How to Organize Your Swipe File So You Can Write Better Copy Faster

As a copywriter my swipe file is one of my most valuable assets in business.?

It’s full of million-dollar ideas and serves as an endless source of creative inspiration.?

And if you’re a copywriter who wants to either start building a swipe file –?or better organize your swipe file so you can write better copy faster, then read on…

Because over the last 12 years I’ve not only been building my personal swipe file, but also my swipe file system.?

I call it the D.E.E.P. Swipe File System because of the 4 main tools I use:

Drive

Evernote

Email

Print?

It’s important you always have an easy way to add things in your swipe file and after years of experimenting with different tools I’ve found these four to be the most effective.

So let’s talk about what goes in each one and how to organize them so you’ll actually use it.

1. Drive

Google Drive is my favorite place to save large files like: PDFs, screenshots, transcripts and documents (like Google Docs or Word Docs). Basically this is where everything goes that isn’t a physical note, an email, or a short Evernote note.

Here’s all the different folders in my Google Drive swipe file:

Some of these folders are quite extensive. For example, here’s what’s in my Financial Swipe File folder:?

One of the keys to keeping your swipe file organized is to use a consistent naming convention. Notice how all the folders in my Financial Swipe File start with Financial -

This will help you find that folder easily when you go to search for it in Drive.

For example, if I wanted to quickly find some proven exit pop winners that have been used in financial promos I just go to Drive and search: financial exit pops.

And instantly I see the folder.?

This is another reason I like Drive because Google is the best when it comes to “search” (it’s how they built a $1.3 trillion business).?

But it’s important you name every file you add to Google Drive so that it can be easily found when you go to search. I know it can feel like work to name a screenshot, but trust me, that extra 3 seconds it takes is worth it in the long run.?

Speaking of screenshots…

One of my favorite assets to add to my swipe file are VSL transcripts that are crushing it right now. And here’s how I get those into Drive:

How to Swipe a Long Form Sales Letter

Let’s say I want to swipe a promo I’ve heard is doing well right now for Agora.?

There’s two ways to do this:

Option #1 - Screen Capture Transcript?

Go to the link and watch the first 20 seconds or so of the video. Then move your cursor up like you’re going to exit that tab. More times than not you’ll see an exit pop like this appear:?

Click Read Transcript.?

Then do a screen capture of that whole sales letter and save it as a PDF (I use the GoFullPage Chrome extension to do this).

Once you save it, remember to rename the file so it makes sense and then drop it into your swipe file.?

However, sometimes the “Read Transcript” option is not available.?

In that case you’ll need to use Option 2.

Option #2 - Use Rev To Make Your Own Transcript

Rev is an automated transcription service I’ve been using for several years. It allows you to enter a URL and then you can pay for it to transcribe the video.?

The cost is $0.25 per minute if you use their automated version, which would cost you about $15 for an hour-long video.?

I know a lot of copywriters won’t pay that but I’ll gladly pay $15 to get my hands on a sales letter that I know has brought in millions of dollars. To me it’s a steal!?

The nice thing about using Rev is that once it’s transcribed you’ll also have a copy of the video too. Once your transcript is read you can export the file as a Word Doc, PDF or Plain Text file, which you can then add to your Google Drive swipe file.

2. Evernote

While Google Drive is great for storing things like: documents, PDFs and larger images it’s not the best for capturing and organizing smaller notes and images.?

For that I recommend a note-taking tool like: Evernote, Notion, Obsidian or OneNote.

I’m partial to Evernote only because I’ve been a user since 2010 and I have 9,635 notes in there. Even though their app is not what it used to be, it still does the job for me. Eventually I may switch to Notion, but for now I’m still using Evernote.

I prefer to use tags instead of notebooks to organize my swipe file in Evernote. I do that because some of my notes will have multiple tags, which will allow it to live in multiple places. For example, I may see a great headline for a financial promo. So I would tag it with both “~financial copy” and “~headlines”.

The reason I use the ~ in front of all my swipe file tags is so that I can differentiate those notes from reference types of notes. That way when I search for ~advertorials I’ll only see actual advertorials I added to my swipe file instead of, say, my notes I took when I went through Money Map Press’s Advertorial Bootcamp.?

Here’s what my tags look like in Evernote:?

I prefer to use Evernote for smaller notes like a headline I see that I really like, or a webinar opt-in page or maybe some great hook ideas I come across. I also use Evernote to capture pictures I take.?

For example, while waiting at the checkout line at an airport I saw this magazine cover and loved the headline so I pulled out my Evernote app and snapped a pic:

If you do choose to use Evernote I recommend using their Web Clipper extension so that you can easily capture articles, URLs and screenshots while you’re browsing.

3. Email?

Email marketing is one of my favorite channels for marketing. I love building email lists, engaging with those lists and most of all… crafting compelling emails that bring in thousands of dollars when we mail.?

So I’m always on the lookout for great email ideas.

And while you could forward emails into Evernote, or copy and paste them into a Google Doc, I’ve found the best way is to actually keep your email swipes in your email account.?

I have a separate email alias I created specifically for all the different financial email lists I’m on. This is nice for two reasons: 1) it doesn’t clutter up my actual inbox and 2) it makes it easier to find things when I search for them.?

Here’s what my financial email swipe file looks like:

4. Print

Even though my swipe file is 90% digital I do like to keep a physical swipe file too –?especially of some of the old school magalogs like these:

I will say that my print swipe file is not nearly as organized as my digital swipe file. I do have a file cabinet in my office where I try to categorize things but if I’m being honest, it’s really a mess and sometimes hard to find things (hopefully you’ll do better!).

But what is very organized in my print swipe file are my book notes!

My Book Note Swipes

In fact, I may publish a separate article about this because I have devoted a lot of time and energy into optimizing my process for capturing and organizing notes when I read.?

If you’d be interested in this just let me know in the comment section…

For now here’s a few pics of what it looks like and a video I made for a few friends who I sent the Book Note Stickers to for Christmas to test out.?

Tips On Using Your Swipe File

So that’s pretty much my D.E.E.P. Swipe File system in a nutshell. Again, I use:?

Drive - Longer swipes

Evernote - Shorter swipes

Email - for well, email

Print - for direct mail and book notes

One of the best tips I can share with you is to take time every week to process your swipe file so that it’s useful for you.?

Personally, this is part of my weekly review process. I will go through new notes that are in my Evernote inbox and then name them and tag them appropriately. I try to do this at the time I add the note but sometimes I’m too busy so I’ll do it during my weekly review.?

Another tip I’d share with you is to not overthink what goes in your swipe file. Yes, it’s important to set up a system that functions well but once you have the system (and now you do!), then swiping becomes second nature.?

And by the way, you don’t have to limit what goes on your swipe file to “million-dollar promos.”?

If it resonates with you, then add it.

I like what Tiago Forte says about this in his book Building a Second Brain:?

“When something resonates, it moves you on an intuitive level. Often, the ideas that resonate are the ones that are most unusual, counterintuitive, interesting, or potentially useful. Don't make it an analytical decision, and don't worry about why exactly it resonates just look inside for a feeling of pleasure, curiosity, wonder, or excitement, and let that be your signal for when it's time to capture a passage, an image, a quote, or a fact.”

So there you have it. A robust 4-part system you can easily set up to build the swipe file of your dreams.?

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.