There’s this school of thought that you can get big success quickly by publicly trolling more successful copywriters than you.
The idea is simple:
1. Publish something that disses a well-known copywriter
2. Get it in front of them somehow
3. They read it, and get mad
4. They publish your work with an angry criticism of you
5. All their fans read this, check you out because they’re curious, and end up so captivated with how wonderful and amazing you are … that they end up staying on your list and buying from you.
This is … a stupid plan.
For starters, if you’re such a rookie that you need to rely on trolling people to get leads … what makes you think you’re someone these people will want to listen to?
Besides, the power of alliances is 100x stronger than the power of enemies.
Fact:
The vast majority of my career breakthroughs …
… came from friends who opened doors for me.
So my advice is simple:
Starting TODAY — make as many copywriting friends as you can.
Preferably, people MORE successful and connected than you.
Get on their lists. Reply to their emails. Build a relationship. Add real value.
It’s a harder route than just publicly shaming other copywriters in the hopes they’ll diss you back … but it works better.
HOWEVER.
There is one single exception to this rule:
When a copywriter invites you to shame them.
And it just so happens … I have one of those invitations right here in front of me.
This, from my good friend and pro copywriter Rob Allen:
“I don’t get it live by July 1st, you have full permission to publicly shame me.”
Now, “it” was a little campaign he was working on for me as a favour.
But apparently he’s too “busy” to get it done.
Oh, I’m sure he has his excuses.
His high-paying clients he needs to serve.
His Weekly Email Income Secrets newsletter he needs to publish.
Yeah, yeah, Mister “I’ve sold $50 million worth of products online, I’m so great”.
Well, Rob.
You should know better.
Because when Daniel Throssell shames you … it doesn’t end well.
So, let’s do this …
*click*
I snap my fingers and Rob appears in the room, in his pyjamas.
(Figures … it’s morning in Perth so probably evening in the US now.)
“Wha..?” he says.
“Just hang on … I need to pick a genre,” I reply, without looking up from my screen.
Hmm …
Schoolyard brawl? Done it.
Cage match? Done it.
Western? Oh, that’s a good— ah, wait, done that too.
(Rob folds his arms and taps his foot impatiently.)
Ooh … what’s this option?
“Jedi fight?”
Well, I’m no Star Wars geek … I haven’t watched a Star Wars film for years. But that looks good.
I hold my “Email Narrator Power” remote, press a button, and … bzzzzzz!
A blue lightsaber blade comes out the tip.
At the same time, our surroundings fall away, and we’re on a narrow platform in the midst of a giant cavern.
“Hey, that’s pretty cool,” I say, waving my new lightsaber around.
“Where’s mine?” asks Rob.
“Sorry,” I say, stepping toward him, lightsaber in hand. “This is your shaming … you don’t get one.”
“Ah well … gotta do what ya gotta do,” says Rob casually.
Then, he smiles.
And then … FLASH!
I jump back for a second …
… and swallow.
Rob’s now kitted out in a full Darth Vader helmet and cape …
… and in his hand is his own “Email Narrator Power” remote with a red lightsaber.
“You’re not the only email copywriter with one of these,” smirks Rob.
Then — with surprising speed — he jumps at me.
Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzzzzzttt!
Our lightsabers fizzle as we exchange blows.
This isn’t good … Rob is no rookie copywriter. He knows what he’s doing.
I step back, trying to parry his blows.
And then … FSSSHHH!
Darth Rob swings at my right arm … and cuts it clean off.
“AAAAGGHHHH!!” I scream.
My remote/lightsaber tumbles into the abyss below.
Darth Rob steps over me and holds his blade to my throat.
“Daniel … don’t fight me. Join me. With our combined copywriting skills … we could crush this industry!”
I cling to a pillar on the end of the platform.
“I’ll never join you!!!” I cry, desperate.
“If you only knew the power of the dark side … you never found out the truth about that campaign you worked on for that major SaaS company.”
“I know enough!!!” I scream. “The one funnel I wrote that never ended up getting used … because another copywriter did a better campaign. I saw your comments in the Google doc. I know you edited that campaign!” I say.
“No, Daniel …” growls Rob.
He pauses, and then adds:
“I WROTE that campaign”.
My eyes widen in horror.
“No … no … that’s not true … that’s IMPOSSIBLE!” I say.
“Search your feelings … you know it to be true,” booms Rob.
“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
And then I hurl myself off the platform, and … something … how did that movie end again?
I can’t remember.
Anyway, Rob told me recently he reckons I might just be the best copywriter in the game right now.
But personally … I wouldn’t want to go up in a split test against him.
(Last time I did was a few years back, and like I said, he won. I’m better now … but so is he.)
And as such, I can hardly publicly shame him. He’s too good.
So if you’d like to learn from Rob, you might as well go check out his weekly newsletter, Weekly Email Income Secrets.
Note: I get no commissions, no benefits, or anything for linking this — he doesn’t even know I’m doing it.
However, I am a (paid) subscriber to it and for a few bucks a week, it’s some pretty awesome sauce.
And one more thing:
If you ever do want to ‘shame’ another copywriter … this is how you do it.
Make it fun. Entertain everyone (including the person you’re ‘shaming’). Build a positive relationship. Don’t make enemies.
Otherwise, you might just end up getting your arm cut off …
Daniel Throssell