Honestly, I feel sick to the stomach when I read some of the over-hyped sales copy on the internet. Granted, it’s persuasive. And it works. Some of these A-list copywriters could literally sell the proverbial ice cream to Eskimos.
This kind of super-hyped, hypnotic sales copy is particularly prevalent in the online marketing world. But it’s spread further afield. I was reading a sales page today for a hairdressing salon coaching course. It was a master lesson in how to write compelling copy that causes the reader to pull out their wallet and literally beg you to take their cash.
Look, there’s a whole lot of proven psychological sales techniques. They work in face to face selling. And they can be easily adapted to sell via the written word. Most of the top copywriters have been trained in these mind-manipulating techniques. I’ve studied them myself. I’ve even tried them.
And I’ve felt ashamed.
If your sole objective in business is to sell as much as possible, to as many people as possible, in the fastest time possible and make as much money as possible – then you need to hire a copywriter who is trained to manipulate the hell out of people’s emotions.
Over-hype your message to the hilt. Pull out all the stops. You’ll sell a boat load of products, make a lot of money. So, isn’t that the object of business?
For many people, it is. But there’s a growing number of entrepreneurs and small business owners who actually want to make a positive difference in the world as a result of what they do. You’ll hear them talking about “brand stories” and “start with why”.
I happen to endorse this approach. I always have, long before it started to become talked about. But 20 years ago – even five years ago – the only copywriting training you could get was based around psychology and manipulation. So that’s what I studied.
According to the old school, let’s say you are trying to sell ice cream to Eskimos. (Not a bad analogy for some of the products being hawked online.) So, you first figure out how to persuade the Eskimo how much he needs ice cream. How much better his life will be once he tastes ice cream.
Through a series of clever psychological manipulations, it’s possible for a trained master salesman/copywriter to persuade the Eskimo he does indeed need that ice cream. And he needs it now. Before it melts! Hurry!
Another sale made. More money in the till. But another customer feeling duped by a promise that didn’t match the hype. (That ice cream was cold. And after eating it the Eskimo didn’t feel too good from all the unaccustomed sugar.)
Thankfully, there’s a change occurring, which is going to put an end to this kind of manipulative marketing. It’s being driven by social media. And the pace is picking up.
People can now use social media to share their experiences about the products and services they’ve bought. If a product fails to deliver, word can quickly get out. And there’s not much the company selling the shoddy, over-hyped product can do about it.
That’s why the smartest companies today are switching to a more authentic style of marketing. It’s why Simon Sinek’s book “Start with Why” and the concept of brand stories are gaining traction.
If your business has a genuine reason for existing, to make the world a better place, you can tell an authentic story. And your ideal customers will be drawn to your products.
Now, it’s possible to get cynical about brand stories as well. Maybe it’s just another trend with the same ultimate objective – to sell more of your products or services.
But I believe brand stories are more than that. Social media has pretty much forced businesses to be authentic or die. It’s making the world a better place.
Today, when one Eskimo buys ice cream and discovers it doesn’t really work in the Arctic climate, he can share that experience with the world via social media. Bad news for the ice cream company but great news for other Eskimos.
Now, figure out a product that will keep the Eskimo snug and warm in his igloo. Tell him about that on a cold Arctic night and you won’t need to over-hype it. Just tell the story, share the benefits, a few genuine testimonials. Now that’s authentic copywriting.
That’s the future of marketing.
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