Proof Stacking
One of the biggest copywriting mistakes we want to help you avoid is making claims that you can’t or don’t back up. Any time you make a claim, your reader will think to themselves… Is that right? Or… According to who? Or… I wonder if that’s really true?
So let’s talk about the different ways you can add proof to your copy so you get readers nodding along as they read.
Proof element #1: don’t pontificate, demonstrate. This is easily the most powerful way to prove a claim. It’s no wonder that advertising godfather, Claude Hopkins reportedly said: “No argument in the world can ever compare with one dramatic demonstration.”
TV pitchmen like Ron Popeil, Billy Mays, Suzanne Somers, and Vince Shlomi (the Shamwow guy) sold millions of shammy towels, rotisserie cookers, thigh masters, and laundry detergent by demonstrating how they work.
But as good as those guys and gals are (or were) no one did it better than the late Joe Ades who became a millionaire selling $5 potato peelers on the busy sidewalks of New York. We’ve added a copy of his pitch video to your course materials. It’s well worth a few minutes of your time to see how he couples each claim with a demonstration of proof.
Joe’s demonstration is so compelling, you can’t wait to get home and slice up some vegetables. He makes jokes. He makes promises. But most importantly, he makes you want to buy simply by showing you how to use it. And he made millions of dollars selling $5 potato peelers.
Want another example? Google the entertaining Purple Mattress Goldilocks ad with the eggs. It may be the best demo ad ever. In it, Goldilocks introduces “The Raw Egg Test” to show prospects why the mattress they’re currently sleeping on isn’t acceptable. She drops raw eggs AND more than 330 pounds of weight onto several different beds. They all fail. Except the Purple mattress.
Even when the eggs sit under 1400 pounds of heavy weights and Goldilocks, the eggs don’t break. It’s a demonstration so good, you can’t help but want a Purple Mattress when you’re done watching it. We’ve added this video to your course materials so be sure to check it out.
Proof element #2—before-and-after makeovers. Closely related to the demonstration is the mainstay of diet and exercise equipment marketing. Comparing the “after” results of using your product or service by showing them next to the unsightly “before.”
Before-and-afters work because they take the idea out of the customer’s imagination and make it real. They’re seeing real results. The fat is gone. The wrinkles are smooth. The muscles are bigger. But it’s not just weight-loss and exercise products that can benefit from this proof element. Writers working for clients who offer a service that makes something better can use this technique—painters, builders, aestheticians, landscapers, orthodontists, hair replacement (or removal), tattoo artists (or removal)—there are dozens of others.
You can even use this tactic on your own site. Something along the lines of: “Here’s what my client had before and now look how much better it converts with the copy I added.”
Proof element #3—case studies. Selling a high-priced product or service gets a lot easier if you can show how you’ve helped others with the same product or service. But in addition to the list of former clients or a row of logos for your home page, tell the story of your profitable interactions with clients.
Case studies take your prospect on a journey and give enough details that they can put themselves into your process. They can see real world results and imagine how it applies to them. It’s an effective proof element because it shows you’ve already done what you promise and achieved great results. So your client (or their customer) can expect the same and breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Proof element #4—Guarantees. Not only are guarantees a great way to prove your claims (after all who would offer a guarantee for something that doesn’t work?). They remind your prospect about key benefits, but they’re also a great way to remove the risk for the customer. And they generate more sales from existing customers by enhancing loyalty.
“Don’t like what you bought? We’ll give you your money back. Or even better, we’ll give you double your money back.” If someone is going to make a crazy promise like that, the assumption is, the product works exactly as promised. Maybe better. The bolder the guarantee the better the results must be.
You want to prove your service is the best? Don’t offer the typical “satisfaction guarantee.” GO BIG. There’s a commercial exterminator in Miami that offers a guarantee to their hotel customers that reads in part: “if you are ever dissatisfied with BBBK’s service, you will receive a refund for up to 12 months of the company’s services—plus fees for another exterminator of your choice for the next year. If a guest spots a pest on your premises, BBBK will pay for the guest’s meal or room, send a letter of apology, and pay for a future meal or stay. If your facility is closed down due to the presence of roaches or rodents, BBBK will pay any fines, as well as all lost profits, plus $5000.”
If you’ve got bed bugs or some other pest, is there any doubt in your mind who’s the best exterminator in Miami? That’s how a guarantee proves a claim.
Proof element #5—your unique mechanism. First made famous by Eugene Schwartz, telling your customers how something works—the system or components or process by which your product achieves its results—helps build belief and “proves” your claims.
Here’s how Schwartz put it:
“You have to demonstrate your product, in words, logically, so that [the prospect] can understand exactly HOW it gives him the end result you promise… the copy that furnishes this information—that provides this mechanism—has been called ‘Reason Why’ copy.”
Earlier I mentioned Joe Ales, the potato peeler guy. He talked about how his potato peeler was made in Switzerland—he says “they don’t make cheap things in Switzerland, they make good things”—and he mentions his peeler is made of stainless steel. He points out that the unique design is different from the traditional potato peeler that can’t do what his does because it’s not made from stainless steel in Switzerland.
Talking about the mechanism helps prove WHY the product is so darn good. Be sure to check out the segment included here in Copywriting Mastery all about unique mechanisms.
Another example… Remember that Purple Mattress Goldilocks ad I mentioned earlier? After demonstrating why alternative products aren’t good with the “Raw Egg Test,” Goldilocks talks about the “comfort grid system” that distributes weight across the mattress. She shows the purple grid pad. That’s how you make a mechanism work FOR you.
If you want to make your mechanism even better, Schwartz says you should give it a name and describe how it works. This is what he said exactly… “You must never allow it to become dull, or merely factual. You must load it with promise, load it with emotion. Every word in good copy—including mechanism copy—sells.”
Proof element #6—Celebrity Endorsements. This idea comes with all kinds of caveats. Just ask Subway about their relationship with Jared, Kate Moss and Chanel, or Tiger Woods and about a dozen sponsors.
These relationships can go wrong in a very big way, so if you go this route, exercise caution. Having said that, celebrity endorsements can bring huge sales. Just ask Wheaties. Or Nike. Or Proactiv Solution.
Nike’s relationship with Michael Jordan is largely credited for their meteoric rise from running shoe company to sports behemoth in the 1980s. A study published by Harvard Business School* reports that hiring the right celebrity causes sales to rise 4% or more, which can mean millions of additional dollars for an organization. We’re pretty sure Nike got a lot more than 4% for their money.
Borrowing the authority of a celebrity accomplishes two things. First, at least a few fans believe that if a celebrity they like is using a product, the product is probably good—and, in the case of athletes, may even help with performance. Second, as media has fragmented across hundreds of channels, thousands of magazines and billions of web pages, the right celebrities still have the power to reach large mass audiences. It’s not the strongest form of proof, but it still works.
And by the way… your celebrity doesn’t need to be an A-lister. They just need to be someone your audience knows and respects.
Proof element #7—Testimonials. This one is kind of obvious, right? Testimonials are a powerful form of social proof which confirms the assumption that purchasing a product or a service will result in the desired outcome.
A few years ago, the research company Nielsen conducted a study that reported that 83% of people trust recommendations from people they know. And 66% trusted consumer opinions that are posted online. That’s higher than the trust they place in newspapers, emails, websites, and ads.
But most marketers use them incorrectly. They collect them, then clean them up. They correct the spelling and the grammar. They fix product names. They don’t pair them with the customer’s full name or headshot. Or they let the legal department remove all the good stuff. When you share a testimonial, do what copywriting legend Gary Bencivenga recommends, “…they should sound rough-edged and real. They shouldn’t sound like the polished prose of a copywriter. They should have a spontaneous, singular feel to them, as this adds to their believability.”
Once you have that, share your testimonials everywhere it makes sense. Don’t forget to introduce your testimonial with a headline that grabs attention and anchors the social proof to your ideas, promises, and benefits. Don’t let your testimonial float in space without any context.
Proof element #8—Press coverage. Now I just mentioned that press coverage isn’t as believable as testimonials. But that doesn’t mean that editorial content like newspaper articles isn’t a powerful proof hack. 60% of those surveyed in that Nielsen study we referenced above said they trust press coverage. That’s still pretty significant. If your product or service has been mentioned in the press, shout that everywhere.
Proof element #9—Be the authority. We humans have a tendency to trust the opinions of authority figures more than other people. Not only that, we tend to comply with requests made by authority figures. Policemen. Priests and ministers. Politicians and other leaders. Even doctors, judges, and security guards. Scientists call this “Authority Bias” and thanks to the fact that it is deeply ingrained inside every one of us, it can be a very effective proof hack.
One presenter we know puts on a white lab coat every time he goes on stage. Even though everyone in the audience knows he’s not a “real” scientist, they are more likely to believe what he says on stage simply because he’s in a lab coat. There’s some pretty cool science published in scientific journals like The Journal of Advertising and The Journal of Psychology that support our deference and trust of authority figures. It’s effective.
Proof element #10—Results. Maybe we should have listed this one first, but if you’ve got results that prove what you’re saying—show them. If you increase click-throughs or time on site, or leads, or sales or some other measure of success, show it off. Customers want to see what you’ve accomplished in the past and what they can expect to see themselves in the future.
While we’re talking about results, a lot of copywriters think this is the most important kind of proof. That without results, you won’t succeed. That’s simply not right. Clients need to trust you and trust you can deliver what you promise. Results are not the only way to do that. In fact, they may not even be the best way.
Proof element #11—Product reviews. These days there are dozens of review websites that collect and display real customer reviews. Amazon, Yelp, Epinions, Angie’s List, Foursquare, Glassdoor, Home Advisor, G2 Crowd, Capterra… and on and on.
Assuming the reviews of the product or service you’re writing about are positive, you should share them. Real reviews by customers who have used your products, stored on a third party site, are particularly trust-worthy because most people assume they aren’t tampered with or fake. Use these kinds of reviews to prove your claims and build trust. And best practice would be to feature a visual associated with ratings and reviews, like stars. The extra visual adds to the strength of your proof.
Don’t be afraid to share a three or four star rating when sharing reviews. When customers see those along with all the 5-star reviews, they are more inclined to believe your reviews are real.
Proof element #12—Trust seals. I think it was Good Housekeeping that was the first to do this, but today there are dozens of potential trust seals available to use. Often they’re part of a check out process where customers are most interested in the security of their personal data. But that’s not the only way to use them.
The trust seals backed up by United Labs and Good Housekeeping plus reviews by organizations like Consumer Report indicate that the product is manufactured as required by law or that the company is trustworthy and the products perform as promised or better. If you’ve got them, use them. And if you don’t, maybe inventing a trust seal would appeal to your customers.
Proof element #13—Certifications. Much like trust seals, certifications indicate that you have acquired a particular skill set or knowledge base. These are very common in the technical support and appliance repair worlds—anywhere you might need a person with a specialized skill set.
Certifications have worked their way into the marketing world as well. If the product or service or the expert behind the copy you write has a certification, consider showing it off.
Proof element #14—Specifics. We mentioned this in an earlier segment, but it bears repeating here… specifics add detail and believability to your copy. Sentences like, “Attract more viewers to your webinar with one easy tactic” are far less powerful than a sentence like, “Attract at least 248 or more viewers to your webinar with the The Copywriter Club Webinar Attraction Formula.” That second one just feels better. And more believable. In fact, that one sounds so good we may just have to create it.
According to the late copywriter Herschell Gordon Lewis: “Specific words generate a far greater emotional reaction than generalized words; the more specific the words, the more the writer controls emotions.”
Proof element #15—Customer logos. No doubt you see this one all the time, but when you or your clients have worked with well-known personalities or big brands, don’t neglect to share it. These kinds of relationships are solid proof that your product or service gets results good enough for serious businesses to hire you. If you’ve got them, share them.
Proof element #16—Scientific Research. This type of proof is common in the health and wellness world where ingredients are often tested for efficacy and the results they get. But thanks to an explosion of social science, there are plenty of studies that apply to hundreds of other products and services.
What makes scientific studies so powerful is that they combine two proof hacks into one—trusted authority and proven results. Usually published by respected academic journals and universities, they are peer-reviewed and scientifically rigorous. They “prove” that certain results can be expected from certain ingredients, inputs or behaviors.
We mentioned these resources in the Research Mastery course but let’s repeat them… spend a little time with Google Scholar, PubMed, or DeepDyve. Other places to find good research include Forrester, Gartner, and Nielsen. Industry organizations, think tanks, and non-profits also conduct and publish research, so if your client fits into one of those categories, you may find useful proof there as well. Once you find something you can use, make sure your customers understand how the science applies and what it means for them.
Scientific research has an added benefit of appealing to the logical side of your customer’s brain. So once they’ve bought in emotionally, research helps make them feel better about the purchase they’re about to make (or helps them justify it to their boss or significant other).
Proof element#17— The exposé. Thanks to years of lying politicians, dishonest businesses, and unkept marketing promises, consumers today have a sense that they’re not being told the truth, or at least they’re not getting the whole story. So when you expose a truth that is contrary to a widely held belief, prospects will often nod in agreement.
It’s provocative. It goes against type. It’s exactly the opposite of what we expect and so it breaks through a prospect’s defenses against marketing. But your copy has exposed the competition as charlatans or show how other options are ineffective compared to yours. And when it’s followed by your true message, it helps prove the claims you make.
Proof element #18— Social media. Another form of social proof, this is effective enough that some famous personalities and big brands pay for fake followers, just so they appear to be even more popular to their fans and customers. Social media demonstrates your importance and popularity or lack thereof. And if celebrities are sharing your products or content? Even better.
Proof element #19— Reason why copy. This is similar to explaining the mechanism, but instead of a functioning mechanism (the how), you share other reasons (the why). Reason why copy is easy to identify because it often begins with words like because or this is why or that means that… Why is your survey software better? Because it tallies the results and produces easy-to-read graphs. Bounty paper towels pick up spills quicker because it’s two times more absorbent than the leading brand. GeekSquad is your best option for tech support because they are available 24/7/365.
By sharing the reason why your product or service works or is the best, you help the prospect connect your promise to something they know can produce the result you claim.
Proof element #20— Comparisons. Another no-brainer, but the problem with most comparisons is we tend to compare apples to apples or commodity to commodity, when we should be comparing apples to oranges. Or apples to plastic dinosaurs. You don’t want your product to be slightly different—say a red apple versus a Fuji apple versus a Honeycrisp apple. That’s not much of a choice. Most people don’t see much of a difference.
When you stack your product or service up against your competition, it shouldn’t be a close call. No one changes their brand preference on the idea that the new product will be slightly better. They want something waaaay better, or completely different. Something that gives you an unfair advantage.
So rather than comparing the cost of writing or designing a website to what others charge for the same service, compare that cost to the cost of hiring a salesperson to sell your products. The website is not only less expensive, it’s working for you 168 hours a week, where the costly salesperson only works 40, and half of that time he’s probably on instagram. That’s apples to oranges.
When you can demonstrate that your product beats the competition in a comparison, you have a solid proof element working in your favor.
Proof element #21— Test data. This won’t work for every kind of product, but if you conduct tests on your products (and the results are compelling) you should share them. Automobile manufacturers share crash test data. Printer manufacturers share how many pages you can print per cartridge or for the life of the printer. Airlines share their on-time arrival data.
Even Shreddies (a breakfast cereal) conducted focus groups and shared that their consumers preferred Diamond Shreddies over Square Shreddies, one participant’s reason was because “it had more flavor.” 57% preferred the new Diamond shape. The joke of course was that the two versions of the cereal were exactly the same. If Shreddies can share its totally nonsensical test data and build credibility, surely you can share yours.
Proof element #22— Specialization. Most of you clients serve a specific niche or industry. And they build up a certain amount of expertise in that industry. This immediately builds trust with clients who have marketing problems in that niche. Compared to others offering similar services, you know the pitfalls, the things you can say and do, you know which promises will hit home with prospects and which ones will fall flat. You understand the technologies and the nuances of the niche—stuff that others simply don’t know because they don’t have the same experience.
Specialization proves to your prospects that you can serve them better than anyone else.
Proof element #23— Candor. Most copy today pushes the limits of claims and promises. It’s a bit like a shouting match between carnival game operators promising bigger prizes, better odds, and the opportunity to impress the person you’re with. Almost no one is candid in their advertising. But telling the truth can pay big dividends in the proof department.
Dial back your claims to something that sounds achievable, but still big. Gary Bencivenga once wrote a promotion with the headline, “Get Rich Slowly.” The subhead was equally honest, “The most realistic and sensible advice you’ll ever read on how to get rich.” And it sold like crazy. Because it was believable.
Admitting that things aren’t easy, or that your product may not be perfect is hard—a lot of clients won’t do it. But admitting a shortcoming is seen by customers as authentic.
One of our favorite examples of candor in advertising is the ads for Buckley’s Cough Syrup. Everybody knows cough syrup tastes terrible. That doesn’t stop most brands from playing up the cherry or bubble gum flavors. The last thing they want to do is remind you how bad this is going to taste when you put it in your mouth. But not Buckley’s:
That’s candor in action. Buckley’s owns its shortcomings. If it tastes that bad, it must work. And it sells millions of bottles every year.
As you write your copy, keep in mind that one kind of proof is rarely enough. Which is why you’re going to stack your proof like pancakes.
Combine as many of these techniques as possible to build a more powerful selling argument. We call it “proof stacking”. One proof element is good, but add another and another and soon you have a sales pitch that your clients (or their customers) simply can’t say “no” to.
Your proof needs to support your big promise—the thing that your customer is going to get when they buy. And it needs to support each claim you make. Don’t settle for one kind of proof, or worse, don’t make promises or claims without offering any proof. If you want your message to stand out from all the others, you’ve got to stack as much proof as you can to establish credibility with your reader.