Small Copy Changes Create Big Outcomes
Three copy hacks backed by science.
Have you ever made a mistake and it turned out that the mistake was actually the best thing that happened?
Months ago I posted two almost identical posts on LinkedIn except for ONE small difference:
Can you spot the difference?
You got it! Image A has a typo. REQUIRE was misspelled. I left out one letter. A few minutes after I posted it, I realized that there was a typo and felt so embarrassed. I really wanted to delete the post, but decided against it.
The post with the typo ended up getting 2,114,935 impressions! After a couple of months I decided to post it again, but this time I fixed the typo. Same post, now with a corrected image - 105,798 impressions. That’s almost 20x less effective.
My mind was blown. A mistake that worked better? Turns out, the Pratfall Effect might explain why. (I wrote about this in the Wednesday issue of Legend Letters. Go find it or you can click HERE.)
Instead of arguing about what LinkedIn is doing behind the scenes to make the post with the mistake work 20x better, let’s focus on something that’s more tangible. This brings to light a fundamental truth about copy and messaging
❤️ Heartset: small changes can result in big differences.
In my case it was a letter. But what about a comma?
I’m sorry I love you.
I’m sorry, I love you.
Same words, very different meaning. All because of one tiny comma.
Seemingly small details can make such a big difference in meaning. It makes me wonder about the way we ask for things, or try to communicate the value of our ideas or our services… how often are we letting our words drag us down? I suspect it’s more often than we think.
🧠 Mindset: Show value not just through your product, but through your messages.
We spend so much time making ourselves and our services valuable, that we forget to use the right words to show its value.
🧰 Skillset: 3 science-backed copy hacks
1/ The Effort Hack
In a Wharton study, reports labeled “8 hours of prep” were rated far higher than those labeled “30 minutes”with identical content.
So instead of saying: “New guide is live.”
Say “I spent 12 hours testing and simplifying this so you can take action fast.”
2/ The Specificity Hack
Real estate data showed homes priced at $801,032 sold closer to asking than those priced at $800,000.
So instead of saying: “I helped increase a company’s revenue by 50%”
Say “I helped increase a company’s revenue by 51.7%”
3/ The “Free-to-Refuse” Hack
In a consumer research study to get donations, ending a request with “but you are free to refuse” boosted donation rates from 10% to 48%.
So instead of saying: “Go buy this offer now”
Say “Feel free to skip the offer if it’s not a fit”
Remember that small changes in your word choice can have big results. Be more intentional about how you communicate your value so people actually can perceive your value correctly.
Which one will you try?
Howie Chan
Creator of Influence Anyone
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