4 Free Swipe Files And How To Use Them To Write Great Copy

A swipe file is the key to easily write any kind of copy like a pro. 

It doesn’t matter if you want to write an ad, an email subject line, an entire sales letter or any other kind of copy, a swipe file will help you write better copy, much faster and easier.

It’s the copywriter’s best friend and they’re used by any copywriter, amateurs and professionals as well!

In this post you’ll discover how to build your own swipe files and how to use them to write pro-level copy. 

I’ve also linked to several resources containing done-for-you swipe files that you can start using right away… 

Plus on this post you’ll find several of my own swipe files that you can use as well.

You’ll also find a longer video that explains swipe files in complete detail.

This post is part of the free copywriting course that I’ve made to share with you almost everything I know about copywriting. 

Because copywriting is a probably the most important Internet Marketing skill.

So let’s get started…Table of Contents

What Is A Swipe File

I always open my swipe files when I’m writing any kind of copy.

A swipe file is basically a collection of successful ads, sales letters, headlines, closes, guarantees (and even words or phrases known as “hypnotic” or “magnetic” words) and any other copy. 

In this way if you’re going to write an ad or a sales letter you won’t have to stare in front of a blank screen trying to come up with ideas!

You look at all the examples in your swipe file for ideas and inspiration.

There’s a condition known as the ‘writer’s block’. It’s when you can’t write a single word, your mind goes blank. 

The easiest way to solve this issue is to build have a swipe file that you can look at for ideas and inspiration…

A sales letter is made up of certain parts or sections… like for example the headline, opening, bullet points, guarantee, close, postscript, etc. 

And you’ll find those (and other) parts in almost all sales letters.

You’ll need to add those parts to your sales letter. 

But instead of writing something from scratch, which is time consuming and difficult, you can model the examples in your swipe file.

If you’re going to write Facebook ads it would be awesome if you had a swipe file filled with successful ad examples. 

If you’re going to write a sales letter it would be awesome if you had a swipe file containing several successful sales letters.

If you need to learn how to write a sales letter I’ve made another guide about that…

How To Model The
Examples In Your Swipe File

Here’s an example of how you can model a money back guarantee. Guarantees are probably the easiest to write, because all you have to do is replace a few words with your own.

Here’s a guarantee:

100% Iron-Clad Risk-Free
60-Day Money Back Guarantee

Hey, your satisfaction is key.

And if you’re not happy, it looks bad on me. 

So if for any reason, even after 56 Days of trying the techniques in this package, you don’t agree this incredible package is worth 10 times your investment, just contact me via email and I’ll cheerfully send you a FULL REFUND on your entire purchase amount.

No questions asked. (truthfully, I’d be embarrassed to keep your money). 

In fact, you can even keep the book and the bonuses, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Sure there will probably be a few people who try to take advantage of my generous offer, but, I’m trusting you to be a decent, honest person and I’ll take you at your word.

______________________________________

Now here’s the guarantee I wrote modeling that one. All I did was replace a few words.

100% No Questions Asked Risk-Free
60-Day Money Back Guarantee

Hey, your satisfaction is key.

And if you’re not happy, it looks really bad on me. 

So if for any reason, even after 60 Days of trying the strategies and techniques in this program, you don’t agree this special offer is worth at least 10 times your investment, send me an email and I’ll happily give you a FULL REFUND.

No questions asked. You can keep the bonuses so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

I know there will probably be a few people who try to take advantage of my kind offer, but, I’m trusting you to be an honest person and I’ll take you at your word.

______________________________________

Here’s how you can model an email subject line.

Let’s assume you find these two subject lines:

Simple, Natural Garden Fertilizers – Free!

Mosquitoes Bugging You? Here’s Help.

An example of how you can model them for a computer related business would be…

Simple, Effective Antivirus Software – Free!

Popups Bugging You? Here’s Help.

Modeling existing subject lines is also as easy as replacing a few words.

The bigger your swipe file, and the more experience you have writing copy the easier it will be to write copy. 

You can also combine several ideas from different examples in your swipe files together… 

So just practice and you’ll get better at it.

Remember the examples in our swipe file are only used as a source of inspiration, to model them and to learn from them. 

We don’t copy word for word someone’s else ads or sales letters, that’s plagiarism.

And your swipe file should contain copy from any niche not just yours.

Swipe File Tools And Resources…

You can see good sales letter examples if you go to http://swiped.co From the ‘All Types’ drop down choose ‘Sales Letters’.

A great way to learn how to write each of the different parts of a sales letter is to see a lot of good examples!

You’ll find the best sales letter examples on that website because those sales letters have already sold a lot of products or services. 

That website contains other type of copy like for example Facebook Ads.

You can also find the sales letters of your best competitor’s and save them to your computer. 

If you don’t know who they are just search Google keywords about your niche and see which websites ranks on the first page – and take also a look at the Google Ads that are displayed when you perform the search.

Whenever you hear of a product that’s selling like hotcakes, chances are they have a very well written sales letter, find it and save it.

“The Ultimate Social Media Swipe File” contains 72 of the best headlines for Facebook, Twitter or your own blog.

If you’re doing Facebook Ads you can you can also spy on your best competitor’s (and non competitor’s) ads, so you can model what actually works when writing your own. 

Check this step by step tutorial showing you how to write headlines fast and easy with its fill in the blank templates!

How To Build An Email
Subject Line Swipe File

An email subject line is probably more important than the email itself. It should grab the subscribers attention so they open and read your email.

It can’t be boring.

To build your swipe file subscribe to as many different lists (ecourses, newsletters, and free stuff you get when you subscribe for free…) as you can. 

Perhaps create a new email account with Gmail to store all the emails you’ll receive.

You don’t necessarily have to subscribe from websites in your own niche.

Once you start getting emails there will always be emails with subject lines that arouse your curiosity – you just want to click them. 

These are the emails you want to save to your swipe file.

In the sections below you’ll find several swipe files for copywriters just like you, that you can download and use. 

Remember swipe files are used by all copywriters, amateurs and professionals.

In my email marketing strategy guide you’ll find 17 ‘fill in the blank’ email subject line templates that you can use.

Swipe File #1:
17 Sales Letter Openings

Below you’ll find 17 different openings of a sales letter, these are all taken from successful sales letters who sold a lot of products. 

Feel free to save these (and the other ones further down) to your computer to use them…

You can model any of these openings. This means you can write something very similar to them. This is what swipe or “steal” means.

You can also build your own sales letter opening swipe file by finding lots of sales letters, and notice how they start the first few paragraphs of their sales letter.

Model what they write, it will be much easier than trying to writing something from scratch.

I’ve also edited these openings, so if you want you just fill in the blanks and use them word for word as they are. But probably you’ll have to re-write them a bit. 

You can combine multiple ones together as well… just use them and with practice your copywriting skill will improve.

• Allow me to introduce myself. My name is _______. Chances are you haven’t heard of me before. But when you finish reading this, you’ll be glad you finally did.
• Are you tired of all the _____ that don’t work, the latest _____ that promise success and leave you furious with frustration and disappointment?
• As you carefully scan each and every word of this page, you will begin to discover a new revolutionary method of _____.
• Do you know the #1 reason people like you can _____ and _____? They know exactly where to _____! Yes, it’s that simple.
• Ever wonder how it is that others seem to just know _____? Read on, and you’ll learn how to use and apply the same “secret weapons of _____” that top _____ are using right now, to _____.
• Hello. My name is _____ and I’m a former “_____”. I’ve recently packaged all of my years of experience in the _____ industry in such a way that will help you _____ as _____ owner or operator dramatically–a way to _____ that immediately _____!
• I am excited to be able to finally write this letter to you. For many _____ I’ve wanted to get these powerful _____ into a format where I could help as many people as possible get their hands on them, and I’ve done it.
• How would you like to learn a simple formula that I developed from many years of research which can bring to you the perfect _____ and best of all _____?
• I have a small secret that I’ve been using for quite some time now, and I felt that it’s time to reveal this new _____ formula to you.
• I’m excited about something very important, and I wanted to share it with you immediately. So, I sat down and wrote this long, but time-critical, letter. Please take a few minutes and read it now.
• If the idea of being able to _____ – or _____ – regardless of how much money you have, your educational background, your skills or the amount of equipment you own, is something that appeals to you, then you will like this…
• If you care about your _____’s well being – and you’re sick of old, ineffective advice on _____, _____, _____, _____ and more – this may be the most important letter you’ll ever read. Here’s why…
• If you’d like to unearth the best-kept secrets of _____, _____, and even _____, keep your eyes glued to this page. You won’t find this insider information anywhere else on the Web, Why? Because the _____ industry doesn’t want you to find out.
• If you’ve ever struggled with _____, you’re in the right place. And I’m here to help you. That’s because I’ve developed a powerful new _____ that will make your life a lot easier.
• May I ask you a question…? Are you interested in _____; written in a no-nonsense style and with an outrageous humor that no other _____ would dare even publish? Yes? Good…
• No matter who you are, where you live or how much experience you have… I’m about to teach you a 100% foolproof formula that guarantees to _____ using _____ or you don’t pay a single penny.
• Want to learn how to really (I’m not talking hype here, I mean really!) learn how to _____? Then stay with me – this short story is important…

Those opening examples are tall taken from successful sales letters. I’ve extracted them from CashCopyInSeconds™ copywriting software.

Looking at examples like those you’ll start to get some ideas as to how you might begin the opening part of your sales letter. That’s the power of a good swipe file!

Swipe File #2:
17 Sales letter PostScripts (P.S.)

The postscript is the last section of a sales letter. P.S. is short for postscript and each sales letter usually has a minimum of 3 postscripts.

Each postscript is like a small recap or reminder of the most important benefits the prospect will receive.

You can write these from scratch, or just like any other copy you can find and model other postscripts.

Below you’ll see 17 different postscripts you can model. I edited them so if you want you can simple fill in the blanks and use them without changing any words.

• P.S. All the free bonuses, including the _______, are yours to keep even if you take advantage of our no-risk 100% money-back guarantee.
• P.S. You’ll be amazed at how simple and easy it is to apply all of these techniques. Your FREE bonus, ________ will allow you to begin immediately even before you listen to the program!
• P.S. Remember – You also get _____! Along with my other powerful _____. So you can _____ just as quickly as I discover new ways of _____!
• P.S. Some of the techniques you’ll learn are so powerful and hard hitting that they have to be kept under padlock and key. Only members get access to my inner vault of _____ secrets. Try us out risk-free for _____ days for just $_____ and you’ll instantly discover what I mean — this stuff is red hot!
• P.S. You’ll be amazed at how simple and easy it is to apply all of _____ techniques. _____ will allow you to begin immediately even as soon as _____ from now.
• P.S. Remember: To take advantage of this unbeatable deal of getting both _____ and _____, as well as the _____ free bonuses you must order no later than _____.
• P.S. I don’t know how long I can offer _____. If you want to ensure you get _____ and all the bonuses you need to order today!
• P.S. Now just for a second, forget about how much _____ you’re going to save. Just picture yourself when you realized _____. Do you remember all the frustration and anger you felt? Now let me ask you a question. How much is it worth to you, to be able to finally _____? How good will it feel next _____ when you have _____ — legally
• P.S. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to _____, then take advantage of the current price of $_____ and all of the great bonuses right away to guarantee you get your copy.
• P.S. Take action and order now. If you just sit there and do nothing, that’s all you’ll get in return…nothing. Take charge and start _____. You can start _____ right away!
• P.S. If you’re ready to discover how to _____…this is a MUST HAVE for your _____. With our incredible guarantee, what have you got to lose?
• P.S. Take action now! Don’t wait a second longer. You’ll soon have access to the information and tools you need to _____. Imagine enjoying all the benefits of _____. None of that will become a reality unless you take control and order now.
• P.S. Just think! You’ll never have to suffer through the pain and hassle of trying to _____ now you’ll have a proven guide that shows you how to do it step by step. Order Now!
• P.S. You don’t really know what you are missing if you don’t act today! Give my _____ a try and see for yourself why others are helped by this new _____!
• P.S. You can start _____ right after you order because you will receive instant access to _____! All it takes is a few clicks and you are on your way to _____. Get in while you can!
• P.S. Everything you need to instantly be a _______ is included in this _______. This _______ is the key to the vault.
• P.S. I urge you to seriously consider my offer. Either way, you win big. After all, the worst thing that happens is you get $_____ bonus gift package to keep for FREE. Of course, the best thing that happens is that you ________. Sounds pretty good no matter how you slice it!
• You only need to add 3 postscripts to your sales letter. Imagine how easy it will be to write just 3 postscripts if you had a swipe file containing hundreds of examples…

Remember that even the best copywriters use swipe files. It’s not a beginner tactic, it’s just a way to write better copy faster and easier.

Swipe File #3:
“Magnetic” Words

Boring copy can put people to sleep. Interesting copy encourages them to read more.

While you’re writing your copy or after you finish writing try to change some of the words with the following (or other) magnetic words.

Magnetic words can be one or more words, or a whole sentence like for example “like squirrels gathering as many nuts as they can so they can survive through the demanding winter”.

Magnetic words are interesting to read because they force you to use your imagination. You imagine what you read.

When a reader is using their imagination they’re more engaged, and so they’re very likely to keep reading.

Magnetic words have energy.

For example:

A normal sentence:
The cup is full!

A more interesting way to say the same thing:
The cup is full-to-bursting!

A thesaurus can help you to find more interesting words:

Thesaurus

Once you’re comfortable using magnetic words consider using idioms as well.

Don’t try to use both at the same time because it will be more difficult. Keep things simple and easy…

Don’t use idioms that are difficult to understand. A confused reader will loose interest.

There’s a “rule” in copywriting that says write so that even a kid can understand you, even if you’re selling to highly educated people like doctors, teachers or psychologists.

And don’t use too many idioms, just use them, where it’s really needed for example in a paragraph that’s too boring to read 🙂

This site has a list of idioms:

Idiomsite

Here’s a list of 77 magnetic words you can use in your copy:

he used to balloon his
shoestring budget
no-holds-barred
little-known
best-of-the-best
no sugarcoating or fluff or kind words
time-tested
hoards of eager prospects
sleep like a baby
you should crawl naked over glass to get
frozen in terror
scared to death
never have the guts
online herd
hidden mystery
to be “let in” on the
swamping your site with
dragging in profits, hot and heavy!
squeezing more sales out of the
full-to-bursting
mother lode collection
shockwaves
half-baked theories
no-brainer
eager-to-spend
white-hot
get “down and dirty”
boatloads of serious CASH
same friggin’ planet
shoot-fire-aim approach
lightning-fast
dirt-cheap
HEAPS of CASH
sweet spot
both guns blazing
draw the line in the sand
completing each simple assignment TO THE LETTER
hem-hawing back and forth
pinpoint accuracy
mean-and-nasty
lesser-known
hidden gems
diving in
serious-as-a-heart attack
waft back and forth
sinking feeling
chained to your computer
time-sucking
energy-draining task
has hit the ceiling
DEAD WRONG
phone was ringing off the hook
I felt like I had just struck GOLD.
you’ll brim with excitement
day-to-day ticky-tacky details of your business
kick open the virtual door
the “meat” of the program
got this problem “ironed out”
will set your mind on fire…
deadly serious
plug-and-play
brain-dead easy
good-as-gold
up-to-the-minute
put them under the microscope
blistering speed
up-to-date
swing open that door
and…PRESTO…
hyper-responsive
hard-hitting tactics
gut-level
has really flown by fast
break-through
into a whole ‘nuther orbit!
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about joining the…

Once again remember that you can model what someone else is doing – read a lot of sales letters, notice what magnetic words or idioms they’re using – save these words or idioms in a notepad file and then you can use them in your own copy!

Swipe File #4:
57 Headline Templates

This is the easiest way to create headlines known to mankind.

With a swipe file you can easily create a headline that grabs and keeps the attention. In the list of 57 headlines below all you have to do is fill in the blanks.

These are all taken from sales letters that have sold lots of products and services.

Here’s how to use them, let’s pick the first one:

_____ and _____! Discover the fastest way!

If I’m selling an anti spyware software, I can simple fill in the blanks with something like this:

How To Remove Adware And Spyware! Discover The Fastest Way!

OR

Remove Spyware And Adware! Discover The Fastest Way!

• [thrive_2step id=’29060′]Download this headline swipe file (PDF version)[/thrive_2step]

Here they are:

• _____ and _____! Discover the fastest way!
• _____ Astounded By The Power Of These Miracle _____!
• _____ is THE single source for _____ successfully … now and for life.
• _____ Breakthrough!! How to _____, _____, and _____ Stampedes of Hot _____ from Your Own _____!
• _____ New Ways To _____ Now!
• How You Can ________
• How You Can Get ________ Doing Anything You Want
• How You Can Get ABSOLUTELY FREE _____ New $_____ _____ System That Reveals All The Street Smart Jealously Guarded Secrets That Bring You  _____ !
• How You Can Make _____ A Year As A Successful _____!
• A Dangerous _________ Accepts To Expose The 10 Golden Keys To ________
• __ Proven Reasons Why You Should Be ________
• Profit From The Wisdom Of Over __________
• Pros Want It, Newcomers Need It, You Can Test It-FREE For _____ DAYS!
• Protect Yourself From ________
• Say YES, And Tomorrow You’ll Know How To Eliminate ________ Thanks To ________
• __ Ways To End the Process Of ______
• _____ New Ways To A _____ _____! In This Fascinating Book For _____
• _____ little-known secrets to improve your _____, and_____. Guaranteed.
• All The Tricks To Overcome ________ With The Help Of ________
• See How Easily You Can ________
• See Why the Nasty Truth of Your _____ Cannot Tell A Lie!
• Send Me To Any City In The United States. Take Away My Wallet. Give Me $100.00 For Living Expenses. And In 72 Hours I’ll ________
• Sensational: An Enterprising _________ Accepts To Expose The __ Solutions To _________
• Amazing Discovery To ________With The Help Of ________
• Amazing: The Most Powerful Way To Avoid ________
• Simple _____ Creates Instant Avalanche of FREE _____
• Skyrocket YOUR _____ today! _____ of _____ daily with _____!
• Slip This Into Your _______ And Watch Your _____ Disappear!
• Solve All Your _____ Problems Forever! (With absolutely no work whatsoever)
• Unbelievable: Now Is The Time To Lose ________
• Unleash The Power Of _______ With _______
• Urgent: A Nice _______ Accepts To Expose __ Hot Tips To _________
• Attention ________: What You Don’t Know About ________ Could ________
• World’s First ________ Guarantees To Outperform Any ________
• Announcement: A Clever ______ Uncovers ___ Ideas To _____
• Breakthrough: A _________ Accepts To Expose The 10 Golden Keys To _________
• Winning At The ________ May Not Be Your Idea Of Fun, But…
• The Truth On the Best Method To Remove ________With ________
• The Tricks To ________
• The Solution To Exterminate ________
• The Shocking Truth About _______
• The Secret To Being ________
• The Secret Of Teaching Yourself ________
• The Secret Of Making People _____ You
• The Secret Of How ________ – And How You Can Do The Same
• The Secret Behind _____
• The Report That Briefs You On What To ________
• The Real True Secret To Success In _____.
• The Only Successful Way To Thrive On ________
• The Only Program Of It’s Kind Developed Especially To Teach You How To Achieve ________ In Today’s World
• The Only _____ You’ll Ever Need
• The New Encyclopedia Of Little-Known Highly ________
• The Most Powerful Way To Annihilate ________
• Controversial Document Reveals The Unknown Secret Of _____ That could be THE Missing Link To YOUR _____!
• Urgent: An ________ Releases The Hottest Tips To _________
• Useful And Clever: How to Succeed To ________
• WARNING: Do not look at any other _____ system until you read this?

The Ultimate Copywriting
Swipe File Video Tutorial

Lastly I would like to share this video with you.

It’s a bit long (49 minutes), but if you want to know everything about swipe files once and for all this video could be it. 

Worth noting is that it shows you (with actual examples) how to write copy by modeling the copy in your swipe files and how to build your own…

Conclusion

I hope that I gave you some useful swipe files that you can use, good instructions on how to use them and I’ve inspired you to actually start using them when writing copy! 

They’re very useful in combination with other templates or formulas such as the AIDA copywriting formula.

A swipe file is the copywriter’s best friend 😀

If you have any questions or comments about swipe files and copywriting you can leave them below.