So Lifeless We Delete

Boring… lifeless… delete.

What’s the point of writing an email (or any piece of copy) if your clients only want to delete it before even reading? You waste your time and energy, and space in your customers’ inboxes (or brains). Writing anything people might actually want to read and which inspires buying is some kind of art form. I think of it as an art of vulnerability, of authenticity… like any raw art that expresses without a filter. The more vulnerable and human and feeling… the more it has a chance to touch people’s hearts…

the more it causes connection and interest.

The same goes for writing of all kinds, of course, not only email marketing. It’s hard to find in any marketing… and yet it’s essential for connecting with your clients or customers if you want them to feel positive about you and your business. If there’s nothing real or vulnerable happening, nothing living and breathing behind your copywriting (no warm-blooded human) it’s not very appealing or relatable. Somehow people can just feel the inauthenticity (I think we all have a sixth sense for such things).

If your customers and clients can’t feel the vulnerable humanness behind your words… it just comes across as cold… which doesn’t inspire any connection or empathy.

For example, if I write to your clients and speak in high-grade English stating cooly that your business is highly superior, encouraging them to buy your extraordinary products because you’re simply the best because of x,y,z and I do nothing to connect with them emotionally or personally… they might buy… they might believe me… it might create some interest based on projecting your expertise in your field… but chances are… you’ll lose a lot of readers if it feels dead and as if AI created it. People love to buy… but most really don’t like being coldly sold to.

If I write with warmth and friendliness, losing the pretentiousness… as if I’m just a normal ol’ person (which I am) with no reason to especially promote your company but that I really just think it offers great quality and I care about people getting a hold of quality products and services that make their lives a lot better… and if I engage their feelings, get them excited and hopefuly… and share just enough logic to give them a good reason to buy aside from emotion…

AND if I connect at the basic level of human-to-human caringness… chances are much, MUCH higher that your readers will listen and feel understood… they’ll have greater interest and curiosity in what you have to say and to offer.

A question: Tell me honestly… do feel warmer towards me and have more confidence in my suggestions if I just give you advice and tell you what you should do… what you should buy… simply because “it’s great”… period…? If I say, “You should buy this x,y,z (specialty coffee for example) because it’s amazing and of great quality. Get it now! Trust me…”

… or do you connect a bit more and put more confidence and trust in my suggestions after I tell you a little about my day sitting here in historic Santos-o-Velho, Lisbon in a semi-humid rose-colored room full of sunlit windows… vibrant green foliage from potted plants surrounding me… the warm air fragrant with well-toasted (nearly burnt) pao d’avo (in Portuguese, “grandma’s bread”)… the notes of rich, full-bodied, smooth and chocolaty, freshly ground Brazilian coffee beans making me long for a steaming hot cup of my own. I’m so enticed by the coffee’s boldly alerting aroma that I’m ready to buy a fresh bag to take home now before I’ve even tasted it… to savor it all for myself in my handmade Portuguese floral mug from the potter’s shop down the street… and maybe if I’m feeling extra generous I’ll even share with a couple of friends (if they’re especially lucky’)…

So… ?

Which one inspires more connection and confidence, more trust in what I’m recommending that you buy?

And would you be more interested to buy coffee beans or a specialty Portuguese bread or even therapy or life coaching sessions through me after I share a little more personally about my experience… or simply after I tell you that these products or services are great and that you “should” just buy them because I say so (without giving you the “fluff” of my personal experience)?

None of this is to say that email or other forms of marketing that are sheerly informational or promotional don’t work… some of it does! It causes people to purchase by offering discounts and something of value for the reader. Value is ultimately what everyone wants, naturally. But if you can give value along with connection and feeling, creating some kind of relationship with your customer, their loyalty will go a lot further, and they’ll actually want to open emails and read content from you.

Being human, we love to feel.

The world of AI is taking over but… I have no fear… humans crave human things… so I don’t believe robots will ever fully replace our jobs as writers (email marketers, sales page producers, or website content creators).

Humans crave humanness and authenticity, in all its mess and raw honesty. It’s why many find themselves watching ridiculous reality TV shows … and though that’s not my thing… I’m not to proud to say that if I’m actually flipping through TV stations (which only happens in hotel rooms a few times a year because I prefer Netflix personally) that I too find myself watching absurd things of no value, for sheer curiosity at times. We’re curious creatures! No shame in that. We like watching humans do human things sometimes (as beautiful and weird as that can get).

Of course, a lot of reality TV still isn’t all that real. People know they’re on camera so it’s somewhat affected or controlled (probably the reason it only catches me on rare occasions).

The candid camera shows and video clips on the other hand… now those I watch regularly when I want a good laugh and true entertainment… or stand-up comedy that points to reality in all its whacky absurdity. There’s nothing like people just being REAL!

The more real, the more human, the better the watching, the greater the connection.

Something about reality…

the messiness, the imperfection…

is incredibly appealing.

It’s not always beautiful, like watching a powder-soft newborn baby or a sweet, innocent toddler explore the world in complete tenderness… or an elegant woman savoring the sensual bliss of a fresh velvet pistachio cream, her eyes closed, her auburn hair gently dancing behind her in the breeze. That kind of reality is lovely and full of delight, but some reality is really, REALLY ugly and bizarre. Still… even the yucky and horrible things that we cringe at are of curiosity… because they’re true, and part of the human experience…

and when we hear about a vivid human experience, a part of us (as long as we aren’t psychopaths) connects because we’re generally empathetic beings who enjoy emotion and the senses.

The challenge for us email marketers and sales page creators (and copywriters of other kinds) working for a company like yours is to use an authentic voice, to show vulnerability, and feeling… and to prevent writing from becoming lifeless while sharing vital information, products or services, and promotions for your business.

Sure… there are many times people want writing to be straight and to the point… they don’t want any fluff… and that’s completely understandable because they just don’t have the bandwidth to read something they even want to read (let alone something lifeless)… but chances are they’ll save it for later if they associate it with delivering any value… or they’ll skim through it at least.

Of COURSE, not everyone is going to want to read an email or post from your business. Everyone’s attention span is short these days. But if something is a little more human and honest… chances are (and plenty of split testing proves this to be true) that people will open and read if they know something interesting, of authenticity, or of curiosity, or value for them is waiting inside… even if that only means a moments laugh or an experience of heartfelt empathy, or to read a well-liked and respected person’s perspectives and reviews.

Thankfully, it’s all possible and variety is the spice of life, so… as copywriters, we can help business owners like you prevent boredom in your audience with variety creating a range of messages that sometimes cut to the chase and other times provide your reader with curiosity, sentimental feelings, excitement, or satisfaction for authenticity and personality being laced into the writing.

Another question: While I’m writing you here… does it create a little more connection and trust if I’m just open and tell you that I’m typing out this here blog sitting in this brightly sunlit coffee shop/bar that looks like an apothecary from days gone by in colorful Lisbon, Portugal suffering a nagging mild bladder infection… so I can’t have my usual fully caffeinated Americano but am sipping on a (not-so-unpleasant) lemon ginger tea until it doesn’t hurt to pee anymore (you gotta do what you gotta do!). All in all it’s pretty nice despite that rich fragrance of deep, smooth, chocolatey Brazilian coffee (freshly ground) nearly driving me nuts… because, yes, I am a great coffee lover (and addict’) and am most happy about it, like much of the world…

or would you prefer it if I just dryly say that I’m in a coffee shop in Lisbon, life is peachy, I’m always in the best of health, and all is well in my world… ? (which of course in the process of selling coffee itself would be for the best for obvious reasons’)

I guess it depends on you.

People like me… like it real.

All for now… gotta pee again,

~Alyne (write with some authentic feeling) Rose

p.s. My style isn’t for everyone, but it is for many someones (and split tests have proven that to be so). If you like my approach and would like me to write for your company (doing sales pages or email marketing) feel free to connect. I’d be pleased to chat with you.