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Specific Problem, Mysterious Solution

There’s a guy named Parris Lampropolous who apparently “is universally regarded as one of the best living copywriters.”

Here’s some advice from Parris via The Copywriter’s Handbook

His rule of thumb for writing strong bullets: Be specific about the problem; be vague and mysterious about the solution. Plus, do it with a twist, hook, or unusual angle. 

Parris gives as an example a copywriter who had to write a promotion for a book on natural health. One of the tips in the book was that sitting on bulky objects can cause back pain. So if you have a big, bulging wallet, take it out of your back pocket and keep it in your front pocket to prevent back stress. 

The bullet that the copywriter came up with: “How a pickpocket can make your back pain better.” 

He is specific about the problem (back pain), but mysterious about the solution (how can a pickpocket help with back pain?).

Can you use this approach in your ad copy or headlines to entice people to click through or continue reading?

Updated: February 27, 2023

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