Hello and welcome to the eleventh lesson of the course “Copywriting from zero in 30 days”. Today we are talking about what a swipe file is in copywriting, how to create it and use templates and examples to save time and effort when working as a copywriter.
What is a swipe file (meaning)?
Swipe file – is a set of pre-prepared templates and examples that copywriters use to create their own copy. In other words, it is a kind of repository of blanks and ideas for inspiration. In most cases they include:
- Blocks for wireframes or mockups
- Headlines
- Beginnings of the text
- Objection handlers
- Successful and original ads, etc.
In short, any fragments of copy (or even the whole text) that can be used as examples or samples are added here. Using a swipe file allows copywriters to save a lot of time, which means they can solve more tasks and earn more money.
Swipe file examples
Now let’s look through some examples. For convenience, each of them is separated into different documents, but you can organize the templates as you like. For example, using the same approach, or Google Sheets or special programs and services such as Evernote, OneNote, Notion, Google Keep, etc. Actually, this is more a matter of habit.
1. Wireframe blocks
On the image below you can see an example of a set of ready-made blocks for creating a wireframe. We talked about what wireframes are in the ninth lesson.
Here are some first screen variations, info blocks, benefits, clients and reviews, gallery, cases, numbers and facts, pricing plans, questions and answers, calls to action, map with the footer and so on. You can easily add here additional blocks to enhance your swipe file. By the way, if you want to download this document in PDF or use as a starting point in Google Drawings, here’s the link.
2. Headlines swipe file
Another example is the swipe file with different headlines and subheadings. There is a big lesson number 4 in this course about how to write headlines using 4U formula.
In most cases, especially when it comes to commercial texts, there is no need to store titles in a swipe file. Simply because you can always create a unique and effective headline using the 4U formula for each specific task. However, if you plan using other approaches, such as clickbait or provocation or something like that, then you can keep these variations. We’ll talk about them in one of the future lessons. So, subscribe to the channel to watch it.
3. Beginning of the text
If we talk about sales letters, articles or commercial offers, it’s very useful to keep a swipe file with the beginnings of the text. We talked about the basic approaches to their creation in the fifth lesson. And in the sixth episode we mentioned that the first lines of the copy refer to a very important second stage of AIDA model – the call of interest.
4. Facebook and Instagram ads swipe file
We can also collect interesting, creative and effective social media ads in the file as well. There are two ways to do this . The first way is hard and long: we can save the suitable ads that we see in our own feed. The second way is easy and effective: we can use Facebook ads library.
This is a free service that can be used to find all the ads that are currently running across Meta platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Here’s the link.
5. Other templates
Depending on what copy we create, we can collect other examples as a source of ideas and inspiration. For example, it can be contextual ads, organic social media posts, letters for email marketing and so on. By the way, we’ll talk about all these types of copy in the future lessons.
The principles in general are the same. We save interesting, useful, original or effective (if we know numbers) copy or its fragments.
How to create a swipe file
Many copywriters organize their swipe files however they like. There is no single standard here. Personally, I prefer to save my collections in Google Keep and create templates in environments where I develop a copy. For example, if we are talking about wireframe blocks, then it is Google Drawings or Google Docs.
And here you may ask a question: how to create a swipe file with wireframe blocks when a person is just starting the copywriting career, and he or she doesn’t have enough experience and projects yet? In this case we can just look through existing pages on the Internet, find new blocks and make templates out of them.
Here’s an illustrative example. Let’s assume that we look through this page and have found an interesting block. This one.
Then we open our Google Drawings file and create a wireframe template. Something like that. The more pages you browse, the more new blocks you find and collect, the more replete becomes your swipe file.
If we are talking about examples of advertising, say, print, contextual or in social media, then we can just take a photo or a screenshot and save it either in a special document or in a note-taking service, such as Google Keep, Evernote, OneNote, etc.
Practical task
Now it’s time to practice. Try to create your own swipe file with at least 30 elements. Use the most convenient way for you to organize it. You will succeed! Take care of yourself, subscribe and see you in the next lesson.
Best regards, Dan.