A block of text, no matter how brilliant, will be ignored if it looks intimidating. Dave Gerhardt emphasizes that formatting—using headlines, sections, and clear structure—is a critical, underrated part of writing. The content must be visually appealing to entice the reader.
A subtle but powerful formatting trick in emails and landing pages is to hyperlink an entire sentence or phrase, not just one or two words like "click here." This creates a larger, more obvious clickable target for the user, improving the experience and likely increasing clicks.
Quoting "The Wizard of Ads," Dave Gerhardt notes that "the risk of insult is the price of clarity." To create a focused message for the customer, marketers must accept that they might upset internal teams whose projects or features don't make the cut for the homepage or key emails.
Contrary to the advice of "write the subject line last," Dave Gerhardt starts with the headline or hook. This initial anchor helps frame the entire piece. Even if the first draft of the headline is imperfect, it provides a necessary starting point to react against and refine.
Instead of using AI to write final copy, leverage it as a brainstorming partner. Dave Gerhardt uses ChatGPT to generate 15 variations of a subject line. This process allows him to cherry-pick words and phrases, combining them into a superior, human-crafted final version.
Instead of trying to create something entirely new, effective copywriters begin their process by finding successful examples to model. Dave Gerhardt's first step for a new landing page or newsletter is to analyze best-in-class work from others to understand what works.
When you're too junior to contribute verbally in a meeting, becoming the designated note-taker is a strategic move. This act forces you to organize information, which aids retention and, as Mark Andreessen noted, can subtly shift power to the person documenting the conversation.
Don't let the importance of a piece of content, like a sponsored newsletter, lead to analysis paralysis. It's better to ship consistently and learn from each deployment. This agile approach of weekly "at bats" allows for constant calibration based on real audience feedback.
Instead of optimizing a hundred small tasks, focus on the single action that creates the most leverage. Citing Tim Ferriss, Dave Gerhardt uses this question to identify the core task that, if completed, would simplify or eliminate many other items on the to-do list.
Dave Gerhardt defines his copywriting skill not by its literary elegance but by its ability to grab attention and get a point across forcefully, yet tactfully. He applies this skill everywhere, from rewriting sponsor ads to helping his wife draft firm emails to a school.
While writing for a B2B marketing audience, Dave Gerhardt discovered that his highest-performing content wasn't about marketing tactics, but about personal productivity—how people work, manage their time, and structure their days. This human-centric content resonates deeply with a professional audience.
Exit Five founder Dave Gerhardt embraced a customer's humorous social media post calling Vermont the "B2B Mecca" for his conference. He incorporated the phrase into his keynote, turning a simple joke into a powerful piece of community lore and branding.