Friend,
If you want to become a great copywriter then you need to understand human psychology.
And some of the most powerful psychological tactics come from a negative side of society: cults.
You see, people assume those who join cults are already crazy.
But in most cases they start as ordinary people with ordinary problems.
So how do people like Charles Manson get ordinary people to live in the wild, break the law and even commit murder?
The answer comes from a marketing expert called Blair Warren.
Blair Warren is a television producer, writer, and marketing consultant, with over 20 years of industry experience.
He's also a voracious student of human nature and has studied cult psychology for over a decade.
In his course "The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion" Blair highlights seven key "addictions" all humans have and how these are used by cults.
And in this email I'm going to cover four of them, applying each to copywriting.
Each of these addictions are extremely powerful when used correcty.
In fact, they've been used by leaders (including cults) worldwide since the start of the human race.
But as copywriters, we want to ethically use them to generate sales.
Here are four you can use to get started.
1) The Need For A Scapegoat
Scapegoats have been used by humans for centuries with devastating effects.
Hitler blamed the Jews for the demise of Germany.
The US government blamed South America for the war on drugs.
The UK government blamed immigrants for the demise of the UK.
The problem is the average person doesn't want to take responsibility for their actions.
And so they buy into this herd mentality, blaming a specific group of people.
This can be used in copy to help readers accept your claims (just make sure you use it ethically).
For example:
"It's not your fault you can't lose weight- the additives in modern food make it almost impossible."
This mindset can be applied to any industry by taking responsibility from the reader and blaming another group.
Once you've done that readers will be more likely to accept the claims you make and buy your product or service.
2) The Need To Feel Needed
Everyone wants to feel needed.
This spans back to our "chimp brain" and communal way of living.
In the past, if you weren't a needed member of the community your life would be at risk.
Carrying extra weight was a hindrance to survival, and so being needed would guarantee acceptance and long-term success.
If you weren't needed, you risked being kicked out of your group.
If you're kicked out, your chances of surviving dropped exponentially.
This can be implemented in your copy to build a community of buyers.
You can segment your top 5% of buyers and send them special emails and discounts to make them feel superior and needed.
You can write personalised emails to subscribers on their birthdays.
The aim is to make your reader feel like a needed individual in your brand or community- not just another customer.
If you can do this continuously, you create a regular buyer and improve long term conversions.
3) The Need For A Solution When Things Are Hopeless
This particular addiction is one you need to use carefully, or else you'll run into compliance and ethical problems.
But it's also arguably the most powerful of all seven.
In many cases people will buy your product or service after trying several before.
Let's say they're having issues with their skin.
They've tried five different skincare products and are on the brink of desperation.
Each has failed, and they don't know where to turn.
Now you can attract these people with the right copy.
For example:
"We know you've tried XYZ product before with no success. Here's why we're different"
If you can offer a solution when nothing else is working you'll always get the conversion.
This can also be applied to timeframes.
Say a course takes three weeks to get results.
You can claim yours takes only seven (with evidence obviously).
If an individual needs a solution, they'll always take the fastest one if success is guaranteed.
In all circumstances you want to use this addiction for good.
If you know that your product and offer are superior then it can be highly effective.
Back these claims with social proof and you have an absolute no-brainer.
4) The Need To Have Access To "Insider Information"
This last addiction is one that's commonly used throughout financial copy.
"The top 5 stocks the super rich will use to double their wealth in 2023"
"The top 3 investment secrets hedge funds don't want you to know"
"Here are the top stocks Buffet uses to optimize his portfolio"
But why is this so effective?
As humans we're naturally curious creatures and are always looking to elevate ourselves in life.
With information from a group above us, you suddenly have a secret to elevating faster.
Much like all of these addictions you need to be careful when using this.
What was once allowed as a headline probably won't get past modern regulators- make sure you're complying with regulations before you make a claim.
I've started using these recently and already seen a huge impact in my results.
More sales, more return customers and more engagement across the board.
Try them out in your copy this week and let me know if you see an improvement.
Copy Maverick
