The Dave Gerhardt Show

#181: Content | B2B Copywriting 101 with Will Hoekenga, Founder of Six Words Studio


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Dave sits down with Will Hoekenga, seasoned copywriter and messaging consultant for B2B SaaS brands and founder of Six Words Studio. Will shares his expertise on crafting copy for high-value web pages, like homepages and product pages, that drive conversions and speak directly to customer’s needs.

Dave and Will cover:

  • The importance of clear positioning and how it can make or break the effectiveness of your web copy.
  • Why collaboration between design and copywriting is critical for creating a customer-driven page structure that leads to conversions.
  • How to write web copy that differentiates your brand from competitors using unique, customer-centric language, moving beyond generic industry buzzwords.

Timestamps

  • (00:00) - - Intro to Will
  • (06:19) - - Why Having A Dedicated Copywriter Is Not A More Common Hire
  • (10:08) - - How to Write Web Copy That Makes Your Brand Stand Out Among Competitors
  • (14:51) - - Simplifying Product Positioning with the CUB Framework (Confusing, Unbelievable, Boring)
  • (19:51) - Recognizing Your Product’s Differentiation
  • (24:11) - - How To Enhance Positioning and Structure with Voice and Tone
  • (25:10) - - 37signals' Example and Inspiration
  • (33:02) - - How to Collaborate on Design With Your Team
  • (35:05) - - Why You Should Optimize Copy with Social Proof
  • (40:14) - - How To Ask Customers Deep Product Questions
  • (45:00) - - How To Highlight Non-Negotiable Features When Outlining Product Benefits
  • (50:30) - - Content Structuring
  • (52:22) - - Embracing Imperfection in Writing
  • (55:02) - - Tips For Getting Inspired

  • Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
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    ***

    Brought to you by:

    Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive.

    AirOps - The content engineering platform that helps marketers create and maintain high-quality, on-brand content that wins AI search. Go to airops.com/exitfive to start creating content that reflects your expertise, stays true to your brand, and is engineered for performance across human and AI discovery.

    Visit exitfive.com/retreat to apply for Exit Five’s first-ever, in-person Marketing Leadership Retreat, March 18–20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Join 100 CMOs and VPs of Marketing from companies like like Zoom, Snowflake, Manychat, Bitly, G2, HP, and more for two days of thinking bigger around a trusted group of peers in marketing. 


    ***

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