Hey guys, what’s up? It’s Alex.
Coming at ya this week to share what I HONESTLY think is the best-kept secret in marketing today…
But before we get into the juicy bits – make sure you subscribe to my newsletter if you want to see more tutorials like this one.
Alright – let’s get into it…
The best marketing secret comes from someone I really look up to – Jay Abraham – a legendary marketer and OG direct response copywriter.
In case you don’t know who Jay Abraham is…
He’s only just the highest-paid marketing consultant in the WORLD today. He mentors and advises huge corporations – like Target, FedEx, The New York Times, HBO, and even Microsoft.
Yup. He has helped over 10,000 clients worldwide.
And he charges… get this… $15,000 an hour for a consultation.
If he’s charging rates like that (and people keep paying!) then you know this guy is the real deal.
Basically…
When he speaks – I listen.
And you should too.
Recently I had the honor of hanging out with Jay during an exclusive mastermind and he said something that really stick with me. He spoke about the importance of hopeless curiosity…
He said that you should “Learn as much as you can from other industries so that you can find uncommon solutions to common problems.”
If you’re a student of mine, then you’ve probably heard me talk about a similar concept – what I call “Lateral Learning”. And if you’re wondering how the hell this is the best marketing advice ever, let me explain…
Lateral learning basically means that you look for inspiration in unlikely places.
You look OUTSIDE of the obvious niche-specific sources.
You don’t ONLY surround yourself with the same people, in the same industry, talking about the same stuff, and giving out the same advice…
Because pretty soon everything starts to sound the same. Everyone just keeps regurgitating the same solutions with only slight variations.
Staying stuck in this self-reinforcing echo chamber is something that unfortunately A LOT of entrepreneurs fall into.
They think, “Well I need to be great at what I’m doing. So I’m going to fully immerse myself in everything I can get my hands on about this ONE topic. I’m going to listen to all the podcasts, take all the courses, read all the books, attend every seminar and become an expert.”
And don’t get me wrong – this is a mindset that can serve you well in the beginning – I’m a huge believer in the power of focus and continually learning and honing your craft.
HOWEVER…
Getting lost inside this loop of advice can leave you even more confused because sometimes you get WILDLY competing advice and differing opinions. And that is NOT how you’re going to come up with brilliant, new, groundbreaking ideas that inspire “great marketing”…
People are always surprised when they ask me about my favorite Podcasts and favorite books…
Because while I love reading a good copywriting, marketing, or business book from time to time. Contrary to what you might think…
They aren’t my favorite things to read and I definitely don’t listen to business podcasts. *gasp* I know right!
It’s like I’m breaking some sort of unspoken rule that when you’re in digital marketing, EVERYTHING you consume is about digital marketing. Because here’s the thing…
When you remove yourself from the noise and create space for inspiration to strike – you actually get BETTER at what you do…
Because you start to see things from a different perspective…
Suddenly new ideas start flooding in…
You might hear something totally unrelated to what you do, but it gives you a great idea for a hook or a story to use…
The truth is that inspiration and education is EVERYWHERE.
LIFE is the best teacher.
When you box yourself into one little-itty-bitty area (like copywriting or marketing) then you’re missing out on a whole lot of possibilities.
And I promise… your marketing will be reflective of that.
Like Jay said – “Learn as much as you can from other industries so that you can find uncommon solutions to common problems.”
So here are 5 weird ways you can implement this advice today:
#1 – Go To Events Outside Your Niche
Probably one of the most common ways to implement the concept of “lateral learning” is to attend events that are outside of your niche.
Have you always wanted to learn more about something – but haven’t because it would take away from your “education” time?
Now you have permission to loosen the reins and EXPLORE.
And heck – I’m not even necessarily talking about networking events.
- Go to an open mic night
- Stop by a local craft store when they’re hosting a paint & sip
- Always wanted to try pole dancing? Then do it!
- Check out a cooking class
- Go do some rock climbing
- Visit a local museum you can check out
- Hit up a farmer’s market or vendor fair
The point here is to get outside your comfort zone a little bit.
Try new things. Meet new people. Have different and new conversations.
Allow your curiosity to unfold.
#2 – Listen To Storytelling Podcasts
Hearing others’ stories is one of MY favorite ways to get creative inspiration.
I LOVE storytelling so it’s no surprise that I LOVE listening to podcasts that are geared toward great storytelling, current events, history, or psychology!
You can catch me listening to an intensely suspenseful story about an unsolved murder, a scandalous mystery, an ancient legend or the life of someone fascinating.
And while it might seem unconventional at first glance, these podcasts are constantly providing me with awesome hooks and stats to use in my writing.
#3 – Have A Movie Night
Yup – storytellers learn how to tell better stories by consuming great stories.
Period.
The loglines, the open loops, the storytelling, the teasers, the trailers!
If you pay attention to these details, then watching movies can massively improve your writing and marketing skills.
Plus it’ll give you tonnnnnssss of fun and juicy quotes to add some flavor and personality to your writing.
And if you’re a BIG FAN of a particular movie or TV show, it can even become embedded into your brand voice and personality.
#4 – Pay Attention To Pop Culture
You’ve heard me say it before…
Relevancy, relevancy, relevancy!
Some of our best-performing Reels on Instagram are the ones where we use relevancy from pop culture.
Like this Instagram Reel we posted after Rihanna’s epic halftime show at the 2023 Superbowl:
The relevancy of this video gets people’s attention, but we’re not using it as pure tabloid clickbait…
We piggyback on what’s hot and trending in pop culture and actually make it useful and applicable to our audience.
Here I broke down how genius Rihanna was for embedding her branding and marketing into her halftime show. She took 3 seconds and turned it into an 899% increase in Google searches for her makeup line.
So you can take things from pop culture that are HOT and people are paying attention to…
But we’re using it in a way that is DIFFERENT from what everyone else is saying and doing and teaching.
#5 – Get Outside
Sit in nature, enjoy the sunshine, watch a dog play fetch, people watch, or better yet – strike up a conversation with a complete stranger!
All of the above are FANTASTIC WAYS to revitalize your mind, body, and spirit.
If you’ll just put your phone down, leave your earbuds out, and actually go outside…
I promise you’ll be surprised by how many brilliant ideas come flooding to you.
This honestly plays such a huge factor in my own creative process.
So the best marketing advice ever is basically to just relax a little and live your life a little more—pretty sweet, huh?!
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
