The Pareto Principle states that 20% of content on the internet gets 80% of the views.
But I would argue that it’s more like 5% of content gets 95% of views.
Why?
Because 95% of all the content is BOOOOOOOORING.
Repetitive. Cliche. Dry as your throat when you wake up with an epic hangover.
So here’s what you need to do to get your content into that epic 5% instead of being in the forgotten 95%.
The Secret To Creating Content That Actually SELLS (Without being annoying OR sleazy OR salesy)
The first step is really simple.
We need to stop writing like a boring and formal school essay.
We need to inject some steroids in our copy.
Best way to do it?
Write like you're having a conversation with a close friend.
Keep it casual, keep it real.
Like I'm doing right now.
Write like you’re talking to another human being.
That means a lot of short punchy sentences.
Every once in a while a sentence can go on for longer, like this one, but most should be quick and to the point.
Break up those endless, biblical sized paragraphs.
Ain’t nobody got time for dat!
We need to make it EASY to read, easy to scan through.
Using Razor Sharp Hooks That Grab Your Reader And Don’t Let Go
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There’s no two ways about it, you’ve got to hook your reader AND keep him there.
Make it impossible to leave your stuff unread.
Get him to read that first sentence and then the next… and the next… and the next… until he gets to the end, gasping for air.
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So let’s not do any of this:
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"We’re really good and the competition is bad and we’ve been in business for 20 years and we really care about you as a customer.”
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That stuff is weaker than a vegan bodybuilder.
It’s the exact same thing your competitors are saying. It’s predictable and cliche.
But worst of all?
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It’s boring.
And boring won’t keep your business running for long.
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For example, when people first land on your article they’re not ready to commit yet.
They're just browsing the menu, seeing if anything catches their eye.
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It’s up to you to use your headlines and subheads and paragraphs to HOOK them on the idea of sticking around and reading more.
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Again, it’s the exact thing I'm doing here. Subheads that reveal parts of the story and that hit the key points. But here's the real secret sauce:
You Need To Make It All About THEM.
You need to make the reader the star of the show.
Not trying to hurt your feelings but nobody gives a flying f*ck about us.
Everyone cares about themselves.
Only after they understand that you’re actually trying to help THEM are they ready to hear your story.
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So keep it laser focused on how reading your stuff will help THEM out.
Skip The Bullshit While Writing
Last thing I want to cover.
Don't dance around their skepticism and objections like some blue haired first year college student afraid to offend anyone by not including every single pronoun on the planet in his social media bio.
Address possible objections and issues head on.
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Remember this quote by the real OG of advertising:
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“The consumer is not a moron. She’s your wife.”
David Ogilvy
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Call out what they're probably thinking and then brush it off with logic, empathy and rock solid facts. There’s no point in lying to them.
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I wanted to talk about Call to Actions as well but that topic really deserves it’s own article.
So we’ll cover that in a future one.
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Talk soon,
Tony
P.S. Want to know how I would implement this specifically for your business?
Get in touch with my agency today. If we’re a good fit I will personally take a look at your company and your marketing, come up with a strategy of what I’d do differently and discuss it with you in depth on a call.
No cost, no obligation.
If you want to work together I’ll tell you exactly how that works, if you don’t want to work together that’s fine too.
No hard selling, no pressure, no annoying sales tactics.
Sounds good? Then fill out this form here.
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