Want to convince more readers? Write like mum.
Mothers. The undisputed masters of the guilt trip.
I don’t know about your mum, but mine’s a master of let’s say “convincing messaging.”
I’m not talking about the “I’ve not heard from you in soooo long” texts though. I’m talking about the woman’s genuine ability to part people from their cold hard cash with compelling messaging.
For years now, every Christmas my mum (aided by my dad) has taken it upon herself to run a charity drive for her friend’s church. And it’s a messaging masterclass. Not because the copy’s any good, but because it’s tailored to her target audience.
If she wants donations from her friends, hard working people who maybe don’t have loads of money to spare? The message is tailored so it’s supporting people like you.
Wants money from family members? Well then it’s not a church charity is it. The message is tailored again, it’s supporting the church of the vicar who handled a family member’s funeral for free out of the goodness of her heart. It’s a legacy.
Doesn’t matter who she’s talking to. My mum finds an angle. It’s to help working families, it’s to help a disadvantaged community (specifically refugees, old people, young mothers - all are helped, she just finds the one that will tug your heartstrings), it’s to pay back a favour the family owes.
She even convinced her dentist to send loads and loads of toothpaste. How’s that for tailored messaging?
And if you’re the sort of hard-bitten adland cynic that unpicks this message rather than going along with it and sticking your hands in your pocket, she unleashes the big guns.
Getting my dad to text with a vague inferrence that you’d promised to donate sandwiched in between football texts.
And you know what?
It works.
By tailoring that simple message of “Christmas is a time to help” adding on a detail that speaks to her precise audience, my mum makes sure people get fed every December.
Christmas is a time to help working families
Christmas is a time to help lonely old folks
Christmas is a time to help refugees and the homeless
Christmas is a time to help because you said you would, Andrew, so put your hand in your pocket
Last Christmas, we had to unload three vans of food and a flatbed truck of loo roll and nappies. Then went to watch England beat Senegal.
If you want to convince your readers, take a leaf out of my mam’s book. Find out what really, really makes and emotion connection and lean on it. Heavily and repeatedly.
Then while you’re taking a leaf out of her book, do some good this year. Help out anyone you can. And see who you can convince to join you. It’s good marketing practice, if nothing else.
Something mint - this RNIB charity campaign
Charity ads aren’t about guilt by the way. This new campaign for RNIB is absolute class. The simple message, “see the person, not the sight loss,” is designed as an antidote to the hand-wringing isn’t-it-sad kind of charity ad that positions the recipients of help as tragic sad sacks that aren’t like you or I.
Yeah, visually impaired people need help, and the RNIB needs your support, but they’re still normal people with normal people hopes, dreams and frustrations about cringeworthy1 bosses and rubbish football teams ruining their weekends.
It’s destigmatising sight loss, and it works great, with a dollop of relatable humour.
See the whole #BeforeYouAsk campaign here.
I will NOT use the word they use in the ad. It’s ridiculous. We have a perfectly cromulent word to use. Hashtag bring back cringeworthy.