How The Skool Games Ads Are Written For Success | A Deep Dive

Nick Maier

7d ago in Strategy

Yesterday I analysed and broke down the creative advertising that Skool is using to promote the games

The key takeaway from this was that testing creatives is essential

Once you find copy and targeting that works - this is your variable of success

You can see the same thing with Diary of a CEO …

… they test a number of different creatives (thumbnails)

And the winner is the thumbnail with the highest CTR

Key lesson = test more creatives - a lot more

While analysing the ads, I noticed something about the ad copy and script copy for the videos as well

And that’s what I want to share with you right now

Specifically:

What the ads are saying
Why they’re doing these things and saying them
How you can apply it to your own copy, ads, and marketing to increase traffic and conversions for your Skool Community

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING & WHY?

Of the 100+ active ads, 95%+ use the same body copy, the same headline, the same description, and the same C2A

Headline: Join The Skool Games - Build Your Business in 30 Days

Description: Win a day with Alex Hormozi in Vegas. Join the Skool Games and start playing free today

C2A: Sign Up

These have likely been tested and proven to be the winners that get the most clicks, cheapest clicks, and highest CTRs

Why do they work?

Headline = promise driven, easy to visualise, core desire of ideal target market

Description = strong use of powerful words - “win”, “play”, “free” - and the prize is incredibly valuable … $10k+?

C2A = more direct than “learn more” - will increase conversion rate for those who click it as subconsciously they’re “agreeing” to sign up (this means the VSL can be even more specific than people clicking to “learn more” … they’ve shown higher intent to buy/start)

The ad copy itself is very direct and revolves around a core promise and an enticing offer

Core Promise = fastest, easiest, most fun way to start a business

Enticing Offer = start for free and have a chance to win epic prizes

All the risk is removed for people because of this framing

Great use of the “power of three” … fastest, easiest, most fun (these are also insanely desirable for people starting their business)

The hook immediately frames whatever Alex is talking about as something incredibly special

“I’ve never publicly endorsed anything until now”

… holy shit! If that’s true, this must be good

Then there’s a “reason why” to justify this statement …

“And that’s because I’ve built my reputation on giving amazing value”

This is true. It is falsifiable.

The lead then builds on this without revealing what it is

It’s kind of like a “secret” (speaks to people who are less “aware” psychologically and entices them in) and the copy holds this attention by telling them things it’s not

“Anything I endorse has to live up to that. Nothing has, until now”

This builds great tension in the reader …

… WHAT IS IT??

Still not stating what it is, but teasing as to what it does and who it’s for

“For many of you who want to start a business online, this is the fastest, easiest, and most fun way I’ve found”

Frames for who this is for AND who it’s not for - people who want to start a business online
Frames the benefits and what’s in it for people - fastest, easiest, most fun
Frames Alex’ experience and increases credibility of what’s coming - I’ve found

Another “reason why” is then given to continue increasing trust and tapping into our logic

“I decided to make my association public because I think it will benefit so many of you”

Now, we’re hit with a very broad and appealing problem so many people wanting to start a business online have

“Who want to start but don’t know where or how”

… we’re more than halfway through the copy now and the solution is finally introduced alongside the “power of three” (again!) to help people VISUALISE what value they're getting

“Skool gives you the tools, the training and the community to make it happen”

The Power of Three:

Tools
Training
Community

The copy then stacks value and reverses all the risk

“... and if you needed more incentive to start … we’ve got prizes

And better yet, you can start playing for free”

The close is a masterclass in psychology as it’s NOT speaking to people who want to discover what it is or learn more, it’s speaking to people ready to start right now

“Click here to join the Skool Games”

The word “join” creates a fundamentally different image in the mind of the reader. It means something different. So if they click, they’re subconsciously “agreeing” to a different action than “discover” or “learn”

The scripts of the video’s align with everything said in the ad copy, but in a different and deeper way

The core themes stay consistent:

Start a business online
Fast, easy, fun
Tools, training, community

… and what the videos and scripts do really well is

Showcase proof with lots of stats and the results people have had with Skool Games
Reiterate the fun (all the hooks of the videos are hilarious and comedic)
Frame how you’re getting what most people charge $10k+ for, for free
POINT to the real incentive of a free 1-day training with Alex

HOW CAN YOU APPLY THIS?

Alignment

There needs to be a very simple, logical, and straightforward alignment in your message in all your marketing efforts

The offer. The copy. The creatives. The visuals.

A confused mind says no every single time

… and as soon as someone feels the tiniest bit confused you lose their attention

To create this alignment you answer the questions:

💁 Who is this for?

📣 What is it trying to say?

👉 What is it trying to do?

❓ How is it saying it and doing it?

💁 Skool Games is for people who want to start a business online but don’t know where to start or how

📣 It’s saying this is the fastest, easiest, and most fun way to do so

👉 It’s trying to get them to see that and “join”

❓ It’s saying it by using the power of three (fastest, easiest, most fun ... tools, training, community)

❓ It’s doing it by showing all the proof of results people have had in Skool Games

And you make sure to keep the language and the themes aligned through the message across all your marketing too

This helps to REINFORCE and create the BRAND of what people can come to expect from you

These ads are continually saying:

“People who want to start an online business”
“Don’t know where or how to start”
“Fastest, easiest, most fun”
“Tools, training, community”

… it’s the same as Hormozi saying for YEARS “I have nothing to sell you”

You keep this consistent through your entire funnel and marketing for your Skool Community:

Ad Copy
Ad Creatives
About Page VSl
About Page Description
About Page Images
Social Content

The Rule Of One

1️⃣ One compelling message

2️⃣ One core emotion

3️⃣ One desirable outcome

4️⃣ One interesting story

5️⃣ One clear C2A

Again, this helps your reader easily understand what you’re saying

1️⃣ This is the east, fastest and most fun way to build an online business if you don’t know where to start or how

2️⃣ Hope

3️⃣ Make your first dollar online

4️⃣ The story of people who have been successful

5️⃣ Join Now and Play for Free

When marketing your Skool Community in ads, social content, your about page, in-person with people … anywhere … make sure you know your answer to these questions so you can keep things consistent 👇👇👇

What’s my message?

What emotion do I want people to feel (make it an aroused emotion for greater effect)

What outcome am I promising?

What story(ies) can I tell?

What do I want people to do?

Keep Your Copy Simple

(a) Write at a fifth grade level

Use an app like hemingway or similar to “dumb it down”
This level of writing helps people understand and feel understood

(b) Write like you talk

Short, sharp sentences
Helps to keep the flow
And the reader engaged
Doing things gets them on the “slippery slope”
And they can’t stop ready
Then, you throw in some longer sentences every now and then to change the pace and style of what you’re saying
That helps keep engagement high
Doesn’t it … 😉

Use words they use
Helps them feel understood
Also increases a sense of like, knowing, and trust

(d) Be clear: say what you mean

(e) Choose your words wisely

One word can change the entire context of a sentence
You see this in “Sign up” vs “Discover” or “Learn”
You see this in “easiest” vs “simplest”

(f) Leverage the power of three

It’s a proven psychological tip
People LOVE things in threes
ABC
XYZ
It elevates your copy
It also allows you to set things up for a powerful reframe as each of the three compounds tension … and then your next line releases it

⚡ Example ⚡

You could ABC…

You could DEF…

You could HIJ…

… or you could XYZ instead

Help people VISUALISE what you’re saying

(a) You do this by being specific and concrete instead of abstract

I can’t visualise:

a better way
a streamlined approach
an exponential increase

I can visualise:

All the tools and training I need in the one place
Going from sitting on my couch to running a 5k in 60 days
Growing from $5k MRR to $30k MRR in 6 month

(b) You do this by using metaphors

You take something your ideal client is already familiar with and compare what you’re saying with it…

...it’s like a horse, but it has black and white vertical stripes all over its body

By creating alignment in your marketing and advertising of your Skool Community, applying the rule of one, keeping your messaging simple, and helping your ideal clients VISUALISE what you’re saying you’re going to have an easier time:

Getting more traffic to your Skool Community
Making sure it’s BETTER traffic
Increase the conversion rate of your About Page

If you want support in seeing how you can apply this to what you’re currently doing, comment below with your favourite emoji and I’ll shoot you a Loom Video and DM it to you 😀

Hope you found this educational piece valuable!

Nick

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