Using Pain Points in Marketing: Why Going Negative Gets Positive Results

Would you be surprised if I said the second section of your website should be about something painful? It should say out loud what people are secretly afraid of. It should be a little bit scary.

Sometimes business owners are hesitant to talk about what's at stake. They don't like the idea of including something "negative" in their marketing.

But** people only act when the cost of doing nothing is high** , when there's something at stake.

The Header of your website tells them how your product or service will make their life better. It's bright, shining, happy, positive, optimistic.

The section right below needs to flip the tone and tell them how their life will be difficult if they do nothing (or if they hire your competitor).

Let's look at two examples of "Stakes sections" on websites we've built.

⬆️ This sports and fitness coach's Stakes section tells the truth about how hard it is to hit your goals without a coach. (Design tip: If your website uses alternating dark and light backgrounds as part of its design, put your Stakes section on a dark background to intensify the mood.)

⬆️ This plumber reminds people that plumbing issues are annoying and potentially catastrophic.

Neither of these Stakes sections include lies, fear-mongering, or deception. But they do create a sense of discomfort, urgency, and motivation.

Action Items:

Fill in these blanks as a way to think about what's at stake if your customer doesn't hire or buy from you.

• If my customer does nothing, they will _______________.

• My customer is putting up with _______________, when they don't have to.

• If my customer ignores their problem, they'll keep feeling _______________.

• If my customer buys from my competitor, they might get _______________.

• If my customer tries to solve their problem on their own, they risk _______________.

People won't act if there's nothing at stake. They won't even pay attention to you if they're not aware of the cost of doing nothing. So, tell them.

If you're tempted to say that talking about failure is too heavy or dark for your brand, I'd love to talk with you about it. I understand that hesitation. However, you're not being a downer or a bully when you remind people that there's a risk in doing nothing. Let's get on a 30-minute call and talk about how to write about what's at stake in a way that's truthful, on-brand, and motivating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should a business use negative or fear-based messaging in marketing? Because people are more motivated to avoid a loss than to gain something new. Research consistently shows that the pain of losing something is roughly twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining the equivalent thing. If your marketing only talks about the happy outcome, you're skipping the part that actually creates urgency. A stakes section that names what goes wrong without you isn't fear-mongering, it's honesty.

What is a "stakes section" on a website? A stakes section is the part of your website that spells out what your customer risks if they don't act. It usually sits right below the header. While the header tells the visitor what life looks like after they hire you, the stakes section tells them what keeps happening if they don't. A plumber might say: "Ignoring a small leak today can mean a flooded basement and a $10,000 repair next month." That's stakes.

How negative is too negative in marketing? Stay honest and specific. The line is crossed when you exaggerate, invent risks that aren't real, or use fear to manipulate rather than inform. A good test: would your best customer read it and say "that's true, that's why I called you"? If yes, you're fine. If you're stretching the truth to manufacture panic, pull it back. Authenticity matters more than intensity.

Can small businesses use pain-point marketing without sounding like a bully? Yes, and the tone is everything. Naming a problem your customer has is empathetic, not aggressive. The language that works sounds like a friend who understands your situation, not a doomsday preacher. "We know how frustrating it is to call three contractors who never show up" lands completely differently than "your house will fall apart without us." Same pain point, very different feel.

Where exactly should pain-point messaging appear in my marketing? Your website is the primary place: right below the hero header, in the stakes section. It also belongs in your sales email sequence, specifically in the first two emails where you name the problem and show you understand it. During a sales call, naming the customer's pain out loud before pitching your solution builds more trust than jumping straight to what you offer. Lead with the problem, then the solution.