Welcome to this week’s Creator’s Corner. Here’s what we’ve got cooking today:

• The mistake personal brands make with funnel building (why George Ten told me off)
• The secret behind surviving a lack of results
• 3 tips to help you become great at conversational writing

Let’s dive in.

QUESTION 1

Nicole asked:

​Let me tell you a story about the day George Ten told me off.

I’m not a great entrepreneur and the aim this year is to correct that. So I’ve a lot of time thinking about my business.

Recently I hopped on a call with George to explain my plans.

I thought he’d be proud because I’d gone deep into the underground marketing world.

I explained my funnel - complete with a low ticket to build trust. Multiple back-end offers. A continuity offer.

Guess what he said?

Terrible. Idea.

The truth is most people, myself included, learn techniques from cold traffic experts.

But a personal brand is different.

You’ve already got the trust that funnel tactics are designed to build.

And the secret to scaling fast is simplicity. The more complicated your funnel, the more room for error.

Instead, the key is to build a great product for your audience.

It should be transformative.

This way, the ‘top of funnel’ for a personal brand is social media content.

Your newsletter is the trust mechanism.

Your product drives revenue and builds your reputation.

Nail these 3 first. Then worry about adding more layers.

QUESTION 2

Rå asked:

​It took me a year to hit 1,000 followers and 18 months to make a single dollar.

But I’m not going to repeat the same dopamine fuelled advice we all love to hear:

Focus on the process. Zoom out. Be patient. The results are coming.

Instead, let me tell you why you DON’T want the result (yet).

The struggle before you get what you want is what Seth Godin calls ‘The Dip’.

The pain we feel is the gap between our expectations and external results - and it kills most creators.

But the reality is it’s a gift.

Why?

Because all great stories are built on struggle.

To be a superstar, you must do something exceptional. Not just survive the Dip, but use the Dip as an opportunity to create something so extraordinary that people can't help but talk about it, recommend it, and, yes, choose it.​

- Seth Godin

Take yours truly for example.

Most of my competitors are excellent, experienced marketers who make audience building look easy.

There’s no doubt their ideas work for them.

But that’s not the point.

People invest in your ideas when they believe it will work for them.

If you’ve been here awhile, you’ve seen me go from no results to becoming an early authority. The story is interesting and inspiring. So when I release my writing product, I don’t need to push hard to persuade.

I’ll share my story, and if you relate, you might purchase.

Ultimately there’s no easy way to survive the dip. All I can say is document the journey.

It may not feel like it, but you’re building your best asset.

QUESTION 3

Aaron Dufall asked:

​Volume.

End of answer - see you next week.

Just kidding, kinda.

I used to write like most people.

Boring. Robotic. Academic.

We can blame our teachers for that. Zombie writing was OK for school, but it ain’t for the internet.

Why?

Because we’re in a battle for attention against platforms like Netflix and TikTok.

So here’re a few tips for ya:

1. Study email copywriters

Email is the mecca for conversational copy. I use my inbox like most people use social. It’s rammed full of content.

The aim is sheer exposure.

Here’re a few of my favourites:

2. Handcopy

Writing is like learning an instrument.

The best way to learn isn’t to write your own songs. You want a feel for what it’s like to be great at the craft.

So every morning, I do ‘copywork’ for 20 minutes.

I’ll take my favourite writers (currently Andre Chaperon and Ian Stanley) and write their stuff out word for word.

It’s slow, boring, and bloody effective.

3. Talk

The usual advice is to read your writing out loud and edit what doesn’t sound natural.

I do the opposite.

I speak while I write. I’ll grin and chuckle to give my writing a light-hearted feel.

Of course, people will think you’re a weirdo if you write in public.

You may get kicked out of a few cafés.

But that’s all part of the fun.

Aside from those ideas, there’s only one real secret to conversational copy.

Go write a shit tonne for 2 years.

Kieran's Killer Resource of the Week

One of the most recommended copywriting books is the classic Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz.

But it’s hard to get hold off.

I’ve heard people paying upwards of $500 to grab a copy. Well, I’ve just finished the book and it’s a blast. And you can get it for just $125 here (I’m not an affiliate). Well worth the investment.

​Check it out here.

A Quote for You...

“The more you do what you love the higher chance the world opens up to you for it.”

- Jack Butcher

Writing is an incredible opportunity to build a name around what you love. It only sucks at first because you haven’t proven to the world you’re obsessed enough yet.

Keep going - persistence pays off.