Fear as a powerful and effective marketing tactic:

Here are 3 reasons it's a bad idea to use it...

...and 3 things to do instead.
1. Fear gets people's attention but...

When you crank up the fear in the beginning, you have to work twice as hard to make people calm.

Try too hard, and you trigger people's bullshit detectors.
2. Too much fear makes people tune out...

Nobody likes being scared too much. If your messaging relies too heavily on scare tactics, you risk being ignored.

Then you have to work harder to find more people to scare.
3. You risk becoming a parody of yourself

Any long-running scary movie franchise is all the proof you need.

When you're always trying to one-up the last scare, you inevitably create absurd scenarios just to get your message across.

At which point, nobody takes you seriously.
This is a conversation I'm constantly having with myself.

How do I talk about lost time with poor workflows without resorting to fear?

It's easy to say this content stinks or how big a problem that might be.

It may not be perfect, but this is how I'm going to approach it.
1. Focus on utility
Customers already understand the risk, at least in the abstract.

They're also concretely aware there aren't many solutions.

By focusing on utility, you acknowledge the boogyman & show how to get rid of it, fear ever driving the conversation.
2. Talk about the annoyance

Lost time isn't as scary to content leaders as it is annoying.

If your product solves for annoyances, use that.

Annoyances are more relatable and funnier to pick on.
3. Be honest

The truth can be scary, but you don't need to amplify the fear.

Facts are powerful, just be sure mix it up.
Wdyt - what role does/should fear play in marketing messaging.

Is it something you use and to what extent?

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More from @tommyismyname

28 Dec 20
"I don't know what I was put on this Earth to do..."

This is one of the many reasons why, I think, Soul has resonated so much with everyone, and is why it has been generating SO MUCH discussion.

The movie is an exploration of existentialism at it's finest.

(A thread)
- Passion vs Purpose
- Living up to expectations
- Being your own worst enemy
- Feeling "stuck"
- Taking the mundane for granted
- Not seeing our impact on others

Would you be satisfied if you died tomorrow?

These are universal themes we've all contemplated.
Perhaps it would have always done well; Pixar has a way of doing that.

But Soul was a particularly poignant way to cap off a year that has had literally every person in the world question some part of their existence.
Read 6 tweets
23 Dec 20
I want to take a moment to appreciate @Etsy's email marketing team Image
First thing I notice in these subject lines; they're sort.

That brevity is just enough to get me curious and see what's inside.

My favs fit in this tweet.

- One word: Wow
- One of each please!
- You've got to see these 👀
- One for you, and you, and me...🎁

I mean... wow
That brevity is just enough to open up a curiosity gap.

They could say "buy two, get one free," or "60% off sale."

Same message, delivered differently. SO much more interesting.

@copyhackers talked about this in 2014, but it's just as relevant as ever
copyhackers.com/2014/04/curios…
Read 7 tweets
30 Jul 20
Starting my consultancy has lessons from mentors ringing in my head.

1. Start closest to the money 💰 @peeplaja

Spending company money, I'd drive TOF traffic to attract people to the product.

Now I'm the product. If that BOF page isn't legit, I'll work 2x as hard at the top.
2. Drive the least amount of traffic to get the most qualified leads - @HanaAbaza

I don't want to waste time creating stuff that won't bolster my expertise.

This doesn't mean everything is an ad, but it does mean I'm working backwards from my transactional pages.
3. Find the core content pillars - @kateri_kosta

It's content marketing 101, but there's less wiggle room when it's your own dollars.

Going hand and hand with lessons 1 and 2, strong content pillars support the offer and keep you focused on what drives the most revenue.
Read 8 tweets
4 Oct 19
Here is a simple thing I find missing in many articles that I edit... ready for it?

A thesis.

What is this article about?

Wrap the entire concept up in a single sentence and you're on the right track.

"When operations and marketing tech work together, profit happens."
"When SEO and Editorial are in sync, new reader will be found and retained."

"Using Instagram for product businesses works when you combine high quality pics with ___"

"Without a central thesis, content languishes and doesn't find it's footing."
The thesis is the spine which everything else connects to.

Without it, the best you'll get is all meat and no bones.

But more likely, you just a blob of fat thrown across the floor.
Read 10 tweets

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