7 Powerful (and Underused) Copywriting Techniques
How to get people to stop and take action with the best copywriting techniques that most people have never heard of.
Hi, I’m Ben Watkins 👋 Thanks for joining another edition of La Vie Ben Rose. Every week, I unravel copywriting examples from the most recognized brands. I also look at how to transform your writing with style, clarity, and persuasion so you can build an audience, transform your writing, and create endless opportunities.
Happy Thursday!
First off, thanks to everyone who’s purchased my Copywriting Magic bundle! 18 people have participated in my workshops. And it’s awesome helping people with copywriting.
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Ray bought my sales email workshop and LOVED it.
“Just took Ben's email copywriting workshop and I was blown away by the level of detail he went into when explaining these concepts. He also provided several excellent resources to help drive higher open rates. I look forward to diving into more of his classes to sharpen my copywriting skills.”
I share a lot of copywriting examples, but today, I want to share 7 copywriting techniques. Fasten your seat belt. This is a humdinger.
1. The Bucket Brigade Technique
This is a copywriting method used to get ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. It gets the reader to keep reading. They are perfect for emails, landing pages, and sales pages.
These are popular Bucket Brigade phrases:
Here’s another example of it in action:
2. The But You Are Free Technique
This is a psychology fun one - (kinda like reverse psychology) - when you’re reminding people that they have the freedom to say no, you paradoxically increase the likelihood that they'll say yes.
Wild. But effective.
3. The Zeigarnik Effect
Does your brain always have to close a list? Then you might love or hate the Zeigarnik Effect.
The Zeigarnik Effect relies on our tendency to remember uncompleted tasks better than complete ones. It’s like missing a piece of a puzzle you’ve almost completed - You HAVE to complete it.
Examples:
Here are 7 ways to boost your sales. The first 3 are…
Our new SaaS AI software overcomes these 5 common healthcare problems. You’d be surprised at the other 3.
Step 3 is where most people go wrong in this guide. To avoid this common mistake...
However, you shouldn’t confuse Zeigarnik with open loops. Seem the same, but are quite different.
Zeigarnik Effect: Based on our tendency to remember uncompleted tasks better than completed ones.
Open Loop: Relies more on curiosity and the desire for closure.
4. The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
I like what Hubspot said about this phenomenon:
“The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, or the frequency illusion or recency bias, is a situation where something you recently learned about suddenly seems to appear everywhere.
There are two reasons for this phenomenon -- first, selective attention, which means your brain is subconsciously seeking out more information on the subject. Second, confirmation bias, which means every time you see something related to the subject, your brain tells you that it's proof the subject has gained popularity overnight.”
Here are some examples:
Starbucks - With fall here, you'll be seeing pumpkin spice everything (literally)'
Apple - When you have an iPhone, you'll notice how many people you use an actual Apple product (similar to a car you drive)
Amazon Prime - You'll see Prime logo pops up once you start looking for fast, free shipping.
5. Bizaree Effect
This is when people remember strange information than before because it’s weird. Makes sense to me!
Here are some examples:
Headline - This Coffee is So Wildly Delicious, You'll Think It's Made by Elves
Headline - Having Kids Is Like Having a 5:45 Automated Alarm Clock That You Never Asked for
CTA - Join Crazy Pie and Copywriter Club
6. Von Restorff Effect
Remember when your friends told you you were weird - well, that’s a good thing. Because if you want to stand out, you need to be weird.
That’s the entire basis of the Von Restorff Effect - “A scientist conducted an experiment that when constructing lists of words, the one that’s different will usually be recalled more easily.”
7. The Pygmalion Effect
The Pygmalion Effect is making people believe in something.
It’s making them believe they are part of a tribe or have some quality that makes them different, regardless if it’s true or not. You’re basically their cheerleader and telling them what their identity is.
Selling Apple watches: "You're the type of person who appreciates quality, exercise, and a good watch. That's why we know you'll love our Apple watches."
Fitness or Crossfit programs: "This super advanced workout is designed for only the most committed athletes like you. Get ready to push your limits and get the beach bod you deserve."
When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you 👇
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Thanks for reading!
Ben Watkins
Nr. 3 is like saying sth partly and not finishing it after a long while