Dear Reader,

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When I was 20, I wrote a college thesis about boudoirs. I even applied for a grant to visit Paris for a month & see 19th century Chateaux. I asked my very cool writerly friend who'd gotten the grant the year before for his tips in nailing the application.
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He sat me down, looked me square in the eye, & told me his strategy:
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"You've got to start your letter like this…"
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I leaned in.
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"In order for me to be able to write my thesis, it is absolutely necessary for me to conduct firsthand research in France."
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I had to make it seem like without this research, there was no way I could write my thesis. I took his advice, wrote that sentence, got the grant, & had the best summer of my life in Paris! 🥂 👒 🏰 💃 💯

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In addition to this tactic being downright persuasive, this boudoir anecdote brings up a very important concept to copywriters:
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​THE POWER OF THE SWIPE​
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A "swipe" is an exemplary piece of copy that has come before that you can use as the backbone for your piece.
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This is a "themeplate" rather than a "template": it's not about a copy and paste situation. It's about studying the persuasion techniques and making it your own.
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Start keeping a swipe file of your favorite pieces of copy. When you get a great email, sales page, facebook ad, etc, simply SWIPE IT.
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Hope you enjoyed this bit of copywriting inspo for the day! Hit me back with any questions you have about boudoirs...or copy.

Xo,

Elyssa

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P.S If you enjoyed this email, check out the party that's happening on LinkedIn about it! It includes an epic comment from my favorite college Professor, John Stilgoe.