THE INSIDE SCOOP • 4 mins

5 Copywriting Lessons From the Ad That Broke the Internet

Nick Chai

Great copywriting starts with a bang!

I’m a non YouTube premium user. This is simply because I love to analyze ads that come across my screen. Even if I ended up skipping most of them. 

Ads are annoying for some but not for me. Ever since I started my copywriting journey, I have immersed myself into the world of “capturing consumers’ attention in the form of entertainment”. Ads I see on the internet are like real-time swipe files - to get inspiration and learn from them.

When I first saw this ad on YouTube, I stopped myself from pressing the skip ad button because it wasn’t like any other ad I have seen. The music, the speeches, the color grading… were too perfect to be skipped. It was so good that I clicked on the CTA to find out what he was selling.

I don’t click when I see ads on YouTube but this ad caught my attention. As a copywriter, I could tell that it was perfectly scripted. So I figured I would break it down and sum it up for you. Here are some of the key copywriting takeaways from the ad.

(I would love to show you the ad I’m crazy about. But I don’t want to ruin other people’s business just because I want to write about it. The good news is I’ve pulled out some of the top tips after deep analysis.)

1. Start With a Bang!

It starts with the boss screaming at the camera, which you don’t see very often on ads. Imagine watching the ad with your earphones on. You’d be startled. That’s how you should approach your copywriting. Great copywriting starts with a bang.

Let’s define what it means to start with a bang. You don’t necessarily need to be loud. You need to be attention-grabbing. In other words, start with a pattern interrupt and then lead them in with a strong promise. This won’t guarantee you’ll get the sale but it’ll give you a few seconds longer to sell your offer.

People fall into a behavioral pattern as they scroll or browse online. And they will only stop when they see something weird and interesting at the same time. It’s even better if it adds value and solves any of their problems. People pay attention to what’s important to them.

2. Focus on Emotions

There’s no pitch in the first three minutes of the ad. The advertiser focused on giving value. In this context, emotional value. It’s human nature that people make impulsive decisions when people are hyped up internally. The job of the ad is to not sell the training he provides but to sell the click.

Curiosity and hyped up emotions compel anyone to click something. The trick here is to speak the language of your customers. Once you know the pain points as well as the desire of your customers, you can channel those emotions in your marketing materials. And when they see it upfront, they are more likely to click and find out about your offer.

The solution and benefits of your offer are the ones that sell. Double down on the pain points and desires of your customers to make your offer compelling. It’s hard to resist when they know your solution can help them solve their problems.

3. The “Look and Feel” Matters

One thing I liked about the ad is it doesn’t feel like an ad at all. It felt like a TV show. The way they produced the ad is the key to their advertising success.

Ads work well when people are receptive to what is being advertised. Your ads shouldn’t pitch at all. What your ads should do is to give them a taste of what your offer feels like and tell them what to do next. The ad makes you feel successful because of the way the speech is delivered. The advertiser wants you to know how it feels like when you work with him.

When people can imagine what their lives would be like when they invest in your offer, you have a higher chance of securing the sale. Because the power of persuasion takes place in your customers’ minds. The better your ads persuade, the more likely they are going to buy.

4. Stop Being Salesy

There’s a difference between being salesy and being valuable. Your customers will see you as being pushy when all you think about is getting them to buy your offer. You will be seen as valuable when you offer the solution to their problems. That’s a fundamental truth in business.

A buying decision will take time. You will have to be patient and not rush things into place. I believe the purpose of the ad is to not make quick sales but rather to gain brand awareness. People may not buy immediately. However, they will remember the ad long enough to make a Google search on the brand and buy when the time comes.

Digital marketing is all about attention and customer touchpoints. You’ve won half of the battle if you can make your customers remember you as long as the time comes when they are prepared to buy whatever it is that you offer. Playing the long game and thinking long term will spare you unnecessary burdens.

5. Entertainment Sells

People run away from pain. That’s why the entertainment industry is huge. Entertainment always sells. Making your ads entertaining and less about pitching will almost guarantee to drive more people to your offer. Because entertainment is a great attention grabber.

Storytelling is the best vehicle of entertainment. Hollywood movies make money based on this concept alone. A great customer experience, physical or emotional, is a marketing tactic any copywriter should master. As I mentioned, the power of persuasion takes effect in your customers’ minds.

As a copywriter, you should aim to be as entertaining as you possibly can so you can attract a larger percentage of your market who aren’t ready to buy yet. One way to achieve this is through the tonality of your copy. A casual tone “masks” your selling intent and makes your pitch much more persuasive.

Conclusion

Copywriting is both art and science. You have to know what makes your customers tick. You would also have to know how to be entertaining. The combination of art and science allows you to write copies that speak to your customers’ minds and compel them to take action.

Article originally published to Medium

Written by Nick Chai

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