How to Write Great Marketing Copy (And Generate More Ideas, Faster)
The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)
Formatting, structure and guardrails for writing
Dave outlines formatting, story/problem/solution structure, and using sections and numbered lists as guardrails.
314 | In this episode, Dmitry Shamis sits down with Dave to break down how Dave writes—the process behind emails, newsletters, landing pages, and posts that get attention. They talk about why Dave starts with the hook, why editing matters more than writing, and why most B2B marketing fails by trying to say too much. Dave also shares how podcasting shaped his thinking, why formatting is underrated, how he decides when something is “done,” and why shipping beats waiting for perfection. If you want to learn more behind Dave’s writing, creation, and marketing this episode is a great one for you; Dave shares a bunch of his behind the scenes style that he’s not shared on the podcast before.
What’s Your Process? is hosted by Dmitry Shamis—co-founder of OhSnap!, former Head of Brand and Creative at HubSpot, and one of the early pioneers of self-service brand systems for B2B tech. The show is an in-depth look at the processes behind top marketers, with past guests including Jess Cook, Ross Simmonds, Eddie Shleyner, Lashay Lewis, and Melissa Rosenthal.
Timestamps
- (00:00) - – Why this conversation matters
- (05:48) - – Dave’s background and path into marketing
- (10:03) - – What Dave is world-class at (and why copy is the leverage)
- (14:38) - – Why hooks come first and editing beats writing
- (19:58) - – How podcasting sharpened Dave’s instincts
- (25:28) - – Formatting, focus, and making writing easier to read
- (33:59) - – Deciding when something is “done” and when to ship
- (40:29) - – Why most B2B marketing fails by trying to say too much
- (47:14) - – Raising the bar, big bets, and making hard leadership calls
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Brought to you by:
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Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
- They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
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