Authority is a popular method used throughout advertising.
Historically it came in the form of celebrity endorsements, though influencer marketing has recently become a popular alternative.
But how effective really is it?
This was the focus on a Yale psychologist in 1963.
Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment looking at the relationship between obedience and authority.
And his results shocked the entire scientific community.
The study involved two participants:
1. A volunteer (The teacher)
2. Mr. Wallace (The learner, who was actually an actor)
The learner was sent to a room where they had electric nodes attached to their arms.
The teacher then went to the next room, which contained an electric shock generator and a row of switches.
These ranged from 15 volts (Slight Shock) to 375 volts (Danger: Severe Shock) to 450 volts (XXX).
In total there were 30 switches on the generator.
Each time the learner answered a question wrong, the teacher would be told to shock them by Milgram.
For each answer, the voltage of the shock would increase.
But the result was even scarier.
Before the experiment Yale psychologists predicted that 1 to 2% of participants would go all the way to 450 volts.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
65% of participants went all the way to 450 volts.
And 100% of participants went to 300 volts.
This study was repeated 18 times and the results remained consistent.
Luckily for Mr. Wallace the shocks weren't real.
He would simply act as if they were.
But the results show how effective an authority figure can be.
So how can you transfer this to your copywriting?
The best way is to utilize endorsements.
This is when someone with authority praises your product.
Dentists praising toothpastes
Bodybuilders praising protein powders
Successful entrepreneurs praising a course
This authority figure doesn't need to be a celebrity either.
Usually brands have been endorsed by regulatory boards, local communities or athletes.
You want to mention this in your writing whenever you have the opportunity.
And if you have permission, name this individual (or group) in emails to help build brand authority.
Recent studies have shown that using an authority figure can increase conversions by over 200%.
Very few copywriting tricks will have this much of an impact.
So the next time you write for a brand, create your own offer, or need to persuade an audience...
Look to use an authority figure to support your arguments.
You're going to see better results every time.
Copy "authority is key" Mav
