Why "Human" Copy Sells More For You

Published by: David Garfinkel on 05-03-2021

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I’ve been reading a book called “Hackers and Painters” by Silicon Valley philosopher Paul Graham, who’s also a painter. He has a PhD from Harvard in computer science, and co-founded a startup that sold to Yahoo for about $50 million. Plus, plenty more accomplishments. Smmmmart guy.

In the book, he makes a comment that really sounds simple-minded when you first hear it. But when you think about it for a little while, you realize it’s profound:

“Nearly all great paintings are of people, because people are what people are interested in.”

After all, the Mona Lisa wasn’t a painting of a BUILDING.

Well, you might ask, what about copy? I would argue the same thing applies. The copy that sells the best is mostly about people. An obvious example is the Wall Street Journal sales letter, which has been tracked to sell more than $2 billion in newspaper subscriptions. No other copy has ever been tracked to come anywhere close.

It starts out:

On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both—as young college graduates are—were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.

All about people. It just doesn’t get much more human than that.

Today we’re going to talk about why what I’m calling “human copy” sells more for you, and three ways to use the power of human copy. Including some things I bet you’ve never heard before.

We’ll cover three areas:

1. How ‘Human’ Copy Increases Your Prospect’s Confidence In What You’re Writing About

2. Why ‘Human’ Copy Glues Your Prospect’s Eyes To The Page (Or Screen)

3. What ‘Human’ Copy Does To Connect You And Your Prospect At A Deep Level
Books from the show:

Hackers and Painters, by Paul Graham

https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Painters-Big-Ideas-Computer-ebook/dp/B0026OR2NQ

The Art of Readable Writing, by Rudolph Flesch

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Readable-Writing-Readability-Formula/dp/006011293X

The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, by Joe Sugarman

https://www.amazon.com/Adweek-Copywriting-Handbook-Advertising-Copywriters-ebook/dp/B008O5K0JE



Keywords: humanizing your copy

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