Copywriters Podcast

If you would like your lead magnets to perform better and get you more qualified prospects and customers, wouldn’t it make sense to look at the most popular form of engagement in the world for some clues? I’m talking about video games. According to the sports and gaming platform Sportskeeda, last year gaming was a $396 billion industry. Movies, $284 billion and music, only $28 billion. Marketing logic tells us that video games are so popular because they give people something they want that maybe they can’t get anywhere else. And guess who’s figured out how to design lead magnets for businesses the exact same way? No one less than our own Nathan Fraser, who’s going to share with you some new secrets about designing wildly successful lead magnets using video game principles. More info about this in Nathan’s Skool Marketing group, free for the time being, https://forbiddenmarketingsecrets.comDownload.

Four months ago, I was completely skeptical about AI and how it would ever fit into copywriting. I saw a post on LinkedIn by Brian Halpin, a copywriter working in Jason Parker’s agency. Brian talked about some unbelievable results, nearly one million in sales, that they had gotten with a VSL that was 80% written by AI. I’ve known Jason for more than 10 years, and Brian’s post piqued my interest. Jason agreed to come onto the podcast to talk about what he was doing. Nathan insisted we bring Jason on again to explain further, and after the second show, Nathan and I were so astonished by what he was saying that we both signed up for his Jason’s AI Copywriting Mastermind. I have found it was a risk worth taking. Because I have learned so much about what is possible, including for me, that I’ve completely changed my mind about AI and the future of copywriting. Now that we’ve had a lot more experience with results, we wanted to bring Jason back along with Scott Zetlan, another returning champion to the show,

The term “cult” has become such a loaded word lately. People who aren’t members of certain groups call the groups a cult, and the members of those groups resent and deny it. Yet, are all cults bad? Maybe some are, maybe some aren’t. But on today’s show, Nathan Fraser is going to talk about a special kind of cult that, in his view, is not only GOOD — but actually necessary to the survival of some of his clients. We’ve got to admit, these are not what you usually think of when you hear the word “cult,” but once you hear what Nathan has to say, you may look at the whole idea in an entirely different light. Find out more about Nathan’s Forbidden Marketing Secrets group on Skool: Cult-ure Builders. http://forbiddenmarketingsecrets.com/ Download.

Ever wonder how to set yourself, your product, or your business apart? It’s a big puzzle these days. The best general advice I’ve heard is from recent podcast guest Scott Zetlan: “Different is better than better.” It almost sounds silly, but in the super-competitive marketplace, where products live in the real world, it’s not silly at all. It’s actually profound. Because here’s what it means: When you can show something DIFFERENT about what you’re offering that MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE to your prospect, you have just increased your chances MASSIVELY of making a sale. Now, the problem is: What kind of difference will appeal above all others to your prospect, and how do you use it to describe your product? I have an answer to that question. And a method to find out what that difference is. Links: The Persuasion Story Code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ Critiques and coaching: https://garfinkelcoaching.com Download.

Job one for a copywriter is getting and keeping attention. We always give that our best shot. But there are some situations where you need to do this more intensely, and you don’t want to come across like a screaming insane person yelling loudly just to get attention. So we need to come up with some unusual techniques, to increase the intensity without pushing our prospects away. That’s what today’s show is about. I’ve identified five unusual copy techniques that are especially helpful for cold traffic and introducing new products. They are a bit exotic, and you’ll find at least some of them extremely useful the next time you write copy. Download.

Today we’re going to talk about two words that can change your writing forever. Not just your copywriting, but especially your copywriting. One word is a first-grade word and the second word is a fourth-grade word, according to people who seem to know about those things. The words are “but” – with one ‘t’ – and “therefore.” Why are these words so important and who, besides us, says so? It’s because these words can take a boring string of sentences and make them interesting. They can add conflict, and consequences, to a story with as few as three sentences. We’ll show you why and how, and how this is true from stories around the world, in a little bit. The key thing to know now is that the creators of the cartoon show South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have been flying around the country explaining how these two words make the difference between boring and a really good story. I saw a one-minute video on TwitterX of these two talking to some students at New York University, and I instantly real

You know FAQs – that list of frequently asked questions, and answers? Are they a copywriting chore you would just as soon avoid? Well, today I’d like to offer a different way to look at them. As a huge, and mainly underutilized, marketing opportunity. I want you to consider this possibility: An FAQ section doesn't just inform. It also persuades. But not in a cheesy, ham-fisted kind of way. See, it is possible to inform while persuading, and we’ll look at how today. Download.

OK, finally. You’ve got your copy written. At least your first draft. Now what? That’s what a subscriber to the podcast asked me on youtube a few weeks ago. The best I can do to answer that question is tell you how I look at copy, whether it’s my own, or a client’s. Today’s show is about a series of steps I go through to review copy with a mentoring client or in a one-off copy critique. Some of this may be familiar, but listen for the parts that aren’t. Adding those parts to your routine could end up taking your finished copy to the next level. We go into depth on the podcast, but here is the complete set of lists from the show: 4 important things to look for first 1. Who is the prospect? Who is not? How would you know if you tripped over them? 2. Empathy 3. Rule of 1 - Golden Thread 4. Continuity and Smooth Transitions 5 Key Elements Of Copy 1. Headline 2. Opening 3. Proof 4. Offer 5. Call to action Getting the words right 1. Do you use easy, simple-to-understand words? 2. Variety in sentence, para

These days, things in copywriting are changing so fast it can make your head spin. Junior copywriters aren’t sure there’s a career path, because of AI. Experienced copywriters are finding clients have different and sometimes confusing demands that you never would have heard five years ago. Our special guest today, Scott Zetlan, has some answers for junior copywriters, experienced copywriters, and everyone in between. That’s because he’s seen and done so much in business, both old school and online. Scott has helped hundreds of businesses grow and scale fast, using innovative testing techniques. Scott’s company, Visiopt, has a tool that lets businesses run a single test equivalent to a whopping 4,317 split tests, allowing for rapid optimization that leads to profits and new opportunities. Scott’s also an expert in writing copy that converts cold traffic. He’s agreed to come on the podcast to talk about a new model of survival and success for copywriters, based on his wide span of expertise and his cur

One of the hardest things for copywriters and business owners to get right is running ads to cold traffic on Facebook and Instagram, and making those ads profitable. If you’ve tried this for yourself, I think you know what I mean. So does today’s guest, who has discovered some important techniques that work and has also discovered the mistakes to avoid, and is going to share valuable info about both with you in detail. Our special guest today is Travis Moh, a media buyer who understands copywriting as well as the mysterious world of online funnels and different types of campaigns. Travis is responsible for more than $25 million in tracked revenue over the last three years. He says, “most clients I work with come to me after they've been burned by large ad agencies, because they like my in-house, in-depth approach much better.” Travis also coaches other media buyers and business owners, and he’s going to let us in on some of his hard-won knowledge today. But first, let me let you in on something you ma

I would say our guest today Will Siebler takes a Zen approach to copywriting. On the home page of his website, he has a picture of a lonely but sturdy coffee cup on a table. On the coffee cup is the word “Begin.” But the shimmering peace is shattered by a few words overlayed on the picture: “I’m Will. I write words that make your clients say, ‘Shut up and take my money!’” It’s a quiet confidence you just don’t see that often in copywriters. Will has had his own marketing and copywriting business since 2003. He knows how to get big results, too. He helped a commercial cleaning go from $1 million a year in revenue to $5 million by using a simple direct mail strategy aimed at their best client type. Online, he recently helped a building design client reduce their cost per conversion from $1,168.58 to $132.72 and, he says, we’re just getting started. I met Will on LinkedIn, and a few weeks ago he shared a two page document with me that he’s spent years putting together. It’s not a sales letter. It’s a c

Listen to this: “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” That’s from author and sportswriter Jim Dent, and it perfectly captures how a lot of us feel in the summertime. Lazy and happy to be so. And that’s fine. But don’t mistake your state of mind for the state of business. While more retail sales happen in November and December than they do in July and August, business is still very active. People want things. People buy things. Did you buy or sell anything in the middle of July, on Amazon Prime days? I know I sold a bunch of books. Well, that means somebody bought them. Business lives! And not just for me and book buyers. What I’d like for us to do today is talk about how you can take advantage of the summer and the other three seasons in your copy and in your overall marketing. use any time of year! Link to The Persuasion Story Code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQ Download.

It’s a double-edged word that doesn’t get talked about enough. And that word is: confidence. It definitely has a bad connotation, as in “con artist” or “confidence man.” But on the flip side, and with a different meaning, it’s a very important, positive word. I would say in some very straight-laced business circles, it’s the only emotion you can talk about freely without raising eyebrows or causing questions about your strength and resolve. Most important of all, though, is that confidence can make the crucial difference between failure and success in copywriting. At three levels: The copywriter level, the client level, and the customer level. We’ve talked about confidence before on this show, but only in passing. Today we’re going to stand still and focus just on confidence and copywriting. The Persuasion Story Code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQDownload.

As a copywriter, sometimes your biggest problem is that your prospect doesn’t have a problem. Well, that’s not exactly it. Actually, sometimes your biggest problem is when you don’t KNOW what your prospect’s problem is… and how to communicate to them in a compelling way that your product can solve that problem. And if you can show convincingly that you can solve that problem better than anyone else, or in a new and unique way that’s of course different from how everyone else does it—even better! That’s what we’re going to talk about today. How your customer’s problem is actually your best friend. You can find out how to write great problem/solution stories, and a whole lot more, in The Persuasion Story Code https://shorturl.at/pzAEQ Download.

Does the world turn upside down when you are writing copy for prospects with money? The first time you do it, it sure seems that way. And there’s a good reason for that. The rules are different for writing that kind of copy. Does that mean that the core basic aspects of psychology are different for rich people than they are for everyone else? Absolutely not. The core basic aspects are virtually identical. They’re pretty much the same for all humans. But overwhelmingly, the mindset of a person with money is worlds apart from the mindset of a middle-class person and a working-class person. And, as copywriters, we’ve been trained with materials that assume we are selling to ordinary people, not the well-off, the rich, and the super-rich. Nathan was working on a personal development offer for high-end prospects, and it occurred to him that the copywriting rules are completely different when you write for them than when you write for middle-class or working-class prospects. What we want to do on today'

In this episode, we dive into the concept of transformation in marketing, revealing why it's the secret ingredient behind successful campaigns. We'll uncover the types of transformations—physical, emotional, and social—that resonate most with audiences. Learn how to identify the most compelling transformation your product offers and how to overcome the natural resistance people have to change by highlighting the significant benefits. Discover the art of simplifying your transformation story, making it easy to grasp and irresistible to your prospects. We'll provide vivid examples to illustrate the power of clear, concise storytelling, and share practical tips to help you create copy that paints a vivid picture of the life-changing impact your product can have. Join us as we dissect iconic marketing campaigns like Nike’s “Just Do It” and Apple’s “Think Different” to understand how these brands used transformation to captivate their audiences. We'll also look at how the "Got Milk?" campaign subtly but power

In theory, AI should be able to do anything you tell it, including write good copy for you. In practice, AI does what you give it instructions to do. And finding the instructions to give it that will make it write in compelling, simple conversational English… looking for those instructions has been like the search for the Holy Grail. At least for me. Until now. Three weeks ago we had our returning champion on for the first time, Jason Parker. Nathan and I got so excited that we both signed up for his AI copywriting class. Not cheap, but worth every penny. I’ve been cranking out so much good writing since then, it makes my head spin. And I’m still getting my bearings. What Jason has done, that I haven’t found anyone else can do to nearly the same degree of proficiency, is give the AI prompts that precisely instruct the AI to write copy that sounds like a human talking. Nathan and I desperately wanted to have Jason back to talk about this, and Jason agreed to share his five favorite prompts today.

It is rare that we quote baseball players on Copywriters Podcast, but today we are going to quote a great one, Yogi Berra. He said, “It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” But as intrepid copywriters, we do the difficult. Actually, stories about the future are very useful and effective in copy. They’re probably not exactly what you think, though. You may be using some of the stories we talk about today, but some of them will probably be new to you. Here’s the most important thing to remember: When you can get your prospect to imagine a future where they already own or have bought what you are selling, and they attach a positive feeling to it, closing the sale becomes so much easier. You can get better at all your stories with my new book The Persuasion Story Code. It’s available exclusively on Amazon—Kindle, paperback, and audible. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD2KXNQDownload.

If your tank is empty and you’re looking for inspiration, you could do worse than to watch a little WWE wrestling. ¬ Our special guest today, Todd Jones, is quite a fan and an expert. He’s written a terrific article called “5 Lessons I Learned About Storytelling From Pro Wrestling.” Yesterday I read it. Because it’s online, it has videos to illustrate his excellent points, and I watched about half an hour of high points in the sport, dating back all the way to 1981. Most of the clips are much more recent, though. Todd is known as “the about page guy” and specializes in working with small and medium businesses with their content and copywriting. He’s a prolific writer with a unique point of view and lots of talents and skills he uses to help his clients. Todd has experience in a wide variety of things, from retail, grocery, vending, tech journalism and ministry. He’s great at building online communities. So we’re going to talk about all that and more today. Todd’s coaching: https://www.copyflight.com/c

I really didn’t believe it was possible—that AI could crank out compelling copy in a conversational, persuasive voice. But I reconnected with my old mentoring client Jason Parker last week. By “old,” I mean it’s been over a decade since we worked together. He’s not all that old himself. Me, that’s another story. When he showed me what he’s come up with, I didn’t believe my eyes at first. But then he showed me how he was doing it. And, with no background material other than the book title, he had AI write a pretty decent sales letter for my book The Persuasion Story code in about two minutes. I found my way to Jason because the only other person in his agency, Brian Halpin, was online talking about a webinar 80% written by AI that generated just shy of $900,000 for a client. Talking further with Jason, I found out that his agency was scoring win after win. Over $4 million a month for Launch Medical. Half a million a month for A Caccia di Trader, an Italian financial publishing business. And other improba