Shopping is not a rational decision, but one triggered by emotions. It does not matter if it is a piece of fancy jewellery, a sofa or a car, people have to desire a product in order to click on the Buy Now button. Many people buy items they do not really need, just because the copy in the ad was extremely persuasive and appealed to their emotions. At the same time, people who have a rational and logical need for a certain product will still make the final decision based on emotion.
The role of a skilled copywriter is to create this emotion, not only for people who want to buy a product, but, more importantly, for those who have no intention to make a purchase. There are many things to be said about techniques of stirring emotions. There are legendary copywriters, such as David Ogilvy, whose work is now studied in marketing and advertising classes.
What we want to focus today is what type of reactions your copy should stir in prospects – the key emotions that are proven to lead to a sale. Here they are:
- Fear
It may seem strange at first, but fear plays a great role in copywriting to create the buying desire. People don’t want to be left out, don’t want to miss a special offer and, most importantly, don’t want to be perceived as having a lower status than their friends and neighbours.
Companies selling tech gadgets use this copywriting technique a lot. None of their clients wish to be perceived as not cool, old fashioned and not in touch with the latest trends.
- Guilt
Charitable foundations are the prime examples of companies guilting their prospects into taking action (making a donation). After all, nobody would be able to walk away after knowing that a small amount of money, representing pocket change for them, could save the life of a child in Africa or send a Pakistani girl to school.
The feeling of guilt can be extrapolated to other types of copywriting. From asking your website visitors to turn off their ad blockers to creating an upsell, you can prod your customers’ sense of guilt to make sure they follow through with a call to action.
- Pride
Hands down, nothing works better than tickling people’s ego in order to make a purchase, especially for non-essential, luxury products. Yes, it is a bit above their budget, but they DO deserve it! After a long day’s work, after being of service to others, it is time to pamper oneself and do something to boost one’s self-esteem and sense of wellbeing.
- Instant Gratification
Down inside, we are still children who want the candy or the toy now. While every day at work and as parents is a test of our patience and sense of restraint, we want to return to that blessed state when all we had to do was ask and we received what we wanted.
Skilled copywriters count on this desire, which is burning down inside all of us. By assuring prospects that once they click on the Buy Now button they will receive exactly what they wish, ad copy turns most responsible adults into excited children who want their wish to be gratified – now!
- Belonging
We all want to belong – to our family, group of friends, professional organization. There is a feeling of security in knowing that we are appreciated and accepted and that others identify with us and our way of living.
When an ad copy tells prospects to “join thousands of others who enjoy the benefits of X product”, it stirs the feeling of belonging, the need to be an accepted part of a group. This is one of the most effective emotions if you want to avoid stronger approaches (such as fear or guilt).