Saturday, August 05, 2006
One Stop Web Support Newsletter #36 On Its Way
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive early Sunday morning, August 6. This newsletter contains:
Jeff
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive early Sunday morning, August 6. This newsletter contains:
- Are Your Internet Marketing Efforts Escaping the Dreaded Kuske Principle?
- Personal recommendation - "BANABU"
- Special guest corner: Discover the Profit Models That Can Dramatically Increase Your Income and Position Your Business for *Massive* Growth (part 2)
By Derek Gehl - Success quote by Glynis Nunn
Jeff
Friday, August 04, 2006
Why Verbs Work So Well in Copywriting
Yesterday I shared something I had rewritten on a client's site to make it more effective. I said I would break it down to show what makes it effective. Just to refresh your memory, here's the copy I wrote for my client's etched glass home decor site:
The second paragraph suddenly reverses that negative impression by engaging a third sense into the copy, the sense of feel. I show that the negative qualities that traditional forms of etching have are totally absent in my client's etching process.
Adding the sense of feel forces them to imagine the benefits. I could have described this benefit in a generic way with something like, "This etching process leaves the glass almost perfectly smooth." But a generic feature would fall flat in reader's minds.
"Who cares if it's smooth or not?" would be the likely response. "How does that benefit me?" But by getting readers to imagine actually feeling the dramatic difference between the two styles of etching, we draw them into sensing the quality. And, importantly, it subtly starts them thinking of the product as their own, easing their way into a purchase.
The third paragraph sums up the first two, the fourth attacks a red flag that might arise at this point. Before the question arises of, "If the etching's so delicate, won't it wear off?" we attack it with a guarantee.
But again, instead of simply stating the guarantee, we put the reader into another scenario. We picture the reader actively trying to rub the etching off and finding it impossible to do so.
Again, we do two things with this scenario. First we answer a potential deal-breaking concern before it arises. Secondly, we get the readers imagining actually owning the product.
Finally, with the last paragraph, we put the reader in yet another scenario. We call upon the reader to picture the exact spot where the product will have the most impact in his or her home. We lead the reader to picture how much they will enjoy owning it.
Once again, we assume the purchase has already been made. Hopefully, each scenario should build their desire to make what they've imagined reality. They've already enjoyed feeling and seeing their purchase. They've already mentally placed it in their home. All that remains is to click the "Add to Cart" button and it can be on its way there.
Now, I don't want to leave the impression that this is some magical formula that mesmerizes uninterested people into buying against their will. What it does is make them comfortable with the idea of buying something they already came to the site looking for.
You'll notice also that I at no time in the copy use the word, "imagine." If I'm trying to get them to imagine something, why not just tell them to imagine it? Because this is where human nature gets all funny on us.
If you tell your visitors to imagine how much they will enjoy owning your product, it will put them on guard. It will actually increase their resistance, because they feel you're trying to manipulate them.
Instead, we paint them a vivid picture where they can see themselves enjoying the product. In doing so, we bypass that mental guard dog and tap directly into the desire to buy that can overrule the reservations about buying.
No amount of beautifuls or exceptionals will get past that guard dog. Most adjectives (the descriptive words you use to describe your product) come across as hollow. But verbs stimulate imagination and, ultimately, action. Take a look at your sales copy and see where you can punch it up with verbs. You might be surprised at how much you can do.
Jeff
Yesterday I shared something I had rewritten on a client's site to make it more effective. I said I would break it down to show what makes it effective. Just to refresh your memory, here's the copy I wrote for my client's etched glass home decor site:
Notice what it does. The first paragraph hits you with highly active verbs to generate a vivid picture. Grind, erase, crunch. You can almost hear and see the etching process that competitors use, and—may I add—you likely see and hear it in a negative light."How do we produce such unexpected detail? Other etchings grind deeply into the surface of the glass, erasing any possibility of fine details and crunching the glass surface into tiny shards that leave a rough surface where it's been etched.
"But run your finger over the etching you receive from us. You'll find the etching so delicate that the etched surface feels almost as smooth as polished glass.
"That delicate etch is what gives you such detail.
"Yet, delicate as it is, your etching is still permanent. Clean it, polish it as much as you like. We guarantee you will never get it to fade or wear away.
"Display your etching in your home wherever it will make the most impact. Gaze at the delicately contrasting shades this process brings to it. Enjoy a feeling of realism beyond anything you ever expected from etched glass."
The second paragraph suddenly reverses that negative impression by engaging a third sense into the copy, the sense of feel. I show that the negative qualities that traditional forms of etching have are totally absent in my client's etching process.
Adding the sense of feel forces them to imagine the benefits. I could have described this benefit in a generic way with something like, "This etching process leaves the glass almost perfectly smooth." But a generic feature would fall flat in reader's minds.
"Who cares if it's smooth or not?" would be the likely response. "How does that benefit me?" But by getting readers to imagine actually feeling the dramatic difference between the two styles of etching, we draw them into sensing the quality. And, importantly, it subtly starts them thinking of the product as their own, easing their way into a purchase.
The third paragraph sums up the first two, the fourth attacks a red flag that might arise at this point. Before the question arises of, "If the etching's so delicate, won't it wear off?" we attack it with a guarantee.
But again, instead of simply stating the guarantee, we put the reader into another scenario. We picture the reader actively trying to rub the etching off and finding it impossible to do so.
Again, we do two things with this scenario. First we answer a potential deal-breaking concern before it arises. Secondly, we get the readers imagining actually owning the product.
Finally, with the last paragraph, we put the reader in yet another scenario. We call upon the reader to picture the exact spot where the product will have the most impact in his or her home. We lead the reader to picture how much they will enjoy owning it.
Once again, we assume the purchase has already been made. Hopefully, each scenario should build their desire to make what they've imagined reality. They've already enjoyed feeling and seeing their purchase. They've already mentally placed it in their home. All that remains is to click the "Add to Cart" button and it can be on its way there.
Now, I don't want to leave the impression that this is some magical formula that mesmerizes uninterested people into buying against their will. What it does is make them comfortable with the idea of buying something they already came to the site looking for.
You'll notice also that I at no time in the copy use the word, "imagine." If I'm trying to get them to imagine something, why not just tell them to imagine it? Because this is where human nature gets all funny on us.
If you tell your visitors to imagine how much they will enjoy owning your product, it will put them on guard. It will actually increase their resistance, because they feel you're trying to manipulate them.
Instead, we paint them a vivid picture where they can see themselves enjoying the product. In doing so, we bypass that mental guard dog and tap directly into the desire to buy that can overrule the reservations about buying.
No amount of beautifuls or exceptionals will get past that guard dog. Most adjectives (the descriptive words you use to describe your product) come across as hollow. But verbs stimulate imagination and, ultimately, action. Take a look at your sales copy and see where you can punch it up with verbs. You might be surprised at how much you can do.
Jeff
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Power of Verbs Revisited
A couple of week ago I linked you to an article about the power of verbs in copywriting. I thought you might like to see an example of that principle at work.
I'll take a little time in my next post to break it down further and describe what makes this kind of scenario building work.
Jeff
A couple of week ago I linked you to an article about the power of verbs in copywriting. I thought you might like to see an example of that principle at work.
I rewrote some copy on a client's site today with verbs in mind. I turned
bland, generic copy into scenarios to get into readers' heads. Here's the
first one as originally written:
"Through years of research and development, we have developed a process known as high-definition etching. High-definition etching photographically reproduces photos or artwork on glass, creating etched works of art.
"These etchings, with their contrasting shades, give each image a feeling of depth and beauty. We can take photographs, pictures or paintings and reproduce them in etched form on any flat glass surface. Whether you use our stock images or have your own idea or custom project, these etchings are photo realistic and stand alone in quality and beauty."
Strictly explanatory. It doesn't sound bad. But it doesn't get inside your head.
Here it is rewritten:
Try reading that without finding yourself imagining the product (etched mirrors and other etched glass home decor) in your home. It forces you to engage your imagination without ever resorting to trite and ineffective phrases like, "Just imagine that you...""How do we produce such unexpected detail? Other etchings grind deeply into the surface of the glass, erasing any possibility of fine details and crunching the glass surface into tiny shards that leave a rough surface where it's been etched.
"But run your finger over the etching you receive from us. You'll find the etching so delicate that the etched surface feels almost as smooth as polished glass.
"That delicate etch is what gives you such detail.
"Yet, delicate as it is, your etching is still permanent. Clean it, polish it as much as you like. We guarantee you will never get it to fade or wear away.
"Display your etching in your home wherever it will make the most impact. Gaze at the delicately contrasting shades this process brings to it. Enjoy a feeling of realism beyond anything you ever expected from etched glass."
I'll take a little time in my next post to break it down further and describe what makes this kind of scenario building work.
Jeff
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
New Bootleg Mark Joyner Video
There is a hot new bootleg video online that shows one of the top Internet marketing masters, Mark Joyner, being attacked by a man during a $10,000 private consultation! Well, there's more to it than that, but check out the video for yourself.
In this 23 minute video, BEFORE the fight, you will get to hear Mark teaching:
Check out this bootleg video of Mark Joyner teaching how to improve your business (scroll down to the August 1 entry on the link page's blog).
Jeff
There is a hot new bootleg video online that shows one of the top Internet marketing masters, Mark Joyner, being attacked by a man during a $10,000 private consultation! Well, there's more to it than that, but check out the video for yourself.
In this 23 minute video, BEFORE the fight, you will get to hear Mark teaching:
- The 1 word that Mark has outlawed in his business
- (and the word to replace it with)
- Mark's S.O.N. (Source of the Nile tool) explained
- How to trick yourself into doing things you NEED to do in your business but don't enjoy doing
- The easiest and fastest way to increase profits (Hint: it has nothing to do with marketing)
Check out this bootleg video of Mark Joyner teaching how to improve your business (scroll down to the August 1 entry on the link page's blog).
Jeff
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Correcting a Mistake
I corrected a mistake today. Yes, I make them. In fact, I make plenty of them. This one was a product I bought that was not what I expected it to be.
I learned of a new, free, training program on affiliate marketing through a trusted source. I'm always looking for new techniques and strategies, so I figured it was worth a try. Boy, was I wrong!
Upon signing up, I was immediately hit with a choice: "Do you want just the free information? Or do you want to upgrade to the advanced version for only $37 and get a lot better training?"
I opted for the upgrade. Immediately, I was hit with another choice: "Do you want to get just the advanced version? Or do you want to get the finest affiliate training anywhere with the super-advanced version for only $77 more?
The double upgrade set off warning bells in my head. This was starting to sound like a sales technique that I have grave reservations about, but I bit again. Fortunately, they haven't developed their ultra-super-advanced version yet, so I was spared any further upgrade attempts.
I entered the private membership area. The entrance had nothing about training except a small link at the top that said, "Training Materials." The entrace to the membership area was dedicated to hyping up how much money you could make by getting everyone else you know to sign up for the site, too.
The page was impressive. They obviously had put a lot of work into it. I wish I could say the same for the training materials.
The single training page was a jumble of poorly described MP3 links. I listened to few. The interviews were on a basic level and broke no new ground beyond the interviews those same marketers have had floating around the Internet for free for years.
I planned to check out a couple of the initial training sessions, but more red flags and questionable practices convinced me that enough was enough. I got my money back.
I hope, though, that what I gained from my mistake can help you avoid similar experiences. Here's what I got from it:
1. Go into any potential purchase with your eyes open. I learned of this training program through a person who has always given me solid, quality advice. Nobody's perfect, though. No matter how comfortable you are with a recommendation, use your own judgment about whether a purchase is right for YOU.
2. Get suspicious when you're pushed to make multiple upgrades BEFORE you know what you're getting. The fact that someone offers another product or a higher level of service isn't automatically a red flag. But if a seller really twists your arm to keep you climbing the ladder of cost before you've ever seen what you're getting, it's probably because he knows his product isn't worth the higher cost.
That kind of pressure is just the opposite of one of my favorite training sites, Trafficology. Quality sites like Trafficology are not afraid to show you what you get, giving a two month free trial before you ever pay a cent for their marketing training. They know that their product is so good that you'll gladly pay to keep accessing it.
3. Beware when you buy a product for one purpose and the seller immediately shifts the emphasis to promoting their product instead. That's not to say that any product that mentions their affiliate program is bad.
But if they're more interested in getting you to promote for them than in giving you what you paid for, all you're doing is helping them exploit others with a product that they don't believe in themselves.
4. Never be afraid to walk away from a deal if your warning alarms go off. I was looking for a good affiliate training tool and I let my fear of missing out on something good supercede my common sense.
Should I have put on the brakes when my gut started to warn me that things were not right? Definitely! But my mind kept telling me, "This has got to be good. Look at all the good things it promises. This might just be a better affiliate training tool than anything I recommend. I owe it to my readers to check this out. I might never have this opportunity again." Never talk yourself into a purchase on the basis of fear.
5. Be a strategist instead of an opportunist. It's tempting to run a business by simply reacting to what happens around you. That was what I did wrong.
I got swept up in an opportunity that sounded good. But all it did was to take valuable time away from pursuing my STRATEGY for long-term growth. People, jumping from opportunity to opportunity without an overriding strategy is NOT the way to build a business.
Know where you want to go. Plot out your path to getting there. Don't let "the next great thing" divert you from your path. If you purchase something, purchase it because it fits your overall strategy for success, not because you're afraid of missing out on something if you don't.
You'll get a lot farther with a well-planned strategy than with all the false opportunities that pop up around you.
Jeff
I corrected a mistake today. Yes, I make them. In fact, I make plenty of them. This one was a product I bought that was not what I expected it to be.
I learned of a new, free, training program on affiliate marketing through a trusted source. I'm always looking for new techniques and strategies, so I figured it was worth a try. Boy, was I wrong!
Upon signing up, I was immediately hit with a choice: "Do you want just the free information? Or do you want to upgrade to the advanced version for only $37 and get a lot better training?"
I opted for the upgrade. Immediately, I was hit with another choice: "Do you want to get just the advanced version? Or do you want to get the finest affiliate training anywhere with the super-advanced version for only $77 more?
The double upgrade set off warning bells in my head. This was starting to sound like a sales technique that I have grave reservations about, but I bit again. Fortunately, they haven't developed their ultra-super-advanced version yet, so I was spared any further upgrade attempts.
I entered the private membership area. The entrance had nothing about training except a small link at the top that said, "Training Materials." The entrace to the membership area was dedicated to hyping up how much money you could make by getting everyone else you know to sign up for the site, too.
The page was impressive. They obviously had put a lot of work into it. I wish I could say the same for the training materials.
The single training page was a jumble of poorly described MP3 links. I listened to few. The interviews were on a basic level and broke no new ground beyond the interviews those same marketers have had floating around the Internet for free for years.
I planned to check out a couple of the initial training sessions, but more red flags and questionable practices convinced me that enough was enough. I got my money back.
I hope, though, that what I gained from my mistake can help you avoid similar experiences. Here's what I got from it:
1. Go into any potential purchase with your eyes open. I learned of this training program through a person who has always given me solid, quality advice. Nobody's perfect, though. No matter how comfortable you are with a recommendation, use your own judgment about whether a purchase is right for YOU.
2. Get suspicious when you're pushed to make multiple upgrades BEFORE you know what you're getting. The fact that someone offers another product or a higher level of service isn't automatically a red flag. But if a seller really twists your arm to keep you climbing the ladder of cost before you've ever seen what you're getting, it's probably because he knows his product isn't worth the higher cost.
That kind of pressure is just the opposite of one of my favorite training sites, Trafficology. Quality sites like Trafficology are not afraid to show you what you get, giving a two month free trial before you ever pay a cent for their marketing training. They know that their product is so good that you'll gladly pay to keep accessing it.
3. Beware when you buy a product for one purpose and the seller immediately shifts the emphasis to promoting their product instead. That's not to say that any product that mentions their affiliate program is bad.
But if they're more interested in getting you to promote for them than in giving you what you paid for, all you're doing is helping them exploit others with a product that they don't believe in themselves.
4. Never be afraid to walk away from a deal if your warning alarms go off. I was looking for a good affiliate training tool and I let my fear of missing out on something good supercede my common sense.
Should I have put on the brakes when my gut started to warn me that things were not right? Definitely! But my mind kept telling me, "This has got to be good. Look at all the good things it promises. This might just be a better affiliate training tool than anything I recommend. I owe it to my readers to check this out. I might never have this opportunity again." Never talk yourself into a purchase on the basis of fear.
5. Be a strategist instead of an opportunist. It's tempting to run a business by simply reacting to what happens around you. That was what I did wrong.
I got swept up in an opportunity that sounded good. But all it did was to take valuable time away from pursuing my STRATEGY for long-term growth. People, jumping from opportunity to opportunity without an overriding strategy is NOT the way to build a business.
Know where you want to go. Plot out your path to getting there. Don't let "the next great thing" divert you from your path. If you purchase something, purchase it because it fits your overall strategy for success, not because you're afraid of missing out on something if you don't.
You'll get a lot farther with a well-planned strategy than with all the false opportunities that pop up around you.
Jeff
Monday, July 31, 2006
Become What Makes You Alive
I read a quote the other day that really stuck with me. It's a quote by Gil Bailie:
What good does it do to start a business that turns out to be nothing more than an unfulfilling chore, like the current job you already want to discard? Find what makes you come alive and you'll find what you can not only be successful at, but enjoy.
Jeff
I read a quote the other day that really stuck with me. It's a quote by Gil Bailie:
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you comeI know I've sometimes focused on looking for keywords that have good potential for business. But we dare never forget Bailie's words.
alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come
alive."
What good does it do to start a business that turns out to be nothing more than an unfulfilling chore, like the current job you already want to discard? Find what makes you come alive and you'll find what you can not only be successful at, but enjoy.
Jeff
© 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Jeff Baas, One Stop Web Support
