What Men in Speedos Can Teach Your Copy
Style Sheet Dept.
I’m not much of a sports fan. I’ll get up early to watch the Tour and Giro (I love riding bikes, after all) but that’s about it. (Well, that and the gritty and epic Texas football TV drama Friday Night Lights. But in that case, I swear it’s the writing. Seriously fantastic, even if they pulled some punches in the second season.) But I digress.
So here’s the thing you won’t guess about me: I enjoy watching mixed martial arts.
For those not familiar with MMA, two fully-grown, consenting adults step into an octagon ring surrounded by chain link fencing, each with the hopes of punching the other guy into a stupor or cutting off his air supply.
In other words, it's totally gross.
And completely engrossing.
Which got me thinking about why I find MMA worth watching. Of course, it’s no coincidence that these same principles will keep attention on your copy, too. So, without further ado:
1. Fans want to see some blood. UFC fans may as well be watching lions hunt criminals at the Roman Colosseum back in the day. They’re hungry. So are your ideal clients, who are starving for authenticity. So drop the bland language of the professional and let ‘em see you sweat, reflect, play. It gives them a sense of the real you.
2. Theater is part of business. The fights aren’t two guys just duking it out in a ring. There are weigh-ins, bikini-clad women, cameras following the fighters as they walk to the ring, and these crazy hyperbolic pre-game statements (which I love love LOVE! It’s fun to see how different people brag). Your marketing, if it’s going to grab & keep attention, benefits from a little theater, too.
3. Those guys get out there and fight. It's not just two guys hanging out in the gym or locker room, talking about what they’re gonna do. It's not a bunch of fellas at the local watering hole exercising their jaws about how their guy is the [insert favorite superlative here] in between beers. Same goes for writing awesome copy. If you’re going to grow your mailing list, attract your ideal clients, and make more money, you’ve got to put your butt on the line. And by that, I mean actually put yourself out there and fight for an expanded experience. And not just talk about it. Whether you DIY or get a copywriter, doesn’t matter. Just keep your eyes open as you’re swinging, and give it all you got.
