#11 – Learn this formula to write headlines like Eugene Schwartz

📣 How to market your side project?

Many developers love to start side projects, but they soon give up because they don’t know how to market it.

Check out Open Startup List, a directory of startups that are open about their stats. It has grown to 1k visitors per month and has 390 email subscribers.

nscode, who runs the website, has described 3 marketing hacks for side projects in this Indiehackers post.

  1. Build in the open. People are curious, so use it to your advantage.
  2. Blog posts are key. Having just a list of sites isn’t interesting. He started a blog and began interviewing open startups.
  3. Be human. when interviewing someone, make sure that they are happy with the content. Nurture their relationships. They will share your post with their audience. 

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✍️ Formula to write headlines like Eugene Schwartz

Eugene Schwartz is a famous marketer/copywriter who wrote the famous book Breakthrough Advertising, which is a must-read for anyone learning marketing.

He has a unique way of writing headlines for his sales letters. The formula is simple. 

Proof + Pain to Benefit = Great Headline

For example: 

Now, medical science has the power to say to you:
Follow these 3 simple steps, and
Begin your “Middle Years” at 70, 80, even 90!

The First line leads with proof (medical science)
Then takes a pain (middle years) into a benefit (begin at a much later stage).

There are many other examples of this formula. Check the video to learn it.

How would you market an offline local business on the web?

Check this twitter thread by Reilly Chase. 

He wanted to get his septic tank checked, so he Googled for local businesses that do the job. 

There was one business that had more 5-star reviews than any other. Naturally, he hired them.

Once the work was done, the owner said he would make a deal. “If you leave a nice review on Google, I’ll give you $25 off.”

That was the easiest SEO hack anyone could do. His cost for a good review was just $25 and the extra customers who come because of those reviews make it worth it. Of course, it goes without saying you did a great job.

But there is a risk that Google might penalize you if they find you are giving incentives for reviews.

Do make sure that you don’t overdo it. 

💡 Tip: How to give discounts? % or $ 

It’s a common question for eCommerce stores or anyone selling online. What kind of discounts are better? Percentage or dollar value?

Here’s an easy heuristic. If the order value is less than $100, give a percentage discount. If the value is more than $100, give an absolute dollar value. 

For example:
10% off on a $30 T-shirt. 
$30 off on the $500 bag.