12 Hacks That Drive Advertising Success

May 19, 2025

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Here are 12 crazy hacks from Alex Hormozi that can drive 10x advertising led success.

1/ Headlines come first because they are first and most important. David Ogilvy said once you've written your headline, you've spent 80 cents of your advertising dollar.

Most people only see headlines, and while it feels unfair that a single phrase carries such weight, the math is clear: improving click-through from 1% to 3% triples your audience.

The best advertisers obsess over headlines because that's where the money lives. Remember: curiosity is king, different is ideal, sexy works, and never run an ad without a headline. Headlines are just different wrapping paper for the same offers.

2/ Say what only you can say. Proof will always outdo promise. If you've helped moms over 35 who are vegan powerlifters, say so. Be one of a kind in whatever pond you choose.

Competitors can copy your offer but never your proof - that must be earned.

3 / Always call out who you're looking for - and even more powerfully, who you're not looking for. When you say "this isn't for people below $500,000 a year," you powerfully position yourself.

Polarizing customers creates stronger connections with the right ones. Vanilla never sells.

4 / Always have a reason why. The word "because" is one of the most influential in English. You don't need a perfect reason - even fraternity party planners understand this.

A reason, any reason, lowers resistance and increases compliance.

5 / Damaging admissions are devastatingly effective. Owning your flaws builds trust, and trust trumps promise.

"Our websites are ugly as hell, but they convert" works better than "our websites convert." The statement after "but" is what you want believed, so structure accordingly.

Tell the truth in a marketplace of lies and you'll stand out instantly.

6 / Show don't tell. Instead of saying "get more sales," describe the experience: "running out of order forms because customers are reading credit cards to you too fast."

Describe the future problems they would prefer to have. The moments matter more than generic promises.

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7 / Tie benefits to status whenever possible. Who will admire them after using your product? Their family? Friends? Competitors? Humans are status-seeking creatures, and tying benefits to improved standing multiplies their appeal.

8 / Use urgency and scarcity legitimately. Urgency is about time; scarcity is about quantity. The key is making it real - being willing to say no after deadlines maintains your reputation and builds demand for next time.

9 / Implied authority moves people to action. If you've been in business 40 years, say so. Third-party validation like awards creates conversational opportunities and instant credibility.

10 / Always have a PS statement - it's the second most-read part of any advertising after the headline. Use it to disqualify people who aren't a fit, recap your key points, or reinforce urgency.

11 / Write at a third-grade reading level. People pause to understand complex copy, then stop reading entirely. Short sentences, small words, big promises. Simplicity trumps concision every time.

12 / And bonus: whenever possible, use humor. The highest-converting ads both entertain and educate - entertainment goes broad while education changes behavior. Testing humor is essential, but when it works, it's unbeatable.

Remember - fancy equals friction, simple equals sales.