“Trying to do business without advertising is like winking at a pretty girl through a pair of green goggles. You may know what you are doing, but no one else does.” – Cyrus McCormick, Born Feb. 15, 1809. Here is the revolutionary change in the nature of advertising as we begin to really get into
How to “Advertise” in the “Future” (Because Advertising is Dead, Ain’t You Heard?) Read More »
“When a magician lets you notice something on your own, his lie becomes impenetrable.” – Raymond Teller, Born Feb, 14, 1948. A lot of people think persuasive writing is about what you say to people. Your words push their buttons and they act. But a lot of times, it’s what you DON’T come right out
Lie Like a Magician, and Make the Audience Work the Magic For You Read More »
“I’d rather have ten people who are mad for it than ten thousand who aren’t.” – Peter Hook, Born Feb. 13, 1956. Who wants a lukewarm audience? Who wants readers with only a tepid interest in your topic? Who wants fair weather followers who can take you or leave you? Not this here coonass. I
Don’t Cater to the Casuals – Feed the Fiends Instead Read More »
“To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” – Charles Darwin, Born Feb. 12, 1902. That’s true, Charlie. It’s not just as good or better. It’s way easier, too. To know what is wrong in the world of your prospect
What Most Copywriters Don’t Know: When to Shut Up, and What NOT to Say Read More »
“If you want to succeed in the world, you don’t have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier.” – Leo Szilard, Born Feb. 11, 1898. I’m not about to give you some “early bird gets the worm” BS. No rise and grind asshattery. No 10x crushing it.
The Super Ultimate Overnight “Baby Steps” Guru Transformation Technique (LOL) Read More »
“Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good.” – Bertolt Brecht, Born Feb. 10, 1898. If you want to be seen as a leader in your market, it’s not about always winning. It’s about never losing. Maybe the difference there isn’t obvious. In things like our work,
Why Mistakes Are More Valuable Than Gold (When You Wrangle Them Properly) Read More »
“All books are either dreams or swords, you can cut, or you can drug, with words.” – Amy Lowell, Born Feb. 9, 1874. If you’re just using words to describe shit or explain shit, you’re wasting them. Words can stab. Use yours hit the reader’s tenders organs. Make them bleed. Reopen old wounds. Carve new
Words that Wound, Words that Heal – We Alternate Them to Persuade People to Buy Read More »
“Order is never observed; it is disorder that attracts attention because it is awkward and intrusive.” – Eliphas Levi, Born Feb. 8, 1810. Imagine a turd in a hotdog bun. The easiest way to get attention is to defy expectation, and break the prevailing pattern. Why? The brain exists to keep us alive. To accomplish
Pattern Breaker: the One True Way to Steal Attention in a Saturated World Read More »
“At my lemonade stand I used to give the first glass away free and charge five dollars for the second glass. The refill contained the antidote.” – Emo Philips, Born Feb. 7, 1956. Selling is a two stage process, generally speaking. First you sell the customer on your interpretation of their problem. Like so, elaborating
Fatal Copy Flaw: Too Much Lemonade. Not Enough Poison. Read More »
“We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.” – Louis Nizer, Born Feb. 6, 1902. We don’t realize how much of what we do and say and think is a result of our brain acting on its own to protect our sensitive emotions. We are quick to reject anything that
Telling People Lies for Money (When They Won’t Listen to the Truth) Read More »
