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I made HumpDay tap out before the sun woke up today. Good start but I better not get overconfident. Wednesdays are historically known to come roaring back and steamroll us.

Today’s Feature Story looks at the resurgence of physical items connected to digital offers. This new trend is a little deceiving because maybe physical items never took as steep a nosedive as tech bros and broettes wanted everyone to believe? 

After that, feast on the following sections…

• The Knowledge Base (copywriting inspo)

• Self Help (👀alert)

• Facts & Stats  

• Get Hacking (up your one-liner game)

Now for the Feature Story.

Why Digital Companies are Adding Real-World Products

More and more, people want things they can touch and hold, even as we use digital stuff most of our waking hours.

It’s happening because we're getting tired of always being online.

Too Much Digital

The Business of Apps reports the average person gets around 50 alerts on their phones each day. That’s madness, folks!

Because of this, many people, especially younger ones, are trying to escape their phones by hook or by crook. They're turning off alerts and making real efforts to avoid always checking their devices. Avoidance is the only way because…

I can’t tell you how many days I think about calling someone in my family and then forget all about it until bedtime (8:55 p.m. around here, no lol). 

Other days, I’m certain I forget I had the intention to call someone in the first place!

The reason? I get distracted by other digital things throughout the day and don’t notice until I’ve lost the chance to connect with a flesh-n-blood person I care about. 

Going Back to Real Things

This disconnect to the real world is why stats show people are buying more real stuff:

• Print book sales rose by 5% in May 2024

• The diaries market is $1.3 billion USD and expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2023 and 2030

• Spending on leisure and goods increased from 9.5% of total consumer spending in 2013 to 13% in 2022

This isn't just about liking old or nostalgic stuff. People want something they can touch and…

It's about finding a balance and having time away from screens that everyone now knows are designed to enslave our attention. 

Mixing Digital and Physical Products

Smart companies are noticing this trend and the stats that back it up.

They're finding ways to offer both digital and physical products together. 

Here are some ideas off the top of my head for this blend (some I even purchase myself):

1. Printed versions of online newsletters

2. T-shirts or hats for people who take online classes

3. Real prizes for winning in apps or games

4. Printed books made from popular podcasts or blogs

5. Vinyl records for artists who are big on streaming services

Concrete examples:

• Joe Rogan’s podcast history could be turned into a literal encyclopedia set, A-Z, of intelligent interviews and fun nonsense  

• I’d love a wrestling-style championship belt from winning a Yahoo fantasy football league 

• I’ve no chance to read The Marginalian (lengthy) in my crowded inbox, but would read it if I had a printed version to read on my porch

Why Physical Products Mixed with Digital Works 

There are a buncha good reasons to test out adding physical products (or physical services and events):

• It makes customers like the brand more

• Makes digital products seem worth more

• Gets people talking about the brand

• Keeps customers coming back

• Helps companies learn more about their customers

• Can be a unique selling point competitors are unwilling to try

Look, no tech bro will ever convince me that I’ll care more about my digital life than my physical life. 

I don’t care how many times they tell me print newspapers are dying and legacy media has ebola. These traditional parts of life keep hanging on, and many are thriving. 

I’ll end the Feature Story with more evidence that adding physical offers to your digital line-up is smart.

Proof that digital life isn’t enough to satisfy humans…

1. The Metaverse via Zuck, has wasted billions of his company's dollars

2. No one bothers to look at 98% of the photos on their phone

3. Physical photos we have are guarded like Fort Knox

4. People aimlessly wander around thrift stores partly for the “adventure” of seeing and touching items

5. Shopping online for hours is a non-adventure hellscape (you know that queasy feeling)

The best proof? Look around your living room. Note three items that mean something to you. Now try to think of one digital thing that means as much.

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Self-Help

This won’t help you, but even better, it’ll help any youngsters you care about.

Kids in third grade and under with vision problems likely don’t know they can’t see well (they’ve nothing to compare bad eyesight to), so they won’t alert their parents.

If parents or teachers find out later on, the kid is likely already behind in learning since seeing is dang crucial to learning.

Many local Lions Clubs do free eye exams at schools, so check into that and mention this problem to busy parents and teachers.

And take care of your adult eyes. CDC says by 2050, without effective interventions:

• Diabetic retinopathy will increase by 72%

• Cataracts will increase by 87%

• Vision impairment and blindness will increase by 150%

Facts & Stats

Bonus: Glassbox reports superior UX can boost conversion rates by ______%. Answer at end of email.

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Get Hacking

A specific strategy to implement today

Weak and useless content will get worse on the web. 

Here are 3 ways to avoid wasting time reading semi-slop or full-blown. Scan articles first and…

1. Look for overuse of phrases like "many people say," "some experts believe," or "it is thought that" without specifics. 

2. Content with large blocks of text, no subheadings, or a lack of visual breaks (like bullet points) can be a sign of poorly organized material.

3. Check subheadings for run-of-the-mill ideas and tactics you’ve seen before.

Use those tips to avoid wasting your time on content research — and to avoid weakening your own content.

ALT Hack: Compare your one-liners, elevator pitches, and subject lines to these legendary movie loglines to up your communication game.

Inbox Hacking is read by rampaging marketers at Procter & Gamble who also brake for butterflies. Please share this newsletter.

Shane McLendon, Copy Kingpin 

Bonus answer from Facts & Stats section:  Superior UX can boost conversion rates by up to 400%.