Welcome to Episode 40 of Write with Influence.
Today’s show is about conflict and high stakes.
In the art of story writing, high stakes keep the reader turning pages and conflict is crucial to having a compelling story – if our heroes have no obstacles as they try to reach their goal, the story will be bor-ing.
A narrative of conflict and high stakes applies to copywriting too because if you are selling something, it is the resolution to a problem and if your product/service doesn’t resolve some sort of problem, then there’s no need for it and people won’t care.
So, how do you know if your story is strong enough to be worth pursuing, and if it’s not, how do you fix it? In his book ‘The Idea’ Erik Bork explores the seven elements he believes are essential for any story idea to be viable for screen, stage or fiction and in this episode, I am going to show you how to use these elements to come up with some great ideas that you can include in your copywriting.
Listen to discover:
- How to apply Bork’s five-part punishing checklist to test the strength of the problem you solve.
- How to evaluate and improve your “story” idea.
- Fun exercises to help you create a more compelling narrative for your product/service.
Bork focuses not on the execution of the idea but the strength of the core idea or concept itself. In terms of copywriting, this translates to: if you don’t have a problem that customers care about, you are going to struggle to show that your solution is valuable enough to care about let alone buy.
This week’s sketches include:
- Floating in shark infested waters on an inflatable unicorn.
- A gritty look at the seedy underbelly of telecommunications – drama, conflict, and one man’s fight for an accurate phone bill!
If you really want people to care about what you have, you need to think about the one main problem that you can solve for your customers, and remember, it has to be a big enough problem that your customer actually wants to solve it.
If you enjoy the episode, you can subscribe so you don’t miss another and if you want to hop over to iTunes and leave a rating or review, that would be splendid!
Links:
The Write With Influence Course
AMY HARRISON
EPISODE 40
EP 40: 5 STEPS FOR USING CINEMATIC-STYLE CONFLICT IN YOUR COPYWRITING
Welcome to Write with Influence, a short practical podcast on copywriting with some sketches thrown in for free – I don’t charge extra for any mirth, any chortles or chuckles that you may receive by listening to this podcast!
Now today’s show is about conflict and high stakes. Whatever it is you sell, it is the resolution to a problem. If it doesn’t resolve some sort of problem, then there’s no need for it and people won’t care. Even if your product is entertainment, even if you’re not physically relieving pain, your product has to solve a problem, because if it doesn’t, if it doesn’t eliminate something that is frustrating, then people will not care about it. I think I mentioned in the previous episode that, at the moment, I’m reading a book by Eric Bork called The Idea – the seven elements of a viable story for screen, stage or fiction. Now, Eric is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning screenwriter, and his book looks at common mistakes people make when writing screenplays. And one of the biggest mistakes he sees is that the idea itself is often not strong enough (I’ll link to the book in the show notes). The first mistake that he identifies when people are thinking about an idea is that the problem of the story isn’t punishing enough. For people to be engaged with a film, we have to feel that our main characters are really up against a seemingly impossible task, which they then fervently try to solve, ending in a resolution of that task. I mean, if you think about a few film examples, in Toy Story, it is how Woody and Buzz have to work together to escape after being captured despite being rivals, and find their way back to Andy, their owner. In Jaws, the problem is Brody’s goal to save lives by defeating a shark in the middle of tourist season, while the mayor wants to keep the beach is open.
Now, the idea of conflict and solving a problem is absolutely applicable to your copywriting. In fact, the classic copywriting framework is:
- Problem
- Agitate
- Solve.
You present a problem to your reader, you then agitate that problem, really making them focus on the discomfort of their situation, and then you solve it. You see this a lot in long form sales pages. I’m looking a sales page now that I got a link to this morning from www.digitalmarketer.com, it’s for their “Content Marketing Made Simple” course. Now, they actually start with the solution, which is that the course is a step-by-step plan for turning content into free organic traffic by the use of their content marketing tutorials. But they also spend time agitating the problem by describing some of the frustrations that someone who is trying to figure out a content marketing plan might face, for example, overwhelm, something that they describe as, “the crippling, “what the heck do I do now?” syndrome”. Or the frustration of risking spending money on traffic and not knowing if it’s going to convert, or not knowing what content to create or how to get people to look at it. Most importantly though, this product is pitched as solving one big problem which is, “I don’t know how to do content marketing without being overwhelmed.” If you don’t have a problem that customers care about, you are going to struggle to show that your solution is valuable enough to care about let alone buy. Now, what I think is really interesting in Eric’s book is that he says a great story has to focus on one main problem, it can’t just be a handful of problems that are causing our character pain and frustration. Great stories have one main theme of conflict that can be summed up succinctly, and what I recommend that you do is to try and find that one main problem for your product and really take some time to brainstorm the problem. If you were thinking about this as if your product was a film, what would the summary be? Let’s say, for example, you teach guitar, and you give one-to-one lessons, what could one problem be that we could promote in our ads or copy? It may be that our target market has real dreams of playing live one day but every time they look for online tutorials, they get overwhelmed, and their confidence is crushed. This is just a simple example, but we may decide that the big problem that our one-to-one guitar lessons solve is that customers are overwhelmed, frustrated, and sick to death with online guitar tutorials. So, think about what might be that one problem that you can solve for your customers, and remember, it has to be a big enough problem that your customer actually wants to solve it.
[New Scene – Boat Hire Centre]
Staff Member: This is the boat we recommend for a day out on the sea.
Customer: I’ll just take this inflexible unicorn.
Staff Member: Sir, we strongly recommend you do not go out to sea on an inflatable. The tide can take you out very, very quickly . . .
Customer: Oh, you can save your sales charm, I won’t be forced into buying something I don’t need.
{The ocean – lifeguard boat approaching man on inflatable}
Lifeguard: Sir, we’re here to help.
Customer: Oh, I’m fine thank you very much.
Lifeguard: You’ve drifted a considerable way from shore and there are sharks circling your unicorn. Let us help you!
Customer: I’m not looking to rent your boat thank you very much. I don’t need it.
Lifeguard: One of the sharks has just punctured the unicorn. Let us take you to shore.
Customer: You’ll charge me an arm and a leg I bet!
Lifeguard: You won’t have an arm or a leg soon.
Customer: You’re trying to sell me a solution to a problem I don’t have, and I won’t fall for it.
Lifeguard: Get in the boat.
Customer: You think people will buy any unnecessary thing these days, consumerism gone mad I tell you . . .
[End]
In his book, Eric has what he calls “a five-part punishing checklist” to test the strength of whether a problem is big enough to care about, and it’s a great list that can help you explore the essence of the problem that you solve for people. So, here’s what Eric calls his punishing checklist, and it’s five pieces:
- It has to be about one big problem.
- Solving that problem should seem impossible to the main character.
- The difficulty of the problem pushes the main character to their limits as they then try and solve it.
- Those actions will lead to further consequences and complications.
- The problem will grow until it seems lost and then a final battle will resolve it.
We can probably recognize that that does describe a lot of narrative arcs in many, many films that we see, but I think you can also use these five steps to come up with some great ideas that you can include in your copywriting. So, let’s walk through them. Number one, as we’ve already mentioned, you want to identify your one big problem. If it’s buildings insurance, it’s not just protecting a home, it’s avoiding the risk of serious financial costs if something goes wrong or something unexpected happens, and this is where it really pays to know your customer. So, let’s go back to our guitar teacher. There may be many different problems that guitar lessons solve and knowing your customer will help you create adverts and copy that will appeal to them. So, is the biggest problem that they want to learn so they can join a band? Is it because they want to support themselves and open mic and they don’t know how? Is it that they’re lacking in confidence, and they think an instrument might help? Is it so that they can audition for Britain’s Got Talent and get famous overnight? What problem does it solve? As an exercise, it is sometimes interesting to think about it like a film, you know, if your customer had to achieve one thing by the end of the movie, what would it be? And spend some time playing around with ideas, write that down and think about, if that’s what they want, what’s the one big problem that they have to solve in order to achieve that? The second part on this list is, “The problem should seem impossible to solve.” So again, why don’t they already have what they want? What is getting in their way? What problems and obstacles make the end goal seem like they’re on an arduous journey? If we look back at the digital marketing example for the step-by-step system for content marketing, I can see plenty of possible obstacles, for example, not knowing where to start, lots of conflicting and potentially terrible advice from bad marketers out there, not knowing how to find people who could be a customer, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to find time to create content etc. Think about all of these things that are thorns, Ivy and weeds on an overgrown path to their dreams – what is getting in their way and slowing them down? What stack of problems make it seem like this problem is potentially impossible to solve? Now, again, there’s going to be many, many possibilities depending on your business, but some common ones that I can think of off the top of my head are:
Overwhelm
Quite often, if people are faced with a problem, not knowing where to go to find trusted information to solve a problem can be huge.
Personal Flaws
The problem may also be a personal flaw. In other words, they’re getting in their own way. Perhaps they lack confidence, or maybe they’re trying to do something on their own when they should be collaborating with others.
Time/Money
Does it seem like it’s just too big a task to solve quickly? Or does it seem like it’s going to cost a lot of money to fix?
Now, if you’ve ever played a platform computer game where the little bad guys keep coming and coming and you have to jump on their head or throw a rock at them or whatever, the problems and the obstacles that you’re thinking about are kind of the same irritations – they’re just coming at your customer again and again, and they’re stopping them from getting what they want. So, have a think about that. What is making the problem seemingly impossible to solve?
Now, the third one on the list is, “The difficulty of the problem pushes the character to their limits as they actively try to solve it.” So, think about this in great films – they don’t let the main character just get what they want the first time that they attempt it. The other week I watched the Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange film, Tootsie. If you haven’t seen it, Dustin Hoffman is a talented actor, but he’s so passionate about his craft that it makes him incredibly difficult to work with and as a result, he can’t get hired for jobs. We see him being very active, auditioning time and time again, but with no success because he is so difficult to work with. He’s not just sitting on his behind, he’s out there, he’s trying to solve his problem, but his personal flaw is getting in his way until he sees an opportunity to audition for a daytime soap opera by pretending to be a woman. And this brings us to the fourth point, which is, “The actions of the main character (or your customer) in trying to solve their problem should bring with it more complications and challenges.” So, in the Tootsie example, as Dustin Hoffman pretends to be a woman, there are challenges around keeping his secret whilst also dealing with relationship complications with people who think he’s a woman, including unwelcome advances from male costars. This plays out the same for your customer. The chances are they’re doing something to solve the problem, and that approach is causing them some headaches. So, here’s the next thing that I want you to do, think about this, what is your customer doing to try and solve the problem? And then, why is that causing even more problems instead of moving them further to the goal? Let’s come back to our guitar playing example. Our customer may have purchased books or online tutorials or invested in a great guitar, so they’re actively trying to solve the problem of learning how to play the guitar, but then they’re becoming frustrated because they’re not seeing the results that they wanted. This might be because, you know, you can’t ask a book questions and you can’t get specific feedback on your technique from an online video tutorial like you could in a one-to-one lesson. So, despite them taking action, they may now be feeling real pressure to use these resources that they’ve invested in but doing so is making them really hate learning to play the guitar.
Now, finally, in Eric’s checklist, the problem grows until it reaches “a final battle and solution.” Well, you don’t have to do a final battle with your customer, but you can present the solution to them and show them what they need to do to solve a problem once and for all, after you’ve laid out the treacherous journey that they’re currently on.
So, to summarize, here’s how you can apply this checklist to your copy in terms of copy ideas:
- Think about the one big problem that you solve.
- Why might that seem impossible to solve?
- What are they doing to try and solve the problem?
- What further problems and complications is this creating?
- How can you help?
Now, if you put answers to those five steps, you could almost just put that together in a paragraph of copy and that would really neatly sum up the problem that you solve, why it’s important and why working with you or buying your product means that it is so much easier for them to achieve what they want rather than continuing on with what they’re currently doing.
That’s all for today. If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, so you don’t miss another and if you want to hop over to iTunes and leave a rating or review, that would be splendid! And remember, you need drama, conflict, and a punishing problem if you really want people to care about what you have.
[New Scene – Television Studio]
TV Exec: Come in, we have Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Universal and Pixar and we’re ready for your pitch. We’re looking for high conflict and high drama. What have you got?
Amy: Bernie is a retired chemistry teacher from Shropshire striving for the quiet life when one day he notices he’s been charged twice on his phone bill. What results is an epic David and Goliath battle between Bernie and the phone company, as he tries to resolve his phone bill.
TV Exec: Where’s the drama or conflict in that?
Amy: Well, when Bernie initially pursues his refund, he finds himself stonewalled by the corporation, which makes him suspicious. So, he takes a stand . . .
TV Exec: By . . .?
Amy: Refusing to pay the charge, but then things escalate over a period of about three weeks when the phone company charges interest on his late payment. It’s at that moment, he realizes his world suddenly turned into a nefarious, Kafkaesque reality.
TV Exec: Then what happens?
Amy: Well, half the film is actually just him on hold. It goes on for a further few weeks, the interest payments get bigger and then when he’s at the end of his tether, he writes a letter, because he’s not great with email, to the consumer issue section of a national newspaper. They, in turn, email the phone company and all charges are dropped, but his credit score remains affected, which isn’t too big of a deal, because his house is paid for, and he’s got enough savings and his pension. I was thinking Ken Loach could direct?
TV Exec: I don’t think this is going to work.
Amy: Really? Because I’ve already made the trailer.
[Trailer]
Voiceover: Bernie is an ordinary man with everyday dreams.
Neighbor: Morning Bernie, looks like it should be nice out.
Bernie: Yes, I’m hoping I can get out into the garden today.
Voiceover: Until one day a letter arrives and changes everything.
Bernie: They’ve charged me twice for my phone bill!
Voiceover: But he’s not going to take it lying down.
[Bernie calling phone company]
Sandra: You’re through to Sandra, how can I help?
Bernie: You’ve charged me twice on my phone bill.
Sandra: I’m going to have to put you through to a different department.
Voiceover: Pushed to the edge as he fights for justice.
Bernie: Well, I’m not paying it then.
Voiceover: The movie critics are calling this frustrating to watch, a gritty look at the seedy underbelly of telecommunications.
Bernie: They’re charging me interest!!
Voiceover: And one man’s fight for an accurate phone bill.
Bernie: Dear Tony Hazel at This Is Money. . .
Voiceover: Amy pictures presents the story of Bernie who just wants to pay what he owes and not a penny more.
[End]
Leave a Reply