Gianni Cara Profile picture
Jul 5, 2022 15 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Amazon has 1,000+ books on copywriting.

But 93% are a complete waste of your time.

These 13 books will give you an edge over other copywriters:
1/ The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion - Blair Warren

A deep dive into the psychology of persuasion.

This book talks about some controversial ideas, like how in a way, we're all manipulators.

If you're not open-minded, my advice is to skip this one.
2/ Made to Stick - Chip and Dan Heath

Why do some ideas go viral while others die?

This is the main question this book tries to answer.

And since in copy coming up with a "Big Idea" is critical...

This book will give you the tools to do that.
3/ The Anatomy of Story - John Truby

The best copywriters are storytellers.

But the best storytellers are in Hollywood.

If you want to learn storytelling from the source, this is the book you must read.
4/ Breakthrough Advertising - Eugene Schwartz

Ok, time for a classic.

This one is not an easy read for beginners.

But if you only understand the "5 stages of awareness" concept...

You'll be already ahead of 97% of the copywriters out there.
5/ Great Leads - Mark Ford

Once you understand the "5 stages of awareness" concept...

This book will show you how to make the most out of it with the 6 types of leads.

The headline and the lead are the 80/20 of copy.

That's why this book is a must-read.
6/ The Emotion Thesaurus - Becca Puglisi, Angela Ackerman

This is a book you can consult at any time when you need to craft emotion in your writing.

It will teach you how to transform boring sentences like "I was feeling ashamed" into "I couldn't look my wife in the eyes."
7/ The Normal Personality - Steven Reiss

Steven's book reveals the 16 basic desires of human beings.

And there's nothing more powerful than tapping into your customers' desires.
8/ The Architecture of Persuasion - Mark Ford

If you can write killer sales pages, you can write any other type of copy.

This book lays down the structure of high-converting sales pages.

Mark is a partner at Agora, the highest-earning copywriting company in history.
9/ How to Write a Good Advertising - Victor Schwab

I'm a huge advocate for learning the fundamentals.

This is my favorite book on the key principles of copy.

And a masterclass in how to write great headlines.
10/ Automatic Clients - Alen Sultanic and Robert Neckelius

Alen is a genius marketer and copywriter.

In this book, he explains from A to Z how to build a profitable funnel.

If you want to use your copy skills to scale online businesses, this book is for you.
11/ Flip the Script - Oren Klaff

"Getting people to think your idea is their idea."

People are sick of being marketed and sold to.

This book shows you a new way to approach persuasion.

Instead of pushing your idea, you guide your buyers to discover it on their own.
12/ Building a Second Brain - Tiago Forte

Copywriters are idea machines.

We're all the time:

- Capturing great ideas
- Associating one idea with another.
- Transforming ideas into selling arguments.

This book will give you the systems to do that.
13/ Decoded - Phil Barden

"The science behind why we buy."

Do I need to say anything else?

Understanding people's buying behavior is a copy superpower.
Now get reading!

If you found this useful:

1. Follow me @giannicara for more on copywriting
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More from @giannicara

Nov 10, 2022
New to copywriting?

Here are 7 tips to go from"I don't know what the fu*k I'm doing" to $$$:
1/ Pick ONE good book

Take 3 different recipes and go bake a cake.

You'll end up with a Frankenstein.

Copy is the same.

Each book is a little different. Reading more books can create more confusion than help.

Pick either The Adweek or Good Advertisement and start baking.
2/ Dissect old promos

Got the fundamentals? Time to see them in practice.

Why old promos?

Because they are more obvious.

New promos are more nuanced since customers are now more sophisticated.

Start with the old and move to the new promos once you feel confident.
Read 10 tweets
Oct 24, 2022
The secret behind magnetic brands like Apple and Nike:

Archetypes.

Here are 12 Brand Archetypes to help you find yours:
1/ Creator

Personality traits:
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Nonconformity

➔ Goal: Give form to a vision
➔ Brand example: Apple
2/ Sage

Personality traits:
- Clarity
- Rational
- Truth-seeking

➔ Goal: Understand the world
➔ Brand example: Wikipedia
Read 16 tweets
Oct 22, 2022
One of the most important skills of 2022:

Writing Effectively.

It's helped me:
- Build a 20,000 audience
- Make $30,000 in one week
- Work for a 9-figure entrepreneur

Here are 7 principles that’ll make you a powerful writer:
1/ Follow the rule of ONE

- Write for one person
- Focus on one problem
- Deliver on one outcome

Many times writers promise 7 frameworks, and then they start sharing lessons, principles, and other unrelated stuff.

Don’t digress. Keep true to your initial promise.
2/ Back up claims

Don’t assume people will believe you.

When making a statement, also share:

- A story to prove your point
- An example to show it in action
- A result or a study to back it up

With all the BS that’s out there, you want to show up as a credible source.
Read 11 tweets
Oct 17, 2022
I made $30K in a week after only 3 months on Twitter:

- Without a sales page
- Without testimonials
- Without heavy promotion

Here are 7 principles I used to create an irresistible offer (that you can too):
1/ Don’t focus on benefits

Benefits don’t get the sale.

Outcomes do.

People trade money for a new future.

And the more specific the outcome, the better it is. Image
2/ Create benefits to reinforce the outcome

Benefits are still useful.

But the key is to avoid the toss-salad approach.

Don’t throw a bunch of benefits to appeal to everybody.

Focus only on the benefits that amplify the outcome. Image
Read 10 tweets
Oct 15, 2022
5 reverse psychology tactics to close more deals (and become a master in persuasion):
1/ Ask "NO-based questions"

People feel safer saying "no."

They don't want to say "yes" and be responsible for the outcome.

Plus saying "no" makes them feel in control.

So instead of asking:

➔ "Would you agree to do X?"

You ask:

➔ "Would you be against doing X?"
2/ The "negative" consequence of the positive

"Warning: If you apply the 5 tactics in this thread, you'll get more clients than you can handle."

The risk (more clients than you can handle) boosts the value of the thread.

It amplifies the believability of the statement.
Read 9 tweets
Oct 9, 2022
I've studied 300+ promos from the best copywriters in the world.

And they all used a powerful copywriting tool:

The 7 deadly sins.

Here's how to use them to spice up your copy (and increase your conversions):
First, if you think using the 7 deadly sins is evil, here's what you're missing:

We often have a virtuous drive buried behind these sins.

But if you appeal directly to the virtuous drive, people won't pay attention.

So here's how to use the 7 deadly sins to resurface them:
1/ Gluttony: Want more than what's necessary

😴 Copy: Steal this method to grow your company to 7 figures.

🌶️ Copy: Steal this method to grow your company BEYOND 7 figures.

Virtuous Driver: Serve more customers.
Read 12 tweets

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