Why negative messages gain traction
Did Stanley Kubrick fake the moon landings? Was President Obama holding a rocket launcher in a car with an ISIS leader?… Read the full article
Persuasive writing
Make it F-A-B
Translate features to advantages to benefits
Quick! Which would you rather have: Apple’s new incredibly responsive A9X chip? Or the ability to perform complex jobs like editing 4K video quickly and smoothly via your iPad?… Read the full article
Reframe the problem
Break an egg? Make an omelet
Don’t you love the way H&R Block reframed tax season as refund season this year? So do I.
Take a tip from H&R Block: Got a negative story to tell?… Read the full article
Authority rules
Experts are most trusted, says Edelman’s Trust Barometer
Trust saw some big changes in 2011:
- Trust in credentialed experts (70%) and company technical specialists (64%) is on the rise.
Pay it forward
We’re wired to repay favors
When social scientist Randy Garner sent out a group of surveys, he attached either:
- A handwritten sticky note, attached to a cover letter, asking people to complete the survey
- A similar handwritten message on the cover letter itself
- The cover letter alone with no handwritten request
The results:
- Nearly three-quarters of people who received the survey with the sticky note filled out the survey and returned it.
Trigger happy
USDA’s MyPlate puts its money where your mouth is
One of my brilliant clients at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield once wrote in a healthy-eating column:
“Instead of our steak being the size of a deck of cards (a standard, four ounce serving), it’s often the size of small laptop computer.”… Read the full article
Pull the trigger
Create an environment for your message
My mother serves as Wylie Communications’ bookkeeper. (Yes, Mom still balances my checkbook.)
When she asked me recently to bring a bag full of business documents over, I put the bag on the bench by my front door so I’d see it on my way out. … Read the full article
Seek higher authority
Move readers to act
I’ve been nagging my husband, Phil, to get regular massages — at least every other week — for 23 years. You’ll feel better, I say.… Read the full article