You’re refreshing the page for the 10th time in 5 minutes.
You’re checking who sent a request, which friend tagged you, or what notification just popped up.
You're staring at the screen thinking, "Is the picture I shared good enough? Can anyone see the pimples on my face?"
Your brain is absolutely fried. You feel that deep pit of guilt because you keep breaking promises to yourself.
And while all of this is happening, your most important goals—the business you want to build, the copy you need to write—are quietly passing you by.
That was my exact reality back in 2018 when I first got hooked on Facebook.
It was a complete mess.
I’d announce to everyone that I was deactivating my account, and then I couldn't even make it through a single day.
I’d crawl back, feeling incredibly guilty.
It cost me years of focus—I almost missed getting my university degree because of it.
Today, you won’t find me active anywhere outside of LinkedIn.
But because I’ve lived through that exact brain fog, I can spot it a mile away in others.
It’s the same feeling I got watching Nate O'Brien's video,
If you’ve never struggled with screen time, that video means nothing to you. But if you have lived it? You instantly get it.
And as founders and copywriters, this is the holy grail of marketing: Relatability.
The psychology: Theory of Relatability
Social engagement or social experience is not merely an interaction that you see happens between two people.
It involves both physical and mental states of two parties.
In science: “The more similar your physical and mental state is to another state, the more you will engage with that state (to a certain point).”
In simple terms: The more something feels like me, the more attention I give it.
Think about the content we create.
If you're trying to build a startup or land client work, and someone talks about the frustration of putting in the work but seeing zero results... that hits you right in the gut.
It’s way more powerful than generic advice like, "Just stay consistent."
Right?
Look at Nate’s channel.
He has videos titled: “I Sold Everything,” or “My Daily Routine Living In My Truck.”
Notice how simple they are? They don't sound like boring textbook chapters like, "An Introduction to Minimalism."
They describe real, visual experiences.
Here is another example: growingannas.
When I first discovered Anna’s channel, I loved her for all her colorful vibe, her imperfect natural hair, her fitness myth-busting videos, etc.
It was just so relatable to me and most ladies out there.
But if you scroll down her page now, you will see comments like these.
Most of us don't like the change happening in the channel and are slowly unsubscribing. Why? Because it's just not relatable anymore.
Remember: Your audience can evolve with you, but you must always stand strong for your values, your offer, and your foundational message.
So if you’re building a brand or writing copy for a client, you have to relentlessly ask yourself:
Who am I talking to?
What are they struggling with? And, most importantly,
how do they describe their problem in their own words?
Your 5-Minute Copywriting Practice:
Let's put this into practice right now in 3 simple steps:
Find the Pain: Pinpoint the exact, messy situation they are trapped in.
Steal Their Vocab: Write down 5 to 6 words they mutter when they vent (e.g., doomscrolling, algorithm jail, feeling like a fraud).
Mirror the State: Drop those stolen words into your very first sentence.Use those exact words to show them you get it before you try to sell them anything.
For example:
Justin Welsh doesn't say "unhappy with corporate employment." He says "escape the 9-to-5 ".
Matt Barker doesn't say "my metrics were low." He says "screaming into the void".
Ramit Sethi doesn't say "budgetary restrictions." He says "don’t buy lattes ".
Notice the pattern?
The Genuine Rule:
The closer your words are to the language already living inside your prospect's head, the easier it is for them to recognize themselves in your message.
When someone feels understood, you win their attention. And once you have their attention, you can start building real trust.
If you found this useful, share this with a friend who might need it.
Until next time,
With love❤️ ,
Thusharika
1 P.S. Hit reply to this email and tell me: What is the current product description or hook you are working on?
Send it over, tell me who it's for, and I’ll send you a quick 3-line rewrite using this exact loop.
Let's fix your copy.
If you found this useful, pass The Genuine Rule to a friend.
Want to connect elsewhere? Say hi on LinkedIn.
