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.
(more…)
Posted by:
Daniel Levis
June 11, 2008
Issue #436
Dear Web Business Builder,
Direct response can make you rich.
It may take a little time, but it’ll get you there.
Want to get there faster? Then listen up …
Creating a direct response on your website is the core driver of your business, make no mistake. But if you want to put rocket fuel in the tank, you need to develop buzz around your offering. And that means meeting a fundamental human need that most marketers overlook. I’ll tell you what that need is in a moment. First, reflect on this …
As consumers, we all like to think of ourselves as rational human beings — cool, calm and collected about our purchasing decisions. We think we weigh the facts and come to decisions. But this is hardly the case.
In reality, without even realizing it, we look around at what other people are saying and doing, and fall in line.
For proof, consider this famous study conducted by social
psychologist Solomon Asch back in the 50s …
Asch assembled 123 male participants.
Each one was put in a group with 5 to 7 “confederates” (Asch colleagues pretending to be participants).
Each participant was shown two cards. First one with a single line on it, and then another with three lines on it labeled a, b, and c. Next the participants were asked which of the three lines on the second card matched up with the first card.
Each group of participants was “tested” with 18 different sets of cards, and the real participant was always tested last.
In the first few tests, the confederates all chose the obvious right answer. Beginning with the third test, however, they started deliberately selecting wrong answers on some of the tests. Of the 18 tests, the confederates all answered incorrectly on 12 of them.
The idea of the study was to see how often the real participant would go along with the group, even though the group had obviously chosen the wrong answer. Incredibly, the real participants went along with the obviously deluded majority 32% of the time.
Imagine how that 32% inflates when the answers are less black and white, such as making a choice between two or more competing products. Or a choice between doing nothing and buying.
(more…)
Posted by:
Daniel Levis
June 4, 2008
Issue #432
Dear Web Business Builder,
When it comes to increasing the return you get from your traffic generation investments, targeting is every bit as important as conversion.
There’s no point aiming killer sales copy at people who are ill qualified, uninterested, or otherwise unlikely to respond.
Of course, you never really know what’s going to work unless you try it.
That’s why I love working with Google AdWords. Its low minimum commitments and real time controls make it extremely flexible. Yes, there is a reason this company rakes in billions in profits each year.
There’s nothing like being able to sink just $50 or $100 (or even less) into a new traffic source today, and know by tomorrow whether it’s going to be viable or not.
It’s easy to do with the FREE tools Google gives you. You can track your cost per lead and your cost per sale in real time, and laser target your ads to increase your return on investment.
Here are three different ways to use Google AdWords to attract visitors to your site … and a whole bunch of secrets for targeting your ads more effectively.
(more…)
Posted by:
Daniel Levis
May 28, 2008
Issue #427
Dear Web Business Builder,
In last week’s edition of Web Marketing Advisor I revealed some advanced concepts for bonding buyer to seller through the hero’s journey.
In a nutshell, the hero’s journey is a shared story of discovery:
- The seller wants something and is having trouble getting it.
- The object of the seller’s desire is the same as the buyer’s. Therefore the buyer identifies with the seller.
- The seller embarks on a quest to overcome obstacles that stand in his way.
- A great struggle ensues.
- The seller prevails and is transformed through the realization of his desire.
- The buyer observes the path to attainment through the seller’s trial.
Down through the ages the hero’s journey has inspired man’s imagination. It has made men’s blood boil, driving them blindly into battle.
It has been a source of power and influence for politicians in times of peace. And has formed the bedrock of social control over people’s behavior throughout the millennia.
You’ve experienced it in bedtime stories and comic books … in church … on television … in novels … and at the movies. Everywhere you turn, it haunts you. The time, place and characters may change, but the structure remains the same: a chariot on which rides a hero with a thousand different faces. And the hero is YOU!
A Catalyst for ACTION …
Where sales copy is concerned, this remarkable story-form crystallizes the hopes, dreams and aspirations of your reader into a moment of confidence and clarity that becomes a catalyst for ACTION! Such is the source of its tremendous power to influence and persuade.
At the root of every great story there is a premise that rides subliminally under the narrative. A premise is like the moral of the story, which an author seeks to prove through the narrative.
(more…)
Posted by:
Daniel Levis
May 21, 2008
Issue #422
Dear Web Business Builder,
People like to buy from people they know, like, and trust … not from faceless, formless entities. It’s the human connection that greases the wheels to enhanced sales.
That’s why one of your most important tasks as a copywriter is to establish and enhance that bond between buyer and seller.
In today’s issue of Web Marketing Advisor, I’m going to give you some advanced techniques for doing just that.
Job #1 As A Hired Gun …
When someone hires me to write copy, one of my first tasks is to draw out my client’s story. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth.
For some reason, many sellers find it extremely difficult to step out from behind the shadows and reveal themselves to their prospects. Failure to do so is a huge mistake …
To feel we know someone is to know his or her story, particularly as it relates to how they solved a problem we’re desperate to solve. Therefore, selling is storytelling. Think about it. Somebody wants something and is having trouble getting it. That’s the essence of a dramatic story.
Granted there are many types of sales stories, but one of the most powerful ways to bond buyer to seller is through the hero’s journey.
(more…)
