Fixes Teflon Copy that BOUNCES off brains

Make your copy stickier than Scotch tape.

Jason here.

Just down the road from us sits the 3M headquarters.

And I just read that their Scotch tape just turned 100 years old.

The story goes that a 23-year old banjo player turned research assistant was the mastermind.

(Not exactly who you'd expect to revolutionize the adhesive world.)

Turns out it started with him delivering sandpaper to auto shops.

But... 

He kept hearing cursing about their paint jobs being ruined by too-sticky tape.

So he went back to 3M and cooked up a solution.

And it got me thinking...

In honor of Scotch tape's centennial…

Let's talk about making your copy STICK.

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Here are some 2-minute copy tips to make your ideas stick in your readers’ brains:

First, keep it SIMPLE.

Find your core message and strip away everything else. 

What's the ONE thing you want readers to remember? 

(The Rule of One applies here. If you're saying 5 things, you're saying nothing.)

Next, make it UNEXPECTED.

Our brains ignore the predictable. 

Break patterns. Start with a banjo player instead of a scientist. Lead with the surprising stat instead of the obvious one.

Third, make it CONCRETE.

Abstract concepts float away. Specific details stick. 

Saying "increase conversions" sucks. 

"Turn those 100 daily visitors into 27 buyers" makes it sticky.

Fourth, build CREDIBILITY.

Not just by flashing credentials, but by using details only an insider would know. 

Specificity breeds believability.

Fifth, trigger EMOTIONS.

Logic is good for justifying what we’re ALREADY gonna do. 

Emotion makes them act. 

No one ever bought anything because of a pie chart. :-)

Finally, tell STORIES.

Our brains are wired for narratives. 

We remember stories when we forget everything else.

That’s the SUCCES formula from Chip and Dan Heath's "Made to Stick."

Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories.

Sprinkle these in and your copy will cling to your reader's brain.

Write it down on a Sticky Note today to remember. 

You’ve got 3M to thank for those too.

In Your Corner,

Jason

P.S. Made to Stick was one of the books that was required reading at my first full-time copy gig. 

So SUPER important question for ya… 

What's your favorite copywriting book? 

And your favorite non-copywriting book? 

Mine are “Great Leads” by Michael Masterson and Jack Forde…

And “Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl.

I’d love to hear your fav’s down in the comments 👇👇👇