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mikumanogi-blog · 3 years

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2017-03-05 “Stagnation” Kubo Shiori Blog #7

Is there anybody who thought “today is Kubo’s blog day?”!

It’s Shiori’s blog~ (I didn’t make you wait did I…)

I thought I would try changing up my usual introduction.

Hello everyone, Thank you for work hard again today. I’m Nogizaka46 3rd generation member Kubo Shiori.

My hair is curled.

The other day something fortunate happened.

When the makeup artist was finished hair spraying my hair the can (big size) was empty. The last person that giant can of hair spray was used on was… me. Isn’t that lucky? It rarely happens (‘._.`)

Hehehe

First off, I want to look back at what has happened recently. Thank you so much for the 5th Year Anniversary Birthday Live.

Hito ha naze hashiru no ka?

Tsuyogaru tsubomi,

Hane Kioku,

Harujion ga suku koro,

Shiori kumo ni note,

Hause!

The 3rd generation members all stood on that stage while considering the significance behind why we were given these songs to perform.

The emotions and the scenery I had from that stage is something I will never forget for as long as I live. More than anything, seeing all the 3rd generation member towels, pen light colors surprised me...I was overjoyed. I’m a very fortunate person. Thank you.

We also did a recording for the 3rd generation song 「sanbanme no kaze」off the 17th single. Surprise…and joyfulness… (You’re probably thinking that those are the only two emotions I have, I do have a lot of other ones…) At any rate this is something I’m thankful for. The wonderful lyrics and melody, this song will forever by important to me.

I was also nervous because this was my first time doing a PV shoot, but I thought that each shoot was done with care. I received the help of many people and as my first ever shoot I was able to make it an extremely meaningful experience. Thank you very much. I want to see all my fans again. Please wait for me. (TL note: I am assuming this is for the individual PV’s and not the music video PV)

And now… Q&A time!!!

Because I wasn’t able to do a Q&A on my previous blog I will also be answering questions asked for that blog (‘._.`)

· Which do you like more sweet or spicy?

I like food. Recently I’ve been enjoying sweet foods!

· Are you good or bad at physical exercise?

You probably thought I was bad at physical exercise didn’t youuu~ but that not true at all! I’m average. This year on my first sports test I was awarded an A rank!

· Do you cook? What food is your specialty?

I may look like I do and I doo~ It makes me happy to hear my family say “delicious” after they finish eating my food.

My specialty food is…it’s hard to say, when I was younger it used to be omurice (‘._.`)

Currently my specialty is probably a type of sweet… I’m always making sweets.

· In your middle school club, what was the toughest club activity?

Most likely the stairway dash (‘._.`) I was always sore the next day. After that was the zoo warm up (‘._.`) Duck, Bear, Seal, crocodile, , , nostalgic memories (‘._.`)

· What are some events made a lasting impression for you from Nogizaka under construction?

There are a lot of events but, Hori Miona’s「ikimana onna」line from her version of Wakatsuki Yumi’s Hashi kun was funny! (TL note: you can find an ENG sub version on YouTube).

Speaking of Miona san, at the concert she came to talk with me. She also put up a picture of me on her blog…thank you so much. Yamazaki Rena also posted one on her blog. Thank you very much (‘._.`)

(TL Note: Kubo and Rennachi & Kubo and Miona)

Honestly, I feel shy when meeting new people, when the senior members came to talk to me, I got tongue tied. I feel guilty… I wonder if that’s why people may think things like “Kubo is hard to approach isn’t she” I’ll continue to reflect upon my weakness from the shadows.

I honestly couldn’t speak. I also have a quiet voice… Ever since I was born I’ve been a lost cause…Despite my flaws the senior members are still nice to me. I want to talk more with the senior members about various things but because of my personality it’s probably won’t be enjoyable for them…My personality is something I need to change (‘._.`)

· I burned myself…

Are you alright!?!? Please make sure to treat it properly so it doesn’t leave a scar (‘._.`) Pain, pain go away~ While I was saying that I um… also burned myself (‘._.`) I was half asleep and I…burned my neck with a hair iron… out of all the places it could’ve been why in such an obvious spot…I will reflect upon this mistake.

· Are there times where you are picky or obsessed about your fashion?

Umm… well, I wear what I like without fussing over the brand. Recently I’ve been liking unique clothing~ Heading into spring I’ve been buying yellow and pink colored clothes. Renka told me “You’ve become more stylish lately” I’ve decided I want to wear more and more different types of western style clothing. I’ll do my best!

· Can you see the towels and penlights from the stage?

Of course I can see them! Every time I spot one it makes me happy. I have some good news! Because my eyesight has gotten worse my contact lens strength has gone up, this means that I can spot everyone even easier than before! Allllright, from one end to the other I’ll find you all!

· Show me a picture of you with twin tails!

Sure, here you go!

I knew it was no gooood!

Oh no, my hair is covered by my hood and the picture is bluury isn’t it~

…I’m sorry. Self-reflection. Self-reflection.

· Why were you crying together with Nakada Kana san in the dressing room?

On a silent Friday, my name was brought up by Nakada Kana san. Thank you very much (‘._.`)

First of all, she did not make me cry!!! There is a reason for why I was crying… The first time we started practicing for Principle was a time where I had anxiety over how things would turn out going forward. Then Kana san came and talked with me… we talked a lot about her personal stories from her Principle performance and the future. The details are already….. I’m crying. I wonder if I can become stronger…Can I really keep at it…What should I do…. These are the insecurities I showed in front of my amazing superior. (‘._.`) I am extremely grateful to Kana san (‘._.`) Thank you very much.

· Are you someone that eats a lot?

Yes I am! One of my favorite phrases is, I want to eat____. Just the other day, for lunch, I ate bread, rice and beef stew. For dinner I ate 30 gyozas. After that I had waffles and strawberry daifuku. Oh I also had ice cream. I have a bottomless stomach. (from the title of my blog two blogs ago ‘There is no limit’)

· Do you like bread?

I do!!!! For a while I was addicted to bread crusts, and I ate them plain. I would eat them while waiting for practice to start!

· What is something you’ve been addicted to lately?

Yogurt with soy flour on top!!! I’ve been way too addicted this pairing. I could put roasted soybean flour on anything.

· Favorite ice cream flavor?

Matcha!! After that is Soy flour!! Eastern style ice cream flavors are ◎ but as expected I can’t choose between them (‘._.`)

For this blog I am going to end the Q&A here!!! I’ll being doing it again in the future!

What been going on recently? Speaking of which, I’m going to start with some of my worries. My shyness has gone too far, so far that I’ve had troubles taking pictures with other members. However, I know that a lot of fans are waiting and saying “post pictures with the other members!”… For my fans I plucked up the courage and I took my first ever three-person selfie since joining Nogizaka46.

This should be a commemorative picture. Miichan, ririan, Tsuki Taro san. Thank you so much. I hope we continue to get along.

(TL note: I’m not sure what 月太郎 (tsuki taro) means. After some research I found that 太郎月(taro dzuki) mean first moon of the new year, so she might just be calling herself a newbie).

Next, in Manatsu san’s blog, she was asked about which member she would want to be her little sister… In her answer she wrote about me…Thank you so much, Manatsu san is so kind. On the day of the 5th Year Anniversary Birthday Live I apologized to Manatsu saying “I’m really sorry for doing ‘zukkyun’ in Girl’s Rule during Principle” and Manatsu san said “no no, it’s completely fine! If anything, I’m glad that you did! Thank you so much!” Manatsu san is so kind isn’t she (‘._.`) Thank you so much for being nice to someone like me.

Guess what, guess what, Because I I was completely sold out for the handshake event another time slot has been added. Thank you very much! I am very, very, very, VERY happy… For everyone that will come see me I’ll make sure to give you a good time.

“I’ll never be able to forget this! I want to go again! I’m cheering for you!” I’ll do my best to give you these kinds of feelings. More than anything let’s enjoy ourselves. I’m really excited to talk to everyone! I wonder if I’ll see the people I met at the meet and greet again? I’ll be waiting for you!!

Today, for the first time in a while something happy and enjoyable happened. I was also able to make unforgettable memories.

There’s so much I want to say but this blog has already gone on for so long… I have been told before that I really like photography and I really do. That’s why when everyone gets a hold of the new magazine I’m in I hope to bring enough interest for them to say “wow who is this girl?” I’m making sure to not slack off in order to be the kind of person that stands out in a crowd.

Just because you work hard doesn’t mean everything is going to turn out the way you want it to, but if you don’t put in the work then it definitely won’t.

I don’t want to be someone who is all talk and no action. I want to be someone that even though they say big things they can make them into reality. Yet even though I say that I don’t have enough confidence to talk about my own dreams. I’m a coward. I will change. I will change even more.

In the last blog I received a lot of comments giving me advice and so I based my writing for this blog on that. The opinions that I saw most in the comments were “don’t be so stiff! Relax a bit!” Thank you very much. That’s why I decided to try and make a more relaaaaxed blog this time. What do you think?

Finally one last question from the comments!

· Out of all the 3rd generation members, which member pretends to remember something the fastest?

That person is Tamami! Wow! Tomorrow is Tamami’s blog! Make sure to give it a read!!!

Kubo will write again.

(In Minachan’s blog I was temporarily recruited for a group called Nabepa (Nabe party). It doesn’t look like we can meet up often… Maybe we should try recruiting. What do you think would be good? The members are Tamami, Minachan and Ayati, and me.)

(TL Note: Minachan is Umezawa Minami)

Kubo Shiori

https://blog.nogizaka46.com/third/2017/03/037204.php

(TL note: trying to find a good translation for a blog title was difficult, the word used in japanese is 渋滞 which can mean either ‘congestion’ ‘delay’ or ‘stagnation’, I decided to go with stagnation because after reading this blog I got the impression that she feels like her growth as a person has become a little stagnant)

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nadiafm · 4 years

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( camila morrone, cisfemale ) hey ! have you seen NADIA PEREZ around ? they work as a ICE SKATING INSTRUCTOR at big bear resort, but they must be off their shift by now. well, if you do see them can you let me know ? they’re 21 years old & they’ve been working here for 11 MONTHS. they tend to be +AMOROUS & +CONVIVIAL, but can also be -LICENTIOUS & -WARY. the other employees have labeled them THE ROMANTIC. thanks a lot ! gold hoops , floral mini dresses , pink lipgloss , overly dramatic eyeshadow , freckles specked across your nose , mascara running down your cheeks , tequila shots chased with salt and lime , lana del rey blasting in your headphones , mirror selfies , golden hour , glitter and rhinestones , blue raspberry dum dums , piled up books you keep forgetting to read.

hey y’all !! i’m so excited for this wow. i’m sam, i’m 22, and i live in pst !! i’m a sucker for cooking shows and dogs and candles. but more importantly...this is my freaking baby nadia, an absolute idiot with a heart of gold ! i already know this intro is going to be too long but bare with me i will include a tldr at the bottom i promise. also hmu on discord to plot ! capricornmom#1278

here is nadia’s pinterest & here is her playlist

aesthetics : gold hoops , floral mini dresses , pink lipgloss , overly dramatic eyeshadow , freckles specked across your nose , mascara running down your cheeks , tequila shots chased with salt and lime , lana del rey blasting in your headphones , mirror selfies , golden hour , glitter and rhinestones , blue raspberry dum dums , piled up books you keep forgetting to read

character parallels : jackie burkhart ( that 70′s show ) rachel green ( friends ) , cassie howard ( euphoria ) , brooke davis ( one tree hill ) , bianca stratford ( 10 things i hate about you ) , april ( palo alto ) , erica vandross ( flower ) , gigi & triple a ( booksmart ) , snooki ( jersey shore ) , jessica day ( new girl )

full name : nadia paloma perez

birthday : july 23, 1998

zodiac : cancer sun , pisces moon , pisces rising . god help this emotional ass girl

nationality : american

religion : roman catholic

sexual & romantic orientation : bisexual , biromantic

hometown : aventura , florida ( 20 minutes outside of miami )

languages spoken : english ( fluent ) , spanish ( fluent ) , french ( still learning , takes it in school , somewhat conversational )

likes : candy ( sour punch straws , lollipops ) , watching soccer games ( messi stan till she dies ) , rex orange county , writing , magazines , making empanadas with her abuela , romantic comedies ( her fav is how to lose a guy in 10 days ) , tequila sodas , sex , lana del rey , chipotle burritos , iced chai lattes with almond milk from starbucks , gossip girl , craft beer , margaret atwood

dislikes : quinoa , nuts in things like salad or cookies , star wars , watching golf , oatmeal , church , screamo music , california ( a grudge ) , spoiled rich kids , condescending business majors , quentin tarantino ( and his avid fans )

BACKGROUND

Born and raised in South Florida, a little aways from Miami ! Her mother, Paloma, was an Adventura native while her father, Santiago, was an immigrant from Argentina. Her parents met in college when Paloma was studying abroad in Argentina. They fell in love, rather quickly, and the rest was history. They had planned on moving back to America together, but Santiago’s visa was denied. So, after only four months of knowing each other and 2.5 months of dating, they got married.

Turns out sometimes you should know your partner better before getting married !! shocker right. It wasn’t so bad at first, though. They were young and in love and their honeymoon phase seemed to last forever, until it didn’t.

By the time Nadia was born, they’d already begun to realize each other’s faults and flaws. Santiago was a good looking guy, and with his thick Argentine accent, he tended to come off as overly friendly and at times overtly flirty. Paloma was jealous and needy. It never seemed to mesh well when she thought her husband was flirting with every other mom in the neighborhood.

So, for the majority of Nadia’s childhood, all she remembered from her parent’s marriage was them fighting. She had a close relationship with the both of them, though, and she was particularly close with her father. He was her biggest supporter !! Always hyping her up. He was the one signing her up for sports like soccer (they’re a huge soccer family, the only time her parents weren’t fighting was during Argentina games), gymnastics, dance, and ice skating. Her favorite was soccer, and her for most of her adolescent years, her dad coached her team. They formed a really close bond because of it.

The marriage was sort of non exinsistant at this point, but in some sort of last attempt to salvage any love they might have had for each other, Santiago and Paloma had a baby. It was more Paloma’s idea than anything. Santiago, at that point, was only sticking around for Paloma. She was seven when her little sister was born, Caterina, and Nadia absolutely adored her. They may have been seven years a part, but they were the best of friends.

When Nadia was twelve, she woke up with a note on her bed side table. It was from her father, and it read: “Nads, I’m so sorry I couldn’t say goodbye to your face. I wish I was stronger. I am so proud of you and I promise I will be in touch. Te amo. Papa” He hadn’t left anybody else a note, and not even a word to her mother. As close as she was to her mother and sister, she couldn’t help but blame them for her father leaving. Still, she was pretty certain she’d hear from him soon. That he’d come back once he cleared his head. Only, he didn’t.

Word spread pretty fast around school about what had happened. Suddenly, Nadia was a charity case. PTA moms were coming up to her and offering to bring her lunch or dinner, if she needed it. She was the girl who’s dad left them high and dry. It didn’t help that on top of that, her body was going through changes much more rapidly than any of her friends. She already had gotten her period, and by the time she was in seventh grade she was wearing a D cup bra. So in addition to the sudden spotlight as the girl without a dad, boys started treating her differently. Boys that had never talked to her previously suddenly wanted to be her friend. In eighth grade, Hayden Walker rolled up a small piece of paper and shot it like a basketball into her cleavage. He high-fived his friends after and thanked her for the backboard.

So middle school was rough. And while Nadia had had one or two boyfriends during that time, she’d never gone past kissing them. That’s not how the rumors went, though. That was the part that hurt the most. The things people said, especially the things girls said about her. Girls she thought were her friends.

At the end of eighth grade, during the summer before high school, she got a text from her dad. The first one in 2 years! She’d idolized him her whole life, so obviously she was ready to forgive him as soon as she heard from him. He told her he was living in California and Nadia was like, I’m sold! Let’s go! Only her mother was like...are you fucking insane you are not going to California to visit that man. Long story short, she found a cheap cross country bus ticket and essentially ran away from home to see her dad! He was shocked she had come at all, despite his text message leading her to believe he wanted to see her. Apparently it was more of a courtesy text, a text so he could let go of the guilt of leaving an entire family behind. Because in the two years he’d been gone, he managed to start a new one. He had a new wife, and two newborn twins.

Nadia was pretty furious, but she stayed the summer anyways. She had full intentions of starting high school in California and not going home to Florida. Things were tense at her father’s, though. Her “step mother” obviously didn’t like having her around, and though her bond with her father was slowly rekindling, there was still a sort of distance between them. But they were trying to make it work, at the very least.

Then came the end of the summer. Nadia had made a few friends around the neighborhood, and was invited to an end of summer kickback with a bunch of high schoolers. Naturally, she lied about her age at the party. She was 14, but told everyone she was 16, and everyone seemed to overlook her baby face thanks to her ass and tits. At the end of the night, a boy drove her home, and the two ended up hooking up in the car. Apparently she had misjudged how much her father actually cared, because he’d waited up for her to come home, and after seeing car headlights out front, he’d stormed outside to find her in the car with a high school boy, half naked. After allowing her to gather her bearings, he essentially humiliated her right there on the front lawn, screaming about how irresponsible she was amongst other things. The majority of the conversation has since been blacked out from her mind, but she’ll never forget the look on her dad’s face when he said, “you’re nothing, you’re just like your mother, and i don’t want you anywhere near my family.” whew !! ya girl was hurt.

So, obviously, she was back on the way to mom’s ! Honestly at that point her mom wasn’t even mad at her for leaving she was just thankful she was back.

GODDD okay this is getting long so I need to wrap this up. I haven’t even gotten to personality KJSHG Okay let’s wrap up high school in one bullet point. Basically she sub consciously searched for every man’s approval because she lacked the approval she needed from her father! This meant lots of boyfriends and never saying no. In her four years of high school, she was maybe single for a total of like ... seven months. not seven consecutive months lmao, 7 months in between relationships.

one of those boys was connor perch, her first official boyfriend freshman year ! they were really sweet n young and nadia really thought she was in love. but then she gave him a blowjob and this mf recorded it ! and nadia found out after the fact, asked him to delete it, he said it was just for himself to look at, only to find out he’d sent it to his friends a few days later. so that basically set the precedent for how she’d be treated the next four years of high school ! she tried to act like it didn’t bother her but dang. high schoolers can be very mean !

oh my god i seriously have to wrap up okay this will be quick. basically when she was a senior in high school she went on a ski trip to big bear and met a boy named ethan, who she like fell in love with so fast like literally a week give it a rest girl. he was from Colorado but when she left they kept in touch and basically talked every day for the rest of the school year and throughout the summer. She’d decided to apply to Boulder University to be closer to him because this time it really felt like the real thing ! SURPRISE AGAIN ! She got to school and found out he had a girlfriend. She was really mf heartbroken over that. But did she learn her lesson? No. Does she still fall in love with anyone who looks in her direction? Yes.

Okay and lastly she has been working all sorts of jobs throughout college because her mom is helping her pay for tuition and rent so she’s gotta cover spending money ! She ended up getting a job at Big Bear Resort during her last winter break as an ice skating instructor because she used to do ice skating back in the day. Now she works at Big Bear during her school breaks and on some weekends !

TLDR/Tidbits

Hopeless romantic with major daddy issues

Will overanalyze every interaction she has with anyone because she thinks they might like her

EXTREMELY GULLIBLE

Probably will have a crush if you are even remotely nice to her

Really dumb but means well. Literally no common sense. Complete bimbo

Cries A LOT. Complete crybaby. Happy or sad she’s probably crying

Heart of gold!! She really always means well even when she fucks up so bad I SWEAR her heart was in the right place

Can outdrink anyone. She would drink a 6ft5in, 200 pound man under the table any day

Tequila is her choice of drink, but vodka is for her #sadgirlhours

Obsessed with Rosalía, Lana Del Rey, & Rex Orange County. And also 2010 bangers. Anything she can shake her ass to !

She pretty much used to exclusively wear mini dresses because when she realized everyone was just gonna sexualize her anyway, she was like FUCK IT, i’ll show my ass n titties n legs. Except it’s fucking like negative degrees in Colorado so she can’t do that ! Bummer. (she’ll still probably find ways to wear mini dresses)

Obsessed with makeup!! She loves doing adventurous things with eyeshadows and lipsticks like ok euphoria

Kinda crazy. Major crackhead vibes especially when she’s drunk! She loves going out, she’ll go out on a Tuesday, she just likes to have fun ok and dance on tables and make out with cute people

She’ll have a one night stand but just know for HER she’ll probably get attached. I’m so sorry it won’t last that long but she’ll pine for at least a week

ok that is all i’m so sorry for this shit show of an intro but here is a messy list of wc !

#bigbearintro #literally so pointlessly long but

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simplemlmsponsoring · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://simplemlmsponsoring.com/attraction-marketing-formula/email-marketing/nine-insights-for-writing-effective-email-sales-copy/

Nine Insights for Writing Effective Email & Sales Copy

What’s the single most important thing about writing copy?

I get asked this question from time to time.

And it’s funny…

Most people expect there’s some super-secret, sneaky psychology at work in highly compelling, “must read” copy.

But the truth is simple.

The #1 determining factor of whether your copy will convert or not comes down to this question…

Do you understand your audience?

Now, this applies to all copy…

Emails, sales letters, opt-in pages, etc.

When you’re building your network marketing business, getting into the head of your prospects and customers is priority #1, always.

At face value…

Copywriting is just words.

But there’s no “magic phrase” that sells your stuff.

It’s all about understanding what your prospects WANT.

This takes some research and a little bit of digging, but is actually so simple…

The process can be summarized in just 3 words…

Word #1 is Pain.

Do you understand your prospects’ pains?

Because you need to if you want to sell to them.

Word #2 is Desire.

This means “getting” what people want (or, at least, what they think they want).

Word #3 is Fear.

Fear is the inverse of desire, i.e. what do people not want?

If you understand what your audience’s pains are, what their desires are, and what their fears are, you’ll always have the right questions, things to say, and angles to play—on tap—when you need them.

Today I’m going to share 9 insights for writing effective email and sales copy.

These are based on the most commonly asked questions I’ve received in our community.

Let’s dive in!

This is a big one.

When you’re building your network marketing business, it’s tempting to think there are trends with email subject lines, blog post titles, Facebook ad headlines, etc.

In fact, that’s what a lot of ‘gurus’ will tell you!

But the fact is, people don’t like advertising.

Once they notice a “trend,” then it starts becoming increasingly obvious and ineffective.

In that sense, the whole idea a headline is to stay ahead of the trends.

You want to fly under the radar.

Now, it’s true, of course, that there are scores of proven headline templates.

In fact, we’ve even put together a free special report on writing killer headlines.

These templates aren’t trends—they’re “molds,” which have worked for the past century, and will continue to work for the next century.

Okay, so you want to know the only goal of your headline?

To get a reader’s attention!

That’s it!

But you know what really matters?

It’s all about what happens next.

Because if you can’t follow up with value…

And if you don’t have an interesting or engaging opening, something that’s going to continue the conversation started by the headline…

You lose.

This is what really matters when building your network marketing business through content—transitioning from your headline to exciting, relevant content.

Now, I will say that if you see a lot of people use the exact same headline in your niche, over and over and over again…

I wouldn’t do that.

The classic “who else wants…” or “do you make these mistakes in…” are a bit played out.

Always look for ways to get your message across in a fresh way

One great way to do this is…

Go thesaurus.com and type in the words you see other people use, and look for striking synonyms.

You’ll be getting the same idea across, using different words, which makes a huge difference!

The other thing you can do is ask yourself “what do I want to do?” anytime you write a headline.

If you want to get your prospects’ attention, then ask—

“How can I do that best?”

“What can I say that’s different, and exciting, and gets people to read my emails?”

That’s the best way to get the headline process going.

Well, here’s the general rule…

Always stay “on target” with content that’s of interest to your prospects, of course.

If they came into your list by opting-in for a free report on how to generate leads for their network marketing business, then that’s what you email them about.

Alternatively, if they opted-in for a traffic report, then they signed up because they specifically wanted traffic tips—so give them more!

Whatever they opted in for is what you keep delivering.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to only write about one thing.

You can shift away from that and talk about other topics.

But generally, you want all your content to lead to your core offer, which got your prospects interested in the first place.

Let’s talk Facebook ads for a moment…

Anatomically, there are 4 elements to your ad:

Post text Image Headline Link description

Okay, so how do you optimize these?

Well, first off, the very first thing people notice is the image.

That’s a key fact.

If the image is engaging, your audience will notice the ad

If the image doesn’t catch the eye, then the rest of the content doesn’t even matter…nobody’s going to notice it, anyway.

So that’s the most important aspect of your ad: the image.

Next are the post text and the headline, which sandwich the image on the top and bottom, respectively.

The link description is kind of buried and isn’t quite as important.

Let’s talk about the “feel” of the copy for a moment.

You don’t want to come off formal.

You want the post text to sound like an email opening, very conversational.

One of the best ways to do this it is to start with a question.

It’s not the only way to do it, but it’s one of the best when you’re building your network marketing business.

The headline should be benefit driven, e.g.:

“How to x,” or “5 tips to achieve y.”

Another way is to use personal anecdotes, like:

“I struggled to generate leads until I discovered this…”

Show people the “big benefit” and they’ll get sucked right into your story!

For subject lines…

Take a look at your inbox.

Notice the subject lines that you’re opening.

And pay attention to why you are opening them—that’ll give you some solid insights.

Ask yourself…

What about this subject line made you want to keep reading?

Now, as a general rule when writing subject lines…

Always be curiosity provoking and benefit driven

For example, yesterday I wrote an email titled, “I smell a rat”…

That’s a curiosity angle, and it got a lot of opens.

It makes you want to read the full story.

A great place to look for headlines is in tabloid magazines like The Enquirer, World News Daily, and so forth.

Their headlines are short, extremely curiosity provoking, and often shocking and bizarre.

These publications have punchy, short headlines you can use as inspiration.

As far as where to learn more about great copy, you can always check out our free special report on writing killer headlines.

It’s a step-by-step template that walks you through writing your own killer sales copy.

That’s where I would start.

Okay, this tip is simple, but extremely powerful.

What I do, and what every copywriter does, is read our copy out loud.

And let’s be clear…

I’m not saying read it silently to yourself…

But out loud, so you can actually hear it.

If something sounds “off” when you do this, you need to go back and rewrite that part.

It might be worth recording yourself, so you can read your copy in one sitting and then go back and edit all the areas that don’t sound right.

If you do that, once you play back the recording, ask yourself…

Would you buy from you?

That’s how you know if your copy’s good.

That’s how you test yourself.

Okay, this is going to be short and to-the-point…

Copywriters are not cheap.

The best thing to do is learn how to write copy yourself.

But if you want to hire somebody, you are going to spend quite a bit of money.

Because good copywriters will charge $200, $300, or more, per individual email.

That ain’t cheap.

And if you are looking at a sequence of five to 10 emails?

Well, you do the math.

Luckily, there are shortcuts…

Few people know this, but 6- and 7-figure copywriters use templates all the time.

Look, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when building your network marketing business.

There are “tried and true” ways to sell.

And they don’t often get beat, especially by novices and intermediate-level writers.

I’m a big fan of our 30-Million-Dollar Video Sales Letter Formula.

It’s a 25-point, step-by-step template, that helps you write a great sales letter from start to finish.

From the pre-headline, the headline, the sub-headline, to the opening and bullets—the product covers everything.

It’s an excellent resource for helping you craft your sales copy step-by-step with lots of examples and fill-in-the-blank worksheets.

That’s exactly what I would use if I were starting out.

You might have heard the advice…

Write in your own voice.

Sometimes people get confused as to how to define “my own voice.”

Here’s the thing…

You already have a voice, right?

Well, that’s your “voice.”

So just write like you talk.

That’s probably the best tip I can give anybody! People get hung up on writing, thinking that you’ve got to write a certain way.

No!

You’ve got to write exactly how you talk!

Say something, record it, then transcribe it…

And you’ve got your copy.

It may need a bit of polishing, it may need some cleaning up…

But that’s your voice.

That’s it.

Engagement is huge for conversions.

And it’s really easy too.

So let’s say you’re reaching out, right after a new prospect opted-in.

If that’s the case, in your first email…

Thank them for opting-in, introduce yourself, quickly tell them a little bit of your story, and then ask a question.

For example, you could say…

“What is your biggest problem about traffic generation/lead generation/xyz?”

Use the question to expand on whatever people opted-in for.

Just ask, and people will do what you’re asking them to!

This is a lot easier than you might think.

Now, if you already have a list you want to engage, just write them an email and say…

“I’ve got a question for you…”

I’ve done this many times, it works well, and you can use the same questions from above.

Just address issues relevant to people who opted-in to your list.

That’s it!

Okay, those my 9 insights for writing effective email and sales copy.

And, if you’d like…

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The post Nine Insights for Writing Effective Email & Sales Copy appeared first on Elite Marketing Pro.

Read more: elitemarketingpro.com

#email marketing #EMAIL MARKETING

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bangtanhug · 7 years

Text

Paparazzi a.k.a the nest of rats

Genre: AU

Pair(s): taekook + yoonseok

Summary: Taehyung needs more money for his education so he decided that he will take up a part time job. That's how he joined the paparazzi world. It's an easy way to earn money, it connects to his major and nothing wrong can happen, right? However, one night he meets the famous, chaebol Jungkook whose biggest enemy the Taehyung kind of rats. After their first meeting, somehow their little game begins.

Tags ( for the whole story): photographer Tae/ badboy Jungkook; Angst with a Happy Ending; Sexual Tension; Mental Health Issues; Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Swearing; Family Secrets; Homophobic Language; Implied/Referenced Homophobia; Slow Burn; Murder-Suicide; Smut; Light Dom/sub; Light BDSM; Orgasm Delay/Denial; Dry Humping

Chapter 1

Soft, enjoyable music traveled across the vast garden. The clink of glasses and people's chatter creating a great harmony with the live band's melody. Some people were in the garden, while others were in the modern-styled villa that housed today’s event. Only the wealthy and famous attended this occasion, therefore, the decorations, the dresses/suits, and the venue all represented luxury. Not just anybody could be here and because of that about forty people were ensuring the security and calmness of the event. They were all over the place, making it almost impossible to break the protection.... just almost.

"Hey kid, move! I need to get a good shot when the inheritor appears with his new toy. At this angle I can't see the party well!"

A deep, manly voice broke the silence among the waiting men. Five bodies were pressed to the small gate, all dressed in black and holding really expensive cameras in their hands. They had met only an hour ago and hadn’t really talked until this point. They only whispered commands to each other like 'move a little bit' or made complaints like 'because of you, I can't get a good angle.' But the frustration started to appear among them while they were hiding in a narrow space for a glimpse of the party.

"I don't think that you're the only one, Sir!" A younger voice replied to the other's wailing.

The boy wasn't pissed off but defnitely wasn't in a good mood. It wasn't the best way to spend a Saturday night, however he couldn't do anything about it. It was his job, well more accurately it was his part-time job, but still a job is a job, right? And who wouldn't want to earn money in an easy way. Just a click of the unaware, well-known people and you don't have to worry about food for a month.

"Aish! I wanted to spend my free time with my wife but no... my colleague had to become sick yesterday. Great! Instead of my wedding anniversary, I have to be here and get some photos of this stupid playboy whose private life is more colorful than the rainbow. Moreover, we can't get into the party so we have to hide like some criminals."

"Don't be like that, you know that’s your job. This hide and seek is part of our lives and, honestly, I don't mind it. Be grateful that the boy always gives us work and makes our lives thrilling. A little adrenaline won't hurt you. Honestly, sometimes I wish that this spoiled little fucker would be more playful and naughty."

Finally, a third party joined the conversation. "Don't be greedy! He changes his partners almost every month and we still don't know how many secrets he hides from us. His pictures have cost the most in the last few years. It's so hard to capture him and his secrets on camera since his father passed away. Everybody knows what kind of lifestyle he pursues, but his defence is no joke and because of it his pictures can make my stomach full and my family happy. Anyway, I don't know how the boy succeeded in having his mother loosen his collar but I'm definitely happy for it."

The three men started to laugh at this, however the younger one and the man in the hat stayed silent. Both of them ignored the conversation and concentrated on their job. The younger one was sure that one thing was true. This playboy's picture fetched a high price, which meant less worrying and more happiness and food. And that's the only thing that matters.

"Hey rookie! Is this your first shift? I’ve never seen you before."

The younger boy looked at the others in shock. His eyes went wide with astonishment. The man in the hat expectantly waited for his answer. He didn't see the other's eyes due to the hat, but his smile didn't show any superiority. Instead, his expression showed interest and pure curiosity.

"How do you know that I'm a rookie, Sir?"

The other just looked at him with a wide smile, pointing at his clothes and camera. "Your clothes don't look comfortable for running and...well....we all know that it can happen, especially with this 'gentleman'. Also, your camera. Did you notice that because of the excitement you forgot to set the night mode?"

"Oh.."

"Certainly ‘oh’. Heheh, don't worry. The boy hasn’t shown up yet, so you still have a chance to change it."

"I ..uhm...thank you"

"Which publisher do you work for? I'm betting that it’s a new online one or a small one. Most of the time they don't send rookies for this kind of work on the first time."

"Well, it's not my first time but it is with the boy ... I'm from the Cypher online gossip magazine, my name is Kim Taehyung. Hmm, I don't think that you’ve heard about us. We’re only a few months old web page and mostly rookies work there. Can I ask your identity, Sir?"

"Drop the honorifics, kid. In this trade, we’re all rats. I'm Jung Hoseok, but you might recognize me by the name Hobi. I work for Dispatch."

At this information, the younger’s jaw dropped to the floor because the man in front of him was a legend. He was really well known for his professionalism and ability. Nobody knows how but he always gets the information before anyone else and he always appears at the right time. People think that maybe he hired some private investigator or put his undercover men next to famous people.

But the reason why Taehyung lost his breath wasn't this. Before Dispatch and rats work, as others called this job, Hoseok was a fashion photographer. His work was really well known, especially among young people. Although he wasn't recognised widely in the professional area, this man still put a lot on the table and, with his unique style, showed hope for the younger generation. Taehyung continued his major because of this man, so meeting him in real life was like a dream come true.

"Oh my god! I can't believe it, you’re like a god to me!" The younger had become visibly excited. He wanted to ask and say so much, but somehow this experience just didn’t seem real. Who would have thought that they would meet in this kind of place?

"Whoa, kid! I know that I'm like a superstar among paparazzi but I'm not that great, just lucky." Hoseok laughed at the younger. He’d heard the rumors about how people looked up to him, but had never seen anyone this happy to meet him. Most of the time people hated him.

"Oh, no, no! I’ve known about you from your previous job, when you were a fashion photographer. I really loved and admired your work and passion. You’re my hero!"

"Ah..."

The older’s big, bright smile disappeared and was replaced with a sorrowful expression. Taehyung noticed the mood swing, but didn't know what to think about it. He just stared at the other's face while he tried to figure out how to break the awkward silence. But before he could do anything, one of the other men whispered loudly.

"Jackpot! Our little troublemaker finally makes his entrance at his own birthday party."

The others didn't need more words before they were immediately grabbing their cameras, armed with lenses. They started to follow the boy's every movement through their lenses, not wanting to miss something. Taehyung had never seen his target before in real life, only pictures of him. However, he had to admit that the boy’s aura in real life, even from far away, was mind blowing. He wore an all black suit which made his appearance a little bit serious. And if he wants to be honest, the boy looked older than his age...no, not just his...he looked older than Taehyung, which was insane. He looked too perfect in his eyes and he couldn't match the boy’s appearance with his celebrated lifestyle. It was the opposite, like a good mask to hide the reality. Taehyung was never interested in famous people and their lives. This might come off as a surprise to some if they took into consideration what his part time job was, but he knew one thing. These people were in a different league which demanded different rules, therefore, no one really knew the real person behind the mask.

The boy was talking in the villa's rear entrance when suddenly a girl grasped his arms. At the same time the paparazzi started to clatter their machines. Taehyung was a little bit slower but he didn't miss it. The couple walked a little bit further from the guests while holding hands. Fortunately, they stopped near the fountain located closer to the five men. It was harder to find a good angle but somehow they managed. The woman was shorter but visibly older. Taehyung was already happy because he knew people still found it astounding when a younger male was dating an older woman. Provocative...which was good. Anything that had impact to the mass meant more money to the paparazzi...and more fame to their publishers/magazines.

They were chatting and laughing freely for a while, when the younger male started to lean closer to the lady. "Come on, just a little bit closer. You’re a man, so do it!" One of the men murmured heatedly, like a command to the boy who, of course, didn't hear it. The others hummed in agreement with him. They had waited for this moment for hours and if the boy crossed the line, then it really was a jackpot! They would win the lottery for this month. However, the miracle didn't happen. Taehyung’s eyes met with the boy's through the lense. He froze instantly in that moment and couldn't put his camera down because damn, they were caught.

"Shit! Grab your cameras and run before this brat destroys our cameras and we lose our jobs!"

Thanks to the cry, Taehyung regained his consciousness and started to run after the others. He had never liked sports, especially running, but damn the boy was brutal when it came to paparazzi. The security wasn’t the only reason why there were so few pictures of the playboy. If photographers found their way near him and took pictures, there were some other risks. If he noticed you he would take away your machine, delete the pictures, take out the memory card, and finally break into pieces your expensive camera. And no, this was not the end of the torture. Before you could even call your boss, he already knew that you failed the 'mission' and didn't take any pictures. This was because the boy found out your workplace and reported the happenings. If you pissed him off, he would threaten your magazine and everyone knew what that meant. You would lose your job because it was your fault.

The five men successfully escaped from the inner garden. They were running towards the direction of the parking when, from nowhere, seven security guards appeared. When they turned around in the other direction, there were already five other guards. "Oh fuck!" yelled one of their group and Taehyung couldn't have agreed more. He nervously ran his eyes around, searching for an exit but unfortunately there was no way to escape from this. His eyes wandered to Hoseok's face, which surprisingly remained calm. Taehyung could only think that the other had maybe experienced similar situations before, which wouldn't be surprising considering how long he had been doing this career.

"Well, well! It's always good to see familiar faces." Somewhere behind the guards a comparatively shorter man stepped out. He had blonde hair and wore a more stylish suit compared to the others. There was visibly sarcastic smile on his face while he was checking out the small group.

"Maybe you didn't notice it on the invitation card but you are not allowed to bring cameras to this party. Oh, wait... If I think about it more carefully, you didn't get a card. Nevertheless, I see you here. It seems like rats always find a slit."

"Yoongi, that means that you don't do your job well because you still couldn't use your rats-killer how it's supposed to be used. Anyway, since when have I needed an invitation? We’re like family, aren't we?"

Silence followed Hoseok's words. Nobody dared to say anything; they all stared at the man with big eyes. The blonde guy, Yoongi, grimaced but it still wasn’t able to wipe off Hoseok's playful smile. The boy was noticeably enjoying it.

"Hoseok, you always have the ability to piss Yoongi off immediately whenever you meet him." A new voice stated and in a little while a new person appeared on the scene. It was the boy.

"Jungkook, I have always admired that even at your age you can still grow. Or maybe it’s just that Yoongi always makes you look taller, he seems to be getting shorter by the day. I'm afraid that my little friend will disappear one day."

"This piece of...."

"Let him be, Yoongi. He’s doing it on purpose."

"I know but I can't handle it when I see his dumb face."

"You know that you love this face." Hoseok winked at the shorter man, who didn't blink at this. He was used to the other's shit personality but sometimes he still couldn't control his hate towards the other.

"Well, now that our Tom and Jerry couple have played their welcome game, let's wrap this up quickly, gentlemen." Jungkook directed the attention back to himself. Taehyung and the other 3 photographers were still standing stunned and dazed from the previous dialogue. Hoseok had a sharp tongue even in a situation which left the group speechless.

"I don't think I have to explain the rules. Give the cameras to Yoongi. Now!"

The group sighed frustratedly, but there wasn’t anything they could do. They just hoped that tomorrow they would still have their jobs. Yoongi took away the cameras one after another. Taehyung was the last one in the row, so he tried to use his time cleverly. He knew that this would be a really great opportunity for their magazine to emerge. He was rummaging in his pack for a long time when he saw a pair of legs in front of him. He looked up slowly to face his destiny and, to his dismay, instead of Yoongi it was the boy standing there.

"Give me your camera before you lose your new job."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard it well, rookie. Don't try to use any tricks, many people have tried it before. You should learn from your predecessors, most of them lost their jobs. It would be bad if you lost yours right away."

Taehyung couldn't believe it. How can people tell instantly that he is a rookie? Is it on his face or what?

"I have never seen you before and believe me, I know and remember all of you. Well, welcome to the family and for my welcome present let me show you how my world works."

Before Taehyung could even blink, his camera landed on the ground. He felt like crying because damn this one was his favourite. He had saved up for two damn years and shit he wished that this guy would go to hell. 'Only' the lenses and the screen broke but it was still unexcusable. Taehyung wanted to bow down to his camera, however, an arm stopped him in his movement. He lookd up in confusion and was met with the other's smirk.

"Kid, maybe you think the rumors aren't true about me but you need to know that they are all true. So get up and cry for it after you've left my residence because I don't really like crybabies."

Taehyung was still staring in disbelief at his machine but this statement reached his ears. "I'm your hyung, you asshole." He murmured in a low voice, however, Jungkook definitely heard it because the pressure became stronger on his shoulder. Hoseok looked at him sideways and couldn't hide his smile.

"What did you say?" Jungkook's voice was firm but it was noticeabley not angry, rather it was curious.

"I said I'm your hyung so don't call me kid, you asshole!" Taehyung's voice was louder now which caused shock on the scene. Everyone looked at him questioningly.

"Well hyung, do you have name?" Jungkook taunted but a half-smile appeared on his lips.

"For you? Not really. You don't know me and I don't want to know you, so why should we exchange our identities?"

"You aren't afraid of losing your job?"

"As you mentioned earlier, I'm a rookie. So what if I lose it? It doesn't matter, I will find a new one. Oh and please don't come at me with this dramatic stuff about how you will ensure that I never get job again in this country. If you think you are a big boy then let's play this game like adults."

"And what kind of game do you want to play with me?" Jungkook's smile was getting bigger and bigger.

He was enjoying this situation, it was interesting. The other looked like a pure boy when Jungkook first noticed him but it seems like his tongue was sharper than his facial lines. While Jungkook was relaxed, Taehyung hid his arms behind his back because he didn't want to give the other the pleasure of seeing his trembling arms. It was his fault that he couldn't control himself so now he had to find a solution.

"You can delete my pictures and take away my memory card, but then you will give me back my camera and let me live to go home to play house games with Hobi hyung."

"Hobi hyung?" Jungkook just raised one of his eyebrows questioningly to Hoseok, who was smiling ear to ear now. "Is he your student or pet?"

"Neither, but I will definitely take it into consideration from now on." Hoseok patted Taehyung on the back. This was really, really interesting even for Hobi.

"Well hyung, I'm sorry to say but our little game needs to end here because I have to celebrate my birthday. I hope you understand but don't worry, we will meet again in the future. I would be so sad if I wasn't able to see your cute face. Let's play again hyung." He gave Taehyung a wink before he waved to his guards who saw off the little group. The older one couldn't lift his face; he just stared at the ground and tried to stay calm until he left the place.

Jungkook followed the group with his eyes. He didn't really know what just happened but it was one of the highlights of the evening. He was currently waiting for Yoongi to delete and collect the memory cards. He could go back to the party but he wasn't in a hurry. What did it matter if he missed some of his birthday party, nothing would change.

"Shit!!" Yoongi's loud swearing broke the convenient silence that Jungkook had been enjoying until now.

"What's wrong, hyung?" Jungkook saw that Yoongi was holding his new "friend's" camera. In his two fingers he held the memory card and his face looked really annoyed.

"Well your cutie somehow managed to change the real memory card to a fake one. I don't know how he did it, but this is definitely a fake one."

Jungkook laughed out loud. Yoongi looked at the other like he was insane. "What are you laughing at? Did you lose your mind? Maybe if I call the guards they can catch him."

"Don't do anything."

"What? Did you drink too much or ....as you are getting older did you go crazy, too? "

"No. But I'm so happy I found a new toy after a loooong time. Moreover, who cares, I have had worse pictures taken of me. But do you know what will be the best?"

"What?"

"Tomorrow we will know that where this cutie pie works. I don't have to do anything, the information will come to me." Jungkook sent a last big smile to the other before he went back to the party.

"Seriously, this boy is crazy." Yoongi followed him.

(ch.1~8 is on AO3)

#taekook #vkook #taehyung #kim taehyung #jungkook #kookie #jeon jungkook #bangtan fic #bangtan fic rec #taekook fic #taekook fic rec #bts #bangtan

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thescannerdarkly · 3 years

Text

an unfortunate religion

It was a dark and rainy night in the cemetery where the next Messiah would be born.

Of course, this cemetery wouldn't be known as that for, approximately, 15 minutes or so. It was, however, known to be dark and rainy, as the cemetery was in a Climate Control Zone under the yoke of the New New Englanders, asocial misfits for whom New England was not already dark and rainy enough. In New New England, it rained as a matter of fact; sunlight was regulated to the temporary lapses of reality to which we are all predisposed- those moments in which fact is told to take a flying kick and impossible, unbelievable fiction is allowed, briefly, to sub in for reality.

The people who lived here were mean, weathered types who were prone to both aggravated scoffing and grumbling insults in an impossible to comprehend dialect which sounded as if it had survived from Middle English and was, stubbornly, going to remain hanging about until progress finally bludgeoned it to death. These were born fishermen, conceived in hurricanes and delivered with stubby Pall Malls in their mouths- which was unfortunate, as their little commune was located on a mere 50 acres of land, located squarely in the middle of what was once known as Arizona. The climate control systems kept the atmosphere nicely grizzling, but as for major sources of fish, the closest practical location was some 150 miles away, in an artificial aquifer maintained by Nazis. The natural surroundings were quite nice, but the ideological backing of the whole endeavor soured the beautiful sunshine and fresh river spray that made such trips worth it.

As a result, they mostly spent their days drinking, smoking, taking turns herding the communal flock of sheep about with their dogs, and insulting foreigners (though their impenetrable dialect rendered most such events inoffensive). It was rated one of the Top 10 Worst Communities to Visit in Big America by Foreigners Magazine, a publication which rated being guillotined by Frenchmen as a 5 in their one-to-ten scale of bad things to happen to a foreigner in a foreign land. Immigration was nil, economy was nonexistent, and the food was simply awful- a fact which was a significant point of pride for New New Englanders. In short, it was a shithole.

And this was the exact reason that the Messiah had chosen it.

For who could reject one who came, with holy purity, from humble beginnings? A proper Messiah always had to have a particular kind of unfortunate upbringing- not one so severe or traumatizing as to paint them as an object of pity/suspected serial killer, but one which had enough struggle and grit in it to remind you that they came from a life much more bleak, gritty, and subsequently more legitimate background than your own.

For bleak and grit were in scarce supply in the year 483,194,900 and 24 ATD. What the equivalent year would be in the Gregorian calendar was a fact long since lost to the annals of time, and many harried conferences had been held about this fact over the year, each debating, proposing, and implementing a different way of categorizing time. For reasons of cultural sensitivity, artistic integrity, mathematical efficiency and plain bloody understandability, the date had changed from one new system of time until the next, until the year 483,194,900, when the exhausted Central Bureau of Time Management, bloodied and exhausted, declared their final verdict on the official method of timekeeping: "Fuck it, we've got a round number- let's just tack on more whenever we get around to remembering it."

In the year 483,194,900 and 24 ATD, there were no problems. Well, there were problems, but there were no problems that could not be solved- just people who didn't want to solve them. People chose their problems carefully, and most people chose to have trivial problems (or to have one or two head-scratchers thrown in at puberty and middle age, just to spice things up a little). Energy problems had been solved, population problems soothed, physics problems explained on formula sheets, and religious problems politely ignored. Every inch of the Earth and all the planet and planetoids and asteroids and collections of space junk had been divvied up into communities, where people came and went at will; and each community was a different place, a different time, a different color. Lives could be picked up and discarded at will, challenges overcome or fled from, loves lost or found, sports interesting or not. Whatever life your little head desired, it could find at a moment's notice, settle in and live at will.

So people- and there were so many people, more than anybody was capable of counting- were mostly happy, finding places that met their definition of a happy life; and those who weren't happy were unhappy on purpose, to just the degree they felt they needed to produce works of art, woo insightful and emotional members of their chosen gender, or properly enjoy an authentic crackhead existence as a junkie on the edge of society. Oftentimes, great poets and directors and dancers and interpretative sharpshooters would live a respectable portion of their life in a community designed to provoke the optimal conditions for tragedy-driven art, then move to a community with better recording studios and comfortable hotels where they could properly translate their tragedy into commercially viable art.

The Messiah had meant to come before so many people were properly happy, but she had overslept.

And so she skipped the whole miraculous conception bit- with a little bit of well placed bribery, the proper authorities could be convinced to overlook such matters as biological reality and plausible deniability- and went straight to the birth; and out she came, out of a very surprised New New Englander, during the funeral service for a local dog who had died of lung cancer.

The Messiah was raised grizzled and stoic, but it never really took. She enjoyed the never-ending rain, the piped-in audio of distant waves crashing against craggy cliffs. She enjoyed the pallor of smoke that hung over every public and private space, and how it roughed up even the most pleasing of facial features. As a child, she would splash through puddles of rain and laugh at how the water coated her skin, and her parents would shake their heads in shame and mutter things that sounded like a fish performing autofellatio. To enjoy New New England was not the New New England way, and it made everyone around feel a particularly unwanted kind of miserable, as they grow envious of the child's love of this hellish environment.

"That simply will not do," the authorities said; "People move to New New England to feel put-upon, not to feel inferior." So the parents of the Messiah were issued a polite notice, which in New New England was a domestic assault consisting of various neighbors wielding Cods of Shame and beating you about the head for half an hour, and they were convinced to move.

They moved to Brigham Young Land, a legally-distinct alternative to Brigham Young World for those desiring the cleansing stiffness of Mormon life, but the Messiah found the uncomfortable garments fashionable, the sermons fascinating, and the community outreach delightful.

Disgusted, her parents moved to the Opticorp Supress-o-matic Cubicle Farm, but the Messiah was invigorated by the Byzantine bureaucracy, found the corporate décor to be "zesty," and quickly became the manager of a small battalion of copywriters, who chain-smoked their envy for this six-year-old away in their modest one-bedroom apartments, all of which were located just far enough away from the office as to be inconvenient.

At this point, her parents gave up on trying to instill any sense of self-respecting masochism in their miracle child, and settled down in Rabbi Jiao's Americatown Suburb, an inoffensive dive joint located somewhere on Venus.

The Messiah grew up inoffensively, somewhere in between "stressful holidays" and "surprise vacations," and obtained an inoffensive education. She learned of the Bigger Bang, the explosion of knowledge that built the framework of the society she lived in; she learned of the various wars of incorporation, genocidal smartphone models, failed zombie apocalypses, and bad decades for music that were deemed necessary for basic functioning in society, and was given a degree in Somewhat Put Together-ness.

It was at this point that her parents, wizened by 18 years of nonstop shame and at the limits of their healthcare plan, told her in no uncertain terms that she had to get the fuck out of their house.

And so she set out into the worlds, beginning her mission of bringing the news of ultimate salvation to the people. The only problem was, she had absolutely no idea what that news was.

#prose #short story #fiction #short stories

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riichardwilson · 4 years

Text

How To Convince Others Not To Use Dark Patterns

About The Author

Paul is a leader in conversion rate optimisation and user experience design thinking. He has over 25 years experience working with clients such as Doctors … More about Paul …

Arguing that dark patterns are unethical is not enough on its own. We will also need to make the case to clients and colleagues that they are damaging to business.

You are a smart, well-informed person. After all, you are reading Smashing Magazine so you must be. That means you are probably already convinced that you should avoid dark patterns. Maybe you have even read the new Smashing book on Ethical Design that drives the point home.

However, just because we understand that we should avoid dark patterns, doesn’t mean our clients and colleagues do. No doubt you have been asked more than once to implement these questionable techniques by an ill-informed stakeholder.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to convince them that dark patterns are a terrible idea. Talking about ethics often isn’t enough.

The problem is that a lot of our colleagues and clients are under tremendous pressure to deliver. Business owners need to pay the bills, while many marketing agency executives in larger organizations are under immense pressure to deliver results.

In that kind of environment, people can convince themselves of anything. The ethical argument becomes muddied as people persuade themselves that they aren’t forcing anybody to do anything.

So in this post, we will put together a compelling argument you can present to stakeholders to help them understand why dark patterns are a bad idea.

However, before we do that, let’s agree on a definition of dark patterns.

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How Do We Define A Dark Pattern

Suzanne Scacca has written an excellent post showing examples of dark patterns and you probably already have a clear idea in your mind of what they are.

However, for this article, I am going use the definition from my article on dark patterns:

“User interface elements that have been carefully crafted to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do, often utilizing psychological manipulation.”

We need to be clear on our definition because increasingly, I am seeing people refer to anything that is annoying on the web as a dark pattern. For example, an overlay may be very annoying, but it does not necessarily trick users into doing something they might not otherwise do.

This page is designed to trick people into adding insurance to their order by making the button green and having it point onwards. (Large preview)

I point this out, not to say those people are wrong in their definition, but rather because the arguments I lay out here would not all apply to a broader definition of what a dark pattern is.

So what exactly is that argument?

The Business Case Against Dark Patterns

If you want to convince stakeholders that dark patterns are a terrible idea, there is little point talking about their negative impact on the user experience. That is typically too abstract for most people. Instead, we need to frame things in terms they will understand — the negative impact of dark patterns for them personally and for the entire business.

Aside from the ethical considerations of using dark patterns, three factors make them a wrong choice for any business concerned about long-term revenue, and by extension, anybody in that business considering adopting them. These are:

The fact that consumers are cynical, savvy and spoilt for choice.

That the web has empowered consumers.

The hidden costs of dark patterns.

These are the arguments that you can bring to clients and management so let’s explore them in more depth.

Consumers Are Cynical, Savvy And Spoilt For Choice

You only need to watch an episode of Mad Men to know that manipulation in sales and marketing agency has been around much longer than the web.

Brands always used to be able to get away with manipulation because consumers were mostly unaware of being manipulated. Even if they did realize, the choice was limited, and so there was very little they could do. That is no longer true. The web has changed that.

We need to help management realize the fact that consumers have changed. That in every consumer’s pocket is instant access to every other company on the planet that offers the same thing as you. It is so easy to find your competitors and so simple to swap that one small annoyance is enough to make people switch.

Of course, management might take the cynical attitude that if people are unaware that they are manipulating them, then they won’t be annoyed and so won’t swap to a competitor.

In truth, the assumption that people are unaware of manipulation is incorrect.

There is a tendency to think that because dark patterns work (and let’s be clear they do) that people are unaware of them. However, that isn’t necessarily so.

A case in point is a usability test I ran on a hotel booking site which employed dark patterns. As the user was looking at hotel rooms, he commented on how he hated all the manipulative techniques the website used. I asked him why he used the site, and he said: “I just ignore all of that stuff.”

In reality, he probably didn’t. It would still impact his buying decision on a sub-conscious level. Yes, he was unaware the manipulation was working. However, he was aware the site was employing it, and so it created that adverse reaction in him.

Users are much savvier than we give them credit for. Don’t forget they have the whole of human knowledge in their pockets, and they read articles about Facebook’s psychological manipulations or BBC stories about Government intervention over the techniques hotel booking sites were employing. They know that websites are attempting to manipulate them, and that makes it likely they will at least consider going elsewhere.

The media is ensuring that consumers are increasingly aware of dark patterns. (Large preview)

However, there is an even more significant danger in them knowing that a site is attempting to manipulate them.

The Power Of The Consumer

The web hasn’t just made consumers savvier and given them more access to choice. It has also provided them with a platform to complain, and companies continue to underestimate that.

Even one disgruntled customer can have a significant negative impact on a brand. I often talk to clients about the story of Hasan Syed, who was unhappy with British Airways. He decided to take out a promoted tweet that read:

“Don’t fly @BritishAirways. Their customer service is horrendous.”

The fallout of this one action was enormous for British Airways with the story featuring on the BBC, Guardian, Fox News, the Express and Telegraph, to name just a few.

One disgruntled company can undermine a brand. (Large preview)

Things get even more dangerous when users start coming together to express their dissatisfaction, such as when Facebook was found to have carried out psychological experiments on their users.

The voice of users has become so powerful now that it motivates government into action such as with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) here in the UK. They recently announced:

“The CMA has taken enforcement action to bring to an end misleading sales tactics, hidden charges and other practices in the online hotel booking market. These have been wholly unacceptable.”

Worst of all, the web means these negative comments from users never go away. They are always only a search away and easily accessible thanks to sites like Check a Trade or Trip Advisor.

Sites like Trustpilot provide a platform for consumers to express their feelings about an online experience. (Large preview)

In business terms, this leads to lost long-term revenue, less repeat orders, and harder customer acquisition. However, these are not the only costs of manipulation.

The Hidden Cost Of Manipulation

At face value, dark patterns work. If you use them on your website, you will see an increase in users taking action. However, that does not tell the whole story because for every dollar of additional revenue earned; dark patterns could well be costing you more. The problem is that you cannot easily see the costs.

Take, for example, a company I worked with who sold kettles. They decided to automatically add their kettle filters to people’s carts when they went to buy a kettle. That is a classic dark pattern people don’t always notice that the company has added the filter.

Sure enough, the sales of filters skyrocketed, and the e-commerce team was pleased because they were one step closer to meeting their targets.

Unfortunately what they were not aware of was what was happening elsewhere in the company.

The marketing agency team who ran the companies social media channels found themselves having to spend time addressing complaints on Twitter and Facebook.

The customer support team received an increase in calls asking for refunds or complaining. Each call was costing the company £3.21, more than the profit margin on the filters.

Then there was the cost of processing the returns. Filters had to be assessed and then restocked, costing yet more money.

In short, dark patterns are rarely as profitable as they first appear and could be costing the company money, even outside of the online backlash.

Without a doubt, there is a solid business case against the use of dark patterns. However, an academic argument may not be enough to sway clients or colleagues. You might need something more tangible.

Gather Your Evidence

If your company has yet to start using dark patterns, the above argument should help. However, if they are already using them, getting people to change their minds will be tougher. You will probably need some evidence to support your case.

Gathering this evidence will need a bit of detective work on your part, but it could make all of the difference in making your case. With that in mind, where are some places to look?

Search Out Negative Comments

The first place to look is online. Search out every negative comment you can find about dark patterns and your website. If you don’t see any that doesn’t mean people are unhappy, it just means they haven’t shared it publicly yet. However, if you do find comments, they probably represent the feelings of many, many other people.

A simple search on social media will uncover lots of examples of people annoyed by dark patterns. (Large preview)

Talk To Other Teams In Your Company

Speak to those in customer services, returns, marketing agency or any other department that might have been impacted by the use of dark patterns. Ask them if they have noticed any changes since the company has implemented them. As with the kettle company, you might find some hidden costs.

Run Usability Testing

Ask some people to use your site and see how they react to the dark patterns. I would advise against leading the testers by asking directly about the dark patterns. However, you can ask whether there is anything about the website they dislike or find annoying.

Make sure you record these sessions too, as nothing is more potent than seeing just how frustrated and irritated people get with these kinds of techniques.

Run A Survey

Another approach is to run a survey asking people about their impressions of the website. Did they find it trustworthy? Do they feel the company is putting their interests first?

One particular survey I favor is one that shows on exit-intent if the user decides not to take action. The one question survey asks them why they chose not to take action and offers them a list of alternatives.

A simple survey can help assertion how dark patterns are influencing people’s attitude towards your website. (Large preview)

One of the options could be that the site felt manipulative or untrustworthy. That would give you an indication of if users are aware of the dark patterns and whether they are influencing the buying decision negatively.

That works even better if you can compare answers between users who have seen the dark patterns and those who haven’t.

Of course, the best evidence of all is where you can tie dark patterns to financial loss for the company. That is not always easy to do, but with some educated guessing, we can often estimate.

Let’s imagine one in ten people who completed the exit-intent survey said that they didn’t act because the site felt manipulative. That would mean that by dropping dark patterns, the site could see 10% more people taking action. If you know the number of visitors to the website, you can work out how many extra orders that would be. You can then also work out the average value of each order, and that provides a financial cost of dark patterns.

Would that number be 100% accurate? Absolutely not. However, it would be enough to make stakeholders stop and think. At least it will if you present it in the right way.

Pick Your Moment And Method

In my experience, one of the significant reasons that our appeals to drop dark patterns fall on deaf ears is that we approach it in a confrontational manner. We argue passionately for the removal of dark patterns in a meeting, often with the person who introduced them in the first place. That is never going to end well.

When we confront people in this way, they become defensive, especially when you are criticizing them in front of colleagues.

My recommendation is that once you have formed your argument and gathered your evidence that you speak to each of the critical stakeholders individually.

Not only does this approach avoid people feeling attacked in a public forum, but it also allows you to tailor the argument you present for whoever you are talking to.

For example, if you are talking to a marketing agency person, you could talk about the damage dark patterns have on a brand. However, if you are talking to a finance person, you can discuss the hidden costs of dark patterns.

Most of all, we need to make these arguments with sensitivity. We should not imply that stakeholders were wrong to suggest or try dark patterns. That is simply too confrontational.

You will see better results if you talk about the evidence that you have uncovered and the research into the subject that you have done online. Talk about it being a nuanced issue and a delicate balance to achieve. In short, be conciliatory, rather than confrontational.

I am not claiming that if you adopt the approach outlined in this article, you will see success every time. However, I do believe you will see more progress than lecturing colleagues about ethics and applying that they are unethical in their approach.

(ra, il)

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scpie · 4 years