How to write better marketing copy: the 3-step evidence loop

<p>You probably think good marketing copy requires 'creativity.' You think you need the perfect headline, the catchy metaphor, or the viral tweet. This is a common and destructive lie. You are a builder. You deal in systems, logic, and repeatable processes. When your marketing fails, you blame your own lack of 'flair.'</p> <p>It is not your fault. Conventional marketing advice is fundamentally broken for founders. It focuses on the surface—the words—instead of the source—the customer's mind. When you are pre-revenue, when every word costs you time and momentum, you cannot afford to wait for inspiration. You need a system that minimizes risk and maximizes learning velocity.</p> <p>The best copy is not written; it is extracted. It is evidence masquerading as prose. We are going to stop trying to sound smart and start repeating what already works. This is the only deterministic way to approach copy when you are short on time and capital.</p> <p>We will use the <strong>Evidence Loop</strong> framework. It is a simple, three-step system for extracting high-conversion copy from your target customer's world, ensuring your words are not clever, but correct.</p> <h2>How to write better marketing copy using the 3-step evidence loop for fast conversion</h2> <p>The Evidence Loop has three stages: Listen (Source Evidence), Filter (Identify Core Tension), and Echo (Deploy Customer Language).</p> <h3>Listen: Source the evidence, don't invent the message</h3> <p>Your customers are already giving you the perfect copy. They post it on Twitter. They write it in review snippets. They say it on sales calls. They use their own specific, unpolished language to describe their problem and their desired outcome. This is gold. Most founders ignore this raw input and immediately try to craft a polished, brand-friendly message.</p> <p>The moment you try to sound like a "brand," you stop sounding like a human who understands the problem. The most effective copy uses the customer’s vocabulary, not yours. <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/clarity-over-creativity-in-marketing">Clarity over creativity</a> is the primary rule.</p> <p>For example, if you sell B2B software for managing contracts, your internal copy might be: "Streamline legal ops with our comprehensive workflow automation platform." Boring. Instead, listen. You hear customers saying, "I just need a single source of truth so I don't send the wrong version of the contract." That last phrase—"wrong version of the contract"—is the copy. It's specific. It hurts. It works.</p> <p><em>Action: Spend 30 minutes right now scraping three places where your target customers talk about their problem in their own words (e.g., Reddit, competitor reviews, or sales transcripts). Save these exact phrases.</em></p> <h3>Filter: Identify the core tension, not the solution</h3> <p>Marketing copy should not lead with the solution. It should validate the pain. Every great product solves a tension: a high-friction force preventing the customer from achieving an outcome. You must identify this specific, felt tension.</p> <p>We use the <strong>Tension-Outcome Pair (TOP)</strong>. What is the single biggest friction point, and what is the simple, visceral feeling of success they want?</p> <p>For a founder building a documentation tool, the tension isn't "poor knowledge management." It's "Spending 20 minutes looking for the password I wrote down yesterday." The outcome isn't "efficiency." It’s "Zero search time."</p> <p>Once you have a strong TOP, your copy writes itself. It addresses the pain immediately, then pivots to the resolution.</p> <p>Conventional wisdom tells you to use the <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/unique-selling-proposition">Unique Selling Proposition</a> (USP). But as an early-stage founder, your USP is often a list of unproven features. Instead, anchor your messaging in the universal, painful tension that everyone in your segment recognizes.</p> <p><em>Permission to ignore conventional advice: Forget writing flowery <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/brand-storytelling-framework">brand stories</a> or mission statements. You are pre-revenue. Your only mission is to resolve the acute pain your customer feels right now. Focus on the raw tension.</em></p> <h3>Echo: Deploy customer language as a system of belief</h3> <p>Echoing is the simplest step. You take the raw language you sourced (Listen) and pair it with the core tension you defined (Filter). The result is copy that resonates instantly because it sounds like the customer talking to themselves.</p> <p>This works because <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/marketing-psychology-principles">marketing psychology</a> proves humans trust language that reflects their internal monologue. When they read their own words back, they believe you understand them. Understanding is the precondition for trust.</p> <p>The trick to better copy is realizing you are not writing an argument; you are reflecting a reality. Every sentence should function like a tiny mirror.</p> <p>Example: A startup selling automated scheduling software.</p> <ul> <li>Bad, Invented Copy: "Maximize your calendar efficiency."</li> <li>Good, Echoed Copy (from a user review): "Finally, an app that lets me send a link and forget about it. No more 17-email back-and-forths."</li> </ul> <p>The copy doesn't say "we automate scheduling." It says "No more 17-email back-and-forths." This is an actionable small win you can achieve today: Identify a specific, annoying friction point your product eliminates and use the customer’s vivid description of it as a headline.</p> <p><em>Action: Review your homepage's current headline. Is it about what your product is, or what it stops the customer from having to do? If it’s the former, change it to a precise Tension-Outcome Pair derived from raw customer language.</em></p> <h3>Use Micro-Evidence to Refine Conversion Points</h3> <p>Better copy is modular. You need strong phrases you can deploy on buttons, pop-ups, and email subject lines. We call these Micro-Evidence Units. They aren't clever taglines; they are short phrases that de-risk the next click.</p> <p>When writing a <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/how-to-write-a-tagline">tagline</a> or call-to-action (CTA), ask: what is the <em>immediate</em> friction point preventing the click?</p> <ul> <li>The prospect thinks "This will be expensive." Use copy like: "See pricing (no credit card needed)."</li> <li>The prospect thinks "This will be a huge time commitment." Use copy like: "Start instantly—setup takes 60 seconds."</li> </ul> <p>The friction isn't just about the money; it’s about the time and energy cost of starting. Use your copy to address these micro-fears directly. This applies to your <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/value-proposition-examples">value proposition</a> as well—it must be clear and tangible.</p> <p><em>Action: Look at your highest-friction CTA button. Add a parenthetical phrase that directly de-risks the click. E.g., change "Start Trial" to "Start Free Trial (no setup required)."</em></p> <h2>The Copy Builder Prompt</h2> <p>The core of the Evidence Loop is structure, not style. You feed the system raw data and let the language output itself.</p> <h3>Copy Extractor Prompt</h3> <p>Copy-paste the following prompt into your preferred AI writing tool:</p> <p><code>You are an expert copywriter specializing in technical product marketing for early-stage B2B startups. Your goal is to translate raw customer language into high-conversion messaging using the Tension-Outcome Pair (TOP) model.</code></p> <p><code>PRODUCT: [YOUR PRODUCT AND CORE FUNCTION, e.g., A password manager for small agencies.]</code></p> <p><code>TARGET CUSTOMER: [YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER, e.g., Remote-first creative directors managing 5-15 employees.]</code></p> <p><code>RAW CUSTOMER EVIDENCE (provide 5-7 direct quotes or observations from reviews/interviews): [E.g., "The worst is when I'm on a client call and can't find the shared Figma login." "We've tried spreadsheets, but someone always breaks the formatting." "I just need a single source of truth for all our client logins."]</code></p> <p><code>Based on this, generate the following 3 deliverables:</code></p> <p><code>1. Core Tension-Outcome Pair (1 sentence summarizing the acute pain and the desired result).</code></p> <p><code>2. Three High-Impact Headlines (H1-level copy that uses customer language and focuses on pain relief).</code></p> <p><code>3. Three De-Risking CTAs (Button copy that addresses a micro-friction point).</code></p> <p>Example Output:</p> <p>1. Core Tension-Outcome Pair: The constant anxiety of not finding a critical client password immediately should be replaced by a single, un-breakable vault accessible to the entire team.</p> <p>2. High-Impact Headlines: "Stop the client call chaos: never search for a shared login again." "Your spreadsheet solution is broken. Manage client passwords the way agencies should." "Finally, a single source of truth for all your client logins."</p> <p>3. De-Risking CTAs: "Start the 30-Day Vault (no setup required)" "Check Agency Pricing (Free up to 5 seats)" "Watch the 2-Minute Demo"</p> <p>This systematic approach is one of countless interconnected prompts inside the LiftKit marketing system.</p> <h2>FAQ</h2> <h3>Q: Should I use creative language, or is that always wrong?</h3> <p>A: Creativity is earned, not given. As an early-stage founder, focus first on clarity and resonance. If your copy isn't converting, it doesn't matter how creative it is. Use the Evidence Loop to establish a baseline of proven, customer-sourced language. Only then can you test creative variations against that high-performing baseline. See more on focusing on <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/clarity-over-creativity-in-marketing">clarity over creativity</a>.</p> <h3>Q: How can I apply the Evidence Loop to my pitch deck and not just my website?</h3> <p>A: The pitch deck needs the same surgical clarity. Use the Core Tension-Outcome Pair (TOP) as the spine of your opening slide. Instead of leading with your solution, lead with the brutal, validated pain point, using raw language you extracted (Listen). This instantly creates a shared reality with investors or partners, demonstrating <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/psychology-of-persuasion-in-marketing">psychological alignment</a>.</p> <h3>Q: My product has multiple features. How do I decide what to feature in the copy?</h3> <p>A: This is where the Filter step is critical. Use the raw customer evidence to isolate the single, most acute, and expensive tension. This one point becomes your main headline and value prop. All other features are secondary, supporting evidence. If you lead with five different benefits, you lead with none. You need a singular <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/unique-selling-proposition">Unique Selling Proposition</a> to anchor your message.</p> <hr> <h2>Start running operator-grade marketing in under an hour.</h2> <p>LiftKit is the only strategy-first AI marketing system built for founders. It distills the same Fortune-500 frameworks used at Apple, Stripe, and McKinsey into a simple, actionable playbook you can run in under an hour.</p> <p>Stop tinkering with tactics. Start operating with strategy.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://getliftkit.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get LiftKit</a></strong></p> <h2>Keep learning</h2> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/frameworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Frameworks</strong></a>: Learn proven mental models to diagnose, prioritise, and scale marketing outcomes.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/channels" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Channels</strong></a>: Understand which acquisition paths actually work and how to deploy them strategically.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/messaging" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Messaging</strong></a>: Build positioning, angle, and copy that converts without guesswork.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Strategy</strong></a>: Make smarter decisions using operator-grade prompts and structured thinking.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/tools" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tools</strong></a>: Use AI, automation, and practical templates to move faster.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Research</strong></a>: Tap into market insights, psychology, and patterns that drive effective marketing.</p> <script type='application/ld+json'> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "How to write better marketing copy: the 3-step evidence loop", "description": "How to write better marketing copy using the 3-step evidence loop for fast conversion", "articleSection": "learn", "keywords": "how to write better marketing copy, copywriting, clarity, persuasion", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LiftKit" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LiftKit" }, "url": "https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/how-to-write-better-marketing-copy", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/how-to-write-better-marketing-copy" } </script>