Here we are. Again. Staring at a blank landing page, dreaming about the dollars it could bring.

But, to do that, it needs to be good. Like, really good.

The headline needs to be perfect. The copy needs to convert. But every idea that comes to mind feels either generic or like something you've seen a hundred times before. 

It’s a little paralyzing.

This is a copywriter’s eternal problem — as your business’s only writer, it’s now your problem. 

Copywriters, however, know they’re not starting from zero. They're remixing patterns from a library of proven examples.

That library is called a swipe file, and building one takes about 30 minutes.

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Your brain is a pattern-matching machine.

When you expose yourself to great marketing repeatedly and intentionally, your subconscious starts absorbing persuasive rhythm, linguistic cadence, and structural flow. 

By doing this, you're training your Default Mode Network to connect ideas faster.

Professional copywriters maintain swipe files for exactly this reason. They're studying what works, so their brains recognize effective patterns automatically.

The problem is most people don't have a system for capturing those patterns. They see great marketing, think “that's clever,” and move on. Two weeks later, when they're writing their own headline, that example is gone.

A swipe file fixes this. It's your pattern library. Your reference system for what actually converts.

Unfortunately, most swipe files die in one of three places:

The issue isn't collecting examples. It's building a system that surfaces them when you need them.

Professional copywriters use what's called the D.E.E.P. framework. Four tools that handle different types of inspiration without creating chaos.

Let me walk you through it.

The system isn't complicated. It's just deliberate about where different types of examples live. As with the acronym, it comprises four sections:

Google Drive handles PDFs, full landing pages, VSL transcripts… anything substantial you want to study later.

Create these folders:

The critical part: name every file with searchable tags. 

“SaaS-headline-specificity-savvycal” means you'll find it when you search “headline” at 11pm. “Screenshot_419.png” means it's lost forever.

When you see a great Instagram caption or a clever subject line, you need somewhere to drop it fast. I use Evernote.

Create notebooks for:

Screenshot it, drop it in the right notebook, add a quick tag describing why it worked. Done.

Forward exceptional emails to a dedicated swipe address. Set up Gmail filters that auto-tag by sender or topic.

Your regular inbox buries gems. Your swipe file surfaces them.

(This is infinitely better than that “Examples” label you created six months ago and never check.)

I know, I know. We're digital-first here.

But direct mail still works. Magazine ads still teach timeless principles. And studying physical marketing forces you to slow down and actually analyze the craft.

Keep a folder on your desk for anything you tear out or receive in the mail.

The whole D.E.E.P. system takes about 15 minutes to set up. It can save hours every time you sit down to write.

Don't save everything you see. Don’t even save everything you like. Solely save examples that create reactions.

The email that made you stop what you were doing and click. The landing page where you caught yourself nodding before you realized what was happening. The ad that addressed an objection you didn't know you had.

Before adding anything, ask yourself: Can I articulate why this worked?

That question matters most. 

When you save an example, add a note about what specifically grabbed you. Be precise.

This transforms screenshot hoarding into customer conversion training.

Your swipe file only works if you reference it. 

Build this into your workflow:

Before writing headlines, spend 5 minutes reviewing your headline folder. You're not copying. You're priming your brain with proven patterns.

Before launching an email sequence, study sequences from adjacent industries. Notice structure, pacing, how objections surface and dissolve.

Before designing your pricing page, review 10 pricing examples. Count how many use comparison tables. Note which lead with savings vs. features vs. outcomes.

Your swipe file is pattern-recognition training. 

The more you study, the faster you'll spot what works in the wild and adapt it to your offer.

Since I’m bossy, I’m giving you homework. 

Open Google Drive. 

Create a folder called “Swipe File.” Add three subfolders for formats you use most.

Before this week ends, add five examples to each folder. Screenshot them. Name them with what specifically worked. Tag them, so your future self can find them.

By the end of the week, you’ll have 15 examples. 

In a month, you'll have 60. In three months, you'll have a reference library that eliminates guesswork and ends blank-page paralysis.

The gap between you and better-converting marketing isn't creativity. It's curation. 

Start curating.