Tag: Small Buisness

  • Why AI Can’t Replace Authentic Expression in Marketing or Protest

    Being a marketer and copywriter, AI topics on my newsfeed aren’t new.

    Gurus and wannabes have been drooling over this.

    “WHOA! This is a game changer, man!”

    And it’s been like that for what— 2-3 years now?

    But recently, I’ve seen people toying with AI outside the marketing realm.

    Yesterday, I saw a laughable one.

    A guru/influencer sharing an AI-generated email of himself ‘joining’ the protest against corruption (✊)…

    And then, yup, you guessed it.

    He shared the prompt he used.

    Okay, let me cut you off right there. I am NOT anti-protest. 

    If this is an anime, protest would be our ultimate attack.

    But that form of protest? It’s just funny to me. 

    See, art and protest have always been married to each other. 

    Placards, effigies, songs, paintings, photographs, and even cinema… 

    People expressing anger, sorrow, desire through art…

    And now…

    AI prompts???

    From artists pouring their hearts out into their craft. To common people, writing and shouting with all their vigor.

    Emotions always rise and rise and rise when they do these.

    It’s so freakin moving.

    Inspiring.

    And here come the AI-heads…

    Copy-pasting a prompt.

    [Hey AI, create a photorealistic portrait of the subject from the attached photo (with exact same facial features and hairstyle), wearing black shirt that says “STOP CORRUPTION”]

    Wow.

    Goosebumps. 

    So expressive.

    😱

    I wonder how we got here. 

    Whatever happened to being unique? To authenticity? To showing your true emotion?

    I don’t know, man. 

    That’s why it’s funny to me.

    I believe people still love real stuff (at least most of us).

    … not something that looks and feels real.

    Huge difference.

    Yes, go use AI to help you do stuff faster.

    But when you use it to express and make people act? No. Just no.

    Be real.

    The same goes when you use it for your biz.

    Don’t just rely on AI.

    You can always combine tech and art while still being authentic, anyway.

    We’ve literally had digital artists and online writers doing it for decades already. 

    And I’m sure that’s barely scratching the surface.

    I mean, you can write messages packed with personality and stories… And then use email tech to automate sending them.

    Seriously.

    You don’t have to sound like a robot in those automated emails.

    Why?

    Because doing that risks your relationship with your customers.

    If you want to make your brand beautiful and just so damn adorable? Be human.

    That’s exactly what I do when I write sequences.

    Imagine buying a shirt online or passes for a class, and then you get an email showing genuine appreciation for your purchase.

    Or when you forgot about your online cart because life got in the way, and then hours later, you get a cheeky reminder about it.

    It would make anyone smile.

    And that’s as simple as 1-2-3.

    Emotions felt at the least expected time hit the hardest.

    So give that to your customers. Not fake shyt.

    If you need help writing those dangerously good emails, check out my website: https://johnrillemanalo.com/

  • The Secret Sauce to Pulling Your Market into Your World

    Today I woke up with a message from Aeriel.

    “LUMABAS NA SI CLYRA”

    …

    My brain went, “Who??”

    Five seconds later… Oh. Right. The baby. His brother’s baby.

    …

    …

    Oh shyt.

    Lumabas na si Clyra. CLYRA!

    A whole new human just entered the world! 🥳

    And that’s the miracle of birth, greeting me a good freakin morning.

    But the weird part is… I’m not even that close to the couple. And for some reason, my heart did this little fist pump of joy after reading the news.

    Maybe it’s because I’ve known her dad since grade school?

    I mean, I’ve watched him be the boss as my senior at our alma mater.

    I went head-to-head with him, finding the bottom of the beer bottle in college. 

    (I won, btw. Unofficially.) 

    Now? I’ll see him as a father.

    It’s literally a story playing out before my eyes.

    And when I congratulated him, he texted back:

    “Thank you tol!!!”

    Three exclamation points… That’s the most emotion he has expressed towards me in over a decade.

    🙂

    Anyway. Why am I telling you this? 

    Because empathy.

    Your business’s sales message has got to revolve around this thing.

    See, what I felt that moment had nothing to do with me. It was about stepping into his shoes, feeling his win.

    Now, I’ve never been a father, so I don’t know EXACTLY how he feels.

    But as a man? As someone who reads stories? And as someone who has locked eyes with his puppy for the first time?

    I have stepped at least on top of his shoes. 

    Am I truly empathetic? No clue. Science hasn’t tested me yet.

    (Altho my HS Buzzfeed-ish quiz said yes…)

    But here’s what I do know: I can take myself out of the equation when I write my ads.

    I remove my bias and my perspective from the big idea.

    Because I know that what I’m writing is made for a specific type of person, in a specific situation, and at a specific time.

    So, if I have the faintest idea about it? 

    There’s no way they would listen to what I have to say.

    Look, when doing your marketing, behind all the creativity and the hooks, your market only wants to know one thing…

    “Are they on my side?”

    When your ads make them answer ‘yes’, then you’re already in.

    That needs empathy.

    Now, I’m not sure where I read this, but I remember a copywriter saying he does the same process.

    Before doing research for his copy, he first thinks, “What would a single mom in the suburbs like to hear when she lands on this page?”

    And from there, he builds up.

    I did a similar thing to my Campaign Test Drive. I was writing an email launch campaign for a Functional Training studio. And before doing any research, I thought, 

    “What would a working man in Makati like to hear about fitness?”

    From there, I built a sales message. Sharpened it with research. Then, I crafted a campaign simulation.

    If it were a paid gig, I’d go even deeper– Talk to actual people doing functional training to soak up their feels and their words.

    Because that’s what any business needs to do.

    You’re not selling to you. 

    You’re selling to the market.

    So even if you have a heart that makes even Eskimos shiver, you have to feel what they feel. See what they see. 

    Or at least get to know someone to do that. Someone empathetic enough to feel what a new dad feels, even though he has no kids: https://johnrillemanalo.com/

  • Your business isn’t growing because all you do is ‘hope marketing’

    A while back, I read this sad rant from a biz owner that perfectly illustrated one of the biggest annoyances of biz owners lacking sales and marketing chops.

    Here’s the recap:

    They own a clothing line that’s been running for 7 years. 

    Yes, the sales are there, but they always fall short of hitting that ‘next level.’ 

    Back then, their video content sometimes went ‘viral.’ But now? Crickets.

    They tried influencer marketing too, but it was no bueno. Those influencers just wore the clothes while making finger hearts. But no selling or a simple shout-out.

    And now standing on thin ice, the biz owner asked:

    How the hell should we market our products??

    Well, this problem is why I think these local businesses should take a refresher course on foundational selling and marketing. 

    I have zero idea what kind of content they post or which influencers they dress up…

    But it seems to me that all they do is let Lady Luck and her boyfriend, annoying algo,  take the wheel.

    That’s not good, not good at all.

    Because here’s the truth most businesses don’t wanna admit:

    If you don’t know your market, don’t have an interesting offer, and can’t craft your sales message that makes people’s ears perk up… then you’re not in business. 

    You’re just gambling.

    Viral videos? That’s not a strategy. Especially these days, with the algorithm moodier than your ex, “luck” is way too big a factor to bet the house on.

    Same with influencers parading your stuff. Most of those people don’t know how to sell anything but themselves. That’s their power, their paycheck… not yours.

    All I’m saying is, running a biz on “hope marketing” is like walking on thin ice with a blindfold.

    You wanna go the ‘next level ’?

    Stack odds in your favor. 

    Instead of out-yelling the competition? Out-think and out-work them. 

    Use the fundamentals.

    And don’t put a single cent on ads, influencers, or content creation if you can’t recite the answers to these in your sleep:

    • Who the hell are you selling to (and no, “everyone” isn’t an answer).
    • What your offer is (not just a product, but the reason they’d be dumb not to buy).
    • How you’re saying it (your hook, your angle, your voice in the marketplace).

    This can make you stand out. It can make your biz much more enjoyable to scale. 

    7 years of “meh” when you wanna be “woah” is self-torture when all you’re doing is what everybody else is doing.

    Have you even tried to actually sell instead of promote?

    Look, there are so many touch points in your biz where your audience interacts with your brand. 

    For example, product descriptions. 

    Most biz owners sleepwalk through them. But they’re one of the last things your prospect reads before they buy.

    In my project, The Last Nudge Challenge, I revamp product descriptions of random businesses. 

    My process is simple:

    A quick check of what the biz is about, ask myself who would buy this, what kind of offer will make them smile, and then I carefully arrange words that will tickle them to their core.

    And that’s just from a single product description…

    Just a single touch point…

    But I wanna make sure
    it makes an impact.

    Because if you don’t talk to them the way they want to? They could walk away with no hesitation.

    So before you listen to generic advice like create more engaging ads, build a brand, create a community, stay consistent? Make sure you know the basics of selling. 

    And make sure you integrate them in those little touch points. 

    Now, as a working copywriter, I know exactly where those unseen touch points are. I’m not one of those who’ll just tell you to use puns and jokes to get attention. 

    That’s only a part of the game.

    If you’re curious about what else I do as a copywriter,  click here: https://johnrillemanalo.com/

  • Not another ‘be polarizing’ sermon.

    My Facebook feed has never been more divided because of Charlie Kirk’s passing.

    There are the Christians, men of Jesus, mourning from afar for their fallen brother.

    Then there are the folks who love to remind the Christians that the dude held stances that would make even Jesus raise an eyebrow.

    But whatever side you’re on, these right-wing people know how to be freakin’ polarizing.

    I mean, look! People who live wayyy across the planet are going to war in the comments like someone’s gonna win the debate there and the ethics trophy.

    I’ve seen people in the same circle… ordering the same coffee, sitting at the same lunch table on a daily basis… yet holding completely opposite views about him.

    Now, I know what you’re thinking:

    “This is another sermon
    on being polarizing. 😒”

    You might be thinking that I’ll say that your brand should swing hard, pick a side, and never flinch.

    And yes… that’s the part of it.

    But this is me talking.

    The dude who loves to overthink things and somehow lands on something pretty.

    See, it’s true that the second you lean into one side, your people will cheer and tattoo your name on their forehead… while the other side will write letters to Santa begging him to put you on the naughty list.

    But here’s where most brands screw it up…

    They stop there.

    They think polarization is enough.

    Well… it’s not.

    Because here’s the kicker I stole from Mr. Cole Schafer, the smokiest, sexiest adman alive:

    Your marketing isn’t just about getting people on your side.

    It’s about pulling them onto your side… and then turning them into snobs with elevated taste.

    Polarization gets them in the door while snobbery keeps them loyal.

    And for me, that’s the job of copy.

    You gotta make your audience say,

    “Okay, that one sucks. This one? Good. Like, really good.”

    It’s not enough to stand out. You’ve got to raise the standard so high your customers feel like anyone who doesn’t choose you is beneath them.

    Like Apple.

    Apple doesn’t just sell phones. Apple makes Apple users feel superior to the green-bubbled, Android-headed folks.

    Apple = good.

    Others = blegh.

    No debate. Whatever the other side says? Doesn’t matter.

    And here’s the beauty of it…

    When you do this right, you don’t just grab attention…

    You eliminate the
    paradox of choice.

    Your customer isn’t stuck doom-scrolling on YouTube reviews and then spiraling into anxiety over what to buy.

    They see your brand, and the decision is instant.

    No brainer, done.

    That’s the power of marketing and writing reliable copy.

    You free them from hesitation because you made your biz the obvious choice.

    Ain’t that a beaute?

    It is.

    That’s how my copy brain works. It’s why I learned not to rely on templates.

    See, people’s minds are complicated and simple at the same time. You can’t ever connect with them with mere fill-in-the-blank hooks, no, that’s not how I like to do things.

    How I do things is more like this: https://johnrillemanalo.com/

  • Forget “Hook Formulas.” Ask This Question Instead to Hit The Money Shot.

    There’s this old viral video of trolley bag salesmen at a department store somewhere going full WWE over a single customer.

    The customer? A mom and her 10-year-old daughter.

    And when I say WWE…  I mean real WWE-style throwdown.

    One guy literally lays his trolley bag on the ground and starts STOMPING on it like it did something bad to his dog.

    Then the other guy’s scrambling to win the mom’s attention, stuttering through his pitch, trying to act calm.

    Meanwhile… The customers.

    You could see in the video that the little girl’s frozen, mouth wide open. And probably wondering if this is how adults buy their stuff.

    And then the mom, frozen as well, but trying to cover her sweet daughter’s ears just to save what’s left of her innocence.

    But the clowns are just there yapping, one of them ready to throw hands over a trolley bag.

    A freakin bag.

    A kid’s pink Barbie trolley bag.

    Now I don’t know exactly what happened, but here’s what I saw in that chaos:

    The kid had already chosen. She wanted the calm-er dude’s bag.

    So the hot-headed salesman? Poor guy couldn’t let it go. Maybe it’s quota season.

    Maybe he overheard the mom saying “yung heavy-duty ha?” and thought, 

    “This is my shot!”

    So he kept hammering the “durability” angle, literally trying to destroy his own product to prove his claim.

    But bottom line…

    It probably wasn’t about durability.

    It was about what the kid wanted. And she already made her choice.

    See, prospects will tell you what they “want.” But the truth is, 99.9% of the time (made-up number, just tryna prove a point), that’s just surface talk.

    What matters is what
    they actually desire.

    And you’ll find that by watching a pro salesman work.

    They always ask,

    “What do you like the most about what you have right now?”

    Boom. That’s the money shot.

    So when you write your ad, lead with whatever the market says they desire.

    And that stuff that they say (or think) they want? Use it to support the main hook.

    Because if you miss that? If you go stomping and screaming the wrong idea?

    You’ll end up like the wraith king in the video… putting on a show, and still walking away without the sale.

    Good thing you’re already here.

    If you wanna know more how I do stuff, check this out: https://johnrillemanalo.com/

  • This is why your funny videos aren’t making you money!

    If you’ve been browsing social media lately (of course you have, you potato), chances are, you’ve seen a handful of businesses trying desperately to be funny. 

    (Just like that potato joke I made)

    From small cafes borrowing punchlines from other cafes, to marketers creating skits they saw from other marketers.

    Now, some of them hit the jackpot.

    It went viral… made sales.

    But did you know almost NONE of that jackpot comes from the joke? It’s true. Most successful businesses don’t even need post 3 funny reels and 58 stories a day.

    What hits the jackpot comes from them putting salt in the market’s wound and telling them how they can cure it. 

    Simple.

    That’s why I don’t know how this make-jokes-all-day krap started.

    Although I can picture the meeting where some well-meaning genius raised their hand and said, 

    “Sir, what if you do this skit with the team? Para maging relatable yung brand.” 

    Or maybe it was the young, eager intern who pitched,

    “Bro, we gotta hop on this trend! Brand awareness yan!”

    Then the biz owner was like…  

    😲👍

    So what’s this got to do with you? 

    Well, I can hear you thinking about doing a trending dance for your biz because the ghost month has hit you hard. So I’m here to save your eass for the sake of your grandkids and dogs.

    You’re welcome.

    Now let’s be clear.

    This relentless pursuit of being “funny” is a trap. 

    If you’re a comedy club, knock yourself out. If you’re a food influencer who gets paid to eat a 6,000-calorie breakfast, by all means, lead the way. Your business model is entertainment.

    But if you’re not? 

    If you sell coaching services, or you own a fitness studio, a hobby shop, or a simple karaoke hub?

    Your job isn’t to rack up claps and dopamine likes. 

    You’re here to solve a problem.

    And this is not me being a tito who hadn’t drank his morning coffee yet.

    I LOVE stupid-funny stuff. I dreamt of having dinner with Adam Sandler and Conan O’Brien and even Babalou since I started watching them. (Fun fact: Conan and I have the same birthday)

    Anyway.

    The point of all this is to tell you this cold, unsexy truth…

    If you want sales, sell.

    The real reason a customer gives you their hard-earned money isn’t because you made them chuckle once or twice. 

    They pay you because you make them less hungry, less confused, less stuck. 

    The market has a tangible problem, and you have the specific answer. That is the core transaction.

    “So do we have to get serious all the time?”

    No, god, no. Dayum. That’s a sad world you’re mentioning.

    Just think of entertainment as the sugar, not the medicine. The lemon, not the tequila(?).

    Instead of spending hours trying to go viral on TikTok, what if you spent that time talking to the market and learning their woes? 

    And then that’s what you put on the content you create.

    Because that’s what makes your brand relatable. They have to know that you know them. Like you’re a tita that brings all the goods. 

    This is why these kinds of ad materials are money-makers:

    • Advertorials that made them realize there’s an answer to their pain
    • Video Sales Letters that talk to them like they know them
    • Emails that make you their friend from afar

    They don’t get a million views and a thousand likes.

    They’re not inherently flashy. 

    But it does something far more important: it builds trust and demonstrates competence.

    So, by all means, sprinkle in some personality. Be human. But don’t ever forget what you’re really here to do…

    SELL.

    And for me, I’m here to make you curious about what I do.

    So… Did I do it right, or do you want me to dance? 

    Go here: https://johnrillemanalo.com

  • How I’ll Use Email Marketing to Make a Small Business in a Saturated Market Profitable

    I wanna make a real-life case study of how my email copy chops work on a small business… so I’ll co-found a cookie biz in Manila.

    Here’s the story:

    My girlfriend started a cookie biz during the pandemic (but was also put to a halt after the series of lockdowns). She sold it on Facebook and IG, but we both have no idea how to run social media marketing.

    So as a direct-response marketer, I suggested we focus on Facebook Marketplace. (Right after selling to friends and fam).

    It turned out to be a good decision.

    I was a complete rookie in the copy game that time, but I stuck with a few old-school principles.

    • Know who you’re selling to
    • Emphasize what sets you apart from the crowd
    • Give proof of your claim
    • Give social proof
    • Add a touch of personality

    Surprise, surprise, sales went up. We even managed to add a few pastries to the menu.

    If life didn’t get in our way, who knows what could have happened to that biz…

    Well…

    We’ll find out because we’re a couple of steps away in (re)launching that same biz.

    It’s a highly saturated market, especially with the rise of Tiktok marketplace or whatever that’s trending right now. And yes, we still don’t have the guts to slave away from the social media marketing grind.

    So the plan is:

    1. Start building a list of people who want that sweet little piece of heaven that she bakes (COOKIES). We’re doing this by tapping old customers, letting friends take part in the taste-testing process in exchange for their emails, tapping our pseudo-influencer circle, plugging the biz on my other email lists, and eventually, paid ads.
    2. Make a simple opt-in bribe to entice cold traffic on her list. We’re leaning heavily on a simple discount-on-first-order tactic, but we’re open to more ideas. A few on the list are free shipping coupons, curiosity/FOMO heavy stories, digital goodies, or I don’t know, maybe prayer intentions.
    3. Create a sales page/product page that focuses on word-painting to make the readers drool over the cookies. We’re selling consumer goods, and consumer goods need to have this veil of awesomeness that sets them apart from similar products. (A good example of this is the brand Last Crumb.)
    4. But we won’t just paint the cookies. We’re going to paint a world. And we’ll do it via email. This is where all the fun and selling will happen. Every single email has 2 goals: entertain and sell.
    5. Figure out a back-end offer. Now, this is a must-have. The front-end offer is the cookies. Once people are on the list, we’ll sell premium offers that only they, as a part of the list, can enjoy. But we won’t talk about the specifics here. List members only.

    Pretty simple, right?

    This is pretty much just an upgrade on what we did on our first try. We just have a few new tools to use and a whole lot of marketing experience.

    But basically, the strategy this time is STILL to stick to what we know and what we enjoy doing.

    We just have to do the work and follow the proven principles.

    Have any questions about what I do in the copywriting realm? Go here: https://johnrillemanalo.com/