Copywriting For Dummies

2005-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Things You Might Like to Know about Copyrights by Jan K.

You may be under the false impression that before you can get your
text published, you must "get the copyright" to your own
written material. You might also think that in order to get the copyright,
you must "apply" for it. This is just not so. In the
following few paragraphs, I'll give you some simple facts about copyrights that
may help you in your quest to get published.

First, it is important to understand that you cannot
"copyright" an idea; you can only copyright what you have
written. That is, you might have just written the greatest self-help manual on
how to breed guppies. And you did, indeed, file for your copyright
with the Library of Congress. Three weeks after completing the formal
copyrighting process, you find out that the manager of your
neighborhood pet store (where you've been buying your guppies)
has just sold the TV rights to a new hit show "Breeding
Guppies" and he is using many of the same principles that you've outlined in
your manual on how to go about guppy breeding.

So, naturally, since this is the 21st Century and you live in
America, you want to sue the guy. You think you have a sure thing,
and you are dreaming of the million-dollar award that the jury is
sure to give you. Butyou'd better not put a down payment on
that Guppy Farm in Iowa just yet.

The manual you wrote, the exact words, phrases, sentences,
paragraphs, and chapters that you wrote, belong to you. It is illegal
for anyone to reproduce or use any of that text, in part or in whole,
for profit without your permission. However, you must be able to
prove that your exact words have been stolen before you can get an
award for copyright infringement. So, you know that guy with his hit
TV series? Well, unless he's reading from your manual
word-for-word, or attempting to sell your manual as a supplemental text that
he's written, then he's probably doing nothing illegal. He's just
using the idea of breeding guppies.

You do "own" the copyright to your text, all its words and
clever phrases. And you don't even have to file with the Library
of Congress in order to have the copyright on your text. The
copyright is conferred upon you the minute you write your New York
Times Bestseller. All you have to do is be able to prove, beyond any
doubt, the date that you wrote the material. For your protection,
then, it is wise to print and date your material, and establish with
a third party through a written communication that you have just
finished your text. At that time, you can legally affix the copyright
symbol (the letter c inside a circle) to your work.

Now here's where a formal copyright comes in. By filing with the
Library of Congress (and paying them their required application fee),
you can establish definitively a date of copyright that will stand up
in any court of law. Any judge or jury will defer to your date over
someone else who can merely claim by word of mouth that his text came
before yours. It's a good idea to formally copyright any text
that you are planning to market. So, if you're convinced that the
world population-at-large is in desperate need of "Breeding
Guppies,What Every Ichthyologist Needs to Know" and you plan to sell it on
Ebay for $19.95, you should apply for a formal copyright.

Just having the copyright, however, doesn't mean that other
people can't quote your work. They may do so, as long as you are
given full credit for having written it prior to their use. This is
called a "reference" or a "citation" and generally,
whatever passage is being quoted will appear offset in quotation marks (so that the
reader can visualize which words belong to someone other than the
author of the text in which the quote appears). Of course, at present
the contingent of Copyright Police is not up to tracking down every
single instance of copyright infringement, and chances are that not
everyone cites original authors as scrupulously as they should, so
beware of whom you casually let look at or read your text (or to whom
you give a copy).

Copyrights are not forever. Typically, a copyright lasts for 50 years
past the natural life of the original author. Authors' heirs may
sometimes re-apply for copyrights, but generally written texts that
are this old are considered "public domain" and may be
reproduced without paying the author's family a royalty fee.

In the publishing world, you will find that many publications require
that you relinquish your copyrights to the work in return for having
your work published. This is a fairly standard procedureunless
your name happens to be Stephen King or Danielle Steele. Once
you've relinquished your copyright to a given work, you can not sell or
submit that text again unless you get express approval from the
publisher that now owns the copyright.

There are sites on the World Wide Web where you can post your work
for others to read or use as they see fit, so-called "free
sites." In cases such as this, there should be a disclaimer that
anyone who uses or reproduces your work must give you full credit.
Whether this happens all the time is certainly a matter for some
speculation, but your safeguard is that you own the copyright and if
you find that someone is profiting from your work and that you have
not been compensated, you can file a copyright infringement suit
against them.

As of the date of this article, the current copyright fee is $30. All
the instructions and necessary forms can be found on U.S. Copyright
Office's web site: http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/. I have
copyrighted several texts and advise that you mail your application
with a "Return Receipt Requested" from the U.S. Post Office.
This is your proof that the Copyright Office has received your
copyright application.
About the Author
Jan K., The Proofer is a full-time freelance proofreader and
copyeditor. In business since 1995, she has enjoyed working for a
diverse world-wide clientele, covering subject matter including
academic research, medical law, consumer surveys, and self-help
materials. Please visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more
information.

2005-11-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

Back to the copywriting basics by Mark Laing

You've probably read lots on effective copywriting strategies, how to
utilise keywords, and various tricks of the trade for making sure your
copywriting is as effective as possible. This is good stuff ... anything
that results in a better website is worth reading and absorbing.

However, before you learn to walk, you need to learn to crawl. Before you
begin focusing on the technical aspects of copywriting, it's a good idea to
get a handle on the basics.

With that in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind when you're
pecking away at your keyboard, trying to come up with effective copy for
your site.

* Catch your visitor's attention right away. They'll be gone in two seconds
otherwise.
* Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it to the point.
* Along the same lines, focus. Don't try to do too much with one article or
one page of copy. You're not a novelist - you're selling your services or
product.
* Use the active tense ... don't say "the product can be bought by clicking
on this link", say "click on this link to buy the product".
* Don't use jargon. You're writing to inform, to convince and to sell, not
to confuse.
* If you have a choice between a small word and a big word, use the small word.
* Keep a dictionary at hand, and use it.
* Know your audience. If you're targeting university professors, you won't
write the same kind of copy you'd aim at skateboarders (unless your target
audience is skateboarding university professors - in which case you've got
problems).
* Keep the tone consistent. If you're writing using an informal,
conversational style, don't switch in midstream to a formal legalistic
style. It'll throw your readers off.
* Tell the truth. Not only will you avoid being sued, but you'll achieve
credibility. This translates into long term profitability. Trust us.
* Similar to the last point, don't exaggerate. Kill the superlatives and
the exclamation marks. Let the reader decide if they're excited or not. If
you've done your job, they will be.
* For website copy, use bullets and point form, and break up copy with
subheads. Short attention spans and monitor-induced eyestrain make this
essential.
* Forget word counts and padding your copy. Say what you have to say - if
it only takes 150 words to get your message out (or 75, or even 25), that's
a good thing. You've made your point, and your reader can move on and buy
your product or service.
* After you've finished writing, read your copy out loud to yourself.
You'll be surprised at how many mistakes you'll catch this way. It also
lets you know if your writing has a natural flow to it.
* Don't fall in love with a particular phrase or paragraph, no matter how
great it sounds. Ask yourself, 'does it fit into the objective of my copy?'
If the answer is no, kill it.
* Don't be happy with your first draft. Edit, rewrite, and edit some more.
On the other hand, you're not following in the footsteps of Hemingway ...
don't overedit or overanalyze, or you'll never finish the job.
* When you're done, be receptive to constructive criticism. Let others read
your work before it goes online, and if they point out mistakes, rewrite.

Following the above advice will go a long way to ensuring your web copy is
readable and does what it's supposed to do - promote your business.

About the Author
Mark Laing is a copywriter and the content creator for
http://www.graphicsandwords.com , a website featuring graphic design and
copywriting resources for newsletter editors/publishers, webmasters and
other creative professionals.

2005-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

COPYRIGHT by Craig Lock

What is copyright? No one can reproduce your work with-
out your permission - not even a personal letter. How much
of a writer's work can be legitimately used? A poem of 40-50
words is generally considered to be OK. Usually one is not
allowed to copy substantial amounts of another writer's work
without their express permission.

* But then what is meant by the word "substantial"? It is
widely open to interpretation and opens up a literary and
legal "minefield" (that's a metaphor, by the way!).

There are no hard and fast guidelines about the rule of copy-
right. The following is a rough 'rule of thumb':

You can take approximately 300 words from a book or any
other lengthy work of writing. You can also quote 150 words
from a magazine article. Fifty (50) words quoted from a news-
paper article is generally considered to be "fair use" without
requiring either permission or a fee. Copyright lasts 50 years
after your death.

You can use what is termed 'fair dealing' in writing reports,
or researching material. I always advise acknowledging sources
in your reference section (the bibliography -
I tried very hard to bring in that impressive long word) .

It's all very unclear - the entire subject of copyright; so I
won't say too much. My simple words of advice are:
Just use your common sense and
discretion (if you have some)... and be HONEST by fol-
lowing your heart. Don't copy other author's material and
purport (nice word, eh?) to be the author. One should not
paraphrase a substantial amount of another author's writing,
nor use that writer's points (or theme of their writing)
without due ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Hint hint!

If you get into a dispute (oops!), there are specialised trade
and copyright laywers (or solicitors as they call them here in
'civilised' NZ) in the big centres. If in doubt, get advice...then
DON'T infringe copyright.

Send requests to use "borrowed" material to the permissions
editor of a magazine, newspaper or book publisher. Book
publishers usually have a small department which deals solely
in this. Give them as much information as possible about your
article or book, your publisher, as well as other books or articles
written by you. Tell them what quotes you want to use and
why and so on. Say you will give them due acknowledgement
in your writing. They'll usually oblige.

There is sometimes a small fee payable. Always acknowledge
the sources of your quotations - then you've kept your word,
your side of the "bargain".

Also keep copies of your correspondence in the event of an
unlikely dispute.

Now a bit for Kiwis (and Brits)...

No one can reproduce your work without your permission.
New Zealand law closely follows British law. In NZ copyright
is usually protected for 50 years after the author's death. If a
book is published posthumously (nice long word that),
copyright extends for 75 years after the time of the author's
death. After that the work can be freely used by anyone.
No hope for me then... but perhaps my great great grand-
children!

As from 1989, New Zealand copyright law requires 3 copies
of every NZ publication to go to the National Library in
Wellington. One of which goes to the Alexander Turnbull
Library, one to the National Library for bibliographical pur-
poses, while the third is kept at the Parliamentary Library in
the capital in Wellington.

Sometimes a publisher might want copyright in exchange for
a fee. My advice: It's your work of art. So always retain your
copyright... unless you are in dire financial straits, like this
aspiring (and perspiring) writer. *

In the next lesson (and article) we will look at the subject of
plagiarism . Wow, that's a big word and I hope I spelt it cor-
rectly (especially for you "slick Americans")!

No , I don't mind you using my material and I feel, it may be
very hard for another "writer" to closely copy my rather "wacky style
of hopefully informing and entertaining at the same time".

Anyway, isn't "imitation the sincerest form of flattery"?
About the Author
Craig Lock is an author of numerous books and the
creator of the ORIGINAL online creative writing
course.
http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/creative.html

2005-11-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Why Good Copywriting Matters by Amrit Hallan

Whether it is a web page or a brochure or a mailer or a newsletter, your written words decide the direction and dimension of your enterprise. The written copy of your message can make or break your business. It can make your reader eat out of your hand, it can incite a Jihad against you, and it can be simply dry.

The Internet is a great leveler. Although the current spate of pay-per-click search engines has made the battle ground a bit uneven, it is still favorable to small, but innovative businesses.

It took a severe economic jolt to make these businesses realize the power of the written wordthe copy of your pages that you put on the Net. For long its significance has been put on the backburner, and lots of breast-beating has gone into the cause of the "latest development technology." Well, technology has its place, but what makes a customer do business with you is, the written message.

It all depends on the words you use, the way you use them, the combinations you use them with, and the way you decide when not to use them - it's all about words.

Sadly, the small-sized businesspersons do not take copywriting seriously until its too late. 95% of businesses fail because they fail to convey their message. Their copy is not convincing enough.

Whenever you convey a printed message, you have an end objective. The sort of response it invokes hefts the success of the copy of the printed message.

The message that tells your customer about you and your product in a voice and tone that reaches deep.

The message that lays the bricks of the foundation on which the wall of trust is built.

At the core of your business success is the copy content of your message.

So what sort of copy is that?

The one that touches the right nerve of your customer or client.
The one that tells your customer that you and your product can be trusted.
The one that makes the customer eager to do business with you.
The one that talks to your customers as if you are talking to them directly.
The one that tells your customers exactly what they should know to arrive at an educated decision.
The one that elevates your customers to the level of clouds so that they see your world with the colors of a rainbow.

Ok, the last one sounds a bit unrealistic but you get what I mean.

Are there hard and fast rules for professional copywriting? Not at all. I often say that I can read between the lines - the words, the commas, the full-stops and the phrases - and make out what sort of person the writer is. We all have this quality, and we all go through such an awareness, but all happens in the subconscious. Your business needs a copywriter who can tap into that subconscious.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

2005-11-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

Copywriting that Sells by Amrit Hallan

The first thing I learnt after writing my first copy wasit all boils down to how much your copy sells. No matter how good it is, no matter if it beats Hemingway and Dickens in the efficient employment of language, if it does not sell, it is worthless.

Whenever you sit down to work on a new copy or edit an old one, just keep one thing in mind: how you can deliver the message in minimum words. Remember that literature written for the sake of promoting a product or a service needs to be succinct and direct, and above all, understandable. The average reader of your literature is a person who is in a hurry. He/she is bombarded with similar messages already (and he/she might be cynical).

Keep the end result in mind and create the copy around that. Relinquish your inherent proclivities and biases, and just focus on the message. Present the copy in a way that it is highly informative, convincing, and compelling. Before sitting down to write, think of your target readership. Are they children? Are they housewives? Are they teenagers? Are they hardcore technocrats and scientists? Formulate your language and presentation according to that.

A method I find useful is, make a list of all the words that can be associated with the current copywriting project. It is fun, and it helps you create supersets, sets and subsets of your project.

I have seen many copies where the creative writers lose focus, get carried away with their creativity, and end up creating a message that can win accolades as a piece of art, but makes no sale for the client. The way you present your message should not dominate the actual message. Your writing style should not impede the actual message and end up creating a distraction.

I myself am a writer. It is often extremely hard to resist the temptation of sprinkling the powder of my style on the copy, but I have to resist it for the sake of the message (and my income). I have learnt to become detached. I keep telling myself: its just a copy for my client for which Im getting paid, and it is not a piece of literature that Im creating to further the cause of my art.

This is the age of information. I dont know if it is true or not, it used to take an entire life-time in the eighteenth century to process the amount of information we process in a single day. With so much information (most of it is junk, by the way) around, it becomes difficult both for the reader and the writer to pinpoint the right tone and pitch. With so much fraud around, it becomes difficult to establish credibility.

Thats what differentiates you from the others. Project your message in a way that it immediately grabs attention.

In the morning I was watching Meet Joe Black on HBO, (today is Sunday) and there was one scene in the movie when Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt were walking down a busy street. There were scores of people around them; still, they both were prominently visible even from a distance. I noticed that only they were wearing dark clothes. Everybody in the crowd wore light shaded clothes. I found the scene very fascinating. This is how a focus should be created. Your message should be different from the rest of the crowd.

It should hit the right nerve instantly, from the first sentence itself. Your first sentence should make the reader think, Ok, this is something worth taking note of.

Without sounding melodramatic, make your message as moving as you can afford to. Dont be too personal if you are not a known personality and the majority of your target audience is a stranger to you. Still, messages that address to individual readers are more appealing.

Try to start with a You or Your or Yours? Messages starting with a highlighted question also incite a response. Keep your sentences short, with lesser commas and semi-colons. If you have abundant space, use bullets to highlight major pointsthey are easy to read and are generally to the point. There are no strict rules for the sort of words you should use. Particular words should appeal to the particular target-segment. Mainly, keep things simple and to the point. Use dabs of humor wherever possible. Once I wrote a short story around the service of my clientthey are a detective agency.

Copywriting is all about sincerity. Youll sound monotonous and clichd if you are not sure of the motive of your copy. To sound credible, you should believe in the authentic intentions of your client. Never write for a product/service that is intended to cause harm to your readers.

In the end, practice and study. After all, copywriting is a profession, so it has its nos and yeses. Be observant. Study everything around you, and read the copies of other writers carefully. Always keep notes of things you can use. Andwrite a lot.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

2005-11-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Copywriting for the Non-English-Speaking Audience by Amrit Hallan

The power of the Internet lies in its global pervasiveness. It is practically everywhere. People of all languages access the Net from all over the globe. Just think of it as an infinite vastness for your business and marketing possibilities. Your marketing potential is directly proportional to the number of people who can understand your message.

Keep the following points in your mind while writing the copy for a non-English-speaking audience:

==> SHORTER SENTENCES AVOID COMPLICATED WORDS USE LOCAL EXAMPLES BLEND IN THE LOCAL CULTURE COLLECT INFORMATION <==

It may not sound apparent at the outset, but the more you know about the target-audience you are preparing your copy for, the more confident you feel while writing for it. You may never use most the information you gather, but it helps you in the long run, and you develop a good habit.

Read about them. Read about what they eat, how they greet, what they wear, what they avoid, what are their social values and their religious beliefs. Eventually youll discover you are talking exactly what they want to hear.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

2005-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Why Dream Merchants Make More Money by Joanne L. Mason

Why Dream Merchants Make More Money
Copyright 2001, Joanne L. Mason
www.moneymakingsalesletters.com

Want to know the secret to creating your best sales letter ever?
All of the classic copywriters have said for ages that when you help someone else achieve their dreams that youll never run out of customers.

Its true. Dream merchants always make more money. A dream merchant is someone who knows how to help you achieve your dreams. He understands the dream that youre pursuing and can offer the necessary tools to make your dream a reality. He also knows that the fastest way to achieve his own goals is by helping you reach yours.

Think about it in everyday terms. Consider going on your dream vacation. No travel agent would ever just tell you how much a
ticket to your desired location is going to cost you. Instead, the agents job is to sell your dream.

Travel offices are plastered with breath-taking posters of exotic locations from every corner of the globe. Whether you want to bask on the sunny beaches of Jamaica or ski the snowcapped-mountains of Montana, your travel agent can get you there. Whats more, by the time that your agent finishes painting a glorious picture of fun and relaxation in your head, youll be so excited that you wont care what it costs as long as you get there.

The same principle applies to writing winning sales letters. You must appeal to the dreamer that lies inside every prospect. Help them to see your products as more than peddled goods. Build up the benefits that your product offers. Focus on fulfilling your customers desires so much that your price is seen as a minimal exchange when compared to the ultimate satisfaction of achieving their goals and dreams.

Study your niche and understand what they want. Do they want to make more money and become successful in business? Do they want to save money and feel secure? Do they want to lose weight and live healthier? Discover what exactly it is that they want.

Examine your potential customers until you understand the motivational triggers that make them buy. Use this information to become a dream merchant. Tell your customers how you can help them achieve their dreams and youll have an instant increase in sales.

Let Joanne Mason show you how to increase your income by as much as 1700% by using one simple secret for pulling more sales and profits from every ad, promotion or sales letter you'll ever use! Details at
www.moneymakingsalesletters/greatheadlines/index.html

About the Author
Joanne L. Mason is the owner of moneymakingsalesletters.com and publisher of Sales Letters Secrets Ezine. Subscribe now at www.moneymakingsalesletters.com/ezine.html and receive 2 FREE ebooks valued at more than $49!

2005-11-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

Why Copyright? by Jill Black

Copyright gives the author or the publisher the legal
ownership rights to control production, sale and
distribution of particular documents or images.

Protecting your intellectual property is a vital part of
creating and selling your own digitally published works.

Registering your copyright establishes a public record of
your copyright worldwide.

An excellent resource on the subject can be found at Brad
Templetons site which I recommend as a must read by anyone
interested in protecting their work...

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

When you run an online business be aware of the copyright
laws in other countries and compare them with your own
country's laws and how they may also apply to you.

The information in government documents is usually not
copyright and available for use by everyone, but always
check to be sure.

When you have created your e-book you do not want an
un-authorised party to illegally copy your work or claim
it as theirs.

Along with the other pirating proliferating on the net
the stealing of ebooks is growing at an alarming rate.

There have been many cases where authors have found their
work on other author's sites under the name of the other
author. If your work is copyrighted you can at least
legally sue for copyright infringement.

You can password protect your e-book and other documents
to make cyber piracy of your work more difficult, but PC's
and the document compiler software you use can never provide
total security against the determined cyber thief.

It is estimated that every year music, text and image
files that are worth an estimated $10 billion to their
copyright owners are illegally copied over the internet.

When this kind of theft occurs it can go on for quite
some time before you find out resulting in a loss fame,
recognition and sales revenue which should have been
yours.

Copyright law covers most material on the Internet and
extends to text and images placed on another person's
web site. If a feature does not appear to have a copyright
marker you should still assume it is copyright and
requires permission before using.

Use the Meta tag element to embed copyright into your
HTML documents or web pages.

Similarly the authors name can be embedded in a Meta tag.

Copyright those documents before you find you are a victim
with no legal rights because you have failed to take the the
simple precautionary step of placing a copyright marker on
your work.

About the Author
For more resources and ideas visit my website
http://www.netwrite-publish.com or subscribe to
our newsletter ebiz-publisher-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

2005-10-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

The $12,500 Copywriting Formula by Sopan Greene

Have you heard of Brian Keith Voiles? Probably not, but
if you have eyes you've seen his ad campaigns and you
probably even bought products that he created ad
campaigns for. Would you like to have the formula he
gets paid $12,500 to put into use for Fortune 500
Companies?

Well then, today's your lucky day, isn't it? If you
follow this formula whenever you write a sales letter
or an ad you'll see how well it increases your success.
Remember that the key to writing a sales letter is that
the job of every paragraph is to make the reader want
to read the next paragraph.

Use this as a skeleton when you write ads and then go
back through your ad to make sure you've covered all
nine points in the right order.

1. ATTENTION - Write a headline that GRABS your reader.
Fear or curiosity are good places to start. For
example: "Ex-Truck Driver Makes $21,815 a Month Doing
What You're Not"

2. INTEREST - List the benefits of your product or
service. Acknowledge their problem while
showing you have the solution. Show that you've
been where they are and you can help them.

3. CREDIBILITY - Mention referrals and references of
how others have benefited from your product or service.

4. PROVE - Show testimonials with full names and cities or
countries. Offer a risk-free guarantee.

5. BELIEVABLE - Give your full contact information.
Make it easy for them to buy with no hassles. Let
them know why they should trust you.

6. SCARCITY - Have limited offers, special time sensitive
sales, discounts on a few products in limited quantity.

7. ACTION - Ask for the sale. Make it simple.

8. WARN - Let them know the pain they'll experience if
they don't use your product. i.e. If you're selling
a wrinkle cream let them know how dry their face will
be and how much deeper their wrinkles will get without
your product - if that's true. Don't lie.

9. NOW - Tell them why they should buy right now.

That's it. Now you've got the skeleton that the best
copywriters in the world use. If you want more
information on copywriting from Brian Keith Voiles go to:
http://www.nmmastery.com/admagic/index.shtml

About the Author
Sopan Greene
http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com
2 FREE e-books & a FREE Report: "Million Dollar E-mails,"
"Creating Your Own Traffic Virus" &
"The 13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every
Business is Making...And How You Can Avoid Them!"
mail to: webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com

2005-10-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

If You Respect Them, They Will Buy--Closing the Sale by Jian Wang

We've all had the unfortunate experience of being convinced by a
pushy salesperson to buy something we weren't sure we wanted. You
may have really wanted the product, but after being pushed into
buying it, you don't want it anymore. You either return it or you
never patronize the store again.

Since you resent the experience, don't recreate it for others
when you are trying to sell. If you didn't appreciate being
pressured and disrespected, no one else will either. When trying
to close a sale, you must always respect the opinions and
thoughts of the buyer. If all you care about is your payoff, then
you will drive customers away. They will be afraid to buy from
you, thinking that you will always try and convince them to buy
things they don't want.

Here are some helpful tips to help you close a sale with class:

1. Be kind and considerate: Don't try to fool the customer. You
will get a lot further if you're really trying to help them,
instead of just helping yourself.

2. Give them a direct request: You can let them know what you
want them to do. Don't be afraid to ask for the order or sale.
The customer will know you are being honest if you tell them what
you really want them to do.

3. Give them two choices: Explain that, on the one hand, if they
buy the product, they will be receiving these benefits. Then
explain that if they don't buy, they will be losing out in
certain ways. People like to have the pros and cons laid out for
them. It helps them make a decision the smart way.

4. Give them plenty of room to think: Don't pressure them. As I
mentioned above, people resent purchases they were pressured
into. Real persuasion doesn't involve pushiness. The choice
belongs to your customers, so let them make it.

Author Jian Wang is a master in the art of persuasion. His ebook,
"Hypnotic Persuasion: How to Get Anything You Want," is a truly
inspirational read, filled with the wisdom to help you gain
control of your own mind and convince others without resistance.
These techniques can be used to improve business, sales,
relationships, and your overall well-being. For more information,
visit http://www.mrchange.com.

About the Author
Author Jian Wang is a master in the art of persuasion. His ebook,
"Hypnotic Persuasion: How to Get Anything You Want," is a truly
inspirational read, filled with the wisdom to help you gain
control of your own mind and convince others without resistance.
These techniques can be used to improve business, sales,
relationships, and your overall well-being. For more information,
visit http://www.mrchange.com.

2005-10-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

What is Advertising - and What Does it Mean on the Internet? by Bret RIdgway

Todays Quick Tip answers the question What is advertising?

Advertising is salesmanship. The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. It is profitable or unprofitable according to its
actual sales.

- Claude Hopkins, one of the early masters of advertising and author of My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising.

This #1 issue of Copywriting Classics Quick Tips focuses on the late, great Claude Hopkins and how you can apply his decades old marketing wisdom to your online efforts today.

Jay Abraham, renowned as 'Americas Number One Marketing
Wizard' said this about Hopkins. Claude Hopkins is the master
of them all. His influence has easily added over $6 million to my personal Incomeand still counting.

So, what else did Claude have to say about advertising in addition to the quote above? Hopkins said Advertising is not for general effect. It is not to keep your name before the people. It is not primarily to aid your other salesmen. Treat it as a salesman. Force it to justify itself.

Compare it with other salesmen. Figure its cost and result. Accept no excuses which good salesmen do not make. Then you will not go far wrong.

So how many of us do a good job of this in the online world?

Obviously the only way you can know if your advertising is profitable is to be able to accurately track its results.

How many of us have thrown money at the concept of branding - of keeping our name before the people? Just hoping we'd get some results. I know Ive been guilty of it in the past.

So when youre getting ready to place that banner ad, or pay for some online or offline directory listing, or bid on that keyword at Overture.com, how are you going to track the cost and result?

And dont delude yourself into thinking that any advertising is
free. The most valuable resource any of us have in our marketing arsenal is probably our own time.

What do you value yours at? $25 - $50 - $100 - $1000 per hour? Or more? So be sure and include the cost of your time or whoever youre paying to perform that advertising task into calculating the true cost of your advertising.

This is truer then ever in the Internet world. So, know your costs
and measure your results. There are online tools available to help you do this, so dont get careless or lazy. The effectiveness of your online advertising can only be measured by its actual sales.

Your task: Analyze all your advertising to determine its true
effectiveness. If you're not tracking your results you have to figure out a way to do it now. Why? Because Claude told you so.

Next weekyoull get some more thoughts from Claude Hopkins. This time about how long you should make your ad copy in order to make the sales. Until then, my best wishes for success in all your marketing endeavors.

2002 TWI Press, Inc.

****************************************
The Copywriting Classics Quick Tip is written by Bret Ridgway. To subscribe
send a blank email to subscribe@twipress.com . Portions of this issue are excerpted from the Claude Hopkins book My Life in Advertising/Scientific Advertising.
You can locate the complete text of Scientific Advertising in various locations online. Or, it is available as part of the package set with My Life in Advertising at the following page: http://www.twipress.com/productpages/MyLifeAd.htm
****************************************
About the Author
Bret Ridgway is President of TWI Press, Inc., supplier of hard-to-find classic marketing books via the http://www.twipress.com website. He provides a copywriting and advertising resource center at internet marketing conferences for well known internet marketers like Carl Galletti, Jonathan Mizel, Michael Penland, Ron LeGrand and Fred Gleeck.

2005-10-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

7 Emotional Appeals You Can Use To Super Charge Your Headlines by Joanne L. Mason

A great way to attract more prospects and increase your business is by using emotional appeals in your headlines. People make the decision to buy your products or services based on psychological triggers. They want the benefits of your products help them achieve a certain feeling.

Whether your prospects desire to feel smarter, more successful, happier or safer, it is your job to determine the underlying desires that motivate your prospects. When you uncover your prospect's hidden desires it will be much easier to write stimulating headlines that magnetically attract more customers.

This article reveals seven common emotional desires for most people.
I've also given you examples of how to use these emotional appeals to
super charge your headlines to make quick and easy sales.

1. The desire to make more money

Moneymaking headlines are easy because everyone wants to make more money. In these headlines, always use dollar signs and actual dollar amounts to dramatize the effect of earning huge sums of money. Here's an example:

"Discover How Cheap Little Classified Ads Can Make You Up To $10,000 A Day!"

2. The desire to save money

People work hard for their money and don't want to waste it unnecessarily. Notice how this type of headline appeals to that great feeling that we all enjoy when we can keep a few extra dollars in our pockets:

"Here's How You Can Save 35% On Your Next Vacation"

3. The desire to save time

Time saving solutions are extremely popular in our fast-paced world today. See how you can create a winning headline by promising your prospects that you can show them how to get more done faster:

"125 Ways To Get More Accomplished In Less Time"

4. The desire to avoid effort

In addition to saving time, we also want to save effort. Here's an example of a great headline that guarantees a simple solution to an otherwise difficult process:

"Six Easy Steps To Making A Fortune In Mail Order"

5. The desire to gain knowledge

Instinctively, one of the greatest emotional desires in humans is to gain knowledge. Here's one way that you can use that natural curiosity in your headlines to magically appeal to customers:

"Discover How To Turn Your Passions Into A Profitable Business"

6. The desire to be more successful

This is a universal appeal because no one wants to be a failure. This type of headline also works well with parents because in addition to their own success they also want to help their children to succeed. Here's a headline that uses that angle:

"Here's How To Help Your Children Succeed In School"

7. The desire to avoid loss

Customers need to know that they won't take a loss if they try out your
products. Notice how this "guarantee headline" reverses the risk and lets your potential customers know that they have nothing to lose by doing business with you:

"Learn How To Get As Much Credit As You'll Ever Need...100% Guaranteed!"

When you understand what your prospects want it's easy to write headlines that appeal to that particular desire. Give them what they want to help them make more money, save time, gain knowledge or become more successful. Tap into whatever it is that they desire most and watch your sales increase dramatically.

About the Author
Joanne L. Mason is the publisher of the Sales Letters Secrets, your source for great ideas, tips and techniques for creating winning sales letters. Get your FREE subscription online at www.moneymakingsalesletters.com/ezine.html
Discover How To Instantly Grab The Attention Of More Customers And Increase Your Sales By Up To 1700%" http://www.moneymakingsalesletters.com/greatheadlines

2005-10-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sure-Fire Copywriting Tips by Angela Wu

As you know, good sales copy is critical to your success
online. Although it's not something that you can learn
overnight, here are a few pointers to increase your
response rates ...

__1. Focus on benefits, not on features.

For example, the specialty pet bed you're selling might
have a durable polar fleece lining. That's a feature. The
benefit is that it will keep your pet warm, snuggly, and
happy on cold nights. Another benefit would be that it
saves you money because it can withstand considerable
wear & tear from your bouncy pet.

__2. Focus on your customer - not yourself.

Who can resist a conversation about themselves? ;-)
Prospective customers want to hear about how your product
is going to help or benefit them personally.

__3. Use emotionally-charged action verbs where appropriate.

Strong words that evoke images and emotions are great at
getting a prospect to respond to your ad. Words like "smash"
are examples of action verbs.

__4. Be ruthless - edit out all unnecessary text.

You want a tightly-focused sales letter that leads your
prospect to complete one action. That could be signing up
for your newsletter, filling out a form, or ordering a
product. Don't try to sell everything within your sales
letter; concentrate on getting your prospect to do just
*one* thing.

__5. Forget the hype; don't mislead or misrepresent.

Be honest about what your product can offer. Misleading
claims will only result in dissatisfied customers and an
increase in refund requests. Not to mention the damage
that can be done by word-of-mouth ...!

__6. Go easy on the CAPS and exclamation marks.

You have probably seen too many ads that look like,

!!! MAKE $10000 A MONTH WORKING FROM HOME IN YOUR UNDERWEAR!!! EASY JOB, NO SELLING! I MADE $400 YESTERDAY
WITH ONLY 3 MINUTES OF WORK! REPLY NOW TO GET THIS LIFE-
CHANGING INFORMATION!

It looks unprofessional, even downright scammy. Use CAPS or
the occasional single exclamation mark for emphasis. Just
don't overdo it!

__7. Use fresh, original ads.

Yup, that means you have to write 'em! Seeing the same
tired old ad, day in and day out, decreases its response
rate dramatically.

__8. Include a "call to action".

Never assume that your prospect knows what to do next. Tell
them what you want them to do - how to order, email you,
visit your website, whatever it is you want them to do.

About the Author
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, an
exclusive newsletter for eBusiness beginners. She offers
a 'no hype, no bull' approach to building a profitable
Internet business. Every issue is packed with helpful
tips and useful tools, specially selected to fit a
beginner's shoestring budget. Visit her online today
at http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/begin.html

2005-10-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

How To Write Killer Sales Letters by John Colanzi

How To Write Killer Sales Letters
by John Colanzi

I'm sure you've seen those ads that grab your attention
and have you ready to pull out your wallet or credit
card. They are literally making you an offer you can't
refuse.

Don't you wish your ads were that persuasive?

Are the marketers who wrote these ads natural born
writers, or is there a formula that you can learn?

Writing to persuade is a skill that can be learned,
like any other skill. It's just a matter of breaking
down the process into four simple steps.

Step # 1.

The first step in writing your killer sales letter is to
identify your target market.

This seems simple enough, but how many marketers do it?

When reading some of the ads I get in my inbox, I have
to wonder.

I don't want to burst your bubble, but the truth is,
not everyone on the planet is a prospect. Concentrate
on those who are.

Before you begin your ad campaign identify your target
audience.

Step # 2.

Once you've identified your target market determine what
their major problems are.

* Do they need more money?

* Do they need to save time?

* Are they interested in improving their health?

Sit down and determine every problem that your
prospects have and decide how your product or service
can help solve their problems.

There are no shortage of problems, but there is a
shortage of problem solvers. Start thinking in terms of
becoming a problem solver and you'll always be in
demand.

OK, you've identified your market, you've determined
what problems they have, now you're ready for the next
step.

Step # 3.

The third step in writing your killer copy is to let
your prospects know that there is a solution to their
problem. Not only is there a solution to their problem,
but you have the solution.

Remember these three magic words, "I can help."

Identifying the problem is not enough. You have to show
the reader that there is a solution and you have it.

Tell them every benefit they will get when they order
your product or take advantage of your service.

Let them know you can help them make more money, save
time, or improve their health.

Step # 4.

The final step in creating killer ad copy is getting
the prospect to take action.

Identifying your market, determining their problems and
letting them know you have the solution, is not enough.

You have to make them act.

You have to create a sense of urgency.

There are many ways you can do this. You can offer a
special discount for fast action.

You can offer special fast action bonuses.

Ask for the order.

Let them know they don't have to put up with their
problems another day. You can solve them right now.

These four steps are a basic outline to get you started.

Start studying the sales letters you read and break
them down into the four basic steps. Determine how
effective the writer was in covering the bases.

Make notes on how you could improve on the sales letter.
Learning to write persuasive copy is a life long
venture.

You can write persuasive copy. You have the basics, the
rest is up to you.

Wishing You Success,
John Colanzi
http://www.internet-profits4u.com
About the Author
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2002 John Colanzi.
John publishes the "Street Smart Marketing" newsletter.
To subscribe mailto:streetsmart@rapidreply.net
Don't forget to get your free email course. "Five Days
To Launching A Successful MLM Business."
mailto:mlms@makenetmoney.com

2005-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Free-Reprint Articles Powerhouse and Copyright Law by Bill Platt

Writing articles is definitely a very solid method of building
a client base for your online business. There is no doubt about
that. The writers I speak with who use free-reprint articles
for the promotion of their businesses all proudly talk about
the success articles have brought to them.

Articles will generate substantial traffic to those who write
well. Even better, a considerable amount of the traffic will
convert to sales.

The Internet is a rocky super highway. Thousands upon thousands
of people have had their dreams shattered by the realities of
marketing online.

Less than 5% of all online businesses will survive, so it is
important to try to do the things that the 95% do not do. I
will tell you one thing now --- more than 95% of all online
marketers do not even attempt to use articles for the promotion
of their businesses.

I have written a number of articles telling people about the
promotional power of free-reprint articles. In fact, I have
built my business on free-reprint articles, by helping others
tap into the promotional powerhouse for themselves.

I have often said that one should investigate writing their
own articles. I have even said that ideas of inspiration can
be found in reading the works of others.

I wish to re-emphasize my original direction to find inspiration
by reading the words of others. I said that reading around
should only be used for inspiration. One will discover that
as they read someone else's point of view, they will suddenly
see an idea for an article on what may be a similar, but very
different tact.

One should NEVER take the words of the original author and make
them their own!!! Nearly every article you read will contain a
copyright notice. The copyright notice is legally binding,
supported by federal law.

If you are writing your own articles but borrowing a few
sentences from someone else, YOU ARE STEALING! Copyright
violation is a criminal offense that can find you in court
and defending your bank account!

Words that I write and put into a free-reprint article do carry
clearly stated "terms of reprint". Let us review those real
quick:

This is a Free-Reprint article. The only requirements for
publishing this article are:

You must leave the resource box unedited.
Minor editing to the article is permitted.
You may not use this article in UCE (Unsolicited
Commercial Email).
Email distribution of this article must be opt-in email
only.
You must forward a copy of the ezine or newsletter that
contains the article inside to the author at:
mailto:bplatt@windstormcomputing.com
If you post this article on a website, you must set the
links up as hyperlinks, and you must send us a copy of
the URL where the article is posted.

Where in these "terms of reprint" do I give permission to
borrow a few sentences or paragraphs from one of my articles
to form the basis of your article with your name in the
resource box?

I have read these "terms of reprint" again, and I still do not
see the permission to use my words in this way! What am I
missing here?

Let us writers be aware, there are those in the our Internet
writers community who deliberately disregard our "terms of
reprint" to take our words as their own.

Folks, if you are just getting started in using free-reprint
articles to promote your business, please realize that it is
completely unnecessary to steal the words of others! Inspiration
resides in all of us, and we can find it in the most bizarre of
places.

Back to my original article on this topic, which was written
for Max Shifrin (one of my ghost writing clients by the way),
this is what I said:

When in doubt, I always turn to the search engines to find
inspiration. I might have a general subject in mind, but I
might not know how I want to address it. That is until I am
reading someone else's view of this subject, and Boom!,
inspiration strikes.

A spark goes off in the old brain and I know exactly where
I am going tonight. I know exactly how I will proceed with
my new issue and article.

When I am done, you could look at the original source and
never understand how I decided my slant on the article.
That is because the source being read only serves to spark
the inspiration from which the article will be written.

To read this article in context, click the following redirect
link and read the second article called "Online Publishing:
Where Do You Want to Go Today?":

http:/ hephantomwriters.com/promotion-tips

This topic is being addressed today for one very important
reason. I keep seeing my words pop up in the articles of
another! These words are derived from articles I write in
my own name and in the articles written for my clients.
While everyone can read this article, it is actually only
intended for one person. They know who they are.

In the meantime, this article also serves as a warning to
those who are just getting started with this very lucrative
promotional technique. There really is no reason at all for
anyone to steal from another to become successful online. When
we tell you to copy what works, we are not telling you to
literally steal what is working for us!

And to the one person who is choosing theft as the basis of
their business, be forewarned. I am watching you and gathering
a portfolio of examples to use against you in a court of law.
When I have gathered together my case, you will be hearing
from my attorney. Funny thing is, you do not know how many
people I actually ghost write for, so you have absolutely no
idea how deeply you are exposed! Thinking on Lewis Carroll's
"Alice in Wonderland", how deep does the rabbit hole go? Think
about it.

There is only one way for the perpetrator to avoid the
courtroom in this case. Make your confessions and agree to
my terms for keeping yourself out of the court room. This
is not just about me and my ego. This is about the value of
the work that has been done for my clients who have been
ripped off as well. The ball is now in your court. I will
await your message.

mailto:bplatt@windstormcomputing.com

Folks, honesty is always the best policy. Honesty will keep
you out of court and in the black. Find inspiration where it
may reside and use that inspiration to join those of us who
are in the 5%, by using the powerhouse that free-reprint
articles represent in the process of growing your online
business.
About the Author
Bill Platt owns The Phantom Writers, a company committed to
helping people to establish an Internet presence & promote their
businesses through the use of Free-Reprint Articles. All articles
are distributed to 6,500+ publishers & web-masters as part of the
package. Do you write your own articles? Let us distribute them
for you. http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/BP121,50

2005-10-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Websites Success by Robert Boduch

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Websites Success

Copyright2002 by Robert D. Boduch

Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance of being noticed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If your headline doesnt capture attention and pull prospects into your copy, than your marketing effort is a total waste of energy and resources.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than your headlines. If youre not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to the headline used on each page of your website, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is to capture attention by literally stopping pre-occupied prospects in their tracks.

Following are five good reasons why your site headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention.

1) Headlines Are Natural Attention Getters. Most online prospects quickly skim web copy looking for a reason to stay or a reason to go. No one reads the body copy of a page without first being pulled in by a strong lead, delivered by a compelling headline or sub-heading.

Headlines are the first things your visitors see. They jump right out visually and command attention by being set distinctly above the rest of the text. Often the typeface, size, and style used for headlines contrasts with that used in the body copy. This proven approach naturally attracts eyeballs, virtually forcing interested prospects to grasp the key message and to read on due to its magnetic appeal.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than body copy. Although Ogilvy was talking about print advertising in general, the observation is certainly applicable to websites as well.

With 5 times the readership, headlines have the power and capability to make any message much more successful.

2) Site Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides To Busy People. Headlines reveal key details. They tip off readers as to what follows. A strong headline provides clear signals to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something elsesomething better suited to their own special needs and interests.

As a summary of the entire piece, headlines either help sustain continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning and relevance. Forcing readers to do this is to risk losing them altogether. Its sales suicide. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience.

3) Headlines Create Anticipation and Stimulate Interest. They captivate, arouse curiosity and stimulate the desire for more. Its the headline that starts the readers motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more -- and cant wait to get it!

Successful headlines address specific audiences. They open prospects minds to new possibilities and expand their level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve prospects, increasing the likelihood of their sustained attention and engagement.

4) Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve. Every headline serves to introduce whatever follows. As an opening or lead-in, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes in an interesting and compelling way.

Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information, often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headings alone often delivers the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand, remember, and review.

Use your headings to generate emotional involvement and you boost the chances prospects will go back and read more of your copy. When you make it easier to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of making the sale.

5) Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Right Up-Front. Capture attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing selling point. If the strongest, most desirable product attribute (benefit) fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else you could ever say would do the trick, either.

The stronger and more compelling your headline, the more time prospects will spend at your site. Create each headline to grab attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects youll attract and ultimately, the more sales youll record.

Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used effectively. Take a good look at your site headline. Could you add more benefit power, intrigue, curiosity, or interest?

Test different headlines by trying various appeals and offer combinations. Keep an eye out for additional headline opportunities throughout your sales letter, as well as on other pages on your site. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore then, watch your results soar!

About the Author
Robert Boduch is the author of Great Headlines Instantly! -- How To Write Powerful, Attention-Grabbing Headlines That Pull In More Prospects, More Customers And More Profits, NOW! This full-length manual features hundreds of helpful tips, techniques, strategies and hands-on formulas for writing successful headlines of every kind.
Visit the authors site at: http://www.headlinesecrets.com
Or email him at: behappy@total.net

2005-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Does Your Web Site Beat The Clock? by Paula Morrow

Tick, tick, tick. That's the sound of those all important 10 seconds
slipping away - the average amount of time a visitor remains at a
web site before clicking on.

That is, unless you give them a reason to stay.

Take a good hard look at your web site - is it optimized in your
favor? What does a visitor first see when they arrive? Does the
headline make them screech to a halt? Does your sales letter's
first paragraph hook them in? Tick, tick, tick.... remember, 10
seconds is all you have.

If your conversion rate is telling a dismal tale, it's time to make
some changes. And, as unglamorous as it may be, it all comes
down to your sales letter. If your sales are nonexistent, now's the
time to act. Fast. Before your business becomes one of the 95%
that fail.

Here's the infamous 'Top 10' checklist - does your sales letter do
the following?

1) Does it engage the reader on a personal level? Write like
you're talking to your best friend, your grandmother, whomever
your target market is. If it's not personal, it's useless.

Use the words 'you' and 'your' whenever possible - try to forgo
the words 'I' and 'me.' After all, it's not about you -- it's about
them.

2) Try to incorporate your target market into your headline. If
you're going after car enthusiasts, say 'Car Enthusiasts Usually
Disagree... Except On This One Thing.' If you're going after dog
lovers, it would be 'Dog Lovers Usually Disagree...Except On
This One Thing.'

Do everything possible to make your reader identify with the
subject matter, to hook them into reading more.

3) Always use the KISS principle when writing (Keep It Simple
Stupid). Don't get lost in your own words - this is not the time to
impress with your astonishing vocabulary - write for the common man/woman. Don't bore them into clicking away.

4) Do you use stories to illustrate your point? Ever notice how
CEO's and politicians always use stories in their speeches?
They're communicating through mental pictures, to get their
ideas across in another way.

Everyone has a different frame of reference - try using a personal
story to produce that 'yes! they're talking about me!' reaction.

5) Break it up with bullets. For those readers who are into
skimming, organizing your most important points in bullet form
helps to communicate the benefits FAST.

Put your most important points at the top, in case the person
doesn't make it to the bottom. And there's no rule that says
you're only allowed one bullet list - put one close to the top of
the letter, and perhaps another towards the bottom.

Test, and keep whatever converts best.

6) Use benefits over features. Always. They don't care that
the refrigerator has a big vegetable bin or automatic icemaker.
They want to know that it keeps their vegetables from drying out,
and their beer/lemonade refreshingly cold on a hot summer's day.

7) Write in your own voice. We're not talking 'Masterpiece
Theatre' here. Formality is out; friendly is in. And I give you
permission to start your sentences with 'And' (note how this
sentence started!) and 'Because.'

When writing for the real world, write like you speak.

8) How long are your paragraphs? If longer than 2-4 lines,
break them up. And keep sentences short - even 2-4 words
are ok. Like this. Short, quick 'eye bites' communicate faster
when you're racing against the clock.

9) Focus on one product/service per sales letter. Period.
No exceptions.

10) And, finally, watch the grand, sweeping statements. Using
'Earn $1 Million In Two Days While You Sleep!' won't help build
your credibility. Or conversion level.

If you incorporate these ideas into your sales letter, you're bound
to beat the clock and begin building a better conversion rate.

====================================================
Paula Morrow heads http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com. She
specializes in public relations, information marketing and creating
cashflow systems. Her newsletter, IDEALProfits, is now read in 12
countries. Subscribe and receive 5 BONUS ebooks!
http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html
====================================================

About the Author
Paula Morrow is webmaster of http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com and has extensive marketing experience earned from 20 years in the public relations, entertainment and advertising worlds. Now applying this experience to the Internet, she enjoys creating cash-generating systems and coaching new marketers on innovative ways to promote their businesses both online and off.

2005-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Having Difficulty Writing A Compelling Offer? Click On A TV Infomercial! by Paula Morrow

Yes it's true. Everything I ever needed to learn about assembling a compelling offer, especially telling the difference between features and benefits, I learned from TV
infomercials!

Now, just give me a second here.

Remember when you first started learning how to write copy? Whether for a classified ad or a sales letter, it was drummed in that it had to be a 'compelling offer,' heavy on
benefits, not features.

But, telling the difference between benefits and features, plus putting together the offer in a convincing way, was a bit tough.

Then, late one night, I stumbled (clicked?) onto a secret treasure trove of ideas, that I've continued to use to this day.

If you want to hear benefit-laden offers presented in a emotional and compelling manner, just watch the infomercials!

Note how they effectively use the following (think you could incorporate any of these in your offers?):

*Testimonials. The participants describe the products used on a very emotional level. Because they took a chance and ordered, their complexions are now clearer, waistbands looser, their meat grills easier (and with less fat)...

By positioning the testimonials in such a way that the audience identifies with them makes the 'what's in it for me' come across in a very clear and compelling way.

*The Concept of Value. A full-size product comes with a free 'travel size.' The order comes complete with bonus audio tapes and 'quick start' videos. Or you get a lovely bathrobe along with the leg waxing kit.

*Proof. An extension of the testimonial, benefits are often presented visually. Before/after pictures are shown for a weightloss product or acne treatment. Live makeup demonstrations show how beauty can be yours, instantly. Copies of cancelled checks are displayed for houses
purchased using a real estate system.

*Urgency. The products can only be
ordered by 800 number, available only
during the show. Or there is only a limited amount of product available. A counter is shown onscreen, rapidly clicking down towards zero. It's a clear message: if you don't buy now, you miss out!

*Ironclad guarantee. Infomercials always include a 30-day trial period. And the chance to keep part of the offer 'as their gift' if they decide to return the product. It's presented as a no risk, win-win situation. Always.

*The Upsell. When you call to order, the operator's script always includes an upsell. Offering vitamins to go along with the fitness equipment. Or complimentary magazine subscriptions. They capitalize on the customer's mood to buy.

So, if the thought of how to write a
compelling offer is keeping you up at
night, do yourself a favor, and just hit your TV's power button.

Anthony Robbins, Carlton Sheets, Vanessa
L. Williams, Ron Popeil, George Foreman, Susan Powter, Victoria Principal, et al, I salute you!

About the Author
Paula Morrow heads Ideal Marketing
Corporation, specializing in information products and training for newbie netpreneurs. Subscribe to IDEALProfits, now read in 12 countries, and receive 5 bonus ebooks! http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html

2005-10-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Don't Write Like You Think...Write Like You Talk by Paula Morrow

The Internet has provided us marketers
with an amazing opportunity. It's leveled the playing field - regardless of your background, you can now pursue a profitable business in your area of interest.

But selling online brings its own set of challenges. One of the most difficult being able to establish a one-on-one, personal customer relationship.

So how to overcome the anonymity of the
computer screen and create this critical bond?

One of the simplest ways is through your words.

Words are your online ambassadors, so
why not have them reflect your personality?

If you're enthusiastic, write enthusiastically! If you're thoughtful, let your words convey this, too.

A great example of someone who does this extremely well is Bob Gatchel, Mr. Internet Cheapskate himself. On his website (http://www.internetcheapskate.com) and
through his emails, you soon come to feel like you know him personally, that he's your best friend.

How does he do it? By adding emotion,
writing in facial expressions and by carefully using capital letters for effect. The end result is the representation of a VERY ENTHUSASTIC person.

Which, having seen him at a seminar, he
truly is in real life. In his writing, Bob really lets his personality shine through.

You can do the same. By writing like you speak (or 'writing in your own voice.')

In school, they try to teach ou 'writing for business.' The pressure was to be 'textbook perfect.' Nothing is further than the truth. Actually the opposite holds true.

You are attempting to make a connection - one living, breathing human being to another.

[Before going on, I wish to sincerely
apologize to Mrs. Williams, my tenth grade English teacher, for what I'm about to recommend...]

When you talk, you break most of the rules. Real people start a sentence with 'and.' You use slang. You combine words - do not becomes don't; you have becomes you've.

One warning: Just beware of how you use
the variations of your-you're; their-they're-there; and when to use it's or its. If you're not sure how to use them, choose other words to make your point.

Feel free to lean heavily on the action verbs (jump, run..) and descriptive adjectives. Just don't go overboard...there's a fine line
between genuine enthusiasm and hype.

Write in brief paragraphs, to keep your
readers engaged, like in a conversation,
and moving rapidly down the page.

Need more ideas to get started? Try the following:

*Tape-record a conversation. Describe
your product/services to your friend, your spouse, your pet. Any audience that you feel comfortable with, so that your words flow and your enthusiasm takes over.

Then, play it back. You'll soon pick up on your own unique presentation style. Now, convert that into words.

*Create punch through the careful use of capital letters. You can use initial caps (Capitalize The First Letter Of Each Word), or USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Use this last sparingly, since online, capital letters = shouting.

*Translate physical expressions into words. Remember the above example of Bob Gatchel, and his trademark . You could also use or ;-) for a , or .

* If you talk dramatically, use ellipses (...) for dramatic effect

* State your message, then say it again in a different way. You never say something exactly the same, twice, in conversation. So restate your offer a number of times - you never know which version will connect with your audience.

*To make an aside comment, use
parentheses (like this)

There are a number of ways to inject your personality into your words. Think about it, loosen up, and make that personal connection.

Through necessity, you have to
communicate through a machine...but
there's no need to write like one too!
About the Author
Paula Morrow heads Ideal Marketing
Corporation, specializing in information products and training for newbie netpreneurs. Subscribe to IDEALProfits, now read in 12 countries, and receive 5 bonus ebooks! http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html

2005-10-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Swipe Your Way To Success (Legally!) by Paula Morrow

Every successful direct mail expert has
one. Same with the online experts who
continually pull in the big numbers.

What is it? The infamous 'swipe file.'
Have you started yours?

Every so often, you're faced with a blank computer screen and a deadline - your ezine is due, your sales letter needs to be posted, your ad needs to be
submitted.

And your mental batteries are
completely dead. You're suffering from
total and complete writers block. But the clock keeps ticking.

This is when you turn to your trusty 'swipe' file for inspiration. For a killer headline idea or theme. For a power word or two.

Now, I'm not saying steal someone else's
work, word for word. That's plagiarism,
and can get you in a lot of hot water. What you use a swipe file for is inspiration - the catalyst to help jump start your brain.

In the offline world, for those in the know, 'junk' mail is really treasure in disguise. You receive free, every day, new ideas for future pitches. Look through and pull out the offers, the headlines, the pieces that really
catch your eye, engage your emotions
and make you want to buy.

Then file them away for that mental rainy day.

Dan Kennedy, I understand, has rows of
file cabinets full of these treasures, just waiting to be used.

The online world has the equivalent in
spam. Yes, a silver lining for spam! As
with junk mail, look at the headlines, look at the offers. Save the ones you feel most powerful.

I have files called 'solo ads,' 'great
headlines,' 'new product pitches,' 'pitches for affiliate programs' ... you get the idea.

A Word About Headline Inspiration...

Your headline swipe file is worth its
weight in gold. Start building this resource immediately if you've not already done so. The headline is the key to unlocking an email, and some could argue it is the most important part of your offer.

The key is to take a headline from your file and adapt it to your product. When you're drawing a blank, how easy would it be to adapt the following?

38 Fun And Easy Ways to Earn $500
Next Weekend

7 Steps To Freedom

26 Days That Have Changed Thousands
Of Lives

An Amazing Business You Can Carry In
Your Pocket

Are You An Educated Failure?

Banking Secrets That Banks Don't Want
Published

California Lawyer Discovers How To
Make Money At Home With The Help
Of The U.S. Government

Do you think you could take these, and
plug your product or service in, and get a huge head start?

For example, if you were selling vitamins you could adapt the second sample from the bottom:

Health Secrets That Drug Companies Don't Want Published

Do you have a weight loss product or
exercise tape series? Use the first one:

38 Fun and Easy Ways To Lose 2-4
Pounds By Next Weekend

See the process?

Aside from your swipe file, you should also build a list of power words. Words like: free, sell, instant, successful, little known, system, select, explode, unlimited.

Use these words to create a sense of
urgency and curiosity.

I've an expanded list posted on the Ideal Marketing Corporation web site, if you want more ideas. Click here to view:

http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/powerwords.html

Creating a killer headline, copy and power word swipe file should be an ongoing process. Keep building yours, as you never know when you'll need that next bit of inspiration.

About the Author
Paula Morrow heads Ideal Marketing
Corporation, specializing in information products and training for newbie netpreneurs. Subscribe to IDEALProfits, now read in 12 countries, and receive 5 bonus ebooks!
http://www.idealmarketingcorp.com/subscribe.html

2005-10-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

Copywriting Successes and Failures: A Comparison Of the Good and Bad by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2002
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Its about 7:00am and time to start my day. While my exact routine varies, one of the first things I always do is check email. As the flood rolls in, I have my finger poised on the delete button aimed and ready to fire. But then something catches my eye.

On this morning, I decided to take a closer look at one email in particular. That led me to also lend a critical eye to some other ads as well. So below, Ill give you my evaluation of a few of the many email ads Ive received which ones got my attention, which ones I just rolled my eyes at and why.

Attention Getter

Heres one that is well targeted, indeed! The headline read: Inquiry About Becoming An Affiliate. That got my attention because my copywriting course does have an affiliate program. Im always interested in adding new affiliates to the group. So I read on.

Part of the message is below:

-----------------------

Good morning. I would like to inquire about possibly working with you and your company on an affiliate basis.

My company maintains a fresh, 100%, opt-in email database exceeding 15,000,000 qualified consumers. These consumers have specifically requested to receive purchase information regarding your product(s) or service(s).

If you're interested, I would be glad to speak with you about a cost-per-action (CPA) email campaign that WILL make additional sales and generate alternative revenue.

----------------------

While the generic line about my product(s) or service(s) let me know immediately that this was a canned ad, it still gave me something to think about. Did I respond? Yes! Why? If I could get the copywriting course in front of over 15,000,000, and pay the same affiliate commission I was paying anyway, what would I have to lose?

Rolling My Eyes

However, among the pile of emails were some real duds. I must get 10 of these ridiculous emails a week. Youve no doubt seen them, too. They say something like I joined this program a few months ago and promptly forgot about it. Oh please!

Why did I roll my eyes at this one? While it started off good, it wasnt punchy enough to get me to respond right away. Thats no major crime. It often takes repeated exposure of the same message to get a good response. But when you get the exact same message from several different people 3 or 4 times a dayyou find out quickly that this is an overused ad, not a personal recommendation.

Then there are the ads that are just extremely targeted . A few headline examples are:

Karon, FREE 30-Day Sample of HGHOne problem with this is that I dont need Human Growth Hormone. The other problem is that clicking the email launches one of those automatic scripts that take you directly to the site. Something I personally cant stand! I also get at least 3 of these annoying things a day. With me, chances are that if the ad pops up a screen when I click it, I delete the thing before the screen even finishing loading.

Health Discovery! No Diet! No Exercise!All the exclamation points immediately let me know that this is a hard sell scam. Not to mention, I have trouble keeping weight ON not off. This one was deleted without reading any further due to simple irrelevance.

Approved and Ready!The copy of this ad simply stated: Your home refinance loan is approved! To get your approved amount, go here. Hmmm if memory serves me correctly, I never applied for a home loan. Click!

As you can see, all of my first impressions were based on the subject line. Other factors in the ad copy contributed to my final decision about whether to look into the offer. The subject line, however, was the single playing card as to whether I would read ANY of the copy.

Final notes: put the majority of your time into developing your subject line. Then test, test, test to get the best results. Also, make very, VERY sure your mailing list is targeted. With all the options today for segmenting lists, you have the luxury to email your ads to a group much more specific than women over 30. The more targeted you can get, the better your response will be.

Which words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your profits by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Boost your search engine rankings, too! 3 FREE bonuses with your purchase. Learn more now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com

About the Author
Karon is Owner and President of KT & Associates who offers targeted copywriting, copy editing & ezine article services. Receive her FREE ebook, Marketing Made Easy and subscribe to her ezine "Business Essentials" at when you visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com.

2005-10-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

How To Make Your Sales Letters Bullet Proof by Mike Jezek

I'm going to show you in the next few moments how to make
your sales letters and direct mail several times more powerful.
In fact, what I'm about to emphasize to you may enable you to
eat more of your competitors market share.

Every time before you sit down to write your sales letters or
direct mail take out a sheet of paper and think of every possible
objection your prospect could come up with to avoid buying your
product or service. This may take a while and it may seem a pain
at first but I assure you that this is incredibly important.

After you have come up with every possible reason why your prospects
may say no to your offer, stop and consider any possible objections
that may come up related to your specific industry or
specific tastes of your target market. In other words, would your
market be more inclined to buy only brand name products or services,
would your market be more inclined to buy only a more
attractive product over a less attractive one irregardless of quality?

Ok, now let's say you've done all of the above.
Here's what you do next. Think very carefully
about how you'd overcome those objections to persuade Mr. Prospect
to buy or respond.

Most companies with a winning sales force have a team come in
and create answers to every possible objection a prospect may raise.
And they create what's called a Script Book. In fact, companies
with top-notch sales teams keep their Script Books secret.
Some even place their Script Books in safes. Why?
The scripted answers to every objective Mr. Prospect may raise
are worth their weight in gold if their answers to a prospect's
objection works.

In direct sales, you must become a master of knowing every
objection your prospects have and be able to articulately overcome
every one of those objections.

And so it is the same with copywriting. Copywriting is nothing more
than salesmanship in print. When you craft copy that overcomes
objections, you're going to be light years ahead of your
competition. Most people won't even take the time to do this!
Your homework is to know the objections your market has,
like you know the back of your hand, and craft irresistible
answers to overcome those objections. After all, if everyone of
Mr. Prospect's objections are overcome, logic would tell him
he should invest in your product or service. Get to work.
About the Author
YOURS FREE! Get a free evaluation of your sales letters and
direct mail. Find out where your copy is weak and what you need
to immediately do to make it sell more. No obligation.
Here's my website: www.irresistiblecopywriting.com Go ahead
and find out where your copy is weak and whether it's going to work.
After all - it's free! -Psychological Sales Letter
Specialist (TM) Mike Jezek. Copyright 2002 Mike Jezek.
All rights reserved.

2005-10-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Getting people to part with their money, the old-fashioned way. by Walter Burek

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor the rising cost of postage can keep a well-written sales letter from persuading readers to send money directly to its writer or organization. And many of the techniques successful direct mail writers have been using for years work equally well on-line today. Here are ten tried-and-true tips from the snail-mailers.

1. Have a plan.
Writing a sales letter is a lot like writing an ad. And successful advertising starts with clear thinking about what to sayand to whom. Picture your prospect in your mindin terms of age, income, attitudes, and the product she or he uses. Then determine the single most important benefit your product offers. The essence of a good plan is sacrificeplaying down the lesser benefits to concentrate on the biggest.

2. Start fast.
The first sentence of your letter is the most important. That's when your prospect decides whether your letter is just an other piece of junk mail or something that will make him say, "This sounds interesting. I'd like to know more about it." Involve your reader in your first sentence, or your second sentence may never be read.

3. The early offer gets the worm.
Direct-mail pros work on the coupon first, not the letter. What's the offer? How should it be stated? What are the terms? The offer is what gets the action. So make it clear. Make it direct. And make it early. Because a good offer can outpull any other technique to get your letter started.

4. Show the benefits
Write about benefits, not features. A feature describes a product; a benefit explains what it does for the reader. Remember that people dont want to buy grass seed. They want to buy a beautiful green lawn.

5. Show some personality.
The tone of your letter should be as important as what you say. Write the way you speak, using the language of the reader, so he perceives the sales pitch is coming from a peer rather than an outsider. By using this approach, you receive empathy from the reader by saying, "Look, I'm just like you. I know your problem; I've been through it; I have a solution." Writing peer to peerwriting as you would speak to a friendis the tone you want to cultivate in every letter you write.

6. Go long.
The amateur letter writer assumes that people will not read long letters. All the research tells us otherwise. The fact is that long letters sell better than short ones. If they make an attractive offer. If they get the reader's attention at the top. If they are packed with facts. You are asking your readers to make an investmentof their time, money, or both. They need to bethey want to beconvinced that what you're selling is worth it. And that takes plenty of information. So the more you tell, the more you'll sell.

7. Be short.
Research also shows that people won't read long letters that look hard to read, with long, black, solid blocks of text. Better to use short paragraphs that make your letter look more inviting, and easy to get through.

Use simple words and use jargon sparingly. Write in crisp, short, snappy sentences. Even sentence fragments.

When you're writing a sales letter, you're trying to communicate with your readers, not impress them with your grasp of the American language. Remember, you're writing to sell, not impress.

8. Be free.
Give something away. A free trial, free shipping, even free literature you may have printed for another purpose. It has been proven, time and again, that adding something free adds tremendously to the power of the sales letter.

9. Don't let 'em get away.
Follow the advice in the previous eight tips and you'll find yourself writing letters that will capture the interest of your readers. But you can't just let them nod in agreement, and do nothing. After all, it's human nature for most people to procrastinate. You can't let them off the hook. The successful letter writer tackles inertia and creates a reason for the prospect to actand to act now. Ask her to tear off a reply card, check a preference, paste a sticker on the phone or calendar, or answer a short quiz. There are probably dozens of other simple devices you can think of. A reader who starts to do something with your mailing is a good bet to end up being a reader who buys something.

10. P.S. Dont forget a postscript.
A postscript is an opportunity to restate the offer, to create a sense of urgency with a deadline, to offer a special premium or to remind the reader of an important detail. And maybe the best reason for using a P.S. is that so many professionals have proven that it works.

Walter writes, edits and publishes "Words @ Work", a FREE bimonthly newsletter of advice and information about writing that works. Subscribe by visiting www.walterburek.com or via e-mail to: walter@walterburek.com

About the Author
Walter Burek is an award-winning copywriter who learned his craft at some of the finest advertising agencies in the world,
and has been a writer and Creative Director on some of advertisings most important accounts.

Currently, he offers freelance copywriting services through his company, WalterBurek.com.

Walter also writes, edits and publishes Words@Work, a newsletter for marketing communications professionals.

2005-10-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

5 Overlooked, Yet Deadly Reasons WhyYour $ales Letter May Be Getting Poor Results by Mike Jezek

Please understand, I'm not going to list every disease that can
afflict a sales letter. Rather, I'm going to display 5 response
killers I sometimes see when working with clients. Is your
sales letter afflicted with any of the following?

1) To Much Windup. Get to the point right away in your sales letter.
Make your offer crystal clear. Try to at least do this by paragraph
#2 as a general rule of thumb. Most people skim online sales
letters.

2) Wordy Sentence Structure. If you're not a polished
writer - odds are you have overburdened sentences. Cut out
all excess and contradictory words to make your point.
Wordy sentences make persuasive arguments weak. They kill
response.

3) Inappropriate Use Of "Hot Words". Use "hot words" where
relevant. Example: Unless you're writing about strange
phenomenon in nature or health matters or
supplements -- think carefully about using the word amazing,
astonishing stunning, mysterious, miracle, potent, or the phrase
"guaranteed to work."

4) Inappropriate use of NLP or Hypnotic Sales Techniques.
Some of these techniques work. Because of the hypnotic
selling craze, I'm seeing sales letters riddled with NLP and the
like. Be careful. Many of these techniques are obvious - and
can lead a reader to think you're playing mind games with them.
The result? No sale. Just write a letter to your mom, ask for the
order 3 times, back up your facts, then delete your mom's name
and use the prospect's name in her place. You'll immediately
gain people's trust. And close more sales!

5) An Unbalanced Sales Letter. Many people saturate their
sales letters with too many exclamation points, bolding,
underlining and to many font colors. Result: A hyped up sales
letter decreases believability. Many people try to play the
"no hype" angle. I have never written a successful sales letter
with zero hype. Solution: Mix an equal portion of hype with
believability and you'll see results.
About the Author
Your's FREE! 10-Minute Sales Letter Critique By Pro
Copywriter Mike Jezek. Find out where the weak spots are in
your sales letter. And what's necessary to start your own
buying frenzy. No obligation. Your's free. Go to
www.irresistiblecopywriting.com and get your free critique today!
Copyright 2002 Mike Jezek. All rights reserved.

2005-10-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Creative Success by JC Anderl

One of the clichd mantras of the Internet marketing world
is, "Content is king." Content is very important to any
website, but I think that a more important focus should be
on original content.

Recently I was browsing through a few marketing related
sites and I noticed a trend. I noticed that many sites
contain the same rehashed material. Much of this rehashed
material is essential for beginning business ventures to
succeed, but there also needs to be a stronger focus on
creating original ideas.

Let's face it, in order to stand out, you often have to be
original and creative. A great new idea is worth a hundred
used up thoughts. You can't sit stagnate, especially in
the fast changing world of the Internet. You have to
change with the pace, or be left behind, but why should you
stop there? Why not lead the next revolution. I'm making
it a point to take some time each day for thinking and
creating. Its not easy to do, but if you want to really
stand out, then take some time to really look for a novel
idea.

Here are a few tips on finding an original idea.

1. Identify a problem - If you can find a way to fix a
problem you've come up with a great idea. People obviously
don't like problems of any kind. Fixing a common problem
will benefit many people, and therefore have a great
potential to benefit you.

2. Do the twist - Finding a truly original idea is very
difficult, but that isn't exactly what you need. Putting a
twist on an old idea is one of the best methods of creative
thinking. A great example of turning an old idea into a
refreshingly new concept is top marketer, Mark Aesop's
TrafficSwarm. He basically took the old pop up window and
created an entire traffic generation system. Keep your
eyesopen.

More on Trafficswarm at:
www.redlionbooks.com/zlinks rafficswarm.htm

3. Write it down - If you spend a lot of time creatively
thinking, it starts to become habit and pretty soon you'll
be thinking about your site at the strangest times. This
is great, but the problem is that you can often get
distracted or just plain forget what you were thinking
about. Keep an idea diary by writing down any idea that
pops into your head, no matter how stupid it might seem.
Later on, even if it turns out to not be such a great idea,
it might spark your thoughts onto something better.

Don't become outdated and stagnant. Practice creative
thinking often and record your thoughts. Those who do this
will evolve and be the leaders, while the rest get swept
behind the times.

Best of luck to you,

JC Anderl
www.Redlionbooks.com, JC@Redlionbooks.com

Visit my site or email me if you have any questions about
marketing or website promotion.
About the Author

JC's website, Redlionbooks.com, specializes in advice about Internet marketing and web site promotion. Free access to articles and ebooks, learn how to market your product or service online at http://www.Redlionbooks.com

2005-10-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Tell Visitors Why by Akinori Furukoshi

Tell Visitors Why

People need reasons to act. We work because we have to make a living. We eat because we are hungry. We have hobbies because we want to have some fun. Furthermore, people need reasons to buy from you. If you tell people why they should buy from you, you will dramatically increase sales.

--An Experiment--

Harvard social psychologist, Ellen Langer, conducted an experiment. She asked people waiting in line to use a photo copier if they would allow her to go ahead of them in line.

When she used the phrase, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?" the success rate was 60 percent. When she used the phrase, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" the rate climbed up to 94 percent. This makes sense, doesn't it? But here is a surprise. When she used the phrase, "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?" the rate still clicked 93 percent, even though her reason didn't make any sense at all!

--Just Tell People Why--

This result is weird, but it reflects how people behave. Also, this experiment tells you that you don't have to make up any reason to attract customers. Just tell people an honest reason, whatever it is. For example, you may not want to tell people you are having special sales because it is a slow month. Don't be shy. We all have busy days and slow days. If you don't tell, people might wonder if you are offering a special deal because there is something wrong with your products. Tell it like it is and remember that any reason works better than no reason. In the photo copy machine experiment, "because I have to make some copies" worked as well as "because I'm in a rush." The important part is giving a reason, not the logic.

--Answer All the Imaginable Questions--

If you receive inquiries from every potential customer and reply to all of them, you will be writing e-mails all day long. Instead, you should answer all imaginable questions on your site. Making a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page is one way. The best way is putting all the reasons in the sales copy. As visitors are reading the copy, all of the reasons are given. Thus, when visitors finish reading the copy, they are ready to buy.

You need to give prospects a reason to buy from you, but you don't have to be creative. Just tell people honest reasons. Even though those reasons might not sound right to you, they will work way better than nothing.

About the Author
Article by Akinori Furukoshi of http://www.thatswise.com
For complete list of FREE articles, please visit at
http://www.thatswise.com/free_articles.html

2005-10-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

How to Write to Mars and Venus! by Jaruda Boonsuwan

There's Yin, and there's Yang. There's a man, and there's a woman.

You can't live without one or another. And let's face it. We're not the same!

So when you're writing your ads or sales letters, you should keep in mind that, "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". I know....I know! Although men don't enjoy that book as much as women do, the nature of gender differences is unarguable. We were not born the same....that's all.

There's always a psychological barricade based on our gender differences. You can't write to men, thinking they're from Venus. Likewise, you can't write to women, thinking they're from Mars. You can't let them collide!

Always remind yourself what it is that keeps them glued to your page! Then make a list....

** For men, the top things on their minds are sports, cars, high-tech toys, computer games, politics and finance.

** As for women, the top things on their minds are fashion, beauty, diet, celebrities, horoscope and jewelry.

Now, what you can do is do a little research. Go buy a few magazines that are not in your area of expertise. Or if you like, you can just ask your boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives or even your kids about the latest trends. I guarantee you'll get a lot of eye-opening, cutting-edge ideas.

Notice the words, adjectives or technical terms they use. Don't forget to remember the names of important persons in that particular field. Get a glimpse of what's HOT and who's COOL! This way when you write, your prospects will feel that you're NO ALIEN. They'll feel that you're part of the GANG!

Suppose you're targeting male prospects, mention something eye-catching like:

Nascar, Formula One, Ferrari, DowJones, Nasdaq, Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Sammy Sosa, Michael Jordan, .....

This will not only reduce their "Defense Mechanism", but will also trigger their buying interests.

Now suppose you're targeting female audience, bring up instant magnetic charms like:

Prada, Chanel, Hermes, Ungaro, Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, Enrique Iglesias, Slim Fast, beauty secrets, diamond, star style, princess, the future,....

This will keep them curious and eager to finish reading your sales copies.

**HERE'S HOW TO PUT IT TO WORK!

If you're writing a classified ad, you could write the same content, with a slight difference. This way, you'll have 2 slightly different ads to target men and women -- SEPERATELY!

For example, here is an ad targeting male audience ....

"Unveil the Formula One Secret You Can Instantly Copy to Turbocharge Your Site and Easily Turn It into a Hole-in-One Business that Earns You Homerun Profits -- 100% Faster than Tiger Woods' Swing...Guaranteed!"

With a slight change to it, you'll have an ad targeting female audience...

"Uncover the Time-tested Secret You Can Instantly Copy to Make Over Your Site and Easily Turn It into a Hot-selling Business that Earns You Magic Profits -- You Can Buy Yourself 2 Prada Bags a Day....100% Guaranteed!"

You'll see that in the ad for men, I use the word "turbocharge" to associate with auto racing. And because men like SPEED.

And in the ad for women, I use the word "time-tested" to associate with beauty. And because women like SECURITY.

See how easy it is you can create 2 "TARGETED" classified ads in just a minute? You surely can create more targeted ads like these -- in NO time at all.

P.S. Don't forget whom you're writing to! A Mars or a Venus?

About the Author
The author, Jaruda Boonsuwan, is offering one-of-its-kind copywriting e-course -- at no charge. She reveals deadly-effective secrets to writing killer sales copies at http://www.groundbreakcopywriting.com

2005-10-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

How to Write a Business Memo by Linda Elizabeth Alexander

How to Write a Business Memo
2002 By Linda Elizabeth Alexander

A business memo helps members of an organization
communicate without the need for time-consuming meetings.
It is an efficient and effective way to convey information
within an organization.

Use memos rather than letters when you are communicating
within your organization, including members of your
department, upper management, employees at another company
location, etc.

Memos solve problems either by introducing new information
to the reader like policy changes or new products being
introduced, or by persuading the reader to take an action,
such as attend a meeting, rinse the coffeepot when empty,
or change a current work procedure.

The writing style of a business memo is somewhat formal but
it doesn't have to sound intimidating. Your aim in writing
a memo is the same as with other correspondence: You want
to effectively communicate your purpose to your reader.

Memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of
the writer with the interests and needs of the reader. When
planning your memo, be sure to think about it from your
reader's perspective: Pretend you are the recipient and ask
yourself:

1. How is this relevant to me?
2. What, specifically, do you want me to do?
3. What's in it for me?

Heading Segment
Begin the memo with a heading segment, following this
format:
(centered and bold heading) MEMORANDUM
TO: (readers' names and job titles)
FROM: (your name and job title)
DATE:
SUBJECT: (specifically what the memo is about)

Make sure you address the reader by her or his correct name
and job title. Courtesy titles are not necessary but make
sure you spell everyone's names properly and don't use
informal nicknames.

Use a job title after your name, and hand write your
initials by your name. This confirms that you take
responsibility for the contents of the memo.

Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example,
"computers" could mean anything from a new purchase of
computers to a mandatory software class for employees.
Instead use something like, "Turning Computers off at
Night." This also makes filing and retrieving the memo
easy.

Opening Segment

Begin your memo by stating the problem--that is, what led
to the need for the memo. Perhaps a shipment has not
arrived, a scheduled meeting has been canceled, or a new
employee is starting tomorrow.

After stating the problem, indicate the purpose clearly:
Are you announcing a meeting, welcoming a new employee, or
asking for input on adopting a new policy about lunch hour
length?

Discussion Segment

In the discussion segment, give details about the problem,
Don't ramble on incessantly, but do give enough information
for decision makers to resolve the problem. Describe the
task or assignment with details that support your opening
paragraph (problem).

Closing Segment
After the reader has absorbed all of your information,
close with a courteous ending that states what action you
want your reader to take. Should they hand email their
reports rather than hand in hard copies? Attend a meeting?
Chip in for someone's birthday cake? A simple statement
like, "Thank you for rinsing the coffeepot after pouring
the last cup" is polite and clearly states what action to
take.

Traditionally memos aren't signed. However, it is becoming
more common for memos to close the way letters do, with a
typed signature under a handwritten signature. Follow your
company's example for this.

Except for memos that are essentially informal reports or
instructional documents, make the memo no more than one
page long. In a memo, less is more.

Summary Segment
If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include
a separate summary segment. This part provides a brief
statement of the recommendations you have reached. These
will help your reader understand the key points of the memo
immediately.

To further clarify your meaning, keep these formatting
ideas in mind:

Headings help the reader skim for sections of the document.

Numbered and bulleted lists make information easy to scan.
Be careful to make lists parallel in grammatical form.

Font sizes, underlining, bolding, and italicizing make
headings and important information stand out.

As in all technical and business communications, long
paragraphs of dense text make reading more difficult.
Therefore, keep your paragraphs short and to the point.

Now that you know how to write a proper memo, you can be
sure that your readers will understand your intentions.

About the Author
Linda Elizabeth Alexander writes marketing copy for
nonprofits and other businesses. Visit her website TODAY
for other informative business writing articles.
http://www.write2thepointcom.com/articles.html
mailto:lalexander@write2thepointcom.com

2005-10-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

Pumping Up The Emotional Side Of Gizmos, Widgets And Powdered Eggs. by Walter Burek

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the byline at the end of this article is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Pumping Up The Emotional Side Of Gizmos, Widgets And Powdered Eggs.

Conventional wisdom has it that business-to-business advertising must be jam-packed with facts. But today, the facts are not enough.

All advertising copy consists of two elements: What is said and how it's said. What is said is the rational part of the message -- the claims and benefits that result from careful positioning and strategy. How it's said is the emotional element -- the look of the advertising, and the charm, humor, nostalgia, empathy, sense of security, beauty, or sense of style and quality that is conveyed.

Knowing when and how to use emotion is the most important part of a copywriter's and art director's job. Because, whether we like to admit it or not, most purchase decisions -- greeting card or giant machinery, new car or new factory roof -- are made for emotional, not rational, reasons.

A Couple Of Definitions.
We've been told that emotion is probably best defined by the observation that emotions are feelings. How important is that? Very. Because feelings are everything in people's lives. They dictate where we live, who we live with, who our friends are, what we read, what we eat, what we drive, where we go on vacation, what we laugh at, what we cry about and what we want out of life. And they tell us what to buy, when to buy, where to buy, and who to buy from.

We've also been told that a definition of communication is the interchange of ideas between two people. But, in advertising, we have to go beyond that. Our business must be the interchange of feelings between two people. We have to make people really feel something about the products and companies we advertise. Otherwise, they won't buy. And if they don't buy, we've failed. So, the simple truth of the matter is: The only advertising that works is advertising that makes somebody feel something.

Four Thoughts, No Rules.
Explaining how to use emotion in advertising is difficult, if not impossible. It all depends on the situation and the abilities of the people involved. But here are some things that may help put the subject in perspective.

Businessmen And-Women Are People, Too.
Some will argue, especially in today's downsized work environment, that the businessperson is besieged, harried and overworked. And all they have time for is the facts. True, perhaps. But it is also true that they are being constantly being bombarded with information at every turn. Which means that if your advertising is going to be successful -- if it is going to stand out from the clutter -- you better deliver it in an emotional envelope. Whether you're a man or woman, working man or working woman, prudent veteran, or a kid just out of school isn't important. Emotional advertising has a universal kind of communication that works. Warmth, humor, charm, flair -- these are things we all relate to, respond to. Emotional advertising transcends the demographic position of the reader or viewer. People in all walks of life respond to wit, to being talked to in a flattering and friendly way, to being liked. People like advertising that makes them feel good -- about your product, about your company, about themselves.

Start From The Other End.
All advertising must start with a strategy. But, too often, we build our strategies on the what. With too little consideration of potential emotional appeals. And too much focus on the specific product differences and benefits, no matter how small these differences might be. We get locked into saying something instead of communicating something. It would be better if we spent more time trying to understand how people might use the product in their lives. And trying to judge its emotional importance and appeal. Which means that, sometimes, you may want to start at the other end. By first coming up with a great attention-getting idea -- that you can then fit into the framework of the strategy.

Don't Go Too Far.
Don't get the wrong idea. The rational appeal of your advertising is important, too. Especially when you have something significant to say. But even when you don't. Because the rational element is what people use to justify their emotional decisions. Nobody will ever say, "I bought their product because the photos in their brochure were beautiful," or "I gave them the business because the copy on their Web site gave me a chuckle." Even though stuff like this may have affected them, they still need a rational reason. So, you better give them one.

Rely On Your Own Feelings.
If you put anything on paper without emotion, it should be because you're in search of it. You have to start with emotion, if you want to end with it. Remember, the whole idea here is to share your feelings (and the intensity of them) -- about a company and its product or services -- with the people on the other side of that page or screen. It means forging those feelings into the shape of ads, brochures, Web pages, postcards and matchbook covers for all of the rest of the world to feel. And just think about it! Every time a person will reach for a product, it's because you have reached them inside. And given them a feeling for it. Which makes for a pretty good feeling in itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter is a professional advertising copywriter who writes, edits and publishes "Words @ Work", a FREE bimonthly newsletter of advice and information about writing that works. To view his award-winning portfolio and to subscribe visit www.walterburek.com. You may also subscribe to Words@Work via e-mail to: walter@walterburek.com

>>>>>

About the Author
Walter Burek is an award-winning copywriter who learned his craft at some of the finest advertising agencies in the world and has been a writer and Creative Director on some of advertisings most important accounts.

Currently, he offers freelance copywriting services through his company, WalterBurek.com.

Walter also writes, edits and publishes Words@Work, a free newsletter for marketing communications professionals.

2005-10-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

5 Specific Questions Your Sales Letter Must Answer to Achieve The Best Results by Joanne L. Mason, www.moneymakingsalesletters.com

Heres a surefire method to guarantee you achieve the best results from your sales letters. Rather than make a sales pitch that your prospects will very likely ignore, instead present your products or services as the answer to their problems.

When you offer the help that your target audience is looking for it wont be hard to make sales. You can show that you really do understand the needs of your market by addressing these five specific questions right up front in your sales letter.

1. What's In It For Me?

This is the number one rule of salesmanship. People buy products for one reason only...what they will receive out of it. You must instantly tell any prospect exactly what they will get out of your product. Your best opportunity to do this is in your headline. Make a bold statement right up front and capture your target audience immediately.

2. How Will My Life Become Better?

This is where you have to understand the emotional appeals that attract your prospects like moths to a flame. Do they want to become richer, smarter, better looking, thinner or more popular? Do they want to save time, money or effort? Study your niche market until you know what emotional buttons to push and you'll see a huge increase in your sales instantly.

3. What Will Happen If I Say No?

You have to give people a compelling reason to buy from you. A good way to do that is by reminding them what will happen if they dont purchase your product. What problems will continue to exist for them, how much money will they lose, how type of frustration will they continue to endure? Help your prospects to see that they really cant afford to say no because your product truly is the solution to their problems.

4. Why Should I Trust You?

The best way to establish trust in your sales letters is by using testimonials. A good testimonial is the written equivalence of a word of mouth referral. Prospects naturally trust what other people say about their experience with you. Get your past customers who have been happy with your business to give you testimonials to use in your sales letter.

5. Will I Be Stuck With Your Product?

Heres where you can literally seal the deal. Reverse the risk of doing business with you. Always offer a money back guarantee so that people will feel confident that they wont lose out if your product is not what they expected. When your prospects see that you stand behind your products enough to assume the risk they can feel more comfortable in purchasing your products.

When you use these easy tips to answer your prospects questions in your sales letter, not only will you gain an unfair advantage over your competition, but you'll also show your prospect that you care about their problems and your product is the solution that they need.
About the Author
Joanne Mason's articles have helped thousands of small business owners to significantly increase their profits by discovering the secrets to writing better sales letters. Get a FREE subscription to her ezine, Sales Letter Secrets, at http://www.moneymakingsalesletters.com

2005-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Killer Sales Copy Formula by Al Martinovic

A good formula when writing sales copy be it for your website, an email to potential customers or prospects, placing an ad etc. is by using 3 simple steps.

Step 1 - Create a problem

What is your customers or prospects biggest concern or problem? Define what it is and write about it. Everybody has some kind of problem whether big or small that interests them in your product or service.

Step 2 - Agitate Them

Make the problem larger than life. Tap into their emotions. Pour salt on their wounds. You have to make them feel so angry that they are pacing the room thinking "this has got to stop" or "I have to do something about this."

Step 3 - Offer a Solution

Now that you got them where you want them, offer them a solution to their problem, which is your product or service, and list the features associated with it as well.

This formula can be applied to almost every product or service imagineable.

Problem - Agitation - Solution

And don't be afraid of how long your sales copy is either. Write as long as necessary to explain everything.

If a person doesn't take the time to read long sales copy, it is a good bet they weren't interested in your product or service anyway.

Because if they were, they would try to find out as much information as they can before making a purchase.

A good book that I recommend you pick up on creating effective sales copy is by Dan S. Kennedy called The Ultimate Sales Letter.

It has the formula I mentioned and many more in it. You can find it at most off/online bookstores.

And remember, you can learn all you want but it only becomes effective when you apply what you learned.

Repeat after me... learn and apply... learn and apply....

About the Author
Al Martinovic is the owner of I Need Smokes.com which markets membership into the OTDirect Buyers Club so smokers can Save/Make money on cigarettes.
http://www.ineedsmokes.com

2005-10-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Is It Time For A Copy Facelift? by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

I just had to laugh! During a recent conversation about how often you should change your copy, I had one person tell me Well, if there were any *good* copywriters out there, theyd be able to write it once, and it would work forever! Oh really? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

It is extremely rare for advertising copy to last for extended periods of time. Changing your copy is a given, the reason being that people and events change. Since we, as copywriters, are reaching our customers on an emotional level, we have to stay in tune with whats going on in their lives and their worlds. Lets look at an example.

Say you rent mailing lists. Your primary benefit might be that you have the largest lists available offering a minimum of 100,000 names per category. Things are going great, and youre renting lists like wildfire. But thenright in the middle of your successthe postal service increases rates substantially.

All of a sudden, your rentals begin to drop dramatically. Here you are screaming about the largest lists available anywhere, and your customer is thinking about how much his postage expense is going to skyrocket.

The businesses you rent lists to are now very concerned. What *used* to be your biggest benefit is now your biggest deterrent. Your customers no longer want to rent lists that have a minimum of 100,000 names. Instead, theyd love to be able to rent much smaller listsin the 5,000 to 10,000 quantity range. Yep! You guessed it. Its time to change your copy, USP and all!

Any number of aspects can cause a change in focus for your target customer, and therefore a need to rewrite your copy. Here are some of the more common ones for businesses:

New tax laws
New mandatory expenses (such as a postage increase)
Starting a new business
Closing a business
Stock price increase
Stock price decrease

Business to consumer sales can be affected, too. Personal circumstances that change every day include:

Buying a new home
Retiring
Getting married
Getting divorced
Having a baby
Receiving a tax refund
Receiving an inheritance

What do I recommend? Twice a year, take a good, long look at your copy. What has changed in your marketplace? What laws, regulations, or events have been implemented or have taken place? Will these things have an impact on your customers? How will you respond to them?

Take that information and compare it to what your current copy says. Is your message clear? Are there benefits you need to update or change? Is your copy still making the most positive impact on your potential customers that it can?

If not, dont hesitate to make changes. After all, your copy is your key to new customers and repeat customers. And, as I said in the beginning, hardly any copy will last forever. Eventually, everybody is due for a copy facelift.

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

2005-09-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

The World's Most Powerful Marketing Tool by David Geer

What marketing skill would you need "to sell sand in the desert?"

It's the same marketing skill top-dog eBiz marketers have in common.

Rudyard Kipling said it best when he wrote:

*Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.*

The common thread running through money-making web sites: words that sell - or, copywriting.

Yet, many eBiz marketers don't seem to get it. For example, visit:

http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

and enter *copywriting* into the search box. During November, 2002, there were 3,746 searches made for *copywriting*.

Next, enter *make money online* into the search box. During November, 2002, there were 19,127 searches made for *make money online*.

But, trying to make money online, without first being able to write words that sell, is like placing the cart
before the horse.

Imagine a semi truck pulling up Behind a trailer and trying to Push the trailer down a busy highway. Kinda silly, stupid, and dangerous?

Well, no more so than trying to make money online without first discovering how to write copy that sells. How much money you make depends on how well you write for your target market. Good copywriting pulls in sales like a money magnet.

What was it about the last web page you visited that grabbed you right by the nose; then, it compelled you to keep reading to the end?

That's the power of words - that's what turns a prospect into a customer, that's what makes that customer slap down the plastic and buy from you.

That's: The World's Most Powerful Marketing Tool In Action - bar none.

The exciting news here:

Almost anyone can become a good copywriter, even an average person. So, why not start Now by visiting your
favorite search engine and entering *copywriting* into its search box.

And, when you discover a copywriting site you like, subscriber to their ezine, if they offer one.

Yes, you may also have to spend a few bucks - buy a few ebooks about copywriting. How much you spend,
however, isn't the important thing. What really matters here is what you get back from what you've spent - your ROI, Return on Investment.

And, investing in yourself will the best money you'll ever spend.

For instance, you write, test, and then run an ad campain costing you $5,000. That ad pulls $50,000 in sales. Wow, what an inexpensive investment.

By improving your copywriting skills, you're moving youself into the driver's seat - on your exciting journey to Make Money Online.

Remember: the right product - in front of the right people - at the right time - with the right message
= SALES.

==========
David Geer publishes Success 4U Marketing Ezine. Its readers get weekly tips and advice from Pro eBiz marketers, helpful web resources, free eBooks and eCources, plus much more. Subscrib now by visiting
http://www.ezinelistbuilder.com/ezine.html
About the Author
David Geer publishes Success 4U Marketing Ezine. Its readers get weekly tips and advice from Pro eBiz marketers, helpful web resources, free eBooks and eCources, plus much more. Subscrib now by visiting
http://www.ezinelistbuilder.com/ezine.html

2005-09-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

A Magic Number for Writing Sales Letters. by Matthew Cobb

When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule I always start with is The Rule of 7.

I learned about The Rule of 7 from one of my good friends who once ran for political office. In his campaign, he made certain that his name appeared seven times in all of his radio spots.

Why? Because thats generally the number of times required before a name magically sticks in the mind of a prospect. The Rule of 7 is often used in radio and television advertising. But this isnt an isolated occurrencethe number seven seems to be a bit magical in other areas, like prospecting and linguistics.

Do you know the average number of times experts say you need to make contact with a prospect before they will be ready to commit?

Seven.

Can you guess how many times linguists say a person must use a word before it becomes a true part of their vocabulary?

Thats rightseven.

This magic is the reason I try to repeat my clients product name or business name seven times in the sales letters I write for them.

The truth is, were not really talking about magic, here. Its really about generating recognition for a name or a concept. Its about embedding something in a prospects subconscious mind. Its about branding. I use The Rule of 7 to write sales letters, but the idea can be applied to other areas of marketing, too.

Every person and every thing has an identityand branding is about more than just a logo. A brand identity is about who you are, what you offer and the benefits of choosing you over the competition. The name you choose to operate underwhether your personal name, your business name, your product name, or your website addressis a link to all of that information. Repetition, which is what makes The Rule of 7 work, strengthens the recognition and recollection of your brand.

Now, all the experts may come back later and say that seven isnt the right number after all. Its nine. Or its five. Or its eight-point-three. But it doesnt really matter, does it? Seven works well as a general rule. (Besides, it is a lucky number.)

Of course, I know that fulfilling The Rule of 7 is no guarantee a prospect will accept an offer. But I know using the rule increases the chance that a prospect will see my name or the name of one of my websites and think, Oh, yeah, I remember Seductive Sales Letters or I remember Matthew Cobb. Recognition and recollectionthats what The Rule of 7 is all about.

One word of warning, though. Just because seven times is good doesnt mean that seventy times is even better. Repeating the same name over and over again can grow annoying and cause prospects to quit reading. And then, you may not even be able to fulfill The Rule of 1.
About the Author
Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter/consultant.
He can be reached at contact@cobbwriting.com or
by visiting www.cobbwriting.com, where you can sign
up for his monthly e-pub, The Copy and Content Clinic.

2005-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Long Sales Letters vs. Short Sales Letters by Matthew Cobb

Everywhere I turn, I'm being asked to weigh in on the
issue of whether copy should be long or short in a sales
letter. I receive countless newsletters on copywriting and
marketing, and they are all still debating the issue.

I doubt that the question will be answered definitively,
but after hearing from other Internet copywriters and after
considering the issue myself, I've learned that if you
follow three guidelines, the issue of length will become
almost irrelevant.

Guideline #1) TELL PROSPECTS WHAT THEY WANT
AND NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE A BUYING DECISION.

Interested prospects will read even a sales letter of
several pages long if they are interested and if your
sales letter has good content. Many of us are more
interested in telling prospects what WE want them to know.
But we should all be telling prospects what THEY want and
need to know.

Guideline #2) OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS.

This guideline is actually Rule #17 from Strunk & White's
famous little book on writing, _The_Elements_of_Style_. (If
you write, you really should read this small but influential
book.)

Anything that doesn't have a direct purpose or work toward
winning over your prospect should be cut out. I don't care
how much you want to tell them about what a great reputation
your company has and how successful you were last year.
Unless that information takes the reader one step closer to
buying (admittedly, sometimes it does), cut it.

Do the research and know your target audience. Then, write
with their needs in mind. Write everything your prospects
want and need to read, but write ONLY what they want and need
to read. Cut the rest.

Guideline #3) TEST. TEST. TEST.

This is the best indicator of how long your sales letter
should be. If you don't like to test, you have to rely on
luck. Not a good idea. Put together the best sales letter
you can with everything a prospect needs to know to make a
buying decision, cut out anything that's not essential
reading for your prospect, then run it. Record the results.
Rewrite a portion of the letter. Test again. Record the
results. Keep doing this until conversion rates improve and
you'll know how long your sales letter needs to be. Of
course, this kind of testing is much easier online than in
offline direct mail, but it needs to be done. (Offline
direct mail will probably require a split mailing.)

Although many people will tell you that "research has
shown longer sales letters pull better," the only research
you should be paying attention to is your own. Long sales
letters don't pull well for everyone.

There's an easy way to answer to the question of how
long or short a sales letter should be. (It's the same for
other similar questions of tone, diction, and how much
text you should emphasize.) Determine the needs and desires
of your readers and you'll have your answer.
About the Author
Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter/consultant.
He can be reached at contact@cobbwriting.com or
by visiting www.cobbwriting.com, where you can sign
up for his monthly e-pub, The Copy and Content Clinic.

2005-09-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Understanding the Buying Process Can Increase Your Sales by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Most marketers dont give a lot of thought to the buying processes of their customers. Thats a shame. Lending due attention to the buying process can have a dramatic effect on your sales.

What is the buying process? Where does your customer fall within it? How can you use it to help bring your customer to the point-of-purchase? Follow me as we take a look at the decisions customers must make before deciding to buy.

Each and every one of us goes through some sort of buying process when we make a purchase. At times the process is long and laboredas when buying a new computer. At other moments it happens almost without thoughtwhen buying a box of your favorite cereal, for instance. But make no mistake it does happen.

Generally speaking, the buying process consists of five steps. Those products/services that are new to the market, are new to your customer, or are very expensive will require a longer period of consideration in each phase. Products/services that are familiar, that have market longevity, or that cost very little will require a shorter (even instantaneous) process.

Step One - Need/Want Recognition

During this step, buyers realize they want or need something. They recognize that they have a problem or a desire, and they choose to find a solution. If this need or want is something along the lines of lunch, the buying decision can be made relatively quickly, without much thought of the actual buying process. Hunger is a quick problem to solve, most options are familiar to buyers, and the cost is usually low.

If the need or want is a new car, however, the actual buying decision can take weeks or months. There is a greater risk, new models and features come out all the time, the cost is high, and the possibility of making a mistake when buying is great.

Step Two - Information Search

Once the choice has been made to fill a need or want, your customer begins to search for information in order to make a quality decision that is in his/her best interest. Web sites may be visited (in which case you should offer some way for the customer to remember you, such as printable versions of information, downloadable brochures and catalogs, a way to bookmark your site, etc.). Brochures may be gathered (be sure to offer your contact information). Phone calls might be placed (check to ensure you or your call staff has the information they need to answer questions). Free samples, test drives, and other means of trial work wonderfully to guide your customer through the information search stage and onto the evaluation and purchase stages.

Step ThreeEvaluation

After your customers have collected all the information they feel is necessary, they begin to evaluate their options and narrow their choices until they finally pick the one thing that they are comfortable with, and that they can afford. This is the time to follow-up with your customers. Is there additional information they need in order to choose? Did they have problems with the free sample that can be corrected? Your presence during the evaluation stage is important, so do your best to retain customer contact information in order to gently offer any additional details the buyer might need. (Nobody likes a hard sell, or to be pushed into buying.)

Step FourPurchase

Once all the information has been evaluated, a purchase is made, and your customer walks away happy right? Well not always.

Step Five - Cognitive Dissonance (Post Purchase Anxiety)

While customers may have thought they chose the best solution when they purchased, many times customers later experience cognitive dissonance, a.k.a. buyers regret. They second guess their decision and begin to feel uncomfortable about their decision. This is where trial periods, guarantees, and/or warranties come into play.

Customers will have more confidence in their decision, even after it is made, if they know they arent stuck with their purchase. Having a guarantee to fall back on gives them the comfort to know thatshould something go wrongthey wont be left stranded. Generally speaking, a guarantee is a psychological support rather than a literal one. Most customers never take advantage of guarantees they dont think they need to. However, if a guarantee wasnt offered, the anxiety of feeling all alone would overcome many buyers and persuade them into asking for a refund.

Understanding each step in the buying process can help you structure your selling process and your marketing materials to cater to the customer. Take the time to consider what your customer goes through when making the choice to buy, and alter your business accordingly. In doing so, youll increase your chances of making more sales, and landing more satisfied customers.

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Writing is in the Rewriting. Seven Steps to Getting it Right by Walter Burek

Writers who are so fluent, facile and sure-footed that they can write their stuff down and that's the way it runs are rare.

Ernest Hemingway rewrote the last paragraph of THE SUN ALSO RISES 28
times before he got it right. David Ogilvy confessed that he'd done as many as
19 drafts on a single piece of copy before presenting it to anyone.

What we're talking about here is good writing for easy reading. Writing that
doesn't puzzle the stranger, but clearly conveys the meaning the writer intends.

It's a sweaty proposition, this rewriting, because it demands that we serve as
our own critic, editor and teacher. And that means being able to spot the
problem areas before we can even begin the revising, polishing and cutting.

Here are seven questions you must ask about your copy before you begin
another round.

1. Are your sentences short enough?

Experts say that a "short" sentence is anything under 17 words. That doesn't
mean you can't write longer sentences, just don't fill up the pages with them.
Too many long sentences slow the reader down; a good mixture of sentence
lengths acutally heightens interest.

2. Is your sentence structure varied?

Starting every sentence with "a" or "the" makes your writing read like "duh."
Varying the beginning of your sentences with nouns, adverbs and -- even an
occasional conjunction -- keeps your reader from getting bored.

3. Have you been too passive?

Use the active voice, instead of the passive. Make it a habit. It makes your
writing more direct, more energetic. And, usually, your sentences shorter.

4. Are your verbs active?

Action verbs rule. Use verbs that describe physical or mental activity instead of
a state of being. "Our widgets outshine the competition" is more vigorous than
"Our widgets are of the highest quality."

5. Are you using little modifiers excessively?

Nouns and verbs that are specific give good writing toughness and color. So
use adverbs and adjectives sparingly. And remember what your Strunk&White
says about modifiers like "rather," "very," "little," and "pretty" -- "...these are
the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words."

6. Is your phrasing too fat?

Vigorous writing is lean writing. Put your sentences on a diet by cutting
unnecessary words: reduce your paragraphs by eliminating unnecessary
sentences. Get rid of expressions like "the fact that," especially when "since"
or "though" will do. Look for places where you can express a thought in one
sentence instead of two.

7. Does your beginning lead to an end?

All copy should have a clear beginning, middle and end. The shortest pieces as
well as the longest. Begin with a lead sentence that captures the essence of the
piece, then jump right into the action. Make sure the middle section is tight and
well organized. Keep like items together. If you're comparing cars and trucks,
describe the cars first, then the trucks. The end of your piece should have a
crisp closer or zinger and contain a call to action or quote. For instance, an apt
ending here might be something like this from Dickens: "All writing is
misery."

Burek Group 2003

Thank you for your intrerest in this article.
You may freely publish it in print or
on the Web as long as you include the byline and credits. Also, please advise
me of publication by mailto: walter@walterburek.com

About the Author
Walter is an professional advertising copywriter who writes, edits and
publishes "WORDS@WORK", a FREE bimonthly newsletter of advice and
about writing that works. To view his award-winning portfolio and to
subscribe, visit http://www.walterburek.com You may also subscribe via
mailto: WordsAtWork@comcast.net

2005-09-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Nip and Tuck Three Quick Tricks for Writing SEO Copy by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Have you ever been to one of those sites that has obviously been written to get high search engine rankings? You know the ones they have copy that sounds like this:

When you buy quality silver jewelry from us, you know your quality silver jewelry is of the highest quality because we only sell quality silver jewelry that is top-notch. No other quality silver jewelry site on the Web offers the selection of quality silver jewelry that we do!

Want to take a wild guess at what keyphrase theyre targeting?

Copy like this simply doesnt sound real. Its very forced. Yes, it may very well get ranked high in the search engines, but what then? When visitors click to your site theyll be faced with stiff copy that sounds like a robot. It doesnt flow and it doesnt sell, either! With a little nip and tuck, you can create copy that appeals to your target audience AND ranks high with the engines.

So just how do you get your keywords and phrases into your copy and still have a nice, flowing sales message? Its really easier than you might think.

Here are a couple of strategies I use when writing SEO copy.

Headlines and Subheadlines

These make the ideal place for keywords. Why? Because keywords are normally descriptive by nature. Since headlines describe what the site visitor is about to read, it makes perfect sense to include keywords within them.

Titles

Create a chart, or a list, and give it a keyword-rich title. Just as with headlines, titles should be descriptive another perfect keyword/copy match.

Lists

In your chart or list, include keywords in the headers and within the list descriptions. For example, if your keywords include softball trading pins, employee recognition awards, lapel pins, and lapel pin you could create a list that reads like this:

Creative Lapel Pin Uses

Baseball and Softball Trading Pins - Lapel pin trading among baseball and softball teams has dramatically grown in popularity be sure to support your team with custom-created baseball and softball trading pins.
Employee Recognition Awards - Employees take great pride in wearing lapel pins that show their achievements, and they will treasure employee recognition awards that they can frequently show to others.

See how the list uses keyphrases within the headers and again within the list description itself?

Using keywords in carefully chosen places allows you to have more freedom with your copy itself. So now, instead of the forced, unappealing copy we read in the first example, you can have something more relaxed like this:

Quality Silver Jewelry Is A Rare Find!

If youve been looking for quality silver jewelry long, you know that quality is, in fact, a major issue. Unfortunately, many companies combine low-cost metals with their silver. That compromises the quality and the appearance. Thats a practice we never participate in!

How To Recognize Quality Silver Jewelry

When shopping for the best, look for these tell-tell signs of excellence.

Quality silver jewelry that is truly created of pure silver will display a radiant sheen.
When you touch the surface, quality silver jewelry will immediately show a fingerprint.
Breathing on the finish of quality silver jewelry will produce a fog, while breathing on the finish of poor-quality silver will not.

And so on, and so on.

So you see, you can have copy that makes sense, provides solutions for your site visitors, and ranks high with the search engines. Its not impossible it just takes a bit of training and practice. Before long, youll be tucking keywords in all the right places!

About the Author
Want to become more effective at writing SEO copy? Karon has lots of other tips to get your customers drooling and your rankings soaring! Visit http://www.copywritingcourse.com today for all the details.

2005-09-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

Is Your Copy Upside Down? by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

As a professional copywriter, Ive seen my share of copywriting mistakes. One that seems to be particularly common is writing copy thats upside down. When you do thiswhen you dont relay your message in the correct orderyou lose your audiences attention, and the sale!

Youve probably seen copy that reads something like:

Professional Virtual Assistant Services
For over seven years, we have been providing virtual assistant services to the global community. With a proven history of excellence, you are guaranteed quality when you select ABC Company for your virtual assistant needs. Youll find your load lightened, your schedule freed, and your business day more organized so you can spend your time making money instead of chasing your tail. Virtual assistants allow you to do more of what you love to do!

Whats important in this paragraph? Yes, experience (over seven years) is necessary. And quality (you are guaranteed quality) is vital. But what is it that will catch the attention and deliver the true message about virtual assistants?

Its this section: Youll find your load lightened, your schedule freed, and your business day more organized so you can spend your time making money instead of chasing your tail. Virtual assistants allow you to do more of what you love to do! Soif this is the most important partwhy is it at the end? Because the copy is upside down, thats why!

Lets rework this section of copy and turn it right side up so it will grab the readers attention and make him/her understand what virtual assistants *really* do.

Professional Virtual Assistants Lighten Your Load
Tired of running around, feeling like youre out of control? Have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Those are the situations where virtual assistants are a lifesaver! By using a professional virtual assistant, youll find your load lightened, your schedule freed, and your business day more organized. Youll be able to spend your time making money instead of chasing your tail. Virtual assistants allow you to do more of what you love to do!

For over seven years, we have been providing Virtual Assistant services to the global community. With a proven history of excellence, you are guaranteed quality when you select ABC Company for your virtual assistant needs.

See the difference? Weve hit a nerve. Weve gotten the readers attention right up-front by appealing to their emotional needs and wants. Weve shown them the end result of using this virtual assistant service, and then backed it up with facts.

I know I say it over and over, but its a true statement Most buying decisions are emotional so your ad copy should be, too.

When writing any type of advertising copy, remember to place your best information up top (right side up), instead of at the bottom (upside down) where it may, or may not, be read. When you do, youll get greater readership and more sales!

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

The "Not-So-Secret" Formula For Good Sales Letters. by Ronald Dunn

Do you know the formula for writing a good sales letter?

There are three steps to creating a powerful and effective
sales letter for your business.

For the Marketer, the content of the sales letter is the
"Good News" associated with the product or service that is
being sold. The marketer wants his or her audience to see
the Benefits of acting upon or responding to the sales
letter's invitation to buy.

The focus of the entire letter is the potential Benefit of
the message for the audience. As a Marketer, I can write all
about the features of a particular product, but if I don't
communicate how the person can benefit, then I am wasting
their time and my effort.

So what is this three step formula?

Let's begin with the focus of communicating Benefits. With
that in mind we move toward...

1. The Headline - What is the Core Benefit?

In this fast-paced world, people seldom have the time to
focus on every advertisement and sales letter that crosses
their path. This is especially true for those of us on the
Internet who have been conditioned for almost instant
gratification. If your web page or email letter does not
immediately capture their attention and entice them to look
further - then the sale will never be made.

In your headline you need to tell them What You Are Going To
SAY about how the product will benefit their needs. You've
probably got less than 30 seconds to make folks want to read
the rest of your letter - else they will delete your email
or click to another page.

If your web page or sales letter does not immediately Grab
Their Attention, then they will be gone within 30 seconds
and you will probably never get them back.

Make sure that your marketing pieces begin with a Benefit
Rich headline that tells the reader how they will benefit if
they read your letter and act upon its invitation. Tell them
immediately what you have that will benefit them, or the
sale will be lost.

2. The Body - How is this going to benefit me?

With the headline you told them what the core benefit was.
Now you need to tell them how this will happen and expand on
how that will benefit the people visiting your site.

You need to describe the features and benefits of your
product. When they get done reading your letter they will
know...

... exactly what they will get if they respond to the letter

... the specific features of your product with their
benefits

... testimonials of how others have benefited

3. The Call To Action - How to you get them to take action?

You've got their attention.

You've told them about the benefits of the product.

Now it is time to recap those benefits in such a fashion
that you prompt your audience toward a specific action.

What do I mean by "specific action"?

The conclusion of a sales letter should recap the benefits
and then tell them Exactly what they need to do to get what
you are offering. Too many otherwise Great sales letters
fail because they leave prospects and customers hanging,
trying to figure out how to get what the seller is offering.

If they need to click a certain link and complete an order
form, then say: Click Here Now and complete the order form.

If they need to call a phone number and place an order, give
them that number and the hours that somebody will be
available to take the call.

Make it easy for them to acquire the benefits that you're
offering - or they won't.

Probably the most important part of your sales letter is...

You!

Sign your name. People do not like anonymity. They Want to
Know who they are dealing with.

To communicate the benefits you want your audience to
enjoy...

... Grab their attention with your headline

... Tell them how your product will benefit them

... Be specific on the course of action and Sign Your Name
About the Author
Ronald publishes The Christian Marketer and is the owner of
RJDunn Enterprises - Ebooks-4-You. By subscribing to his
newsletter, you will receive articles, tips, resources and
education that will aid you in both your Christian and
Internet Marketing life. To subscribe, go here:
http://TheChristianMarketer.com

2005-09-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Damaging Admission--a Persuasive Technique by Matthew Cobb

We would all like to think that our product or service
is flawless. More importantly, we would like for others
to believe that as well. But no matter what you sell, a
drawback (sometimes several) will always exist, even if
only in the mind of your reader-prospects. Either way,
you MUST address the issue up front. In fact, if written
properly, "the damaging admission" can actually be used
to your advantage.

Too many times, sales letters attempt to convince
reader-prospects that there's nothing wrong with the
product or service...that it is absolutely perfect. This
kind of hyperbole will actually persuade some people, but
your credibility will suffer with more others. There's
nothing wrong with positioning your product or service to
sound better than the competition, but to position it as
perfect is a huge mistake. Admit your fault(s). Just be
sure to show their real significance (or lack of) in
proportion to the overall purchase.

A damaging admission must be 1) credible and 2) useful.

A damaging admission is only credible if it's real--
no product is perfect, so you shouldn't have to make up a
damaging admission. Work-at-home opportunities are
notorious for poor persuasive techniques, many to this
effect: "Hey, we understand that some people don't want
to make more money. That's okay--this new program isn't
for everyone. It's only for those who want a steady
stream of residual income." That's a ridiculous statement
and it isn't even a real argument. I don't know anyone
who wouldn't like to make more money. Making up a false
negative only hurts your image.

A damaging admission is often used to exclude (or
appear to exclude) potential customers who might be
turned off by the facts related to the admission. This
can be useful for eliminating time-wasting "tire kickers."

For example, if your product is expensive (but not
prohibitively so for your target audience) then say so up
front. Explain that the price is high, but that quality,
customer service, etc., makes up for the price and even
saves money over the life of the product. This will
exclude many people who have no real intention of buying
but still want more information. Plus, a higher price
often creates the perception of increased value.

(If you decide to use price as a damaging admission,
make sure your product will stand up to the test after
the purchase, or be prepared to see sales drop off
quickly.)

A damaging admission can be used to demonstrate a
reason for a discount. Consider a recent example in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area: a few days after a hailstorm, a
local car dealership advertised lowered prices as part of
a "hail sale." Their "damaging admission" was that many
of the cars had been marked by the hail, so the dealership
was forced to offer the cars at discount prices.

Were these cars really damaged? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Either way, the dealership seized the opportunity to use
a "damaging admission" to their advantage and have a
special sale. The success of the campaign would depend on
whether the damaging admission was credible. Were the
discounts proportional to the supposed hail damage? If
not, customers might think they'd been fooled. Because
there was an actual hailstorm, however, the admission was
probably accepted as credible.

When you write a sales letter, you're engaging in a
one-sided conversation. You can't be present to answer
any objections the reader might have and you can't be
there to respond to concerns about your credibility. Make
sure your sales letter does this for you.
About the Author
******************************************************
Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter/consultant.
He can be reached at contact@cobbwriting.com or by
visiting www.cobbwriting.com, where you can sign up
for his monthly e-pub, The Copy and Content Clinic.
******************************************************

2005-09-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

An SEO Copywriting Makeover Turning Not Into Hot Part 1 of 2 by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

I recently took on a project for a Web site that sells gas logs that I thought would make an interesting case study. As many people ask me what goes through my mind when I write search engine optimized copy, I took this opportunity to make notes as I wrote. Ill now share that information with you so you can make the necessary changes to your own copy.

The site had a lot of potential, but in its current state the sales orientation of the index (home) page and the keyword saturation were causing less-than-stellar results for the client. My job was to rewrite the index page (from scratch) in order to boost SE rankings.

The Assessment

When I first viewed the index page of http://www.eiklorflames.com my first impression was one of curiosity. I wondered why certain approaches were taken. Rather than draw the site visitor in, it gave me the feeling of being pushed away. I also questioned the use of features and benefits on the page. While features were mentioned, they were conveyed through industry jargon with no explanations. (See the original copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/Eiklor/EiklorFlames.html.)

The product was great, the client obviously understood their target audience (proven from the target audience analysis they completed), and other pages within the site were well writtenwarm and inviting. However the index page needed some help in order to achieve higher sales percentages and search engine rankings.

When I visited Google to check on current search engine positioning for the site, I found Eiklor Flames at number 48. It would take an upward movement of 38 positions to get them into the coveted top 10. So, I set out to complete the task before me.

What To Do?

During projects where copy already exists I always like to take a mental tour of whats currently on the site before I begin to rewrite copy from scratch. As I reviewed Eiklors current copy, I made the following notes of things I wanted to approach differently.

1. Make the copy search engine compatible.
2. Make the copy more inviting.
3. Draw the visitor into the fireplace experience.
4. Make the sale before sending them to the dealer.
5. Dont just give features give benefits, too.

How To Do It?

To implement the changes above, I worked with the copy in sections/phases.

1. Make the copy search engine compatible. This is always in the forefront of my mind when I write SEO copy. Because I want the keywords/phrases to appear in several strategic places, and throughout the body copy, I have to keep keywords in my mind the entire time Im writing. For this project, the keywords/phrases were: gas logs, and fireplace. While the keyword research was done by an SEO firm, I agreed that only two or three keywords should be used. Im of the opinion that when you try to work in five or six keywords/phrases per page, you lose your saturation and your focus.

To start, I always try to work a key phrase into the headline if at all possible. While it is not mandatory, you do get a few extra brownie points for having key phrases within header tags ( tags).

Rather than the simple headline of Gas Logs by Eiklor Flames that previously existed, I wanted to use a benefit-oriented headline. While the subheads of The Crme de la Crme of Gas Logs.
The 'Standard' by which you can judge the rest were not bad lines, they didnt actually tell me anything about gas logs.

Being unsure of the various personality types of all those that would come to the site, I had to write to accommodate everyone (as much as possible). Headlines that give benefits are always winners, so that strategy was a safe bet.

I also drew on my own experience as someone who owns gas logs. I thought back to how I went through the buying process. I remembered the information that was important from my buying experience and applied that to the copy and headline.

The new headline became: Eiklor Flames Gas Logs - Beautiful Affordable Energy Efficient.

It gives benefits, it speaks to the primary reasons people buy gas logs, and it includes the key phrase gas logs.

In Part 2 of this series, Ill finish up the copy, continuing to make it SEO and more user-friendly as I turn the jargon-filled features into powerful benefits.

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

How to Write Content That Matters, a conversation with Sean D'Souza by Jessica Albon

How to Write Content That Matters, a conversation with Sean D'Souza
By Jessica Albon
Copyright 2003, The Write Exposure

A master of metaphor, Sean D'Souza writes articles that astound readers. He gives readers what they want, and then some.

You might think writing articles as powerful as D'Souza's would require epic talent, but in fact, D'Souza says, it all starts with a headline.

When I sat down to interview D'Souza, I was worried he might hesitate to share his secrets for writing engaging content. Instead, he was as open about the behind-the- scenes aspects of his newsletter as he is in each issue. Offering advice from the candid: "The unsubscribe is only an email away," to the poetic: "Problems are whirlpools," he clearly explains how you, too, can write great content.

Jessica: Sean, thank you for agreeing to this interview! To get started, what do you try to accomplish with your newsletter, PsychoTactics?

Sean: I want people to learn that marketing can make them millions. But make sure you get into a customer's brain first. Think like they do. Understand what they really want. They want you to literally second guess.

They want to buy. You do stupid things and actually prevent them from buying.

Jessica: In your newsletter, you provide specific advice on making your marketing more effective. You offer readers information they can't get elsewhere online, so clearly, there are benefits to being a reader. How does the newsletter help you, as the publisher?

Sean: People writing in saying how their lives have changed, how their business has improved. Empowerment has been the best reward. People write looooooooong five page letters.

But seeing that it's a powerful tool to generate business and real money in the bank, has been pretty gratifying too.

My credit card register clicks through all the time because people trust that I will give them good stuff. We don't ask for business any more. It comes to us.

That way, the newsletter is a bit like a view into your soul. We started a membership just today and we already have had dozens of people sign up. They know they can trust us.

If you do things right and promote it well, your audience will materialise. It's a monster, but a likeable one.

A newsletter is the BEST Tool you can ever have. Don't underestimate it for one second! But you can't get away with trash. If you're going to have a newsletter, put out something momma would be proud of.

Jessica: How do you write the articles that, as you put it, your momma would be proud of? How do you keep your perspective fresh?

Sean: Reading, reading and reading. Nothing will make more ideas pop into your head. The second way is clients or helping other people. They ask weird questions, and the ideas go wild. I've got about 10 book ideas in my head and about 30 article ideas. I have to write them down or they give me the slip.

Be bold. Don't be boring. Anything that isn't boring is fresh. But also look at it from different angles. Look for examples. They help you explain and help the audience understand.

Jessica: What happens when you run out of fresh ideas?

Sean: I read. I talk to people. But I don't have that problem any more. Now I just think of headlines and write them down. Dozens of them. That makes it easy. Write what you know about.

It's making the article powerful that's difficult. Filling it with emotion, creating little twists in copy. That takes ages. It's like a good plot. You have to get the timing just right. I take four times as much time in the rewrite, than I do in the actual process of writing it. Thinking it through takes four times as much time too. So the actual writing is the shortest part of the whole process.

Jessica: So, you start your articles with a great headline?

Sean: First the headline, then the outline of the story. Then you think about it, create the story in your brain while you're walking or doing something else. Then flesh it out. Then edit, edit, edit, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. (You're getting the picture.)

Headline writing is a skill developed like everything else. You can't find it. Write dumb headlines to start with. Then look around and see what headlines grab your attention. Headlines with questions always do. Headlines with curiosity do. Headlines that have nothing to do with the subject like "Why do twins have the same last name, and different first names" work. That's because people are intensely curious. If you appeal to their curiosity, they will pounce on your headline.

But far by the biggest headline attention getter is the one with a problem in it. Problems are whirlpools. Do you make these mistakes in English? Are you struggling to attract CEOs? These are absolute killers. Identifying the biggest problem your client has and then putting that in the headline. I can assure you, the attention will be yours to keep.

Jessica: After you've got the headline written, how do you keep your articles appealing?

Sean: Break up paragraphs. Write good subheads. Keep it flowing.

Use lots of examples. Finish with a flourish. Write like you're going to say it in a speech.

The purpose of the every line is to make you read the next line. All communication must lead to change. That's the biggest lesson of all.

Readers are deadly. The unsubscribe is only an email away. You can't fool them with the word Free. It has no meaning. I don't want Free. I want good stuff. Readers can be quite demanding even when there's no charge. It keeps you on your toes.

Jessica: And part of the "good stuff" readers want in a newsletter is about personality, right?

Sean: Personality is everything. What are you without your personality? What is your product, your service and your brand without one?

Be pink or orange or purple, and let that show through. If you're a serious number cruncher, be dead serious. Give only figures and serious statistics. There will be a niche for you.

If you are a mad Psychotic like me, don't be afraid to show that through. That's literally your thumbprint. It's got to shine with a million watts. Remember, that a billion people are vying for the same spot.

As Dire Straits sang, "Sitting on the fence is a dangerous course. You could get a bullet from the peace keeping force."

Jessica: We're just about out of time. Earlier, you mentioned ending with a flourish, so, I'm curious, how do you write great endings?

Sean: The ending is a not just a wrap up of sorts. It is a clear reflection of the headline.

Different words. Same stuff. It can be again, like a movie. Sad, dramatic, unexpected etc. but it is always a mirror of the start.

If you write a great headline, you have a great ending. They're twins. They just sit on either side of the bookshelf. Sometimes, it helps to start with the end in mind. If you can turn out articles with the last line first, you'd become a bloody genius!

If you'd like to see more of Sean, visit him at his site http://www.psychotactics.com where he shares specific techniques for engaging buyers online and off. His insight into buyer's brains will make you wonder if he's got any cadavers in the basement.
About the Author
Is it your job to increase company profits? The Write Exposure offers the resources you need to do just that at http://www.designdoodles.com

2005-09-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Do You "Do" Voices? by Jessica Albon

Do You "Do" Voices?
Copyright 2003, The Write Exposure

When you write an article, is it all about you? Your thoughts, your insights, your opinions, your voice? Or do you include other people's voices in the form of interviews and research?

If your articles are nothing but a monologue, it's time to start adding voices.

Voices make your piece more compelling. They make you look more knowledgeable. Plus, they're visually appealing. "Readers love quotes," says Marjorie, a freelance writer. "What's more," she says, "they impart texture. No two people talk the same way."

How do you go about getting quotes? Here are some of the ways we do it at The Write Exposure:

Ask people you know. "Talk to customers, employees, and friends. Everyone likes to be quoted," reports Daniel "what-are-you-writing-about-and-can-I-be-quoted-in-it" an accountant with The Write Exposure.

Ask people you don't know. "After I've exhausted my network, I pull out the yellow pages," Marjorie says. "I just start at the top of the listings and work my way down. I always find someone to talk to before I make call number six."

Surf the Internet. "I love interviewing online," Greg, a desktop publisher, says. "It's quick and easy. You don't have to worry about misquoting someone and it enables me to interview, like, someone in Bangladesh or Australia."

Use a resource. "Lots of people like ProfNet.com, because it's online," David, a journalist, says. "But I prefer [the printed version of] The Yearbook because I can skim through it and something always catches my eye."

Ask someone else. For myself, I often find all the leads I turn up doing research lead to more leads. The trick is to end each interview with a request for another source. "Who knows almost as much about this topic as you do?" or "Who has the worst argument for why you're wrong?" often work well. Make sure you're talking to people on both sides of the issue so that your article will be well-balanced.

Quotes are the spice for your piece. The, as Marjorie said, "texture." They show you've done your research and that you're not the only one who feels a certain way. They also add visual interest. In fact, some readers only read articles with quotation marks in them. So go to the trouble to find a few extra quotes. Your reader will appreciate it.
About the Author
Is it your job to increase company profits? The Write Exposure offers the resources you need to do just that at http://www.designdoodles.com

2005-09-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

An SEO Copywriting Makeover Turning Not Into Hot Part 2 of 2 by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

In part one of this article series, I outlined a recent project I undertook for a Web site that sells gas logs. The site had a lot of potential, but in its current state the sales orientation of the index (home) page and the keyword saturation were causing less-than-stellar results for the client. My job was to rewrite the index page (from scratch) in order to boost SE rankings and response.

In part one, I gave the details of how I assessed the current copy, how I created a to do list of objectives, and how I reworked the copy in order to increase search engine optimization. Nowin part twowell continue.

The remaining items on my to do list included:

1. Make the copy more inviting.
2. Draw visitors into the fireplace experience.
3. Dont just give features give benefits, too.
4. Make the sale before sending them to the dealer.

Make the Copy More Inviting and Draw Visitors Into the Fireplace Experience

The current copy actually only consisted of one short paragraph that basically instructed the visitors to imagine their homes with Eiklor gas logs, told them that this site couldnt give them the true experience of gas logs, and that they should visit their local dealer.

But I wanted to get the site visitors in the mood for gas logs. Even though they may not be able to fully experience the atmosphere created by a fireplace-lit room, I wanted them dreaming about it prior to leaving the site. I also wanted them to be sold on Eiklor gas logs *before* they went to their local dealers.

Fireplace dealers normally dont sell just one brand of gas logs. Before the customers went tromping off to dealers who might try to sell them a set of gas logs with a higher profit margin, or with a special dealer rebate, I wanted to be sure the site visitors would be so impressed they would purposely mention the Eiklor name.

The original copy is here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/Eiklor/EiklorFlames.html
The revised version (not formatted) can be viewed here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/Eiklor/EiklorFlames-Revision.doc

As youll see, more emotion, more feeling, more of the personal experience of having a home with a fireplace is revealed in the new version. It connects better than the simple statement of Imagine these gas logs in your home.

Dont Just Give Features Give Benefits, Too and Make the Sale Before Sending Them to the Dealer

The next section of the copy has a two-fold purpose. One is to bolster the features of these logs with associated benefits so the site visitors better understand what theyre getting. The second is to convince them thatonce they visit their local retailersthey need to ask specifically for Eiklor Gas Logs.

The section with the bulleted list serves both purposes. By giving quick statements about both the features and benefits of these logs, Im giving the visitors the opportunity to scan for what they need. Im also quickly making points about the quality of these gas logs. Lastly, Im answering the ever-important question Whats in it for me?

The closing paragraph reiterates that Eiklor is considered one of the best and that the site visitors should go to the local dealer and see these logs for themselves.

Overall, the copy was greatly improved in both respectssearch engine optimization and sales orientation. Now the page is fully prepared to bring in new visitors and turn a profit from them.

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Case In Point: What You Need To Know About Link Popularity by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Link popularity. The term has flooded the Net over the last year, and everybody is in a buzz trying to build link popularity for their sites. But do we really understand what link popularity is, and how it works best? If not, youre about to find out.

Debra ONeil-Mastaler of Alliance Link (http://www.Alliance-Link.com) is here to give us the ins and outs of link popularity and how to ensure your linking strategies accomplish your goals.

KARON: Hi, Debra! It was such a pleasure to meet you in Atlanta for Jill Whalens Search Engine Conference. Thanks for agreeing to give us some link popularity tips today.

DEBRA: Thanks, Karon you, too! Its my pleasure to be here.

KARON: Heres the way I see it. While those who work professionally in the search engine optimization field understand the importance of link popularity, many small business owners are just now coming into the "know." Tell me why link popularity is so vital to success with SEO.

DEBRA: The short answer is because search engines, especially Google, use link popularity in their algorithms to determine a Web sites ranking.

Web sites are given a link popularity score based on the quality and number of external links pointing to them. Generally, when someone says he wants to increase his sites link popularity, he is referring to the number of quality links pointing at his site. While this is a good strategy and an important step, it is just that -- a step in the overall SEO process.

KARON: You mentioned link quality. There seems to be some controversy between those who say links don't have to be relevant, they just have to exist, and those who say that links must be from sites that could somehow be associated with your own site. Tell us the truth, Debra... which one is it?

DEBRA: The truth is, if I had the answer to link relevancy, Id be basking in the sun somewhere with Buff Boy on an extended first class vacation, counting the zillions I made from my tell-all link popularity e-book instead of working

KARON: I like the sound of that! So, tell us what you see as the truth. : )

DEBRA: The most truthful answer is -- I dont know if links have to be relevant. I dont have any definitive answers or truths to tell, and I dont know anyone that can, except the search engines of course.

KARON: So, what should people do about trading links or adding one-way links off their sites?

DEBRA: Heres my two cents: If it makes sense for you to link to a site in a complementary industry, then do it. Your visitors will appreciate the helpful content, and the other site may link back to you. People return to sites with products they want and resources they can use; if it makes sense to have links to pages that complement your products, then do it!

While I dont advocate linking to a bunch of non-related sites, I dont believe theres a penalty involved for linking to a couple of quality sites outside your niche. Most people/businesses have sites they like or a cause they want to support. Promoting these sites shows community spirit and establishes corporate personality.

Add these hyperlinks to a links we like section on your resource page. Separating the non-related links is helpful because it wouldnt dilute your sales message or confuse your visitors.

Link because it makes sense for your website. If you link only to influence search engine rankings, be careful. More times than not, this approach eventually leads to a drop in rankings or worse.

KARON: So, put site-related links in one section of a page and others in a separate section of the page. Cool. Thats easy enough. Now, let me ask you this what do you think about automated link generators? You know, those programs that are supposed to scour the 'Net for sites that relate to yours and send automated emails asking for a link exchange?

DEBRA: Ive never used them, so I cant speak directly to their effectiveness. Since Ive been doing this for several years, Ive created a technique and amassed solid resources to assist me. Every job I handle is hand crafted, time tested, and client approved!

I will come off the centerline and say that you should always customize the emails you send to potential link partners. No one likes a canned email request.

KARON: What do you recommend we include in emails asking for link exchanges?

DEBRA: Create one that will stand out and be different. That email is the make or break in your quest to improve your link popularity and get the link. Write a ho-hum email, and it goes to the delete file. Write a compelling personalized email, and youll probably get the link!

KARON: Great stuff, Deb! Now, link popularity has other benefits, too, right? In addition to boosting SE performance, it gives added avenues for driving traffic to sites. What other ways do those who pursue link popularity benefit?

DEBRA: One of the great things about linking to sites is the benefit everyone receives in the process. Its one of the few, long-term, low-cost, win-win situations out there. Sites that employ strategic link marketing programs know they stand to gain increased traffic for human visitors and spiders, brand exposure, a keen competitive analysis, and higher search engine rankings.

KARON: Yeah, all those things are important to online marketers. So, Debra what is the most common mistake people make when trying to develop a link popularity strategy?

DEBRA: Ive found its a tie between not developing a marketing plan and failing to see the big picture.

Building a solid link popularity strategy is NOT just about slapping links on a page or making sure all of your Web pages are hyperlinked. It should be part of a long-term search engine marketing plan for your online business.

Link building and link optimization programs should be done in conjunction with a well-organized SEO campaign period. Its not a quick fix, and the changes wont materialize overnight. But if you implement a thoughtful link marketing strategy, and invest some sweat equity, youll see the benefits in more ways than one. (Or you could outsource it to a link popularity professional! )

KARON: Thanks so much, Debra! I really appreciate the insights.

DEBRA: Youre most welcome, Karon. Glad to do it.

Visit Debras site at http://www.Alliance-Link.com for additional information about link popularity.

About the Author
Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Let Karon write targeted copy and ezine articles for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Data Delivers Credibility by Robert F. Abbott

Data Delivers Credibility

By: Robert F. Abbott

Over the past couple of days I've been setting up visitor counters, so people in another organization can accurately count the number of people who visit their event.

They got the idea (and the counters) from an association I belong to, and they, too, are learning how data delivers credibility.

I'm always impressed by how much respect I get when speaking or writing with specific, solid numbers. For example, when I talk about the number of visitors who came through the gates of my association's event on a specific night, I don't talk about "a lot" or "a few" or "more than the night before."

Instead, I can say something like, "2,348 visitors came through last night, compared to 1,852 the evening before." That specificity makes a difference when it comes to credibility, and if I propose a certain course of action based on those numbers, I'm likely to get the support I need from other members of the board.

Data, you see, represents very specific information, and often, the more specific you can be, the more credibility you have.

Similarly, direct marketing gurus encourage their clients to use specific numbers in headlines, rather than generalizations. That's why effective direct mail, and now online advertising, uses claims like "Learn how one sales rep earned $2,216.78 last week..." rather than "Learn how one sales rep earned more than $2,000 last week..."

By being specific, the headline writer converts a boast ("more than $2,000") into a conceivably credible claim. What's implied is that it must be true or the writer wouldn't use that specific figure.

You'll find other professionals get credibility in the same way. For example, lawyers get it by citing precedents. Rather than talk to a judge in generalities, good lawyers cite previous case law and decisions by other judges.

You also know the clergy gain credibility by citing passages of scripture, along with the chapter and verse numbers. And, how about the medical profession? For example, physicians and others don't speak of "heart attacks;" instead they speak of different kinds of heart disease and conditions. By being specific they gain credibility, credibility that sets them apart from lay people.

The concept works for just about anyone, in any profession or occupation. Suppose, for example, you're a sales manager attending a budget meeting, and the general manager wants you to increase your sales by 15% next year, far more than you're likely to achieve. To argue persuasively that the target should be lowered, you might explain that the economy of your city is only expected to grow 2% next year, that your main competitor recently cut prices by an average of 4.5%, and that your company's production will be just 5% greater next year. Now, you've got ammunition when you argue for a lower sales target.

In summary: Data, in the form of specific numbers or references, adds credibility to messages. It's a technique used by many professionals, including the clergy, physicians, and sales people.

About the Author
Robert F. Abbott, the author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes about communication issues in the free online ezine, Abbott's Communication Letter: http://www.abbottletter.com .

2005-09-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Solving the "I Get Tons of Traffic But No Sales" Mystery by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

I cant even begin to tell you how many times Ive heard the statement, I get tons of traffic, but no sales. Its normally followed by comments like: My site is highly optimized for the engines and my rankings are great. I dont understand why no one is buying. Let me shed some light on this mystery.

Most often, when site owners (or professional copywriters for that matter) write search engine optimized copy, they develop tunnel vision. They are so focused on the placement of keyphrases throughout the copy that they neglect something very important the customer!

Because the immediate task at hand seems to be getting the site ranked high, the writer neglects to take out his or her crystal ball and gaze into the future. What should you be asking the crystal ball? What happens when the customer gets to my site?

Oops! Didnt think of that? Dont feel embarrassed. Many people dont. Developing SEO (search engine optimized) copy is like creating a complete circle. You have to have good keyword saturation in order to get ranked in those prime spots. You have to have keyword-rich title and description tags (mostly the title tag) to land in the top 10. Once you achieve that your site starts drawing in surfers. Now that theyve clicked to your site, what happens? The copy has to give them what they want/need. Thats the missing piece to the puzzle and the factor that causes so many people to scratch their heads in disbelief.

When writing SEO copy, you have to think of the beginning AND the end of the process. You have to create copy that satisfies both the engine and the customer. Once you do, youll not only have boatloads of traffic, but youll have the sales that go along with it. So, there mystery solved! Or at least part of it.

Weve covered the why, now lets look at the how.

1. Know Your Target Audience

In order to give someone what he/she wants, you have to know what that want is. Take the time to research your target audience (also called target customer, perfect customer, or ideal customer). Find out as much as you can about them including who they are, what they do, how they use your product/service, how old they are, what problems they have, and how they prefer to receive information.

2. Stop Selling and Start Solving

So many people are pushing to get that almighty dollar (or euro or pound) that they forget something. Customers dont like to be sold to. What they really want is someone to solve their problems. Once you show that your product/service can, in fact, solve the problems your customers face, sales will come on their own.

3. Appeal To Emotions

Most buying decisions are emotional so it makes sense that your copy should be, too. While your customers need may be logical, the actual buying decision is anything but. Think about it. When you bought your last car, did you go for the logical choice? Did you pick the ugly, shapeless, no personality car that had the best gas mileage and the highest safety rating? I doubt you did.

You most likely took a look at all the options andtaking some logic into accountbought the car that suited you best within your price range. Emotion sells!

No, Im not talking about getting mushy. What I AM talking about is touching the emotional chord that draws customers to your product or service. Those problems you found out about when doing steps #1 and #2 above use them to add emotion to your copy.

With these three vital elements in your forethoughts, you can sit down and write your copywith your keyphrases in mindfor tremendous results. When you understand the entire process and take the time to learn to write emotional, sales-oriented, SEO copy, you will keep your traffic count high and your checkbook balance higher.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Let Karon write targeted, SEO copy for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-09-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

How to Improve Your Writing Without Writing a Word by Walter Burek

Many an ad, business letter and TV commercial comes into being slowly, even painfully. Maybe because some of us write as if we were still using an IBM Selectric, wite-out and a badly worn Webster's. For that matter, maybe some still are. And that's OK.

But in these digital days, software and the Internet can help a tech-savvy writer be a better writer and make getting the job done easier. While writing every day is still the best practice for improving your writing skills, there are programs and Web sites available today that can really help your writing along.

Here are 18 digital tools you can use to research, brainstorm, organize, compose, communicate and bring out the better writer in you.

Wordsmithing Grammar and Style

Clich Finder. You've always been told to "avoid clichs like the plague." But sometimes there's no other way to write or talk your way out of a sticky situation. This site lets you search for just the right clich, by entries that include a specific word. | www.westegg.com/cliche |

Common Errors in English. This is a useful list of words often misused. Plus an interesting list of usages people keep telling you are wrong but which are actually standard in English. Links to other grammar resources as well.
| www.wsu.edu/%7Ebrians/errors/errors.html |

Dictionary of Difficult Words. Do you aim to become a member of the literati, or do you wish to be a savant? Do you want to avoid being verbigerative and be succinct instead? Search this list of over 13,900 difficult words to increase your vocabulary or just find out what those words really mean. | www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/dictionaries/difficultwords |

fun-with-words.com. Everything you want to know about amusing quirks, peculiarities, and oddities of the English language. Stuff like palindromes, spoonerisms, oxymora, and more. | www.fun-with-words.com |

Word Play. A list of links to dictionaries, foreign language translations, word games and wacky sites like The Apostrophe Protection Society, Burma Shave Signs, The Country & Western Song Generator and The Klingon Language
Institute. | www.wolinskyweb.com/word.htm |

The Word Spy. This site is devoted to recently coined words and phrases, old words that are being used in new ways, and existing words that have enjoyed a recent renaissance. | www.wordspy.com |

Word Menu. This software version of Random House's printed Word Menu blends all the best features of a dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia into one-easy-to-use reference. Words are organized by subject rather than alphabetically. Windows and Mac. Available from www.wordmenu.com.

WordDog Plain English Editor. Add this program to your Microsoft Word app and it will sniff out ambiguous words, verbose phrases, redundancies and overworked phrases. Windows only. Available from www.worddog.com.

Reference

All Experts. If you can't find the info you need in this enormous archive of free Q&A, send your question to an expert of your choice (also free.)
| www.allexperts.com |

Bartelby.com. The perfect site to search for a Shakespeare quote, fact-check a line from a great classic, or look something up in Gray's Anatomy. Unrestricted access to reference, verse, fiction and nonfiction books.
| www.bartleby.com |

How Stuff Works. Want to know how those traveling lawn sprinklers work? Or how to clone a sheep? Or fix a leaky toilet? This is the site with all the answers. Channels for computers, electronics, home, science and more.
| www.howstuffworks.com |

Library Spot. An easy-to-navigate uber-library that provides answers to question with links to innumerable reference sites, including many other libraries.
| www.libraryspot.com |

Refdesk. An outstanding site filled with fact-finding links and connections to hundreds search engines and research sites. | www.refdesk.com |

Visual Thesaurus. A work of art that is also an excellent thesaurus. Synonyms and definitions unfold on your screen in a beautiful ballet. A slow-loading site, but well worth the wait. | www.visualthesaurus.com |

Creativity

CreativityforLife.com. Explore the creative process in your work and in your personal life. Plus links to many other creativity sites.
| www.creativityforlife.com |

Creativity-Portal. An elegant site that promotes creativity in all areas of life but features a page specific to writing. | www.creativity-portal.com |

The Soul Food Cafe. A soothing site that promotes writing and creative pursuits as a daily practice. Full of tips, techniques, references and encouragement for writers of all kinds. | www.dailywriting.net |

Organization

Tinderbox. This software application stores notes, ideas and plans, mapping them in colors and shapes as they're created. It then scans the notes and links and organizes them by patterns and relationships. It will even gather and update relative info and breaking news from the Internet. Mac only. Available from www.eastgate.com.

Burek Group 2003

Walter is an professional advertising copywriter who writes, edits and
publishes "WORDS@WORK", a FREE bimonthly newsletter of advice and
about writing that works. To view his award-winning portfolio and to
subscribe, visit http://www.walterburek.com You may also subscribe via
mailto: WordsAtWork@comcast.net .

Thank you for your interest in this article.You may freely publish it in print or
on the Web as long as you include the byline and credits. Also, please advise
me of publication by mailto: walter@walterburek.com

About the Author
Walter Burek is an award-winning copywriter who has been a writer and Creative Director on some of advertisings most important accounts.

Walter also writes, edits and publishes Words@Work, a free newsletter for marketing communications professionals.

2005-09-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Getting Looked Over, Without Getting Overlooked: by Matthew Cobb, copywriter

*Scanning and Skimming Practices*
Whether you're writing e-mail messages or Web site sales
letters, you need to know how to hold the attention of
different types of readers. Even the readers that don't
actually "read."

Most readers will either scan, skim, or both, especially
when reading online or when reading long pieces. Optimizing
the writing on your site for those who scan and those who
skim isn't extremely difficult, but it does require an
attention to detail.

First, let's take a look at what these terms mean.

Scanning--involves looking for particular elements,
such as headlines, subheadings, and text that is
highlighted, bold-faced, or otherwise emphasized.
Scanners read only the elements that "stick out,"
their eyes moving from one attention-grabbing word
or phrase to another.

Skimming--involves looking over the entire page but
only superficially, like a speed-reader. Skimmers
may see the same elements that scanners do, but
they don't focus that much on anything specific for
very long. They glance over all of it, just trying
to get the basic idea.

Most readers do a combination of scanning and skimming.
They might scan a page and find a headline that grabs their
attention, then skim the paragraph beneath it. Only when
they find something really interesting will they go back
and read.

Sometimes, the information in the various headings and
emphasized text is all the information a visitor needs. In
fact, a visitor to a consumer sales site should conceivably
be able to make their entire buying decision based solely
on the headlines and emphasized text.

It's important to note that scanning and skimming isn't
something that was created by the Web. (It just seems like
it sometimes.) Audiences have been skimming newspaper
headlines and flipping through TV channels for quite some
time now.

*6 Steps for Writing for Scanners and Skimmers*
In the Information Overload Age, consumers have grown tired
of sales hype and marketing fluff. They're already
predisposed to skimming and scanning. Short attention spans
and a high level of skepticism are becoming a part of their
nature.

But all is not lost. Optimizing for scanners and skimmers
(and turning them into readers) isn't easy, but you can do
it if you take a steady approach and revise carefully.
Here's an example of how you can do it:

Step 1) Write out the main points of your sales
argument (which some will call a sales "pitch," but
since I want to persuade rather than "pitch," I look
at this process as a kind of debate...hence, a
sales argument.) These main points will be your
subheadings. List them as a skeleton outline for
your piece, and leave space beneath each.

Step 2) Below each main point, write down the main
words and phrases associated with each point in
your argument.

Step 3) Start writing the body of the piece. Here,
you'll explain everything in full detail. People
who read the body of your message want details, so
you should provide all the relevant information
that you can imagine a potential customer might
want to read.

Step 4) Take the words and phrases you generated
in Step 2 and thread them throughout the body of
the message. Make sure they work within the context
of the paragraphs (in other words, don't just throw
them in anywhere.) Use bold-facing, italics,
underlining, or highlights to draw attention to
these words or phrases. (Just don't go overboard...
too much emphasis can come off as "salesy", and
you'll need to only use as much emphasized text as
you think your audience will deem credible. An ad
for a luxury car won't use as much emphasized text
as a sales letter for the latest mail-order kitchen
gizmo.)

Step 5) Look at all you've written and come up with
a headline that ties it all together with a strong,
unique benefit. The headline should generate
curiosity and target a specific audience. Statistics
and testimonials generally make strong headlines by
getting attention and establishing credibility,
which is important for making a connection with
your target audience.

Step 6) At this point, you've written your first
draft. As you read back through what you have, ask
yourself a few questions: Does my headline lead
logically to my subheads? Do my subheads lead
logically to the emphasized text? Does the
emphasized text fit logically into the context of
the body? Most importantly, can a visitor make a
buying decision based solely on the headings and
emphasized text?

Sometimes, you'll find that certain elements no longer fit
the original argument. Your approach may change. That's
okay. Revise until everything flows together and makes
sense during the first reading.

Never be afraid to go back and rewrite. Always use the
strongest material, even if that means deleting half of
what you've already written. It's the only way to get your
best work.

The truth is, most readers won't make it to the body of
your message. That's okay--don't expect them to. Not all
of them will be right for your offer.

You need be able to get your points across with good
headlines, subheadings, and emphasized text. If you can do
that, you won't have to be afraid of how--or whether--your
visitors actually read the entire page.
About the Author
Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter. Visit www.cobbwriting.com to learn more about his freelance copywriting services or to sign up for his monthly e-publication, The Copy and Content Clinic.

2005-09-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

"The Importance Of Sales Copy" by Randall Helling

There are a lot of online entrepreneurs trying to sell excellent products - but failing! They are failing because they are overlooking the importance of getting their message out to prospective clients. (...their "sales copy" - an effective direct response sales message.)

To many internet newbies focus on the fancy website technology. I have personally been to hundreds (...maybe even thousands) of websites that have sounds, flashing popups, scrolling messages and more...but I can't find what they are selling!

Your goal, whether it's a webpage, sales letter or newsletter article, should be to get visitors to take immediate action. You want visitors to view literature that you've created and immediately be motivated to learn and/or know more.

There are numerous individuals promoting information on writing sales letters and advertisements - and I'll even recommend a few at the end of this article. But what you need to fully understand first, is the basic ingredients of a "sales copy":

1. The Headline
2. The Opening
3. The Selling Copy
4. The Tone
5. The Offer
6. The Guarantee
7. The Motivation
8. The Postscripts

Obviously I don't have time to go through all of these items here. So, let me just touch on the first item. But remember, you are going to have to fully understand all of these basics to be successful.

The Headline - "Writing Headlines"

The headline of a sales letter is so important because this one little item will either make or break you. It's estimated that 85% of the of a sales letter's effectiveness is gathered in the headline!

The key ingredient is emotion. Emotion is what moves people, for example, loss of income, loss of health, fear of failure, etc. All of these things are purely emotional and will be extremely effective in regards to sales power. Examples:

"Your Health Depends On This Information!"
"Stop Letting Others Cheat You Out Of Income!"
"This New Vitamin Will Add Years To Life"

I even saw a headline recently that read: "Don't Open This!" (...of course, I admittedly did!)

The point is, try to get readers focused on a quick benefit. Grab their attention. If you can't do it in the initial heading, try a sub-heading.

In the example above, "Don't Open This!"...the sub-heading read, "Just another example of a sales heading that increases profits"

Notice that the sub-heading spoke only about the benefits of the initial heading...and it was emotional.

Remember, the heading is only a part of the overall sales letter. You need to incorporate all of the parts to be successful. To learn more about all of the parts of an effective sales copy, visit my website at: http://www.websuccess-online.com

To Your Success,
Randall Helling

PS: As promised, here is a link to several individuals promoting sales writing techniques that I highly recommend:
http://www.websuccess-online.com/_salescopy.htm

==============================================

Article by Randall Helling of Helling Enterprises. Visit us at http://www.websuccess-online.com for FREE "hands-on" & "how-to" online business success strategies. Featuring internet marketing assistance, software, manuals, web services and much, much more.

==============================================
About the Author
Entrepreneur Randall Helling started his online business on a shoestring budget after nearly losing everything. Today, he lives comfortably teaching others how to spin serious profits from the web, right from the comfort of their own homes.

2005-08-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

Out of Focus Ads Can Cost You Customers by Karon Thackston

by KaronThackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

As I was riding down the road last week, I noticed a billboard. As I sat waiting on a stoplight I kept staring at it. I couldnt help wondering what those people were thinking when they created that thing. It made no sense to me whatsoever. The focus was completely off. They were spending all that money on a billboard that was practically useless.

That happens quite a bit with all types of advertising. Well-meaning people design and/or write ads that just dont make good sense. For all their time and all their money they will likely get nothing in return. So, what did they do that was all wrong?

This particular billboard was for a realtor. Half of it was taken up with his photo. I understand photos they help to create relationships and give people a face to put with an otherwise arbitrary name. But half the billboard? The photo should have definitely been much smaller.

The next biggest thing on the billboard was the realtors tag line. To be honest, I dont remember what the tag line was something pretty generic like Serving your real estate needs for 15 years. Nothing worth taking up all that space for.

Next in about the same size font (type) as the tag line were the name of the real estate company and the realtors name.

Last - and in the smallest type - was the contact phone number. Hmmm does something seem wrong to you?

Now lets think about this. What is the purpose of putting up a billboard - or any other piece of advertising? To get people to respond. And how do people respond? In this case by contacting you. If I had a shot at redesigning this billboard, I would do a lot of things differently.

The biggest two things on the billboard would be the realtors name and his contact phone number. If a person driving by only got two pieces of information from this ad, Id want it to be the name of who to contact and how.

Next, Id want to see a tell-all tag line (USPunique selling position). Something that sets this realtor apart from others. Something that tells me - as a prospect - that I need *this* guy to sell my house not any of the other 6,000 realtors in my area.

Lastly, Id work in the smaller photo, and the name of the realty company. Both are needed, but they dont need to be as large as they were.

When you create any piece of advertising, you have to keep the end results in mind. What do you want to happen once a prospect sees your ad? In this case, the realtor wanted people to call him. Therefore, the contact information simply has to be prominent.

People driving past a billboard *may* have a total of 3 seconds of viewing time. Since this billboard was near a stoplight (great choice of location by the way), those who were stopped had a few more seconds, maybe even a minute, of viewing time, IF they noticed the billboard. (They may have been looking in the rearview mirror and yelling at their kids!) That means the focus has to be crystal clear.

When you create advertising pieces, be sure to keep your focus in mind. What do you want to accomplish with this ad? If every aspect does not lend itself in some way to getting the prospects to respond the way you need them to, consider reworking your ad.

Whether its billboards, postcards, Web sites, newspapers, magazines, or brochureskeep your focus in check. Making it easy for the customer to buy will bring you maximum results.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Let Karon write targeted, persuasive copy for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-08-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Make Your Website Sell by Chris Mole

Make Your Website Sell
By Chris Mole

Thousands of new websites are springing up every week. The owners of these sites are full of optimism that their venture into e-commerce will transform their business by bringing in new customers and boosting their sales.

But the reality is that most websites fail abysmally as sales tools. Why? Because the owners of these sites have spent a lot of money creating fancy graphics but have paid little attention to the words on the site. And its the words on websites that sell. Your fancy graphics might entertain your potential customers but they wont make the sale.

Take a look at many of the websites out there in cyberspace. They are full of spelling mistakes, poor grammar and cumbersome text that makes you want to do only one thingclick your mouse button and move to something else.

Small and medium businesses are particularly guilty of this. The words appear to be an after-thought, hurriedly cobbled together to fill the space between the images.

One of Americas e-commerce gurus, Ken Evoy, believes 90 percent of websites are failing to get the order from potential customers browsing the web, because they are badly written, or written in the wrong style.

Remember, people use the Net to find information. And information is contained in words, not graphics, Evoy says.

Lets face it, theres some pretty cool stuff on the web, and its fun to play with. But dont be tempted. Your sales site cant be self-indulgent. You have to think customer every step of the way. Customers want information.

Compelling text is 1000 percent more important than fancy design. After all, if a fancy page has no substance, it delivers no value.

Web selling also has two important features to consider. First, the customer sought you out. This is a big positive. Second, there are thousands of other companies on the web competing for your customers business. And since you are a virtual vendor, the customer can click you away in a secondwithout even feeling bad about it. This is a huge negative.

When you think about selling on the web, keep these two points clearly in mind. You have a potential customer browsing your site, finger poised over their mouse. One click and theyre gone.

So what should an effective website look like? First, keep it simple. It may be nice to have moving images to greet the customer when they enter the site, but make sure it doesnt take too long to load. Otherwise the customer will get impatient andclicktheyre gone.

All your site really needs is to be clean, simple and well-structured. It doesnt have to be fancy. It doesnt have to be complicated. And it doesnt have to be expensive.

Thats not to say your site shouldnt look professional. Its your store front - a reflection of your business and the quality of your productso it has to convey the image you want to present to the world. But a clean, simple site can do that. Some of worlds biggest e-tailers like Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble, have very simple logos.

So lets get back to the key to a successful websitethe words. If you want to write the copy yourself, think carefully about the purpose of the text. You are writing sales copy. And the secret of all successful sales copy is to think like your customer.

To quote Ken Evoy again: Web selling is about selling one customer at a timeone-to-one sellingyou and the customer talking together about their needs and wants.

Most people make the mistake of writing their websites for themselves. They tell how wonderful their company is, how long its been in business and technical details about the products they offer. But the customer doesnt want to know about you and your company. The customer is interested in one thingwhats in it for me?

So focus on the benefits of your product or service. After every sentence you write, see yourself as your customer and ask the question: so what?.

For example, lets imagine you are selling a new email filter that keeps spam out of peoples mailboxes. Dont bore your potential customer with the technical details. Focus on the benefits of having such a filter. For example, you might say something like: Do you waste valuable time dealing with junk email every day? Ban-It Mail Filter is the answer to your problem. Ban-it is the most effective filter available to keep spam out of your mailbox and put back more time into your day.

You are selling benefitsnot features. Even experienced copywriters sometimes get the two mixed up.

You need to have a clear picture in your mind of the customer you are writing for. Write as if you were sitting in a chair opposite them and talking face to face. And tell them what your product or service can do for them.

That in a nutshell is the secret of writing copy for the Web.

If you can do this, the potential of web selling is enormous. It outranks Gutenburgs printing press, Marconis wireless and Bells telephone all rolled together.

So dont waste the fantastic opportunity presented by cyber-marketing. Make sure your website copy is doing the job you want it to. If you dont feel competent to write it yourself, hire a professional copywriter. The investment will repay itself many times over.

ENDS

About the Author
Chris Mole is a freelance writer/editor based in Ashburton. His company, Plain Words, specialises in writing and editing for print and web media. Chris has more than 20 years' experience writing for newspapers, magazines, radio and electronic media and as an editor of books and magazines, in New Zealand and the UK. Visit the author's website at www.plainwords.co.nz

2005-08-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

IT'S TIME TO START THAT "SWIPE" FILE by David B. Silva

IT'S TIME TO START THAT "SWIPE" FILE
David B. Silva

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. The craft that goes into your writing.

Craft comes first. Art follows.

You learn the craft of writing by educating yourself, by the actual process of writing (the doing), and by reading incessantly. Every successful writer will tell you that reading has been and still is the cornerstone of developing his craft.

Reading presents you with a written illustration of what works and what doesn't, of what you like as a writer and what you don't. It helps you understand the possibilities, and offers practical instruction of how the rules of your craft are used.

Most writers, when they start out, mimic their favorite authors. I have a friend who became incredibly adept at writing like Stephen King. For several years, everything I wrote had a Ray Bradbury flavor.

Eventually, we developed our own styles, which were richer for having first gone through this mimic stage.

The point is this: part of any effective learning process is to mimic what has been successful before you.

This is true of copywriting, too. And it's the reason you need to start a "swipe" file if you want to become a successful copywriter.

What is a "swipe" file? It's exactly what it sounds like ... a file of great copywriting examples that you've collected, studied, and can access whenever you're in need of a little inspiration. These are not examples meant to be plagiarized. You aren't copying work here; you're adapting it to your own copywriting needs.

For example ... suppose you're writing a sales letter for an Internet site that sells an expensive men's wristwatch and you're in need of a great headline. You search through your "swipe" file and find a sales letter for The Oxford Club (actually taken from my own "swipe" file) with the headline: A Man's Right To Wealth. How To Master Every Situation And Prosper On A Grand Scale.

You toy around with it and come up with this: A Man's Right To Elegance. How To Impress In Every Situation With A Watch That Does Far More Than Keep Accurate Time.

See how a good "swipe" file can help?

You can use it to adapt opening sentences. Or the layout of a sales letter. Or the guarantee you or your client offers. Even the pace or the emotional "tug" of a piece.

By using your "swipe" file, your creative juices are instantly flowing. There's no blank page. You already have something to work with. And as any good writer will tell you, it's easier to edit than it is to write.

So where do you get the material for your "swipe" file?

The quickest and easiest source is the Internet. Start checking out website sales letters. Print them out. Good or bad (even the bad ones can inspire your work). Study them. And keep them close by in a handy file.

The other great source is from mailing lists. If you're already on a few lists, then start filing those pitches away when they arrive instead of tossing them out. If you're not on a list, try purchasing a product or asking for a catalog. It won't be long before you're on a number of lists and your "swipe" file is growing exponentially.

Two good places to get started are: Publisher's Clearing House, 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050; and Nightingale-Conant, 7300 N. Leigh Avenue, Chicago, IL 60648.

Try them both. Try any others that come to mind, as well. Just start building your "swipe" today!

____________________________________

Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. David B. Silva is the author of seven novels and numerous short stories. He served as a magazine editor for eight years, and recently edited and published a small e-mail newsletter dedicated to writers and fans of the horror genre.

Learn all you'll ever need to know about effective, result-producing copywriting from the very best: http://www.thesuccessfulwriter.com/copywritingseminar.htm
About the Author
Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. David B. Silva is the author of seven novels and numerous short stories. He served as a magazine editor for eight years, and recently edited and published a small e-mail newsletter dedicated to writers and fans of the horror genre.

Learn all you'll ever need to know about effective, result-producing copywriting from the very best: http://www.thesuccessfulwriter.com/copywritingseminar.htm

2005-08-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Transform your Home Page to Pull Sales with Passion Copywriting by Judy Cullins

Transform your Home Page to Pull Sales with
Passion Copywriting
Judy Cullins c 2003 All Rights Reserved.

If you are like many professionals, you know your subject, you
are an expert in your field. You are even passionate about it!
What you may not know is how to tell people about your services
and products to get them to buy.

Your home page needs passion. You have only 10 seconds or
so to impress your visitor. Make sure you don't have long
paragraphs of bio or description of your mission, service, or
book. Visitors, who really are potential clients or customers,
want to know what's in it for them. Make every word count.

Place the most important messages in the top half of your Web
home page.

"How to Transform your Home Page to Pull Sales With Passion
Copywriting"

1. Prepare a list of benefits for each product or service. Some of
the top benefits are making money, saving money, creating loving
relationships, saving time, disappointment--anything that solves
the person's particular problem. Be sure to survey your friends
and associates, ask them to vote on which phrases compel them
to buy. Ask them to add words or phrases that would convince
them. Benefits sell.

2. Prepare a list of features. These describe your products and
services. They are the parts of your book such as charts, tips
and how-to's. These are the ways you can help your clients
such as phone coaching or teleclasses.

Choose the best five benefits and features. Combine them.
For example: "Seven Ways/Steps to Quadruple your Online
Sales Within Four Months." The ways or steps are the feature,
the specific benefit is "quadruple sales within four months."

2.. Include a benefit-driven headline for each product or service.

Remember, your visitors are thinking, "So, what? Why should I
buy this?" They are easily distracted, so you need to grab them
by the collar with your headline. Your dazzling headline can
include a specific benefit, can ask a question, or make an
outrageous claim you can prove. Remember to speak to your
audience's problem or challenge and give them a reason to buy.

Sample headlines: "Imagine Yourself a Published Author in Just
One Month!" or "Enjoy Leap Out of Bed Energy" or "Make
Decisions with Confidence and Ease."

If you have a product you want to sell, place that headline at the
very top--even above your opening question or statement.

You can even use a testimonial as your headline. The whole
phrase can be the link to your product.

Include another headline for your service. If it's coaching or
consulting try something like this, "Let the Book Coach Make
Your Book Dream a Reality," or "Pull Ongoing, Lifetime Profits by
Marketing Your Products with Online Promotion."

If you want to boost subscribers to your ezine, first give it a
catchy name. Then put a short testimonial from an expert in the
field near the place to subscribe. Another proven technique is to
include an offer of a free report with each subscription. Potential
customers come to your site for free information, not to buy your
product. Be patient with this process because after your visitors
know and trust you, they are be likely to buy.

Be sure to add a notice: "Please bookmark this site, we upload
new material every two weeks." Or, "If you like this Web site,
send this page to a friend or associate." Of course, have your
Web master include the correct links.

3. Include a short piece about yourself--maybe three or four
lines. Web visitors don't care about you. They want to know what
you can do for them.

4. Include 3-5 questions you think your potential buyer has and
that you have the answers for. Offer a link to your service page.

Wondering what these benefit statements (links) connect to?
Your award-winning, "what's in it for me" sales letter of course,
but that's another article.

Think passion and benefits when you revise your Web home
page. Make sure it's fast loading and easy to read. Get feedback
from others to make sure your Web home page gives what your
potential customers want.
About the Author
Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach
Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams
eBk: "Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Online"
http://www.bookcoaching.com/products.shtml
Send an email to Subscribe@bookcoaching.com
FREE The Book Coach Says... includes 2 free eReports
Judy@bookcoaching.com
Ph:619/466/0622

2005-08-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Short Copy: Understanding Its Purpose Can Increase Sales by Karon Thackston

Short Copy: Understanding Its Purpose Can Increase Sales
by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

I believe it was Mark Twain that once said, "If I would have had time, I would have written a shorter letter." His point being... it takes much more thought and time to write a short, concise piece than a long one. It's true, too!

Think about it. How hard is it to get your point across in a very limited amount of time or space? Ever tried to write copy for a postcard mailing? How about a 30-second radio commercial? How do you tell customers everything you want them to know in just a few words? Truth is... you don't.

Short copy has some special considerations. The first (and most important) is that it isn't meant to make the sale. Then why do you write it? *To spark interest!*

Short copy plays an important role in the advertising process. It can be used as a lead generation tool, an announcement, a teaser to build interest, and in lots of other ways. Extremely short copy is simply meant to lead to other means of closing a sale.

Postcard mailers might instruct the reader to send for an information package. Pay-per-click search engine listings will guide the reader to a Web site just full of copy. Ezine ads do the same thing. Small display ads in newspapers or in-store signage may encourage the reader to get more details. You get the point.

Short copy needs to be extremely targeted. For example, if you're running a small display ad in a magazine you'll want to take into consideration "why" the readers bought that magazine. Then create your headline and copy to speak to their special interests.

If the magazine is devoted to Web site development, address that interest in your ad. Consider what will grab your customer's attention and make him/her curious. The "call-to-action" for short ads is always aimed at getting more information... not necessarily at making the sale.

Many times, short copy will pull a better response if a limited-time offer is made. "Zero percent interest until January 30th" or "Order before February 1st and get FREE shipping."

WARNING: Be very, VERY sure that your support copy is ready to go when you run short ads. For instance, I once had a client approach me about writing copy for a postcard campaign he wanted to do. As we went through the process of his customers' most desired behavior, I discovered that he wanted readers to visit his Web site to get the additional information they needed in order to purchase. However, his Web site was hardly set up to sell anything to anybody.

While the postcard was fully capable of generating leads for the client, the support information he had prepared was in desperate shape! He would have seen little return on his investment - not because the postcard didn't do its job - but because the "landing page" of his site was simply awful.

Whether you're asking readers of short copy to call, click, or come by, be sure your support staff or information is ready, willing, and able to handle the job.

Lastly, when you write extremely short copy, remember to stay focused. As I've said, there is not enough room to sell the customers within your copy, but there IS enough room to pique their interest. Use the limited space you have to punch up the biggest benefits or end results your customers are looking for, and you'll see bigger returns on your investment.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Let Karon write targeted, persuasive copy for you. Visit her site at http://www.ktamarketing.com, or learn how to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Don't forget to subscribe to Karon's free ezine at http://www.ktamarketing.com/ezine.html.

2005-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

How to write for the web by Polly Nelson

The content on your website needs to be even more carefully thought out than the content on your brochures. This article offers some useful advice on where to start when writing for the web.

Get Read
To start with, web users don't read pages. They scan them, looking for interesting information. They always want to move on and don't always believe what they read.

To gain and keep their attention; you need to be relevant, interesting, up-to-date, brief, consistent, easy to understand and accurate.

Know your audience
A good place to start is with your audience. Think very carefully about who they are. This is obviously easier to do if your business is aimed at a niche market. If not; remember that you can't be all things to all people - and find out who your most profitable customer group is. Aim your content at them.

How do they talk, how do they think, what do they know and what do they want to know? Ensure you know your audience and write at their level and in their language. Make it relevant to them.

Get scannability
Write in an inverted pyramid (say the point and then explain it). Start with a really good headline that offers relevant benefits of reading the text. Next, summarise your point. Put the who, what, where, when and how in the first two sentences. In the next paragraph, briefly explain the why and then move on.

Ensure you write paragraphs on pages to be read out of order. Remember that people have different sized screens and won't generally scroll down to find out whether or not the information is interesting. Put the main points at the top of the page in bold.

Ensure you are up to date
Keeping your information up to date is hugely important. This is becoming more and more the case. More companies are moving over to content management systems and updating their content regularly. Being out of date even by days will hugely damage your credibility.

Keep it brief
Leading sentences are 10-20 words. Keep it short. There is a limited amount of time that people stay on websites for. They don't lie on the sofa to read the web or carry it around with them (apart from possibly on a tiny phone screen). People read 10-20% slower online and screens are still tiring to read. You need to get the main point across quickly and clearly; briefly explain it and move on.

Stay Consistent
Don't continually re-brand yourself on each page. You should also bear in mind that the language you use in your other (offline) marketing materials must be consistent with the language you use online.

Be understandable
Explain everything you say. Don't make assumptions about your readers' intelligence and don't be impenetrable in your turn of phrase. A great marketing strength lies in being able to explain what it is that you do and why it is that you do it so well; to someone who has no idea about your field of work.

Be correct
Credibility is a big problem on the web. Many people believe that the information they read online is not as credible as information in hard copy. To avoid fuelling this misconception, your content must be extremely good, and above all it must be 100% correct.

Good luck!
About the Author
Polly is the research director for Fire Without Smoke Software and writes many technological articles for the Company. She was also one of the Company's founders.

2005-08-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

SOME COPY TIPS FROM AN OLD HAND by Patrick Quinn

I have been in the ad game for a long, long time. I have trained
hundreds of writers, and I've been responsible for shifting
millions of dollars in product worldwide. Here are just a few
tips that I hope will help you do a better job, and make a
bigger name for yourself.

One.
Whatever copy job you are working on - brochure, mailer, sales
letter, press ad - always include a headline. A pertinent
headline. A selling headline. This headline will be, or should
be, powerful enough or intriguing enough to draw your target
into the compass of the body copy. If it can do that, you are on
a winner. To put it simply, your headline should be a snapshot
of your sales message - a prcis of your offer or promise. In
other words, a headline that says: Buy this product and get this
benefit.

Two.
Always remember, people don't buy products, they buy the
benefits of owning those products. A man doesn't buy a sports
car because it is precision engineered or aesthetically
designed. He buys it because of the ego-boost it gives him. It
shows the world that he has made it. Likewise, a woman doesn't
by a cocktail dress by Camille of Paris simply because of the
cut or the exquisite stitching. She buys it for the cachet that
is attached to the label. She would probably look as good in a
dress from a High Street department store, but she wouldn't feel
as good. And that's the benefit.

Three.
Around 30% of all copy headlines are both useless and irrelevant
The worst of them often take the form of puns or are re-workings
of current film titles or song titles. Puns are fine if they are
appropriate, which they seldom are. And the writer who tries to
demonstrate how cool he is by working his product message into a
film or song title is usually doing a lot for the sales of movie
tickets and CDs, but very little for his client. The moral is
this. State your sales proposition cleverly, wittily, stridently
or emotively, but never ever employ a device simply because it's
the easy thing to do. If you can't be original, at least be
positive.

Four.
If it doesn't quack, its not a duck. And if your copy doesn't
make some kind of selling proposition, its not advertising, -
it's an announcement. So many writers these days fail to
understand that copy is nothing more than salesmanship in print.
They play with words for the sake of playing with words. They
lose sight of the fact that they should be trying to sell
something. Thus, copy must use the psychology of the salesman;
and it must say, right up front: Here's what's in it for you.

Five.
Always be a little circumspect about experts who try to tell you
how to write better copy. And that includes me. Meantime,
however, you'll do no better than visit www.wordpower3.com.
There, you'll find an e-book that could make your working life a
whole lot easier. It contains close to 200 ready-made headlines,
taglines, copy openers and clinchers, plus a comprehensive theme
-finder that will give you just about every promotional word and
phrase you'll ever need. No more writers block - ever. It's
called Word Power III. Get hold of a copy and make a name for
yourself.

About the Author
Patrick Quinn is a copywriter, with 40 years' experience of the
advertising business in London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Miami.

Over the years, he has helped win for his clients just about
every advertising award worth winning

His published books, include:

The Secrets of Successful Copywriting.
The Secrets of Successful Low Budget Advertising.
The Secrets of Successful Exhibitions.
Word Power.

2005-08-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

A LESSON IN ADVERTISING FROM THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY by Patrick Quinn

Back in the 1760s, the great Dr Samuel Johnson delivered himself
of the dictum that 'promise, large promise is the soul of
advertising'. It's a good thought, a great thought; and I contend
that what was true then is equally true today. But it seems to me
that modern advertisers are tying themselves into unnecessary
knots in an attempt to reach audiences which they believe are
becoming increasingly indifferent to their blandishments.

Well, yes, markets are turning deaf ears and blind eyes, but they
always have done, though not for the reasons generally espoused
by the world's marketers. I am convinced that despite all the
sophisticated research and marketing effort that goes into
advertising these days, the real reason that markets are
indifferent to advertising is because much of it ignores the many
splendoured principle that people don't buy products, they buy
the benefits of owning those products.

Today, the great proportion of advertisers don't deliver sales
messages, they tell what they hope are emotive stories with which
the market can empathise, then they drop the product in as an
afterthought, hoping that enough emotional cross-communication
has been achieved for people to reach for their credit cards.
That it doesn't and people won't has resulted in huge advertising
budget cut-backs in the developed world in recent years. Only a
manufacturer who has taken leave of his senses will throw even
more money at a strategy that doesn't work.

The strategy responsible operates under the title Emotional Sales
Proposition (ESP), thought in some quarters to be an advance on
the Unique Sales Proposition (USP) which, on the contrary, does
actually work. What has been overlooked or, more likely, ignored,
is that in developing the principle of the USP in the late 1950s,
the brilliant Rosser Reeves was striving to replace an
advertising strategy that had been in situ for 30 or so years and
was fast running out of steam. What was the device he was hoping
to supersede? Well, by any other name, it was the emotional sales
proposition. I won't bore you with the detail, but if you'd like
to find out more, you should lay your hands on Reeves' book,
Reality in Advertising (MacGibbon & Kee - 1961). It could be an
eye-opener.

So, it's true - the one thing we learn from history is that we
never learn anything from history. Let's go back to Dr Johnson.
It's worth remembering that the kind of advertising old Sam was
talking about in the 18th century was fairly innocuous and
largely unexceptionable. It could be read in coffee-house flyers,
in chapbooks and in rudimentary newspapers; and it consisted of
sales messages as diverse as where to get your wig powdered and
the date of the next public hanging at Tyburn. Even so, the
products and services on offer were as important to the people
of the time as mobile phones and computers are to us.

In the human condition, nothing much changes. Our egos still need
to be massaged and we are all in hot pursuit of happiness. Only
our methods for achieving these goals, only our technologies,
vary with time.

So the next time you are tempted to commit advertising, think
about Sam Johnson and give your market a reason for owning your
product. A good reason.

Which prompts me to suggest a visit to www.wordpower3.com. There,
you'll find an e-book that could make your working life a whole
lot easier. It contains close to 200 ready-made headlines,
taglines, copy openers and clinchers, plus a comprehensive theme-
finder that will give you just about every promotional word and
phrase you'll ever need.

It's called Word Power III. Over the years, its content has
helped me make a lot of money. What it has done for me, it can do
for you. And that's a large promise.

About the Author
Patrick Quinn is a copywriter, with 40 years' experience of the
advertising business in London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Miami.

Over the years, he has helped win for his clients just about
every advertising award worth winning

His published books, include:

The Secrets of Successful Copywriting.
The Secrets of Successful Low Budget Advertising.
The Secrets of Successful Exhibitions.
Word Power.

2005-08-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

COMMERCIALS THAT CONFUSE, CONFOUND AND SELL NOBODY ANYTHING by Patrick Quinn

I may be missing something, here, but it seems to me that, in
advertising terms, the loonies have taken over the asylum. What
is getting me all lathered up is the preponderance of TV
commercials that go out of their way, not only to confuse their
target audience, but also to project an alarming image of their
product.

I'll elaborate. The first example is the sad, but fortunately
short story of a current tv spot for a company called Debenhams.
Now, Debenhams is a large UK department store which has branches
in many major cities throughout the country. As such, it has an
excellent reputation and an enviable turnover.

Well, this outfit is running a commercial which has two distinct
scenes. The first shows a man sitting in a room at a table, and
beside him is a back-projection of a pond. As he sweeps an object
off the table and into the pond, we see ripples in the water. The
second scene is of a young girl in a room and the back projection
is of some trees, each carrying a profusion of autumn leaves. As
the girl moves around the room, the leaves begin to fall.

So far so good; and as an exercise in special effects this spot
is exemplary, because the last thing you'd expect to see in your
living room is a pond or a stand of trees.

Anyway, we are now treated to a voice-over which says, to the
effect, that if you drop into Debenhams you'll find lots more of
the same. My question is: the same what? Throughout this
commercial, we are not actually told what it is we are being
offered.

I assume it is wallpaper, but I could be wrong - it might be
personal back projection.

The second example concerns a new computer from Apple-Mac. The
spot opens with an explosion and a man being thrown against a
tree. The camera then tracks towards a house, in the side of
which is a gaping hole. The camera continues through into the
house, showing us debris falling all around and large holes in
the walls of successive rooms. We finally track towards a
computer, and the voice-over says something like: Introducing the
fastest, most powerful computer in the Mac stable.

The message I interpret from this is that the new Apple-Mac is so
powerful it explodes. Not only that, it will probably reduce your
home to rubble.

Oh, yeah, I must rush out and buy one of those.

Am I alone in thinking that these two commercials, despite their
huge production values, are less than clever? On the one hand,
the advertiser neglects to tell us what it is that he's trying to
sell. On the other, we have a product that is reminiscent of
Mission Impossible and self-destructs when you switch it on.

Given all of this, I'd like to pose a question. When the
respective ad agencies presented the storyboards for these
commercials to their clients, did nobody on the client side raise
a query or two? Like: since we're spending all this money,
shouldn't we at least say what we're offering? Or: is it really a
sensible idea to associate our computers with explosions?

Of course, it could be that I am missing some wonderful new
marketing strategy that will shortly be revealed and will make me
look extremely foolish. Though I doubt it. And I doubt it because
I saw a beer commercial the other day (Stella Artois, I think),
in which a man on a balcony actually spat on the people below.
You have to be a very brave advertiser -or a very stupid one -to
ally your product to this kind of imagery. And this crudity seems
to be more and more prevalent.

I leave you to ponder all of this. Meanwhile, you'll do no better
than visit www.wordpower3.com. There, you'll find an e-book that
could make your working life a whole lot easier. It contains
close to 200 ready-made headlines, taglines, copy openers and
clinchers, plus a comprehensive theme-finder that will give you
just about every promotional word and phrase you'll ever need.

It's called Word Power III. Buy it and every word you write, will
Sell.
About the Author
Patrick Quinn is a copywriter, with 40 years' experience of the
advertising business in London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Miami.

Over the years, he has helped win for his clients just about
every advertising award worth winning

His published books, include:

The Secrets of Successful Copywriting.
The Secrets of Successful Low Budget Advertising.
The Secrets of Successful Exhibitions.
Word Power.

2005-08-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

How To Use Testimonials To Increase Your Sales by Albin Dittli

Testimonials are quotations from satisfied customers and clients. They are one of the simplest and most effective ways of adding punch and power to web site sales letter.

How do you get and use testimonials? Here are some tips for using testimonials:

1. Always use real testimonials instead of made-up ones. Even the most skilled copywriter can rarely make up a testimonial that can match the sincerity and credibility of genuine words of praise from a real customer or client.

If you ask a customer to give you a testimonial, and he or she says, Sure, just write something and Ill sign it, politely reply: Gee, I appreciate that, but would you mind just giving me your opinions of our product in your own words? Fabricated or self-authored testimonials usually sound phony; genuine testimonials invariably have the ring of truth.

2. Long testimonials are usually better then short ones. Many copywriters are hooked on using very short testimonials. For instance:

...fabulous!...
truly funny...thought-provoking...
...excellent...wonderful...

I believe that when people see these ultra short testimonials, they suspect that a skillful editing job has masked a comment that was not as favorable as the writer makes it appear. In my opinion, longer testimonials, say two or three sentences versus a single word or phrase come across as more believable. For example:

"I can't say enough good things about the quantity and quality of products at such a low cost. Not to mention the super service and fulfillment of our purchase requests. I think I'll stay! Thank you again."

Sure, its longer, but it somehow seems more sincere than a one-word superlative.

3. Specific, detailed testimonials are better then general or superlative testimonials. Upon receiving an email of praise from a customer, our initial reaction is to read the email and find the single sentence that directly praises our company or our product. We extract the words we think are kindest about us, producing a bland bit of puffery such as:

We are very pleased with your product.

Actually, most testimonials would be stronger if we included more of the specific, detailed comments our client has made about how our product or service helped him. After all, the prospects we are trying to sell to may have problems similar to the one our current customer solved using our product. If we let Mr. Customer tell Mr. Prospect how our company came to his rescue, hell be helping us make the sale. For instance:

Hi Brian,
I just signed up for your "RESALE RIGHTS COOP".
I've been searching the net for almost a year looking for something that combined value and affordability. Your package is truly the best of both worlds. Keep on keepin-on.
Wow what a package.

Again, don't try to polish the customers words so it sounds like professional ad copy. Testimonials are usually much more convincing when they are not edited for style.

4. Use full attribution. We've all opened web sites and direct mail packages that contained testimonials from D.W. in Nevada or Ron V., Self-Made Millionaire. I suspect that many people laugh at such testimonials and think they are phony.

To increase the believability for your testimonials, attribute each quotation. Include the persons name, city and state, and (if a business customer) their job title and company (e.g., Ada Dittli, President, Cedar Ridge, Inc.).

People are more likely to believe this sort of full disclosure than testimonials which seem to conceal the identity of the speaker.

5. Group your testimonials. There are two basic ways to present testimonials: You can group them together in one area of your web site or ad, or you can scatter them throughout the copy. A third alternative is to combine the two techniques, having many testimonials in a box and a smattering of other testimonials throughout the rest of your copy.

I've seen both approaches work well, and the success of the presentation depends, in part, on the skill of the writer and the specific nature of the piece. But, all else being equal, I prefer the first approach: to group all your testimonials and present them as a single block of copy. This can be done in a box or on a separate web page. My feeling is that when the prospect reads a half dozen or so testimonials, one right after another, they have more impact and power than when the testimonials are separated and scattered throughout the piece.

6. Get permission. Make sure you get permission from your customer to reprint his words before including his testimonial in your copy.

I suggest that you send an email quoting the lines you want to reprint and ask permission to include them in ads, web copy, and other materials used to promote your firm. Notice I'm asking for a general release that gives me permission to use the customers quotation in all current and future promotions, not just a specific ad or letter. This lets me get more mileage out of his favorable comment and eliminates the need to ask permission every time you want to use the quote in a new ad or letter.

7. Soliciting Testimonials. If your customers don't send you emails of praise (and many won't), then you can ask them to give you a testimonial. How? Simply send an email to your customers who are happy with your product or service and ask for their comments. Heres a sample letter (feel free to copy or adapt it):

Mr. George Drake
Dear George,

I have a favor to ask of you. I'm in the process of putting together a booklet of testimonials-a collection of comments about my services, from satisfied clients like yourself.

Would you please take a few minutes to give me your opinion of my consulting services?

There' no need to dictate a letter. Just email me your comments. If you want to you can just reply to this email.

I look forward to learning what you like about my service, however I also welcome any suggestions or criticisms, too.

Many thanks, George.

Regards, Albin Dittli

P.S. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PERMISSION TO QUOTE FROM YOUR COMMENTS, AND USE THESE QUOTATIONS IN ADS, WEB COPY, BROCHURES, MAIL, AND OTHER PROMOTIONS USED TO MARKET YOUR SERVICES

Note that I am asking for an opinion instead of a testimonial, and that I urge George to give me criticisms as well as positive comments. In this way, I'm not just asking for a favor, I'm getting information that will help me serve my customers better in the future. Thus, I'm not the only one who profits; we both do.

If you solicit testimonials from your satisfied customers, and you always get permission to use any unsolicited testimonials that people send you, you will soon build a thick testimonial file. Because you have gotten people to give you a blanket release to use their comments any way you choose, you can use these testimonials in any or all of your marketing materials, from ads and sales letters, to catalogs.

Always give a list of your full testimonial file to any ad agency, copywriter, or marketing consultant you hire. It will be tremendously helpful to them when they create ads or web copy for you.

With the wise use of testimonials you can increase your credibility. And with your increased credibility you should have an increased sales conversion rate.

You may freely distribute this article, post it to your or other web sites (where permitted), and publish it in an ezine, as long as you keep the resource box as is with the article.

About the Author
Albin Dittli is the owner of http://www.The-Home-Business-Center.com, where you can get free content and your very own money making website that is 100% ready to take orders and pull in massive profits for you immediately. You can subscribe to his free eBiz Marketing Tips ezine by sending an email to moneystrategies@listwarrior.com.

2005-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Theyre Searching So Why Arent They Buying? by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.marketingwords.com

There seems to be a common myth regarding site visitors and the buying process these days. Ive heard this statement more than a few times over the last several months: My visitors find me when they use search engines. They type in the exact keyphrases Im listed under. So when they get to my site why arent they buying? The simple answer is that they arent ready to buy yet.

Just because surfers type a specific keyphrase into a search engine does not mean they are ready to buy. In fact, it could mean just the opposite.

The buying process is made up of several stages, and your site visitors could fall into any one of the five. Lets say a surfer typed water filtration systems into Google. This same keyphrase can be used by people in all five of the buying-process stages. Take a look at the steps, and Ill show you why - during each one - your visitors might come to your site.

Step One - Need/Want Recognition - Deciding there is, in fact, a need or a want to be filled. During this stage a site visitor may be wondering. Take yourself for example. Suppose someone told you about a new water filtration system that is just awesome. Being a health-conscious person, you want to determine if this is something that would be good for you and your family. You jump on the Internet and begin looking for general information about the product.

Right now you arent the least bit interested in price or sales pitches. You just want to know what this filtration system is all about so you can decide IF there is a need or want on your part.

Likewise, a site visitor in the need/want recognition stage is looking for solid, unbiased information.

Step Two - Information Search - Trying to determine whats available. So now youve found out that these filtration systems are fabulous, and youve decided your family needs one after all. Next step? Jump back on the Internet and start searching for information.

Are there various styles or sizes? Whats the price difference? What features/accessories come with the system?

This is one time to focus on benefits, to make yourself available for questions, and to direct your site visitor toward your product/service.

Step Three - Evaluation - Eliminating products/services/companies and deciding whos best. After youve gathered a good bit of information, youll begin to weed through the product brands and companies to determine which one you will actually buy.

A site visitor in this stage will likely come to your site for additional information, to find the answers to questions he/she came up with since the last visit, or to double check facts and figures.

This is a good time to not only focus on benefits, but also to have customer service, warranty, price incentive, and other information available.

Step Four - Purchase - Actually buying your product/service. Finally! After all this time, the customers are ready to buy! Support their decisions by making your ordering process and shopping cart quick and simple to use.

Step Five - Buyers Regret - Wondering if they made the right decision. This is where money-back guarantees can save you! Most people simply need the reassurance that they *can* get their money back if need be. Especially with high-ticket items, buyers regret is common. Reinforce their buying decisions by letting them know they can contact you with any problems they have.
So, as you can see, even though every stage in the process is different, the same exact keyphrase could be used to search the Net for information. Create your site to accommodate every step in the buying process. Dont assume that - just because someone typed your keywords into a search engine - they are automatically ready to buy.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Let Karon write targeted, SEO copy for you. Visit her site at http://www.marketingwords.com, or learn to write your own copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Dont forget to subscribe to Karons free ezine at http://www.marketingwords.com/ezine.html.

2005-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Public Domain Copyrights Rule#1 Rule#2 by Hannah Pendergraph Of Edwards Marketing

By following the simple Rule#1 And Rule#2. You will be well on your way in make History today!
Follow Rule One Ane Two Rule #1:What are public domains? Public domains are expired copyrights from 1923 to 1963. 85% of everything right now falls into public domains. Due to the 28 year renewal. To research copyrights go to loc.gov/copyright.com. On homepage, do a search for USA, regular and documented under Author, Title, or ID number to verify if they were renewed. Look for facts, blank forms, US gov't forms, movies, books, audios, manuals, etc...
Rule #2:The second rule is to change, recopy, or write. You only have to do a minimum amount of changes. For example: Changing a Title(ex. use your noodle to make oodles was changed to think and grow rich), (ex.How to win friends and influence people was changed from a weak title)
You could also just add pictures or graphics.
In other words, once you find out it's copyright was not renewed, you can change a minimal amount of it, make it your own, and refile for copyright, and it will be yours. You can turn this into manuals, ebooks, or reports, with minimal changes, and you can own it.

Right now, there is a market wide open for any publication wrote in spanish. A quick trick to find out what needs to be published go to wordtrack or adword and research to see what topics are needed.
Offline, go to your nearest college, library, or used book store. Research the title and the author loc.gov/copyright.com and make these copyrights your own. There are no limits at all to public domains, and there are billions of these works out there right now. You can go to addell.com and search terms for 1963 golf books.Right now, you are a part of history of intellectual properties. Remember to recopy them ethically. The last point that needs to be made is books and movies are remade and sequaled everyday (ex. Terminator 1,2,3). Due to the fact that the best products are ones that sold before and were tested over and over and worked.

You WIll Be Up-dated With New reseller packages and tips and hints for giving you the selling edge
http:/ rafficcoach.biz
5000 copyright 80 different catagories
About the Author
,Wazoo Maddness,The Marketing Report,The "Ebay Breakthrough and The Naked Truth about Internet Marketing.Public Domain Riches-copyright Training Tool Package.

2005-08-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

How to Harness the Real Power of the P.S. by Vincent Czaplyski

Should your sales letter contain a P.S.?

If you arent using one, youre probably leaving money on the table. So the short answer is yes. A well written P.S. (for post script, literally meaning after writing) following your signature is your last chance to influence your prospect favorably and close the sale. If it isnt as strong as possible, these prospects may toss your letter aside or click to another website.

No marketer wants that to happen of course. So to avoid this unfortunate outcome, I recommend you put some serious thought behind your P.S. And one of the first things you need to think about is changing your understanding of how the P.S works.

Right now, you need to stop thinking of the P.S. as the last part of the letter that anyone sees. Instead, think of it as one of the first parts to be read. Then, imagine its effect on your prospect in that light.

What do I mean?

Oddly enough, the opening headline and closing P.S. of your letter are often lumped together by your prospects. These widely separated parts of your letter are really Siamese twins of sorts, joined at the hip. Studies of reading behavior have shown that many readers scan the opening headline first, then jump right to the P.S. to try and quickly figure out what the letter is really all about.

Dont you find yourself doing that sometimes?

This fact should raise an alarm somewhere in the back of your mind. If your prospect is skipping the meat of your letter and making a snap judgment based on the P.S., that means your carefully constructed appeal has just been short circuited, right?

Not necessarily. The best sales letters make an emotional connection with the intended prospects before any selling is done. Thats because people will generally buy something for emotional reasons, then justify their buying decision with logic. If your P.S. can ignite some emotion or sense of passion in your prospect, it can help bring your prospect back into the rest of the letter.

If it appeals only to logic, it may not be enough to get your prospect to go back to the beginning of the letter and ultimately, to the decision to buy.

A well written, emotionally appealing P.S. can be called upon to do one or more of the following, although this list isnt exhaustive:

1. Restate the primary benefit of your product or service
2. Introduce a completely new surprise benefit
3. Describe one or more special bonuses that you are including with your offer
4. Enhance the credibility of your offer in some way, perhaps by including an additional testimonial or endorsement
5. Provide a powerful sense of urgency that prompts your prospect to take immediate action
6. Reassure your prospect with your money back guarantee

How does one write an emotionally appealing P.S.? Here are three examples.

The first tugs at the heartstrings of its audience, potential buyers of a United States Historical Society stained glass plate commemorating the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima. It describes an additional benefit not previously mentioned in the letter, and does so in an emotionally appealing way.

P.S. In years to come, this treasured work of art will be a reminderperhaps to generations yet unbornof Americas finest hour.

The next one comes from a sales letter seeking subscribers to The Economist magazine. The body of the sales letter describes the magazine as read bypresidents (of countries, banks, universities and Fortune 500 companies). The P.S. plays to this sense of exclusivity, a sophisticated emotional appeal that probably hooked a lot of new subscribers.

P.S. As mentioned earlier, this invitation is non-transferable. It is valid in your name only. If you decide not to accept my offer, please do not pass it along to anyone else. I would prefer you simply discard it. Thank you.

The last example is from a sales letter for Prostanol, a mens prostrate health supplement. The copywriter could have just blandly stated the guarantee. But with fear of contracting prostrate cancer on the minds of many men over age 40 (the target audience here), the P.S. was written instead in an emotionally attention getting way that is much more effective.

P.S. Ive seen men who were completely distraught from the debilitating effects of poor prostrate health come back to life again. Thats how powerful this formula is and why I can confidently offer you my unequaled guarantee: unless Postanol works for you in just weeks, ITS FREE. Im that confidant in this scientifically-proven formula.

To summarize, decide what you want the P.S. to accomplish, then write it in such a way that it strikes an emotional chord with your target audience. If you do, it wont matter that it may be one of the first parts of the letter read by your prospects.

About the Author
Copywriter Vincent Czaplyski owns Hampshire Cove Marketing, Inc.,
which provides copywriting and marketing services and products
Subscribe to his free bimonthly newsletter full of powerful
marketing tips at http://www.SolidNetGold.com/mh-signup.htm.
Contact him at info@solidnetgold.com

2005-08-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

Five Secrets of Writing Great Sales Copy by Vincent Czaplyski

Why are you reading this sentence?

Ill bet you a steak at Ruth Chris its because of the
implied promise of the title. That promisethat youll
soon be privy to five well guarded secrets of writing great
sales copyjust grabbed the skeptic in you by the scruff
of the neck. It stood her on her heels and made her think,
if only for a split second, that maybe theres some gold
here.

So the titleor headline if you prefer to think of it that
waydid its job. It got you to read the next sentence by
arousing your curiosity. It probably made you feel that you
could profit from these secrets. In other words it appealed
to your sense of greed. And it might even have touched a
couple of your other emotional triggers, like vanity or
laziness, (or more positively) pride.

I dont know you well enough to say exactly which emotional
hot button it triggered in you, but youre still reading
arent you? So Ill up the ante. A bottle of good wine to go
with the steak says some basic emotion was triggered.

All of which leads us to Secret #1: People buy things for
emotional, not logical reasons.

And the emotions that count most are whichever ones your
copy stirs up in your prospect. Your prospect doesnt care
one tiny little bit about you or your product. She could
care less if she never heard from you again. What she cares
about is that little voice inside her head that keeps
asking, Whats in it for me?

Never forget this. Your copy must keep answering that
question until your prospect is completely involved with
your message. If your copy starts off telling about your
product and not what it can do for your prospect, it is
almost certainly doomed to failure.

Secret # 2: Good copy helps the prospect picture your
promise in her minds eye.

It isnt good enough to just make a promise. You need to
further involve your prospect by helping her picture herself
experiencing your promise. She has to be able to see it,
taste it, and feel it. Otherwise the skeptic in her will
step right back in and start giving her reasons to
disbelieve your promise.

You need to tell her something like this:

Imagine a hundred of your business peers jumping to their
feet in wild applause as you accept your industrys top
marketing award. Then the room grows still, the audience
hanging on your every word as you begin to tell the story of
how five powerful copywriting secrets changed your life

Think of the last car commercial you watched. Probably
strong on breathtaking mountain roads, beaches at sunset and
sexy modelsemotional appeals all. Do they have anything
to do with cars? No. Do they help sell a lot of carsyou
bet they do.

Secret #3: Once she can picture your promise for herself,
shes ready for logical proof.

Youve got her where you want her. Your words have carried
her away to some place in her imagination where your product
makes her feel more powerful, sexier, smarter, more
beautifulwhatever. She really wants to believe itall
of it. Shes letting her mind run a little wild. Shes got
the top down on the car you want her to buy. Shes
downshifting into third gear coming around a hairpin turn.
Her hair is blowing in the wind, the sun is on her face and
a blue ocean sparkles in the background.

But around the next corner is Ms. Skeptic, just waiting to
throw cold water on this carefully crafted picture.

Its your job to make sure she never even sees little Ms.
Skeptic. You reassure her with testimonials. You tell her
salt air wont harm the paint job. You let her know that
this car has the best safety record of anything in its
class, and shell never have to worry about breaking down
again. In other words, you give her logical reasons to
justify her emotional decision.

Secret #4: Your copy should focus on a single primary
benefityour Unique Selling Proposition

Every product should have one special selling point that
sets it apart from every other product in its class. Its
your job to find out what that Unique Selling Proposition is
and never let your prospect forget it. Its OK to mention
other benefits, but you should drive home the USP more than
any other point.

Recognize these classic USPs? They sold a lot of products

Were number twowe try harder. Your pizza delivered in
30 minutes or less, or its free.

Secret #5: Always include a specific offer and ask for
action.

Youre almost there. Youve made her a promise that hooked
her emotionally. You helped her see herself living that
promise. You gave her plenty of proof that she was making
the right decision, and you stressed your products USP
throughout your copy.

Theres just one thing left to do. You look her in the eyes
and state your offer clearly. Then tell her what she must do
to get it. In other words, you close the sale.

To summarize:
Make a PROMISE
Let your prospect PICTURE the benefits
Supply the PROOF that you are telling the truth
Stress the UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
CLOSE the sale by making a specific OFFER.

About the Author
Copywriter Vincent Czaplyski owns Hampshire Cove Marketing, Inc.,
which provides copywriting and marketing services and products. Contact him at info@solidnetgold.com Subscribe to his free bimonthly newsletter full of powerful marketing tips at http://www.SolidNetGold.com/mh-signup.htm.

2005-08-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Give Me $1 And I'll Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon by Al Martinovic

One of my most powerful marketing weapons actually costs me less than $1. I buy it once and it lasts me a lifetime. I use it over and over again and it never leaves my side.

What on earth could it be? Well, it's my trusty notebook! It is where I store all of my ideas.

Let me give you some examples. If I come across an email, even if it's sp*am, and the headline made me open up that email then by golly I will write that headline down in my notebook for future reference.

If the headline made me open the email then you can be sure others will open it as well. So in my trusty notebook I record all the email headlines that have captured my attention.

This way the next time I am writing an email to my list or prospects etc. or if I am stuck for a headline, all I have to do is refer to my notebook which has plenty of headlines to choose from.

But don't stop there! If you visit a website or read a newspaper etc. and come across a great headline... write it down! Keep doing this and eventually you'll have pages of headlines to choose from and to test in your marketing campaign.

Don't copy the headline word for word but rather use it as a reference and change it around to suit your own business. You'll find that many great headlines are actually recycled.

But don't stop there! If you are reading ad copy and come across a great word or phrase... write it down!

Again, eventually you'll have pages of words and phrases to choose from when writing ad copy. It is also useful when you have writers block. You can just open your trusty notebook and use a line or two and the next thing you know the next paragraph writes itself.

These are just a few of the ideas that I store in my trusty little notebook(s).

So get yourself a notebook or two and start storing your ideas. You'll be surprised at how often you will refer to it. And if you're like me, that notebook will never leave your side when you are marketing.

About the Author
Al Martinovic publishes the Millenium Marketers Newsletter. Get powerful internet marketing concepts, killer strategies, useful tips, and no bull business advice by subscribing Today:
http://www.milleniummarketers.com

2005-08-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Manipulate Your Visitors With Reverse Psychology by Rich Hamilton, Jr

Many people say that it is easy to write a sales copy and that there is really nothing to it. Well, all I can say is they are wrong! For many, writing your sales copy is difficult. Having the ability to write sales copy is an attribute that not many people have. When writing a sales copy you need to realize that there are a lot of psychological principles that are involved in the process. Reverse psychology on the other hand, is even more powerful when it is used properly.

In this article I am going to go over how reverse psychology works, how to apply it to a sales copy and when the best and effective time to use it is.

How Reverse Psychology Works

Reverse psychology is nothing more than a mind game you play and the object of the game is to confuse and distort the minds of others. I know it may sound complicated, but really it's not. In fact, you've probably used it and don't even realize it. Let me give you an example of how it works, so that you can fully comprehend it.

If you have children, you can probably relate to this. When you tell children not to do something, what's the first thing they do? They get into whatever it is that you just told them not to, why? Because you have accelerated their curiosity and desire to see what you have. If you were to apply reverse psychology, you would tell the child that they could have it. It wouldn't be fun anymore, you've taken away their desire to have it and as a result, they wouldn't want it. Moreover, you have accelerated the need to know why. Why are you giving it to them?

This does not only apply to children, this also applies to adults and they will react in the same way. If you were to apply the same scenario to an adult, they would react in the same manner as the child did.

Applying To Sales Copy

When is the best and most effective time to apply reverse psychology to your sales copy, it is in your opening statement, when establishing your credibility, and in your guarantee. These are just a few important elements of your sales copy that are the most effective areas to use reverse psychology on your visitors.

Not many people use an opening statement in their sales copy. The opening statement is a only a couple of sentences that are before your attention grabbing headline. The opening statement is used to set the stage for your attention grabbing headline.

One of the first opening statements I used in my sales copy was: Before you think about listening to another so-called expert, you need to read this first... It seemed like everyone was using this opening statement, so I used reverse psychology and came up with: The so-called experts are getting nervous.... This made my conservation rate triple, because people wanted to know why the experts were getting nervous.

When you are establishing your credibility, every sales letter always talks about how successful they are and not how they got there. People are reactive towards realistic situations, in my sales copy I talked about how in debt I used to be and how I had no money to market with. This insured my visitor that I knew how they felt. I've been there and you can promote your web site without paying a cent for advertising, because I did it.

Other people would rather brag how much money they are making, people don't react well to braggers. Just because someone makes a lot of money, doesn't mean they know what your talking about, or doing for that matter. People love stories, it pulls them right in, especially if it's a story they can relate to.

Another area where reverse psychology works great, is in your guarantee. Having a strong guarantee is the most important element of your sales copy, without it no one will buy from you, period. When you are presenting your guarantee, make it risk free and reverse the risk.

Comfort your visitor by reversing the risk, insure them that you have more to lose out of the deal than they do. How? Well, you are the product creator, your name and reputaion are on the line. If you create a poor product, then it will reflect on your credibility.

About the Author
Rich Hamilton, Jr is the CEO/President of http://www.ElitesMarketing.com and the Author of Inside Internet Marketing http://www.InsideNetMarketing.com. Stay up to date with the internet marketing world by subscribing to our free newsletter, The Elite - The Internet Marketing Edge, http://www.ElitesMarketing.com/subscribe.html

2005-08-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

A Copywriter Never Mumbles and Other Principles of Effective Ad Copy by Walter Burek

H.L. Mencken, the author, jounalist and social critic observed that most people "write badly because they cannot think clearly." And the reason they cannot think clearly, he went on, is that "they lack the brains."

Putting aside H.L.'s cricisim for the moment, let's assume that all copywriters have the "brains" and, more often than not, we are capable of clear thinking. It follows then, that we stand a very good chance of being able to write well. But clarity of thought is only step one. The following principles will help you move on from there, so that you can put down in writing exactly what you have in mind.

1. Don't mumble.

Advertising is most effective when it is easy to understand. (Take a look at any advertising effectiveness study.) In other words, you sell more stuff when you write copy that is clear.

Copy that speaks out commands attention; copy that mumbles doesn't. So once you've thought about what you want to say, come right out and say it. Don't mumble your message by being short on specifics or long-winded in your sentences. And don't use big words, cliches, jargon or borrowed interest.

Keep in mind E.B White's sobering advice: "When you say something, make sure you have said it. Your chances of having said it are only fair."

2. Get to the point.

Start selling with your very first sentence. Try to make it and every sentence that follows simple and declarative. Factual. And short. Short is powerful. Lincoln used only 266 words in his Gettysburg Address. And many believe that the shortest sentence in the New Testament"Jesus wept."is also the most moving.

3. Don't write like a nerd, a lawyer or a bureaucrat.

In his Simple and Direct, Jaques Barzun says, "The whole world will tell you, if you care to ask, that your words should be simple and direct. Everybody likes the other fellow's prose plain." Don't inflict technical jargon, pompous words or fancy phrases on your readers. Remember, you're trying to communicate with them, not impress them with your grasp of show-off fad words or vague abstractions. Why write "sub-optimal" when you mean "less than ideal?" Why write "interface" when it is more clear and direct to write "discuss, "meet," or "work with?" Why take the chance of annoying your reader by writing "net net" instead of "conclusion?"

4. Use short paragraphs, short sentences and simple words.

The professional copywriter always practices this simple principle: Short sentences and short paragraphs are easier to read than long ones. And easier to understand. Rudolf Flesch, in The Art of Plain Talk, says that the best average sentence length is 14 to 16 words, 20 to 25 words is passable, but anything over 40 words is unreadable. So write in crisp, short, snappy sentences. A trick of the trade -- using sentence fragments -- can help keep your average sentence length to a respectable number of words. And add drama and rhythm to your copy.

Paragraphs should also be kept short. Long, unbroken blocks of text intimidate readers. If it looks hard to read, they probably won't read it.

As for short words, John Caples, the Hall of Fame copywriter said: "Even the best-educated people don't resent simple words. But they are the only words many people understand."

Plain writing in simple words simply communicates more effectively than writing with a lot of big words. Keep in mind that in Shakespeare's most memotrable sentence -- "To be or not to be?" -- the longest word is only three letters.

5. Write simply and naturally

People like to read simple, easy-to-understand writing. And the simplest, most easy-to-understand style is to write conversationally, the way you talk when you're at your best -- when your ideas are flowing smoothly, when your syntax is fluent and your vocabulary accurate. A simple test to check on your conversational tone is to imagine yourself speaking to your reader instead of writing. Are you expressing yourself clearly, or are you mumbling? Are you using only those words, phrases and sentences that you might actually say to your reader if you were face to-face? Or do you sound stiff and impersonal? If you wouldn't say it, why write it?

___________________

2003 Burek Group

About the Author
Walter Burek is an award-winning copywriter who learned his craft at some of the finest advertising agencies in the world and has been a writer and Creative Director on some of advertisings most important accounts.

Currently, he offers freelance copywriting services through his company, walterburek.com.

Walter also writes, edits and publishes Words@Work, a free newsletter for marketing communications professionals.

2005-08-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Three Big Ol' Tips for Better Sales Letters by Matthew Cobb, copywriter

Growing up in the South, I used the phrase "big ol'" a lot.
Big ol' truck. Big ol' house. Big ol' party. The phrase was
one we used when the word "big" just wasn't descriptive
enough.

I think the following suggestions qualify as Big Ol' Tips.
Look around the Web and you'll find plenty of good sales
letter writing tips. But "big" just doesn't do these justice.

Here are three big ol' tips for better sales letters.

Big Ol' Tip #1)
Be redundant. Then, say the same thing over again.

Just because you state your most powerful benefit in the
headline doesn't mean you shouldn't say it over again. If
you are writing a long sales letter (especially one made
for quick scanning), you should repeat the main benefits
to make sure you get your point across. After all, many
readers need to read the same thing several times before
they catch on.

Big Ol' Tip #2)
Focus on the guarantee. I promise you won't regret it.

Your readers are reading for one very simple reason: they're
looking for a reason to buy. Give them the best reason
possible. One good reason for buying is the assurance that
customers will be protected against making a bad decision.
If they're interested in your product, and making a purchase
has no negative consequences, then you've got a sale. A
guarantee removes negative consequences.

Big Ol' Tip #3)
Conceal the price. How? I'll tell you in a minute.

Don't state the price up-front. Reveal the price only after
the customer calls a number, sends in a reply card, makes
contact by e-mail, or reads (or scans) all the way to the
end of your sales letter. By not revealing the price
immediately, you have a chance to demonstrate to readers
the value of what's behind the price before they have a
chance to set their mind against it. (Note: If low price
is your product's primary selling point, this tip might
not apply. Test and see.)

These tips will improve your sales letter by making it more
readable, more persuasive, and less intimidating to your
audience. Use them in a well written piece and you'll see
a big ol' increase in your response rates.
About the Author
=============================================================
Matthew Cobb is a freelance copywriter in the
Dallas/ Fort Worth, TX, area. For information, visit his
professional site at http://copy.cobbwriting.com or
call 817.966.RITE (7483). This article may be reproduced,
as long as the the resource box is included and
notification is provided to the author.
=============================================================

2005-08-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

"How To Emotionally-Charge Your Sales Letters To Boost Sales" by Mike Jezek, The Sales Letter Psychologist (TM)

"How To Emotionally-Charge Your Sales Letters To Boost Sales"
by Mike Jezek, The Sales Letter Psychologist

Are you frustrated that your sales letter isn't getting results? Do you
wonder how you could make a satisfactory sales letter even better?
If you said, "yes" to either of these questions then I invite you to read
on as you will be richly rewarded. In the next few moments you are
going to discover how to instantly amplify the selling power of your
direct mail and web copy. Enabling you to potentially break sales
records and outsell your competition.

The solution to your lackluster results or desire to improve current
sales is found in one word. Emotion. As you may already know
buying decisions are based upon emotion and later backed up by
logic. Here's how legendary sales letter writer Robert Collier put it:
"Appeal to the reason, by all means. Give people a logical excuse
for buying that they can tell to their friends and use to salve their own
consciences. But if you want to sell goods, if you want action of any
kind, base your real urge upon some primary emotion!"

So how do you inject more emotion into your sales letters and thus
turbo-charge the selling power of your copy? While there are many
ways to 'emotionally-charge' your sales letters, for our time together
let's focus on these three shall we?

1) Stir Up Pain - Here's where you want to get inside the heads of your
readers. Focus on how they have this problem (that your product solves)
and that because of this problem, they're hindered, frustrated, troubled
and unable to attain their deepest desires because this problem lingers.
You want to agitate their perceived problem and make it seem worse
than it really is. You can do this by telling them stories, facts, case histories
and linking their problem to bad scenarios to persuade and influence
them into believing your product is the solution to their problem.

2) Mesmerizing Stories - I already don't have to tell you that stories
will obviously evoke emotion. Watch a tragedy, you'll feel sad. Watch a sci-fi
movie and you'll probably feel excitement. Watch a horror flick and you'll more
than likely feel scared. My advice to you, is to weave stories into your sales letters
that stir up hope in attaining a goal, avoiding trouble or achieving a dream.
You can also craft stories detailing what happened to someone who never
took action to solve the problem your product or service is intended to solve.
This kind of story will produce fear of loss, which is more powerful than
desire to gain in most people. You can also use stories that have a
'human' element to it. Simply tell a story about someone whom your readers
can easily relate too, describing their problem and the frustrations that
go with it in detail. And then, illustrate how this person used your product
and solved their problem. Consequently making their life or business
much better. This kind of story creates a type of "Social Proof."
Meaning it cultivates a follow the leader response.

3) Use Emotional Words Instead Of Logical Words - It's no surprise that
some words fire off stronger emotions than others. Words like
abortion, pro-life, Soviet or dictator have an immediate effect. Other
less controversial words such as mom, dad, family, home, friends
sister and brother have strong emotional impact. You need to evaluate
your target market and find out what key words your market really
reacts too. The key thing to remember is that just
about every word has an emotional element to it. If your offer is greed
oriented, then words and phrases like "money"; "get rich" ; "six-figures"; and
"make money easily" will excite your readers. Ideally you want to
use many small, one syllable words that your prospects
can relate an emotion to. Pick five or six key words that'll stir up
the emotion you want in your reader and subtly plant them
throughout the sales copy to spark an emotional reaction.

Whether you're vexed by a sales letter that gets poor results or you
already have a sales letter that's getting decent results, you now realize what
to do to make it sell more. You simply make it more emotionally-charged.
As of right now, you know three shortcut ways to make your sales letters more
emotional. They are: stir up pain; use mesmerizing stories; and weave emotional
words into your copy. Go ahead and start making those changes and if you
do this correctly, you should see a rise in sales and profits.

============================================================
Mike Jezek is the creator of Mega-Persuasion Psychology the science behind
Irresistible Copywriting which employs a powerful combination of results-producing
influence techniques and psychologically persuasive sales devices -- proven to
increase Web SALES by 30% to 400% or more. Sign up for Mike Jezek's
acclaimed "Confidential Psychological Selling Tactics" mini-course today at
copywriting@worldresponders.com or enjoy more of his articles at
www.irresistiblecopywriting.com
=============================================================

About the Author
Mike Jezek is the creator of Mega-Persuasion Psychology
the science behind Irresistible Copywriting which employs a
powerful combination of results-producing influence techniques
and psychologically persuasive sales devices -- proven to
increase Web SALES by 30% to 400% or more.

2005-08-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Copywriting Makeover: Its Not About YOU, Its About THEM by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Ive always loved scented candles. They help create a cozy atmosphere. They give you a relaxed feeling. And - most importantly - they make your home smell wonderful! So, naturally, I was excited when I was approached to rewrite the index (front) page for an online retailer who made specialty, soy scented candles.

The goals of the copywriting rewrite were to increase sales and improve search engine positioning for the terms soy candles, and scented candles. The copy definitely needed some work. It wasnt bad, but it had one major thing holding it back. The copy violated one of the primary rules of copywriting. Its not about you its about them.

An additional problem was that the information - while definitely necessary - was presented as more of a list of nuts and bolts. It needed a boost to create a feeling about the candles for sale.

The Problem

As you can see from the original version, http://www.copywritingcourse.com/IlluminousTimes-BEFORE.doc, the copy either focused on the company or the candles. Very little of the copy focused on the customer.

Another element that was off in the copy was the lack of the experience. Site owner Dan Fehn had some fabulous research data about scented candle buyers, however he did not know to include that information when writing.

Lastly, while Illuminous Times had fairly good search engine rankings, there was room for improvement.

The Solution

The data I received included the following information from the National Candle Association.

Candle industry research indicates that the most important factors affecting candle sales are scent, color, cost and shape. Fragrance is by far the most important characteristic, with three-fourths of candle purchasers saying it is "extremely important" or "very important" in their selection of a candle for the home.

Candle manufacturers' surveys show that 96% of all candles purchased are bought by women.

Nine out of ten candle users say they use candles to make a room feel comfortable or cozy.

This was the basis for the copywriting makeover. As a scented candle lover myself, I knew for a fact what women wanted from candles. I understood the candle buying experience and played on that knowledge to create copy that romanced the site visitor and increased the desire to buy.

The search engine optimization (SEO) aspect of the copy came easily. The terms scented candles and soy candles flowed naturally as I created the copy so my primary goal was to use these phrases in power positions (like the headline and sub-heads). Id also place them as often as I could without making the copy sound stiff or forced.

The Rewrite

You can view the new copy here (http://www.illuminous-times.com). As you can see, the new version immediately begins to entice the site visitor. Everything she wants from a scented candle is laid out before her and some things she might not have known she wanted.

I began to pique interest in soy candles (as opposed to traditional wax candles found in stores) by immediately outlining the advantages soy candles offer. From there I played on the fragrance (the most important characteristic according to the National Candle Association).

I led the customer through a mental tour of their home - lighting candles for a special dinner, enjoying the glow as they snuggled with a good book, and having the unmistakable fragrances only soy candles offer wafting through their homes.

A final keyphrase-rich benefits list of why soy candles are superior to traditional wax candles and an emotional call-to-action wrapped up the copy.

The Results

I think the results of the copywriting makeover are best stated by Dan himself.

"Thank you! Sales have increase even before the holiday season and my rankings have improved, too. Right now I am #1 for the term 'soy candles' (previously ranked at #4), and I'm at #7 for 'scented candles'... a huge jump up from #17!"

So, as you can see, taking the focus off the product or company and putting where it should be (on the customer) makes a tremendous difference. Sales naturally increase when the customer feels he/she is the reason for your existence. Take some time now to look back over your copy. Is it company focused? If so, learning to write specifically for your customers can turn your sales around almost immediately.

About the Author
Which words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your sales and your search engine positioning by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Get the details now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

2005-08-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

"3 Quick Tips To Becoming An Instant Copywriting Genius" by Ewen Chia

Copywriting is the ONE skill that will
turn words into cash, and it's really
the one thing you must learn if you're
thinking of selling anything at all.

From traditional direct mail and now to
the internet, the power of words has
already made millionaires out of
ordinary folks like you and me!

Successful copywriters know this.
That's why they charge exorbitant fees
for their services, which will no doubt
still be money well invested.

The good news is, you can have this
power too. You can write your own sales-
pulling copy everytime - if you know
the 'tricks'.

Well read on and I'll reveal to you 3
jealously-guarded tips that can turn
you into a copywriting genius quickly...

(1) Start A Sales Letter 'Swipe File'

Simply start collecting winning sales
letters AND emails into a 'swipe file'
that you can refer to for :

* Your own education

* As an 'idea generator' for your copy

* As inspiration and motivation

You'll find this 'swipe file'
invaluable to writing your own killer
copy. Successful copywriters literally
swear by this method in creating
awesome sales letters.

(2) Write As If You're Your Own Prospect

The real secret to copywriting genius
is to get into your propect's mind and
encourage action at will.

And the best way to do this is by
becoming your prospects!

Write your copy from their view and put
yourself in their shoes. Think like
them and you'll build a subconscious
rapport that wins them over.

Throughout your copy, ask questions
they would ask.

Write from the heart and answer these
questions.

Ask yourself too : "would YOU buy this
product yourself if you're reading the
copy you wrote?"

Identifying with your prospects must
begin right from the headline down to
the final P.S.

(3) Create The Achieved End Results

Here's a tip that works like crazy.

Create the actual OR perceived end
results write at the beginning of your
copy. Give specific details. Continue to
emphasize these results and benefits
throughout your letter.

Give a 'tangible' feel to what can be
achieve IF they buy, and what they'll
lose if they don't.

A simple example...

Don't write : "You'll receive unlimited
traffic to your website everyday!"

So? What does that achieve?

Write instead : "Generate 1000% more
traffic, subscribers AND sales with
less than 5 minutes work!"

This shows the end results more clearly.

Copywriting's easy if you know the
right techniques.

Apply the above 3 tips and you'll be
improving your own copy quickly ...
without spending hundreds of dollars or
hours on copywriting courses or ebooks.
Try it.

About the Author
****************************************
Copyright (c) By Ewen Chia
Finally! Discover Web Marketing Secrets,
Tips And Resources In Less Than 30
Seconds And Without Spending A Single
Cent!
http://www.marketing-make-money.com
--> P.S. More hard-hitting articles
can be found at
http://www.EzineArticle.com

2005-08-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Choosing Keywords That Bring the Best Results by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

As a search engine optimization copywriter, Ive seen my share of keywords. When working with me, clients choose their own keywords (or have someone else choose them) and then send me the list to include in their copy. I must admit, sometimes Im just amazed at the selections I receive.

Its absolutely imperative that you make wise choices in the area of keywords. Many people simply look at statistics. Others go strictly on the most highly searched keywords from one particular search engine. Still others do no research at all and just guess. While the first two can work in combination with one another, they still dont offer a complete solution.

From working with many search engine optimization (SEO) experts, I have gathered a few tips on how to choose effective keywords that bring results. Id like to share that information with you so you can improve both your copy and your search engine positioning.

Narrow Focus

Choose keywords that have a narrow focus. The most common mistake Ive seen when selecting keywords is choosing those that are too broad. For example, one client sold cleaner for granite countertops. One keyphrase that was originally under consideration was granite countertops. However, as his SEO expert explained (and I agree), people could be hoping to find information on almost any aspect of granite countertops installation, price, service, dealers, etc. This keyphrase was too broad and eventually was discarded.

The same applies to geographic locations. A real estate agent wanted to use the keyphrase Richmond County. However, upon searching the Net for this phrase, his SEO expert discovered that there are at least three states that have a Richmond County. Instead, the SEO expert chose phrases such as Richmond County, Georgia real estate to narrow the focus and ensure qualified traffic.

Applicable to the Page

Another common area where people wane is in being determined to use keyphrases that simply dont apply to the page. In one case I was asked by a client to use the keyphrase payment portal on a page that had nothing to do with that topic. At the time, that was an excellent phrase to target, but it would have been quite a stretch as it had little to do with what the site was about.

Just because a keyphrase gives you the opportunity to be highly ranked doesnt mean you should use it if it has nothing to do with your site.

More Traffic or Better Traffic?

I see the battle between lots of traffic vs. more targeted traffic just about every day. Clients are generally programmed by Web hype to believe you need as much traffic as you can get regardless of where it comes from.

Most SEO experts Im associated with (and this SEO copywriter) believe you need traffic that will actually stick around once they reach your site.

Why have tons of people coming to your site if they will just leave after three seconds because they didnt find what they were looking for? Its better to have fewer people - more targeted prospects - who are more likely to buy.

By targeting your keyphrases so they are as accurate and focused as possible, you will gain the attention of customers who are specifically searching for what you have to offer. While your unique visitor or page view count may go down, your bank account balance will likely go up!

About the Author
Which words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your sales and your search engine positioning by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Get the details now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

2005-08-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

10 Tips on How to write a sales letter. by Julie Kerr

10 Tips on How to write a sales letter.

The main reason why 95% of online businesses fail
is because of poor sales letter. Write your sales
letter with an Individual in mind; think as if you
are writing personally to them. People love to read
good stories, tell them stories that illustrate a
point you are trying to make.

1.Heading.

Write attention grabbing & powerful heading.
Remember you have 15 seconds or less to capture
your visitors attention before they click away.
Offer the best benefits or the biggest promise
to your visitors. Increase there curiosity by
showing them self-serving benefits. Your heading
should immediately create a desire in the reader
to want to know more.

2. Testimonials

One of the biggest problem on the internet is
being believed. Testimonials are the best way
to assure people that you are not a scam artist.
People want to know what others are saying about
the product. In fact a good testimonial from
respected well-known authorities within your
targeted field will definitely build your credibility
& boost sales. Try to include a testimonial as
close to the top of your sales letter as you will
get people immediately believing what you say even
before they read your sales letter.

3. Build Interest.

Build interest in your reader by discussing a
problem or telling a story. The first part of
your sales letter should build interest in your
readers and try to expand the benefits you got
people excited about in your headings. People
love to read stories, so tell them some exciting
story of your past experience, but remember
the story should be within your targeted field.

4. Bullets.

Bullets are one of the most powerful persuader
in sales letter. People spend a lot of time
reading bulleted list. Bullets arose the curiosity
of your visitor, so use them to stress the benefits
of your products or services and spell out exactly
whats included in your offer. Make you bullets
like a mini heading. Use them to narrate the
benefits of your products in a step-by-step way.

5. Comparison.

To prove that your product or services is of a
great value you need to show them what you are
offering is much better them your competitors.
Show them that others are charging much more for
a less quality product then yours. Explain them
that they are getting a better deal by ordering
from you. This way you can prove your products
or services are of a great value.

6. Bonuses

Make your offer different & valuable by adding
some good products as bonuses. Dont give away
outdated junk as a bonus it will damage the
credibility of your main product. Your bonuses
should be as good as they can sell on their own.
Remember sometimes people buy the main product
just because of the bonuses.

7. Guarantee.

If you have a good product then there is no need
to worry about offering a strong guarantee. Make
your guarantee look like a personal promise. Try
to convince your visitors that they have nothing
to loose all the burden is on you to deliver what
you promised.

8. Demand Immediate Action

Include a deadline to create a sense of urgency
in the mind of your customer. Nobody wants to make
a decision, so let your customer know that they
will be missing out on a great deal if they dont
act now.

9. What to do next?

Dont make your customer guess what you want them
to do next. Tell them clearly thatClick here
to order or get immediate access. Make this process
as simple & understanding as you can.

10. P.S.

P.S. is very important part of your sales letter
as most of your site visitors will immediately
scroll down to the end of your page to find out
how much it would cost.

A P.S. is a best place to summarize your product
or services as visitor checking your price will
also have a detailed description of what they will
get if they order now.
About the Author
Authors note:
Julie Kerr provides marketing advice, business
writing, and popular promotion packages. Owner of
"The Best of Internet Marketing" which is the
biggest and best collection of internet marketing
ebooks with resell rights and ready to take order
website on the internet today at
http://www.adminder.com/c.cgi?woe5&art

2005-07-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

How To Emotionally-Charge Your Sales Letters To Boost Sales by Mike Jezek

Are you frustrated that your sales letter isn't getting results? Do you
wonder how you could make a satisfactory sales letter even better?
If you said, "yes" to either of these questions then I invite you to read
on as you will be richly rewarded. In the next few moments you are
going to discover how to instantly amplify the selling power of your
direct mail and web copy. Enabling you to potentially break sales
records and outsell your competition.

The solution to your lackluster results or desire to improve current
sales is found in one word. Emotion. As you may already know
buying decisions are based upon emotion and later backed up by
logic. Here's how legendary sales letter writer Robert Collier put it:
"Appeal to the reason, by all means. Give people a logical excuse
for buying that they can tell to their friends and use to salve their own
consciences. But if you want to sell goods, if you want action of any
kind, base your real urge upon some primary emotion!"

So how do you inject more emotion into your sales letters and thus
turbo-charge the selling power of your copy? While there are many
ways to 'emotionally-charge' your sales letters, for our time together
let's focus on these three shall we?

1) Stir Up Pain - Here's where you want to get inside the heads of your
readers. Focus on how they have this problem (that your product solves)
and that because of this problem, they're hindered, frustrated, troubled
and unable to attain their deepest desires because this problem lingers.
You want to agitate their perceived problem and make it seem worse
than it really is. You can do this by telling them stories, facts, case histories
and linking their problem to bad scenarios to persuade and influence
them into believing your product is the solution to their problem.

2) Mesmerizing Stories - I already don't have to tell you that stories
will obviously evoke emotion. Watch a tragedy, you'll feel sad. Watch a sci-fi
movie and you'll probably feel excitement. Watch a horror flick and you'll more
than likely feel scared. My advice to you, is to weave stories into your sales letters
that stir up hope in attaining a goal, avoiding trouble or achieving a dream.
You can also craft stories detailing what happened to someone who never
took action to solve the problem your product or service is intended to solve.
This kind of story will produce fear of loss, which is more powerful than
desire to gain in most people. You can also use stories that have a
'human' element to it. Simply tell a story about someone whom your readers
can easily relate too, describing their problem and the frustrations that
go with it in detail. And then, illustrate how this person used your product
and solved their problem. Consequently making their life or business
much better. This kind of story creates a type of "Social Proof."
Meaning it cultivates a follow the leader response.

3) Use Emotional Words Instead Of Logical Words - It's no surprise that
some words fire off stronger emotions than others. Words like
abortion, pro-life, Soviet or dictator have an immediate effect. Other
less controversial words such as mom, dad, family, home, friends
sister and brother have strong emotional impact. You need to evaluate
your target market and find out what key words your market really
reacts too. The key thing to remember is that just
about every word has an emotional element to it. If your offer is greed
oriented, then words and phrases like "money"; "get rich" ; "six-figures"; and
"make money easily" will excite your readers. Ideally you want to
use many small, one syllable words that your prospects
can relate an emotion to. Pick five or six key words that'll stir up
the emotion you want in your reader and subtly plant them
throughout the sales copy to spark an emotional reaction.

Whether you're vexed by a sales letter that gets poor results or you
already have a sales letter that's getting decent results, you now realize what
to do to make it sell more. You simply make it more emotionally-charged.
As of right now, you know three shortcut ways to make your sales letters more
emotional. They are: stir up pain; use mesmerizing stories; and weave emotional
words into your copy. Go ahead and start making those changes and if you
do this correctly, you should see a rise in sales and profits.

About the Author
Mike Jezek is the creator of Mega-Persuasion Psychology.Sign up for Mike Jezek's acclaimed "Confidential Psychological Selling Tactics" mini-course today at copywriting@worldresponders.com or enjoy more of his articles at
www.irresistiblecopywriting.com

2005-07-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

"The Information Publisher's Secret Resource Guide To Blow Customers Away!" by Hans Klein

"The Information Publisher's Secret Resource Guide To Blow
Customers Away!"

By Hans Klein

Have you ever heard the saying, "Give and you shall receive"?

Well, with information publishing, this saying is one of the most
important you will ever hear. Let me explain:

Whether you are providing your information product in a book, an
e-book, a manual, or a video, if you want your customer to buy
from you again, you must provide in your product value that he or
she can directly apply to his/her life.

The more value you provide, the more satisfied the customer
And a satisfied customer leads to a lifetime client, and a lifetime
fan will gladly refer others to you.

So, why should you remember the saying, "Give and you
shall receive"? Well, if you give value, you will receive the
benefits of a satisfied customer. You have to give value
before you can receive value.

Now, you're probably wondering how you can provide substantial
value to your customers so that your information goes in one ear
and turns on a light bulb that says, "Eureka! that is some
powerful stuff that I can use immediately!"

Well, if you are wondering about this very question, you're in luck
because if you look below you will discover the five keys that you
will want to print out, stick on your wall, and use every time you
sit down to create an information product.

1.Connect with your customer and build rapport. Show
that you are human, also. You can do this by talking about a
failure in your life and how you turned it around, an obstacle that
you overcame, or a person that influenced your life and business.

The bottom line is you want to your customer to feel as though
you were in their very same position, and you can relate to their
situation. This immediately builds credibility because the
customer begins to see you as a friend, instead of just an
investment.

2."That's great, but What's It Going To Do For Me?" As
the customer views your product, this is the MOST important
question they have So, answer it! Be sure to point out how they
are going to very clearly benefit from the information you are giving
to them.

3.In the introduction of your product, always give your
best promise of what you expect to deliver to the client. Do you
expect to show the client how he can make an extra $1,509 a
month? Lose 23 pounds? Save 139,403,839 seconds a year?
If so, let the client know what kind of value he is about to receive.

4. "Alright, saving 139,403,839 seconds a year sounds
great, but this sounds too difficult." The next question the
customer wonders after finding out what your information can do
for him is if they can do it So, let him or her know "Yes, You
Can and here's why!"

5.Let the customer know possible potential return on
investment if they utilize the information you are providing. In
other words, tell the customer the end result as to what your
information can do for him. Will the customer master weaving,
writing, or what ever your product is showing him what to do?

Hans Klein - All rights reserved
About the Author
-----------------------------------------------------------------

100% FR!EE - Pick up your 1 page printable version of these
5 keys of providing value to post on your wall, desk, computer,
or anywhere in your work area by visiting
http://www.WealthStarters.com/Value.html. Plus 2 Bonus
Value Tips!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

2005-07-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Rules, Regs, and Recommendations for Search Engine Copywriting by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Copywriting is a primary factor when it comes to achieving good search engine placement. However, many times all that is done is to include keywords in the tags of a page and to include a few keyword mentions. While not extremely difficult, writing for the engines is a little more complicated than that.

Know Your Keyphrases Before You Write

It is much easier to create search engine copywriting if you know which keyphrases youll use before you begin to write. Going back and editing existing copy to achieve higher levels of keyword saturation is a challenging task that often ends in broken sentences, confusing statements, and copy that sounds stiff or forced.

If you know which keyphrases youre optimizing the page for, you can create a more complete plan of action.

Let the Phrases - and Your Audience - Dictate Your Direction

You simply *must* know your target audience before you begin writing. Theres no way around it. It is virtually impossible to write copy that will persuade a site visitor to buy if you have no clue about his/her needs, wants, or problems.

Once youve taken time to investigate your preferred customer, stop and do a little brainstorming. What are your customers looking for? Can you offer solutions to their problems? As you ponder, keep your keywords fresh in your mind.

As you come up with solutions for your customers, phrase them around your keywords. It basically works as a puzzle. You know your target audience; you know your keywords; now put the two together to create compelling, search-engine-friendly copy.

Use Keyphrases in Your Headlines

Most search engines deem a headline as an important section of the copy. That means the text included in headlines (and sub-heads) carries extra weight.

When you create headlines for your copy, be sure to make them keyword rich. Also pay attention to the HTML code for your headlines. Making headlines bold and including them within or tags will help gain the attention of the engines.

The same holds true for sub-headlines. As you include additional sub-heads throughout your copy, pay attention to the bolding and coding for headline tags.

Include Keyphrases in Your Body Copy

As you begin to write, include keyphrases all the way through your body copy, not just in the first paragraph. For best results, focus your copy on only two or three primary keywords.

Let the keywords flow naturally as you write dont try to force it. Describe your products or services using keywords, include keywords in photo or graphic captions, and use keywords in any tables or lists you create.

How often should you use keyphrases? There is a 3% guideline that states 3% of your words should be keywords. However, this is JUST a guideline. Dont kill yourself to achieve a 3% ratio. Remember, your copy has to sell as well as attract the engines' attention. Dont ruin perfectly good copy by forcing keywords where they just dont fit.

By keeping these rules, regs, and recommendations of the search engine copywriting game in mind, youre sure to create copy that impresses both your visitors AND the engines.

About the Author
Which specific words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your sales and your search engine positioning by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Get the details now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

2005-07-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Revealed: The $12,500 Copywriting Formula by Sopan Greene, M.A., www.NetMarketingMastery.com

Have you heard of Brian Keith Voiles? Probably not, but if you have eyes you've seen his ad campaigns and you
probably even bought products that he created ad campaigns for. Would you like to have the formula he gets paid $12,500 to put into use for Fortune 500
Companies?

Well then, today's your lucky day, isn't it? If you follow this formula whenever you write a sales letter
or an ad you'll see how well it increases your success. Remember that the key to writing a sales letter is that the job of every paragraph is to make the reader want to read the next paragraph.

Use this as a skeleton when you write ads and then goback through your ad to make sure you've covered all nine points in the right order.

1. ATTENTION - Write a headline that GRABS your reader. Fear or curiosity are good places to start. For
example: "Ex-Truck Driver Makes $21,815 a Month Doing What You're Not"

2. INTEREST - List the benefits of your product or service. Acknowledge their problem while showing you have the solution. Show that you've been where they are and you can help them.

3. CREDIBILITY - Mention referrals and references of how others have benefited from your product or service.

4. PROVE - Show testimonials with full names and cities or countries. Offer a risk-free guarantee.

5. BELIEVABLE - Give your full contact information. Make it easy for them to buy with no hassles. Let them know why they should trust you.

6. SCARCITY - Have limited offers, special time sensitive sales, discounts on a few products in limited quantity.

7. ACTION - Ask for the sale. Make it simple.

8. WARN - Let them know the pain they'll experience if they don't use your product. i.e. If you're selling
a wrinkle cream let them know how dry their face will be and how much deeper their wrinkles will get without
your product - if that's true. Don't lie.

9. NOW - Tell them why they should buy right now.

That's it. Now you've got the skeleton that the best copywriters in the world use. If you want more information on copywriting from Brian Keith Voiles go to:
http://www.nmmastery.com/admagic/index.shtml
About the Author
Get Your 2 FREE eBooks & a FREE report: "Million Dollar Emails", "How To Start Your Own Traffic Virus" & "The
13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every Business Is Making..."
mail to: webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com

2005-07-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Copywriting Tips for Sales-generating Brochures by Karon Thackston

Copywriting Tips for Sales-generating Brochures
by Karon Thackston2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Brochures have held an important place in marketing plans for longer than most of us can remember. There is no doubt that they have the ability to generate sales and increase revenues. Why then do so many of them fail?

There are several aspects of copywriting for brochures that amateur writers dont consider. Its those things that make or break the success of your efforts.

For the sake of generalization, lets think about creating a six-panel brochure. (Also called a tri-fold brochure among other things.) This is created from an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper that is then folded twice. There are three panels on the front and three on the backside of the original sheet.

The Cover

As if it wasnt obvious, the cover is the most important panel in your brochure. Both the images and words need to grab the readers attention and pull him or her in. It has to be compelling enough to (a) strike an emotional chord, (b) make the customer want to pick up the brochure, and (c) make the reader want to know whats inside.

So, why then do so many people simply put their company name and a picture of their building (or something equally as boring) on this - the most important of all panels?

I generally leave the writing of the cover as the last element in my brochure-writing project. Once Ive finished the rest of the copy, I read back over it at a leisurely pace. Then I stop to think. If I were asked to summarize the information in this brochure in 10 seconds, what would I say? If I had to name the single biggest benefit the customer will receive from this information, what would it be?

Those are excellent ways to generate covers for brochures. A few examples are below. These are brochures that Ive seen around town that made me reach for them and want to know what was inside.

Plastic kitchen set. Dollhouse. Dollhouse furniture. Pink tricycle. $427.66. Your checking account balance $302.86. Get what you need when you need it. This was for a cash advance service. This particular brochure was printed before the Christmas holidays so it had special appeal to lots of people.

Over 3,000 babies died last year alone due to improper safety seat installations. Be SURE your child is safe! Obviously, this was for a child safety seat inspection checkup.

These make an emotional appeal, get the readers' attention, and make them want to know more.

Inside Panel Headlines

These are just as important to the process as the cover headline. Capture the true value of the information in each section and provide it to the reader within the headline.

Information Panels

For most brochures, making a sale on the spot is not the objective. Driving traffic to a phone center or Web site is. Therefore provide the most impressive product/service information on the inside panels in order to help accomplish this goal.

In addition to the information about your products/services, incorporate calls-to-action like:

Call today for full details.
Visit our Web site to see the complete color selection.
Customer service specialists are waiting for your call.

Once you understand the goals of your brochure, incorporate compelling headlines, and include a cover section that generates interest, you are more likely to see success from your brochure.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Learn to write like a pro! Boost your sales and your search engine rankings with The Step-by-step Copywriting Course. Not just an ebook... a complete course. Get yours - and 3 FREE bonuses - today! http://www.copywritingcourse.com

2005-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses by Rich Hamilton, Jr

How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses

by Rich Hamilton, Jr
http://www.ElitesMarketing.com

Your sales copy is the life source of your business. If your sales copy isn't pulling in a decent conservation rate, then your business is suffering.

In this article, we are going to go over an effective way to test the body of your sales copy for weaknesses. If there are any, you will be able to pinpoint exactly where they are. Once you are able to identify the weaknesses in the body of your sales copy, then you will know where to make the necessary improvements and workout the weak areas of your sales copy.

How It Works

The only way to know if the body of your sales copy is weak is to test it. The conventional way of testing your sales copy is to have multiple copies and test them individually, or you can use software like split hit, which will divide your traffic up and send it to multiple sale copies at once.

Eventually you will be able to determine which sales copy pulls more, but you won't know exactly where the weaknesses are in your other sales copies. Especially, if you have a long sales copy. Moreover, conventional ways of testing your sales copy will not identify where the weakness actually is, until now.

A good sales copy will have several links throughout the body of it, to display examples and ordering purposes. Since the links are already in the body of your sales copy, you can take advantage of them by tracking all of the links. Why? By tracking the links you will know what your visitors are clicking on and what they're not. By using this technique you will know precisely where your weak spots are, so all you'll have to do is tweak them.

Applying It To The Body Of Your Sales Copy

Applying this technique to the body of your sales copy is very simple, but first you will need to have a dependable tracking system. If you do not have a dependable tracking system, then I recommend that you use Adtrackz. Once you have a dependable tracking system, then you want to track every link on your sales copy. You want to have your links set up in a numerical order, such as, link 1, link 2, link 3, etc. That way you have your links set up in an organized fashion, making them easier to recognize.

If you don't have this technique set up correctly, it won't do you any good, that's why your links need to be in numerical order. Let me give you an example, let's say that you are receiving clicks on your links in the body of your sales copy up to link 4. Then, all you have to do is tweak your sales copy after link 4, because you already know you had your visitor's attention up to link 4. In this case, you know what your weakness is and that is after link 3, because your visitors haven't been clicking on link 4. So, link 4 is the best place to start making some improvements and test it again.

Let me give you another example, so that you can clearly understand this technique. Going back to the previous example, let's say your visitors where not clicking on link 4, but where clicking on links 5 & 6. In this case, if the number of clicks on link 3 are equal or close to the number of clicks on links 5 & 6, then you will find that the weakness will be after link 6. If you are wondering why your visitors are not clicking through link 4 it is, because the link may not be captivating enough for them.

If you find that your visitors are not clicking on your first few links, than it safe to assume one of two things. One is, your headline, sub-headline, and/or opening statement may be weak. You probably haven't grabbed your visitor's attention or established their interest enough by compel them to read on. The other is, the traffic going to your web site is untargeted, therefore, you should concentrate on generating traffic that is more targeted.

Test And Repeat The Process

Once you are able to identify where the weakness is, then all you have to do is tweak it and test it. Testing is the only way to know if the changes you have made have increased or decreased your visitors clicking patterns. In other words, did your visitors clicking patterns increase by surpassing the previous link number they have been clicking on, or did the click throughs decrease because the traffic didn't click trough beyond the previous link number.

After you are able to determined that the changes you have made have either increased or decreased the clicking patterns of your visitors. You will need to repeat the complete process until you have a strong click through rate through the entire body of your sales copy.

About the Author
Rich Hamilton, Jr is the CEO/President of http://www.ElitesMarketing.com and the Author of Inside Internet Marketing. His book will show you how to ignite your sales by unlocking the absolute truth to internet marketing and how you can aggressively promote your web site without paying a cent for advertising. http://www.InsideNetMarketing.com

2005-07-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

5 Insider Secrets to Million Dollar Sales Letters by Terry Dean and Michael Bosse

One of the most important skills you could ever learn is how to write million dollar sales letters. The difference between a killer sales letter and a mediocre one is often the difference between a successful site that earns thousands of dollars weekly and one that can't break even.
It doesn't matter if you drive tens of thousands of people to your site every day if you can't convince them to buy from you once they are there. Your site will never be profitable if it isn't full of benefit driven client centered ad copy.

The good news is that anyone can fill their site with good ad copy. If you don't want to write it yourself, you can find numerous good ad writers who are willing to do it for around $1,000 to $15,000 per sales letter. If that cost is too much for you to bear, I have even better news for you.
Anyone can learn how to write million dollar ad copy. Don't start letting your mind come up with all of the reasons why that may be true for other people but not for you. Let me rephrase that sentence. YOU can write million dollar ad copy.

The best copywriters in the world did not have the best writing skills when they started out. Many of them, in fact, don't even have high school diplomas. Just because you have never even written a free report doesn't mean you can't write a killer sales letter. As a matter of fact, I am going to give you the best insider secrets available in the world to help you write the best ad copy you possibly could.
There are thousands of resources online that will teach you how to write better ads. Below are just a few of the books or manuals that will help you learn how to write good ad copy:

"Advertising Magic by Brian Keith Voiles
"Maximum Profit Copywriting Clinic by Bob Serling
"Magic Words that Bring You Riches by Ted Nicholas
"Cash Copy by Jeffrey Lant

These types of books and manuals will teach you the in's and out's of the inner workings of good ad copy. They will teach you the important pieces you need such as creating great headlines, listing benefits, finding testimonials, and using a P.S. Any of these courses will improve your sales letter writing ability.

What I want to give you today through this article is a turn-key plan that you can use for FREE to start writing killer ads. Follow my simple 5 step system below and you will start writing killer sales letters within the next few months.

I know you may want to have a quicker way of doing things, but anything that is worth doing is worth doing good. Going to college and getting the skills it takes to do a job takes a minimum of 2 to 4 years and often quite a bit longer. If you follow my techniques below, you will become a killer sales letter writer within 2 to 6 months and have the skills to be an entrepreneur for the rest of your life.

Don't quit after 6 months though. Keep doing these techniques for years and you will keep those creative juices flowing and building in you for the rest of your life.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 Insider Secrets to Writing Million Dollar Sales Letters.

1. Spend one to two hours a day copying by hand some of the greatest sales letters of all time.

The easiest way I could ever tell you to become a good ad writer guaranteed is to copy and study good ads until they become a part of you. Study each paragraph. Look and contemplate why they said this or that.

Figure out what they were trying to do in each paragraph. Go out and pick up some of the sales letters by the best ad writers of all time, such as Ted Nicholas, Gary Halbert, Jay Abraham, Brian Keith Voiles, and others. You could also go around the Internet and print out the ads for top selling products and services you know of online.

Then, pick out an ad that you admire greatly that you know produces tons of sales for it's owner. Start copying it by hand. Write the entire sales letter out in your own hand writing. Write it out 5 to 30 times over the next week or month.

I told you this would take some time, but it will be worth it. Once you have written this sales letter over and over again, you will begin to almost memorize the way the writer worded different things. Next time you sit down to write a letter, their wording and even part of the mentality that they sat down to write with will have become a part of you.

After you have copied the first sales letter so many times that you are actually sick of the thing, it is time to go onto the next letter. Pick out another sales letter you admire and copy it by hand. Copy it 5 to 30 times until you begin to know it by heart as well.

Keep doing this with more and more of the winning sales letters and you will find some interesting things happening when you go to write a sales letter. You will sit down and some of their phrasing and ways of doing things will come to your mind. Once you have copied dozens of these sales letters you will find that it is becoming much easier to just sit down and begin flowing right into a million dollar sales piece.

By doing your assigned homework you will begin to learn how to write the headlines, benefits, and the P.S. You will actually start doing the things that Ad Writing courses teach you how to do naturally.
As you continue doing this for the next year you will find yourself getting better and better at writing ads every single month. By following this one technique, anyone reading this report can make a decision to start writing better ads next week.

Even if you are only writing ads for your own business, doesn't it stand to reason that you owe it to yourself to write the most profitable ads possible. Isn't it worth the time you have to dedicate to it?

2. Create a Swipe File.

You should also collect all of the good sales letters you find and create a notebook out of them. Then, when you are sitting down to write a sales letter, you can thumb through your notebook of sales letters to generate ideas for your project.

Many copywriters call this their swipe file. They use it as an idea generator for their headlines, body copy, bullets, etc. If they are stuck on creating a good guarantee, they can look through other guarantees people have used. If they are trying to think of how to do a P.S., they can look through other ones. They can get their letter writing going through taking ideas from other winning sales materials.

Never Use Ideas Word For Word From Your Swipe File. This would be plagiarism. Use it to generate general ideas. You don't want to copy their sentences word for word. You want to flip through some different sales letters until an idea forms in your head about what to write for your project.

This swipe file will help you keep on track and produce winning sales materials every time and it costs you nothing to create. Just collect or print out winning sales letters you find and put them in a notebook or series of notebooks you keep handy when writing your letters.

Remember the cardinal rule when using your swipe file. NEVER copy the ideas word for word!

3. Always research your client's customers until you know them like your own best friend.

Many times you will see reports on how to write killer sales materials that cover many of the basics, but they forget the most important part. The major key to writing million dollar sales letters is to know your customers like you do your own best friend.

You need to know what their needs and desires are. You need to know what fears they are experiencing. You need to know what their Hot Buttons are. What is it that they respond to? What is it that would offend them?

If you don't know your prospects, then you can never write an effective sales letter to them. I don't care if you are best writer in the world. If you don't know them, you won't be able to make sales to them.
Good copywriters take polls of the customers. They look at sales letters their customers have already responded to. They go out and ask questions of their potential customers. They do everything they possibly can to know who their biggest potential prospect is.

If you can't tell me everything about your potential prospects, then you aren't ready to start writing yet. You should know their general age, their hot button, their dreams, their fears, and everything that relates somehow to your product.

The key to a good sales letter is being able to describe the benefits of your product to this individual prospect or customer. It needs to be personalized to them individually.

4. Relax.

Learn how to relax. If you are in a rush to do your sales letter, it will be obvious to the readers. Be willing to take your time and do an extremely good job. Let things stew inside your brain between each of the important elements.

After you research your prospects and get to know them, take some time to relax. Think on them and their desires for a while. Take some time to relax after you write your headlines and choose the best one for your letter. Think about how to create that flow throughout your letter, starting with your headline.
Take some time to relax after you write your rough draft. Sit it down and come back to it the next day. Then, you will be refreshed and ready to edit it. After you have done your editing, put it away again for a little while. Come back to it refreshed and read over it again. See if there is anything else you would like to change about it.

Don't rush through the writing process. Learn how to let your mind go to work by working on it, then relaxing a bit. Go back to work and then let your mind stew over it again. Keep this process throughout the entire letter.

5. Test and Edit.

There is only one way you can ever determine if a sales letter will be successful or not. It has to be put to the test. It has to be sent out to some of the potential prospects.

Send it out and find out if it makes a profit or not. If it is winning letter right up front, great! If not, then it is back to the drawing board. Whether it makes money or not, you will still need to test it.

For example, you should take the letter that made money and try a different headline for it. Compare the results to the original. Test a different price. Test the offer worded slightly different. Keep the sales letter that is producing the best results after each test. This is the control that you will determine your results from.

Winning marketers are always testing their materials to find out which one is producing the best results. The killer sales materials that you see being used year after year and decade after decade became that way through this type of testing. Rarely is the first letter written the absolute best letter it could ever be. You need to keep improving it through testing until you have the letter that consistently out-pulls everything else.

As you can see, copywriting isn't all about being born with huge amounts of writing talents. It is about making a decision to become the best. It is about deciding to do the work you need to succeed in your business. Good copywriters are never lazy, and anyone can be a good copywriter. What about you?

By Terry Dean co-authored by Michael Bosse

----------------------------------------------------------------
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---------------------------------------------------------------
About the Author
Terry Dean is a 5 year veteran of internet marketing and the founder of www.netbreakthrough.com. Michael Bosse is a business logistics specialist who provides consultation and aid to people interested in starting there own home business.

2005-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

WRITING POWERFUL EFFECTIVE SOLO ADS by Steven Boaze

Everybody wants to make more money... In fact, most people would
like to hit upon something that makes them fabulously rich! And seemingly,
one of the easiest roads to the fulfillment of these dreams of wealth
is writing effective solo ads and using them correctly

The only thing is, hardly anyone gives much real thought to the basic
ingredient of selling by email - the writing of profitable solo ads.
If your online business is to succeed, then you must acquire the
expertise of writing solo ads that sell your product or services!

So what makes a solo ad good or bad? First of all, it must appeal
to the reader, and as such, it must say exactly what you want it to say.
Secondly, it has to say what it says in the least possible number of
words in order to keep your operating costs within your budget.
And thirdly, it has to produce the desired results whether inquiries or sales.

Grabbing the reader's attention is your first objective. You must assume
the reader is "scanning" the page on which your ad appears in the company
of two or three hundred solo ads. Therefore, there has to be
something about your ad that causes them to stop scanning and look
at yours! So, the first two or three words of your ad are of the utmost
importance and deserve your careful consideration. Most surveys show
that words or phrases that quickly involve the reader, tend to be the
best attention-grabbers. Such words as: FREE... WIN... MAKE BIG MONEY...

Whatever words you use as attention-grabbers, to start your ads,
you should bear in mind that they'll be competing with similar
attention-grabbers of the other ads on the same page. Therefore,
in addition to your lead words, your ad must quickly go on to promise
or state further benefits to the reader.

In the language of professional copywriters, you've grabbed the attention
of your prospect, and interested them with something that even they can do.

The next rule of good solo ad copywriting has to do with the arousal
of the reader's desire to get in on your offer. In a great many instances,
this rule is by-passed, and it appears, this is the real reason that an ad
doesn't pull according to the expectations of the advertiser.

Think about it - you've got your reader's attention; you've told them it's
easy and simple; and you're about to ask them to do something. Unless
you take the time to further "want your offer," your ad is going to only
half turn them on. they'll compare your ad with the others that have grabbed
their attention and finally decide upon the one that interests them the most.

What I'm saying is that here is the place for you to insert that magic word
"guaranteed" or some other such word or phrase. So now, we've got an
ad that reads: MAKE BIG MONEY! Easy & Simple. Guaranteed!

Now the reader is turned on, and in their mind, can't lose. You're ready
to ask for their money. This is the "demand for action" part of your ad.
This is the part where you want to use such words as:

Limited offer - Act now! Write today! Only and/or just...
Putting it all together, then your ad might read something like this:
MAKE BIG MONEY! Easy & Simple. Guaranteed! Limited offer. Send $l to:

These are the ingredients of any good solo ad - Attention - Interest -
Desire - Action... Without these four ingredients skillfully integrated into
your ad, chances are your ad will just "lie there" and not do anything but
cost you money. What i have just shown you is a basic solo ad.
Although such an ad could be placed in any leading publication and would
pull a good response, it's known as a "blind ad" and would pull inquiries
and responses from a whole spectrum of people reading the publication
in which it appeared. In other words, from as many "time-wasters" as
from bona fide buyers.

To give you an example of the kind of solo ad you might want to use, say
to sell a report such as this one... Using all the rules of basic advertising
copywriting, and stating exactly what our product is, our ad reads thusly:

MONEY-MAKER'S SECRETS! How To Write winning solo ads.
Simple & easy to learn -should double or triple your responses.
Rush $1 to BC Sales, 10 Main Anytown, va 75001.

The point i am making is that: l) You've got to grab the reader's attention...
2) You've got to "interest them" with something that appeals to them...
3) You've got to "further stimulate" him with something (catch-phrase)
that makes them "desire" the product or service...
4) Demand that he act immediately...

There's no point in being tricky or clever. Just adhere to the basics
and your profits will increase accordingly. One of the best ways of
learning to write good solo ads is to study the other solo ads out there -
try to figure out exactly what they're attempting to sell - and then practice
rewriting them according to the rules I've just given you. Whenever
you sit down to write a solo ad, always write it all out - write down
everything you want to say - and then go back over it, crossing out words,
and refining your phraseology.

Generally speaking, readers respond more often to solo ads that include
a name than to those showing just initials or an address only. However,
because advertising costs are based upon the number of words, or the
amount of space your solo ad uses, the use of some names in solo ads
could become quite expensive. If i were to ask our ad respondents to
write to or send their money to The Research Writers & Publishers
Association, or to Book Business Mart, or even to Money Maker's
Opportunity Digest, my advertising costs would be prohibitive.
Thus we shorten our name Researchers or Money-Makers. The point here
is to think relative to the placement costs of your solo ad, and to shorten
excessively long names.

The important thing is to know the rules of profitable
solo ad writing, and to follow them. Hold your costs in line.
once your solo ad is written, now is the time to use it wisely

know the basics...grab their attention... the rest is up to you.
About the Author
About The Author
Steven Boaze is the President of Boaze Publishing with one
of the largest databases on the internet. Come by Boaze
Publishing and get your 50% off all advertising for the
month of Dec! http://www.boazepublishing.biz/

2005-07-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

SEO Copywriting - In the Wake of the Florida Update by Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston2004
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword

After Googles most recent update, those in the search engine optimization (SEO) field seem to be standing at attention. As sites that have held long-standing positions in the top 10 flounder and bob around in the search results like a fishing cork in a pond, many are scrambling for answers about what to do next. Ive been asked for my opinions about changes in search engine copywriting, so I thought Id share some of my insights.

Just like the SEOs whose editorials and interviews youve recently read, I too am expressing opinions here. Nobody knows for sure what has happened or what Google plans to do in the future. However, based on what Ive seen so far, I do have some observations to share in response to a few commonly asked questions.

Many are saying that over-optimized sites are being penalized. Should I reduce the keyword saturation on my pages?

The changes at Google this go round have nothing to do with a penalty; it's simply an algorithm change. No penalties, no punishments, etc. Over saturation of keywords has always been bad, however, many were getting away with it pre-Florida. I have never been a fan of shoving keywords into your copy wherever you have an extra syllable. Keeping an acceptable level of keyword saturation is still important. Just dont overdo it. Remember, your ultimate goal should be to write for your human visitors not the search engine spiders.

Case in point: Do a Google search for the term website design. At the time of this article, I clicked through to many of the sites returned in the top 10. As I read through the home pages of these sites, I noticed how often they repeated the keyphrase website design. These pages had a good level of saturation. Not too heavy, not too light.

Unless yours is one of those sites where every third word is a keyword/phrase, I would not recommend changing the level of keyword saturation at this point.

There have been reports of Google moving to a semantic-based system. Does this mean keywords will no longer be used?

In my opinion, the reports are true Google is moving to a semantic-type system. But that doesn't mean keywords are on their way out at all. After the changes are made, Google will be going beyond *just* looking for keywords on your page. Theyll want well-written copy actual language that speaks to your site visitors. That means your copy will take on a more important role than ever before. And thats great news!

For those of us who have been focusing on search engine copywriting that appeals to both the engines and the site visitors, Googles upcoming changes should be very exciting.

I have a couple of other common-sense thoughts on this topic as well.

Searchers will continue to type in search strings that bring up what they are looking for. While I have noticed the keyphrases getting longer over time, I have not read any research that states searchers have begun typing wood, nails and glass when they are actually hoping to find mirrors.

Common sense tells me that keyphrases will always be a determining factor in generating accurate search results.

The other common-sense aspect that comes to mind is that when Google moves to semantic search results, keyword saturation will become even more important. How will the spiders know what to gauge their semantic results by if there are no keywords included in your copy? Yes, semantics means that other types of verbiage need to be included, too but -- as I said earlier -- hasnt that always been the case?

Some people have said that Google is now favoring information sites and information pages. Should I write more information-based copy for my site?

While *some* search results for *some* keyphrases do seem to be filled primarily with information-based directory sites (those that do not attempt to sell), it is not the norm. Google understands that over 85% of people looking to make a purchase turn to search engines. While information-filled pages definitely satisfy a need for the first part of the buying process, they dont replace retail sites.

People will continue to research and make purchases online. This means theyll want to see retail and other business sites returned in their search results. If they dont get what theyre looking for, theyll simply use another search engine.

So, to answer the question, Ive always thought (and so has Google) you should include information pages on your site. Gathering information was, is and will always be a part of the buying process. If you currently dont have information pages on your site, yes, add some. But not because you think Google might approve because your visitors will.

Just like the demise of most META tags, and just like Google practically ignoring ALT/image tags, tricks come and go. Write your copy primarily to impress your site visitors. Making drastic changes - unless they are based on a need by your target audience - is not a move I recommend.

Overall, it will take some time for any definite/solid information to filter down about the true effects of the Florida update. Theories will continue to swirl around the Net. So will rankings! But the fact remains that common-sense SEO copywriting wins out in the long run.

About the Author
Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses both the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karons latest e-report How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword

2005-07-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

How to make your web copy better. by David Miranda

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when creating a web site is to take large chunks of copy from your existing marketing materials (ads, brochures, sales letters etc.) and cut and paste them onto your web pages.

What you have to understand is that the internet is different from the world of print and its a medium that web visitors are still getting used to. For most people, reading from a computer screen is not an enjoyable experience, and some find it downright uncomfortable.

No wonder users are impatient and skim on a whim. Thats why the vast majority of web users (over 79%) scan the text looking for information that interests them. Very few read each and every word.

Another revealing fact is that users read 25% slower on a computer screen compared to reading from a magazine, newspaper or a book. So if people read more slowly and are scanning too, you have to create web content thats easy and inviting to read.

MAKE EVERYTHING SHORTER
One of the quickest and easiest ways to improve web copy is to shorten long paragraphs. For example, if you have a paragraph thats 12 lines long, break it up into two or three short ones. And if you need to write about many different items, use a bulleted list ...
interesting fact number one
fascinating fact number two
remarkable fact number three

Also, use short words and short sentences. Theyre easier to read than long ones. And, if you want to emphasize a point within a sentence, put it in bold type or highlight it with color. Use these techniques sparingly. If you overdo them, your page will look visually messy and will discourage people from reading it.

Although its best to keep pages and paragraphs short, there are times when youll want to expand upon a topic. Thats when links come in handy. Just put a "Continue" or a "Read more" button at the end of a paragraph, then you can take your reader to a new page devoted solely to your topic. Again, dont overdo higher links . Too many of them on a page are distracting and will weaken the impact of your main message.

WRITE 'USEFUL' HEADLINES
Journalists and copywriters frequently use cute, clever headlines to capture the attention of readers. But research shows these types of headlines are not effective on the web. The cuteness of the headline goes over the head of the reader because he or she is far too busy scanning. So avoid puns, cliches and metaphors. Be simple and direct and write in simple, plain English. And make sure your headlines offer the reader a benefit or useful information.

Another consideration is keywords. After youve researched and found the best keywords for your business, place them in your headlines and sub-headings. Whats more, if people have to come to your place of business in order to do business as is the case with doctors, lawyers or dentists, make sure your location is integrated with your keywords. For example, a lawyer from Texas whose keywords are divorce law and divorce lawyer might use a headline like this:

Dallas divorce lawyer reveals the facts about Texas divorce law.

Also, weave your keywords throughout your body text, especially your opening paragraphs. Keep in mind: the best keywords are two or three words phrasesnot single words. (Useful keyword research tools are Wordtrackerwww.wordtacker.com and Overture - www.inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/)

DON'T SHOUT AT YOUR READER
Weve become accustomed to TV and radio announcers ranting and raving on the benefits of their products or services.

But when writing for the web, hyperbole comes across as hype. Therefore, dont shout. Talk to your reader in a reasonable voice as if you were talking to a friend. Avoid words like stupendous... awesome... breathtaking. People are skeptical of exaggerated claims; youre much better off being understated rather than overstated.

The best way to make your web content persuasive is to use true factsas many as possible. Pile one interesting fact on top of another, till you end up with a strong, compelling sales story. Also include testimonials; praise from unbiased third parties makes your content more convincing.

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT
Customers wont buy from people they dont trust. So its imperative to create an online environment thats trustworthy and friendly.
Make sure your navigation links steer people in the right direction.
Stress the benefits of your product or service clearly and succinctly.
Avoid overly complex Return Policies or self-important Mission Statements.
Include a Privacy Policy if you gather information about your customers.
Include a Contact Us page which, in addition to your e-mail address, provides the companys mailing address, phone number, and the names of key members of your management team.

Above all, understand the mind set of your readerbe empathetic. And convey through your copy that you care and can provide solutions to your readers problems.

About the Author
David Miranda is an award-winning copywriter with over 25 years experience. David heads Miranda Writes, a copywriting service that helps small and medium-sized companies increase sales and profits by creating persuasive marketing materials and web site content. Contact him at david@mirandawrites.com.

2005-07-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

"How To Write A Riveting Sales Letter That Closes Sales" by Mike Jezek

"How To Write A Riveting Sales Letter That Closes Sales"
By Mike Jezek, the Sales Letter Psychologist

How do you get people's attention and build their interest to
take the time to read your sales letter? Let's face it. If you
can't get the attention of prospects and keep their interest your
sales letter will just fall flat on it's face and thus not make you
much money.

Today, I'm going to show you how to take that limp sales letter
and inject more money making power into it. How? You make
your sales letter more riveting. And you do that by creating a
thread of curiosity and or surprising information that keeps your
prospects on the edge of their seats. There are various ways
to do this, but today I'm going to show you three simple things
you can do right away to make your sales letter more riveting.

1) The 25% Rule: Simply stated, if the first quarter of your
sales letter isn't absolutely compelling and interesting enough
your sales letter will bomb. So here's what you do. You craft
an irresistible benefit laden headline and subhead that pull
people into the first sentence of your body copy. You write the
copy in such a way that to complete the thought forces your
audience into the next sentence. Next, your first paragraph
will naturally flow into the second paragraph and then into
the third and so on. The trick again, is to write the copy in
such a way that you're using stories, case histories, testimonials
news or even descriptions that take several paragraphs to
write. Then you break this huge block of copy up into
multiple paragraphs. As a result, the first 25% of your
sales letter should become riveting.

2) Sentence Enders: At the end of key paragraphs you
can add a special sentence that beckons your prospects
to read into the next paragraph. Here are several examples:
"Stay with me." "Let me explain." There's more." "What
happened next will surprise you." "I was blown away by
what happened next." "Now here comes the good part."

3) Preview: Have you ever noticed on talk radio or on
various news programs that the announcer or radio host
will give you a preview of what's to come in their show
in order to whet your appetite to know more? You can
do the same thing throughout your sales letter. Note this
technique is closely related to Sentence Enders. Here
are a few examples. "As you read on, you're about to discover how
XXX can boost your sales by 30% to 400% in just
7 short days." "I'm going to reveal my magic metabolism
secrets that can peel off 20 lbs within 30 days time. But
before I do ... " "In the next 5 minutes as you read every
word of this letter, you will know the 7 secrets to exploding
your online profits without paying a single dime in advertising
costs." "By the time you finish reading this eye-opening letter
you will know how to take these three fighting techniques and
stop any attacker foolish enough to get in your face."

Here's the bottom line. You must keep your prospects focused
on your sales message. If your sales letter is like most people's
sale letters - boring - no prospect will take the time to read it and
as a result you won't get sales. Use these three techniques and
try inventing some of your own to keep your reader focused and
riveted on what you've written. Build suspense in your sales letter.
As if you're constantly dangling a carrot before them. Do this and
you should see your sales boost.

About the Author
Sign up for Mike Jezek's
acclaimed "Confidential Psychological Selling Tactics" mini-course today at
irresistiblecopy@worldresponders.com or enjoy more of his articles at www.irresistiblecopywriting.com

2005-07-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Headline Is Your Lifeline by David Geer

Reel them in!

Think for a moment about newspapers. Have you ever heard the phrase, "the headline screamed?" This will probably give you an image of a headline that says, "Town demolished by flood", or, "Strange virus discovered in water supply". Doesn't it make you want to read on, to find out the details of the story?

For the purpose of your headline, you do not have to proclaim disaster in order to get attention. In most cases, you won't want "disaster" mentioned in connection with anything having to do with your business, unless you fix disasters! You also don't have to be overly clever or humorous. The direct approach works best, and is appreciated the most.
When prospective clients are at the door, invite them in. Here are some steps to help you put together a winning headline, and create not just a reading audience, but a buying audience.

Define your target market.
* Who is your target audience?
* What are the hopes, dreams, wishes, and needs of this audience?
* Who do you think would buy from you? Are they business people, teenagers, or married couples? Are they spiritual, health-conscious, or disorganized?
* Why is your product a good fit for this market? Provide a hook.

Targeting your target market.
* Speak directly to your audience, as this is the market that will purchase from you.
* Use specifics. "Tired moms", "time-challenged business owners". Let them know you are talking
right to them. Generally, retired people will not be interested in the trendiest t-shirts for the in-crowd at the local high school. Aim for your audience.

By boiling your business down to its essential parts, you will be better situated to make sure you are reaching the right audience, and grabbing their attention. A buyer needs to feel right away that you are talking directly to them and that you can improve their life in some way, or else they will give you neither their time, nor their dollars.

On the web, you generally have only one opportunity to not only get someone's attention, but to keep it. If you lose them at the headline, you have just lost your opportunity to convince them why it is such a great idea to do business with you. Grab their interest. If you don't, it's doubtful they will come back again, and you may have lost a great prospect. Make your headline count.
About the Author
Success 4U Marketing helps small business owners discover how to
market any product or service online
quickly ... easily ... profitably ... successfully.
http://www.cashflowseller.com/