Lesson 3: Expertise
ROB: In this lesson, we’re going to go a lot deeper into the first element of the Authority Framework… expertise.
Show Authority Framework, then focus in on expertise.
Expertise is the starting point for everything you do in your business… you have to have a basic understanding of copywriting and marketing principles. You need to know about marketing campaigns and funnels. Even if you don’t write all of the pieces in a funnel… you’ve got to understand how the piece you do fits with all the other pieces in a particular promotion.
So how do you identify your expertise? Start by making a list of what you know about copywriting, marketing, list and funnel building, offer creation, persuasion, risk mitigation, grammar, editing and proofreading, psychology, search engine optimization, analytics, data visualization, conversion rate optimization, testing, creating thinking, problem solving, storytelling, user experience… the list here is almost endless. Your unique combination of some of these skills along with the products you create and the niche you work in… makes up your expertise and this distinguishes you from everyone else in the field.
KIRA: Clearly, as a copywriter, you need to know the basics of copywriting… you can’t just sell the sizzle, you have to provide the steak… or tofu, if you prefer it. Things like how to write a compelling headline, how to come up with ideas and hooks, how to write a call to action, basic persuasion techniques, how to formulate an offer and so on.
As you gain experience, you may add expertise around business strategy, sales, and operations. You may start adding other skills like conversion optimization or storytelling. Maybe you start adding broader business know-how like brand or go-to-market strategies.
We’re not suggesting you need to understand ALL of this right now to be a celebrity copywriter… far from it. You don’t need a degree in marketing. You don’t need a break-through methodology or any unique secrets. And you don’t need to be the smartest person in your niche. You just need a solid baseline of expertise and experience and the willingness to share it with your world. And you need to commit to growing your expertise over time… not just settling for what you know now. This is an ongoing process.
ROB: It’s important to remember that your expertise also includes many of the skills and experiences you acquired before you hung up your shingle as a copywriter. You might have previous experience in sales, or negotiation, or customer service, or teaching… again the list goes on almost endlessly. Many of the ideas, skills, talents, and know-how you picked up in your previous jobs or careers are an important part of your unique expertise.
KIRA: And, it’s not just “knowing” stuff. Expertise requires doing. You can’t just read 3-5 books on a topic (as some gurus suggest) or take a course and then start teaching the concepts yourself. There’s a saying that, “In theory, practice and theory are the same. In practice, they’re not.” True expertise only comes as you sit down to actually do the things you’ve learned. To step into the ring, make mistakes, and learn from them. It’s not always easy. Heck, it can be scary, but it’s essential to building your expertise over time.
As you apply your knowledge, you’ll likely find that you like some deliverables more than others. You may like a particular type of client more than others. You may like solving a particular type of problem over another. You may find that you like writing for a particular niche or industry. That’s great—it’s those things you love doing that lend themselves to developing even deeper expertise.
ROB: So if you are lacking in expertise, it’s time to study up and do the work. Use the resources in The Copywriter Underground to expand your business knowledge. Check out some of the books and other resources on our recommended resource list found on The Copywriter Club website. But don’t get stuck learning and not doing. The next step is to find a few clients and get to work practicing what you learn.
Most of us gain experience this as we decide to be copywriters. We buy a few books, google the ideas and concepts that copywriters need to know about, start putting those ideas into practice as we work with clients. You may even buy a course or join a membership like The Copywriter Underground to continue to build your expertise. All of these things can be an important part of your professional development. Keep it up. Keep learning and growing.
In the next lesson, we’ll talk about the second element of the Authority Framework—trust. See you there..
