Need An Ego Boost? Here’s How To Get A Truckload Of Fan Mail

Hey there Academy readers! David here. 🙂 The last 12 days, I’ve been remodeling and, just yesterday, we moved to a different house. So, needless to say, it has been INSANE. And, for that reason, I simply haven’t had the time to create any new content for the blog personally.

But, not to worry. Today (and below) is an awesome guest post from Logan Marshall. This is Logan’s second post on this blog as a guest. I can’t say I know a whole lot about him, but I think he is a great copywriter. An entertaining – and informative – read. And, for that reason, I’m happy to welcome Logan to the Academy blog again. Take it away…

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Trolls are sneaky little buggers. Hiding beneath their dark, cold bridges…fangs bared…you never know when they’re going to strike.

Sometimes, after hours of sitting at the computer creating your best work you get an email telling you to “go fug yourself”…and it makes you want to FALCON PUNCH a baby panda.

As they say, “haters gonna hate.”

And while hate mail is NOT BAD (if you aren’t pissing some people off you aren’t saying much)…sometimes you need a little ego boost. A pat on the back.

Sometimes you need someone to tell you you’re not crazy and that all your hard work is helping at least a few people improve their lives.

If you’re feeling a bit bogged down and would like to create the “Harry Potter effect” and have fan mail blasting from your living room fireplace…

…this is post is for you.

In it I’m going to show you the exact strategy I’ve been using to receive daily “thank you emails” and build a MONSTER list in the process.

Let’s dive in.

Moving The Freeline And The 30 Day Quest

A couple weeks ago I unveiled my latest creation: a 100% free, incredibly nerdy, marketing series I’m calling The Hero Bootcamp.

It’s packed with three content rich “phases.”

Killer videos.

Thousands of words.

Completely free. On the house. Absolutely no strings attached.

Now, why in the name of Merlin’s saggy left would I do something like that? Why would I share my biggest baddest secrets with the world…for free?

Well…it all comes down to something Eben Pagan calls “moving the freeline.” In essence, moving the freeline is all about giving away your best stuff so that you draw in more people…and increase the perceived value of your paid materials.

Watch the video below for better idea of what I’m talking about. Pay close attention to the story about his “money schemes.” This stuff is GOLD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k51vFkjtf3g

See how that works?

Instead of going straight for the jugular and spamming the living shit out of everyone who enters your funnel, you “move the freeline” and ATTRACT people to you by giving away your best stuff. Before you even ask for their name and email address.

So…based on this concept, I embarked into the unknown and created The Hero Bootcamp.

The result?

Pretty damn good. Ever since the (small, under-the-radar) release, I’ve had hundreds of people joining my list and received almost daily messages like this:

This stuff works.

Let me show you how to do it.

The Hero Bootcamp Framework

I’m going to do something a little bit crazy here. I’m going to “move the freeline” once again and show you the entire 30 day quest framework (the one I cover in the training program)…right here. Right now.

This is the EXACT strategy I’ve personally used in multiple different businesses, and I believe that it’s the easiest way to kick start a business…build a list…and find yourself neck-deep in love letters.

The framework has four stages:

1. Do your research.
2. Create something epic.
3. Present your solution like a boss.
4. Get the ball rolling.

Let’s look at step number one right now.

Step 1: Do Your Research

Okay, so before you put your nose to the grindstone and start “makin’ stuff,” there are a few things you must consider:

1. Does my audience want this?

Now this may seem obvious, but I see so many people ignoring their audience’s desperate cries for help and simply creating what they THINK their audience wants.

Not smart.

If you want to ensure that your project will be a success, you must do your research and identify the biggest unmet needs in your niche. The pain points that are being ignored by the marketplace…and then fill them.

And fill them freaking well.

Better than anyone else.

Fill them so thoroughly that people are left dumbfounded by the amount of value you’ve given them.

Reeling in the awesomeness of your content and how RELEVANT it is to them.

2. Is this different from what’s already out there?

You can create something that people are looking for, but if someone has already created an identical (better) version…you’re out of luck.

Game over.

Insert coin to play again.

So, in addition to uncovering the biggest unmet needs, make sure to survey the competition. See what people are offering. See how they “frame” their offers. See what language they use. See who they’re targeting. Identify what gaps exist…

…then, create something completely different. Something PAINFULLY different. Something so “out there” that that even Lady Gaga (standing there in her meat dress) would be surprised by your originality.

Step 2: Create Something Epic

Once you’ve “mined” your niche for all it’s worth, the next step is to roll up your sleeves and answer your audience’s prayers by creating the EXACT solution that people are asking for…and will make them go absolutely BAZONKERS when you give it to them.

When doing this there are a few things you want to keep in mind:

1. People learn and consume content differently

When you break it down, there are three different content modalities. Some people like text, others like audio and others like video.

In addition, there are four different learning styles that people respond to:

1. Why
2. What
3. How
4. What if

Some people want to know WHY they should be doing something. Some people want to know the WHAT behind the content (theory, history, information). Some people want to know the step-by-step “do this then that” framework. And finally, some people want to see real world examples and case studies.

By speaking to both the three content modalities and the four learning styles, you will be able to communicate with 100% of your audience and more effectively spread your message.

2. Epic does not mean long

One of the biggest (most tragic) mistakes that I see people making is this:

Associating value with length.

In reality, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Value is associated with RESULTS. Not length. Your only goal as a content creator is to deliver a desired result to your target audience.

That’s it. That’s all.

And, because people are so BOMBARDED with information, emails and piles of PDF reports…this often means condensing your material.

Yes, sometimes you need to go a tad overboard to fully convey your message, but it’s important to remember that your job is not to complicate people’s lives with stacks of workbooks and hours of video. Your job is simple: to take people from where they are now to where they want to go…in the fastest, most economical way possible.

Step 3: Present Your Solution Like A Boss

Okay, now you’re making progress.

Good on ya, mate.

Once you’ve uncovered the biggest unmet need and created a badass solution…the next step is to present it in a way that makes people RESPOND.

This is tricky business.

I cover how to craft a killer “presell page” on page 5 of my Hero Bootcamp Series…but for now there are a few things I want you to understand:

1. Give before asking for anything

As you may or may not know, there is a disturbing trend sweeping the internet…and it’s causing a lot of marketers to pull their hair out in frustration.

What I’m talking about is a drop in opt-in rates.

All across the board, opt-in rates are PLUMMETING and people are becoming more and more protective of their email address.

“No. This is MY email address. You can’t have it. Go away.”

With this in mind, I believe it’s time we adopted a new strategy. Not the same old pop-ups, squeeze pages and flashing banners that make you want to vomit…but a revolutionary new way of generating leads.

While I can’t go into my entire philosophy here, it’s based on one CRITICAL realization. And that’s this:

Instead of immediately asking for the opt-in, give away value upfront before asking for anything in return. This way, instead of feeling like they are being manipulated, people are PULLED into wanting more from you. They can see that you understand them and have something valuable to offer…and they WANT to opt-in.
Do you see the difference?

2. Use your research to craft your offer

In addition, it’s critically important that you use the information you gathered about your audience’s needs, fears and frustrations…to craft a compelling offer.

You do this by speaking directly to the emotions that you uncovered.

Use the words they gave you. Include a story they will resonate with. Present your solution in a way that makes them say “Holy crap, this person can read my mind. It’s almost like they created this specifically for me.”

Muhahaha…exactly.

3. Make sure people PERCEIVE your offer as valuable

Again, be aware of the norms in your niche when “framing” your offer. If everyone gives away free reports and you offer a free report…you can’t expect much.

It’s the norm.

No one cares.

However…if you create something different from your competitors and something with real monetary value, people will react like sharks in a feeding frenzy. For example, look at what Danny Iny did with his book “Engagement From Scratch”. He spent months creating a 241 page book (that sells for $20 on Amazon)…but allowed people to download the PDF version for free.

…And 7,568 subscribers later, I think it’s fair to say that the strategy worked.

Step 4: Get The Ball Rolling

And finally, once you’re “sitting pretty” on steps one through three…your final task is to let the world know.

This is the easy part.

If you’ve done everything up to this point, you shouldn’t have to do much at all. All your creation will need is a little “push,” a little momentum…and it will take on a life of it’s own.

While there are many ways to promote your offering, here are a few of my favorites:

1. Write strategic guest posts — Do what I’m doing right now and write guest posts linking back to your website. I don’t care what they say. Guest posting works…assuming you do it right.
2. Leverage your connections — If you have a network of buddies who like and support your work, use them. Set up a promotion that’s valuable for both of you…and get them to spread the word.
3. Use Facebook advertising — While a bit tricky to get the hang of, Facebook Ads can be a great way to drive traffic (and make a boatload of money) extremely fast. For great information on paid traffic check out Rick Mulready.
4. Video and Podcast traffic — Create and syndicate video and audio content on all the different podcasting and video sharing sites. Mention and link back to your website in every piece of content.

Of course, there are many other ways to drive traffic…but these should get you started.

The key is to actually use them.

Instead of just saying “yeah, I see how that could work”…go sit your butt in a mutha-flippin chair and write a guest post. Create a video. Learn Facebook Advertising. Make some connections.

I know you’ve probably heard this ten gazillion times, but nothing happens until you take action.

So roll up your sleeves, put on your “I mean business” face (yeah that one), and set to work.

A bigger, bolder life awaits.

Bottom Line

The bottom line in all of this is simple: if you want to be successful in today’s day and age. 2012. Right now…you gotta do something different.

Something BIG.

Sitting on the sideline and quietly blogging away may have worked like gangbusters a few years ago, but the playing field has changed. It’s EVOLVED. Today we’re dealing with a far more sophisticated, far more skeptical audience. An audience who is more hesitant to give their email away and, honestly, doesn’t give a flying duck about your latest blog post.

They’ve seen all the basic tricks, they’ve read the “free guides” and signed up for “free updates”…and they’re tired of them. They don’t care.

All this new audience cares about is this: whether or not you can help them get from where they are now to where they want to go.

With this in mind…here’s my question to you:

Are you up for the challenge?

How To Get My “Hero Bootcamp” For The Price Of A Glass Of Tap Water

Are you ready for a LIVE case study of what you’ve just been learning about?

Awesome.

Click here to start your journey (and learn how I am personally using the strategies in this post to grow my business.)

Rock on!

Logan