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If you’re going to write boring things, at least use more exciting letters. Here are some tips for using the letter “X” if you are xenacious enough to relax and give your marketing some flex.
#SeeWhatIDidThere?
Heh heh heh.
X is highly, wrongfully underutilized
There are fascinating debates about the origins of the English alphabet, with some even hypothesizing that the alphabet was created, ironically, by people who were illiterate (according to a Smithsonian article). The letters at the end (x, y, and z) are the Plutos of the alphabet, pushed out to the edge and ignored. I won’t advocate for all the neglected letters, but I will stand for X.
Here’s why X is the most exquisite out of the whole 26:
- X is the hippest, most modern letter, as it connotes the future no matter when you’re using it. Just ask the tech industry – they overuse X for that very reason.
- It requires more effort for the person to say it. Go say the X sound. There are two separate sounds so your face moves a lot. That makes it disruptive and highly attention-getting.
- It has symbolic as well as phonetic value.
- It’s mysterious (X-files).
- It’s sharp-edged. Would you rather be the X or the O in Tic-Tac-Toe?
- It conveys ambiguity (Mr. or Mrs. X) and precision (X marks the spot).
- It can mean both love (xxoo) and hate (I exed you out of my will).
The only thing disappointing about X is when it overlaps with Z. Yet another slight.
How to apply the magic X
Now let’s talk about how to put X to work and make your written words more impactful.
1. Email newsletter subject lines
The subject line is the most important part of the email because nobody clicks an email if the subject line if it’s boring. Get their attention using X.
Examples of X subject lines:
- Axing the Roth conversion
- Is your IRA a tax vortex?
- Time to nix that debt!
- Time to X that debt!
- Bitcoin – a taxi ride to the pauper’s grave
2. Website
Let me guess the tabs on your website menu bar:
- Home
- About Us
- Services
- Resources
- Contact
Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, I left off the “Client Login” link to the TD Ameritrade portal.
What if you had a tab called “Extra” in which you had an intriguing download, some surprising facts about your business, or your field of specialty, or something else fascinating like these stunning photos of Mars (my favorite planet) from the NASA website. What if you had one page of your website devoted to being different – instead of just saying how different you are?
Esyay!
Because somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known (Sagan).
3. Make-up email
Maybe you irritated someone or got into a business fight. You were triggering them – they were triggering you. But now you want to make up. They’re likely to ignore your emails forever unless you send them this with the following subject line:
Subject Line: Xenial words
They won’t know what “xenial” means which, will catch their attention. Then, when they look it up, they’ll understand you’re offering them the olive branch. Plus, they’ll be reminded of how smart you are because you knew a word they didn’t.
How’s that for winning the Scrabble match?
4. Social media
Compare the potential first line of this social media post:
Failing to set proper risk tolerance bands in your Investment Policy Statement is imprudent and a mistake. (yawn)
To:
Lax risk tolerance bands are trouble.
Seeeeeeee, remember I told you that X is a sharp word? Starting the post off with a three-letter word that ends with X sets the tone for a crisp, invigorating post!
Or how’s this for a LinkedIn title: “I’m a xena helping other strong women manage their lira!”
5. Giving a command/call to action
End your emails to prospects with a bang especially when you’re going for the close. Nobody does it better than X!
Ahiram,
Thanks for attending our steak dinner at Morton’s the other day. Are you worried about having excessively high taxable income upon distribution from your IRA once you come of age?
Let’s fix it!
-Jaala
Or how about this?
Dear Sanjit,
We’re eager to begin work on your portfolio analysis. Let’s get started! My secure link is below; please affix your statements.
-Kojo
Using “affix” instead of “attach” is a winning trade!
6. Name your firm or a product
I have four children whose names begin with X. And yes, we turn a ton of heads on the first day of school. Just imagine if instead of Sara G, I were Sara X. Wouldn’t that excite you more when you see my articles?
X Wealth Management
This would be especially fitting if you were serving people born from 1960 to 1978.
Xyresic Financial Planning
Once they learn what the word means, they’ll think you’re sharp as a knife.
Fluxgate
The only retirement calculator in the industry with magnetic qualities.
Sara’s upshot
Can you tell I’ve spent a good amount of time teaching people the alphabet?
Hee hee hee.
Look, nothing says it like X. If you’re still not a fan after reading this article, then at least you’ve hopefully learned something about using exciting letters to liven up your boring content.
If you’ve enjoyed my writing, here are my books.
Financial Advisor Marketing Plan
47 Financial Advisor LinkedIn Messages
By the way, if anyone else is a fan of astronomy, send me an email as I could talk about this stuff all day. Here’s my favorite picture from the Perseverance mission.
Sara Grillo, CFA, is a marketing consultant who helps investment management, financial planning, and RIA firms fight the tendency to scatter meaningless clichés on their prospects and bore them as a result. Prior to launching her own firm, she was a financial advisor.
Sources
Bishop, Tricia. (2000, July 3). Los Angeles Times. And you thought X was just another letter.
Burton, Anthony. (2018, June 13). X. Why?
Wilson, Lydia. (January 2021). Who invented the alphabet? Smithsonian Magazine
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
