About this Video

• Video Title: Learn Copywriting in 76 Minutes – Harry Dry
• Channel: David Perell
• Speakers: David Perell, Harry Dry
• Duration: 01:12:06

Introduction

This video features David Perell interviewing Harry Dry, a copywriting expert. The main purpose is to teach viewers the fundamentals of effective copywriting through practical examples and frameworks. Dry shares his three core rules for writing compelling copy and demonstrates his creative process.

Key Takeaways

1. Dry's Three Rules of Copywriting: These rules act as a filter for every sentence: Can I visualize it? Can I falsify it? Can nobody else say it? If the answer to all three is "yes," the copy is likely strong.
2. The Importance of Visualization: Concrete, visual language is crucial for memorability. Abstract concepts should be translated into tangible images or scenarios.
3. The Power of Falsifiability: Statements that can be proven true or false create engagement and credibility. The interview emphasizes showing, not telling, through evidence and data.
4. Uniqueness and Differentiation: Effective copy avoids clichés and generic statements. It offers a unique perspective or angle that competitors cannot replicate.
5. The Copywriting Process: Dry's process involves identifying the target audience, having a strong belief or message, and crafting the copy with clarity and visual appeal. He uses design tools like Figma to integrate visual elements into the writing process.
6. The Role of Conflict and Facts: Conflict (e.g., before/after, problem/solution) enhances engagement. Facts provide credibility and a concrete basis for storytelling.
7. Simplicity and Rewriting: Dry advocates for simple, concise language, achieved through multiple rewrites and ruthless editing. He emphasizes the importance of short paragraphs and sentences.
8. Structure and Standards: Well-structured copy is essential for clarity and engagement. Maintaining high standards throughout the writing process leads to better results.

Here are some examples from the transcript illustrating Harry Dry's three rules of copywriting: "Can I visualize it?", "Can I falsify it?", and "Can nobody else say it?". Note that the transcript doesn't always explicitly state the application of all three rules to each example, but the analysis below attempts to show how each example relates to the rules.

Example 1: New Balance Ad

• Citation: "New Balance worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio."

• Analysis:

  • Visualize: The imagery of supermodels and dads wearing the same shoe is easily visualized.
  • Falsify: The statement is verifiable; one could check if supermodels and dads wear New Balance.
  • Nobody Else: This specific juxtaposition of demographics is unique to New Balance's target audience and brand identity.

Example 2: Poor Recruitment Ad

• Citation: "Don't just get a job, change an entire industry."

• Analysis:

  • Visualize: The phrase "change an entire industry" is abstract and difficult to visualize.
  • Falsify: It's difficult to objectively prove or disprove this claim; it's subjective and aspirational.
  • Nobody Else: Many companies could make a similar claim, making it generic and unmemorable.

Example 3: Apple's "1000 songs in your pocket"

• Citation: "A thousand songs in your pocket."

• Analysis:

  • Visualize: The image of thousands of songs fitting into a pocket is easily visualized, though metaphorically.
  • Falsify: While not literally true, the metaphor is based on the reality of the iPod's storage capacity.
  • Nobody Else: At the time, this was a unique selling proposition for Apple’s iPod, highlighting its superior storage capabilities compared to competitors.

Example 4: Volvo Ad

• Citation: "Your car has five numbers on the speedometer. Volvo has six. One could get the impression that the people who made your car lack a little confidence."

• Analysis:

  • Visualize: The image of a speedometer with five versus six numbers is easily visualized.
  • Falsify: This statement is verifiable by checking the number of dials on different car speedometers.
  • Nobody Else: This specific comparison and slightly cheeky implication is unique to Volvo and its brand positioning.

These examples demonstrate how Dry's three rules can be used to evaluate and improve copy. Effective copy typically scores highly on all three criteria, creating memorable and persuasive messaging.

Harry Dry's copywriting process, as described in the video, can be broken down into three key pieces:

Piece 1: Who You're Talking To

This stage focuses on deeply understanding your target audience. The goal isn't just demographic information, but a nuanced understanding of their needs, motivations, and existing attitudes. Dry highlights the importance of tailoring your message to resonate with this specific audience.

• Example: The Snapchat Super Bowl ad is cited as a negative example. The average Super Bowl viewer age (around 39) is significantly older than the typical Snapchat user. Targeting this demographic with a Snapchat-focused ad was a mismatch, highlighting the failure to consider "who you're talking to."

• Example: The "coffee and pastry equals £5" cafe in St. Ives. This simple signage effectively targeted tourists on a quick walk, who needed a simple message, not a detailed menu. This showcases understanding the audience's immediate needs and context.

Piece 2: Having Something to Say

This piece centers on the core message or belief that drives your copy. Dry emphasizes that this message should stem from something you genuinely believe in, a vision, or a problem you're trying to solve. It's about having a strong "why" beyond just making a sale.

• Example: Dry's own Marketing Examples website. He explains its creation stemmed from a belief that marketers learn best through examples, a gap he aimed to fill. This inherent belief fuels the content and its messaging.

• Example: The "Hinge" dating app tagline: "Designed to be deleted." This concise message resonates with those tired of dating apps and seeking a meaningful relationship. The tagline itself reflects the product's underlying philosophy, demonstrating a clear "something to say."

• Example: Dave Kitson's book. The success wasn't merely about football; it was about revealing untold truths about the Premier League, a message Kitson was uniquely positioned to convey. This powerful "something to say" drove engagement despite being an unexpected author.

Piece 3: Saying It Well

This is the crafting stage, where you transform your core message into compelling copy. Dry uses several techniques here:

• Visualisation: Turning abstract ideas into concrete images. He uses the exercise of moving from abstract words to concrete images on a sheet of paper to illustrate this (e.g., transforming "regaining fitness" into "Couch to 5K").

• Falsifiability: Focusing on statements that can be proven true or false. He suggests imagining you can only "point" to things, not describe them subjectively, to force the use of verifiable claims (e.g., instead of saying "he's intelligent," say "he reads on the tube").

• Uniqueness: Avoiding generic statements; ensuring the copy offers a unique angle that competitors can't easily replicate (e.g., the Corvette ad highlighting the songs written about Corvettes compared to the lack of Volvo-related songs).

• Conflict: Using contrasting elements or a problem/solution structure to boost engagement (e.g., the ad comparing the steps to prepare a regular car for winter versus a Volkswagen, highlighting the ease of the latter).

• Simplicity: Prioritizing concise, easily understandable language, often achieved through multiple rewrites and editing (e.g., his newsletter paragraphs are consistently limited to two lines for improved readability and impact).

• Design Integration: Combining visual elements (illustrations, layout, typography) with the written copy to enhance the overall message. Dry uses Figma for this integration, designing the ad visually as he writes it. This is explicitly demonstrated with the creation of his copywriting course ad, which undergoes multiple revisions integrating text and design iteratively.

Dry demonstrates his process using the creation of a landing page ad for his copywriting course. He starts with a core idea ("the difference between a 1% and 2% conversion rate is 100%"), adds conflict (comparing increased conversions with other costly methods), utilizes visual elements (checklist layout mimicking a Volkswagen ad), and refines the copy through multiple rewrites to achieve simplicity and impact. The iterative process highlights the importance of continuous refinement.

Harry Dry uses the "zoom in" technique to make abstract concepts more concrete and relatable to the audience. He achieves this by repeatedly asking "what do you mean by that?" and breaking down vague terms into more specific, tangible details. This process continues until the abstract idea is translated into a clear, visualizable concept.

A specific example from the transcript illustrates this:

• The Abstract Concept: "Regaining fitness" (In the context of an app idea* The Zoom-In Process: Dry's questioning process:

  1. Regaining: "What do you mean by regain?" The response is likely, "Getting people off the couch who have been sitting for 6 months."
  2. Fitness: "What do you mean by fitness?" The response might be, "Running."
  3. Running: "How far?" The response might be, "5k."

• The Concrete Visualization: Through this questioning, the abstract "regaining fitness" is transformed into the concrete and visualizable "Couch to 5K," which is also the name of a popular fitness program. This program provides a clear image and immediately conveys meaning.

The "zoom in" technique is not just about finding specific words; it's about progressively clarifying the meaning until it becomes a specific, tangible idea that the audience can readily grasp and visualize. This process helps create more effective copy because it moves from a general, potentially unclear idea to a detailed, concrete one that resonates with readers.

Harry Dry provides several examples of unfalsifiable copy, highlighting their ineffectiveness. Unfalsifiable copy is vague, subjective, and difficult to prove or disprove, making it less credible and memorable. Here are a few examples from the transcript:

1. "Don't just get a job, change an entire industry."

• Why it's unfalsifiable: This statement is aspirational and subjective. There's no way to measure whether someone has "changed an entire industry" and the claim is too broad.
• Why it's ineffective: It's a cliché and lacks specificity. Many companies could make this claim without any real evidence, rendering it meaningless to the consumer.

2. Generic statements about app features

• Why it's unfalsifiable: Dry contrasts this with Apple's "1000 songs in your pocket." He implies that ads focusing only on specs ("4GB RAM, etc.") are unfalsifiable because their value is not immediately apparent to the consumer; it lacks emotional connection.
• Why it's ineffective: Such claims are difficult to visualize, compare, or relate to personally, and easily get lost in a sea of similar, unmemorable advertisements. They lack a unique angle or narrative.

3. Vague brand descriptions

• Why it's unfalsifiable: Dry doesn't give a precise example, but implies ads that say a product is "amazing," "innovative," or uses other overly general adjectives are hard to prove or disprove. The claims are subjective.
• Why it's ineffective: The audience needs concrete reasons to believe these claims. Without evidence or demonstrable benefits, such adjectives become empty marketing fluff.

The overarching reason why unfalsifiable copy is ineffective is that it fails to connect with the audience on an emotional or logical level. Dry stresses the importance of providing concrete evidence, visual imagery, and unique selling points that are verifiable and resonate with the target audience. Unfalsifiable copy, by contrast, is weak because it relies on subjective opinions rather than objective truths.