Emotional Trigger that Work Well in Copy
For about as long as man has tried to convince others about something in print, the use of emotional triggers in copy has been utilized. While you might think that this has been a tactic from a land long ago and far away, the reality is it is every bit as effective today.
This doesn’t mean we want to go out and get all maudlin on people; but rather to use selective emotional triggers that elicit the type of response we’re looking for.
So which types of emotions get the best results? Does it work all the time? How are they used? If you would like to try this in your next bit of copy, here are 5 of the better emotional triggers in use today, and why they work.
5 Emotional triggers you may want to use in your copy
Speak to their Fear – Playing on people’s fears strikes a subconscious fear in many of us, and no one wants to fall prey to being without, or having the worst occur. The “Mayhem” commercials by Allstate have done a marvelous job combining humor with the subtle message that you too could fall prey to random mayhem, so you better get protected!
Exude Trust – In times like these when trust is a scarce commodity, it’s ingenious that conveying a message of trust will play to people’s fear of being taken. When privacy is threatened, statements like “We value your privacy” carry weight by the mere fact that you would mention it.
Time constraints – The lack of free time or even the time necessary to do what we need to is a strong motivator for many, and a promise to “Cut your drive time in half” or “Save you time” rings true with a need many people have.
Current Trends – Many in our society are driven by possessing the latest and coolest tings, and this desire is nearly unstoppable. If you are able to craft your copy while also making it trendworthy you’ve got a winner.
Feeling like they belong – Most people are prone to identify with a group that best represents who they believe they are. Only a relative few actually don’t want to belong to a group. Crafting copy that speaks to a group can be very lucrative.
So there you have five to work with. There are more, but these will get you going. Try to work them into your copy subtly, and see if you don’t get results.