New Program - Released June 2023

Send Your Product Through The Five Lightbulbs Method and Upgrade Its Marketing Message

Want to give your marketing push its best chance of success? Read what these business owners are saying.

With the 5 Lightbulb Framework, I felt like the fog lifted on how to write good marketing and sales copy. I can now write compelling emails for my launch quickly, on message, and to my target audience. Billy’s approach to writing sales copy is creative and authentic.

Gwyn Wansbrough
Facilitation expert and trainer

I’ve never, in all the years I’ve sold things online, had the quantity or passion of replies I’m getting.

Thanks to The Five Lightbulbs approach, I launched a premium product. I launched in June, and it's now September that I record this.

I've never earned so much from one product. And my customers are happy. They love it.

Reuven Lerner
Python consultant and online educator

Dear business owner,

Billy Broas here, and over the past two years, I’ve been testing my Five Lightbulbs framework with a small group of entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have great products, but struggled to market them.

A leadership coach in our program told me:

 "We know our -- and our feedback tells us -- that we have something special. But marketing it has been frustrating."

As you'll read in the stories below, our Five Lightbulbs methodology has made marketing significantly easier for these entrepreneurs, including that coach.

Today, we’re making our approach more widely available. Equipped with this new DIY training, you'll:

  • Never write from scratch again when creating marketing content
  • Create a core messaging you can keep referring back to
  • Get a plug and play system for creating authentic marketing

There's nothing fancy here. This isn't about hype, big promises, or shiny objects. You're tired of that, and so am I.

Others are tired of it too, and that's why The Five Lightbulbs, which gives you the solid foundation you need, is growing in popularity.

But a couple years ago, I never dreamed I'd be writing you this letter.

It all started when Tiago Forte gave me a nudge

Tiago is the founder of Building a Second Brain. He started as my client, became a friend, and was even a guest at my wedding.

Over the past two years, I helped Tiago grow Building a Second Brain from a solo-operator side hustle into a seven-figure business with full-time employees.

Tiago's audience, witnessing his success, began asking him for marketing advice. He encouraged me to teach a program.

By then, I'd been in this game a while and was growing tired of being a marketing consultant. I was exploring other career options. Plus, for this introvert, the idea of coming out from behind-the-scenes wasn't all too exciting.

Tiago Forte and I using The Five Lightbulbs to craft the messaging for his Building a Second Brain course launch

But I mustered the courage and told Tiago "Let's do it." I created an eight module cohort-based course and named it The Keystone Accelerator.

This is where the story gets strange...

I'll never forget that moment sitting in my office, overlooking San Diego Bay, creating the Keystone curriculum.

Colored pencils in hand (I'm a visual thinker), I drew a bridge. Nothing unusual there. But then, an idea struck me. My hand grabbed the yellow pencil and sketched five lightbulbs over the bridge.

The Five Lightbulbs was Born

Out of the eight modules in that program, every person (except one) voted The Five Lightbulbs as their #1 favorite.

Wise people always say: "Double down on what works".

I found myself in a position where something was working and decided to follow that advice.

I'm glad I did, because I never could have predicted the use cases for The Five Lightbulbs. Things like:

  • A woman with auditory dyslexia who finally found a marketing training she could follow, thanks to The Five Lightbulbs' visual approach
  • A small business owner who has his entire team speaking the language of the Lightbulbs
  • A media buyer who is using The Five Lightbulbs as a testing framework for his Google ads

But it wasn't enough to have the framework. To be useful, I had to turn it into a methodology.

For the past two years, we've been refining the methodology

To recap, we've been using The Five Lightbulbs methodology with two groups:

  1. My 1-on-1 clients
  2. Participants in our cohort-based course, Keystone

We're talking just under 100 people -- a relatively small group of people. You can see some of them below.

Billy has returned 10X easily, probably more in terms of dollars. And that doesn’t even include quality of life and peace of mind. 

Working with Billy is a no-brainer thing to do.

Tiago Forte
Founder of Building a Second Brain

I built Write of Passage on the back of Billy’s wisdom. For years, he was my #1 marketing advisor, and the course wouldn’t be where it is today without him.

David Perell
Founder of Write of Passage

Our live cohort finishing up their 5 Lightbulbs training


We’ve now field-tested The Five Lightbulbs through:

  • 125 breakout rooms
  • 42 writing sessions
  • 100 Messaging Maps

Plus, over 130 hours of me teaching on Zoom. 

After 15 years in online marketing, I've seen how many products are rushed to market. That's the last thing I was about to do.

But working closely for two years with these 100 people to implement The Five Lightbulbs has paid off.

Hear the results The Five Lightbulbs is getting our cohort participants

I doubled the price on my course, so I thought, ‘Okay, well it's probably gonna take longer to sell out these 50 spots.’ I sent out the opening cart email on a Monday, and by Tuesday at the same time, it's completely sold out.

Anyone who wants to sell their stuff in a mega authentic way, in an almost Zen master sort of way of selling – I'd highly, highly recommend Billy's accelerator.

Akash Thakkar
Composer and Video Game Sound Designer

I've done so many marketing programs over the past 10 years. Some were simplistic and formulaic: '7 steps to attract your ideal client! '

Others required hype-y Facebook ads. Regardless, marketing has always felt like something I force myself to do.

This is  different. It makes marketing like a fun puzzle to solve.

I love the systematic approach of The 5 Lightbulbs framework. I have no shortage of ideas but my approach was too random and ad hoc.

The 5 Lightbulbs gave me a definitive structure so I know exactly what to include in my messaging and content while doing it in my own authentic style.

I'm consistently getting a 50%+ open rate for my newsletter and I know I'll be getting ROI from this program for years.

Renita Kalhorn
Executive Coach

The Five Lightbulbs framework helps us think about our marketing messaging in a more structured way. We don’t have any formal training in marketing, but we have been to the Billy Broas Institute and is better than a university degree.

Stephen Clapham
Founder, Behind the Balance Sheet

It's ready for a wider audience

As much as I love getting my hands dirty with marketing, I can't help everyone. That’s why we’re rolling out this DIY version of The Five Lightbulbs. It brings the methodology to a wider audience.

Put your trust and effort into the method and it will handle the rest.

Why adopt a messaging framework?

The Five Lightbulbs is new, but messaging frameworks are not. StoryBrand or Jobs to Be Done are great ones, for example. 

This framework-based approach is opposed to a tactics-based approach, like hosting webinars, using Instagram hashtags, or running Facebook Ads.

The two are different.

Sure, you can plug your StoryBrand or Five Lightbulbs messaging into a webinar or a Facebook Ad. But a framework and a tactic are two different things.

The Five Lightbulbs is a framework.

Now, most business owners know about tactics like webinars, Facebook ads, and posting to Twitter. But most neglect their core messaging. And if you don’t get your core messaging right, none of those downstream tactics work.

That’s why StoryBrand became so popular. Donald Miller didn’t say, “I’ll show you how to run Facebook Ads.” He said, “I’ll clarify your message.” And that made all the difference.

Compared to StoryBrand, I believe The Five Lightbulbs is more practical. Of course, I’ll need to prove that. You’ve gotta walk the walk. And Donald Miller has certainly done that.

Yet, I’m confident that in a few years, we’ve got a real shot at being as popular as StoryBrand.

No matter what you choose, whether it’s StoryBrand, The Five Lightbulbs, or any of the other messaging frameworks, I recommend you adopt one. Make it your best friend.

Because if nothing else, it will focus your attention on what matters most — your marketing message.

If you're on board with that, let me tell you about our framework-turned-methodology.

We recently had our best ever product launch.

We didn’t do anything complicated and we definitely aren’t marketing geniuses. All we did was follow Billy’s lightbulbs and ideas for the product, promotional emails and landing page flowed naturally.

What I love about Billy’s training is that it gives you a framework, not just tactics. That means you can look at campaigns that haven’t worked and ask why. For example, we realised that we hadn’t been focusing enough on lightbulbs 1 and 5. Once we fixed this, results improved dramatically. Thanks Billy!

Joseph Taylor
Copywriter

10 Benefits of This Process

Here are ten features of our Five Lightbulbs methodology and how they'll help you maximize your marketing.

1 - Centralizes Your Core Messaging
Disjointed messaging leads to confusion. Our 5L method centralizes your messaging, ensuring it's clear and aligned across your website, social media platforms, and team members.

2 - Gives you a Framework for Testing
As the saying goes in marketing, "Always be testing." Now, you have a framework to guide you.

3 - Plug & Play
Create marketing material faster. With our method's plug & play nature, you'll never create marketing material from scratch again.

4 - Built for Collaboration
Copywriters, social media managers, web designers, and salespeople now have a place to collaborate on messaging.

5 - Platform Agnostic
Text, audio, or video. Facebook Ads, emails, or websites. It doesn't matter the medium or platform -- The Five Lightbulbs can handle it.

6 - Fun and Visual
A bear, an owl, a storybook landscape — what's not to love? Our method has a powerful operating system at its core while remaining fun and approachable.

7 - Built on Storytelling

Everyone knows the best marketing tells stories, and storytelling is woven into the fabric of The Five Lightbulbs method.

8 - A Universal Marketing Language
"Great job with the Lightbulb #2 email!"

"We need an LB3 story!"

Speaking the same language will make your team more efficient.

9 - Advanced Copywriting Concepts are Baked-In
Get the persuasive power of advanced copywriting techniques without spending years becoming a professional copywriter.

10 - Reusable
Once you learn the process, send new products and services through it. Create multiple messaging maps. This reusability will save you hours each week.

Here is a high-level visual of our methodology:

Now it's time to package our system, which has been stress-tested and refined over two years, into a Do-It-Yourself program anyone can do, and at your own pace.

Introducing: The Five Lightbulbs Method

I have done all the big names from Ryan Levesque to Frank Kern, to everybody else you can imagine. This simple framework that Billy teaches is a game changer. In my world, as a business owner, there's before Keystone and after.

Christy Brennand
Founder of the More Heart Less Body health program

The Five Lightbulbs Method is our new DIY training. It's available at a much more affordable price than hiring me 1-on-1 or a seat in our cohort-based program.

As you'll read about in a minute, you'll follow the same process those entrepreneurs follow.

Here’s what is included:

  • The full DIY, self-paced training program
  • Step-by-step videos
  • Text instructions if you prefer reading
  • Worksheets, templates, and examples
  • Lifetime access
  • One year guarantee

Now, let's walk through the process you'll follow.

First, pick the product you want to run through the process

The first step is to choose an offer. Ask yourself:

“What do I want to sell more of?”

You likely have more than one product or service.

Choose one, but don’t worry about locking yourself in. You can always go back and send another offer through the process later.

Next, you'll create its Messaging Map

Got an offer in mind? Great. In this program, you’ll create a messaging map for that offer.

What’s a Messaging Map?

Think about it like a brand manual, but for your product's persuasive messaging.

Branding agencies will charge you $20,000 (or more) for a document that contains your logo, fonts, and colors.

I asked, “Why don’t we have the same thing for our persuasive messaging?”

So think of The Five Lightbulbs Messaging Map like a brand manual, but instead of your fonts and colors, it contains the best words to sell your product. You'll then spread these words across your website, emails, social media... everywhere.

In Keystone, we joke that you need to schedule dates with your messaging map. It's that important, and our entrepreneurs do just that.

In The Five Lightbulbs Method, you'll learn:

  • Our favorite tools for creating your messaging map
  • The two key phases in building a messaging map
  • A workflow for turning your messaging map into finished sales pages, emails, and more 
  • 3 ways to fill out your messaging map
  • How to handle having more than one ideal customer (a common issue)
  • When you should use multiple messaging maps
  • How to collaborate with team members so everyone is on the same page, messaging-wise

The first step in creating your Messaging Map is nailing down who you're talking to.

Then, you'll flesh out your Five Lightbulbs

This is where the magic happens.

The Five Lightbulbs are special because they map to the human experience of making a decision. In this case, it's a buying decision.

The Lightbulbs represent the things you must say if you want to turn on the lightbulbs in your customer's head that makes him or her say, "Ah, this is for me."

When you turn on your five Lightbulbs, you'll light the path to your product.

With your Messaging Map ready to go, you'll then fill in its Lightbulbs, along the way, learning:

  • How to do customer research using The Five Lightbulbs
  • The importance of internal logic when completing your Lightbulbs
  • How to know when you've done Lightbulb #3 correctly (that's the one that helps you differentiate your product)
  • How to pair Lightbulb #1 with Lightbulb #5 for maximum conversions
  • How to find the Lightbulb you most need to turn on
  • Our favorite ways to capture customer quotes for each Lightbulb
  • Our top 20 questions for filling your Lightbulbs with golden messaging opportunities

After this section, you'll have so much confidence, clarity, and excitement. Then, there's only one step remaining.

Finally, you'll weave your new messaging
into your marketing

Completing a 5L Messaging Map is like getting a Ferrari. You can't wait to take it for a spin.

The final step is to put your new messaging into action. The good news is you've already done most of the heavy lifting. Now, it's a matter of plug and play.

Enjoy the thrill of speeding through your next content creation session -- with energy to spare.

Here's how we make it happen:

  • You'll learn how to sequence your Lightbulbs when creating marketing material
  • Learn the 5 traits of good Lightbulb content
  • A Call-to-Action menu so you never again ask, "How should I wrap up this email?"
  • Instructions for using The Five Lightbulbs to create sales pages, email sequences, and webinars
  • Templates for Twitter, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and more
  • Get 25 writing prompts, tailor-made for each Lightbulb
  • Ditch the prompts and use our formula for coming up with your own creative writing ideas

Enjoy the benefits

The most common thing we heard in the cohort was, “I’m updating my website RIGHT NOW.”

You'll discover the same thing. In just your first lesson, you'll begin surfacing messaging you never knew you had. You'll hit "pause" on the video to rush off and update your website, sales page, and whatever else contains outdated messaging.

Just make sure to return, as there's even more good stuff waiting.

I joined Billy’s program to make our copywriting stronger. We have excellent products, but our messaging wasn’t showing it.

Halfway through the cohort, I updated one of our sales pages using our new Five Lightbulbs messaging.

Our sales instantly improved.

I tracked our numbers closely, and over two weeks we made an additional $7,000 over what that page normally generates. And those numbers have continued.

Needless to say, we’re rolling out The Five Lightbulbs across our entire product catalog.

Leila Gharani
Excel and Power BI educator

Use the process over and over

The Five Lightbulbs is a reusable process. Pay once for this training and use it again and again.

  • Got an idea for a new product? Run it through the Lightbulbs
  • Want to upgrade your entire product catalog? Run each product through the Lightbulbs
  • A friend needs help with her idea? Run it through the Lightbulbs

Whether it's a product, a service, an invention, a speech, or a book -- if it demands persuasive communication, it'll benefit by being run through the Lightbulbs.

Join now

The price for this DIY training program is $500. It's a one-time payment which includes lifetime access.

Click the red button below to lock in the lower pricing and access to the training.

One Year Guarantee

I'm happy to give a generous guarantee because I know this thing works. Try it. Take The Five Lightbulbs Method for a spin for one year, and if it doesn't improve your business, let us know and we'll happily refund today's payment.

Is this for you?

You're probably asking, "This sounds good, Billy, but is it a good fit for me?"

Let me help you answer that question. Here are five scenarios where sending an offer through this new DIY training make sense.

1) To prepare for an upcoming product launch or relaunch
This was a common use of The Five Lightbulbs in our cohorts. It's not surprising, because you want to put your best foot forward when it's time to unveil a new product.

We recommend running your offer through the process 3 - 6 months before a major product launch. We recommend this much leeway because dialing in your core messaging should take place first, and before getting into the details of planning your launch, lining up partners, building landing pages, etc.

That said, if you've got a launch next week, you'll still benefit from a quick run-through.

2) Give your marketing material a refresh
Maybe your website messaging looks old and weathered, like the cracked paint on window shutters. Is it time for a fresh coat? This program is the perfect way to eliminate eyesores and make your website more visitor friendly.

3) Explore a new product idea or customer avatar
We had a business owner repeat our cohort for this very reason. She’d been doing well in her business, but within her existing audience, she had identified a new type of customer. This new customer avatar represented a major opportunity.

She ran her offer through The Five Lightbulbs again, creating messaging for this previously neglected — but potentially lucrative — new customer.

Do you have a potentially lucrative new customer avatar? Run them through the Lightbulbs.

4) Align your team on your marketing messaging
Do you work with team members or freelancers?

There’s an old saying: Every employee in your company is a marketer. Sure, you the business owner know who you help and why people buy from you. But do your employees know?

Creating a Messaging Map together is the perfect way to get everyone aligned on who your company serves -- and why.

5) Prepare for upcoming press
A successful older friend of mine has a saying: “Don’t take opportunities — master them.”

When it comes time for press, like a media push, or a book release, make sure to master these opportunities.

This program will help you by giving you the best things to say when that opportunity arrives.

Change your relationship with marketing

It doesn't need to feel heavy. It doesn't need to feel like a chore. You don't need to dread it.

I've been where you are. I come from an academic background and only got into this marketing thing because I wanted to leave my career and strike out on my own.

Yes, most marketing is tasteless, hype-filled, and overly complicated. But it doesn't have to be.

We're proving that marketing can be fun, creative, and simple. We've started a movement -- will you join us?

Click the button below to get started.

The question now is, "What's possible?"

I've been doing this for so long, everything has become muddy.

After learning The Five Lightbulbs, I feel so excited. I'm playing around with new business ideas, and am feeling so much more confident that I can message and market those ideas.

Ethan Waldman
Tiny House writer, speaker, and teacher

FAQ's

Which product or service should I send through the process?

It's up to you, but it's generally best to start with the low-hanging fruit.

In other words, choose the offer that will give you the quickest financial results. Like a car, a business needs fuel to stay in motion. That fuel is revenue. Revenue lets you pay other people, freeing up your time to focus more on what's important, but not necessarily urgent.

When should I do this program?

Here’s what we’ve seen with the people who have done via our cohort.

  • Before a product launch
  • When new competition has entered your market and you need new messaging
  • To prepare for a book launch
  • Before a big website update
  • When your marketing needs a refresh
  • When you’ve updated your product and need new marketing material
 

What types of products is this for?

First, if you're creating content to sell your products and services, you are the exact person this is for.

Landing pages, emails, FB ads, social media posts, webinars, YouTube videos... if these play an important role in your business, this new training will help.

Equipped with the Five Lightbulbs, you'll create that content faster and make it better. We're talking more clicks and more conversions.

Second, what types of businesses will this work for?

95% of my 1-on-1 work has been in the expert-industry. Online courses, coaching, consulting, books, membership sites... these are my bread and butter.

That means The Five Lightbulbs emerged from selling those products, so if you sell any of those, the training is for you.

What about other types of businesses? We have yet to train many other types of businesses on the 5L. A few software companies, yes. No e-commerce yet.

If you have something other than an expert-business, and you use the training, we'd love to hear from you.

At its heart, The Five Lightbulbs is a communication framework, so it'll work for anything. Heck, I'm even considering a "Five Lightbulbs for Couples" book.

How much time does this take?

This program is for entrepreneurs and business owners who are already creating content online. This program helps you create that content faster and make it work better.

That’s the best way to look at the time investment -- this program will save you time on what you’re already doing.

Of course, there is upfront work. You have to actually go through the program.

We recommend setting aside 2-3 hours per week. At that pace, you'll complete the program within 30 days.

Then, it’s simply a matter weaving everything you created into your ongoing marketing efforts. You'll shave time off the hours you were already putting into marketing, plus all the new marketing you create will perform better.

The program also has a quick start module, and you'll have a basic Messaging Map created in less than 30 minutes.

Will I get feedback on my marketing?

No, because this is a Do-It-Yourself program. There is no community or place to ask questions. It’s training only. That said, we’ve collected the most common questions over the past two years and have created an “FAQ” section. Many people will be good to go with this DIY format, but if you’d like to work with someone, see your options below.

What if I want someone's feedback on my marketing?

If you want feedback on your marketing, you have two options:

1) Join our cohort-based course, Keystone. The next round begins in September 2023. Click here to join the interest list. Seats are limited.

2) Book a VIP Day with me (Billy). Send a message through our contact form if you’d like more information on that option.

Between this new DIY option, our group program, and my 1-on-1 consulting, we can help you implement The Five Lightbulbs no matter your budget or preferred way of working.

What if I lose my password, can't access a lesson, etc?

Reach out to Laura, and she’ll get back to you within 24 business hours. Email her here: support@fivelightbulbs.com

I don’t have a business yet. Is this for me?

This program is intended for business owners already selling products or services and already creating content to support those selling efforts.

That means you must bring an existing product or service into the program – the training won’t help you find your idea.

However, the training can help you vet a new idea.

I struggle with writing

You will write in this program – there’s no way around it. But you need writing for your business regardless. This program will give you a framework that makes writing easier and more fun.

I'm a copywriter. Is this for me?

Yes, you can use it for your own offers or for client offers. If you want to use it for clients, write us and ask for our script. It’ll help you pitch the program to your clients.

Can this be used for making videos?

Yes, the methodology can be used for videos. It’s medium-agnostic.

You can use this process for:

  • Writing
  • Video sales letters
  • Podcasts
  • Advertorials
  • PPC ads
  • Webinars
  • Zoom presentations
  • Sales scripts
  • Speeches

    And more. If it involves persuasive communication, The Five Lightbulbs Method will help.

Who's behind this business?

We are a family business from San Diego, California.

(The fancy legal name of our business is Linchpin Media, LLC. In case you come across it.)

I (Billy) do the content and teaching. My wife Laura handles client and customer success. Our 5-year-old daughter puts the stamps on envelopes, although she's mastered that and is asking for a bigger challenge. And our 6 month old son keeps us all laughing.

We also have a handful of contractors. There’s Matt, our talented illustrator who created the Five Lightbulbs bear, owl, and the world they live in. Then there's Glen, our website development pro from The Philippines. And Mariya, my co-pilot on the Zoom calls.

We’re real people who love our clients and customers, and we can't wait to welcome you to the family.

Any in-person events planned?

I regularly host VIP days for clients in San Diego, and we’d love to expand that to include Five Lightbulbs Method customers.

After everyone being stuck inside for two years, people (including us) are itching for more in-person interaction.

We’re trying to gauge demand, so if you’re interested in coming to San Diego for a Five Lightbulbs event or conference, please send Laura a note: support@fivelightbulbs.com.