Have you just stumbled across the easiest way to learn copywriting?
Why yes, yes you have.
Scroll down to a hand-picked selection of timeless copywriting quotes from the masters of the craft.
Each comes with a practical micro lesson to sharpen your skills.
This masterclass on copywriting is segmented by type — from email to advertising, UX copy to conversion — to highlight the nuances that make each discipline unique.
Enjoy!
UX copywriting quotes
“What I am doing here is taking the reader by the hand and leading him exactly where I want him to go. It seems like a small point and, maybe it is, but is the little touches like this that keeps the letter flowing, the reader moving along, and, it relieves him of the burden of trying to figure out what he is supposed to do when he finishes reading a particular page.” – Gary Halbert
Micro Lesson: As a UX copywriter, your job is to lead the reader to a specific action or understanding without making them feel lost or overwhelmed. It’s about crafting a seamless journey with your words.
“So, before you begin the writing, be sure you know the purpose or mission or objective of every piece of content that you write. What are you trying to achieve? What information, exactly, are you trying to communicate? And why should your audience care?” – Ann Handley
Micro Lesson: Before you start writing ANYTHING, know your content’s goal and what you want the reader to do after they’ve read it.
“Make your copy straightforward to read, understand and use. Use easy words; those that are used for everyday speech. Use phrases that are not too imprecise and very understandable. Do not be too stuffy; remove pompous words and substitute them with plain words. Minimize complicated gimmicks and constructions. If you can’t give the data directly and briefly, you must consider writing the copy again.” – Jay Abraham
Micro Lesson: Fancy words don’t work or impress. Writing in plain language makes your copy more accessible and user-friendly.
“Nobody has a magic lamp which can tell you in advance whether what you say will be effective in persuading an audience.”-Maurice Saatchi
Micro Lesson: Get your copy out there and start experimenting ASAP.
“When you are expressing what your users think, it is best to use their words. They will always be more precise and use the most authentic phrases.” – Kinneret Yifrah
Micro Lesson: Mirroring users words (AKA Voice of Customer data) makes your message more persuasive and relatable.
“Content writing is how you attract traffic to your website. Copywriting is how you convert that traffic into customers.” – Alexander Lewis
Micro Lesson: Understand the different roles your words play in the digital ecosystem – which is what this blog is all about!
“Reinventing the wheel is way overrated. In fact, it’s downright stupid if you can model what’s already working.” – Jeff Walker
Micro Lesson: Learn the basic copywriting formulas (AIDA, PAS and Before-After-Bridge) – they work and save you a lot of time!
“Instead of representing the buyer’s expectations, needs, wants, and concerns, many personas are built around a profile of what the business would like its ideal buyer to be.” -Jennifer Havice
Micro Lesson: Always question the effectiveness of Personas. If you do use them, make sure they accurately reflect your real audience’s desires and challenges, not an idealised version of them.
“The button is therefore the point when a decision becomes an action, so give it the time and thought it deserves… …Don’t settle for generic terms that won’t move your users, that’s like slowing down just before the finish line.” – Kinneret Yifrah
Micro Lesson: Discover how to write persuasive microcopy.
Website copywriting quotes
“Brevity doesn’t mean bare bones or stripped down. Take as long as you need to tell the story.” – Ann Handley
Micro Lesson: Your website copy needs to be concise but also complete and engaging. It’s about finding the right balance between being succinct and providing sufficient information to tell your story effectively.
“In an online world, our online words are our emissaries; they tell the world who we are.” – Ann Handley
Micro Lesson: Don’t settle for second-rate website copy. Upgrade yours with this free checklist
“Simplicity is the outcome of technical subtlety. It is the goal, not the starting point.”-Maurice Saatchi
Micro Lesson: All websites start out a complete mess of ideas. That’s why you need a website copy strategy to refine those thoughts into s streamlined experience.
“The more your copy sounds like a real conversation, the more engaging it will be.” -David Garfinkel
Micro Lesson: Write as if you’re speaking directly to ONE reader.
“Copy is not written. Copy is assembled.” – Eugene Schwartz
Micro Lesson: This means combining different elements (like headlines, calls to action, and storytelling) effectively to create compelling web copy. Something we walk through in detail inside Beyond Web Copy
“Do you ever want to sacrifice tone and feel for what you know the search engines are looking for on a page? That answer is no.” – Heather Lloyd-Martin
Micro Lesson: While it’s important to be search-engine friendly, your first priority should always be your human audience. Ensure your web copy offers an incredible User Experience first, while also including SEO practices.
Conversion copywriting quotes
“A big reason so many businesses compete on price is because they can’t prove what value they offer, so they’re stuck with the one selling point that’s a breeze to communicate: cheapness.” – Mish Slade
Micro Lesson: Good conversion copy demonstrates the value that sets you apart, allowing you to compete on more than just racing to the bottom.
“People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.” – Blair Warren
Micro Lesson: If you show people you understand them, they will buy what you’re selling. Here’s a good place to start.
“You sell on emotion, but you justify a purchase with logic.” – Joseph Sugarman
Micro Lesson: Your copy should first evoke an emotional response to create desire or interest, and then follow up with logical arguments to justify the decision to buy, making the purchase feel both satisfying and rational.
“If you approach a negotiation thinking the other guy thinks like you, you are wrong. That’s not empathy, that’s a projection.” –Chris Voss
Micro Lesson: Your audience may have different motivations, fears, and decision-making processes than you do. True empathy involves stepping into their shoes to tailor your message accordingly. Here’s a 5-step formula for doing exactly that.
Advertising copywriting quotes
“Let’s get to the heart of the matter. The power, the force, the overwhelming urge to own that makes advertising work, comes from the market itself, and not from the copy. Copy cannot create desire for a product. It can only take the hopes, dreams, fears and desires that already exists in the hearts of millions of people, and focus those already existing desires onto a particular product. This is the copy writer’s task: not to create this mass desire – but to channel and direct it.” – Eugene Schwartz
Micro Lesson: Your task as a copywriter is to connect your product with the pre-existing wants, needs, and emotions of your audience. This connection makes the product a natural solution or fulfillment of those desires.
“Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.” – Howard Gossage
Micro Lesson: Effective advertising copy should be interesting and relevant to the reader, making them want to read it as they would any other content of interest.
“To properly understand advertising or to learn even its rudiments one must start with the right conception. Advertising is salesmanship.” – Claude Hopkins
Micro Lesson: Your ad copy (and any copy really) should be as persuasive and compelling as a good sales pitch, focusing on the benefits and value of the product, and addressing the customer’s needs and objections just like a skilled salesperson would.
“Good advertising is written from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.” – Fairfax M. Cone
Micro Lesson: The one-to-one approach makes your message more relatable and impactful, even when it’s being broadcast to a large audience.
Content writing quotes
“What matters isn’t storytelling. What matters is telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley
Micro Lesson: Authentic storytelling builds trust and credibility with your audience, making your message more impactful.
“I think clarity starts with having (a few questions) really clear in your mind: ‘What is this blog post about and what am I going to teach my readers with it? How will it make them feel once they’ve learned this?'” – Henneke Duistermaat
“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on having a blog that’s great for your readers.”-Brian Clark
Micro Lesson: Don’t just write what interests you. Be clear about what you want to convey and what you want your readers to learn or feel to ensure your content is targeted, relevant, and valuable to your audience.
“Avoid the “hard-to-grasp” headline – the headline that requires thought and is not clear at first glance.” – John Caples
Micro Lesson: The headline is often the first thing your audience sees, so it should be clear and easily understood at a glance. A straightforward headline will grab attention and encourage readers to engage with the rest of your content.
Email copywriting quotes
“Metaphors are a great language tool because they explain the unknown in terms of the known.” – Anne Lamott
Micro Lesson: Use ChatGPT to come up with effective metaphors that explain abstract concepts in concrete terms so people can really understand what it is you’re saying. E.g. “What are 5 surprising metaphors for feeling like you’re behind everyone else?”
“The secret to being boring is say everything.” – Voltaire
Micro Lesson: In email copywriting, you need to get to the point. Overloading your emails with too much information will overwhelm or bore your readers, leading them to disengage. Write your email. Then try to cut out half of it.
“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.” – William Bernbach
Micro Lesson: Send more emails! If they’re good, people will remember them for the right reasons.
“The most crucial part of anything you write. Your first sentence – the hook!” – Dickie Bush
Micro Lesson: The most important part of your email is the subject line. The second most important part is the opening sentence. These are your hooks; and they need to capture interest immediately.
“People aren’t interested in you. They’re interested in themselves.” – Dale Carnegie
Micro Lesson: Tailor your emails to focus on the benefits or value your audience will get, addressing their needs, interests, and how your message or offering can make a difference in their lives (even when writing a personal story).
“Nothing sticks in your head better than a story. Stories can express the most complicated ideas in the most digestible way.” – Sam Balter
Micro Lesson: Stories simplify complex messages and create a connection with your reader, making your content more relatable and impactful.
“When you focus on writing what’s really on your mind—instead of what you think you should be writing—you create more impactful pieces that will stand the test of time.” – Hillary Weiss
Micro Lesson: When all else fails. Throw out all these lessons and write from your heart. You’re doing great.
