Writing Marketing Copy for New Product Launches

Research isn’t enough Too many marketers spend days collecting the best research only to never use it again. It sits in a doc, unstructured and overwhelming, while they struggle to write. That’s why a Pre-Copy Brief is essential A Pre-Copy Brief takes all your raw research and condenses it into the top 20% of the information you'll need to write. Here’s how we do it Step 1: Gather Core Research Before you start trimming and organizing, collect everything you’ll need. We'll often look at: • Past Proven Assets – Any winning ads, pages, and creatives • Legal Restrictions – Compliance we need to follow • Product Information – Features, benefits, and differentiators • Proof Points – Testimonials, studies, endorsements • Customer Insights – Reviews, post-purchase surveys, ad comments • Founder Story & Brand Background – Any credibility elements • Market Research – Competitor positioning, pain points, trends Step 2: The 80/20 Rule Once you’ve gathered all the research, don’t just dump it into a doc. Instead, filter your findings and keep only the most important info. • You don’t need every customer testimonial, just the most persuasive ones • You don’t need every feature, just the ones that directly impact sales Keep the strongest info and cut the rest Step 3: Organize the Pre-Copy Brief Your Pre-Copy Brief should be clean, structured, and easy to reference. Here’s a format we use: a) Most Important Links • Links to past research, landing pages, testimonials exports • Swipe file of similar advertorials for inspiration b) Product Pitch • 1-3 sentence elevator pitch summarizing the product’s value c) Unique Mechanism of Solution (UMS) & Unique Mechanism of Problem (UMP) • UMP: What’s the hidden reason most people struggle with this problem? • UMS: What’s the unique reason this product actually solves it? d) Main Benefits & Features • Prioritized list of the strongest benefits and features e) Common Objections • What objections might prospects have and how do we counter those objections? f) Biggest Proof Points • Social proof, authority markers, and credibility boosters • Testimonials, endorsements, case studies, stats -- Use your Pre-Copy Brief as a cheat sheet when writing your copy. It can literally save you days

Copywriters: Before you write a single word of copy, make sure you're crystal clear on these 5 crucial questions: This will help ensure your message is clear, compelling, and effective. 1. What is the offer? Clearly define what you are promoting. Is it a product, service, event, or something else? Understand every detail of the offer to communicate its value accurately. 2. Who is the target audience? Identify who you are speaking to. What are their demographics, interests, pain points, and desires? Tailoring your message to resonate with your specific audience is key to capturing their attention. 3. Why should they care? Highlight the benefits and value propositions. Why is this offer relevant to them? How will it solve their problems or enhance their lives? Establishing a strong connection between the offer and the audience's needs is critical. 4. How can they get it? Provide clear and concise instructions on the steps they need to take to get the offer. Whether it's making a purchase, signing up, or any other action, ensure the process is straightforward and easy to follow. 5. How does it work? Explain the mechanics of the offer. How will the product or service be delivered? What can the audience expect after they engage with the offer? Transparency builds trust and reduces any potential friction in the decision-making process. --- Your ability to address these questions throughout your copy will make a HUGE difference in its reception and performance.

Blindly following homepage copy templates is bad for your career and your company.   Instead, think of your homepage in terms of “zones.” *** For the record, I think templates are valuable. They’re great teaching tools and helpful checklists, and they can be a great way to structure ideas.   But they have drawbacks.   First, if your colleagues see you as just a template-filler-outer, it’s a bad look. We’re entering a world where a mediocre copywriter + a template + ChatGPT = a passable PMM. Meditate on that. Second, templated product marketing is easy to copy, less interesting to read, and easy to forget. It can lead you to use the same words, in the same ways, in the same places as your competitors. It’s a hyper-competitive world out there. You really need to stand out. Here’s my solution. Think of your homepage in *zones*. Here’s how I do it. There are six zones. Each of them addresses a particular set of questions. Important caveats: 1️⃣ This structure is designed for single-product companies. Multi-product is a little different. 2️⃣ A zone might have more than one module. This is not a wireframe. 3️⃣ Exactly how you answer these questions is up to you. Be clear, vivid, interesting, and memorable. ZONE ONE: POSITIONING What is the product? What does it do? Who is it for? Why is it uniquely valuable? *This is the hardest zone. Hint: the maturity and competitive dynamics of your category will help you zero in on the best things to say here. Emphasis will vary. ZONE TWO: CREDIBILITY Why should you be trusted? ZONE THREE: PROBLEM DEFINITION What’s wrong that you fix? *This is about connecting to the pain, issue, failure, aspiration, or whatever else it is that triggers the need for your product ZONE FOUR: CAPABILITIES What are the new abilities buyers and users gain from the product? What features unlock those abilities? ZONE FIVE: IMPACT What does the product change for buyers and users? *This is about the tangible differences people experience directly ZONE SIX: BUSINESS CASE Why the budget for this product should be approved? *This is about the broader difference you make on the organization as a whole. Generally, this gets more or less important based on ACV and buying committee size. *** I don’t think it’s a rule that you should use all these zones exactly as I’m laying them out here, in this exact order. I think mixing and matching is great. I almost always add things in like market insights, contextual framing, extra social proof, competitive depositioning, objection handling, callouts for marquee features, thought leadership insights, etc. I play with order and emphasis. You should, too. Remember, it’s your job to craft the perfect recipe for product messaging. Use templates and frameworks wisely. 

Over the years, I've been fortunate to write copy that has contributed to more than a billion dollars in sales for companies from startups to some of the biggest brands in the world. And I've found that copywriting ultimately boils down to just one thing: persuasion. It may be obvious, but it's important to remember that people take action only when they're persuaded to take action. And to do that effectively requires what I call the 6 Pillars of Persuasion — grouped for easy recall as S.P.R.O.U.T. S - Singularity — Today, more than ever, a product must be perceived as unique to capture attention. And unless you can convince prospects that your product is in some way different from whatever else is out there, even if they like the product they will go off to compare alternatives and price shop. P - Proof — What you say must be believed, and we believe what is proven — with facts, studies, track records, and logic. Proof also includes HOW your prospect will get the results you promise (the "mechanism"). That gives them the all-important "reason to believe." R - Repetition — What we hear once barely makes an impression. Instead, we tend to believe and act on what we hear multiple times. Therefore, the art of copywriting is largely about making the same key points over and over in different ways, from different angles, in a consistently interesting way. O - Overwhelming Value — It's not enough that the benefits promised and proven are worth the price. Or even worth more than the price. They must be perceived as being worth MANY TIMES the cost. (Some say 10 times — and that's a good number to aim for.) U - Urgency — People, just like us, usually don't act unless there is some urgency. In copywriting, that's often scarcity — time or supply (or both) is running out. If both are unlimited, the urgency can be the importance of enjoying the benefits as soon as possible, and not being without them longer than necessary. T - Trust — No matter any of the above items, people don't buy from people they don't trust. (Do you?) So be sure — with your actions, your words, your images, and your intent — that you do everything possible to earn the trust of your prospect. (First and foremost, BE trustworthy.) Effective persuasion isn't about hacks, tricks or formulas. It's about understanding human psychology and then clearly and believably communicating the uniqueness and value of your offer. So, use these 6 Pillars of Persuasion and watch your results S.P.R.O.U.T.

Ads that sell aren’t born, they’re built. Here’s how top copywriters do it. 💡 Great copywriting isn’t luck—it’s structure. Here are 7 timeless copywriting formulas to transform your ads into conversion machines: 1️⃣ AIDA: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action 🔑 Start strong to grab attention, build curiosity, create emotional desire, and finish with a compelling call-to-action (CTA). 💬 Example: "Struggling with slow mornings? Our coffee gives you 20 minutes back each day. That’s time for your kids, your workout, or just you. Start your day smarter—try it today!" 2️⃣ PAS: Problem → Agitation → Solution 🔑 Spotlight your customer’s pain point, intensify the discomfort, then swoop in with your solution. 💬 Example: "Can’t sleep through the night? Tossing and turning drains your energy and focus. Our mattress is clinically proven to help you sleep better—starting tonight." 3️⃣ 4Cs: Clear → Concise → Compelling → Credible 🔑 Deliver a simple, emotionally engaging, and evidence-backed message. 💬 Example: "Fast delivery. Free next-day shipping. Shop today, get it tomorrow. Rated 5 stars by 1M+ happy customers." 4️⃣ FAB: Features → Advantages → Benefits 🔑 Show what your product does, why it’s superior, and how it changes your customer’s life. 💬 Example: "Noise-canceling headphones → Blocks 95% of background noise → Enjoy focus like never before, even in the busiest spaces." 5️⃣ Before-After-Bridge 🔑 Paint the "before" struggle, highlight the "after" transformation, and position your product as the bridge to success. 💬 Example: "Before: Hours wasted planning social media content. After: Daily posts driving consistent engagement and leads. Bridge: With our AI-powered scheduler, posting is stress-free." 6️⃣ Problem-Solution Formula 🔑 Keep it ultra-simple—present the problem, then solve it. 💬 Example: "Finding healthy snacks is hard. Our organic snack box delivers guilt-free treats right to your door." 7️⃣ The “So What?” Test 🔑 Answer "Why does this matter?" until your copy resonates deeply with your audience. 💬 Example: "Feature: Waterproof jacket. So what? You stay dry. So what? You can enjoy every outdoor adventure without worry." Don’t just write ads. Create impact. Start using these formulas today. 🚀 Take Action Now: 1️⃣ Save this post to master these frameworks whenever you need. 2️⃣ Share it with your team to elevate your marketing game together. 3️⃣ Follow Tom Wanek for more strategies that turn words into results.

As a designer, this is favorite thing to do when I have a new idea. Amazon has a practice for creating product vision. It's called Working Backwards: Start with the press release, then back into the product vision. Instead of PRs, I create the landing page. This helps me: 1. Visualize the end game 2. Deconstruct the idea into manageable chunks 3. Align the product with potential messaging 4. Have marketing assets available for launch Here's how it works: Step 1: Visualize success Imagine your idea as a fully realized product. What does it look like? How does it feel? This is your end goal. Step 2: Create compelling content Write headlines, subheadings, and key messages that capture your idea's core value proposition. In a blue sky, what outcome is achieved for the customer? Step 3: Deconstruct the idea Identify the key features of your product and how they align with the content of your landing page. This helps in prioritizing the design lift and phases of the idea. Step 4: Mockup the landing page Have some with this. Go high fidelity. Sure, the messaging is the most important part, but use this as an exercise to imagine how marketing might package the tone and style of the product's value. I love this exercise. The goal is not to have a fully fleshed out landing page. You want to inform the overarching vision more than have a ready-to-use deliverable. But a bonus is that it gives you a great starting point for marketing assets when you get closer to launch. This is an example section from my work-in-progress landing page as I work backwards on the UX Tools product offerings.