Lessons from a Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant who actually does the work:
Grab a few copywriting books and learn everything you need to know about copywriting. You don’t need an expensive copywriting course to level up as a digital marketing assistant. There’s a wealth of copywriting knowledge by all the best experts to absorb in print or in your earbuds as an audible book.
You’re here because you already see the value of knowing copywriting.
It’s a requirement in this digital day and age that marketing assistants, coordinators, and specialists understand good copy.
Does that mean you have to be a conversion copywriter who charges $20k a sales page? No. But you could absolutely get there and work your way up by gaining copywriting experience in your current role.
Digital Marketing Assistants use copy all the time, in:
- social posts
- show notes
- blogs
- emails
- email sequences
- landing pages
- thank you pages
- DMs
- and more
And FYI, a marketing assistant who can write copy should be charging at least $50/hour.
You need to be able to pay attention to what’s well written, where your client could improve, and when they missed the mark and need to hire a copywriter.
So this copywriting book list is a great place to start leveling up.
Use my Amazon links to purchase these copywriting books, I’ll make a whopping 3% commission for making these recommendations so thank you in advance, or save this blog and check them out from your local library or Overdrive account.
Personally, I like to buy physical business books because I’m always earmarking, underlining, and highlighting important parts.. and referring back to the books. I use my Kindle for fiction reading.
But you do you!
PRO TIP – if you’re not a fan of reading, or feel like you’re too busy to just sit and read a book?
…grab your earbuds and sign up for a free trial of Audible to start listening to these books on audio.
*This blog may contain affiliate links for programs, tools, and courses that I recommend. If you purchase these programs, I could receive a small commission. Thank you! I only recommend vetted programs and tools I use myself! Please check out my tool & resources guide here.
Hi, I’m Emily, a Digital Marketing Strategist & Consultant
I have been freelancing since 2009 when I started writing press releases for some of my local clients. I kinda fell into freelance retainer work soon after. It changed my life. As a military spouse who moves every 1-3 years, it was the first time my work moved (or PCSed) with me and I didn’t have to keep starting over.
This freelance marketing work changed my life in other ways too:
- It allowed me to be home with my four kids and be the one to raise them.
- I made extra money for fun things like travel, massages, kids’ extracurricular activities or car repairs.
- My brain stayed active, challenged, and up-to-date.
- I was part of a team again.
- I got to help people (my clients!)
- I had my own thing outside of mom life or my husband’s military rank.
For the last decade, I’ve worked with clients in retainers, projects, and fractional services. My client load has always been full because I offer a rare skill set that involves marketing.
So now I teach how to do the same work I still do to my fellow over-educated, under-employed military spouses, and stay-at-home mom friends inside the Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant School. We focus on the marketing tactics of email, funnels, content, SEO, social, and affiliate marketing. It’s level-one marketing that opens the doors to other managerial positions and creative specialties.
To be successful at marketing services, we must understand copywriting. I want to help you look smart and be the best… because when your clients are successful, and you played a part in their success, your business will explode in terms of referrals, reputation, and rates.
So let’s dive into copywriting book recommendations.
Copywriting Books for Digital Marketing Assistants
Here is my list of copywriting book recommendations that will make you a stand-out, indispensable marketing assistant or help you niche into the copywriting services altogether.
The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells
By Robert W. Bly
Words That Sell
By Richard Bayan
How to Write a Good Advertisement
by Victor O. Schwab
How to Write Copy That Sells: The Step-By-Step System for More Sales, to More Customers, More Often
By Ray Edwards
The Choice Factory: 25 behavioral biases that influence what we buy
by Richard Stotton
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert B. Cialdini
This is the book most copywriters refer to. It was originally written to help buyers and consumers become aware of the sales tactics used on them but has become the copywriter’s Holy Bible. Read this but know that manipulating people to buy something they don’t need via copywriting is just unethical. This book will put you in the know but doesn’t mean you should use these persuasion tactics.
Don’t Call It That: An Orginal Naming Workbook
by Eli Altman
The Brand Positioning Workbook
by Ulli Appelbaum
Let’s go deeper into copywriting
Listen to my Unicorns Unite Podcast where I interview copywriters and hone into their stories, best advice, and copywriting tricks that have made them successful.
Start with this episode featuring Copy Mentor Marisa Corcoran where we break down the art of storytelling — a tactic that works really well for emails and social posts.
Check out all the episodes in this Copywriting Series:
Where to find copywriting clients
If you’re flexing your copywriting skills and need clients, I suggest you apply for our Digital Marketer’s Workgroup. Inside our tight-knit referral community, we are always looking for budding copywriters to take on writing projects.
Megan Stone, a new copywriter, was hired by another Workgroup member as a junior copywriter in her agency. It’s the perfect scenario to gain experience and mentorship.
But we also share job leads from online business owners looking for copywriters or marketers with copywriting skills and strategy in their daily and weekly marketing or during launches and promotions.
Learn more and apply here for the Digital Marketer’s Workgroup.
▶️Related YouTube Video: How to Build a Freelance Copywriting Business
In this snippet from my Unicorns Unite podcast, I’m chatting with copywriter Amy Leisner about how to build a successful copywriting business and what she’s learned since growing her six-figure copywriting agency.
There is a shortage of copywriters and so many VAs, marketing assistants, tech specialists, and marketing managers who “don’t write.” You’re sitting on a coveted, highly sought-after hard skill.
That’s why leveraging AI as your writing assistant can be a game changer. AI won’t replace great copywriters, but it can help you write faster and free up time for strategy—so you can charge more. I use AI Copywriter in a Box, a fully customized AI writing tool that creates content in my client’s voice. It’s helped me speed up my process, deliver high-quality work, and increase my rates.
If you want to work smarter (not harder) and become a premium service provider, grab AI Copywriter in a Box and get $50 off with code UNICORN. You can use it for up to 4 clients—so it practically pays for itself.
Recommended copywriting courses
If reading a book just isn’t enough and you’d like an interactive community with direct feedback on your writing, join one of these two programs. I highly recommend learning from both of these:
- *Marisa Corcoran’s Copy Confidence Society (opens a few times a year)
- *Sage Polaris Copy Sales Booster membership
Not a course. A collective for marketers already doing the work.
Our Digital Marketer’s Workgroup is a vetted peer community where marketing specialists get real business support and talk shop with people who actually get it. Applications are open now ⬇️
The Takeaway: Invest in copywriting skills to improve your value as a digital marketing freelancer and command premium rates.
Copywriting will always pay off. You’ll need a grasp of the marketing conversation in your day-to-day marketing work and messaging — copywriting books will help you catch up quickly.
This is a world I wish I had known sooner. Especially as a young stay-at-home mom with a journalism degree, I should have niched into copywriting or at least charged double my rates because I was writing for clients all the time not realizing I was giving it away. Don’t make this same mistake!
You have such a great head start by reading this blog. Run with these writing skills. They’re bankable and will serve your business… and they’re something that clients will pay a pretty penny for.
Loved this list of Copywriting Books?
Check out this article with my 10 Must-Read Online Business Books for Digital Marketing Assistants
Now let me know which one you’re going to read first!
-Emily, Digital Marketing Consultant and Implementer
Emily Reagan is a mom of four, board game pro, freelance digital marketer and Marketing Assistant Mentor who has helped over 450 go-getters, including military spouses, stay-at-home moms, and professional women learn in-demand skills and find flexible remote work as digital marketing assistants and specialists. She’s shared 3,000+ job leads with her freelancer community The Digital Marketer’s Workgroup.
Ask her any questions over on IG @emilyreaganpr
“I help smart women learn the in-demand digital marketing strategies and profitable tech skills to get hired as a unicorn digital marketing assistant.“
3 ways we can work together:
1. Join the Unicorn Digital Marketing Assistant School. My signature course on digital marketing implementation will give you the confidence and teach you HOW to do the work that’s in demand and highly marketable. This is the secret weapon to getting booked out. Start learning digital marketing services and building your digital service business right now.
2. Already doing marketing work and have a few clients? Want a stronger referral network? Apply for our Digital Marketer’s Workgroup—a tight-knit community of freelancers just like you. Inside, you’ll get behind-the-scenes support, advanced trainings, and troubleshooting that every solo marketer needs. Plus, I’ve shared over 3,000 job opportunities with this group—exclusive leads you won’t find anywhere else. If you’re ready to grow your business and connect with a supportive network, join us here!
3. Looking to hire a Digital Marketing Assistant? If you want to expand your team & grow your business, submit your job opportunity here. I’ll share it with the skilled unicorn marketing assistants inside my workgroup totally free.
Further Reading:
In-Demand, Profitable Niches for Virtual Assistants
How to Raise Your Rates as a Unicorn Virtual Assistant
All About Virtual Assistant Contracts
How to Rock Your Next Discovery Call as a Virtual Assistant
Yes, you really can work online.
Feeling overwhelmed about how to start working from home or build your own digital marketing business? Take a deep breath — you can do this!
Start with my list of 10 in-demand tasks that online business owners are constantly asking for help with. These are the exact skills clients look for when hiring a virtual assistant. Grab your free download now, update your VA toolkit, and see where you might want to grow next as you build your freelance business with confidence and purpose.
