This is the reason why the more you chase the latest algorithms and know-how, the more you lose.
"But 100 years ago? That's way too old."
Some of you must be thinking that. I was skeptical at first too.
SNS, AI. Constantly changing algorithms.
With the times changing this much, there's no way a law from 100 years ago could still work.
But I can say this with certainty.
By the time you finish reading this article, you will feel embarrassed for having chased the "latest know-how."
I'm going to talk about something that fundamental.
For those meeting me for the first time, let me introduce myself briefly.
- Started as a high school graduate working in a factory with a monthly income of 150,000 yen.
- Started a business at 19 and became an entrepreneur.
- Currently have 200 million yen in assets and over 700 million yen in cumulative sales.
- Now sharing information for people who, like my past self, have "zero knowledge."
In the process of building 200 million yen in assets, there is one book I returned to time and time again.
John Caples' Tested Advertising Methods (The Copywriting). It's a book whose first edition was published in 1932, nearly 100 years ago.
You might think, "Isn't that a classic?"
But 90% of people who want to make money on X (Twitter) are ignoring the laws in this book.
That's why they can never make significant money.
Don't Chase the Latest Algorithm. Attack the Instincts That Haven't Changed in 100 Years.
The only thing that has changed is the "shape of the screen."
The human brain hasn't been updated even a millimeter in the last 100 years.
The reason an American 100 years ago stopped their finger at a newspaper ad and the reason a Japanese person today stops scrolling on X are exactly the same.
"I don't want to lose out."
"I want to gain something."
"I want to know the secret."
This psychological flow doesn't change whether smartphones get thinner or AI evolves.
What changed is only the grammar of the "media format."
The content—the "human heart" that needs to be moved—hasn't changed at all.
Caples was a man who thoroughly researched this content. That's why the rules haven't faded even after 100 years.
Two Losing Patterns Modern Creators Fall Into
First: The "Algorithm Laborer" type.
These are people desperately chasing the latest buzzwords, new features, and trend waves, exhausting themselves. Algorithms change every month. But the human brain hasn't changed in 100,000 years.
Just adjusting to rules that change every month is "labor." Having the skill to pierce instincts that haven't changed in 100,000 years is an "asset."
In other words, algorithm optimization only works when you have writing power first.
Second: The "Zero-Benefit Diary" type.
"I worked at a cafe today."
"I've been thinking about this lately."
What does the reader gain from this?
If you can't show a benefit in your post like "There is a gain for you" or "I will give you X," that post might as well not exist.
Caples stated clearly 100 years ago: "No matter how good the content is, if it doesn't make the reader feel self-interest, it won't be read."
If you're going to post about your daily life, make it for the purpose of increasing motivation and building a fanbase in the final line.
Know the "4 Major Elements" of a Headline
Caples talks about four elements common to effective headlines:
- Self-interest (What do I gain by reading?)
- News (Is it new information?)
- Curiosity (Am I curious about what's next?)
- Quick & Easy (Does it look easy to do?)
Include at least one of these four in your very first line. This alone will drastically change your response rate.
Let's look at specific examples:
Before: "I'm going to talk about copywriting."
After: "Did you know that changing just one line can triple your post's response rate?"
The "Before" is a diary with zero self-interest. The "After" contains three elements: "Self-interest," "Curiosity," and "Quick & Easy."
Another one:
Before: "I'm working hard on SNS management."
After: "The behind-the-scenes of X management that earned 300,000 yen a month even with only 300 followers."
This also has the same three elements.
Also, there are posts that target the "Algorithm Laborer" type and go viral:
"New X algorithm is here!! If you don't know this, your impressions are over."
The reason this goes viral is because it satisfies all four elements: "Self-interest (+ Loss Aversion)," "News," "Curiosity," and "Quick & Easy (you don't have to research it yourself)."
"But I don't have results yet, so I can't write that..."
Some of you might think that. I totally understand that feeling. I hit the same wall when I was a factory worker earning 150,000 yen a month.
But even without results, you can fit the 4 major elements. Look at this:
Before: "I started studying side hustles."
After: "The 3 things I did in my first week as someone with zero side hustle knowledge."
Even with zero results, it includes "Quick & Easy" and "Curiosity." The weakness of "zero knowledge" becomes a hook for reader empathy.
One more:
Before: "I thought about saving money."
After: "No way!!! I saved 80,000 yen a month even with a 180,000 yen take-home pay! The only thing I quit was..."
A small number like 30,000 yen is fine. It aligns the three elements of "Self-interest," "Curiosity," and "Quick & Easy."
Furthermore, having small results isn't a weakness at all. Being close to the reader's perspective is your greatest weapon.
So, it's not that you're not being read because you lack results; it's because your writing is bad. The content can stay the same, but just by fitting the first line into the 4 major elements, the probability of being read changes fundamentally.
The fact that this was systematized 100 years ago is amazing. Most of the know-how being sold today as "latest SNS strategies" is nothing more than a rehash of this.
Throw Away "Intuition." Let the Market Provide the Data.
Another law established by Caples is the concept of "Scientific Testing."
"The answer to which headline is correct is not in your head. Only the market has the answer."
Caples tested dozens of patterns by changing only the headlines of the same advertisement. According to Tested Advertising Methods, there were cases where the response rate changed by up to 19.5 times just by changing the headline.
19.5 times. The content was exactly the same; the only thing changed was the first line.
In other words, overthinking to aim for a "perfect one-shot" is a waste of time. It's fine to put out something that's only 30% ready. Look at the market's reaction and judge by the numbers.
Moreover, modern SNS allows you to do this testing for free and instantly. In Caples' time, it cost a fortune to run ads, but we can test for 0 yen with a single smartphone.
We are in an overwhelmingly more advantageous environment than 100 years ago, yet people spend hours on a single post aiming for "perfection."
If Caples heard that, he'd laugh. He'd say, "What a waste of a treasure!"
So, before you get laughed at, let's try everything.
The Idea That "Low-Quality Posts Damage Your Brand" Is an Illusion.
"But won't my brand be ruined if I just keep testing?"
I understand this anxiety. I used to think the same thing.
But think about it calmly. How many people are actually looking at your account right now?
Worring about your "brand" when you have 100 or 200 followers is like a restaurant that hasn't opened yet discussing "how to manage the queue." It's a waste of time because no one is lining up yet, right?
You have nothing to lose by testing. Rather, the experience gained from running tests will become your true brand power in the future.
A person who puts out ten 30-point posts and a person who can't put out a single one while aiming for 100 points—the one who will have real skill a year from now is definitely the former.
Do It Today.
I won't say anything difficult. For the one post you make today, put all your effort into changing just that first line.
There are only three things to do:
- Fit one of the 4 major elements (Self-interest, News, Curiosity, Quick & Easy) into the first line.
- Test 2-3 patterns with the same content but different headlines.
- Look at the response numbers (Impressions, Likes, Saves) and record which pattern hit.
Just by doing this for a week, you'll start to see your "winning pattern."
Don't try to hit it by intuition. Let the data speak.
I am saying exactly the same thing Caples said 100 years ago. That's how much the essence doesn't change.
Also, even just copying this entire article into Claude and saying, "Make a post for me keeping the 4 major elements in mind," will result in writing that gets read. (Sometimes my own posts are mixed in there too, haha).
Will You Chase the Latest or Grasp the Essence?
Will you continue to be exhausted by chasing algorithms that change every month? Or will you understand human instincts that haven't changed in 100 years and gain a weapon that works in any era?
You are the one who decides your future.
But there is a deep chasm between "knowing" and "doing."
What fills that chasm isn't knowledge. It's your one post today.
Finally.
I share information for people who, like my past self, "don't know where to start" or "feel like their heart is breaking because they get zero response."
To be honest, learning copywriting techniques and the essence of marketing alone is tough. So, I've prepared a free environment.
"Monalisa's Monetization Atelier" is here.
In the OpenChat I run, you can learn these "essential skills for earning through content" on a practical basis.
- Sharing insights from a high school grad earning 150k/month to a total of 700 million yen.
- Practical use of copywriting and assignments.
- Business construction know-how with over 700 million yen in total sales.
If you're in the same situation I was, take a look. If it doesn't suit you, you can just leave.
"Monalisa's Monetization Atelier" is here.
Thank you for reading to the end.
Monalisa.
References
- John Caples, Tested Advertising Methods (Original 1st edition 1932)
