This Is Why Hyped-up Sales Copy Doesn’t Work Anymore…

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SARubin
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This Is Why Hyped-up Sales Copy Doesn’t Work Anymore…

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In the past, marketers have tried to hype up and even glamorize their products or services to make them sound more exciting and irresistible.

And technically there’s nothing wrong with that way of thinking, because we all need to make our offer as exciting as possible, so our visitors will want what we’re selling… right?

Unfortunately too many advertisers took the hype too far, and now most consumers have caught on and are becoming immune to all the dubious claims and hyped-up B.S.


I mean let’s face it… Not EVERY product can be the “All New Amazing Solution” to every persons dreams. (no matter how fast, easy, safe, and “scientifically” proven you claim it to be)

Consumers are pretty savvy these days and most of us have grown weary of all the “over the top” claims made by advertisers and promoters.

As a result; Our bullshit detectors have been set to high and we’ve learned to ignore (or just roll our eyes at) the hypey claims coming from the advertising world.

Those types of ads might still make a few sales, mostly because there will always be new people who haven’t seen them yet, but they don’t engender trust among the masses. And they will never give you a reputation for being sincere or trustworthy.


The way to generate trust is not to make outrageous claims that can’t be believed. But instead we need to be authentic with our product. Here’s why…


In the age of social media and online networking, bad news about a company or product travels at light speed. There’s no escaping it.

And unlike back in the old days, you can’t simply pack up your stuff and move to another town in search of new customers who’ve never heard of you.


That means more and more, we need to be authentic in our copy if we want to engender trust with our potential customers.

Because a product, or reputation, which is misrepresented loses credibility fast. And loss of credibility will have a direct, and often brutal, impact on your sales.

Simply put… If a company is not trustworthy, then they’ll have a hard time selling to anyone.


None of this means that you need to be squeaky clean in your advertising. And we definitely don’t want to be boring in our copy, because in marketing being boring is a mortal sin. But we do want to be more authentic and transparent about any claims we make in our ads.

If you’re genuinely excited about what you’re selling then let that come through in your sales pitch. Enthusiasm is a good thing, and if you truly believe in your product then exciting words in your copy can help you express it.


But on the flip side of that equation… If you just fill your copy with hype, hoping it will look like enthusiasm, the incongruence will come through in your message. And most consumers will know that something is off. Even if they can’t identify exactly what’s wrong, they’ll know that your hyped up message is insincere.


That’s why, if you’re advertising online, the need for authenticity is becoming less of an option… And more of a necessity.

One reason is because in the consumers mind, the potential for being scammed is always present.

When shopping in a brick and mortar store we can touch the products, and also get a feel for whether the store, and the sales person, seems legit. But online, our advertising, marketing, and brand reputation needs to engender trust.

Especially since they can’t even touch the product they’re buying it becomes even more important that they trust you to deliver what you promise.

And hyed-up over-the-top claims might create temporary interest, but they do not create genuine trust.


The bottom line here is this…


Your advertising and marketing is a huge part of your brand reputation. So we always need to think about how we want to be perceived in the marketplace.


Advertising and marketing that takes on a subtle tone of exaggeration is fine. Most people expect you to make your product or service seem a little bigger than it really is. That way when they naturally tone it back in their own minds, it will still seem like a pretty good deal. It’s like someone who stretches their Resume’ a bit to look like a better candidate for a job.

But if you make your claims sound too over-the-top outrageous, then even when consumers tone it back it will still sound too good to be true. And we all know that if something sounds too good to be true, then it’s probably not true.


So the best advice I can give you right now is too make your sales copy exciting, but don’t stray too far from reality. Because the person on the other side of your copy is already skeptical of your claims. Especially when they’re being bombarded with unrealistic advertising claims every day.

That’s why a big part of your copywriting job is to make them believe what you say.

Because without trust, there is no sale
A good marketer knows how to think like a marketer - A great marketer learns how to think like the customer...
SARubin - Direct Response Copywriter / Conversion Flow Expert
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