The Great Motivators in Copywriting

Remember Maslow's “Hierarchy of Needs” which states that individuals must fulfill primary needs (food, clothing and shelter) before moving on to higher-level needs such as self esteem? However, according to Herschell Gordon Lewis, author of The Art Of Writing Copy, “Anyone who might be moved by food, clothing and shelter is not worth your promotional dollars. Gourmet food? Yes. Designer clothing? Yes. Status-laden shelter? Yes. But it's the qualifier words that give us the motivators, not the bald requirements of life.”

He adds that creating effective ad copy in today's “Age of Skepticism” requires writing clearly, within the prospect's experiential background, and presenting benefits based on an appeal to one of five great motivators:

1. Fear

2. Exclusivity

3. Guilt

4. Greed

5. Ego gratification

Lewis concludes that in a competitive marketplace, you have to hit prospects right between the eyes with one of these motivators.

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