What are Copywriting Swipe Files and How do They Help Inspire You?
If you’ve heard of copywriting swipe files, but don’t quite know what they are – or what they’re used for, then you’re in the right place!
As a graphic designer, there’s a chance that your job role may occasionally fall into the sphere of copywriting. I know that, from experience, as freelance graphic designers, we’re expected to have a whole range of skills, including design (obviously), marketing experience, art theory, and, of course, copywriting knowledge.
But even if you’ve never been asked to do a bit of copywriting here or there, it’s definitely a good skill to have tucked away in the toolbox. Let’s face it, the more marketable skills we have, the more effective we’ll be in our jobs.
So if you have already taken on copywriting jobs, or are looking to grow your knowledge in this area, making use of swipe files will be hugely beneficial.
What is a Swipe File?
Think of a swipe file as a digital archive of the very best copywriting examples. Typically, these are hosted in online directories that you can filter, add notes, images, and more.
When it comes to sitting down to work on your next piece of copy, having access to a huge repository of real-world copywriting examples is a game changer.
There are two ways to go about creating a swipe file. The first is to build your own from the ground up – platforms like AirTable are perfect for this. This obviously takes time, as you’ll gradually build up an archive of copywriting examples over months and months, adding links as you come across them.
Or the second way – which is ideal if you don’t want to go through all the rigmarole of building your own – is making use of the plethora of public swipe files available online. By doing this, you get a much wider range of examples, many of which you may have never discovered otherwise.
Swiped.co
This is one of my favourites! Swiped.co is a huge collection of copywriting examples from a broad range of sources. The examples here range from social media and emails, to classics from print media.
What makes Swiped.co so valuable are annotations on each of the examples. Different sections are highlighted and then explained, giving the reasons why certain words, phrasings, and offers were included.
Combine inspiration from here with a perfectly crafted content framework and your marketing will reach new heights!
SwipeFile.com
Compared to the one above, SwipeFile.com is a bit more barebones, but still offers plenty of value. There aren’t any annotations highlighting the different elements, but each example does have a little write-up to accompany it.
It should be noted that the captions are a bit hit-and-miss. Sometimes you’ll get a few paragraphs with helpful info, and other times you’ll just get a few words describing, but not explaining. If you’re building your own swipe file, this is a good place to grab and expand upon examples.
ReallyGoodEmails.com
This one is pretty good! If you’re working with email marketing in any way – even if you’re just designing the layout – there’s plenty of valuable information contained in the examples within ReallyGoodEmails.com.
Each example contains a full-page screenshot of the email, as it would appear in an inbox. The only downside is that, to see case studies for each example, you do have to register for an account. But, if you’re happy to hand over your own email, it’s well worth it.
