Yesterday I posted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread on Reddit.

I made the mistake of not replying constantly and in real time to questions (busy doing actual work you know and I prefer to batch tasks, so I kept it for later) and the people there jumped on me en masse…

They said I was just selling another course…

They got skeptical about my goal for posting and sharing…

And the main thing I noticed them focusing on? The money.

Part of the game I guess, and the title of my post was quite triggering. But hey I’m a copywriter, I have to get your attention, right?

Anyway, today I got to answer all of the questions (there were a lot and a lot of good ones too), and I suddenly got to relive my past 6/7 years since starting my copywriting journey.

There are a couple of lessons here for anyone wanting to write better, higher converting copy.

You can read some of them on Reddit – and ask more if you want, either there or replying here… but two that I’d like you to truly internalize from this email are, first…

Other people’s mental models are often on a totally different plane than yours: you might write copy that to you feels good, when in reality your readers, your prospects might interpret it in a completely different way.

Because they view it through their own lens. I wasn’t expecting getting attacked as you can see on the thread. My intentions were 100% positive and honest. Still, I had to face reality and deal with it.

Want a piece of advice? Take it from Robert Ringer in his book Winning Through Intimidation and his “Theory of Reality”:

“ Reality is neither the way you wish things to be nor the way they appear to be, but the way they actually are.  Either you acknowledge reality and use it to your benefit, or it will automatically work against you.”

Remember this when you’re writing your copy. Accept and even expect that your prospects might live in a different reality and write with that in mind.

Second…

There’s no bigger threat to a copywriter than the curse of knowledge: which means when you know more than most people about a topic, you naturally start insulating from them.

That layer of insulation is the enemy if you want to get in touch with their deepest emotions, fears and desires (aka write good copy).

You should make it your mission to peel off layer after layer, until you get to the point where, in your mind and in your feelings (you should really feel it), you got back to where you once were, before you knew all of it.

Or better to the moment when you were at the same level of knowledge as your target audience.

Always match what they’re thinking and experiencing if you want to connect on a deeper level.

Remember and apply these two rules to your copy and you’ll always get better results.

P.S. Welcome to the ~50+ new subscribers from the last couple of days, we’re growing! Don’t be shy, hit reply and let me know a bit about you.

Quote and reflection of the day:

“Real choice places us outside our comfort zone. It exposes us to new and unfamiliar modes of being. Making real choices can shift our consciousness in ways that surprise and delight. It’s emblematic of the wonderful human capacity to step into the unknown—to check out a new side street—even when doing so feels like walking into a dark alley.”

– Dr. A.J. Drenth, Self-Discovery in Modern Life

In any given moment you can make a choice. For how you feel, for what you think, for what you do and for how you react to what happens. Remember it to free up the energy you need and let your choices surprise you.