"Where is Harry Beadle?"

A reader replied to my email with the question:

Do you know what happened with Harry Beadle? I miss his emails

Well, I don't know why you're asking me … but thanks for at least acknowledging my email. (😒)

Anyway…

While I can only assure you that Harry’s doing good and he hasn’t “quit”…

I too miss his emails.

So today, I felt like writing a “Harry Beadle style” email. 

This is gonna be a long one … so buckle up ladies.

Let’s test your copywriting abilities:

I'm going to show you two headlines and I want you to think … really think which of these would outperform the other?

Headline A:

FINALLY! After six months of working with top dietitians and world-class chefs, my ultimate cookbook for busy parents is here!

Headline B:

Worried about your family’s health? These 45 quick, delicious meals make clean eating effortless – even for the busiest parents.

So … which one is better?

…

…

…

That's right…

There's no way to know.

Why? We don't have any context.

• Who are we selling to?

• What are we actually offering?

• Where is the reader seeing this?

And this leads me to a copywriting concept I rarely see discussed on X.

And no … it’s not about “context dependency,” “knowing the market” or any of that boring stuff you’ve heard before.

(Although it will seem blatantly obvious once I reveal it).

Let's go back to our example.

Suppose you've done your market research and you're selling a cookbook to busy moms who want quick, healthy meals for their families.

You’ve mapped out ALL their:

• Pains

• Desires

• Roadblocks

You're well prepared (as any good copywriter would be).

But what if I told you…

NONE of the above will help you if you're missing this ONE crucial piece of data:

What did they do before reading your headline that brought them to this page? What's the framing?

Think back to our example.

Imagine 2 scenarios:

Scenario 1: The reader has just clicked on an ad on Facebook which read “Struggling to cook healthy meals for your kids? This cookbook makes clean eating effortless.”

Which headline would you choose?

Scenario 2: The reader has been reading your daily emails for MONTHS. They’ve followed your journey of creating this cookbook every step of the way.

Would you still choose the same heading?

Maybe.

But you can see why the other option could work better.

And this goes beyond traffic temperatures. This is REALLY about their unique journey to this page.

When you’re writing social media content, for example, it’s important to know:

• What posts has your reader seen before this?

• What state of mind are they in now?

• How do they feel?

And that's why situational awareness matters in copywriting.

Copywriting is NOT only about writing … selling … or knowing the market.

Yes, all those things matter.

But the prerequisite is to meet your reader EXACTLY where they're at RIGHT NOW in this very moment.

Most copywriters miss the point:

You’re selling to PEOPLE …
not a “customer avatar.”

And people have stories. 

They have a journey that led them to your copy.

A list of pains and dreams is useless … if you don’t know HOW they ended up here and how you can lead them to “the next step.”

Alright … ENOUGH VALUE!

Please 😭

Seriously, I hate giving away insights like this for free because 99% of you will forget it in about 90 seconds.

But you know who doesn’t forget?

The copywriters and ghostwriters I work with – because they actually put this stuff into action.

And if you’re tired of:

• Chasing clients instead of attracting them

• Feeling like an impostor every time you send a pitch

• Delivering work that kinda feels like a shot in the dark

Then you might be the perfect fit for my 1:1 coaching program.

This is where I help freelancers like you:

• Sign high-paying clients (without becoming a cold DM robot)

• Refine your offer using my “Skeleton Offer Method” so you stop second-guessing yourself

• Actually serve clients well – so they stick and refer more business to you

Next week, I'm opening 3 spots.

Want early dibs before they fill up?

Reply with “EARLY” and I'll send you the full details.

(Phew … now that I’ve pitched something, my capitalist soul can rest easy. Business as it should be.)

Hope you enjoyed this one!

Tim <3

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