AI's strength in copywriting is not generating final text, which often lacks a human touch. Instead, use it as a research assistant to find unique concepts, analogies, or data (like the 'Michelangelo effect') that can serve as the core, attention-grabbing idea for your campaign.
Don't dismiss 'smarmy' or fringe marketers. Groups like the early pick-up artist community, spammers, and hackers are often pioneers of highly effective copywriting and growth techniques. Because their success is existential, they relentlessly test and perfect methods that mainstream marketers later adopt.
Great copy guides a customer down a 'slippery slope' from attention to action (AIDA). The key is to describe their problem so intimately that they feel you uniquely understand them and must therefore have the solution, creating an irresistible pull towards your product.
The 'About Us' page is typically the second most-visited page. Instead of burying your origin story, feature it prominently. A compelling narrative about the founder's struggles and motivations, like a co-founder losing $100M, creates a powerful emotional connection that product features cannot.
To become a better writer, don't just read—transcribe. The physical act of handwriting successful sales copy or literature forces you to internalize its rhythm, word choice, and structure. This 'copywork' practice builds muscle memory for effective writing, much like a musician practicing scales.
To communicate complex ideas, write at a 4th or 5th-grade level. Warren Buffett, a master of a complicated business, writes his famous annual letters with extreme simplicity. Using simple language and analogies makes your message more accessible and powerful, not less intelligent.
Despite beliefs about short attention spans, long-form sales pages consistently perform better. They provide multiple opportunities to grab a skimmer's attention and build a persuasive argument. This principle is understood and used by the world's most successful sellers, from scrappy marketers to Apple.
Your website's headline should evoke a feeling, specifically the relief from a customer's core pain point. Instead of describing your product's function (e.g., 'AI tax assistant'), describe the emotional state it eliminates (e.g., 'Taking the terror out of tax season'). This connects with the user immediately.
The act of writing forces clarity. Jeff Bezos mandates written narratives over slideshows at Amazon because the process exposes fuzzy thinking. While a clear thinker isn't always a great writer, a clear writer is invariably a clear thinker. This makes writing a critical leadership skill, not just a marketing tactic.