One of the biggest challenges that marketers face is writing copy. Not just any copy, but copy that intrigues people, copy that makes people wanna read more, and of course, copy that sells. It is not an easy task,m as the psychological pressure is hard.

But all great copywriters at some point struggled to overcome their demons.

Ray Edwards has cooperated with many big names in the industry, including Tony Robbins, Jeff Walker, Patt Flynn, Dan Miller, Jack Canfield, Robert Allen, Mark Victor Hansen, Frank Kern, Stu McLaren and many more. He has a huge experience in writing copy as a former copywriter in radio stations for over 30 years. Then, when the internet outranked radio, he made the move online.

According to Ray, the path to success, no matter your business, is to put the right words in the right order so that people will want to do business with you.

He is the creator of the CopyWriting Academy, a super high-quality course that delivers results…

Let’s dive in…

Copywriting Academy 2.0 Review

Overview

The copywriting academy by Ray Edwards is an online course for aspiring freelancers, business owners (online or offline), startups, writers of all kinds, marketers, and people who want to build a copywriting career. The course is available only once a year and the registration opens up for a limited 5-day period.

The course aims to teach people to write copy that persuades customers, copy that is compelling, copy that sells. The course goes above and beyond other copywriting lessons as it teaches people how to write copy for websites, landing pages, email campaigns, podcasts, webinars, videos, blog posts, and newsletters.

On top of that, the course teaches students the whole process of writing copy for product launches. Pre-launch copy, launch copy, sales pages, sales letters.

The over 30 years copywriting experience of Ray Edwards plus the testimonials from industry leaders he worked with, make this course an absolute no-brainer.

How Well You Communicate Your Value to the Marketplace

The common thing for all successful businesses and entrepreneurs is that they have a story to share. “Success stories”…Without a story you have nothing. The words that push people into taking action.

All big brands used copy of that kind. Names like Coca-Cola, Adidas, Amazon, Apple, Disney, and people like Tim Cook, Richard Branson, or Elon Musk. They all share a story, communicating with their prospects the “right way”

Who Is This Program For

• People who sell online
• Those who know they need copy but they hate selling, writing, or think they are not good writers.
• Those who hired an expensive copywriter but did not get the results they wanted
• Entrepreneurs who want to hire copywriters but don’t know the difference between bad and good copy.
• Marketers who don’t want to be salesy but need to make some money
• Those who are simply afraid or feel that they don’t have what it takes
• Companies and startups that want to launch a new product or service
• Writers, small business owners, solo professionals, or certified professionals
• People who want to build a copywriting career

Copywriting Academy Modules

Academy 2.0

A complete, 100% online learning and doing system that not only teaches you how to write copy that sells your products, services, and ideas… but also helps you get it done while you learn.

Module 01 – The Quickstart – Write your first copy in about an hour

• Simple template & instructions.
• Step-by-step walk-through.
• Money-making copy in an hour.

Module 02 – The One Thing – Irresistible offers that make selling easier (or unnecessary)

• Write offers that sell themselves.
• Makes the rest of your copy easier.
• “Magic Offer Recipe”

Module 03 – Persuasion Blueprint – Magic building blocks of Sales Copy that sells your products like crazy

• The “secret skeleton” of Million-Dollar Copy.
• Detailed, piece-by-piece breakdown.
• Use this template to sell anything

Module 04 – Magnetic Copy – Headlines & Subheads that grab your readers by the eyeballs

• Keeps people reading all the way down.
• Gives your copy momentum.
• 21 proven templates

Module 05 – Fascinator Factor – Persuasion points that virtually compel people to buy your products

• If there’s one “magic bullet” it’s this
• Fortunes are made on Persuasion Points alone.
• The secret to writing irresistible Persuasion Points

Module 06 – Resistance removal – Alleviate your customer’s fear (guarantee & bonuses)

• Instantly remove the #1 barrier to sales.
• Why a simple “Guarantee” won’t work.
• The “tipping point” technique that sells

Module 07 – Closing the Deal – How to ask for the sale, force a decision, and stack the cash

• 10 Deadly sins of closing; Which do you make?
• The secret of closing without “selling hard.”
• How to create a “decision-rich environment”

Module 08 – Inbox Magic – The email writing method that makes more money

• How to write emails that sell like crazy.
• The single best way to avoid complaints.
• Why email is still the #1 way to sell online

Bonuses

Bonus 01 – Your first 1000 subscribers (retail value $997)

The beginner’s guide to building your email list

Bonus 02 – Idea to Income in 30 Days or Less (retail value $997)

The beginner’s guide to creating your own product

Bonus 03 – Rapid copywriting – speed up your copywriting, improve your skills and multiply your income (retail value $297)

The secret to writing at least 3 times faster and better.

Bonus 04 – License to steal – Ray’s 200 million dollars proven, tested, swipe files (retail value $2,500)

All great copywriters keep a swipe file (a collection of the most successful copy for inspiration). Ray is giving away his most successful copy, plus commentary, and explanations on how to use it legally, ethically and skillfully

Bonus 05 – The Six-Figure Second Income – how to make big money writing copy for others part-time (retail value $500)

Your main priority is to build a long-term business for yourself, but at the beginning, you can take advantage of your copywriting skills and write for others as a freelancer to stack the cash fast

Bonus 06 – Massive coaching calls library (retail value $1000)

Bonus 07 – 6 live group coaching calls (retail value $1000)

Bonus 08 – Private online community (retail value $1000)

Bonus 09 – Copywriting Academy live event (retail value $10,000)

When you enroll, you have access to:

• Masterclass experience of the Academy lessons (retail value $2,500)
• Checklists, templates, and outlines (retail value $2,500)
• 10 full-length video training sessions (retail value $500)
• Full downloadable video and audio versions (retail value $500)
• Transcripts of each class session (retail value $500)

and the bonuses mentioned above

Total Retail Value $26,249 (with all bonuses)

Copywriting Academy 2.0 Features

• Clear video instruction – watch over Ray’s shoulder sessions
• Downloadable Media – Audio and Video versions
• Checklists & Templates – to stay organized
• Do as you learn – The course is set to complete the work as you learn. So you don’t walk away with just “head-knowledge” but with finished copy instead
• Full transcripts & slides – for old-fashioned text format fans. Ready-made notes for each session to print, mark or even read them on your iPad.
• 3 live Q & A calls – for the 1st session of the class Ray will answer all your specific questions about your copywriting project

The Copywriting Academy Sessions

Session 01 – Copywriting quick start – Write your cash-generating copy in about an hour.

• Deep principles and powerful core skills of Master CopyWriters.
• The world’s easiest copy template
• The 3-step delivery system to bring in money when you need it, often in mere hours.

Session 02 – The secret skeleton of Million Dollar Copy – the universal copy blueprint that sells your products like crazy

• How to write the 1 magic sentence that becomes your persuasion GPS.
• What screenwriters and novelists know that marketers don’t. The power of persuading and selling through story.
• The buyer’s journey genius map. A slick high-resolution info-graphic to help you walk your readers through the 12 gates every buyer must pass before they decide to buy
• The deeper secrets of the P.A.S.T.O.R framework
• The perfect sales letter checklist

Session 03 – Copy that attracts readers like magic – write headlines and subheads that grab your readers by the eyeballs

• The most important copy on your sales page is NOT your headline
• Free forever access to the infinite headline swipe file
• The 5 headline archetypes
• 21 proven templates to generate subheads really fast
• The secret weapon to knock down the wall of skepticism & doubt. The power of O.P.E.N
• Turn up the EQ with the most powerful and dangerous type of headlines known to humanity. Use with caution

Session 04 – The email writing method that makes more money

• Email is still #1 method for driving sales online.
• The 3 core email types
• The perfect frequency
• The 3 email sequences for small business owners
• Ray’s email treasure box: swipe and deploy email marketing

Session 05 – The fascination factor – how to write bullet points that virtually force your prospects to buy

• Lessons from the world’s greatest copywriter ever that you’ve never heard of.
• How to integrate the 5 emotional motivators into your bullets with ease
• The ultimate bullet point swipe file
• Ray’s proven 101 bullet point templates

Session 06 – Irresistible offers – The one thing that makes “Selling” unnecessary

• The not-so-obvious components of a truly irresistible offer
• How to craft your offer in a way that makes the rest of your copy easier to write
• The 80/20 offer formula
• The 9 kinds of offers

Session 07 – Write guarantees that shock, awe, and sell – How to get customers to stop hesitating and unleash a river of sales

• Why a simple, standard “Money back guarantee” is required but still won’t work. What you just do instead
• What buyers fear most and how to eliminate that fear with the “Tipping Point Protocol”
• The 10-Part guarantee formula that works like a champ
• Total guarantee transformation

Session 08 – Closing Copy – How to ask for the sale, “S.P.A.R.K” a decision and stack the cash

• Discover the 7 deadly sins of closing copy.
• The 1 approach that will allow you to close the deal without doing the “hard-sell”
• How to create a decision rich environment
• The 5 archetype closing copy templates

Session 09 – The secrets of Product Launch Copy – How to write persuasive copy for a Jeff Walker, PLF style launch

• The beginner’s guide to product launches.
• Why launches have not made copy obsolete
• Product launch genius Map
• The 12 vital components of Product launch copywriting

Session 10 – Video copy magic – How to write copy for videos, livecasts, and webinars

• Why you must be able to write video sales copy. How to get it good for your advantage
• How to write incredibly persuasive video sales copy.
• The perfect pitch, a proven framework for writing an effective video sales pitch
• The video templates

How to Write Copy that Sells (eBook)

I have read Ray Edwards’ eBook and I was completely amazed by the way he writes. This book is a goldmine itself.

Some of the topics covered are

• How to sell without being salesy
• How to write headlines
• How to write email copy that sells
• How to write bullet points that force your prospects to buy
• Irresistible offers, risk reversal, and powerful closes
• The secrets of getting your prospects so excited about you that they will fight for the privilege of buying your stuff
• The secrets of writing blockbuster copy by watching movies
• The copywriting challenge

This book is an example of what is included in the Ray Edwards copywriting academy.

Academy 2.0 Price

Full price is set to $1995 (one-time payment). Or you can optin with 4 payments of $595

This includes one-year access to the members’ area, the right to download and keep all materials, and the 9 major bonuses mentioned above, including tickets to a live event.

Guarantees – Even before you start the training

• No copywriting experience needed
• No marketing experience needed
• No extraordinary writing skills needed
• No list needed

and of course …

The curiously simple, completely unconditional, weasel-free 100% money-back guarantee 

A personal promise by Ray. Take a full 30 days and work your way through all the elements of the course. Write your sales copy and use it to sell your products and services.

If you are not surprised and delighted by the increase in sales, profits, and happy customers, simply ask for a refund.

Full Package Checklist – What’s Included (Feb 2018)

• Masterclass experience of the academy lessons (retail price $2500)
• Checklists, templates, and outlines (retail value $2500)
• 10 full-length video training sessions (retail value $500)
• Full downloadable video and audio versions (retail price $500)
• Transcripts of each class session (retail price $500)
• Bonus 01 – Your first 1,000 subscribers – the beginner’s guide to building your email list (retail price $997)
• Bonus 02 – Idea to income in 30 days or less – the beginner’s guide to creating your own product (retail value $997)
• Bonus 03 – Rapid Copywriting – speed up your copywriting, improve your skill, and multiply your income (retail value $297)
• Bonus 04 – Ray’s $100 million dollars swipe files (retail price $2500)
• Bonus 05 – Six-figure second income – how to build a copywriting business of your own (retail price $500)
• Super bonus 01 – Massive coaching call library (retail value $1000)
• Super bonus 02 – 6 live group coaching calls (retail price $1000)
• Super bonus 03 – Private online community (retail price $1000)
• Extreme bonus – Live in-person activation workshop (retail value $10,000)

Total retail value $26,249

The Cost of Not Solving the “Copy Problem”

Before I answer that, let’s imagine again what makes people buy products and services. It’s the words on websites that are written, or spoken in audios or videos. It’s not the professional design, the outlook, or anything else. The words. These words can make or break a business.

So, if you have a bright new idea and want to launch a new business you have to convince people to buy. And that can happen only if you use compelling copy that persuades them to take action.

My Final Review

We have to face it, good copy makes the difference. No matter how qualitative your products are or how special your services are you need copy that convinces people to read through and finally buy from you. Because people don’t just buy products and services. No, they don’t. People buy change, transformation, something that will improve their lives for the better.

There are companies offering innovative products, perfectly crafted and engineered using the latest tech trends, they want to offer value in the market, they have connections, they invest every day in education and development, but still, these businesses fail.

And the percentage of failing startups is huge, it’s disappointing, but at the same time, it’s a huge opportunity for the companies that know the core secret factor of success.

Companies that succeed both offline and online, are those that communicate their products and services the fastest. This way, when people read about their products, they know WHY they need them. Because these products will transform peoples’ lives for the better.

All these marketing principles and way more are explained by Ray in his copywriting academy training.

Ray is a professional copywriter hired by huge and/or mid-sized companies that need to improve their sales. His writing is compelling and his voice in the videos is very soft and warm.

OK, in other words, Ray is a superman of sales, but he is good at getting results for his students as well. There are so many Ray’s students, like Mike Kim, that managed to build 7-figure businesses by following the copywriting academy.

If you can afford the price of $1997 go ahead, you won’t regret it. The package is very powerful, proven, guaranteed to bring results, and it’s being promoted by big names, including Jeff Bullas, Jeff Walker, and more.

This is the second time I am reviewing the Academy. I have watched all the video training sessions during the last 2 years and I was amazed by the information Ray shared.

Key points are:

• Copywriting is based on human psychology and the factors that motivate people not only to buy but to do anything.
• The art of copy is very powerful and you have to use it with extreme caution.
• People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies
• The 5 emotional motivators and the P.A.S.T.O.R framework will set you free and get your copy to the next level.

An absolute course for those who want to sell without being sleazy, salesy and pushy. The key to more impact, more income, and more freedom.

The academy is an in-depth complete course on copywriting and everything related. There is nothing missing and it opens many doors for you. Not only will you be able to sell with ease, even on-demand, but you will improve your product launches and you can build a business on selling copy for companies, agencies, and entrepreneurs

For those who want to build a copywriting career, this course will take them from zero to results. Ray will help you get started as a freelancer, will show you what to do to get noticed, and will help you start charging hundreds or thousands of dollars writing effective copy for companies and clients.

In any case the 30 days money back guarantee makes the offer really irresistible.

Update 18 Feb 2018

I am continuously using Ray’s copywriting principles. The results so far are at least amazing. I created several landing pages on this website using the PASTOR formula. The call-to-action buttons are getting clicked at higher rates than before. I use Ray’s principles in my email blasts, on social media, when writing blog posts or other articles.

I use these principles for my local clients as well, and I managed to help many small businesses increase their sales and engagement. All thanks to Ray’s copywriting frameworks. These formulas work, both for traditional and online businesses.

Update 28 Apr 2018

I was monitoring the results of several of my landing pages for many months now in order to give you a sense of this program’s efficiency. Only thanks to the PASTOR Framework, I was able to build my first list of subscribers to the Digital Business RoadMap training and to my email list. And although the DBR training is not yet complete the first impressions surpassed my expectations.

Additionally, I am building a premium section using the PASTOR formula, and during the next months, I’ll be monitoring this department thoroughly to update the thread with the results. A premium section where I’ll be offering marketing services to clients over the internet. My goal is to acquire the first list of new clients.

All of that, thanks to Ray’s innovative copywriting ideas.

All in all, the Copywriting Academy is a course that can transform your business and life but keep in mind that you have to put in the work. If you are not willing to work hard and apply what you learn, no course in the world can help you. You are the one who can help yourself.

Why Copywriting Can Change Your Business Today

Free Video Course Part 1 Summary

The video series is in order, you can’t watch video 2 without watching the first one. So here is a short description of Part 1.

Why Marketing Fails and How to Fix It

What is the key factor that differentiates businesses?…why do other entrepreneurs struggle just to make ends meet while others thrive?

Ray’s unique approach to sales copy, that “special” copy producing sales virtually for any business is Empathy.

He is uncovering the 5 emotional motivators that make people do what they do. And how we can use these motivators for our business to make more sales. He busts the 5 myths of modern marketing that keep many entrepreneurs of being really successful. At the end of the course he is offering one of his copy sales tactics, the Unique Core Thesis.

This Unique Core Thesis is a sentence describing your business, the problems it solves and how it can benefit your customers. He is showing how to write a Unique Core Thesis on our own and he is giving templates to help this procedure.

Why Every Business Needs a Sales Letter, and How to Write a Killer One.!

Writing copy that persuades people to take action is more important than ever before. The competition out there is enormous and somehow you have to stand out of the crowd, be noticed and make money of course.

Hopefully copywriting works for any kind of business, online or offline. Whether you are in a corporate job, or you are working in the Real Estate market, or you are a freelancer, physician, doctor, lawyer, speaker, author, spiritual trainer, marketer or blogger, it really does not matter. The words that trigger people’s emotions are the same.

and copywriting is based on the principles of human Psychology and the reasons why people do what they do

The first steps of Ray Edwards as a copywriter

Even Ray had failed dramatically, at a sales presentation in front of 100 people. As he says, he was humiliated because no one bought anything. Zero sales. Then his mentor, helped him understand that the words he used were fine, the only thing missing was the right order. To Ray’s surprise, a 2nd sales presentation one week later in front of 100 people again blew his mind away. He managed to make over $50,000 in sales by using the same words in a different order this time.

Use the right words, in the right order, in front of the right people, at the right time. Do these things and you will…make money..!

Additionally, Ray explains that you do not need any special advantage to make copywriting work for you. No need to have a gift for writing, not even to be a good writer after all.

Reasons Why Every Business Needs a Sales Letter

• Your sales letter is your Mission & Meaning Manifesto and why the first person you need to sell to is You
• Crystalizes your Purpose, Vision and Mission
• Gives you and your team on-purpose language
• The alignment before the assignment…and how a consistent message can be used in any form of communication
• Gives your customers language to be your evangelist

The P.A.S.T.O.R Framework 

This framework is the body of the sales copy and is what makes your message crystal clear for those that are truly interested. It helps you describe the problem of your customers in a way that relates to them so they can trust you.

Moreover, the Framework reveals to your readers/customers the consequences of not solving their problem and is what motivates people mostly.

This is the point when you have to tell the “Story” and how it can fix your customer’s problem.

The PASTOR framework goes in-depth but I won’t analyse it on that article. The main point though is this…

If you apply the principles of being a Pastor / Shepherd to your readers/customers and follow the sequence of this formula you will make more sales, and you will have happier customers…more often

The Path to Pre-Eminence in Your Market and Prosperity in Your Life

What is pre-eminence?…the fact of surpassing all others, superiority. A mindset that might seem very hard to take but is the one focused on your clients in their best interest. It can change your attitude from ‘I am not here to sell you’…to…’I am here to serve you.’

How to Use your Great Sales Copy to Actually Make Money

There are 2 ways to build a business. Strategically or tactically. A strategy is the overall approach and tactics the specific actions you take, that are aligned with the strategy.

For example, in direct sales, some tactics might be…Sales training, sales quotas, standardized sales pitches, closing techniques

While most business owners focus mainly on tactics Ray suggests a way to use your growing copywriting skills to adopt a new strategy for your business. One that unleashes the full power of copywriting techniques he has been describing in the previous video sessions.

How to Build (or Re-Build) Your Business on the Foundation of Copy

Religions, philosophies, the civil rights movement and even the United States were built on copy. Almost every great business you can name starts with copy.

Then Ray is analysing, again in-depth,  how a Copy-Centric Business can be approached and developed to actually make money. The video illustrations help us to understand everything and of course the free material attached to the videos, the MP3s and PDFs are handy and can be used anytime.

How to Take Your Copy from “Good” to “Stack the Cash” Great

Ray is analysing how to write the words that sell without being salesy or sleazing and underlines that

Anyone can write heart-centered, yet persuasive sales copy, if they follow the principles of the carefully constructed CopyWriting Academy system

Sections in this video include

• How to manufacture cash flow on command
• Write copy without selling your soul

and many more…

Why Marketing Fails and How To Fix It

The first part of the video course explains why marketing fails. Why many businesses struggle just to survive and others actually thrive. What makes the difference?

The 4 frameworks

• The 5 emotional motivators
• The Unique Core Thesis
• The $200 million sales letter blueprint
• The persuasion multiplication equation

Then Ray is busting the 5 myths of modern marketing in a way that is not just simply motivational but will get you excited to get off the ground Now.!

These myths hold many people from reaching their dreams and hopes by becoming entrepreneurs. They fear that the market is saturated or that they don’t have what it takes.

Well, not my friend…it is not too late and you have what it takes. Now is the time and Ray will help you find the road to success…

Eventually Ray is analysing the 5 emotional motivators and the Unique Core Thesis.

The $2 Billion Sales Letter

Ray is laying out a tale about two copywriters that graduated from the same copywriting school. These 2 men were about the same age, with the same writing ability. Both trained by the same copywriting instructors to master the art of writing copy that sells and persuade.

More importantly, both had the same dreams and hopes, that one day would become rich by writing ads selling products and services. But recently one fell into another at a marketing conference, 10 years after the copywriting graduation, And still, their lives were very much alike. Happily married with children, and had written copy ads for some of the biggest direct mail publishing houses.

There was only one slight difference…

One of these 2 men was working at a publishing house making $100,000 per year salary.

The other one was not an employee, he decided to follow the road of entrepreneurship and sell his services as a businessman. He was raking in over $1 million a year, pure profits.

What made the difference between those 2 copywriters?

The Revised P.A.S.T.O.R. Framework

I had already reviewed the PASTOR framework last year. But now, Ray’s announcing that the framework has been improved.

The letters of the word PASTOR are acronyms but the meaning of this word lies in this. If you approach your prospects and clients as someone who cares about them, you’ll never sound salesy or scammy. As a pastor, a shepherd who cares for the flock.

PASTOR:

P: Person, problem, and pain. This is part of the 80% (the relationships part). You make an introduction to your offer by showing your potential buyers that you know their problems, you know who they are, and how these problems make them feel. You make a connection with them, a very personal one.

A: Aspiration, amplification. You speak directly to your customers’ dreams, hopes, and desires. You underline the cost of not doing business with you. This is part of the 15% (the cost of inaction).

S: Story, struggle, solution. This is where you tell a story. For example, how you struggled with a similar or the same problem and you found the solution, or how your product helped other people overcome their problems. If you can speak the same language they use, they feel you understand them, so they connect with you directly. This is part of the 80% (the relationships part).

T: Transformation, testimony. People don’t buy products or services. They buy the positive outcome that your products will bring in their lives. The change, the transformation. Testimonies are important to your prospects in order to understand that others have used the same products or services and helped them reach their goals. It’s part of the incentive, the 3%.  It’s not a direct incentive like a deadline or scarcity but showing a transformation definitely incentivizes people to take action

O: Objections, offer. The objections are a new element to the framework. When you show people a product or service they will have questions, some may call them objections. They might be afraid that the product will not work for them, or they might find that the product is expensive. This is the part where you handle these objections/questions before they actually ask you. It’s part of your copy.

Ray mentions that you should feel happy when facing these objections. And you can say something like, “Hey, a lot of people when they see this offer have questions about it, here are the most common questions I hear and the answers”.

And Ray continues… ” Tell them what you have to sell them, how much it is, how it’s going to be delivered but make that only about 10% to 20% of the offer part of the copy. The other 80% of the offer portion of the copy needs to be about the transformation”.

R: Request, response. This is where you actually ask your prospects to buy your product or service.

Video Lesson #2 – Resume:

Ray made some changes in the PASTOR framework and added the sales map. This is where you know how much space of your copy should be included in every section. Powerful stuff as always.

Video #3 – Prelude:

That’s it, I hope you enjoyed another review, here on Web Market Support. I am waiting for your comments and thoughts. Till next time.