It’s a truth universally acknowledged (among marketers) that people don’t shop with their brain…

They shop with their heart.

That was a cheesy way of saying that folks will choose feelings over logic in the majority of their purchasing decisions.

Just think about it: How often do you (subconsciously or otherwise) decide you’re going to purchase something — and then spend twenty minutes trying to justify that decision?

You’re probably very familiar with that scenario. We all do it, whether we realize it or not!

In fact, a Harvard professor explained that 95% of our purchasing decisions happen subconsciously — driven by emotions.

As a small business owner, this is a good thing to note. Because learning how to appeal to your readers’ emotions is a great way to connect…

And eventually bring them on as a client.

So, how do you use emotions as a way to connect? Let’s take a look.

Levels of Emotions

There are a couple of ways you can appeal to a potential client. They each have their advantages — but when it comes to emotions, some are better than others. Here are the tiers:

• Factual appeal — Sometimes you need to give folks the facts about something, like listing off the potential side effects of a drug. As you might guess, this isn’t the strongest way to appeal to someone, but every now and then, it’s necessary. Know when it’s necessary, and when it’s not — and when it’s not, choose to write in one of the other ways.
• Emotional appeal — Based on the title of this article, you’re probably guessing this is a strong appeal. And you’re right! This goes a step further than just stating facts by stating a benefit to a common issue. But you can actually take this one step further into the strongest level…
• Personal appeal — Take the common issue and make it personal. Why is it important to the person who’s reading it? This can be as easy as framing it in a “you” sentence. Let’s look at an example.

How to Level Up Your Appeal

Here’s a way to phrase a dog training class differently, depending on your level of emotion.

Factual: “This class teaches dog sports basics so they can begin competing.”
Straightforward and clear, with the inclusion of a benefit (the ability to start competing!). But there are tons of trainers out there teaching this — why should the reader pick you?

Emotional: “Dogs will leave this class ready for their first stress-free competition!”
A stress-free competition? That sounds great! But… let’s take it one step further.

Personal: “If you’ve been dreaming of dog sports, this class is for you! You and your dog will leave this class ready for your first stress-free competition experience together.”
Just adding the words “you” and “dream” make this so much more appealing. Suddenly, your reader can envision themself in this scenario, and see themselves as the hero of this story.

And everyone wants to be a hero, right? Right!

Now that you’ve got the tools for appealing to your readers, think through some of your copywriting. Where can you turn a factual or emotional appeal into a personal one?