How To Write Great Marketing Copy (And Generate More Ideas, Faster)

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Dec 22, 2025

Dmitry Shamis chats with Dave Gerhardt, founder of Exit Five and a B2B marketing maestro known for his copywriting prowess. They delve into the art of crafting compelling marketing copy, emphasizing the importance of starting with hooks and the power of editing over initial writing. Dave shares insights on how podcasting enhances storytelling and the value of formatting for clarity. He also discusses the significance of shipping content over waiting for perfection, encouraging rapid iteration and learning in the creative process.

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ANECDOTE

Podcasting Built His Idea Bank

Podcasting gave Dave a repository of conversational hooks and rapid idea generation.
He uses notebooks to capture moments that later become newsletter topics or posts.

ADVICE

Hook First, Then Build

Start every piece of copy with a hook or headline before filling in the rest.
Use examples of strong existing pages to inspire structure and voice quickly.

ADVICE

Rewrite Subject Lines Relentlessly

Iterate subject lines aggressively; rewrite them until they hit.
Use tools (like AI) to generate variations and then combine the best parts.

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314 | In this episode, Dmitry Shamis sits down with Dave to break down how Dave writes—the process behind emails, newsletters, landing pages, and posts that get attention. They talk about why Dave starts with the hook, why editing matters more than writing, and why most B2B marketing fails by trying to say too much. Dave also shares how podcasting shaped his thinking, why formatting is underrated, how he decides when something is “done,” and why shipping beats waiting for perfection. If you want to learn more behind Dave’s writing, creation, and marketing this episode is a great one for you; Dave shares a bunch of his behind the scenes style that he’s not shared on the podcast before.

What’s Your Process? is hosted by Dmitry Shamis—co-founder of OhSnap!, former Head of Brand and Creative at HubSpot, and one of the early pioneers of self-service brand systems for B2B tech. The show is an in-depth look at the processes behind top marketers, with past guests including Jess Cook, Ross Simmonds, Eddie Shleyner, Lashay Lewis, and Melissa Rosenthal.

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Why this conversation matters
(05:38) - – Dave’s background and path into marketing
(09:53) - – What Dave is world-class at (and why copy is the leverage)
(14:28) - – Why hooks come first and editing beats writing
(19:48) - – How podcasting sharpened Dave’s instincts
(25:18) - – Formatting, focus, and making writing easier to read
(32:35) - – Deciding when something is “done” and when to ship
(39:05) - – Why most B2B marketing fails by trying to say too much
(45:50) - – Raising the bar, big bets, and making hard leadership calls

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***

Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.

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***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

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