How to Spot Well-Written Fake Information Online

Here’s an example of copywriting “done right” according to the formula but gone horribly wrong.

It’s a fake advertorial featuring former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promoting a crypto-trading app.

The copy follows all the best practices, fits the most popular template to a tee, but it still sucked big-time.

Here’s why:

The Facebook ad catches attention with major controversy. It talks about a blunder, a revelation, and the former president’s personal secrets. Even the ad image uses bold colors, strong facial expressions, and a prominent person’s face taking up huge real estate.

Here’s a big headline using a prominent person’s name, the enemies she’s supposedly making, and our favorite emotion of all: fear. And, more specifically, fear around money.

There’s also a lot of promise around money too and how to make more of it.

Social proof is plastered right at the top of the page and goes all the way down the right sidebar.

More social proof by sharing logos of the most popular news and info sources in the Philippines.

More faces expressing shock and awe.

And more attempts at courting controversy by describing the former Philippine president as a “brash straight-talker”. Is she, though?

Even more attempts to create controversy and a straight-up endorsement from a major personality in the country, complete with her pulling out her phone to show how much money she’s making.

They try to make it believable by addressing reader doubts and fears. But, at this point, they also start creating FOMO.

The boring part of copy: They show you what the product is and how it works. A step-by-step process is helpful. It makes everything look easy.

More social proof, but this time from the world’s wealthiest men.

Even more social proof. This time, from a nobody whose life changed dramatically when he started using the product. They add a picture of a Ferrari and to men hugging to make it even more enticing

They now bring in someone supposedly objective to try the product out for himself. 

He’s a skeptic. He says so. Unfortunately, they use a stock image and Klause Tisdale isn’t a real person and he doesn’t work at CNN.

The more specific you are with the details, the more believable you are.

They don’t just say, “I lost 1,000PHP.” They say, “I lost 1,275.36PHP”.

Pairing money details with emotion makes it even more compelling.

More very specific numbers here.

Create FOMO now.

Show them the specific steps they need to do to get the product. Don’t make them think about it.

Strengthen FOMO if they haven’t bought yet.

Tell them there aren’t a lot of slots left anymore and create more social proof by showing comments from people who have bought or are interested in buying.

The copywriter followed all the rules.

They did all the things we’re supposed to do.

Except that if they used their common sense, they’d know that using a former president to endorse their fake product for them isn’t believable. Everybody knows where GMA gets her money, and it’s not from cryptocurrency.

A more believable strategy would’ve been to create a make-believe persona, one most Filipinos can relate to, like an OFW or a call center agent, and highlight their story from just-a-bit-above-hitting-rock-bottom to sudden-crypto-riches. That would’ve been harder to spot for people who have no background in copywriting.

And if the copywriter paired their common sense with heart, they’d know to stay away from writing jobs like this.

Learning the rules of copywriting can only get you so far.

Thinking critically and treating your readers with the utmost respect is what keeps you thriving in the business of content writing for a good, long time.

All the skills you really need to master to succeed as a freelance writer, you already know.

If you don’t, you’ve only forgotten.

I've been writing from the heart my entire life. And for around 15 years, I've been working with writers do the same so they can reach out to their perfect audience and make money at the same time. 

If you're interested in learning how to: 

• How to connect with readers and deliver your message to the heart
• How to use the single most powerful emotion to persuade others without guilt
• How to write with ease and flow and phenomenal results at all times
• What clients who pay well and readers who love you are really looking for
• The only thing you need to do to become a writer who writes about the things that matter and getting paid for it 

Would you like to sign up for a training I'm creating? 

My ultimate goal is to help more writers write from the heart, get read, and make more money doing so. 

If you'd like to be part of the training, let me know. :)