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Today I have a post on how to tell stories quickly, a personal essay on why I left ActiveCampaign for beehiiv, and our usual links roundup.
—Nick Wolny
How to tell quick stories that convert
One of the most successful advertisements in history was the “Two Men” letter by The Wall Street Journal. This sales letter is many copywriters’ Roman Empire; it produced over $2 billion in subscription sales for the paper over the course of the 21st century, largely without any edits or revisions.
Here is how the two men letter opens:
“On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both — as young college graduates are — were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.
Recently, these young men returned to their college for their 25th reunion. They were still very much alike. Both were happily married. Both had three children. And both, it turned out, had gone to work for the same Midwestern manufacturing company after graduation, and were still there.
But there was a difference. One of the men was manager of a small department. The other was its president.”
The letter then goes on to explain that the President, the desirable character in our story, had been a subscriber of The Wall Street Journal, and goes on to tout the features and benefits of a subscription, along with an introductory price.
The two men letter is an example of an anecdotal lead. By opening an article or post with an anecdote, you leverage storytelling elements that create a deeper psychological connection with your reader. Traditional leads usually don’t start with an anecdote, but when done well the anecdotal lead is one of the best ways to hook readers immediately.
Anecdotes are stylish, and in today’s AI-saturated world the ability to write or speak them can help you stand out in your industry.
A refreshed essay of mine in Medium will give you the scoop.
Why I left ActiveCampaign
For several years, I have endorsed ActiveCampaign as an email marketing tool. I’ve personally sent tens of thousands of emails through ActiveCampaign, put my clients on it, made dozens of walkthrough videos on it, and recommended it to other business owners.
More than endorsing any one particular tool, what I endorse is picking something that works, then just sticking with it so you’re not bouncing around all the time.
Last week, though, I cut the cord. ActiveCampaign felt increasingly slow, and other tools were adding features that were more creator-centric. I've sometimes written that I don't see myself as an entrepreneur, but rather a creator with an entrepreneurial skill set, and that still rings true.
I migrated over to beehiiv, which also announced its $33 million Series B this week. Here's a quick personal essay on what changed both with newsletter culture and myself that inspired the switch.
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