“Make it simple but significant.” ~ Don Draper – Mad Men
The above quote echoes and completes what the legendary and original Mad Man David Ogilvy once crooned:
“It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.”
It’s true.
Your marketing message does need to have a big (significant) idea. However, as the Don Draper quote points out, that ain’t enough. Your big idea must also be easy for the man in the street to understand.
Hey, you know what I’ve noticed about a lot of online marketers?
Hmn, tell me, Kelvin, what is it you have noticed?
This:
I’ve noticed that most marketers have a marketing message that is either simple or significant, but oh-so few marketers have a marketing message that is both significant AND simple.
You know, every email, sales letter, and book I write, I strive to make them simple but significant.
Does my content always live up to that lofty standard?
Well, I can’t say my content’s perfect. That would be considered bragging. And as you know, I am an extremely humble individual who hates to blow his own trumpet. No. I much prefer to let other people talk about how perfect my content is.
But in all seriousness, nobody can make EVERY single piece of content to be both simple and significant.
Not even ME!
However, it should be your goal for every piece of content you create.
Kelvin, how do you come up with big, significant ideas?
Good question.
Awfully good.
Listen, I can only tell you how I come up with my big (significant) ideas.
But first know this:
if you think I’m about to disclose a little secret, a hack, a formula for coming up with big ideas…you are going to be very disappointed.
Simply because…
…I Don’t Know Any!
If there is such a thing, I sure would like to hear it. If you know of any, please tell me your secret. I would be forever grateful. But methinks I’m not going to get anyone contacting me with a clever little formula for coming up with significant ideas any time soon.
By the way, this all reminds me of a famous author named Neil Gaiman who got so sick and tired of journalists asking him where he got his ideas from that he started making up off-the-wall answers just to amuse himself. Here are some of his silly answers: “I get my ideas from the Idea-of-the-Month Club or from a little ideas shop in Bognor Regis.”
Funny thing is, most of the journos thought he was being serious and accepted his answers.
Whatever.
Plowing on.
Listen, as much as I’d like to have you all think that I’m highly intelligent and big ideas come to me as effortlessly as money comes to Warren Buffett…nothing could be further from the truth.
The truth is, coming up with big ideas for me (and I suspect it’s the same for everyone) is nothing but hard, tedious, and horrible work.
Yup, coming up with a big idea sucks.
I mean REALLY sucks.
However, if you work at it, over time it does get a little less hard, tedious, and horrible.
You see, it’s like a muscle. If you develop it, it becomes stronger. And if you really develop your “big idea muscle”, it will start churning out more big ideas with less effort.
The bottom line:
Ideas pop suddenly into your head only after a sickening amount of pondering and thinking (i.e. hard work)
As for the big ideas, let me tell you what I consider to be a big (significant) idea.
In my opinion, a big idea has the following four elements:
(1) It gives people an aha moment.
(2) It contains a truth. A universal truth. A principle.
(3) It is unexpected.
(4) It is relevant and relatable.
Enuff of that. (my brains starting to tire)
Let’s move on.
O.K. Let’s assume that you’ve strained your brain and come up with a significant idea for your content.
Welp, now you just have to communicate that significant idea to your audience.
Ah, let me guess, you’ve got that part down, right?
I mean, how hard can it be? So long as you know the point you’re trying to make, you simply just clearly and articulately explain your point (big idea) by giving them the correct information, am I right?
Nope.
Not even close, Buckshot.
I’m sorry, but this is where almost everyone falls flat on their face.
Listen, folks who think that communicating a significant idea is easy are like the singers on American Idol who brag about how easy singing is for them – they’re always the worst of the bunch!
Listen:
Here is a truth that you should know and accept:
Making Your Point (or idea) simple for the common person to understand is one of the hardest skills to master.
Now, because I like you, I’m going help you out with that little skill by giving you a clever 3-step formula I stole from Frank Kern (thanks Frank)
It goes like this:
Point – Story – Metaphor
Whenever you are trying to get across your point (or big idea) to someone, you tell them the point, then you wrap up that point in a story, and then drive the point home with a metaphor.
By the way, if you want to hear Frank teach this, you should go to YouTube and type in the following: Frank Kern The Passionate Few. He teaches this 3-step formula 62 minutes into the interview.
Listen, you should probably listen to the whole video, but whatever you do, make damn sure you watch the part where he explains his little formula, okay?
Fact: Frank’s teaching will give your communication skills some real claws
But if you want it to sprout wings, fangs, and a spiked tail….
…add this to the mix: The Maverick’s StorySelling Secrets
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
