When it comes to testing and optimizing a campaign in order to make it profitable, it’s easy to go a little bit crazy.
I mean, there are HUNDREDS of variables you can test…

• SiteID’s
• Headlines
• Offer
• Color scheme of the landing page

Because there are so many choices, it’s easy to focus on the ones that don’t actually matter all that much. Like trying to improve the speed of a car by focusing on the weight of the headlights instead of the power of the engine.
You get the point.
If you’re on a limited budget, then it’s important to focus on the variables that make the BIGGEST impact.
aka…the 80 / 20.
aka…the difference that makes the difference.
If you only have $250 to test a campaign, don’t waste it testing the color of the button on the landing page.
Changing the color from orange to purple probably isn’t going to much a difference in your ROI.
I think one underrated variable are Campaign Angles.

A Quick Refresher on Angles

An angle is a story you tell in order to help sell the product. It’s how you frame the problem, the solution, etc.
The angle you use affects the entire funnel, from the creative to the text on the landing page to the Facebook ads.
I’ve had campaigns where the angle alone was the difference between losing money, and a 7-figure campaign.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you’re promoting a hair loss offer for men. If they purchase this product, it’s going to help them grow back their hair.
You can promote it the standard way with some before and after photos, but honestly, that’s really boring and already been done a thousand times. You’ll probably find that people aren’t clicking on banners and conversions are low.
One easy way to bring life to the campaign is to come up with different angles.
Here are some quick angles off the top of my head:

• Angle 1: The secret hair thingy that a balding celebrity used.
• Angle 2: A woman leaves a man because he’s balding. He regrew his hair with miracle product, now she’s begging for him back.
• Angle 3: A man discovers that Rogaine’s a big scam.

These angles would be the “bait” used in the ads, and then you can finish the story in the landing pages. Each angle will resonate with a different audience and attract new people.
* Note: These are just examples and not necessarily ones that I would use. If you’re making up stories, consult with a lawyer to make sure you’re doing everything compliantly. Don’t get sued over a story about going bald. 

Why Angles Are So Important

Angles are important for a few reasons.
The average person sees a TON of ads each day, and when they see your ad, their mind is full of distractions.
Angles can be what’s called a “pattern interrupt”. A person is mindlessly scrolling through their news feed, they see your unique ad, and their mindless scrolling is interrupted. Suddenly, they’re interested in what you have to offer.
So having a great angle is a way to “hook” people into checking our your landing page.
Also, I think deep down everyone’s looking for a magic bullet to their problems. They’re looking for a NEW opportunity, and stories are easy ways for people to understand.
Keep in mind not that ALL campaigns need super-compelling angles.
If you’re promoting something simple like an app install, then it’s fairly straightforward.
They’re used most commonly in health and beauty landing pages, but don’t limit yourselves to them. I’ve also seen them used successfully in Casino offers, Pick up Artist Offers, Flashlight offers, etc.

Coming Up With Angles

I’ve seen a lot of affiliates have trouble coming up with angles.
How can you come up with angles if you’re not really a creative person?
One “hack” I used is that I realized there are actually several Angle Archetypes.
An archetype is a big, overarching pattern that lots of different things fit into.
Think about the bodybuilder “archetype”. Always wearing muscle shirts, super tan, totally ripped, lots of hair gel. That’s the overarching pattern (or archetype) of a bodybuilder.
Affiliate marketing uses archetypes.
Think about how ad headlines work.
If I can’t think of a good headline then I’ll use headline formulas where I can just plug in my offer to the formula to come up with something that works.
Same goes for angle archetypes.
The same types of stories (or angles) keep popping up over and over again regardless of the vertical. These stories are your angle archetypes.
If you know some of these angle archetypes, then you can easily pump out angles.
I want to share a few “Angle Archetypes” that I’ve observed over the years. You should definitely build a “swipe file” of these archetypes for those times when you have a creativity block.

Common Angle Archetypes

1. Your “average” person discovers a “hack” that the big industry doesn’t want you to know.
People LOVE lifehacks.
A lot of the “good stuff” out there is crazy expensive.
Botox is expensive. First class flights are expensive.
So if you can share a story on how you “hacked” the system, people will eat it up.
Examples:

• A Straight “D” student gets into Harvard using this Weird Writing Technique.
• Instead of spending $500 on photography lighting, you can spend $50 for a small at home studio that’s just as good.
• I discovered a $10 Hack that lets my car run on Water
• These guys just unlocked an insurance loophole that has the industry running scared

2. Someone Gets a Revenge by Using X Product

People LOVE a good underdog story.
Let’s say you’re promoting an offer that teaches men how to meet women. How can we spin this into a story of Vengeance?
Easy.

• Girlfriend cheats on her Boyfriend for being a loser.
• He buys a pickup artist product and becomes a babe magnet.
• Now he’s dating women way more attractive than she was.

He’s winning in life because of X product.
Promoting a casino offer?
How about a guy gets fired from his job by his asshole boss. He wins money with this online casino. He wins so much that he buys back his old company just to fire his asshole boss!
3. Crazy Clickbait Story
Extreme things generate the most attention.
I first understood this by reading the book Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
You’re driving along the highway and see countless brown, white, and black cows. You don’t notice any of them.
If there was a purple cow you’d immediately pay attention, right?
That’s a pattern interrupt. People see hundreds of ads a day. If you want to get their attention, then you need to be extreme.
One way to do that is through clickbait. If you tease a really interesting story, then people feel the NEED to read the rest of it due to the “information gap.”
Some examples of Clickbait headlines include:

• How a 12-year-old kid built muscles WITHOUT using steroids
• How a Man Hacked the Casinos Using a Barely Legal App
• Homeless Man Has Women Begging for his Number using this One Magic Line

One of my favorite clickbait headline writing tips is to use polar opposites.
What kind of man doesn’t get girls in general? A homeless man.
It shows how powerful the product is if works for even someone like them.

The Secret to Creativity

One of my biggest marketing discoveries is that humans are wired for stories.
Why are TV and Movies such a big business? Because our brains are programmed for good stories.
If you can tell good stories then you can sell anything.
Therefore, if you want to become a better copywriter, learn how to tell better stories.
Can you think of anymore Angle Archetypes?
Featured image by Garloon