How the "Even If" Copywriting Technique Will Empower Your Audience
...even if you think it won't work.
“Even if “ are the two most powerful words in copywriting.
You could argue that they are more compelling than anything else that copywriting has to offer.
But what’s the secret sauce behind these two words?
“Even If” is powerful because it overcomes objections before your audience has a chance to think of an objection.
More importantly, it empowers your audience.
How “Even If” Empowers Your Audience
Every person lives with doubt.
People doubt they can run a mile. People doubt they can lose weight. People doubt they can save.
We have these preconceived beliefs floating around our brains.
When you write messaging that empowers people, you’re showing them that they can overcome these doubts and have new beliefs. You have to show them the way.
Confront that doubt before they confront you.
Here are some examples:
Learn Spanish in three weeks with Rosetta Stone, even if you’ve never spoken a word of Spanish. (The idea of this isn’t for me because I don’t speak a lick of Spanish).
You’ll feel in control of your health even if you haven’t seen a doctor in years (the doubting belief of “I need to see a doctor to be healthy”).
You can feel like your old self again, even if therapy hasn’t worked before (the fear of it not working).
Let’s look at an example to see this live in action.
“Even If” Reframes Your Perspective
Learning how to frame an idea is half the battle in copywriting.
Airbnb isn’t trying to compete in terms of price or convenience. It’s not trying to win your wallet or appeal to you logically.
It’s an emotional appeal.
You see the gorgeous Airbnb home and you want to live there, even if it’s just for a night. It’s selling you on the experience.
If you do this, think about what desire you’re appealing to most with audiences.
Creating the “Even If” Technique
Here’s an example of a B2B healthcare company we could practice this technique with.
Original:
Reworked process:
I took this advertisement and asked AI what the common objections were around this audience (granted, I’d look more into personas, surveys, heatmaps, demo calls, and reviews to dig deeper if this was an actual project).
Common Objections (according to AI):
“We don’t have time to implement another tool.”
“Our nurses won’t use it.”
“We already have a rounding process.”
“We don’t have budget this quarter.”
“Will this actually help with compliance and audit prep?”
Now we have something to work with around the headline. So I give AI instructions to create a headline around these objections using the “even if” technique.
Rounding that fits your workflow, even if you don’t have time for one more tool.
Rounding software your team will actually use, even if they’ve hated every other system.
Improve rounding, even if your current process works just fine.
Boost safety, satisfaction, and audits, even if budgets are locked tight.
Audit-ready rounding software, even if you’re not sure where to start.
Of course, these are simply starting points. But they give me something to work with.
I can get more specific, pull in voice of customer data, figure out what the common objections are, and nail the headline.
Toodle loo!
Ben Watkins