{"id":2100,"date":"2016-03-03T20:00:23","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T01:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sarahban.com\/?p=2100"},"modified":"2016-03-03T20:02:50","modified_gmt":"2016-03-04T01:02:50","slug":"instill-fear-hope-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sarahban.com\/index.php\/2016\/03\/instill-fear-hope-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Instill Fear — or Hope — in Your Customers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe fear of loss is more powerful than the hope for gain.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

Widely disseminated among marketers, this quote is adapted from\u00a0the theory of\u00a0loss aversion in economics. Essentially,\u00a0what it means is that people would prefer to\u00a0take action to avoid loss than to acquire gains. Another way to put it: Losing $20\u00a0is more psychologically\u00a0impactful\u00a0than winning $20.<\/p>\n

In our world,\u00a0this principle, if loosely and liberally interpreted, might\u00a0suggest\u00a0your prospective customer\u00a0is more likely to buy a\u00a0facial moisturizer to avoid the formation of wrinkles (i.e. the loss of youthful appearance) than to gain more radiant skin. Or s\/he will buy your probiotic supplement to avoid getting, say, stomach issues (i.e. the loss of eating or visiting the restroom\u00a0comfortably) than to gain a robust immune system.<\/p>\n

Hmmm… is this really\u00a0true for the beauty and health industry?<\/p>\n

Fear incites behavioral change — but\u00a0so does hope — and you need a blend of both, particularly in an industry that’s all about the psycho-emotional benefits just as much as it is about the physical.<\/p>\n

The key is you\u00a0need to ensure both emotions are produced from statements you can back up.<\/h3>\n

For example, let’s say you’re marketer who sells\u00a0a\u00a0beauty protein powder being promoted as an “inside-out” solution for women who are already in pretty good shape, but still want to supplement their diets with something that will enhance their overall appearance.<\/p>\n

Fear-based approach: Avoiding belly fat<\/h3>\n

Message<\/em>: Take our supplement to avoid the loss of your nice body.<\/p>\n

Backing<\/em>: Belly fat is a real thing and it’s generally possible to get rid of it.\u00a0CHECK.<\/p>\n

Backing<\/em>: Your supplement\u00a0is backed by\u00a0hundreds of anecdotal evidence from women who have followed\u00a0your guidelines to a tee and are feeling less waistband tension from their yoga pants. CHECK.<\/p>\n

Hope-based approach: Gaining confidence<\/h3>\n

Message<\/em>: Take our supplement and you will emotionally feel even better than you already do.<\/p>\n

Backing<\/em>: Indeed, many people are more confident when they are satisfied with their\u00a0bellies, as shown by their increased willingness to wear a bikini in public. CHECK.<\/p>\n

Backing<\/em>: You have testimonials flowing in\u00a0explaining that your supplement has improved numerous\u00a0facets of your customers’ lives, including their newfound love for shopping and improved\u00a0bedroom acrobatics. CHECK.<\/p>\n

Keep this two-prong approach in mind\u00a0whenever you write about your solutions.<\/h3>\n

Don’t focus only on loss or only on\u00a0gain. Start by reviewing your product descriptions, packaging and web copy. Do you explain the avoidance of loss as well as the\u00a0acquisition of gain?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe fear of loss is more powerful than the hope for gain.\u201d Widely disseminated among marketers, this quote is adapted from\u00a0the theory of\u00a0loss aversion in economics. Essentially,\u00a0what it means is that people would prefer to\u00a0take action to avoid loss than to acquire gains. Another way to put it: Losing $20\u00a0is more psychologically\u00a0impactful\u00a0than winning $20. In … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","post","publish","author-sarah","post-2100","format-standard","category-copywriting-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nCopywriting: Should You Instill Hope or Fear?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you're copywriting for health and beauty brands, particularly for product descriptions and web copy, make sure you describe both fear and hope-based benefits.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/sarahban.com\/index.php\/2016\/03\/instill-fear-hope-customers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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