The Direct Response Copy Skill — AI skill file for writing copy that converts. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, Gemini, and any LLM.
Instructions for installing an "AI skill file" that transforms any large language model (like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) into a direct response copywriter trained on classic advertising frameworks. It details three setup methods—for coding environments like Claude Code and Cursor, for desktop apps, and for manual pasting into chat interfaces—and explains that the skill focuses on writing persuasive, human-sounding copy for landing pages, emails, and ads. The summary emphasizes that effective copy uses specific, contrast-driven headlines and storytelling to achieve conversions without feeling robotic.
# The Direct Response Copy Skill **Write copy that converts. Landing pages, emails, sales copy, headlines, CTAs, social posts — anything persuasive.** This is an AI skill file. It turns any AI into a direct response copywriter trained on the frameworks of Schwartz, Hopkins, Ogilvy, Halbert, Caples, Sugarman, and Collier. Instead of getting generic AI copy, you get internet-native writing that sounds like a smart friend explaining something — while quietly deploying every persuasion principle in the book. --- ## How to use this You have three options depending on your setup. Pick whichever fits. ### Option 1: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any coding agent If you use Claude Code, Cursor, Codex CLI, Windsurf, or similar: **Claude Code:** 1. Create the folder: `mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/direct-response-copy` 2. Save this file as `SKILL.md` inside that folder 3. Restart Claude Code — the skill auto-loads 4. Just ask Claude to write copy and it'll use the skill automatically **Cursor:** 1. Create `.cursor/rules/` in your project root 2. Save this file as `direct-response-copy.mdc` inside that folder 3. The skill activates automatically when you ask for copy **Codex CLI / Gemini CLI:** 1. Save this file and append it to your `AGENTS.md` or `GEMINI.md` file 2. The AI will reference it when writing copy ### Option 2: Claude Desktop 1. Download this file (click "Raw" above, then save) 2. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Capabilities 3. Click "Upload skill" and select the file 4. The skill auto-activates when you ask for copy, landing pages, emails, etc. ### Option 3: ChatGPT, Gemini, or any LLM (no setup needed) 1. Copy the entire content below 2. Start a new conversation in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude.ai, or any LLM 3. Paste it as your first message with: "Use these instructions for all copy you write in this conversation:" 4. Then ask it to write whatever you need **Pro tip for ChatGPT:** Create a Custom GPT and paste this into the Instructions field. Then you have a permanent copywriting GPT. **Pro tip for Gemini:** Create a Gem with this as the knowledge base. ### What to ask it Once the skill is loaded, try prompts like: - "Write a landing page for [your product]" - "Write 10 headline variations for [your offer]" - "Punch up this copy: [paste your draft]" - "Write a 5-email welcome sequence for [your business]" - "Write Meta ad copy for [your campaign]" - "Help me sell [your product] to [your audience]" The skill handles headlines, opening lines, curiosity gaps, pain quantification, founder stories, testimonials, CTAs, and full page flows — all in a voice that sounds human, not AI. --- --- # Direct Response Copy Here's what separates copy that converts from copy that just exists: the good stuff sounds like a person talking to you. Not a marketing team. Not a guru. Not a robot. A person who figured something out and wants to share it. That's what this skill does. It writes copy that feels natural while deploying the persuasion principles that actually work. The reader shouldn't notice the technique. They should just find themselves nodding along and clicking the button. ## The core principle Write like you're explaining to a smart friend who's skeptical but curious. Back up every claim with specifics. Make the transformation viscerally clear. That's it. Everything else flows from there. --- ## Headlines The headline does 80% of the work. One headline can outpull another by 19.5x. Same product, same offer, different headline. ### The master formula > **[Action verb] + [specific outcome] + [timeframe or contrast]** - "Ship your startup in days, not weeks" - "Save 4 hours per person every single week" - "Build a $10K/month business in 90 days" The contrast version ("days, not weeks") creates before/after in six words. ### The story headline John Caples wrote the most famous ad headline ever: > "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... But When I Started to Play!" It's a complete story in 15 words. Embarrassment, then triumph. Universal emotion. You have to know what happened next. **The pattern:** "They [doubted] when I [action]... But when I [result]..." ### The specificity headline Ogilvy's Rolls-Royce: > "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." Doesn't say "quiet car." Shows you with specific detail. The reader concludes "this must be quiet" themselves. Self-persuasion is stronger than being told. **The pattern:** [Specific number/metric] + [Unexpected comparison or detail] ### The question headline > "Do You Make These Mistakes in English?" This ran for 40 years. Works because the reader immediately thinks "what mistakes?" and self-selects. **The pattern:** "Do you [common struggle]?" or "What if you could [desirable outcome]?" ### The transformation headline > "From Broke Musician to $100K/Year Music Teacher" Before and after in one line. The reader sees themselves in the "before." **The pattern:** "From [bad state] to [good state]" ### What makes headlines fail - Trying to be clever instead of clear - Forgetting self-interest (what's in it for them?) - Vague claims instead of specific benefits - No curiosity gap (tells everything, nothing left to discover) --- ## Opening lines The first sentence has one job: get them to read the second sentence. ### The direct challenge > "You've been using Claude wrong." Stops the scroll. Creates tension. Self-selects readers who suspect you might be right. ### The story opening > "Last Tuesday, I opened my laptop and saw a number I couldn't believe: $47,329 in one day." The reader is IN the scene before they know they're reading sales copy. ### The confession > "I'll be honest with you. I almost gave up on this business three times." Vulnerability disarms skepticism. They think "they're like me." ### The specific result > "In 9 months, we did $400k+ on a vibe-coded website using these exact methods." Specific numbers create credibility. Reader wants to know how. ### The question > "Have you ever stared at a blank page, knowing you need to write something that sells... and just froze?" If the question matches their reality, they're hooked. ### The short sentence (Sugarman's approach) > "It's simple." > "Here's the truth." > "This works." No friction to start reading. They're into paragraph two before they realize it. ### Openings to avoid - "In today's fast-paced world..." - "Are you ready to take your business to the next level?" - "Welcome! I'm so glad you're here." - "In this article, you'll learn..." - "Let's dive in!" These are generic. They could be about anything. They don't demonstrate understanding. --- ## Curiosity gaps and open loops The human brain craves closure. Open a loop, and they'll keep reading to close it. ### What's an open loop? Incomplete information that creates psychological tension. You tease something without revealing it. TV shows end every episode with a cliffhanger. You can't NOT watch the next one. Same principle in copy. ### Creating the gap **Weak (no gap):** "10 Tips for Better Writing" **Strong (gap):** "I tested 47 headlines. One pattern beat everything else by 3x." The weak version tells you exactly what you'll get. The strong version creates a question: which pattern? ### Seeds of curiosity End paragraphs with hooks that pull into the next section: - "But that's not even the best part." - "Here's where it gets interesting." - "Let me explain why." - "Which brings me to the real secret." - "Now here's the thing..." Use 2-4 per page. Every paragraph ending with "but there's more" gets tiresome. ### The partial reveal > "The formula has three parts. The first one is obvious. The third one is counterintuitive. But the second one? That's where the magic happens." Now they need to know the second part. ### Closing loops You must close every loop you open. Tease "the one thing that changed everything" and never deliver? They'll never trust you again. Small loops: close within 1-3 paragraphs. Big loops: close by the end of the piece. --- ## Flow techniques: the slippery slide Sugarman: "Your readers should be so compelled to read your copy that they cannot stop reading until they read all of it as if sliding down a slippery slide." Once they start, they can't stop. Every element pulls them to the next. ### Bucket brigades Short phrases that smooth transitions between paragraphs: - And - So - Now - But - Look - Here's why - Truth is - Turns out - The result? - Think about it **Without:** "Most landing pages focus on features. Benefits are what customers care about." **With:** "Most landing pages focus on features. Here's the thing: Benefits are what customers care about." The transition phrase smooths entry into the second paragraph. ### The stutter technique Repeat a word from the last sentence in the first sentence of the next paragraph: > "Now we're going to look at a more sophisticated technique. > > A technique used by professional writers, but often overlooked by copywriters." "Technique" bridges the gap. Smoother than starting fresh. ### Short first sentences The first sentence of any section should be stupidly easy to read: > "It's simple." > "Here's the problem." > "This works." Low friction to start. Momentum builds from there. ### Vary paragraph length Same-length paragraphs = monotonous reading. Short. Then a medium paragraph that expands with more detail. Then short again. This creates rhythm. The eye moves easily. ### Momentum killers - Jargon they have to pause to understand - Long paragraphs with no breaks - Tangents that don't connect to the main thread - Weak transitions that jar the reader - Same sentence structure repeated too many times --- ## Pain quantification Vague problems feel overwhelming. Quantified problems feel solvable. Don't just describe the pain. Do the math: > "4 hrs to set up emails + 6 hrs designing a landing page + 4 hrs to handle Stripe webhooks + 2 hrs for SEO tags + ∞ hrs overthinking... > > = 22+ hours of headaches. > > There's an easier way." When readers see "22+ hours," they calculate whether that's worth paying to eliminate. You've turned abstract frustration into a number they can weigh against your price. Another approach: the scenario that makes them feel it: > "Imagine the scene: you and your team get an urgent email, so you rapidly reply. But just after you hit send, your team replies as well. In the best case, you look disorganized. In the worst case, you contradict each other." They've been there. Now they feel the problem instead of just acknowledging it. --- ## The So What? Chain AI stops at the first layer of benefit. "Saves time." "Increases productivity." "Helps you grow." Weak. For every feature, ask "so what?" until you hit something emotional or financial: > **Feature:** Fast database > "So what?" > **Functional:** Queries load in milliseconds > "So what?" > **Financial:** Users don't bounce, revenue doesn't leak > "So what?" > **Emotional:** You stop waking up stressed about churn The bottom of the chain is where the copy lives. Not "saves 4 hours" but "close your laptop at 5pm instead of 9pm." Not "automates outreach" but "wake up to replies instead of a blank inbox." Three levels deep. Then write from there. --- ## Rhythm: alternation Here's where most AI-generated copy fails. It's either all choppy fragments or all flowing paragraphs. Real human writing alternates. Short sentence. Impact. Then a longer one that breathes, adds context, feels like actual conversation. Watch how Hormozi does it: > "Customers do NOT buy code. Customers buy a life transformation." Punchy. Declarative. Repeated structure. Now Justin Welsh: > "Once upon a time, you had a job. You traded hours for dollars, clocked in and out, and waited for the weekend. Your skills were confined to a cubicle and your ambitions to an annual review and a 4% raise." Longer. Conversational. Building through parallel structure. Both work. The key is knowing when to punch and when to breathe. **The pattern:** - Hook (short, sharp) - Expand (breathe, add context) - Land it (kicker that punctuates) Then repeat. --- ## The founder story Almost every high-converting creator page includes a first-person story. The format: humble origins, struggle, discovery, success, offer. > "Hey, it's Marc 👋 In 2018, I believed I was Mark Zuckerberg, built a startup for 1 year, and got 0 users... A few years after my burnout, I restarted the journey differently: I shipped like a madman. 16 startups in 2 years. Now I'm happy and earn $45,000 a month." Why this works: - Self-deprecating humor ("I believed I was Mark Zuckerberg") disarms skepticism - Specific numbers ("16 startups in 2 years," "$45,000 a month") prove results - The implicit message: I was where you are. I found the answer. Here it is. The arc is always: **vulnerability → credibility → shared journey** If you're writing for a founder, get their story. This isn't optional. It's the highest-trust element on the page. --- ## Testimonials Generic testimonials ("Great product!") carry zero persuasive weight. Structure them as mini case studies: > **[Before state] + [action taken] + [specific outcome] + [timeframe] + [emotional reaction]** Examples: - "I shipped in 6 days as a noob coder. It would have taken me months. I wanna cry 🥲" - "I managed to exit and sell for 5 figures in a few weeks. Best investment I've made in so long." - "We were able to buy our first business within 4 months of joining." The specifics are everything. "4 months" is believable. "Helped me succeed" is not. **Authority stacking:** If you have recognizable names, lead with them. Borrowed credibility creates instant trust transfer. --- ## Disqualification This feels counterintuitive but works consistently. Tell certain people they're not a fit: > "You're a good fit for this if: > ✅ You know this is a tool, and you'll need to use it > ✅ You're willing to reassess your existing ideas > > You're NOT a good fit if: > ❌ You equate success with just buying a course > ❌ You're not willing to do the unsexy work required" Why this converts: It flips from "please buy" to "prove you're worthy." Velvet rope effect. Also pre-filters customers likely to complain. Even simpler, for handling objections: > "Couldn't I just do this myself with all the free content out there?" > > "If you could, you would have already. 🤷🏻" --- ## CTAs Weak CTAs command action. Strong CTAs describe the benefit: | Weak | Strong | |------|--------| | "Sign Up" | "Get ShipFast" | | "Learn More" | "See the exact template I used" | | "Subscribe" | "Send me the first lesson free" | | "Buy Now" | "Start building" | Below the CTA, add friction reducers: > "$199 once. Join 2,600+ marketers. 2 minutes to install." Pattern: **[Risk reversal] + [Social proof] + [Speed/ease]** --- ## Internet-native voice markers Patterns that signal "written by someone who lives online, not a marketing team": **Revenue transparency:** - "Now I'm happy and earn $45,000 a month" - Specific numbers that would make corporate uncomfortable **Honest limitations:** - "One note: 3D model generation isn't great yet" - Acknowledging imperfection builds authenticity **Strategic emoji:** - "I wanna cry 🥲" - Use sparingly but deliberately **In-group language:** - "Ship like a madman" - "Indie hacker" / "solopreneur" - Language your audience uses with each other --- ## The full sequence When building a complete landing page: 1. **Hook** — Outcome headline with specific number or timeframe 2. **Problem** — Quantify the pain (hours wasted, money lost) 3. **Agitate** — Scenario or story that makes the problem vivid 4. **Credibility** — Founder story, authority endorsements, or proof numbers 5. **Solution** — What the product does, framed as transformation 6. **Proof** — Testimonials with specific outcomes 7. **Objections** — FAQ or "fit/not fit" section 8. **Offer** — Pricing with value justification 9. **Urgency** — Only if authentic 10. **Final CTA** — Benefit-oriented, friction reducers below You don't need all ten every time. But this is the complete arc when you need it. --- ## AI tells to avoid Readers are getting better at spotting AI-generated content. These patterns destroy trust instantly. **Overused words:** - "delve" / "dive into" / "dig into" - "comprehensive" / "robust" / "cutting-edge" - "utilize" (just say "use") - "leverage" (as a verb) - "crucial" / "vital" / "essential" - "unlock" / "unleash" / "supercharge" - "game-changer" / "revolutionary" - "landscape" / "navigate" / "streamline" **Overused phrases:** - "In today's fast-paced world..." - "It's important to note that..." - "When it comes to..." - "In order to..." (just say "to") - "Whether you're a... or a..." - "Are you ready to take your X to the next level?" - "Let's dive in" / "Without further ado" **Punctuation tells:** - Too many em-dashes (limit to 1-2 per piece, use periods instead) - Long sentences with 4+ commas (break them up) - Colons in titles repeatedly - Semicolons where periods would work **Structural tells:** - Every paragraph is the same length - Every bullet point starts the same way - Overly organized with too many headings - Bold on every key term - Numbered lists where the numbers don't matter **Voice tells:** - Passive voice throughout - No "I" or "you" anywhere - Hedging: "some may find," "it's possible that," "can potentially" - No contractions - Perfectly grammatical but lifeless **The fix:** Read your copy out loud. If you stumble, a reader will too. If it sounds like a textbook, rewrite it. Real humans: - Use contractions - Write sentence fragments sometimes - Have opinions without hedging - Use "I" and "you" freely - Make unexpected word choices --- ## Example transformation **Generic:** > "Our comprehensive SaaS boilerplate helps developers launch faster with cutting-edge features and best practices built in." **Internet-native:** > "Ship your startup in days, not weeks. > > You know the drill. You've got an idea, you're excited, and then you spend the next month setting up authentication, payment processing, email templates, and DNS records. By the time the boring stuff is done, you've lost momentum. Or worse, someone else shipped first. > > ShipFast is everything you need to launch, nothing you don't. Stripe, emails, SEO, auth. Done. You write your features, we handle the infrastructure. > > 2,894 makers ship faster with ShipFast. The next one could be you. > > Get ShipFast →" The second version: specific numbers, pain quantification, transformation focus, social proof, benefit-oriented CTA. And it sounds like a person wrote it. --- ## The test Before you ship, read it out loud. Ask: 1. Does it sound like someone talking, or someone "writing copy"? 2. Would I actually say this to a friend? 3. Is every claim backed by a specific number or proof? 4. Does the rhythm alternate (punchy moments, then breathing room)? 5. Is it about THEM (their transformation) or about ME (my product)? 6. Are there open loops pulling them forward? 7. Does it end with momentum? If any answer is no, rewrite that part. The goal isn't to hide that you're selling. It's to sell like a human, with honesty, specificity, and respect for the reader's intelligence. --- --- # REFERENCE MATERIAL The following sections provide deeper frameworks and extensive examples. --- --- # Classic Direct Response Frameworks The fundamentals that haven't changed since 1923. Every modern conversion technique traces back to these principles. --- ## Eugene Schwartz: The 5 Levels of Awareness (1966) From "Breakthrough Advertising." The most important framework for knowing what to say. Your headline and approach must match where your reader is: ### Level 1: Unaware They don't know they have a problem. **Your job:** Lead with identity or emotion, not the problem. **Headline approach:** "Do you ever feel like..." or lead with transformation story. **Example:** "The diary of a bored housewife" (not selling anything yet, just connecting) ### Level 2: Problem-Aware They know they have a problem but don't know solutions exist. **Your job:** Name the problem vividly, then introduce that solutions exist. **Headline approach:** Problem-focused headline, agitate, then reveal solution category. **Example:** "Are you ever tongue-tied at a party?" (Dale Carnegie) ### Level 3: Solution-Aware They know solutions exist but don't know your product. **Your job:** Show your specific mechanism or approach is different/better. **Headline approach:** Lead with your unique mechanism or approach. **Example:** "A new way to remove wrinkles without surgery" ### Level 4: Product-Aware They know your product but haven't bought yet. **Your job:** Overcome objections, add proof, create urgency. **Headline approach:** Lead with differentiator, offer, or proof. **Example:** "Now with 2x the cleaning power" or "Join 10,000 happy customers" ### Level 5: Most Aware They know your product and want it. Just need a push. **Your job:** Make it easy. Price, offer, availability. **Headline approach:** Lead with the deal. **Example:** "$199 today only" or "Back in stock" **The rule:** The less aware they are, the longer your copy needs to be. Most aware = short. Unaware = long journey. --- ## Claude Hopkins: Scientific Advertising (1923) The father of tested, measured advertising. Core principles: ### 1. Advertising is salesmanship in print "The only purpose of advertising is to make sales." ### 2. Reason-why copy Don't just claim. Explain WHY your product works. Hopkins spent 3 weeks researching Schlitz beer to find the "reason why" (the way they purified water). Every beer did it. Only Schlitz talked about it. ### 3. Specificity creates believability "Cleans 99.6% of bacteria" beats "Cleans almost all bacteria." Numbers. Details. Process. These create belief. ### 4. Offer service, not salesmanship "I never ask people to buy. The ads all offer service, perhaps a free sample. They sound altruistic. But they get a reading and action." ### 5. Test everything Use coupons, codes, split tests. "Almost any question can be answered, cheaply, quickly, and finally, by a test campaign." ### 6. Headlines do the heavy lifting "If you have 10 hours to spend on a piece of copy, spend 8 of them on the headline." --- ## David Ogilvy: Confessions of an Advertising Man (1963) Ogilvy took Hopkins' principles and added brand-building sophistication. ### The Rolls-Royce Principle "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." This headline works because: - It's specific (60 miles, electric clock) - It SHOWS don't tells (doesn't say "quiet car") - It's borrowed credibility (from a magazine review) - It creates a mental image Ogilvy spent 3 weeks researching. The headline came from a magazine quote. He wrote 26 headlines before picking this one. ### Key Ogilvy principles: **On headlines:** - "On average, 5x as many people read the headline as read the body copy." - "Include the brand name in the headline." - "Headlines with news are remembered 22% more." - "Specifics are more credible than generalities." **On copy:** - "Write the way you talk. Naturally." - "Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. Address them as individuals." - "Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating." - "Give facts. Readers remember facts, not adjectives." **On images:** - "Story appeal" in photos gets attention. The eye patch in Hathaway shirt ads worked because people wondered "what's the story?" - Photos of the product in use outperform product shots alone. --- ## Gary Halbert: The Boron Letters (1984) Halbert wrote from prison to his son. Raw, practical, street-smart. ### 1. Find a starving crowd first "What unique advantage would you want if opening a restaurant? The answer isn't location or great food. It's a starving crowd." Find people who desperately want what you're selling. The offer matters more than the copy. ### 2. Write to one person Use "you" and "I." Date your letters. Use the person's name. Create intimacy. "Did you know that your family name was recorded with a coat-of-arms in ancient heraldic archives more than seven centuries ago?" This opened his most successful letter ever (600 million sent). ### 3. Tell stories, not pitches The Boron Letters themselves are stories. His ads were stories. Stories disarm skepticism and create emotional connection. ### 4. Handwrite great ads Copy successful ads by hand to internalize the rhythm and structure. Don't type. Write. ### 5. Read your copy aloud "As you do that, you will hear the words that are lumpy and bumpy, like walking over a stony path. Those need fixing." ### 6. AIDA still works Attention → Interest → Desire → Action "The simple formulas work because human psychology doesn't change." --- ## John Caples: Tested Advertising Methods (1932) Caples tested obsessively. His data-backed principles: ### The Piano Headline "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... But When I Started to Play!" Why it worked: - It's a STORY in 15 words - Universal emotion (being laughed at, then vindicated) - Curiosity (what happened next?) - Self-selection (anyone who's wanted to learn music relates) ### Caples' headline rules: 1. Self-interest: Show them what's in it for them 2. News: Announce something new 3. Curiosity: But never curiosity alone. Curiosity + benefit. 4. Positive over negative: "Gain" beats "avoid loss" (usually) 5. Quick and easy: People want shortcuts ### His most important finding: "The headline is 80% of the advertisement." One headline can outpull another by 19.5x. Same product. Same offer. Different headline = 1,950% difference in response. ### What makes headlines fail: - Trying to be clever instead of clear - Forgetting self-interest - Vague claims instead of specific benefits --- ## Joseph Sugarman: The Adweek Copywriting Handbook (1998) Mail-order master. Sold BluBlockers, calculators, gadgets through long-copy print ads. ### The Slippery Slide "Your readers should be so compelled to read your copy that they cannot stop reading until they read all of it as if sliding down a slippery slide." The job of the headline is to get them to read the first sentence. The job of the first sentence is to get them to read the second. And so on. ### Every element has one job 1. Headline: Get attention, draw to subheadline 2. Subheadline: Give more info, draw into copy 3. First sentence: Short, easy to read 4. Body: Slide them down to the CTA 5. CTA: Tell them exactly what to do ### Seeds of curiosity End paragraphs with hooks: - "But there's more." - "Let me explain." - "Here's why this matters." - "And that's not all." These pull readers into the next section. ### 31 psychological triggers Sugarman identified 31 triggers that make people buy. The biggest: - **Honesty:** "If you're honest in your copy, it shows." - **Proof:** Never make claims bigger than your proof. - **Specificity:** "$1,237" beats "over $1,000" - **Familiarity:** Connect new to familiar concepts - **Story:** Humans are wired for narrative ### The buying environment Your copy must create the right "buying environment." This includes: - Layout and design that feels appropriate - Price anchoring - Logical flow that answers objections as they arise - Ending with clear action --- ## Robert Collier: The Robert Collier Letter Book (1937) Master of mail-order letters. His principles: ### Enter the conversation in their mind "Always enter the conversation already taking place in the customer's mind." You don't create desire. You channel existing desire toward your product. ### The 6 essentials of every letter: 1. Opening that grabs attention 2. Description or explanation 3. Argument for why they should buy 4. Persuasion to buy NOW 5. Risk-free offer 6. Clear call to action ### Visualization Make them SEE themselves using the product, enjoying the benefit. Paint the picture vividly. --- ## The Meta-Lesson All the greats agree on these fundamentals: 1. **Know your audience deeply** before writing a word 2. **Lead with the reader's self-interest**, not your product 3. **Be specific**, never vague 4. **Tell stories** to disarm and connect 5. **Test everything** because your opinion doesn't matter 6. **The headline does most of the work** 7. **Write like you talk**, not like you "write" 8. **Honesty and proof** beat hype every time --- --- # Headline Formulas and Examples Headlines do 80% of the work. One headline can outpull another by 19.5x. These are the patterns that work. --- ## The Master Formula > **[Action verb] + [Specific outcome] + [Timeframe or contrast]** Examples: - "Ship your startup in days, not weeks" - "Build a $10K/month business in 90 days" - "Save 4 hours per person every single week" - "Write copy that converts in half the time" The contrast version ("days, not weeks") creates before/after in six words. --- ## The Story Headline John Caples' most famous: > "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... But When I Started to Play!" Why it works: - Complete story in 15 words - Universal emotion (embarrassment → triumph) - Creates curiosity about what happened - Self-selects the right reader **Variations:** - "They laughed when I started my cleaning business... but when I quit my day job..." - "They grinned when the waiter spoke to me in French... but their laughter changed to amazement at my reply" **The formula:** > "They [doubted/laughed/dismissed] when I [action]... But when I [result]..." --- ## The Specificity Headline Ogilvy's Rolls-Royce: > "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." Why it works: - "60 miles" is specific, not "high speed" - "Electric clock" is specific, not "interior" - Shows don't tells (doesn't say "quiet car") - Reader concludes "this must be quiet" themselves **The formula:** > [Specific number/metric] + [Unexpected comparison or detail] **Modern examples:** - "I tested 47 headlines. One pattern beat everything else by 3x." - "We analyzed 2.7 million cold emails. Here's what the top 1% do differently." - "After 10 years and $45M in sales, I've found exactly 3 things that matter." --- ## The How-To Headline Simple and bulletproof: > "How to [Achieve desired outcome]" **Examples:** - "How to Win Friends and Influence People" - "How to Write Copy That Sells" - "How to Make $1,000 in Your First Week" **Variations:** - "How to [outcome] without [common pain]" - "How to [outcome] in [timeframe]" - "How to [outcome] even if [objection]" **Examples with variations:** - "How to Lose Weight Without Giving Up Your Favorite Foods" - "How to Build a 6-Figure Business in 12 Months" - "How to Get Clients Even If You're Just Starting Out" --- ## The Question Headline Questions they're already asking themselves: > "Do You Make These Mistakes in English?" Legendary ad ran for 40 years. Works because: - Reader immediately thinks "what mistakes?" - Self-selects (only interested people keep reading) - Creates curiosity gap **The formula:** > "Do you [common mistake/struggle]?" > "Are you [undesirable state]?" > "What if you could [desirable outcome]?" **Examples:** - "Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When You're the Only One Home?" - "Are You Still Trading Time for Money?" - "What if Your Next Landing Page Converted at 30%?" --- ## The Secret Headline Implies insider knowledge: > "The Secret of Making People Like You" **The formula:** > "The Secret of [Desirable outcome]" > "The Secret [Industry insiders/experts] Don't Want You to Know" > "[Number] Secrets of [Successful group]" **Examples:** - "The Secret of Writing Headlines That Get Clicked" - "7 Secrets of Top Copywriters" - "The Secret Formula Behind $100M Ads" **Warning:** Overused. Works best when you actually have something surprising to reveal. --- ## The Reason-Why Headline Hopkins' favorite. Explain WHY: > "Why Some People Almost Always Make Money in the Stock Market" **The formula:** > "Why [Desirable outcome happens]" > "Why [Surprising statement]" > "[Number] Reasons Why [Claim]" **Examples:** - "Why Your Ads Aren't Working (And What to Do Instead)" - "Why I Switched from [Popular option] to [Your option]" - "5 Reasons Why Smart Marketers Are Abandoning Facebook" --- ## The Number Headline Numbers stop the scroll: > "101 Ways to Save Money on Your Taxes" **Why numbers work:** - Specific = credible - Promise clear, bounded value - Easy to scan **The formula:** > "[Number] [Ways/Tips/Secrets/Mistakes] to [Outcome]" **Best numbers:** - Odd numbers outperform even (7 beats 6) - Specific beats round (37 beats 40) - Higher can work for comprehensive guides (101 tips) - Lower works for "essentials" (3 things that matter) **Examples:** - "7 Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Conversions" - "37 Headline Formulas That Get Clicked" - "The 3 Things Every Landing Page Needs" --- ## The Warning/Mistake Headline Fear of loss is powerful: > "Don't Even Think About Buying a Home Until You Read This" **The formula:** > "Don't [Action] Until [Condition]" > "[Number] Mistakes [Audience] Make" > "Warning: [Danger statement]" **Examples:** - "Don't Write Another Ad Until You Read This" - "5 Mistakes New Copywriters Make (And How to Avoid Them)" - "Warning: Your Landing Page Is Losing 73% of Visitors" --- ## The Newsjacking Headline Timely + relevant: > "What [Current event] Means for [Your audience]" **The formula:** > "[Current event/trend] + [Your angle]" > "The [Year] Guide to [Topic]" > "[Trend] Is Dead. Here's What's Replacing It." **Examples:** - "What the Google Update Means for Your SEO Strategy" - "The 2024 Guide to Cold Email That Actually Works" - "Traditional Marketing Is Dead. Here's What's Replacing It." --- ## The Transformation Headline Before → After in one line: > "From Broke Musician to $100K/Year Music Teacher" **The formula:** > "From [Bad state] to [Good state]" > "How I Went from [Before] to [After]" > "[Before] → [After]: [How]" **Examples:** - "From Zero to $10K MRR in 6 Months" - "How I Went from 0 Followers to 100K in One Year" - "Freelancer to Agency Owner: My 3-Year Journey" --- ## The Contrarian Headline Challenge conventional wisdom: > "Everything You Know About [Topic] Is Wrong" **The formula:** > "[Common belief] Is Wrong. Here's Why." > "Stop [Common advice]" > "Why [Contrarian position]" **Examples:** - "Stop Trying to Go Viral" - "Why I Stopped A/B Testing (And What I Do Instead)" - "Everything You Know About SEO Is Wrong" **Warning:** Must deliver on the promise. Contrarian for contrarian's sake backfires. --- ## The Direct Statement Headline Sometimes simple wins: > "We're Looking for Writers" **The formula:** > [Direct statement of value or offer] **Examples:** - "Get Better at Copywriting" - "Marketing Help for Startups" - "Write Faster. Convert More." Works when your audience is highly aware and just needs the offer. --- ## Headline Testing Principles From John Caples' decades of testing: 1. **Self-interest beats cleverness.** "How to win friends" beats "The science of human relations" 2. **News hooks attention.** "New" "Announcing" "Finally" "Just released" 3. **Curiosity alone fails.** Curiosity + benefit works. Pure curiosity = clickbait that disappoints. 4. **Specifics beat generalities.** "Save $327 on your taxes" beats "Save money on your taxes" 5. **Longer headlines can work.** "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock" is 18 words. It's the best headline Ogilvy ever wrote. 6. **Test at least 5.** Ogilvy wrote 26 headlines for Rolls-Royce. Upworthy writes 25 per article. One will be 2-10x better than the rest. --- ## Hall of Fame Headlines Keep these on file: - "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... But When I Started to Play!" (Caples) - "Do You Make These Mistakes in English?" (Sherwin Cody) - "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." (Ogilvy) - "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (Dale Carnegie) - "The Secret of Making People Like You" (Unknown) - "Amazing Secret Discovered by 29 Year Old" (Eugene Schwartz) - "They Call Me Lucky, But I Invented My Own Luck" (Unknown) - "The Lazy Man's Way to Riches" (Joe Karbo) - "Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days" (Diet industry) - "Are You Ever Tongue-Tied at a Party?" (Dale Carnegie) --- --- # Opening Lines and Hooks The first sentence has one job: get them to read the second sentence. --- ## The Direct Challenge Open by challenging what they believe or do: > "You've been using Claude wrong." > "Everything you know about pricing is backwards." > "Most marketing advice is designed to make you feel busy, not successful." **Why it works:** - Stops the scroll - Creates tension - Self-selects readers who suspect you might be right **The formula:** > "You've been [doing X] wrong." > "Most [advice/people/companies] [get this wrong]." > "[Common belief] is actually [wrong/backwards/dangerous]." --- ## The Story Opening Caples' piano ad doesn't start with product. It starts with scene: > "Arthur had just played 'The Rosary.' The room rang with applause." The reader is IN the scene before they know they're reading an ad. **Modern examples:** > "I was $78,000 in debt, working 70-hour weeks, and my marriage was falling apart. Then I discovered something that changed everything." > "Last Tuesday, I opened my laptop and saw a number I couldn't believe: $47,329 in one day." > "It was 2 AM and I was still coding. The launch was in 6 hours. I had no idea if anyone would show up." **The formula:** > [Specific moment] + [Tension or curiosity] + [Implied transformation] --- ## The Confession Opening Vulnerability disarms skepticism: > "I'll be honest with you. I almost gave up on this business three times." > "Here's something embarrassing: I used to think copywriting was about being clever." > "I made every mistake in the book. Spent $50,000 on ads that didn't work. Launched products nobody wanted." **Why it works:** - Honesty creates trust - Reader thinks "they're like me" - Sets up the transformation **The formula:** > "I'll be honest..." > "Here's something I rarely admit..." > "I made every mistake..." --- ## The Specific Result Opening Lead with proof: > "Last month, this landing page generated $127,394 in sales." > "In 9 months, we did $400k+ on a vibe-coded website using these exact methods." > "I've sent 600 million of these letters. Here's what I learned." **Why it works:** - Specific numbers create credibility - Reader wants to know how - Anchors the transformation to a real result **The formula:** > "[Specific result] + [Implied 'here's how']" --- ## The Question Opening Enter the conversation in their head: > "Have you ever stared at a blank page, knowing you need to write something that sells... and just froze?" > "What would you do with an extra 10 hours a week?" > "Do you ever wonder why some people seem to effortlessly attract clients while you're struggling to get noticed?" **Why it works:** - If the question matches their reality, they're hooked - Creates internal "yes" response - Self-selects the right reader **The formula:** > "Have you ever [common struggle]?" > "Do you ever wonder why [comparison/frustration]?" > "What would you do with [desirable outcome]?" --- ## The Contrarian Opening Flip conventional wisdom: > "Stop writing headlines." > "The best marketing advice is to do less marketing." > "I'm going to tell you something nobody else will: your product doesn't matter." **Why it works:** - Pattern interrupt - Creates "wait, what?" response - Reader has to keep going to understand **The formula:** > "Stop [doing what everyone says to do]." > "The best [X] advice is [opposite of expected]." > "[Extreme or surprising statement]." **Warning:** Must pay off. Contrarian opening + conventional content = disappointment. --- ## The "Imagine" Opening Future-pace them into the transformation: > "Imagine waking up tomorrow and your landing page has already made 3 sales while you slept." > "Picture this: you open your inbox and see 47 new leads, all from one email you wrote once." > "Imagine never having to explain your business again because your website does it perfectly." **Why it works:** - Engages visualization - Reader experiences the benefit emotionally - Creates desire before the pitch **The formula:** > "Imagine [specific desirable scenario]." > "Picture this: [vivid future state]." --- ## The Pattern Interrupt Opening Break expectations completely: > "Don't read this." > "This isn't for you." > "I'm going to try to talk you OUT of buying this." **Why it works:** - Reverse psychology - Creates curiosity - Breaks the "sales pitch" pattern **The formula:** > "[Opposite of what they expect from sales copy]" --- ## The Time-Stamp Opening Creates immediacy and credibility: > "It's 4:37 AM and I can't sleep. I keep thinking about what I'm about to share with you." > "I'm writing this from gate B7 at LAX, 20 minutes before my flight boards." > "Last Tuesday at exactly 2:14 PM, something happened that changed how I think about marketing." **Why it works:** - Feels personal, not scripted - Creates intimacy - Reader feels they're getting something fresh **The formula:** > "[Specific time/place] + [What you're about to share]" --- ## The Short-Sentence Opening Sugarman's approach: first sentence should be stupidly easy to read: > "It's simple." > "Here's the truth." > "This works." > "Let me explain." **Why it works:** - No friction to start reading - Creates momentum - Reader is into paragraph two before they realize it **The formula:** > [2-4 word sentence that creates curiosity or makes a claim] --- ## The "Math" Opening Quantify the problem or opportunity: > "5 minutes explaining your business + 10 minutes prompting + 15 minutes editing = hours of your week, every week, forever." > "You're losing $1,847 every month. Here's the math." > "The average landing page converts at 2.35%. The top 10% convert at 11.45%. That gap? It's not traffic. It's copy." **Why it works:** - Makes abstract problems concrete - Numbers feel objective/trustworthy - Creates clear gap they want to close **The formula:** > "[Problem math] = [Painful total]" > "The gap between [average] and [top] is [specific difference]." --- ## Opening Lines to Avoid These scream "AI wrote this" or "generic marketing": - "In today's fast-paced world..." - "Are you ready to take your business to the next level?" - "Welcome! I'm so glad you're here." - "Have you ever wanted to..." - "What if I told you..." - "The secret they don't want you to know..." - "In this article, you'll learn..." - "Let's dive in!" **The problem:** They're generic. They could be about anything. They don't demonstrate understanding of the reader. --- ## The Meta-Principle Your opening should do at least one of these: 1. **Match their mental state** (enter the conversation in their head) 2. **Create curiosity** (open a loop they need to close) 3. **Make a bold claim** (backed up later with proof) 4. **Tell a story** (that they see themselves in) 5. **Challenge a belief** (that they're not sure about anyway) If your opening does none of these, rewrite it. --- # Curiosity Gaps and Open Loops The human brain craves closure. Open a loop, and they'll keep reading to close it. --- ## What Is an Open Loop? An open loop is incomplete information that creates psychological tension. Your brain wants to resolve it. **TV shows use this:** Every episode ends with a cliffhanger. You can't NOT watch the next one. **In copy:** You tease information without revealing it, pulling readers forward to find the answer. --- ## The Curiosity Gap The gap between what we know and what we want to know. **Weak:** "10 Tips for Better Writing" **Strong:** "The Ancient Secret Writing Technique That Transformed My Bank Account" The weak version tells you exactly what you'll get. No gap. The strong version creates questions: What technique? How ancient? How much money? **The rule:** Clear enough to understand, mysterious enough to provoke questions. --- ## Open Loop Techniques ### 1. The Incomplete Story Start a story, don't finish it: > "I was $78,000 in debt when I discovered something that changed everything. But before I tell you what it is, you need to understand why most advice about money is wrong..." The reader now HAS to know what you discovered. ### 2. The Numbered Tease Promise something specific, delay the reveal: > "I tested 47 headlines. One pattern beat everything else by 3x. I'll show you exactly what it is in a moment, but first..." Now they're reading for the one pattern. ### 3. The "But First" Delay > "The answer might surprise you. But first, let me explain why this matters." You've promised an answer. They'll stick around for it. ### 4. The Partial Reveal Give part of the information: > "The formula has three parts. The first one is obvious. The third one is counterintuitive. But the second one? That's where the magic happens." Now they need to know the second part. ### 5. The Future Promise > "In a few minutes, you'll understand exactly why most landing pages fail. And you'll know exactly how to fix yours." You've told them what they'll get. Now they want it. --- ## Seeds of Curiosity (Sugarman) End paragraphs with hooks that pull into the next section: **Transition phrases:** - "But that's not even the best part." - "Here's where it gets interesting." - "Let me explain why." - "And that's when everything changed." - "But there's a problem." - "What happened next surprised even me." - "Which brings me to the real secret." - "Now here's the thing..." - "But wait. There's more to this story." **The placement:** Use at the end of paragraphs, especially when transitioning between ideas or before you reveal something important. **Don't overuse:** Every paragraph ending with "but there's more" becomes tiresome. 2-4 per page is plenty. --- ## The Information Gap Principle Psychologist George Loewenstein's research: > "Curiosity arises when we're aware of a gap in our knowledge." To create curiosity: 1. Make them aware there's something they don't know 2. Make them want to know it 3. Delay the answer just long enough **Example:** > "Most copywriters make this mistake. It's costing them thousands of dollars in lost conversions. And they have no idea." You've created three gaps: - What mistake? - How much is it costing them? - Why don't they know? Now they'll read to close all three. --- ## Curiosity in Headlines **Weak (no gap):** "How to Write Better Headlines" **Strong (gap):** "Why Your Headlines Aren't Working (And the 2-Minute Fix)" **Weak:** "5 Ways to Improve Your Landing Page" **Strong:** "I Analyzed 1,000 Landing Pages. One Element Predicted Conversion Rate Better Than Anything Else." The strong versions create specific questions the reader needs answered. --- ## Open Loops in Email Subject Lines **Open loop:** "The $50,000 mistake I made last year" - What mistake? You have to open to find out. **Open loop:** "This one change added 247 subscribers in a week" - What change? Open to find out. **Open loop:** "Don't make this launch mistake (I almost did)" - What mistake? What happened? Open. **Too vague (bad):** "Quick question" - No specific gap. Could be anything. **Too complete (bad):** "5 tips for writing better emails" - No gap. You already know what it is. --- ## Closing Loops **Critical:** You must close the loops you open. If you tease "the one thing that changed everything" and never deliver, readers feel cheated. They won't trust you again. **The timing:** - Small loops: close within 1-3 paragraphs - Medium loops: close within the section - Big loops: close by the end of the piece **The payoff must be worth the wait.** If you create huge curiosity and deliver mediocre content, you've damaged trust. --- ## Multiple Loops You can stack loops, but manage them carefully: **Opening:** > "I'm going to share three things with you today. > > The first is obvious. You probably already know it. > The second is counterintuitive. It goes against everything you've been told. > The third? It's the one that will change how you think about marketing forever. > > Let's start with the obvious one..." Now they're reading for all three, but especially the third. **Close each one before opening too many more.** 3-4 open loops at once is manageable. More than that creates confusion. --- ## The "But Wait" Technique Classic late-night TV, but works in copy: > "You get the complete training program, all 12 modules, the workbook, and the template library. > > But that's not all. > > When you join today, you also get..." The "but that's not all" creates a micro-loop. They need to see what else. --- ## Curiosity Killers What NOT to do: **Being too vague:** > "Something amazing happened..." Too generic. No specific gap. **Being too complete:** > "I made $50,000 by selling an online course about productivity." No gap left. You answered everything. **Creating gaps you don't close:** > "The secret I'm about to share will change everything..." > [Never actually shares the secret] This is manipulation. It destroys trust. **Clickbait:** > "You won't BELIEVE what happened next!" Creates gap but signals low-quality content. Sophisticated readers bounce. --- ## The Meta-Principle Curiosity is about **information asymmetry**. You know something they want to know. Your job is to: 1. Make them aware of the gap 2. Make the answer seem valuable 3. Deliver on the promise Do this ethically, and you'll hold attention through any length of copy. --- --- # Flow Techniques: The Slippery Slide How to keep readers moving from headline to CTA without friction. --- ## The Slippery Slide Concept Joseph Sugarman: > "Your readers should be so compelled to read your copy that they cannot stop reading until they read all of it as if sliding down a slippery slide." Once they start, they can't stop. Every element has one job: get them to read the next element. - Headline → gets them to read the subheadline - Subheadline → gets them into the first sentence - First sentence → gets them to the second - Each paragraph → pulls them to the next - Everything → slides them toward the CTA --- ## The Bucket Brigade A chain of short phrases that smooth transitions between paragraphs: **Common bucket brigade phrases:** - And - So - Now - But - Look - Also - First - Listen - By now - You see - Truth is - Turns out - Of course - In fact - Here's why - Here's the thing - Think about it - Bottom line - The result? - What does this mean? **How they work:** Without bucket brigade: > "Most landing pages fail because they focus on features, not benefits. > > Benefits are what the customer actually cares about." With bucket brigade: > "Most landing pages fail because they focus on features, not benefits. > > Here's the thing: Benefits are what the customer actually cares about." The "Here's the thing" smooths the entry into the second paragraph. The reader doesn't pause between ideas. --- ## Seeds of Curiosity Sugarman's technique for ending paragraphs: Instead of ending paragraphs flatly, end with a hook: **Without seed:** > "This is the first principle of good headlines." **With seed:** > "This is the first principle of good headlines. But the second principle is where most people fail." The reader HAS to continue to find out the second principle. **Seed phrases:** - "But there's more." - "Let me explain." - "And that's not all." - "Here's why that matters." - "Which brings me to..." - "Now comes the interesting part." - "But that's not even the best part." **Placement:** - At the end of subheads - When switching between ideas - Before slow sections (to maintain momentum) - Early in the copy to build momentum --- ## The Stutter Technique Repeat a word from the last sentence in the first sentence of the next paragraph: > "Now we're going to look at a more sophisticated technique. > > A technique used by professional writers, but often overlooked by copywriters." The word "technique" bridges the gap. Smoother than starting fresh. **Another example:** > "The key is specificity. Vague claims don't convert. > > Specificity signals honesty. When you say '$47,329 in one day,' that's believable. When you say 'lots of money,' it's not." "Specificity" carries from one paragraph to the next. --- ## Know Your ABCs Logical flow. Point A leads to Point B leads to Point C. **Broken flow:** > "Energy prices are rising. > > You should invest in cryptocurrency." Wait, what? How did we get from energy to crypto? The reader's brain stumbles. **Fixed flow:** > "Energy prices are rising. > > In fact, prices are rising everywhere. Inflation is eating into your savings. > > To beat inflation, your money needs to grow faster than 8% per year. > > Traditional savings accounts pay less than 1%. > > That's why more people are looking at alternative investments like cryptocurrency." Each point connects to the next. The reader slides from energy prices to crypto without friction. --- ## The Language of Logic Transition words that signal logical connections: **Cause and effect:** - Therefore - As a result - Because of this - This is why - That's why **Contrast:** - But - However - On the other hand - Yet - Despite this **Addition:** - Also - Moreover - Furthermore - What's more - Not only that **Example:** - For instance - For example - Consider this - Take [X] **Emphasis:** - In fact - Indeed - The truth is - Actually - Really These signal to the reader's brain how this paragraph relates to the last one. --- ## Short First Sentences Sugarman's rule: The first sentence should be short and easy to read. **Long first sentence:** > "When you think about all the different ways that marketing has changed over the past decade, it's remarkable how many new channels have emerged." Heavy. Requires commitment to start. **Short first sentence:** > "Marketing has changed." Easy. You're already reading. Now you'll read the next sentence. **More short openers:** - "Here's the problem." - "It's simple." - "This works." - "Let me explain." - "Consider this." - "I was wrong." --- ## Paragraph Length Variation Same-length paragraphs = monotonous reading Vary them: Short. Then a medium paragraph that expands on the idea with a bit more detail and context. Then maybe a longer one when you need to explain something more complex, build an argument with multiple points, or tell a story that requires setup, conflict, and resolution. These longer paragraphs have their place. Then short again. This creates rhythm. The eye moves easily. The brain doesn't fatigue. --- ## The Question Bridge Questions pull readers forward: > "So what does this mean for your landing page?" > > "It means you need to focus on benefits, not features." The question creates a micro-gap. The answer closes it. Reader momentum continues. **Use sparingly:** Too many questions feels like an interrogation. --- ## The "Rule of One" Mark Ford's principle: Each paragraph should make ONE point. If you're making two points, you need two paragraphs. **Muddled:** > "Headlines are important and you should always test them, plus make sure to use specific numbers because specificity builds credibility and don't forget to match the headline to your audience's awareness level." **Clear:** > "Headlines do 80% of the work. > > Always test at least 5. One will outperform the others by 2-10x. > > Use specific numbers. '$47,329' beats 'lots of money.' > > Match your headline to your audience's awareness level." One point per paragraph. Easy to follow. Easy to remember. --- ## Momentum Killers Things that stop the slide: - **Jargon** they have to pause to understand - **Long paragraphs** with no breaks - **Tangents** that don't connect to the main thread - **Weak transitions** that jar the reader - **Same sentence structure** repeated too many times - **All short sentences** (choppy) - **All long sentences** (exhausting) - **Unanswered questions** left hanging - **Excessive hedging** ("It might possibly help some people in certain situations") --- ## The Meta-Principle Every element should either: 1. **Pull them forward** (curiosity, promise of value) 2. **Push them forward** (bucket brigades, transitions) 3. **Slide them forward** (easy reading, momentum) If any element does none of these, it's friction. Cut it or fix it. --- # Modern Internet-Native Copy Examples How the classics translate to landing pages, tweets, and creator brands. --- ## Founder Story Examples ### Marc Lou (ShipFast) > "Hey, it's Marc 👋 > > In 2018, I believed I was Mark Zuckerberg, built a startup for 1 year, and got 0 users... > > A few years after my burnout, I restarted the journey differently: I shipped like a madman—16 startups in 2 years. > > Now I'm happy and earn $45,000 a month." **Why it works:** - Self-deprecating ("I believed I was Mark Zuckerberg") - Specific failure (0 users) - Specific success ($45,000/month, 16 startups in 2 years) - Vulnerability → credibility → shared journey ### Codie Sanchez (Contrarian Thinking) > "After nearly two decades on Wall Street, I realized the real path to wealth is in unsexy businesses—laundromats, car washes, HVAC." **Why it works:** - Credibility (Wall Street) - Contrarian insight (unsexy > sexy) - Specific examples (laundromats, car washes, HVAC) --- ## Pain Quantification Examples ### ShipFast > "4 hrs to set up emails + 6 hrs designing a landing page + 4 hrs to handle Stripe webhooks + 2 hrs for SEO tags + 1 hr applying for Google OAuth + 3 hrs for DNS records + 2 hrs for protected API routes + ∞ hrs overthinking... > > = 22+ hours of headaches. > > There's an easier way." **Why it works:** - Makes vague problem (launching is hard) concrete (22+ hours) - Lists specific micro-tasks they recognize - Reader can calculate: "Is this worth $199 to skip?" ### Superhuman > "Imagine the scene: you and your team get an urgent email, so you rapidly reply. But just after you hit send, your team replies as well. In the best case, you look disorganized. In the worst case, you contradict each other." **Why it works:** - Vivid scenario they've experienced - Paints the emotional pain (embarrassment) - Makes abstract problem (email chaos) tangible --- ## Specific Outcome Testimonials **Formula:** [Before state] + [Action] + [Specific outcome] + [Timeframe] + [Emotion] ### ShipFast testimonials: > "I shipped in 6 days as a noob coder. It would have taken me months. I wanna cry 🥲" > "I made more in 6 days than minimum wage in Spain." > "I managed to exit & sell for 5 figures in a few weeks. Best investment I've made in so long." ### Contrarian Thinking: > "We were able to buy our first business within 4 months of joining." **Why they work:** - Specific timeframes (6 days, 4 months) - Specific outcomes (5 figures, bought a business) - Emotional language (wanna cry, best investment) - NOT: "Great product! Highly recommend." --- ## Disqualification Examples ### Justin Welsh > "You're a good fit for this if: > ✅ You know this is a tool, and you'll need to use it > ✅ You're willing to reassess your existing ideas > > You're NOT a good fit if: > ❌ You equate success with just buying a course > ❌ You're not willing to do the unsexy work required" ### FAQ objection handling: > "Couldn't I just do this myself with all the free content out there?" > > "If you could, you would have already. 🤷🏻" **Why it works:** - Flips from "please buy" to "prove you're worthy" - Creates velvet rope effect - Pre-filters bad customers - The FAQ response is short, honest, slightly challenging --- ## Benefit-Oriented CTAs **Weak (command action):** - Sign Up - Learn More - Buy Now - Subscribe **Strong (describe benefit):** - Get ShipFast - Start building - Enter your new home - See the exact template I used - Send me the first lesson free **Below-CTA friction reducers:** > "$199 once. Join 2,600+ marketers. 2 minutes to install." **Formula:** [Risk reversal] + [Social proof] + [Speed/ease] --- ## Revenue Transparency Internet-native voice marker. Creates trust through specific vulnerability: > "Now I'm happy and earn $45,000 a month." > "$65K MRR" in bio > "The Vibe Marketing community did $400k+ in 9 months." **Why it works:** - Specific numbers corporate would never share - Proves claims with real data - Creates aspirational but believable target --- ## Honest Limitations Another trust marker: > "One note: 3D model generation isn't great yet." > "This isn't for complete beginners. You need basic coding knowledge." > "Fair warning: setup takes about 30 minutes the first time." **Why it works:** - Honesty about imperfection builds credibility - Shows you're not hiding anything - Makes other claims more believable --- ## Strategic Emoji Use Internet-native, not professional-sanitized: > "I wanna cry 🥲" > "If you could, you would have already 🤷🏻" > "Hey, it's Marc 👋" **Rules:** - Sparingly (1-2 per page, not every sentence) - To add emotional tone - Where a human would naturally use them - NOT: 🎉🚀💪 LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS TODAY! 🔥💯 --- ## In-Group Language Signals "I'm one of you": - "Ship like a madman" - "Indie hacker" / "solopreneur" - "Vibe-coded" - "MRR" (Monthly Recurring Revenue) - "GTM" (Go to Market) **Why it works:** - Creates belonging - Filters for the right audience - Builds instant rapport with insiders --- ## Before/After Contrast Headlines ### Modern examples: > "Ship your startup in days, not weeks." > "From idea to launch in one weekend." > "Stop building for months. Start shipping in days." **The structure:** > [Before: slow/painful] → [After: fast/easy] In six words, you've painted transformation. --- ## The Modern Sales Page Flow Based on analysis of ShipFast, Superhuman, Contrarian Thinking: 1. **Outcome headline** with specific number or timeframe 2. **Problem section** with quantified pain 3. **Agitate** with scenario they recognize 4. **Credibility** through founder story or proof numbers 5. **Solution** framed as transformation, not features 6. **Social proof** with specific-outcome testimonials 7. **FAQ / Fit section** with disqualification 8. **Offer** with price justification 9. **Final CTA** with friction reducers Not every page uses all nine. But this is the complete playbook. --- ## Voice Markers Summary **Signals "internet-native, not corporate":** | Corporate | Internet-native | |-----------|-----------------| | "Significant revenue" | "$45,000/month" | | "Many satisfied customers" | "2,894 makers" | | "Get started today" | "Start building" | | No limitations mentioned | "3D generation isn't great yet" | | Stock photo testimonials | "I wanna cry 🥲" | | "We at [Company]..." | "Hey, it's Marc 👋" | | Formal language | "Ship like a madman" | | Rounded numbers | "$47,329" (specific) | --- ## The Meta-Lesson Modern internet-native copy is classic direct response + authenticity markers. The principles haven't changed since Hopkins: - Specific beats vague - Benefits beat features - Stories beat pitches - Proof beats claims What's different: - Personal voice over corporate voice - Revenue transparency - Honest limitations - Emoji and in-group language - Shorter attention spans = tighter copy - Mobile-first formatting The fundamentals are 100 years old. The packaging is 2024. --- *Built by [The Boring Marketer](https://thevibemarketer.com). This is one of 17 AI skills in the Vibe Skills Pack — covering copywriting, SEO, email sequences, content strategy, ad creative, and more.*
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