50 More of the Most Useful Websites on the Internet by Johnny Webber

1. MapC.am – Call and connect with a random person somewhere in the world.
2. Pective.com – Find out the actual size of things.
3. ShareOnFB.com – Share fake news stories, and prank your friends.
4. WhichDateWorks.com – Find out which date works best with your friends.
5. imo.im – Free voice, messaging, and video calls.
6. LiveShare.com – Beautiful messaging for your groups.
7. Rappad.co – Write a song about whatever you want.
8. MySlideRule.com – Find online courses on any topic.
9. KeyboardTester.com – Test your keyboard’s functionality.
10. SndTst.com – A sound test for various games.
11. InternetDirectory.info – The Yellow Pages but for the Internet.
12. ABetterQueue.com – Use Rotten Tomatoes standards to create a better Netflix queue.
13. LucyPhone.com – Never wait on hold for a company ever again.
14. ZeroDollarMovies.com – Find free movies online.
15. Alertful.com – Get reminded of important appointments via email.
16. CommercialTunage.com – Find out which song was used in that one commercial.
17. JazzAndRain.com – Listen to the soothing sounds of jazz and rainfall.
18. OffTheRoost.com – Find a place to eat.
19. Studio.StupeFlix.com – Make amazing videos in seconds.
20. TypingWeb.com – Learn to touch type.
21. Bonanza.com – Remove backgrounds from images.
22. CloudConvert.org – Convert a file to anything.
23. 7CupsOfTea.com – Connect with someone who will listen to your troubles.
24. Boostgr.am – Promote your Instagram photos.
25. Chordify.net – Extract high quality guitar chords from any song.
26. Archive.today – Take a snapshot of a webpage so it will always be online.
27. TuneIn.com – Listen to over 100,000 real radio stations.
28. TakeLessons.com – Search thousands of teachers for local and online lessons.
29. Forget.me – Remove yourself from Google search results.
30. PizzaCodes.com – Get coupons for your pizzas.
31. AlternativeTo.net – Find alternative software.
32. Gixen.com – Automatically place eBay bids.
33. MapMyRun.com – Plan out every stride of your jog.
34. XKCDGraphs.com – Create your own XKCD style graphs.
35. WarrantyGenius.com – Organize and track all of your product warranties.
36. TheSquatrack.com – Track your workouts.
37. GodChecker.com – An encyclopedia of over 3,700 gods, demons, spirits, and beasts.
38. EasyASCII.com – Quickly copy ASCII characters.
39. PrintablePaper.net – Printable lined, graph, and music paper with more.
40. IP-Grabber.com – Grab an IP address from a link.
41. GifCtrl.com – Reverse gifs.
42. YourLogicalFallacyIs.com – Learn your logical fallacies.
43. HabitRPG.com – Create habits and earn rewards.
44. Jog.fm – Find the perfect music for your run.
45. HaveIBeenPwned.com – Check if you have an account that has been compromised in a data breech.
46. TeachMeAnatomy.info – Learn about human anatomy.
47. WobZip.org – Uncompress zip files online.
48. PDF.yt – Imgur for PDF documents.
49. UnplugTheTV.com – Watch educational YouTube videos at random.
50. 50WaysToGetAJob.com – Find out what you should do next to get a job.

Twitter Is Going Public, Files S-1 With SEC ALEX WILHELM

2013-09-12_14h21_11 Today Twitter confirmed that it has filed an S-1 with the SEC and is therefore on the road to going public. This is an important moment for Twitter, and for tech, as it shows that the IPO window is open. Here’s Twitter on its filing: Count to 10 and let’s hope the damn thing leaks right away. We don’t know much, but expect Twitter to go public at a valuation of roughly between $15 billion and $20 billion, roughly. Its last private money came in at around a $10 billion valuation, and those investors will want a return on their funds. Goldman Sachs is said to be the lead underwriter of the offering. Facebook’s IPO, for comparison, valued the social giant at around $100 billion on the day of its flotation. The irony here is that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg yesterday at Disrupt told the world that it should not be afraid of going public. Twitter did not decide to go public on the back of Zuck’s axiom, but it is nicely pat that it announced this news the day after his comments. Facebook’s public offering was marred with trading errors and a slipping stock price, and the company lost tens of billions of value before it recovered. Facebook is currently trading at fresh highs, helping to set the stage for Twitter: Whatever the Facebook IPO hangover was, it is no more. Twitter’s public offering has been a very long time in coming, and contains inside of it oodles of institutional pressure: With hundreds of millions of invested capital under its belt, Twitter has a number of investors that want their money back. It has been well-managed, sure, but cash has a certain feel to it. The IPO will be a zoo. But it will be a fun zoo, and that is all that matters. The NASDAQ and the NYSE are at war a bit on who gets to host more tech offerings, but I think that we’ll be seeing the NASDAQ scoop up this deal. Now, what are Twitter’s revenue and profit figures? We’ll actually get to know soon, though the fact they are filing in this fashion does imply that Twitter had less than $1 billion in revenue in 2012. So, there’s that. Top Image Credit: Emmanuel Huybrechts

If I Started Now: How to Start a Software Company That Makes $40,000 Per Month

by James Clear

This post is part of the If I Started Now series, which hands you the step–by–step blueprint on how to get started building a particular business.

Let me share a secret with you.

Software is the greatest tool for building a profitable business that the world has ever seen (even if you don’t have any money to get started).

Bold statement, I know.

However, once you’re finished watching today’s interview, I’m confident you’ll feel the same way.

Why Should I Watch This?

Today’s interview is with Dane Maxwell and it will cover the exact steps you need to take to go from nothing (seriously — you don’t even need an idea!) to a profitable software business.

Dane has already built four six–figure software companies and his biggest seller, Paperless Pipeline, currently pulls in over $40,000 per month. Yes, every month.

If you have ever thought about building an iPhone app, web app, or any type of software then this interview is for you.

The goal of this interview is to help you answer the question, “If I started building a software business, what steps should I take right now?”

Don’t miss this one. You’ll love it.

Click the Play Button Below

Mentioned In This Interview

Special Gift — Because Dane is my main man, he has decided to give away a free gift to Passive Panda readers. Click here to find out more.

Spin Selling — Dane mentions this book in the interview (and I promptly pull a copy off my shelf like it was planned all along). You can check it out on Amazon here.

The Foundation — Dane has also taught hundreds of students how to build their own software companies. One student, Sam Ovens, recently went from having no money to building an iPhone app that pulls in over $2,500 per month … and he did this all in 10 weeks. You can get a case study of Sam’s full story here.

What You Should Do Now

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on this interview and on any questions you have about building a software company.

As always, I’ll do my best to help.

Advertisers, You Need YouTube [Infographic]

Advertisers, You Need YouTube [Infographic]

Video content has experienced enormous momentum in recent years, with YouTube emerging as the digital darling of video seekers and sharers worldwide. The video platform draws 1 billion unique users each month and its ability to catch and keep attention has brought in brands eager to reach those captive consumers. MDG Advertising’s latest infographic highlights YouTube’s astounding numbers of visitors and views, along with the hours spent watching and dollars spent on marketing, and breaks down how brands are channeling their efforts. It’s an eye-opening look at the value of video advertising and illustrates why brands should use YouTube in their social media marketing efforts.

The infographic illustrates the increasing significance of video marketing due to its ever-growing community of loyal users. It explains that video has already caught the eye of marketers who are projected to spend $4.14 billion on the medium this year and invest billions more in the coming years to reach more than $8 billion in 2016. As a result, content marketing has become a top priority to meet consumers’ demand for engaging and informative video content.

Next, MDG’s infographic focuses on the allure of advertising on YouTube and the fact that every company on AdAge’s 100 Leading National Advertisers list is using it to enhance their social media efforts. These video campaigns have delivered impressive results, with the top 500 brands on the platform averaging 884,000 monthly views and 35,000 subscribers. Yet there are still plenty of consumers to capture since these top brands, including Red Bull, Google, Old Spice, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Volkswagen, average 2.6 million Facebook likes and more than 200,000 Twitter followers. The graphic touches on the top YouTube channels and what they generate socially and financially, and explains how results can go far beyond YouTube. It cites the example of the Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” video advertising campaign, whose stellar YouTube success spawned an 800% leap in Facebook interaction and a whopping 107% rise in sales.The graphic also notes that “Gangnam Style,” the most popular YouTube video ever, saw $870,000 in ad revenue from YouTube.

The graphic offers a glimpse of YouTube’s remarkable growth and reach, showing that 21.7% of Web users visit the video site daily, while nearly 28% check it a few times each week, and 10% visit once a week. Altogether, approximately 60% of Internet users are on YouTube on a weekly basis and more than 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. The infographic shows the video sites favored by U.S. Web watchers and the average time they spend per site. Not surprisingly, visitors have been increasing their viewing time each month, from 3 billion hours in May 2012, steadily rising to 6 billion hours in May 2013.

Finally, the infographic encourages brands to expand their social media efforts by leveraging the influence and exposure of YouTube. As the infographic shows, YouTube offers a captive audience continually searching for fresh and interesting content. Brands would be wise to get involved in this wildly popular video-sharing platform to keep current customers engaged and get new ones intrigued.

ing.com.

50 Places You Can Learn to Code (for Free) Online

If you’re curious about learning a programming language then you’re in luck: there’s no shortage of resources for learning how to code online. University-level courses, tutorials, cheat sheets, and coding communities all offer excellent ways to pick up a new language, and maybe even a new job, too. Read on, and you’ll discover 50 great places to learn how to code, for free, online.

University

Many big names in education including MIT and Stanford offer programming courses, absolutely free.

1. UC Berkeley Webcasts:UC Berkeley’s Computer Science department offers a huge collection of online college courses in programming and computing.
2. MIT OpenCourseWare:Find more than a hundred online course materials for electrical engineering and computer science in MIT’s OpenCourseWare collection.
3. Stanford University:Through iTunesU and Coursera, Stanford University offers plenty of programming courses, including Coding Together: Apps for iPhone and iPad, Programming Methodology, and Human-Computer Interaction.
4. The Open University:U.K.-based Open University has a variety of learning units in computing and ICT.
5. University of Southern Queensland:From the University of Southern Queensland, you’ll find courses in Object Oriented Programming in C++ and Creating Interactive Multimedia.
6. Princeton:Through Princeton University’s Coursera site, you can find courses on algorithms, computer architecture, and networks.
7. University of Michigan:From the University of Michigan, you’ll get access to great programming courses including Computer Vision and Internet History, Technology, and Security.

General

If you’re just dipping your toes into programming, or you want to find a variety of resources, these sites offer several different ways to learn how to code.

8. School of Webcraft:Mozilla Foundation’s School of Webcraft is a peer-powered school that offers free web development education.
9. Google Code University:Google Code University is full of excellent resources for code learning, including tutorials, introductions, courses, and discussion forums.
10. Google Code:Search Google’s repository of code through this awesome resource.
11. Webmonkey:On Webmonkey, you’ll find tutorials for everything from building your first website to developing with HTML5.
12. OER Commons:Find programming courses from the Saylor Foundation, Teachers’ Domain, and more in this directory of open education.
13. ArsDigita University:In ArsDigita’s curriculum, you’ll find excellent courses for programming design, computer science, and even artificial intelligence.
14. Code School:Many of Code School’s courses are paid, but they do offer rare gems like Rails for Zombies that are worth checking out.
15. SitePoint Reference:Find references for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on Sitepoint.
16. Khan Academy:Video tutorial site Khan Academy offers computer science courses with an introduction to programming and computer science, including lots of Python resources.
17. Lifehacker Night School:Lifehacker.com offers this concise guide to learning code, with 4.5 lessons offering the basics of programming.
18. Wikiversity:Through Wikiversity’s School of Computer Science, you’ll be able to study techniques for programming in computer systems.
19. Wikibooks:Check out the Computer Programming section of Wikibooks to find resources in just about every coding language.
20. Programmer 101:Another one from Lifehacker.com, Programmer 101 is a great guide to getting started with programming.
21. Mozilla Developer Network:Find plenty of resources for learning web technologies on Mozilla’s Developer Network, including lessons in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
22. Landofcode:Get an introduction to programming from Landofcode, with practice resource, reference, tools, and how-tos.
23. Academic Earth:Academic Earth’s collection of video courses is impressive, boasting computer science and programming courses from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more.
24. Skillcrush:Learn how to develop anything you want with this site, offering explanations of terms, resources, and cheat sheets.
25. Udacity:Udacity is a great resource for finding programming courses, including Intro to Computer Science, Web Application Engineering, and Software Testing.
26. Udemy:Learn computer programming from these popular courses on Udemy. Many are free, but be sure to check; some are paid.
27. Learn Code the Hard Way:On Learn Code The Hard Way, you’ll find books and courses to learn Python, Ruby, C, SQL, and Regex. Although courses aren’t free, the books are.
28. The New Boston:The New Boston offers an incredible collection of video tutorials for all types of programming, including iPhone and computer game development.
29. HakTip:Check out this weekly web show to find programming how-tos that you can use.
30. Onvard:Onvard offers a self-guided resource for learning different tracks, including Ruby on Rails, HTML, and PHP.
31. WiBit.net:Wibit.net shares several courses and videos offering free education in programming, especially C and Java.

Community

Learn how to code on these sites with a heavy community influence ready to offer help to newbs.

32. Stack Exchange:This Q&A community, programming is one of the most popular subjects, offering users a great way to learn from peers.
33. Stack Overflow:Like Stack Exchange, Stack Overflow is a Q&A site, but this one is all about language-independent programming questions.
34. Codecademy:Check out Codecademy for an easy, interactive way to learn how to code.
35. Code Year:A part of Codecademy, Code Year is a project that provides participants with a new interactive programming lesson each week.
36. The Code Project:This incredible development resource offers articles, discussions, quick answers, and tips for programming.
37. Village88:Learn how to code for free with the help of a personal mentor on Village88. You can even get certified and find a job through the site.
38. Dream.In.Code:Find tutorials, discussion, and more on this community learning site for programmers.
39. Ladies Learning Code:Join this community, and especially the email list, to find tech help and resources for code learning.
40. Programr:In this IT community, you’ll be able to start projects, join contests, and more, all for developing your programming skills.
41. Processing Forum:Check out the Processing forum to find a great community for answering programming questions.

Language Specific

Drill down to the language you really want on these sites, offering expansive learning in one or two specific languages.

Famous entrepreneurs and their stories

We all know of these famous entrepreneurs - people who through their wealth andbusiness success became famous. Just think of the likes of John D. Rockefeller orRichard Branson.

Moguls and tycoons, they are people that had built empires from their businesses and thrived. They are the envy of the common folk, but as per the definition of entrepreneur: they take great risk for the potential of great reward.

This section of my site is dedicated to these famous entrepreneurs who were not necessarily born great, but achieved greatness through their business savvy and the indomitable entrepreneurial spirit.

They are a financial inspiration for the rest of us and by studying their lives and methods we might learn valuable lessons regarding wealth and success.

If they were not born great, what is it that makes them great? Is there one thing that they all have in common or are each and every one different?

Whether they achieved their wealth through oil likeJohn D. Rockefeller or computer software like, currently one of the most famous entrepreneurs, Bill Gates, they all had their fair share of trials and tribulations that they needed to overcome. Valuable insights can be learned from their struggles and how they overcame it.

Do they see the world in the same way that we do or is there something radically different? We can glean insights from their books or the books about them. Thesefamous entrepreneurs may have something valuable to teach us and we have the opportunity to learn by studying them and their history.

In all this we need to remember that they are only humans and they have their own faults and weakness. How they overcome these are what is important to me and the other entrepreneurs out there.

It is mostly their businesses that made these men and women famous. But some of them achieve fame by other means, whether through entertainment like Oprah Winfrey or through their flamboyant lifestyle like Aristotle Onassis.

Whichever means they use or have used, they are custodians of great wealth and with that great wealth come problems that we can only imagine: the extra security needed, the loss of privacy or fights over inheritance. Some have overcome all obstacles and founded dynasties - wealth to last generations.

And then there are the heirs - the inheritors of great wealth, who either spend it all recklessly or have to climb out of the giant footsteps of their forbearers and walk their own path - great challenges in their own right.

These men and women are well known and their fame (or infamy) is indisputable. I set out to learn as much as I can about each and every one of them and then to use theirmethods and techniques in my own life as entrepreneur and my struggle for financial freedom.

The sheer size of the achievements of these famous entrepreneurs is inspiring to me and maybe you and I may be fortunate enough to learn something from these great men and women. All these famous men and women share the same spirit - the Spirit of the Entrepreneur.

List of famous entrepreneurs

• Benjamin Franklin (1/17/1706 - 4/17/1790) - Printing (Pennsylvania Gazette)
• Cornelius Vanderbilt (5/27/1794 - 1/4/1877) - Industry (Shipping & Railroads)
• Andrew Carnegie (11/25/1835 - 8/11/1919) - Industry (US Steel)
• John Pierpont Morgan (4/17/1837 - 3/31/1931) - Banking (JP Morgan)
• John D. Rockefeller (7/8/1839 - 5/23/1937) - Oil (Standard Oil)
• Thomas Edison (2/11/1847 - 10/18/1931) - Inventions (General Electric)
• Henry Ford (7/30/1863 - 4/7/1947) - Automotive (Ford)
• Jean Paul Getty (12/12/1892 - 6/6/1975) - Oil (Getty Oil Company)
• Walt Disney (12/5/1901 - 12/15/1966) - Entertainment (Disney)
• Ray Kroc (10/5/1902 - 1/14/1984) - Fast Food (McDonalds)
• Howard Hughes (12/24/1905 - 4/5/1976) - Aviation (TWA)
• Aristotle Onassis (1/1/1906 - 3/15/1975) - Shipping (Olympic)
• Estee Lauder (7/1/1908 - 4/26/2004) - Cosmetics (Estee Lauder)
• Sam Walton (3/29/1918 - 4/5/1992) - Retail (Walmart)
• Mary Kay Ash (5/12/1918 - 11/22/2001) - Cosmetics (Mary Kay Inc)
• Karl Albrecht (2/20/1920 -) - Retail (Aldi Stores)
• Akio Morita (1/26/1921 - 10/3/1999) - Electronics (Sony)
• Donald Gordon (1929 - ) - Insurance (Liberty Life) & Real Estate (Liberty International)
• George Soros (8/12/1930 - ) - Investments (Quantum Fund)
• Warren Buffett (8/30/1930 - ) - Investments (Berkshire Hathaway)
• Rupert Murdoch (3/11/1931 - ) - Media (Newscorp)
• Herb Kelleher (3/12/1931 - ) - Aviation (Southwest Airlines)
• Ted Turner (11/19/1938 - ) - Media (CNN)
• Carlos Slim Helu (1/28/1940 - ) - Telecoms (Telmex)
• Anita Roddick (10/23/1942 - 9/10/2007) - Retail (The Body Shop)
• Larry Ellison (8/17/1944 - ) - Computers (Oracle)
• Donald Trump (6/14/1946 - ) - Real Estate (Trump Organization)
• Bernard Arnault (3/05/1949 - ) - Luxury Goods (Louis Vitton Moet Hennesy - LVMH)
• Lakshmi Mittal (6/15/1950 - ) - Steel (Arcelor Mittal)
• Richard Branson (7/18/1950 - ) - Business (Virgin Companies)
• Oprah Winfrey (1/29/1954 - ) - Media (Harpo Productions)
• Steve Jobs (2/24/1955 - ) - Computers (Apple)
• Bill Gates (10/28/1955 - ) - Software (Microsoft)
• Mukesh Ambani (4/19/1957 - ) - Industry (Reliance Industries)
• Debbi Fields Rose (9/18/1957 - ) - Retail (Mrs Fields)
• Eike Batista (11/03/1957 - ) - Oil (OGX)
• Deborah Meaden (2/11/1959 - ) - Holidays (Weststar)
• Jeff Bezos (1/12/1964 - ) - Internet (Amazon)
• Michael Dell (2/23/1965 - ) - Computers (Dell)
• JK Rowling (7/31/1965 - ) - Entertainment (Harry Potter)
• Pierre Omidyar (6/21/1967 - ) - Internet (Ebay)
• Elon Musk (6/28/1971 - ) - Internet (PayPal)
• Stella McCartney (9/13/1981 - ) - Fashion (Stella McCartney)
• Mark Zuckerberg (5/14/1984 - ) - Internet (Facebook)

Copywriting based on the science of persuasion

If you’re ever going to sell anything online, copywriting is a much needed skill.The conventional copywriting wisdom says that you should more or less try stick to the following formula:

1. Tell the reader you understand their need,
2. Tell your prospect why your product is the best solution they can buy,
3. Offer all kinds of proof like testimonials, charts and so on,
4. Explain all the ways the product will benefit the customer,
5. Present the price in a way that makes it sound like a great deal,
6. Give a (better than) money-back guarantee,
7. Add bonus products to really motivate the customer to buy,
8. Make it a limited time or quantity offer,
9. Ask for the sale and tell them exactly what steps to take.

Is the exact sequence that persuades people or why should this work? What scientific data is available to use about persuasion? Which research can we rely on to make our writing more persuasive?

Here’s a summary of the most prominent books and publications on the matter.

The work of Robert Cialdini

Mr. Cialdini is undoubtedly the biggest authority on the field. His books are bestsellers and have been in the “must-read” list for marketers and copywriters for years.

Cialdini came up with six scientific principles of persuasion that will help guide you to become more effective at getting people do what you want. In case you have no idea what those principles are, then here’s the summary:

Principle 1: ReciprocityPeople feel obligated to give back to others who have given to them.
How to use it: teach your prospect something useful in your copy, give away free stuff and better yet – add value to your prospects long before you even start to sell them something.

Principle 2: LikingWe prefer to say “yes” to those we know and like.
How to use it: talk/write like a human, connect with the reader, share details about yourself. Blog. Be friendly and cool (like Richard Branson).

Principle 3: Social proofPeople decide what’s appropriate for them to do in a situation by examining and following what others are doing.
How to use it: show how many others are already using your product. Show off your numbers. Use testimonials. Link to 3rd-party articles.

Principle 4: AuthorityPeople rely on those with superior knowledge or perspective for guidance on how to respond AND what decision to make.
How to use it: Demonstrate your expertise. Show off your resume and results. Get celebrity (in your niche) endorsements.

Principle 5: ConsistencyOnce we make a choice/take a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressure to behave consistently with that commitment.
How to use it: Start small and move up from there. Sell something small first (a no-brainer deal), even if you make no money on it. They now see themselves as your customer, and will be much more likely to return to make a larger purchase.

Principle 6: ScarcityOpportunities appear more valuable when they are less available.
How to use it: Use time or quantity limited bonuses. Limit access to your product. Promote exclusivity.

SEOmoz has a great illustrated article on all of these principles. Naturally you can get the full picture of these principles from his book Influence. His other book – Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive – builds on that and adds some practical ideas. See the list of these 50 ways here.

Robert Gifford and five elements of an effective message

Mr. Gifford is a professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. He is co-author of a relatively recent American Psychological Association report that examined the interface between psychology and climate change.

He explains what makes people receptive and how to get messages across effectively:

• It has to have some urgency.
• It has to have as much certainty as can be mustered with integrity.
• There can’t be just one message: there must be messages targeted to different groups.
• Messages should be framed in positive terms. People are less willing to change their behaviour if you tell them they have to make sacrifices. If you tell them they can be in the vanguard, be a hero, be the one that helps — that works.
• You have to give people the sense that their vote counts and that their effort won’t be in vain.

While his work focused on the message of climate change, it will work in your sales copy too.

The art of persuasion by Angela Lee and Brian Sternthal

Research by Kellogg professors Angela Lee and Brian Sternthal offers insight into effective messaging. In a study in the Journal of Consumer Research, Kellogg professors say the key to an effective message is finding the fit between the consumers’ goals and the level of abstraction.

The researchers found that when consumers aimed to fulfill aspirations and satisfy achievement goals, more abstract messages — for example, those highlighting the freedom TiVo provides — stimulated favorable brand evaluations. On the other hand, consumers who sought to fulfill their responsibilities and satisfy their security goals were more persuaded by concrete messages, such as those emphasizing TiVo’s replay and slow-motion features.

So this means that first you have to figure out the emotional vibe of your prospect – or figure out what kind of motivations you’re targeting with your product. If you get it right and the level of abstraction fits the goal, people understand messages better and are more easily persuaded.

Messages that stick

Mark Twain once observed, “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.”

Isn’t that true? Some stories – especially urban legends, conspiracy theories, and scandals circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people who really try to spread their ideas – businesspeople, scientists, politicians, journalists, and others – struggle to get anyone to remember what they said.

Two brothers, Chip Heath (a Stanford Business school professor) and Dan Heath (a corporate education consultant at Duke) found after extensive research that the ideas that ‘stick’ all share the following six principles:

1. Simplicity – Your message has to be simple – stripped down to it’s core intent. You must come up with a profound compact phrase that would summarize your whole premise.
2. Unexpected – In order to capture someone’s attention, you need to break a pattern – in other words to present the unexpected. You need to understand and play with two essential emotions – surprise and interest. Surprise gets our attention and interest keeps our attention. Got a conventional product? Get a new one.
3. Concrete – People won’t remember vague stuff. What helps people understand new concepts is concrete language. Concreteness is an indispensable component of sticky ideas. Don’t say ‘fast acceleration’, say 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds.
4. Credible – You need somebody who people trust to confirm your case. The trustworthiness of your source makes all the difference. People need something / someone credible in order to believe you.
5. Emotional – Feelings inspire people to act. If you story does not invoke any emotions, you’ve lost.
6. Stories – How do you get people to act on your idea? A credible idea make speople believe. An emotional idea makes people care. Put both of them together into an idea as stories have the amazing dual power to stimulate and to inspire.

Remember to read their excellent book ‘Made to Stick‘.

Buy buttons in the brain

Research in neuromarketing (put together in this book) reveals interesting things about our brains. As it turns out, we have 3 brains. Well, not really, but the brain does have 3 layers. Each layer has it’s own functions: the “New Brain” thinks, the “Middle Brain” feels and the “Old Brain” decides – it reviews input from the other two brains and controls the decision making process.

The ‘Old Brain’ is the part that humans (and it’s predecessors) have had the longest – like 160 million years or so. So the part of the brain that controls decisions is pretty primitive and mostly concerned with survival.

We’re usually trying to talk to the ‘New Brain’ – the sophisticated one – but it’s the brute that makes all the decisions, so we need to dumb it down. Here’s the formula:

Selling probability = Pain x Claim x Gain x (Old Brain)³

First you need to identify the prospect’s pain (the greater the pain, the higher the chance of sale) and make sure they acknowledge the pain before you start to sell them anything. Second, you’ve got to differentiate your claims from your competitors. The strongest claim is the one that eliminates the strongest pain.

Next you have to show convincing proof of these claims. The ‘Old Brain’ is resistant to new ideas and concepts, so your proof must be very convincing. Show tangible evidence, data, testimonials, case studies.

And finally – deliver to the ‘Old brain’. You need to start with a ‘grabber’ – something that really gets the  attention (‘if you’re selling fire extinguishers, start with fire’, like Ogilvy said). Second – the ‘Old brain’ is visual, hence start with a big picture.

Remember – the ‘Old brain’ is concerned with survival. So it only cares about itself and not anyone else. Your message needs to be entirely about the prospect.

Get the book to find out about all the other ways to push the right buttons in the brain.

Last but not least

You can find lots of good stuff from a book that is now freely available (as it was written in 1923) – Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins. Here’s the link to the free pdf download.