Hey—Matt here, Happy FOJ!

Hope you got exciting plans later. My goal's to consume 2x the RDA of red meat—at a minimum. Anyway...

In today’s edition:

• How to tell your brand story in your emails in a way that makes customers obsessed with you (and buy more of your stuff)
• A simple tool to collect more emails and SMS from Instagram
• An easier way to make more money with less work if you sell courses or info products

Recommended Links: Beehiiv acquires Typedream (Link) How to make money immediately after subscribers sign up to your email list (Link) The easiest tool to collect emails & sms from Instagram: Gatsby (Link) An easier way to make more money with less work if you sell online courses or info products (Link)

---

Deep Dive

8 Secrets to creating an “addictive” brand story your customers can’t ignore…

1. Paradigm Shifts: Recognizing Pain Points

This is a moment of significant realization where an individual becomes acutely aware of a problem they need to address, often referred to as an "oh shit" moment.

• Examples:
  • Hair Product: A man walks into a fancy restaurant and is asked to remove his hat, revealing his baldness to everyone around him.
  • Weight Loss: An overweight person faces embarrassment due to their size, like not fitting into an airplane seat or being unable to go on a roller coaster.
  • Aging: An older woman looks in the mirror and doesn't recognize herself due to wrinkles and signs of aging, feeling invisible as people bump into her.
  • Finance: Experiencing the humiliation of a declined credit card while on a date.

When it comes to using this in your own story, this is basically the intense moment that birthed your idea. The catalyst of your brand’s creation.

2. Increasing the Stakes

The goal here is to enhance the impact of a story by adding more significant personal, professional, or public elements.

• Examples:
  • Instead of a man simply taking off his hat, he is on a crucial business dinner or a romantic date, raising the stakes for his embarrassment.
  • For a finance scenario, the person’s card gets declined while they are with potential business partners, increasing the professional stakes.

3. Adding Public Awareness

This is making the scenario more public to amplify the emotional impact.

• Examples:
  • "I even thought I heard people snickering in the background," creating a scene where the embarrassment is public and more people are noticing.
  • An overweight person being unable to fit into a roller coaster seat in front of a crowd of onlookers. And sadly, they have to step aside, while everyone watches, and they’re unable to ride. Causing extreme embarrassment and self-disgust.

4. Making the Protagonist the Butt of the Joke

This is kinda funny. But it’s basically framing the situation so that the protagonist seems like a twist of fate or karma has caught up with them. Like when they tease someone for something, and then that thing happens to them shortly after. It always adds a little bit of intrigue, and it’s interesting when we see this happen.

• Examples:
  • "Just before I was asked to remove my hat, I had been boasting about my hair care routine."
  • A person who had been mocking someone else's financial struggles earlier in the day experiences their own card being declined.

5. Using Cliches, Conventions, and Archetypes

Here, you’re leveraging familiar character types to create instant recognition and emotional connection.

• Examples:
  • Old Crazy Scientist: An eccentric genius who is unconventional yet brilliant.
  • Young Rising Star: A fresh talent making waves in the industry.
  • Example: Mario Castelli as the secret weapon in direct response copywriting and Luke Mills as an emerging superstar and protege’.

6. Contrast

Here, the focus is on emphasizing the differences between two elements to create a compelling narrative. This ultimately creates more tension in the story.

• Examples:
  • City vs. Country: Highlighting the difference between the rustic, hardworking individual and the technologically advanced opponent.
  • Example: Rocky 4, in which Rocky trains in a barn using simple tools, while his opponent trains with state-of-the-art equipment in a lab.
  • Science vs. Folk Wisdom: Showcasing the irony of sophisticated science failing where simple folk remedies succeed.
  • Example: A symposium of veterinary experts who can't solve common pet health issues versus a simple, natural remedy that works.

7. Thematic Unity: Creating Consistent Themes

This is about ensuring that themes are consistent throughout the story and product narrative.

• Examples:
  • Foot Fungus Remedy: Incorporate historical anecdotes like Alexander the Great using silver as a fungus remedy. Present the solution as combating a "three-headed hydro fungus," tying together Greek mythology, historical uses of silver, and the modern medical issue of nail fungus.
  • Energy Product: Use culturally resonant themes, such as the biblical connotations of red wine and the concept of the "passion molecule."
  • Example: "Sirtuins, which I called the passion molecule, are produced when plants undergo stress, similar to the biblical theme of suffering leading to greater strength."

8. Narrative Beats: Enhancing Story Arcs

The goal here is to use common narrative beats to create strong and relatable story arcs.

• Examples:
  • Love Story: Set up a love story before revealing a darker truth to create emotional contrast.
  • Example: "I married a man who seemed perfect, but six months into our marriage, his true, monstrous nature emerged."
  • Mama Bear Trope: Show a character discovering immense strength when protecting a loved one.
  • Example: "When my daughter was threatened, I found a source of strength and power beyond anything I had ever imagined."
  • Deep Rabbit Holes and Secret Discoveries: Frame the discovery of a solution as finding a hidden, almost forbidden source of information.
  • Example: "I was deep in the rabbit hole of YouTube, uncovering videos that seemed blacklisted, leading me to the ultimate solution."
  • Gathering Rogue Experts: Assemble a diverse group of experts, creating a narrative similar to "The Avengers" or "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
  • Example: "We reached out to rogue doctors and researchers from various fields, combining their knowledge into a groundbreaking solution."

---

While it may seem overwhelming to try and use all 8 of these, try picking 1 or 2 to infuse in your brand’s story.

I always find the minimum viable one to use to focus on paradigm shifts, and on raising the stakes. These are easiest because they often take place early in the story and can lure the reader in.

I was able to double an 8-figure brand's welcome flow conversions by using this same approach.

Don’t sleep on the power of telling a compelling brand story to your audience…

Many companies today have some boring mission statement plastered on the wall, that they don’t even believe in. It’s just words, so they sound like they have a purpose…

That means good news for you, though:

Because if you can tell a compelling story using just 1 or 2 of the strategies outlined in this newsletter, you can easily stand out in today’s day & age.

Before you go…

What did you think of today's edition? Loved it Liked it Hated it

​
Happy FOJ,
~Matt