The Worst App For Marketers

12/01/2021 | Comment

I’ve recently identified the worst app for marketers.

Can you guess what it is?

I’ll give you 3 hints…

HINT #1: It’s used by roughly 25.8% of internet users.

HINT #2: You can download it on your computer, your phone, or simply as an extension in your web browser.

HINT #3: It’s recommended by the world’s staunchest data-privacy experts.

Got it yet?

Here’s the answer:

I’m talking about ad blockers!

But no, it’s not for the reason you’d expect…

Sure, these apps are causing countless websites to hemorrhage their precious ad revenue (that’s the obvious answer).

But the real reason ad blockers are the worst app for marketers, is that they’re also costing them a priceless education.

The fact is…

Instead of feasting on a constant stream of the best advertising on the Internet, the millions of marketers who personally use ad blockers are forfeiting the chance to hone their craft and add valuable assets to their swipe file, each and every day.

It’s insanity.

Especially when you consider the sage advice that my copy mentor, Mike Palmer, told me when I was a wee copy cub.

“You don’t need to read more books on copywriting,” he said. “You need to read more copy.”

It’s a lesson I took to heart.

And that’s why I firmly believe that ad blockers are the WORST app for marketers.

I’d even recommend that marketers cancel their premium subscriptions to Hulu, Youtube, and Pandora, just so they can experience MORE ads.

Heck, instead of blocking ads, you should even consider downloading apps that show you more of them.

For instance…

There’s a browser extension called “Turbo Ad Finder,” that when engaged, hides all the annoying cat pictures and political rants from your Facebook feed, and instead, only shows you the ads.

It’s a must for digital marketers.

Because it basically turns Facebook into The Museum of Modern Ads.

But unlike the real MoMA, admission is free, you can browse as long as you like, and it doesn’t get shut down because of a pesky virus.

TL;DR.

  1. Uninstall your ad blocker.
  2. Install Turbo Ad Finder.

That is all.

I’m stepping off my soapbox now.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

Big mistake made by online biz noobies

12/01/2021 | Comment

Whenever I see this mistake, I can’t help but cringe.

And unfortunately, it happens…

ALL. THE. TIME.

I can’t be too upset though. I’ve made the same mistake myself.

And as a result, it cost me months of wasted time, effort, and thousands upon thousands of dollars.

But if you’re reading this email, it might not be too late for you.

Particularly if you’re launching a new business and plan on selling courses, services, or coaching.

In other words…

You want to brand yourself as an expert and profit from your knowledge and/or skills.

Does that sound like you?

If so, then I believe it’s critical that you watch this video I recorded last year.

It’s less than 10 minutes.

And in it, you’ll get the full details behind the costly mistake I’m talking about and discover my solution for avoiding it.

Just click here to join the Strategic Profits Facebook group and check out my video.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

How To Conquer A “Funk”

12/01/2021 | Comment

I have to warn you:

A bad “funk” can be catastrophic to your productivity.

And if left unchecked, it can last for days… weeks… heck, even MONTHS.

Motivation disappears. Good habits get ignored. And poor decisions become easier to make, like binging Netflix, eating junk food, skipping workouts, etc.

You might not even want to get out of bed in the morning.

…Which is why on the surface, “funks” like these often look like depression, just minus the melancholy.

But there’s hope.

Because over my career I’ve gone through funks countless times. And while I’ve yet to master the art of avoiding them altogether, I’ve come up with a pretty effective protocol for reversing these unproductive trends and restoring my drive.

So if you’re currently stuck in a funk (just like I was recently), here’s what I recommend:

PHASE #1: Remove the bad shit

It’s important to note that conquering a funk requires two critical phases.

In the first phase, my goal is to simply eliminate the bad shit that’s perpetuating the funk.

For me, that means no drugs or alcohol. No junk food. No TV. No video games. No NSFW videos—at least, not during Zoom calls *wink*. And it even means cleaning my office and removing physical clutter that catches my wandering eye.

Because by ridding myself of these distractions, I strip my life of the “fat”—literally and figuratively—that weighs down my attention and takes time away from all the GOOD things I want to get done.

Now, it’s important to note that I don’t abstain from these habits forever or that EVERY bad habit has to go. But it’s important to identify the primary culprits impeding my progress right now. And then ruthlessly eliminate them.

Because just like good habits can create positive momentum, bad habits can have the opposite effect. They create inertia. And until they’re removed, it’s hard to get out of a funk.

PHASE #2: Restore the good shit

Personally, I find it easier to STOP doing something bad than to START doing something good.

Because when I try to do them both at the same time, my willpower falters and it takes me even longer to break out of the funk.

So only after I’ve removed the unessentials, is it time to add the good shit back in (i.e. the important habits I’ve ignored while stuck in my funk).

That means I (in order of personal importance):

  1. Eat Keto and intermittent fast
  2. Exercise at least 3 days a week
  3. Plan my day in advance
  4. Read books (especially personal development)
  5. Wake up and go to bed on a consistent schedule
  6. Meditate

Then, by the time I’ve eliminated the junk from my life and reintroduced these 6 habits, I feel 1,000% more motivated, happier, healthier, and energized.

So if you’re ever stuck in a super-sticky funk, do what I do.

Cut out all the bad shit. Restore the good. Then experience the difference.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

The Ultimate Opening

12/01/2021 | Comment

A white, middle-aged man speeds through the desert in a Winnebago while wearing nothing but his underwear and a gas mask.

Bullet holes cover the door and three men lay unconscious (or possibly dead) inside.

The driver’s mask fogs up, causing him to veer off the road and crash in a ditch.

Then he takes a camcorder from the RV and records a message to his wife and son, telling them that he loves them and assuring them that the crimes he committed were done with the best intentions.

Finally, he puts down the camera… walks to the road… pulls a gun from the waistband of his tighty whities… then points it in the direction of oncoming sirens.

[END SCENE, CUT TO INTRO]

That, my friends, is the opening to Breaking Bad, the Emmy award-winning TV show about a high-school chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin.

And I bring this up because I recently re-watched the entire series with my wife (it’s’ really that good).

But this second time watching it, I noticed something I didn’t spot before…

You see, the show follows a specific formula at the beginning of every episode — one that can not only be leveraged by filmmakers, but copywriters and marketers as well.

Here’s what happens…

Right away, Breaking Bad starts “in medias res,” which is latin for “in the midst of things.”

It doesn’t tell you how the characters got to where they are.

Or what unfolded to cause the situation.

Instead, the show always leads with a scene that’s filled with action… or drama… or mystery… or sometimes all three.

But then, right before the climax…

The scene ends and cuts to the intro.

In other words, Breaking Bad starts by grabbing the audience’s attention. And then, right when their interest is piqued, it leaves them with a cliffhanger.

In copywriting, we call these two elements “hooks” and “open loops.”

The hook is what captures your prospect’s eyeballs.

And the open loop is like the cliffhanger. It’s the unfulfilled promise (either directly stated or implied) that gives them an irresistible reason to keep reading.

Now let me show you an example…

Here are the first few lines of a promo that I recently added to my swipe file:

It’s sold in almost every supermarket… And found in over 100 different food products. In fact, it’s probably sitting in your fridge right now… And you may have served it to your family last night at dinner. This surgeon believes it’s the worst food a human can eat. It’s banned in Europe… But in America… It’s 100% legal.

That’s the hook.

And in my opinion, it’s pretty good. It grabbed me right by the gills because of the curiosity it provoked.

But remember, a hook alone isn’t enough.

Next, you gotta pair it with a good open loop, which usually comes near the end of the lead…

So why is this ingredient still legal in the United States… Even though the rest of the world considers it to be poisonous, hazardous and is linked to cancer? Well, in a moment, I’ll show you how it might have to do with a biotech corporation who makes $15 BILLION per year manufacturing this ingredient… And how they spend $5 million dollars per year lobbying the United States government to keep their products on the market.

See what they did there?

They open the loop by promising to inform you about this “dangerous” ingredient.

But they don’t share the full deets right away.

Instead, they build anticipation and force you to keep reading the copy to find out more.

And that’s what makes it so powerful.

So remember…

By combining a sharp hook with an irresistible open loop, you’ve got a proven formula for advertising (or Hollywood) success.

And the next time you’re waist deep in the first couple pages of a promo, think long and hard about how you execute this one-two punch.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

Give Thanks Without Giving Up

12/01/2021 | Comment

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

In my house this past week, Turkeys (plural) were smoked and stuffed. Rivers of gravy flowed down mountains of potato casserole. And pumpkin pies were devoured.

It was epic.

And during the festivities, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude.

It filled me with joy to celebrate this iconic American holiday by sharing four different feasts—on Saturday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (again)—with friends, family, and even a few strangers.

There was just one problem…

The experience was a painful reminder of the conflict most entrepreneurs face during times like these:

Gratitude vs Ambition

On the surface, these traits seem mutually exclusive.

Gratitude often leads to satisfaction, which can kill ambition.

But without gratitude, achievements rarely bring happiness.

So how do you stay thankful for everything you have—without losing your hunger to achieve more?

Well, after years of trial and error, I found that a simple perspective shift is all you need to balance these two forces.

Here’s how it works…

If I’m super distressed about the success of a marketing campaign or product launch, then I probably need to step back, take a couple hundred deep breaths, and practice more gratitude.

It’s time to remind myself that I love my job. I love my family. I’m financially secure.

And even in a worst-case-scenario where Rich gets hit by a bus (God forbid) and this business goes belly up, I know I have the skills and network to land on my feet.

In other words:

I’ve realized that being grateful doesn’t mean I’m “content.”

It doesn’t mean settling for the status quo.

Instead, gratitude assures me that the blessings in my life will always outweigh the hardships.

It eases my fear of failure.

But it’s not an excuse to slack off.

That’s the difference.

That’s how I give thanks without giving up.

And I recommend you do the same.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

How to create free content that sells

12/01/2021 | Comment

Every one likes to get value for free.

(That’s why “lead magnets” are so effective at attracting prospects.)

The problem is, most people have the wrong idea about how to use free content to grow their business.

Trust me, I practically invented it.

So instead of hosting my typical livestream today, I’m going to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and share with you a video I made last year revealing my top strategies of how to create free content that delivers sales.

Maybe stream it while you eat turkey?

Click here to watch it.

To higher profits,

Rich Schefren

Speaking Is Ruining My Writing

09/17/2021 | Comment

This is going to sound strange…

But it’s becoming harder and harder for me to be a productive writer.

Getting into flow is more challenging.

My mental bandwidth is stretched like taffy.

And I’m finding it nearly impossible to carve out time to sit in silence and execute my most celebrated skill.

The reason?

I just TALK so damn much these days.

As our team grows, my time is increasingly spent in meetings.

And that’s not a bad thing.

Meetings are where I delegate tasks, make decisions, clear bottlenecks, plan our operations, and provide feedback.

They’re muy importante.

And they allow me to leverage my time effectively.

But meetings also involve a lot of speaking on my part and require a similar amount of mental focus, creativity, and energy — especially as an introvert by nature.

In fact, nearly 6 hours of my day today was dedicated to meetings alone.

And that’s why I’d go as far as to say that speaking is ruining my writing practice.

The solution?

I need to scale my writing ability.

Which means:

Outsourcing more to members of my team…
Training up staff to my level of expertise. And…
Spending more time reviewing and editing copy instead of writing it from scratch.
Point being:

If you too are managing the day-to-day operations of your business — while also creating assets that require hours of deep work — then at some point, something’s gotta give.

What roles you move off your plate is your choice.

But you better choose wisely.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

The Biggest Break Of My Life

09/02/2021 | Comment

When I landed the biggest break of my life…

It unlocked a massive opportunity, new responsibilities, and even caused my family to move across the country.

In fact, it’s the reason I’m partnered with Rich Schefren and run the day-to-day operations of Strategic Profits.

So in today’s email, I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

I’m going to show you exactly how I landed this break.

And by following a similar path, I’m confident that you too can experience life-changing results.

But first, some context…

It all started in 2019 when I went to Justin Goff and Stefan Georgi’s first Copy Accelerator Live in Austin, Texas.

At the event, I met many top copywriters and brilliant entrepreneurs.

One of them was Peter Coyne, a former publisher at Agora Financial (which owned Rich’s business at the time).

He told me that he was working with Rich.

And they were publishing lots of content to their email list and Facebook group.

So I joined both.

And just two weeks later, I saw a post in the group saying they were looking to hire a publisher to run Strategic Profits.

It felt like fate.

So I applied. Got the job. And the rest is history.

Now here’s the thing:

While many previous events and actions lead to that outcome…

I simply can’t deny the power of masterminds like Justin and Stefan’s.

They allow you to meet people who can advance your business and career in unthinkable ways.

So if you want to experience that for yourself, do what I do:

Go to masterminds with really smart people.

It could land you the biggest break of your life.

Your pen pal,

Matt Rizvi

P.S. I’m writing this from Scottsdale, Arizona while attending this year’s Copy Accelerator Live. So if you’re here too, I’d love chat. Seriously. I mean it.

Expert To Guru (P2) – Get Paid For Who YOU Are, Not What You Do…

08/11/2021 | Comment

Would you rather get paid to work every day?

…Or get paid for the wisdom and knowledge you gained over years of becoming a master of something that people value?

To me, the choice is obvious.

So on today’s Livestream, I’m going to show you how to do more of the latter and less of the former, including…

A fundamental truth that the most successful gurus understand

The road I traveled to become the “Guru To The Gurus”

The multimillion-dollar mindset of a guru

How to adopt the mindset of a guru

And much more that you’re not going to want to miss

To higher profits,

Rich Schefren

High-Profit Podcasting

08/11/2021 | Comment

Let’s be honest:

Most podcasters have no idea what they’re doing.

They spend hours publishing content on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube…

And only get a handful of listeners who spend zero money.

So how do you do podcasting the right way?

…And turn it into a real business?

I’ll be going live with my guests to talk about how to have a podcast that makes money in 2021 — even on a tight budget with zero experience.

Join me as I chat with Joe Fier and Matt Wolfe — the minds behind the Hustle and Flowchart podcast — as we reveal the best ways to monetize podcasting for your business.

Plus, they’re going to share their 4 “PodHacker” pillars for launching a brand-new podcast. Here are the details…

To higher profits,

Rich Schefren