The Art of (Online) Seduction (And Why You Need It To Make Money)
See that incredibly sexy banner up there? Yeah, that one.
No, I don’t have those kind of skills, so stop picking on me. However, someone who does is the one & only Mars Dorian, who spearheaded the Striking Six Blog Series that involves 6 online mavericks sharing knowledge on how to craft an inspirational and powerful online presence. However, the catch is that each maverick isn’t revealed until the day s/he is slated to publish their post–mysterious, I know. And I love it.
The first two installments ran last week, with Mars himself kicking off the series with The Guerilla’s Guide to Attracting the Right Audience, followed by a post from the ever-sassy Francisco Rosales of SocialMouths, titled “Less Followers” is the New “More Followers.”
And so here I am today (curtsy), honored to be presenting the THIRD installment of the series (on a MONDAY…I know), giving you a whole lotta lovin’ on how to craft sensational, just-got-punched-in-the-stomach, I-can’t-get-that-post-out-of-my-mind kind of kill-ah content.
The best part?
Not only do I get to participate in the series, but you also get a little sneak preview on just one of the many topics I discuss in my upcoming book on creating online businesses by doing what you love–LAUNCHING THIS WEDNESDAY!–called You Don’t Need a Job, You Need Guts: Combining Passion + Self + Business Through Digital Entrepreneurship.
So without further ado, I’ll stop rambling like a 87 year old grandmother and get talkin’ some content.
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Think of a time when you’ve been doe-eyed & dazzled, blissfully swept off of your feet & helplessly lulled into the warm embrace of a whirlwind romance.
Was it the way they first looked at you?
The way they tenderly removed your wine glass from your hand, before caressing the side of your face?
The way they suddenly, desperately, hungrily pulled you in close for that first intense, painfully passionate kiss, your lips trembling against one another’s with an eager tension like you’ve never felt before?
Or maybe it was when they whispered in your ear that you were their soul-mate.
It was steamy. It was hot. It kept you guessing and on your toes. It was a rollercoaster of emotions that kept you coming back for more.
You felt ALIVE. Inspired. Exhilarated. Empowered. Ready to take on the world. Free.
It felt good, right?
Well this, friends, doesn’t just happen in romance.
This, friends, happens to be the exact same way readers feel when you produce compelling content for your blog. Just like an exciting, passionate, whirlwind romance, compelling content draws them in, hooks them with charm, whispers all the right things in their ear, and leaves them breathless, pleading for more.
And why do you want need them pleading for more?
Well, besides the fact that it’s an incredible ego boost, you want them pleading for more because when they want more of you, that’s what’s called (ready?) a business opportunity.
*cue megaphone*
A business op-por-tun-i-ty.
An opportunity for them to breathlessly plead,
“I just can’t get enough of you,
what else do you have that I can possibly get my hands on?!?!”
When you say—while ever-so-nonchalantly exhaling a puff of smoke from your cigar, and slowly standing up to meet their eyes—
“Well, dah-ling, I do happen to have this other bit of wisdom over here,
but it’s reserved only for the real game-changers, so it’ll cost ya.”
And they say,
“Whatever it takes. I want what you’ve got.”
And that’s when you direct them straight to your Paypal shopping cart.
Cha-ching.
Did you hear that? I want what you’ve got.
This is an important concept for anyone trying to launch their own digital business to grasp.
So CONTENT = Really important. In short:
You’ve got to seduce your audience. And you’ve got to make it goooood.
When it comes to blogs, readers don’t just read for informational purposes—there are Wikipedias for that. Readers read because they want the information, but they also expect to be entertained. They like hearing stories, listening to perspectives, and gaining validation for their own ideas and thoughts, through yours. Above all, they like connecting to other human beings who represent who they want to be.
That said, successful blogs don’t just provide information – they’ve provide an experience for the reader. (See my last post on 67 Emotions for an example of this.)
A seduction experience, if you will.
The experience doesn’t have to include dark hotel rooms, red lipstick, Cuban cigars & a bottle of scotch, but it’s got to produce the same effect as if you were to alluringly catch a reader’s eye, point directly at him/her, and then slowly motion with your finger to come hither…before smacking them across the face with your bare hand, and then sitting them down for a nice chat.
That’s right–you heard correctly.
Those are actually the steps to producing killer content. Let’s break it on down:
1. CATCH A READER’S EYE
When someone catches our eye in real life, they catch our attention. You’ve got to catch the eye of your reader—their attention—by crafting a killer headline. Most people will decide almost instantaneously if they want to read what you have to say based on the headline alone. So even if the rest of your content is the most enthralling shit in the world, no one will ever know—UNLESS they care enough to click past the headline.
How do you craft a compelling headline?
The most important piece of advice I can give is to be INTRIGUING. There are many copywriters who rely on proven formulas, such as starting with, “The Secret of…” or “Little Known Ways to….” or “Get Rid of {insert problem} Once and For All” or to simply pose a question that you think your readers will want the answers to.
To me, that all spells intrigue.
Readers will click to read more if they’re curious about what you might have to say. When writing your headlines, imagine if you, yourself, would be inclined to click on your headline. If you aren’t, don’t just throw something up–rework it. Don’t be lazy with this step.
2. POINT DIRECTLY AT HIM/HER
This is a metaphor for your first couple of paragraphs—pointing directly at them is another way of making the reader feel like you’re talking RIGHT TO THEM. This is probably one of the most important elements, beyond headlines. You must first know who you’re writing your blog for—what target audience are you trying to attract? And then you’ve got to think like them.
Put yourself in their shoes. Or, if you’ve been in their shoes before, put yourself back there and try to remember exactly how you felt at the time. Then, communicate those feelings in writing, by either asking readers if they feel this way, or have this same problem…or starting off with a story talking about the problem.
Make them feel like you know the situation they’re in. You can relate. You’ve been there.
This is how you earn their trust, and encourage them to read more. Once they feel you can relate, they’ll want to know more about the solutions you’re offering—or whatever your main point is. And that’s a goal of yours—to continually be convincing the reader to read the next sentence. And the next. And the next.
Point directly at them. Call them out. Make them feel like you know exactly what they’re thinking. This has been one of my factors of success with my writing—one of the most common comments I get is, “I feel like you were reading my mind!” This is what you want. They’ll listen to you afterward.
3. SLOWLY MOTION WITH YOUR FINGER TO COME HITHER
This is where you lead up to your argument, or your story, and provide some background. You build your credibility. It’s where you draw them in, nice and close, whispering sweet nothings in their ear, and position your viewpoint that way you like it. You frame things for them, so they have some idea of where you’re going with all of this. You paint a picture. Metaphors & similies are good for this, because it can help to make your concept more clear.
If you couldn’t tell, I seem to be a fan.
4. SMACK THEM ACROSS THE FACE WITH YOUR BARE HAND
And boom– after you’ve got them licking their lips, you go in for the kill, and make your main point – ideally, you want this to be bold, refreshing, insightful, unexpected & unapologetic. Some shock value is good (but be careful not to make false claims.)
You want them to FEEL something from your words—just like a smack across the face.
It doesn’t have to sting, though; you can aim to make them feel any range of emotion, as long as it makes your point.
This is what you set out to communicate in the post–this is where the fireworks come in, baby. This is where you say what you mean, and you damn well better mean what you say.
5. SITTING THEM DOWN FOR A NICE CHAT
This is the equivalent of tying everything together, drawing some conclusions, and wrapping up the post—it’s important, because the very last sentences can serve to really hammer home your point & make the post memorable….or leave it waving in the wind as just so-so.
What do you want to leave your reader with? A question to ponder? A statement? An action item? A surprise? A smart-ass remark?
While that shebang of a metaphor can help guide you through crafting a post, there are some overall elements that can help, too:
- For God’s sake, lighten up. Use some humor, man. Everyone’s so afraid they won’t be taken seriously if they don’t sound “professional.” The internet is so saturated with the same old, same old everywhere you turn, that readers are absolutely delighted when they come across a real personality. Do not be afraid to inject your voice. Actually, scratch that—you MUST inject your voice if you want compelling anything. Just ask Mars—he’s the king of that, and clearly, it works.
- Take a stand, dammit. Oftentimes, bloggers are scared to alientate their audience, and so instead of saying what they really think, they beat around the bush and waffle on both sides. They’re afraid of criticism. Don’t be that guy. People will find you interesting—and someone worth listening to—if you actually have an opinion on something. Voice it.
- Be brutally honest. It’s refreshing. Refreshing = appealing. This is a seduction, after all.
- Don’t be afraid to be an authority. A lot of new writers are afraid that their readers are going to see through them, and figure out that maybe they don’t know what they’re talking about. So instead of saying things with intention, and making statements, they use sentences like, “In my opinion,” “it seems to me that,” “some of you might not agree, but…” “maybe I’m the only one who thinks this, but…” Instead of sounding like an authority with something to say, you end up sounding like a child asking permission to have his own thoughts. It’s your website. Say what you mean, and don’t apologize for it.
- Do not. Do not. Do not. Do not. Do not. Do not. Do NOT have a bunch of typos. Consciously or not, it reduces your credibility, and makes it seem as if you didn’t care enough to edit. And your audience wants you to care. They need to feel cared about.
- But on that same note, don’t be afraid to break conventional grammar rules either, if it helps make your point come alive. Notice what I did in number 5? Those are some mad fragments, people. But, it probably got your attention and probably made my point a little more salient than if! I! Had! Just! Said! It! Once! Look—I just did it again.
- Carry a mini-notebook with you at all times. Some of the best ideas for content come up at the least expected moments, and you MUST capture them. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll remember later—you won’t.
At the end of the day, just as if they have just had the night of their lives with a devilishly sexy French woman wearing nothing but fishnets & a pair of smokey eyes, you want your post to be the one thing they can’t get off their mind.
Demanding?
Maybe.
Will you accomplish it in every post?
No.
Should you at least pull out your eyeshadow and give it a try?
You must.
You have no choice.
If you don’t, your words will be drowned by others who understand the importance of the art of seduction.
The real art of seduction, that is—the one that’s been seducing us all for centuries.
That of the written word.
P.S. If you haven’t had ever had a whirlwind romance like the one described in the intro, I encourage you to drop everything right away, and hop the next plane to Barcelona. Just do it.
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Who’s next ?
The next secret member in the series has build two successful blog and a thriving digital business in less than two years.
He’s a master when it comes to attracting audiences that want to do business with you.
Stay tuned for secret number #4 in the Series, publishing the magic on Wednesday, the 9th of December!
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