Comments on: Copy Perspective Monday: #6, Pain vs. Gain

By: 10 Steps to Optimizing Web Content and Landing Page Copy « Search Engine Optimization Eblog

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:54:39 +0000

[...] 2. First Mental Image – Usually your headline and how it relates to the first few sentences and your first image if you have one. FutureNow has many insights about a powerful first mental image. [...]

By: ¤ 10 étapes pour optimiser votre site et vos landing pages | Marketing On The Beach

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:41:53 +0000

[...] convertir un visiteur en moins de 8 secondes. Une forte image mentale est assurée par le choix de la meilleure mise en perspective de votre message. A ce sujet, retrouvez la série des meilleures techniques de mises en [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:12:15 +0000

I totally agree. Why to people spook? Tell them positive information and offered value

By: Optimizing Website & Landing Page Copy - A 10 Step Process | FutureNow's GrokDotCom / Marketing Optimization Blog

Fri, 22 May 2009 17:49:49 +0000

[...] how to convert a visitor in under 8 seconds. A strong mental image is achieved by choosing the best copy perspective for your message. Did you miss the copy perspective series by copywriter and copywriting [...]

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:51:40 +0000

John,

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and I think Pain is probably too broad of a term. What normally hurts copy is the use of fear or sadness. These are depressive emotions that hinder action on the part of your reader. But anger and guilt or disgust do the opposite – they lead to a strong bias for action. Plus the intensity of these emotions make them highly memorable (as you’ve experienced with the AT&T ad).

What I find with a lot of very successful pain-based copy is that it normally breaks down into surprise + anger or surprise + disgust and almost never fear or sadness.

Hope that helps

- Jeff

By: John Groom

John Groom — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:37:50 +0000

Hi Jeff – my mom is 87 and still very much on her own, but every time I think about that it has been a while since I called (or visited), I STILL recall an old AT&T ad that shows a mom (my mom?) sitting there alone, looking at the phone, hoping her son will call. Rats — that ad is probably over ten years old, and it STILL gives me the big-time guilties.

By: Jennifer S

Jennifer S — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:32:24 +0000

What about outlining features that a product DOES NOT have? Assuming you have a target audience that you know will consider these missing features a definite benefit. For instance, 35mm camera manufacturer marketing to parents of young beginning photographers as well as Seniors who are not sold on digital photography. “No complicated menus” and “No computer required”. Would this be considered a negative?

Thanks for your help.

By: Copy Perspective Monday: #5, Style vs. Substance

Copy Perspective Monday: #5, Style vs. Substance — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:34:39 +0000

[...] note: Fans of Copy Perspective Monday may notice that the would-be final installment, #6, came before #5. To understand the madness to his method — or is that the other way around? [...]

By: Carter

Carter — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:36:31 +0000

Great article. I will surely refer to it when I’m copywriting in the future.

One thing: “Not to sound too much like the Verizon guy, but how about know?”

Surely you mean “now” correct?

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:22:09 +0000

Great topic! We had debated at our fitness equipment company whether or not to use negative images (pictures of fat people), your article really helped with that… the only way to counter a picture of a fat person is with a gorgeous fitness model- something people see everywhere, so it would not be powerful enough to counter the “white bear” (fat image), and therefore a bad idea…am I right?

By: Robert Gorell

Robert Gorell — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:11:57 +0000

Bob,

Good catch. It takes a village, especially when the editor wakes up at 5am.

Thanks!

By: bob

bob — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:22:54 +0000

“and it’s follow up if you missed them.”

Wouldn’t complain about typos in any other forum, but a copywriters blog?