1. Persuasion at scale: - Write clearly to persuade readers. - Use short, simple sentences and avoid jargon. 2. Begin with the end in mind: - Determine your desired reaction and action from readers before writing. 3. Headlines not outlines: - Start with a compelling headline and sub-headline. - Headlines should grab attention and make readers curious. 4. Warmup with copywork: - Practice writing by copying the work of authors you admire. 5. Draft fast, incubate slow: - Write quickly without worrying about perfection. - Take a break before editing. 6. Build your swipe file: - Collect inspiring phrases, headlines, and writing techniques. 7. Don't bury the lead: - Start with your most important point. 8. Create a curiosity gap: - Grab readers' attention with a compelling question or statement. 9. Write like you talk: - Use informal language and avoid jargon. 10. Lower the reading level: - Aim for a sixth to eighth-grade reading level. - Use Hemingway app to check readability. 11. How to tell a great story: - Use the "intention and obstacle" framework. - Establish high emotional stakes. - Vary sentence length to create rhythm. 12. Short sentences: - Keep sentences short and simple. 13. Great writing has rhythm: - Vary sentence length and structure to create a pleasing rhythm. 14. Our favorite resources: - On Writing by Stephen King - Podcasts: Serial Killers, Unsolved Murders, and True Crime - Comedians: Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Shane Gillis - Joel on Software blog
Didn't have "Masterclass in Writing" on my to-do list today. Now my hand is killing from taking 5 - 6 pages of notes. "Informal can be professional." Great episode! Can't wait for the business plan episode.
Gentleman's agreement on the pod got me here! In the infant stages of building a new business and you guys are motivating the hell out of me. Thanks so much!
The 3-step writing framework is a game-changer for crafting compelling content. One advanced tactic is to integrate the PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution) formula into your headlines to immediately hook your readers by addressing their pain points. Combine this with the curiosity gap you mentioned, and you've got a powerful one-two punch for engagement.
This was an outstanding episode. I typically tune in through podcasts/Spotify and rarely engage on RUclips. However, this episode was so compelling it brought me here to comment. It was exactly what I needed without even realizing it. I usually listen to you guys while running, and this time I was so absorbed that I completely lost track of my surroundings. I might have even crossed a few roads without looking 😄 Lucky to be alive! Keep up the great work.
I am screaming of happiness! Being inspired over and over again by each story that you guys are sharing. I can't believe the hidden joy of sharing your inner thoughts and commanding the reader's attention. Just when I felt stuck in my writing you gave me another door to open! Damn you guys are good. Now, I can go back to writing my novel. Thank you. Hugs!
I teach 3rd grade and I am so psyched to use your tips to teach writing! I hope you don’t take offense to that, because I also plan to use your advice for writing my blog, marketing emails, and product descriptions. In other words, this really is a masterclass. Thank you! (P.s. Another tip for checking rhythm would be to read what you have written out loud.)
One of the best episodes guys! I had to stop what I was doing (aka my real job as I thought I could multi task) and I just took 3 pages worth of notes. Thanks for sharing. As always love the vibe of this show so much.
One of the best pods. You all should have charged for this one. Excellent advise, tons of notes, absolute reflection on how I go about writing LI posts, blog and newsletter posts. Keep bringing it boys.
#2 episode all time for me, after the sarah moore interview. super practical. thanks fellas i want to tie two points together that you made. the "begin with end in mind" substratum of "reaction > action > takeaway". and the "60-second voice memo". pretty much all four of shaan's examples of a "60-second voice-memo" were written in "action -> reaction -> takeaway". this guy said this thing (ACTION) people are freaking out (REACTION) because blah blah (TAKEAWAY) this announcement was made (ACTION) and people think it's going to be a big deal and the price going go up (REACTION) because that would mean this (TAKEAWAY) i have this idea (ACTION) because blah blah (TAKEAWAY) - different order (INVITES A REACTION) i noticed this thing (ACTION) i found it really interesting (REACTION) because blah blah blah (TAKEAWAY)
Agreement fulfilled! What an incredible and informative masterclass. Very rarely do I ever do the whole "like and subscribe" however halfway through yall have delivered more than enough to justify such a simple and easy way for me to pay for this information, thank you for publishing this content!
I have been studying business with Shawn and Sam. This is a master class and worth 10's of thousands of dollars. 💲 I have learned more them them that I learn in my 4 years of college. (doesn't help I was studying girls and sports)
thank you guys for another amazing episode- this was a gem! As a newbie in the copywriting space, I really struggle with finding my voice when I want to write emails for my new business. I'd love if you could make another episode on how a brand can find its own writing/expressing authentic voice to communicate with the people they want to serve. That would be of tremendous value for a lot of people, as I don't think I speak just for myself on this topic. Also thanks for the resources you linked in this pod and for all you do! I love your work.
One of the 7. Whispers the password into Sam's ear "18% compounding". Guys, this is a gold rush episode. I love the structure of the 4 steps. And the unleashing of the musical sentence length. Chefs kiss - well done
I love the suggestion of writing how you talk. A great habit i devolved is saying, out load, what you are writing. You will sound normal and you will catch errors.
The tip of taking time to rethink and edit is boom 🔥. I applied this for photo editing many years ago. For example when you edit a picture it looks very beautiful because you are editing it from half hour and your eyes and mind are feeling those colours beautiful. All the colours will look amazing in that picture. But the reality is that editing will not be perfect. But if you stop it and go outside for a walk and look at different things having different colours and go back to edit photo . Now you will notice your editing is just average 😂. So, the conclusion is take time to rethink and regain.
RUclips told me I took the Likes from 899 to 900. And that was satisfying like spinning a bottle of wine in the grocery store and 10 people just happen to notice. Thanks for this masterclass, gents. You're both the reason I have an awkward little angel on my shoulder shouting, "no small boy stuff(!)"
First of all. I subscribed. Secondly, thank you for this insanely helpful video. I immediately went back and rewrote my article with all of this in mind. The difference is extremely noticeable. Thirdly, for everyone reading this comment, I took 3 pages worth of notes. This video is worth your time. And lastly, the book I cannot recommend enough for people who want to improve their writing is, Steven Pinker - The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. I have not read a better book on the subject and it is written by someone who is best qualified to write about writing and how to write better.
This is the quickest masterclass in writing ever. Bonus points for making it enjoyable through humor. Thank you! Also, one pedantic note, the term is 'bury the lede' not 'bury the lead.'
I wish both of your courses were free, no not about what you are thinking but I can't afford it. I left my job and am umemployed but whatever happens I am going to apply the concepts you said in this video. It's not over until I win.
@PuriShaanI feel like I failed step #1 for this... Subscribed to your blog, scoured through your site, skimmed through all your writing on finding a mentor, and all I could find was the paid "Power Writing" course.
will need to break the gentlemen agreement if you keep repeating the same hubspot ad again. u either change it ever two-three episodes or place it right in the end or in the start so its easier to skip 🙏🏻❤️
Wrote a very detailed concept of this podcast for myself. Thanks! I am trying to apply these techniques to ad script and landing page writing though. Do you have some extra nuanced tips for that as well? Short copywriting?
Hi friend, I quite like Donld Miller's stuff for this (they are part of the hubspot network, so I'm sure they won't mind me mentioning). He had an episode called "Your website probably stinks" which I found pretty helpful. Lmk if you need a hand finding it.
"To Utilize" is commonly used in French and Spanish (verbs "Utiliser" and "Utilizar") as a way to get utility from something or someone. So what seems common in some langages is not in others.
I am addicted to listening to you guys and go away with a lot of great info. I have one question and I hope it gets answered. In your Hubspot ad Sam shows a blog and it has terrible bounce rates, how did you make any income from that blog?
Fantastic Pod, I'm gonna ask again for the ecom masterclass $20 million in sales via email channel alone! Shaan I'm signing up for Klaviyo again right now.
Amazing Value in this pod, possibly the most of anyone so far. And you are dead on about Theo Von, the man is a wordsmith. I think he is more funny in normal convo than his standup
Hot damn FELLAS!!!☄️🔥🔥 OG follower here. Been following you guys since far under 30k subs! 🎉🎉This Writing Workshop was up there with Dharmesh’s AI episode for me! Much love per usual from East B-More.💯💪🏽
Please do an episode on execution. What kind of tasks you do your-selves, what kind of tasks you delegate, how you delegate, who you delegate to, how you manage execution.
three thoughts: 1. write the draft and then remove the boring. 2. the fewer words you use, the more people will connect with it. 3. the first sentence is where you hook the reader
Great episode! Lots of nice knowledge nuggets here. A future podcast topic...cofounders. How the hell do you find one?? That's been my big struggle lately! I'm a tech guy, enjoy coding, and I know my weakness is coming up with a niche idea to focus on, and the marketing/finance stuff. I do enjoy strategy! But still, what's a guy to do to find a committed, reliable cofounder with a niche idea we can work on?? I realize I do have some 'obstacles' to deal with (American, living in Poland), but one day I'll be back to the USA, and what to do then? Idk. I do know I want to start something! Thanks! Enjoy the podcast!
1. Persuasion at scale:
- Write clearly to persuade readers.
- Use short, simple sentences and avoid jargon.
2. Begin with the end in mind:
- Determine your desired reaction and action from readers before writing.
3. Headlines not outlines:
- Start with a compelling headline and sub-headline.
- Headlines should grab attention and make readers curious.
4. Warmup with copywork:
- Practice writing by copying the work of authors you admire.
5. Draft fast, incubate slow:
- Write quickly without worrying about perfection.
- Take a break before editing.
6. Build your swipe file:
- Collect inspiring phrases, headlines, and writing techniques.
7. Don't bury the lead:
- Start with your most important point.
8. Create a curiosity gap:
- Grab readers' attention with a compelling question or statement.
9. Write like you talk:
- Use informal language and avoid jargon.
10. Lower the reading level:
- Aim for a sixth to eighth-grade reading level.
- Use Hemingway app to check readability.
11. How to tell a great story:
- Use the "intention and obstacle" framework.
- Establish high emotional stakes.
- Vary sentence length to create rhythm.
12. Short sentences:
- Keep sentences short and simple.
13. Great writing has rhythm:
- Vary sentence length and structure to create a pleasing rhythm.
14. Our favorite resources:
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Podcasts: Serial Killers, Unsolved Murders, and True Crime
- Comedians: Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Shane Gillis
- Joel on Software blog
thank you thank you for this outline.
you are jem of person
You are the Best. Thanks
Great summary. Looks like this was the episode from which they based their copywriting masterclass (free).
Pretty nicely presented. Would recommend.
Super helpful comment. Thank you 🙏
Ridiculously helpful episode, thanks guys ❤
This is exactly why I am subscribed. You guys are dropping value bombs in every episode
I'm subscribed because of the gentleman's agreement. But the content is OK too ;)
Didn't have "Masterclass in Writing" on my to-do list today.
Now my hand is killing from taking 5 - 6 pages of notes.
"Informal can be professional."
Great episode! Can't wait for the business plan episode.
I have learned MORE about writing in this video than ALL the college classes and books I have EVER consumed!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
These masterclasses are one of the best concepts of MFM. Keep it up - thanks for the great content and mindset!
This episode didn't meet my expectations.
It exceeded them
The pros promoting a proper pro prose production process! The masterclass episodes are great, nice job!
You two are good at what you do. I came here for 10 minutes and I stayed for the whole thing. Respect 😊
Writing my weekly newsletter is the easy part, the hard part is growing the subscribers and monetising it. Could you do an episode covering that?
This is just pure value….this is why I tell everyone about you guys…. YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE!
Gentleman's agreement on the pod got me here! In the infant stages of building a new business and you guys are motivating the hell out of me. Thanks so much!
The 3-step writing framework is a game-changer for crafting compelling content. One advanced tactic is to integrate the PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution) formula into your headlines to immediately hook your readers by addressing their pain points. Combine this with the curiosity gap you mentioned, and you've got a powerful one-two punch for engagement.
one of the best episodes yall have ever done. much appreciated!
This was an outstanding episode. I typically tune in through podcasts/Spotify and rarely engage on RUclips. However, this episode was so compelling it brought me here to comment. It was exactly what I needed without even realizing it. I usually listen to you guys while running, and this time I was so absorbed that I completely lost track of my surroundings. I might have even crossed a few roads without looking 😄 Lucky to be alive! Keep up the great work.
Crazy good content guys, plugging it everywhere! Can't believe we can get content like this for free, you guys rock!
“Write like you talk”
That piece of advice is something I’ve taken to heart because of you guys.
This pod was 🔥!
Great channel guys. I see this having 1-2 million subs in the near future. Gold stuff man
I am screaming of happiness! Being inspired over and over again by each story that you guys are sharing. I can't believe the hidden joy of sharing your inner thoughts and commanding the reader's attention. Just when I felt stuck in my writing you gave me another door to open! Damn you guys are good. Now, I can go back to writing my novel. Thank you. Hugs!
I teach 3rd grade and I am so psyched to use your tips to teach writing! I hope you don’t take offense to that, because I also plan to use your advice for writing my blog, marketing emails, and product descriptions. In other words, this really is a masterclass. Thank you! (P.s. Another tip for checking rhythm would be to read what you have written out loud.)
One of the best episodes guys! I had to stop what I was doing (aka my real job as I thought I could multi task) and I just took 3 pages worth of notes. Thanks for sharing. As always love the vibe of this show so much.
My guys are on absolute FIRE right now. Can't wait for the business planning ep.
One of the best pods. You all should have charged for this one. Excellent advise, tons of notes, absolute reflection on how I go about writing LI posts, blog and newsletter posts. Keep bringing it boys.
#2 episode all time for me, after the sarah moore interview. super practical. thanks fellas
i want to tie two points together that you made. the "begin with end in mind" substratum of "reaction > action > takeaway". and the "60-second voice memo". pretty much all four of shaan's examples of a "60-second voice-memo" were written in "action -> reaction -> takeaway".
this guy said this thing (ACTION)
people are freaking out (REACTION)
because blah blah (TAKEAWAY)
this announcement was made (ACTION)
and people think it's going to be a big deal and the price going go up (REACTION)
because that would mean this (TAKEAWAY)
i have this idea (ACTION)
because blah blah (TAKEAWAY) - different order
(INVITES A REACTION)
i noticed this thing (ACTION)
i found it really interesting (REACTION)
because blah blah blah (TAKEAWAY)
Agreement fulfilled! What an incredible and informative masterclass. Very rarely do I ever do the whole "like and subscribe" however halfway through yall have delivered more than enough to justify such a simple and easy way for me to pay for this information, thank you for publishing this content!
I have been studying business with Shawn and Sam. This is a master class and worth 10's of thousands of dollars. 💲 I have learned more them them that I learn in my 4 years of college. (doesn't help I was studying girls and sports)
@PuriShaan Yup, I'm signing up!
Been waiting for this particular episode for a very very long time
thank you guys for another amazing episode- this was a gem! As a newbie in the copywriting space, I really struggle with finding my voice when I want to write emails for my new business. I'd love if you could make another episode on how a brand can find its own writing/expressing authentic voice to communicate with the people they want to serve. That would be of tremendous value for a lot of people, as I don't think I speak just for myself on this topic. Also thanks for the resources you linked in this pod and for all you do! I love your work.
So much value in one episode, great work guys!
One of the 7. Whispers the password into Sam's ear "18% compounding".
Guys, this is a gold rush episode. I love the structure of the 4 steps. And the unleashing of the musical sentence length. Chefs kiss - well done
I did a version of the voice memo test when I was a reporter. It helped me a lot when I was writing about boring or complex topics. Great stuff Shaan!
I love the suggestion of writing how you talk. A great habit i devolved is saying, out load, what you are writing. You will sound normal and you will catch errors.
More of this Shaan plz
Great episode! The graphic at 42min is from Gary Provost’s “100 ways to improve your writing”
The part where you guys were explaining the incubation period before the edit.
That is totally the artist’s life everyday lol
Loved this ep so much guys. I listened while I was jogging and am rewatching / listening now and taking notes of the complete episode.
The tip of taking time to rethink and edit is boom 🔥. I applied this for photo editing many years ago. For example when you edit a picture it looks very beautiful because you are editing it from half hour and your eyes and mind are feeling those colours beautiful. All the colours will look amazing in that picture. But the reality is that editing will not be perfect. But if you stop it and go outside for a walk and look at different things having different colours and go back to edit photo . Now you will notice your editing is just average 😂. So, the conclusion is take time to rethink and regain.
Just to confirm the gentleman's agreement, I've been subscribed. BEST episode yet in regards to sharing information for others to grow!
The whole hour was worth listening to just with the varying sentence length lesson, incredible.
@PuriShaan Reported! Everyone knows Shaan doesn’t do anything for free!
Copy that was dope! Wheres the next one? Lol
Yes, a better hair day! Haha, love your info and humor. ❤ I always gain something from your channel.
RUclips told me I took the Likes from 899 to 900. And that was satisfying like spinning a bottle of wine in the grocery store and 10 people just happen to notice.
Thanks for this masterclass, gents.
You're both the reason I have an awkward little angel on my shoulder shouting, "no small boy stuff(!)"
Always appreciate your content gentleman! I subscribe to you all day son!!
This is absolutely amazing content! I am actually practising right now for an important client lead! Wish me luck guys!
Gents, I'm sitting here clapping. You have literally re-wired how i think about writing. Well done.
Audio is fine now! Took a lot of notes... Thx guys! baller episode!
First of all. I subscribed. Secondly, thank you for this insanely helpful video. I immediately went back and rewrote my article with all of this in mind. The difference is extremely noticeable. Thirdly, for everyone reading this comment, I took 3 pages worth of notes. This video is worth your time.
And lastly, the book I cannot recommend enough for people who want to improve their writing is, Steven Pinker - The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. I have not read a better book on the subject and it is written by someone who is best qualified to write about writing and how to write better.
I have never been so attentive before, thanks for this masterclass.
the copying others people writing is so key, insane value in here
Is that the pod? That's the pod.
Classic. Love it every single time.
Definitely a “how is the pod free” type of episode.
Great job guys.
Shaan bringing that value again
This is the quickest masterclass in writing ever. Bonus points for making it enjoyable through humor. Thank you!
Also, one pedantic note, the term is 'bury the lede' not 'bury the lead.'
Holy shit that writing rhythm part at 43:15 gave me goosebumps
@PuriShaan if you're going to impersonate Shaan and try to scam me at least spell my name right...
Amazing content as usual! 👏🏾👊🏾
I wish both of your courses were free, no not about what you are thinking but I can't afford it. I left my job and am umemployed but whatever happens I am going to apply the concepts you said in this video.
It's not over until I win.
Epic Segment, Looking forward to more "Questionable Advice"...
I'm always here for Questionable Advice! 🔥
This whole episode is going into my file.
If I could, I'd subscribe a second time.
@PuriShaanI feel like I failed step #1 for this...
Subscribed to your blog, scoured through your site, skimmed through all your writing on finding a mentor, and all I could find was the paid "Power Writing" course.
Maybe best pod yet! At least most valuable! Thank you!
Awesome job.. learned a lot
Nice work Sam and Shaan! Loved the content
will need to break the gentlemen agreement if you keep repeating the same hubspot ad again. u either change it ever two-three episodes or place it right in the end or in the start so its easier to skip 🙏🏻❤️
After a year of listening to every episode I finally honored the gentlemens agreement and subscribed.....
@PuriShaan WoW are you serious? Where can I find it?
@PuriShaan WOW r u serious? Where I can find the link to it?
You guys moving to a membership model soon?
Yeah this was great and right in time guys!!
Amazing, this will help for sure. Now this is content creation at best, a class worth 1000s dollers for free
@PuriShaan let me find the link lol and thanks for reply . I believe it is your team copy pasting this on everyones comments.
This video was absolute 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you for dropping these knowledge bombs
Wrote a very detailed concept of this podcast for myself. Thanks! I am trying to apply these techniques to ad script and landing page writing though. Do you have some extra nuanced tips for that as well? Short copywriting?
Hi friend, I quite like Donld Miller's stuff for this (they are part of the hubspot network, so I'm sure they won't mind me mentioning).
He had an episode called "Your website probably stinks" which I found pretty helpful.
Lmk if you need a hand finding it.
I did: I subscribed. Thank you for valuable tips
Very enjoyable & helpful! Thank you!
Great. But the tinyurls don't work for me. Anyone else have the same problem?
😍Been subscribed. Love you guys.
Long time listener. Loved this episode.
Sam, here's for all the sentences that make you feel. Swipe the pile.
nice
Cant wait for next episode!
"To Utilize" is commonly used in French and Spanish (verbs "Utiliser" and "Utilizar") as a way to get utility from something or someone. So what seems common in some langages is not in others.
this was... wonderfully done🤝
Thanks for the sauce
I am addicted to listening to you guys and go away with a lot of great info. I have one question and I hope it gets answered. In your Hubspot ad Sam shows a blog and it has terrible bounce rates, how did you make any income from that blog?
42:30 Wow!! Looking this up Now
Fantastic Pod, I'm gonna ask again for the ecom masterclass $20 million in sales via email channel alone! Shaan I'm signing up for Klaviyo again right now.
Amazing Value in this pod, possibly the most of anyone so far. And you are dead on about Theo Von, the man is a wordsmith. I think he is more funny in normal convo than his standup
Hot damn FELLAS!!!☄️🔥🔥 OG follower here. Been following you guys since far under 30k subs! 🎉🎉This Writing Workshop was up there with Dharmesh’s AI episode for me! Much love per usual from East B-More.💯💪🏽
I totally agree!
This vid is right on time!
Please do an episode on execution. What kind of tasks you do your-selves, what kind of tasks you delegate, how you delegate, who you delegate to, how you manage execution.
I retract my previous comment on one of your videos. You guys are making more content than you used to. Thanks!
@PuriShaan will register TODAY!
A great book that follows some of these principles for creating content that hits is Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.
three thoughts:
1. write the draft and then remove the boring.
2. the fewer words you use, the more people will connect with it.
3. the first sentence is where you hook the reader
Min 26:25. Fishermen don't cast empty Hooks. If they bite then Your bait is right.
Great episode! Lots of nice knowledge nuggets here.
A future podcast topic...cofounders. How the hell do you find one?? That's been my big struggle lately! I'm a tech guy, enjoy coding, and I know my weakness is coming up with a niche idea to focus on, and the marketing/finance stuff. I do enjoy strategy! But still, what's a guy to do to find a committed, reliable cofounder with a niche idea we can work on?? I realize I do have some 'obstacles' to deal with (American, living in Poland), but one day I'll be back to the USA, and what to do then? Idk. I do know I want to start something!
Thanks! Enjoy the podcast!
Can you send the link? You have a lot of stuff going on, but couldn't pinpoint "Shaan puri mentorship course". Would like to check it out! Thanks!
Great work, gents! I not only learned amazing writing tips, but you guys put my kids to sleep instantly in the back seat
When’s the next power writing course Shaan?
3:52 He persuaded me to be a better writer at this point.
This was actually incredible.
You could have uploaded in 1080p But okay I am here to listen so Great Job
This was awesome!!
Loved the pod guys, keep questionable advice coming. superexcited for business plan!!
Audio is working great
Awesome show gents! Shaan do you still plan to do the Dave Chappelle Breakdown?