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Hey Reader,

This email is in two parts today. Part one is a general lesson. Part two applies the general lesson to a specific purpose.

Why, you ask?

Well, why not? I reply.

Let's go.

Part 1: General lesson

This is my favorite thought exercise when it comes to writing:

When scrolling on LinkedIn or wandering around the internet, what makes you stop and read something?

(Pretend you don't know the author because recall affects this.)

Ok, now, whatever you're thinking of, add this layer:

What makes you keep reading?

I'm no mind reader, but I'd bet $100 (Monopoly money I have diapers to pay for 😅) that you stopped because you felt something, and you stayed because you, well, felt more things.

When it comes down to it, all good writing, no matter the topic, structure, word choice, or purpose, makes you feel something.

For example, I stop scrolling and keep reading on social when I experience this kind of inner dialogue:

• “No way” (I'm surprised)
• “Omg I feel the same way” (I'm validated)
• “Finally, someone said it” (I'm relieved)
• “This looks interesting” (I'm intrigued)
• “I disagree, actually” (I'm ambivalent)
• “I love doing that too” (I'm pleased)
• "Prove it" (I'm doubtful)
• “I've been thinking about this all wrong” (I'm curious/annoyed)
• “Didn’t know I needed to hear this” (I'm having an epiphany)

Why is this my favorite thought exercise?

Because writing and editing can feel like this big, scary monster under the bed sometimes.

Everyone has an opinion on how to write, when to write, where to write, and why to write.

And if your business relies on good content with strong engagement or results, the pressure can feel overwhelming.

But when you do this thought exercise, you realize, at the most basic level, you simply need to make people feel something.

If you're missing this ingredient, the structure, readability, formatting, grammar, and all the other stuff we argue over don't matter.

Ok, let me hop off my soap box for a second because you're probably now wondering how to make people feel something.

Step 1. Get clarity

You can't make people feel something if you don't have clarity.

You need to know:

• Who you're speaking to
• How you can help them

If you're struggling with those basics, I suggest you fix that here.

Step 2. Start with the end

Next (and this is a big one) — you need to understand the takeaway before even writing a word.

"What do I want my readers to walk away with?"

I ask myself this before I write anything.

Because if I don't know where to end, I can't begin.

​Read more about how to do this here.

Step 3. Create "aha!" moments

A huge mistake I see people make is forgetting to answer a crucial question:

"Why does this matter?"

Said another way:

"Why the hell should I care?"

Here's my pro tip:

Every single time you explain what something is, ask yourself:

"Why does this matter?"

Your next sentence should answer it.

Otherwise, you're leaving the reader with questions. Like, "Wait, why does this matter again? Or, "Cool, sooo, how do I do this?"

​Read about how to get ahead of that here.

If you nail these basics, you'll do a great job capturing and keeping attention, which is the foundation you need to build on. Good formatting won't save you from bad resonance.

Even

If you.

Write in a.

Fun waterfall.

Like this every time.

Because peer pressure tells you to :)

Part 2: Specific specific-ness

I'm deep in the weeds finishing my course on launch content (it comes out on Thursday), so I obvs need to show you a sneak peek of how to hook people's emotions when you launch things.

A launch isn’t about info-dumping or writing content that screams “BUY NOW, BUY NOW, PLEASE BUY NOW.”

It’s about taking your audience from confused to confident. From frozen to fired up. From “eh” to “take my money.”

These are lightbulb moments ⚡️

Above, I said every piece of content needs to have one big idea.

Well, when it comes to launches, every piece of content needs to perform one job: move readers closer to that lightbulb moment.

In The Launch Content Playbook, we show you launch content "plays" to run for each stage of your launch (pre-launch, launch, post-launch).

Each play is designed to get readers closer to that lightbulb in a different way. Sometimes, you're trying to build curiosity. Other times, you're helping them address a limiting belief.

Let me show you exactly what I mean:

Play: “The Hidden Cost of Staying Stuck”

Here, you’re not just telling readers why your thing matters—you’re making them realize what staying in the same spot is actually costing them.

Cue the lightbulb: “Wait, doing nothing is costing me more than I realized.”

​Here's an email I wrote for a launch using this play.​

Play: “Why Most People Struggle with [Key Problem]”

Here, you’re being the empathetic guide. It’s not their fault—they’ve been stuck because they’ve been following the wrong advice.

Cue the lightbulb: “I’m not failing, I’ve just been following bad advice this whole time.”

​Here's a social post I wrote during a launch using this play. ​

Play: “The Big Myth Keeping You From Success”

This one’s a little spicy—you’re shattering the myths and misconceptions they’ve believed for years.

Cue the lightbulb: “Whoa, maybe it’s not me... maybe I’m more capable than I thought.”

​Here's a social post I wrote during a launch using this play.​

A killer launch isn’t an accident. It’s a well-planned journey. One that taps into emotions at specific times, in specific ways, to make people feel specific things.

It all comes back to feelings.

And that’s exactly what we teach in the Launch Content Playbook.

Three stages. Dozens of content plays. All designed to move your audience from stuck to sold.

Want to know when to run the plays above?

And how to customize them for your audience + your product/service/offer/thing?

Oh and get access to 30+ more plays just like those, but with more detail, and examples, and AI bots, and so. much. more?

The pre-order doors are open. And the course drops next Thursday the 10th.

Once the launch ends, the price goes up by hundreds because we accidentally made it extremely valuable.

Cheers :)

Erica

Check out my other courses that 1400+ people have taken, loved, and gotten meaningful results from:

What'd you think of today's email? Reply and let me know.

Erica Schneider

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