Great Leads Kickstart (Part 2): Can You Really Write An Ad That Sells With AI?

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Ahoy, Digital Writers!

Last week we introduced Part 1 of a multi-part series on the book by Michael Masterson and John Forde, Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways To Start Any Sales Message.

We talked about:

• The 6 types of direct and indirect leads

• The 5 Levels Of Customer Awareness (and how to decide what type of lead to use)

• How to write an Offer Lead for your most-aware prospect (and how to write it with AI!)

Now, we are going to look at the next lead type: the Promise Lead.

But before we get into it, here’s a quick reminder about what a lead is and why it’s so important.

The lead is the first thing your prospect reads. And it’s your chance to convince them that your offer is worth their time. A great lead grabs your reader’s attention and pulls them into your message, 1-line at a time: from headline to sub-headline to the first sentence, all the way down the page to the offer. If you don’t persuade the reader with your lead, they’re gone—regardless of your irresistible offer.

One of the most effective techniques for writing an ad that sells is to lead with a big promise.

But can you really write an ad that sells using AI?

I say yes.

Let’s find out.

What Is A Promise Lead

The Promise Lead is just like it sounds.

It's a promise.

And it works best when the reader is "mostly aware" and almost ready to buy. Like the Offer Lead, it's direct and upfront with what the reader can expect in exchange for their attention. You don’t need to mention the product, but the headline should call attention to the big “promise.”

All great leads include a promise, however what sets the Promise Lead apart is how it targets the readers desire.

For example:

• To gain status: “How To Win Friends And Influence People”

• To lose weight: “How To Burn Off Body Fat, Hour By Hour”

• To make money: "Escape the 9-5 Grind And Trade Stocks From Home"

• To save money: "Learn How Thousands Are Slashing Their Phone Bill With This Simple Trick”

• To be healthy: “Finally Improve Your Health With This Easy 10 Day Diet (Without Giving Up Sugar)"

You see this style of lead everywhere on the internet.

Which is why it’s so important to get right. Readers have become numb to (and burned by) over the top promises like “how to make a million dollars in the next 30 minutes.”

So, how do you make a promise that doesn’t sound ridiculous, doesn’t raise your readers skepticism meter to 11, and motivates the reader to click, read, and buy?

How To Write A Great Promise Lead That Gets The Click

Start with what your product / service does best.

Then showcase the difference from the competition. This is your unique selling proposition (USP). The special sauce competitors lack.

• Are you faster?

• Are you cheaper?

• Are you more accurate?

Clearly showcase your advantage.

The promise you make has to feel different from anything the reader has seen before. And if you don’t do anything different, just say what you do. Especially if your competitor doesn’t mention it.

Second, lead with your biggest benefit.

We already talked about this, but it’s worth repeating.

The promise must target the reader’s core desire. Which means the reader must already want what you are promising.

“You can’t create desire in the reader. You can only wake up what’s already there.”

That’s it.

Point out what’s different from everyone else and promise the attainment of their deepest longing.

Let's look at some examples.

1. "What if you could erase your joint pain in 14 days or less...without drugs, surgery or wasted money on mainstream solutions?” This promise lead speaks directly to those suffering from debilitating joint pain by offering an unusual solution and ultra specific timeline.

2. "You Can Build A 6-Figure Online Business in Less Than 30 Days With No Technical Skills and Very Little Money” This quantifies an incredibly desirable benefit—making serious money online without knowing how to code or having capital.

3. Lastly, check out these 7 classic "Promise Lead" ads on swiped.co.

When you write a promise lead, you have to set aside your perspective and get into your reader’s head. What do they want most? What offer is so attractive they just can't say no?

Lead with those core desires and you’ll drive the click.

22 Copy Motivators (The Real Reason People Buy)

Robert W. Bly, legendary copywriter and author of The Copywriter’s Handbook, says there are 22 reasons why people are motivated to buy a product / service.

This list will help you think about your reader and help you to identify the core desire you are promising.

Here they are:

• To be liked

• To be appreciated

• To be right

• To feel important

• To make money

• To save money

• To save time

• To make work easier

• To be secure

• To be attractive

• To be sexy

• To be comfortable

• To be distinctive

• To be happy

• To have fun

• To gain knowledge

• To be healthy

• To gratify curiosity

• For convenience

• Out of fear

• Out of greed

• Out of guilt

Review this list before you write you write your Promise Lead.

Choose the one that matches what you’re selling and give the reader a great reason to buy your product or service.

But, what about the skeptic?

A Bigger, Better Promise Isn’t Always Best

The key is balancing a bold claim with believability.

Backing up big promises with social proof and credibility works. BUT remember, readers are sensitive to bold claims because advertisers have learned that promises work. And over the years those promises have become bigger, bolder, and more extreme. To which the reader thinks, “Aha,I see you. You’re trying to sell me!”

So, your job as the writer is to scan all the other promises in your niche and decide:

• Do I make a bigger promise?

• Or do I scale back the promise?

Both can work—when you’re different from everyone else.

For example:

If everyone is promising "How to make money in the next 2 hours," then you could promise "How to get rich slow." You are still targeting the core desire, "to get rich," but you've differentiated yourself such that it creates curiosity in the reader. Alternately, Masterson says, you can soften the promise with a question, "Can you really grow $500 into $8.4 million?" The reader still sees the promise to "turn a little bit of money into a lot of money," but instead of raising their B.S. meter, it's like you walked up next to them, put your arm around them, and joined them in their skepticism.

Smart, right?

Now let’s make this easy with AI.

Can You Really Write An Ad That Sells With AI?

Let’s see.

Like all leads, writing an effective Promise Lead takes practice and skill.

But with the help of AI, we can shorten the learning curve, cut your writing time in half, and improve your chances of closing the sale.

How?