Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator (2 page)

TRUST ME

I’M LYING

TRUST ME

I’M LYING

CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIA MANIPULATOR

RYAN HOLIDAY

PORTFOLIO / PENGUIN

PORTFOLIO / PENGUIN

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700,

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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published in 2012 by Portfolio / Penguin,

a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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Copyright © Ryan Holiday, 2012

All rights reserved

Illustrations by Erin Tyler

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Holiday, Ryan.

Trust me, I’m lying : the tactics and confessions of a media manipulator / Ryan Holiday.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN: 978-1-101-58371-5

1. Marketing—Blogs. 2. Public relations—Blogs. 3. Social media—Economic aspects. I. Title.

HF5415.H7416 2012

659.20285’6752—dc23

2012008773

Printed in the United States of America

Set in Minion Pro

Designed by Pauline Neuwirth

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

ALWAYS LEARNING

PEARSON

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

  
BOOK ONE
  

FEEDING THE MONSTER

HOW BLOGS WORK

      
I
    BLOGS MAKE THE NEWS

    
II
     HOW TO TURN NOTHING INTO SOMETHING IN THREE WAY-TOO-EASY STEPS

   
III
    THE BLOG CON: HOW PUBLISHERS MAKE MONEY ONLINE

    
IV
    TACTIC #1: BLOGGERS ARE POOR; HELP PAY THEIR BILLS

     
V
    TACTIC #2: TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR

   
VI
    TACTIC #3: GIVE THEM WHAT SPREADS, NOT WHAT’S GOOD

  
VII
    TACTIC # 4: HELP THEM TRICK THEIR READERS

 
VIII
   TACTIC #5: SELL THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN SELL (EXPLOIT THE ONE-OFF PROBLEM)

     
IX
    TACTIC #6: MAKE IT ALL ABOUT THE HEADLINE

      
X
    TACTIC #7: KILL ‘EM WITH PAGEVIEW KINDNESS

    
XI
    TACTIC #8: USE THE TECHNOLOGY AGAINST ITSELF

   
XII
   TACTIC #9: JUST MAKE STUFF UP (EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT)

  
BOOK TWO