Copywriting tips from seasoned pros: a whiskey faces reaction video

Executive overview

Joanna Wiebe and Ry Schwartz react to a vintage video where copywriters shared quick tips after taking a shot of whiskey at a live event. The tips span voice of customer research, copy structure, and client management. Each tip is punchy and practitioner-tested.

Write for one reader, start with a framework, and never stop asking "so what?"

Copy fundamentals

• Your headline has one job: earn the next line. It does not close the deal.
• Write for one reader, with one purpose and one call to action.
• Voice of customer: dig deep into prospects' worldview, values, and pain — not just demographics.
• Don't swipe copy wholesale. A swipe file surfaces ideas, not language to paste.
• If you wouldn't say it in a bar, it shouldn't be on your sales page.
• Copy length: as many words as it takes. No more, no less.

Research and specificity

• Audit sales and demo calls for voice of prospect data — people reveal how they think when deciding.
• Get specific enough that your audience feels seen, heard, and valued.
• Don't start writing until you feel genuinely immersed in the prospect's world.
• To embody a client's voice, try music or dressing the part to shift your mental state.

The "so what?" sweep

• After every line, ask: so what? Keep asking until you can't answer it anymore.
• That last answerable "so what" is your key message.
• Apply the same discipline on review: read for comma and period pauses so the copy breathes aloud.

Framework and hook

• Always start with a framework. Choose it by finding your opening hook first.
• The hook reveals which structure fits: problem-agitation-solution, desire-obstacle-solution, or another.
• If you can't find the hook, pick a framework anyway — it can unlock the hook.

Positioning and USP

• You're not selling the thing. You're selling a better version of the buyer.
• Decide your unique selling proposition before writing. Don't parrot competitors — but do scan them for tone gaps you can exploit.
• Your client is Obi-Wan; their customer is Luke. You're George Lucas.

Client systems

• 99% of bad client stories stem from weak systems, not bad clients.
• Bad-fit clients should never reach contract stage — build vetting into your intake process.
• Clients are partly buying your systems, not just your copy.

Mindset and craft

• Forgive your failures. Celebrate your wins.
• Don't be boring — readers notice, even if they can't name why.
• Nobody cares what you do; they care what you'll do for them.