Why are bad people good at marketing themselves?

Hey Climbers, today —

• why are bad people good at marketing themselves?

• And is the ‘follower’ dead?

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
Why bad people are good at marketing themselves

I had a thought the other day. Hear me out.

Andrew Tate, Donald trump - they dominate the news cycle, amass ride or die fandoms and rally crowds behind their message.

But then I know so many people with a message for “good” who are crippled by self doubt and fear of judgement.

What’s!! the! deal?

Why are bad people seemingly good at marketing themselves?

I truly believe that if we can study the tactics people like this use to build audiences, we can use the same tactics for good instead of evil. So here a few reasons I think they resonate so deeply with some.

Note - I know I’m making sweeping generalisations, and I know the words ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are hella loaded. If I had 20 thousand words I could get into the semantics of morality, but alas I don’t think ya’ll would read it. So for the purpose of this newsletter, when I say ‘bad people’ I mean people who espouse a message of hate against a certain group to elevate their status (sexism, racism) and ‘good people’ are those who spread a message of unity, love and understanding.

Part of my mission as a creator consultant is to help elevate the voices of the latter.

Ok lets get into it

1. They don’t mind being hated by some

They know ‘their people’, and they speak to ‘their people’ with confidence. And anyone who is not ‘their people’? They don’t give a fuck what they think. (again, sweeping generalisation but) I think good people can be more inclined to worry how they’re being perceived, or that they’re offending people, which means they aren’t as direct or relentless in their messaging to their target audience.

2. They utilise tension and controversy

They pinpoint cultural tensions and poke em’ hard. And we know controversy makes the news. The thing that’s interesting to me is that there are cultural tensions in messages for good, too. And spicy, creative ways to get a point across, but I don’t see it done as much?

3. They understand the power of a common enemy

They rally people together over an ideological enemy. For example, Trump’s enemy is the ‘lamestream media’. When there’s a common enemy, there’s an in-group and an out-group. And that’s how community is made.

4. Clear, simplistic, emotional messaging

They don’t overcomplicate or overthink their message. They keep it simple, and more importantly, they keep it emotional. They usually use storytelling instead of statistics. Feelings instead of facts.

I hate it, but it’s true. And I just wanna see more good people have these things too.

What’re your thoughts? hit reply and let me know. I’m curious.

CRINGE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY
Find clarity, conviction and confidence in your brand in 90 days

This week I’m looking for 3 creators with 1k+ followers who are ready to step into being leaders instead of followers, stand out instead of blend in and build their community around their personal brand. Hit the button below to find out more.

CREATIVE INSPO OF THE WEEK
Is ‘the follower’ dead?

Is the ‘follower’ on social media dead? And if it is, what does the future look like for communities online? This ted talk is by the founder of Patreon, so you can probably guess where his point is heading, but still it’s an interesting perspective on the history of the internet and how we can be smart about our audiences moving forward.

Ok that’s all for now,

Til next time,

Keep Climbin’

Erica x