Marketing and trading? Together?
Yes, and based on my experience, they are highly complementary.
Let me tell you a story.
You see, I originally came out of the trading arena.
That was my first career. But after two decades in the trenches, I needed a break. I wanted to explore another arena.
And my choice was the one where I had a secret passion, writing.
So I wrote a book.
And I loved that process so much I decided to dive into copywriting the way I had pursued trading back in the early days.
What I discovered was an interesting parallel to what I had been doing.
Instead of buying and selling, I was applying these skills to help others drive the sales process with words..
Now I could see where my understanding of businesses and people could be used.
And how powerful this skill set could be to the businesses that worked with me.
Because trading and marketing use similar frameworks to achieve their unique outcomes.
Minds shaped by experience
For example, trading requires a deep understanding of human psychology (including your own).
To succeed as a trader, you have to understand how expectations are shaped and evolve. And you have to understand the way incentives shape outcomes.
Great copy structures information in a way to guide expectations, behavior and deliver the right incentives. Whether you use RAS triggers, Neuroplastic Belief Shifting, or something like Psycho-Cybernetics, it all returns to expectations and incentives.
And these psychological tools become effective when they are structured persuasively using research.
Unconventional insights for unconventional profits
Trading is an environment that demands and rewards unconventional research and unique insights. You have to have the ability to break from the crowd and see a product, the world, the economy, or the market in a different way.
Sometimes this means something as simple as buying stock when the news flow gets too negative or selling when people seem too giddy and unconcerned about risk.
Great marketing starts with a big promise or insight. Or it can start with a new take on something. It might begin by shaping how your audience sees something with a powerful email series in a well designed funnel. Maybe you’re going against the grain.
And great marketers know not just how to ride the trend. They can adapt to the conditions by seeing the signs before their competition does.
Like when everyone overreacted in 2020, some stepped into the marketing breach and dominated.
Testing with real money provides the only valuable information
No matter how much research you do, you are always operating with incomplete or imperfect information. If you like testing research and ideas trading is the perfect lab. Here your decisions are tested with real money and almost immediate feedback.
When money is on the line, it sharpens the mind. It gathers focus and attention. And it gives you insight into your emotional cues.
The results of these tests provide valuable information that drives more profitable action next time.
Every email series, post, case study, or bait piece costs something to produce and distribute. Sometimes the resulting information is a sale, a sign-up, a relationship, or some other measurable outcome. Other times it can lead to a minor tweak resulting in a major outcome. But like in trading, the valuable information can only be gathered and assessed by execution.
Trust isn’t everything, but it’s close
A trading environment is trust-based. And by that, I mean there is a code between people that do business together.
Many times you are being relied on for your advice on the conditions related to a specific stock. Maybe the client wants to know the best way to accumulate or distribute a position. These were often multi-million dollar decisions.
The only way these get done between people, who in many cases have never met in person, is through trust.
When I operate as a freelancer or contractor, I am aware of the trust involved. And I apply the same care and expertise to the relationship as I did for some of the biggest brokerage firms in the world.
Are you ready for something better?
My mission is to elevate a select group of marketing leaders who value trust, unique insights, and the ability to deliver outcomes.
If this isn’t for you, I understand, and I thank you for stopping by and taking some time.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for an edge in your marketing,
Let’s talk.