the copy minimalist

How Limitations Make You a Better Copywriter

Too many eComm teams think they need more resources to ship better work.

More time.
More budget.
More rounds of feedback.

But Ryan Reynolds learned a $200 million lesson that changes everything: constraint beats abundance.

Green Lantern had unlimited money and flopped. Deadpool had a fraction of the budget and became a phenomenon.

The difference?

Constraint forced better creative decisions.

In today's Copywriter Column, I break down why limitations make you a better writer.

When you can't throw money at every problem, you're forced to write dialogue that actually lands.

When you can't afford elaborate production, you focus on what your customer actually cares about.

When you can't say everything, you find the one thing that matters.

The principle that governs all of it: constraint channels creativity instead of limiting it.

Worth reading if you're tired of campaigns that try to do everything and connect with no one: https://www.thecopyminimalist.com/p/how-limitations-make-you-a-better-writer

Matt

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
Unsubscribe · Preferences

The Weekly Round Up #108

Hey, friends – It's Friday, which means I've got a fresh Weekly Round Up for you — #108. But before I dive into that, I wanted to share that this is the last Weekly Round Up for 2025. I've got a message queued up to share why that's the case early next week. Just know – it's for a good reason ;) That said, here's what I've curated for you this week: Copy Tip: Good copy doesn't just sound right. It LOOKS right. Differentiating Brands with Generosity, Surprise, and Delight (via Brand Strategy...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

The Weekly Round Up #107

New Weekly Round Up (#107) – it's here. Most seasonal copy reads like someone dumped a pumpkin spice latte on a keyboard. There's a better way — and it starts with choosing different words entirely. Also inside: one-word edits and some truly exceptional copy from OLUKAI. Here's what I lined up for you: Copy Tip: Why Verbs Beat Nouns in Seasonal Marketing Full Funnel Marketing Strategy Guide (via Shopify) Forgetting Funnels and Building Feelings (via Hackernoon) 27 Copywriting Examples from...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

The One-Word Edit

the copy minimalist How a Single Word Can Transform Your Message In 1997, Apple launched one of the most iconic ad campaigns in history: "Think Different." But here's a thought experiment: What if it had been "Think Differently" instead? Grammatically correct. Perfectly safe. And... completely forgettable. "Think Differently" would have been an instruction telling you how to think, like advice from a teacher or consultant. But "Think Different"? That's an identity. It tells you who to be. One...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read