Marketing

3 Big Predictions for 2023

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Happy almost New Year!

Instead of being clever and coming up with 23 predictions for 2023, I’ll just give you 3 for the coming year.

I don’t know that any of these will be shocking, but I think you’ll find them useful. (And correct.)

Let’s get to it.

Prediction #1: The population general will shift even more toward fear about the economy.

Yes, we’ve already heard plenty of complaining about inflation (and I think we’re a ways off from seeing that fixed), possible recession, etc.

Still, 2022 holiday spending has been record-breaking.

If your neighborhood is anything like mine, people bought everything they could get their hands on for Christmas.

I predict people will adopt a more defensive attitude in 2023.  Spending will be tempered (not decimated), and in most industries, you’ll have to work harder to get people to open their wallets.

You’ll benefit from communicating safety, security and CERTAINTY in your marketing.  Help your clients and prospects feel a greater degree of control and they’ll reward you.

Prediction #2: AI will help creatives more than it hurts. Consumers won’t be so lucky.

Based on my last few emails, you already know I don’t see ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools as a threat to copywriters… designers… children’s book authors.

I just uploaded a video highlighting 10 copywriting skills AI doesn’t have (yet) that guarantee humans will still be running the show for the foreseeable future.

Besides, no one wants to do our jobs!

Entrepreneurs are already full-time busy with their jobs. The reason they don’t study copywriting or graphic design is the same reason most won’t invest the time to learning to leverage AI.

And even if they do bring AI into the mix, they still need skilled copywriters, designers, etc., to run the program!

That said, marketers will create far more content in 2023 than ever before. Much of it will likely come from AI.

More and more content… with less and less originality… which means more and more noise for everyone to sift through.

Several experts are even advocating for and teaching “authors” to use AI to ghost write their books!

In many ways, I believe 2023 is going to be a year of content quantity over quality as people prioritize speed.

It’s like giving a teenager the keys to a gassed-up Bugatti. Could be painful to watch.

Prediction #3: The value of real expertise will increase… but it’ll be harder than ever for most to get their expertise noticed.

True, original-thinking experts will seem increasingly rare and refreshing amidst an onslaught of mediocre AI content.

Your ideal clients will sing “Oh happy day” when they find you. They’ll likely be more tired than ever from wading through the sea of cyber-sameness.  

In 2023, you may need to crank out more copy/content than you’ve had to produce in the past — without decreasing its quality.

Showcase your expertise, your unique and relevant experience, your empathy and your HUMANNESS… even if you use AI like crazy.

(For the record, my plans for the new year include a TON more content. So I’m not just talking to hear my fingers hit the keys.)

AI will get better over time, and people (hopefully) will get better at using it.

Either way, 2023 is going to be interesting!

3 Steps to AI-Proof Your Copywriting Business

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I’m guessing you’ve had at least a couple conversations about AI over the past couple weeks.

I’ve had a couple dozen. And each time, an image pops in my mind of the steel-driving man John Henry staring down that ol’ steam drill.

According to the folk story John Henry worked himself to death trying to beat the machine in a high-stakes competition.

But the true story behind the legend ends differently. Henry dies from a lung condition caused by inhaling rock dust. In other words, it wasn’t a machine that killed him. It was the work itself.

I see a John Henry situation with artificial intelligence today.

Creatives are worried about the future. One of the most influential copywriters in the game predicted that AI will put 80% of copywriters out of work within 12 months.

Like that ol’ steam drill. Only John Henry could compete. Everyone else was obsolete.

Claiming 80% of copywriters will be out of a job by next New Year’s Eve is a bit drastic, if you ask me. But it’s impossible to deny that AI presents a challenge.

So, how do you AI-proof your business? 

Respect the Tech and Protect Your Neck

This advice is for copywriters, but I encourage any entrepreneur to pay attention, too.

1) Flip the fear. There’s a TON of things AI can’t do yet. And even more that it can’t do well. For example:

  • It’s not great at persuasion or authentic personality
  • It can’t really dig into breaking news and trending topics
  • The longer the output you’re looking for, the more problems will creep in.

Don’t let fear paralyze or discourage you. This is an opportunity. Respect the tech by using it to enhance your own productivity and creativity. Bring your special expertise to bear on the AI output and make real magic.

This is how you prevent the work from killing you like it did the real John Henry.

2) Get your weight up. There’s a lot AI can’t do, but it is more than capable of doing a TON of basic, low-level copy tasks.

In order to AI-proof your business, you can’t be mediocre. You can’t rely on basic, low-level copy tasks. Protect your neck by developing an expertise. I think it’ll be a while before AI can churn out effective (and accurate) copy for certain specialized niches like financial and alternative health. Especially long-form copy.

Continually get better at direct response techniques. Add something special a robot can’t do: humor… unique, bold perspective… original research.

3) Promote yourself more and better. This may be the most important advice, although it’s far from new.

Until AI starts making the hiring decisions, you’re still dealing with human prospects. They need to see you. They need to get a glimpse into your particular genius. They want to feel a connection with you.

It’s up to you to make that happen through confident self-promotion.

AI is getting all the good press these days. And your potential clients are thinking seriously about using it to make their lives easier. (So that can’t be your only argument now!) Their friends are telling them how cool it is. What do they need a copywriter for?

Well, for the reasons I mentioned above. If you have persuasion skills, the ability to communicate with authentic personality, and proven profit-pulling penmanship, you can do what AI can’t.

But you have to make sure people know that about you!

Whether you consider yourself an extrovert or not, you’re likely going to have to put yourself out there more.

I believe video will be especially important in the coming weeks. Because AI can’t recreate your personality, your charm, your empathy.

The only downside is that the more videos you make, the better Donnie deepfakes AI will be able to make!  

Respect the tech. Use it to your advantage.

Protect your neck. Show yourself superior in all the ways that matter.

The Lensa App & Your Fave 3 Letter Word

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Everybody’s doing it…

Hop onto social media and it won’t be 10 seconds before you see a smattering of AI-generated superhero versions of your friends and family.

It’s fascinating.

Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize education, healthcare, and dozens of other industries – and terminate 96% of humans (hypothetically)…

And the application that goes viral makes selfies.

There are a number of lessons here. Today I’ll just share one.

The Lensa app has exploded onto the scene because it’s 100% focused on your favorite topic: Y O U.

Fully. Unapologetically.

It gives users:

  • idealized images of themselves, perhaps a version of self they fantasize about being…
  • Unique content to share on social media…
  • a fun diversion aka entertainment
  • the opportunity to be one of the first to use a cool new tool…
  • the ability to feel smarter/superior you can now talk about AI from the position of a creator…
  • at the same time as being an early adopter, there’s still that warm sense of belonging, being part of the “in crowd”…
  • Feelings (positive or negative – both are rewarding) about teaching the AI about different faces and characteristics…

… all for $7.99.

These emotional experiences are extremely desirable to millions of people.

There’s a version of these experiences that applies to your product or service. Make sure you speak to them in your marketing.

Have a productive day.

Can This Neuroscience-Based Story Structure Produce Mind Control?

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A masked man burst through the door.
Alicia screamed at the top of her lungs and fell back onto her pillow.
Johnny looked up and realized it was time…

Okay, based on the details you just read, what do you think is going on here?

Did you picture a late-night home invasion?

Or maybe it sounded like Alicia and Johnny are at the hospital, just moments away from welcoming a new baby into the world.

Maybe you imagined something totally different.

But chances are that when you read those 3 sentences, your mind assumed they were part of a single narrative rather than random, unconnected sentences.

You automatically made up a story.

(Which is why “facts tell but stories sell” is only half true.)

Everyone’s brain takes sensory input, i.e. whatever you’re trying to say…

Then auto-fills any gaps until it has a story that makes sense to that individual (based on what he already knows, believes and has experienced).

All in a fraction of a second. Amazing, really.

To make sure your reader accurately understands what you’re trying to say (or at least give your message the best possible chance), you have to fill in the gaps yourself before auto-fill kicks in.

And to beat the auto-fill function, you can deliver components to the reader in the specific sequence the brain uses to process and make sense out of stories.

According to neuroscience-based testing funded by the U.S. government (DARPA to be specific), that sequence is actually highly predictable.

To keep this email from dragging on endlessly, I’ll simply list the core components in order of appearance in the ideal story structure:

1) Main characters: Who’s in on the action?

2) Key (initial) characteristics of the characters: What are these characters like? They help shape our feelings about each character.

3) Intentions: What do the characters want? This drives action. Not the same thing as…

4) Motives: Why do they want what they want? This adds flavor to the action and further shapes our feelings about the characters. A man bursting through the door to deliver a baby is vastly different than one who’s about to commit a violent crime.

5) Conflict: What’s preventing the characters from achieving their intentions?

6) Stakes: What happens if the character doesn’t overcome the conflict? If there’s no consequence, there’s no reason for the reader to care.

7) Struggle: What hoops does the character go through in his pursuit of victory?

8) Details: To tell a satisfying story, you need details to paint the scene and add realism.

I know that’s a lot… ironically without much detail.

If your intention is to create more compelling stories, I’ll let you struggle in your attempt to apply this structure.

Who am I to rob you of this all-important conflict?

Have a productive day.

P.S. If 8 components is too many, maybe you’ll like my 3-part story structure better.

P.P.S. This is unrelated, but you may be interested. Next week, I’m speaking at the virtual POP to Millions Summit, and I’d love for you to sign up now.

This summit was created to give you a never-before-seen look at how multiple 7, 8, and 9-figure business owners quickly scaled their revenue in 2022… while keeping substantial profits each step along the way.

My topic is “The 4-I Formula: How to Structure High-Converting Copy.” I’m also giving away an exclusive video training I’ve never given away free before. If you’re interested, you can snag a free ticket here.

Should You 100X Your Fees?

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Do you ever pause and think about how far you’ve come?

Yeah, me neither ?

Okay, I’m half-joking. Between my present work and future goals, I don’t spend a ton of time thinking about the past… unless something prompts me to do so.

I stumbled across something the other day that jolted me back to 2011, aka my scraping to survive days.

Check this out…

In case it’s not clear what you’re looking at, that’s a check stub from a client. For this particular project, I wrote 20 blogposts for $250.

DANG.

I remember accepting microscopic fees in my early days… but I forgot how many different ways I ripped myself off back then.

You’d have to write 8,000 blogposts at that rate to hit six-figures. And there are only 8,760 hours in a year.

Double DANG.

Thank God things have changed.

Today my fees are 100 times bigger (and it’s about time for them to go up again). Instead of scraping to survive, I turn down practically everyone who tries to throw money at me.

What made the difference?

Developing visibility and authority in the marketplace (which, if we’re honest, is only partially about results or ability)…

Working on the right projects for the right people…

And the confidence to ask for more (based on a proper understanding of how much value I bring to the particular project).

None of these are easy. But if I can do it, you can do it. Probably a lot faster than I did.

What would it be like finally charge what you deserve? To do the work you LOVE to do… with people you actually want to work with? To stop having to play by everyone else’s rules?

That can be your reality, and I encourage you to start today.

1. Work on building your visibility and authority. Publish authoritative content. Be seen associating with other respected authorities.

2. Get as specific as possible about who your perfect client is. Then determine what’s the most profitable result you can provide for that client.  

3. Try to find out how much impact you’ve had on those you’ve already helped. Find out the value of getting the job done right… and the cost (financial, emotional, lost time) of allowing the job to remain undone or to be done poorly. Then set your fees boldly, knowing the value you bring.

Today’s a good day to get started. Make it a productive one.

P.S. Whether you’re selling a product or service, this is possibly the quickest way to multiply your income.

TGIF

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“Thank God it’s Friday” is the victory cry of a weary worker.

After a harsh week, you may even catch an atheist saying it.

And we all get it, right? Friday symbolizes freedom… the chance to do what you want to do instead of what you have to do.

It’s escape. A sizable chunk of the population lives for that escape, even if it’s only temporary.

Are you selling Fridays in your business?

I mentioned in a recent email that entertainment, experiences and escape are priorities for pretty much everybody.

If you find something people want to get away from, you’ve found a potentially lucrative business opportunity.

The other side of that coin is this: you can position your product as an escape from whatever “grind” your customers are sick and tired of.

You can (and probably should) write copy that paints a picture of escape.

Not “follow this 37-step process to become a better [fill in the blank]…” (37 steps sounds like selling a Monday)

But “take two pills and you’ll never struggle with [fill in the blank] again.”

Now, these are extreme example, but I hope you get the point. Make the strongest, escapiest claims you can make without becoming dishonest.

Your customers are waiting on their Friday.

13 Ways to Be Entertaining In Copy

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In my previous article, I mentioned that entertainment, experiences and escape are a priority for pretty much everybody…

And I kinda proved it’s true… but I didn’t really show you how to do it.

I’m not going to show you today, either. I just pulled an all-nighter finishing up a 68-page sales letter…

So I’m barely typing these words right now.

Here’s what I will do, though.

Let’s discuss what it means to “entertain” your readers with your copy – because it’s almost certainly different than you think…

And probably simpler than you think.

“Entertainment” in copy doesn’t necessarily mean trying to be funny, although that’s one option.

Entertainment, as I define it, is generating a desirable emotional reaction in your reader at some point in the copy.

So it can be humor, but it can also be:

  • Excitement – Most people are painfully bored all the time. Give them a jolt!
  • Connection – Reveal something you likely have in common with your reader. Growing affinity is a great thing.
  • Inspiration – Who doesn’t like feeling inspired?
  • Validation – People love finding out they’re right and/or that the right people agree with them.
  • Discovery – Education can go too far, but you want to help your reader feel like he’s stumbled across something valuable (especially something others haven’t discovered yet) when he reads your copy.
  • Nostalgia – I think everyone over 18 years old has fond memories of the “good old days.” Bring those memories to mind and your reader will associate you with those good feelings.
  • Curiosity – Curiosity creates its own discovery and positive emotional payoff when discover happens. Plus, once it’s sparked, curiosity is one of the hardest feelings to ignore.
  • Desire – Gets your heart pumping. Desire feels good, even before it’s satisfied.
  • Anger – Admit it, sometimes you WANT to be angry. And it feels good to be angry together.
  • Relief – If you can take away anxiety, pain or frustration, your reader will love you.
  • Story – An engaging story is an experience people gladly join along.
  • Hope – Help your reader believe his (immediate) future looks bright.

And the idea is to generate these desirable emotions consistently in your messaging over time that the reader WANTS to read before he even knows what your message is about.

He just knows he enjoys the experience of hearing from you, even if during those times he doesn’t buy from you.

Like Pavlov’s dog… ready for his tasty snack.

The good thing is, he’ll increasingly believe (partially unconsciously) buying from you or working with you will be even more emotionally fulfilling.

So that’s a quick overview of how I define entertainment in copy. Want more details? Check out this livestream recording:

See? There are lots of ways you can work it into your copy.

Now, have a productive and entertaining day!

P.S.

Next month, I’ll be speaking at Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever’s Black Millionaire Coach Live event in Washington DC.

It’s going to be an incredible 3-day event.

During my presentation, I’ll reveal the secrets to writing copy that attracts and converts high-ticket buyers.

(Previous copywriting experiences not required)

I’m excited to see lives and businesses TRANSFORMED and to be in the room with expert entrepreneurs on the verge of realizing their dreams.

Plus, I haven’t been on a physical stage since just before the pandemic. It’s good to be back!

If you’re a coach, consultant or service provider in the knowledge economy… and you’d like to add another zero to the end of your revenue number…

I encourage you to be there October 14-16.

It will be one of the best investments you ever make.

Anti-Inflation Inspiration from Disneyworld

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Is inflation hurting your business, Donnie…

… or is it making your business better?

Here’s a few ideas that can move you in a positive direction:

1) Entertainment, Experiences and Escape are still a priority for virtually every segment… regardless of financial difficulties.

In case you hadn’t heard, Disney just had its best quarter ever. Its theme parks are making more money even though there are fewer visitors than there were pre-pandemic.

Revenue from legal gambling (which I guess is a form of entertainment and escapism) in American casinos and other legal gambling outlets “smashed all-time records.”

CEO of sports betting platform DraftKings said he sees zero impact from inflation. Revenue is up 68% year-over-year.

If you can offer the 3 Es as part of your product or service, great.

But if nothing else, add entertainment value to your marketing and make it an experience!

2) Your clients need you MORE now, not less.

You can help them make more money… save their relationship (which is strained by financial concerns)… get healthier (which is hard when you’re stress-eating)…

And you can come up with a way to give them the entertainment, experiences and escape they’re desperately looking for.

In good times, your ideal clients didn’t need help as badly. But now, even though they may be anxious about the economy, they really need to get results.

Position your business as THE solution your should-be client needs (including entertainment, experience and/or escape) – and promote your offers confidently and consistently.

People ARE spending money. They’re just being choosy about where and with whom.

3) Raise your prices – or at least add a premium version of your offer.

Once you implement Idea 2 above, it’s clear you have something people gotta have… and they’ll be willing to pay

Disney theme parks KEEP raising prices. It’s a major reason why they’re bringing in so much cash even with fewer guests. (Maybe fewer guests is a good thing.)

Keep in mind, it’s not just marketing. Disney delivers a memorable, share-worthy, braggable experience. You need to do the same.

Also, higher prices are attractive to clients who are less price-sensitive. Clients who make decisions primarily based on price (in your industry at least) are probably not the best clients for you.

Oh, and boosting your prices helps you fight off inflation, too.

Here’s to putting more dollars in your pocket!

P.S. You can’t control the economy. But you can control your response to it. It’s time to be proactive and aggressive. Let’s get it!

The 2nd Fastest Way to Make People Care

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My friend Golibe made a great video this week exploring the power of a compelling story.

He briefly highlighted a point I haven’t heard too many gurus talk about:

How “unfair injury” connects you to a story character.

Golibe’s video just touched on the concept briefly, and it inspired me to expand on the idea a little more.

Because it’s a subtle but hard-hitting persuasion tactic.

It’s a key reason we form emotional bonds with characters (even if we don’t realize it) in countless books, movies and even marketing material.

In The Story Solution, Eric Edson says:

“After courage, the second quickest way to bond an audience to your hero is to place that character in a situation where blatant injustice is inflicted upon her.”

This isn’t necessarily the same thing as the “rags to riches” story arc. There are levels to this.

Let me share an example.

I worked with a few years ago who was paralyzed from the waist down as a teenager.

We occasionally mentioned that fact in sales copy. It was the catalyst that drove him to learn the skill he turned into 3 multimillion-dollar business.

One day, the client had the idea to take the story to another level.

He talked about how a group of older teens beat him so badly that he’d never walk again. Then the medical bills crushed his family financially. And that series of events forced him to do something different…  

Fleshing out the unfair injury kept people glued to their screens and practically forced viewers to root for my client.

Sales on that webinar were off the charts. (I don’t remember the stats, but I get there were fewer returns, too.

You can use unfair injury to draw readers/viewers into your copy and keep them emotionally engaged.

Share painful stories — and especially of injustices — against your main character. The more vivid the better.

Maybe your boss gave the promotion you deserved to someone else. Better yet, she gave it to the new guy the one who always wears tight shirts — the guy YOU TRAINED.

There are a thousand variations.

As long as the story is believable, your reader/viewer’s heart will go out to your character, which advances the sale.

That’s your homework: Spend some time thinking about how you can use unfair injury in your own marketing.

It’s not the only trick you’ll use. But it’s a good one to have in your repertoire.

Have a productive day!

P.S. Presenting a perfect picture of yourself in your promotions is less persuasive than you probably think.

I know, it’s a little scary to tell your darker stories.

But it works. It can help you with sales now and retention/ascension over time.

Your ideal clients will feel even more connected to you. They’ll be even more excited to hear from you.

Isn’t that worth a little discomfort?

(Guess that’s up to you to decide.)

40 Days to Destruction: Urgency on a New Level

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Man in cloak looking at desert city from a distance

“Forty more days and Ninevah will be destroyed!”

After spending 3 days in the belly of a big fish, Jonah marched to the Assyrian capital to deliver a message.

And it worked. The entire city heard the message and repented. No fire or brimstone needed.

It’s fascinating illustration of how effective urgency can be.

I mean, “do X or die” gets right to the point, doesn’t it?

(Makes you wonder: Did Jim Rutz swipe the Jonah when coming up with his famous headline?)

copywriting tip clarity rutz

Of course, Jonah was coming out away from a very urgent situation himself. You know, the whole fish thing.

We talked about that the kind of urgency in the previous post.

I promised this post would explore a kind of urgency that goes deeper than deadlines and emergency situations and cuts to the emotional core of your ideal customer.

Let’s go back to Jonah.

His attitudes and actions are also fascinating illustrations of urgency’s other side.

As you remember, your boy did NOT want to go to Ninevah.

He was happy about its coming destruction. And he knew if he did his job as a prophet, the LORD might spare the city.

You know the story. Jonah hopped on a boat to get as far away from Ninevah as possible… but he couldn’t avoid delivering the warning forever. 

And his fear came to pass. The people repented and God was merciful.

Throughout this story, there’s an intense battle of urgency going on in Jonah’s mind.

On one hand, he was convinced if he did what he was put on earth to do… the outcome would be transformational.

He even complained to God after the fact: “I knew this was going to happen. That’s why I got on that boat in the first place!”

On the other hand, Jonah’s actions were driven by his (cultural and spiritual) identity and his attachment to it.

Why didn’t he want the people of Ninevah to “turn from their evil ways”?

As he saw it, God was on his side, not theirs. Mercy for them was a threat to his identity.

So when God spared the city, Jonah expressed it’d better for him to die than to accept a different perspective.

Like Jonah, we’re all attached to our identities.

We’ll go to extreme lengths to protect ourselves from threats and to take actions that line up with how we perceive ourselves (or a future version of ourselves we desperately want).

It’s an urgent need.

Here’s the lesson:

1. When you pursue your purpose so intently… when you become so convinced of the transformation that’s possible when you share your message, product or service…

The urgency of who you are and why you do what you do comes through in your communications in a way that’s impossible to fake.

Every interaction and all your communications resonate with it. Your Ninevah, the people you’re here to help, will feel that urgency and respond.

2. Get familiar with your ideal customer so that you have a solid understanding of how he sees himself and his place in the world.

That identity is a key driver of many of decisions, including the content he consumes, the products and services he buys, and how he connects with experts like you.

What’s the future version he urgently wants to grow into? What role can you play in helping him get there?

That’s a different, deeper way to leverage urgency in your sales copy and marketing.

P.S. If your business is related to the reason you were put on this planet, don’t run away from your “Ninevah.”

Believe in the transformation that you can help create and move boldly forward.