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Level up your copywriting w/ Sam Parr | E2226

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Dec 20, 2025

Guest

Sam Parr

Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle and co-host of My First Million, shares his insights on mastering copywriting. He emphasizes timeless techniques from advertising greats and explains why long-form content captivates readers. Sam reveals how to effectively use AIDA for compelling marketing and discusses the balance between AI assistance and human creativity in writing. He advocates for narrative-driven content that resonates emotionally. Finally, Parr highlights the importance of practicing copywork and engaging storytelling for founders.

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ADVICE

Use AIDA To Structure Persuasion

Use AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action to structure any persuasive message.
Write the fewest words necessary to move someone through that slope to take the action you want.

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INSIGHT

Length Serves Emotional Investment

There's no such thing as 'too long', only 'too uninteresting'; length serves depth and emotional investment.
Target the 5% of readers who will become advocates rather than trying to please every skimmer.

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ADVICE

Write Simple, Start With The Big Idea

Start with the big idea, then write like you speak using simple words at a 4th–6th grade level.
Use active voice, remove adverbs, and write as if addressing one person directly.

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How Sam Discovered Copywriting

01:50 • 1min

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Studying Advertising Greats

03:17 • 5min

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Why Long-Form Copy Works

There's No Such Thing As Too Long

14:32 • 2min

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Practical Writing Rules

16:14 • 2min

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How Sam Uses AI in Writing

18:10 • 1min

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Brainstorming Angles and Evidence

19:30 • 3min

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Copywork: Practice by Imitation

22:18 • 5min

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Getting Founders to Practice Writing

26:57 • 2min

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What Should Be Above the Fold

28:38 • 4min

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Words vs Images vs Video

32:28 • 3min

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Storytelling and Intent Matter

35:30 • 3min

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Money Wise and Sharing Financials

38:50 • 5min

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Why Sam Built Hampton

44:06 • 3min

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Membership, Moderators, and Real-Life Pivot

46:49 • 3min

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Media Strategy Inspirations

49:55 • 6min

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Founders, Newsletters, and Exit Timing

• Mentioned in 35 episodes

Confessions of an Advertising Man

David Ogilvy

First published in 1963, this book revolutionized the world of advertising and became a bible for the 1960s ad generation. It covers topics such as how to manage an advertising agency, acquire and retain clients, build great campaigns, write potent copy, and navigate office politics. The book is filled with Ogilvy's pioneering ideas, inspirational philosophy, and practical advice, making it an essential blueprint for good practice in business.

#782

• Mentioned in 47 episodes

Ogilvy on Advertising

David Ogilvy

This book provides comprehensive insights into the world of advertising, covering topics such as how to get a job in advertising, how to choose an agency for your product, the secrets behind effective advertising, how to write successful copy, and the role of research in advertising. Written with brutal candor and generosity, Ogilvy shares his extensive knowledge and experience in the industry, making it a valuable resource for both professionals and those interested in advertising.

#632

• Mentioned in 55 episodes

How to Get Rich

Felix Dennis

In 'How to Get Rich,' Felix Dennis shares his insights and experiences on building wealth. The book is distinct from other self-help or get-rich-quick guides as it emphasizes the importance of hard work, calculated risks, and ownership. Dennis discusses the necessity of execution over great ideas, the role of luck, and the need to overcome fear and embarrassment of failure. He also highlights the importance of maintaining control over one's business and the sacrifices required to achieve significant wealth. The book is known for its blunt and practical advice, reflecting Dennis's own journey from a college dropout to a multi-millionaire.

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Today’s show:

DID YOU KNOW… most of the tried and true techniques devised by marketing gurus in the ‘40s and ‘50s still apply today?

On TWiST, we’re joined by online marketing expert Sam Parr, host of “My First Million” and founder of Hampton. He’s sharing all of his top tips and tricks for making your writing more compelling, and converting your readers into new customers.

In this essential pod for any and all founders, hear Jason and Sam run down their list of the best-ever marketing books, why there’s no such this as “too long” only “too uninteresting,” when to use AI and when to rely on your own brain, why you’re the average of your five best friends, and lots more deep insights.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Sam Parr of The Hustle, Hampton, and My First Million is here to teach us how to become better copywriters

(03:59) How Sam got interested in the (then-shady) world of internet marketing

(06:26) Why Sam recommended THESE advertising books to Jason

(08:15) All the principles that ad execs developed in the ‘50s still work!

(09:43) Glengarry had it right; the magic of A.I.D.A.

(11:19) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist

(14:30) There’s no such thing as “too long,” just “too uninteresting”

(16:15) The goal is to write at a 4th grade reading level

(18:12) Why Sam only uses AI for “The Big Idea,” not the actual writing

(19:37) Why you’re the average of your five best friends

(21:14) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

(22:15) Using AI to dig in and research, to make your writing more interesting

(23:42) CopyWork: The technique that helped Sam fine tune his writing

(28:41) Avoiding “The Feature Death March”

(30:56) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist

(32:00) Words are better than images, but videos are better than anything

(34:43) Why stories make such a huge impact

(37:36) Sam and Jason are both obsessed with the book “How to Be Rich”

(43:02) First World Problems are still problems!!

(44:31) Why Sam launched Hampton and what it takes to get in

(47:10) Why scaling a community is so much harder than launching

(51:04) The lessons founders can take from Ted Turner

(58:36) What Jason likes best about My First Million

(1:00:28) It’s never too early to get your first $10 million

(1:04:07) How accurately did Producer Claude guess what Sam was going to teach us?

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Thank you to our partners:

(11:19) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist

(30:56) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist

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