Turn Words into Revenue
In today’s paid portion, there is a prompt you can use to rank blogs in Google, Perplexity, and ChatGPT. A link to a coaching call Also, if you missed this discount, here it is. Offer expires at midnight.
Engineering Demand: Turn Words into Revenue
Last time, we stripped advertising down to its bones. Hopkins-style. No fluff, no branding fog.
Just a return to the idea that your ad should sell like your best rep.
Today, we go one step further. Because understanding the rules is one thing.
Engineering demand with them? That’s where the money is made.
This issue is about stacking your offer, writing ads that move people, and building a simple system to test what actually works. It’s how to go from guessing to predictable demand—on paper, in email, on your site, anywhere.
So let’s get to work.
Start Here: The Offer Matters More Than the Words
Hopkins said that advertising can’t fix a weak product. “A good offer,” he wrote, “is your best ad.”
And yet, most business owners obsess over the headline or the font while their offer says something like:
“Book a Free Call.”
That’s not an offer. That’s a shrug.
A real offer is something people feel dumb saying no to. It has a clear benefit, low friction, and reason to act now.
Here’s how to build one:
Make the result clear: What do they walk away with? Be bold.
Remove the risk: Hopkins loved guarantees. So should you.
Add urgency with honesty: No fake countdowns—just the cost of delay.
Instead of “Book a Free Call,” try:
“Get a Free 15-Minute Blueprint to Double Your Local Leads—No Pitch, Just the Playbook.”
Or:
“I’ll show you how to find $50K in missed revenue, or I’ll donate $50 to a nonprofit of your choice.”
Now you’ve got a headline and an offer. Together, they sell.
Test Like a Mad Scientist (But Only One Variable at a Time)
This is where Hopkins’ ideas become dangerous…in the best way.
Because once your ad becomes measurable, you’re no longer spending. You’re investing.
But don’t test five things at once. That’s chaos, not science.
Start with the offer. Then test headlines. Then test the body. Then test the call-to-action. One at a time. Track everything.
You can do this on:
Facebook
Instagram
Google
Even email subject lines
Simple example:
Test A: “Get More Leads”
Test B: “Get 23 New Leads in 30 Days Without Paying for Ads”
Watch what wins. Keep the winner. Kill the loser. Repeat.
Most people won’t do this. They’ll guess. You’ll know.
Use Copy That Feels Like a Real Conversation
Hopkins hated fluff. He wrote plainly, like one human to another.
If your copy sounds like it was written by a committee (or worse AI) it’s going in the trash.
You’re not writing to everyone. You’re writing to one person with a real problem. Speak to them like you’d speak across a table:
“Here’s what we’ve seen work.”
“Here’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes.”
“You don’t need a bigger budget. You need a better offer.”
Good copy sounds spoken, not polished. That’s how you build trust.
Insert Proof Wherever Possible
Hopkins didn’t believe people would just take your word for it. He wanted specifics. Testimonials. Numbers. A track record.
Even today, the best ads are soaked in proof:
“Used by over 3,000 local business owners.”
“Generated $1.2M in booked jobs in 90 days.”
“Every client gets a case study. Ask for one.”
You don’t need to brag. You need to show.
Even if you're new, you can show proof of process:
“We use the same framework that helped a Dallas plumbing company 4x their leads last year. Now we’re opening five new slots this month.”
Stack Belief Like Dominoes
Hopkins knew that people don’t go from cold to converted in one leap. They need small, believable steps.
Here’s what that looks like:
Belief #1: “Yes, I have that problem.”
Belief #2: “Yes, it’s possible to solve it.”
Belief #3: “Yes, you seem to know how.”
Belief #4: “Yes, I trust you.”
Belief #5: “Yes, this is a good deal.”
Your ad should walk through all five in that order. Miss one, and the sale dies.
Build a System. Not Just an Ad
Most people write a decent ad and call it done. That’s like hitting one home run and retiring.
Instead, build your machine:
Create your offer
Write 3 headlines to test it
Choose 2 places to run it
Track results weekly
Cut the losers, scale the winners
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Just consistent. That’s how you move from marketing that’s random to marketing that prints cash.
Let’s Apply It
Say you run a bookkeeping business for trades. Here’s what a Hopkins-style ad system could look like:
Offer:
“We’ll uncover $10K in missed tax savings or your next month is free.”
Ad #1 Headline:
“How 1 Roofer Saved $11,426 in 34 Minutes”
Ad #2 Headline:
“Stop Overpaying the IRS—Get a Free Profit Audit”
Copy:
“We work exclusively with trades. We know your books better than your CPA does. And we’ll prove it—first month’s on us if we can’t find at least $10K in savings.”
Result:
Test both. Let the data choose. Run the winner. Improve it again next month.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t about becoming a copywriter. It’s about becoming a better business owner. One who knows how to generate demand, not just wait for it.
Hopkins never believed in magic. He believed in math. In measurement. In messages that moved people to act.
If you learn to write the way he taught—to one person, about one offer, with one action—you’ll never worry about leads again.
You’ll engineer them.
PS: Don’t forget “In today’s paid portion, there is a prompt you can use to rank blogs in Google, Perplexity, and ChatGPT. A link to a coaching call Also, if you missed this discount, here it is. Offer expires at midnight. “