Direct Response Copy

Copy that converts sounds like a person talking to you. Not a marketing team. Not a guru. Not a robot. A person who figured something out and wants to share it.

Core principle: Write like you're explaining to a smart friend who's skeptical but curious. Back up every claim with specifics. Make the transformation viscerally clear.

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Conversation Starter

Use AskUserQuestion to gather context:

"I'll help you write copy that converts.

Tell me:

1. What are you selling? (Product/service, price point)
2. Who's buying? (Target audience, awareness level)
3. What transformation? (Before state → After state)
4. What's the format? (Landing page, email, ad, etc.)
5. Any proof? (Testimonials, numbers, results)
6. Voice? (Brand voice or preferred tone)

I'll write copy that sounds human and converts."

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Headlines

Headlines do 80% of the work. One headline can outpull another by 19.5x.

The Master Formula

[Action verb] + [Specific outcome] + [Timeframe or contrast]

• "Ship your startup in days, not weeks"
• "Save 4 hours per person every single week"
• "Build a $10K/month business in 90 days"

The contrast version ("days, not weeks") creates before/after in six words.

Headline Patterns That Work

Type	Formula	Example
Story	"They [doubted] when I [action]... But when I [result]..."	"They laughed when I sat down at the piano..."
Specificity	[Specific number] + [Unexpected detail]	"At 60 mph, the loudest noise comes from the clock"
Question	"Do you [common struggle]?"	"Do you make these mistakes in English?"
Transformation	"From [bad state] to [good state]"	"From broke musician to $100K/year"
How-To	"How to [outcome] without [pain]"	"How to lose weight without giving up food"
Contrarian	"[Common belief] Is Wrong"	"Everything you know about SEO is wrong"

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Opening Lines

The first sentence has one job: get them to read the second.

Patterns That Hook

Direct Challenge:

"You've been using Claude wrong."

Story Opening:

"Last Tuesday, I opened my laptop and saw $47,329 in one day."

Confession:

"I'll be honest. I almost gave up on this business three times."

Specific Result:

"In 9 months, we did $400k+ using these exact methods."

Question:

"Have you ever stared at a blank page, knowing you need to write something that sells... and just froze?"

Openings to Avoid

• "In today's fast-paced world..."
• "Are you ready to take your business to the next level?"
• "Welcome! I'm so glad you're here."
• "In this article, you'll learn..."
• "Let's dive in!"

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Flow Techniques

The Slippery Slide (Sugarman)

Every element has one job: get them to read the next element.

• Headline → gets them to read subheadline
• Subheadline → gets them into first sentence
• First sentence → gets them to second
• Everything → slides them toward the CTA

Bucket Brigades

Short phrases that smooth transitions:

• And, So, Now, But, Look
• Here's why, Truth is, Turns out
• The result?, Think about it

Vary Paragraph Length

Short.

Then a medium paragraph that expands with more detail.

Then short again.

This creates rhythm. The eye moves easily.

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Pain Quantification

Vague problems feel overwhelming. Quantified problems feel solvable.

Don't describe the pain. Do the math:

"4 hrs to set up emails + 6 hrs designing a landing page + 4 hrs for Stripe webhooks + 2 hrs for SEO...

= 22+ hours of headaches.

There's an easier way."

When readers see "22+ hours," they calculate whether that's worth paying to eliminate.

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The "So What?" Chain

AI stops at the first layer. Go deeper:

Feature: Fast database "So what?" Functional: Queries load in milliseconds "So what?" Financial: Users don't bounce, revenue doesn't leak "So what?" Emotional: You stop waking up stressed about churn

Write from the bottom of the chain. Not "saves 4 hours" but "close your laptop at 5pm instead of 9pm."

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Rhythm: Alternation

Real writing alternates. Short punch. Then longer sentence that breathes, adds context.

Punchy:

"Customers do NOT buy code. Customers buy a life transformation."

Flowing:

"Once upon a time, you had a job. You traded hours for dollars, clocked in and out, and waited for the weekend."

Pattern: Hook (short) → Expand (breathe) → Land it (kicker) → Repeat.

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The Founder Story

Almost every high-converting page includes a first-person story.

The arc: vulnerability → credibility → shared journey

"Hey, it's Marc. In 2018, I believed I was Mark Zuckerberg, built a startup for 1 year, and got 0 users. A few years after my burnout, I shipped like a madman—16 startups in 2 years. Now I earn $45,000 a month."

Why it works:

• Self-deprecating humor disarms skepticism
• Specific numbers prove results
• Implicit message: I was where you are

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Testimonials

Generic testimonials carry zero weight. Structure as mini case studies:

[Before state] + [Action] + [Specific outcome] + [Timeframe] + [Emotion]

Examples:

• "I shipped in 6 days as a noob coder. Would have taken months. I wanna cry."
• "We were able to buy our first business within 4 months of joining."

Specifics are everything. "4 months" is believable. "Helped me succeed" is not.

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Disqualification

Tell certain people they're NOT a fit:

"You're a good fit if: ✅ You know this is a tool and you'll use it ✅ You're willing to reassess existing ideas

You're NOT a good fit if: ❌ You equate success with just buying a course ❌ You're not willing to do the unsexy work"

Flips from "please buy" to "prove you're worthy." Creates velvet rope effect.

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CTAs

Weak (command action):

• Sign Up, Learn More, Buy Now

Strong (describe benefit):

• Get ShipFast
• Start building
• See the exact template I used
• Send me the first lesson free

Below CTA, add friction reducers:

"$199 once. Join 2,600+ marketers. 2 minutes to install."

Pattern: [Risk reversal] + [Social proof] + [Speed/ease]

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Internet-Native Voice Markers

Signals "written by someone who lives online, not a marketing team":

Corporate	Internet-Native
"Significant revenue"	"$45,000/month"
"Many satisfied customers"	"2,894 makers"
"Get started today"	"Start building"
No limitations mentioned	"3D generation isn't great yet"
Stock photo testimonials	"I wanna cry"
"We at [Company]..."	"Hey, it's Marc"

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The Full Landing Page Sequence

1. Hook — Outcome headline with specific number
2. Problem — Quantify the pain (hours, money)
3. Agitate — Scenario that makes problem vivid
4. Credibility — Founder story, proof numbers
5. Solution — What the product does (transformation)
6. Proof — Testimonials with specific outcomes
7. Objections — FAQ or "fit/not fit" section
8. Offer — Pricing with value justification
9. Urgency — Only if authentic
10. Final CTA — Benefit-oriented, friction reducers

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AI Tells to Avoid

Words (Kill These)

delve, dive into, comprehensive, robust, cutting-edge, utilize, leverage, crucial, vital, essential, unlock, unleash, supercharge, game-changer, landscape, streamline

Phrases (Kill These)

• "In today's fast-paced world..."
• "It's important to note..."
• "When it comes to..."
• "In order to..." (just "to")
• "Whether you're a... or a..."
• "Let's dive in"

Structural Tells

• Every paragraph same length
• Every bullet starts the same way
• Overly organized with too many headings
• Numbered lists where numbers don't matter

The Fix

Real humans:

• Use contractions
• Write sentence fragments
• Have opinions without hedging
• Use "I" and "you" freely
• Make unexpected word choices

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The Test

Before shipping, read it out loud. Ask:

1. Does it sound like someone talking, or someone "writing copy"?
2. Would I actually say this to a friend?
3. Is every claim backed by a specific number or proof?
4. Does the rhythm alternate (punchy, then breathing room)?
5. Is it about THEM (their transformation) or about ME (my product)?
6. Does it end with momentum?

If any answer is no, rewrite that part.

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Integration

Works with:

• positioning-angles - Find the angle before writing
• brand-voice - Match the established voice
• landing-page-builder - Structure the page, then write copy
• hook-writer - Generate headline options
• email-sequences - Apply these principles to emails

Workflow:

positioning-angles → brand-voice → direct-response-copy → landing-page-builder