Direct Response Marketing Copy & Strategy
2:34pm
Saint Paul
I have tattoos.
They’re leftovers from my younger years.
And now… as my kids are growing… I wish I didn’t have them. Because my tats give my kids a reason to—someday—mar their own beautiful skin.
They’re not my only shortcoming, I know.
Continue reading “Why “experts” have skewed your idea of successful marketing”A few years ago, I wrote to Direct Response Copywriter Denny Hatch.
He wrote the book “Secrets of Emotional, Hotbutton Copywriting” (summary here) and I was trying to get a copy.
Denny told me that he’s got a guy working to get it republished.
I checked in with Denny again last month. I asked if he was open to record a podcast.
You know, dig for a little gold, here in the Goldmine.
Denny responded:
Continue reading “Digging for Denny Hatch’s Gold”12:43pm
Saint Paul
One of the challenges with writing copy… is providing your audience with enough detail to sell them on the idea, product, or service you want them to buy.
See, in test after test, long sales copy tends to sell better than short.
This of course depends on your market, the product, the price-point, the market saturation, awareness of your solution, the business’ reputation, and the copy itself. And probably more things too, like the economy.
Now, toothpaste is $3. That’s not a huge purchase, and people always want it. So there isn’t a ton of effort to put in there.
But if you hook a reader… and you have something expensive that they want… then you’ll want to answer questions and handle objections in your copy.
Continue reading “Multiplying Words for Profit”Monday, May 1
9:34am
“I’m terrible! I’m horrible!”
My son was already in a bad mood.
I wouldn’t let him use the 120-volt outlet to build a cardboard and tin-foil lamp for his bed. (The repurposed-LED-flashlight solution wasn’t powerful enough for him).
And after he settled down and read a book, we went to play a little Mario Kart.
Continue reading “Mario Kart Spoils Everything”12:49pm
Saint Paul
One of the worst feelings is when you’re stuck for new ideas or motivation.
As a direct response copywriter I’m tasked with creating copy for new promotions, emails, websites, social media posts and more… multiple times a day.
And while I’m usually on track, sometimes I just feel behind.
Ring a bell for you, *|FNAME|*?
Here are three tricks I use to get myself moving.
Continue reading “3 Ways to Get New Ideas FAST”9:31am
Saint Paul
What’s your To-Do list looking like today?
I ask because this past weekend I started reading “The Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes.
In this book, Holmes advises making lists of your To-Dos. Limiting it to six items or fewer. And tackling the hardest one first in the morning.
Continue reading “What’s on your To-Do List?”9:44am
Saint Paul
Today’s lesson: get paid up front.
See, I have a client with an unpaid invoice for work I’ve done.
The last time this happened—10 or 12 months ago—the client ghosted me.
Continue reading “Unpaid Invoice”10:20pm
Saint Paul
I was browsing my bookshelf the other night, looking for something to start.
(I have more unfinished books than I have fully-read books. Not every book is worth finishing, I’ve learned… though many I plan to return to… I think…)
Now, I noticed my slightly neglected Dan Kennedy section. Dan is a prolific and accomplished copywriter and businessman who has recently fallen ill.
I pulled down my worn copy of The Ultimate Sales Letter and Continue reading “7 things you’ll learn in Dan Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Sales Letter”“
11:54am Friday
Ever put out an ad on Google or Facebook or whatever…
And it just didn’t “work?”
Low clicks… and even fewer sales?
Here are three reasons why your ads may fail… and how to fix ’em.
1. If your ad is targeting the wrong audience, you won’t get clicks. Fix that by either targeting better… or—contrary to a lot of advice—don’t target at all!
Why not target, you ask?
Continue reading “Online Ads that Work”Jim Clair is a direct response copywriter who spent years in the relationship and health niches, among others.
But after a few years Jim started to realize that something was severely scammy in the direct response marketing world.
So he quit!
Join Jim and I for this fascinating peek behind the curtain of internet gurus, direct response, motivational authors, getting more out of your reading time, and more.
Jim and I talk about…
Continue reading “Authentic Marketing with Jim Clair (Persuasion Play Podcast 012)”