Many so-called copywriting gurus preach swiping.
“Have a swipe file when you get stuck”
“Copy what your competitors are doing—it’s working for a reason”
“Swiping is a super power that only the best copywriters use”
All of these ignore the obvious: Swiping often looks backwards, not forward. This means you can’t be a true leader in your industry if your entire copywriting strategy is based around swiping. This also misses the mark of the specifics that made a certain advertising angle work, especially when you look back to past direct response ads that don’t have a chance of succeeding in today’s much more sophisticated markets.
But there’s an even deadlier problem with swiping:
It makes you look like a dim-witted dope and can reverse years of positioning, creating a relationship with your audience, and building trust with your audience.
Remember: You’re not a massive corporate behemoth, and so, your audience needs to know, like, and trust you.
And nothing kills this KLT factor like mindlessly swiping someone else.
Ben Settle tells stories all the time of someone swiping his “email style” and his loyal fans reporting this back to him.
But I just saw an even more egregious, an even more mind-numbing, and an even more of a dim-witted dope’s approach to swiping:
The other day I was scrolling through Apple Podcasts, where I came across a podcast called, “Lex Fridman Podcast of AI.”
This is mayhap the single worst example of “swiping” I’ve ever seen. You can barely even call it swiping—it’s more like a highway robbery.
Whoever is running the podcast literally stole Lex Fridman’s entire likeness: His name, his brand, his picture, literally everything. And the reviews section was quick to point this out: Nearly every review, all of which were 1 star reviews and for good reason, called out this poser for pretending to be Lex Fridman.
And the real Lex Fridman might have a lawsuit on his hands, given he learns someone is “swiping” his entire being.
But this is the logical conclusion of copy: You literally become someone else because you’re so terrified to, well, be yourself.
As we leave the Information Age to go into the Entertainment Age, nothing is more important than being “you” (the real you, warts n’ all) in business. Building the KLT factor is how you put persuasion on easy mode, how you create a rabid fanbase who devour everything you have for sale, and how you create a more fulfilling business and life.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a swipe file or pay attention to your competitors.
But if you make that your entire business personality?
Well, you best make some quick bucks quick before you get exposed for the charlatan you are.
Anywho:
Email is the single best marketing medium to develop this KLT factor you need for long-term business success.
If you need help writing emails that build trust while making sales, hit reply, and let’s chat.
John
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