EW, FEELINGS: 7 Emotional Triggers That Drive User Action

In this talk, Leanna explores the essential role of human feelings in copywriting and marketing. She demonstrates how understanding and strategically using emotions—frustration, skepticism, hope, excitement, flattery, and confidence—can make your copy more persuasive, engaging, and trustworthy. Through humor, real-life examples, and actionable insights, she shows how to connect with your audience on a deeper level and guide them through the funnel with empathy and clarity.

What You’ll Learn

• Use frustration and pain at the start of your messaging to highlight problems and motivate action.
• Address skepticism to build credibility with technical or discerning audiences.
• Introduce hope to preview an ideal future and create anticipation for your solution.
• Layer in excitement to energize users, celebrate milestones, and encourage engagement.
• Apply flattery subtly to make your audience feel recognized, capable, and smart.
• Demonstrate confidence in your product or service to build trust and reduce friction in decision-making.
• Leverage social proof, testimonials, guarantees, and clear outcomes to reinforce trust.
• Carefully sequence feelings in your copy for maximum impact: pain → hope → excitement → action.