Well that sucked. Let's do it again.

About 6 months ago, I decided to post to my blog daily instead of weekly.

After a couple of months, I. went back to weekly posting. I already put enough pressure on myself to produce quality work on deadline for clients and for my own businesses. The additional pressure to write a daily blog post was too much. Threw off the balance of things. Weekly was the right cadence for me.

So last month I did the daily posting thing again.

Huh?

It's good to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

So, I pushed forward to exercise my writing muscle.

And my self-discipline muscle.

And this is the 26th daily blog post since February 5, 2024. Well, more like 5 or 6 posts a week. But that's close enough for this journey.

And although I still feel that weekly is the right schedule for me, I feel good that I pushed my limits and stepped up and did this ... again.

The lesson you should take from this? Dunno. This was all about me. I got the message I apparently needed. If you get one, fine. If not, there are lessons lurking everywhere ... keep your eyes open for those that open your eyes wider.

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NOTE: This blog post (and perhaps the previous 25) are dedicated to George Tannenbaum who posts on his AdAged blog every day. And has been since 2007. A total of 6,244 blog posts. Yes, 6,244. That's what motivated my first daily posting experience. The one that reminded me that I'm no George Tannenbaum. Which isn't a problem. I see him (and his posts and posting schedule) as inspiration not competition. I'm a damn good me. And I'm quite happy with that. And I'll never again post to my blog daily. Unless I do.

What can a podiatrist teach you about writing?

 

When a podiatrist (foot doctor) is talking to a patient, instead of using the word "hallux", they say: "big toe".

Even though "hallux" is the proper term they learned in Med School.

'Cause they want their audience to understand what they're saying.

The next time you pull a fancy word from your mental thesaurus, channel the podiatrist communicating with their patient.

A Tip of the Hat

 

The most unorthodox book recommendation yet.

That’s how Eddie Shleyner characterized one of my answers in an interview.

“What book has helped you the most over your career?”

Not fair to make me choose, Eddie. 

One is definitely “The Cat in the Hat”. Dr. Seuss totally understood his audience and was a master of using simple, active words to engage his readers with fun stories. I also like the subversive nature of the book.

Most unorthodox? Out of around 6-dozen? I’ll happily wear that as a badge of honor. Thanks, Eddie.

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Read the full micro-interview: https://www.verygoodcopy.com/microinterviews-3-1/scott-frothingham

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Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel) was born on March 2, 1904. Dr. Seuss Day is held annually on the school day closest to his birthday. The day promotes reading for children and is primarily known as Read Across America Day.

The Big Six

 

Before finalizing your headline, Clayton Makepeace suggested asking yourself these 6 questions:

1. Does your headline offer the reader a reward for reading?
   
   
2. What specifics could you add to make your headline more intriguing and believable?
   
   
3. Does your headline trigger a strong actionable emotion the reader already has about the subject at hand?
   
   
4. Does your headline present a proposition that will instantly get your prospect nodding his or her head?
   
   
5. Could your headline benefit from the inclusion of a proposed transaction?
   
   
6. Could you add an element of intrigue to drive the prospect into your opening copy?
   
   

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Clayton G. Makepeace (1952-2020) is considered by many to be one of the most talented and effective copywriters of all time. Some of the most iconic headlines in copywriting history are his, including: “7 HORSEMEN of the Coming STOCK MARKET APOCALYPSE” … “Shameless Two-Faced S.O.B.s!” … and, “Health Breakthrough News — Cholesterol’s EVIL TWIN”.