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Ever wondered how people who write self-help books structure their writing? Because, how does one go about writing a book so well that it makes the reader want to take action and change their own lives? And in the case of marketing and content creation, how would they manage to tell that story while sticking to, say a 400-character limit? The answer lies in storytelling and understanding the science of persuasion.
As much as copywriting is an essential part of effective marketing, storytelling is an essential part of copywriting. Stories have the power to tap into our emotions, and emotions have the power to make people take action. The trick with copywriting boils down to the use of specific words of influence that can help you to paint a picture for your audience.
Whether we’re aware of it or not, media content is always packaged and presented to appeal to people at their most animalistic level. It taps into the way we keep ourselves alive and safe, the way we socialize, and even the food we eat. Having good knowledge of these shared experiences, and how they vary in different groups, is a copywriter's ammunition for creating persuasive copy.
In 1946, Camel tapped into the emotions of their audiences with the headline “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette”. The ad featured a doctor smoking a cigarette, and the text in the box next to him made him seem like an ordinary man just trying to save people’s lives, and sometimes he just needs a break with a Camel.
While the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJRTC) didn’t use the word “healthy”, they did imply that Camel was the healthier choice by involving our most trusted health advisers. The campaign was highly effective, but it was also devastating. However, this narrative highlights how using the right words can change how people think, and effectively, their decision-making. The same principles can be applied to create compelling content for other products.
Knowing the people you’re writing for can help you get a clear understanding of which words will be most impactful. Knowing what makes them tick, what inspires them, and their desires can help you create content that resonates with them.
Dove is a skincare company that really pays attention to the needs of its audience, and its main target audience is the everyday woman. Through their surveys, Dove found that 88% of women have felt pressured to have the perfect underarm, so they presented the solution in their product and launched the #ArmsUp: Celebrating Underarm Beauty campaign. The campaign didn’t promise to make anyone’s underarms perfect, but it did promise to make the audience feel like every armpit is normal and special in its own way.
By using words like “confidence”, “beauty”, and “anxiety” in one sentence, Dove has mastered the art of highlighting your audience’s pain points while simultaneously presenting a solution.
See, Dove understands that not all beauty problems are necessarily big problems. However, there are certain things that at least 88% of women can relate to. These relatable problems and shared experiences are what copywriters should play on to invoke emotions.
Including statistics like “8/10 people” makes the reader feel like they are part of a real community, like they can finally say “I knew I wasn’t weird”. And that’s exactly the type of impact you want.
Something else a lot of us are familiar with is the phrase “Do you have money for McDonald’s?”. I imagine that McDonald’s could run the coolest discount campaign with the tagline “Yes, I do have money for McDonald’s” because it’s just so relatable! Little things that bring up old files from the memory bank are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on your audience.
It’s really easy for people to get bored by an overwhelming amount of information, so just tell them what’s important. Here’s an example:
As a solution to overheating devices, the REDMAGIC 8 Pro gaming smartphone has a really advanced multi-layer cooling system that works to keep the phone fairly cold while playing games. A special layer right under the screen helps keep the fingertips cool while also dissipating heat away from the screen.
Good copywriting focuses on the benefits of a product, and not the features. Mobile gamers are familiar with the problem of overheating, but it’s absolutely futile to go into the details of what each one of the eleven layers does, or what materials went into making this multi-layer cooling system. That’s not what the gamer will be interacting with. Audiences are persuaded when they know how a certain product will make their lives better.
At the end of the day, the whole point of any campaign is to drive sales, so don’t forget to include that in your copy. Encourage the reader to take the next step, be it placing an order, booking an appointment, or just contacting you for more information.
The call to action doesn’t always have to be at the end of a copy, it can be the entire essence of your product. “Just Do It” by Nike does a great job of not only making consumers believe they can do something but instructing them to take the step. It’s sharp, to the point, and it sticks.
TMG Global is dedicated to understanding different audiences in order to create content that is relatable, memorable, and makes your brand stand out. Get in touch with us to see how our skills and expertise can help your brand tell its story in the most impactful way.
