Emotional Selling: How To Write Copy That Sells

Emotions sell.

And as a digital marketer, it’s in your best interest to learn how to sell using emotions. Without this important skill, it’ll be hard to sell anything.

Therefore, in this post, you’ll discover what emotional selling is, why it is important, and how to use emotional selling to increase your online sales in no time.

Without further ado, let’s begin:

What Is Emotional Selling?

Emotional selling is the art of using feelings and emotions to influence a customer’s decision to buy.

It’s not just about pitching a product or service; it’s about telling a compelling story that resonates with your customers’ hearts and minds.

Think about it this way: have you ever watched a heartwarming commercial and found yourself reaching for a tissue and your wallet at the same time?

That’s emotional selling in action.

It’s the art of making customers feel something so profound that they can’t resist making a purchase.

Why Emotional Selling Works

Now, you might be wondering, “Why should I bother with all this touchy-feely stuff when I just want to sell my amazing widgets?”

Well, my friend, emotional selling works for some pretty compelling reasons.

• Emotions Drive Decisions: Ever heard the phrase “People buy with their emotions and justify with logic”? It’s not just a catchy saying; it’s backed by science. When customers feel a connection to your product or service, they’re more likely to make a purchase.
• Memorability: We remember how something made us feel long after we’ve forgotten the details. If your product or service can create a memorable emotional experience, your customers won’t forget you in a hurry.
• Differentiation: In a world full of similar products and services, emotional selling sets you apart. It creates a unique selling proposition that’s hard for your competitors to replicate.

How to Tap Into the Power of Emotional Selling

Now, let’s get down to the good stuff – how to use emotional selling to your advantage.

Here are some key strategies and tips to help you connect with your customers on a profound level:

1. Storytelling: Stories are powerful tools for conveying emotion. Share your brand’s story and the stories of satisfied customers to create a sense of belonging and trust.
2. Know Your Audience: Understand your target audience’s pain points, desires, and dreams. Tailor your emotional selling strategies to speak directly to their hearts.
3. Use Imagery and Visuals: A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Add beautiful images to evoke emotions and create a lasting impact.
4. Emphasize Benefits Over Features: Focus on how your product or service benefits the customer. For example, if you’re selling a fitness app, focus on how it will make the customer healthier and happier, not just the technical features.
5. Testimonials and Reviews: Share real stories and testimonials from satisfied customers. Social proof can be incredibly persuasive.
6. Create a Sense of Urgency: Use the fear of missing out (FOMO) to your advantage. Limited-time offers, scarcity, and exclusive deals can tap into customers’ emotions and drive them to make a purchase.

Real-World Examples of Emotional Selling

Let’s put theory into practice with some real-world examples of emotional selling in action:

1. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign: By putting people’s names on their cans and bottles, Coca-Cola made the simple act of sharing a Coke with a friend a heartwarming experience.

2. Nike’s “Just Do It”: Nike doesn’t just sell sneakers; they sell the idea of pushing your limits, overcoming obstacles, and achieving greatness. That’s a powerful emotional connection.

3. Dove’s “Real Beauty”: Dove’s campaign focused on promoting natural beauty and self-acceptance, striking a chord with their target audience and creating a strong emotional bond.

Now let’s talk about how to use emotions in your copywriting to increase conversion rates.

Emotional Selling in Copywriting

Copywriting, at its core, is about persuasion, and emotions are one of your most potent tools in the arsenal. 

It’s more than just words on a page; it’s about connecting with your audience on a primal level.

Emotional selling in copywriting is all about tapping into the feelings, desires, and needs of your readers. It’s about making them feel something so strong that they can’t help but act.

Understanding Your Reader

Before you start weaving emotions into your copy, you need to understand your audience. You can’t connect with their emotions if you don’t know what makes them tick. Here’s how to get to know your audience:

• Create Buyer Personas: Develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers. What are their pain points, goals, and aspirations? What keeps them up at night? Understanding these aspects is key to emotional selling.

• Surveys and Feedback: Collect feedback from your existing customers. Understand why they chose your product or service and how it has impacted their lives.

• Competitor Analysis: Study your competitors and how they talk with their audiences. What emotional triggers are they using, and how effectively are they doing so?

The Emotional Spectrum in Copywriting

There are many emotions, and different emotions can be used for different reasons in your copy. Let’s explore a range of emotions and how they can be used effectively:

• Happiness: Create copy that raises the emotion of joy, delight, and contentment. Show how your product or service can improve your readers’ lives and make them happier.

• Fear: While it may seem counterintuitive, fear can be a powerful motivator. Present problems your product or service can solve to alleviate readers’ fears.

• Trust: Establishing trust is essential. Show how reliable and credible your brand is.

• Excitement: Build anticipation for your product or service by creating a sense of excitement and curiosity. Tease upcoming releases or promotions to create buzz.

• Empathy: Show empathy by understanding and addressing your readers’ pain points and struggles. Let them know you’re on their side.

Crafting Emotional Headlines

Your headline is the first thing your readers see, and it needs to grab their attention and evoke emotion. Here are some tips for crafting emotional headlines:

• Use Power Words: Use emotionally charged words that resonate with your audience. Words like “amazing,” “unbelievable,” and “life-changing” can ignite curiosity and excitement.

• Ask Questions: Ask questions that stimulate thought and emotion. For example, “Are You Tired of Feeling Stuck in Your Career?” makes the reader think about their frustrations and desires.

• Create a Sense of Urgency: Encourage immediate action by creating a sense of urgency or scarcity in your headline. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Last Chance” can put a fear of missing out in your prospect.

• Appeal to Curiosity: Pique your readers’ curiosity by hinting at a solution without revealing all the details. Curiosity is a powerful emotional trigger.

Tell Compelling Stories

Stories are a great way to evoke emotions. They engage readers, making your copy relatable and memorable. Here’s how to craft compelling stories in your copy:

• Start with a Strong Hook: Start with a captivating hook that draws readers into the story. It could be a relatable anecdote, a problem statement, or a surprising fact.

• Create Relatable Characters: In your story, introduce characters who resonate with your audience. Readers should be able to see themselves in the characters’ situations.

• Narrate the Journey: Describe the journey, including the obstacles and challenges faced. Let readers feel the highs and lows of the narrative.

• Highlight Transformation: Show how the character’s life changes for the better with the help of your product or service. Readers should feel the positive emotional impact.

• Call to Action: Conclude your story with a clear call to action that ties the emotional journey to your product or service.

Benefits vs. Features

In copywriting, it’s not just about listing the features of your product; it’s about discussing the benefits in an emotional way. Here’s how to do it:

• Features: Features are the technical details of your product or service. For instance, a feature of a fitness app could be “workout tracking.”

• Benefits: Benefits explain how those features improve your readers’ lives. In the case of the fitness app, the benefit is “achieving your fitness goals and living a healthier, more active life.”

• Emotional Language: Use emotional language to connect the feature to the benefit. Instead of just saying, “Our app has workout tracking,” you could say, “Our app empowers you to track your progress, celebrate your achievements, and embark on a journey to a healthier, happier you.”

Building Trust Through Emotional Copy

Trust is a fundamental component of emotional selling. Without trust, readers won’t listen to anything you have to say. Here’s how to build trust through your copy:

• Authenticity: Be genuine and sincere in your copy. Avoid exaggerated claims.

• Social Proof: Add testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers. Real stories from real people instill confidence.

• Credibility: Show your expertise, awards, certifications, or any other relevant credentials. Demonstrating your authority builds trust.

• Guarantees and Policies: Clearly communicate your return policies, guarantees, and customer support availability. It reassures readers that you stand behind your product or service.

A/B Testing and Optimization

To truly master emotional selling in copywriting, you need to embrace continuous improvement.

A/B testing is a method to compare two versions of your copy to determine which one performs better. It’s crucial for refining your emotional selling techniques over time.

• Headlines: Test different headlines to see which one evokes the most emotion and engagement.

• Storytelling: Experiment with different storytelling approaches to understand what resonates with your audience.

• Calls to Action: Test variations of your calls to action to determine which ones elicit the most emotional responses.

• Visual Elements: Don’t forget the power of visuals. Test different images and videos to see which ones amplify the emotional impact of your copy.

The Ethical Side of Emotional Selling

While emotional selling can be a powerful tool, use it responsibly. Don’t manipulate or prey on your customers’ emotions.

Instead, focus on creating genuine connections and offering real value.

Trust is a precious commodity that can take years to build and a second to destroy.

Positive and Negative Emotional Triggers Used in Selling

Digital marketers use both positive and negative emotional triggers to connect with their audience. These triggers can be a double-edged sword, capable of driving sales or deterring potential customers.

Let’s discuss the positive and negative aspects of emotional triggers in selling.

Positive Emotional Triggers

Here are some positive emotional triggers: 

1. Happiness and Joy: Positive emotions like happiness, joy, and delight are powerful tools in sales. When customers associate your product or service with positive feelings, they’re more likely to buy. For example, an advertisement that shows people laughing and having a great time while using a product can create a sense of happiness and desire.

2. Trust and Confidence: Establishing trust and confidence is a positive emotional trigger that can lead to sales. When customers feel secure and believe in your product’s reliability, they are more inclined to buy.

3. Excitement and Anticipation: Creating excitement and anticipation around a product or event can be highly effective. By generating curiosity and desire, you can stimulate customers to take action. Limited-time offers, pre-order campaigns, and product teasers can invoke excitement.

4. Empathy and Relatability: Demonstrating empathy and relatability is essential for connecting with customers. When your marketing materials convey an understanding of customers’ problems and needs, it engenders a sense of connection and trust. Customers feel that you “get” them, which can lead to sales.

Negative Emotional Triggers

Here are some negative emotional triggers:

1. Fear and Anxiety: Fear can be a potent emotional trigger in selling. Scare tactics can be used to show the consequences of not taking action . This approach prompts customers to act out of fear of missing out or making a mistake. For example, emphasizing the dangers of not having insurance can lead to sales.

2. Guilt and Shame: Appeals to guilt or shame can be effective in certain situations. For instance, campaigns that highlight the impact of consumers’ choices on the environment or society can lead to purchases driven by a sense of responsibility. However, this approach must be used cautiously, as it can backfire if it feels manipulative.

3. Frustration and Discontent: Presenting a problem or pain point can make customers aware of an issue they may not have realized they had. By tapping into their frustration or discontent, you can offer your product or service as a solution. For example, advertisements for cleaning products often highlight the inconvenience of dirty homes.

4. Regret and Loss Aversion: Promoting a sense of impending regret or loss can drive sales. Limited-time offers and “last chance” messages create a fear of missing out, compelling customers to make a purchase. These tactics exploit customers’ desire to avoid regretting a missed opportunity.

Balancing the Use of Emotional Triggers

The key to effectively using emotional triggers in selling is finding a balance.

Positive emotions build trust and goodwill, while negative emotions can create urgency and motivation.

However, using negative triggers too heavily or manipulatively can damage your brand’s reputation and deter customers.

A successful sales strategy combines positive triggers to attract and engage customers with negative triggers that drive action.

The goal is not to manipulate emotions but to authentically connect with customers and help them make informed decisions that align with their needs and desires.

Emotional Selling Is Not About Tricking People.

It’s about creating a genuine connection that helps customers make informed and emotionally resonant purchasing decisions.

Remember, when you authentically touch the hearts of your customers, you’re not just making sales; you’re creating brand advocates who will stick with you through thick and thin.

So, go ahead, wear your heart on your sales pitch, and let emotional selling work its magic.

After all, a little emotion goes a long way in the world of sales, and it’s a strategy that can truly change the game for your business.