YOUR HOT TAKE

Yesterday, I wrote a post about my 4th client getting on the LinkedIn News feed (prime real estate for increasing your reach).

Then yet another client featured on LinkedIn News this morning (Sunday).

So, let me quickly recap yesterday’s email for those who missed it (or forgot).

If you’re serious about getting a boost from LinkedIn News, know that they don’t like tomfoolery.

It’s business news. They, it seems to me, like industry updates, how to raise capital, financial related topics, leadership and culture takes, technology news and opinions.

It should be obvious to you that political takes, attacks on others, GIFs, LinkedIn how-tos, etc. are not featured. And I've never seen copywriters talking about copy make it to this feed.

BUT!

It doesn’t matter.

What I’m about to break down is for those who simply want to write better content (in any topic or voice you’d like).

1. Powerful hook that pops people in the mouth.

Hooks are 80 percent of social media life. You’re competing with the feed. What’s in the feed?

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of posts waiting to be open. And not just on LinkedIn but on IG, emails, YTs, Toks, Slack messages.

It’s an attention game.

Want better hooks? Try this.

Write what you would normally write.

And..

Delete it.

I want you to look at the post you wrote and find an interesting sentence. Something that either tongue in cheek, a massive result with how much time it took, a weird sentence that make people go “huh?” play on words.

Most people type a hook that’s super basic.

That’s not allowed here.

Basic is death.

Basic is low reach.

Basic is for lazy people.

Try the following formulas to get you started:

Just (time period) ago, (customer name) was (describe the problem/challenge they were having before your product).

Today, (customer name) is (describe customer’s current state).

People who do this (some basic thing) also do this (really embarrassing thing).

The reason (this) happens is because people suck at (this).

2. A non-traditional approach to discussing the topic (i.e. stuff you can't Google).

You know what people can’t Google?

YOUR philosophy.

YOUR hot take.

YOUR opinion.

YOUR unique solution.

YOUR method.

YOUR point of view.

Instead of breaking down something in a super helpful way.

Breakdown something in YOUR own way, with YOUR hot take, and YOUR unique method.

Sounding like a biz book isn’t going to get you anywhere (and most definitely not Linky News).

Scary thing is, what I just said is deemed non-traditional.

So, give me a trending topic in your industry.

And don’t tell me what everyone else is saying.

Instead, what do YOU have to say about this piece?

Dare to stand out, my friends.

3. Anti-boring AF.

Do you know what the opposite of boring is?

It’s not being a clown.

It’s not being a stand-up comedian.

It’s not being a provocateur (that actually gets boring after a while).

It’s not being a TokTok dancer/lip sync-er (see above).

It’s emotional.

You are not boring, my friends.

You’re just scared to have a passionate thought.

You’re scared of speaking your true language to express a passionate thought.

You’re scared of judgment.

You’re scared of connection.

Even the most logical, rational, uber-machine like humans can express passion.

Watch a Lex Fridman podcast (especially the intros and when he speaks of love and beauty, which is nearly every show) and you’ll see how an MIT computer scientist shares passion.

There’s a reason why his shows have such a huge following.

Taking boring, complex topics and making them relatable to meat heads like me.

If he can, so can you.

4. Content that makes people go, "Oh, sh*t... I've got to print this."

Now this is the value part of the list. But not in the way you think.

You’re not going to simply list facts to establish expertise - everyone does that (yawn).

What you’re going to do is create something YOU YOURSELF would to print and save.

For example, it'll look a lot like this post I wrote last month.

I had no less than 5 people DMing that they saved/printed off the post. And in the comments you'll see other people remarking how they saved it too.

Instead of a listicle, trying creating a micro-course within a post and/or video.

That sure as heck gets shared/saved/printed than any other form of content I've had experience with (personally and with clients).

This is more of a mindset than it is an issue of copywriting mechanics.

Trying to enter a state of mind that you're tired of the amateurs in your field posing nonsensical, copied n' pasted tips/tricks and you're going to demonstrate mastery of your subject.

Well, there you have it, folks.

How to increase the probability that you'll end up on Linky News. Or, equally, if not more, importantly... create content that lands clients.

Questions? Just email me back. I'll get back to ya.