Thanks for registering for
​Copywriting 101

We will be emailing you a few days before class begins. The class lecture is released on Sunday nights by midnight PST starting January 23rd.
Class live Zoom Q and A is Thursdays. The link will for the first Q and A will be sent on the 23rd.
Please email us at info (at) sanfranciscoschoolofcopywriting.com with your preferred email address and how you found out about the class.
Cheers,
David Alger
SFSC


​Copywriting 101 Syllabus ​

Week One
What is advertising? How does it differ from Public Relations? 
 
What is copywriting? What skills does it take to be a good copywriter? What jobs are available? 
 
Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.
 
Week Two 
Advertising strategy. 
 
What is a brand? It’s a promise of quality, user experience, and consistent delivery. 
 
The Creative Brief – your guide to creative success. 

Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.
 
Week Three 
How to get weird in a useful way. 
 
Thinking outside the box. Don’t get dragged down by clichés. Your first idea is everyone else’s first idea. Make fresh associations. In other words,  BE CREATIVE. 
 
Throw away the CB – use your Right Brain. The challenge to appeal to logic and emotion at the same time. “People buy on emotion and justify with facts.” 
 
Contrasts make for interesting ads. Straight image. Twisted copy. And vice versa. Provoke and involve your reader. 
 
Once you understand the facts of the consumer promise, get weird. Communicate to feelings. 
 
Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Week Four 
Now that we’ve looked at the classic print ad a bit, what other types of advertising might a copywriter be involved with? 
 
Types of ads: 
  • Print 
  • Broadcast: Radio, TV 
  • Industrial Videos 
  • Digital, On-line ads, sites, landing pages, interactive 
  • Email 
  • Direct Mail 
  • Outdoors/Out of home 
  • Collateral 
  • Point of Sale 
  • Events 
 
What are some approaches that a copywriter can take to the form of the ad? 
Demonstration/Functional 
Testimonial 
Funny/Entertaining 
Retail, Price Oriented 
Promotional – Short term sales booster 
Music Oriented 
 
Why do established brands advertise? 
Keeping buyers sold. As an example, why does Dawn still advertise? To keep top of mind. Brands that abandon advertising can easily fall by the wayside. 

Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Week Five 
Direct Marketing 
DM is when the advertiser speaks directly (often not through traditional paid media) to the consumer. 
 
DM is a message to the consumer that invokes an immediate response: Go to a landing page, Ask for a brochure, Buy Now, Get a free white paper, etc. The vehicle can be: 
 
Email 
Physical Direct Mail 
Print or Broadcast Ads that sell directly, i.e. not through the retail channel 
Use of QR codes 
 
When would an advertiser use DM? How effective is it? 
 
What tone should DM copy take in talking to the customer. 
 
Specific DM techniques such as the “Johnson box.” 

Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Week Six 
Promotional Advertising 
 
What is it?  
Short term campaign with a specific sales goal. Boost sales for a product or service with a special price or other offer.  

Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Week Seven 
 Radio 
 The Theater of the Mind. Words, music and sound effects add up to effective advertising. 
 
Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Week Eight 
Television 

All the power of visuals plus audio. 
 
You’ve seen a million television commercials, probably more. Even in the Internet and streaming environment, they have a place. And the same techniques can be used regardless whether the ultimate medium is linear TV, a stream viewed on a laptop, or a 10 second pre-roll to a YouTube video on a smartphone. 

Zoom Conference Call
We’ll meet via Zoom to review your homework. You’ll get kudos for great ideas and specific feedback on ways to improve your work.

Tom`s campaigns:

Tom has worked at:

Awards Tom has won:

A few of Tom`s ads:

Course Reviews:

"I saw this class advertised for several months (must have been the great copywriting) and finally decided to do it. I'm so glad I did! I learned a lot about the career, my strengths as a copywriter, and the type of work that I enjoy most.

The weekly course videos are organized and offer excellent tips that I'll continue to reference. The assignments are well thought out and helpful for building  a portfolio. 

Before taking this class, I couldn't call myself a copywriter. Now I have my portfolio done, my website launched, and the confidence to do it. Copywriting 101 is worth the investment!"
AJ - San Francisco (Copywriter)
"If you want to get your foot in the door with copywriting, definitely give Advertising Copywriting 101 with Amanda Caswell a shot. After being recommended to the school by a friend, I took the course with Amanda and was very happy with what I got. 

One month from signing up for the course, I was happy to land an internship that I had really wanted! Thank you for everything, SFSC!"
Carolyn Tran-Math - San Francisco | Carolyn's Mini-Portfolio
"Taking the class has helped prepare me for every project I've had to take on whether it be working on marketing copy for a web page to writing large and complicated technical documents on behalf of my clients."
Jose San Mateo