Copywriting: Exercises

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1. Warm-Up - 5 Minutes

Write a sentence using this structure: "[product/service] + [generic benefit]," such as "Our service helps you work better."

Rewrite it five times, making it more concrete each time.

You cannot use:

Better.
Innovative.
Simple.
Effective.
Solution.

The purpose of this exercise is to move from a vague claim that almost any business could make to a statement that tells the reader exactly what the product does, for whom, and with what practical result.

With each rewrite, add one layer of specificity: first clarify the benefit, then the situation in which it matters, then the concrete outcome, then the problem it removes, and finally the detail that makes the claim distinctive.

Example 1 - Neighborhood bakery

Generic sentence:

"Our bakery makes breakfast more enjoyable."

1. "Our bakery gives you a more satisfying start to the day."
2. "Our bakery gives you a satisfying breakfast made with bread and pastries baked that morning."
3. "Our bakery gives you a fresh breakfast of warm bread, pastries, and coffee before work."
4. "Our bakery gives you warm croissants, fresh bread, and coffee ready for pickup before your morning commute."
5. "Pick up a still-warm croissant, a loaf baked before sunrise, and your morning coffee on the way to work."

Example 2 - House-cleaning company

Generic sentence:

"Our cleaning service helps you keep your home clean."

1. "Our cleaning service keeps your home clean without taking up your free time."
2. "Our cleaning service handles the weekly cleaning so you can spend your free time elsewhere."
3. "We vacuum, mop, dust, and clean your kitchen and bathrooms while you focus on the rest of your week."
4. "Come home to vacuumed floors, dust-free surfaces, and a clean kitchen and bathroom without spending Saturday doing it yourself."
5. "Keep your Saturday: we handle the floors, dust, kitchen, and bathrooms before you get home."

Example 3 - Personal trainer*

Generic sentence:

"Personal training helps you get in shape."

1. "Personal training helps you become stronger and fitter."
2. "Personal training helps you build strength and improve your conditioning with structured workouts."
3. "Three structured workouts a week help you build strength and stamina without guessing what to do at the gym."
4. "Follow three coached workouts a week instead of wandering from machine to machine without knowing what to train."
5. "Walk into the gym knowing exactly what to lift, how many reps to do, and what to train next."

2. Compression - 5 Minutes

Write a sentence using this structure: "With [product/service], you can [ultra-specific benefit] without [common problem]," such as "With our platform, you can organize all your team's tasks in one place without wasting time constantly switching between tools."

Write it in:

No more than 20 words.
No more than 10 words.
No more than 5 words.

The point is to preserve the strongest part of the promise while progressively removing context, qualifiers, and explanations.

Each shorter version should still communicate a recognizable benefit rather than becoming a generic slogan.

Example 1 - Dry-cleaning service

Original idea:

"With our dry-cleaning pickup service, you can get your work clothes cleaned without making an extra trip across town."

20 words maximum: "With home pickup, get your work clothes professionally cleaned without making an extra trip across town."
10 words maximum: "Get work clothes cleaned without driving across town."
5 words maximum: "Clean clothes. Skip the drive."

Example 2 - Meal-prep service

Original idea:

"With our weekly meal-prep service, you can have five ready-to-eat lunches without cooking every night after work."

20 words maximum: "With weekly meal prep, get five ready-to-eat lunches without cooking every night after work."
10 words maximum: "Get five lunches without cooking after work."
5 words maximum: "Five lunches. Zero weeknight cooking."

Example 3 - Mobile dog groomer

Original idea:

"With our mobile grooming service, you can have your dog washed and trimmed outside your home without driving to a salon."

20 words maximum: "With mobile grooming, get your dog washed and trimmed at home without driving to a salon."
10 words maximum: "Get your dog groomed without leaving home."
5 words maximum: "Dog groomed. Car stays parked."

3. From Product to Benefit - 10 Minutes

Product: insulated water bottle that keeps water cold for 24 hours. Write:

A feature-based headline.
A benefit-based headline.
A problem-based headline.
A desire-based headline.
A headline that never mentions the product.

To create these variations, start with one factual characteristic and deliberately change the angle rather than the product itself.

A feature describes what the product has or does.
A benefit explains what that feature gives the customer.
A problem identifies the frustration the feature removes.
A desire focuses on the state the customer wants to experience.

The final version removes the product entirely and sells only the outcome.

For the insulated water bottle:

Feature: "Keeps Water Cold for 24 Hours."
Benefit: "Cold Water From Your Morning Commute to Your Evening Workout."
Problem: "Stop Taking a Sip and Finding Lukewarm Water."
Desire: "Ice-Cold Water Whenever You Reach for It."
Without naming the product: "Still Cold When the Day Is Almost Over."

Now apply the same method to three completely different businesses.

Example 1 - Blackout curtains

Feature: Curtains that block outside light.

Feature: "Blocks Outside Light From Reaching Your Bedroom."
Benefit: "Sleep Past Sunrise Without Waking Up to a Bright Room."
Problem: "Stop Letting the Morning Sun Decide When You Wake Up."
Desire: "A Dark, Quiet-Looking Bedroom at Any Hour."
Without naming the product: "Make 10 A.M. Look Like Midnight."

Example 2 - Same-day tailor

Feature: Basic alterations completed on the same day.

Feature: "Basic Alterations Finished the Same Day."
Benefit: "Drop Off Your Pants in the Morning and Wear Them That Night."
Problem: "Stop Waiting a Week for a Hem."
Desire: "Wear the Clothes You Bought Without Waiting Days for the Fit."
Without naming the product: "Too Long This Morning. Ready Tonight."

Example 3 - Lawn-care service

Feature: Weekly mowing, edging, and cleanup.

Feature: "Weekly Mowing, Edging, and Yard Cleanup."
Benefit: "Come Home to a Cut Lawn and Clean Edges Every Week."
Problem: "Stop Giving Up Your Weekend to an Overgrown Yard."
Desire: "A Yard That Looks Taken Care of Every Time You Pull Into the Driveway."
Without naming the product: "Your Saturday Belongs Somewhere Else."

4. Change the Audience - 10 Minutes

You have to sell the same English course to three different people:

A. College student who wants to travel.
B. Manager who needs to participate in international meetings.
C. 60-year-old who wants to talk with grandchildren who grew up abroad.

Write one headline for each.

You cannot change the product, only the promise.

The key is to separate what the product is from why each person wants it.

The course remains exactly the same, but the desired outcome changes.

Start by identifying the moment in which each audience wants the product to make a difference, then write the headline around that moment.

For the English course:

A. College student: "Travel Without Letting Your English Decide Where You Can Go."
B. Manager: "Walk Into Your Next International Meeting Ready to Speak, Respond, and Make Your Point."
C. 60-year-old: "Turn 'I Wish I Could Say This' Into Real Conversations With Your Grandchildren."

Now use the same approach with three other businesses.

Example 1 - Cooking class

Same product: A six-week beginner cooking course.

Audiences: A college student living alone, a busy parent, and a recently retired person.

College student: "Cook Real Dinners Without Living on Takeout."
Busy parent: "Get Dinner on the Table Without Staring Into the Fridge for 20 Minutes."
Retiree: "Turn the Extra Time in Your Day Into Meals You're Proud to Serve."

Example 2 - Gym membership

Same product: Access to the same local gym.

Audiences: A young athlete, an office worker, and a new parent.

Young athlete: "Build the Strength That Shows Up in Your Next Game."
Office worker: "Leave Your Desk and Give Your Body an Hour of Real Movement."
New parent: "Make One Hour Yours Again-and Use It to Get Stronger."

Example 3 - Photography course

Same product: A weekend photography course.

Audiences: A traveler, a small-business owner, and a new grandparent.

Traveler: "Come Home With Photos That Look as Good as the Trip Felt."
Small-business owner: "Take Product Photos You'll Actually Want Customers to See."
New grandparent: "Capture the Moments Your Family Will Still Be Looking at 20 Years From Now."

5. Turn Weak Into Strong - 10 Minutes

Original:

"Discover our new app for managing your finances quickly and easily."

Create three versions:

1. More specific.
2. More intriguing.
3. More credible.

Then remove from every version any word that a competitor could easily use.

Start by identifying why the original is weak: "discover," "new," "quickly," and "easily" communicate almost nothing distinctive.

Strengthen it by replacing adjectives and generic claims with actions, numbers, or observable outcomes.

Then perform a second edit and ask: "Could a competitor copy this sentence without changing anything?"

If the answer is yes, the sentence still needs specificity.

For the finance app:

1. More specific: "See Your Accounts, Monthly Spending, Bills, and Savings in One Dashboard."
2. More intriguing: "Find Out Where Last Month's Paycheck Actually Went."
3. More credible: "Automatically Sort Every Transaction Into Categories You Can Review and Correct."

Now remove language that could belong to almost any finance app and push each statement toward something concrete:

1. "See Checking, Savings, Credit Cards, Upcoming Bills, and This Month's Spending on One Screen."
2. "Open Your Paycheck and Follow Every Dollar From Deposit to Rent, Groceries, Subscriptions, and Savings."
3. "Every Transaction Is Categorized Automatically-and You Can Correct Any Category With One Tap."

Now apply the exercise to three completely different businesses.

Example 1 - Dental practice

Weak original:

"Experience high-quality dental care in a comfortable environment."

1. More specific: "Get Your Exam, X-Rays, and Cleaning in a Single Appointment."
2. More intriguing: "What If Your Next Dental Visit Didn't Take Half Your Afternoon?"
3. More credible: "Your Dentist Reviews Your X-Rays With You Before Recommending Any Treatment."

Example 2 - Steakhouse

Weak original:

"Enjoy delicious steaks and excellent service."

1. More specific: "Choose Your Cut, Weight, and Doneness Before It Hits the Grill."
2. More intriguing: "Your Steak Should Arrive Exactly as Pink-or Not Pink-as You Ordered It."
3. More credible: "Every Steak Is Cut In-House and Cooked to the Temperature You Choose."

Example 3 - Moving company

Weak original:

"We make moving easy and stress-free."

1. More specific: "We Pack, Label, Load, Transport, and Unload Every Box."
2. More intriguing: "What If Moving Day Started With Empty Hands Instead of a Roll of Packing Tape?"
3. More credible: "Every Box Is Labeled by Room Before It Goes Onto the Truck."

6. CTA Workout - 5 Minutes

Context: Software that offers a 14-day free trial.

You cannot write:

Learn More.
Get Started.
Try It Free.

Write seven different CTAs.

A useful CTA should tell the reader what happens immediately after the click or connect the click to the result they want.

Avoid generic commands and look for specific actions, outcomes, or low-friction commitments.

For the software:

Start My 14 Days.
Build My First Project.
See My Workspace.
Create My First Workflow.
Put It to Work for 14 Days.
Set Up My Account.
See What I Can Do in 14 Days.

Now apply the same principle to three businesses.

Example 1 - Yoga studio offering a complimentary first class

Instead of generic CTAs such as "Learn More" or "Sign Up," connect the action to the actual experience:

Reserve My Mat.
Book My First Class.
Choose My Class.
See This Week's Classes.
Find a Time That Works.
Save My Spot.
Join My First Session.

Example 2 - Restaurant offering online reservations

The desired action is not "learning" about the restaurant; it is securing a table:

Reserve My Table.
Find a Table Tonight.
Choose My Dinner Time.
See Available Tables.
Book Dinner for Two.
Pick My Time.
Save Me a Seat.

Example 3 - Local gym offering a complimentary introductory session

The CTA can focus on the first concrete commitment rather than the broader idea of joining a gym:

Book My First Workout.
Reserve My Intro Session.
Choose My Training Time.
Meet My Trainer.
Plan My First Workout.
Find My Session.
Put My First Workout on the Calendar.

7. Editing - 5 Minutes

Choose the strongest piece of copy from everything you just wrote and make three passes:

Pass 1: Cut 20% of the words.
Pass 2: Replace at least two abstract words with concrete images or actions.
Pass 3: Make the first sentence impossible to confuse with a competitor's.

Each pass has a different purpose: the first removes unnecessary language, the second makes the copy easier to visualize, and the third adds details that make the statement belong to one particular business.

Here are three examples using three different businesses.

Example 1 - Bakery

Starting copy:

"Start your morning with a fresh and satisfying breakfast prepared every day at our neighborhood bakery."

Pass 1 - Cut approximately 20%:
"Start your morning with a fresh breakfast prepared daily at our neighborhood bakery."

I removed language that added little meaning, particularly "satisfying" and "every day," since "daily" communicates the same idea more efficiently.

Pass 2 - Replace abstract language with concrete images or actions:
"Start your morning with a warm croissant, a crusty loaf, and coffee poured before work."

"Fresh breakfast" becomes specific food the reader can see, smell, and imagine eating, while "start your morning" is tied to the concrete action of grabbing coffee before work.

Pass 3 - Make it unmistakable:
"Pick up a still-warm almond croissant, yesterday-free sourdough, and your first coffee before the 8:10 train."

Now the sentence contains products, timing, and a customer situation that a generic bakery could not copy without claiming those exact details.

Example 2 - House-cleaning service

Starting copy:

"Our professional cleaning service gives busy families more free time by taking care of their weekly household cleaning."

Pass 1 - Cut approximately 20%:
"Our cleaning service gives busy families more time by handling the weekly house cleaning."

The redundant qualifiers disappear, leaving the central promise intact.

Pass 2 - Replace abstract language with concrete images or actions:
"We vacuum the floors, scrub the bathrooms, and wipe down the kitchen while you spend Saturday somewhere else."

"More time" and "house cleaning" become specific actions, while "somewhere else" creates a concrete contrast with spending the day cleaning.

Pass 3 - Make it unmistakable:
"Leave us the dog hair under the couch, toothpaste on the bathroom mirror, and grease around the stove; take your Saturday back."

Instead of sounding like every cleaning company, the sentence describes the small, recognizable messes customers actually pay someone to remove.

Example 3 - Personal Trainer

Starting copy:

"Our personal training program helps you improve your fitness through customized workouts and professional guidance."

Pass 1 - Cut approximately 20%:
"Personal training improves your fitness through customized workouts and coaching."

This removes unnecessary ownership language and replaces the longer phrase "professional guidance" with the more direct "coaching," while preserving the original meaning.

Pass 2 - Replace abstract language with concrete images or actions:
"Walk into the gym knowing what to lift, how many reps to do, and when to add more weight."

"Improve your fitness," "customized workouts," and "coaching" are abstract concepts.

The revised sentence turns them into actions the customer can picture: choosing a lift, completing a specific number of reps, and progressively adding weight.

Pass 3 - Make it unmistakable:
"Every Monday, walk in with your weights, reps, and progression already mapped out-and leave knowing exactly what you'll lift next week."

The final version replaces the generic promise of personal training with a specific experience: a weekly training plan, defined weights and repetitions, measurable progression, and a clear next target.

Self-Assessment

At the end, I would give each piece of copy a score from 1 to 5 across four dimensions: clarity, specificity, desirability, and concision.