In 2017, Donald Miller published Building a StoryBrand, and marketers had a wake-up call.
You’re not the hero – your customer is. Your product? Just the guide.
Smart DTC brands stopped selling products. They started selling feelings. Conversions exploded.
They realized something crucial: people don’t buy what you’re selling. They buy how it makes them feel about themselves. Healthier. Smarter. More attractive. More in control. Features can’t create that. Emotion does. And the brands that lead with emotion? They dominate.
People Don’t Buy Products – They Buy Identity
No one’s buying your hoodie because it’s cotton. They’re buying it because it makes them feel cool, confident, effortless. Every purchase is a reflection of who they want to be. Your copy needs to mirror that identity. Sell who they become, not what you make.
Brené Brown, bestselling author and vulnerability researcher, has shown that humans are wired for belonging. That’s why emotionally aligned copy- copy that reflects the customer’s internal world – works so well. When the words on your product page feel like their inner voice, friction disappears. Trust is built. The purchase feels personal. This is identity-driven marketing – and it’s what drives loyalty.
Write less about the product. Write more about who they get to be.
Facts Tell. Stories Sell.
Specs don’t stick. But stories? Stories get remembered, shared, and screenshotted.
Donald Miller teaches: your brand is never the hero. Your customer is. You’re the guide – the Obi-Wan, not the Luke. That shift changes everything about your messaging.
Great DTC brands embed story into every word of copy:
“You wake up. You sip your collagen latte. Your skin glows. Your day feels lighter.”
You’re not selling ingredients. You’re selling experience. You’re not explaining – you’re transporting. And emotion is the vehicle that gets them there.
Make your customer the star of the story. Or you’ll be just another forgettable brand.
Emotional Copy Bypasses Logic – and That’s a Good Thing
No one buys because it “makes sense.” They buy because it feels right. Then they back it up with logic – after the decision is already made. And that means if you’re leading with rationality, you’re losing.
Desire. Aspiration. FOMO. Relief. Pride. Those are the real triggers. The best DTC brands don’t explain – they ignite. Once the feeling is there, logic just shows up to co-sign the decision. (“It’s natural. It’s a great deal. It ships fast.”)
If your copy isn’t emotional, it’s invisible. Make them feel something—or they’ll click away.
Bonus: If You Can Name the Feeling, You Own the Sale
People don’t always know what they’re feeling – but they know it when they read it. That’s why the most powerful copy doesn’t describe the product – it describes the customer’s emotional state.
Frustrated. Overwhelmed. Hopeful. Desperate. Inspired.
When you name the feeling, you give the reader permission to feel seen. And when someone feels seen, they trust you – and trust converts. As Brené Brown says, “Language gives us access to emotion.” That means the right word unlocks the right response.
If you’re vague, they scroll. But if you’re specific? You stop them cold. “The moment you realize your old razor was never built for your skin.” That’s not copy. That’s emotional clarity – and emotional clarity sells.
When your customer thinks, “That’s exactly how I feel,” they’re already halfway sold.
You didn’t have to explain – you just had to articulate what they couldn’t. The copy didn’t persuade. It resonated.
The brand that owns the emotion, owns the sale.
If Your Copy Doesn’t Create a Feeling, It’s Not Copy – It’s a Label
Emotional copy isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between a 1% and a 6% conversion rate. The brands that win make their customers feel seen, understood, inspired. They don’t just describe – they connect. They don’t sell features. They sell a better version of you.
So next time you write a product page, don’t ask: “What does this do?”
Ask: “How does this make them feel?”
Because when you create that emotional spark, something happens. They trust you. They buy from you. And they don’t forget you.
If this resonated, here’s what to do next:
→ If you’re tired of content that fills space instead of driving sales, let’s talk. Schedule a quick demo.
→ If you’re ready to turn product pages, email flows, landing copy, and more into silent salespeople for your brand, subscribe to either our Unlimited Standard Plan or Unlimited Professional Plan to get started.
Your story deserves better than generic copy.
We make it unforgettable.