Here’s a little secret – I used to HATE writing.

“What? A copywriter that doesn’t like writing?!”

Yes, boss. I really didn’t like writing at all.

Let’s face it. Writing content is HARD. It’ takes a long time. It’s tedious too. Not to mention writer’s block is a !@#$%.

However, I still decided to learn how to write persuasive copy because I realised its importance in digital marketing. And besides, it pays the bills too.

But since writing takes a long time and is really hard, it would only be logical that I sought for ways to make it easier and faster.

In my search, I’ve found that writing great content fast requires following 4 simple steps.

By following these 4 steps, I’ve consistently managed to write blog posts in 1 hour or less.

Of course, I don’t always achieve such fast completion times. It varies from post to post. Sometimes it still takes quite long.

That said, I’m very sure I would have taken even longer if I didn’t use this method.

Here’s the 4 steps simple I follow for every piece of content I write.

1)Be CLEAR about what you’re going to write

The first step is to be clear about what you want to write about. I often spent too much time writing because I wasn’t exactly clear about what I wanted to write about.

This resulted in endless editing and much frustration. Definitely a few curses here and there too.

You must be clear about what you want to write about.

You need you roughly know the theme of the post, what you want your readers to learn, and how you want to convey your information, etc.

You should outline your post for the intro (usually the first few sentences), then the body (the main point of the post) and then the conclusion (the last few sentence that sums up the post)

2) Write without stopping

Yes, skeptical Bob. Do NOT stop. Just keep writing like a machine (or broken machine). It’s going to look like crap with full of broken sentences and some powerful English that you’ve never seen before.

Use bullets if you want to.

The key is to keep writing. Dump your entire brain out, without putting it back.

Do NOT stop to edit.

The temptation will be there, but do NOT stop to edit. Just keep writing.

If you get stuck (aka writer’s block), here’s what to do.

Imagine you’re sitting at a coffee table with a friend to talk about what you want to write about. How would you tell him about it?

Say everything you want to say into a recorder. Ignore the occasional (or frequent) “um…” or “eh…” when you’re talking. Just talk like you’re talking to a friend at coffee and record it. That’s your first draft right there.

3) Step away from the keyboard for a significant amount of time.

Get a drink. Watch a Youtube video. Rest for a while. This is to allow you to come back to your initial draft with fresh eyes. If you look at a piece of writing too long, your mind will get “stuffy.”

Sorry, I couldn’t find a better way to put it. Basically it means that you won’t see what’s wrong with your content if you edit it immediately.

4) Edit ruthlessly

The prolific author Stephen King said, “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

Freaking wise words.

What he meant was that on your first write up, keep the door closed because it’s going to be messy and ridiculous. But when you rewrite and edit, that’s when you get meticulous and make your writing presentable, hence keep the door open.

This is the hard part. This is the part where I usually go crazy, but it’s absolutely necessary.

Now that you have fresh eyes, edit to make sure grammar is sort out, make sure your sentences flow in a logical manner, and add in stuff to make everything more interesting and enojyable to read.

This is the part where you usually spend the most time on, but this is also where the magic begins.

This is the part where you’ll find new ideas because your eyes are now fresh after you’ve taken a break.

You’ll suddenly see how you can insert new sentences.

You’ll be able to connect the dots a lot easier and everything seems to flow much easier.

I know this sounds quite abstract, but there’s no better way to explain it. There is no step by step system for editing as far as I’m concerned. It’s basically just the  part where you put everything together from your previous “notes.”

Note: Avoid perfectionism.

Do not worry about being perfect. There is NO perfect. What might seem perfect to you is not perfect to another person. Writing is subjective.

Now, I’m not saying don’t make it good. Make it good. But once it’s good enough, it’s good enough. If you want to make it perfect, worrying about whether this sentence is better or that word is better or, if you should structure your post this way, you’ll never finish the post.

I’m a diagnosed perfectionist, so I know how it feels to want to get everything spot on.

But after some time I realised that there really is no perfect. “Perfect” is something different every time you look at your article again. So don’t try to achieve perfection because perfection is subjective.

Strive to make the content extremely high quality, and once it’s good, move on.

And that concludes the 4-step method I always use to write my content.

“That’s it?”

Yes, that’s it. Nothing fancy. I told you it was simple, but don’t be fooled by it’s simplicity. This method is extremely effective.

Using this method might take you more than 1 hour to write a blog post. It might take you less.

But one thing’s for sure – this method will surely help you produce great content faster. And the more you write, the faster you will get.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

The most important thing that gets your email opened in the LONG term, is not the subject line.

Don’t get me wrong though.

Subject lines are still important for sure. After all, a good subject line will definitely lead to a higher open rate. But in the long term, the subject line is not the key factor that will get your email opened consistently.

Want to know what will?

The thing that will get your emails opened consistently is the sender’s NAME.

Yes, that’s right. The sender’s name is the most important factor in getting your emails opened.

Don’t believe me?

Well, think about the emails that you ALWAYS open.

Chances are it’s not because of the subject line. It’s because you saw the sender’s name!

You knew that you would get useful information in the email when you saw the sender’s name. That’s why you opened it.

Here’s the fact: Effective email marketing is all about building relationships.

Email subject lines matter more at the start of a relationship (when your prospects just started receiving emails from you), then later into the relationship (if you know what you’re doing from the start).

If you establish a relationship with your prospects when they first sign up to your email list and maintain that relationship, then email subject lines become less important.

The only thing that makes them open your email is YOUR NAME, because they know, like, and trust you.

So the goal for all businesses is to achieve this level of relationship with their emails. You want to make people open your emails when they see your name.

How do you do that?

There are 2 principles you need to follow:

1. Email regularly
2. Provide valuable and interesting content, not just straight product pitches.

Email Regularly

This first principle is to email regularly.

Now, there is no fixed rule to what “regularly” means, but I would suggest emailing at least 3-4 times a month.

Here’s why.

Unless you already have a brand, if you don’t email regularly, your subscribers will forget about you.

Many companies email only when they a promotion to announce or when they have something important to say. This could be anywhere from once in 2 months or 3 months or more.

Soooooo… stupid.

Imagine signing up for a newsletter and not receiving any emails from that newsletter for 3 months. Then suddenly, you receive an email that sells you something. Don’t you think your natural reaction would be, “Who is this? A spammer?”

Even if you remembered you signed up for that newsletter, what are you chances of buying from that email?

There’s no relationship and no trust.

By emailing regularly (assuming you provide useful and interesting content, which we will cover later), you’re constantly reminding people to take note of you worth taking note of, and building a relationship in the process.

But it doesn’t end there.

There’s actually another reason to email regularly.

The other reason to email regularly is that it causes unsubscribes.

“What? Unsubscribes is good? Are you !@#$%^& crazy?”

No I’m not, dear reader.

Getting some unsubscribes is GOOD.

And don’t you ever call me crazy. (Well, sometimes I am, but always in a good way.)

Anyway, getting unsubscribes is good because the people who unsubscribe after constantly reading your emails (or not) are the people who are NOT your ideal prospects.

Assuming you already provide good content, you don’t want people who are not interested in what you have to say, lingering on your email list.

Let the uninterested go. They won’t buy from you.

You save money with your email service provider, and you build a more responsive email list overall.

A contrarian tip, I will admit.

But very good for your bottom line.

Provide valuable and interesting content, not just straight product pitches.

The second principle is to provide valuable and interesting content, not just straight sales pitches.

Remember, the aim here is to get prospects to consistently open your emails. You can only do that by providing value to the prospect.

Now think to yourself – do you think your prospect will continuously open your emails if he knows that every email contains some hyped up pitch about a product?

If every email you send out are straight product pitches, I guarantee you’ll lose customers.

Your prospects didn’t sign up to your email list to be bombarded with product pitches.

They signed up to receive value.

You have to deliver some form of value in your emails.

Now, value comes in many forms.

Practical and actionable content can be valuable, humorous content can be valuable, an insight you learned from your life can be valuable.

The point is that you have to bring some value table, or else there would be no reason for the subscriber to stay.

Think about it – why would you stay on an email list that provides you with nothing but useless or common information?

And it doesn’t end there.

Your emails not only have to provide value, but also have to be interesting too.

If your emails are boring, you will lose the subscriber, and this time it’s not because they are not your ideal prospect.

It’s because your emails boring.

It doesn’t matter if you have something valuable to share.

If they are boring, you will lose their attention, and thus potential sales.

Never ever be boring.

Write interesting content.

Now before you think, “Aww… Why are you so scared of selling? You need to grow a pair maybe.”

I want to clarify: I’m NOT saying don’t sell in your emails.

You MUST sell. That’s how you make money.

There’s nothing wrong with sending out straight sales-pitches.

You just can’t do it all the time.

Your prospects or customers will get tired of it.

Eventually, they might even grow immune to it.

The solution?

Wrap your sales pitch around useful content or interesting stories.

Here’s an example of an email I wrote for a client that pulled in a few sales right off the bat:

See how that works?

I didn’t just straight sell. I provided some value, and then linked to the sale.

This type of emails works great because the reader doesn’t see the email as a sales pitch. His sales resistance is lowered, and as a result are more inclined to buy.

And here’s the thing.

You don’t have to sell in every email!

You can mix your emails up by providing free, valuable and interesting content on some days, and sell on the other days.

This creates unpredictability, and makes your customers look forward to your emails.

However, I would not consider being unpredictable as a “principle” because I’ve seen marketers do well by selling in every email they send.

But one thing’s for sure – in every email in which they sell, they don’t just straight out pitch their product. They provide valuable and interesting content and link it to the sale, which is the principle we’re talking about now.

So…

If you follow these 2 principles, the chances of getting your emails opened regularly are higher. You might even get away with a bad subject line or two.

But you didn’t think I’d end here did you?

No no, my reader, I shall over deliver, as always.

I have another bonus tip I’d like to share to help you establish a relationship with your prospects more effectively right from the start.

Many of you should already know about this, but I’d still like to share it and tell you how I think it should be done.

Bonus Tip

Depending on the business you’re in, one thing you can do to increase the chances of building a relationship from the start is set up an autoresponder email sequence that your prospect receives DAILY when he first signs up to your email list.

Why daily?

Because when your prospect first gets in your email list, he doesn’t know you.

You want to constantly remind him that you’re there and that you’re worth taking note of. You want to set the stage for him to open your emails regularly.

“But won’t I be sending too many emails? I don’t want to seem like a pest you know…”

You won’t.

Not if you follow the second principle of sending out valuable and interesting content.

When you write your email sequence, think of the core content – the things that you want to educate your prospects on, tell him about your brand, and demonstrate that you’re an trustworthy business in the market.

Think of how you can “wow” him from the start and win his trust right away, while being interesting at the same time.

This will serve as the foundation to build a relationship with your prospect at the start.

I suggest setting up an autoresponder email sequence of 7 to 10 emails (or more), delivered everyday.

(In case you’re wondering which email marketing software I recommend for this, I recommend Aweber and GetResponse. They are the only two I’ve ever used and both are excellent.)

The bottom line: Build that relationship with your email list from the start and maintain it over time.

Capture their attention from the start, then provide good and interesting content CONSISTENTLY.

Don’t just email your subscribers when you want to pitch your product or announce a promotion.

Subject lines are still important, especially when a prospect is new to your newsletter.

But more importantly, subject lines can increase your open rate (although open rate is not the important metric to measure).

But the more important thing to do is build a relationship.

You do that by emailing regularly and sharing valuable and interesting content.

Soon, you’ll find that people open your emails not because of the subject line anymore, but because they treat you as their guide, their leader, and sometimes even their friend.

Imagine coming across a landing page by an unknown company, with a headline that says…

“Revolutionary Waterproof Spray Keeps You Shoes, Shirt, and Pants 100% Dry Even If You Were In The Middle Of a Flood!” (totally made up headline by the way)

Would you believe it?

If you would, you’re probably borderline psycho.

Not many people would believe a claim like that right off the bat, especially if that company has no reputation or brand.

But what if the company uploaded a video on their landing page like the one below?

Wow!

That was my first reaction when I saw that video.

Now if you came across the the same landing page with this video on it, would believe the its claim to keep things dry?

If your answer is yes, then you’ve been captured by the persuasive power of demonstration.

And this, my dear reader, is the key to making people believe you even if you’re a nobody.

It doesn’t matter if you have no reputation whatsoever. If you can demonstrate that everything you claim is true, then people will believe you.

The Power of Demonstration

Ever heard of the phrase to see is to believe?

You probably have.

It’s damn cliche.

But it’s also damn true.

Here’s why demonstration is so powerful.

Demonstration is a form of PROOF, and proof sells because proof makes claims believable. I’ve mentioned many times before that people are getting more and more skeptical nowadays.

Why?

Because they are bombarded up hyped up marketing messages everywhere they go!

That’s why smart marketers do not ramp up the hype. They know that creating more hype without any proof will only lead to customers walking away in disbelief.

Smart marketers create proof so their prospects believe them.

And one way of creating proof is through demonstration.

When you demonstrate, you help people see so that they believe.

That’s why infomercials are still alive and have resulted in millions of dollars worth of sales.

That’s why companies like Apple and Microsoft continuously conduct keynotes to launch new products.

It’s all about of demonstration.

When people see, they believe.

And this doesn’t just apply to physical products.

Sell a software?

Create a video to clearly demonstrate how your software works.

Sell an app?

Same thing.

Sell information products?

Create videos or write content to demonstrate your expertise on the subject.

Not many people know this – Content marketing CAN serve as a form of demonstration.

When you write a piece of content sharing your knowledge on a subject matter, you’re actually demonstrating your expertise.

And over time, you’re actually secretly persuading the prospect whether you or your prospect realise it or not!

Demonstration is one of the less spoke about persuasion techniques, but it’s very powerful.

The mere demonstration of your product or knowledge makes your claims much more believable.

So there you have it – yet another weapon to add to your persuasion arsenal.

So let me guess…

You probably own either a Mac, iPhone, or iPad right?

No?

None?

(Whispering under my breath, “LOSER…”)

Just kidding, Microsoft fanboys.

I’m not part of the Mac cult.

I just use products that serve my needs best (I currently use a Macbook and an Andriod phone).

Anyway, let’s get back on topic before I find myself getting into the whole Mac vs PC thing.

Where was I?

Oh yea, chances are most of your own either a Mac, iPhone or iPad. (If you don’t own any Apple products, please read on. This article will help you whether you own Apple products or not).

So let me ask you Apple product owners this – Why did you really buy an Apple product and not a product from another brand like say, Samsung?

For most people, it’s probably down to these 3 reasons:

1. It’s cool to own an Apple product.

2. Apple products are fun and easy to use.

3. Apple products are beautifully designed.

All valid reasons of course.

But did you notice the common theme among the reasons above?

None of them has of anything to do with the technical aspects of the product!

Whether you realise it or not, all the above reasons converge at one simple fact – We buy Apple products mostly because of the EMOTIONS associated with them.

Because let’s face it – most of us are not tech geeks.

We might know about some tech stuff here and there, but honestly, most of us didn’t buy Apple products because they have better functions.

In fact, if you look at reviews of smart phones by real tech experts, you’ll find many of them conclude that Samsung phones are actually better than iPhones in terms of specs

(I know some passionate Apple fans will disagree, but for the sake of explaining my point in this blog post, let’s just assume the tech experts are right).

So…

Why despite the fact that Samsung’s phones are technically better, does Apple still achieve massive sales figures EVERY time they launch a new iPhone, or in fact ANY of their products, even though they are always more expensive?

Why do we feel such strong emotions that compel us to buy Apple products over products from other brands?

Branding man, branding.

While many factors account for Apple’s success, there’s no doubt that Branding is one of the most important factor.

You didn’t really care if Samsung was better value for money, or if Samsung has slightly better specs.

You just wanted the iPhone because it’s “programmed” into your mind that the iPhone is cooler, better, and makes you more classy.

Apple’s brand wins.

That’s the power of a good brand, which Apple has spent a lot of money building over the years.

So what if I told you that you too can build an irresistible brand, without even spending anywhere close to the amount that Apple spends?
Don’t believe me?

Oh how little faith in me you have, my dear reader.

Building a brand on the internet on the cheap IS possible, if you know how.

Of course, I’m not suggesting that all businesses can reach the level of influence and impact that Apple has achieved.

But…

That doesn’t mean you can’t still build a strong brand nonetheless, and at a low cost too.

All you have to do is translate some of Apple’s branding secrets to the online world.

Let me show you how, you skeptical person.

Apple’s 5 Branding secrets And How You Can Apply them online.

Secret #1: Create a unique business persona – Declare your beliefs, make enemies, and attract loyal friends

Apple created a “person” to represent their brand, and this “person” is portrayed by the young, cool guy who is savvy and smart. The PC on the other hand, is portrayed as someone who is nerdy and uncool.

When you buy an Apple product, you buy into their identity.

You identify yourself as the savvy and cool guy.

Creating a business persona for your brand helps you attract loyal prospects who share your values, beliefs and opinions.

How to apply it online: 3 words – Personified Content Marketing. I know you’ve never heard of this term before. That’s because I made it up like a boss. I’ll explain.

Never has there been a time where one could create a piece of content and distribute it for the world to see.

What better way to show people what your business is about at a low cost?

Content marketing IS the foundation of branding online.

It is the voice of your brand. It shows people who you are and why they should buy from you.

Merely writing content for the sake of writing content is stupid. VERY stupid.

Everyone is “just writing content” thinking it will bring them more business.

If it were really that simple every website would be successful by now.

But you, being the smart guy you are, can use content to brand yourself online.

I call it Personified Content Marketing – content marketing that displays your beliefs and values, creates enemies, and attracts loyal fans.

So how do you do Personified Content Marketing?

If you want to show people what you brand is about through your content, you must first understand who your target market is, analyse your competitors, and then decide on the unique positioning you want to take.

Here’s why.

Your brand is the emotions, thoughts, and visual memories your prospects have of your business.

Your brand resides inside your prospect’s mind.

ALWAYS remember that.

It doesn’t matter what you think or feel about your business. It’s what you prospects think and feel that counts.

That’s why if you want to build a good brand, you have to start from your prospects mind!

What is your prospect thinking about you, your competitors, and the market in general?

How can you differentiate yourself, and show them through your content?

Once you understand this, you can create your “business’ person” and drive your sales through the roof by attracting a horde of loyal customers.

Write manifestos, blog posts, create videos, and etc, to declare your beliefs, values, and educate your prospects about your brand.

Don’t be boring. 

Don’t be afraid to state your opinions and show your attitude about things going on in your market.

Don’t be afraid you show what your brand stands for.

Talk to your prospects only, and ignore the rest.

When you do that, you WILL repel some prospects.

But on the other hand, you WILL also attract raving customers.

And once momentum builds, the less appealed people might just join the gang.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to appeal to everyone.

Appeal to everyone and you will appeal to no one.

Secret #2: Sell experiences, not products

Apple doesn’t sell products. They sell experiences.

They constantly reinforce how easy and enjoyable it is to use their products, how their software is beautifully designed for the best user experience, how their hardware is beautifully designed so it feels cool to own a Mac.

They don’t talk a lot about the technical aspects of the product.

They talk about experiences.

And it’s not only about the product.

Apple is also well known for outstanding customer service. They consistently rank top for customer service in the industry.

All these contribute to the ultimate Apple experience.

When you buy an Apple product, you feel good about it. You have a great experience.

How to apply it online: Create superior user interfaces, user experiences, and infuse copy with emotions.

Make your web interface easy for people to do what they came to do.

If you’re an ecommerce site, make it easy for people to find the products they want, order them, and then checkout smoothly.

If you’re running a blog, make the reading experience superb by having good typography and by making good use of white space.

If you sell software, make the interface is easy and enjoyable to use.

When customers email you for support, ensure your customer service serve their needs quickly, politely, and efficiently.

When you write copy for your products, infuse an emotional component in your web copy to portray the experience your prospect will get after he buys your product.

Sell the experience.

Secret #3: Design for brand identity

Apple products are sleek and beautiful.

That’s because they want to differentiate themselves from the typical nerdy, technical look that most other products had.

I can confidently say that design alone can be the sole buying factor for some customers. It’s true. I have friends who buy a Mac just because it looks better than other computers.

How to apply it online: Invest in design that portrays your brand.

If your brand is rebellious and bold, then you probably want your web design to have striking colors and bold fonts.

If your brand is all about simplicity, then you probably want a more minimalistic design.

A great example of design that matches brand identity is the hugely popular blog, ZenHabits, run by Leo babauta.

Since the blog talks about finding simplicity in our lives, focusing on things that matter, and finding happiness, it’s design is extremely minimalistic, and only allows you to view one post at a time.

ZenHabit’s web design is in line with its brand and this alignment contributes to the overall identity of the blog.

Good design is an INVESTMENT not an expense, on your overall brand identity.

Design sells. Pure and simple.

Secret #4: Tell your story and give your “reason why”

Do know the story behind Apple’s “Think Different” tagline?

You don’t?

Shame on you!

Anyway… it is about Apple’s belief that people who were crazy enough to change the world are the people who actually do.

Apple honoured people with passion and wanted to create the tools to help passionate people change the world.

Therefore, they advocate the notion of “Think Different.”

Inspiring isn’t it?

Compare Apple’s story to another company without a story, and that only says things like, “We have more megabytes than you, so we are the bestest of the bestest best.”

Yucks.

Telling a story is inspiring.

More importantly, it tells people the “reason why” for your existence.

Providing a “reason why” for your existence draws people to you. The people who believe in your purpose will like you and become loyal customers.

How you can apply it online: Find your “reason why” and tell your story on your ABOUT page.

Not many people realise this, but the about page is a very important piece of internet real estate.

In fact, it’s probably the most underused page I’ve ever seen.

A lot of your visitors will click on your About page to find out more about you.

Use your About page to state the reason why your company exists.

Don’t just tell people about your features and benefits.

People want to be part of a higher purpose, and connect with people of similar values.

Tell your STORY.

State your PURPOSE.

Be INSPIRING.

Your ideal customers will come flocking to you.

Secret #5: Stay consistent

No matter where you experience Apple, they are always consistent with their brand.

They reflect the same values in their ads, marketing campaigns, customer service, products, design, and etc.

The result?

Their brand gets STUCK in our heads.

When we think of Apple, we immediately feel all the emotions associated with them.

It’s all instant.

That’s the power of consistency.

How to apply it online: Ensure that you stay true to your brand values across all touchpoints.

Your entire web presence is a form of brand communication online. Everything from social media, customer support, emails, landing pages, web design, logo design, and all other touchpoints matters.

Stay consistent.

After some time, your prospects will “get you” and know you for who you are.

Staying consistent is the way to penetrate your brand into your prospects’ mind.

And…

That’s it.

Whew.

This one was a tough blog post to write, but I’m glad I wrote it because I think more businesses need to put more emphasis on branding, especially since you can do it at a fraction of what it would normally cost for traditional advertising.

Now go.

You now have the techniques to create a great brand at low cost.

Create your brand and win.

Seems like everyone and their mother is a marketing expert nowadays.

After all, all you need is a domain name, a host, a free WordPress theme, the time to read a few marketing books or attend a few courses, the audacity to deem yourself a “marketing guru,” and you’re all set.

So here’s the question – With so many people entering the “marketing guru” scene and starting blogs with their smiling faces on the home page, why do only a few blogs become successful?

Of course, things like marketing strategy (things like having a USP etc) and writing ability (making your content interesting) play a part.

But there’s actually another simpler reason why only a few blogs become successful.

When you consider the fundamental prerequisite required to start a blog, the answer becomes obvious.

What? You don’t know answer?

(GASP with jaw smashing the floor)

Here’s the answer:

The basic prerequisite to running a successful blog is to have REAL experience in whatever you’re talking about.

Reading a few marketing books or taking a few marketing courses doesn’t count as REAL experience.

If you blog, you’re in the information business.

And there is only one true purpose of being in the information business – to produce information that actually helps or inspires your readers.

That is all that matters.

If people do not get results or are not inspired by your information, then you will not succeed. Period.

The only way to help people with your information is to actually know what the heck you’re talking about.

And the only way to know what the heck you’re talking about, is to have REAL experience in whatever you’re talking about.

Don’t get me wrong though. This is NOT to say that you have to wait till you have 10 years of experience in a given field before you start blogging.

You can start at anytime, as long as you know what you’re talking about and have something valuable to share.

Take me for example. I started Trigger360 not because I’m the best conversion rate expert in the world.

I started it because I found a gap in the market and actually have real experience working with real life clients to help them with improving their conversion rates.

I still have A LOT to learn (I will always have a lot to learn), but I started the Trigger360 anyway because I had some real valuable information to share.

The problem with most online marketing blogs is that they are run by people who have no real experience and have nothing valuable to share.

They provide simplistic advice, write about common information that everyone knows about, and generally don’t know what they are talking about.

They either borrow content from other blogs and rewrite them, write about things based on theory or hearsay, or write fluffed-up useless content.

That’s why when I started Trigger360, I made an oath to the marketing gods that Trigger360 would never be a generic blog that fades away into the digital abyss of marketing crap.

So what makes Trigger360 different you say?

4 factors.

1) I do not blog based on theory.

I write about things based on my own real experiences or informal testing (all my testing is based on my own unique circumstances. I obviously do not have the capacity to run rigorous, formal testing with huge samples).

If there is something I am in the midst of exploring or something still in “theory mode” that I’d like to share, I say it out right in the blog post.

2) I try as much as possible to make my content interesting, unique, and most of all, useful.

I know that you probably suffer from information overload.

Beyond providing you with advice that actually works from real experience, I keep my content interesting.

My aim is to cut through the clutter and make sure you not only learn something, but also have an enjoyable reading experience.

3) I’m diagnosed as a compulsive perfectionist.

Just kidding. I just have super high standards. It’s just the way I am.

Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not because I waste too much time trying to get things perfect (until I realised there is no perfect). But because of this focus on producing quality stuff, I actually do produce quality stuff.

4) I value integrity.

If I don’t know or am unsure about something, I either don’t blog about it, or blog about it in the form of a question that I want to ask my readers about.

I don’t write about something I’m not sure of as if it’s marketing gospel. Everything I say on my blog is through my own honest experience.

“On shut up you arrogant prick! You think you’re the best in the world?”

Of course not.

There are still many things I do NOT know, and I’m not afraid to say that.

I’m on a continuous journey of learning, and I believe that being humble is the only way to maintain success.

I think that arrogance leads to a stop in progress and sometimes even to failure.

This is not a case of me being arrogant.

This is a case of people are putting out bad advice that is harming people, and that doesn’t sit right with me.

I can’t stand people giving bad advice. It leads good people down the wrong path, wastes their time and their money.

So why am I so sure that most digital marketing blogs are bad?

Because I’ve read many of them and have been lead down the wrong path before!

When you read (and practice) a lot on a particular subject, you’ll inevitably move beyond superficial levels and gain a deeper understanding of the subject. You tend to know who’s the real deal and who’s not.

You develop a natural marketing BS detector that sniffs out fake experts like how police dogs sniff out drugs.

So trust me when I say this – if you’re someone looking to learn online marketing, stay away from blogs that are run by “internet marketing gurus.”

These are some of the most clueless people I have seen. Not to mention a lot of them are scammers (but let’s leave that for another post).

The people who follow these “gurus”, thinking that these “gurus” are gods of marketing, are even more clueless.

I call it the marketing blind leading the marketing blind.

If you want to learn REAL online marketing, then learn from the REAL experts who don’t just sell “make money online” products to desperate people.

Learn from people who have experience working with REAL clients, or who are working in REAL organizations, out in the REAL world, getting REAL results.

I’m REAL-ly serious.

“Internet marketing gurus” are people who work in their own little world.

Ask these “gurus” to manage a real marketing campaign in the REAL world, and they’ll probably fail.

They always talk about some super secret (read: super STUPID) marketing tactic each week as if they found gold in their house. The only thing you’ll find with these stupid tactics is that these tactics don’t help you build a real business.

They work today and fail tomorrow.

Look, people in the real world, who are behind real marketing campaigns, measure and keep tabs with real marketing strategies and tactics on a daily basis.

Even if there is some marketing secret, the people in the real world would be the ones to discover them first.

“Internet marketing gurus” are not real marketers or business people.

They’re idiots who sell stupid tactics to even bigger idiots who follow them.

So who, in this crowded world of marketing voices, should you listen to?

In my humble but supremely accurate opinion, here are some of the blogs worth reading, in no particular order of greatness.

Some of them are more popular than the others, but all of them are great.

• Marketing Experiments / Marketing Sherpa – Marketing Optimization

• Hubspot blog – Inbound Marketing

• Seth Godin – All things Marketing

• Bryan Eisenberg – Conversion Rate Optimization

• SocialTriggers – Conversion

• Copyblogger – Copywriting, Content Marketing

• Duct Tape Marketing - Small Business Marketing (Although it’s for small businesses, the content on the blog is extremely useful and applicable to any business)

• QuickSprout – All Things Digital Marketing

• SEOMoz blog – SEO

• PPC Hero - Pay Per Click

• Firepole Marketing – General Marketing

• Ben Settle – Email Marketing

• Terry Dean – Running an Online Business and Digital Marketing

• Glenn Livingston - Pay Per Click, Market Research

• Michel Fortin – Copywriting and Marketing

• The Copywriter’s Roundtable – Copywriting

• Direct Creative / ProCopyTips – Copywriting and Direct Marketing

• Psychotactics – Psychology and Marketing

• PassivePanda – Not entirely about marketing, but there are some good marketing posts now and then

• David Risley – Blogging

And finally…

Trigger360 – Conversion Optimization (how can I leave out one of the most bestest blogs of all time?).

I might have missed out some other great blogs, but the ones I mentioned above are definitely credible from my experience.

So yes, please do read their stuff.

They’ll bring you real results.

You wouldn’t want to be the marketing blind would you?

He’s a smart, knowledgeable, and an overall nice person.

So you’re talking to this new friend, but then after a few minutes, you feel like you want to run away from him if you could.

He’s not enthusiastic. His voice is monotonous and dull.

He’s just plain boring!

Doesn’t matter if he’s super smart.

Doesn’t matter if he’s super knowledgeable.

Doesn’t matter if he’s a nice guy.

You wouldn’t want to talk to him again because he’s just super boring.

So what does any of this have anything to do with content marketing?

Everything.

Content marketing is a form of communication, just like talking.

When you do content marketing, you’re talking to someone. And when you’re talking to someone, you simply cannot be boring!

It’s the biggest sin you can ever commit.

It doesn’t matter if you have good information to share. As long as you’re boring, I guarantee that your content will fail.

Many marketers and business owners think content marketing is all about pumping as out much content as possible.

They just write content for the sake of writing content, thinking “Oh I just need to give free good info, then prospects will come.”

WRONG.

Content marketing is ultimately about building relationships.

When you building relationships, it’s not good enough to be good.

You have to be INTERESTING too.

Being interest is the thing that will actually make people PAY ATTENTION to what you have to say, and keep coming back.

Ever wondered why almost every website is doing content marketing, but few ever gain a huge readership with their blog posts “liked” and tweeted thousands of times?

You have your answer.

Anyone can provide information. Anyone can just “write content.”

It’s boring.

And boring is sin.

How to not be boring?

Here are a few ways.

Tell stories.

Inject attitude into your writing.

Write casually. Write conversationally. Don’t be like a formal robot with a script (in case you’re thinking you have a brand to maintain, maintaining a branding doesn’t mean you can’t write informally. With so many companies writing like corporate robots, writing casually and conversationally will help you seem more human and stand out).

State your opinions. Don’t be afraid to be controversial. Go against conventional wisdom.

Provide a unique perspective on things. Find a different angle to cover a common topic.

Provide insights that few people know of.

Just be interesting.

Your online success could very well depend on it.

The regular writer’s block, lack of ideas, and long hours required, can really drive you crazy.

So if you’ve lost a few strands of hair and felt frustrated enough to kill someone when you’re writing copy, you’re left with 2 options, albeit each with their own problems:

1. Hire a copywriter

Problem: Hiring a copywriter can be expensive and not everyone has the budget to hire one (although if you can afford to hire a good one, it WILL be worth every penny).

2. Learn it and get good at it

Problem 1: Becoming good at copywriting, just like any other craft, requires a significant amount of time and effort.

Problem 2: Some of you might just hate writing itself. It’s just not your cup of tea and you want nothing to do with it.

So what if you don’t have the budget to hire a good copywriter, don’t have to time to become good at copywriting, and don’t really like writing all that much?

Does it mean there’s no way out?

On the contrary, my dear reader.

There is a simple copywriting framework anyone can follow to quickly and effectively write copy that sells.

But before you get too excited (please sit back down on your chair), I have to say this – The copywriting framework I’m going to show you is not going to turn you into a top copywriter overnight.

If it was that easy everyone would be master copywriters by now.

As I said, mastering the skill of writing persuasive copy, just like any other craft, requires a lot of learning and practice

Reading this article alone will NOT (read: NEVER) beat hiring a good copywriter, or years of dedication to the craft.

This article’s purpose is to serve as a guide for the “Lazy Man” to write as persuasively as possible, as quickly as possible, and without having to spend years becoming a “pro copywriter.”

In case you’re wondering, no, I’m not going to talk about the trite AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) that you always hear of.

In my humble but accurate opinion, the AIDA framework is far too simplistic and will not help you write copy that is persuasive enough to motivate prospects.

The framework that I’m going to propose is more detailed than AIDA, but at the same time, simple enough so that you can grasp and implement quickly.

I call it the 4-Show (For show. Get it? Quite clever isn’t it? No? …………) Method.

Why 4-Show?

Because there are only 4 things you need to show your prospects to persuade them to take action:

1. Show them why they should pay attention

2. Show them why they should believe you

3. Show them them how your product can solve their problems and why it’s the best solution

4. Show them why they should act now

Let’s dive in…

1. Show them why they should pay attention

The first step to writing persuasive copy is to show your prospects why they should pay attention.

If you don’t capture their attention, your copy will go unread.

The simplest way to capture attention is to ensure your headline addresses a problem that your prospect is facing.

Write a headline that addresses on their most dominant problems or emotions. Show the biggest benefit they can stand to gain and portray your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) if possible.

Next, show them that you really understand their problems and what they are going through.

Talk about the prospects’ frustrations.

Aggravate the problem. Make him feel the pain, but also show him that you “get it.”

This builds trust, and shows him that you really understand him. You want to get the reader nodding as he reads and say, “OMG this guy gets me! He could really help me solve my problem!”

By showing them that you know their problems, you get their attention.

So after you show your prospects that you understand their problems, you should then…

2. Show them why they should believe you

This is the part where you inject some proof into your copy.

Proof is one of the most important elements in persuasion.

Without proof, nobody believes you. And when nobody believes you, nobody buys.

Inserting proof at the start (you have to insert proof throughout your copy, but more on that later) doesn’t have to be long and complicated.

It can be something as simple as “Hi, My name is John Smith, and for the past 7 years I’ve consulted businesses all over the world to help improve their digital marketing strategy. I’ve also been featured on popular blogs such as Marketingprofs.com, Copyblogger.com, and Seomoz.org.”

The key point is to show people that they can trust you.

“Why inject proof now?” some of your might be asking.

Well, because the next part that follows is….

3. Show them how your product can solve their problems and why it’s the best solution

That’s why before we make our claim that we can help them, we first show them that they can trust us.

Your prospects are bombarded with hyped up ads everyday. They freaking run away from hype now.

When we first insert proof, our claim that follows becomes more believable.

So here is the part where you state your unique promise – How your product can help them solve their problems in a unique way that no other competitors can.

Tell them why you are better than your competitors.

Tell them your USP.

List out your product benefits (not features) in compelling bullets. Bullets are fantastic ways to persuade people because bullets are easy to read. We love reading quick short lists, and a series of bullets are quick short lists.

Sell experiences.

Paint a picture and create visual images in their mind by asking them to imagine the experience they will get when they own your product.

Build desire by tapping on core, hard-wired human emotions like Greed, Status/Recognition/Prestige, Relief (from pain), Freedom, Confidence, Pleasure/Enjoyment, and Revenge.

Think of ways to link your product to these emotions.

And then finally…

4. Show them why they should act now

Finally, show your prospect why he should act now. Your prospect has many things to do.

If he doesn’t need to act now, he won’t.

He’ll be thinking in his mind, “oh I can probably decide later,” click away from the page, and never return.

Sale lost.

Game over.

Give the reader a compelling reason to act now.

There are a few ways you can do this.

1. Scarcity

Is your product limited in amount? Are you running a special discount? If so, EMPHASIZE it. Scarcity sells.

2. Tell them what they lose out on

If they don’t order your product now, what will they lose out on?

For example, if you’re selling a weight loss product, they’ll losing out on getting in shape quicker, getting more dates, and not being able to take off their shirt on the beach.

If you’re selling an education product, they’ll lose out on improving their grades as quickly as possible, which is bad because the test date is getting closer each day.

3. Provide a money back guarantee

By providing a money back guarantee, you reduce risk for your prospect. If you do provide a money back guarantee, emphasize it and show how they have nothing to lose. Therefore there’s no reason not to act now.

Give them a good reason to act now rather than later.

And that concludes the 4-Show framework.

But there’s more…

Besides following this framework, I want to give you 2 bonus tips to ramp up the persuasive powers of your copy.

Bonus Tip 1: Turbo charge your copy by Providing Proof and Evoking Emotions Throughout

Provide Proof

For every claim you make, provide proof for it. Otherwise, your claim will be perceived as hype.

Give “reasons why” for your all claims.

Make sure everything you claim is as specific as possible (specificity is a form of proof).

If you can demonstrate how your product works, do it (demonstration is also a form of proof).

If you have endorsements by popular people, or organizations, mention them.

Evoke Emotions

As mentioned, we humans are motivated by a few core emotions. Emotions create DESIRE. That’s why throughout your copy, especially towards the close, you should find ways to link product benefits to emotions or experiences that they feel as a result of buying your product.

Constantly create desire in your prospects by tapping on core emotions and selling the experience after buying your product.

Bonus Tip 2: If you’re writing long copy, further turbo charge your copy by making your copy scannable with sub-headlines.

Fact: Many people scan web pages. No matter how good your copy is, very few people will read every word of it.

The use of persuasive sub headlines allows your copy to be scannable, and thus captures your prospects’ attention more effectively.

Sub headlines are just like headlines, except further down the page. They serve as the same purpose as your headline – to give your prospects a reason to continue reading.

Write your sub-headlines just like how you would write a headline, and insert sub-headlines after a big chunk of text so that you recapture the reader’s attention.

And that concludes the simple 4-Show method to writing copy quickly and effectively, without having to be a copywriter.

It is not THE only way to write persuasive copy.

It’s just ONE of the ways that is simple enough for the non-copywriter to put out something decent.

It won’t give you a 20% conversion rate.

It won’t make you a master copywriter.

But it just might lead to more sales

Now go write some decent copy and make more sales, you lazy person.

You have no excuses now.

What?

Still here?

I knew it.

Go and get started!

More sales are waiting for you…

So I went to Levis to buy some jeans the other day.

I walked into the store, headed over to the jeans section, and started browsing.

After looking through most of what they had on display, I pinpointed 2 pairs that I really liked.

I tried them on.

And my god, I looked stunningly handsome in them (yes I am super confident and have no humility).

So I ended up buying those 2 pairs of jeans.

After my purchase, the lady at the cashier gave me 2, limited-time, $25 coupons for shirts and shoes.

Instinctively, I went to check out some shirts and shoes.

The shoes were not great, but a few shirts caught my eye so I tried them on.

And yes, I looked good in them yet again, but this time, not as good as I would like.

This time, it wasn’t good enough for me to pull out my wallet again (hey even celebrities look average in some clothes).

So I thanked the sales staff for their service and left the store.

Sounds like a normal shopping day right?

Well, almost.

A few days later, as I looked through my wallet and saw the limited-time coupons from Levis, something hit me.

That fine day in the Levis store, I almost ended up buying something I didn’t need (shirts) just because of those coupons!

If it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t really like the shirts after trying them on, I would have probably spent extra money.

In other words, if I happened to look like a million dollars in the shirts I tired on (happens quite often), I most definitely would have bought them.

The coupons were a non-salesy upsell strategy, and I almost bought into it.

Of course, handing out limited-time coupons or vouchers to customers is nothing new.

We all know about them.

However, I don’t think people truly understand the persuasive powers of limited-time coupons.

The persuasive power of limited-time coupons is two fold.

The first one is obviously scarcity. The fact that the coupon will not last forever is a great reason for customers to act fast because they’ll be thinking they won’t get a chance to save money on your products again.

And if they don’t use the coupons, they’ll think the coupons will “go to waste.”

The second is less obvious. It’s the reverse psychology of letting you think that you’re saving money, when in fact, you’re NOT.

Why?

Because you could be spending more on things you weren’t intentionally looking for in the first place.

When I went to Levis, I was only looking to buy jeans. I was not looking to buy T-shirts. But just because I received a couple of coupons, I was compelled to buy something extra.

With the combination of these 2 persuasive elements, my mind was framed into thinking…

“Hmmm… since I have this coupon, not using it would be a waste wouldn’t it? Having more shirts to wear is always a good thing, and it could go well with my new jeans! Plus I can save some money when I buy the shirts! Yay! Think I’ll go look at some shirts…”

Persuaded.

And the best part?

The whole process is not salesy at all. It’s almost like stealth persuasion.

People don’t feel any form of sales resistance when they are given coupons. They don’t have the feeling of being “sold to.”

In fact, they have the feeling of being “GIVEN to.”

Sales resistance is almost zero.

When people’s sales resistance is low, they are more likely to buy.

Compare receiving coupons to having a salesman persuade you to buy more stuff and you’ll see my point.

So this has got me thinking.

Why aren’t more people doing this online?

Instead of sending people to a totally hyped-up upsell page, why not just send people a limited-time coupon code for other related products after their purchase?

Giving out coupons doesn’t scream, “Come buy this now or you’ll freaking lose your house!”

It’s not salesy, it’s not hype.

It’s giving your prospects a chance to SELL THEMSELVES.

And that’s what I like about it.

The key is to give out coupons for RELATED or COMPLEMENTARY products to the product they’ve just bought.

Doing so would make the coupon even more persuasive because a related product helps them solve their problems further, and they’ll be thinking, “Since I have a coupon, I might as well use it. Not using it is a waste anyway!”

So persuasive, yet so stealthy.

To be sure, I have never tried this before online.

I’d have to test it out to see it’s effectiveness on the overall bottom line.

Till then, I’ll follow up with another blog post to tell you, my dear readers, about the results.

For now, I’d love to hear your comments on this.

What do you think?

Do you think more online businesses can take advantage of using limited-time coupons as an upsell strategy?