😵Creativity drought? 5-sec hack - PhD shrink approved

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Welcome to Black Friday. Where junk is bought and landfills are packed fuller than a tic four months later.

I’ve got a quick action plan for you on connecting Black Friday to Cyber Monday (includes post-event tips). First up is my main thought of the day…

It’s a simple weapon you can use to recharge your creativity - with no effort. You can bet only 2% of other marketers are willing to do it, though.

After those topics, buckle up for This Week’s Marketing Wrap-Up. Or don’t buckle up — I’m not Five O.

5 Seconds to Colossal Creativity

I won’t tease this out because it's stupid-simple.

Right before you go to sleep, ask yourself a question about how to improve a part of your marketing.

This lets your subconscious take over, and you’ll be surprised how creative your mind is at rest.

While awake, I’m your average moron. When asleep, I must be the Hulk version of Leo Da Vinci because I always have a million new ideas to use in my writing.

Mindless is as Good as Being Mindful

You can even use this technique before you do any mindless activity. Examples…

• Mowing the lawn

• Laying in a hammock (lying, whatever😎)

• Star or cloud gazing

• Walking without headphones (slow, no-effort walk is the key)

• Organizing your closet

• Taking a casual drive to nowhere (without GPS)

Anything like that works pretty close to how sleeping works because your mind is not being burdened with difficult conscious thinking.

Sleeping is the best option for weaponizing your subconscious, of course. But other mindless activities can help also. 

Not Just Gary Halbert

Using the subconscious was a trick famous copywriter Gary Halbert used to help him with ad campaigns. But I worked for a celebrity psychologist with a couple of PhDs who also believed in this creativity hack.

She set her subconscious in motion at bedtime by asking herself a question before her head hit the pillow. This doctor mixed in a gratitude practice with her bedtime routine. 

She told me it encouraged her subconscious and gave her good feelings for the next morning. 

So, if one of the greatest marketers in history and a brilliant shrink believe in the power of the subconscious, shouldn’t you?

Here are a few questions I’ve asked myself over the past few months. 

• How can I use Audio Pen to speed up my writing (voice typing tool)

• What topic am I most passionate about (for a new newsletter)

• How can I get better at writing?

• What is the biggest thing that’s wasting my time?

The process is simple. 

I keep a notepad by my bed and put it on my pillow when I have a question to ask my subconscious to work on while I snooze.

Told ya it was effortless. And if you’re skeptical, no problem. Just know, it is a zero-cost thing to test out. If I’m wrong, you can email me back and confirm that I am an average moron. 

Now for that Black Friday to Cyber Monday action plan.

Bridging Black Friday with Cyber Monday

Prep

• Hint at extended offers through Cyber Monday

• Analyze past purchases to segment your customers for personalized offers and targeted messaging throughout sales period

Black Friday Execution

• Use limited-time offers and countdown timers to drive immediate purchases. Highlight that some deals may extend to Cyber Monday, but note risk of items selling out.

• Provide special bundles only available during the Black Friday weekend. This encourages immediate action while setting the stage for Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Strategy

• Transform Black Friday deals into Cyber Monday specials. Example - offer an additional percentage off or include free shipping for Cyber Monday purchases.

• Use retargeting ads to remind customers who browsed but didn't buy during Black Friday about your Cyber Monday deals. Highlight items they viewed or left in their cart → (use our sponsor - Smart Recognition).

Post-Event Follow-up

• Send personalized thank-you emails to folks who purchased during the sales period. Include product recommendations based on their purchases.

• Use post-purchase surveys to collect insights about the customer experience during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Keys: Black Friday & Cyber Monday 

1. Balance promotions’ timing across Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

2. Retarget to serve personalized ads based on products users viewed but didn't purchase.

3. Use email, SMS, social media, and paid advertising to reach customers across various touchpoints.

4. Ensure all your digital assets, including landing pages and emails, are mobile-friendly to capture on-the-go shoppers.

5. Offer tiered discounts to encourage larger purchases throughout the sales period.

Let’s keep it moving…

Thanks for reading Inbox Hacking. Please share it with your peeps. I appreciate it. 

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

Bonus: Ad of the Day: (don’t cry)