5 Ways TV Can Massively Improve Your Copywriting Skills

Wait, can you actually become a better writer just by binge watching your favorite Netflix shows? Yep. Here's how. From reading fiction novels to listening to true crime podcasts, to binge watching your favorite movies on Netflix, creative inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. But. But when it comes to tv, doesn't it just rot your brain and destroy your creativity? No, Mom. There's this massive misconception going around that creatives should never watch tv or that we should spend all of our free time doing something productive, like reading a business book or studying a program or taking an online course. But here's the thing. Storytellers learn how to tell better stories by consuming great stories. Period. Reading, listening, or watching. The way you consume a story doesn't really matter. And in fact, when done correctly, watching TV can massively improve your writing and marketing skills. But it's not as simple as just plopping in front of the TV with a big old bucket of popcorn and a pint of ice cream. Although I really do love that from time to time as well, there are actually five elements of the cinematic experience that you need to pay special attention to. That is, if you want to gain a massive creative edge while watching tv. And in today's video, we'll go over all five elements. And as a little fun bonus, at the end of this video, the Copy Posse team and I have compiled a list of our absolute favorite favorite TV shows and movies on Netflix. From rom coms to animated series to thrillers and everything in between, these are 10 shows and movies you can take inspiration from. Hey, Posse, what's up? It's Alex coming at you this week with another unconventional method for improving your copywriting skills. If you're new to the crew, welcome. On my channel, you'll find over 100 video tutorials where I teach you the conventional and not so conventional methods to improve your creativity, marketing, copywriting, and business skills. So go ahead and subscribe below and don't forget to hit that bell to be notified when my next video goes live. Now, the explosion of streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney, and countless others has been both a blessing and a curse for us creatives. Because like all things in life, it comes down to how you choose to use or abuse it. Everything in moderation, as they say. And I'll tell you right now that zoning out in front of the TV for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours on end will do you absolutely zero favors. Unless a new season of Drag Race is on and then you are out. Absolutely forgiven. If you want to actually benefit from the films, shows and performances you enjoy watching most, then you need to learn how to become an active participant in the experience. Or in other words, you need to start watching TV through the eyes of a writer. And there are five elements of the cinematic experience in particular that when observed carefully, can enhance your storytelling, improve your copywriting, and explode your creativity. The first thing you need to pay special attention to is, number one, the logline. A logline is that juicy one liner that describes what a movie or show is about. The logline is to film what the hook is to copywriting. It is everything. As a copywriter, you know that your hook is the single most important element of your entire piece, right? I mean, if you can nail your hook, the rest of your copy practically writes itself. Well, not really, but you get the idea. So it goes without saying that as copywriters, we can learn a lot from the loglines of movies and TV shows. Each and every logline is carefully crafted with one purpose in to hook the viewer into watching. But in screenwriting, a logline isn't just about getting a viewer to click to push play. It's also the deciding factor as to whether or not a producer will actually pick up a film at all. According to Blake Snyder in his book Save the Cat, a good logline answers the what is it? Question clearly and enticingly. Most well crafted loglines will state the central conflict of the story and provide some sort of an emotional hook to stimulate interest. Like this one from my favorite, Schitt's Creek. Suddenly broke. The formerly filthy rich Rose family is reduced to living in a ramshackle motel in a town they bought as a joke. Schitt's Creek. Now Netflix is literally a smorgasbord of amazing. Did I say that right? Smorgasborg of amazing hooks and titles for you to study and learn from. Like this one. And this one. And this one. You get the motion picture. Get it? So start studying the titles and descriptions that catch your interest. See if you can pinpoint why it captivated you. And remember to use those same attention grabbing methods in your own hooks and headlines. Alright, next up, number two, the open loop. Ha. We are all familiar with those dang cliffhangers at the end of our favorite TV shows. Wait. Rachel's still in love with Ross and is flying to London to tell him. Oh my God, will she make it before the wedding? Wait, Jon Snow was killed? What will happen now? He was supposed to save the north and winter is here. But regardless of how frustrating and antsy we all might feel there is a powerful lesson that we can learn as copywriters, which is how to craft an effective open loop in marketing. An open loop is any concept or idea that forces the brain to seek out some sort of conclusion. It piques curiosity, and you just can't help but click or continue watching in order to close that loop that's been opened in your brain. I mean, this is why so many people end up binge watching their favorite series in a single weekend. We need answers and as copywriters, we can and should be using open loops in our headlines as well as closing and opening new loops continuously throughout the body of our copy. In other words, if you want to keep people in interested in reading, then you need to give them a reason or motivation to do so. Here's an example from numerologist.com and you can push pause if you want to read this in full. This email is basically one open loop after another. As soon as one loop is closed, another one is opened all the way to the end of the email where you have to click in order to close that final loop. So while you're watching your favorite TV shows, take a mental note of the open loops that are strategically placed before each and every commercial break or at the end of each episode. What exactly is it that's keeping you watching? What loop are you looking to close in your mind? All right, now next on my list is going to be especially useful for strengthening your copywriting skills. Number three, Descriptive storytelling. What do really great TV shows and movies have in common? They have all mastered the art of transporting you out of your living room and into an entirely different world that they've created. And they do this through extremely thorough sensory detail and descriptive storytelling. The lighting, the music, the dialogue, the carefully designed costumes and landscaping, they all play a pivotal role in your cinematic experience. But all of this can be replicated just as well, if not better, through great writing. I mean, think about it. There's a reason that books turned into movies can often fall flat in the eyes of their fans. And that's because great storytelling evokes all of your senses. Smells, the sights, the tastes, the sounds. If something impacts you, consider why. What was it about that scene that made you feel sad, happy, or angry? What elements of the movie made you feel transformed, forwarded to a different time and place? Sometimes I even rewatch certain scenes to really break down what it was that left such an impression on me. Once you start appreciating the descriptive detail in the shows and movies you watch, your Writing will naturally begin to improve as a result. And bonus, this can even be a super fun way of performing some research for a project. Writing a sales page for an exotic spa located on a beautiful tropical island. What better way to really nail your descriptive storytelling than by watching a movie that takes place in a similar setting? Or better yet, just go on vacation somewhere. All right, now all ad writers can learn a thing or two from this next one on the list. Number four Teasers and Trailers My favorite Movie teasers and trailers are a great way to improve your marketing skills. I mean, think about it. Trailers are literally trying to sell you on something which is watching the full show or movie. So they need to evoke our curiosity and get us invested in the story they're selling without giving away too much or closing any loops in our minds. Like the famous trailer from the 1975 horror film Jaws. This trailer is so powerful. I mean, in just 35 seconds I was completely hooked. And aside from the moody scene and visuals, the biggest impact is being made through the narrative. If you simply just extracted the words being said and used that as a hook in an ad or an upsell email, just think of how captivating that would be and you can find tons more ad writing inspiration everywhere you look. So think which movie trailers have really captured your attention? Which ones made you add to your watch next list? Stop playing these things off as simply good movie making and start appreciating them for the great ads that they really are. Maybe even take down some notes to use as inspiration in your own ad writing. And speaking of note taking, that brings me to my last and probably my favorite tip on the list. Number five Stop working and start recharging. I know, I know, I know. You can't stop working like all the time. And I specifically said not to zone out in front of the TV for hours on end. And I do stand by that statement. But hey, I'm also not trying to make your movie watching or TV watching into another chore or task to add to your to do list. At the end of the day, watching your favorite shows and movies should really be a treat that you thoroughly enjoy doing. So please don't take this video as an excuse to over analyze anything and everything you watch. Sometimes the best way a movie night can improve your writing skills is by simply giving you some time to turn off your brain, unwind and recharge your batteries. And there is absolutely no shame in that. So the next time you go to watch your favorite show, lose the guilt, drop the expectations, and allow yourself to fully enjoy the experience. Now I am super curious. What is your favorite movie of all time? Drop a comment below to let me know. And as promised, here's Our list of 10 faves directly from the members of the Copy Posse team. Number one how to Lose a Guy in ten Days Number two Italian Job. Number three Love, Death and Robots Number four He's just not that into you. Number five Arrival. Number six Promising Young Woman Number seven the Holiday Number eight Anything from the Ocean Series. Number nine Lupin and number ten Be for. So the next time someone criticizes you for watching tv, just tell them you're doing research and enjoy. Until next time, I'm Alex. Ciao for now. Alright guys, if you enjoyed that video, make sure to check out the next one from me right here. And you can click right here to get a free gift. No, there are no magic words that you can use to instantly hypnotize your audience to get them to automatically take out their credit card and give you money. But there are some proven psychological truths based on the study of us weird humans to help make your copywriting exponentially more persuasive. So keep watching.