Posted by:
Daniel Levis
April 16, 2008
Issue #397
Dear Web Business Builder,
When you’re writing an online promotion, probably the toughest part is the opening few paragraphs …
These first few paragraphs are as important as your headline and your offer when it comes to the success or failure of your promotion.
If you can get off to a great start, everything else just kind of falls into place.
You’ve done all of the research into your target market. You know the conversation that’s taking place between their ears.
Now how do you turn that knowledge into an opening that gets your prospects hooked on reading your copy and salivating for the promise of your product?
Here are a few of the best formulas I’ve found:
Strategy #1 – You Have A Choice.
With the “you have a choice” opening, the idea is to quickly remind your prospect about the thing that’s keeping him up at night, and instantly empower him to choose a much more desirable alternative.
“You have a choice. You can continue to be disappointed with the results you’re getting from action x, or you can take action y, and get these much better results.”
Here’s how it works …
In the first few paragraphs, you tell your prospect why option y is so much more desirable than option x, but you don’t tell him exactly what option y is. You describe certain facets of it, and its benefits, but you don’t name it.
Then you compare and contrast the impacts of action x versus action y on your prospect’s life, building desire for option y, and curiosity about what it might be. “Instead of [undesirable outcome], you can be enjoying [desirable outcome].” You just list them off one by one.
Here’s an example from a promotion written by Eric Beutel:
You have a choice. You can resign yourself to the ridiculously low yields of bank CDs, money market accounts, checking and savings accounts.
Or you can take a small, reasonable amount of risk and go for a dividend yield of 12.7% per year PLUS the potential for a TOTAL return of 36.2% per year — all with a reasonably conservative investment.
That’s nine times better than the S&P 500 and seven times better than today’s bank CDs.
When was the last time you earned 36% on your money in a single year? When was the last time you earned that much in two or three years?
Just imagine the profound, positive impact that kind of return could have on your life!
Instead of living in fear that your finances could collapse like a house of cards … you can rest easy knowing you’re set for life no matter what happens on Wall Street — or the world.
Instead of just “making ends meet,” you can make exciting plans for the vacation you’ve always dreamed of. You can buy that retirement home on the golf course or the beach. And you can finally treat yourself and the ones you love to the luxuries you never thought you could have.
Isn’t that a great formula? It empowers the reader with choice, uses the power of comparison, leverages curiosity, and inspires the prospect’s active imagination. Very powerful.
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Posted by:
Troy White
April 15, 2008
Issue #396
In this issue:
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10 off-the-wall ideas to improve your customer service and keep them coming back to buy more …
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The simple comparison that may help you double or triple your web sales …
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Getting them involved, having fun, and buying again and again …
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And Much More!
Fellow Business Builder,
Have you ever wondered if there might just be a better way to leverage your website?
I’m not talking about the long copy sales letter sites, but a company site that is designed to showcase your company and your multiple products and services.
Many of these types of sites are an absolute mess – and are experiencing a tough time to make consistent sales and customer loyalty. Others with hundreds of products to sell run multi-million dollar empires online.
What’s the difference?
Their web strategy. Some people look at the website as a one-hit-wonder … others see it as an entry place for an exciting adventure.
Both work, but one is more sustainable over time.
I contend that many business owners should be looking at these types of websites as if they were a high-end retail store that caters to a more discerning clientele.
Imagine if you were to look at most websites, maybe your own, as if they were an actual retail store, and you were paying tens of thousands of dollars a month for rent.
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Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
April 14, 2008
Issue #395
Watch the video!
See that video link in the narrow column to the right?
Give it a click … watch the video … and give what I say a good think.
How could this idea make you a fortune on your next promo?
Come back here and let’s discuss.
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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Posted by:
Wendy Montes de Oca
April 11, 2008
Issue #394
"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we’re in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There’s no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either."
– Steve Ballmer
You’ve probably heard about Web 2.0. It’s all the rage these days. But do you really know what it is? More important, do you know how to use it to your advantage?
Today, I’m going to reveal one Web 2.0 technique you can use to help attract targeted, qualified prospective customers to your website. But first, here’s the 411.
Web 2.0 isn’t a newfangled Internet technology or software. And it’s not a marketing tactic, per se. It’s simply the evolution of the Internet into an environment of interactivity, reader participation, and usability. This, in effect, changes users’ Web behavior. As Tim O’Reilly – founder of O’Reilly Media and the guy who coined the term "Web 2.0" – puts it … it’s "harnessing collective intelligence" through user-generated content.
Web 2.0 opens up the dialog between user and website or blog. This connection can help generate traffic and a viral buzz. Patrick Coffey pointed out in a recent ETR article – How to Get a Bunch of Useless Traffic to Your Website – that not all Web 2.0 traffic is a good thing. But from a search engine marketing (SEM) standpoint, the benefits are clear and measurable: More traffic and frequent interactivity (or posts) equal better organic (free) rankings in search engine results.
Getting good organic rankings is a powerful way to find qualified prospective customers. A recent eye-tracking survey of people doing an Internet search showed that 70 percent of the time their eyes go to the upper-left side of the search results (the organic listings). Their eyes go to the right side of the search results (the paid listings) only 30 percent of the time.
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
April 10, 2008
Issue #393
What to do when your copy doesn’t beat the control
– or when it does!
I just got an e-mail from a client.
“I’m sorry to tell you that your copy didn’t beat the control.”
Man, I HATE those “dear loser” e-mails!
I mean, I really hate them! Especially since they don’t give me any information besides telling me I suck!
So I sent off an e-mail asking for specific results. How close was I? How did the package perform in revenue over cost, percent response, etc … I needed more concrete info to wrap this bad news around my brain!
While I waited for the response to my e-mail – the negative thoughts started popping up in my head.
“Man, I really suck.” “No one is ever going to hire me again.” “I might as well dust off the application to Wal-Mart and schedule an interview – maybe they’ll hire me as a greeter!”
As I was contemplating my career change, I got another e-mail. From another client. This one was just as short:
“Carline, your new package is a home run winner. We’re thrilled with the results. Congratulations.”
What? I’m awesome? Me? Yee ha!
So I sent off an e-mail asking for specific results. How badly did I clobber the control? How did the package perform in revenue over cost, percent response, etc … I needed more concrete info to wrap this great news around my brain!
That’s the story of my life. I suck. I’m awesome. And sometimes I’m suck-awesome in the same day!
So I figured I’d let you know how I deal with the yo-yo existence of a copywriter. To keep me off bi-polar meds, I’ve come up with a way to deal with the bad news of not getting a control – and with the good news of beating the pants off an existing control.
Trust me, I have to refer to these notes constantly, so I thought I’d share them with you …
Some things are out of your control
Did the client dictate the theme for your package? Were you assigned a format? Did the legal department butcher your copy? Was the copy written by “committee”? Did you get more than one cover test? Did a war erupt right in the middle of your mailing?
All these (and more) could have a negative impact on your copy. Here are a few examples of what I mean.
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