3 Steps to Writing Copy that Speaks to Real Desire

3 Steps to Writing Copy that Speaks to Real Desire

Reader Comments (38)

  1. Thanks for this great post, Mark, it came at a really appropriate moment this morning, as I was sitting down to “fix” some marketing copy that wasn’t pulling its weight for me.

    I love the idea of including empathy, identity and hope into the marketing, and the way you explained it makes perfect sense.

    My question here is how much should we talk about these things in relation to the whole marketing piece? For example, if we have a 1000 word sales letter, then should these elements take up 300 words, less or more? I’m sure the answer is probably dependent on the topic, and the type (and degree) of pain the target market is feeling. Hard to know how and where to strike a balance, though.

    Thanks for the thought-provoking post!

    • That’s a great question, Nigel, and thanks for your kind words. Because I write on the interwebs, I’ve never thought about it in those terms. However, one things I do know is that you can get a sense of completeness with the empathy fairly quickly. Once people feel seen, they want to move on. And a disaster is to go back into more empathy once you’ve stepped into the next subject.

      Too much empathy, in fact, can risk becoming hype because you end up going into TOO MUCH detail, and that can be retraumatizing, depending on what you are talking about. Hope that helps!

  2. Hi Mark,

    I love reading this great post and I learned few new things as sometimes we get to know the ego and heart fight but you have mention in very use full manner. Its been really worth full reading the article.

    Thanks for sharing great tips 🙂

  3. Great post Mark. The post was really nice and the way you told the story really pulled me in.

    So basically, we have to deal with customer’s ego to make sure they are comfortable. This way we won’t feel bad and will sell something of true value. I like the lesson.

    Your post came at a really appropriate time for me. I am struggling to get back into selling (services) again because my ego comes in way.

    Thanks for the post. Good luck to you.

  4. This is a great piece of advice, and I’ll be sharing it and using it.
    Thanks.

  5. This is probably why Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and other spiritual thought leaders like them have a strong following. They get out of their egos (Dr. Dyer refers to the e.g.o. as ‘edging God out’ — a bit of trivia) and understand their audience without judging them. Dr. Dyer, Deepak, Tolle, and others like them usually end up on the Best Sellers list and their products sell out.

    By the way…I think this post is a great piggyback to the one written by Sonia where she spoke about being authentic. If you want to connect to your readers, it would behoove you to drop into that place inside of you where your ‘heart’ center resides. It’s alright for people to ‘feel’ their emotions and acknowledge if they’re pissed off or super angry. Furthermore, it’s okay for business owners to acknowledge the feelings of their customers. It’s a good way to help them process their emotions. Let’s face it; it’s not healthy to keep our feelings bottled up. If you do, you could become sick. Or worse, you could explode! 🙂

  6. Wow, brilliant post Mark! It is so true that really good work, in copywriting or in other areas, almost always has its base in these basic human principles– empathy, identity, and hope. A successful and meaningful movement has to start there. It is insanely simple but it always comes down to listening to each other.

  7. Mark, this article is incredible! I felt like you were speaking directly to me. I can see how in the past I’ve taken the hype route in an attempt to get the attention of the ego/overwhelm it, but I’ve always felt there was a more effective way… and through your article I believe I’ve found it. I will be checking out all of your stuff, learning what you have to teach, and incorporating it into the flow of all of my work from here on out. Thank you!

  8. Good article.

    I call this “lowercase syndrome.” As important as a copywriter’s job is, his duty is to be invisible. Even the product or service should fade into the background as the customer and his desires take center stage.

    Too many businesses, too many marketers, too many writers think they’re the star of the show. In truth, they only EXIST because there are customers with needs they’re willing to pay to satisfy.

    Thanks for sharing this, Mark.

  9. Very intriguing post, Mark, thank you for sharing. I have been having something of a hard time in trying to find the best way to write copy for my product. I like to take a very psychological, analytical approach in my writing, catering to the id and the ego. This post makes me feel like maybe I’ve forgotten about the heart… Thank you for the reminder!

  10. Spot on regarding the empathy line – there’s nothing engaging about someone who pretends to listen to you before dumbing down your feelings.

  11. Great post Mark! The prospect’s pain is the reason that they are reading copy in the first place. They are looking to buy hope, and want to know if that is what you are selling. When their pain is acknowledged, their relationship with the copy begins to form. When you prove to them that you know more about their pain than they do, they begin to see you as an expert. And if you are an expert then you may be able to provide the hope that they are looking for. Hope is the motivator that keeps us moving from day to day and is a powerful tool to use in copy. Don’t sell the product, sell the experience, sell the hope. What is the prospect hoping for when they buy your product? We should all be in the business of selling hope. When we are able to effectively achieve this, we will write million dollar copy.

  12. Mark, Does it wear you out that you rock it everyday? Because the wise goodness you put forth is a constant gift, you vessel, you.

    Great article, as always!

  13. Mark,
    I had to double check that I was reading a post on copyblogger.. I read and write spirituality and thought I must have opened a blog on spirituality rather than writing. I love that you combine both. Excellent and thank you.
    Karen

  14. Thank you for contributing this article. Your ideas are solid. We enjoyed reading your ideas.

    Life is difficult. Consequently, people are torn. They don’t know which way to turn. They are insecure, lonely, scared.
    Thus, the human being wants to feel whole again. They are looking for an antidote to depression and worry and anxiety and things that make them feel that one is less than one.

    If you can appeal to these emotions, well, you are already in the game.

  15. I think a lot more attention to emotions that people feel will engage readers. You got me with talking about the hype masters and over the top explanations of their emotions. It reminds me of the false rage and posturing that you see politicians do.

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