

via GIPHY

I guess we know what that makes the simple text ads . . .
But seriously, this makes me wonder how often they update this course. The world of digital marketing does not turn slowly. 

Now, obviously, I haven't finished the course, so they could very well cover RSA's later--and if they do, I'll be back later and update this. Though even if they do, it would seem kind of sus to not mention it until later and keep touting the potential worth of writing a series of simple text ads. 
​
Among Us GIFfrom Among Us GIFs
No, like RED level sus.

Conclusion?

Educational but likely in need of a bit of updating. I'm still looking forward to continuing the course and still believe the knowledge I gain will be invaluable. Strong, steady foundations are crucial for any skill. 
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The AWAI Method, Parts 1 and 2

10/17/2022

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What I Think So Far

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Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash
I'm actually a little bored. 

But that's due to my prior knowledge. I know what copywriting is (which is why I knew I needed to learn how to do it instead of using my standard set of writing skills), what things like B2C, B2B, and SAAS stand for, and--thanks to the rather extensive copy I had to wade through to get anywhere near the option to purchase an AWAI course--I know that copywriters are important and there's lots of well-paying work out there for them.

The AWAI method is a course meant to be for people at all beginner levels--including those with basically no knowledge about copywriting at all. And the beginning of the AWAI Method is also meant to reinforce how much earning potential copywriting offers as well as how effective the program is at turning students/users into copywriters who can maximize that potential.

​I imagine that reinforcement is also meant to help fire-up, motivate, and inspire us. But they are seriously preaching to the choir with me, so the first two parts have been a liiiiiitle bit of a slog. As much as I love hearing people's stories (and trust me, I do. You have a story? TELL IT TO ME.), I'm here to learn how to do something new. 

Part 3 of The AWAI Method is called "Persuasive copywriting 101" (Though isn't copywriting persuasive by nature? That title is redundant.), and I cannot WAIT to start that part! I absolutely LOVE learning, and learning how to do something I'm really excited about? That is the BEST.
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How excited? Terrifyingly so.

So What's Next?

Part the THIRD. Where I will a) finally start getting to the meat of this course and b) write my first bit of copy--which an AWAI copywriter will give me feedback on!

Tune in next time to hear all about my copywriting encounter of the third kind. (Yes, you have many more terrible jokes to look forward to on this blog; you lucky little so and so!

​P.S. You're going to have to wait longer for my list of copywriting books. 
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Do You Want to Be a Copywriter? ME TOO!

10/15/2022

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I Also Wanted to Win Digital Copywriter's Reality Blog Challenge . . .

But I didn't. I didn't even make it into the final four.
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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
And yes, I DO plan to die mad about it. 

In the meantime, however, I'm going to learn how to be a copywriter, and instead of blogging about it on a well-known and respected website, I'm going to blog about it here.

But First, I Want to Make Some Things Clear


  • My primary means of training/education is going to be "The AWAI Method for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter," AKA "The AWAI Method." This is a foundational course in copywriting meant to take you from "WTF is copywriting?" to "I am now a professional copywriter who actually knows what I am doing and is actually paid by people to do it."
  • While I will be sharing my opinions on the AWAI Method (and other trainings I engage in either through AWAI or other means), I will NOT be sharing course materials of any kind . . . aside from the occasional quote to make or prove a point. So if you're hoping for a free copywriting course, you're on the wrong site.
  • I have (rather recently diagnosed) ADHD, a host of other (physical and mental) health issues, a full-time day job, and a neurodivergent 11-year-old son. I will prioritize the health and well-being of me and mine over anything and everything--including this blog.
  • I curse. Quite a bit. I also think I'm a fucking delight, and I laugh pretty hard at my own jokes and pop culture references. 
  • I am a proud, bleeding-heart progressive and SJW. I'm also a Texan, so "y'all" is part of my vernacular.
  • I was an atheist for about 10 years and have been exploring spirituality since last fall. So, you know, WARNING: THERE WILL BE WOO (WOO) REFERENCES. I tend to just refer to things as "woo" singular, but apparently "woo woo" is more common.
  • The last four bullet points are meant to aid you in deciding whether you want to (or can tolerably) read this blog. While they will inevitably show up in my writing, they will NEVER be open for argument, debate, or derision. My house, my rules.
  • While I may not be a trained copywriter (yet), I AM a writer. I'm not going into this blind and terrified of semicolons. Once I learned how to use them properly, semicolons became my favorite piece of punctuation. I'd have a tattoo of one if that sort of tattoo didn't represent something very specific and significant to other folks.
  • I'm chronically honest (which means I often include lots of caveats) and cannot stand misrepresentation.  

So About that Copywriting Stuff . . .

I've already started the AWAI Method, but I haven't gotten very far yet. With my life, brain, and schedule, I already knew it was going to take a while to get through it. But two of the things they recommend a copywriter do are to read and write every day. Yes. Every. Day. Granted, they'd probably prefer I write copy every day, but I think whatever keeps the ol' writing muscles in action will work. As for the reading part, I HAVE A LIST.
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Photo by lil artsy
It's a list I've curated from other people's curated lists. I've bought most of the books--primarily in Kindle format, but some of them aren't available in digital format. And some of them (even used) are more than I'm willing to spend at the moment. Still . . . would you like to see my list of copywriting books? It's a very nice list. I'll even tell you which ones have required some internet shopping sleuthery and which ones make my wallet start crying.

But I think I'll show it to you next time. It's late, I'm tired, and both my shrink and my therapist are always after me to have better "sleep hygiene." Nighty-night!
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