Tips for Writing Persuasive Copy

I've been in the copywriting space for 10 years and have generated $100’s of millions of dollars for clients.  Here are the 9 most profitable copywriting lessons I've learned along the way: 1. Most Copy Follows the Same Pattern: Headline → Lead → Body → Offer → CTA. Use this structure for every piece of copy: sales pages, emails, ads—everything. Try this today: Take an existing sales page and rearrange it to follow this flow. Notice how it improves clarity. 2. Stop Selling to Everyone: A hungry niche is far more valuable than a big, lukewarm audience. Identify your top 2–3 customer personas and speak directly to them. Try this today: Rewrite one of your marketing emails to address a single, specific persona’s biggest pain point. 3. Your Headline is King: 80% of your effort should go into writing a headline that stops the scroll. Without a powerful headline, no one reads the rest. Try this today: Write 10 variations of a headline for the same offer. Pick the strongest one (or split-test them). 4. Write First, Edit Later: Separate the creative process (writing freely) from the critical process (editing). More words during writing; fewer words after editing. Try this today: Draft an email or ad in one sitting without stopping yourself, then cut it down by 30%. 5. Make it a Slippery Slope: Headline sells the subheadline → subheadline sells the lead → lead sells the body → body sells the CTA → CTA sells the click. Each section teases the next. Try this today: Structure each element on your landing page to create curiosity for the next. 6. People Care About Themselves: They want to know: “What’s in it for me?” Focus your copy on how your product solves their problems or satisfies their desires. Try this today: Count how many times you say “you” versus “I/we” in your copy. Aim for at least a 2:1 ratio. 7. Embrace the Rule of One: One product, one big idea, one CTA per piece of copy. Avoid confusing your reader with multiple offers. Try this today: If you have multiple CTAs in an email or ad, eliminate all but one to see if conversions improve. 8. Be a Friend, Not a Salesman: Show your personality: use relatable language, humor, empathy. Give value first, then ask for the sale. Try this today: Add a personal anecdote or inside joke in your next email to build rapport and trust. 9. Never Start from Scratch: Use proven frameworks (PAS, AIDA, FAB, etc.) to save time and improve results. Frameworks guide your thinking and help you hit the emotional triggers your audience needs. Try this today: Pick one framework (e.g., PAS) and outline your next sales email before filling it in with copy.

10 Copywriting Rules (From a Dad of Twin Teenagers Who Knows a Thing or Two About Persuasion) Growing up with twin teenage daughters has been the ultimate crash course in persuasive communication. If I can get two teenagers to agree on dinner plans without an eye roll, selling anything to anyone becomes a breeze. Crafting a compelling copy? Surprisingly similar. It’s all about: • The right tone • Catchy phrasing • Knowing exactly what they want (even when they don’t). Here’s how these lessons translate to copywriting: 1/ Strong CTA = More Conversions Convincing teens to choose one restaurant? Like a CTA, it needs a “what’s in it for me” factor. “Click Here” works if paired with why they should care. Example: “Click Here for Mouthwatering Dinner Ideas.” 2/ Highlight What Matters In family debates, shouting the best option works (sometimes). In copy, highlight with: ✔️ Bold text ✔️ Visual cues ✔️ Testimonials Give readers reasons to trust—and choose—your offer. 3/ Symbols Speak Louder Than Words Teenagers scan for emojis. Readers? Scanning for key symbols. Use: ✔️ $ for discounts ✔️ ❌ to show what they’re missing without you. 4/ Numbers > Words “Be home at 1” is clearer than “Be home at one.” Numbers grab attention. Use them in headlines, discounts, or stats. 5/ Follow the “Goldilocks” Rule Too many options = indecision (or teenage rebellion). Limit choices to make decisions easier—group into 3-4 options. 6/ Meaningful Hooks “Dinner options” sounds boring. “Let’s try sushi tonight!” sparks curiosity. Same with copy: Your “Plans & Pricing” page? Rename it. Try “Find Your Perfect Plan.” 7/ Picture It Like a Conversation Persuading teens means sitting down and talking face-to-face. Write your copy like you’re chatting across the table with your audience. 8/ Explore Layers of Benefits Teens need more than “it’s good for you.” They want specifics: “You’ll feel great and your friends will love it.” Your copy needs the same. Features are nice, but benefits sell. 9/ Showcase Your Best Dinner debate strategy? Start with the best suggestion first. Your copy should, too: Feature best-sellers or top reviews upfront—don’t bury them. 10/ First & Last Impressions Matter In family arguments, what you say first and last is what gets remembered. Structure your bullets the same way: • Strongest point first • Close with a powerful takeaway Master these rules, and whether you're selling products or settling family debates, you'll win every time.

Over the years, I've been fortunate to write copy that has contributed to more than a billion dollars in sales for companies from startups to some of the biggest brands in the world. And I've found that copywriting ultimately boils down to just one thing: persuasion. It may be obvious, but it's important to remember that people take action only when they're persuaded to take action. And to do that effectively requires what I call the 6 Pillars of Persuasion — grouped for easy recall as S.P.R.O.U.T. S - Singularity — Today, more than ever, a product must be perceived as unique to capture attention. And unless you can convince prospects that your product is in some way different from whatever else is out there, even if they like the product they will go off to compare alternatives and price shop. P - Proof — What you say must be believed, and we believe what is proven — with facts, studies, track records, and logic. Proof also includes HOW your prospect will get the results you promise (the "mechanism"). That gives them the all-important "reason to believe." R - Repetition — What we hear once barely makes an impression. Instead, we tend to believe and act on what we hear multiple times. Therefore, the art of copywriting is largely about making the same key points over and over in different ways, from different angles, in a consistently interesting way. O - Overwhelming Value — It's not enough that the benefits promised and proven are worth the price. Or even worth more than the price. They must be perceived as being worth MANY TIMES the cost. (Some say 10 times — and that's a good number to aim for.) U - Urgency — People, just like us, usually don't act unless there is some urgency. In copywriting, that's often scarcity — time or supply (or both) is running out. If both are unlimited, the urgency can be the importance of enjoying the benefits as soon as possible, and not being without them longer than necessary. T - Trust — No matter any of the above items, people don't buy from people they don't trust. (Do you?) So be sure — with your actions, your words, your images, and your intent — that you do everything possible to earn the trust of your prospect. (First and foremost, BE trustworthy.) Effective persuasion isn't about hacks, tricks or formulas. It's about understanding human psychology and then clearly and believably communicating the uniqueness and value of your offer. So, use these 6 Pillars of Persuasion and watch your results S.P.R.O.U.T.

I spent 300+ hours studying copywriting so you don’t have to. Here are 7 rules to transform your writing: Writing good copy isn’t luck—it's a skill. And like any skill...some rules separate the amateurs from the pros. Here's what I wish I knew when I started: (1) 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 Trying to say everything? You’ll end up saying nothing. Great copy is focused: • one big idea • for one specific person • with one clear promise (2) 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 If your words feel like a puzzle, people won’t bother solving it. Simple words → Short sentences → Clear ideas That’s how you keep attention. (3) 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 Conversations don’t sound formal. Your copy shouldn’t either. Start sentences with “And.” End with fragments. Make it human. (4) 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 Big blocks of text? Nobody has time for that. Use: • bullet points • short paragraphs • white space to guide the eye (5) 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 Your headline is your first impression. Rewrite it until it’s irresistible. Pro tip: If it doesn’t grab you, it won’t grab anyone else. (6) 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳 Every word should fight for its place. If it doesn’t add value, it’s out. (7) 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 If it sounds weird to you, it’ll sound weird to your reader. Bonus: You get to catch all your sneaky typos. Follow these rules, and your writing won’t just grab attention—it’ll hold it. What would you add to the list? --- P.S. Want more writing tips that actually work? Follow me Aldis Ozols for daily posts on digital writing & building your personal brand.

If your homepage copy feels colder than your ex’s "we need to talk" text, here are 7 fixes to warm it up: 1. Lead with the desired outcome by framing your message around the result your audience wants to achieve. Don’t say: "advanced analytics platform". Say: "find your next $100K revenue opportunity—in under 15 minutes." 2. Write for a human, not a persona. Use conversational language that resonates on an emotional level. Go from "increase employee engagement" to "make Mondays less miserable". Write like a human, not a robot. 3. Don’t sell vitamins, sell a painkiller. Address a deep frustration your audience feels to immediately grab their attention. Don’t say: "streamline your accounting". Say: "Tired of chasing invoices? Automate your payments in minutes." 4. Leverage contrast by painting a vivid picture of life before and after using your solution. "Lost in spreadsheets? Visualize your entire budget in one dashboard." 5. Ask a provocative question to challenge assumptions, pull people in, and make them think. Instead of "your sales team’s new secret weapon", try "what if your sales team could close 2x faster?" 6. Promise a clear transformation. Frame your product as the bridge between where they are and where they want to be. Don’t say: "learn to code". Say: "go from zero to hired as a developer in 12 weeks." 7. Use unexpected comparisons. Make your product more relatable by comparing it to something familiar. Instead of "AI-powered scheduling assistant", go for "like a personal assistant, but smarter—and cheaper." Anything other technique worth sharing?

If your message isn’t landing, it’s probably not the audience—it’s the writing. One of the most tactical, high-impact sessions at #PRSAICON came from Steven Kelly, the former Chief Speechwriter to Vice President Kamala Harris. It was a crash course in persuasion, precision, and the responsibility we carry when we use words to lead. My key takeaways (they are quite a few!): 1) Use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. Attention → Problem → Solution → Visualization → Action. A structure used everywhere from campaign speeches to op-eds, because it works. Get people to see themselves in the story, then lead them to act. 2) Play the hits. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t plan to give the “I Have a Dream” speech that day. Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream.” He shifted. The rest is history. When you’ve said it 100 times, your audience is likely hearing it for the first. If it still works, use it. 3) Test everything with one question: “WDTM?” Ask: What does this mean? Mark anything remotely complex or technical. Rewrite it. Nine times out of ten, your second version will be simpler, sharper, stronger. The nuance you lose probably wasn’t adding anything. 4) Apply the Happy Hour Test. Would a stranger at a bar understand you? If not, you’re writing for yourself, not your audience. “We’re deploying an AI-enabled predictive analytics platform to enhance demand planning accuracy across the supply chain” becomes: “We’re using AI to predict what to buy.” Say what you mean. Mean what you say. 5) Cut hard, cut often. - Write a sentence. Cut a word. - Write a paragraph. Cut a sentence. - Write a page. Cut a paragraph. - Write a speech. Cut a page. Squeeze the water out of your draft. Keep only what moves. 6) Respect your audience. When you write clearly, you show respect for time and attention. People aren’t listening as closely as you think. Meet them where they are. These lessons were not only excellent lessons for speechwriters but for anyone who needs to move hearts and minds with words. Thank you, Steven, for such a great, standing-room, overflown session. It was that good!

In 1971, Gary Halbert wrote a sales letter that was mailed 600+ million times and generated $40 million in sales. The campaign was so successful they needed 40 employees just to make bank deposits. Here's 8 copywriting lessons I learned from Gary: 1. Read novels, not just marketing books When Scott Haines came to work with Gary in 1998, Gary didn't give him another copywriting course. He bought him a Travis McGee novel and said: "You'll always remember where you were when Gary Halbert bought you your first Travis McGee novel." Gary barely read marketing books in his later years - he read fiction to become a better storyteller. And storytelling is the foundation of persuasion. 2. Let your subconscious do the work Read all your research material the night before writing. Ask yourself key questions like "What's the BIG idea?" Then go to sleep and let your subconscious work on it overnight. In the morning, the answers come easier. 3. Write in timed 33-minute sessions Set a timer for 33 minutes and 33 seconds. You can do anything during that time, but you can't leave your chair. Take a 5-10 minute break when it goes off. This eliminates writer's block because there's no pressure to write - but you usually start anyway. 4. Throw away bad writing immediately Scott watched Gary write pages longhand, rip them out, crumple them up, and throw them away - then immediately start over. Don't get attached to mediocre work. Sometimes Gary would trash an entire day's writing if it wasn't right. He didn't cry about it, he just kept moving. 5. Start with something easy When you're stuck, don't start with the hardest part. Write the bullets first. Or the guarantee (which becomes boilerplate after a while). Build momentum with easy wins, then tackle the challenging sections when you have steam. 6. Write fast and furious with no editing Stephen King's rule: "When you sit down to write, write. Don't do anything else." Don't stop to look up spellings or check facts. Write phonetically and fix it later. Checking references breaks your train of thought and kills the creative flow. 7. Set up a proper writing environment Gary insisted on having a dedicated writing space that inspired him. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it should put you "in the mood" to write. Have everything you need within reach - research files, reference materials, whatever keeps you focused. 8. Become an observer of life and collect stories Gary was constantly watching people and collecting stories from real life. Your daily experiences should become source material for your copy. Most people go through their day half-asleep. Gary paid attention to everything because human nature is the same whether you're in a grocery store or reading a sales letter. TAKEAWAY: Most marketers try to learn copywriting by reading more copywriting books. Gary understood that great copy comes from understanding human psychology and telling better stories. Study people, and you'll be fine.

The most valuable copywriting lesson I've learned: It's not about writing. It's about listening. Most copywriters obsess over: Clever headlines Persuasive techniques Power words Conversion formulas But the masters focus on: Understanding audience fears Capturing customer language Reflecting real conversations Channeling genuine desires Here's what changed everything for me: I stopped trying to sound impressive Started trying to sound familiar The best copy doesn't feel written It feels overheard. My process now: ✍️ Collect customer language first ✍️ Write in their words, not mine ✍️ Edit for clarity, not cleverness Rookie copywriters ask: "How can I make this sound better?" Master copywriters ask: "Would my customer actually say this?" Master copywriters know: We're not writing to impress peers We're writing to connect with customers And the best connection Feels like recognition, not persuasion. (even if it is).

In copy, a single word can make or cost you money. Not metaphorically. Literally. Swap one word in your subject line, CTA, or headline — and your metrics could (maybe) instantly improve. Here’s why: Every word carries 3 layers of meaning most people overlook. 1️⃣ Denotation – What it literally means. 2️⃣ Connotation – What it emotionally feels like. 3️⃣ Implication – What it says about the relationship between you and your reader. Most writers stop at layer one (denotation). Pros obsess over layers two and three because that’s where persuasion lives. Your word choice quietly tells readers how you see them: • Smart or naive • Insider or outsider • Capable or needy When your words align with how they see themselves, they lean in. When they don’t, they scroll past. Here are 5 one-word swaps that instantly change tone and impact: 📝 But → And = Builds instead of negates. 📝 Try → Start = Implies momentum, not hesitation. 📝 Buy → Get / Own = Focuses on value, not cost. 📝 Should → Could = Removes pressure, adds autonomy. 📝 Need → Want = Switches from pain to desire. Now, try the One-Word Audit: Take one piece of copy you’ve written — an email, ad, or headline. Circle the key verbs and transitions. Swap one. Read both versions aloud. Notice how it feels different, not just how it reads. That’s the power of the one-word edit. It costs nothing to make. But it can completely change how your message lands. #copywriting #copytips #marketing — 👋 My name is Matt, Director of Copy at Homestead Studio. Follow me for copywriting tips and industry insights to help you become a better marketer and write better words.

They say cold email is dead. It’s not, we book hundreds of meetings a month with these copywriting tips. 1. Subject lines Personalization “{{first name}}- discussion?” doesn’t work like it used to; it often feels fake. Keep subject lines short, conversational, and natural, like something you’d really write. All lowercase often performs best. Use the curiosity gap, give just enough to make them want to know what’s next. 2. Keep it short There’s no universal rule, but the data is clear: shorter emails get more replies. The hard part is saying more with fewer words. Every extra line you add is another chance to lose attention. 3. Formatting matters People skim. They read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Keep paragraphs tight, sentences short, and cut long blocks of text. 4. The preview line This is the 50–90 characters people see next to your subject. It’s your best real estate; treat it like a headline. Hook them. 5. Avoid generic personalization No one cares if you mention their college mascot or favorite sports team. Instead, prove you understand their world by referencing real challenges in their industry. 6. Meet them where they are Talk about their real challenges and pain points, not your investment criteria. Don’t say you understand their industry. Prove it through how you write, the examples you use, and the way you frame their challenges. 7. Social proof that actually matters Skip vanity metrics like AUM or fund size. Show how you’ve helped operators just like them. Use quotes, testimonials, or examples. 8. Offer value before you ask for anything Instead of asking “Are you for sale?”, share something useful first, an industry report, a small acquisition nearby that’s too small for you, or a valuable introduction. Offer something before you ask for something in return. 9. Links and images Avoid links, logos, or attachments; they trigger spam filters. If you have something valuable, ask permission to send it to start a conversation: “Can I send over a short case study?” That said, there’s no hard rule in marketing. If a link is truly worth it, send it. Even if 30% of emails land in spam but 70% more people reply, it’s still a win. 10. Calls to action Don’t jump straight to “can we schedule a call?” That’s too big of a leap. Start the conversation instead: “Would you like me to send more info?” “Is this something you’re exploring?” At the end of the day, cold email still works if you treat it like a conversation, not a campaign. Test, iterate, stay human, and focus on adding value.