3 Powerful Psychological Effects to Use in Your Copywriting
Harmonize your copy with the reader’s thoughts to deliver more impactful results.
Effective copywriting educates and inspires. A reader should walk away having learned something of value. Copywriting is not witchcraft and should never coerce or trick anybody into doing something they shouldn’t.
While it’s never ethical to write deceptive copy, you can leverage the power of psychology to tap into a reader’s emotions and thoughts.
Here are three psychological effects to start implementing in your copywriting today to inspire consumers to take action.
1. The Novelty Effect
Steve (my dog) is a fickle little creature. Sometimes, when he refuses to eat his food, I’ll have to transfer the same food into a different dish and set it down in front of him. For some reason, this new dish entices Steve to eat.
This is an excellent example of the Novelty Effect, which refers to a positive result of a change. However, once curiosity wanes, anything that’s improved will return to its original state. So, after the novelty of Steve's new food bowl wears off, he'll probably refuse to eat again.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel here. Just tweak your copy. For instance, refresh a title or headline on a specific page and monitor any spikes in website traffic. When your traffic slows, change up the copy.
Also, keep your blogs fresh. Don’t regurgitate the same template over and over. Use listicles, Q&A, recent/relevant statistics, or customer success stories.
2. The Serial Position Effect
This is a person’s tendency to only recall the first and last items in a series. To take advantage of this effect in your copy, clearly convey the article's value in the introduction. In your conclusion, recap the key takeaways in bullet form.
You should also strategically list product or service features, mentioning the most crucial items first and last in the list. For example, a car dealership should point out that they offer financing at the top of their value proposition page. The last point on the list is that they’ll deliver the vehicle right to your door.
3. The Pratfall Effect
The Pratfall Effect is a great opportunity to humanize your business. It states that competent people become more attractive after they make a mistake.
We all mess up. Writing a blog about a time you made a mistake and the lessons you learned can position you as an approachable thought leader and foster deeper connections with your customers. Everybody loves a good comeback story.