#4 WORDS ON FIRE: MILLION DOLLAR FACEBOOK ADS, Neil Patel

Today, we’re going to be doing something different...

Something that will help A LOT of business owners…

Because instead of looking at the lead (the first few hundred words of any ad or sales page etc), we’ll be looking at a Facebook Ad that generated MILLIONS of dollars.

By breaking it down, line by line, I’ll show you why it was so successful and how you can use these same principles in your business to generate a lot of money. 

This will be long, but if you stay till the end, I guarantee you will have learned a hell of a lot that will save you a lot of headache and a lot of MONEY!

And hopefully, you won’t be so confused about how to make your ads WIN!

What you’ll notice with many successful facebook ads is they have stories for their lead.

Why? Because all the traffic is cold. And to warm-up cold prospects and build know, like and trust, the best way is through stories.

Showing them that you understand them, you feel their pain, you’ve been through what they’re going through AND you now have the solution.

And what type of story is this?

Well, this ad is a perfect representation of the Hero’s story. 

Like every story he starts by setting the scene… He was 16, working his butt off at a farm, pretty much no money…

Aim to keep this part short, it’s just to give a bit of context. Try to get to the meat of it…

He then talks about how he spent all of his money on an agency to drive traffic to his website so he can start a new life.

Immediately, he’s creating a point of connection with the reader.

I mean, nearly EVERY business owner has been F*CKED by an agency before haven’t they?

I mean they made great promises right? They were the experts right?

You spend thousands, and the return is far less than satisfactory. 

This facebook ad does an absolutely perfect job at agitating the readers' pain AND making them feel heard.

He ends off the start of this story with… “Sounds familiar?”... If you've been reading my other breakdowns, you know how important it is to get the reader to say “YES” and nod in agreement.

At this point in time, the reader is thinking… “WOW, someone finally understands what I’ve gone through with these damn agencies!”

The connection is built, the trust is built, and now he can move on…

Now that the scene has been set, a connection is built with the reader through mutual struggle, it’s time to set a goal.

Neil’s goal was: To learn online marketing, and focus on purely FREE traffic. Clearly this ad is targeting people who want to learn how to do THEMSELVES. This is obvious by now.

It is also targeting those who are just starting out, and are struggling to make any money.

The writer knows this, and the goal is chosen very strategically. The reader is engaged and going along the journey with Neil.

“And I needed to do it fast”... is a subtle seed in the reader's mind. They need to act fast. It gets the reader in a more hurried mindset, which will be very effective when the offer is being made at the end of the ad.

Onwards…

If you’ve noticed by now, since this is a story, I’m going section by section of how a general hero’s story arc will go.

First the struggle, then the goal is set. Then, here are the steps I took, and the obstacles I was faced with. Just like this section. 

And also notice how the connection is NEVER broken. The reader is also probably reading books and blogs to find answers. They are probably also testing and failing. This is high level stuff and a masterful display of Neils knowledge on his own market.

So look, this story may be simple, but it requires A LOT of research to make every word, every sentence count towards building know, like and trust with the reader.

So here’s a quick lesson.

CORE UNDERSTANDING #1:

KNOW YOUR MARKET. I cannot stress this enough.

The number 1 suspect behind writer's block and god awful copy is a lack of research.

Do your research, and writing the copy will become a hell of a lot easier.

Onwards…

Now, we’re onto the result of the story.

The aim of this part is not to build know, like and trust, but to paint the picture into the reader's mind of the future. Future pacing, a technique which I’ve spoken about in previous words on fire!

It’s to make them feel HOPE that this is possible. 

If someone, just like the reader, has done it, why can’t they do it too?

A subtle copy technique here, is also showing them that they're not alone, and reminding them of that shared struggle. Right in the middle, he speaks about how other business owners shared the same betrayal by agencies.

This is SOOOO powerful for a couple reasons…

Listen up, because this was done at the beginning of the copy, and again now and is extremely high level stuff.

#1: An enemy is set in the copy. The marketing companies.

This puts the reader in the primal mindset of us vs them. It makes them feel at one with Neil and many other business owners and lights a fire inside their bodies, making them want to fight against these agencies.

A desire for REVENGE. A powerful, unstoppable force that that spurs the reader to take action. 

#2: Plays on the reader's desire to belong.

If you haven’t read Adweek Copywriting by Joe Sugarman, I recommend you do.

He speaks about the powerful emotions that drive readers to take action. The desire to belong is one of them.

And hearing that not only Neil, but all the high level business owners he’s been connected with also share their struggle, is incredibly powerful.

#3: It differentiates him from all of his competitors. 

It’s basically saying, very early on, the only option is me because as you’ve seen… Many of these marketing agencies are expensive and useless.

He’s CREATING demand for himself.

Now, you didn’t know so many lessons could come out of a few lines did you?

I mean, is your mind blown? Because mine is!

Anyway, that was a lot, so let me bring it all back to ONE concept you can begin applying.

In any HIGH LEVEL copy, you will always see the us vs them being played. This is simply because it plays on a principle as old as human time. The tribal, and very primal emotions that made you love, protect and fight for those at unity with you.

Lovely stuff!

Now onto the final part… The aftermath of the story:

He’s setting his authority here. I mean, just look at the names, this is undeniable proof that what he’s done is real sh*t.

BUT, he doesn't want to make his target market feel excluded.

Remember, he’s targeting people starting out. He’s targeting people who want to do it themselves. And unfortunately, these big names may feel out of reach.

Hence why he adds:

“But nothing is more satisfying than helping small business owners succeed…”

Excellent.

And I don’t want my readers to feel excluded either, since many won’t have names like this…

So I’ll add:

The principle here is to use what credibility you have, and don’t make promises above your own authority and credibility. 

You might be starting out, and it might be hard to provide ANY proof. So… BORROW IT.

Talk about how celebrities, or top business owners have taught what you’re showing them now. Borrowed authority is also very powerful.

SO just remember this… “I don’t have proof” is not an excuse. There’s always a way around it… Borrowed authority is one of them. 

Reading my breakdowns and absorbing all the mini lessons is another way to find more ;)

Anyway, let’s quickly finish with this offer. By now, the reader is sold. They want to see what Neil has to offer.

So, here's an important lesson:

The point of the entire story was to shift the reader's belief that marketing is expensive. 

Belief shifting is an advanced technique and NEEDS to be done to make people buy. 

Why? Well listen…

If people believe marketing is expensive, why would they buy a product on how to attract visitors without paying for advertising?

Simple answer: they wouldn’t.

Hence why, in the transition to the offer, he makes the claim that marketing isn’t expensive, and I will show you why… 

If he made this claim in the beginning of the copy, people would have clicked off. But, the story has already shattered this objection, because Neil, with 0 money has built many million dollar businesses and created his own system.

Then, his offer is like a dream come true for this reader.

A FREE workshop on how to make money with no money.

Isn’t this just the perfect offer for a beginner target market, with very little money?

Expertly done… And as we can now see… No surprise this generated millions.

Oh wait? But how did a free offer generate millions?

Well, my friend, this lead magnet is just a way in. A friendly, ethical bribe. They will be sold on the back end to a product.

“WHAT?!?! A BRIBE! That’s manipulative!”

Right…

If Neil, “bribes” them, then gets them to pay 500 or 1000 or whatever for a product and makes millions himself… BUT… in the process, these beginners learn how to make 5-10 even 20k a month online…

Is that still manipulative?

No, I didn't think so. I personally believe it’s extremely helpful.

And in the wise words of John Carlton…

“If you offer something that your prospect needs or wants… then shame on you if you botch the sales pitch and they end up not buying!”

Id you want to learn how to market your business effectively, and use the same strategies and tactics that people like Neil Patel use…

Then check out Red Hot Reports by clicking this [LINK]!

“Stay frosty”

➡ Max