"Negativity doesn't sell" Or does it?

So, the general thinking in copywriting land goes that we shouldn't be negging out our customers with doom and gloom.

If I had a pound for everytime a client asks me if we can "make it sound a bit more optimistic" I'd have quit copywriting and opened a cat fostering charity, fo sho.

And they're not wrong.

Rule of thumb: don't bum out your customer.

But... if you fancy yourself as a better writer, that's not always the right approach.

You see, a lot of the time it's actually more powerful to leverage a negative word, like shouldn't, isn't, can't, won't, never instead of its positive counterpart.

Why? Because it's a fantastic way to demonstrate exactly what purchasing our product or service helps customers avoid.

When it comes to your copy, it pays to be a little bit contrarian. Because it makes your words more powerful.

Don't believe me? The proof is in the pud with these bits of copy in my swipe file.

Copy Swipe File #1

Here's one from subscription box service, BoxFox. Note the use of the word 'no'. Twice in the same sentence! But it works, because it's talking about all the annoying things this product will help customers avoid.

Copy Swipe File #2

Elsewhere, apartment rental agency (and AirBnB's biggest competitor) Plum Guide is all about the can'ts in this advert. And it really works. Tying into their tagline, No time for average stays, they're tapping into the psychological concept of buyer's remorse: no one wants to regret spending a bunch of money on a shit holiday. By harnessing the power of the negative, they tell us that when we holiday with Plum, we don't need to worry.

Copy Swipe File #3

And here's one final one from KatKin, a cat food brand that prides itself on supplying our feline friends with only the best ingredients in their easy-serve pouches. Note how the powerful use of NOT Vet Approved, would read badly alone - who wants to serve their cat food that isn't sanctioned by vets?

But when combined with the leading phrase of Vet Formulated, "vet approved" is made to seem bad in comparison, therefore shifting the negativity spotlight onto competitor brands who make this claim on their own packaging. Meeee-OW. The claws are out.

Pretty clever, huh?

This is a powerful little strategy I use all the time when I write headlines, benefits-focused copy and taglines. Just don't overuse it.

Seen anything that fits the bill? Once you know what you're looking for, you'll spot L-O-A-D-S, I promise.

I'd love for you to send them my way, I'm nerdy about this stuff (in case you hadn't noticed).

Love

Emma x

PS, I'm running a Copywriting For Instagram workshop next Tuesday at 12pm with Milla of Pink Storm Social. If you want to join over 60 other business owners who've signed up to learn the techniques I use to generate conversations and sales on IG, sign up here!

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