A mass-market electric car that goes 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds. A tube that can transport people and cars from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 35 minutes. Reusable rockets superior to anything NASA can build. Life on Mars. A reasonable person pitching any of these concepts as something that a) is actually possible to pull […]
May 23, 2014 by 22 Comments
Copywriting Face/Off: Harry’s vs. Dollar Shave Club
This week, we’re taking the copy from the above-the-fold areas on two prominent brands’ home pages and pitting them against each other. Who are the contenders? Our two favorite purveyors of quality, reasonably-priced razors and bathroom accessories, Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s! Harry’s was co-founded by Jeff Raider, who also co-founded the company that made […]
May 9, 2014 by 20 Comments
The 17,000-Word Beast Ramit Sethi Created to Launch His New Course
Note: Don’t forget to grab the free Beastly Launch Blueprintat the end of this post. The first time I came across Ramit Sethi’s website, I rolled my eyes. IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com…seriously? Who the hell is this guy? But I’d heard good things from people I trusted… “This guy really knows how to do content.” “His emails are […]
April 18, 2014 by 4 Comments
Short Vs. Long Copy: 5 Guidelines to Help You Decide
It’s easy to find advice on how long copy should be. It’s hard to find specific advice on how long copy should be. You’ll see things like: It’s OK for it to be long, but not too long. The more expensive the product, the longer it should be. Well, it depends. And you know what? […]
March 27, 2014 by 5 Comments
How LeadPages Bakes Insane Anticipation Into Every Launch
People love to throw around words like “buzz” and “hype.” Rarely, however, do these terms actually translate to anything meaningful. They’re typical “strategies” marketing teams that aren’t really doing their jobs (*cough* getting sales *cough*) like to toss around during meetings. “We really want to create a wave of buzz all over social media and […]
March 20, 2014 by 4 Comments
Black Swan Marketing: The Power of What You Don’t Know
Picture this: An old friend you have not seen in many years invites you over to his house for a dinner party. It is in the swankiest part of town. A valet wearing a red tie takes your keys upon arrival. You walk through the front doors that are twice the height of any reasonable […]
March 6, 2014 by 6 Comments
How Trader Joe’s Writes Copy Customers Love
Mention the words “Trader Joe’s” around the right person and you’re likely to encounter the definition of a rabid fan. To you, it may just be a grocery store. To them? It’s a part of who they are as a person. Shopping is of secondary importance when one visits Trader Joe’s. The real reason is […]
February 27, 2014 by 6 Comments
What a Piece of Catfish and a Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend Taught Me About Sales
Two and a half months ago, I ate a piece of cornmeal-crusted, pan-fried catfish. Four months ago today, Lou Reed died. These incidents–one joyous, one sad–are related. Not only to each other, but to copywriting, sales, and marketing. I promise. Let’s start at the beginning: Lou Reed’s death.
February 20, 2014 by 8 Comments
When Words Fail: A Copywriter’s Case for Images Over Copy
“People die here falling from the edge.” That’s what the sign said. You can’t really understand why until you see the Grand Canyon in person. There are just some things words fail to do justice. So how does a dude who makes his living from words reconcile that fact? I admit to it. And then […]
February 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment
9 Mistakes That Ruin Your About Page
There is no piece of content people have more trouble writing than their own About page. It’s tricky and intimidating, right? I mean, who wants to write about themselves? I ran into this all over again when writing the About page for Copygrad a couple weeks ago. So what’d I do? I scoured the Internet, […]