Hi there, and welcome back to Marketing Qualified. Here are today’s topics:

• Is handwritten content the next big trend? The reasons we think it might be.

• Turn weaknesses into strengths. A masterclass example of how to win through clever positioning.

✍️ Is handwritten content the next big trend?

We’ve noticed something interesting lately.

As we scroll our social media feeds, it keeps jumping out. It’s like when you’re shopping for a specific type of car and then start seeing it all over the road.

All of a sudden, it seems like it’s everywhere.

So what is it?

Handwritten content.

Here are some examples:

It’s gotten us thinking: is this the next big content trend?

Here are a few reasons why it might be.

1) It feels personal.

Compared to traditional posts and ads, the handwritten versions feel a bit more personal. Brands and influencers always look for ways to humanize themselves to their audience.

It makes them feel relatable and helps their popularity grow.

2) It fits in with the existing trend of low-production value content.

In this newsletter, we’ve written about the rise of low-production value content and the death of high-gloss content dozens of times.

TikTok made it popular to post brand content that looks “real” vs. like it was filmed by a professional crew or in a studio.

Handwritten still images might just be the next evolution of this existing trend.

3) It’s fast and easy to make.

With this style, you can spend 30 seconds writing something down on a piece of paper or whiteboard, snap a photo with your phone, and boom! You’ve got finished ad creative.

That’s much quicker and simpler than pulling in a graphic designer, describing what you want, and working through multiple rounds of revisions.

4) It stands out in social feeds.

Stopping the scroll is one of the hardest parts of social media. Paid or organic.

Handwritten content stands out inside a social media feed because it looks different from the other content around it.

It gets noticed. And that’s the majority of the battle.

We’re interested in seeing if handwritten content will continue to become more frequent in our feeds. Next time you’re scrolling, keep an eye out. Let us know if you’re seeing what we’re seeing!

📰  In the news this week.

❌  Is TikTok about to get banned in the USA?

✉️  A zero-click email strategy that gets 40%+ open rates.

✅ Examples of email surveys from brands. Plus, tips to build your own.

🤖  A guide to understanding social media algorithms in 2024.

🤫  The FTC’s broad definition of sensitive data should be a wake-up call.

💪 Turn weaknesses into strengths.

Timex had to compete with the rising popularity of smartwatches. But their watches don’t have all the fancy bells and whistles.

So, they decided to make the 24/7/365 mindset the enemy.

“Know the time without seeing you have 1,249 unanswered emails.”

A masterclass in product positioning.

Their lack of features isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength.

😂 Marketing meme of the week.

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