What Your Marketing Can Learn From Scary Movies

Stephen King at his desk (and in good company).

What Your Marketing Can Learn From Scary Movies  

Stephen King didn’t become the master of horror by playing it safe. His stories grab you by the throat, lock the door, and leave you no choice but to stay until the very last word. Your marketing? It’s probably tiptoeing around in slippers, whispering, “Excuse me, would you mind noticing me?”

King’s rules for writing are a masterclass in making people feel something—terror, curiosity, or just the primal urge to turn the page. And great copy should do the same. If your words don’t stop someone mid-scroll and make them say, “Tell me more,” then congratulations—you’ve just written wallpaper.

Here’s how to use Stephen King’s tips to turn your copy into a real monster: 

1. “Write something forbidden. Say what others won’t.” 

Stephen King doesn’t play it safe. He writes the kind of stuff that makes you squirm, gasp, or clutch your little pearls. Most marketing, by contrast, is so safe and sanitized it could be a guest on The View.

The Fix: Stop writing what’s “appropriate.” Write what’s irresistible. Don’t say, “Our tool helps businesses improve efficiency.” Ask, “What’s wasting your time? Let’s kill it.” Your copy shouldn’t just ask for attention—it should demand it.

2. “Force yourself to write one sentence at a time—until you hit flow.”

King doesn’t spit out novels in a single caffeine-fueled sitting. He starts with one sentence. Then another. Then another. Most bad copy happens because people try to slap everything on the page at once.

The Fix: Slow down. Start with the most important thing your audience needs to hear. Build from there. Your headline is the bait; make it sharp. Write:: “Your competition hopes you don’t see this.” Let the rest follow.

3. “Always write for your ideal reader.” 

King writes every book for one person: his wife, Tabitha. He knows her taste, her humor, her fears. Your copy shouldn’t try to talk to everyone—it should whisper directly to the person who needs what you’re selling.

The Fix: Who’s your Tabitha? Speak to them. Don’t write, “We’re here for businesses of all sizes.” Try, “Freelancers save time. Agencies save millions.” Be specific, or be ignored.

4. “Recognize the difference between horror and suspense.”
Horror is the bloody moment when the monster leaps out. Suspense is the slow creak of the door, the flickering light, the shadow in the corner. Most bad copy skips straight to horror with desperate, shouty calls to action like “BUY NOW!!!”

The Fix: Build curiosity. Don’t oversell. Instead of “Our product saves time,” ask, “What would you do with five extra hours every week?” Let your audience lean in.

5. Cut out everything that isn’t the story.

King says rewriting is about removing everything that doesn’t move the story forward. Most marketing doesn’t have a story—it’s just a bloated mess of features, buzzwords, and fluff.

The Fix: Be ruthless. If a sentence doesn’t sell, it doesn’t stay. Don’t write, “Our revolutionary, state-of-the-art platform streamlines your workflow with innovative tools.” Write: “We make work faster.” Don’t just check a box– leave a mark.

6. “2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%.” 

King trims the fat in his second drafts. Your copy should be no different. If it’s longer than it needs to be, it’s dying on the page.

The Fix: Write it. Then cut 10%. Then cut 10% again. Your audience doesn’t have time for your waffle. 

7. “You can write anything if you tell the truth.”

Stephen King doesn’t lie to his readers, and neither should you. The truth isn’t a limitation—it’s your secret weapon. Here’s the liberating fact: as long as it’s true, you can write anything.

Want to say your product saves customers hours every week? Great—show them how. Want to promise it’ll make their lives easier? Perfect—back it up with proof. The truth isn’t just powerful; it’s a playground. You’re free to experiment, push boundaries, and have fun because your claims are built on rock-solid ground.

The Fix: Start by writing down everything that’s true about your product. Every feature, every benefit, every detail. Then, let the magic happen. Craft sentences that are bold, playful, or even provocative, knowing you can stand behind them.

Don’t write “Revolutionary!” unless you can prove it. Instead, write: “Save five hours a week. Guaranteed.” Truth isn’t boring—it’s the scaffolding that lets you build anything you can dream up. So go wild. As long as it’s true, the sky’s the limit.

8. “Read a lot. Write a lot. Repeat.” 

King says writing is a muscle, and if you’re not flexing it, your copy will stay flabby forever. Most marketers don’t study great copy, so they don’t know how to write it.

The Fix: Read the ads that made you click. Read the emails you couldn’t ignore. Then write—every day. Write bad first drafts. Write until you hate it. Then rewrite until it sings.

Here’s the truth: most marketing is forgettable because it’s scared. Scared to offend, scared to take risks, scared to actually matter. But great copy? It’s scary. 

So, start writing like Stephen King. Because if your words aren’t pulling people in, they’re pushing them away.

And if you don’t know where to start, let’s write something killer together.