People don’t buy products, people buy stories that turn them on
Sun Ra was a lil crazy, but he was a musical genius.
In other words, he was one of the most bizarre musicians in the history of Jazz.
Sun Ra wore futuristic, Egyptian-inspired costumes and claimed he came from another planet.
In fact, Sun Ra became famous for carrying around a passport that said his birthplace was Saturn.
His music was futuristic.
It was psychedelic.
It was radical.
It was hypnotic.
And it was divine...making you feel like you're traveling through the cosmos.
As weird as it sounds, you can learn a lot about business and copywriting from Sun Ra.
Sun Ra once said, “The impossible attracts me. Because everything possible has been done and the World didn’t change.”
That's why Sun Ra gave instruments new names.
So Sun Ra and his The Sun Ra Arkestra band played instruments like the “space-dimension mellophone”, a "space master piano" and "solar bells". And also the "sunharp", the “cosmic tone organ” and a "lightning drum".
Sun Ra also called his The Arkestra band members "tone scientists", not musicians.
Because as he said, "I'm dealing with pure sounds. Every musician has to realize what tone and what key is good for him."
Now you're probably thinking, "But Miguel, what the hell is the lesson here?"
You see, the difference between good and bad copywriting is that bad copy simply states the right facts about a product.
But people don’t buy products, people buy stories that resonate.
And Sun Ra understood the power of a good story.
A good story always cuts through the noise with impact.
Which is why good copy simplifies complex product facts into interesting stories. Because our brains are wired to like stories a lot more than simple facts and figures. It's human nature.
Takeaways for your business:
1. People don’t buy products. People buy lifestyle upgrades, social status symbols or cultural acceptance. People buy peace of mind, time savers or...the “good enough” option. In other words, people buy stories that resonate.
2. Good copy is more than just stating a bunch of dull product facts in a clear way. Good copy is always based on human biases.
3. To write good copy you don't have write copy out of thin air. You just have to assemble copy that uses your audience's language.
4. If your copy is just a boring list of facts, your product will be perceived as boring, too. And boring doesn't sell. Sun Ra understood this better than most marketers.
Your Pal,
🚀 Founder & Chief Copywriter: Teardwn
💌 Newsletter: Creative Samba
🏂 Side projects: 👀 Great Landing Page Copy + ✍️ Copy Ipsum + 🎧 Chill Music Club
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