Spooky! The 2nd Fastest Way to Make People Care

In last week's newsletter, we talked about three persuasion lessons you don't find in most copywriting books.

Today, I want to discuss a fourth. This one may be discussed even less than the other three, at least among marketing and branding folks!

Let's talk about how “unfair injury” connects you to a story character.

Because?it’s a subtle but frighteningly effective?persuasion tactic.

It’s a key reason we form emotional bonds with?characters?(even if we don’t realize it)?in countless books, movies and even marketing material.

We can't help it. It's just how we work as humans.

In?The Story Solution, Eric Edson says:

“Injustice stirs our passions like few other things... After courage, the second quickest way to bond an audience to your hero is to place that character in a situation where blatant injustice is inflicted upon her.”

This isn’t necessarily the same thing as the “rags to riches” / hero's journey story arc. There are levels to this.

"Now Donnie," you may be thinking. The Story Solution is about screenwriting. Does it apply to marketing?

It absolutely does.

Let me share an example from a wildly successful marketing campaign I worked on a few years ago.

At the time, I was working with a client who was paralyzed from the waist down as a teenager.

We mentioned that fact offhandedly in sales copy from time to time. After all, it was the catalyst that drove him to learn the skill he turned into 3 multimillion-dollar business.

One day, the client had the idea to take the story to another level.

He described how a group of teens?beat him so badly that he’d never walk again.?

How the medical bills crushed his family financially. And how that series of events forced him to do something different…??

Fleshing out the unfair injury kept people glued to their screens and practically forced viewers to root for my client.

Sales on that webinar were off the charts. There were fewer refund requests, too.

That's just one example of many. I think it illustrates the point perfectly.

You can use unfair injury to draw readers/viewers into your copy and keep them emotionally engaged.

Share painful stories — and especially of injustices — against your main character. In most cases, that's probably you.

The more vivid the better.

Maybe your boss gave the promotion you deserved to someone else. Better yet, she gave it to the new guy the one who always wears tight shirts — the pretty boy rookie YOU TRAINED.

There are a thousand variations.

As long as the story is believable, your reader/viewer’s heart will go out to your character, which advances the sale.

(Note: In most cases, the story should be true... but it's not a requirement. It should be real, even if it didn't literally happen.)

So here's your homework:?

Spend some time thinking about how you can use unfair injury in your own marketing.

It’s not the only trick you’ll use. But it’s a good one to have in your repertoire.

Have a productive day!

P.S. Presenting a perfect picture of yourself in your promotions is less persuasive than you probably think.

I know, it’s a little scary to tell your darker stories.

But it works. It can help you with sales now and retention/ascension over time.

Your ideal clients will feel even more connected to you. They’ll be even more excited to hear from you.

Isn’t that worth a little discomfort?

(Guess that’s up to you to decide.)