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Tag: copywriting tips

  • Going Viral – The Science of Copywriting

    Going Viral – The Science of Copywriting

    Everyone is at a slightly different level whatever the topic. Know this and you’ll know why it’s so hard to target an audience and convert them all.

    Every post I put in the Science of Copywriting is at a slightly different level too (not on purpose). When I go a little ‘meta’, some love it and some don’t.

    When I go simple, some love it, and some don’t.

    And when I talk about my experiences, some love it, and some don’t.

    To go viral simply means you hit the right audience with the right message at the right time. Getting those three things in alignment is like winning the lottery. Rare.

    But the plus side is you don’t need to do all the work yourself. You just need enough of the right audience at the right time to make it work.

    Malcolm Gladwell called it the ‘tipping point’. Once the scales of virality tip in your favour, there’s no stopping it.

    You’re overcoming inertia, the hardest thing to do. No one wants to move if they don’t have to, which is why you have to get into your audiences’ head to have any chance of making an impact with your copy.

    Explain this principle to prospects, and let them know that the more time you spend on researching an article, the better the chance it has.

    To learn more about the science of copywriting and how to influence people, join the ICA.

  • Science of Copywriting – Ziggin Can Be Costly

    Gurus often say when everyone is zigging, you should zag. But there’s no proof this works – even if you had any real idea about who it is that’s zigging in the first place – and what that ‘zigging’ is.

    The real message is that to stand out, you need to do something different. The problem with standing out is you increase the risk of not being seen at all (or at the very least, being seen as weird).

    This is the difference between evolution and revolution. The more revolutionary you get, the more you stand out and run the risk of being rejected. Pioneers have arrows in their backs for a reason.

    In my experience, it’s been the people who market themselves with one amazing extra value their competitors don’t have who stand out just far enough to be taken seriously.

    There’s a lot to this as you can imagine. Context matters. People who are highly aware of a particular problem, will have seen most of the solutions.

    And if they still didn’t go for them, then it will take that one special extra to make it.

    On the other hand, if they’ve been bombarded with messages and end up preferring one particular solution, the next young pretender is going to have to get revolutionary to even get noticed, let alone change their minds.

    So next time someone tells you to zig when everyone else is zagging ask for proof.

  • Can of Worms or Bigger Fish?

    Can of Worms or Bigger Fish?

    It is often said we buy on emotion. Something triggers a feeling and suddenly, we are compelled to act. This idea feels intuitive, but have you ever wondered why emotion is so powerful in the buying process?

    Many people accept this as fact—thanks in part to numerous split tests that have shown higher conversions when ads or landing pages strike an emotional chord. The results were convincing enough that most marketers simply moved forward with this wisdom.

    The Power of Presentation: Features vs Benefits

    Consider these two offers:

    • “Can of Worms. £10”
    • “Catch Bigger Fish. £10”

    While both statements promote the same product, their appeal is very different. The first focuses on the feature, while the second highlights the benefit. This classic distinction shapes how buyers perceive value.

    FeaturesBenefits
    Focuses on what the product is or doesFocuses on how the product improves someone’s life
    Example: “Can of Worms”Example: “Catch Bigger Fish”
    Often informationalOften inspiring or aspirational

    Why Benefits Work: The Role of Hope and Dopamine

    When an ad or message promises a benefit, it sparks hope. Hope, in turn, raises dopamine levels in the brain—the same chemical responsible for feelings of motivation and pleasure. If you can raise someone’s dopamine, you instantly increase their willingness to take action, whether it is making a purchase, signing up, or sharing your message.

    Real-World Examples: Emotional Hooks in Action

    • Fitness Products: Instead of “30-Minute Workout Video,” consider “Transform Your Body in 30 Minutes a Day.”
    • Life Insurance: Switch “Comprehensive Policy Details” to “Give Your Family Peace of Mind.”
    • Financial Services: Move from “Low-Interest Credit Card” to “More Money in Your Pocket Each Month.”

    Each benefits-driven message goes beyond just describing the product. It connects with hopes, dreams, and the emotional outcomes people seek.

    Case Study: Split Test That Made a Difference

    A well-known SaaS company ran an A/B test with two different homepage headlines.

    • Version A (Feature-Based): “Advanced Analytics Dashboard”
    • Version B (Benefit-Based): “Make Faster, Smarter Decisions”

    The benefit-driven headline saw a 31 percent increase in signups—a clear win and a perfect illustration of how shifting from features to benefits can drive real business results.

    Key Takeaways

    • Emotions drive most purchasing decisions, even when we believe logic is at play.
    • Present benefits, not just features, to inspire action and spark hope.
    • Simple tweaks in message framing can elevate dopamine, boosting conversions.
    • Test emotional hooks in your messaging to discover what resonates best with your audience.

    In summary, whether you are selling a can of worms or the promise of catching bigger fish, focus on benefits. People are far more likely to respond when they feel hope—and hope, after all, is one of the most powerful motivators in human psychology.

  • Science of Copywriting – The First Stage Of Awareness

     

    One day we get a notion to do something. And sometimes, we follow up and actually do it. How does that happen?

    Can you think back to the start of something you take for granted? What prompted that change? Had you shown any interest in it before?

    (and also, before what?)

    As a baby we know very little about anything. We have built in automatic reactions and needs, you can count them on your fingers (loud noises, falling, eating, sleeping, breathing, and the unmentionables).

    There’s no want or desire. We have no idea why we need these things, we just do them.

    Then slowly we start thinking about why the world we take for granted is the way it is. Something in us changes and we become inquisitive (it’s not just us, it’s inherent in all animals).

    When you’re writing for an audience that has very little interest in what you’re writing about, it makes sense then to use a headline that invokes curiosity.

    It’s the first stage of awareness.

  • Sell The Want. Get Paid For The Need.

    Marketers talk about needs and wants a lot. I always say “sell the want, get paid for the need”. It works.

    But sometimes all that matters is the need. When someone needs something, they have no choice but to get it (otherwise it’s not a need).

    Where or who they get it from determines the price. Needs have different levels of neediness (it’s that same digital thing again – humans love labelling things – we tend to think in terms of this or that rather than thisish or thatish – well most of us anyway).

    A strong need is always associated with our physical desires. Food, security, comfort and community being the top 4.

    When you satisfy a need perfectly, it becomes an easy sell. If it’s a commodity (eg. food) you’d think price would rule, but the truth is it doesn’t.

    People prefer to shop where it also fits other categories (eg. safety, ease of parking, community).

    As marketers we think of these as value ads, hence the solution to move people from commodity pricing to luxury pricing is to think in terms of adding value.

    But an often misunderstood element of this is trust. If you can position yourself (or your client, or a product or service) as being the most trusted source, then the price can be (almost) anything you like.

    Remember trust when you’re writing your next sales piece.

  • Oh No. Not Another Sales Funnel.

    Funnels are a big deal right? They’re everywhere. An ad leads to a landing page.

    A landing page (may) lead to an optin form (or be the optin form itself). The optin leads to an email sequence (or a direct offer, or a video etc.).

    And so it goes on. There’s probably more optin form (and related) software available than any other type of lead generation software (eg. for every Mailchimp style CRM, there are 30 WordPress optin plugins (at least).

    Everywhere you seem to go online, someone has an ad, or a free newsletter, or ebook, or cheatsheet, or video sequence, or whatever.

    But that’s just the world me and you live in. The internet marketing and related world.

    Out there in mid-level bricks and mortar corporate land, they’re about a decade behind. They’ve only just cottoned on to doing their own lead generation (and that’s only some of them).

    Go down a peg to bricks and mortar small biz, and they’re even further behind. Most of them have no idea what a copywriter is (let alone what we do).

    Which means you need to adapt your messaging to each market according to their awareness level.

    And that last sentence sums up marketing in a nutshell. It makes no difference whether you’re targeting micro, mid-level or the corporate tier, or whether you’re targeting bricks and mortar or online, or whether you’re targeting plumbers or lawyers, every, single, market. Is different.

    And so are the people who run those businesses. Finding the common denominator in a market is our job. Speaking to that common denominator as though they were an individual is our science.

  • Copywriting - The Art of Self-Generating Drug Dispersal

    There’s a secret to attracting people – and it’s one we all know, but rarely see.

    And when we do see it, we tend to scorn it. We say things like “oh, they’re just attention-seeking” – as though it’s some kind of bad.

    And yet if there’s one thing I’ve learned about people, it’s that we (mostly) seek attention.

    There’s a reason. Take business: no attention = nothing. Take relationships: no attention = nothing.

    If there’s one thing we can all do today, it’s to accept that attention-seeking is part of our survival mechanism. It’s something we need to honour (besides, the dopamine rush is more than worth it).

    Think about that when you write your next piece of copy. Self-generating drug dispersal is all part of the Science of Copywriting.

    Oxytocin

    Serotonin

    Endorphins

    Choose the ones you want your copy to activate and write your heart out.