Something happened to me when I was 20 years old.
It happened to more people in that year (2009) than any year before, or after.
Blindsided me. On an average Thursday, just before teatime.
The “Ring of Death”.
The “Ring of Death” was a term used to describe a warning sign, displayed by your Xbox 360 when it was about to choke out.
For an introverted student, who didn’t drink, smoke, or have much sex – the “Ring of Death” was a BIG deal.
As I frantically tried everything to resuscitate the console, it was my brother (a non-student, who drank, had plenty of sex, and made sure I knew about it) who saved the day.
Little did I realise at the time, he was unintentionally executing the best copywriting formula I know.
Here’s what he said:
“Your Xbox is your life. Don’t even consider sending it for repair. It’ll take more than a week for Microsoft to sort it out, cost you £70, and even then it might not be fixed. That’s at least a week without your ONE source of fun. You go to uni, you go to work on the weekends, you spend most of your free time studying – your life is ONLY going to be hard work, unless you have the Xbox to escape into. Just buy a new one. You never spend any money on yourself. You’re gonna have to fork out £70 either way. You might as well add the extra £130 and get online tonight. The shop’s open until 8 o’clock – you’ve got half an hour to get one.”
I skipped tea and was playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 within the hour.
The Best Copywriting Formula My Brother Never Meant to Use
It’s a highly persuasive formula I only knew existed when Demian Farnworth blogged about it in 2011.
You identify the problem. Agitate it by highlighting the consequences of not taking action. Then present your solution.
Here’s what my brother said again:
Problem: “Your [broken] Xbox is your life.”
Agitate: “Don’t even consider sending it for repair. It’ll take more than a week for Microsoft to sort it out, cost you £70, and even then it might not be fixed. That’s at least a week without your ONE source of fun. You go to uni, you go to work on the weekends, you spend most of your free time studying – your life is ONLY going to be hard work, unless you have the Xbox to escape into.”
Solve: “Just buy a new one. You never spend any money on yourself. You’re gonna have to fork out £70 either way. You might as well add the extra £130 and get online tonight. The shop’s open until 8 o’clock – you’ve got half an hour to get one.”
The Problem with the “Problem, Agitate, Solve” Formula
Demian says it himself:
“Keep in mind, you CAN’T do this successfully without first understanding your customer and their basic problems. It’s simply impossible.”
My brother had the advantage of living with me for my entire life up to that moment.
He knew more than my profile and my basic problem.
That’s the level of empathy we should aim for in copywriting.
It’s not easy.
But if you become the big brother of your customer, you might just increase the conversions on your landing page.
And if not, at least you’re having more sex.
I’d add to this that your brother added in a sense of urgency – a real sense of urgency. You were given a deadline – half an hour. It wasn’t a timescale he plucked out of the air. It really was the last chance you had that day to purchase a new Xbox. There’s nothing like a looming deadline to get me moving! He gave you a solution – buy a new one – but you might’ve spent time deliberating if you hadn’t been given a very real and near deadline.
Urgency is a great tool to use in copywriting (if there is actually a deadline on a purchase). It’s the reason ‘last chance’, ‘get it before it’s gone’ and ‘enter before midday’ work so well.
Laura – you’re dead right. Thank you for adding this to the piece.
It’s not always easy to add a sense of urgency – as sometimes a product is available at the same price, at all times.
Of course, you can add urgency with “do this before you [insert consequence of not doing it here]” – but it’s not always that straightforward.
Something I struggle with, to be honest. Great shout. Thanks again.
Rob