In 2020 when I first began my copywriting career, I read 10 copywriting books.
Most of these books covered the raw basics of direct response copywriting.
However, one book stood out like a flamingo among a flock of geese.
It explained copywriting and human psychology, in extreme detail like no other book or course I’ve ever learned.
This book was called Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz.
In it, Eugene shares his 30+ years of knowledge about advertising and copywriting.
He breaks down every aspect of what it takes to write an ad that sells like new Yeezys to teenage hype beasts.
Since reading this book (almost 4 years later), I’ve read 100s of copywriting books or courses. But Eugene Schwartz’s book, Breakthrough Advertising and his Rodale Press seminar, are both in my top ten copywriting resources.
I highly recommend any beginner (and seasoned copywriter) to get these two copywriting goldmines and study Eugene Schwartz’s work.
If you do, you can quickly gain the rare ability to write words that sell.
In this blog post…
I’m going to share 10 copywriting lessons I’ve learned from Eugene Schwartz.
These lessons are pulled from Breakthrough Advertising and the seminar he gave at Rodale Press.
I’m going to share my own insight and explain how I’ve applied these gems to improve my writing and selling skills.
If you study them and apply them, I have no doubt you can become a more persuasive and profitable copywriter.
Who is Eugene Schwartz?
Eugene Schwartz is one of the greatest copywriters who’s ever lived.
He started his infamous copywriting career at an advertising firm – Huber Hoge & Sons – in the mail room and quickly rose to the top of the food chain – becoming head copy chief.
In 1954, he went into business for himself & made a killing from selling products using his rare copywriting skills.
Eugene specialized in direct-mail advertising and wrote 10 books, including one the greatest copywriting books of all time – Breakthrough Advertising.
In the speech he gave at Rodale Press, he revealed he had a “hit ratio” of 85% (percentage of winning ads) which is one of the highest in copywriting history.
One example of Eugene Schwartz’s tremendous copywriting abilities was his “Read 300 Business Magazines in 30 Minutes!” ad that he wrote for Boardroom, turning them into an overnight success. Off of Eugene’s work, they’ve sold hundreds of millions of newsletters and books and are one of the most successful publishing companies of all time.
Why Your Writing Will Benefit from Eugene Schwartz’s Wisdom
One of the fastest ways to become a better copywriter is to study the greatest copywriters who’ve ever lived and model your writing after them.
Eugene Schwartz is definitely someone you’ll want to study.
If you have not read Breakthrough Advertising or watched his Rodale Press speech, you are at a serious disadvantage to copywriters who have.
There is an ocean-wide amount of knowledge packed inside these two resources alone that can transform your writing skills and help you earn fat checks, year-round.
These 10 copywriting tips are some of my favorite (and most profitable) lessons I’ve learned from this copywriting genius…
10 Tips for Writing Better Copy from Eugene Schwartz
1. The 33.33 Minute Productivity Hack
One of the reasons why Eugene’s speech at Rodale Press was so valuable is because he broke down his process for writing million-dollar ads.
He revealed the secret for eliminating writer’s block and writing EXTREMELY fast.
Whenever Eugene sat down to write, he set a 33.33-minute timer.
He wrote with intense focus until his timer screamed at him.
Then, he stopped what he was doing and took a short 5-10 minute break.
He’d get some coffee, take his dog out to do its bidness, read the newspaper, etc.
Then, once his break was up, he’d go back to writing for another 33.33 minutes.
He repeated this process until he was done with whatever he was writing.
The power of this is 2-fold…
- Writing under strict deadlines forces you to write copy VERY FAST. Whenever I write, I set a timer (The time I set varies for what I’m writing. For example, for emails I set a 7-minute timer & for blog posts I set a 1-hour timer).
- This creates a habit of focused Eugene shared how he learned this productivity-boosting tip from Buddhist monks. The key: write in the same location, preferably around the same time each day, and work without distraction. Quickly, you’ll build a habit of laser-focused work.
The next time you write, set a 33.33-minute timer and you’ll pound out copy much faster than you currently are now – chef’s guarantee.
2. Don’t Sell a Better Mouse Trap, Create Bigger Mice
This one’s genius…
In Breakthrough Advertising, Eugene Schwartz wrote about a common mistake copywriters make.
Often, they’ll try to sell a better mouse trap – by focusing on the product, writing about its features, benefits, USP, giving reasons why it’s better than the competition’s products, etc.
However…
You’d sell a LOT more if you simply created bigger mice. I.E., tap into your reader’s emotions and create a bright vision of their problems. Make their problems larger than life by telling personal stories they can relate to… use word images that tickle their 5 senses… use simple metaphors and analogies, and so on.
The key is to focus on your prospect, rather than your product.
Show them what their problem is, how serious it is and the consequences of not solving it NOW.
Once they realize this, then you talk about your product and demonstrate how it can help them overcome their challenges.
What’s more effective?
Reading about a mouse trap’s features and benefits.
Or…
Reading about someone in your neighborhood whose house was infected with a large family of giant mice. And how these giant mice crawled on the homeowner’s face while they were sleeping, or tore holes in their food, or pooped all over their carpet, you get the point.
See the difference?
3. Assemble, Don’t Create
During the Rodale Press speech, Eugene explained the secret to writing better copy and eliminating writer’s block.
The secret?
You do NOT write copy.
You simply assemble it.
Your job as a copywriter is to take already existing claims, features, benefits, stories, desires, fears, insecurities… and assemble them in an organized way that is most persuasive and interesting to your readers.
If you apply one lesson from this post, it should be this one.
This lesson can ensure a long and successful copywriting career for you.
Never forget it.
4. The “Die Hard” Lesson
During his seminar, Eugene advised his audience to go buy tickets for the new Die Hard movie.
And watch it twice (once for enjoyment, 2nd time take notes).
Why?
Because Die Hard, and other classic action films, have cracked the code for grabbing their audience’s attention and keeping their eyes peeled for hours on end.
To maximize engagement and keep your readers interested in your writing, watch classic action films like Die Hard and model the flow & style of their movies.
The flow:
Every 10 minutes or so there is some sort of explosion, fight or shootout.
Then…
It slows down and builds the plot.
10 minutes go by…
BAM.
Another explosion.
BOOM.
Another fistfight.
Eugene modeled this action-packed flow in his copy and called it “face smashing against the windshield” copy.
The lesson:
Keep your readers hooked with nonstop “action”.
The easiest way to achieve this is to tell engaging stories your readers can identify with, use metaphors and load your copy with lots of curiosity-laced bullets.
5. Unlock the Power of Your Subconscious Mind
Another little-known tip for writing serial killer copy is to use your subconscious to your advantage.
Eugene broke down a very simple and easy way to unlock your subconscious to get it to feed you breakthrough ideas.
Here’s how…
Remember how I told you Eugene used a 33.33-minute timer when writing? And how he would then take a short break?
Well, another tasty benefit of doing this is to unleash the power of your subconscious.
During each break, Eugene did NOT think about what he was writing.
He focused on something else.
Like making coffee or shaving.
He explained how if you focus on something totally unrelated to what you’re writing about, your subconscious mind will sneak up and hand you great ideas.
Eugene learned this nifty Jedi mind trick from Mozart.
A big reason Mozart was able to write masterpieces – without editing – is because of his method of tapping into his subconscious.
Here’ what Mozart did…
He would play pool.
When he hit the ball, he wrote down a note.
He repeated this to write entire symphonies.
It worked like a rabbit’s foot because as Mozart focused on the ball, his subconscious mind fed him ideas.
The same is true for many of Eugene Schwartz’s successful ads.
Eugene would get his biggest breakthrough ideas while shaving, in the shower, making coffee, etc.
The next time you write copy, give yourself breaks.
(I like to take at least a few hours off in between drafts.)
When you’re on your break, do NOT think about your copywriting assignment.
Focus on something totally unrelated.
Then, when your mind feeds you a brilliant idea, WRITE IT DOWN.
It’s important to write your ideas down as soon as they pop up because ideas are like slippery fish. If you don’t write em down right away, you’ll likely forget it.
6. The 5 Levels of Market Awareness
In Breakthrough Advertising, Eugene Schwartz revealed the 5 stages of customer awareness…
#1. Unaware
#2. Problem aware
#3. Solution aware
#4. Product aware
#5. Most aware
Find out where your target market is on the totem pole and write copy to them accordingly.
For example…
If they are at stage 2 (problem aware), you’ll want to start your copy with the main problem. Mention it in your headline. Agitate their problem. Then mention how you have a potential solution for them.
If they’re solution aware (stage 3), you want to start with the solution to their problem and explain WHY your solution is best for them.
7. Fascination Bullets
Remember how I said your copy should “flow” like a Die Hard movie?
Well…
One of the most effective ways to add “explosions” to your copy is through fascination bullets.
- <- <- <- Bullets look like this
Eugene views bullets as fireworks.
He would constantly add fireworks in his reader’s minds through his bullets.
The best way to do this is to add heaps of curiosity to your bullets.
Eugene liked to add “almost too good to be true” bullets.
This is where you say something so fascinating that it is almost too good to be true, but you add specifics so it’s believable.
Also…
Eugene would tell his readers where they could find the answer to each bullet. Like this …. “(See page 69)”.
Adding the page number at the end makes what you write more believable.
It makes it “real” for the readers. The answer to their biggest problems & desires already exists. It is just waiting for them to be discovered. All they have to do now is buy your book and turn to this page.
8. Preparation Beats Skill
Eugene told a story about how Greg Blake Smith, a football coach at West Point College, once said:
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”
Point is:
The desirable results come BEFORE the big game.
They come from the prep work – practice.
The athlete (or copywriter) who prepares the most, will reap the biggest results.
Eugene preached this concept and lived by it.
He prepared before big games (before writing copy) by reading copywriting and marketing books, studying great ads, researching his product, studying and listening to his target audience, etc.
Then…
When he sat down to write…
After doing all this grueling prep work…
He gave birth to some of the most successful advertisements of all time (Eugene’s pig-headed preparation allowed him to routinely slay some of the greatest copywriters in the game).
Schwartz attributed his success to his intense preparation BEFORE writing copy.
9. Your Ad is a Sparkling Clear Window at the Toy Store
Eugene expressed how the worst thing someone can say about your copy is that you are a great writer.
You do NOT want people to even notice your writing.
If they complement your writing style, sophisticated language, impressive words, cleverness, etc. you know you’ve got a real stinker.
Instead…
Your copy should read like a vivid motion picture inside your reader’s minds.
Get them to picture how much better their lives will be after using your product or service.
Eugene Schwartz gave a great analogy to describe this…
Your copy should be like a window at a toy store.
It should be clean and clear so people walking by can see right through it and view the toys inside.
It should NOT have smudges, cracks or dirt and distract viewers.
The same is true with your copy.
You want to write in a clear, concise and easy-to-understand way so that your readers can picture what you’re saying in their minds with vivid detail & emotions.
10. Become One with Your Market
“God gave you 2 ears and 1 mouth.”
Talk less… listen more.
Eugene explained how being a copywriter is a lonely road because you have to remove yourself from it all.
You want to be like a fly on the wall.
And pay attention to everything your market says, does and experiences.
To write good copy, you have to get inside the minds of your market and write to them and only them.
You do this by shutting your pie hole and expanding your ears.
Eugene talked about how he would read pop culture magazines and books to get more in tune with the average reader.
Pay attention to industry news, pop culture, and water cooler conversations that your target audience is having.
Where to Learn More about Eugene Schwartz
You should read Eugene Schwartz’s books on copywriting, Study Eugene Schwartz ads, and watch his Rodale Press speech. You can find a bunch of Eugene Schwartz ads on swiped.co (simply search his name).
Conclusion
There’s a beautiful island of copywriting tips and secrets to learn from Eugene Schwartz.
I recommend starting with his Rodale Press speech and studying his ads.
Then, after you’ve some copywriting experience, buy his $125 book Breakthrough Advertising (it is pretty advanced and can confuse newbies).
And, of course, re-read these 10 tips and apply them to your copywriting – TODAY.
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