The Anatomy of Addictive Content
The author's views are entirely their own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
Not long ago, the CEO of a Singaporean brand reached out to me via my website. He mentioned spending the weekend reading everything I wrote and expressed interest in working together.
And it's not just him. My inbox and social media are full of messages from folks who've binged on my articles and are itching to know if I've got a course or a book up my sleeve.
They want my offers because I’ve figured out how to grab and keep attention in a world with a dwindling attention span.
In this blog post, I'll unveil my strategies for crafting content as irresistible as a double scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day. It'll grab your readers' attention and lead them to conversion.
Principles to write addictive content
1. Pick a fight
In 2019, I got a message on LinkedIn telling me a blog post I wrote for Copyhackers about long-form Facebook ad copy became one of the top 45 marketing articles of the year.
My first thought was: "Thanks, I'll go and brag on social media about my article making it to the top of the list, even if I am unsure how it got selected."
Then I asked about the selection process, and they mentioned that for each of the top 15 digital marketing blogs, they used BuzzSumo to find the top 3 articles with the most engagement.
Checking BuzzSumo, not only was I number one, but I had 5.2X more engagement than the 2nd article. That is the power of picking a fight when everyone said, “Facebook ads should be short; no one reads long ad copy.” Based on my experience, I disagreed and used supporting data to write a blog post about it.
In fact, Joanna Wiebe, the owner of Copyhackers, claimed that Facebook ad copy does not matter and it’s all about the image.
Authoritative websites like ActiveCampaign and Sprout Social mentioned my article in their blog posts. If I were some random person repeating what everybody else was saying, the industry wouldn’t have cited my blog post as a top resource.
2. Be unique
In February 2018, I wrote a blog post that became the most shared blog post on AdEspresso, with 5,400 shares.
A blog titled "What Cats Can Teach Us about Facebook Ads" is unique, making it easier to stand out and get noticed.
On the other hand, if I type "10 tips" or "10 mistakes" into Google, there are millions of search results. Even if I try to be more specific and do a search about Facebook marketing mistakes, Google returns a ton of results.
3. Use analogies
Durian, a spiky fruit, evokes passionate love or intense dislike among people. If you've never tried it and inquired about its taste, I would describe it as having a sweet, custardy flavor with a texture similar to creamy cheesecake.
The above analogy made it possible to understand what durian tastes like by evoking familiar flavors. Hence, analogies help readers understand complex topics. If a piece of content is difficult to understand, it becomes less engaging, and readers may lose interest.
On my website, where I promote my Facebook ads copywriter services, I share a personal encounter with a pushy salesperson who nearly received a slap for touching my shoulder. I use this story as an analogy to introduce the need for non-pushy advertisements. Judging by how often prospects mention the story during calls, I'll say it was addictive to read.
4. Embrace storytelling
In his book "The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human," Will Storr cites research showing that when we read stories, our brains release chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, which make us feel more engaged and interested. Given our short attention spans online, storytelling has become a powerful tool for capturing and maintaining attention.
5. Be Specific
For over 20 years, Professor Dan and Chip Heath from Duke and Stanford University have studied what makes some messages more effective than others in capturing and retaining attention and increasing the likelihood that people will take action.
In their book "Made to Stick," they explained that being concrete and specific makes it easier for people to understand and respond to a message.
Tips to make your copy more specific include:
Write the way you talk to a friend
Avoid using abstract language
Make your claim tangible and concrete
6. Write copy like a movie script
If you handed a script to a movie director, could they quickly understand how to direct the scene?
Saying "he was angry" doesn't provide enough detail for a movie director to create a scene. However, if I describe how "he entered the cafe, threw water in someone's face, and told him to stay away from his wife," the director can better visualize and direct that scene.
For the copy to pass the movie director test, your writing should make it easy for the readers to visualize what you're describing and engage their imagination.
I rewrote an ad copy that significantly reduced a client's cost per lead, dropping it from $15.19 to $4.82. Look at the screenshot below, which shows the original ad copy before my rewrite.
Using the phrase "constant worry" doesn't paint a vivid picture that helps the audience visualize what the ad is describing. I'd likely get ten different answers if I asked ten people what it means.
Below is the ad after my rewrite, which helped the client drastically cut her lead costs.
The old copy had a bit of storytelling, but let's cut to the chase: users decide in a blink whether to read on or skip based on the first sentence. So, I kicked off with storytelling right from the start.
A mom yelling at her kids out of fear and not because they misbehaved is something we can visualize. A movie director would know how to direct that scene.
7. Craft engaging copy with hooks
In copy, a hook is an opening line that grabs the reader's attention and pulls them into the text.
Hooks can take various forms like:
A story
An analogy
A statistic or fact
A misconception
A vivid description of a problem or struggle
8. Bring it home with copywriting formulas
In copywriting, there are various formulas to improve message structure and craft persuasive copy. Two well-known formulas are AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and PAS (Problem, Agitation, Solution).
In the examples below, I'll show you how to use both hooks and storytelling to make the copy engaging and addictive to read.
AIDA — Attention Interest Desire Action
We can break the above ad into four main blocks:
Attention: Learning Spanish from a parrot is unusual, which grabs the reader's attention.
Interest: The parrot story illustrates that learning Spanish can be effortless.
Desire: Users are told they can easily enhance their Spanish by following the parrot method.
Action: Join the email list and download the PDF.
By incorporating storytelling, selling becomes more subtle and less pushy. It engages the audience's curiosity, building interest and desire without making them feel like they're being sold to.
In my 12+ years of running paid social campaigns, I've noticed advertisers frequently deleting comments due to negativity. Negative remarks such as "scam" and "stop showing me your ad" are common, and occasionally, there are expletive-laden comments like "eff off from my newsfeed!"
By delivering value and "aha" moments using a strong hook and storytelling, people concentrate on the noteworthy content instead of attacking the ad. It's like flipping a switch from negativity to genuine engagement.
PSA — Problem Agitation Solution
We can break the above ad into four main blocks:
Problem: Not being able to communicate in the local language.
Agitation: The audience feels isolated from society by not speaking the language, and with time, they lose the motivation to keep learning the new language.
Solution: Download a PDF of Spanish words and phrases to help you communicate better.
The above ad exemplifies the "Show, don't tell" principle, where I illustrated a message via a story rather than stating it outright.
I could have pointed out the problem and nagged the audience about how people feel useless when not speaking Spanish. Instead, I shared a story, allowing the reader to conclude: "OMG, that story is similar to my struggle."
Learn how to differentiate with storytelling
I had dinner with fellow speakers at a conference a little while back. Out of the blue, one approached me and said, "I still remember your talk from last year — the funniest one I've attended."
In an age of distractions like emails, TikTok, and social media, where content competes for attention amid a sea of open browser tabs, storytelling emerges as a powerful tool. After all, who wants to read boring content?
