Marketing

TV News: The Original “Infotainment” (Oh! and Propaganda)

by

Did you see the video clip of a director at CNN (google “Charlie Chester”) admitting the network is basically a propaganda machine?

Now, this isn’t a shocker. Most adults realize every news network is biased… and getting worse every day. But it’s interesting to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Believe it or not, this is a useful topic to discuss. I’m going to use it as a springboard to introduce a few ideas.

If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I think could be very profitable for you.

1) The REAL Purpose of the News

Have you ever heard the term “news hole”? Give yourself a big gold star if you have.

Most people — even journalists — haven’t.

The news hole is the amount of space or time a printed newspaper, magazine or broadcast show has to fill after all the advertising has been sold.

In other words, if an hour-long news show contains 18 minutes of commercials, the news hole is 42 minutes.

Note the priority here.

Advertising comes FIRST.

There is no “ad hole” they need to fill after covering all the news they want to report on.

Informing and educating the public is a secondary consideration. (Tertiary, really. More on that in a moment.)

You know this is true. All shows are structured around the commercials, not just the news.

In fact, all content is essentially a vehicle to deliver marketing messages.

And they use teasers and open loop cliff-hangers to get you to sit through commercials through the whole program.

Here’s the takeaway:

I know you probably love educating your readers about your area of expertise. And that’s great.

But understand that it’s tough to stay in business if you insist on making “content king.”

Instead, your content ought to be designed to bring people in for the REAL show… the offers you’re going to put in front of them.

Don’t get it twisted.

2) Of Course the News Is Biased!

When you realize news is primarily designed (by the big outlets, at least) to sell advertising…

And you realize advertising is most profitable when it’s targeted to specific demographics, psychographics and affiliations…

It all makes sense.

News SHOULD be slanted to attract an emotionally hot audience.

Sounds terrible to even say that. But that’s where we’re at.

Here’s the takeaway:

Being “fair and balanced” is dangerous… and a wasted opportunity to influence for good — and profit.

As a secondary consideration, the people who run the media companies have agendas. So on top of selling advertising… they make every effort to indoctrinate their audiences.

Whether the indoctrination is purely based on a lust for more money/power/respect (“It’s the key to life” ~ The Lox)… or more altruistic reasons like “saving the country”… I’ll leave that for another time.

3) The Truth About News Anchors

How is it that newscasters are celebrities? Some are superstars.

Granted, being on TV can make you a celebrity almost by default. But if the news is supposed to be objective… why don’t media outlets intentionally find Ben Stein’s character from Ferris Buehler’s Day Off?

Instead, they go out of their way to find and develop attractive people with engaging personalities. They invest big bucks with companies like Magid to make their anchors even more likeable.

Why?

Because:

  • viewers won’t be bored into watching the news
  • we form emotional attachments to the people on the screen
  • we come to trust people we continually listen to, somewhat irrespective of their adherence to objective journalism. Some news anchors have become some of the most trusted people in America, despite parroting propaganda on a nightly basis.

    (Some have also joined the ranks of America’s wealthiest.)

Here’s the takeaway:

Put your personality into your content and your copy. It can form emotional bonds, develop trust and help you move closer to the ranks of the wealthy in your field.

Have a productive day!

Will Apple’s iOS 15 Update Kill Email Marketing?

by

When people say “email is dead” you can pretty much always ignore them.

They’re probably selling a new shiny object (or they’re just mad they haven’t figured it out).

Recently, you may have heard a bunch of conversations with a similar apocalyptic tone.

Many entrepreneurs and marketers are freaking out about how Apple’s coming iOS 15 update will affect your email marketing.

If you haven’t heard these conversations yet, you soon will. Because the impact will be big.

I recorded a video explaining what iOS 15 and Mail Privacy Protection are, along with insights and actionable tips to help you navigate the coming changes.

If email makes up any percentage of your revenue, you have to prepare NOW

Because soon, the split tests you’ve been doing won’t work.

Most of the segments you’re building for your email list will be scrambled.

Your re-engagement campaigns will be pointless.

The iOS 15 update will turn the email world upside down — and it looks like the changes could go live as early as mid-September.

I’m revealing 5 steps you need to take to protect your profits on Monday, September 6th.

If you’d like to join, get details and register here.

None of the email experts I’ve seen are talking about the most important adjustment you need to make. I’ll show you what it is AND how to do it on during this training.

I hope you can join!

Imposter Syndrome Is Hurting Your Conversions… And You Don’t Know It

by

Wanna know why you’re not closing more sales than you are right now?

I haven’t dug into your business, but I can tell you one reason.

Imposter syndrome.

Quick story.

I recently had a conversation with a guy I’ve known for about 20 years named Allen. We kinda came up together. Even had the same job at the same company on two separate occasions.

Over the past few years, our incomes really started to diverge. I regularly offered advice and encouragement. But he never seemed to be able to change course.

During this conversation last week, Allen inadvertently gave me a hint about why he was stuck.

“I’m not like you, Donnie,” he snapped at me.

Which is just plain false for a whole bunch of reasons.

As I said, we kinda came up together, worked some of the same jobs, etc.

(And yes, I realize this sounds a lot like scene between Derek and Chi from Save the Last Dance, but this is real life.)

Anyway, the point is this.

Over the years, the greater the difference between our incomes, the LESS he paid attention to the advice I gave him.

In his mind, he believed those ideas, strategies and resources wouldn’t work for him… because he’s not like me.

Imposter syndrome rears its hideous head.

Guess what.

The moral of this story applies to your marketing and your business.

Because YOU suffer from imposter syndrome.

There’s the twist.

I didn’t say you HAVE imposter syndrome.

But you almost certainly suffer from it…

Because your should-be clients have it.

They may listen to your advice. They may respond well to your encouragement. But many of them simply cannot bring themselves to change course.

They don’t believe your ideas, strategies and resources will work for them.

Because they’re not like YOU.

This Amazon review is a funny example… and sad at the same time.

This reviewer’s own self-doubt is blocking him from getting valuable information from the very people who have achieved the results he’s looking for.

But he just can’t see it.

How Do You Defeat Their Imposter Syndrome?

The brutal truth is that you won’t be able to beat in for a big chunk of your audience.

I won’t go so far as to call them hopeless…

Let’s just say your energy will be better spent focusing on the smaller percentage of “kingmakers” on your list.

With that in mind, here are a few tips:

1) Keep painting a vivid picture of a specific, desirable outcome.

Never underestimate the power of desire. In some cases, people will change their entire belief systems when they want something badly enough.

I get nervous every time mention this. But I trust you to do the right thing.

2) Tell more stories that illustrate that you really ARE like your reader. Or, at least you used to be.

Again, some people won’t be able to clear that hurdle. Don’t worry about it. The ones who get it will get it. And you may compel a brave minority to take action in spite of their self-doubt.

3) Show them examples of other people who really are like them. Detailed testimonials can go a long way here.

4) Make it insanely easy and low-risk to take the first step.

Offer a sample. A free or low-cost trial. A courageous money-back guarantee.

If it makes sense, maybe even offer to partner with them to get the result they’re looking for.

Get them to take the first step and they may come to see that, “hey, maybe I AM like you, Donnie.”

5) If you can do so honestly, demonstrate that even a caveman could get the desired result – with your help.  That way, imposter or not, they should be able to find success working with you.

Now…

This has been a lot of information. If it’s been overwhelming, I apologize.

Let’s simplify quickly before we get out of here.

You have “Allens” in your life. They’re on your email list. Maybe in your sales pipeline.

And their imposter syndrome is costing YOU money.

Try not to let that frustrate you.

Display your flawed past and the near-flawless ability of your product or service to produce their desired outcome (to whatever extent it’s reality).

You’ll convince the convincible… encourage the faithful… and put more sales on the board.

Know, Like & Trust is a LIE

by

Unpopular opinion:

The “Know, Like & Trust” factor in marketing has cost entrepreneurs a bajillion dollars since John Jantsch popularized the concept in 2007.

Literally blocked a bajillion dollars from being deposited in their accounts.

Nobody is telling you this.

But I care about you too much to leave you in the dark.

No matter what your favorite expert says…

People don’t buy because they KNOW you.

Here’s a prime example. Think about all the times you asked your family to support your business. How did those conversations go?

If you’re like most entrepreneurs I know, less than 1% of your business comes from the people who know you best: family and friends.

(Friends you met after starting the business seem to be an exception.)

In most cases, people don’t buy because they LIKE you, either.

Or because they TRUST you.

We make buying decisions based on desire.

We buy what we want.

Knowing, liking and trusting the seller can help. But it plays a supporting role, not the leading role.

Don’t act like you’ve never bought merchandise from a hustle man who you’ve never met and have no reason to trust.  

If you have what someone really wants, they’ll talk often themselves into buying regardless of other considerations.

That’s the reason Know-Like-Trust is dangerous.

  • You spend an inordinate amount of time, money and energy trying to get “known” rather than creating a desirable offer.
  • You postpone making an offer until you feel you’ve built up enough K-L-T first.

    Truth is, many of your would-be buyers are bored with you by the time you’re ready to make an offer.
  • Trust is important. But no one buys something they don’t want just because they trust the person selling it.

If you offer something that improves people’s lives, you don’t have to “earn” the right to sell it to them.

The longer you wait, they longer they’re missing out on the benefits of your offer.

Imagine Moderna (a company you don’t know) and Pfizer (which NO ONE likes and few people trust) waiting to make their vaccines available until they’d crossed some arbitrary Know-Like-Trust threshold…

Doesn’t work like that.

People begged to get those jabs. Stood in line for hours to get them.

Because they desire protection — and getting back to “normal” life.

What does your ideal customer really want? Show them how to get it.

And whoever paints the clearest picture of a specific desirable outcome wins.

P.S. Share this revelation with your business buddies. They need to know the truth too!

The Biggest Lesson Clayton Makepeace Taught Me

by

Many of the biggest names in the copywriting world gathered yesterday to pay tribute to Clayton Makepeace, who passed away almost exactly one year ago.

His death hit me pretty hard because he was such an instrumental part of my journey.

Not only was Clayton a great copywriter (one of the all-time greats) and brilliant teacher (his copy cubs are some of the best in the game, too)…

He was one of the most interesting guys I’ve ever hung out with.

Since I wasn’t invited to speak at today’s tribute, which was organized and hosted by another legend, Carline Anglade-Cole…

I’m going to share a game-changing lesson he taught me right here.

Now, to be fair, I wasn’t invited to speak at the tribute because:

1) I’m barely a big name copywriter in my own house and
2) Clayton was only my mentor from a distance.

Plus, I only hung out with him once, when I was invited to speak on a hot seat panel during AWAI’s “Makepeace Method for Writing Million Dollar Sales Letters in 7 Days or Less” workshop in 2016.

Here’s a picture of Clayton and me on stage at the event, along with David Deutsch and Parris Lampropoulos (who both spoke at the tribute).

By the way, I’d like to publicly thank John Forde for helping get me on stage with these titans.

Now, let me share the lesson Clayton taught me that impacted me more than any other.

No matter how you rate your copywriting skills, this concept can revolutionize your ability to persuade in print or in person.

It’s…

“The Triumph of Hope Over Experience“

Your should-be clients have dreams and desires. In many cases, those dreams and desires do not match up with the reality they’re face every day.

They dream of having six-pack abs… even though they see their gut bulging more every week.

And they want to get that six-pack without exercise or dieting. A magical fat-burning pill will do nicely.

They dream of their husbands putting their socks in the hamper instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor… even though their experience tells them not to hold their breath. (Pun intended)

Experience tells them their dreams and desires are out of reach.

But they still have HOPE and their hope consistently triumphs over their experience.

Hope is what drives them to keep trying – and buying – new things to get closer to those dreams and desires.

Your job as a persuader is to pour gasoline on the embers of their hope. Do it right and your prospects will appreciate you selling to them.

And here’s a brilliant tip:

His experience can be the path of least resistance to the promised land he hopes to reach.

Show him an experience he’s already personally familiar with.

Then connect that experience to a fact he knows (or at least suspects) and could easily prove.

And then connect that fact to the dream/desire you’re appealing to in your copy.

Take this oversimplified example:

Copy: 90% of people live paycheck to paycheck.
Reader: “Yep, I’m broke and so is everyone I know.”

Copy: The 10% of people doing well have totally different mindsets and habits than the broke folk. But no one ever told you.
Reader: “That makes sense! My role models were broke, so they couldn’t show me the right way. So it’s not my fault”

Copy: Once you learn just a few mindset hacks and simple habit stacks, you’ll be ready to join the rich and famous 10%.
Reader: “Take my money!”

See how that works?

You’re building belief in the new transformation you’re selling on the foundation of one (or more) of his established beliefs.

And get this.

Even if the reader has tried a similar product… the fact that he’s reading your copy means he HOPES you’re going to be the one who finally helps him realize his dreams and desires.

A lot of copywriters skip this step. They go right from “You’re broke” to “here are mindset hacks and habit stacks to help you get rich.”

Again, that’s oversimplified, but you can see how powerful the concept is.

We could go deeper, but we’ve covered enough ground for one article.

Add this lesson from Clayton to your persuasion repertoire. It can make a world of difference for you (and your should-be clients).

This Story Can Put Money In Your Pocket

by

“Did you seriously tip that waiter 37 percent?”

Wifey is clearly irritated with me… mainly because we’ve had this conversation before.

“Did I? I didn’t do the math. I just gave a flat $50.” Which is true, but we both knew that I knew I overtipped for our anniversary dinner.

I promised my queen I’d stop “showing off”…

Which explains why she was annoyed when the credit card company sent a message asking if the charge was legit.

But I did it anyway.

So why the heck did I do it?

I was manipulated by the waiter!

And it was so smooth I didn’t even realize what happened until 4 days later.

(It’s possible the manipulation wasn’t intentional, but I doubt it. I’m bet he uses this routine all the time to put more cash in his pocket.)

Here’s the short version of what happened:

We ate at a nice steakhouse in downtown Chicago. Food was amazing and the service was top notch. The guy was attentive, funny, even charming. Very likeable.

As we’re getting close to finishing the meal, the waiter points out a group of men hanging out at the bar… and he starts to tell me a story.

This is so doggone smooth…

He says the group remind him of another group of guys who didn’t want to leave the bar when the restaurant was closing one night.

The ringleader was a high roller. He’d spent about $8 grand on drinks that night. Tipped the bartender $1,000 and the waiter (the guy taking care of us) a couple hundred. Everyone loved the guy. But they didn’t want to keep the bar open all night for him.

Conveniently, the exterminator arrived for their monthly inspection, and our waiter concocted a ruse to convince Mr. Money Bags everyone had to leave.

And everyone lived happily ever after.

See the trick?

The story felt very natural. I couldn’t detect any ulterior motive. It was just another way our waiter was entertaining us during dinner.

But through the story, he introduced a couple insidious ideas:

  • Patrons of this restaurant are big tippers.
  • Waiters recognize your status by now much you tip… and you don’t want to be a man with lower status, do you?
  • Big spenders are admired — and have stories told about them.

He said all that without explicitly saying any of it. And there was zero pressure.

Masterful manipulation for maximum tip.

Let’s call it “maTIPulation.”

Long story short…

Stories can be the powerful persuasive tools.

Use them wisely.

P.S. Want help writing story-based emails that put money in your pocket? Inbox X-Factor is a good place to start.

Super Bowl-Inspired Marketing Ideas

by

Quick one for you today.

I honestly didn’t realize the big game was happening yesterday, but that won’t stop me from jumping on the “lessons from the Super Bowl” trend.

Here are a few marketing concepts you can better appreciate right after a public spectacle like this.

You can probably guess what a direct response guy like me is going to say. But you’d be wrong today. ?

1. It’s helpful to build an audience

Word on the street is that 30-second commercial spots during the game cost $5.5 million.

Why? Because there are literally millions of eyeballs glued to the screen to see them. And people are trained to actually watch these commercials. Where else does that happen?

The lesson for you, of course, is to start building your own audience — preferably an email list. Get intentional, even aggressive about it.

Your list (and the interest+trust you’ve earned from it) is your greatest asset as a business owner.

2. Focus on entertainment value (which makes #1 easier)

This is about both the game and the commercials.

All those millions of people watch because they want to be entertained. That’s really the only benefit they get from watching — especially for people who didn’t have parties this year.

People have been conditioned to pay attention to advertising messages during the Super Bowl because they’re designed to be entertaining.

How profitable they are is debatable (and in many cases impossible to determine).

But there’s no debate that entertaining marketing messages CAN be profitable. In fact, I’d argue that pretty much all entrepreneurs would benefit from adding some entertainment value to their marketing… and a majority are actively hurting themselves by neglecting to do so.

People have better things to do than be bored by your marketing in 2021

3. Leverage the “love-hate” in your target audience

The moment I realized the game was today was when my next door neighbor told me “I hope Brady loses tonight. I’m tired of that guy.“

A good percentage of Super Bowl viewers felt the same way.

That love-to-hate character is in itself entertaining. People will pay attention to your message if you talk to them about something or someone they’re ready to see eat some AstroTurf.

(I’d bet that 50% of the money Floyd Mayweather’s made in the past 5 years is from people who were hoping to see him get knocked out. His anti-fans have put millions of dollars in his pockets.)

Who’s the bad guy you can trash talk in your marketing to keep engaged — and spending money?

Think about it. Then do something with it.

Have a productive day.

P.S. It’s kinda weird I forgot about the game, considering Inbox X-Factor focuses on turning current events into email ideas. But I look more for the less obvious stories.

Anyone can tell you to write an email about the Super Bowl. 

But how many people are showing you how to write an email about the couple who got married underwater in India last week?

He Wanted to Break My Jaw (True Story)

by

If your ideal customer has a problem that needs to be fixed (whether he knows it or not), this may be helpful for you.

It’s the tale of two dentists.

You see, I’ve always had crooked teeth and a slight underbite.

(You can see the crookedness in this selfie I took with my queen, who is perfect in every way.)

When I was a child, our family dentist suggested that he could fix that… by breaking my jaw and resetting it “properly.”

It was a fool-proof solution, apparently.

But he couldn’t sell it.

Most mothers don’t jump at the chance to break their children’s bones.

So I went through my childhood and adolescence feeling self-conscious when I smiled or laughed. Took a long time get over it.

Fast forward to 2019. I’m perfectly happy with my flawed smile.

But every time I go in for a checkup, my new dentist finds a new cavity and has to use a bazooka to knock the tartar from between my teeth.

After a few appointments, she told me:

“Based on what I’ve been seeing, it’s going to be impossible to get ahead of this. No matter how faithfully you brush and floss, you will develop gum disease and your teeth will eventually fall out of your face.

“It’s not your fault. It’s just the way your teeth grew in.”

She sold me Invisaligns in a single conversation.

What’s the difference between the two dentists? And…

… How Does This Help You Sell More?

Here are a few thoughts.

Your solution should be “easy.”

The first dentist wanted to break a child’s jaw to fix a few imperfect teeth. The fix required too much work, too much discomfort.

Talking with “problem aware” prospects isn’t enough.

My parents could clearly see an issue, but they weren’t compelled to do anything about it.

People live with their unresolved problems all the time. That’s the default for many of us. If you want to sell, you have to figure out how to shake them up to make them dissatisfied enough to change.

Fear is a legit selling tool, but there must be evidence.

The second dentist would never have been able to sell me $4,000 Invisaligns to fix my smile. She couldn’t have sold them to me if they were FREE. Because I was fine with my smile.

But I was NOT about to let my teeth rot out.

Sometimes you gotta go negative in your messaging. (SORRY!)

I wouldn’t try to scare a prospect about something they don’t know about. Rather, help them appreciate the real severity of the problem they already see.

“Sell” the diagnosis before you sell the solution.

When your should-be buyer believes that you really understand what he is going through, he’s more likely to convince himself to see things your way.

In many cases, that’s where you want to start.

(Almost) Unlimited Ideas for Story-Based Emails

by

I shared this video training in the Email Copywriting Corner, but it makes sense to put it here, too…

Especially if making more money with email marketing is one of your new year’s resolutions.

You may be particularly interested in the 7 types of stories you should be sending to your email list:

Genesis stories: people want to know the story behind why you started something
Idealist stories: illustrate your personal & business values/philosophies with a story
Iron Fist stories: Tales of battle, struggle and victory (or lessons from losses) — either of yours or your customers’
Catalyst stories: Moments, decisions, interventions that caused critical change
Journalist stories: commentary on trending topics or news or little-known truth behind well-known stories
Adventurous stories: Crazy, funny stuff going on in your life
Status stories: Elevate your authority with big name clients, famous friends, recognition, accomplishments.

You’ll have to forgive me. I was really trying to be clever with this bootleg rhyming thing.

Until recently, this training was only available to Inbox X-Factor members. I’m giving you access now to help you kick 2021’s b.u.t.t.

Enjoy!

Happy Little Addicts

by

What was your initial reaction to the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma — or even just discussions about it?

(I’m assuming you’ve had at least one discussion about it. Seems like everyone was talking about it a few weeks ago.)

Here’s a review I saw that captures a snippet of the conversations I had after the film was released:

“This exposes truths about big data, manipulation, & warnings from the people who designed Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Everyone should definitely watch this to understand how these social media platforms are using us and how Humanity will be destroyed by Technology in the near future.”

A lot of people are “mad” at the social media companies, which Netflix should be counted amongst.

As a marketer, what was YOUR reaction?

The proper response should have been inspiration.

Because the film is practically a field guide illustrating how to build an army of happy little addicts…  

And we marketers should be taking notes.

Do you want your own army of happy addicts?

You can start taking notes right here, right now.

(BTW, I’m curious to know what your reaction to THAT statement was. Leave a comment and let me know.)

I’ll just briefly hit on a few points that are especially important.

What’s Wrong with an Echo Chamber?

One of the big criticisms leveled by the producers of The Social Dilemma is that Facebook and others feed you more and more stories to reinforce a particular opinion… one that you hold already.

News flash: humans already do this automatically. It’s called confirmation bias.

People enjoy the feeling of being right, smart, and on the right side. The crave it.

You should harness that reality.

When planning out your messaging, you must use your ideal customer’s view of reality as the starting point.   

Don’t fight your prospect’s brain.

Stake Your Claim

To a certain extent, you have to own real estate in your prospect’s mind.

How do you do that? Through regular, consistent, engaging communication.

Our brains are biased towards information we’ve heard recently and repeatedly.

You’ve heard that a lie told often enough is believed. But it’s not about the lie. It’s about the repetition.

A few things you can do to claim more real estate between your prospect’s ears:

  • Frequent communication via email, YouTube, social channels. You don’t have to use them all, but the more you use, the more you can dominate your prospect’s time and the more opportunities you’ll have to reinforce your ideas.
  • If possible, be present in the physical environment. Get a book, a t-shirt, a printed checklist, something physical into homes or offices. When you can do that, you’re in a rare group — and as a result, people convince themselves you’re more important.   

    Studies also show there’s a stronger and longer-lasting neurological response to physical marketing (e.g. direct mail) over digital version of the same ads.
  • Impact ONE THING that’s part of your prospect’s daily routine. Now you own part of his day.

    A recent poll found that 80% of people check their phones before doing anything else in the morning. It’s a routine set by social media (and email).

    What part of the day can you own?

By the Power Vested in Me

A huge reason The Social Dilemma is so hard-hitting is that it’s filled with admissions from THE experts on this topic: the people who designed these addictive apps.

People are eager to defer to authorities and experts, sometimes without even realizing it.

I’ve talked about authority several times in the past, so I’ll just mention one important point.

Your personal story — how you came to experience and understand the idea you’re trying to share — is likely to carry more weight than scientific studies (which make fantastic supporting arguments).

Your story makes you an authority, whether or not you have credentials or position.

Now listen…

This topic can make some people squeamish. I get it. Most people don’t want to feel manipulative.

But let me remind you of what we said last week.

When you’re selling something that helps people, you make the world a better place by promoting it aggressively.

Arguably, your prospects are struggling because they haven’t bought from you yet.

You can to lead them to freedom.

I encourage you to embrace the task.