5 Absurdly Valuable Lessons I’ve Learned Working with A Viral Copywriter

Copywriting is a salesperson who never sleeps.

And these days, great copy is at a premium.

The average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8.25 seconds, according to recent studies. 

This is slightly less than the attention span of a goldfish, which is around 9 seconds.

Great copywriters have the ability to grab the attention of the consumer long enough to persuade them to take a desired action.

“What I am doing here is taking the reader by the hand and leading him exactly where I want him to go. 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

I get to work with one of the best copywriters in the world. 

The crazy thing is, that’s not even what he hangs his hat on — he’s a venture capitalist first, a founder of multiple eight-figure businesses, and a rockstar B2B influencer.

Every X thread he writes gets hundreds of thousands to millions of impressions. 

By now, he expects to go viral each time, and he is right 9 out of 10 times.

Elon Musk has even chimed in on his posts and this superstar founder/VC has become an algorithmic favorite because his copywriting is that damn good.

Here’s what I’ve learned from working with him as a newsletter writer and content manager.

Lessons Learned from Working with A Viral Copywriter

1) Take a Contrarian Stance

He tells me, “If you’re saying something that everyone agrees with, you’re not saying anything at all.”

Playing it safe is the fastest way to fade into the background. 

Your copy needs to punch through the noise, challenge the status quo, and make people sit up and think, “Hell yes, this is different!” 

If everyone agrees with what you’re saying, you’re not going to create the types of emotional reactions that lead to conversions.

The real power in brand building comes from daring to be bold. 

A Nielsen report found that 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them through shared values, but those values need to be distinct and memorable, not a rehash of generic platitudes. 

If you want your brand to stick, you need to say something that cuts through the clutter—something that might make some people uncomfortable but will make your target audience feel like you’re speaking directly to them. 

So, break away from the echo chamber, take a stand, and let your brand’s voice be one that people can’t ignore.

2) Ask, “So What?”

If you’re writing copy and not getting to the real benefit, you’re missing the mark—big time. 

“Copy cannot create desire for a product. It can only take the hopes, dreams, fears and desires that already exists 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

Too often, copywriters settle for the first idea that comes to mind, leaving the deeper, more compelling reasons buried under layers of fluff. 

That’s where the power of asking “So what?” comes in. 

Keep asking it until you’ve peeled back every layer and exposed the core benefit that will make your audience truly care. 

The viral copywriter knows that the first answer is usually superficial, the second might be a bit better, but it’s only by pushing through multiple “So what?” layers that you uncover the real value that hits home.

Take this example: Let’s say you’re selling a productivity app. 

The surface-level benefit might be that it helps users stay organized. So what? It saves them time. 

So what? It reduces their stress. 

So what? It frees them up to focus on what really matters—spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or growing their business. 

Now you’re getting somewhere. By digging deeper, you’ve moved from a generic claim to something that resonates on a personal, emotional level. 

This process transforms your copy from just another pitch into a message that connects, sticks, and drives action. 

3) Obsess over Headlines and Hooks

If you’re not obsessing over your headlines and hooks, you’re setting yourself up for failure before the first word of your copy even hits the page. 

Think of your headline as the sharp edge of your ax—it’s the difference between making a clean cut and hacking away at your audience’s attention with a dull blade. 

Abraham Lincoln once said if he had six hours to chop down a tree, he’d spend the first four sharpening the ax. 

The same goes for your headlines and hooks. 

They’re the make-or-break moment that determines whether your audience sticks around or scrolls right past. 

You need to spend as much time perfecting them as you do on the rest of your copy—maybe even more. 

Consider this: a headline like “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next” has driven countless viral campaigns because it taps into curiosity and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). 

Another killer example? “How One Simple Trick Can Save You Thousands”—it’s direct, it’s intriguing, and it promises immediate, tangible benefits. 

These aren’t just random words thrown together; they’re the result of meticulous testing, tweaking, and sharpening until they cut through the noise like a hot knife through butter. 

Your headline is often your first—and sometimes only—shot to grab attention. 

So, don’t just write a headline. Craft it like your brand depends on it—because it does.

4) Provide Value Over Everything

Here’s the cold, hard truth: your audience doesn’t care about you, your brand, or your product. 

They care about what’s in it for them. 

So, ditch the fluff and get laser-focused on delivering value.

Every word you write should answer the unspoken question: “What’s in it for me?” 

Whether you’re crafting a blog post, an email, or a sales page, your mission is to serve up something that makes your reader’s life better, easier, or more interesting.

Instead of blabbering on about how great your product is, show the reader how it’s going to solve their problem, save them time, or make them money. 

Break it down into concrete, no-BS benefits they can actually use. 

Don’t just tell them your app is easy to use—show them how it’s going to shave hours off their workweek so they can finally hit that beach vacation they’ve been dreaming about. 

Make your value so undeniable that your reader feels like an idiot for not jumping on it. 

If you’re not obsessively focused on providing value, you’re not just failing your readers—you’re failing your business.

5) Build Your Moat  

Your personal experience and unique perspective are your moat, protecting you from the sea of copycat content flooding the market.

Here’s the deal: anyone can regurgitate facts or follow the latest trends, but no one else can write from your lived experiences, your failures, your victories, and your hard-earned insights. 

When you infuse your copy with your personal story, you’re not just selling a product—you’re selling authenticity, credibility, and a connection that no competitor can replicate. 

This is what makes your brand more than just another option; it makes it irreplaceable.

So, stop watering down your copy with a generic drivel and content AI could spit out.

Lean into what makes your perspective unique, your niche of one. 

Maybe you’ve survived the trenches of a startup, learned the ropes the hard way, or uncovered an insight that no one else is talking about. 

That’s your goldmine. Your audience is looking for a voice they can trust, someone who’s been there and done that. 

By making your personal experience the cornerstone of your messaging, you’re building a brand that stands out and stands strong. 

No one else can touch that, and that’s exactly why it’s your most valuable asset.