Today, I’m going to talk about a super easy way to speed up your writing, and guarantee that you create truckloads of gripping content people can’t resist, so you can make money blogging, all without the pain and misery of…well, writing.
We’ll do it using the Why-How Framework.
And once you get it down, you’ll be able to transform even mundane, brain-dead pieces into high-attraction content, so you can get more traffic and build your following.
You’ll literally want to use it in every single piece of content you create.
Picture this.
You plant yourself down in front of your keyboard. Like a maestro in front of an orchestra, you slowly raise your hands into the air. You pause. You take a deep breath.
Then you dive in, giving it your all. And out comes…
Garbage.
The words are stale, the content is dull. And no matter how much you bang your head on the wall and try to push through, nothing seems to get any better. And maybe that’s all well and good if you’re an arteeeste, and you’re doing creative writing.
Fortunately, I’ve got your back.
Because there are only two phrases you need to change everything.
Yes. Seriously. Just two.
See, the thing to understand is this one core principle. If you get it, you’re already lightyears ahead of 99% of the bloggers on the Internet. And here it is:
Most advice is useless.
Why? I’m glad you asked. Two reasons, actually.
Reason 1: No one cares what you think
There’s really no way to overstate this. Every time I see people fall prey to this one trap, which is daily, a little piece of me shrivels up and dies, because it’s so utterly avoidable. And yet, at the very same time, it’s so, so hard to avoid.
But if there were a reason most people don’t make money blogging, this is it.
And what it comes down to is no matter what you say, no one really appreciates it.
It doesn’t matter how earth-shattering it is. How much it changed your life. How much it can change theirs. They don’t care. Now, fortunately, there’s a fix, but first, let me give you a little example of what I mean, so it settles in.
I’m a parent. I have a son. And like any parent, I’m full of good advice. At least so I think. (Of course, I’m often wrong, but, fortunately, he’s not old enough to realize that.)
But it really doesn’t matter, because he never listens anyway.
Not to say that he doesn’t try. Quite often he does. He’s a good kid that way. But he just doesn’t really get the significance of what I’m saying.
Now, if you have children, I’m sure you can relate. In fact, if you’ve ever tried to teach anyone who wasn’t interested in what you were saying, I’m sure you can relate. Hell, if you’ve ever tried to teach anyone at all, you can probably relate.
Just try to think of the most valuable piece of advice you could give someone.
Lightning in a bottle. Something so power-packed that in that one statement, the wisdom of the gods would unfurl in front of people’s eyes.
Then try telling someone that piece of advice.
I guarantee you, you’ll get blank stares, shrugs, and tepid smiles.
Because people don’t value what you say. But if they don’t value what you say, and you can’t make them value what you say, then they’re not going to sign-up for your newsletters, buy your products, and just be all around groupies who fawn over every little breath you take.
So getting past this is everything. Because you want groupies fawning over you, right? Of course you do.
But, first…
Reason #2: People Are Lazy
I used to be a lawyer. I grew up dreaming that someday I, too, would be able to make my mark and contribute to the elegant judicial system that we call the law. (Of course, I also dreamt I’d be able to get rich doing nothing, but that’s another story for another day.)
I swooned over the depth. I fawned over the sophistication.
Then I went to law school.
And as I fell asleep reading the very first case from the very first day from the very first class I took, reading the first paragraph for the 20th time, I remember thinking this exact thought…
And no matter how simple your explanations and how clear your thought, I promise you, people will read your words, scratch their heads, and think the exact same thing.
No one wants to have to do the work when they read.
They’re not going to think about what your advice means, what to do with it, or how much it means. They just won’t.
For example, suppose I told you that you have to describe what people want in the way they want it.
In fact, I just did. Now, to me, that might be mega epic stuff. But no matter how much I beg and plead with you to understand, it won’t change a thing.
Why? Because in my mind that statement unpacks thousands of ideas and experiences. But in your mind, it’s just a statement.
One tiny piece of of advice.
In fact, the effect is so damning, that it was essentially the subject of an entire book called Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, which is all about how to, well, make things stick.
In the book, they talk about a study at Stanford from 1990, where people were asked to tap a popular tune they were hearing in their head and have another person guess what they were tapping.
The tappers expected that there was a 50/50 chance that the listener would guess right. In reality, listeners guessed right 1 in 40 times. In other words, tappers overestimated the effectiveness of their communication by 20 times.
Which is horrible. Because you know what happens when people don’t get you?
Right. The mother of all content disasters: Clicking off and never returning to your blog.
In other words, no groupies. No followers. No sales.
Fortunately, I’m going to show you two dirt-simple phrases that solve all your problems, so you can live a cushy life, where you’re revered, loved, and adored. Or, if not that, at very least, so you can get people on your list and build a profitable blog. Which ain’t too shabby.
How to use the Why-How Framework
If you think about the two big problems we just talked about, it really comes down to two things:
1. People don’t know why your advice matters.
2. People don’t understand how to use your advice.
So, of course, you have to fill in the blanks. And it’s much easier than people think. In fact, once you see how to do it, you’ll realize you can skyrocket the power of even the blandest posts.
Niiice…
So, here’s what you do.
Anytime you write, you’re going to use two phrases to make sure people understand why your information matters and how to use it.
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Magic Phrase #1 (The Why)
Ready for it? Here you go. Anytime you make a suggestion or you talk about anything that you think is insightful at all, add this one statement:
“So that”
That’s it.
Were you expecting more? No need. Simple is good. Naturally, you want to make sure that whatever follows the “so that” lights your audience up, but, really, that part is pretty easy. Usually, you just have to show people you’ll get them time, money, or recognition, and you’re good to go.
For example, let’s take a look at our previous example. Let’s pretend you say:
“You just have to give people what they want, the way they want it.”
As we know, despite the crushing brilliance of such a simple statement, your audience might still find themselves a bit underwhelmed. Go figure. So now we add our magic phrase.
“You just have to give people what they want, the way they want it, so that people find your offers irresistible and you stand out in a sea of competition.”
See how that works? It’s short, but it’s everything, because it spells out why this information matters, and, more importantly, it keeps people reading.
For example, suppose your audience is moms. Compare these two statements:
“…so that you have more time to yourself.”
“…so that your kids aren’t tugging at you and interrupting you every second of the day.”
See the difference? The more you can get into your audience’s heads, the more irresistible it will be.
Now, onward.
Magic Phrase #2 (The How)
This one is really my favorite. This is where you make the lightbulb shine over people’s heads. And trust you me, if you give people epiphanies, they will never leave your side.
Aside from the fact that it gives people a nice little jolt of endorphins, so they just flat out feel good, it will also help people break through their barriers and get shit done (or at least they’ll believe they can), which translates to massive loyalty.
And all you need to do it is to help spell things out for people.
So here’s what I want you to do.
After you’ve explained why things matter, I want you to use these exact words:
“For example”
It works like gangbusters.
Why? Simple. Because thinking in theory and principles is a pain in the ass. And it’s tiring. And it requires interpretation, and you’re never sure if you’re doing it right.
When you tell people exactly how things work in the real world with an example, it helps them see what they need to do, and it makes them feel like they can do it. Just think about how often you’ve been inspired by some case study or a story, because it’s tangible.
For example (see what I just did there?), let’s build on our running example:
“You just have to give people what they want, the way they want it, so that people find your offers irresistible and you stand out in a sea of competition.
For example, if you were to tell someone you’ll help them lose weight, you’ll get nothing more than a middling meh at best. But if you were to say that you’ll help them lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks (what they want), while they eat all the greasy food they want (the way they want it), then you’ve got gold on your hands.”
See how adding the example makes it way easier to follow?
Or here’s another example. Compare these two pieces of advice, one with an example and one without:
Variation 1 (no example)
“If you’re doing a sales presentation and someone asks you a question you can’t answer, just question the question. Once they answer, you’ll know what to say back.”
Variation 2 (example)
“If you’re doing a sales presentation and someone asks you a question you can’t answer, just question the question, so you know what to say back. For example:
Them: How do I know you can provide results?
You: It sounds like you’re worried about something. Can you tell me what leads you to ask?
Them: I’m worried about how much experience you have in this area.
You: Of course! I’d worry about that, too. Actually, I’ve specialized in this for the past six years, and I’ve worked with over 100 people, helping them solve this.”
See how that goes? Super easy, right?
And that’s really all there is to it.
But something as simple as these two strategies are, people constantly forget. I repeat: Constantly. And it can make the difference between building a base of rapid fans who tune in every day, and waiting while the crickets chirp.
But those things won’t matter if you give clarity and help your followers take action.
Because then you’re going to help people do the only thing that really counts: Get results.
Do that, and you’ll get lifelong fans and customers.
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