The Anatomy of Addictive Content

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.