Simply changing the copy on a product can completely change the outcome!
Great copywriting is the underlying tool that can transform bad marketing into good marketing, so let’s jump into some examples of good copywriting across several different industries:
Sometimes good copywriting can be life-saving, like in this example where complex instructions become easy through bullet points:
What Was Changed:
1.) The instructions were divided up by “Children” and “Adults” so people don’t confuse them.
2.) The instructions were put into bullet points for easy understanding of the effects of drinking lead.
These small changes drastically increased the readability!
A critical issue in many pieces of writing is lots of extra words than don’t need to be in the copy!
Unless the copy is mission critical, you can often ditch it:
What Was Changed:
You can notice the “Before” text is almost completely unnecessary. 70% of that text could simply be removed to convey a simple message, and then if more details are needed people can click the link.
Whenever you can, spare people lots of reading by simply “Bullet-izing” items:
What Was Changed:
A big (and boring) block of copy was trimmed down to an intro sentence, and then list items were put into a bullet list. This makes comprehension MUCH higher, and takes LESS work on our part asa copywriter!
DataStories.com
They are a hardcore data analytics company run by engineers, which is great. However the original case studies were coming off very dry and unappealing. Too much technical data and no simplification of it caused this.
The basic principle DataStories changed:
People prefer something that’s enjoyable and easy to read. Even if it’s super technical information, you can break it up to be nice and digestible. On the internet you can use text, images, video, interactive graphs…..so use them if they help convey information better!
Yelp Business Outreach Emails
The basic principle these Yelp emails changed:
You know what people hate? Someone just trying to sell them something out of the blue.
You know what people love? When you send them legitimate ways to increase their business.
The new Yelp emails sounded way more personal, AND offered way more great information for the business owner. A double-win.
Austin Shoe Hospital
The basic principle these street signs changed:
Not everyone knows what a shoe hospital does, or all the services they perform. So why not just tell people……better yet, why not just SHOW them? In a small amount of space, these signs educate potential customers they could have these services done to their shoes.
See this full Street Advertising Case Study ➞
AppSumo
The basic principle AppSumo changed:
A certain amount of people will know exactly what a piece of software does, and buy it on the spot. However a HUGE amount of people probably don’t know what it does, and would like to know how it could help them. In this case, long-form copy that went into reasonable-depth of how to use the product drastically helped.
Powerwashing Business Flyers
The basic principle these powerwashing flyers changed:
These flyers broke out of the generic-looking and non-informative marketing box. They look and sound very personal, and offer an irresistible deal!
See this full Powerwashing Flyers Case Study ➞
A free giveaway is mildly exciting, so why not spice up your promotion with a little humor? The Hustle did a great job of this with this giveaway over email:
What Was Great About It:
1.) A fun intro to the email gets people hooked.
2.) Super clear numbers show how many people you need to refer for each corresponding prize.
These small touches made this a very successful email! Full email.
Who says great copywriting needs to be long and complex? These insanely simple Amazon Alexa ads did everything they needed to, with less than 10 words total:
What Was Great About These:
1.) These ads actually EDUCATE people that you can do such things as turn on a fan through Alexa. Many people may not know that’s possible, so this gets them interested enough to click.
2.) They are so brief and explanatory with few words and simple image, they don’t need much else. Great copywriting is about transmitting information from one brain to another brain in the most efficient way possible, and these are great examples!
These simple ads worked brilliantly! See original Alexa ads.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s relevant (it was delivered a week after the sale)
- It’s short, direct, and polite.
- It tells you how much time it’ll take (1-2 minutes).
All that makes it easy to say “yes”.
VW’s “Think Small” campaign was built by Julian Koenig and Helmut Krone, but it follows a familiar format often used by David Ogilvy (including on the Rolls Royce ad above):
Krone even referred to this format as the “Ogilvy layout”.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s powerful, letting the eye naturally flow from image to headline to copy.
- It’s the basis of most digital content (like blog posts).
- It laid the groundwork for digital ads (most Facebook Ads have a similar structure).
BarkBox offers subscription boxes for your pet dog. Their homepage lays out exactly how to order, what pricing is like, and what to expect.
What Was Great About It:
- The images make the section eye-catching, engaging, and fun.
- The copy tells you everything you need to know (price, schedule, what to expect).
- It’s simple and leads to an easy CTA.
MeUndies and Bucketfeet are two ecommerce stores with a heavy emphasis on email marketing. They put their email opt-ins front-and-center with a pop-up and a 15% discount for new buyers.
What Was Great About It:
- They’re direct and not gimmicky. It’s really easy to give them your email.
- If you don’t want to opt in, it’s just as easy to say No.
Noom is a weight loss app with personalized coaching programs. They offer a discounted trial for users to get their feet wet – but they don’t just name a price, they get you to select one of four price options.
What Was Great About It:
- They push you towards a $10 selection by calling it their “most popular choice” and highlighting it with an orange box.
- They claim your trial costs them $18 – a price anchor that makes all the options look like great deals.
The Kopywriting Kourse blog has a bunch of interactive content in the form of calculators and generators.
The Roast Generator is my favorite one – you just enter the subject’s name and gender and BAM, you get a set of done-for-you roast jokes.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s engaging and personal
- It does 80% of the work for the reader / user
- It’s unique and interactive
What Was Great About It:
- It breaks down a complicated question (What diet should I choose??) into a simple point (“just create a caloric deficit”).
- It’s easy to remember and share.
- It’s well-organized.
Domino’s Pizza is the leading pizza chain in North America, thanks in large part to its online tools. Their chatbot is their latest addition, and it’s one of the best bots out there.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s clear and efficient
- It remembers your recent orders
- It speeds up the ordering process (this order took less than 30 seconds)
Instead of writing a complicated ad trying to describe something, Swet Tailor used a basic (but attractive) image with callouts highlighting the selling points of these pants.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s easy to read.
- The photo is simple and highlights the pants effectively.
- It’s funny.
Tim Ferriss’ is known for taking complex ideas and breaking them down into simple, tactical steps – which is exactly how he designed the sales page for his book, The 4 Hour Chef.
What Was Great About It:
- Highly relevant benefits laid out like pages of a book.
- Explainer images that do just enough to get you curious
- A 5-step “journey” that outlines a reasonable path to Ferriss’ big promises.
Here’s the full page: 12 Reasons Why You Haven’t Bought From Us (Yet)
What Was Great About It:
- The page deconstructs 12 common objections to buying from Tuft and Needle.
- >It uses clever images to hammer home each point (like the fact that they have 5-10X more reviews than their competitors.)
It layers in testimonials and buy buttons throughout the page, without taking away from the sales points.
Most apartment management companies don’t follow up with potential tenants who come visit their buildings.
Vista View is one of the few that does follow up. They send out this gentle reminder to apply (with a small discount on the application fee) a few days after a prospective tenant’s visit.
What Was Great About It:
- It’s really simple and direct.
- It’s time-relevant.
- It’s got attractive pictures of the model apartments
