What’s in it for them? It’s a question those reading your copy commonly ask. Are you? Too often writers are so caught up in being clever, they forget to be compelling. Let’s face it, not everyone can be Louis C.K.
So instead of trying to be funny, try to be effective. Aim to evoke a response, be it emotional or rational. Identify the sweet spot, then convey it in a way that gets noticed. A couple of good examples:
The trick is to give people what they want — even if they don’t know what that is yet. As you can see here, you don’t have to be boring to be benefit-driven. Heck, the guy who wrote these ads got himself featured in Communication Arts. That’s not too shabby for promoting the virtues of clean living.
