3 micro-lessons on writing better copy
3 micro-lessons on writing better copy
Marketing Powerups #91: Eddie Shleyner, author of Very Good Copy, shares 3 micro-lessons to write better copy.
Hello, and welcome to Marketing Powerups! ๐๐ฝ
Today's powerups include:
8 of the best headline analyzers.
Add "good" friction to your onboarding.
3 of my fav Very Good Copy micro-lessons.
Ready? Let's go!
๐ Bring all your content together in Planable
No content team is an island. You've got to collaborate with other teams to produce original, thoughtful, and helpful content.
That's where Planable (the sponsor of today's newsletter) can help.
It's a content collaboration platform that makes marketing teamwork a breeze. You can create, plan, review, and approve all your awesome marketing content for social media, blogs, newsletters, press releases, briefs โ you name it!
One workspace for each brand or client. Because we love organized content. And so do you. Experience a faster, smoother workflow that helps your team work together like never before.
Don't take my word for it. See for it for yourself for free.
โโ โTry Planable for free.
โญ๏ธ Very Good Copy
I just finished reading Eddie Shleyner's new book, Very Good Copy. Without a doubt, this is a must-read for ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ who wants to write better copy.
Iโm giving away 5 of it today. Want one? Read on!
About the book: Very Good Copy has 207 micro-lessons (think short chapters) from ๐บ๐ฆ Eddie Shleyner on copywritingโ110 on thinking like a copywriter and 97 on writing like one.
I like reading physical books to highlight, write notes, and dog-ear pages.
Iโve marked up almost all pages in my copyโitโs that good.
Here are three of my favorite micro-lessons from the book.
1. Incubation: ๐ง
Great copywriters take breaks. If stuck, they get up and do something else to distract themselves.
Why?
One word: incubation.
Itโs our brainโs ability to subconsciously process information and make connections.
When stuck, take a break. Go for a walk, take a shower, or cook. Let your brain incubate the ideas.
2. Contrast: ๐ผ
Great creative work often happens when opposite things and concepts intersect:
Loooooong + shrt
Clean + diRtY
BIG + small
Use contrast in your copy to create interest and intrigue. Combine opposing elements to make your writing more engaging and memorable.
3. Benefits: ๐
If your copy feels generic and flat, use the โSo what?โ exercise. Itโll help you uncover a featureโs core benefit.
Write down the benefit of a feature.
Then ask yourself, โSo what? What is the benefit of that benefit?โ
Repeat until you arrive at what the prospect truly desires, consciously or otherwise.
Eddie gives the following example: imagine you're selling an extra-large print of M.C. Escherโs masterpiece, Ascending and Descending:
Want a free copy of the book?
It's easy:
Go to my post on LinkedIn or Twitter talking about the book.
Comment your corniest dad, mom, or parent joke (since Eddieโs a dad and he talks about it a few times in his book).
Next week, I'll ship the free book to the top 5 jokes.
โจ Mini powerups
Fun-sized tools, links, and blurbs to boost your marketing.
๐ How to add profitable friction to your product onboarding: (podcast)
At some point, SaaS founders and product managers started taking for granted that friction in the user journey was always a bad thing. In the latest Forget the Funnel Podcast, Georgiana Laudi, Claire Suellentrope, and I chat about why customers often *need* friction to keep them using the product.
๐ The 8 best free headline analyzer: (tools)
Laura Browning from HubSpot tested and rated eight free headline analyzers to help you pick the best one for your needs. Her favorite is MonsterInsights, a tool I've never heard of. Laura found that it suggested using more emotional, uncommon, and power words, and it gave me goals in each category.
โญ๏ธ Why Deadpool's marketing is pure genius: (video essay)
Deadpool's ad campaign is genius. In this video essay, Henry Boseley analyzes its marketing strategies and breaks down why it's worked so well. Sure, having Ryan Reynolds in the movie probably plays a huge part in its success. Henry points out how most trailers are highlight reels while Deadpool's are like free samples of the main movie.
That's all for now, friends!
Have a powered-up day,
Ramli John