When I tell people what I do, I get often get the ol’, “oh man, I could never do that…I suck at writing.”⁠

Hell yeah, words are hard. It takes plenty of time and practice to hone your craft (but what doesn’t?). 

Thankfully, just because it takes some time and effort, doesn’t mean solid writing is totally impossible for all those “non-writers” out there.⁠ Even better, there are tons of copywriting tools available to help non-profesh writers glide by in the meantime. 

As a copywriter with more than 7 years of professional experience, I’ve been around the block a few times testing out a variety of copywriting resources.

Over the years, I’ve come to find a few faves (some of which I absolutely cannot live without). So here we go! Here’s my current list of top copywriting tools to try…

1. Otter.ai 

Otter.ai is the Hot Copy Haus team transcription tool of choice. From my client calls to 1:1 market research interviews to video trainings, my team uses Otter.ai to transcribe all video and audio. 

Transcribing audio and video makes it easier to incorporate research and ideas that have already been verbalized because you have the first draft right in front of you!

One of my biggest copywriting tips is this: remove jargon and corporate-speak from your copy. You’ve probably heard it before, “write as though you’re talking to a close friend.” But that can be easier said than done.

If you’re struggling to step into your genuine brand voice, rather than diving right into writing, record a voice note of you saying whatever it is you need to say/want your reader to do.

Then, have that voice note transcribed with an app like Otter.ai and ta-da! You have a super solid first draft to work from!

2. Hotjar 

Hotjar is an incredible heatmaps and behavior analytics tool and is a MUST for any data-driven copywriter. 

So wtf do I mean by “heatmaps and behavior analytics tool”? 

Well, first, let’s clarify what heat mapping is. 

Heat mapping measures the amount of activity on a web page. Basically, it’s a process using a color spectrum (from warm to cool) to show which areas of a web page are getting the most attention from readers and which are leading them to drop off.

See where visitors click, ask what they think, and learn why they leave.

Heat maps can help you better understand where and how to improve your website, opt-in page, sales page, etc. experience for your readers and improve conversions. 

Think of Hotjar as your web page bff that has allllllll the insider knowledge you’ve been wishing you had about your audience.

In addition to heatmaps, Hotjar also offers surveys, user interviews, and actual screen recordings of how your visitors interact with your content and copy on your webpage.

The best part? This b*tch is FREEEEE!

3. Moz Keyword Explorer 

Though I can be very picky with SEO copywriting tools, Moz is my current favorite (with SEMrush being a very close second). 

As a website copywriter for coaches, SEO (search engine optimization) is a big part of my job. 

In order to write search engine optimized website copy that allows my clients to be found by THEIR dream clients on Google, I need to first determine *what* keywords to use. 

That’s where Moz comes in as my favorite keyword research tool of the moment. Moz not only shows you helpful keyword stats on demand (monthly volume, relevancy, difficulty, etc.) but it also offers keyword suggestions, which have always been incredibly helpful for me. 

Beyond keyword research, Moz is also baller for things like competitive research, link research, on-page grading and more useful SEO copywriting tools.

I will say, the downside for Moz (and SEMrush, another favorite of mine) is the price. (Pro tip: I never sign up for the annual package/pricing and, instead, only keep the subscription active for months that I know I’ll need it.)

Another pro tip: While I’m a huge fan of Neil Patel, I’ve gotten some wonky results from Uber Suggest on multiple occasions, and that doesn’t make it worth the free daily searches for me. 

4. The Hot Copy Shop 

She had to hit ya with the shameless plug, didn’t she?

Yes, I did. Because this sh*t is going to make your life endlessly easier and give you more time to watch whatever city of The Real Housewives tickles your fancy.

The Hot Copy Shop is an ever-growing vault of copywriting tools and high-converting templates for coaches, service providers, and course creators. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Grab the research-backed template or kit and gain instant access in your inbox.
   
2. Complete as much or as little of the optional prep work as you please (though I highly recommend you opt for MORE—this is how you’re going to stand out).
   
3. Plug your answers into the fill-in-the-blank templates.
   
4. Watch the conversions start rolling in 😎

As one customer puts it… 

“I would not be making bank and standing out from my competitors if it weren’t for Mackenzie’s superfluous help with these templates!”

Kierstin Cifelli, Fitness & Nutrition Coach

Here’s a few things you’ll find in the Hot Copy Shop right now:

• The Website Copy for Coaches Template Bundle (as well as templates for individual core pages)
• The Ride or Die Welcome Sequence template bundle
• The On-Demand Sold Out Sales Page Workshop

Hop on over to check out the rest!

5. Evernote Web Clipper

This chrome extension is the tool I use to create allllll my copywriting swipe files. And it makes it a breeze!

Starting a collection of copywriting swipe files is a great way to not only save yourself time with real-life examples of copy that’s already caught your eye, but it’s also a great way to spark your inspiration for new ideas altogether.

Check this tf out—here’s how I use Evernote to create my own copywriting swipe files:

1. Add the Evernote Web Clipper extension here.

2. Find a headline, subject line, hook, etc. you want to save.

3. Hit the Evernote extension icon in your browser and choose Screenshot.

4. Capture the copy you want for your swipe file. 

5. Save it to your designated swipe file notebook.

Ta-da!

6. Chat GPT

You: “I wonder if she’ll put Chat GPT on the list…”

Me: *Puts Chat GPT on the list*

Now, I have a whole mouthful I can say about this topic, but to answer everyone’s question—no, I’m not at all worried Chat GPT will take my job as a copywriter for coaches. 

While it’s helpful in generating ideas and seeing things from new angles, it’s not an end-all be-all solution. Chat GPT is a great starting point for copywriting and content writing.

My three favorite Chat GPT tools/templates include:

1. Marketing frameworks (AIDA, PAS, BAB, FAB)
2. Long-tail keyword generator
3. Subject lines generator 

7. SpyFu

SpyFu is a competitor research tool and, therefore, a copywriting tool. 

Type in your domain, and this website will show you who your top competitors are (as far as SEO goes), shared keywords, top keywords, inbound links—all the good sh*t.

The best part is that while SpyFu does have some paid options, the free version should give you what you need to get started. 

8. Google Forms

Two words (or three)—market-muthaf*ckin’-research. 

I use Google Forms not only for my own market research for the Hot Copy Haus brand, but also for my Brand Messaging Makeover clients to get to know their audience better.

Our Brand Messaging Makeover offer involves a f*ck ton of market research. While we do a lot of 1:1 market research interviews as well, we always kick off the research portion of the process by sending out a survey to collect the temperature of our client’s current audience. 

With options for multiple choice, short answer, long answer, and more, and with the ability to customize the aesthetic, Google Forms makes it wicked easy to whip up a custom survey quickly to start collecting responses ASAP. 

Sure, there’s a ton of survey tools out there that you can use for copywriting research purposes, but Google Forms has been easy enough to use that I haven’t branched out. (Hit me in the comments if you highly recommend a different option!)

9. Later

Later is our Instagram scheduling tool at choice at the Hot Copy Haus. 

This copywriting tool allows you to bulk schedule IG posts, carousels, stories, and reels, for whatever your desired date and time is so you can set it and forget it!

Later also offers insight into your post/reel, hashtag, and linkin.bio performance via easy to use analytics. 

7. Rhymezone

An oldie but goodie, Rhymezone.com is always on my list of favorite copywriting tools. 

Rhymezone is my long-time copywriting crush. Rhymezone has been bookmarked in my searches since I was old enough to Google.

That might be a little dramatic, but Rhymezone and I go way back.

Now, unless it’s a holiday and I’m drafting up some cheesy greeting cards, I typically don’t use Rhymezone for any rhyming reasons. 

You have a ton of options when you hit up this site. Type in a word and it’ll give you synonyms, antonyms, rhymes, definitions, homophones, example sentences…the list goes on and on.

Nine out of 10 times, I’m using Rhymezone for synonyms and antonyms. 

“But Mackenzie, why don’t you just use Thesaurus.com?”

Because, dear reader, Rhymezone has a special place in my heart and I SWEAR it has much better info than any other related site. 

Rymezone gives hefty lists of terms for each search and it has never led me astray.

Check out Rhymezone here!

Which of these tools are you already using?? Let me know what ones are your favorite and what’s missing from the list in the comments!