CASE FILES / CASE 001 · COPYWRITING / BRIEFING 01
Briefing 01 of 10 · Principle 1

Nobody Cares About You (Sorry, But It's True)

Write about the reader, not yourself.

ABOUT 2 MIN READ2 INTERCEPTED REWRITES1 FIELD MISSION

Copywriting isn't rocket science, but it isn't as simple as "just write good stuff" either. A handful of core principles separate copy that converts from copy that sits there looking pretty and doing nothing.

Here's what trips up most new copywriters: they write about themselves. Their company. Their product. Their features.

And the reader is sitting there thinking: "Great. But what does this do for me?"

What this actually means

Every person reading your copy is tuned to the same radio station: WIIFM, What's In It For Me? That isn't cynical. It's human nature. Everyone is busy with their own problems, their own goals, their own stuff.

So flip the script. Instead of "We offer premium cloud storage", try "Never lose another important file again". Instead of "Our team has 50 years of combined experience", try "You'll work with people who've already solved this problem 1,000 times."

One is about you. The other is about them. And "them" is who's holding the credit card.

— Intercepted copy

Before and after

INTERCEPTED

We use advanced AI technology and machine learning algorithms to optimise your workflow with our proprietary system that has won three industry awards.

REWRITE

You'll get three hours back in your day: time you can spend with your kids instead of wrestling with spreadsheets.

INTERCEPTED

Our company was founded in 2015 and has grown to serve clients in 47 countries with our innovative approach.

REWRITE

Imagine walking into your next client meeting knowing exactly what to say. No more awkward silences or lost deals.

QUICK TEST

Read your copy out loud. Count every "we", "our" and "I", then every "you" and "your". If the first group wins, you've got work to do.

— Briefing 01

Field mission

Find one sentence in your own copy that starts with "We" and rewrite it so it starts with "You" or with the customer's benefit.

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