Numb

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Morning, hope you’ve got a spring in your step today. If not, lay back down. Or lie. Whatever.

Today, we touch on making your audience feel something instead of being numb to your content. It connects to writer’s block a little too. Then, I have a load of Marketing News and such for you.

The Jungle vs. The Garden

I get it. Some brands have to present a positive vibe 100% of the time. Zero room for dark humor or keeping it real. 

If you have those limitations, it’s ok to skip down to the News section.

If you have wiggle room, please use it, on occasion at least.

People today are numb. Comfortably so. 

That means it’s harder than ever to get them to pay attention, much less give a flip about your content, your ad, your solution, etc. Even tougher to get them to take action.

Also, too much positivity can seem inauthentic.

So, get a little mean. Not quite mad-dog mean like noted motivational speaker Josey Wales advised, but try to rub a few people the wrong way.

Contrast

My favorite sports talk guy has always been brutal toward athletes and coaches who screw up. He clowns them, like a real journalist should when something’s worth clowning - no matter who it is.

One day, a caller asked why he was always negative. 

So, he changed the tone of the show for the final hour. It was awful. 120% sugar-sweet positivity. Every game was great. All the players were awesome. Each coach worthy of a Nobel Prize. Even the intro music swapped from Guns-N-Roses to dentist office tunes! 

He did it to prove a point. Without controversy, dark takes, some laughs — there is no show!

Use that premise to amp up your ads, emails, video content, etc. And…

Ranting Cures Writer’s Block 

If you ever run out of things to write about or ideas for content or different angles for advertisements, just start typing out stuff that makes you mad.

I could do that for eight hours straight. Yes, I’m unwell.

You’re normal, so in just 30 minutes, I’m betting you’ll have several “anger issues” you can connect to whatever you’re marketing. 

• Write about miserable waits at the doctor’s office

• Jot down notes on dirty-dealing health insurance corporations

• Write about how all your joints ache after you hit 50

• Scribble out ten words that describe hospital food

• Rant about the 16 papers to sign & 7-hour wait before the E.R. doctor will remove the chainsaw from your knee!

See how easy that is? And I stuck to only one topic (medical stuff).

I would then funnel that vitriol into an advertisement. Like this…

“Attention Email Marketers. Guaranteed Way to Save Massive Time. 

Stop reading articles about email marketing best practices — unless you love reading about A/B testing and personalization for the 150th time!

Instead, get insider intel on your subscribers with Inbox Activity Checker.”*

See? Being angry lets the words flow like a raging river. That anger (aka pain points) easily translates into various offers in any number of industries.

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Inbox Hacking is read by smart marketers like You and those at Nebraska University Sports and Target. Please forward our newsletter to a friend. 

Shane McLendon, Copy Kingpin 

P.S. The average fantasy sports participant spends about $465 annually (entry fees, etc.). Fantasy football segment generates about $1.5 billion annually. Advertising is a primary revenue source for fantasy sports platforms.