EMM18: LinkedIn Post by Dan Nelken
Here's a secret about creativity:
Most of the time, it does NOT mean "creating something from nothing."
Most creative people aren’t pulling things out of thin air. Instead…
They’re drawing from a bank of influences floating around in their brain.
Songs they’ve heard…
Paintings they’ve seen…
Conversations they’ve had.
Often, creativity means combining all these influences in a new way -- whether consciously or not. But to do that, you need raw material.
So how do you get it?
You pay attention.
You listen to songs…
You look at paintings…
You become INTERESTED in the world around you.
And when you have conversations with people, you ask good questions.
That's what the piece in today's episode of Email Marketing Motivation is all about.
It's written by Dan Nelken. And if you get paid -- or want to get paid -- for the creative ideas your brain comes up with...
It's worth a read.
The Piece
After you finish reading, scroll down for the lessons.
Lessons We Can Learn From This Piece
1. Know What Works.
Dan opens this piece with a quick anecdote about Richard Branson:
"A friend of mine was lucky enough to visit billionaire Richard Branson's Necker Island and have a game of chess with the man. I asked him what one thing stood out.
He said, 'He was more interested in me. He kept asking questions.'"
As a writer, your job is to share ideas with people. But to do that, you need to get their attention first.
And using the prestige or credibility of a celebrity — as long as it's not forced or icky — is a great way to do that.
It just works.
Be careful with this, though. Celebrities are people too. And they deserve privacy. I don't recommend sharing celeb dirt just to get clicks.
Be respectful. And be a good human.
Another important note:
Dan didn't interact with Branson himself. His friend did. But the Branson anecdote still works, because Dan is still "close to the action."
It would NOT work if Dan said:
"My cousin's best friend's great uncle used to live in the same city as Richard Branson."
If you want to use this tactic, it has to be legit.
2. Be A Curator.
One of my favorite things about having an email list is turning everyday events into entertaining emails.
And while I love storytelling emails…
They do require some work.
So if you don't have the creative energy — or the time — to write one, you can be a "curator" instead.
That's what Dan has done with this piece.
He's curated quotes and ideas around a specific topic and compiled them into a digestible format.
Think of yourself as a filter:
A lot of information goes in, but only the good stuff comes out.
3. Play To Your Medium.
The beauty of email is that it's a fairly "raw" medium.
You're not writing the next Gone With The Wind. Instead, you're sharing ideas and stories with people who have signed up to hear your ideas and stories.
It's informal.
So don't overthink it. And don't get the idea that every email has to be "perfect." Generally, it doesn't.
Don't focus on perfection. Focus on sharing valuable ideas and entertaining stories.
I doubt Dan considers this piece his magnum opus. But it's still damn good. There's a lesson in that.
4. Show The Benefit.
This is subtle, but important.
Throughout this piece, Dan subtly highlights the benefit of being interestED vs. interestING.
He mentions that "billionaire Richard Branson" asked his friend a lot of questions:
"He was more interested in me. He kept asking questions."
With the question from his therapist, he hints that becoming more interestED is more likely to lead to a richer life than trying to be more interestING.
"Who do you think would have a richer life, someone who spends their life trying to be interesting or interested?"
And with the result of the Alison Wood Brooks study, along with the quote from Eric Barker…
He hints that letting others talk about themselves around you is more likely to get them to like you than the other way around.
"When psychologist, Alison Wood Brooks started studying conversations at Harvard years ago, the most common complaints after a conversation, like an interview, first date, or work meeting, was 'I wish [s/he] had asked me more questions' and 'I can’t believe [they] didn’t ask me any questions.'"
And…
"'Neuroscientist Diana Tamir found that your brain gets more pleasure from you talking about yourself than it does from food or money. This is why you should stop doing it and let others do it as much as possible around you.' - Barking up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker"
See the benefits?
Becoming wealthier
Living a richer life
Being liked
Whatever you're selling, whether it's an idea, a product, or a service — make sure you highlight the benefits to your reader.
5. Serve It On A Platter.
Notice Dan's lesson at the end:
"As professional creatives, it’s in our best interest to dial up our curiosity and ask more interesting questions both in our personal and creative lives."
It's clear. But it's not absolute.
Dan doesn't say: "Thou shalt ask more interesting questions…"
He just says: "It's in our best interest to dial up our curiosity…"
When it comes to emailing your list — you don't need to make giant proclamations…
But you do need to share some valuable lessons with people.
And if you write a "curation" email like this, you need to clearly show your reader the connection between all the ideas.
Serve it up on a silver platter.
How To Apply These Lessons To Your Email Marketing ASAP
Here's a quick summary of the lessons from this piece:
Know What Works.
Be A Curator.
Play To Your Medium.
Show The Benefit.
Serve It On A Platter.
And here’s how you can apply it to your email marketing:
Write a "curation" email to your list.
Is there a topic you've been thinking about a lot lately?
A list of favorite quotes you have hidden away somewhere?
A series of anecdotes or situations that are all somehow related to one another?
This is your chance to include those things in a single email.
Think of a "curation" email as a collection of unpolished thoughts or ideas around the same topic. Include all of them in one email. Tell your reader how they're related. And be crystal-clear about the takeaway lesson.
Here's What You Should Do Next
Thanks for reading Email Marketing Motivation. Here's what you should do next:
Click here and join my email list. I'll give you a heads up when I publish the next episode of Email Marketing Motivation, AND you'll get free access to my email copywriting cheatsheet, The Email Copy Instant Upgrade.
Click here and join Dan's email list. I signed up after he posted a CTA on LinkedIn that read "Become a future unsubscriber," which I thought was hilarious.
Share this article with someone — or a group of people — who would like it. They'll be impressed by how smart and thoughtful you are.
Check out my course, Stories That Sell, if you want my comprehensive guide on how to write storytelling emails that earn more money for your business and help you connect with your audience in a genuine way.