5x faster to concise, powerful copy that converts
Battle-tested copywriting advice in simple actionable checklists 📝
£0 for now. I may charge in the future.
"John has a rare ability to distil complex techniques into simple principles anyone can learn."
"These are wonderful! Love that second one about the writer and the editor."
5x faster to concise, powerful copy that converts
Battle-tested copywriting advice in simple actionable checklists 📝
£0 for now. I may charge in the future.
"John has a rare ability to distil complex techniques into simple principles anyone can learn."
"These are wonderful! Love that second one about the writer and the editor."
Do you know how to persuade?
+ how to be concise?
+ how to be clear?
+ how to be engaging?
Do you truly understand:+ why you should write in active voice?
+ why something else
+ why something commonAnd do you truly understand:+ when to use a longer word
+ why you might write a longer sentence
+ when to use the passive voice
+ why you might X
Do you know which words to cut?
And which words to keep?
Could you make an argument for why every single word you leave in is there?
Or is copywriting still a mystery?
Are you:+ Struggling with poor converting copy?
+ Nervous about pressing Publish
+ Hesitant about pressing Send
+ Frustrated with how long it takes to write?
+ Tired of bad copy costing you sales?
+ Tired of bad copy losing you money?
+ Struggling to win people over?
+ Lacking confidence in your copy?
+ Failing to captivate your audience?
+ Dissatisfied with your engagement?
+ Overwhelmed with copywriting advice? 🥹There's a very good reason for it all.Don't worry, it's not your fault.
School taught you terribly
It's actually worse than that.They taught you the exact opposite of what you should do!The 13 reasons you don't know how to write 'good copy' 👇
1/ No practical application
+ English class focused on writing essays about books you may not have been interested in.
+ You weren't taught how to persuade or convince.
+ You weren't taught how to be clear and engaging.
4/ Misunderstanding of purpose
+ You weren't taught to consider the purpose of your writing.
+ You weren't taught to consider the purpose of what you were forced to read.
+ You weren't taught to understand the needs and expectations of an audience.
3/ wRitInG iS cREaTivE
+ You were taught to see writing as a creative pursuit instead of a skill that needed to be developed and improved.
+ This led to a lack of attention to the mechanics of writing.
2/ Misconceptions about writing
+ Your teachers had misconceptions about what good writing is.
+ They led you to believe long, complex sentences, or flowery language, were necessary for effective writing.
Little emphasis on editing
+ You weren't taught that good writing is the result of an unreasonable amount of editing.
+ You weren't taught to understand what could be edited or deleted.
+ You were rewarded for hitting an arbitrary word count.
1/ Lack of feedback and coaching
+ Without feedback and coaching, you weren't aware of your writing weaknesses.
+ Feedback was vague like "be more descriptive" or "be more analytical".
+ You didn't have access to writing resources or mentors beyond your school teacher.
5/ No emphasis on writing skills
+ Functional writing skills weren't given as much attention as subjects like maths and science.
+ Algebra and the periodic table superseded a skill with the tools of communication...
6/ Misconceptions about grammar
+ You were either taught to obsess over absolute perfect grammar.
+ Or you weren't taught about it at all making it a mysterious, but boring subject today.
Writing seen as a solitary activity
+ You were taught to consider writing a solitary activity discouraging you from seeking feedback.
+ When it got hard you felt alone and had nobody to turn to for help.
Something that flows
Keep your cash. It's free for now.
And that bad teaching still affects you today
You're fighting years of bad training.
No wonder good writing eludes you. You've never had it broken down, shown to you. You've just been doing your best. Making best guesses, knowing that "I need to be concise" but not knowing how.
Some set up of the list
Maybe find a way to link these to the above? Seems better. Seeing these titles again is confusing
Misconceptions about good writing
+ Misconceptions about good writing can lead to writing that is difficult to understand or lacks clarity.
+ This can cause confusion and frustration for readers.
Lack of feedback and coaching
+ You may lack feedback and coaching, making it difficult for you to identify and address your writing weaknesses.
+ This can lead to a lack of improvement in your writing skills.
Writing being seen as a creative outlet
+ You may view writing as a creative outlet rather than a skill that needs to be developed.
+ This can lead to writing that lacks structure and organization, which can be confusing or frustrating for readers.
Not understanding the purpose and audience
+ Not understanding the purpose and audience of your writing can lead to writing that is inappropriate or ineffective for its intended purpose.
+ This can be damaging to your reputation or success.
Lack of emphasis on writing skills in education
+ Poor writing skills can impact your ability to communicate effectively and professionally.
+ This can be a hindrance in your career or personal life.
Misconceptions about grammar
+ Misconceptions about grammar can lead to writing that is riddled with errors.
+ This can cause your writing to lack credibility.
Limited exposure to good writing
+ Limited exposure to good writing can make it difficult for you to understand what good writing looks like.
+ This can make it difficult for you to replicate good writing in your own work.
Emphasis on formulaic writing
+ Emphasis on formulaic writing can lead to writing that lacks originality.
+ This can make your writing less creative.
Limited writing opportunities
+ Limited writing opportunities can prevent you from improving your writing skills.
+ This can make it difficult for you to stay current in your field.
Lack of access to resources
+ Lack of access to resources can prevent you from improving your writing skills.
+ This can make it difficult for you to stay current in your field.
Writing being seen as a solitary activity
+ Viewing writing as a solitary activity can prevent you from seeking the input and guidance of others.
+ This can make it more difficult for you to improve your writing skills.
Lack of emphasis on revision and editing
+ Lack of emphasis on revision and editing can lead to writing that is poorly structured.
+ This can cause your writing to lack coherence.
Stigma around seeking help
+ The stigma around seeking help can prevent you from seeking the resources and support you need to improve your writing skills.
Which puts everything at risk...
Set up copy.Here are the 13, very real, impacts on crucial parts of your life...👇
Career progress
Poor writing skills can limit a person's ability to communicate effectively and professionally, which can hinder their career advancement or success.
Personal relationships
Poor writing skills can make it difficult for people to communicate effectively with others, which can impact their personal relationships.
Success
Poor writing skills can limit a person's ability to effectively communicate their ideas and persuasively present their arguments, which can hinder their success in various endeavours.
Reputation
Poor writing skills can damage a person's reputation, as it can be viewed as a lack of professionalism or credibility.
Confidence
Struggling with writing can lead to a lack of confidence in one's abilities, which can impact various aspects of a person's life.
Creativity
Viewing writing as a creative outlet rather than a skill that needs to be developed can prevent people from learning the structure and organisation that is necessary for effective writing, which can limit their creativity.
Professional development
Limited professional development opportunities can prevent people from staying current in their field and improving their writing skills, which can limit their growth and advancement.
Personal growth
Limited writing opportunities or a lack of feedback and coaching can prevent people from improving their writing skills, which can limit their personal growth.
Clarity and understanding
Misconceptions about good writing can lead to writing that is difficult to understand or lacks clarity, which can hinder a person's ability to effectively communicate their ideas.
Professional credibility
Misconceptions about grammar can lead to writing that is riddled with errors and lacks credibility, which can damage a person's professional reputation.
And if you don’t learn, 2 things happen
1. You rely on luckYou rely on how well you guess what a good writer would have written.2. Other people out-write youThey get the sales. They get the investment. They get the customers. They get the audience. They get the job, the blah, the blah. They get to work from the beach. blah.They'll dictate your future by better controlling the tools of communication. Words.
something that flows
Keep your cash. It's free for now.
But what if you could control words...and use them to dictate your future?
Relate all this back to the frustrationsImagine being able to use words, as the tool they are, to start dictating your future.Imagine having that superpower.You would persuade customers. You would captivate clients.You would clearly and concisely explain your view of the world.You would feel confident to press publish.Imagine being proud of your contributions.People would read your work and say that was insightful!Even better, imagine lighting a fire in people. Imagine sparking action with words alone. Imagine making a difference.
Imagine taking that skill anywhere
Make sure this section doesn’t speak to only 1 ICP and maybe here is the place to talk about not going back to a job, or starting fresh, solopreneurship etcTo any company. To any country. In any economy.Writing well is a meta skill and it's portable.A good writer will always find work.Even better, imagine applying this skill to your own venture.These successful people agree…maybe add some well known linkedin folks in the mix? Who will my audience relate to? they're coming from linkedin so it makes sense to have those people there
"Communication is important. How you say things, what you say, style is really important. So, take the time and get it right!"
Chamath Palihapitiya—
Founder, Social Captial
"People who write thoughtful email intros make two recipients feel great with a single note. Easy way to stand out. Great writing is a superpower."
Jeff Morris Jr.—
VC, Chapter One
Great copy is lucrative!
reword the body to fit the titleWell, it depends what you do with them. How will you direct this new power?Will you use it to secure your next sale? Your next 10 sales?Will you use it to bag that promotion?Will you write your way into a new job? With a higher salary?Will you join me and write for a living?Will you overhaul your emails and get people listening to you?Will you use it to define precisely what it is you want your colleagues to do?Will you rewrite your website to make it absolutely clear what your user gets for giving you money?Will you change a single word on a button and spike sales? (This really happens)Will you do all these things?You'll definitely do more than one.What's that worth over your entire life? £1,000? £10,000? £100,000?Maybe go into how £100,000 is actually low balling it. 25 yr old with 50 years working, going from 30k to 60k - 1.5M over their life. And this is just 'in their job'I can unlock it all for you.Hi! I'm John 👋
John Harrison—
Copywriter [5+ years]
New title
I'm the human behind the words at copywriting.io and the Atomic Copy Checklists.I work as a freelance copywriter.I've tested lots of copywriting techniques in websites, apps, and emails.I know what works.
Some of the companies I've copywritten for
this is where you intro the checklists
atomic copy
🏠 13 ways to convert homepage traffic
🧠 44 powerful psychological triggers
⚡ 10 ways to make copy more concise
🔥 11 ways to keep readers engaged
➕ more sections coming in 2023!
Copywriting flex...
Out-writing a £2.1 billion property website
The number 1 UK property website, Zoopla, (market cap of £2.1 BILLION) use my emails as best practice in their training materials because my open rates and click through rates smashed their dedicated, in-house, writing team's numbers.
From the horse's mouth...
"John’s email campaign was one of the best performing Zoopla have ever seen. Benchmark open rates are around 40%. His emails achieved around 60%. They wanted to know who designed these emails to offer them a job!"
Cal Graham—
VP Customer Acquisition, Wayhome
Copywriting flex...
Launching the UK's fastest growing insurtech
Napo are overwhelmed with customers because I helped nail their value proposition, landing pages, and buying flow. A good problem to have!
From the horse's mouth...
"John ran key sessions to define Napo's brand positioning before we launched. He taught the team about UX frameworks and ran creative, fun sessions. Since then, our sales have sky-rocketed. Thanks, John!"
Amy Wei—
UX Program Manager, Napo
Your skill with words affects whether you get what you want, or not
So, not knowing how to write well limits your potential.Words are the only tools we have to make things happen.If you can master the tool, you can dictate your future.
But nobody taught you how
You were screwed at school.So was I.Think back to English class. What were you taught? How to structure thought in written form? How to use language as a tool to get your message across?Were you taught to write clearly and concisely? Were you ever taught to persuade, sell, or get an idea out of your mind, as exactly as possible, into the mind of another?You know, useful stuff like that?I bet not.
You were taught to hit a word count
If you're like me, you'll remember Shakespeare, Dickens, Chaucer, and a host of other literary checkboxes.You'll remember waffling about 'themes'. And why were you waffling?Because you were desperately trying to hit a word count.If anything ruined the way we're taught to write, it's forced word counts. They breed long, complex, snaking sentences. That was your training.So, it’s no wonder people ignore your emails,investors don’t fund you,your deals don't come through,your tweets aren't retweeted,your customers don't reply,your readers bounce,your boss doesn't promote you,your employees don't do what you expect,your application is binned,your audience is bored...
And it'll only get worse
Because, a world of remote work amplifies the need to write well.Good writing isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s vital.It always was, it’s just that now, it’s becoming painfully obvious.Not knowing how to write well is suffocating your opportunities and your potential.
But what if you could control words, and use them to dictate your future?
Imagine being able to use words, as the tool they are, to start dictating your future.Imagine having that superpower.You would persuade customers. You would captivate clients.You would clearly and concisely explain your view of the world.You would feel confident to press publish.Imagine being proud of your contributions.People would read your work and say that was insightful!Even better, imagine lighting a fire in people. Imagine sparking action with words alone. Imagine making a difference.
Imagine taking that skill anywhere
To any company. To any country. In any economy.Writing well is a meta skill and it's portable.A good writer will always find work.Even better, imagine applying this skill to your own venture.These successful people agree...
"Communication is important. How you say things, what you say, style is really important. So, take the time and get it right!"
Chamath Palihapitiya—
Founder, Social Captial
"People who write thoughtful email intros make two recipients feel great with a single note. Easy way to stand out. Great writing is a superpower."
Jeff Morris Jr.—
VC, Chapter One
But, how valuable could it be to get better at words?
Well, it depends what you do with them. How will you direct this new power?Will you use it to secure your next sale? Your next 10 sales?Will you use it to bag that promotion?Will you write your way into a new job? With a higher salary?Will you join me and write for a living?Will you overhaul your emails and get people listening to you?Will you use it to define precisely what it is you want your colleagues to do?Will you rewrite your website to make it absolutely clear what your user gets for giving you money?Will you change a single word on a button and spike sales? (This really happens)Will you do all these things?You'll definitely do more than one.What's that worth over your entire life? £1,000? £10,000? £100,000?
I can unlock this power for you
But why should you listen to me?Because, frankly, the fact we're not taught to write well has bothered me so much that I've spent a ton of time digging into what makes good writing good.I discovered new teachers in Cervantes, Pascal, Churchill, and Defoe.But I built my own techniques, my own principles, and my own strategies. I test them every day in my job as a writer in a start up.And I share them in my Copywriting Checklist.
The power of the written word
In 2015, I wrote my way to a £77,000 investment for my menswear business that made £0 profit.That's not to say I duped the investors. Rather, to show that I only got the investment because of the words I chose, the order I put them in, and the story they told.I also used these new powers when I wanted to get paid to write. It was the ultimate test. Could I simply write my way into a job that I had no business applying for? Turns out it's possible.I’m still here writing every day, practising, getting better, and putting my superpower to good use.
You can have this superpower too
I want to help you become a better writer so you can use words as tools to do great things.Once you unlock the power of words, and experience the superpower that is controlling them, you’ll wonder how you survived so far.It sounds simple in hindsight. Whoever best controls the written word, best controls the future, right?So, don’t let other people out-write you.Don’t miss out on that job, that sale, that promotion, that investment because someone else out-wrote you.If you can't write well, you're relying on luck. And that's not a strategy.Take control of words.Make them work for you.Write your future.
Right now, the success of your business relies on how well a non-Copywriter has guessed what to write on your homepage
Words.The tools humans invented to get ideas from one mind to another.The way we communicate and get things done.How we sell things and make money.
Words are crucial
So who wrote the words on your homepage, the most important page on your site?A pro Copywriter? Probably not.It was either you, or someone in Product, or Marketing, someone who isn't trained to convince or persuade, someone who doesn't know copywriting frameworks, someone with a different skill set, no real time to commit, and a completely separate, full time role.They wrote it.
Which means you rely on how lucky that person was
You rely on how well they guessed what an expert Copywriter would have written.You don't rely on luck for your health, your house, your car, your kids, or your money...So, why rely on luck in business?Actually, I know why.And it's not your fault.
Nobody taught you to wield words as the powerful tools they truly are
Nobody trained you to write clearly, or convincingly.You weren't privy to the secret that, if you control the tools of communication, you dictate the future.Instead teachers forced you to read old books and write boring essays. You were trained to hit a word count.And now their training suffocates your business.
At best, you're leaving money on the table
At worst, your business dies.It wouldn't be so galling if a competitor out worked you, or had a better product, or more investment.You could deal with that.But to fail simply because people didn't quite understand why they should part with their cash?That would sting.
Without great copy, you're wasting your marketing budget
And your time budget.And your energy budget.It's all wasted if you're sending people to a homepage where the words, the only thing that could make them part with their cash, weren't written by a pro.It's as if you're paying people to come to a house party, but you're homeless.So, hire a full time, expert Copywriter?If only it were that easy.
Expert Copywriters command £130k salaries
And the absolute masters will charge you £100k+ for a simple sales funnel.Some will only write for you if you give them equity as well.
To recap
1. Only words can cause sales
2. But a non-Copywriter wrote your homepage
3. So you're relying on luck
4. And wasting your marketing budget
3. But hiring a full time Copywriter is expensiveSo...
What if you could get an expert Copywriter to make your homepage convert better without paying their £130k salary?
And all in 10 days.Because that's what I'm offering.
Other people will get the thing you want
They'll get the sales. They'll get the customers. They'll get the deal.Because, if you don't know what you're doing with words, other companies will out-write you.They'll dictate your future by better controlling words, the tools of persuasion and conviction.I'm here to help.
I'll rewrite your homepage, me, an expert Copywriter
I'll rewrite it using:1. battle-tested copywriting frameworks
2. psychological copywriting techniques
3. 5+ years of learning what works
"John has a rare ability to distil complex techniques into simple principles anyone can learn."
Courtney Symons—
Editor in Chief, Shopify
And I'll do it for less than 3% of a pro Copywriter's full time salary
Get the most important page on your site sorted.Everything else can come later when you can afford that full time Copywriter.In the meantime, plug the biggest leak.Your homepage.
XXX
xxx
"John's principles are a playbook on how to write, and therefore, how to think."
Ludo Lacay—
Co Founder, Napo
Need a pro Copywriter?
Hire me to write for you
The more information you include in your message, the better.Help me understand what success looks like, potential deliverables, and if there's a strict deadline!
☑️ My day rate is £750 (+ VAT)
☑️ Jobs take a few days to a few weeks
☑️ Clients typically spend £5k to £15k
Time on your side?
Use my free copywriting guide
☑️ 8 copywriting principles I use daily
☑️ 11 things to kill from your copy
☑️ 16 powerful, persuasive copy tips
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