Why are you reading this post? (you are reading the post aren’t you?) Are you curious?
If you answered yes, you have just discovered one of the three psychological trigger points of good marketing: arousing curiosity.
The human is a inquisitive animal. We crane our necks at car accidents, want to see the World’s Heaviest Man at 1,230 lbs. or The Wolf Brothers (are you tempted to click the links?).
Copywriters exploit these so-called psychological triggers, primarily in headlines, to attract attention, draw readers into the marketing copy and, ultimately, get the reader to do something with a call to action.
Let’s face it, no matter how convincing your long copy message, it means didley if no one reads it. Create headlines that arouse curiosity and people will read on.
A second psychological trigger is the question.
It seems the brain is more engaged by a question than a statement. The very sight of a question mark makes the reader want to know the answer.
Do you know why? You’re reading this sentence to find the answer aren’t you? Well, the reason may be tied to early learning and kids’ questions (or maybe Socrates and his method).
Want to Know The Short Skirt Guide to Blogging? click here .
Ready for psychological trigger number 3?
A third psychological trigger is the problem solving headline. The brain seems to enjoy puzzles and finding answers to problems. How to Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools. [Combine that with a question and you have a double whammy trigger: Did You Know You Can Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools?]
Remember that the curiosity, question and problem solving triggers should address human wants and needs. Some of these include:
- saving money
- making money
- saving time
- making things easier or more efficient
- improving safety, security and health of yourself & loved ones
- improving quality of life and achieving happiness
- self-improvement
- having fun and being entertained
There are other visual marketing triggers such as the drop cap headline. Make the first letter of the paragraph much larger (and bolder) so it drops down one or two lines. Like an image, it jumps out at the reader. Seems some smarty pants named David Ogilvy discovered the drop cap headline worked better than other ad copy headlines, increasing readership rates by 13%.
Images are also triggers and, according to working journalists, a very important part of the story. The efficacy of using pretty faces, or other body parts (like the one I chose), is debatable and success depends in large part on the product or service being marketed. (hot coffee?)
In real estate marketing, for example, we know home searchers love to see lots and lots of pretty photographs of the home and the listings which have them get the most views.
Although these and other triggers will get folks to read past your headlines and further into your copy, you must deliver the goods and fulfill the promise you made in your clever headline.
Related Posts:
How to Write an Ad That Sells Real Estate
Why 80% Don’t Read Newsletters
Sources and Further reading:
Are Your Headlines Misssing These Precise Pscychological Triggers (Sean D’Souza)
Discover Which Sales Triggers are Most Effective When Mixed with SEO (John Alexander, Search Engine Workshops)
What are 7 Psychological Triggers that Make People Buy (Arina Nikitina)
Top 10 Ideas for Testing Your Headlines (Josh Hay, Future Now)
Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet (GrokDotCom)
Technorati Tags: marketing tips, headlines, sales triggers, advertising, copywriting
This post was originally published in March, 2008.
