Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How One Word Changed a Billion-Dollar Campaign
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we hit episode 100 today. And I wanted to do something that feels like a milestone — not a recap, not a greatest hits, but one single lesson that, if you take nothing else from a hundred episodes, this is the one I'd want you to walk away with. Luna: That's a high bar. What is it? Lucas: It's the power of one word. Specifically, one word swap that lifted response by over 40 percent in a direct-mail test and went on to generate an estimated six hundred million dollars in incremental revenue over a decade. That's not hyperbole — that's a documented number from the copywriter who ran the test. Luna: Six hundred million dollars from changing one word. Which word? Lucas: The word 'because'. The test was run by a copywriter named Herschell Gordon Lewis — you might know him as the father of direct-response copywriting. He was testing a fundraising letter for a nonprofit. The control version said something like, 'You can help provide food for a hungry child.' The test version said, 'You can help provide food for a hungry child because your donation goes directly to our feeding program.' One word added — 'because' — and response jumped by over 40 percent. Luna: But wait — that's not just the word 'because'. That's adding a whole clause after it. The word itself is the trigger, but the reason follows. Lucas: Exactly right. The word 'because' signals that a reason is coming. And even a weak reason works better than no reason at all. There's a famous psychology study from 1978 — Ellen Langer at Harvard — where she had someone cut in line at a photocopier. When she said, 'Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?' about 60 percent of people let her cut. When she added 'because I'm in a rush,' compliance went up to 94 percent. But the kicker — when she said, 'Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make copies?' compliance was still 93 percent. The reason was essentially tautological — 'because I have to make copies' — but the word 'because' itself triggered automatic compliance. Luna: So the brain hears 'because' and just assumes a valid reason follows, even if the reason is circular. That's wild. And Lewis applied that to direct mail. Lucas: Yes. And he didn't stop there. He ran another test a few years later — 1992, I think — where he swapped the word 'contribute' for the word 'give' in the same fundraising letter. Same nonprofit. 'Contribute' is what they'd been using for years. 'Give' lifted response by 27 percent. Because 'give' is shorter, more direct, more emotional. 'Contribute' sounds like you're writing a check to a committee. 'Give' sounds like you're handing something to a person. Luna: So there's two separate tests from the same writer, both just swapping one word — one lifted 40 percent, one lifted 27 percent. Combined, that's a massive lift from essentially zero cost. Did the nonprofit keep using both changes? Lucas: They did. And Lewis later estimated that over the next ten years, those two changes — especially the 'because' addition — brought in an additional six hundred million dollars. And listen — that number comes from Lewis himself, so take it with a grain of salt. But even if it's half that, it's still a staggering return on a two-word edit. Luna: It makes you wonder: how many of us are leaving money on the table because we use a slightly wrong word? Like, how many email subject lines could be lifted by just swapping one word? Lucas: That's exactly the question. And here's the thing — 'because' isn't the only trigger word. There's a whole family of them. 'You' is probably the most powerful word in copywriting. 'Free' is obvious. 'New' works. 'Instantly' works. But 'because' is unique because it's a logical bridge — it connects the action to a reason, and it makes the reader feel like they're making a rational decision, even when the decision is emotional. Luna: I want to test this myself now. I have a client right now who sends a weekly newsletter with a donation link at the bottom. The call to action just says 'Donate Now.' I'm going to suggest they add 'because your gift supports our after-school program' and see what happens. Lucas: Do it. And run an A-B test for at least two weeks. The lift might not be 40 percent in every context, but I'd bet you'll see something. The principle is rooted in what psychologists call the 'because heuristic' — it's a mental shortcut that saves cognitive effort. When people hear 'because,' they don't scrutinize the reason; they just comply. Luna: So for episode 100, the takeaway is: look at your most important piece of copy — your homepage headline, your sales letter opener, your email subject line — and ask yourself, 'Is there a word I can swap for something more specific, more emotional, or more triggering?' And specifically, can I add 'because' and a reason? Lucas: Exactly. One word. One edit. Could be worth millions. Or at least a few more conversions. Luna: You know, speaking of conversations that actually make you rethink your work — if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, we should mention that listener support is what keeps this show free and ad-free. Lucas: Yeah, it's true. We don't run ads, we don't have sponsors, and that's intentional. The only reason we can do that is because a small number of listeners chip in at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's literally the price of a coffee, and it goes directly to keeping the show running. Luna: And we mean it when we say no pressure. If the show has helped you write a better subject line or land a client, that's the real reward. But if you want to help us keep going, that link is there. Lucas: Alright. Back to the copy. I want to give you one more example of a single-word swap that changed a campaign — this one from the world of B2B software. A company was using the headline 'Streamline Your Workflow' on their landing page. They tested 'Automate Your Workflow' and saw a 19 percent lift in sign-ups. Why? Because 'automate' implies doing it for you. 'Streamline' implies making it easier, but you still have to do the work. The verb choice changed the perceived effort. Luna: That's a great example. 'Automate' is more specific and more powerful because it promises a deeper benefit. 'Streamline' is vague — what does that even mean? It could mean anything from a minor tweak to a complete overhaul. Lucas: Right. And that's the deeper lesson here: specificity wins. 'Because' works because it gives a specific reason. 'Give' works because it's a specific, concrete action. 'Automate' works because it's a specific outcome. The more specific your language, the more persuasive it is. Luna: So for anyone listening: go find one piece of copy you wrote this week. Read it out loud. Circle any vague words — 'improve,' 'enhance,' 'optimize,' 'leverage.' Then replace them with something concrete. You might be surprised by the lift. Lucas: That's a perfect assignment. And if you do it, let us know. We'd love to hear your results. Until next time — keep writing with purpose. Luna: And maybe add a 'because' somewhere. Lucas: Exactly. Because it works.