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Copyblogger Weekly Wrap: Week of September 27, 2010

BlogPostman — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Those who stalk me (and you know who you are) know that I’ve been talking a lot lately about “ Storyselling ,” which is a way to sell stuff using stories. But nothing is infallible, so I wanted to publicly announce some flaws I’ve found with it: Don’t use Storyselling with the police. Tell them about Uncle Phil’s hairpiece and they’ll still put you in jail for running over a Photomat booth with a city bus. (Don’t ask how I know this.) Don’t tell your story after being pushed off a building by the person you were trying to convince not to push you. Tell it before. After is too late. It’s amazing how many people get this one wrong. Don’t watch The Story of O with your grandmother, unless you enjoy uncontrolled squirming. Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you the story of what happened this week on Copyblogger: Monday: 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics I could give you an elaborate summary of this one, but really, the title says it all: it’s a collection of 50 can’t-fail techniques for finding great blog topics. Instead, I’ll spend this summary talking about Hollywood gossip. So… do you guys think Lady Gaga is a dude? Read the full post here . Tuesday: Want People To Read Your Sales Page? Make It Scannable To prove how true this post is, I scanned it only briefly to write this summary, and did so while driving a race car off a cliff. A lot of people are like me, so if your sales page is full of dense text that requires people to read every word, you’re going to turn us off. Also, after scanning this post, I’m pretty sure it was about waffles. Read the full post here . Wednesday: 8 Bad Habits that Crush Your Creativity And Stifle Your Success I totally get this one. Most people have the potential to be creative, but they do these 8 things that stifle creativity and make them boring. Don’t want to be boring? Then stop doing these 8 things, and also get a multicolored hat with a feather. Read the full post here . Thursday: Scribe 3.0: SEO Made Simple Hey, everyone, Scribe just got even better! I like Scribe. It’s cool for people like me who hate SEO because they think it gets in the way of your writing style, but then you get Scribe and it goes all ninja and suddenly you’re ranking well and life is grand. NOTE: Scribe does not include a pair of those little ninja slippers, exploding powder, or those shiny little stars you throw at people. Yet. Read the full post here . Friday: Why Getting Attention Won’t Make You Rich I was in a pink full-body suit, climbing the Sears Tower to drop lemons on pedestrians when I read this post — and just in time. Attention may be the first step to building a lucrative business, but it’s not the only one. In this post, Sonia Simone outlines what else you need to do in order to convert attention to currency. For me? I’m selling “I got hit with a lemon by a pink guy and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” t-shirts. Read the full post here. This week’s cool links: Signs That Blogging is Not Only Alive, But More Critical Than Ever : Think that blogging is dead? Um, no. That would be a stupid thing to think. Digg Founder “Burned Out,” May Leave by End of 2010 : Kevin Rose has had it, and reading this, I think I’d be expecting a “postal” reaction out of him. Can we get Pete Rose in there instead? Trouble Choosing a Niche? Start a Personal Blog : If you’re not sure what to blog about, Darren Rowse suggests starting a personal blog as a testing ground. (Note to self: It’s possible to have a business blog that isn’t all about yourself? Strange, but possibly true.) 14 Incredibly successful ways to stand out from the crowd : Like monster * posts? This one about finding a way to stand out in an otherwise crowded space will suit you well. * Does not contain Cookie Monster. ‘Cluetrain Manifesto’ Comes True In Age of Twitter, Facebook : The book The Cluetrain Manifesto , written in 2000, is totally being proven true a decade later. (Also, it describes a train on which you can play the game “Clue.” My money is on Professor Plum in the parlor with the candlestick.) About the Author: Johnny B. Truant wants you to know that his new course Storyselling 101 is half price this weekend and says “You should totally get it now.”

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Copyblogger Weekly Wrap: Week of September 27, 2010

Want People To Read Your Sales Page? Make It Scannable

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:10:00 +0000

There are two types of sales page readers: those who faithfully read every word, and those who skim until they get to the end. Since you want to sell to both of these groups, you have to know exactly how to capture and hold the attention of each — and doing so in the same sales page is no small feat. The good news is, you can use the same writing strategy to get each group to engage with what you’re reading … and ultimately to buy what you’re selling. One very simple way you can increase the “scannability” of your sales page is by making effective use of subheads. Subheads are a sales page’s best friend If you blog at all, you know the power that a good set of subheads commands over your readers. You take special care to make them stand out, capture attention and intrigue your readers — and most important, to give those people who give your post a quick “once over” a reason to slow down and read every word you’ve written . Sales pages are no different. Good subheads allow your readers to stay grounded in the context of what they’re reading, while building a sense of anticipation of what’s to come. So let’s talk about a few subhead strategies you can use to make readers sit up and take notice. How to strengthen your sales copy with promises We’ve talked before at Copyblogger about how a good headline delivers a promise to the reader that makes them want to read further into your sales page. But if you don’t deliver on that promise quickly, readers can lose interest and either scroll down to the end or give up on your copy entirely. This is why you want to set up each subheader to include a smaller promise — a taste of what’s to come in the next few paragraphs, if only they will continue reading. For each section of your copy, ask yourself: What result will my reader be closer to after reading the text in this section When you find the answer, build that into the subheader text. (If you can’t come up with something, that’s a sign you need to improve that section.) Want an example? Look at the subheader above. I just did it. Why benefit-based subheaders get your readers to stick Naturally, readers want to know what’s in it for them. Here’s where you tell them how the promise you’ve made can make their business (or their life) better. To figure out the positive changes that will happen after they take you up on your offer, look at the promise and ask yourself: How will things be different for my readers after they take in this information This works so well because it makes the reader hungry for a specific outcome. Where a promise simply hints at a basic result, (“You will be more successful”) the benefits speak to the experience that people will have after they get that result (“You will double your current income in two weeks”). Tapping into the desire for a specific experience does two things: First, it forces you to tighten up your copy so that it delivers on the promise. And second, it triggers your readers’ motivation to read every word of it. After all, that’s what happened with this section, isn’t it? How I used story elements to hit the front page of Digg (and how you can too) When I first started learning about copywriting, I found the most popular headlines from places like Digg and Copyblogger and physically wrote them out by hand so I could get a true “feel” for what went into making a compelling opening for my blog posts. The act of writing with pen and paper made the copywriting lessons stick in a powerful way, enabling me to hit the front page of Digg six times. And as I talked to others who used this same technique I realized that it wasn’t a fluke — it’s an important part of learning by doing. It’s so important, in fact, that my first Copyblogger guest post was about this exact subject. It’s opened the doors to many guest posts since then. That’s my story — which, interestingly enough, you’ve just read to the end. Keep in mind the story doesn’t have to be about you — it can be the reader’s story (for example, “How you’ll get twice as many people to read to the end of your copy”). In some cases this can be even more compelling than a story elements that refer to you or your customers. Look at the subheader above and see how I’ve included the idea of story, a promise, and a specific benefit to keep you from clicking away. When you do the same, you readers will appreciate it. Why solid subheadings stop scanners in their tracks Now, all that we’ve talked about so far explains how to keep interested readers moving from section to section of your sales page — but what about the “scanners” who quickly scroll their way down to the price? How do you get them to stop and read what you’ve written? Well, as I said at the beginning, the techniques that keep those interested readers reading can also make scanners feel like they’re missing out on something — a key motivator for taking their finger off of the scroll wheel. If your subheaders are heavy on promises and benefits, and have an element of story to them, scanners will notice them as they move down the page. As the subheaders “stack” on each other, with promise after promise, benefit upon benefit, and a story that just won’t quit — just as I’ve shown you how to do above — scanners will decide that they’ve just got to slow down and really listen to what you’re offering them, because they’ll be convinced the rewards are just too good to miss. (And just in case you scanned your way down here, that last sentence was for you.) About the Author : Dave Navarro is a product launch manager who can’t wait for you to join the 7,000+ people using his free workbooks in the Launch Coach Library (a crowd favorite in the Third Tribe forums).

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Want People To Read Your Sales Page? Make It Scannable

How to Build Credibility with Your Sales Copy

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:00:00 +0000

When visitors are making a decision about whether or not to buy, their “shields are up.” They’re watching carefully for any sign you might be a jerk, a crook, or just not able to deliver on your promises. They need you to soothe their unspoken anxieties and objections . This doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, a powerful way to make this happen is something you’re probably already doing on your blog. The key is to show your prospect the person (or people) standing behind the offer. Put a human face and some credibility-based context on that sales message. Readers want to know who they’re dealing with — and why they should trust that person. It’s up to you to communicate it in an effective and engaging way. Let’s talk about three strategies for building sales-driving credibility into your copy. 1. The “about me” approach This is probably the most recognizable credibility-building tool, because you see it everywhere. Blogs have an “About” page, and many sales pages have some variation of the Who Am I And Why Should You Listen To Me? theme. But you can also use a little more subtlety when introducing yourself to your buyers. Using a “Why I created this product” approach, you can weave your own story into your sales material, by combining details about your experience and credentials with benefit-driven copy that reduces your readers’ resistance to buying. Explain what you’re doing for clients, how your approach addresses the results you deliver to those clients, and then segue into your sales message. For example, a copywriting course sales page could build credibility like this: After spending a decade building a reputation for writing high-conversion copy for clients like (name) and (name), I decided to start teaching my evergreen copywriting strategies to others so they could grow their own businesses … You’d then lead into a brief story about how you have effectively served your copywriting customers. You can see how the credibility factors (10 years of experience, name dropping of high-profile clients) merge with the desired outcomes (evergreen strategies, high conversion), and let you build trust without feeling like a hype machine. By involving the reader in a bit of history (or even what’s happening with present customers), you can satisfy the “about me” section by wrapping it in details that are really about them and the outcome they’re looking for. It seems like they’re getting a story about you. But what they’re really getting is confirmation that you can meet their needs. 2. The “reluctant hero” approach Another strategy is the story of the “unintentional product.” This works by setting up a backstory where the product producer starts gaining a reputation for creating results … and then other people begin clamoring to know how to make it happen for themselves. The reluctant hero is a storytelling archetype, and you may think that makes this approach formulaic or contrived. But assuming your story is both compelling and true (yes, it needs to be both), the reluctant hero story is an extremely effective credibility generator. Here’s an example from my own past: I started out as a personal development coach who began learning how to create and launch my own information products, Third-Tribe style before there was a name for that way of doing things. After a while, my blogging friends began asking me how I was making such strong sales with my products. As I showed them, they started telling people about it. Word got around, and I started getting more calls and emails about launching products than I did about personal development. I decided to create a training manual on how to write and sell ebooks … and the rest is history. The “reluctant hero” approach lets you humanize your accomplishments, weave a story that creates a connection with your audience, and gets readers to see you as a natural fit for what they need. 3. The customer-as-proof approach A third (and highly effective) strategy is to make successful customers the focus of your credibility-building story. After all, why talk about yourself when you can talk about the stunning results your customers have created … and generate credibility by association? You see this all the time when people say things like “using this system, my client generated $5 million in sales in a down economy.” By pointing to the successful results other people have experienced, the product (as well as the creator) gains instant credibility without having to overtly claim “I’m qualified.” When example is stacked upon example, the sense of credibility is continually heightened. Every time you receive a results-based testimonial, consider weaving it into your sales message as more than just a yellow box with a picture in it. Make it part of the story around what your product can truly do. The more examples you have for your reader to see your product’s results, the less “selling” you’ll have to do, because each story reinforces your credibility. And you take advantage of another copywriting cornerstone — making it easy for your prospect to visualize herself as a customer. What’s your favorite credibility builder? These aren’t the only ways to establish credibility in a sales page, but for the aspiring copywriter, they’re a great start. If you’ve got another strategy that’s a personal favorite, please share it in the comments below and let us get to know a little more about you and your story. About the Author : Dave Navarro is a product launch manager who can’t wait for you to join the 7,000+ people using his free workbooks in the Launch Coach Library (a crowd favorite in the Third Tribe forums).

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How to Build Credibility with Your Sales Copy

Turbo Traffic System

BlogPostman — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:11:18 +0000

Feature Product Review:“How do I drive traffic to any website to boost the sales, income and profits?” That’s the question that almost every Internet marketer and newbie wants the answer to. And, in an attempt to answer that question, a lot of webmasters are trying their best to create coaching programs that can help others

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Turbo Traffic System

How To Write Eye-Catching Headlines that Transform Browsers into Buyers

BlogPostman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:15:51 +0000

For your headlines to stop readers in their tracks, capture their attention through every word of your copy, and persuade them to click that “Add to Cart” button without a second thought, you need to master the “headline reading psychology” of your soon-to-be customers. Once you understand why magnetic headlines pull readers in, you’ll know how to do it for your own sales pages, every time. Follow along with me for the next ninety seconds and I’ll show you exactly how you can turn a casual browser of your sales page into an avid reader, curious to drink in your copy until ultimately hitting the “Buy” button. First, get relevant: Tell your readers’ they’re in the right place So many people create clever turns of phrase hoping to pull people into their sales copy and wonder why their catchy headlines just don’t work. The answer is simple: Readers are busy people, and they don’t have time to study your sales letter to see if it’s relevant to them. Instead, they rely on you to do that work for them. But how do you do that? The answer to that is simple as well: You ensure your headline is clear, not clever, telling the reader exactly what your sales copy is poised to deliver. Use specific keywords that show without a doubt that your page is relevant to people with a specific need or a specific problem – and don’t over-think it. If you’re a blogger, you probably already do this with your post titles, so apply that same thinking to your headlines. For example, look at the title for this post – it’s about “how to write headlines.” (Ever wonder why you always hear such high praise for “How to” headlines ? It’s because they’re extremely relevant by nature. Keep in mind, however, that a “how to” headline might not be the most powerful choice for your particular sales page. When it’s time to write your headline, think of the primary, top-of-mind problem or result your readers are after and make that the foundation of your headline. Do this right, and your readers will automatically know that they’re in the right place – and save your cleverness for later. Next, add the carrot: Attach a powerful result to your headline After you establish relevance to your readers’ immediate needs, you need to help your readers connect to a mouth-watering result that comes from addressing that need. The often quoted “How to ____ so you can ____” is a great example of bridging relevance to result. Never forget that your readers aren’t looking for products or services – they’re looking for beneficial outcomes, and the relevant keywords you write into your headline are often the means to that outcome. So ask yourself why your readers want to take that relevant action, and you’ll be guided to a promise or two that you can make in your headline. I’ll use this post as an example again – you’re reading this far because you want to know how to write headlines, but what you’re really after is getting people to buy from your sales page. Look at your browser title bar and you’ll see I worked that into this post’s headline as well. Finally, dress it up: Add emotionally stirring and action words to your headline Once you’ve married relevance to outcome, it’s time to add a little flavor to your headline by hand-picking compelling words to make those two features “pop.” In this post I modified “headlines” with the adjective “eye-catching” to add some life to the text. I’ve also used the powerful transitive verb “transform” to suggest actionable change, which intensifies the promise of desired results. Pick words that make the relevant keywords or the desired results seem more powerful and attainable – or simply add a third component to the headline like a timeframe or a variation of “easy” or “simple” (if it applies). I could go into additional examples here, but you’ll find all that you need in the Magnetic Headlines series. Take a few moments to read through the posts there with a more educated eye, looking for how each example uses relevance, results, and powerful modifiers to make you want to read each post to the very end. Which, now that you think about it, you’ve just done with this post. Sharpen your skills – how can you improve your own headlines? If you want to get better at writing sales page headlines today, take another ninety seconds right now and use these three tips on a recent headline you’ve created. In the comments below, show us your original – and improved version – and get those headline writing muscles working! About the Author : Dave Navarro is a product launch manager who can’t wait for you to join the 7,000+ people using his free workbooks in the Launch Coach Library (a crowd favorite in the Third Tribe forums).

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How To Write Eye-Catching Headlines that Transform Browsers into Buyers

Four Sales Page Elements That Get People To Buy Now

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:12:01 +0000

When your sales page isn’t converting the way you need it to, it doesn’t just hurt your bottom line – it can cripple your confidence as a writer and make you doubt your future as a marketer. On top of that, the frustration of having to rewrite underperforming copy can make copywriting seem like a tedious chore instead of the enjoyable exercise in persuasion it’s meant to be. Fortunately, there are simple (but powerful) ways to write highly effective copy the first time – copy that gets readers emotionally invested and ready to click that “Add to Cart” button. Read the next few paragraphs, and you’ll have a step-by-step, can’t miss foundation that will make your next sales letter a whole lot easier to write. 1. Get in touch with the pain your reader brings to the table Features aren’t what sell your product – solution-oriented benefits are. You know, the kind of things that say “That thing that’s keeping you up at night? This will fix it.” Before you even begin to try and impress your readers with how incredible your offer is, you’ve got to establish situational relevance with them. You absolutely must get yourself in tune with the pain points that are bringing them to a buying decision. Why are they searching for the kind of thing you’re writing about? What’s holding them back, causing them stress, or making them break out into a cold sweat? Take the time to step into your future customer’s shoes and get a sense of what they’re feeling. What are the most important pain points that they care about, the ones that make them say “If only this could be taken care of, I’d buy that solution in a heartbeat?” Then you can begin framing your product not as “impressive,” but as “the thing that makes their pain go away.” 2. Understand their frustration with “so far” and “out there.” Chances are, your reader has tried to find a solution on their own. They may have tried everything and seen no meaningful result – or worse yet, they could have seen their efforts blow up in their face. This is the “so far” element you have to look into (and if you’ve already stepped into your customer’s shoes, you’ll probably have an idea of how this could play out). This is your chance to think about how your product or service can work for them, even if they’ve failed “so far.” Consider how you’re going to position what you’re selling as a way to make sure those mistakes don’t happen in the past. This time, it’s different. Why? It’s your job to figure that out and express it. The same goes for the “out there.” Your customers may be feeling frustrated that others have it easier in terms of having this problem solved, because other people are smarter, or more established, or naturally have the deck stacked in their favor. There’s a lot of “if only I had what they have …” thinking going on in your customer’s head, and if you can demonstrate how your offer closes the gap, then you’re halfway to the sale. 3. Step them into their “Dream Situation” Once your reader understands that your offering might just be what helps them get away from their pain and frustration, it’s time to take them a step further. Envision what your customer’s perfect outcome would look like as they use your product or service. What problems go away? What new opportunities appear? What changes happen in their life? People don’t buy products – they buy outcomes. Look closely at the outcomes that your offer can produce for your customers and help them see themselves there. Phrases like “Imagine if …” and “Just think of when …” contain powerful words. Let them taste their future, and craft your sentences in such a way that they can immerse themselves in the feeling of being there. When you do this part right, you’ve helped them vividly see how your solution can move them away from pain and frustration and toward their desired outcome. 4. Close the deal with an “Ideal Solution” By this time your reader is excited at the prospect of making their outcome happen – and now’s your chance to position your product as a slam-dunk solution. This is where you bring the features of your offer into play, stepping them through the specifics of why what you’re offering is perfectly suited to helping them achieve that desired outcome. Maybe it’s the format you’re delivering it in – audio, video and PDFs are a great way to guarantee hitting the top learning modalities customers want. Maybe there’s one-on-one consulting tied into the offer, or a Third Tribe-style online community … or maybe it’s all of this. Since your customer’s shoes are still on, think about how your he or she would view the ideal delivery method of your solution. Ask yourself what would make it easier for a customer to tap into the power of your offer , and then make sure it’s worked into your product or service. Once you’ve done that, all that’s left is communicating just how well-suited your offer is to easing their pain, ending their frustration, and helping them finally get closer to their dream situation. Use these four steps to make your next sales letter much more powerful There’s no denying the power of a solid headline and a killer set of opening paragraphs . But the source of that power comes from these four elements – wrap them into the headlines and teaser text at the beginning of your sales letter, and your chances of having readers stick with you to the end go through the roof. Need proof? No you don’t – because I worked these four steps into the introduction of this very post … and you’re still here. The question is, where will these four steps take you next. Take a moment in the comments to share which of these points resonated with you the most, and how you can use them to make your next offer more enticing than ever. About the Author : Dave Navarro is a product launch manager who can’t wait for you to join the 7,000+ people using his free workbooks in the Launch Coach Library (a crowd favorite in the Third Tribe forums).

Perpetual Traffic Formula Goes Live!

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:24:36 +0000

In the sales video for Perpetual Traffic Formula, Ryan revealed the 7-step sequence behind the Perpetual Traffic Formula. In this article, you'll learn about those 7 steps, as well as find out what you get with Perpetual Traffic Formula.

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Perpetual Traffic Formula Goes Live!

How to Find Thousands More Prospects for Your Business

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:46:09 +0000

Ever wonder why conversion rates are so low? A “good” sales page will usually convert between 1 and 5 percent of its readers. Those numbers vary wildly depending on about a zillion factors, but that’s the middle of the bell curve. So that means between 95 and 99 percent of people reject what you’ve got to offer. Seems a little depressing when you look at it that way, right? So are those 95–99 percent just a write-off, a necessary cost of doing business? Do you have to do the work and/or spend the money to get nearly prospects to make 1 sale? Not necessarily. Note: No actual statistics were harmed, or even used, in the writing of this post. In other words, these numbers are theoretical. Use them to illustrate the principle, and for back-of-the-envelope planning. The real numbers always come from your own business and your own individual situation. The desperate buyers strategy According to sales strategist Chet Holmes, at any given time, about 3 percent of your market is in active buying mode. So if you sell furniture, about 3 percent of adults in your town are looking for some piece of furniture right now. If you sell fancy cages for naked mole rats, about 3 percent of naked mole rat owners are in the market for a new cage. Traditional internet marketing is all about finding this 3 percent. The smartest Adwords, SEO, and affiliate marketers are all trying to selectively find that 3 percent and weed out the other 97. You can call this the Desperate Buyers Only strategy, which is the title of a very solid program by Alexis Dawes on writing and selling ebooks. The trouble is that the desperate 3 percent are expensive, because everyone wants them. What are called the “converting keywords” (the keywords that are proven to attract the 3 percent who are ready to buy today) are expensive to buy with pay-per-click. Those same keywords are usually highly competitive for SEO , and getting more so every day. You’re competing with thousands of hungry internet marketers for that 3%. It can be done, but you have to be at the top of your game. But there are more buyers out there, if you know how to treat them. The conquer-the-universe strategy Holmes’s research goes on to say that about 7 percent of any given market is receptive to the idea of buying, even if they aren’t actively looking. Given the right offer, they could be talked into it. We could call these our Not-So-Desperate buyers . If you can pull them in, you’ve more than tripled the size of your potential buying pool, going from 3 percent to 10 percent. Another 30-ish percent will buy one of these days, but it’s not on their radar right now. Call them the Not Yets . About 30 percent are mildly turned off on the idea of buying your product. Holmes calls them the Soft No . And about 30 percent are highly turned off. They hate something about your company, or they never pay for information, or their spouse has threatened them with grievous bodily harm if they spend any more money on what you sell. They’re the Absolutely Nevers . What happens if you start creating marketing communication that entices the Not-So-Desperate, the Not Yets, the Soft Nos, and even a few Absolutely Nevers? You can scoop up all of those potential buyers and keep them close until they’re ready for you. You can develop enough trust and rapport to warm up the Not-So-Desperates, and even light a bit of a fire to get them moving today. You can make yourself the natural choice when the Not Yets are ready. You can answer objections and reverse the risk for the Soft Nos, which often turns them into Yeses. And you can even get a handful of Absolutely Nevers to act as your unpaid salespeople. While Absolutely Nevers might never buy themselves, if you’ve set up your marketing correctly, a surprising number of them will pass the word along to someone else who will buy. The product may not be right for them, but they know someone who can use the content . The key is the content net What kind of marketing attracts all the potential buyers, rather than the ones who are hot to buy right now? It has to be marketing that doesn’t look like marketing. Advertising that’s too valuable to throw away. Communication that delivers a real and compelling benefit, with the sales message presented only after you’ve earned the right to sell. Or what we like to call cookie content . And what kind of marketing keeps them around and engaged until they’re ready to buy from you? It has to be marketing that’s delivered over time. Advertising that arrives on a predictable, regular schedule. Communication that’s repeated enough times to develop trust and rapport. And the two best tools for that at the moment are probably a blog combined with an email autoresponder . A content net weaves a nice, friendly web of communication around all the categories of buyers, and keeps them interested. It’s a terrific tool for your Desperate 3%, because it educates them about why you’re the unquestionably perfect choice. But it also takes the other 97% and nurtures them, training them to become your ideal customer. About the Author : Sonia Simone is Senior Editor of Copyblogger and the founder of Remarkable Communication .

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How to Find Thousands More Prospects for Your Business

7 Strategies for Escaping “Me Too” Product Launches

BlogPostman — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:32:44 +0000

Are you noticing an awful lot of launches nowadays? Well, it’s not just you. As many bloggers jump off the Adsense bandwagon, they’re getting into the launch game, with a neverending stream of premium eBooks, white papers, audio interview series, video courses, membership sites, networking events, webinars, conferences, consultation packages, private coaching groups, print books, physical items, and anything else that could be wrangled together into a marketable asset. And because bloggers are good at creating content, they don’t just release these products without any buildup. They’re conducting multi-stage launches with tons of strong content. So if you’ve got something to bring to market, is there any point? Is there any way to cut through all this noise? Believe it or not, there is a way to break out from the pack. You truly can back up your unique product with an equally remarkable launch — a launch that, in and of itself, will be talked about. You probably already know that selling is about eliciting emotional triggers , not about making a logical case. So why leave those triggers to the sales page, when you can expand them to encompass your entire launch? Don’t just create a launch. Create a remarkable launch, using these seven core elements of psychological attachment: 1. Limited time frame I’m not talking here about using scarcity and imposing deadlines for purchase. That technique brings out a strong emotional response (fear of loss), and it’s already a defining characteristic of launches. Not enough marketers, though, use scarcity in their pre-launch buzz-building period. Release valuable free content that has a small window for consumption. Create the “want” for people to devour it, absorb it, embrace it before it goes away forever. Live events or webinars definitely fit the mold more so than anything else — if you make sure it’s “must see TV.” If your content is as remarkable as you make it out to be, people will be clamoring with anticipation. They’ll mark the date on their calendars and even start asking around if others are as eager to get their hands on it as they are. This is real buzz. Here’s the important kicker — you have to be fully committed to this ploy. If you’re holding a webinar, don’t post a recording afterwards. Let people know that if they miss out, it’s gone. Network television relied on this concept for decades to boost ratings, until the VCR (followed by the DVR) was developed and “must-see TV” turned into “will-probably-see-it-when-I’m-in-the-mood TV.” Use scarcity to your advantage and significantly improve your conversion rates on the pre-launch content you create. 2. A unique movement Think of your pre-launch material not so much as a series of independent events and more as a story with a single compelling theme. Beginning, middle, end, and everything in-between, take your readers on an emotional roller coaster. Make them feel as if they’re getting a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece. Let them construct the final picture by the completion of your launch cycle. Cult culture doesn’t just appear overnight. But a compelling story that unfolds over time is one of the most effective techniques there is to turn your audience into radical brand evangelists. 3. The joy of sharing Bloggers are often perplexed at what actually makes a piece of content “go viral.” It’s more than a powerful headline . It’s more than offering a high-quality pillar resource. And it’s definitely not pure luck. Content goes viral simply because it’s as fun (or even more fun) to share than it was to originally consume. Humor often fulfills this requirement better than any other type of content. A joke is one of the few constructs in which the person delivering it gets as much satisfaction making others laugh as the one receiving this pleasure. Any semblance or perception of “insider” information also does the trick. How hard do you find it to keep a juicy nugget of a secret? If you’re like most of us, you just can’t resist the temptation to pass it along. Releasing highly informative pre-launch material isn’t, by itself, “worth talking about.” It’s often the case that a light-hearted video of virtual “fluff” gets spread much, much more than anything else. How else could you explain this YouTube video getting nearly 47 million views? 4. Audience participation Improvisational comedy groups form the basis of their art on this single concept. By focusing solely on the input of their audience, they’re creating a once-in-a-lifetime unique moment . The performance is not about them. It’s about us. The quality of our experience rests upon our shoulders. We directly affect the outcome — and we know it. Creating this effect in your launch has to go beyond comments or contests. Find creative ways to shape your pre-launch content based on prospective customer input. Invite a small segment of your audience as guests on a webinar. Interview a random reader on your blog. Find any way you can to showcase other people in your own product’s launch cycle. Let your audience be creators as much as customers. 5. Extreme consistency Let’s conduct a simple test. Answer these two questions: What is the exact date of Christmas next year? What is the exact date of Easter next year? I’m figuring you easily responded “December 25th, silly” to the first one. But were you able to state the second one without checking a calendar? The date for Christmas is memorable because it’s consistent. Product launches often build anticipation by drilling a set date into a prospect’s head. That specific time and place become part of the prospect’s future plans, a mark on their calendar. Why not use this technique for your pre-launch content as well? Create a routine — a release schedule that can be relied on like clockwork. Instead of just one specific date and time to place in people’s minds, let people anticipate high-quality content on a predictable schedule. Make your pre-launch content into an addictive habit that ends with the purchase of your product. 6. The bandwagon effect Everyone wants to hang out at the hippest nightclub, even if the wait is two hours to get through the door. If there’s something everyone is clamoring about, it hard to fight the urge to experience for yourself — even if it’s just so you can be part of the conversation. The flip side of that coin is that no one wants to be the only person who signs up. Most of us are afraid of the potential ridicule in making a poor decision or supporting an unpopular position. Build the sense of popularity in your target audience by strategically stacking your content. A themed series of posts is a great way to accomplish this. Leverage your audience from the first piece to create buzz for the second, and so forth. As more and more prospective customers climb on board, it increases your “buzz” exponentially, day after day, as the appearance of a hot new trend comes heavily to the forefront. Nothing attracts more people than … more people! 7. Lasting addiction Why don’t people quit their bad habits? Usually, it’s because withdrawal is extremely uncomfortable. They don’t call it “buzz” marketing for nothing. You’re creating a nice little high for your audience, by deploying innovative, participatory content on a consistent schedule. That develops you as an addictive habit. At some point, this ends abruptly. The whole point of a launch is that the valuable pre-launch goodies come to an end and you offer a product for sale. Your product becomes the after-hours speakeasy when all the bars have closed for the night. It’s the only solution to cure those painful withdrawal effects. Nefarious? Maybe a little. But creating this irresistible urge for more is at the core of good viral marketing. The inoculation for launch fatigue Yes, more bloggers are coming out with really great new products and services. Yes, the market clutter and noise are becoming hard to cut through. But don’t let that be an excuse for why your own launch doesn’t live up to expectations. The responsibility lies squarely on your shoulders. Who says your launch has to be a me-too clone? Interrupt the pattern in your niche. Embrace and implement the psychological ploys of viral marketing to make not only your product, but your launch process itself, be something worth talking about. (And I’ll put my money where my mouth is. Check out the current Beyond Blogging Project launch . Can you point out examples of all the seven tactics I discussed in this post?) I’ll see you in the comments. About the Author: Jordan Cooper is professional stand-up comedian who rants about blogging, social media, and marketing at Not A Pro Blog . He is currently the community manager at the Beyond Blogging Project .

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7 Strategies for Escaping “Me Too” Product Launches

Johnny’s Copyblogger Wrap-Up: Week of June 14, 2010

BlogPostman — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:45:07 +0000

The problem with doing what I do online is that I have no idea how to describe what it is that I do. You may think that’s dumb fodder for a Wrap-Up intro, but since I’ve established that gloomy 80’s guitarists and product placement tattoos are fair game, an identity crisis should fit right in. Telling folks that I build blogs and websites is accurate but doesn’t give the whole picture, since I also do consulting and create courses and other stuff. If I tell them I’m a blogger, they get all confused and think it’s slang for “unemployed.” So if anyone else has the same quandary and has solved it, let me know what you tell people when they ask. Until then, my temporary solution is to tell people I sell drugs and smuggle black market cattle. While I sort out who exactly I am, feel free to check out what happened this week on Copyblogger: Monday: It’s the Simplicity, Stupid The way Hugh McLeod gives us good lessons while also blatantly insulting us is really near and dear to my heart, since it’s something I’ve done occasionally in the past. So you’ll want to focus your ugly self on this one. Although he’s gotten a lot of mass media exposure over the last decade, Hugh’s own popularity has ultimately come from one person telling another who tells another. The bottom line is that if you’re not doing one specific, simple thing in your marketing, you’re missing the boat. I’m not going to tell you what that thing is, so you’ll have to read the post. It’s a clever copywriting technique much like blatantly insulting you is, dummy. Read the full post here . Tuesday: How to Boost Your Sales with a Strong Guarantee I actually don’t like guarantees at all, but I’m going to faithfully write this up anyway so that Dean Rieck won’t end up outside my house with a tire iron. Again. But actually, my dislike of guarantees is one of those instances where my personal feelings are dead wrong, much like my appreciation of The Smurfs . The truth is that you can have great stuff, but there’s still a huge barrier to buying that great stuff in the minds of an increasingly skeptical breed of customers a lot of the time. Overcoming that mental hurdle and getting more people to buy is where the guarantee comes in. Read the full post here . Wednesday: How to Make More Sales With the Help of ELO So I’d never realized that the Electric Light Orchestra’s signature spaceship thing is essentially a giant Simon Says . When one of those little scout ships wanted to dock on it, I’ll bet the pilot would have to hit an annoying long series of colored buttons and if he got it wrong, it’d give him this “EEEEEEEH” fail sound and then the Simon Says would shoot him out of the sky. After this realization, imagine my consternation when I realized that Chris Garrett wasn’t actually writing about Electric Light Orchestra at all in this post. He is instead coining an acronym of the three things to remember to connect better with your list subscribers so that you can get more sales and generally not irritate them. And, I suppose, allow them to hold on tight to their dreams. Yes kids, that’s an ELO song reference. Read the full post here . Thursday: Four Steps to Finding Your Ideal Writing Voice This post by Joy Tanksley is all about developing your blog’s “voice,” a hard-to-define concept referring to how you sound and seem in the minds of your readers — kind of like your “style,” but with a bit more to it. Voice is pretty important, because the same basic concepts can be discussed in two different voices on two different blogs, and one of those voices will resonate with readers while the other will clank and nobody will want to keep listening. Personally, on my blog, I’ve taken the voice concept almost literally and am trying for an “in your head” audio quality that combines Orson Wells with High-Pitch Erik from the Howard Stern show. I know it works, too, because I get emails constantly saying things like, “When I read your site, it’s like I’m listening to a dramatic radio play that makes me feel like an obese, mentally slow giant who is afraid of fish.” Read the full post here . Friday: 5 Reasons Why Trying to be Successful Will Keep You Poor I don’t want to put words (or anything else, really) in Steve Errey’s mouth, but I think this post is one of those “a-ha!” things where at the end, you realize he’s not trying to steer you away from success so much as redefine what success means. Then, by doing that, you might discover that you’ve accidentally found success along the way. It’s similar in concept to a heartwarming story about a boy who believed in magic, then stopped believing, then discovered that the magic was inside of himself. (At this point, I’m going to resist my impulse to make a reference to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Wait. Too late.) So if you’re aiming for success, your compass should be adjusted. I don’t want to blow the post for you, but think confidence . P.S: Speaking of confidence, I don’t recommend engaging in this “confidence game” I once played with a nice young fellow. It was fun, but somehow I ended giving him my house and life savings. Read the full post here . About the Author: Johnny B. Truant is a writer or something, which means he kind of makes words, but also builds blogs and websites for people. Johnny also builds popular business courses and is somehow involved in internet marketing and various other wholesome activities .

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Johnny’s Copyblogger Wrap-Up: Week of June 14, 2010