Persuasive Copywriting: Using Psychology to Engage, Influence and Sell

The fact that a spade has a soft-grip handle is a feature. The fact that this means you won’t get blisters is a benefit. But is that really why our soft-handed gardener is going to fork out their hard-earned cash for it? Or is there something else? Some deeply-buried lever that we can pull? Well, yes. There is. And it’s the promise.

Start with a basic story. The story of one of your customers. Find a really great customer, one who’s been with you for years and is really more of a super-fan. Call them or write to them and ask them if they’d be willing to help you write a story about your organization. I’m fairly certain they’ll say yes, because it’s flattering (a technique we w

emotional language engages the listener’s emotions because it is emotionally engaging.

Curiosity is the driving emotion that pushes us to explore our world.

Every single time I or one of my writers sits down to begin planning a new piece of copy, the very first question I want answering is this: ‘How does the customer feel about the problem right now?’

My sales copy focused on how much easier the customer’s life would be with the device.

Making them sufficiently interested to read about and, we hope, buy it, quite another. Holding part of the pitch back is the simplest and the most powerful way to do this

Try this: Picture your ideal customer as a fictional character. Give them an inner life. It’s a great way to get to know them.

At its heart, copywriting is about behaviour modification. Your customer wakes up in the morning with no intention of doing X. After reading your copy, they do X.