Category: Marketing

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7 Copywriting Rules I Learned From YouTube Videos

If you want to learn how to write copy, here are some tips on copywriting that I learned from watching a bunch of how-to-write videos on YouTube.

I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos.

Some were productive and some were definitely not.

But one of the productive ones talked about the importance of keeping notes of things that you find educational or valuable or interesting (similar to keeping a commonplace book).

I thought this was interesting because I was constantly forgetting valuable things I heard in videos and had to continually go back to re-watch them and it was a big waste of time.

So, I took the advice and started to write things down. And, over many years of doing this, I have amassed a lot of notes.

And since I found value in them, I think they can be valuable for you too and I want to share some of them with you.

So, for the first edition of this (maybe series), I am going to share my notes on copywriting:

Continue reading “7 Copywriting Rules I Learned From YouTube Videos”

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What is Copywriting? And Some Rules to Follow

Copywriting is basically advertisement writing. But some copy suck and some don’t. So what’s the difference?

Copywriting is, essentially, the act of writing advertisements. The goal of it is to create more awareness around a product or a service or an issue. It is also meant to persuade potential customers to take a certain action.

If you’ve read a product review, chances are there was a suggestion or button somewhere on that post that encouraged you to buy the product.

If there was, then that article was a piece of copy.

If you’ve visited a website and the page you were on talked about the company and its services and had customer testimonials, there’s a good chance there’s a button at the bottom of the page that asked you to get in contact with them.

This is a call-to-action. And that page that you were on is another example of a piece of copy. Continue reading “What is Copywriting? And Some Rules to Follow”

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What is Informational Social Influence and How Does it Affect Our Decisions?

Ever notice yourself copying what others are doing or saying at social events? This is probably happening because of a psychological condition called informational social influence.

So, I’ve been seeing a lot of people wearing puffer jackets lately, like I mentioned before, and wanted one too.

But I didn’t know which style or size was good for me.

This is where my sister and cousins came in.

We were shopping during Boxing Week (it’s like Black Friday in the US but around Christmas Day) and I asked them to help me find a new jacket because I wanted their advice.

I tried a few on (different styles and different colours) and I liked most of them.

But there was a specific one that my family liked more than the others.

And because I valued their opinion, I also found that one specific jacket to look the best on me.

So what’s the point of this uninteresting story?

Well, it’s an example of a psychological phenomenon where people will look to others to find out how they should behave when they don’t know how to react. Continue reading “What is Informational Social Influence and How Does it Affect Our Decisions?”

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How The Decoy Effect is Used in Marketing

Have you ever been a victim of the decoy effect? You may think that you haven’t, but trust me, the majority of people have.

Okay, so here are two options:

  • The first – you get a 5-blade razor with one additional blade head for $10
  • The second – you get a 5-blade razor with a pack of 10 additional blade heads for $65

Which one would you choose?

Okay, now I’m going to add an option:

  • The third option – you get a 5-blade razor with 4 additional blade heads for $50

Which one would you choose now?

I’m guessing you’re going to choose the $65 option because why wouldn’t you?

For another $15, you get 6 more blade heads than the $50 option. 6 more.

That’s going to last a long time, especially if you’re cheap like me and will use the blade until it’s dull like the most boring thing you can think of (country music?).

Another reason why I’m guessing this is because of a specific psychological theory about decoys. Continue reading “How The Decoy Effect is Used in Marketing”

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How is the Mere Exposure Effect Used in Ads?

The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon that says people are more likely to want something if they are exposed to it a lot.

You know that one stupid, annoying song that keeps getting stuck in your head?

And then after a while, it grows on you?

Yeah, I hate those. But the reason why it sticks to you like wet cotton candy is that the radio keeps exposing us to it.

And you know those silly-looking fashion trends that all of a sudden look awesome after a couple of months?

Yeah, you started liking them (and the annoying song) because of a psychological theory called the Mere Exposure Effect.

According to this concept, the more that people are exposed to something, the more that they’re going to want or desire that thing. Continue reading “How is the Mere Exposure Effect Used in Ads?”

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What is Loss Aversion in Psychology and Marketing?

In psychology, loss aversion is a theory that says people tend to feel the effects of losses more strongly than the effects of gains.

I need you to go back into your subconscious and remember something traumatic.

I need you to think back to a time when you lost $20 and how you felt at that moment. I’m guessing it was painful.

Now, think of a time when you found $20, like in an old jacket pocket for instance. How did you feel at that moment?

You probably felt pretty good.

But the feeling you got most likely didn’t compare to how you felt when you lost money.

When you lost the $20, you probably felt something stronger.

The reason why I think this is the case is that people feel more stressed when they lose something than they would feel joy if they found something of equal value.

This psychological theory is called loss aversion. Continue reading “What is Loss Aversion in Psychology and Marketing?”

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What Is The Framing Effect and How Is It Used In Ads?

The framing effect is a psychological theory that says people will have different reactions to similar statements that are framed differently. This theory has been researched by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman.

Okay, I’m going to give you two statements.

Then, after reading them, I want you to write down the option you are going to choose:

  • Statement 1: Option A will allow you to save $300.
  • Statement 2: Option B has a 42.8 percent chance of you saving $700 and a 57 percent chance you will lose everything.

Which statement did you choose?

See, this is a framing effect.

The two options are exactly the same, but they’re framed (or written) differently.

You chose one over the other (you probably picked Statement A, but we’ll talk about that later) because you probably saw one as safer. Continue reading “What Is The Framing Effect and How Is It Used In Ads?”

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What is the Foot-in-the-Door Method and How Is It Used in Sales?

The Foot-in-the-Door Method is a tactic that many salespeople used in the past. Curious, three psychologists decided to experiment it by doing door-to-door fundraising.

I remember back in the late 90s, there were always door-to-door salespeople coming to my house.

They would advertise knives, books, or even services.

There was this one time… I was maybe 11 or 12 years old… this lady came knocking on my door asking if I wanted to buy children’s encyclopedias.

Now, if you don’t know what these are, they’re basically sets of textbooks with a bunch of information in them.

It’s like Wikipedia, but in textbook form and written by (actual) professors and professionals.

Since I was just a kid, I said yes.

She asked if she can talk to my parents and I said sure and went to grab them. My parents came over and, instead of kicking her out, asked her to sit down.

Right at this moment, she probably felt that she was going to for sure make a sale.

And she rightfully should have, because according to the foot-in-the-door theory, this is an indication that the customer is willing to buy.

This psychological theory says that people are more willing to agree to a larger request if they first agree to a smaller one. Continue reading “What is the Foot-in-the-Door Method and How Is It Used in Sales?”

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