Gushing copywriting fanboys amuse me.
All too often I get emails from new copywriters & marketers fresh off the turnip truck telling me about their big swipe file full of sales letters from the big goo-roos they admire.
And when I see the links, I often say the same thing:
“Dude, are you crazy?”
And not in a good way, neither.
It’s incredible how many goo-roos get credit for being “world class copywriters” when, in many cases, I know for a fact those same goo-roos can’t write their way out of a paper bag. (I have written ads for some of them, or know the copywriters who did…)
Don’t get me wrong.
I’m not saying this is always the case.
Some of the marketers that people ask me about are truly great copywriters too, and I’m the first to say, “yes! study that guy’s stuff!”
But I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:
Do NOT swipe big launch sales letters.
Even when the copywriter knows what they’re doing there’s a good chance some “committee” changed a bunch of it (not for the better, either) and it does not resemble what the copywriter (who probably did a bang up job) created.
The moral of the story?
Brilliant marketer rarely = brilliant copywriter.
Usually it’s the opposite.
So be careful who you study…
Ben Settle
P.S. If you’re interested in subscribing to the upcoming Email Players newsletter but have not yet checked out the FAQ’s go to:
It launches on the 18th.
And no, I would not recommend swiping the ad…
