Dear Chase,
I've been reading so much copy lately I'm starting to feel faint.
I've read expert copy, beginner copy, and everything in between.
And I'm starting to notice patterns.
Beginner copywriters (and inexperienced writers in general) are residents of this thing that I totally made up, called Copywriter World.
Copywriter World is a place that you absolutely NEVER wanna be in, because it can make your copy completely ineffective.
Here's the phenomenon:
When new copywriters learn how to write, they have to put themselves into a tertiary identity.
They think that because they've never written copy before, they need to become another person who CAN write copy.
This leads to a reality shift.
And when you're in a reality shift, nothing makes sense. It's always a tick to the left.
I'll give an example in a minute, but usually what happens is:
- You start making up facts
- You start saying things that no human would ever say
- You think that your words are more powerful than they really are
- You think that the other person will feel as excited to read it as you were to write it
- You start talking about things that are completely irrelevant to the audience
- It reads as extremely inauthentic and it becomes a turnoff
These are the symptoms of someone living in Copywriter World.
If someone is in Copywriter World, their writing kinda looks like the following.
This is a cold email of someone who has completely lost touch with reality:
Hey firstname,
Picture this…
You're on the beach.
Sipping a margarita.
You're making money on autopilot.
Why?
Because I'm your copywriter, making you money while you have your feet in the sand.
That sweet, sweet money.
Sound like something you want to become real? ;)
Reply to this email with your Mother's maiden name and I'll start right away.
-
I know this seems like an exaggeration, but people actually write stuff like this.
So ridiculously corny.
It's actually insane.
The problem with this is the fact that if a regular person read this, they'd think you're a 9-year-old child who stole someone's computer.
I see why they're trying to go this route, and they're making it fun to read (I guess)...
But the idea of copywriting is that it's supposed to be subtle.
Just like when you're being sold to by a new salesperson, red flags go up.
They're trying way too hard. They're yelling, they're overenthusiastic, and they get super nervous when it's getting close to the end of the conversation before you pull your credit card out.
You never wanna let someone know they're being sold to.
A master copywriter uses the psychology methods that get people to make decisions, but it's masked by a smooth, sly tone. It doesn't feel like you're being sold to at all.
Don't dip into another reality when you're writing copy.
Keep it in this universe, please.
Anything you write, make sure it's:
- Relevant
- Persuasive
- Compelling
- Sounds like it's written by a regular human being
Simple.
Yours truly,
Alex
Sent from my Margarita
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