"If you sell to everyone, you sell to no one." – Common saying remixed many ways.

Most startups get a bad case of shiny objective syndrome: trying to collect a bunch of wins, and sacrificing focus in the process. Examples:

Product: They want to have a “rich feature set.” Which turns into a feature dump.‍

Messaging: They want to make as many sales as possible. Which results in distilled messaging that connects with no one. 

The almost-inevitable result: The team spreads itself too thin, employees feel lost, and growth suffers.

Three ways to overcome shiny objective syndrome:

#1) Define your core persona. Make it niche—almost scarily so.

Lenny Rachitsky calls this the “super-specific who.” Examples he shares from companies’ early days:

• Substack: “successful veteran online newsletter writers”
• Cameo: “B-list athletes in Chicago”

#2) Define your north star metric and the levers that move it.

Examples:

• Monthly active newsletter subscribers
• Orders
• Number of transactions per week
• Percentage of paid subscribers

What levers affect active newsletter subscribers?

• New monthly subscriber rate
• Unsubscribe rate
• Email bounce and spam rate
• Open and click rates

So, if active newsletter subscribers is the North Star Metric, every one of your growth initiatives should be centered on those levers.

#3) Try fewer channels for more concentrated growth.

Don't invest in Twitter, TikTok, SEO, influencers, Facebook Ads, and cold emails all at once.

Look for the one or two channels that have the greatest chance of success, given your specific goals and constraints.

The seven criteria we recommend considering are: scale, targetability, effort, time to results, intent, context, and cost.

Nail one, scale it up, systemize it, and only then move on.

Imagine you own a mountainside rental property and want to attract more applicants. Which of these statements do you find more useful when writing the listing?

1. George is a single 32-year-old software engineer in Philadelphia. He has a bachelor’s degree, earns $120k/year, and lives in a one-bedroom apartment with his pet dog.
   
   
2. George is feeling cooped up working from his downtown apartment—with very little green space for his energetic border collie.

We’re guessing #2.  

Knowing that, you would emphasize that your property is dog-friendly, has a yard, and has many nearby nature trails and excellent Wi-Fi.

Then why do we all build customer personas that sound like #1? Focused on demographic details like age, education, and profession.

It’s not that this info is irrelevant—but you’ll attract more of your ideal customer when you focus your messaging around your customers’ frustrations and motivations. Not their demographic and firmographic details.

Otherwise you get this:

 When developing personas, prioritize answering these questions:

• What are prospects stressed about?
• Where are they looking for solutions?
• What solutions are they trying, and what are their shortcomings?
• How do prospects describe success?
• What are they nervous about?

These questions follow the jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework, a customer-centered approach where companies focus on meeting users’ real-life needs, aka jobs. Use it to pinpoint where and how your product provides the most value.

You likely have oodles of sales pages on your site, but do you have an “Objection Smasher?” 

This is a landing page that lists the top 5-10 reasons why people don’t buy your product or why they churn.

Seems like a potentially bad idea telling people how you don't live up to expectations, right?

So, what’s the point of creating an Objection Smasher? 

I bet whenever you buy something, you almost always consider multiple products or vendors. And so do your leads.

And since every company is trying to sell to them, they’re usually wary when companies claim that their "the best," or that they're for everyone. 

An Objection Smasher builds trust and credibility with potential buyers since it acknowledges upfront why others churn or choose another business over yours.

And you can even weigh in to explain why certain customers aren’t a good fit for your product, or what you’re doing to improve your product further.

Here are a few examples of Objection Smashers:

• Drift’s article, “4 Reasons Customers Quit Drift in 2017,” lists their top customer complaints and then explains how they’re tackling these issues.
• Monday.com chooses a slightly different angle by naming Salesforce as its best alternative.

The Objection Smasher addresses common objections and builds trust—so chances are the leads who see it yet still continue to move down your marketing funnel will actually convert.

In April, I'm joining the final cohort of the Part-Time YouTuber Academy from Ali Abdaal (a YouTuber with nearly 4M subscribers clearing about $5M/year in revenue—nuts).

In preparation for that, I've gone through Ali's "YouTube for Beginners" course. 

Here are 3 things I've learned about content creation: 

1. Be an archaeologist, not an architect

There are two ways to approach creating content:

1. Be an architect. Have everything perfectly planned before breaking ground. For example, scrutinize your topic, audience, offer, and format before ever posting.
2. Be an archaeologist. Just start digging holes. When you find treasure, put all your focus there. For example, start making things that interest you, and when you find something that resonates, double down.

Most successful creators got there by just getting started and fumbling around. It took Ali one year and 50 videos to hit 1,000 subscribers. It took MrBeast years. They figured it out along the way. 

As Ali says: "The first 50 videos are for you. The next 50 are for your audience." 

2. Don't create for algorithms. Create for people.

Sure, we write about tactics every week. But what really makes a product or piece of content outpace others is by being exceptional.

So to grow your YouTube channel (or Instagram, or Twitter, or blog):

1. Create an enticing thumbnail and title so people will watch/read it.
2. Make the content interesting and engaging throughout.
3. Leave people satisfied so they click on your next post.

It's simple in theory, but incredibly hard to actually do. It takes a ton of practice, and so...

3. The reps are more important than anything

When you're getting started with a new skill, the quantity and frequency of practice are more important than the quality of each session. Whether that's creating videos, crafting Twitter threads, writing newsletters, or building a product—it's better to do it often and consistently.

Focus on developing the habit first. Then double down on getting good. 

As Ali puts it: "Get going → Get good → Get smart."

–––

Now, if you want to join me in the April cohort of the Part-Time YouTuber Academy to learn how to build a channel to 100k subscribers, make sure to sign up this week. Enrollment closes this Friday—and it's the last cohort they're ever doing.‍

(In full disclosure, I got to join because I promised to write about what I learned!) 

– Neal

To continue the trend of 3's...

Duolingo is famous for perfecting the art of gamifying something that’s good for you.

As the Duo team was figuring out how to gamify language learning, they looked to a logical source for inspiration: games.

Including Gardenscapes, a Candy Crush-esque mobile game the team was hooked on.

One thing Gardenscapes had that Duo didn’t was a “moves counter,” which showed users the dwindling number of moves they had left to complete a level.

After months of work, Duo launched their own moves counter—then “expectantly waited for an unmitigated success,” according to Duo’s former Chief Product Officer Jorge Mazal. 

But what actually happened?

Pretty much nothing. Retention and DAUs stayed the same. User feedback was…well, there was hardly any.

As you know, every experiment is a chance to learn. So here’s what Mazal learned from it:

“Now when looking to adopt a feature, I ask myself:

1. Why is this feature working in that product?
2. Why might this feature succeed or fail in our context, i.e. will it translate well?
3. What adaptations are necessary to make this feature succeed in our context?”

Asking those three questions led the Duo team toward gamification gold, with features like a FarmVille 2–esque leaderboard and irresistible streak rewards.

When you find a feature you love in another product, ask those questions before trying to implement it in your own product. They’ll lead you to what Mazal calls “the right balance of adopting and adapting.”

In honor of the less hyped-up 3-leaf clover ☘️, here are 3 rules of 3 we recommend following. 

The rule of 3 in advertising:  

Never include more than three pieces of information in an ad. Example: This ad from Biddyco has: 1) a before & after, 2) product features, 3) a review. Brand awareness magic!

The rule of 3 in copywriting:  

Three is the minimum number that makes a pattern, and people are pattern seekers. Group items in threes to make them more memorable.

The 3 (science-backed) rules of good writing (via Ariyh):

1. Use short, common, concrete words.
2. And short, simple sentences with active voice.
3. To keep your readers’ attention, keep your tone excited, anxious, or hopeful. People are more likely to continue reading if their emotions are stirred up, versus language that’s less stimulating—or just sad.

Each of those rules is pretty straightforward, right? A nice reminder that simplicity packs a powerful punch.

(Btw, there are a LOT of threes in marketing. There’s also the 3% rule and the cult of three clicks! Are there other rules of 3 you use and love?)

When we think of product gamification, we usually think of B2C apps and referral programs—Duolingo being one of the shining examples of gamification done right.

Turns out gamification can also work for B2B SaaS products.

Just take a look at the B2B scheduling software company Deputy. It gamifies onboarding tasks as part of its free trial:

What do users earn for completing tasks? Extra days for their trial.

It’s a total win-win: Users get to extend their trials and along the way, become more likely to reach the “aha” moment of product activation. Aka the turning point where the odds of becoming a paying customer spike—because they saw actual value from the product.

If you offer a free trial for a SaaS product, consider giving this strategy a shot.

Nat Eliason grew his TikTok account from 400 to 55,900 in just six weeks.

The key to his growth? Well, there wasn’t one—you can't easily "game" TikTok.

Instead, here are seven of Nat’s findings that’ll raise your chances of success.

🎯 Choose a niche where you have an "unfair advantage." Think hard about what would make your content hard to replicate. Nat chose non-fiction books since he has detailed notes about 300+ books.

Ali Abdaal's unfair advantage for his "how to get into medical school" YouTube channel was that he was already in medical school.

🧠 Take a SEO-inspired approach to content ideation. First look through the top 5-10 accounts in your niche and see what topics have done well. Then type those topics into the search bar—you’ll see variations appear below, just like Google’s related keywords. Also look at the search results’ “Others searched for” section for ideas.

🐑 Don’t prioritize making videos for the latest trends. Yes, creating for the latest viral trend can help get more views, but these trend-inspired videos often don’t explain why your account is worth following. They often get lots of engagement—but few followers.

Make these vids only if a trend fits your content, topic, and style.

🖥️ Edit your footage on a computer, not your phone. It’s a lot more efficient and powerful. Nat recommends using Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere. But use TikTok to add captions.

🚀 Your videos need strong hooks to actually take off. The first 2-3 seconds are the most important. We talked about hooks last week.

🪝 Also include a hook in the description. It’ll give people another reason to watch in case they read the description first. Example: The description for a video giving three tips on something could say, “The 3rd helped me the most.”

💬 Commenting on other videos won’t help your own account performance. It’s helpful, however, for connecting with other creators. Just focus on making really good videos.

In a previous newsletter, we shared an AI tool that maintains eye contact in videos.

But eye contact isn't always the best option.

Studies show that ads using averted gazes lead to more attention toward the product, and more memorable ads.

We're hardwired to notice faces. And when you see eyes looking over at something else, you're naturally drawn to look, too. 

See for yourself 👀

This same tactic can be used on landing pages and product photos. Use your models' eyes to make people look where you want them to—your product, your CTA, or where you want them to go next.

This can also apply to social media profile photos. The direction your profile photo faces can make it either feel like you've got your back to your post, or like you're facing it.

Which of these looks better? I bet you it's the first one.

‍

"It’s easier to be a critic than a creative." – marketing researcher Flint McGlaughlin 

ChatGPT can’t do all the legwork of content creation. It's still not that good at writing, for example:

So bad.

But it can be great for inspiration and relieving blank-page syndrome.

See for yourself by experimenting with these seven prompts:

1. “Write 5 headlines for [Company] based on the facts below.” Be sure to list at least three of your company’s strongest value props or credentials. They’ll help guide ChatGPT toward better results.
2. “Write 5 more headlines stressing the exclusiveness of [Company]’s services.” Rather than simply using the first few headlines generated, ask ChatGPT to refine them according to new specifications. You can change these new instructions to whatever you’re looking for.
3. “Write 5 more headlines that begin with the word ‘get.’” Continue refining. You can replace “get” with any other word of your choosing.
4. “What do customers want to achieve with [Company]’s services?” Use this prompt to get ideas for reframing your company’s biggest value props—and to clarify whether ChatGPT understands your company. This is a prereq for the next prompt.
5. “Write a headline that emphasizes how customers can get what they want through [Company].” Assuming ChatGPT correctly understands your company’s offerings and your customers’ goals, use this prompt to uncover more copywriting ideas.
6. “Add a sense of urgency to headlines 1 and 2.” If there are any specific headlines you like, ask ChatGPT to hone in on them and make adjustments.
7. “Give me 10 examples of X.” Coming up with examples can be time consuming.

For example, I asked: "What are 20 tactical copywriting tips with before-and-after examples?"

I then chose my favourites, remixed them, and created this design. Check out tips 4 and 5:

MrBeast won't even make a video unless he has the perfect thumbnail and title in mind. 

For written content, we call these "hooks." They:

1. Stop people scrolling (aka thumb-stopping).

2. Intrigue them.

3. Get them to either keep reading or click to see more.

Without a good hook, your otherwise amazing content just won't get seen. 

Shaan Puri lists six emotional reactions you want to evoke in your hooks: 

1. LOL (humour)
2. WTF (surprise/outrage)
3. That's crazy! (surprise/delight)
4. Ohhh, I get it now
5. FINALLY! Someone said it
6. Yay! (celebration—like if someone got a new job)

I'd also add:

1. Uh-oh (fear): "I hope I'm not doing it wrong."
2. Damn, I want that (inspiration)
3. Then what happened? (curiosity)
4. Daaaamn (credibility): "This person knows what they're talking about."

Tap into these emotions, and you'll stop the scroll and get them invested in reading more.

Here's how Wes Kao taps into "Uh oh":

LinkedIn is getting hotter and hotter each year.

And one of the great things about LinkedIn (unlike other social platform) is that you can bootstrap your first followers by sending connection requests.

Databox’s Nikos Ntirlis shares how:

#1) Make a list of the people you want to connect with—potential customers, influencers, partners, affiliates, etc.

Pro tip: Choose people with a similar audience size as you. If you have 1,000 followers, someone with 3,000 is way more likely to accept than someone with 300,000.

#2) Read their posts and check out their website. The goal is to identify the topics that interest them and their communities.

#3) Thoughtfully engage with them. That includes commenting on their posts, responding to their comments on someone else’s, and quoting and tagging them in your own posts.

Do this several times over the course of a few days or weeks.

Pro tip: Prioritize commenting on viral posts. You'll get more organic followers.

#4) Send a connection request after your targets respond.

They'll be way more likely to accept than if you did it cold. Why?

Because they recognize your name, have started to develop a relationship with you, and want you to keep engaging with their posts (so you help amplify their reach).

Note: you can also comment on people commenting on their posts, and send connection requests to them. Just be careful to only send up to about 20 per day to avoid being suspended by LinkedIn. 

And even if your targets don’t accept your connection request, interacting with their content can get you exposure to their audience.

Want more insights about growing your LinkedIn presence organically? Check out our comprehensive playbook.

Good copywriting isn’t about glorifying your product or exaggerating its features.

It’s about getting people to understand your product's core benefit. Only then can they consider becoming a customer.

You can reach that core benefit through dimensionalization. That involves identifying a key feature and then asking, “So what?” not just once, but again and again.

Keep asking, “So what?” until you reach one of these desires:

1. Physical: Food, drink, warmth, and shelter
2. Safety: Security and safety
3. Belonging and love: Companionship and intimacy
4. Esteem: Feelings of success and superiority
5. Self-actualization: Achieving one’s full potential

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes our fundamental needs as humans.

Dimensionalizing helps connect the dots between a product feature and at least one of these underlying desires.

Here’s an example of dimensionalizing:

Product feature: A fine art print that comes in extra large dimensions

• So what? The XL sizing makes the print the focal point of any room in your home.
• So what? The print commands everyone’s attention.
• So what? It becomes a conversation piece whenever guests are over.
• So what? You can show off your knowledge about the artwork.
• So what? You’ll impress your guests—earning you esteem from their social approval as well as your own feelings of success.

Figma has quickly become one of top design tools. Partly because it was the first Sketch-like design tool to double-down on web.

And it's inherently viral. I send you a link to our Figma file, we start collaborating immediately.

Figma makes this process even smoother with their permissions and billing.

#1. Editors (basic users) can add new editors to their team at any time and at no upfront cost. This allows folks to share designs, get feedback and move quickly without admin approval.

#2. If the number of editors exceeds the current plan, admins get an email a few days before the next bill is due, and highlights any new editors that joined.

#3. The admin can then decide to remove these new editors before the next billing cycle. BUT they're way less likely to now for two reasons:

1. Loss aversion: It's psychologically harder for them to remove access from someone than to say no in the first place. 
2. Effort: It requires the admin to actively remove someone. Often, people are busy and don't get to it—or don't bother since it's only $12/mo.

This makes it:

• Easier for users. They can invite folks without waiting for admins.
• Easier for admins. They don't have to invite everyone. They can batch remove people as needed each month. And they get a free month for each user.
• More revenue for Figma.

On Sunday, thousands of people scrambled for their remotes.

During the final quarter of the Superbowl match, Tubi, the streaming service, created an ad that looked like someone was changing the channel to watch Mr and Mrs Smith.

It was an incredibly clever way to get people's attention—and perfectly demonstrate exactly what Tubi is. It shows rather than tells.

It reminded me a lot of a classic prank:

Change a coworker's desktop background to be a screenshot of their desktop or currently open windows. Then close everything and hide the files on the desktop.

When they return to their computer, they'll desperately click around trying to get their computer to respond. Office pranking at its finest. 

A similar thing could be done in a YouTube video if coordinated with the creator. Or in an Instagram story/reel or TikTok video.

Entrepreneurs fail when they focus on businesses that don't provide value to people.

That's why nailing your value props is critical.

If you can tell a well-formed value prop story, it's a sign you’re creating something valuable.

Here’s the template. 

Example: Relationship Hero (relationship coaching SaaS)

• Describe a specific person with a specific problem: A 23-year-old male who can’t get a date.
• Describe their current best effort to solve their problem: He gets a Tinder account and does his best to convert matches into dates.
• Describe why it’s still a problem: His matches barely respond, and when they do, the conversation feels boring and forced. He uses it for one hour every day but only gets one date every two months.
• Describe how their life gets better thanks to you: Once Relationship Hero coaches guide him through writing his texts, he suddenly has much better conversations that result in a date each week.

This simple framework helps you validate a plausible business/product idea without having any market research or empirical evidence to show. (Although we recommend those for deeper analysis—talking to customers is incredibly important.)

You can then use that story on your website and marketing copy.

The vast majority of cold emails are ignored.

In the worst case, people flag your emails as spam (causing future emails to end up in spam), and have a negative impression of both you and your brand.

That's why Lemlist, a tool for automating email outreach, warns against doing "cold emails." Instead, they should be warm 🔥

What does that mean?‍

That means only reaching out to people who already have some idea of who you are, and have a positive association with you and your brand already.

For example, if you got a personalized message from your favorite influencer or celebrity, you'd welcome it, and not just flag it as spam. You'd happily respond.

To do that, sadly it's not a quick fix. Which is why most people don't do it. 

You have to:

1. Produce a lot of free content, say on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, podcast, etc.
2. Then engage with people who engage with you. And engage with others writing and commenting on relevant posts in your niche.
3. And then eventually DMing them a personalized message either to get to know each other, give them a free resource, or pitch an offer.

If you do this, your response rates will go from single digit to double digits.

Lemlist believes this so strongly that they encourage their entire team to be active on social media and build their own personal brands.

What motivates people to buy? Look to the psychology of spy recruitment for answers. 

Intelligence officers use an acronym to size up potential recruits’ motives:

• M = money
• I = ideology
• C = coercion
• E = ego

These also align pretty directly with the emotional triggers behind purchasing decisions.

Money

Emotional triggers this motive aligns with: greed and lust

Sadly, greed drives human behavior. Wealth, power, and social currency—all things people instinctively want.

Appeal to prospects' aspirations. Like this copy from Horst Studios: “Where the women you hate have their hair done.”

Ideology

Aligned with hope and a sense of belonging

Two thirds of Gen Zers will stop using—or even boycott—brands that clash with their values.

Speak to the values that matter to your audience.

Talk about values a lot. Two brands that do an A+ job with this: Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia.

Coercion

Aligned with guilt and fear

We don't actually recommend this one. Don't guilt people into buying your products. 

A better approach: Reveal how your product is the guilt-free alternative to the others that are out there. Especially if that benefit ties into your value props.

Ego

Aligned with vanity

A little flattery goes a long way.

Which one stands out the most?

We’ll bet it was the Pringles. Unlike the other two brands (and dozens of other chip brands that come in crinkly rectangular bags), Pringles come in a tube.

This is a pattern interrupt—something that breaks the norm.

Pattern interrupts grab attention.

They draw your eye even if they're inherently LESS noticeable than the competition:

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🦾🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

And in a crowded market, they make your business stand out.

To get in front of more leads, try incorporating pattern interrupts. Some ideas:

1) Like the Pringles example, give your product distinctive packaging.

2) If most companies in your industry have a certain aesthetic, make yours the complete opposite.  

Think of how Liquid Death embraced hardcore branding in the minimalist world of bottled water.

3) Use unusual imagery in your ads.

Ever seen Squatty Potty’s pooping unicorn commercial? Or Poo-Pourri’s “Girls Don’t Poop” ad? These videos got a lot of attention because of their weird visuals. (The bathroom humor just happens to be a coincidence—but we’re not not saying it’s worth a shot.)

4) Along the same lines, use contrasting colors in your ads.

The agency Biddyco used neon colors in its Facebook ads for the cereal brand Magic Spoon. Compared to everyday photos from friends and family in your feed, these bright shades were a total scroll-stopper.

5) Plan a different kind of event.

Instead of organizing a generic marketing conference, the SaaS brand SparkToro hosted an event where each speaker told a story they'd never shared before. Sessions were short—30 minutes max—and nothing was recorded. This made speakers more comfortable with being vulnerable and incentivized people to tune in live.

Good copywriters know the power of future pacing. That's a technique that encourages readers to visualize the positive results your product will help them achieve.

Example: A coding bootcamp can say, "Learn to become a programmer so you can earn a 6-figure tech salary and work from home."

That paints a picture of a big win after completing the bootcamp. It's easy to visualize.

Just one problem with future pacing: It doesn’t work well on skeptical buyers. Their objections cancel out the rosy picture.

To win over skeptics, give instant gratification in your copy. Highlight the good things that are just around the corner. 

Disney does this by making its vacation-booking process just as appealing as the trip that’s months away.

A few examples:

• "Disney Cruise Line gives families dreams to wake up excited about." → Become your family's hero.
  
• Page headings like "Discover Value in Vacation Packages," "Trip Planning Made Easy," and "Book with Confidence" → Enjoy the trip-planning experience.
  
• "With over 50 different hotels to choose from, you're sure to find one that fits your family’s travel style, size, and budget!" → Easily find a place that fits your needs.

As a result, skeptical prospects perceive an immediate reward from booking.

To deliver instant gratification in your copy, frame the purchase itself—and not just the product—as a win. For instance:

• “Order X now, and you’ll feel relief knowing you made the right decision.”
  
• “By saying yes to X, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your big goal.”
  
• “Buy X now, and you’ll wake up tomorrow knowing you finally did something about it!”

Your prospects may still have reservations about your product. But they’ll be more likely to act when you sell them immediate confidence and relief.