Copy That Converts v Pretty Copy
Pretty copy doesn't pay the bills. Converting copy does.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen beautifully written landing pages, emails, and ads that sound amazing but I know the offer owners and they are struggling to generate any sales.
Meanwhile, some "ugly" sales letter with grammatical errors and zero design appeal is quietly making millions.
What gives?
WHILE YOU ARE HERE: Check out the free webinar course I dropped yesterday if you want to make yourself / your clients 100k from a webby in 2025.
The truth is most people optimise for the wrong thing when writing copy.
They prioritise:
Clever wordplay
Sophisticated language
Grammatical perfection
Their own personal voice
But none of that shit matters if it doesn't get people to take action.
Let me show you what I mean with some real examples:
Example 1: Email Subject Lines
Pretty Copy: "Elevate Your Digital Presence With Strategic Implementation"
Converting Copy: "I found what's wrong with your funnel"
The first sounds professional and impressive but what the actual f**k does that even mean?!
The second creates curiosity and speaks to a specific pain point.
Guess which one gets opened more?
Example 2: Call-to-Action Buttons
Pretty Copy: "Begin Your Journey"
Converting Copy: "Get My Free Strategy Call"
The first sounds ethereal and fancy but how do I even know what is happening?
The second tells me exactly what I'm getting.
Vague CTAs kill conversions every time.
Example 3: Benefit Statements
Pretty Copy: "Our comprehensive methodology facilitates optimal growth through strategic implementation."
Converting Copy: "This system helped 37 coaches double their monthly income in 90 days or less."
The first sounds impressive but it makes my brain hurt.
The second gives me a specific, measurable outcome.
Your prospects do not give a flying f**k about your brilliant writing.
They care about what your offer will do for THEM.
People are selfish, so appeal to them.
Next time you write copy, ask yourself:
Is this clear or clever?
Am I being specific about outcomes?
Would a 12-year-old understand what I'm selling?
Does this speak to their desires or my ego?
I've been guilty of this too.
I spent a lot of my early time as a copywriter trying to sound intelligent in my copy before I realized I was optimising for applause, not conversions.
The market doesn't applaud – it buys or it doesn't.
So here's my challenge to you:
Find one piece of your marketing copy and ruthlessly eliminate anything that sounds good but doesn't drive action.
Cut the clever phrases.
Delete the industry jargon.
Simplify your language.
Add specific outcomes and proof.
The best copy doesn't win awards.
It wins customers.
To your success,
Charlie McCormack
P.S. I'm considering putting together a small training cohort for business owners and copywriters over a 6 week period to help them improve their messaging and the way they market their offer in their content, ads, VSL's and copy. It would be cheap, so reply to this email and lmk if you would be interested in this.