Recently, one of my copywriting groups challenged its members to a daily writing challenge inspired by David Garfinkel’s Breakthrough Copywriting, specifically Chapter 10, “Emotional Techniques.”
Emotional techniques are a key part of the art of persuasion, designed to be used in the copy to trigger a response from the reader. The reader is taken on a journey through the stages of awareness as you illuminate and agitate the problem, and offer your product or service as the solution. If the copy was successful, at the end of the journey the reader is compelled to take action.
Garfinkel presents eleven emotional techniques, each with its own distinct purpose and structure. I wrote a simulated advertisement* for each over the course of three weeks, most of the time with products or services that I have purchased. Let me know in the comments which technique you think is the most effective.
Emotional Technique #1: Anger to Envy
Garfinkel says anger and jealousy are two of the most powerful motivators known to man. Leverage them by activating the reader’s FOMO. Make a statement that gets the audience angry (but not with you!), highlight a positive aspect of the same situation to trigger your audience’s fear of missing out, then offer your product as the solution.
Costco Auto Program
Is there anything more nerve-wracking than shopping for a new car? Test drives, shady salesman, high-pressure sales tactics, and sketchy offers that only last if you buy Now! Now! Now! How can you possibly be sure that the price the dealer is asking for is the absolute best you can get? And what exactly is *undercoating* anyway?
Well, it's even worse if you are a woman shopping for a new car. You may as well paste a big sign on your forehead that says "SUCKER!" Every sales associate looks at you like a juicy slab of beef, knowing that they are practically guaranteed to pad their commission.
But not Nicole. Nicole shops for her new car with ease. The process is stress-free, enjoyable even! She knows that she's getting the best price on her new car, and gets incentives that the general public doesn't even know about. How does she do it? It's simple! And it's probably something you have in your wallet right now!
Nicole shops with confidence using the Costco Auto Program. Costco pre-negotiates prices with thousands of auto dealerships around the country, guaranteeing you the best price on just about any make and model of car on the market. Your assigned dealer associate makes it easy for you to narrow down your choices and visit the showroom for a test drive when it's convenient for you. The best part is that this service is absolutely free for all Costco Warehouse Members! Just another one of the perks of membership!
Shop with confidence, and enjoy your new ride with the Costco Auto Program.
Emotional Technique #2: Empathy through Shared Memory
To use this technique, remind the reader of an experience that caused them to feel negative emotions, then express that you understand what they’re going through. Your product/service is then presented as a way to eliminate that pain.
SureSend, a (fictional) Chrome Extension for Gmail
Ugh! Yet another company email that drones through the latest procedural changes at work. You can actually feel your eyes glazing over. But the devil on your shoulder thinks of a snarky reply, and you just can't help but send that zinger to your work bestie.
Almost immediately, your cubicle neighbor Karen peeps over the wall, eyes as big as saucers, and asks, "did you *mean* to send that to everyone?"
Your heart drops into your stomach as the creeping realization comes over you that you accidentally hit REPLY ALL.
We've all done this--either an email that went to the wrong audience or when a reply meant for your spouse gets sent to your mother-in-law. It's horrifying!
But worry no more, my digital friend. There's a new Gmail extension called SureSend that can save you from the embarrassment of an email faux pas.
When you add SureSend to your Gmail account, a little pop-up window shows up after you hit Send, but *before* your email actually goes out, with a checklist of the people that are actually going to receive your message. A quick once-over will confirm that the intended recipients are on the SureSend checklist. But more importantly, you can uncheck those not meant for your email that you might have accidentally overlooked.
Send your emails with confidence when you use SureSend, the oops-free extension for Gmail.
Emotional Technique #3: Doubt to Confidence
This is the technique that speaks to the skeptic. By the time the reader is aware of your product/service, they have already invested in other, maybe similar, solutions without success. Put your audiences’ doubts about your product or service into a testimonial. The testimonial shifts from doubt to confidence that it actually works.
Meals by Mom, a (fictional) meal delivery service
Sigh. It's 5:30 again. The kids are starving, you're exhausted, and you have no idea what to make for dinner. Is it wrong to have cold cereal every night of the week?
You would love to make fresh, nutritious, home-cooked meals every night, but who has the time? Not to mention grocery shopping, coupon clipping, and wrangling your squirmy kids into the minivan to run errands.
I used to feel exactly the same way until my friend told me about a new meal service called Meals By Mom. At first, I rolled my eyes, because who hasn't tried one of those pre-packaged meal companies and quickly became discouraged? The portions are never right, some of the ingredients are downright weird, and the cost? Forget it!
But I was wrong! Oh, so wrong!
Meals By Mom has transformed my evenings. I have delicious, nutritious, meals on the table in less than thirty minutes. And my kids love them! They're even eating vegetables! Can you believe it?
Meals By Mom has an interactive recipe portal that truly customizes your meals to your family's preferences. Little Billy won't eat beef? No problem! Does Suzy have an allergy to shellfish? They've got your back! Best of all, is the savings--I spend less per meal, have practically no waste, and we're not hitting the drive-through or ordering out for pizza every evening.
Meals By Mom has made our family healthier and happier. Try it for your family too! Use the code HELPITSDINNERTIME for 20% off your first order.
Emotional Technique #4: Appeal to People’s Sense of Larceny
You make the audience aware that their problem is going to be costly to solve, possibly to the point of being unachievable. Then you present the solution to the problem with access to your affordable product/solution.
David’s Vacation Club Rentals
It's the Gold Standard of Kid Vacations. It's the place where pro athletes go right after they've won the top prize in their sport. And let's be honest, who doesn't want to soak up the Florida sun in The Happiest Place On Earth?
A Disney World vacation can be a magical time for families. But it's easy to be completely overwhelmed with all of the different options for places to stay. And those prices--yikes! It's tempting to stay in a chain hotel miles away from the parks, but transportation and parking can be time-consuming and confusing. The one thing you don't want on your vacation is a headache.
Staying on-site in a Disney property seems like the right choice, but those hotel rates are out of reach, right? Not when you use David's Vacation Club Rentals.
David's is a vacation rental service that offers reservations at some of the most exclusive and luxurious properties Disney has to offer at a fraction of what you would pay booking online.
But how?
You know when you are touring the park or browsing the Disney website, you see offers for the Disney Vacation Club? DVC members are virtual property owners who have purchased a membership at one of Disney's Deluxe hotels that have essentially prepaid for their vacations for a number of years into the future.
But, sometimes life gets in the way. Perhaps a DVC owner has booked a non-refundable reservation and now has a conflict. Or maybe their bank of vacation points are on the verge of expiring and they have no way of using them up in time. That's where David's can help!
David's Vacation Club Rentals connects DVC owners with families who are looking to book a vacation and allows the owners to essentially rent either their points or reservations to them. The renters get the benefit of the reduced prices afforded to DVC owners, and owners are compensated for the rental of their membership benefits. It's a win-win situation!
So if you're dreaming of staying at a Deluxe Disney property, but don't exactly have a Deluxe-sized budget, visit David's Vacation Club Rentals and let us help you plan the vacation of your dreams!
Emotional Technique #5: Emotional Math
With this technique, you preemptively counter a reader’s objection with a benefit before they even realize that they had one!
LookYourBest, a (fictional) clothing subscription service
LookYourBest has a wardrobe subscription plan for every woman! Our easy, user-friendly questionnaire helps us accurately pinpoint your unique style so your monthly curated box of outfits nail your look every time.
Our stylish ensembles are always a perfect fit--they have to be because they are picked to fit your exact measurements each and every time.
And on the rare occasion that you don't absolutely love a piece in your monthly collection, return shipping is a breeze with our White Glove Return Service. Simply wrap and return the item to the original shipping box, seal it securely, attach the enclosed return label, indicate which items you want to return on the LookYourBest app, set the box outside, and your carrier will pick it up, no questions asked.
LookYourBest will keep looking stylish and beautiful with clothing and accessories that will delight you each and every month. Start shopping risk-free at LookYourBest today!
Emotional Technique #6: Sour Grapes to Vintage Wine
This technique is used for the reader that is naturally skeptical of a big offer because they’re intimidated by thinking big. Instead, position your offer as the baby step to the big goal (you have to start with sour grapes to get to vintage wine!)
Couch to 5K®
It seems that everyone is caught up in the running craze these days. Your friends are Instagramming the dashboards of their treadmills after a long run. Wouldn't you like to be able to run a marathon?
You may not be ready for a whole 26.2 miles just yet. But that doesn't mean that you can't get started by a simple jog around the block. You know the saying--a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step!
You're going to need a little help to reach your long-distance goals. That's why there's Couch to 5K®, a virtual training app for runners that's as easy to use as turning on your phone.
There's a reason that Couch to 5K® is one of the Top Ten health and fitness apps in the Apple app store. We've helped thousands of new runners get started on their way to fitness and fun. Download Couch to 5K® at the Apple app store to begin your fitness journey.
Emotional Technique #7: Factual Format for Emotionally Provocative Language
Use a journalistic or media-savvy format so that the audience reads your ad copy with the same credibility and belief that they would if they were reading the news.
Nicole Morton Agency
With all of the newest Google algorithm updates, creating new digital content is more important than ever to maintain your visibility on search engine results pages. But content that Google doesn't consider valuable can actually make your rankings worse!
By working with the Nicole Morton Agency, you can be sure that the content that is published to your blog or website is engaging, value-packed, and most importantly, optimized for great visibility. Schedule a free 30-minute copy consultation to find out how we can help.
Emotional Technique #8: The Drip Irrigation Method to Change Belief to Disbelief
With this technique, you begin by standing alongside your audience with an indisputably true fact that is contrary to the position you want them to have, then slowly mete out your argument bit by bit to what you want them to believe.
Nicole Morton Agency
Every business owner knows that blogging in this day and age is a waste of time. There’s just so much noise on the internet. How is a small business owner supposed to stand out?
And how are you supposed to create and post content on a regular basis with all of the responsibilities that you already have on your plate?
I mean, there are big brands out there that have a killer social media game, but is it worth it for small eCommerce businesses to invest the time and resources in a content strategy?
A recent report from Big Commerce points out several ways that blogs can foster the growth of eCommerce businesses: higher search engine ranking, attracting and retaining loyal customers, and reaching audiences from multiple platforms.
And the great thing is, there are several ways that you can repurpose the same content several different ways. This cuts down significantly on the time that you spend creating brand new content every time you need to post online.
There are a number of articles that can help you plan how to reuse or repurpose highly engaging content for your audience, like this list of 12 ideas from Buffer.
Sites and apps like Hootsuite can help you plan and create a content schedule so you can literally set it and forget it!
So now that you’re armed with a plan for blog content and a reliable schedule, you are ready to engage your audience and make them fall in love all over again with your brand. Consistency is key, so get started and build momentum!
But if you find that you don’t have the bandwidth to implement a content strategy, reach out to us at the Nicole Morton Agency, and let’s schedule a consultation to get you started.
Emotional Technique #9: Emotional Downfall to Emotional Uplift
As opposed to avoiding negative emotional responses, this technique dives headfirst into objections, skepticism, suspicion, or hostility. By explicitly addressing and breaking them down, they are no longer perceived as problems.
Speax underwear by Thinx
You're afraid to cough.
You're afraid to sneeze.
You now understand why your mother had to cross her knees every time she belly laughed.
Getting older means having to deal with a little leakage. You just wear a disposable panty liner, deal with chafing, grit your teeth, and hope for the best.
Or do you?
Introducing Speax, absorbent underwear for bladder leak protection from the makers of Thinx. A revolutionary approach to managing light incontinence.
Speax are ultra-thin, ultra-comfortable, and ultra-pretty in five different styles and an array of colors! They are super-absorbent, odor-resistant, and easy to care for. Wear them worry-free all day, rinse when you take them off, machine wash on laundry day, and air dry. That's it!
Ditch your bulky uncomfortable pantyliners and switch to Speax, by the makers of Thinx. Worry-free, comfy coverage can be yours today.
Emotional Techniques #10: Shared Outrage
This is where you and the audience are royally pissed...together! Being angry at the same time creates an emotional alliance between you and the reader.
Article by Consumer Reports on Optimizing Home WIFI
I'm sick of getting terrible wifi in my home, and I doubt I'm alone in this! Have you had your wifi in your home crap out without warning in the middle of your favorite movie, or worse, a video conference for work? Isn't it so frustrating?
Goodness knows I pay my internet service provider enough in monthly fees that I should be able to binge-watch Netflix in peace wherever I want. I checked the speed of my connection, and it says that I have plenty of bandwidth, and my modem has been updated regularly.
But there was a solution I hadn't tried. And it turns out that it was an easy fix!
Where do you have your router placed in your home? Chances are, it's in the basement, or in the corner of the room that serves as your home office. That's no big deal, right?
Wrong! Your router should be placed as close to the center of the house as possible. And if that's not possible, it may be a matter of adding a few inexpensive repeaters to extend the reach of the signal into hard-to-reach spots around the house.
Goodbye dead zones, hello Game of Thrones marathon!
Click here to get a checklist of simple fixes for your home internet setup and end your wifi frustrations.
Emotional Techniques #11: From Desperation to Salvation
This technique describes a situation where the audience desperately needs a solution to their problem, and you offer your product/service to save the day!
Savvy Web Woman
You have to have a website.
Isn't that what your colleagues are telling you? That you have to have some kind of online presence if you want your business to take off? You're not the techie type--you can barely operate your cell phone! So what is an internet-phobic business owner supposed to do?
You need Savvy Web Woman.
We're a full-service web development team that can get you up and running with a beautifully designed and super-functional WordPress website for less than you might think. A lot less.
Savvy Web Woman works with companies just like yours who don't have the technical skill or the bandwidth to create a robust online presence required of today's business climate.
Your new website will look exactly how you want it to, sound exactly like you wrote it yourself, and will be optimized so that you can easily be found on search engines.
We also provide monthly maintenance services that give you the worry-free assurance that your site is running optimally at all times, no matter what updates occur.
Get ready to level up your business with a website by Savvy Web Woman.
*The companies in these examples are used for demonstration purposes only. It does not imply that they are clients of Nicole Morton Agency. Yet.