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In copywriting…
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Word choice often boils down to strong words and weak words.
The difference?
Simple:
Strong words put a clear, specific image in the reader’s mind, forcing her to visualize something pleasant or painful, evoking an emotion that affects her thoughts, mood, and eventually, her actions.
Weak words are more abstract. They don’t conjure clear images — and that makes them less compelling, less impactful and actionable.
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Now more than ever, as copywriters, as marketers, as people, it’s important for us to feel Sonder, to let it wash over us.
A timeless lesson from master copywriter, Eugene Schwartz.
Productivity advice from famous creatives, real and fictional, including Don Draper and Austin Kleon.
An important reminder about copywriting, storytelling, and The Reader’s imagination…
I’ll answer the question. But first, a story about 2 kings…
Ready? Here’s what you do in 3 steps:
Use it. If you’re stuck, if you’re empty, if you need to write but words escape you, use it.
If you have a blog — and even if you don’t — you know it’s work.
Consider these rules before crafting your next guarantee. Let them inform your decision making.
Probably the most valuable advice I can give any copywriter:
Something to keep in mind next time you’re creating any type of promotion: an article, a landing page, an email — anything.
I smirked when I heard the question. I thought the answer was obvious. I was wrong.
Voice is not some woo-woo concept. It’s not an ethereal message from the gods about baring your soul to gather the masses. It’s a science. Here’s how it works…
It's a remarkable achievement — forever pairing your product with a single word. A word that instantly tells your brand’s story and value.
Here is perhaps the best example of Brand = Adjective in the history of advertising:
For example…
At G2 headquarters, there are 2 bins side-by-side in the kitchen.
One is labeled MIXED RECYCLING. It’s for plastic bottles and containers, tin, aluminum, and steel cans, all sorts of paper, all sorts of glass.
The other is labeled LANDFILL. It’s for everything else.
Notice how the latter doesn’t say TRASH or GARBAGE. That’s by design. Because in this instance, LANDFILL generates an image.
Because when you read it, you instantly see where the can of Coke you just tossed will end up.
TRASH is abstract.
GARBAGE is abstract.
LANDFILL is crystal clear, vivid.
And if contributing to a landfill weighs on your conscience, that word is jarring, painful.
And that pain forces you to stop, think, and change course. It compels you to throw that can of Coke in the MIXED RECYCLING bin, where it belongs.
LEARN TO PERSUADE
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WRITE BETTER.
MARKET BETTER.
SELL MORE.
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Not 1, not 2, not 3, but FOUR copywriting book suggestions...
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It’s an unwritten rule of copywriting if you will. Rule Zero:
“When it’s finally finished, [your client] will have a campaign they could run for years and out-pull virtually anything else they’ve ever run unless they were very lucky beforehand.”
This is a very powerful, very versatile persuasion technique. You can use it in your sales letters, your emails, your social posts, your website copy — just about any asset designed to sell.
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In copywriting, word choice boils down to strong words and weak words. The difference?
If your ad doesn’t immediately capture attention, it’s dead in the water. Goodnight.
You know you don’t know what you’re doing if…
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As copywriters we want to lure our reader in. We want them to forget they’re reading copy—with the only thought in their mind being “tell me more.”
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Do you want them to remember you?
When you have a limited amount of time or space to tell a story, unwavering accuracy can actually make a true story less believable and relatable, less real.
“How’d it go?” said my sister.
“Ohh I fucked it up,” I said.
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Do you ever feel this way? Anxious about your ability? Many people do.
I do.
The cure?
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These copywriting mantras gave me an “aha moment” when I first learned of them. I remember thinking, “shit I should try writing like THAT.”
ONLY GOD CAN CREATE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING.
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Nothing more.
“Trying hard enough” means you’re making progress toward your goal.
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Rule #8 is my favorite.
In a direct response ad, the purpose of design is to…
What if you could FORCE yourself to see the world through a more empathetic lens, one that will help you create better, more compelling work?
You can.
Season 3, Episode 10: “Fly”
No spoilers here. Just a valuable copywriting tactic you can (and should) start using immediately…
“OK...” said Schwartz.
What came next is a quote I have taped to my screen (so that the sentiment is always top of mind):
Someone asked me an enormous question the other day…
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Because it’s probably unnecessary.
People don’t want to feel in control.
People NEED to feel in control.
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Just look at this brilliant campaign. It’s a perfect example…
Quality copywriting ideas are the product of quantity.
Kill your darlings.
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This advice will help you find a modicum of certainty when making creative writing decisions.
And that’s very valuable.
What you’re about to learn saves me hundreds of hours a year.
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And if you do, don’t expect a reply.
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You’ll know you’re good.
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Make it ugly.
Let me explain…
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As a teenager, I sold magazine subscriptions door-to-door. At first it was hard and I was unsuccessful.
Then I picked up a trick that skyrocketed my conversion rate…
This strategy is scientifically proven to help writers — and anyone else — spur their creativity.
“I can do that,” said The Copywriter. “But first let me ask you a question.”
“And how many of us have persistence enough in following out our ideas of what is obvious?”
If your goal is to write tighter copy — copy that says more in fewer words — try this 15-minute exercise.
Sometimes that feeling — that mood — is already there, all around, omnipotent and omnipresent.
Joyce was a magisterial novelist, but he would’ve made a miserable copywriter.
Smart writing is clear and concise. It’s easy for the eyes and mind to follow. It’s accessible and unpretentious, easy to consume and hard to create.
Smart writing is readable. Effortlessly readable.
Be a copywriter, not a coward.
If you can back up your claim, write the copy. If you can’t, be a professional and do the right thing.
Don’t write headlines that are flat, invisible, like white paper on a white desk. Write compelling headlines that stand out. Headlines that contain emotion, image, logic, and promise.
Here’s how to do that.
A visceral response is a physical reaction to a non-physical experience, an emotion.
If you feel it, don’t dismiss it. Let it wash over you.
You’ll be a more empathetic person for it — and a better marketer, too.
“We’re talking about him having an accident,” said the man, whispering. “Just walk up to him, put your hand on his back, and give him one big push!”
Don't sell chips. Sell a worldview.
It boils down to a simple three-step process ...
“I was The Onion’s editor at the time so, mainly, I was just punching up or rewriting other people’s work,” said Scott. “And so when I sat down to write the pilot, I was like, ‘Shit! I have writer’s block! I got nothing!’”
CHICAGO—Saying he was ‘more than happy’ to jump on the call, Scott Dikkers, The Onion’s longest-serving editor-in-chief, graciously gave time out of his day to talk to a copywriter about how to overcome writer’s block.
As a copywriter, it’s tempting to get lost in the majesty of your creativity, your ideas.
Looking inward for ideas will burn you out.
Want more ideas than you could ever use?
Confident copy says, “Go ahead, you’re making the right decision.”
Great copy starts with efficient questions.
Because copywriters conjure emotion for a living.
The buildings in Jaipur, India are built of vibrant red brick. The entire place glows like Mars.
Writers share their work.
Perfectionists hoard it.
"I'm sorry about all this," I said.
"Thanks," he said. "But I deserve it. Things could've been different."
Here's a learning tactic.
It's what I do when I want to internalize a book — or an article, for that matter. You can do it, too.
“You have to be more concise,” he said. “You write like a water hose. You need to be a nail gun."
When Big Lurch woke up, he was alone in a prison cell, confused and covered in blood.
As a content marketer, your most valuable asset is not your content.
Pressure and time. Pressure and time. Pressure and time.
Words are commodities. Anybody can fill space on a page.
Simplicity can be impactful.
Thank you, grandma.
Every time you're blocked ...
What's the purpose of your first line of copy?
They never have ...
Ideas, like love, can escape you. Don't let them.
Passion drives success.
Kevin Kelly, Co-founder and Editor of Wired magazine, on God and meaning of life.
Three billion people have access to the Internet, but only a third of those people speak English.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
And it isn't even about copywriting ...
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Swearing can be a powerful gesture. It could also be meaningless ...
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You should know, I'm not sexy. Sorry.
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Creativity is like a muscle: It grows and develops with exercise, practice.
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