Copywriting Friday: Working hard vs. hardly working

Published: May 2025

Lead generation is the lifeblood of many businesses. It’s so crucial that it’s resulted in a mini-industry of businesses that make their living by offering a dizzying variety of lead-gen apps, services, and advice.

Yet if the goal is merely “lead generation,” then all the apps, services, and advice is unnecessary: Simply go on social media and offer “free beer!” You’ll have plenty of leads, guaranteed.

The real goal, of course, is to generate qualified leads in your market. They may represent a tiny fraction of the “free beer” crowd, but they’re vastly more valuable.

So how do you find them?

The key is matching your message to your market

This is not an article that provides a list of lead-gen techniques, as useful as that sometimes can be. Instead, we want to explore the concept of how to align your message to the specific slice of market that you’re targeting. We do that by looking at three methods for attracting people who engage in one of the most popular sports—running.

Even if you’re not a runner, and your business has no involvement with the sport, you’ll be able to apply the principles to your arena.

Method 1: Appeal to as many people as possible

Just how popular is running? Over 600 million people worldwide take part. As a result, it’s common for charities to sponsor running events as part of their fundraising efforts.

One such event is the “fun run.” These are often 5K or 10K races that become annual events in communities. They can cost thousands of dollars to put on, in the hope that fees and donations from participants and the community will more than offset the cost.

Of course, the goal of these events is to attract people from all over. Sometimes, they’ll broaden the appeal by having multiple events, like 10K-5K-Run/Walk.

Race organizers put many elements in place in order to attract the most participants:

• Social media and paid campaigns.
• Press releases.
• T-shirts for everyone who registers.
• Medals for finishers.
• Cash prizes for top finishers in various categories.
• A promise to donate some proceeds to charity.

Finally, to bridge the gap between those who indicate interest and those who actually show up, registrants may receive email and text reminders, plus see retargeting ads in their social media feeds.

It’s a lot of work, but this is what’s sometimes necessary in order to cut through all the distractions and get customers—race participants—to show up. Because you’re appealing to such a broad spectrum of runners, your methods will have to be broad, too.

This method works when:

• Your offering has wide appeal.
• You’re trying to build awareness or capture market share.
• You need a large volume of leads, even if only a few convert.

Ask yourself:

• Are you using enough distribution channels to reach the full market?
• Are your benefits framed to appeal to everyone, not just experts or enthusiasts?
• Have you lowered the barriers to entry (like free trials, simple signups, or low-commitment offers)?

Method 2: Appeal to a segment

Now let’s look at a very different type of road race. The following email was sent by a manufacturer of running sandals to its list of passionate runners.

Notice how this ad feels like you’re entering the middle of a conversation other people are having. It breaks many conventional copywriting rules:

• The headline is not a benefit that entices us to read more; instead it’s a radical statement: “All We Do Is Run.”
• The pre-head is the ultimate non-informative statement: “This event needs no introduction, so I will give none.”
• Near the menu section we see terms like: “RED ROCK” and “NINE TRAILS,” which make no sense by themselves.
• There’s a quote that’s not a testimonial as much as a cryptic message: “If we had to explain, you wouldn’t understand.”

The only conventional rule this piece seems to follow is to tell us that the event will sell out, so register now.

We’re not privy to the results of this email, but suspect that it had enormous open and click-through rates. The audience of “running geeks” needs no introduction to “BTR” but only a link to registration.

Though few copy rules were followed, a big one was—know your audience. The cryptic nature of the message makes the reader feel good, knowing what the message means and knowing that many people will have no clue.

This method works when:

• Your product appeals to a niche with a distinct culture or vocabulary.
• You want to build trust quickly with a highly targeted audience.

Ask yourself:

• What language, references, or memes does your ideal customer use?
• Can you make them feel seen—like an insider—in your messaging?
• Are you accidentally diluting your message by trying to make it “too accessible”?

Pro tip: Listen to how your ideal customers speak on forums, Reddit, YouTube, or in customer support tickets. Lift phrases directly.

Method 3: Appeal by not appealing at all

If you think the “Born to Run” email is the ultimate insider messaging, think again.

The Barkley Marathons race is in a class of its own:

• The distance is 100 miles “as the crow flies,” but the effective distance is 130 miles, which you must complete within 60 hours.
• Although other races are as long, this one includes about 54,000 feet of vertical climbing through dense forests and another 54,000 feet of descent. Note: Mt. Everest is 29,032 feet above sea level.
• It is held in Frozen Head State Park. A penitentiary is located there because the terrain is too difficult for escaped convicts. One tried and failed after a few hours.
• There are no “aid stations” except for two places where some water jugs are placed, but sometimes they’re frozen solid.

So exactly how difficult is it? In the first 25 years of the race, ten people finished. Only 20 runners have completed the course out of about 1,000 who started.

That’s about the race. Now about the promotion:

• There is no promotion. In fact, the exact requirements and details about how to submit an entry…are secret.
• World-class runners routinely apply and are routinely rejected.
• Other ultra events have application fees in the hundreds of dollars. The Barkley application fee is $1.60. Costs are low because there are no t-shirts, no prizes. No medals or belt buckles.
• If you happen to find out by word of mouth how to apply, and if you happen to be one of the 40 people who are accepted, you will receive a condolence letter from the organizer.

It’s the extreme exclusivity of this event and its quirkiness that makes it known worldwide. Talk about “message to market match”: the more difficult the race and obscure the rules, the more attractive it is to an exceedingly small group of people—and the more viral the event becomes for everyone else.

But before you dismiss The Barkley Marathons as relating to people who have been out in the sun too long, consider this: The American Express Centurion Card is the Barkley of credit cards:

• You cannot apply for the card, and there are no published eligibility rules.
• American Express has published no images of the card, but we know it’s black and made of carbon fiber. You also receive a chip-embedded wristband designed by Prada.
• The initiation fee is thought to be $10,000, with an annual fee of $5,000.
• You are expected to charge somewhere between $250,000 and $1 million per year to remain in good standing.

Neither Barkley nor the Centurion Card needs to advertise its wares. The narrower you focus, the deeper you resonate.

This method works when:

• You want to create a premium, high-status offering.
• You’re targeting a tiny fraction of elite customers.
• You want your product to become a talking point.

Ask yourself:

• What could you offer that’s not for everyone—but perfect for your top 1%?
• Could you remove public pricing or make the offer “invite only”?
• Is there something so special you’d only offer it to your longest-term, highest-spending customers?

This doesn’t have to be a whole business model. It could be a secret menu item, a limited-edition version, or a concierge-tier experience.

Narrow is beautiful

When focusing on your own business, it’s worth thinking about what else you can offer the top fraction of a percent of your customers. Often, these people buy everything you have, stick around forever, and are your biggest ambassadors.

Is there a slice of that slice that might be delighted to buy or experience something even more rarefied? And even at the mid-level of your customer base, are there multiple mini-segments that might enjoy a targeted offering?

As we’ve said before, speaking to individuals can be far more effective than targeting vast, indistinct masses.

See you next time on Copywriting Friday.

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