For certain products images are the most important element in an ad.
For the fashion industry basically – but for everything else, the copy is what’s going to generate curiosity first and desire to buy later.
For certain well-known brands, the copy doesn’t need to be very long.
2 powerful sentences and that’s it. For example Nike or Apple. They just need a catchy headline and that’s about it.
But for the rest of us mortals, who don’t (yet) have a brand that sells on its own and want to have our own space among all the products out there, we need to convince prospects.
And we won’t succeed if people don’t read (or listen to) what we have to tell.
There’s a powerful weapon to attract people’s attention and this is precisely what I want to talk about today.
Fascinations.
What are fascinations?
Fascination is a term created in the 1960s by a copywriter named Mel Martin and we still use them today to sell all kinds of products and services.
In essence, a fascination is a powerful sentence that aims to arouse the reader’s curiosity and make them want to know more by provoking an action.
Fascinations can be used in:
- Headlines
- Product pages
- Brochures
- Service pages
- Email subjects
And in general in any piece of copy with which you intend to sell something.
One of Mel Martin’s most famous ad is this one below.
If cooking isn’t your thing, you won’t be interested, but if you like to cook for your guests and want to get better at it, you’ll be curious to know more about these tricks.
Mel was a genius with fascinations so he started the ad copy with them.
Do you see that they all follow the same structure?
Fascinations are also called bullets in advertising jargon. I like to think they are called that because they go straight to the prospects’ brains.
They seem easy to come up with because they are normally quite short, but in reality there’s hard work behind.
The most powerful weapon to make people listen (AND buy everything you offer). Or also called bullets. #copywriting #marketing #ads #SmallBiz #webcopy Click To TweetHow to create fascinations
Fascinations tease the value of what you are offering and embellish the benefit prospects will get.
These 2 elements are key, they trigger the curiosity and desire of your prospects.
To make sure fascinations are effective, they also need to put a clear image in the reader’s mind.
And we manage to do that by using powerful words.
Look at this sentence:
The 7-step formula that even an illiterate dropout can use to write copy that is 100 times more effective than the best advertising agency.
This is a powerful fascination.
Let’s analyse it to understand how it’s been created so we can replicate this formula.
How does it arouse curiosity?
When it says “the 7-step formula that even an illiterate dropout can use to write copy”, we ask ourselves: “which is that formula that sounds so easy?”
How does it embellish the benefit?
When it says “copy that is 100 times more effective than the best advertising agency” you are conveying a benefit that prospects crave.
How does it put an image in our minds?
Using expressions such as “an illiterate dropout” or “the best advertising agency”, help us to put ourselves in the situation and picture it clearly.
What powerful words does it contain?
Illiterate, 100 times, the best advertising agency… These are powerful words that exalt the message.
This fascination could be used in an article headline or in the lead of a product page.
Imagine you’ve written a book on copywriting and in the product description you add a list of fascinations with all the things people will learn with the book.
That sentence could be part of that list.
Let’s look at another example.
How to conquer any nervous moment during your first conversation, first date or even first intimate encounters. (And how to be “in control” even when you feel otherwise).
How does it arouse curiosity?
When it says “How to” it arouses our curiosity since they seem to know the way to achieve something we want.
How does it embellish the benefit?
When it says “And how to be “in control” even when you feel otherwise” it’s a benefit every shy person wants in nervous situations, such as a first date.
How does it put a picture in our minds?
When we say first date, first intimate encounter, we can perfectly picture that awkward moment when we get undressed (physically or mentally) for the first time in front of someone.
Which powerful words does it contain?
Be in control, intimate encounter.
Do you see now how fascinations work?
The best way to master them is to practice a lot and write and write fascinations until you you’ve mastered the technique.
Eddie Shleyner from Very Good Copy offers a mini-course to learn the technique of writing fascinations.
The course is actually about transcribing 100 fascinations over 5 days.
You learn copywriting techniques by transcribing copy written by legendary copywriters until you create your own style and dominate all the techniques.
With Eddie’s mini-course you can learn the structure of fascinations and what kind of powerful words they use.
Here you’ll find a list with some powerful words so you have them always at hand:
annihilate – invade -natter – triumphant – pulverize – effort – whimsical – revive – support – ooze – polish – spark – irreverent – extirpate – anodyne – flimsy – backhanded – disdain – wobbly – thrive – overcome – squander – avoid – fly – propel – shatter – resurrect – glide – marvel – dazzle – take off – control – glue – shatter – miracle – marvel – conquer – bravery – delight – believe – sensational – encourage – revelatory – filling – daring
These are just a few words that help to put an image in people’s minds and capture attention.
But there are many more.
The best way to enrich your vocabulary is to read a lot of everything. Not only copy but also novels, news, etc.
I have a folder on Microsoft Notes where I write words I read or hear around that I like and want to use in my copy.
You can download the app to your mobile to have it always at hand. Any note-taking app like Evernote, etc. will do.
Conclusion
Fascinations (also called bullets) are weapons with which you can win this war for attention.
If you know how to use them, you’ve got a better chance of making your message stand out from the rest.
Remember, fascinations need to:
- Tease the value
- Embellish the benefit
- Put an image in people’s minds
- Use powerful words
See you around!
Fascinations (also called bullets) are weapons with which you can win this war for attention. Discover how to use them. #copywriting #marketing #ads #SmallBiz #webcopy Click To Tweet
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