A freelance copywriter is constantly on the lookout for fresh techniques to influence readers through the written word. Here are some examples to help you figure out what type of persuasion each of them employs:
Freelance Copywriter Secrets
The “manufactured laughter” that has been a staple of situation comedies for more than half a century is based on solid research. People laugh longer, more frequently, and judge a program as funnier when it has a laugh track, despite the fact that canned laughter is fake, sounds mechanical, and insults our intelligence; studies have proved this is the case.
The same research shows that laugh tracks are most successful when used in conjunction with bad jokes. For want of a better term, we just don’t see the humour in a joke and hence join in with the fake laughs.
Bartenders and church ushers have discovered that adding a few dollar notes to their tip jars and collection plates encourages patrons to give more.
Even when the club inside isn’t very busy, nightclubs use huge lineups outside their entrances to give the impression of popularity and exclusivity. Although it’s inconvenient, they’ve found that the line outside actually attracts more visitors.
Psychologists have discovered that displaying videos of children their own age playing, laughing, and engaging with dogs helps “heal” children’s dog phobias.
If you’re standing on a downtown street corner with a bunch of people, it’s impossible not to look up.
“Social proof,” as psychologists refer to it, is a powerful influence on human behaviour. Social proof may be a powerful tool for a freelance copywriter.
To put it simply, social proof affects what individuals consider acceptable behaviour. Have you ever been to a formal party and found yourself paying attention to how other people behave so you could figure out how you should behave?
Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdinin discovered that social proof is particularly powerful in instances where we are unsure what to do (like the formal party). In certain situations, we are more likely to mimic the actions of others and follow in their footsteps.
Social proof is unmatched as a tool for copywriting. Consider the case of an assignment to make a short film that encourages audience members to throw away their rubbish at the end of a screening.
One well-dressed, likeable character after another exits the theatre in this screenplay. Everyone takes a moment to dump their garbage in the nearby cans.
Then there’s this scruffy-looking individual who screams “loser” from every angle. When he exits the cinema, he doesn’t even bother to stop by the garbage. Next, we observe a pile of trash that includes empty popcorn containers, soda glasses, and candy wrappers from where he had been seated.
It’s obvious that the message is to make people aspire to be like the many good individuals who disposed of their waste instead of the one slob who did not.
In addition to mentioning that you have 100,000 delighted customers, more people buy your product than its “Brand X” competition, or showing testimonials by pleasant-looking individuals your audience can relate with, social proof is vital to the freelance copywriter.
All of us are compelled to follow in the footsteps of others because of social evidence. Rather of standard “content,” the full-page ad I saw lately had bits of praise from delighted customers, each of whom spoke highly of the company’s quality of work. That ad had a huge impact on me.
Make advantage of social evidence to increase the likelihood that your statements will be taken seriously. You’ll be a better freelance copywriter as a result of using this method frequently.
