I Used to Write Like a Marketer. Then I Learned to Write Like a Human.

Why your copy isn’t landing and how to fix it with real connection, not clever tricks.

Copywriting Isn’t About Clever Words — It’s About Knowing People

I’ve been in the copywriting game long enough to notice something:

Most people think writing copy is about writing.
It’s not.

I’ve seen skilled marketers, business owners, and writers trip over this.

They load their content with “power words,” stuff headlines with fluff, and wrap offers in complicated phrases — hoping that somewhere in the noise, a customer will bite.

But real copywriting isn’t about sounding smart.
It’s about making people feel understood.

Let me explain.

When I finally “got it”

There was a time when I treated every piece of copy like a writing contest.
Make it clever. Make it sharp. Add a pun. Squeeze in a stat.

Sometimes it worked — kind of.
Most of the time? Crickets.

What changed?

I stopped trying to impress.
I started listening.

Copywriting started working when I realized it’s not about me — it’s about them.
The reader. The buyer. The one person I’m trying to help.

If they don’t feel seen, they scroll.

If they don’t feel like you get them, they click away.

So now, I write like I’m talking to a friend struggling with something, and I know how to help.

The stuff that works

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of writing everything from landing pages to ads, emails, and long-form sales letters:

• Talk like a real person, not a corporate robot

• Keep it short — people skim

• Hit the pain point before you pitch the product

• Make them want to take action, don’t push

• Tell a story, not just a spec list

• Use emotion, not just logic

• If it sounds “neat” but doesn’t drive action, cut it

Oh — and your headline? That’s everything.

Unless you hook them, your headline is the only part most people will read.

So make it clear, specific, and impossible to ignore. Think:

👉 “10 Tips That Doubled My Sales in 30 Days”
vs.
👉 “Some Thoughts on Increasing Revenue”

See the difference?

One formula I always come back to

I’ve used all sorts of strategies over the years, but one I keep coming back to is dead simple — and it works every time:

AIDA

• Attract (Grab attention with a clear, bold hook)

• Interest (Pull them in with a relatable problem or idea)

• Desire (Make them want what you’re offering)

• Action (Give them a reason to act now)

No matter what I’m writing — an ad, a landing page, a social post — AIDA is running in the background like muscle memory.

Final thoughts

You can’t fake good copy.

Because a copy that converts isn’t about style.

It’s about trust.

It’s about showing someone you understand where they’re stuck — and offering them a way forward.

So no, copywriting isn’t just about clever phrases or fancy layouts.

It’s about people.

And can you write in a way that connects with people?

You win.