Tips for Writing Your Website to Make an Emotional Impact
If you want your website to get referrals, get people to come back and get people to buy, you need to make an emotional impact. Factual information on the web is useful for research, but not for making real connections.
Emotions are what get people to act. Pain and desire get people to buy. Amazement gets people to share. Curiosity gets people to return.
In order to succeed as an internet marketer, you need to master the art of creating emotions using words. Here are a few tips to help you do it.
==> Pace, Pace, Lead
The term “Pace, Pace, Lead” comes from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnosis. In a nutshell, the concept is to match someone’s emotional pace first before trying to lead them.
Start by describing someone’s current emotional state to them. For example, “You might be feeling frustrated, confused, or even angry that no solution has worked. You might have tried every solution you could find on Google or by asking friends.”
This paces their frustration.
Once you’ve paced them enough to have them feel that you understand where they’re at, you can then lead them somewhere new. For example, by saying “Well, I’ve got great news: There’s one final, highly effective solution you haven’t tried yet.”
==> Show, Don’t Tell
Emotions aren’t created by telling someone something factually. Instead, they’re created by painting pictures.
For example, let’s say you’re selling a new kind of fishing hook.
Telling would be: “Our new fishing hook doesn’t let fish go.” It’s dull, boring and unemotional.
Showing would be: “Imagine docking your boat this Sunday evening with a bucket full of fish bigger than you’ve ever caught before.”
Though essentially the same thing is said, painting a picture is felt much more strongly.
==> Use Power Words
Power words are words that invoke an emotion, in addition to being descriptive.
Instead of saying you’ll decrease expenses, say you’ll “slash” expenses. Instead of saying you’ll grow profits, say you’ll “explode” profits. Instead of saying you’ll improve your dating life, say the dates will “come flooding in.”
These words don’t change the actual message, but simply turn up the emotional intensity of the message. Just this tip alone can turn a dull website into an exciting read.
==> Start with the Problem
Great copy should focus on the problem first and the solution second. Many, many websites simply focus on “why our solution is the best” and neglects touching on the problem first.
The problem is where all the emotional weight is. It’s much easier to get someone motivated by talking about how bad it feels to be lonely, rather than talking about the benefits of having a relationship.
If you learn to pace, pace, lead, show rather than tell, use power words and paint powerful pictures of the problem, you’ll be able to vastly increase the emotional impact of your website.