The "truth" about hype?

by DavidO

Posted: 14 years ago 10 replies

COPY WRITING

I'm not a copywriter. Well, I try... but I have a lot to learn and that's why I'm here.

The most difficult challenge for me is writing emotionally without getting into hype and blatant manipulation. I'm targetting an older market that's seen it all. They're highly skeptical.

Copywriters are always advising against using hype... but I have to wonder if this is a red herring. Hype is everywhere, even in top-converting sales letters.

Take this one posted here recently by Harlan:

The 30 Day Diabetes Cure

I understand that this is a winning sales letter and we all know that whatever sells well is a success. That's the only criteria.

But you can't tell me that this isn't blatant hype:

"Diabetes Cure"

"Perfect Blood Sugar"

"Completely Reverse Diabetes In 30 Days"

"Foolproof System"

"has utterly reversed Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in every patient who has followed it. Every single one!" (the last phrase in yellow highlighter)

It goes on and on and when you dig deeper you discover even more significant deception and manipulation. Plus, it has enough highlighter to give me eye strain!

Anybody with any medical experience whatsoever knows that nothing - no drug, treatment, or method - is 100% effective. Not even close. This makes every statement from the copy above patently false.

Again, I'm not debating the success of this letter. But it does make me question the "no hype" mantra.

This is just one example... I see hype everywhere and often the big-sellers are the worst offenders.

It makes me wonder sometimes: are copywriters saying to respect the intelligence of the reader while laughing up their sleeves at the same time?

We're not supposed to say it but... is the public really so stupid after all?

#hype #truth

ewenmack

14 years ago

Hi David,

It comes down to one word...

BELIEVABILITY

What seperates the A-LIST copywriter from the rest is, for every statement that stretches believabilly, is the matching strenghth and quantity of supporting evidence.

The other copywriters will be trying to make bigger and bolder promises to attract attention, but fail to think up ways to find and add evidence, which ultimatly undermines what has been said.

All the best,
Ewen

Thanks
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marciayudkin

14 years ago

David,

If your one and only criterion of success is sales, that's one thing. Hype fits there.

If your copy has to fit other standards as well, hype may not be appropriate, even if it increases orders. For example, I have a client who is now making a push to develop a national reputation as the foremost medical expert in his field.

One of the things we are doing, in addition to planning a careful, long-term publicity campaign, is toning down the hype in his copy that was developed a year or two ago and that has brought him hundreds of students at $1995 a pop.

The reason for this is that he needs to be approved by various professional entities that can turn him down if he has the wrong "look" or makes claims that are technically true but even somewhat misleading. In addition, the media are fairly conservative and disparaging when looking at experts who use hype and could lump him together with elements that could sabotage his reputation building efforts.

The overall attitude by many copywriters is that nothing matters but "results." That principle certainly has its place. However, not everyone is measuring themselves by financial results alone.

You might want to take a look at my article on this issue, The Anatomy of Hype, here:
What is Hype? Is Hype Necessary? The Rationale for No-Hype Marketing

One reason some of my clients hire me, and copywriting students sign up to study with me, is that I'm skilled at writing dramatic selling copy that stays clear of hype.

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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DavidO

14 years ago

Thanks for that, Marcia. The underlying message of my post is how frustrating it is as a marketer to try to present my product professionally while seeing others "succeed" with this type of copy.

I'm constantly trying to tone down any hype in my copy but I find that emotional neutrality, even when supported with strong elements of proof, doesn't sell.

Thanks
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marciayudkin

14 years ago

I'm constantly trying to tone down any hype in my copy but I find that emotional neutrality, even when supported with strong elements of proof, doesn't sell.

Aha - you are mistakenly associating emotionality with hype. I don't agree with this association. Emotional neutrality is not a good thing. A salesperson/copywriter should always advocate for his/her product, strongly. You can definitely do that without hype.

For a great example of riveting copy with high believability and very little hype, get on the mailing list of Learning Strategies (Learning Strategies Corporation -- Home). Masterful copy in many of their mailings. I don't dare open them if I'm not willing to spend money that day.

Marcia Yudkin

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Irish Intuition 14 years ago

This is the kind of threads I like to see! I just read through about
3 or 4 in a row that have had some great insight.

Who says this forum is dangerous? If one were to read past all of the pufferey, there is some real gems to be found here.
- Thanks
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Rezbi

14 years ago

Originally Posted by marciayudkin

Aha - you are mistakenly associating emotionality with hype. I don't agree with this association. Emotional neutrality is not a good thing. A salesperson/copywriter should always advocate for his/her product, strongly. You can definitely do that without hype.

I like the way you've put that.

I think a lot of people automatically assume emotion is hype. All that proves is that they're not the market.

As Vin keeps saying, he's the market so he knows whether or not this is hype.

Thanks

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Collette

14 years ago

Originally Posted by DavidO

...The most difficult challenge for me is writing emotionally without getting into hype and blatant manipulation. I'm targetting an older market that's seen it all. They're highly skeptical.

Even if your market is skeptical, they're not immune from emotion. They are, after all, human. Humans are driven by 'desire'. And 'desire' is an emotion.

Even 'logical' humans 'desire'. However, if you are talking to these types - engineers, medical, and other 'scientific' types - you will have to give them something logical to hang their desire on. Otherwise - no sale.

Originally Posted by DavidO

...Hype is everywhere, even in top-converting sales letters.

A simple test for 'hype' is: Can the author deliver on the promise?

If "Yes"; it's not hype.

If "No"; it is hype.

Originally Posted by DavidO

Take this one ...

The 30 Day Diabetes Cure

I understand that this is a winning sales letter and we all know that whatever sells well is a success. That's the only criteria.

But you can't tell me that this isn't blatant hype:

"Diabetes Cure"

"Perfect Blood Sugar"

"Completely Reverse Diabetes In 30 Days"

"Foolproof System"

"has utterly reversed Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in every patient who has followed it. Every single one!" (the last phrase in yellow highlighter)

It goes on and on and when you dig deeper you discover even more significant deception and manipulation. Plus, it has enough highlighter to give me eye strain!

Frankly, this is more about believability than deception. Not having tried the product or been presented with proof that the author's claims are true or not true, we can't assume that these claims are 'deceptive' or meant to deceive.

What you CAN take away from this though is, if your claims are so big as to be unbelievable to the target reader, you're going to have to produce evidence that what you say is true.

Notice, I said 'target reader'. If you're targeting people who are relatively unsophisticated in the subject offer, they are more likely to accept your premises without substantial proof.

A classic example is the newbie-IM market. People get suckered in by unbelievable claims because (a) they're desperate and, (b) they don't (yet) know any better.

The same applies to any product offer. You have to know your market, and structure your copy accordingly.

Originally Posted by DavidO

It makes me wonder sometimes: are copywriters saying to respect the intelligence of the reader while laughing up their sleeves at the same time?

Some do; some don't. Copywriters are people, too. Please don't assume that because a few copywriters display disdain for prospects, that all copywriters feel the same way.

That is - emphatically - not true.

Originally Posted by DavidO

We're not supposed to say it but... is the public really so stupid after all?

Stupid and desperate are two different things. But desperate people sometimes do things that are stupid.

Thanks

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MontelloMarketing

14 years ago

Listen...

I don't have a pony in this race. Understand that before we continue...

But this statement...

Originally Posted by DavidO

But you can't tell me that this isn't blatant hype:

"Diabetes Cure"

"Perfect Blood Sugar"

"Completely Reverse Diabetes In 30 Days"

"Foolproof System"

I can tell you it's not blatant hype. Or at least it's not necessarily hype.

If you knew about the system which (if it's like others of its kind) is basically an extremely strict diet, and some exercise... then absolutely it will "cure" at least the symptoms of type 2 diabetes... will give you perfect blood sugar and reverse the high sugars in 30 days.

And as for it being "fool proof" it absolutely is! Any fool knows a type 2 diabetic cuts sugar and carbs out of his diet and after a month his sugar levels are perfect.

I'm a diabetic, I know.

Absolutely... if you can stay on the damn diet (which most can not).

Anybody with any medical experience whatsoever knows that nothing - no drug, treatment, or method - is 100% effective. Not even close. This makes every statement from the copy above patently false.

It does not. If you follow this plan to the letter, this plan is 100% effective. Except you probably won't be able to (that's the escape clause).

Everyone can come up with their own cockamamie definition of hype that suits either their style of writing or a usp they're trying to sell, but...

My mentor David Garfinkel put it best (IMO)...

If you can prove it... it's not hype. And I'd bet dollars to donuts every one of the complaints you had about how hypey the diabetes letter is, has proof of its claims.

Sometimes the "artful" part of copywriting isn't what you say... it's what you don't say...

For instance you can say: "Works for 100% of those who follow it..."

But leave out: "Although most of you won't be able to follow it..."

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OnlineMasterMind

14 years ago

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Nick Brighton

14 years ago

Originally Posted by MontelloMarketing

If you knew about the system which (if it's like others of its kind) is basically an extremely strict diet, and some exercise... then absolutely it will "cure" at least the symptoms of type 2 diabetes... will give you perfect blood sugar and reverse the high sugars in 30 days.

I think that's the real problem I can see with that example; curing symptoms is not curing diseases.

They sound the same, but they are two very different things altogether.

So in that respect, the letter can be hung around that slight deception/use of wording to get past the law suits.

But if it's claiming to CURE a disease, and can't, then it's hype (and false advertising)... no matter what the copy reads.

I think others have hit the nail on the head already, but to me, I'd also add that hype does have a place in copy.

It entertains people... and that's really what people want. They want entertainment. They want to feel a buzz about spending their money.

If you can back up the claims, so be it.

But as others have said, many markets won't tollerate it. Others - such as the business opps market for example - thrives on it.

I was just speaking to a client today about copy for a fairly large upcoming Clickbank launch, and I asked him if he ever tried to sell without the usual hype... and he said "We always do more sales volume when the amps are turned up to 11"

(Actually, I paraphrased that to make it sound cooler, but that is essentially what he told me.)

Year after year, folks SAY they can't stand the hype... but the numbers often speak for themselves.

Just don't try and sell a hosting plan to a local estate agent with big red letters that contain violence or insults, and you'll be ok

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MontelloMarketing

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Nick Brighton

I think that's the real problem I can see with that example; curing symptoms is not curing diseases.

They sound the same, but they are two very different things altogether.

If of course that is the case. I said symptoms because I have proof of that. He didn't say symptoms which tells me he probably has proof of his claim too.

So in that respect, the letter can be hung around that slight deception/use of wording to get past the law suits.

But if it's claiming to CURE a disease, and can't, then it's hype (and false advertising)... no matter what the copy reads.

If that's the case... which we don't know if it is.

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The "truth" about hype?

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