Some people don’t mind hard-hitting copy, while others prefer newsy copy. Some people prefer long copy to get as much information as possible, others prefer short, brief, to-the-point copy. Some like drama, stories, and testimonials; others data, statistics, and facts. Does it all matter? Absolutely. What makes one style of copy more favorable than another? […]
A few years ago, something happened that provided incontrovertible proof of an infallible rule in copywriting. I knew it all along but never saw it proven to me in such a personal and direct way. The one element that can transform flimsy, “yeah-right” copy into a sales-inducing powerhouse, is proof. Besides poor targeting, lack of […]
If you’ve been a student of marketing for some time, then I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying: “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.” That quote by Theodore Levitt is probably one of the most quoted passages in marketing in trying to explain the difference between features and […]
One of the most popular threads on my now defunct discussion forum for copywriters was one started by my friend Dean Jackson. If you don’t know Dean Jackson, he is a Torontonian, a real estate mogul, an information marketing millionaire (author of many programs, including the highly successful “Stop Your Divorce!”), and a darn-fine copywriter. […]
Today, Sylvie and I stumbled onto another bad “Internet marketing sin” perpetrated by an online marketer. This person is not as well-known, but judging from their style they’re definitely a student of some of the top “gurus.” When we shared this with our platinum coaching group, a member sent this amazing “10-point ethics checklist,” which […]
Seems I’m ranting a lot these days, and a little more opinionated than the norm. Perhaps it’s my back problem, which is killing me, that’s making me more sensitive or irritable. I don’t know. But something someone recently said in my copywriters forum irritated me. And it’s not what this person said specifically, but the […]
In 2005, I held three rarely given teleseminars: a call with copywriting legends Gary Halbert and John Carlton, and a second follow-up call with Gary Halbert.
Scarcity is an effective tactic often used in copywriting to create a sense of urgency in an effort to convince the undecided reader to make a purchasing decision. After all, people procrastinate, and they do for a variety of reasons. It’s simply human nature. So the goal of applying scarcity is to prevent prospects from […]
Throughout my research, I’m always surprised when I stumble onto websites that are professionally designed and seem to offer great products and services, but lack or fail in certain important elements. Elements that, with just a few short changes, can help multiply the results almost instantaneously. Generally, I have found that there are seven common […]