What does it take to write an ad, headline, or subject line thatās impossible to ignore?
Come along with me as I take you through one of my favorite copywriting exercises everā¦
Iām going to let you look over my shoulder as I critique this copy from ReMarkable. And 6 other variations of it ā submitted by the Posse community.Ā
What made them great, what left me wanting more, and what would make them even more powerful?
Hey, Posse! Whatās up? Itās Alex.Ā
If youāre following me on Instagram, @copyposse, then youāve probably seen my regular āMake It Hotterā posts. Where I find an ad, headline, or subject line ā and put it out to the community to⦠you guessed it ā āMake It Hotterā!
Not only is this one of my FAVORITE ways to practice, but itās also a great way to see how other copywriters thinkā¦
Which ultimately helps you better understand WHY certain things work and WHY certain things donāt…Ā
And, the BEST part of this exercise for me is when I get to put on my Posse Prof spectacles and critique the top-voted submissions.
So in todayās blog, Iām going to take you through one of my latest editions of āMake It Hotterā and break down my critiques of each Ad – point by point.Ā
So letās get started.
First, let’s take a look at this post ā where I asked the Posse community to make this ad even hotter.
This was an ad for everyoneās favorite paperless tablet ā ReMarkable. If you know me, you know that I LOVE my ReMarkable!
Now hereās their original ad copyā¦Ā ā
Ready to replace your notebooks with something smarter? Keep all your work on a single, slim device. reMarkable 2.ā Order yours today. Perfect for paper people.
Not badā¦
But I gotta admit I liked these Posse-fied versions WAY better.Ā
But before I get to my critique of the submissions, first letās critique ReMarkableās original copy⦠What worked? What was lacking? And what could be better?
Now, the first thing I notice is the hook theyāre using.Ā
They are directly calling out notebook hoarders (hello, itās me! haha). They say āReady to replace your notebooks with something smarter?ā I think thatās great.Ā
Then they pivot into one of the selling points of the ReMarkable: āKeep all your work on a single, slim device.ā
Itās good ā but could it be better?
Because most people who are drawn to the ReMarkable arenāt drawn to it because they want to add yet another āslim deviceā to their repertoire.Ā
The target audience of ReMarkable wants to maintain the distraction-free experience of writing on paper⦠but without all the clutter and disorganization of it. So I would love to see this pivot section have a more enticing benefit.Ā
Then they end with their call to action: āOrder yours today. Perfect for paper people. ā
I actually love this CTA.Ā
Because again, they are directly calling out their audience ā people who love notebooks and the experience of writing on paperā¦
But one thing I would change here is switching up the order of those.Ā
So instead, it would say: āPerfect for paper people. Order yours today.āThat way the very LAST THING a person reads is the action you want them to take ā which is ordering a ReMarkable.Ā Itās a small tweak, but youād be surprised how impactful it could be.Ā
Overall, this is an Ad that I would say is goodā¦
But letās see what the Posse thinksā¦
First, hereās a quick recap of my 3-step formula for writing a H.O.T. Headlineā¦
And donāt worry about taking notes on this formula, because I have free guide for you that will break each one of these steps down for you.Ā
Now, a hot headline shouldā¦
- Hook Attention – start with a concept or idea that grabs the readerās attention by either provoking an emotion (fear, joy, controversy, FOMO, nostalgia, etc.) OR promising a desired result or clear USP (unique selling proposition).Ā
- Open A Loop – pique curiosity & incentivize your audience to read further.
- Target Your Audience – making it crystal clear exactly who you are speaking.
Alright, so now let’s take a look at the Posseās submissions āĀ along with my critique of them.
These 6 ads were selected for critique because they received the most amount of ālikesā or āvotesā from the community.
Letās take a lookā¦.
#1 – Exhausted from flipping through pages trying to find your notes? Try reMarkable, the world’s thinnest tablet, and have all your notes in hand with a touch of your finger. Stop flipping and start tapping.

#2 – Who says slim can’t go digital? Take your notes everywhere without the noticeable bulge in the bag. Smart just went reMARKable to the power of 2.0. Order your smarter notebook today.
#3 – You have great ideas, but they can be made reMarkable. Get the pad that never forgets.
#4 – Paper Companies Fear This! Here’s Why: It is smarter, it is slimmer, and it is reMarkable 2. Order now! Only 3 left at $500.
#5 – Heavy writing just got lighter! Why carry multiple notebooks when you can have the new reMarkable 2? A single tablet with the capacity of a hundred notebooks.
#6 – A notebook that can keep up with the speed of your brilliant thoughts? Meet your digital think tank: the new reMarkable 2.
Everyone did such a great job on this exercise.
Now, if you want to play along in the next edition of āMake It Hotterā be sure to follow me on Instagram @CopyPosse.
If you liked this blog and want to see more in-depth critiques like it in the future, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to be notified when my next tutorial goes LIVE.Ā
And donāt forget to grab a copy of my FREE H.O.T. Headline Guideāso you can learn exactly how to write headlines that grab attention and stop scrollers in their tracks.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time, Iām Alex. Ciao for now!
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