Time to Grow Your Swipe Files Folder

All marketers should have a folder saved somewhere named "Swipe Files". A swipe file is quite simply something you've seen that you're saving for later, with the intention of either adapting to your own use or using as inspiration.

Swipe files can include:

• Email copy
  
• Website copy
• Website design
• Facebook ad copy/design
• Other ad copy/design
• etc etc

I think you get the point.

Well, swipe files are usually tried and tested so they get result. Now, we are coming up to Black Friday so there is an overwhelming amount of copy and design that is getting sent around at the moment. This is prime swipe file season.

Think about it - all the gurus in internet marketing have brought out their big guns to maximize the conversions that they will receive from the impending online shopping frenzy. If you take the time to observe what they are doing, then you are going to learn a thing or two about what works.

But I encourage you to take it a step further.

Seeing it in action and trying to remember every detail is going to be impossible. Take the time to download/save/ send to Evernote (whatever you need to do) in order to store the most compelling promotions that you are seeing.

I do this always - not just during Black Friday - and some questions I ask myself are:

• What made me stop scrolling to read this ad or email?
• What is it about the subject line/copy that made me click or read this ad or email?
• Can this copy/message be adapted for my audience?
• Is the ad/email from an established marketer/brand?
• Did the copy/ad engage me to keep reading?
  

Start with the most compelling promotions you see, definitely do not save every email or ad, and keep building up your swipe file. Then, when you are looking for some inspiration for some copy, you can drop back into your folder and see what has caught your eye in the past.

I'd be keen to know, do you currently save swipe files?