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Legendary Copywriters

Legendary Copywriters Writing Styles


In the world of copywriting, legendary writers have honed their craft to perfection, each with their unique voice, style, and approach. They have mastered the art of persuasion, driving sales, and captivating audiences. Understanding the styles and techniques of these legendary copywriters can be invaluable when writing web copy or commissioning web copy to be written.

 

Knowledge of their approaches can inform the tone, language, and structure of web copy, enabling writers to craft compelling content that resonates with target audiences. Legendary copywriters such as Joseph Sugarman, David Ogilvy, and Eugene Schwartz have developed distinctive styles that have been studied and emulated by many.

1. Frank Kern

Frank Kern's relaxed, storytelling-based approach is perfect for direct marketing, email marketing, sales pages, and social media copy. His writing style is strong in sales psychology, making him a go-to for marketers seeking to connect with their audience on a deeper level. 


  • writing style: relaxed, storytelling-based, strong in sales psychology.

  • Suitable for: direct marketing, email marketing, sales pages, social media copy.

2. Jon Benson

Jon Benson's aggressive, emotionally appealing, and convincing style makes him a top choice for video sales letters (VSLs) and copywriting for fitness and health products. His writing is not for the faint of heart; it's for those who want to stir emotions and drive action.  


  • writing style: aggressive, emotionally appealing, convincing.

  • Suitable for: video sales letters (VSLs), copywriting for fitness and health products.

3. Gary Halbert

Gary Halbert's direct, simple, and extremely sales-focused approach is best for sales copy, print ads, direct mail, and info products. His writing style is a masterclass in getting straight to the point, with no fluff or filler.  


  • Writing style: Direct, simple, extremely sales-focused.

  • Best for: Sales copy, print ads, direct mail, info products.

4. Joseph Sugarman

Joseph Sugarman's storytelling-oriented, compelling, and suspense-building style is ideal for advertising physical products, ads, direct mail, and e-commerce. He knows how to craft a narrative that keeps readers engaged and eager for more.  


  • Writing style: Storytelling-oriented, compelling, builds suspense.

  • Best for: Advertising physical products, ads, direct mail, e-commerce.

5. Eugene Schwartz

Eugene Schwartz's psychologically sophisticated, creative, and market-dynamics-driven approach makes him perfect for sales letters, print advertising, and direct sales strategies. His writing is a testament to the power of understanding human psychology and leveraging it to drive sales.  


  • Writing style: Psychologically sophisticated, creative, makes targeted use of market dynamics.

  • Suitable for: Sales letters, print advertising, direct sales strategies.

6. Mark Ford AKA Michael Masterson

Mark Ford, also known as Michael Masterson, brings a practical, easy-to-understand, and strategic approach to business communications, content marketing, and strategic advertising copy. His writing style is a breath of fresh air, making complex concepts seem accessible and actionable.  


  • Writing style: Practical, easy to understand, strategic.

  • Suitable for: Business communications, content marketing, strategic advertising copy.

7. Ryan Deiss

Ryan Deiss's digital-focused, data-driven, and conversion-oriented style is tailor-made for digital marketing, funnel strategies, and landing pages. He knows how to craft copy that resonates with the digital natives and drives real results. 


  • Writing style: Digital-focused, data-driven, conversion-oriented.

  • Best for: Digital marketing, funnel strategies, landing pages.

8. Claude Hopkins

Claude Hopkins's scientific, test-based, and rational approach is perfect for direct marketing, ads with proven results, and product promotion. His writing style is rooted in data and experimentation, making it a great fit for marketers who value evidence-based decision making.  


  • Writing style: Scientific, test-based, rational.

  • Best for: Direct marketing, ads with proven results, product promotion.

9. David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy's brand-focused, informative, and elegant style is best for branding, print ads and high-end products. His writing is a masterclass in sophistication and refinement, making it perfect for luxury brands and high-end marketing.  


  • Writing style: Brand-focused, informative, elegant.

  • Best for: Branding, print ads, high-end products.

10. Bob Bly

Bob Bly's technical, direct, and informative approach is ideal for B2B marketing, technical products, and content marketing. His writing style is a testament to the power of clarity and precision in technical writing.  


  • Writing style: Technical, direct, informative.

  • Best for: B2B marketing, technical products, content marketing.

11. Matt Furey

Matt Furey's personal, entertaining, and direct style makes him a top choice for fitness and health products, as well as storytelling-based copywriting. His writing is infectious, making readers feel like they're part of a conversation, not a sales pitch.  


  • Writing style: Personal, entertaining, direct.

  • Best for: fitness and health products, storytelling-based copywriting.

12. Clayton Makepeace

Clayton Makepeace's aggressive, high-converting, and emotional style is perfect for the finance and health industries, as well as direct marketing. His writing is a powerhouse, driving action and results with every sentence.  


  • writing style: aggressive, high-converting, emotional.

  • Best for: finance and health industries, direct marketing.

13. John Carlton

John Carlton's rough, humorous, direct, and rebellious approach is ideal for sales copy, email marketing, and video sales letters. His writing style is unapologetic and uncompromising, making it perfect for marketers who want to shake things up and challenge the status quo.  


  • writing style: rough, humorous, direct, rebellious.

  • Best for: sales copy, email marketing, video sales letters.

14. Carline Anglade-Cole

Carline Anglade-Cole's emotional, engaging, and authentic style is best for health and wellness copywriting, newsletters, and sales pages. Her writing is a breath of fresh air, making complex topics seem accessible and relatable.  


  • writing style: emotional, engaging, authentic.

  • Best for: health and wellness copywriting, newsletters, sales pages.

15. Gary Bencivenga

Gary Bencivenga's high-quality, sophisticated, and test-driven approach is perfect for finance and investment products, direct marketing, and print ads. His writing style is a masterclass in refinement and elegance, making it perfect for high-end marketing and luxury brands. 


  • writing style: high-quality, sophisticated, test-driven.

  • Best for: finance and investment products, direct marketing, print ads.

16. Drayton Bird

Drayton Bird's clear, direct, and often humorous approach is ideal for direct response copy, sales letters, and content marketing. His writing style is a testament to the power of simplicity and clarity in marketing.  


  • Writing style: clear, direct, often with a sense of humour.

  • Best for: direct response copy, sales letters, content marketing.

17. Stefan Georgi

Stefan Georgi's emotional, data-driven, and conversion-focused style is perfect for VSLs, Facebook Ads, and direct marketing. His writing is a powerhouse, driving real results and conversions with every sentence.  


  • Writing style: emotional, data-driven, conversion-focused.

  • Best for: VSLs, Facebook Ads, direct marketing.

18. Brian Clark

Brian Clark's educational, content-driven, and strategic approach is best for content marketing, blog articles, and online courses. His writing style is a masterclass in teaching and educating, making complex topics seem accessible and actionable.  


  • Writing style: Educational, content-driven, strategic.

  • Best for: Content marketing, blog articles, online courses.

19. Joanna Wiebe

Joanna Wiebe's creative, conversion-oriented, and test-driven style is ideal for UX writing, SaaS, and landing pages. Her writing is a testament to the power of experimentation and data-driven decision making in marketing.  


  • Writing style: Creative, conversion-oriented, test-driven.

  • Best for: UX writing, SaaS, landing pages.

20. Ben Settle

Ben Settle's polarising, provocative, and direct approach is perfect for email marketing, long-form sales copy and storytelling. His writing style is unapologetic and uncompromising, making it perfect for marketers who want to challenge the status quo and drive real results.  


  • Writing style: Polarising, provocative, direct.

  • Best for: Email marketing, long-form sales copy, storytelling.

21. John Caples

John Caples's clear, focused, and results-oriented approach is best for direct mail, print ads, and headlines. His writing style is a masterclass in simplicity and clarity, making it perfect for marketers who value direct and to-the-point communication. 


  • Writing style: Clear, focused, results-oriented.

  • Best for: Direct mail, print ads, headlines.

22. Robert Collier

Robert Collier's personal, emotional, and appealing style is ideal for direct mail campaigns, sales letters, and book copywriting. His writing is infectious, making readers feel like they're part of a conversation, not a sales pitch.

  • Writing style: Personal, emotional, appealing.

  • Suitable for: direct mail campaigns, sales letters, book copywriting.

23. Bill Bonner

Bill Bonner's intellectual, analytical, and storytelling-oriented approach is perfect for financial copywriting, newsletters, and long-form sales copy. His writing style is a masterclass in sophistication and refinement, making it perfect for high-end marketing and luxury brands.  


  • writing style: intellectual, analytical, storytelling-oriented.

  • Suitable for: financial copywriting, newsletters, long-form sales copy.

24. Victor Schwab

Victor Schwab's scientific, data-driven, and strategic style is ideal for ad optimisation, direct mail, and advertising psychology. His writing is rooted in data and experimentation, making it a great fit for marketers who value evidence-based decision making.  


  • writing style: scientific, data-driven, strategic.

  • Best for: ad optimisation, direct mail, advertising psychology.

25. Leo Burnett

Leo Burnett's creative, storytelling-heavy, and emotional approach is perfect for branding, TV ads, and print ads. His writing style is a testament to the power of imagination and creativity in marketing.  


  • Writing style: creative, storytelling-heavy, emotional.

  • Best for: branding, TV ads, print ads.

26. John Forde

John Forde's storytelling-based, compelling, and inspirational style is ideal for financial and investment copy, newsletters, and sales copy. His writing is infectious, making readers feel like they're part of a journey, not a sales pitch.  


  • Writing style: storytelling-based, compelling, inspirational.

  • Suitable for: financial and investment copy, newsletters, sales copy.

27. Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy's direct, no-nonsense approach is perfect for high-ticket sales, direct mail, and sales copy, where the goal is to persuade and convert. His style is unapologetic and straightforward, cutting through the noise to deliver a clear and compelling message. When you need to make a bold statement and drive sales, Kennedy's style is the way to go.


  • writing style: direct, no-nonsense, sales-driven.

  • Suitable for: high-ticket sales, direct mail, sales copy.

28. Brian Kurtz

Brian Kurtz's strategic, conversion-oriented, and test-driven approach is ideal for direct mail, newsletters, and marketing strategies. His style is all about precision and optimization, using data to inform and refine the messaging. By embracing Kurtz's style, you can create web copy that is constantly evolving and improving, with a laser-like focus on driving conversions. Whether you're crafting a newsletter or developing a comprehensive marketing strategy, Kurtz's approach will help you achieve your goals.  


  • writing style: strategic, conversion-oriented, test-driven.

  • Suitable for: Direct mail, newsletters, marketing strategies.

29. Richard Bayan

Richard Bayan's short, snappy, and effective style is tailor-made for headlines, advertising copy, and marketing slogans. His approach is all about brevity and impact, using fewer words to make a bigger statement. In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, Bayan's style is essential for grabbing attention and leaving a lasting impression. By incorporating his style into your web copy, you can create headlines that stop readers in their tracks and advertising copy that drives real results.  


  • Writing style: Short, snappy, effective.

  • Suitable for: Headlines, advertising copy, marketing slogans.