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How Far Do You Take "Aggravating the Problem"?

by Joan Altz
8 replies
A question for those of you who are professional copywriters.

Dan Kennedy is known for his steps of talking about the problem and then "aggravating" the problem, which I take to mean not just mentioning the problem, but the consequences. Correct me if wrong, please.

How far do you go with this? Do you "back the ambulance to the door", like Perry Belcher talks about doing, using a fear approach?

I'm not a pro copywriter, but I've had some success doing my own copywriting nevertheless (despite my flaws).

I'm working on a sales page - a long one - where I'm mentioning a variety of problems with Internet Marketing (tough making money as an Amazon affiliate, tough starting a review blog, affiliate competition with email marketing - those type of things, one after another).

Would the best time to go into aggravation mode (heh), be in a section immediately after mentioning the problems, or perhaps do the whole "introduction" of the product/solution first, and save agg mode for the time I get into the consequences of not buying?

This has been a tougher one for me, because the product is basically 8 software applications that can be fully branded. So it's White Label PLR Software, but we don't want to position it as that.

We're trying to position it as an "income multiplier" opportunity for struggling affiliate marketers, because each software contains an internal browser where you can promote anything. Branding and selling (or giving away) the software leads to more income from inside the software itself.

We already know our PLR crowd (from our own lists and from some of our affiliates' lists, who primarily promote plr products) are going to buy this, regardless of how we position it on the first half of the page. If we position it as what the product is, we'll only get 1000 sales tops, if successful.

If we position it as a solution for struggling affiliate marketers in general, we have a shot at making a lot more sales.

Thus the reason I'm trying to hit the pain points of affiliate marketers, and wondering when to push the blade in a bit more.

If anyone has a good example page I could see of how aggravating the problem comes into play, I'd appreciate that as well. Thanks, guys!

Joan
#aggravating the problem
  • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
    It's called "agitating" the problem, not "aggravating" the problem.

    There's a crucial difference. Aggravating the problem would mean making the real problem worse in reality. With this technique, you're just making the prospect more anxious or concerned about the problem.

    Marcia Yudkin
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    Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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    • Profile picture of the author gregw
      Take a look at the Gary Halbert Water letter and annotations. He refers to what he is doing in the letter as agitating the problem and as well as aggravating the problem. The annotations, (in a different color) may prove helpful to you regarding when and how he is doing this throughout the letter.

      The Gary Halbert Letter

      gregw
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    • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Farthing
      "Aggravation" can mean an exaggerated representation. So maybe that's why both "aggravate" and "agitate" get used.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    This may help:

    -Ray Edwards
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    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author Joan Altz
      Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

      It's called "agitating" the problem, not "aggravating" the problem.

      Marcia Yudkin
      Yeah, that's what puzzled me. I found it stated as "aggravating" the problem on Rick Duris' blog, listing Dan Kennedy among his copywriting formulas list, and then "agitating" in other parts of the Web.

      Originally Posted by gregw View Post

      Thanks for that link. Yes, those annotations helped a lot. A great sales letter, too.

      Originally Posted by Raydal View Post

      This may help:

      -Ray Edwards
      Awesome, Ray. I just watched it. Helped me see every section of that letter with a lot more clarity about the transitions and flow of how the agitation is built up.

      It also gave me some new ideas of how to write my sales page better. I have some parts that aren't focused enough.

      I'll be watching it a couple of more times before I rewrite.

      Thanks so much!
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      • Profile picture of the author Raydal
        Originally Posted by Joan Altz View Post

        Awesome, Ray. I just watched it. Helped me see every section of that letter with a lot more clarity about the transitions and flow of how the agitation is built up.

        It also gave me some new ideas of how to write my sales page better. I have some parts that aren't focused enough.

        I'll be watching it a couple of more times before I rewrite.

        Thanks so much!
        Glad that you got some value from it. This is one of my more popular
        video lessons. I also think the letter was brilliant from a marketing
        perspective.

        -Ray Edwards
        Signature
        The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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  • Profile picture of the author mustafavanancio
    Hey Joan,

    I read your sales page via someone who promoted the offer today.

    I recognised it instantly because it was talking about some events that have been taking place on the warrior forum recently.

    You made a very commendable attempt of using the decline of Internet Marketing and the activities of a forum such as this and then positioning the software as the solution.
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    Considering Perry learned from Dan Kennedy, I'd say yes.

    Fear is a motivator, and is the easiest one to write about.

    Originally Posted by Joan Altz View Post

    Dan Kennedy is known for his steps of talking about the problem and then "aggravating" the problem, which I take to mean not just mentioning the problem, but the consequences. Correct me if wrong, please.

    How far do you go with this? Do you "back the ambulance to the door", like Perry Belcher talks about doing, using a fear approach?
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