![Keys To Copywriting With Rusty Ryal: 3 Tips Every Entrepreneur Needs [LNIM168]](https://www.latenightim.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-Copywriting-Tips-Rusty-Ryal-1080x675.png)
Whether you are writing a sales page, crafting an email sequence, or putting together a solo ad, copywriting is a skill every online entrepreneur needs. In this episode, professional copywriter and former Major League Baseball player Rusty Ryal joins me to share the three most important things you need to know as a beginning copywriter. He also reveals the key question to ask when hiring someone to write copy for you.
What You Will Learn
- The three fundamentals of effective copywriting for online business
- Why you should never position yourself as the hero of your sales copy
- How to research your market so your copy practically writes itself
- How to find your authentic writing voice without overthinking it
- The one question to ask before paying someone to write your copy
Episode Summary
Rusty Ryal has an unusual path to copywriting. After retiring from Major League Baseball, he got into the craft under the mentorship of Ray Edwards and spent years honing his skills. His perspective is refreshingly practical for people who find copywriting intimidating.
Everyone writing anything online is doing some form of copywriting, whether they realize it or not. Every email, every product description, every social media post is an attempt to communicate and persuade. Rusty breaks it down into three core principles that apply no matter what you are writing.
Key Takeaways
- Do not be the hero in your copy. The customer is the hero. You are the guide. It is easy to talk about yourself and your product when you know it inside and out, but your reader needs to see themselves in the story. Lay out benefits from their perspective. Overcome objections with social proof. Position yourself as someone who can help them get where they want to go.
- Know who you are selling to. Copywriting is 80 percent research. If you do not know your audience, you are writing blind. Go to Facebook groups, forums, Reddit communities. Search Google for the keywords your audience uses. When you understand what they want, what frustrates them, and what language they use, structuring your copy becomes dramatically easier. Sell them what they want, not what you think they need.
- Find your voice by talking. If you cannot figure out your writing voice, just talk. Record yourself explaining your offer to a friend. Transcribe it. That is your voice. Do not try to sound like someone else. Your everyday speaking voice, kept consistent across everything you write, is what lets people connect with you.
What Has Changed Since This Episode Aired
This episode was recorded in 2019. Since then, AI writing tools have transformed how many entrepreneurs approach copywriting. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude can draft sales pages, email sequences, and ad copy in seconds. However, the three principles Rusty teaches are more important than ever because they are what separates copy that converts from generic AI-generated text that sounds like everyone else. AI can draft, but you still need to understand your customer, position them as the hero, and infuse your authentic voice.
Resources Mentioned
- Rusty Ryal — Baseball Reference page
- Rusty Ryal — Certified copywriter
- Subscribe to Late Night Internet Marketing
Related Episodes
- LNIM268: I Fired My Million Dollar Online Business Mastermind Group — Includes discussion of Ray Edwards' PASTOR copywriting method
- LNIM222: Content Creation Idea Generation Tips
Keep the Conversation Going
What is your biggest copywriting challenge? I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment below or connect with me on Facebook. If the show has helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
