The importance of Proof in Our Copywriting
Posted: April 1st, 2021, 9:38 am
One thing I don't hear too many copywriters talking about these days is the importance of "proof" in our sales copy.
I hear plenty of talk about creativity and persuasive techniques. And of course we can rely on our words and persuasion techniques to make the sale.
But without infusing proof in our copy we're handicapping ourselves right from the start. Because without it we run into a hurdle in our sales process. And that hurdle is called consumer skepticism.
Even if someone wants to buy our product and they want to trust us, deep inside is that little voice telling them to not let their guard down.
They've been burnt before, or they know someone else who got cheated, or they've just heard too many stories of other people's bad experience.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains uncertainty causes internal conflict. And internal conflict slows down the buying process.
That's why if we truly believe in what we're selling (and I hope you don't sell things you don't believe in) we owe it to our readers to ease their burden of uncertainty, and make the buying process smooth and conflict free as possible for them.
And one of the quickest ways we can do that is through the use of proof in our copy.
So how do we include proof in our copy?
I can think of a half dozen ways off the top of my head, but here's just a couple of the easiest proof elements I've used in my copywriting over the years...
Testimonials
Testimonials and third party endorsements are a proof element because they say other people have trusted us, and were happy with the result. (social proof)
But testimonials are a bit weak these days because most people know they can be bought, faked, or manipulated…
But adding a few legitimate testimonials to our copy doesn’t hurt. And it can usually help.
A powerful guarantee is a good proof element.
Because if we're willing to guarantee our offer, then we must believe in what we’re selling, right?
But we’re not talking about just the standard “30 day money back guarantee”. Almost everyone offers a guarantee like that, to the point where it’s become a neutral factor in persuasion.
But a powerful guarantee can put people’s mind at ease, and give them confidence to buy from us.
If everyone else is offering a 30 day money back guarantee, I’ll offer a FULL YEAR guarantee.
Which one do you think instills more confidence in the consumer?
An even better proof element is to make the advertisement itself valuable.
If it’s an info product give them a taste of the info, right there in the ad. The first chapter of a book has been proven to sell a lot more books (assuming it's a good first chapter)
Or, if we’re selling an exercise program, we give people a simple exercise they can try right now, while our ad is still right there in front of them. That way they can prove it to themselves.
Basically, the more proof we can offer in our copywriting, the quicker our reader will start to believe what we're saying. And when their defenses come down, our message can get over that hurdle of skepticism a whole lot quicker...
... And when that happens our sales numbers go up.
Thought for the day...
I hear plenty of talk about creativity and persuasive techniques. And of course we can rely on our words and persuasion techniques to make the sale.
But without infusing proof in our copy we're handicapping ourselves right from the start. Because without it we run into a hurdle in our sales process. And that hurdle is called consumer skepticism.
Even if someone wants to buy our product and they want to trust us, deep inside is that little voice telling them to not let their guard down.
They've been burnt before, or they know someone else who got cheated, or they've just heard too many stories of other people's bad experience.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains uncertainty causes internal conflict. And internal conflict slows down the buying process.
That's why if we truly believe in what we're selling (and I hope you don't sell things you don't believe in) we owe it to our readers to ease their burden of uncertainty, and make the buying process smooth and conflict free as possible for them.
And one of the quickest ways we can do that is through the use of proof in our copy.
So how do we include proof in our copy?
I can think of a half dozen ways off the top of my head, but here's just a couple of the easiest proof elements I've used in my copywriting over the years...
Testimonials
Testimonials and third party endorsements are a proof element because they say other people have trusted us, and were happy with the result. (social proof)
But testimonials are a bit weak these days because most people know they can be bought, faked, or manipulated…
But adding a few legitimate testimonials to our copy doesn’t hurt. And it can usually help.
A powerful guarantee is a good proof element.
Because if we're willing to guarantee our offer, then we must believe in what we’re selling, right?
But we’re not talking about just the standard “30 day money back guarantee”. Almost everyone offers a guarantee like that, to the point where it’s become a neutral factor in persuasion.
But a powerful guarantee can put people’s mind at ease, and give them confidence to buy from us.
If everyone else is offering a 30 day money back guarantee, I’ll offer a FULL YEAR guarantee.
Which one do you think instills more confidence in the consumer?
An even better proof element is to make the advertisement itself valuable.
If it’s an info product give them a taste of the info, right there in the ad. The first chapter of a book has been proven to sell a lot more books (assuming it's a good first chapter)
Or, if we’re selling an exercise program, we give people a simple exercise they can try right now, while our ad is still right there in front of them. That way they can prove it to themselves.
Basically, the more proof we can offer in our copywriting, the quicker our reader will start to believe what we're saying. And when their defenses come down, our message can get over that hurdle of skepticism a whole lot quicker...
... And when that happens our sales numbers go up.
Thought for the day...