In this cyberspace social circus we call home, there are two kinds of examples … good ones and the ones we don’t talk about. GAH!
You may not be familiar with what we affectionately call the Kately Rules -- the battle-tested copywriting laws that form the bedrock of Lately’s proprietary neuroscience-driven AI™. And that’s OK, because honestly what most people reeeeeally want to see are examples.
What do these rules look like in real life?
Or better yet.
What happens when you break those rules, and your post hops the guardrail and ends up in a ditch? I mean seriously, you gave it one simple job … sell the family cow for food … and it comes back with a hat full of magic beans???
Don’t panic, there’s a reason -- it likely broke one (or more) of these 16 rules.
So with that -- I’ll show you a good example for each rule, plus a real-world instance where folks tripped up.
Then, it’s time to do it yourself …
Easy peasy -- because I created the Lately 7-Day Bootcamp for free. We give you access to the Lately tools and 6 simple video lessons that get you creating radically effective social content right now.
Let's warm up by breaking down the 16 Kately rules together. Then you can take the free 7-Day Bootcamp and let Lately apply them to your own content … It's that simple.
What are we waiting for? Let’s roll!
These broken posts are based on real life examples, out of respect for all of us in the digital media grind, they were tweaked so as not to reveal the peeps who simply swung and missed. No one has greater compassion for the broken post than us -- it’s how we all learn, adapt and improve, and still do every day at Lately.AI.
“Give this new app a spin and see what you think. Just a suggestion, because we could always use a new path to saving money.”
Soooo many wishy-washy words -- “what you think”, “suggestion” and “could” -- they do not establish authority. Remember, authority creates a call to action, it earns trust, trust earns clicks and shares … you can’t get either without trust.
“New project live -- have you checked out our blog post on this one yet?! Visit the link in our bio and check out our blog to read more about this project and others in the works!”
“Check out” is the laziest of all calls to action … “check out” provides zero proof that your link will deliver value worthy of my time. I understand where the link goes, what I don’t know is … what problem will you help me solve or what opportunity will you unlock?
“ As the media layoffs continue to pick up speed.
Hope for an interest rate reduction is fading.
Non-stop stories of AI eating everything in its path.
All of those are out of your control.
What is in control is how you educate yourself …”
Too many people miss this and get lost in the weeds … the gist of this post, I think, is you have some type of learning opportunity -- but you take me over the hills and through the woods. You need a screeching tire announcement of the amazing benefits right up front, or I’ll never see the end of your post.
“Why I started a YouTube channel, focused on a single unremarkable niche and you should too.”
Not terrible, but oh so bland and unremarkable. Try starting with a negative and tap people’s “oh, no!” reflex like -- “A YouTube channel about kitten mittens will never work! But mine did … and I’ll show how your niche can too.”
“This may be a little off topic from my normal posts, but for business owners, I think this is a topic worth looking into if you have not already done so. I was more than surprised at the results and thought I would share how Google’s new update is impacting your business listings.”
We missed the perfect spot for a “why-because” setup … If you started with “your business listings are suffering” the white hot burning question would be … “Why?” Create tension, then release it. Plus, this needs to be tons more authoritative (see Rule #1), replace the “I thinks” with “I know” and get right to the point (see Rule #3).
“I didn’t think this would happen, I’m beyond thrilled to finally announce the project I have been working on for awhile now: It’s live now on youtube and is my first-ever solo video series. The first three episodes are live now! It would mean the world to me if you guys could check it out, like, comment, follow or share and lmk what you think!”
Wow, count ‘em, 6 references to I or me. That puts the focus directly on … you guessed it … you. Using we and us pulls us together on the same boat, the same team, the same mission. Mentioning “I built this for you, to help us” would go a long way in dialing up the team and dialing down the me.
“We are so pleased to announce the inaugural Email Marketing Expo live event coming to Dallas in 2024. Participants will explore the nuances of email content programming, hands-on workshops, expert-led sessions and vendors with state-of-the-art solutions. Reserve your spot today.”
Does anyone really talk like this? Of course not, that’s why it sounds like a PR robot. If you read this out loud, you’d hear how unnatural it sounds. Participants, really? Try greeting the folks on your next Zoom call as participants and enjoy the crickets. Write like you’re talking to a friend -- then check it with your ears.
“Are you missing all the amazing marketing resources available for free? OnCall is our online, on-demand resource library full of everything marketing-related, including webinar recordings, eBooks, podcasts, and much more! Sign up today.”
OK, the Lego example’s tough to top … but this could be waaay more visually welcoming. “Missing out on free marketing resources” is a good negative hook, but it needs entry points for the eye … all-cap AMAZING, add the # of resources, break them into a list, set ‘em off with emojis, use triple !!! on important points. Convince me this was written by a human, and not pasted from a brochure.
“I need to get this off my chest because headhunters receive a lot of unfair criticism for not responding.
But what about the applicant’s responsibility? I don’t understand why a big box store greeter is applying for a sales position requiring 8 years experience. Are you just applying for every job you see?
This is a huge waste of your time and mine to apply for a job you have zero experience doing. Please think before you submit.”
A little empathy goes a long way … this post could have done a complete 180, made the same point, delivered value and built trust. Instead of “getting it off your chest” -- why not share your expertise to help people who are struggling to job hunt more effectively?
“Accu-IT Business Systems, Inc. was founded in 1992 in Southern Vermont. Our purpose is to improve the quality of life for our clients, teammates and communities by offering customized Information Technology. Our tailored approach ensures we offer the highest level of professional support to enhance security, reliability and profitability for our clients.💡Ask us how to integrate A.I. into your business to give you a competitive edge!”
Everyone wants the click or the share -- so ask for it! There’s no shame admitting you want someone to do something … it’s the core of all communication >> but you can’t bury it behind the story of your company’s founding and expect them to act. Get to it, be commanding (see Rule #1) and explain why they should (Rule #5) let you integrate AI into their business.
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If your employees and colleagues are not engaged -- following, liking and sharing what your brand looks like in real life from their perspective -- you should ask why? It’s more than tapping their social circles … it’s giving customers a unique view of your company that only your employees can give.
“An insurance claim was dismissed out of hand due to the fact that the subject presented only an unsupported subject matter expert's review at the time. Our analysis provides a summary of that case and the pertinent insights for insureds and the company.”
Contractions are how real people talk … if you wan’t real people to read your post -- make it more comfortable for them. It’s, don’t, we’ve … all start a conversation in your head. If you don’t believe me, try Rule #7 and read it out loud -- you’ll hear how awkward “out of hand” and “pertinent insights” sounds and realize why this one’s dead in the water.
“Sharing for applicability of this study and to get more feedback for a larger sample size, but also to shock you into always checking your preconceived notions about the scientific world and what you know in your professional life in making decisions.”
Beware verbs that end with ing -- it means you slid into passive voice. That’s generally not great because we want people to take action … passive language is less direct and authoritative. In this post we are sharing, checking, making -- which is the fastest way to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher -- waw waw waaaa wa waw.
“While I'm in the process of researching my next video on the topic of quantum computing, I would like to take this opportunity for us to have an adventure and test the boundaries of human imagination. I believe this can be a better place if we choose to envision it to be so, and all we need to do is take some of that imagination and put it into action.”
Pretty obvious this post is not short or sexy. But even worse it lacks a call to action, a cardinal sin for any social marketer. The biggest problem is not the post length, but the run-on sentence. Think bite-sized thoughts that prompt action -- there’s a reason people buy fast food, it’s fast.
“Trying to understand why your cold emails are not getting delivered?
Your email is not configured properly. You don't know your domain health. And you still have to set up your DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records.
It's like driving your car blindfolded.”
The good example draws you in by creating a place to learn where you won’t feel dumb. The broken example makes you feel dumb intentionally so you’ll hire them. Look, acronyms and jargon exclude people which is the last thing you want to do. There’s nothing smart about that.
“Do you actually believe this alt coin stays forever under $5 in the bull market that's coming?
Do the math and you'll see the upside potential, even if you're not good at math.
Better follow me today.”
People remember how your post made them feel, and in this example, that’s no bueno. Suggesting I’m not good at math may be true, but it won’t earn many shares. Remember, people share content that reflects well on them and how they want to be viewed. It’s about them, not you.
You did it -- I salute you!
You know all 16 Kately Rules now and why they work. And since you made it this far, it’s time to join our free 7-day Bootcamp where you’ll see firsthand how our neuroscience-driven AI™ applies these rules to every post, in your voice, at scale, customized for your audience.
Your social’s about to get phenomenally better, let’s go!
