Careful of the corporate marketing gurus
2:30pm
East of the Mississippi
Earlier this year, a “thought leader” nominated the Clay display ads in airports as genius marketing.
I replied to his email that I’m a marketer, I’ve seen the ads, and they’re useless:
(more…)10:18am
Boston Seaport
A few years ago, for the Persuasion Play Podcast, I interviewed magician Paul Gertner. Paul lives here in Boston, where I am today for the world’s best B2B marketing conference (B2B Forum ftw!)
Magic, it seems, is a common interest among direct response copywriters, myself included.
Why? What is it about copywriting that draws more wanna-be magicians than, to put it in Justin Willman’s terms, the “plus-ones” that don’t care about magic?
(more…)8:59am
Saint Paul
Lemme tell you about one of my failures.
Few years back, I tried starting an online community.
It was on Telegram. Maybe you were there?
Anyhow, much like the Ronin class of Samurai warriors, my “Copy Ronin” community was aimed at copywriters who were skilled in their persuasion and wanted the freedom of freelance work.
(more…)2:09pm
Saint Paul
My uncle’s memory is slipping.
It’s not as bad as it could be. Yet.
But it adds a lot of stress to the family, especially for my mom (his sister).
So when my mom and dad were recently sent a Video Sales Letter (VSL) about a miracle cure for Alzheimer’s , they were interested in what it had to say.
They watched the full hour or so.
And then they sent it to other family members before one wrote back with a warning:
(more…)1:18pm
Saint Paul
Robert W. Bly has been a “true freelance copywriter” for over 45 years.
He’s written sales copy in dozens of industries with hundreds of clients, and he’s the author of The Copywriter’s Handbook. Bob’s 110th book is coming out soon:
Bob joined me for a wide-ranging interview about his life in copywriting, including stories of huge wins and terrible failures… digital marketing vs direct mail… his life in Jersey… and so much more.
You can find Bob and get 4 FREE Special Reports worth over $100 at https://bly.com/reports
Listen now to Defining Success with Bob Bly, episode 015 on the Persuasion Play Podcast.
(more…)1:02pm
Saint Paul
Recently I read an article that says Americans are cutting back on spending:
• 56% say they’re spending less on restaurants
(My DoorDashing friend might disagree…)
• 47% have cut back on online shopping
(Tariffs may play a role in pricing…)
• 45% are spending less on vacations
(I don’t know if that means fewer vacations, or cheaper ones…)
But where are we not cutting back?
Safety and security… Well, sorta. You see…
(more…)10:05am
Saint Paul
Serious students of direct response copywriting know the name Doberman Dan.
Dan started selling bodybuilding guides and supplements in the 1990s as a way to find freedom from his J-O-B as a police officer.
That financial freedom didn’t come quickly, though.
It took Dan some 9 failed businesses before he asked himself,
“Why did I buy THAT thang?”
…and then used the answer to build his own successful business.
Doberman Dan was gracious enough to sit with me and share his story—and a few secrets—for this episode of the Persuasion Play Podcast.
(more…)Tuesday, Dec 31
Someplace East of the Mississippi
Gary Halbert was a well-known direct response copywriter, considered by many to be the best in the business. Ever.
In this wide-ranging interview with Gary’s son Kevin Halbert, you’ll hear insightful moments from Kevin’s life, including stories about Gary’s temper… the effort Gary put into his promotions… Kevin’s addition to the famous AIDA formula… and more:
(more…)11:08am
Saint Paul
Remember the J. Peterman character from the Seinfeld TV series?
Last night I was watching Seinfeld (I could say that many times each week).
In this episode, J. Peterman—who sells clothing via catalog using romantic, emotional, visual copy—is taking Elaine out to dinner.
She is afraid of the tedium of listening to Peterman’s stories, so Elaine invites Jerry to join…
(more…)