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- The Weekly Sharpener #141
👋 Hey fam!
I'm really excited to share this 👊 Wednesday roundup with you! Lots of amazing stuff to get to.
First, we have a special offer for you from a friend that you don’t want to miss. Secondly, we get 21 weird hooks to spark your imagination when creating ads to increase your coverage of your TAM.
Then we get some expert tips on ad creative and messaging on your website. This one is jam-packed so without further ado…
Hope your ads are scaling and LTV is 📈!
Cheers,
Chase
Start using Pencil to Create winning ads 10x faster with AI.
Special Tip:
HOT TAKE 🔥
Your personal opinion matters less than data when it comes to ad creative.
When you're creating ad creative, it's important to focus on what your target audience wants and needs.
Don't rely on your own personal opinion Use data to guide your creative decisions.
Courtesy of Fraser Cottrell
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🚨 Special Offer 🚨
DON’T MISS THIS
Friend of the newsletter, Dara Denney, is dropping an incredible creative strategy course. Get it here. 👈
She’s also giving readers $100 off their purchase with code: PENCIL - this isn’t happening anywhere else so take advantage now.
If you are interested in learning about ads and the strategy behind making them actually win, Dara is the person you should be learning from!
🎙Add Creative
No new episode this week. Check out our library 👇
Apple Podcasts 🍎 II Spotify 🎧
Content That Matters 👑 🐐
Let’s get creative (AKA: weird) with our ad hooks this week.
Here’s 21 ideas to get you started:
1. Fill a container with strange objects and bury a message written on a white board beneath it.
2. Float an inflatable octopus in a public fountain with a secret code on its tentacles.
3. Write a message in blacklight pen, then slowly reveal it using a blacklight bulb.
4. Crack open several fortune cookies that have a message spelled out one by one.
5. Use custom latte art to spell out a message.
6. Pay people to act as living statues who interact with passersby to reveal a message.
7. Depict a scavenger hunt where the final message is spelled out in Jell-O letters on a table.
8. Print a series of posters with invisible ink then reveal the message slowly under ultraviolet light
9. Show a vending machine dropping a soda can with a random message tied to it.
10. Buy a heat-sensitive mug that reveals messages when filled with hot beverages.
11. Unfold an origami animal and have your message waiting inside.
12. Melt a candle all the way to the bottom to reveal a hidden message.
13. Setup a sand castle that when the tide comes will reveal a secret message.
14. Set your phone in a bush, turn volume to 10 & record people’s reactions when you loudly shout your message to them.
15. Send 10 postcards to one person, each with a piece of a larger message.
16. Create a parody of two people talking about your product…but they’re shadow puppets.
17. Make your own scratch off cards and slowly reveal a message like the lotto.
18. Make a crossword that slowly reveals your message.
19. Use temporary tattoos to put a message on people’s arm for a day.
20. Use spilled legos to spell out a message on the floor, the table, or the grass.
21. Write your message in chalk, have the rain wash it off.
Why this matters: Brands are usually hyper-focused on their assets being incredibly ON brand but you don’t know how many customers you are giving up that are in the target market.
Why aren’t you testing weird ads? Weird hooks? Etc…
I see this too often and it’s stopping you from growing.
What to do about it? 👇
In your testing bucket make sure you try something weird at least once a month - then measure whether it drove: clicks or sales - if sales, dive a little deeper into the angle.
You are your customer, but you’re not your only customer, which means the market at large wants variety. Have some fun with it!
Expert Strategy + Learnings
Some amazing learnings from thought leaders in DTC.
Dylan's CRO Tips 🙌
If your brand has a mission like environmental impact, charity, supporting underserved communities, etc...
Don't make that the main "why" for why users should buy from you.
Make it a supporting value prop, not the main one.
It doesn't help conversion rates.
For more 🔥 follow Dylan Ander.
Rahul's Paid Media Learnings 🤘
Time to result Ad
Be clear what the user will get and in what time.
Specificity and clarity drive action.
Increase desire by using specific time frames
Follow Rahul and reach out to Reach Digital to work with him 🧠
Worth Your Time 🤌
From our Library 📚
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YouTube Channel 📺
Check out our library of amazing video content on creative, ads, and ecom operating.
Our Preferred Tech Partners 👏
Foreplay - spy on your competitor’s ads + save what you like
soona - studio-level assets in days and without the heavy cost. Yes, please. (Use Pencil39 for a free first photo)
Motion - you want insights on your ads - make it fast/easy/actionable.
Social Snowball - frictionless affiliate programs for your customers and creators
Marpipe - make DPA ads into a strength without more work
Triple Whale - attribution - need I say more
Air - keeping all of your assets organized is a pain. Air makes it delightful.
Creative OS - if you love making ads on Figma, you'll love this.
Insense - your one-stop shop for sourcing and working with creators.
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