Great copywriters do this

I’ve been in Nick Verge’s copywriting community for the last couple of months.

In one of the last lectures, Nick mentioned this idea that immediately piqued my interest…

It was something I was aware of, but hadn’t really put too much thought into.

I would see all my favorite writers doing it, but never heard anyone talk about before now.

So, what is this magical technique?

Word tracks.

These are nothing more than specific phrases or wordings that catch attention by using open loops, familiar phrasing, or something that catches you off guard.

Examples:

• "This is what's in it for you..."

• "Here's how it works..."

• “...And most people forget this.”

• “So here's the deal...”

• “Great question… here’s why”

• “You're probably thinking, ‘That sounds like h3ll on earth, not something to celebrate’… But you're wrong.

All of your favorite writers (content, copywriting, etc) use them.

And you should too.

Why?

Because they create a familiarity and a recognition that fosters trust.

So, here’s an exercise you can use to start using them in your own writing.

Identify 3-5 word tracks (specific phrases or wordings) from a tweet, email, video, or sales letter that you find particularly compelling.

Analyze why these word tracks are effective.

What makes them stand out?

How do they engage the reader or enhance the persuasive message?

Consider how these word tracks could be adapted for different products or contexts.

Write down variations or general templates based on these tracks, similar to the bullet formula exercise.

For example, if a word track is "Unlock the secrets of (specific topic)", a template could be "Unlock the secrets of (any topic)". Same as bullet formulas.

Then, just start keeping a swipe file.

When you see a word track that catches your attention, copy and paste it into your swipe file.

Or if you’re on your phone, just screenshot and upload.

I like to use either Notion or Logseq for this.

Then, next time you are writing, try to fit it in somewhere.

And over time, you’ll start seeing patterns automatically and it won’t take as much effort to notice.

This kind of stuff is so fun to experiment with.

And it’ll make you a better writer.

Let’s go!

Swanagan

P.S., on a side note, this is a really good reason to pay for expert communities. You pick up on small things like this, that if you start implementing, make a big difference over time.