Strategy & Fundamentals — page 3 of 7
How to choose a topic that makes moneyIt’s official.Everyone is telling you that you must create content—either as a company or as an individual in the company. Here’s the fundamental problem where a lot of companies and creators get stuc
10 Ways to Write Hooks (with examples)Your ads, posts, emails, videos, presentations, and pitch decks can all be massively improved by spending more time and effort nailing the opener. This newsletter contains an overview of the fundament
Start with getting slapped by a baguetteMy girlfriend's mom and brother are terrible storytellers. Her mom starts halfway through the story and leaves out all the context necessary to remotely know what she's talking about.Her brother start
Why you buy sh*t you don’t needI hope your inbox and credit card survived the onslaught of BFCM madness.On our end, our UNIGNORABLE Cyber Funday sold out in 3 minutes! 🤯Given this, I thought it would be fitting to share a piece I w
Use Tipping Points to convert moreToday, we build off the growth framework we discussed last Tuesday.If you forget what that was, then I am deeply offended. Are our emails not the only thing that you think about???Jk jk jk let's dive
Identify growth opportunities with the Adjacent User TheoryToday, we dive into the minds of people who are not our core user base. And the fatal mistake that marketers and product teams make.Let's dive in 🐸– Neal
It’s not “what” but “where”Greetings humans.Today we dive into not the contents of the message, but where the message is.Let's goooo 📈– Neal
The best "political" ad I've seenYep, lots of politics talk in the air. Too much, in fact.Today, I'm not talking politics. Instead, I'm tearing down one of the best examples of a "political" ad I've seen. It does a lot of things real
It’s about the work on your deskHappy Halloween!Today, I cover something quite scary. It's something marketers don't want to hear. It's something founders don't want to admit.Let's dive into some sage advice from Charlie Munger.– Ne
The art of competitor bashingIf you are a massive incumbent, this isn’t for you.This is for the new guys. The startups. The challenger brands.Oh wait, that’s who this newsletter is for.Welcome, and let’s dive in.
Use conflict to make people careLove is Blind season 7 is in full swing, and today's newsletter touches on why so many millions of people care about people they've never met.Let's dive in ⚔️– Neal
The Irresistible Offer FormulaThis nice tactical one gives you a fill-in-the-blank template at the end.It's a framework for pitching your product/services that first gets someone to care about the problem you solve.Let's dive in 🦿
It’s not all about the CPM and CPCIt appears to be COVID season. Everyone seems to have it (including me).I hope you've so far dodged it!Today, we'll dispel a common misconception.– Neal
Extra-dimensional advertisementsSometimes, to stand out, you must break out of the two-dimensional box that advertisements typically inhabit.Let's dive into some exceptionally creative extra-dimensional advertisements – Neal
Break the Fourth WallToday, we cover a timeless tactic to build trust (and stand out).One that dates back to theatre performances in Ancient Greece and Rome.Let's dive into how we can leverage it.– Neal
A cautionary advertising tale (with lessons)Today, I cover a failed marketing campaign.There will be takeaway lessons and an example of how they could have executed it much better. Also, greetings from LA!Let's dive in 🦣– Neal
Don’t appeal to reason. Appeal to interest.Today is a timeless lesson from the late Charlie Munger. It works in life, business, and marketing.Let's dive in 🕵️– Neal
The Bullseye Exercise FrameworkToday, I'm covering a framework that one of my closest friends swears by.He’s worked with some of the top health creators in the world, like doctors Andrew Huberman, Peter Attia, and Rhonda Patrick.So
Remind customers how your product is helping themNo one thinks about your product as much as you want them to.Everyone is busy living their life.This tactic helps them value your product more.It’s simple: continuously remind them how you’re helping
Reframe your flaws as benefitsIn #203, I talked about being honest about your flaws.I want to continue that idea—but with a twist. This is all about cleverly reframing your flaws as benefits.Let's dive in 👩🎤– Neal
Generate hundreds of copy ideasMost people create copy the wrong way.Whether for ads, subject lines, headers, or a social post hook.Let's dive into a framework for generating hundreds of ideas. – Neal
Twisted visual. Straight line.“Interesting words need boring graphics.” – Bob GillLet’s explore this quote and its inverse.It's a simple framework for creating powerful ads. – Neal
Be candid with your flaws.Pretend you're perfect in all ways, and nobody will trust you.Let's dive into being perfectly candid about your flaws.– Neal
Harry’s three fundamental rules for good copyToday, we talk about why this classic ad was so effective.This ad increased Rolls Royce's sales by 50 to 100% with a $50,000 advertising budget—just 2% of Cadillac's.Let's dive in 🚙– Neal
Tap into relatable truthsA marketer's worst enemy is apathy.Today, we'll learn how to make our copy more powerful and memorable. Yeehaw.– Neal
Taking advantage of a familiar interfaceWow. 200 newsletters.It's a huge honor to have reached your inbox upwards of 200 times.Thanks to each and every one of you for your support over the years :)And today, we dive into the power of the fa
What are you really selling?It's a smoky day up here in Victoria.Amongst the smoke, I'm sharing a simple 2-step exercise to uncover unexpected ways to pitch your product—with some classic examples of it in action.I got the idea
The seductive power of ugly adsWould you notice this ad, take a closer look, and maybe even share it?Of course you would.Let's dive into why, and some more examples of ugly ads.– Neal
Play the long game with soft-sell adsY’all know the old adage:If you want to go fast, go alone.If you want to go far, go together.—African ProverbWell, here’s a new one for you:If you wanna grow fast, sell hard.If you wanna grow far (st
Three of Oatly’s insane campaignsToday, we build off an example from last week—a $786.9M per year brand."Alternative milk products" is a horribly boring category. Yet despite this, Oatly has managed to become one of the most talked-a