A Legend’s Secret to Understand His Market

I heard an interesting tidbit recently about Eugene Schwartz, the legendary copywriter who never suffered from writer’s block.

He had a secret move for understanding his target market…

He went to the theater and watched every hit movie.

And not just once.

He watched the blockbusters twice.

Why?

Because if you want to generate massive sales to the masses, you have to understand the masses.

So Schwartz sat through those movies — even the ones he couldn’t stand…

…because they revealed what made everyday people tick.

Blockbusters reflect and amplify the emotions of the audiences who show up in droves. People pack theaters because they feel seen in the story and the characters.

If that weren’t true, the movie wouldn’t be a hit.

Schwartz understood this:

If you want to attract prospects, keep them engaged, and move them to act, you have to tell stories that reflect and feed off their emotions.

Skip that, and your copy doesn’t inspire or attract. It bores and repels.

Those movies taught him volumes about his audience. And he used that insight to craft some of the most effective marketing stories ever told.

You might not be selling to “the masses.”

But the lesson still holds.

Learn what makes your market tick.

Don’t assume you already know.

Dig in. Research.

What are they watching? What are they reading? What conversations are they having — on social media and everywhere else.

What are they buying (movies or otherwise), and why does it appeal to them?

The more you know, the stronger your connection becomes…

…because people feel connected when they feel understood.

Eugene Schwartz understood that deeply.

Earlier this week, I hosted a live training where I revealed how I use AI to be 10X more efficient with market research. I’ll send it to you if you reply to this email with “Schwartz.”