4 breakdowns on the AI agent stack everyone's copying, plus YouTube, SEO & copywriting plays

​If having trouble with any links, you can read the online version here​

Hey Guys,

This edition is a big one. We've curated 20 strategies from across Twitter/X that are genuinely shifting how smart marketers approach SEO, YouTube, copywriting, and AI automation.

If even 2 or 3 of these spark an idea you actually act on, this will be one of the most valuable newsletters you've read this year.

Here's what we're covering:

• YouTube: How to "bend" niches and create blue oceans
• Video: The 6-second retention gate you must pass
• AI Agents: The "OpenClaw" stack everyone's talking about (4 separate breakdowns)
• SEO: How to use TrustPilot and Claude to dominate search
• Copywriting: Why AIDA is dead and what replaces it

Let's get into it.

1. The "Niche Bending" Method

Most people fail on YouTube because they pick a saturated topic and wonder why they can't gain traction. This framework solves that by helping you invent a blue ocean instead of fighting for space in a red one.

The formula is simple: Niche = Content Category + Format. Take an old, successful format from a completely different industry (like True Crime) and apply it to something more "boring" (like Real Estate). The result? A fresh angle nobody in your space has seen. This exact method reportedly generated $270k last year for one channel.

​Read the full breakdown and see the diagrams →​

2. The 6-Second Retention Gate

This one has real data behind it and it's a wake-up call if you're doing any kind of video marketing.

Analysis of 14,000 clips shows that when more than 70% of viewers make it past the 6-second mark, videos average 120,000 views. Drop below 40%? You're looking at an average of 1,800 views. The reason: platforms test your content on small batches of around 200 people first. If retention tanks before 6 seconds, the algorithm closes the gate.

The fix is pattern interrupts and open loops right at the start — something like "This got me banned..." forces the brain to demand closure and keeps people watching.

​See the hook examples here →​

3. Automated Ad Briefs with "OpenClaw"

This is a look at where agency work is heading. Three AI agents chained together — Research, Writing, and QA — running an entire ad brief workflow while you sleep.

Agent 1 scrapes competitor ads and Amazon reviews to surface pain points. Agent 2 writes the briefs. Agent 3 scores them against a "Golden Rules" checklist, and if a brief scores below 7/10, the AI rejects it and orders a rewrite automatically. No human in the loop until the output is ready.

​View the full workflow breakdown →​

4. R.I.P. The AIDA Model

The classic Attention, Interest, Desire, Action framework has been the default for decades. Oliver Kenyon argues it's no longer enough for today's landing pages and proposes a new model: ATIDCOA.

It's a more robust structure built for shorter attention spans and higher buyer scepticism. According to Kenyon, it "converts way harder" than the legacy model.

​Steal the framework here →​

5. The Simple Arbitrage Model

Sometimes we overcomplicate things. This is a reminder of one of the most fundamental ways to build a profitable business online.

Buy underperforming products. Improve them with better branding and a stronger offer. Sell them at a more competitive price. That's it. Worth a read when you feel yourself chasing the next shiny object.

​Read the tweet →​

6. Validation of Niche Bending

A third-party case study backing up the Niche Bending method from Item 1. If you needed confirmation that the "Category + Format" strategy is working in 2026 and not just theory, this is it. The data points to $30k/month potential for faceless channels using this specific method.

​See the commentary →​

7. Press Release & Social SEO

Getting into Google's AI Overview and appearing in ChatGPT search results is the new gold rush. This case study reverse-engineers how to do it.

The stack: social posts + cloud pages (Netlify) + press releases via EIN/PRLog. A roofing business started appearing in ChatGPT and AI Overviews within days of implementing this. Signals from trusted social and PR sources are heavily weighted by AI search models — and this is something most people haven't figured out yet.

​Read the full case study →​

8. The Cross-Niche Ad Strategy

If your ads aren't converting, it might be because you're looking at the same ads your competitors are looking at. Everyone in your niche copies each other, which means your audience has gone blind to those angles.

The fix: if you sell skincare, study pet, fitness, or supplement ads instead. Find a winner in a different niche, handwrite the script to absorb the psychology, then rewrite it for your product. You bring a framework your audience hasn't seen before.

​See the TrendTrack method →​

9. 0 to 10k Followers on X — 90 Day Plan

A complete tactical checklist for building a personal brand from scratch in 2026. The standout insight here is the PESTO framework: Personal, Expertise, Social Proof, Trending, Opinions.

For the first 1,000 followers, the advice is to be a "reply guy" on large accounts — but adding genuine insight, not generic bot-style comments. Also worth noting: the algorithm tracks trending words as exact letter strings, so your hooks need to be deliberate.

​Get the 15-step checklist →​

10. Engineering Virality

Andrew Yeung "speedran" TikTok as an experiment to prove virality isn't luck — it's a formula. 50 videos in 14 days resulted in 25k followers and 3 million views.

The key principles: appeal to self-interest, borrow credibility, and make each sentence earn the next. The bigger takeaway is that volume eliminates luck. If you follow the right rules and make 100 pieces of content, something will hit.

​Read the 9 principles →​

11. Humanising AI Content

People can smell generic AI-written text almost instantly now. This is a specific prompt structure designed to fix the robotic tone that kills engagement.

The approach focuses on structure and tone prompts that mimic human cadence rather than just asking AI to "write naturally." Worth having in your toolkit if you're using AI for content at any scale.

​Get the prompt →​

12. The OpenClaw Setup Guide

A step-by-step guide to setting up "Clawdbot" for non-technical users, following up on the OpenClaw buzz from Item 3. The promise is using ChatGPT and a laptop to generate daily revenue through automation, and it's currently free for a limited window.

​Grab the guide →​

13. The Feature-Benefit-Outcome Ladder

One of the simplest copywriting exercises you can use today. Write the Feature (large battery). Write the Benefit (long battery life). Write the Outcome (never worrying about a dead phone). Sell the outcome, not the feature. Most people stop at step two and wonder why their copy doesn't convert.

​See the example →​

14. The 9-5 Side Hustle Roadmap

A grounded, risk-managed approach to starting a digital product business without quitting your job. Three things stand out here. First, build a landing page before you build the product — if people won't give their email, they won't give their money. Second, start low ($27–$97) to build a buyers list. Third, look for competition before entering a market. If nobody is selling it, there's no demand. Build painkillers, not vitamins.

​Read the full breakdown →​

15. Pinterest Traffic Automation

Pinterest is still a quiet traffic machine that most marketers completely ignore. This strategy is faceless and video-free, using 7 specific prompts to generate pins that drive recurring traffic on autopilot.

​See the prompts →​

16. Replacing a $200k Hire with AI

Another major OpenClaw application, this time for outbound sales. The system: mine LinkedIn engagement, enrich data with Perplexity, score leads, then have Claude write personalised emails sent via Instantly.ai. Total cost: $130/month in API fees. That's replacing what would typically be a $200k GTM engineer role. Pre-call research briefings are also generated automatically 30 minutes before every meeting.

​Get the "First 1000 Kit" →​

17. Parasite SEO: TrustPilot Edition

Google is aggressively favouring Authority and UGC sites right now — Reddit, Quora, and increasingly TrustPilot. TrustPilot profile pages are ranking for high-intent keywords, which opens up a Parasite SEO play. If you can't outrank the big sites directly, put your content on the platforms Google already trusts.

​Read the SEO alert →​

18. OpenClaw for Blue Collar Businesses

A practical breakdown of 26 specific tasks OpenClaw agents can handle for local businesses — plumbers, roofers, landscapers. Local SEO and admin automation for these industries is a massive untapped market and a real agency opportunity if you're looking for one.

​See the list of 26 tasks →​

19. Claude SEO System Prompts

Claude is becoming the preferred AI for serious SEO professionals. This thread claims you can now use Claude to perform tasks equivalent to a $10k/month agency, and shares 7 specific prompts to automate strategy and content creation.

​Get the 7 prompts →​

20. 5 Claude SEO Hacks

This one goes beyond basic prompts and into building what the author calls an "SEO Brain." The standout insight: don't ask Claude to write — ask it to challenge your strategy. That "sparring partner" approach surfaces gaps and objections you'd never spot yourself.

Also covered: feeding Claude your URL map to automate internal linking in minutes, and using podcast transcripts to teach Claude how to pitch journalists for Digital PR.

​Get the system prompts →​

One more thing:

All month I've been launching new apps - email subject line testers, SEO checkers, schema generators.

Here's the secret: they all start from the same template built with one prompt.

One Prompt Apps shows you exactly how to build that template, clone it, and transform it into any tool you need.

The launch offer closes in the next few days, then it's back to regular pricing.

Grab it while it's still available: https://anthonyhayes.me/one-prompt-apps​

That's a wrap on this edition.

Twenty strategies — the question now is which one you're going to take action on first. Remember, information without action is just entertainment.

If you want to go deeper on any of these topics, especially the AI search optimisation plays and the no-code tool-building strategies I'm implementing in my own business right now, the next step is simple.

The window on some of these plays is short. First movers win. Don't sit on this one.

Talk soon,

- Tony