Here are a few copywriting quotes to get new insights about copywriting.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel when studying copywriting. For hundreds of years, there have been excellent copywriters.
It makes sense to learn from the experts if you want to become a great copywriter or even simply a better one. I’ve compiled a selection of the top copywriting quotes I could discover in light of this.
What is Copywriting?
Writing convincing marketing and promotional materials that compel readers to take action is known as copywriting. Copywriting is by definition a type of marketing since it is always associated with the act of promoting or selling a company, organization, brand, item, or service.
Who is a copywriter?
A copywriter is someone who receives compensation for creating content that encourages action for marketing objectives. A copywriter is just someone who writes advertisements.
These quotations from copywriters can help you as a copywriter by showing you where you may develop based on their thoughts and experiences, as well as how to meet your own standards.
Who Are the Best Copywriters?
Determining the “best” copywriters can be subjective, as it depends on your specific needs, industry, and preferences.
Copywriting is a diverse field, and different copywriters excel in various niches and styles.
Here’s a list of some notable and highly regarded copywriters known for their expertise in the field:
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David Ogilvy: Often called the “Father of Advertising,” David Ogilvy is one of the most influential figures in advertising and copywriting. His book “Confessions of an Advertising Man” is a classic in the industry.
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Gary Halbert: Renowned for his mastery of direct response marketing, Gary Halbert’s work has left a significant impact on the field.
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John Caples: A legendary copywriter, Caples is known for his classic book “Tested Advertising Methods” and his work on creating effective ad campaigns.
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Joe Sugarman: As the founder of JS&A Group, Joe Sugarman is famous for his persuasive copywriting in infomercials and direct response marketing.
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Claude C. Hopkins: A pioneer of advertising and copywriting, Hopkins is best known for his work with brands like Schlitz beer and Pepsodent toothpaste.
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Dan Kennedy: A marketing and copywriting expert, Dan Kennedy has authored numerous books on marketing and copywriting, making him a respected figure in the field.
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Eugene Schwartz: Known for his book “Breakthrough Advertising” and his work on writing compelling headlines and copy, Schwartz’s influence in the field endures.
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Ray Edwards: A direct response copywriter, speaker, and author, Ray Edwards has worked with top online entrepreneurs and is renowned for his persuasive writing.
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Joanna Wiebe: As the founder of Copy Hackers, Joanna Wiebe is recognized for her conversion-focused copywriting expertise and her contributions to the industry.
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Bob Bly: A prolific author and copywriter, Bob Bly has written numerous books and articles on copywriting, direct marketing, and business.
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Ann Handley: As the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, Ann Handley is a leading voice in content marketing and copywriting. Her book “Everybody Writes” is a popular resource in the industry.
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Neville Medhora: Known for his humor and persuasive copywriting skills, Neville Medhora has worked with various startups and entrepreneurs.
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Laura Belgray: A talented copywriter with a sense of humor, Laura Belgray’s work is sought after in the entertainment and personal branding niches.
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Ray Kinsella: A prominent copywriter and marketing consultant, Ray Kinsella is recognized for his work in various industries.
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Brian Clark: The founder of Copyblogger, Brian Clark is an authority in content marketing and copywriting, helping businesses create engaging content.
- Maku Seun: Maku Seun is an authority in writing conversion sales letters, helping business owners improve sales with high converting sales pages.
Remember that the “best” copywriter for your needs depends on your specific project, target audience, and goals.
It’s essential to choose a copywriter whose style and expertise align with your objectives, whether you’re focused on direct response, content marketing, branding, or other aspects of copywriting.
What are Copywriting Quotes?
Quotes used in copywriting are taken verbatim from the writings or speeches of famous copywriters.
These sayings are not only words on stones. They list the factors that, among other professional benefits, bring in the big names and the bags.
Copywriting quotes are distilled summaries of their extensive experience. They say a lot with little words;
- Their idea and viewpoints toward copywriting
- Lessons learned from their errors
- For everyone following in their footsteps, motivation, and education. This is the reason you are here.
Copywriting quotes are ground-breaking ideas that may set you free from the chains of uncertainty as you work to advance your profession.
Copywriting Quotes from the Best Copywriters in History
1. “Let’s get to the heart of the matter. The power, the force, the overwhelming urge to own that makes advertising work, comes from the market itself, and not from the copy. A copy cannot create the desire for a product. It can only take the hopes, dreams, fears, and desires that already exist in the hearts of millions of people, and focus those already existing desires onto a particular product. This is the copy writer’s task: not to create this mass desire – but to channel and direct it.” – Eugene Schwartz
2. “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” – Elmore Leonard
3. “Copy is not written. Copy is assembled.” – Eugene Schwartz
4. “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” – David Ogilvy
5. “Your job is not to write copy. Your job is to know your visitors, customers, and prospects so well, you understand the situation they’re in right now, where they’d like to be, and exactly how your solution can and will get them to their ideal self.” – Joanna Wiebe
6. “Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.” – Howard Gossage
7. “Make it simple. Make it memorable. Also, make it inviting to look at. And make it fun to read.” – Leo Burnett
8. “Metaphors are a great language tool because they explain the unknown in terms of the known.” – Anne Lamott
9. “The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships.” – Leo Burnett
10. “We have become so accustomed to hearing everyone claim that his product is the best in the world, or the cheapest, that we take all such statements with a grain of salt.” – Robert Collier
11. “A big reason so many businesses compete on price is because they can’t prove what value they offer, so they’re stuck with the one selling point that’s a breeze to communicate: cheapness.” – Mish Slade
12. “Every product has a unique personality and it is your job to find it.” – Joe Sugarman
13. “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.” – Blair Warren
14. “Here’s the only thing you’re selling, no matter what business you’re in and what you ship: you’re selling your prospects a better version of themselves.” – Joanna Wiebe
15. “The mind thinks in pictures, you know. One good illustration is worth a thousand words. But one clear picture built up in the reader’s mind by your words is worth a thousand drawings, for the reader colors that picture with his own imagination, which is more potent than all the brushes of all the world’s artists.” – Robert Collier
16. “Instead of representing the buyer’s expectations, needs, wants, and concerns, many personas are built around a profile of what the business would like its ideal buyer to be.” – Jennifer Havice
17. “A businessman is no different from any other kind.” – Robert Collier
18. “To properly understand advertising or to learn even its rudiments one must start with the right conception. Advertising is salesmanship.” – Claude Hopkins
19. “The very first thing you must come to realize is that you must become a “student of markets.” Not products, techniques or copywriting. And not how to buy space or whatever. Now, of course, all of these things are important and you must learn about them, but, the first and the most important thing you must learn is what people want to buy.” – Gary Halbert
20. “The very first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth.” – Anne Lamott
21. “It has long been my belief that a lot of money can be made by making offers to people who are at an emotional turning point in their lives.” – Gary Halbert
22. “There is your audience. There is the language. And there are the words that they use.” – Eugene Schwartz
23. “Decide the effect you want to produce in your reader.” — Robert Collier
24. “Brevity doesn’t mean bare bones or stripped down. Take as long as you need to tell the story.” – Ann Handley
25. “What I am doing here is taking the reader by the hand and leading him exactly where I want him to go. It seems like a small point and, maybe it is, but is the little touches like this that keep the letter flowing, and the reader moving along, and, it relieves him of the burden of trying to figure out what he is supposed to do when he finishes reading a particular page.” – Gary Halbert
26. “There is a secret every professional artist knows that the amateurs don’t: being original is overrated. The most creative minds in the world are not especially creative; they’re just better at rearrangement.” – Jeff Goins
27. “The word block suggests that you are constipated or stuck, when the truth is that you’re empty.” – Anne Lamott
28. “So, before you begin the writing, be sure you know the purpose or mission or objective of every piece of content that you write. What are you trying to achieve? What information, exactly, are you trying to communicate? And why should your audience care?” – Ann Handley
29. “I’ve learned that any fool can write a bad ad, but that it takes a real genius to keep his hands off a good one.” – Leo Burnett
30. “Tap a single overwhelming desire existing in the hearts of thousands of people who are actively seeking to satisfy it at this very moment.” – Eugene Schwartz
31. “Good advertising is written from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.” – Fairfax M. Cone
32. “In writing good advertising it is necessary to put a mood into words and to transfer that mood to the reader.” – Helen Woodward
33. “The vast majority of products are sold because of the need for love, the fear of shame, the pride of achievement, the drive for recognition, the yearning to feel important, the urge to look attractive, the lust for power, the longing for romance, the need to feel secure, the terror of facing the unknown, the lifelong hunger for self-esteem and so on. Emotions are the fire of human motivation, the combustible force that secretly drives most decisions to buy. When your marketing harnesses those forces correctly you will generate explosive increases in response.” – Gary Bencivenga
34. “All the elements in an advertisement are primarily designed to do one thing and one thing only: get you to read the first sentence of the copy.” – Joseph Sugarman
35. “What matters isn’t storytelling. What matters is telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley
36. “Copy is a direct conversation with the consumer.” – Shirley Polykoff
37. “You sell on emotion, but you justify a purchase with logic.” – Joseph Sugarman
38. “In an online world, our online words are our emissaries; they tell the world who we are.” – Ann Handley
39. “The greatest thing you have working for you is not the photo you take or the picture you paint; it’s the imagination of the consumer. They have no budget, they have no time limit, and if you can get into that space, your ad can run all day.” – Don Draper
40. “Make your copy straightforward to read, understand and use. Use easy words; those that are used for everyday speech. Use phrases that are not too imprecise and very understandable. Do not be too stuffy; remove pompous words and substitute them with plain words. Minimize complicated gimmicks and constructions. If you can’t give the data directly and briefly, you must consider writing the copy again.” – Jay Abraham
41. “It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. I doubt if more than one campaign in a hundred contains a big idea.” – David Ogilvy
42. “Probably the biggest thing or biggest ‘aha’ moment I had with the process of copywriting was when I realized that copywriting was more than just being creative. I used to think, ‘Wow, let’s come up with something great and wonderful,’ and I didn’t start becoming successful, in my own eyes, until I said, ‘No, my clients are not hiring me to be creative; they’re hiring me to deliver a control.’” – Carline Anglade-Cole
43. “Marketers have a tendency to try to abstract their messages to the point that everything can be said in two to six commonly used words, which somehow gives us the comforting sense that we’ve created a polished marketing message. As if that’s the goal. Let me leave you with this: polish doesn’t convert.” – Joanna Wiebe
Final thoughts on Copywriting Quotes
There is much more you can do to level up your content and garner more attention, more sales, and a better response to everything you do than just reading copywriting quotes.
To produce effective copy, you don’t even need to be a fantastic copywriter! Many of the greats in the history of copywriting have said that they are bad writers. But they excel at persuasion through language.
Your website and landing pages may both benefit from strong copywriting. Your social media’s reach might increase as a result. Even your emails are more effective as a result.
One of the most in-demand skills is copywriting. I’m not arguing that copywriting will make you wealthy, but a lot of businesses need great copy.