One of the most powerful forms of PROOF in copywriting is the “reason why.”
Here’s an example I came across right before trekking a California dessert with my brother:
Suppose the sign had simply said –
“PLEASE… DO NOT put trash in toilets”
Yes, that would stop some people.
But the moment the sign-writer gives the “reason why” she’s making this request… even though it’s kind of a “duh” obvious thing, if you think about it… suddenly your empathy kicks in. You imagine someone parachuting into the abyss, headlamp & goggles in-tow… wading around in the poo and the muck, trying to fish out that empty bag of Cheetos you tossed inside.
…and suddenly, you would be a moral monster if you threw trash into the toilet. 🙂
‘Reasons why’ can be effectively employed in LOTS of situations. They add proof to your copy.
For example…
If you’re running a sale…
Try adding a ‘reason why’ for the sale, other than the fact that you just want to make more money:
“I’m giving you 50% off coaching calls for the week… because my daughter just finished Soccer season, which frees up my schedule a LOT, and so I can take more calls now.”
…then your reader has this “aha” moment:
“OH, that’s why they’re doing this sale. That makes sense. Better take her up on this offer while her schedule is still free…”
Don’t make stuff up (alongside it just being dishonest, your audience WILL find out if you’re constantly making stuff up… and it’ll come back to bite you)
But wherever you can, give reasons why.
It adds believability to your copy. And the biggest problem with most copy is that it’s not really believable. Too much promise, not enough proof. “Reasons why” offset this.
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