Daniel Throssell - A Market Research Heresy For Copywriters

7/4/22, 11:21 AM Gmail - A market research heresy for copywriters
Joel Kelly <joelxoxkelly@gmail.com>
A market research heresy for copywriters

1 message
Daniel Throssell <daniel@persuasivepage.com> 4 July 2022 at 11:07

To: joelxoxkelly@gmail.com
“All right, you lot … who can tell me the MOST important
step in writing copy?”
Mr. Throssell scans the copywriting class for any raised hands.
The class trembles. They know better than to try answering one of these
questions.
Except for one poor kid, who’s new to the class…
You.
You look around and notice nobody else is putting their hand up … so up
goes yours.
I spot it and clap my hands.
“AHA! You there! What was your name again…”
I squint at your name card: Joel Kelly.
(“Joel … sounds like a troublemaker,” I mutter under my breath.)
“Anyway — yes, you. What is it? Come on, spit it out.”
(You stand up slowly.)
“Uh, the most important step of copywriting is, um … m-m-

market research?”
I walk up to you.
The class looks on, nervously.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=f7892f58d2&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1737438885721024867&simpl=msg-f%3A1737438… 1/8
(I’ve been known to have my … ‘moods’.)
“Very good,” I say with a smile. “That is, indeed, universally agreed to be
the most important step.”
The class lets out a collective sigh.
You smile and go to sit down … but I hold up a hand.
“One moment,” I say. “One more question:”
“How much market research is a copywriter supposed to

do?”
You smirk.
That’s an easy one.
You’ve only read it about, oh, a thousand times, in copywriting

books/courses.
You can answer without even thinking:
“As much research as possible … till you know your

prospect better than they know themselves!”
As you give your answer, you look around the class with a cocky nod.
But…
The other kids aren’t smiling.
They’re all looking, white with fear…
…right behind you.
You turn around…
…to see my face an inch from yours, contorted with rage.
And, with the veins popping out on my forehead, I scream:
“THAT … IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY

WROOOONNG!!!!”
Looks like it’ll be three strikes of the cane and detention for you.
But before I give you your whipping…
Let me give you an entirely different perspective on market research.
My view is somewhat heretical in the copywriting world.
But I believe…
99% of 'market research' advice is overkill…

and freelance copywriters should only do as little research
as they need to on every job.
Heresy!
BURN HIM WITH FIREEEEEE!
But hey.
Before you start pelting me with tomatoes and scrunched-up Gary

Halbert newsletters, consider this:
Who is it that teaches the whole “know-people-better-than-they-know-

themselves” market research mantra?
Right:
It’s all the famous, “A-list” copywriters.
The ones who write the books you read … run the websites you follow …
and make the courses you buy.
But to my mind…
Those people have lost touch with the reality of 99% of

copywriters.
They work with big, sophisticated clients who can precisely track and
measure results…
They get paid enormous fees to cover their time taken to do research…
And they can take weeks — even months — to get their job done right.
But you?
You can’t do that.
If you are like the vast majority of copywriters…
You’re working with a small business … on a small budget … with a tight

deadline.
So while these copywriting ‘elite’ can virtue-signal about how they spend
months psychoanalysing their market 100 ways to Sunday … and lecture
you on how you should be doing the same thing…
It’s completely impractical in the real world.
My view, plain and simple, is this:
The amount (and kind) of market research you should do

depends on the size, budget and complexity of your
project.
Market research is NOT a one-size-fits-all affair.
And quite frankly, in 99% of cases, you’re probably doing too much of it.
You do NOT have to call up 5 of your client’s customers on the phone, go

out and buy the product, and create a 67-page customer avatar for every
sales page you write. Especially if you’re earning just $250 to write it.
On the other hand … sometimes trawling Reddit and Amazon for hours
from the safety of your computer (like many courses teach you) is just
NOT ENOUGH for the job you’re doing.
But … HOW do you know when to do the different kinds of research? And
when to stop?
THAT is what led me to create my revolutionary course on market

research…
Market Detective.
Market Detective shows freelance copywriters how to do market research

on any new job.
But it is not based in airy-fairy theory-land.
Because I created the course while I was still a working freelance

copywriter.
I still had, fresh in my mind, the experience of dealing with clients who
couldn’t and wouldn’t “test” my copy for a few months before evaluating
it.
Of course I tried to write good copy … but if they didn’t like it, that was it
for me.
And so…
I came up with a different approach

to market research.
I called it “ethically lazy” research.
Unlike other people, who just laid out their process for doing the Best
Research Ever On Every Single Job™…
I showed copywriters how to do only the minimum research they HAD to

do on every job…
And also how to make sure the CLIENT was happy with the copy.
And then, I put it into a course entirely dedicated to market research

(NOT JUST ONE MODULE IN THE COURSE!) — something nobody had
ever done before me.
And to this day…

Market Detective is the best and most practical resource

on market research for freelance copywriters who are
working in the real world, not guru fairy-land.
Unlike everything else you’ve ever seen on market research … it’s so

much more than just a one-size-fits- all “list of questions to answer and
where to find the answers”.
It’s a full, five-stage, graded system that caters for everything:
Not only for a $10,000 sales page project … but also for a $100
homepage rewrite on Upwork.
There is simply nothing else like Market Detective in the copywriting

world.
And so, class, your

homework assignment for today:
To click the time-travel link at the end of this email, where you will find a
link to this course…
…and then buy and take the course.
(The class lets out a collective groan at the knowledge they’ll have to be
shelling out so much money for their homework tonight.)
Oh, shut up, you bunch of whingers.
There’s the school bell, anyway.
Class dismissed!
Except … YOU, Joel.
I beckon you over with my finger…
Then reach into your pocket … and pluck out a small black remote.
“Well, well, well!” I say. “You know my rule on time-travel remotes in

class!”
“But sir!” you protest. “I wasn’t using—”
“DETENTION!!!”
I place a thumb on the button of your time-travel remote and start

squeezing.
A parallel-universe portal starts growing in front of you.
Through it, you see…
A giant … labyrinth?
With … dinosaurs?
And a large sign that reads:
MARKET RESEARCH
MAZE
“No! Please!” you beg. “Don’t send me THERE!”
“You can go home when you escape the maze,” I grin.
And then with a last push…
I depress the red button on your time-travel remote—
+24 HOURS
Next Episode: "Market Research Maze"
Or pass on the story & free bonus item … and just read the sales page
for Market Detective instead
"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth." –Romans 1:16
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you're really angry at me, hit it hard. It won't make a difference, but it might help you calm
down.)
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7/4/22, 11:21 AM Gmail - A market research heresy for copywriters

Joel Kelly <joelxoxkelly@gmail.com>

A market research heresy for copywriters

Daniel Throssell <daniel@persuasivepage.com> 4 July 2022 at 11:07

Except for one poor kid, who’s new to the class…

I spot it and clap my hands.

“AHA! You there! What was your name again…”

I squint at your name card: Joel Kelly.

(“Joel … sounds like a troublemaker,” I mutter under my breath.)

“Anyway — yes, you. What is it? Come on, spit it out.”

(You stand up slowly.)

“Uh, the most important step of copywriting is, um … m-m-

The class looks on, nervously.

(I’ve been known to have my … ‘moods’.)

The class lets out a collective sigh.

You smile and go to sit down … but I hold up a hand.

“One moment,” I say. “One more question:”

“How much market research is a copywriter supposed to

That’s an easy one.

You’ve only read it about, oh, a thousand times, in copywriting

You can answer without even thinking:

“As much research as possible … till you know your

The other kids aren’t smiling.

They’re all looking, white with fear…

…right behind you.

You turn around…

…to see my face an inch from yours, contorted with rage.

And, with the veins popping out on my forehead, I scream:

“THAT … IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY

But before I give you your whipping…

Let me give you an entirely different perspective on market research.

My view is somewhat heretical in the copywriting world.

99% of 'market research' advice is overkill…

BURN HIM WITH FIREEEEEE!

Before you start pelting me with tomatoes and scrunched-up Gary

Who is it that teaches the whole “know-people-better-than-they-know-

It’s all the famous, “A-list” copywriters.

Those people have lost touch with the reality of 99% of

You can’t do that.

If you are like the vast majority of copywriters…

You’re working with a small business … on a small budget … with a tight

It’s completely impractical in the real world.

My view, plain and simple, is this:

The amount (and kind) of market research you should do

Market research is NOT a one-size-fits-all affair.

You do NOT have to call up 5 of your client’s customers on the phone, go

THAT is what led me to create my revolutionary course on market

Market Detective shows freelance copywriters how to do market research

But it is not based in airy-fairy theory-land.

Because I created the course while I was still a working freelance

I came up with a different approach

I called it “ethically lazy” research.

I showed copywriters how to do only the minimum research they HAD to

And then, I put it into a course entirely dedicated to market research

And to this day…

Market Detective is the best and most practical resource

Unlike everything else you’ve ever seen on market research … it’s so

It’s a full, five-stage, graded system that caters for everything:

There is simply nothing else like Market Detective in the copywriting

And so, class, your

…and then buy and take the course.

Oh, shut up, you bunch of whingers.

There’s the school bell, anyway.