How The Art Of Manliness Built A 7-Figure Movement

-CREATOR OF THE DAY-

THE ART OF MANLINESS

The Art Of Manliness (AoM) is a 7-figure content empire dedicated to reviving “the lost art of manhood”.

It started as a simple blog in 2008.

Now?

• 2-3 million monthly blog pageviews

• 2.5 million monthly podcast downloads

• 1.3 million YouTube subscribers

I’ve highlighted 5 psychology-backed tactics they’ve used to take their content to the stratosphere.

Feel free to use them yourself.

🤝 Building A Movement

Back when it started, AoM spotted a growing number of men unhappy with shifting cultural norms.

They yearned for a more traditional notion of “masculinity”.

AoM tapped into this yearning and gave them a home.

A place where they felt like they belonged - a community that identified with its values.

Psychologists refer to this as the “Social Identity Theory”.

We all want to feel as though we’re part of a group of like-minded individuals.

It gives us self-esteem and a feeling of security.

As a content creator, you can nurture a sense of belonging among your audience by tapping into shared identities or values.

Give people a place to hang out.

Build a movement.

📸 A Strong Visual Identity

AoM has a very clear aesthetic.

It uses old, black-and-white photographs of rugged men from the past, illustrations/diagrams from old books, etc.

These aren’t just random selections.

The visuals communicate a strong brand identity and set the tone for the content.

The imagery is closely aligned with the core values of the content.

Consistent branding also gives us a sense of “cognitive ease”.

Our brains prefer things that are easy to think about.

Having consistent imagery is one way of making the user experience easier on the eyes.

🕰️ The Nostalgic Pull

The old images and vintage design don’t just look cool - they play on nostalgia.

It’s an emotion that draws people back to memories of “simpler times”.

AoM is a master at weaving nostalgia into its design, as well as its messaging.

The nostalgia pulls readers into a comforting embrace.

It’s irresistible.

🧠 Getting Deep

There are a lot of other “men’s lifestyle” creators out there.

Most of them focus on the more superficial subtopics.

Expensive watches, fast cars, leather jackets, and so on.

AoM goes so much deeper than this.

The content may cover these topics, but the messaging will always come down to personal growth and fulfillment.

With a philosophical and self-development twist, it serves readers’ need for growth.

🧵 Sticking To A Common Thread

Go to AoM’s blog and you’ll notice that it covers a huge number of topics.

• Style

• Fitness

• Social Skills

• Survival skills

And more...

Content creators usually benefit from niching down.

After all, trying to become a jack of all trades usually leads to mastery of none.

But AoM pulls it off thanks to one simple fact:

There’s a clear common thread that ties it all together.

Every topic revolves around a single core concept:

Becoming a better, more competent man.

The consistency in the message, despite the varied topics, is what keeps readers hooked.

It doesn’t feel disorganized.

People like predictability.

Readers/viewers want to know what to expect in terms of the core values of the content, even if the topics vary.

If it was just a random mish-mash of topics with no core underlying theme, AoM wouldn’t have succeeded.

TL;DR

1. Building A Movement: Tapping into shared identities nurtures belonging.

2. A Strong Visual Identity: AoM's consistent, historical aesthetics provide “cognitive ease”, reinforcing the brand and making content more digestible.

3. The Nostalgic Pull: AoM skillfully uses nostalgia, resonating with audiences by evoking memories of "simpler times".

4. Getting Deep: Instead of surface-level content, AoM delves into personal growth and fulfillment.

5. Sticking To A Common Thread: People like organization and predictability. Despite varied topics, AoM succeeds by maintaining a consistent message: mastering the art of manliness in every sphere.

-TOOL OF THE DAY-

PIXLR

Pixlr is an online photo editing and design tool.

It uses AI to help content creators of all kinds edit photos and create stunning designs with ease.

With Pixlr, you can start from an empty canvas, a photo, or a video.

Alternatively, select one of their templates to create fantastic visual assets.

It also offers a suite of free AI-powered tools - remove backgrounds, create collages, and generate images.