EMM04: "The Feedback Loop From Hell" by Mark Manson
I'm breaking my own rule. And I don't give a shit.
… okay, I kind of give a shit. So let me explain myself:
When I started Email Marketing Motivation 4 whole weeks ago, the goal was to "share one short piece of high-quality writing (generally 1,000 words or less)."
The idea being that, in order to get better at writing, you have to read good writing. But if all I did was sit here and recommend novels…
No one would read them, because they're long and you're busy.
So, by featuring shorter pieces, I can show you bite-sized chunks of good writing, and break down what makes them good.
That way, you can write better emails to your list — without having to spend weeks or months reading a big book recommended to you by some random guy on the internet.
All that to say:
The piece I'm featuring today is a bit longer than I initially intended for Email Marketing Motivation pieces. It clocks in at 1,634 words.
But I'm featuring it anyway. Because it's my party, and I'll do what I want, and also because…
It's written by one of my favorite authors, Mark Manson.
It covers a topic that could change your life, like, as soon as today. If you think that sounds crazy, read it, and then tell me I'm wrong.
The pieces I've featured over the past couple weeks have been "literary" pieces. So this week, I wanted to feature a piece you wouldn't find in a lit mag, yet is still very good.
(After you finish reading, scroll down for the lessons)
Done Reading?
Alright, Here Are The Lessons We Can Learn From This Piece:
1. Grab Attention Immediately
Check out the first 2 sentences of this piece:
"There’s an insidious quirk to your brain that, if you let it, can drive you absolutely batty. Tell me if this sounds familiar to you:"
These two sentences are a fantastic way to start an article. And here's why:
First, they create curiosity.
The idea that my brain has some sort of faulty mechanism that can drive me batshit crazy if I don't know how to handle it is intriguing as fuck.
It's mysterious. It's dangerous. It's living inside me right now!
It would be difficult to read those first 2 sentences and not keep reading.
Also implied here is the idea that, by reading this article, you can figure out how to control this ticking time bomb, and ideally, make it a little less likely to blow up your whole life.
Second, they establish authority.
I recently finished reading Chuck Palahniuk's book on writing, Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different.
One of the things he talks about is the idea of "establishing your authority" as a writer. The idea being that the reader needs to actually believe what you're saying.
In these first 2 sentences, Manson introduces an idea that we have never heard of, and then uses an imperative sentence ("Tell me if this sounds familiar…") to begin "diagnosing" us.
By moving so quickly from the new idea to the "diagnosis," he becomes an authority on the topic immediately. It almost feels like he's a doctor who has stormed into a patient's room and started asking questions. Because of this, we trust him from the get-go.
And third, they grab attention.
As I mentioned, after you read these first 2 sentences, it's very difficult not to read the ones that follow. This is a perfect example of the concept of a "slippery slope."
I first learned this from Joseph Sugarman in The Adweek Copywriting Handbook. The idea goes something like this:
The purpose of your first sentence is to get someone to read the second sentence. The purpose of the second sentence is to get someone to read the third sentence.
And so on.
Keep this in mind when you're writing an email to your list. You can't simply expect that people will care about what you're saying.
You have to craft your sentences in a way that makes them care.
2. Understand Your Audience's Pain Points
Manson follows up his first 2 sentences with 3 paragraphs that hit on the audience's pain points.
He talks about feeling anxious… then feeling anxious about feeling anxious.
Or getting angry… then getting angry about getting angry.
Or being worried… then being worried about being worried.
And so on.
His audience, I would guess, is people who are:
Interested in improving their lives
Fairly aware of their thoughts and emotions
If we assume those 2 things are true, then those people read these 3 paragraphs and immediately resonate with at least one of them.
I don't think Manson started writing this section and thought:
"Okay, so how can I hit on the audience's pain points right here?"
Instead, he's just painting a picture of what it feels like to experience "the feedback loop from hell."
This illustrates 2 important points:
First, if you want to write powerful email copy, you need to understand your audience's pain points.
Your products or services solve problems for people. What are those problems?
Second, don't just mention pain points — paint a picture of what they look and feel like.
Notice how in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th paragraphs of the article, Manson goes into detail about the specific thought process people go through in the feedback loop from hell.
By being specific, he establishes even more authority.
He shows the reader he understands their problem. And as a general rule, if a reader believes you understand their problem better than they do…
They will trust that you can solve that problem for them too.
3. Be Yourself
There are 2 things I love about Mark Manson's writing:
First — he presents unique, counterintuitive ideas.
The article we're reviewing is a perfect example.
While many "self-help" authors would tell you to just "think positive" or make a gratitude list — Manson gives it to you straight:
Sometimes life is shitty. And that's okay. You don't have to fix everything all the time.
And second — he has a ton of personality.
Like I mentioned in Episode #2, you should write like you talk. For some people, like Manson, that means being vulgar — as in:
"Fuck you, wall. Here, have a fist."
Good writing takes many different shapes and forms. Don't feel like you have to mirror someone else's style in order to connect with your audience.
Obviously, you want to make sure you write well. (If you want tips on what good writing looks and sounds like — check out Stories That Sell.)
But you also want to focus on being genuine.
And if you're wondering how to sound genuine in the emails you write to your list, here's what I'd recommend:
First, record yourself telling a story to a friend.
This is a tip I got from a writing class I took in early 2021. Sit down with a friend and tell them a story from your life. Record yourself while you do this.
After you record yourself telling the story, listen to it, and write it out exactly the way you said it out loud.
(This is very similar to the exercise I suggest at the end of Email Marketing Motivation Episode #2.)
The goal isn't to end up with a polished email draft. So don't worry if your story looks rough after you write it out. Instead, the goal is to give you an idea of what your writing voice should sound like.
You want it to be similar to the walk you talk in normal life.
This is what makes your writing feel natural and sound genuine.
Second, write for your own entertainment.
On Episode #15 of The Tim Ferriss Show, author Neil Strauss said something like this:
When he writes his first draft of a piece, he writes it for himself.
When he writes his second draft, he writes it for his audience (his fans).
And when he writes his third draft, he writes it for his critics.
The idea is that, by looking at his piece through these different "lenses," he makes it as strong as possible.
If you're struggling to find your voice as a writer — I'd recommend sticking to Step #1 of this process:
Write for yourself. Write what sounds fun and entertaining to YOU.
Write your emails in a way that YOU find interesting. Have fun with it. Because if you're having fun writing it, you'll increase the odds that your reader will have fun reading it.
You can worry about fans and critics later. For now, just get your fingers moving and send some emails.
4. Consume Other Forms Of Media
Memorable personal brands are unique.
Since I'm a copywriter and not a life coach, I can't give you a full rundown on how to become more unique. But here's what I can say:
If you want to find more unique ideas for your emails — consume other forms of media.
Read other writers. Listen to podcasts you enjoy. Watch movies, documentaries, TV shows.
I've heard that creativity is just connecting two seemingly unrelated things. (e.g. sharks with laser beams on their heads or sharks in a tornado or really anything combined with sharks, I guess?)
And in order to connect ideas, you have to have them in the first place.
Consuming other forms of media is a good way to "gather material" for your emails. While you're watching movies or listening to podcasts or doing whatever it is you do…
Think about how the ideas in these forms of media apply to your business and how you could twist them into an email.
Is there a line you heard in a TV show that your audience might find motivational?
Does a movie character remind you of a client you once had?
Does a scene in a book remind you of a story from your own life?
Notice that, in the article, Manson mentions that the idea of "the backwards law" comes from the philosopher Alan Watts.
Manson expands on Watts's idea and puts his unique spin on it.
You can do the same with your emails. Curate unique ideas, share them with your audience, and put your own spin on them.
5. Address Objections
Here's one of my favorite parts of this piece:
"Now, I know what you’re saying: 'Mark, this is making my nipples all hard, but what about the Camaro I’ve been saving up for? What about the beach body I’ve been starving myself for? After all, I paid a lot of money for that ab machine! What about the big house on the lake I’ve been dreaming of? If I stop giving a fuck about those things—well, then I’ll never achieve anything. I don’t want that to happen, do I?'"
In addition to being funny as shit, this part also addresses an objection the reader might have.
If you've read to this point, you're probably thinking some version of the quote above — regardless of the hardness of your nipples or how much you paid for your ab machine.
Maybe you're mostly sold on the idea Manson is talking about. But you're not over the hump just yet.
Instead of assuming you'll get over it on your own — he directly calls out what you're thinking and tackles it head-on.
If you're trying to sell someone on something — whether it be a product or an idea (and the two really aren't that different)…
You need to address their hesitations.
You can either do this in a direct manner — like Manson does in the article — by calling out the objection and then responding to it.
Or you can do it indirectly, by simply addressing the objection in your copy without calling it out.
As an example, let's pretend you sell a course that teaches people how to play piano.
One of their objections is that "it's too late" for them to learn how to play piano.
If you want to address that objection indirectly, you could say something in your copy like:
"In this course, you'll learn how to play piano in as little time as possible, using 'The Giovanni Method,' — developed by MIT scientists to help people aged 35+ learn piano as quickly as possible."
(It's worth noting here that "The Giovanni Method" is not real, so don’t get too excited, hopeful 35+ pianists.)
How To Apply These Lessons To Your Email Marketing ASAP
Here's a quick summary of the lessons from this piece:
Grab attention immediately
Understand your audience's pain points
Be yourself
Consume other forms of media
Address objections
And here's how you can apply them to your marketing:
Write an email about a podcast you've listened to, book/article you've read, or movie/show you've watched recently.
Remember that Manson got the idea of "the backwards law" from Alan Watts and then put his own twist on it. So…
What's an idea you've encountered recently that resonated with you?
How can you put your own twist on it?
How does it apply to your audience / niche? Does it help to solve any of the problems they encounter on a regular basis?
Why do you like it?
Are there any parts of it your audience might disagree with? What are the objections they might have? And what is your response to those objections?
Use these questions to guide what you write about in your email. And if you want more in-depth guidance on how to write compelling emails to your list — check out my course, Stories That Sell.
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 subject line copywriting handbook, Subject Line Shortcuts.
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.