Why Copywriting Formulas Aren’t For Everyone

When my Grandma Helen died in the spring of 2019, she left behind her expansive Norwegian sweater collection, countless recipes in her signature cursive script, and so many stories, all of them with a moral or lesson attached. Even if Grandma didn’t know what it was yet, she insisted that our experiences mattered in some bigger way. Her faith gave her the conviction that there was a reason, a method behind God’s way of things.

As I looked through her recipes, many of which she dictated to me over the phone whenever I needed a reminder, I saw little notes in the margins of her cards, adding her own little twist to the directions.

She’d cross out one-half cup and write “a handful.”

She’d change one heaping spoonful to “too rich – try a smaller heap next time.”

She had the measurements right at her fingertips, but as a woman who raised nine babies and grandmothered twelve grandchildren, she trusted her intuition more.

And you should, too.

For even if you’re new at this business thing, or even if you wouldn’t describe yourself as a writer, or even if you don’t know what to say or share with your people, I hope that my grandma’s story at least helps you to know this: your intuition matters, and letting it guide you is just one more reason why your ideal clients choose to do business with YOU instead of the other XYZ business around the corner.

Your intuition is just that: YOURS.

No one else has it, and no copywriting formula or caption Mad-Lib can replace your intuition.

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But how, then, can I do my work as a copywriter effectively? I can’t hijack your intuition, but what I can do is learn your turns of phrase, witness how you interact with and care for your clients, and write in a way that prioritizes what matters most to you, and to them.

Even the most comprehensive copywriting formula just cannot compare.