Consider the emotional difference between these two Adwords ads and see if you can surmise the principles behind the better one … they are the principles which distinguish hype from real emotional impact:
Keyword = “Hiking Boots”
AD #1: HYPEY
Freedom Hiking Boots
The Ultimate Hiking Freedom!
True Soar Freedom Boots
TrueSoarHikingBoots.com
This ad attempts to communicate the emotional benefit of freedom and adventure, but comes across “hypey” because there’s no logical grounding to an actual feature or function that’s obviously connected to the emotions.
What makes these boots the “ultimate in hiking freedom”? Why should the user believe they’ll “truly soar”?
Because the author had to “scream” from shaky ground and the ad won’t be effective, because there’s no “reason to believe”. This is what happens when people try to “add a little emotional attitude” to their advertising copy without understanding how emotion is actually grounded in reason!
AD #2: Real Emotional Impact
High Rise Hiking Boots
Transcend Safely My Friend
w/ Guaranteed No-Twist Boots
NoTwistHikingBoots.com
This author understands the connection between a specifically desired feature of the product (high rise ankles), the rational benefit it “ladders up to” (protects from twisting), and the emotional end benefit of freedom and adventure (which the author cleverly combined into “transcendence” and gently inserted in a single word).
Because the emotional leverage is anchored in something solid the consumer can rationally connect to their desire, the ad is much more believable and should not only get a higher CTR, but attract a more motivated prospect with the right emotional expectations to buy.
I’ll summarize these principles for you tomorrow 
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Glenn, thanks for the great example of tying an emotion to a benefit.
The difference is instantly clear and there’s no doubt which ad you’d choose if you wanted high-rise hiking boots.
I must admit I didn’t guess which one was best. But then had I been a hiker looking for high rise boots that protected your ankles I would certainly have been drawn to the bottom ad.
Hype is bad, enthusiasm is good. There’s a subtle but vast difference hey?
This was a great idea. I love the concept of “emotional leverage being anchored in something solid”. It’s like feature then benefit, but more specific and advanced. Very cool.
cheers, Cameron.
Glenn,
I have read your google adwords book about 8 times in the last 2 months, I have been live on-line for less than a week, I’ve averaged 4%+ ctr and converted 13% of my visitors to action 48 of 374 (filling out a survey for now,) I can only imagine what will happen when I apply this to the current ads I’m running, THANKS!
I agree, but me not being a avid hiker; I was lost with the no-twist. I knew it was a benefit, just didnt know what kind. I am knew to the internet marketing arena and I really appreciate your e-mails and blogs. I feel as though It will help my learning curve a lot. Thank you to you and your wife.
I agree, the first one didn’t move me at all. The second intrigued me, I’m not a hiker; so I was confused as to what no-twist was. I gathered it was a benefit. I would have skipped the first one all together. I appreciate your blog and e-mails. Being new to this game, you have helped with my learning curve. Thank you. I apologize if there is more than one submit.
This makes a lot of sense. Since we make emotional decisions and then rationalize them afterwards, the second ad satisfies both parts of the process elegantly.
Were those ads actually split-tested? Would be interesting to see the stats.
what do you think the CTR’s would be on each one…..I could also imagine that using the same keyword, you would split test replacing the title by different feature (gortex/waterproof/ect), and “no twist boots” and url because each buyer point of difference is going to be a little different….But, I get the point ur making, and its valuable.
Great example. I think I’ve been guilty of using HYPEY ads. I’m going to test some emotional ads for Whistler Vacation Rentals.
You exhibit keen insights and worthy depth of knowledge in this arena, Sir.
I shall put this cyber-spot on my wander-path and wander by on occasions!
Best regards!
you coaching sessions are very helpful and they help us in identifying the facts to be a good coach and the necessary steps to follow to be a marketable coach
Hi Glenn,
love the post – definitely a good example to study!
My question is: were the two run in a split-test, and what was the difference in CTR?
Thanks
John
Good example. Thanks
Hi Glen
its amazing what a subtle difference a few words makes.
The connections we make when reading just 10 words. Good for stretching the vocabulary.
Reading your adverts there i certainly am attracted to a pair of boots that will give me tanscendence.
I would say though that these could do with testing. It would be easy to write this article and swap the ads around.
Its got me thinking.
Thanks
Dan.
Feel Firm around your middle…How to lose love handles
I like the theory behind this, give a reason to believe, but I’m not sure about calling a total stranger ‘My Friend’. This sounds very ’spammy’ to me, just like all those fake emails which come through saying ‘Hello My friend, I have a Zillion Dollars just waiting for you etc etc.’. I love the idea though.
Pure gems, Glenn. Thank you.
these kinds of ads do deserve $500/hr fees to create, don’t they?
Hi there,
Good posting as I really feel that emotional drivers such as fear (as used in your case), flattery and exclusivity can aide in improving CTR’s when used correctly.
I may be picking bones here, but one thing I would say which jumps out at me when reading the above ad is the lack of a call-to-action. Once you’ve hooked the consumer/search user with the emotional leverage, I find it very effective to then make the kill (get the click/sale) with a catchy call-to-action in description line 2. For example in your 2nd ad I might put something like:
High Rise Hiking Boots
No-twist protective Hiking Boots.
Ensure your transending safety here
Cheers
You Guys are trully the masters. I loved the last download you had which had the real gem of the benifits, of the benefits, of the benefits. What a mind opener that one, was still trying to capitalise on it.
I realy like that I have bought from you folks before and you keep sending me stuff for free, building real value for the next time that I am ready to pay to hear from the masters on specific areas of SEO SEM.
thanks Cheap Charlies Hotels
Hey Glenn,
Terrific example! It reminds me of the story about Ernest Hemingway, who was challenged by a colleague to write a short story in only six words. He wrote:
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
Hemingway later admitted it was the most difficult challenge he had ever met.
The Internet is full of so much hype, even the word “hype” is getting old. Early information about how to write compelling copy pushed the concept of excitable utterances, replete with exclamation points. At first, this in-your-face writing style was new and exciting. Today, it is a total turn-off. Copy that is truly compelling offers facts, useful information and a basis in truth that actually means something to the consumer and his or her wallet. Once you’ve discovered how to get the truth across in your message, then you can play around with adding a clever touch. The age-old question, “What’s in it for me?”, still rules.
Your examples beautifully express exactly how to accomplish both objectives. Thanks for the word pictures!
I am spending 17 dollars a day on PPC campaigns and getting near zero conversions
My problem does not lie in my ads being hypey but probably in the fact that my ads are flat out boring
I am looking forward to part 2 of your post
Thanks
Naveen
As a practical example, that is spot on. Inspirational, even. The key word for me is “connection”. I agree. If you make that kind of connection in so few characters and you are bound to have a high conversion rate and a high click through rate (and Quality Score) to boot. Thanks for sharing.
The difference in the two ads was striking and really made your point. I’ll have to review my ads and see if any of them have some “forced” emotional pull with no “proof”.
Thanks for the illustration.
a very good throught provoking post i have never throught about the emotional side of an ad in other words is the emotive angle you put on
it going to end up being belivable by the audience the ads aimed at
or will it just look fake
thanks
peter mcgrath
Nice blog. Thanks. One comment: try making your font bigger. I’m 25, and I had a hard time reading it. I can’t imagine what someone who wears glasses is saying about you right now.
I remember our audio about emotional ladders. Very helpful, and I will soon be applying it in my own marketing.
Thanks again.
Hi Glenn,
This is SUCH a great example of how people miss the boat when writing their own marketing and advertising copy. As a former copywriter and Practical Marketing Expert specializing in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing small businesses I run into this all the time.
In fact, many of the copywriters I’ve mentored over the years have a very hard time with this. They use all these lofty yet meaningless adjectives and forget the need to overcome skepticism with a little substance.
People try to so hard to “sell the sizzle” they forget that without the steak, there is no sizzle. And they forget to consider the prospect’s potential objections, which is key. Your examples are right on the money.
Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
Stacy Karacostas
Practical Marketing Expert
http://www.success-stream.com
http://www.marketing-junkie.com
Stacy
Naveen,
You conversions are probably rubbish because your site is splattered all over the page.
Spend some time sorting it out and give a “professional” look and then measure it.
HTH
Glenn, pearls of wisdom yet again.
Thanks
“my friend” sounds downright condescending to me. I NEVER respond to any mail or advertising spot that addresses me as “my friend”. And you’ve lost me with “transcend” – half your readers wouldn’t know the meaning of that word. Do you mean “climb” perhaps? The definition of “transcend” is “to pass beyond the limits of something”.
And if the feauture of these boots is the “high rise ankles”, why not bring the word “ankles” into play? As in “Your ankles will thank you” or “serious ankle protection” or “hard-core ankle protection” or something.
Obviously it’s the first one that shines. Still I wonder if the second one would win in a real situation and if it did, how much the difference in CTR would be.
This is absolutely perfect. By appealing to the benefits of purchasing the items remarked in the ad, you are preselling the item before they even get to the sales page. Spot On!
Andy Brinkworth
follow me on twitter
Andrian Marketing, a Florida Marketing company
Hi, Glen
I very much like the second one as it “grounds” the benefit to a feature of the boot. Very good.
Could you please give us your rationale, though, as to why you include the words “my friend”? Do those words somehow help conversions? For example, is the phrase “transcend safely my friend” more powerful than if using “transcend safely & surely” or some other similar phrase?
Understanding which ad is better presupposes knowing what “high rise” means. I would not have had any idea what it meant, and it would have had no impact on me.