[13 different short copy angles - prepared for 2019 mentoring]

The intent of this list is to provide a variety of different angles to use for short copy
pieces to either test variations that are meaningfully different, or else to be used in
series over time to create a more well rounded impression on the prospect.

These can be combined to a degree, but I would recommend choosing one as the main
thread, and then letting the secondary elements support the first main idea.

1. Focus on who created the solution.

How are they special or famous in their specific field or area? How are they different
than competing solution providers? How are they unique in a way that pertains to their
solving this problem? How are they qualified with authority and experience to be the
one to provide this solution?

Did they experience the problem for themselves? How did that suffering impact their
life? What was the breaking point that pushed them into finding a solution.

Did they create the solution through study, experimentation, persistence, etc.

From the prospect’s point of view, we are presenting an expert who has solved this
problem, and has obvious empathy and understanding for those who still have this
problem.

They know the obstacles and possible setbacks, as well as being willing and able to
teach the path that avoids these and leads to the desired outcome.

Note: the creator doesn’t have to be a genius or superhero here. The “regular person
got lucky and figured out the secrets the establishment doesn’t want you to know” is just
as viable. Even preferable, for the humanizing element.

Also possible is the angle that “my clients (or loved ones) suffered from this problem”
instead of the creator needing to have suffered it for themselves firsthand. Either
motivation is fine as long as they have hands-on experience with the problem and
working to solve it.

2. Focus on the pain caused by your core problem.

What does it feel like to suffer from the problem you solve for them? Typically, this
angle is a self-diagnosis checklist of sorts. “Do you suffer from these symptoms?”

You cover the sensations of feeling stuck and frustrated, uncertain how to proceed, and
unsuccessful in other things they’ve tried. Even disbelieving that anything will work for
them.
Then you reveal WHY those excuses are nonsense, and how they are wrong about
what won’t work. The drive of the ad is to get them to admit to the symptoms, agree
with the diagnosis, and to be curious about what comes next.

Typically the goal is to get them to contact you in order to discuss a “customized”
solution based on their unique diagnosis.

3. Focus on discovery of the solution.

This angle is about the newness or uniqueness of the solution itself. How was it arrived
at? How was it refined and streamlined and tweaked to maximum effectiveness?

Was it a sudden eureka breakthrough? Or was it something that developed through

repeated testing and working with clients/customers?

How was the creator/provider uniquely positioned to make this discovery and bring it to
the world? Why has it been so difficult for others to arrive at this exciting solution before
now?

The drive of the ad is about DISCOVERING finally, something that will work. It’s a call
for the prospect to follow that same path to come in and experience this new, fresh way
of taking care of this issue for good.

4. Focus on the relief your solution delivers.

This one is like the opposite of the problem focused one, and it can be used effectively
in combination with it.

Here we focus on all the positive benefits your specific solution provides. Not just
directly, but the ripple effects that touch other aspects of their lives for the better.

The emphasis is on relief of pain or discomfort, reverse of negative emotions, and

promising hope for the future.

Typical copy will ask the reader to imagine a better world for themselves, and invite
them to come in or contact to find out how they can get this good stuff and transform
their lives.

Additionally, you can promise these benefits will each arrive WITHOUT the typical
negative or undesired details they would normally expect.

5. Focus on the value for the price.

This one emphasizes a special offer or discount that isn’t normally available. The
reason or excuse for the special offer can be anything. Seasonal, a holiday, a surplus, a
marketing stunt, whatever.
This is typically used when the prospect should be well aware of the existence of the
provider, and may even already want the solution. But we are making a very special
deal to get them off the fence.

That is reflected in the copy with language like “if you’ve been thinking about it, there is
no better time” or “if you’ve hesitated, this is the best deal we’ve ever made”.

General idea is focusing on how they get a huge amount of “stuff” that typically costs a
lot more, and in response to this specific ad, they get a significant savings.

Note: this isn’t strictly about a discount - instead it can be about offering significant
extras and bonuses while keeping the price the same as usual. As long as the math
works out so they are getting more than they would expect for the price being paid.

6. Focus on exclusivity.

This is the angle to use when there are a limited number of spots or products available
at a special offer. The focus is on how narrow the opportunity is to take advantage of
this offer.

Typical scenarios are your “while supplies last” offers, for an inventory clearance, or any
kind of service offering that may get an appointment calendar fully booked.

The way you create demand for these limited spots is by showing off testimonials with
spectacular results, and ideally, ones that validate that exclusivity. “We waited six
months” or “we were so lucky to get on their busy schedule.”

Usually, including an offer code of some kind, or stressing a deadline to claim the spot is
also added as a strong visual urgency builder.

The drive of the ad is the fear of missing out, and creating the urge to grab a popular
solution before the opportunity is gone.

7. Focus on eliteness.

This offer is for a very specific and deserving group of people. Those people are picky,
and discerning, and this offer is specially crafted to meet their expectations and
demands.

Other people are specifically excluded. They aren’t allowed to participate in this
solution. They have to go elsewhere.

Note: this doesn’t have to be aligned along criteria of superiority. It can be the opposite.
“This isn’t for the rich and powerful stuffed shirt elitists. This is for the hard working
people trying to get ahead,” would be an example. It identifies the prospect as being
better and excluding the lesser.

The drive here is for the ad to make the target prospect feel specially singled out for this
rewarding opportunity, just because of who they are. Vectors can be age, gender,
status/class, geographic area, affiliations, etc.

8. Focus on rarity.

This angle is about highlighting how rare and scarce such an offer is. Your solution is
the ONLY one available to your prospects with your particular suite of benefits. It’s the
ONLY available solution that avoids the problems and flaws of all the other alternatives.

Options include showing what paying for similar access and solutions would cost from
other suppliers. You may also cite any and all unique factors for your business.
Including the location, the ownership, the facilities, the ingredients/components, the
clientele, etc.

The drive of the ad is to impart how there really is no other option if your particular
combination of benefits and lack of flaws and detriments is what the prospect truly
desires. They could search and search and not ever see the like within their reach
again.

9. Focus on urgency.

This angle is all about the short time frame offered for this particular deal. A coupon that
expires at the end of the month is a classic example. But it can also work very well for
seasonal offers or other time-specific specials.

The hard deadline would be the main focus in such an ad, making it known that this
spectacular deal is set to expire. The benefits are offered as contingent on response in
a timely manner.

One can even use the warning that late responses will be considered only conditionally.
This can be strengthened by clarifying a real-world reason for the time-centric deadline.

For example “we have to begin training on this date. In order to book and not miss any
sessions, we have to hear from you by XYZ day and time, so call 5556Y6Y to claim
your spot before you miss a single thing.”

Note: urgency can also be used as a reason for a message that might potentially be
perceived as invasive or annoying. “We have good reason to tell you about this now,
because if we wait, it could be to late for you to reap these benefits...”

10. Focus on vengeance/vindication for the prospect.

Often, a product or service will serve to give customers a benefit many others will have
said they couldn’t achieve. This can be used to create an appeal to the desire for vanity
and superiority.

Copy examples are things like “they said you’d never have the look you desired, but we
help you make them eat their words!”

This is about giving the prospect hope that they can reverse the wrongs that were done
to them because of who they weren’t, or what they didn’t have. Simply taking up your
offer will give them the power and the status that others used to bully or oppress or
even just judge them.

This is especially valuable around solutions that cure problems with shame or
embarrassment attached to them.

A classic example would be the old Charles Atlas comic book ads with the bulky kicking
sand in the nerd’s face, embarrassing him in front of his date.

11. Focus on comeuppance or ruin for the prospect's rivals.

This one is subtly different than above, in that it is about how to actually make the rivals
or opposition suffer rather than merely proving them wrong about the prospect.

This is for solutions that provide some kind of competitive advantage, an almost unfair
edge. This would leave the prospect’s rivals to suffer the loss of whatever limited
resource is at stake.

This is most often seen in business services, where an offer for advertising could
promise to allow clients to steal away the customers of competitors and practically put
them out of business.

It’s also well suited to any competitive sport or activity where winning is a focus,
because you are offering to make losers of everyone else who doesn’t take your offer.

Note: this is generally an aggressive angle, and works best with macho, alpha attitude.
Though not necessarily only for masculine products.

12. Non-sequitur.

This is your basic funny sign, or shocking image, that is really just meant to capture
attention and then try to convert it into interest. The strategy is to break the boring
pattern in front of the prospect with something they aren’t used to seeing. Maybe even
something confusing at first.
A popular example might be the Chick-Fil-A campaign which uses cows who urge
hungry prospects to “eat mor chikn” with graffiti they’re painting over a burger
advertisement.

It’s silly, and almost nonsensical, until you stop and take it in.

Another example from the 1970s was “Crazy Eddie’s” electronics store, which had TV
ads where he would smash his products with a sledgehammer, to express that he was
literally insane, which is why his prices were supposedly unrealistically low.

These are rarer, and harder to come up with, but they can be very effective when used
wisely. The main secret in my analysis is to make sure it’s funny, because people don’t
get annoyed that you’re swiping their attention if they at least get a chuckle.

13. Focus on confession.

This one is valuable for taking advantage of a costly mistake and pivoting it into
goodwill. Of course, one could use it even if no real mistake was made.

An example would be “we accidentally ordered too much inventory and the factory won’t
take it back, so we have to offer it cheap to make room in our warehouse!”

This can also be framed as a damaging admission, which can be used to frame experts
in a humanizing way to portray sympathy for the prospect. Like the seller of toupees
who removes his own in the ad to “confess” to the prospect that he is just like them, and
therefore qualified to solve their problems, too.

The trick here is to not beg, and not seem like you’re seeking pity - but you want the
confession to come off as self-deprecating and somewhat brave, while you pivot that
quickly into what benefit this will mean for the audience.

——-

That’s it. If you run one ad a month, this is a grab bag of options that can be utilized to
give many different angles to try, see what the audience reacts well to, and then create
variations and tweaks from there.

These can also be used in combination with each other, as many of them fit well hand in
hand, though each can certainly stand alone and be the sole focus of any short
advertisement.