Posted by:
Daniel Levis
July 16, 2008
Issue #460
“A man should learn to detect and watch for that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dear Web Business-Builder,
From a young age, we are appointed.
Appointed by our parents … old enough to stay home alone. Appointed by our institutions … educated enough to enter the full time work force. Appointed by our employers … responsible enough for promotion.
Important question: Have you become mentally conditioned by all this external appointment?
Have you given your power to someone or something outside of yourself?
Could this be the invisible Great Wall of China that’s blocking you from rocketing toward your goals and reaching your full potential?
For most of us, to one degree or another, the answer is “yes." Take a look at this note I received from one of my subscribers earlier this week:
“I have a few questions re: your material …
- Is this setup as a correspondence study course or is it just ideas to use for implementation? Does the material guide you on how to write good, strong copy? Is there anyone who critiques you on your assignments? Or is it all up to one’s own imagination and assumptions?
- How does your material compare to the American Writers and Artists Institute – 6 figure copywriting? Or to the Institute of Copywritng course? Or to any other course out there … ?
- Is it possible to become a successful copywriter without prior experience in finance or marketing? Without a college degree in journalism, finance, marketing …?
- Do your materials also include how to improve one’s writing skills, language usage …?
“I’m very much interested in the field of copywriting. I believe I have a flair with words as well as a good way of expression. However, I’ve done extensive research online as well as perused the copywriting opportunities available, and I keep coming to the same conclusion.
“It seems the only way to truly succeed in the copywriting field is to have an accredited history in finance, journalism, or/and marketing as well as experience in the aforementioned fields. Being familiar with Web design and computer graphics doesn’t seem to hurt either. Many accomplished copywriters have refuted the idea of being able to master copywriting and succeed in the field by simply taking a copywriting course whether online or by correspondence (which doesn’t even seem to be what you’re offering).
“Therefore I question you, as well as other courses, which claim that after completing your/their material one can become a successful copywriter and earn …
“How can you distort reality just in order to sell your product or promote your course? How can you convince people of unbelievable, unattainable goals? Is this another marketing gimmick? Since you guys are the masters of copywriting, perhaps you’re pulling the wool over the consumer’s eyes and convincing them of twisted truths … all for your benefit. UNLESS … perhaps you can convince me otherwise.”
If it weren’t for the rather cheeky last paragraph, I might have sent this woman a constructive response. As it was, I simply replied: “Thanks for writing. With all due respect, I don’t think this is for you.” Who needs customers like this?
I can only imagine what kind of “research” could have possibly led her to these erroneous conclusions. I mean honestly, “an accredited history in finance, journalism, and/or marketing as well as experience in the aforementioned fields.” I can’t think of more onerous liability, can you? Where do these self-defeating delusions come from?
I’ll tell you …
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
July 9, 2008
Issue #455
Dear Web Business-Builder,
The other day, my wife came home from shopping at Costco Wholesale. She saves so darn much money there it ends up costing me a bloody fortune.
This time, one of the bright shiny objects she couldn’t wait to take out of the box was a brand new water cooler. Not any old water cooler, mind you …
This one dispenses cold water … boils it … takes pictures … and turns the outside lights on and off while you’re away on holidays. And that means there’s a lengthy owner’s manual and endless instructions to follow before you can take a drink.
My grandson put it together, but before we could plop one of those big plastic jugs of water on top — dilemma.
Seems before you can install said water jug, you’ve got to clean the unit with a special cleaning kit available online at the manufacturer’s website.
I’m thinking, hey, now there’s a way to drive follow-on sales. Until I visit their website …
The link we’re given in the owner’s manual takes us to the company’s home page (first of three screenshots pictured at right) where we are confronted by a cornucopia of attractions. The cleaning kit, however, is nowhere in sight. We are forced to dig for it.
This is annoying to say the least. Why couldn’t they have sent us directly to the page with the item for sale so we could buy the darn thing?
Finally we find the page about cleaning kits (third image) and are presented with two choices. Trouble is, they seem identical except for the packaging. Confused … we become distracted … no order. Do you think it’s the first time this has happened? What a shame to lose sales so needlessly …
The lesson should be clear. When driving traffic to your website, don’t force people to navigate to find the item you’ve promised or leave them guessing about what they should order. Take them directly to the page that satisfies their needs, and tell them what to do and why to do it. This should just be common sense. But how often do you get this kind of runaround online? A lot!
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
July 2, 2008
Issue #450
Dear Web Business-Builder,
Yesterday, being Canada’s 141st birthday — I got to wonderin’ …
What would life be like up here in Canada if we hadn’t wupped you Yanks in that war?
… Would the Russians have gotten away with invading Chechnya and Saskatchewan?
… Would VCRs be legal?
… Would baby seals still be clubbed to death on the Toronto ice flows?
I guess we’ll never know …
What I do know is that to celebrate this Canada Day, instead of giving you the usual 13-gun salute, fireworks, and double ration of rum … here I am doling out Web marketing advice.
I know everybody hates it — advice that is — but think of it as a gift from the Great White North … right up there with Captain James T. Kirk, Tommy Chong, and Pamela Anderson.
Now where was I … before fantasizing about being a lifeguard?
Oh right — advice. Well here it is: Every day — come hell or high water — make it a point to reach out to at least one other business, trade association or publisher to set up an interview.
Here are just a few of the many benefits a steady flow of promotional interviews can bring to your business:
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
June 25, 2008
Issue 445
Dear Web Business Builder,
Whether you’re an established or aspiring freelance copywriter looking for an edge … or an independent entrepreneur trying to hone your copywriting chops and light a sales bonfire under your business … you’ll never reach your full potential in sales, profits, and personal satisfaction until you wrap your head around this:
Killer Copy = 20% writing, 80% strategy
Creating the conversion breakthroughs you’re looking for as an online marketer … or making your career take off like a ballistic missile if you’re a freelance copywriter … begins long before a single word hits the page … and ends well after the first sale is made.
It’s a process. And because most copywriters don’t understand this process, they end up blowing it. Freelancers get bullied by fee-balking, dumb ass clients who neuter your copy with endless revisions. And do-it-yourselfers throw up their arms in frustration because their copy falls flat.
So let’s cut to the chase, and I’ll give you that process …
Successful online marketing and copywriting is nothing more than effective communication. It’s simply a matter of positioning the right person … communicating the right message … to the right audience … at the right time … and in the right way.
That’s it.
If you’re struggling with your marketing … if you’re not having the success you deserve selling your products online … if you feel you’re not making nearly enough bling bling as a freelance copywriter … it’s because you’re missing something in one or more of these five areas.
Either you’re targeting the wrong market … your message is wrong … you’re not positioning yourself properly … you’re saying the right things in the wrong order … or your copy is boring, confusing, and people just don’t believe it.
If you can systematically strengthen a promotion in these five areas, it almost always leads to blockbuster results. I call that my 5R System.
Suppose you’re a fledgling freelancer copywriter. I want you to STOP RIGHT NOW and ask yourself something:
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
June 18, 2008
Issue #440
Dear Web Business Builder,
Seems some people have a lowly opinion of us copywriters who write to sell …
There I was working away, minding my own business, when for some reason I became distracted and opened up an e-mail from Brian Clark — a.k.a. Copyblogger.
The subject line, “Warning: Narcissistic Marketing Can Be Dangerous to Your Business Health” caught my attention.
The article was what’s known as a “hit” in blogger parlance. Brian was challenging the point of view of another blogger, Julie Rubiner.
It seems Ms. Julie (BA in Creative Writing and Literature) had detected an editorial emergency on my website. I had been singled out as the lead poster boy, (ahead of Ron Popiel even) for everything she detests about hard hitting direct response copy that sells.
She says my copy is jivey … says I sound like a fair barker or used car salesman … and implies I must not care about my customers or have any desire to create long term relationships with them. Ouch!
Of course anybody who recognized where the copy in question came from could see that Ms. Julie was misrepresenting it to make her point.
She had deliberately taken bits and pieces from different parts of a 5,000 word sales letter and strung them together to make them look asinine. And then went on to say that putting numbers in your headlines is bad … implying there are “secrets” is wrong … exclamation points should never be used … ditto for dollar values and limited time offers … and other erudite nonsense.
Like Narcissus, (who died of thirst because he was so in love with himself he couldn’t bare to disturb his own reflection in the water long enough to drink) … people like Julie who are in love with the kind of copy they like to read would starve in a heart beat if their copy was judged by the sales it made.
They’re all about making an image. If their copy strokes their client’s ego, then it’s good copy. Whether it makes sales or not is immaterial.
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