It’s been a big month for Meta. They have a lot to be happy about: they’re making money and Facebook is stronger than ever.

On the other hand, their new app, Threads, is having trouble retaining users. But Threads can’t be written off completely, especially since Twitter… I mean X has its own problems.

For digital marketers, Meta’s success and Twitter’s problems present some interesting opportunities.

We’ll break it down in this edition of Lurn Daily. Here’s the rundown…

• Facebook Milestone - 3 Billion Active Users

• Twitter Ad Discount - 50% Off Ads

• Threads Struggles - Trouble Retaining Users

• Instragram Reels - Powerful Tips

• Powerful Hooks - 5 Hook Ideas

Lurn Bytes: Your Daily News Download

Facebook Crosses 3 Billion Active Users - It’s been a good week for Meta. Not only did they report strong quarterly revenue - driven by ad sales - but they also announced that for the first time, they have over 3 billion monthly active users. That’s quite the turnaround from the rough 2022 the company went through…

Twitter Offers 50% Discounts On Ad Packages - Twitter/X is having a rough week. After a sudden brand change that isn’t catching on, they’ve also had to resort to offering steep discounts to attract new advertising dollars. While this is bad news for the company, it’s good news for digital marketers looking for a deal…

Threads Daily Active Users Are Way Down - While it’s mostly been a good week for Meta, the news coming out of their Twitter challenger, Threads, is not great. While Threads had a strong start, it has struggled to keep users engaged. According to a recent study, there are fewer than 12 million active users a day on Threads, compared to over 100 million active users for Twitter…

4 Steps To Create Instagram Reels

We’ve talked a lot about Meta in this issue. A big part of their recent success has been the growth of Reels. If you’re looking to reach more people and build your audience, then its important to understand how to get the most out of Reels.

TLDR - How to Make Instagram Reels like a Pro in 4 Easy Steps

Instagram Reels are Meta’s answer to the TikTok craze. They’re everywhere on Instragram and Facebook.

If you want to build an audience on social media, then you should take a close look at Reels.

This article uncovers the power of Instagram Reels and why they could be an integral part of your digital marketing strategy in 2023. With detailed steps to create engaging Reels and effective tips to make them stand out, this article is well worth the read.

Here's a sneak peek into the 3 major takeaways you can look forward to:

Understand Instagram Reels: Learn all about Instagram Reels, their format, and how they cater to users' interests, helping brands tap into new, relevant audiences.

Creating Reels: A step-by-step guide to creating Instagram Reels right from planning the storyboard to publishing the final product. How to add effects, music, aligning your clips, and much more.

Make Your Reels Stand Out: Master the art of creating Reels that truly resonate with your audience. From hooking your audience in the first few seconds to providing valuable content and hopping on timely trends, get the lowdown on creating stellar Reels that set you apart.

Dive into the full article to unlock the potential of Instagram Reels and take your brand's digital presence to the next level. It could be a great opportunity to boost your brand's reach in 2023!

5 Powerful Hook Ideas To Grab Your Audience’s Attention

Hooks are probably the most important part of any copy you write.

Whether it’s a headline, subject line, or even the first paragraph, you need to make it count. If you don’t hook their attention, then it doesn’t matter what follows. They’ll click away and you’ll lose them.

If you have a great hook, then you’ll give yourself the opportunity to persuade them with your copy.

So let’s talk about how to write great hooks.

There’s a word you hear all the time: clickbait. These are usually headlines specifically designed to get clicks on social media. They have a reputation for being irresistible, even if they don’t always pay off.

I believe that your hooks should be congruent with the messaging on the other side. You can, however, learn from what talented headline writers do. You can take the positive elements of “clickbait” headlines and apply them to your messaging.

That’s where some of the best hook ideas come from.

There are many different types of hooks that you can use. I want to give you 5 different ideas for hooks that we have found to be particularly effective.

Idea #1: Say Something Controversial

Controversy is irresistible. People are addicted to it. Just look at the number of people who closely follow politics and celebrity gossip. Most of them don’t do this to stay informed – they do it because they get emotional payoff from the drama and controversy around politics and entertainment.

You can use this reality to your advantage as a copywriter. If you make a controversial statement, you will grab people’s attention.

Obviously if you say something controversial, you need to back it up. Don’t say something controversial and then immediately contradict what you said. If you do that, then the controversial headline will backfire.

Idea #2: Say Something That Goes Against Conventional Wisdom

Another way to create curiosity and intrigue is to say something that goes against conventional wisdom.

For example, if you have a weight loss program that heavily emphasizes nutrition and does not emphasize an intense exercise regimen, a strong hook could be something to the effect of “exercise is the worst way to lose weight.” 

This goes against the conventional wisdom that to lose weight you need to spend a lot of time at the gym.

There are all kinds of examples that I’ve seen other marketers use, including…

• Your English degree makes you a worse writer.

• All those bicep curls are making your arms smaller.

• The nicer you are, the less people will like you.

• Practice DOESN’T make perfect.

• “The customer is always right” is killing your business.

Whether or not you agree with those statements, they grab your attention. You’re probably curious about whether they can back up what they said. That is exactly the kind of reaction those marketers want you to have.

As with saying something controversial, if you are going down this route, you want to make sure you can back up what you are saying!

Idea #3: A Dramatic Situation

Soap operas are one of the most successful forms of entertainment ever created. They have been popular since the advent of radio. Even today, with all the entertainment options available, soap operas are still a staple of daytime television.

Soap operas are great at hooking people’s attention with a dramatic situation. In the same way people love controversy, they love drama. As a copywriter, you can use this to your advantage.

If you have a headline or a subject line that communicates a dramatic situation, you have the potential to grab people’s attention and make them intrigued about how it will play out.

Some of our most successful subject lines have been as simple as “it’s finally happening” or “I’ve had enough.” Those subject lines suggest drama, and most people cannot resist its allure.

Idea #4: An Interesting Character

One of the best copywriters of all time is a man named John Carlton. One of his most famous piece a copy promoted a training program for golfers. Take a look at this famous headline he wrote…

Amazing Secret Discovered By One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yard To Your Drives, Eliminates Hooks And Slices… And Can Slash Up To 10 Strokes From Your Game Almost Overnight!

If you were a golfer who is frustrated with their performance, wouldn’t you be intrigued by this headline? You are probably intrigued by this headline because of the one-legged golfer. That’s the hook.

An interesting character is a fantastic way to quickly create a compelling hook.

Even the mundane parts of your day can generate interesting characters. A simple description will often do. Instead of saying “this guy I met at the airport” say “the man with the red shirt.” Adding little details, even simple ones, adds character.

Idea #5: Be Specific

If you look at good copy, a common pattern you’ll see is the use of specific numbers. There’s something about being specific that grabs people’s attention.

For example, saying “here’s a simple system to overcome migraines” is not nearly as powerful as “a simple three-step system to overcome migraines.” All I added was a number.

However, just by adding a number I made the statement less abstract. If someone has a problem with migraines, they’ll want to know what simple 3 things they can do to alleviate this pain.

Whenever possible, use specific numbers in your copy. This will improve the quality of your hooks, and it will also improve the quality of your teaching since it forces you to structure your content.

ICYMI - The Biggest Stories You May Have Missed

Google Wants You To Upgrade To Performance Max - Google wants you to make the jump to automated advertising. You can voluntarily upgrade your Dynamic Search and Google Display Ads to Performance Max, which uses AI to optimize Google Ad campaigns. If you run Google Ads, you want to check this out…

New Organization Created To Oversee Safe ‘Frontier AI’ Development - In a groundbreaking move, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic have united to create the Frontier Model Forum. This industry coalition aims to ensure the 'safe and responsible development' of advanced AI models, often deemed as 'frontier AI', which could pose 'severe risks to public safety'. However, as Big Tech aims to self-regulate, critics question if this initiative is a way to pre-empt government regulations and shape the industry rules on their own terms…

Threads Adds “Following” Feed - Amidst Twitter… I mean X’s rebrand confusion, Meta’s Threads is seizing the opportunity to entice the Twitter escapees. Threads is rolling out new features aiming to mirror the traditional Twitter experience. They’ve finally added a 'Following' feed, offering users content exclusively from the profiles they follow, providing more control over what's displayed. Will this turn around the shrinking engagement on Threads? Time will tell…

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