How Do You Know When You Have Great Copy?

Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man

Tim Allen

You don't actually know when you have great copy. Not until you see real responses: lead generation, sign-ups, engagement, shares, or whatever action you're after. And even then, volume isn't the point. A million visits from the wrong audience means nothing. But you can put yourself in a much better position before you go live. Great copy does a few things well. It focuses on your target audience. It communicates your actual value: not what your product does, but what the person reading it gains. Your solution might technically go from 0 to 60 in six seconds, but is that the pain they're looking to fix? Does it solve a real problem? Is this a must-have or a nice-to-have? And beyond the message itself: can the reader explain it to someone else? Great copy isn't just a clever turn of phrase. It's clear, useful, and repeatable, the kind of thing that gets passed along without you having to ask. Tim Allen came up with his book title the old-fashioned way. He pitched it to friends and colleagues, and they spit milk out of their noses. Done deal. His goal was comedy, and when people laughed without even opening the book, he had his answer. You might not find it funny, but he wasn't writing it for you. He knew his audience and tested against them. Even the most battle-tested copy can surprise you once it goes live. The market has opinions. You'll adjust. But at some point, you have to commit to something and ship it.