A magic trick to make your audience act

So you’ve captured your audience’s attention.

They're nodding along, maybe even throwing a like your way. But when you call them to action… crickets. 🦗 

No sign-up, no sale, no donation. No nuffin’. Just you, staring at your screen, wondering if you should have pursued that career in interpretive dance after all.

Don't ye worry. You're not alone. We've all been there, on stand-by, waiting for our views and likes to transform into actual clickedy-clicks.

Now, there is a technique you can use to get your audience from "Oh, that's interesting" to "Ooh, sign me up, buttercup." And if you use it right, it will get results and mean you won’t need to take a shower after implementing it.

The technique I’m talking of follows the storytelling structure of beginning, end and middle. Read that part again. It’s not a typo. With this technique you’re telling a story, but instead of "Once upon a time" leading through to "happily ever after," you're going to mix it up a bit.

It may feel like that time you tried to assemble IKEA furniture after a few too many mojitos, but it works.

Here’s the technique. 👇️ 

1. The Beginning (Before)

This is where you describe your audience's current situation. The messy, frustrating, "I can't believe I'm still dealing with this" reality.

This should be relatable but a little uncomfy, because you’re highlighting the challenges your audience faces.

This ‘before’ scenario will be different for every product, service or cause. Be specific and use language that resonates with your audience. The goal is for them to recognise themselves in this description but not tip over into fear-mongering.

2. The End (After)

Now you describe your audience’s dream outcome. The "if-Instagram-did-real-life" scenario.

This is where you tap into your audience's aspirations and dreams. (I’ll be delving deep into how to do this in my upcoming course.) 

Make this vision compelling and emotionally resonant. Your audience should be able to imagine themselves in this improved situation.

3. The Middle (Your Offer) 

This is where you swoop in all: This is how what we offer is the missing link between your messy now and your picture-perfect future reality. Yo.

Explain clearly and concretely how your product/service/cause helps people go from their current challenges to their desired outcomes. Show the steps or process that will lead them to glory.

Why does this work? Because we humans love a good story. We can't help it. It's hardwired into our brains like our love for cat videos and fear of public speaking.

It’s also:

• Real: You're not sugar-coating the challenges. You're saying, "Yeah, this sucks. Let's fix it."

• Hopeful: You're showing there's a way out of this mess. Hope is a powerful motivator. It’s also a bloody nice thing to have.

• Clear: By clearly outlining the before and after, with the path bridging the two, you make it easy for your audience to understand the value and impact of your offer.

• Transformational: People don't just want to solve their problems, they want to become a certain type of person. If you can tap into that with your messaging, you’re offering them a chance to become their best selves. (And that’s just lovely.)

How to create your marketing messages

Here's a fill-in-the-blank template to help you craft your marketing messages with this technique:

"You're [current messy situation]. You dream of [life so perfect it belongs on Instagram]. [Your amazing offer] can get you there: [step-by-step magic]."

Let's try it out for a hypothetical climate change nonprofit:

Or something. I dunno. You can probs do better.

So here’s some homework:

👃 Get nosy: Really dig into your audience's desires, frustrations and secret aspirations. (Ethical stalking only, please.)

💅 Polish your offer: Make sure what you’re offering really is the solution you claim it is. No false promises, thankyouplease.

🧑‍🎨 Craft your story: Use the template. Play with it. Make it sing.

📣 Spread it: Emails, social media, skywriting... okay, maybe not skywriting. (Unless that’s your thing and you have the budget. In which case, crack on.)

🧪 Test it out: Try different versions. See what makes your audience's eyes light up. Iterate, rinse, repeat.

The key here is to be real with your marketing messages. You're not just selling what you offer – you're inviting people to be part of something bigger in a genuine way.

Try it out. The world is waiting for your magic, marketing maestro.

📔 Course update:

I’m deep in the recording process of my irresistible marketing messages course. Thanks to everyone who voted on a name for it. I can see a clear winner, but there’s still time to vote. 👇️ 

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