Issue #7 - The Format Does Not Influence The Principle
You make the channel your bitch… not the other way around
Come one, come all, it’s the greatest show on Earth. A fuck fest of ideas, tormenting the mind of one poor author who’s going to provide tonight’s entertainment. Please be seated and turn off your mobile devices, as what you’re about to experience is no easy feat.
We’ll revel in the intimate conversation that takes place behind the eyes, and glasses, of one Vlad-Adrian Iancu.
The thespians:
Rational Vlad - He wants to make it. He wants people to like him, read his newsletters, his posts. One day, he hopes he’ll grow up and be a real boy marketer.
MadVlad - He… What he wants is better left unsaid. His intentions are rather unsavory, and concern a good percentage of all writers and marketers. To put it in simple terms, he wants to crawl up their asses and disembowel them, popping out like the Alien. As we said… better left unmentioned.
Let the performance…. BEGIN!
Rational Vlad: Dude… It’s too long. 3600 words, you know what that means? With today’s attention span? We’ll lose them. We’ve got to start cutting it. To be more efficient. You want our open rates to be higher, n-no?
MadVlad: Nah, fuck that. They’ll read it if they like it. They’ll make time for it if it’s important to them. If they don’t, they didn’t like it and it wasn’t important.
They will save time, you’ll get rid of a subscriber that’s not your audience. Everybody wins.
Rational Vlad: But, Mad, that’s insan….
MadVlad: Shhhh, go to sleep (muffled chocking sounds)... we’ve got work to do (rolling up the philosophical sleeves).
ACT 1 - It’s all writing
Why did I make you sit through that uncomfortable opening scene? To prove a point: people will read just about anything, even the washing instructions on socks, if it tickles their fancies.
Which means, the point is not WHAT, but HOW it is written. That’s why, I do not discriminate. Or, better yet, my talent does not discriminate. I can’t niche, because I don’t believe in types of writing.
Until further evidence to the contrary, writing is writing. From poetry to B2B communication, it’s all writing.
Sure, sure, sure, sure, the goal is different, but the instrument remains the same. Master the instrument, perfect the craft, and no goal will be left standing.
That’s why, channel does not matter. You know how to write, the channel is an afterthought. Sure, some types of texts help with selling, others help with awareness, and so on, but the principle is the same.
Don’t believe moi?
SEO writing: yes, it needs to be optimized for search engines. But, in the end, it’s the people who buy, not the engine.
So, it stands to reason that whenever you write for people, no matter the channel, the principle stays the same:
GOT CONNECTION - GOT ACTION
ACT 2 - It’s all people
Look, we’re writing to people. That’s why I’m a copywriter, content writer, ghostwriter, blog writer, website writer, article writer (journalist), newsletter writer.
And, for your pleasure today - a playwright.
What’s the difference?
NONE.
Because writing is writing. Resonance is resonance.
Good writing is a consequence of good thinking. That’s why I also do a bang-ass job as a consultant. OK, having been a trainer helps.
But, get closer now, I have a secret:
I only follow the fundamentals, just as I explained. I never care about the channel.
Why? Because it doesn’t matter how the story reaches you, what matters is that the story be good.
Think Tarantino’s movies: Pulp Fiction. The story is a convoluted mess, jumping back and forth between scenes. But it does not matter, because the story is good.
ACT 3 - Bad habits
But since people don’t know how to resonate, they have developed some bad habits. Because they have forgotten that resonance basically means:
“The human in me sees the human in you”
Fuck, I feel like Buddha now.
People have forgotten how to actually be human and speak/write from their heart, so they have to fall back on tricks. And hacks that work differently depending on the channel where you advertise.
That’s why we get crap like:
Banned words in copywriting
Apparently, you should not use the word “can” in copywriting. You know why? Because it’s not powerful enough. You have to guarantee stuff, and “can help” comes off as not sure of yourself.
Even if you know for a fact that your product “can help”, but in no way guarantees results, we’re pushed to say “my product will help”. Without a second thought regarding the truth.
Because: “In sales copy it’s always better to be assertive — hedge words like this distract from the message.” - a rando professional.
Aha…
Let me regale you with:
"Carlsberg: Probably The Best Beer In The World" - bad copy?
Hedging, are we?
And
"Probably not the best beer in the world. So we've changed it” - even worse, by all accounts.
As of 2024, the market cap for Carlsberg is $19.66 B,B,B…. Billion.
Please go ahead and su… hedge my dick.
Power words
Of course, where there’s hedging, there have to be… power words.
Power words are those stickers you put on a wound, and it’s supposed to make it all better. Instead, infection boils under them.
“Do you often feel like your copywriting is falling flat?
Like it gets the point across, but doesn't spark any emotion?
That happens to me all the time.
Luckily, there's a simple solution.
-> Power words.” - another rando professional.
Does it sound just a little bit dumb?
Yeah, because it is.
He even puts them in categories like trust, curiosity and laziness. Let me hit you with some highlights:
Trust: zero-obligation, guaranteed, expert, no questions asked
Curiosity: little-known, be the first, controversial, secret, sneak peek
Laziness: instant, in record time, no sweat, all-inclusive
It goes on for a while.
So, do you feel like a better writer? Will using those words make your writing resonate more?
NO.
You can give someone a list of Power Words, but that does not make him a copywriter :)).
You see, good writing is about HOW you use the words, not what words you use.
The emotional spark comes from the way you string those words together and the message behind them.
There's no "simple solution".
Cut my length, will ya?
This is the most annoying, by far.
Listen, my newsletters are long. They have to be, because each time I send you one, my intention is to make you a little bit smarter. I can’t do that in 500 words or bust.
Second on my list, I really LOVE writing. I’m not going to cut into my pleasure so you read less. It’s… unbecoming.
People always mess with the length of my Newsletter and say that they don’t expect a text mammoth in their inbox. Even people who I respect and know they respect me back. They say that long texts tend to be cast aside, never to be read. That’s because they still put their stock on channel more than on principle. Their funeral.
Ah, they also say that my length (my newsletter length, you perv) is also a differentiator. Cocky bastards…
Fuck that.
I have one Jay Acunzo, one Flavia Barbat and one Anne Handley to read this weekend. And I’m fucking ecstatic about it. I respect these people and read 90% of what they create.
And since I like it, I make a day of it.
But the number one reason I don’t make my Newsletters shorter or send them in Part 1 and Part 2 style?
THIS:
“While I care about open rates (I'm not a hypocrite), I care a lot more about the overall experience. Maybe I build excitement and boost my read rate, but from my point of view, I dilute the message and the experience.
Imagine my writing is a movie. A 4-hour-long movie. Sure, I can break it in two, release part one now and part two a year later. Make a lot more money and gain more followers.
But my vision will have suffered. The gap will have led to a lack of interaction. The message would be truncated.
Imagine The Godfather 2 Part 1 and The Godfather 2 Part 2. Not the same punch, is it?” - I’m quoting myself.
And to top it all off… people actually READ my long stuff. Why should I stop?
Think about the children!
Whenever I hear the “think about the audience” argument, I get chills down my spine. The audience is going to be just fine, even if you don’t think about them.
That’s because, as Bob Dylan says, they find you, you don’t find them.
Which means that as long as you write your heart out, there will be an audience. They come for the show. What the show can do for them is important, but not the main event.
You read my stuff because you resonate first. Yes, the tips help, but if you hated my style, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. I’m fine with that.
So, quoting myself again:
“I never think about what the audience wants to read. I find it a bit manipulating and insulting, to be honest. I try to FEEL what they need to read. And the best way to feel what they feel is to look inside.
Hence, why I write for myself first. For me, that's empathy. And that's how we connect. Feeling, not thinking. Might be my acting background.”
Look, I studied psychology, I’ve been a trainer, a coach (very short time) and an actor. And the principle stands, for all those professions:
Communication is not about what you say/write. It's about what the receiver feels.
But sure, go ahead and tell me that it’s different with writing.
I dare you, I double dare you, motherfucker!
Hate the ads
This one, I’m guilty of myself. I tend to stay away from copy for ads. Simply because - the demand is quite idiotic.
People think ads, and by ads I mean those short bursts of attention grabbing shit on social media, are mostly intrusive, annoying and boring.
Hence, the ad blocker.
Advertisers… you really don’t think we’re doing something wrong if people created a wall especially for us?
The problem with ads is that people confuse marketing with sales. And people who ask for the ads are breathing down the creatives’ neck with demands like:
“Make it more relatable”
Now, the creative should say: back the fuck up, you know nothing about being relatable.
But the creative also lives paycheck to paycheck so that’s why we get MOSTLY brain-dead, boring, intrusive, ad block worthy ads.
If anyone who makes ads reads my stuff, I’d be happy to help them change that.
But, until then… ADS BAD.
ACT 4 - Fuck the channel
If you’ve been following me on LinkedIn, you know I routinely take a piss on whatever that platform recommends as a “good growing strategy”.
I don’t pay my commenting dues, I’m regularly a dick, like on here, I rarely put up selfies, I don’t send connection requests just to grow, I accept connection requests from anyone, I don’t pitch slap, I don’t write for attention, I don’t produce “how to” tips and hacks, and I don’t kiss anyone’s ass.
I mainly post what I want, support people, call out people and talk about my services.
I’m not interested in growing for growing’s sake, but I want to build a brand and gather a community around my stuff. And so far, so good.
But, I only accomplished this because I’m a great writer (oh, you modest prick) and I stuck the finger to LinkedIn.
See, I don’t believe in pleasing or whoring for the algorithm. Sure, I know how to hack it… and sometimes do, but I usually focus on:
MISSION and MESSAGE
If you have those down pat, you don’t have to:
“IMO, the best move for creators is to do a little bit of both: give the people some "junk food" content to grow your audience, and balance that with some "fine dining" content to connect with the most thoughtful people following you. Too much of either one probably won't get you where you want to go.” - yet another rando professional.
And I think that’s an awful idea for a premium brand. Why would I attract a junk audience if I'm all about fine dining?
I believe it's a lot better to put out content and see who resonates. And then, redouble your efforts in that direction. That way, you get JUST the right audience.
I'm in the business of making an impact and making money. If I put out content that I KNOW doesn't serve my audience, what am I gaining?
A few more eyeballs? Bragging rights?
I tell you what I'm not gaining: a qualified audience ready to buy.
At the same time, I'm alienating the audience I do have, by publishing content that they don't resonate with.
In trying to hit two birds with one stone, I lose them both.
It seems to me that most people think you need both a high quality and a low quality audience.
Instead of the right audience.
A powerful business does not change the message according to the channel. It sticks to the same message, same quality, same positioning on all channels.
Or it stays out of the channels that are not right for its brand. Sure, you can modulate your voice, but don’t change the message.
ACT 5 - The last dragon
It’s usually around Act V that Shakespeare says “fuck it” and the protagonist has to either die or win. Hamlet has already noticed that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” and now he has to do something about it.
My last dragon in the Channel vs Principle fight is this:
If you value channel more than principle, you’re prone to falling prey to thinking that Distribution matters more than Creation (no, it does not)
Adriana Tica stands by it. Kinda funny, one of my arch nemeses is also a Romanian, no? 🙂
Anyway, Adriana thinks that if you spend a lot of time on creation, you’re doing it wrong. That’s why she posts about tips to repurpose your content. And I’m fine with that. I respect Adriana (sort of) and her right to a differing opinion.
What I don’t respect is her coming back and saying “I LOVE writing”.
You know what? F-U. That’s where I draw the line. At you thinking we’re idiots.
Oh, yeah, I love writing, that’s why I spend the least possible amount of time doing what I like most. Does she really take us all for idiots? Uh, yeah, pretty much.
Sure, someone with poorer critical thinking skills will come to her defense saying obscure bullshit like: “No, I know her better than you do, she meant something else.”
Suuure she did. Thing is, I look at people’s actions more than I look at what they say. And the actions are about repurposing. And the drones commenting on her post all agree: “yeah, let’s learn to repurpose everything so we can drive creation time to a bare minimum.”
I’m sorry, Tica, but if you meant something else, you should also clarify it for the people in the comments. But you didn’t.
So… when you say you love/loved writing…?
I’m gonna hand it to my man Thor:
I’ve taken the image off the internet and don’t know who to credit it to. Taika, sue me!
Is repurposing bad?
Of course not! I’d say it’s even necessary after a point. But don’t have the audacity to tell me that distribution is more important than creation.
I value creation, and that’s why you’ll never catch me talking about repurposing. You know why?
I actually like coming up with new ideas every day. Keeps me intelligent. Also keeps the Alzheimer’s away.
Repurposing is great for founders and marketers. But for writers? It’s BRAIN DEATH.
That’s why Mrs. Tica is a marketer. Not a writer.
(sniff, sniff)
Oh, but I can smell you… you’re a doubter. You need proof that creation is more important than distribution. Very well, I’ll brag again:
I made a sale* after 5 issues of my newsletter. With 66 readers. How’s that for content vs distribution?
You’re desperately focusing on the wrong side of the equation. You shouldn’t claw your way into more attention.
You should go deeper on the quality of the content.
“You don’t have a distribution problem, you have a lack of resonance problem.”(My man Jay Acunzo)
If you spent less time on hacks to improve the repurposing process, and more time on content that resonates, you wouldn’t have to jump through hoops. It’s undignified for a woman your age.
Woah, that felt refreshing.
*Remember when I told you I made a sale after 5 newsletter issues with 66 readers? Might be due to the fact that I WORKED MY LITERAL ASS OFF for one year building my brand and perfecting my craft.
So no, you can’t do it hocus-pocus like Loky.
ACT 6 - You will fail because you didn’t respect Spider-Man
Again, stay with me.
There are three big superhero franchises at the moment:
DC (they are rebooting)
Marvel (in a coma)
The Spider-Verse, owned by Sony.
Only one itsy-bitsy-spider problem: The Spider-Verse doesn’t have Spider-Man in it because they signed off the rights to Marvel.
They built a whole universe around Spider-Man’s villains and other heroes, but without the main character.
That’s why most movies from the Spider-Verse, like the recent Madam Web, are a total flop compared to Marvel.
And you’re laughing your ass off, right? How can they be so stupid?
Take a long look at yourself. You’re focusing on channel, and you’ve taken the human principle out of this universe/your content.
Do better.
Audience feedback
This week’s feedback is courtesy of Keeee…. vin.
Kevin saw the welcoming e-mail and has a problem with the fact I used the “boy/girl/Apache helicopter” joke. It’s apparently derogatory towards the LGBTQ+ community.
While I’m all for their rights, I’m also all for my right of free expression. Even if that free expression drives me to make jokes about sexuality, religion, abortion, rape, the holocaust and so on.
That being said:
If you can't take a crass joke - don't sign up.
If you can't look at a joke outside the original context - don't sign up.
If you're easily offended or turned off - don't sign up.
The day stand-ups like Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais or Dave Chappelle can't go on stage and joke about everything and anything, that's the day freedom of expression dies.
I absolutely don't want to offend anyone.
Maybe Tica, with this issue. But I will not pussyfoot or pull my punches in my own creation.
That crass joke is just a disqualifier for people who get offended easily. That’s all it is.
And remember - The Unapologetic Newsletter, right?
At the same time, I would not write something purely for the purpose of offending someone. Again, maybe Tica.
But otherwise, I hate gender roles clichés as much as the next person, especially in advertising. Still, that doesn’t stop me from liking sexist jokes or mucking about with my gay mates and asking them if the back door is open for a visit.
I joke about everything and anything and I expect people to not take me seriously.
That being said, thank you for the feedback, Kevin. You’re right, it may come off as insensitive. Which, on occasion, I am :).
Going forward
The record goes further, and I’m hitting you with the longest one yet. Gotta control the length on these before I turn it into a book. But not yet.
If you loved this issue, you might be interested in
Previously, on B00ls: Issue #6 - Craft or Line Assembly?
Are you a Rolls-Royce or a run-of-the-mill car?
Next time, join MadVlad as he takes on…
Issue #8: Tabibu Juha, Marketing Ain’t Sales
I’ve got an Instinct you’ll hate this one
You can get access to the full archive here if you missed any other issue.
In the meantime
If you liked my stuff, this is how we can work together:
I write for you. Check out the Experience section on my LinkedIn
I consult marketers and founders. Ask about my human principle approach to marketing
I consult writers. Ask about my human principle approach to writing
Are you a marketer/writer/founder who wants to learn how to focus on connection, not channel? Reply to this e-mail if you’re interested in the above.
Offers 2 and 3 are detailed up on LinkedIn. But you can also find them here:
BTW
I’ve had my first consultancy session and this is the initial feedback:
1. I get an extra material!!!
Yes, as part of the Hot approach, you get a full written material with a global audit on your brand/business/marketing efforts.
It details our discussions, areas of improvement, my suggestions, actions to take in the future.
2. Direct, efficient
As per my LinkedIn activity.
3. Prepared for the session
I always handle my due diligence.
4. I don’t like the fact that you charge me twice
Yes, I ask for 50% upfront, as a sign of good will. I also make sure you show up, do the work and use this time. And you don’t waste my time.
But, this double payment thing only happens on our first meeting.
Cheers
If this was the first, but also last time we meet: Thank you.
I write for myself, but you reading my writing gives it additional meaning. I literally could not resonate without you.
The curtain drops…