Writing

5 Time-Warping Tips to Write Faster & Tune Up Your Actual Intelligence

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The biggest benefit I hear people talking about regarding artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT is speed.

You can get more done in your workday. Or you can just work less if you finish projects faster.

Pretty big benefit. But AI isn’t the only way to achieve it.

Today I want to share some thoughts on how to write faster using your built-in tech: your actual intelligence.

These tips can make a big difference in your life:

1) Shut off the filter.

Quick tangent. Generative AI tools work don’t really understand your topic. They’re highly trained at predicting what word you’re about to say next, based on all the sentences it’s seen before.

So if you’ve ever played that game where you make a post on social media using only autocomplete and suggestions… it’s basically an updated version of that.

Seriously. Same technology.

Here’s the key: it predicts words without judgement (or even knowledge)… without worrying if a reader will disagree or think it’s silly… none of the emotions that get in the way.

Which are some of the biggest obstacles to speed in our writing. It’s also what inbues our output with magical potential.

AI also doesn’t tend to use vocabulary flourishes like using “imbue” in a sentence. (It’s never the most-probable next word for the autocomplete.)

Anyway… when you turn down the volume on your emotional filter, you automatically write faster.

So that’s something you can work on. Criticize yourself less. Trust yourself to create something great. And don’t worry about getting it perfect in the first draft.

Pretend you’re a bot for 20 minutes. Let the words flow and see what happens.

2) Delete the Speed Limit.

One of the things that may be slowing you down is the belief that it’s going to take a long time, or the belief that you’re a slow writer.

If you believe that, you will experience that.

I’ve been saying “I’m not a fast writer” for YEARS. But when I stopped saying that about myself, I was shocked by how much more productive I became.

I have to give credit to Kevin Bullard for helping me get unstuck on this point.

(There’s a lot more to the advice Kevin gave me, but we won’t get into that here.)

3) Remember Law #4.

In Robert Greene’s classic book The 48 Laws of Power, the 4th axiom is 

“Always say less than necessary.“

Greene wasn’t talking to writers, but there’s a kernel of truth hidden in this law specifically for us writers.

Deciding what to exclude is one of the most important parts of a writer’s job.

The point I want to make here is this: decide in advance that you don’t have to cover every aspect of the topic you’re writing about.

(Make the decision in advance to avoid questioning yourself mid-writing.)

Depending on the project, you can often make a snap judgement: “There are probably 20 aspects to this topic, but I’m just going to highlight X of them in this piece.” X= the number of angles you instantly know you can cover with confidence.

You can always change the number as you write.

You come to a point where you know you want/need to add more details. Or you feel like you’re going down a meerkat hole that you can skip entirely.

You’re the creative. Make the choice that makes the most sense.

Speed isn’t everything (which is why human copywriters can’t be totally replaced by AI in most instances). But it’s definitely a bonus if you can get it.

4) Talk It Out

I usually give this advice to people who tell me they don’t like to write or don’t think they’re good writers. But it can work well for anyone.

It can be a good way to shut off the filter that automatically switches on when we sit down to write.

If you’ve ever known exactly what you wanted to say… then spent hours figuring out how to get the words onto your computer screen, you’ve felt the filter at work.

Do yourself a favor. Talk it out. Google Docs or Microsoft Word have built in voice typing functionality.

screenshot of Google Doc with Tool >> Voice Typing visible

Here’s a weird trick if you’re still stuck.

Call up a friend and explain your idea to him. That can trick your mind into thinking you’re having a regular ol’ conversation. The filter will relax.

Edit the text and you’re good to go.

5) Never Start from Scratch

Templates, writing prompts and swipe-worthy examples are speed-boosting tools just like AI.

Good ones can put rocket fuel in your tank.

Whether you’re just getting started as a copywriter or you’ve been cruising along for years — or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to write better copy faster…

This could change everything for you.

You’ll write faster and more confidently… and more persuasively.

That means more money in your account in less time. And that’s the name of the game.

Have a productive day!

Is Working for Free the Best Way to Start Your Business?

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working for free stairs to nowhere

The idea of doing projects “on spec” (without pay) came up in one of the few Facebook groups I participate in.

To be more specific, a woman launching a new service business was offering to work for free in order to get testimonials and build her portfolio.

Is this a good way to start your business? Or is spec work a flight of stairs leading nowhere?

In business (almost) nothing is true across the board. What works for one entrepreneur may flop badly for another. In this Facebook conversation, I felt qualified to chime in and express my opinion, based on my extensive, often painful experience in a field closely related to the one being offered for free. Here is a slighly modified version of my comments:

I’m going to do something relatively harsh here…by recommending you seriously limit this offer (to work for free).

Having testimonials is great, but absolutely not necessary to launch your business. In a way, you’re postponing the launch of your business by clinging to the idea that you need “proof” of the value of your services.

Your time is extremely valuable. Especially since you have a family who likes having you around and “present.”

In all likelihood, doing content marketing for yourself will advance your business more than doing free work for other people, no matter how good their testimonials will be.

The thing is, there’s a huge need for the service you provide — but most of the people/businesses who need your skills do not fully appreciate that need. They don’t feel pain, so it’s hard to pry money from their hands, especially at a rate you deserve.

You would do well to seek people who already feel that need, that have a bleeding neck problem, to use the words of John Paul Mendocha.

See if you can get testimonials from colleagues and friends who already know you and are familiar with the quality of your work. Build up your portfolio working on your own website and marketing materials.

It’s also well worth your time to connect with people who might already be in touch with your target audience. Maybe you can work out a referral arrangement or a way to bundle your services together. Or subcontract work from other established people in the space you want to occupy (or an adjacent one).

Think graphic designers, etc.

And remember, don’t sell your services, as such. Instead, define the transformation you produce for your clients. How will their lives and businesses be different, better than before they hired you — or anyone else for that matter.

Define what you’ll do for them — and what you won’t. Specialize, if you can.

BTW, I’m not always right. This just advice based on my experience.

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What about you? How do you feel about spec work?

A Chat with Conversation Coach Amber Wright [Video]

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I wanted to share a fun Google Hangouts interview I did with the Conversation Coach, Amber Wright.

We talked about:

  • my favorite pattern interrupt for unexpected face-to-face encounters
  • writing tips for entrepreneurs who aren’t able or ready to hire copywriter yet
  • how to get unfrozen when you’re trying something new (specifically writing)
  • how (and why) I learned to craft (i.e. fake) extroversion
  • the only 2 steps you can take to become a better writer
  • why feedback is critical for effective communication in any medium
  • the importance of confidence — and how to start building some
  • how being a copywriter has impacted the way I communicate with my wonderful wife
  • and plenty more!

Here’s the 47-minute conversation:

You’ll also get a chance to see my comical side. I think I’m pretty darn funny.

I didn’t realize how badly I need a decent camera for interviews like this, but hopefully you’ll get some value from the chat.

And when you get a chance, check out all the great content and resources Amber shares on her website.

6 Painful Reasons You Can’t Rely on Headline Analyzers

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headline analyzer

A colleague of mine shared this tool in one of the Facebook group I’m a member of:

http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer#

I don’t spend much time at all on Facebook, but I happened to see this post, and I couldn’t pass by without adding my two cents. Here’s a slightly modified version of my response:

This IS a cool tool, Jamal.

I’d just note that there are several important factors that this analyzer doesn’t take into consideration:

1) Whether a headline is strong or not is determined as much by WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS as by the words you choose. Vegans won’t click on articles about making your steak tender and delicious, no matter how interesting the title looks.

2) Are your claims believable, or do they scream “Hype!”? It’s impossible for a machine to figure that out…

3) The formula used by the tool doesn’t know whether or not the headline is nonsense. As long as you put the right words in there, you’ll score high.

E.g. “how to startling orangutan spine surprises surprisingly” scores an 80 — but it doesn’t make any sense.

I entered the title of this post “6 Painful Reasons You Can’t Rely on Headline Analyzers,” which scored 66. When I switched “Analyzers” to “Awesome,” the score went up to 72 — even though the change destroys the headline.

(Both versions get an A+ for “structure, grammar and readability.”)

4) Some of the “right” words (“emotional” and “power” words listed in the free download Coschedule gives you when you opt in) are less powerful than you might think. “Awesome” is so overused that it will fall flat in many cases.

Again, you can’t know the right words unless you know who you’re talking to.

For example, financial copywriters know that “the Fed,” “Yellen” and “rate hike” have emotional punch that may not really work in any other industry.

5) As far as I can tell, this tool and the accompanying article focus on getting cold traffic to click on a blog post. It doesn’t — nor could it — calculate familiarity, relationship, name/brand recognition, etc.

The degree to which your readers know/trust you, enjoy your style and know you deliver value has a huge impact on your readership.

For example, if two articles have the exact same headline, who wins: Joe Schmoe or Seth Godin? More to the point, who wins a showdown between Seth Godin and Rachel Ray?  Of course, that’s a trick question. It depends on the audience and topic.

Many of you have heard that one of the most opened and responded to emails sent during President Obama’s reelection campaign had “Hey” as the subject line.

“Hey” gets a zero on the headline analyzer, and as a blog title seen by cold traffic, maybe it should. But to people who know the Prez (or whoever), it sounds personal and really makes you curious to know what he has to say.

Email is a different animal, so keep that in mind.

6) If it sounds like you’re trying to sell something, you’ll have a different response than if it seems like you’re just sharing content.

If you’ve ever tried selling anything online, you know what I mean.

Having said all of that, I think the tool could be very helpful in helping your strengthen you headlines.

—–

Now, this critique is a bit of a nasty sandwich. One slice of positive at the beginning and end with a pile of negatives stuffed in between. I DO think tools like these can be helpful in making writers think creatively about how they’re crafting headlines and openers.

Just keep in mind that a you can communicate with your audience better than a machine ever could.

 

 

Need Your Content to Sizzle and Sell? Here Are Some Tips

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Write Content that Sells

Just in case you missed it…

A couple weeks ago, Jeff Zelaya and I did a Google Hangout on Air to talk about “How to Write Content that Sizzles and Sells.” There’s a ton of mediocre content out there, both online and in print. We talked about getting ideas, honing your craft and writing stuff that doesn’t suck.

Because you’ll never bore anyone into buying, subscribing, or even reading your next paragraph.

Check out the replay:

Jeff also wrote a terrific recap of the Hangout at 13 Tips to Make Your Content Sizzle and Sell on Triblio’s blog, distilling the interview down into 13 actionable (and tweetable!) steps. Smart writing on his part, without a doubt.

How to Write Sizzling Content

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Sizzling Content and Copy

“If the woman howling from the backseat of Agent Carson’s black SUV weren’t already dead, I would’ve strangled her. Gladly.”

So begins Darynda Jones’ latest book. But the book is captivating even before the opening line. The title instantly sends your mind on a journey of curiosity.

Seventh Grave and No Body.

To be fair, I haven’t read anything other than the first page of the book. The book cover caught by attention yesterday at Barnes & Noble. My imagination isn’t ready to stop thinking about where the story might go.

That’s what sizzling content does. It grabs your attention and puts it in a headlock. It activates the movie screen in your brain and reaches down to pull on the ol’ heartstrings, at least a little bit.

This is not the kind of writing we were taught in school. The style we mastered between K and 12 is almost the polar opposite, when you think about it: matter-of-fact, even clinical in it’s lack of emotion. Without personality. Yet, a large percentage of business owners and marketers carry this dry, academic style over into their attempts at sales and marketing.

Then they wonder why no one opens their emails.

Now, I know YOU don’t have that problem. But there’s a good chance that you feel like your writing could be stronger. You’d like for your content to be more persuasive. You want your marketing to pack more punch in whatever media you’re using.

If so, I hope you’ll join Jeff Zelaya from Triblio and me for “How to Write Content that Sizzles and Sells,” a Google Hangout On Air tomorrow (Monday, November 17) at 1 Eastern. We will discuss turning your articles, blog posts, video scripts, etc., into “page-turners” your  potential clients will have a hard time ignoring.

You can even ask content marketing, writing or persuasion questions and we’ll try to answer them.

Hope to see you there!

***UPDATE: You can watch the full replay here.

P.S.  I want to quickly emphasize a takeaway we learn from the book I mentioned in the beginning of this post.

The title Seventh Grave and No Body, is pretty interesting all by itself. Even more than the words themselves, this title is engrossing because of the mental associations the reader carries while he reads. The title doesn’t mention anything about crime scenes, tricky murder investigations or elusive serial killers. You read that into the words on the page. The pictures created in your mind have more to do with your own personal experience than anything else.

The meaning of a word is greater than its definition.

Leveraging the power of mental associations is an advanced writing technique we’ll be covering during the Hangout. You’re not going to want to miss this.

Why I Only Teach One Kind of Telepathy

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Did you see the marketing prank Sony did to promote the movie ‘Carrie’ last fall? It’s very clever and quite amusing when you know what’s going on. If you’ve never seen it, you should watch it. The video is less than 2.5 minutes. Even if you have seen it, you’ll probably enjoy watching it again.

[ The prank is about telekinesis, not telepathy, but I’ll come back to that because I teach one form of that, too. ]

Telepathy is transmitting a message from your brain directly to another person’s brain. And far from being confined to the fantasy world of sci-fi and horror movies, it is real. It is the force that moves nations as well as individual citizens like you and me.

“It’s amusing when you stop to think about it – for years people have argued about whether or not such a thing exists…and all the time it’s been right there, lying out in the open… All the arts depend upon telepathy to some degree, but I believe that writing offers the purest distillation.” ~ Stephen King

Plato’s Republic. The Communist Manifesto. The Bible. The course of history has been shaped by the words written in these books.

Advertising words have also influenced culture, changed perceptions and built empires:

“This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” (Who can forget that one?)
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”  (At the time of his death Forrest Mars and two of his sons were the 29th, 30th and 31st riches Americans)
“A diamond is forever.”  (In 1939 only 10% of engagement rings had diamonds. By 1990, 80% did, largely because of the marketing efforts of the De Beers diamond cartel)

You Are Telepathic, Too…

…but you have to be intentional about it. Rule number one of selling is that nothing sells itself, no matter how good it is.

The people who should be your customers

  • don’t know you exist
  • don’t know there’s a solution for their problems at all
  • are already buying from the competition or
  • aren’t ready to buy yet.

The survival and success of your business depends on you proactively fixing each of those issues.

You need to get your sales message your should-be customers’ minds. That’s telepathy.

Then, you need to get those people to take action based on the message you delivered. That’s telekinesis.

The telepathy part
Create an appealing message. Consider what will appeal to those should-be customers; that’s more important than what you think is cool about your product. The approach most likely to get the right kind of attention is to address, in an interesting way, a topic that has a big impact on them.

Very few things get our attention like problems we’re facing right now.

(Check out the P.S. below for a partial list of ways to deliver your messages)

In that first instant, you must identify who you’re talking to (your should-be customers) and why they should continue paying attention. You can plainly state what kind of benefit they’ll get or you can tease them along with mystery. Both work well in certain situations.

Keep them interested by continually letting the reader/viewer/listener what’s in it for him. In the case above, the reader will have a happier wife, more productive communication, less time sleeping on the couch, etc.

The telekinesis part:
Let should-be customer know how to take advantage of your offer. Make the decision as easy as possible for him; remove as many obstacles (real or imagined) as possible. Help him see what he’ll be missing if he doesn’t take action.

Of course, not everyone will receive the message you’re sending out, and not everyone will move the way you hope. That’s just how these things work. But you have to realize that people everyone has needs and desires, and there’s a segment of the population for whom your product or service is the perfect solution. You would do them (and yourself) a disservice by not trying to get your thoughts into their minds and help them make choices that are in their best interest.

I’ll be sharing the best insights I’ve got on this topic during tonight’s Irresistible Offers teleseminar. If you’d like to improve your telepathic and telekinetic abilities, head over to https://donnie-bryant.com/irresistible-offers/ to get registered. (I refuse to under-deliver, and my money-back guarantee confirms the fact).

P.S. Here’s a partial list of telekinesis delivery methods, in no particular order:

Writing blog posts or articles, on your site or other sites your target customers is likely to follow
Write for magazines, newsletters or trade journals
(Self) Publish and promote a book
Build and communciate with an email list. Or “borrow” someone else’s list
Real mail
Interview or be interviewed in traditional media (radio, TV, newspaper), Google Hangout, podcast, etc.
Youtube or Vimeo. Not (necessarily) being cool or funny, but educating, offering value and being helpful
Banner ads online
Space ads in newspapers or magazines
Pay-per click
Radio or TV commercials
Make phone calls
SMS mobile marketing
Social media

If you need help figuring out which of these channels will work for you, or if you’re not sure how to best use them to communicate your message, feel free to get in touch.

 

Bloggers Should Be Anarchists

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I’ve been an anarchist (to varying degrees) since my failed attempt to become student body president in 8th grade.

True story: after my nomination was rejected, a small group of my friends agreed to help me take over the school. Overthrow the faculty and everything. Maybe we’d watched too much professional wrestling, because the NWO “hostile takeover” of WCW was fresh in our minds, but for some crazy reason, we thought we could pull it off.

Our coup d’état was stopped by forces beyond our control. President Clinton declared the entire city a disaster area after downtown was flooded by the swollen Red River, just a matter of days before we enacted the plan.

I can neither confirm nor deny that I was placed on an FBI watch list for my activities in 1997.

In reality, I was more of a rebel than a true anarchist, in those days. Yes, there’s a difference. A rebel or revolutionary fights against the “powers that be” with hopes of replacing them with powers he likes better.

An anarchist wants to remove those powers and replace them with…freedom.

Embracing Anarchy as a Blogger

The word anarchy literally means “without ruler.” I like this definition of anarchy from Vernard Eller:

“’Anarchy’ … is simply the state of being unimpressed with, disinterested in, skeptical of, nonchalant toward, and uninfluenced by the highfalutin claims of any and all arkys (powers).”

For bloggers (or would-be bloggers), this should be a liberating concept.

There are no kings before whom you must bow in the blogosphere. Even if there were, you’re not obligated to bow in their presence or follow their rules.

That’s one of the things we love about the internet – blogging in particular: Freedom! 

But so often, we find ourselves tied up…restricted by some imaginary rule. Or squeezed into a mold that someone else designed.

The truth is, we’re doing it to ourselves. Knowing the truth shall make you free.

This call to anarchy is a call to freedom.

What does that mean for you, specifically?

Even though there are no kings here, the blogosphere is full of “arkys” (to use Eller’s word) trying to govern our thinking and shape our behavior.

If you did a search for “rules of blogging,” Google will give you over 55 million results. Bing gives twice as many. There have been tens of millions of attempts to tell you how you should blog.

How do we deal with that?

Well, as your brother in anarchy, I won’t try to tell you what to do. But if you don’t mind, I’ll share some observations with you and maybe that will shed some light on the situation.

In short, becoming an anarchist is a declaration of independence – even from the advice I’m about to offer.

De-throne every form of fear

Fear may be the Number One provider of blog abortions. And if it doesn’t stop blogs from being born, it often keeps bloggers from making them all that they could be. It smashes brilliant ideas before they ever hit the page.

Fear only has as much power over you as you give it. So refuse to give it any.

That doesn’t mean that fear just goes away without a fight. Arkys never do. Your decision to ignore fear doesn’t mean it won’t scrape and claw to maintain its hold over you. Fear will strike. You’ll be nervous to express your ideas sometimes, if not every time. You’ll feel trepidation as you move the mouse to click Publish.

Blog anarchists recognize fear’s strength but refuse to allow it to paralyze them or determine their decisions.

Feel the fear and keep moving forward.

Although the battle is never truly over, freedom from fear enables you to…

Celebrate your creativity

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you.” – Arthur Polotnik

It’s important to know what you want to accomplish with your blog; what is your overarching theme? Who are you writing for? Will you position yourself as a friend, a teacher, a whistleblower?

The beauty of building your own blog is that you can say whatever you want, however you want (as long as you don’t break any laws outside the blogging universe):

Your subjects.

Your style.

Your format.

Don’t care for the rules of proper grammar? Throw ‘em out the window. (That usually makes you a better blogger/writer, anyway.)

Leaders, Not Rulers

Seth Godin writes on his blog every day.

Matt Loomis blogs somewhat randomly.

Lamar Tyler, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t blog at all.

Some of Ramit Sethi’s blog posts are over 3,000 words. The last Jeff Goins post I read was barely 300.

Who’s doing it right? Who has the right formula?

I don’t have to answer that for you.

They do what’s best for themselves and their audiences. They have the freedom to do that.

As outstanding as these writers are, they don’t define what good blogging is, no matter how many fanboys you come across proclaiming “Seth’s way is the best way.” (I haven’t heard any of these guys make that claim for themselves.)

You don’t have to fit into anybody’s box.

Great bloggers don’t impose authority on their readers; they inspire admiration. And, hopefully, action. Rather than push you into a specific way of doing things, they pull you forward into your own unique greatness.

Can I be honest about something? Sometimes the great ones are so good at what they do, lesser mortals like me can feel intimidated. Ever read a post that was so good that it made you want to quit?

Maybe that’s just me. I’ve felt as if I’d never reach the level of skill required to write that well and momentarily felt inadequate. It happens from time to time.

If you’re passionate about your craft and honest about your own skills, you may have similar experiences. Be encouraged; moments like these illustrate how much you care about growing and improving. Try to flip that intimidation back into inspiration and press on.

Throw Off the Chains

“Elephants can pull over 1,000 pounds with ease and yet a 10-pound chain will cripple them. Elephants have for centuries been contained by humans simply by placing a chain around their ankle… there is a conditioned response that if a chain is around their ankle, it cannot move…”  ~ Brett Faris

Did you know that you and I have this same conditioned response built into our brains?

Growing up, we’re taught to follow rules, no matter how arbitrary. To give the “right answers” instead of expressing ourselves.

It doesn’t end when we get out of school. Most of us carry this conditioning into every part of our lives.

(Funny thing: the great leaders we learn about in history class, the pioneers who fill the physics books, the geniuses who advanced math beyond counting fingers and toes – they were basically all rule-breakers. Paradigm-shatters.)

Bloggers need to throw off every chain the keeps us from being great. Or how will we make it into our children’s history books?

Today is the day. Declare your independence – from “rules”…from fear…from the need for external validation…from the need to emulate one of the big names in the blogging world.

Today and forevermore, let us live by our own rules. Let us be fully ourselves. Let us be anarchists.

P.S. What other blogging “rules” do we need to unchain ourselves from? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

[Post appeared originally on BuildYourOwnBlog.net)

Turning the Lights On

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Writing Turns the Lights on

Many people think of writing as putting together a series of nouns, verbs and punctuation marks. Some think of stating facts or even telling stories.

While these people aren’t wrong, their ideas about writing come far short of the truth. Writing is so much more. Consider the following quotes:

“The pen is mightier than the sword” – Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

“A mighty pen is mightier than the mightiest sword.” – Perry Marshall

“Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking.” – John Maynard Keynes

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling

“A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words…the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt.” – Mark Twain

One of my favorite novelists, Ted Dekker, put it like this: “A good writer is one who can take those rather blunt instruments called words and string them together in a way that turns lights on.“ Good writers can illuminate any subject with their own special light.

Words are mighty weapons (for good or evil); they’re powerful drugs (stimulants and depressants).

A skilled writer uses words to make magic.

Abracadabra!

The goal of a marketing copywriter is to use words to sell stuff.

The most powerful marketing actually changes the product or service being sold into something else in the minds of the prospect. J. Peterman turns a mere shirt into an exciting identity. Rolex turns a timepiece into an unmistakeable status symbol.

Copywriters call this “transubstantiation,” literally turning one substance into another. Transforming features into tangible lifestyle improvements and products into unforgettable experiences.

That’s what I’m here for. I hope to help you yield mightier pen.

Maybe we can even turn it into a magic wand.

Pride Goeth Before a Flop

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“I think that some of the direct mail I get is spoiled by the old-fashioned sin of pride…it’s all too easy for us to start to feel superior to the great multitude of readers out there. And sometimes, without really meaning to, we write down to them. I think that this shows through in the finished product and turns readers off. So when I’m working on my stuff, I try to keep in mind two things from the Good Book of Direct Response. One: Write unto others as you would have them write unto you. Two: Pride goeth before a flop.” – Martin Conroy