Should you handcopy ads to study copywriting?

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Have you ever hand-copied copy you’ve been studying?

While some copywriters swear by the practice… others (like Rod) HATE it.

So is handcopying actually effective for new copywriters? Or is it a waste of time unless you’re trying to show off for potential employers? Watch the video to find out the truth about handcopying!

0:00 - Do you need to handwrite copy?
0:57 - Did we actually practice handcopying as beginners?
2:12 - Why practicing copywriting by handcopying works
4:17 - Why it matters more (and less) than you think
6:09 - Reading copy vs READING copy
9:41 - The bottom line

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Copy That! is hosted by Alex Myatt, Rod SatterwhiteLindsey Hough, and Sean MacIntyre.

[SeanVZintally]

Great stuff everyone! I like what David Deutsch suggests. He says to take what we learn from reverse engineering copy, and put it into practice by writing a piece of copy.

[megan]

Omg you guys are just the best with the information! Thank you from a humble beginner who was just trying to get the info without people asking me to sign up to their expensive courses with minimal information.

[itschris]

I’m a beginner I hand write Ben settles daily emails and annotate how he disrupts attention, flow etc I find it really helpful

[TyNeyedly]

Great tips. Think I hand wrote 5 or 6 sales letters when I was getting started, and learn a ton. I might revisit this practice once a week just for practice.

[CopywritingRomania]

great advice as always, thank you! I will do both the handwriting and the timer thing Rod said. Awesome tips

[startupmockingjay]

Sorry Guys but i never heard Rod Clearly. really want to understand what he is trying to say because of course it will be insanely valuable. but because his mic is never delivering best quality of voice i have to rewind it multiple times to understand what he is saying. Rod Please do something about it we love you

[Antony_Seddon]

Gary Halbert swears by hand-copying sales letters in his book, the Boron Letters. Pretty sure reputable 'copy schools' like AWAI and Copy Hour use hand copying to train their students too. Even the CC discord has a 30-day hand copying program, so it's obviously a widely respected method of development for a reason.

[jakjak]

I see it as an opportunity to improve my chicken scratch. I'm committed. I just hope I can read it.

[abhijithis]

Why would the client care if you are typing in pc or handwriting as long as the copy is good

[jerrypacheco]

They made 3-D printers that do 100% more beautiful handwriting than most people.

[beatrixwillius]

a) Hand writing with arthritis: no thanks.
b) I type 10 times faster with a keyboard.