The amazing secret behind all those amazing secrets is this. When you see headlines like “5 Secrets to Better ________,” or “The Secret Behind ____________,” or “The Secret to Saving Money _________s Don’t Want You to Know,” you should hear: I’m lazy, I think you’re stupid and I’m about to sell you something. . .most probably in a way you’ll find offensive.
It’s lazy copy writing because the writer can’t form a logical argument around what’s being written well enough to communicate it in the headline (you should write your headline last and its job is to introduce the message).
And the assumption behind its use truly is that people are stupid enough to fall for it.
And the assumption you can accurately make is the company that employs this technique is very likely going to be consistent in how they attempt to sell you: schlocky!
What they don’t know or won’t accept is the internet makes it easier than ever (click!) to pitch their pitch.
The amazing secret behind why this type of persuasion doesn’t work anymore: authenticity and openness work when consumers have the power. Now we just have to wait until all the idiots who still employ this type of garbage either die or go out of business. And oh, I mean this in the best possible way, of course.
