On Copywriting

Insist on Brand X

Not much changes in advertising. The mistakes made decades ago are still being made today.

For instance, it's never wise to tell your reader to insist on buying your brand. This is a selfish appeal. It falls flat.

Claude Hopkins discovered this back at the turn of the 20th Century. He writes, "An advertiser suffered much from competition. He said, 'Look out for substitutes,' 'Be sure you get this brand,' etc., with no effect. Those were selfish appeals."

And yet the folly continues.

A week ago I saw a Heinz ketchup bottle. On the side was emblazoned, "Insist on Heinz."

Then, over the weekend, I was thumbing through a Family Circle magazine from 1986. I paid special attention to the advertisements.

One caught my eye. It was to sell a non-stick pan. The brand of the non-stick coating was called SilverStone. The very first sentence of the ad said, "Insist on SilverStone."

Whenever you want to sell something, don't preach by telling your buyer to buy your brand. It's an empty statement. Besides, your buyers don't care about your profit. They care about their own profit.

Many advertising mistakes could be avoided if people would take the time to educate themselves. If you're interested in learning more about what Claude Hopkins learned during his advertising career, go here.

How to Create a Sales Letter that Works

I've been a freelance copywriter for more than two years now. I've worked with 58 different clients (and as many as three or more projects with some clients), so I've seen a lot.

Through this experience I've discovered there are two ways to create a letter that works.

Method #1: Create the best letter possible.

Most folks want the "best" letter possible. They don't want anything less.

A client like this will ask me to go through endless edits and revisions. He will tweak words throughout the letter. He will change his mind more often than he changes clothes.

A client like this believes this editing process produces the best result.

But let me ask a question. What is "best?" Do you mean "best" based on your own opinion? Or do you mean "best" based on the market's opinion?

A client who is trying to create the "best" letter possible actually believes he knows what's "best." And so he wastes time editing the letter until it becomes counter-productive.

I mean really... is a single word buried on page 14 in the middle of a paragraph going to affect conversion or how prospects feel about you and your product or service?

Probably not.

Here's my opinion: Neither you nor I know what's "best" when it comes to writing copy and converting prospects into customers.

We only have opinions.

Those opinions are only validated once the letter has been put to the test.

With that in mind, let me introduce you to...

Method #2: Create a letter that's "good enough."

This second approach flies in the face of the first. It says, "We've got good ideas, but we have no idea what's best. So let's create a letter that's good enough and test it to see what happens."

Using the "good enough" approach, a copywriter will write a letter that covers all the key points and makes a valiant effort to convert prospects into customers.

There may be some editing after the first draft, but it will be minimal... because... the letter will be tested to see how the market responds.

So. We've got a good enough letter, we send prospects to read it, and we see how well it works.

But it doesn't stop there. The next step is to test various elements to see how they affect conversion--for better or worse.

Of course, the idea is to improve the letter by degrees, based on the actual response rate, until you have a letter that is truly great.

Which approach do you currently use? Which approach should you use?

I believe the first approach is for egotists. They believe they know what's best. They believe a "great" letter is one they personally love.

The second approach is for people who want results. They believe they don't have all the answers. And they believe that a great letter is not necessarily one that gives them an ego boost... but rather one that brings in sales.

How to Strengthen Offers Instantly

Looking for ways to make your copy more credible? Terry Dean gives eight "cut and paste" reasons you can use to make any offer stronger. Read the whole story here...

"Why Are You Making This Incredible Offer?"

Unmerited Confidence

Confidence is a funny thing. Too little of it and you can't get anywhere in life. Too much of it and you become a prideful jerk with little basis for the confidence you have.

Unfortunately, the world responds to the overconfident man or woman. The world looks up to these paragons of pride as if they actually knew something.

William Bonner and Lila Rajiva say this in Mobs, Messiahs & Markets...

Studies show that people are more likely to accept the opinion of a confident con man than the cautious view of someone who actually knows what he is talking about. And professionals who form overconfident opinions on the basis of incorrect readings of the facts are more likely to succeed than their more competent peers who display greater doubt. (p. 45)

This is a shame, but it's true.

Just yesterday I was on the phone with a prospect. He wanted to know if I could help him. I told him I suspected I could, but I made no promises. His response: "Well, I want someone who's confident they can get better results."

I didn't address the statement directly. I've forgotten what I said. Regardless, I cannot promise any prospect I can get better results. There are too many variables in play to accurately predict the outcome. That's a fact, no matter what con men may tell you.

When I got started as a freelance copywriter, I had less experience, but was far more confident than I am today. Why? Because two years of writing sales letters and one year of conducting split-tests has taught me that I don't know everything.

After all, is not "beginner's luck" simply blind confidence? At first, you think you know what you are doing and experience some success. Then you discover your success had little bearing on what you did... and that your first efforts were based largely on false notions.

Aha! That is beginner's luck. Too bad it doesn't last.

Over this last year, I've done a lot of split-testing. The results from these split-tests have often been shocking; the winning copy was not always what I expected. So I no longer have as much confidence in my intuition as I used to, although the results of each new split-test informs future copy and tests.

Still, I can never return to that state of blind, unmerited confidence. As they say in the movies, I've "seen too much."

Does this mean I'll lose out on some clients? Probably. But it doesn't matter. They can have their pick of the overconfident fools. Personally, I'd rather be cautious with the expectations I set and be able to deliver the goods. If that means landing fewer clients, so be it.

How about you? What role do you think confidence plays in success? Can you have too much of it? Too little? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Free Webinar Tonight: Simple Ways to Boost Conversion Rates

Eric Graham is a web site conversion expert. He specializes in discovering what affects conversion rates online, whether negatively or positively. He has conducted more than 6,000 split-tests for himself and his clients in dozens of different markets. So he's a walking encyclopedia when it comes to getting better results from web sites.

This is the reason I went to see Eric speak live from the stage in late October. His presentation was the best I saw. He revealed a number of simple ways to boost conversion rates. I've since used his techniques to boost conversions on a number of my web pages.

Why do I share this with you?

Because Eric will be sharing many of these same conversion techniques tonight on a free webinar. It happens Monday, November 26 (today!), at 8:00 PM Eastern (5:00 PM Pacific). I encourage you to attend if you can. You can sign up here...

==> http://www.UltimateConversionBooster.com/ryan

A webinar is cool because it's more than a teleseminar. Not only do you get to listen to Eric speak, you also get to see his slide presentation, just as if you were seeing him on stage.

So when Eric explains the results from a split-test and which one performed best, you'll actually get to see what he's talking about right on your computer screen.

Like I said, I saw this presentation live, and I think it's well worth your time to attend. One tip Eric shared has boosted the opt-ins on one of my pages by about 50%. That's a huge improvement.

He'll be revealing this conversion booster, plus many others tonight. All the details are here...

==> http://www.UltimateConversionBooster.com/ryan

One last thing. The link I've provided you is an affiliate link. Eric will be making an offer to join an 8-week coaching program for those who are serious about boosting conversion rates as much as possible. You don't have to join this program, and you can even "hang up" if you don't want to hear about it.

Regardless of what you decide, I still think you should participate to pick up the free information Eric is offering. He delivers valuable content... especially valuable if you write copy for yourself or clients. Again, that link is...

==> http://www.UltimateConversionBooster.com/ryan

P.S. Eric says he'll be making a recording of the webinar. So even if you can't participate tonight, you'll be able to download the presentation. Sign up if you want to be notified when it's available.

Getting the Fees You Deserve

Check this out. Michel Fortin has just published a great post about how to quote fees so you get what you deserve. If you are a freelance copywriter, take time to read this.

Did I Say the "G" Word?

One week ago, I got a refund request for my special report about how to get copywriting clients. The reason? I said the "G" word. Yes, I mentioned God.

Interesting that talking about God and His plans for your life would cause a person to request a refund. But such is business. Reactions run the gamut.

One overseas customer named Anthony Pena sent me an email the same week. He writes...

just for your information, i live in the philippines. it's 2:40 in the morning here, and last night, i couldn't sleep after reading your report.

This same fellow sent me an action plan and is keeping me updated on his progress. I commend him for acting on what he's learned.

And yesterday, I received an unsolicited testimonial from Ronnie Brown in Indianapolis. He writes...

Thanks for your help! The information you gave in your report, "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less!" is priceless for ANY copywriter looking to get quick, profitable copywriting jobs. I managed to get my first client based on just one of your strategies and it has resulted in $2,000.00 profit!

Ronnie also sent me an action plan, and he's working it.

If you too would like to learn how you can get copywriting clients, go here. But please don't buy if the "G" word offends you. ;-)

Swiping + Split-Testing = Amazing Results

This week I wrote a squeeze page for a client. He had never used a squeeze page before, and was a little bit concerned about using one.

So I did three things:

1. I split the traffic between the squeeze page and his sales letter to reduce risk.

2. I used Glyphius to write two headlines and subheads for the squeeze page.

3. I set up a split-test to see which headline/subhead combination would win.

One of the headlines scored 295 in Glyphius. The other one scored 65. A pretty big difference.

Still, I wanted to see which one would work best. So I used both of them.

The results?

One variation converted prospects into opt-ins at a rate of 47.8%. The other converted at a rate of 54.8%.

Which one do you think won?

That's right. The one that scored higher in Glyphius.

In fact, the headline that scored lower caused opt-ins to drop by 12.7%. That makes a huge difference over the long haul.

Oh, yeah. Just so you know, the results of this split-test are based on a confidence rating of 91.3%. So the results are solid.

I just stopped the split-test and I'm letting the winning headline run until I begin a new test. Which means for every 100 visitors that see my squeeze page, about 55 of them will opt-in. That's more than half!

Why do I share all this with you? Two reasons. One, I want you to see firsthand the importance of using effective copywriting tools. Two, I want to make you a special offer.

Here's the deal.

I have 9 0 copies of Glyphius 2007 and 9 0 copies of MuVar 2007. If you don't know about these programs, let me take a moment to describe them.

Glyphius is a software program that mathematically validates your copy against copy that has been tested and proven profitable. So you enter a headline and Glyphius assigns a score. You tweak it, and the score changes. Your goal is to improve your score.

Really, it's like an automatic swipe file software program. You never see the actual letters, but Glyphius looks at thousands of ads that are stored in its database to determine if your copy is good.

I really like this program for a few reasons. For one, it takes some of the uncertainty out of writing headlines. Have you ever wondered if a headline you wrote was good or not? I have. It's unnerving. What Glyphius does is restore some of your confidence. It tells you, "Hey, based on what's worked in the past, your headline is really stinkin' good!"

What's more, Glyphius gives you a shortcut. You can whip out great headlines in half the time. Now that I've used Glyphius for the past year, I can't imagine not using it.

MuVar is another software program. It gives you a simple way to conduct multivariate split-tests on all the copy you write. Basically, you write multiple variations of your headline, your opening paragraph, etc., and then let MuVar tell you which version performs the best.

I once heard a marketing expert say that you can become a millionaire if you split-test. I believe that's true. In my own tests, I've seen some really wild results. Little tweaks sometimes boost conversion rates by 45% or more. But you'll never know what's making the difference until you start split-testing.

MuVar is an easy way to start split-testing.

Now, a question you may have is, "Why choose MuVar when you can use Google's Website Optimizer for free?"

This is a valid question, and I will attempt to respond here.

First, let's talk about the differences between the two programs. Google requires you to have a Gmail or Adwords account to use GWO. You have to install Google's tracking codes on your pages for the split-testing to work.

This is not uncommon. Most split-testing programs work this way.

But with Google, after a test is done, you have to stop it. Then you have to create a new test. When you create this new test, you have to "re-tag" the pages. This is really tedious and frustrating.

MuVar works a bit differently. It is installed on your own web site. And once you set up a template and begin a test, you never have to stop it. Add as many variations as you want. The test will keep running and optimizing the page for the best response possible.

Pretty cool, huh?

The other nice thing is you don't need a Google account (obviously). This is good if you're interested in protecting your privacy and not letting Google have access to your split-testing results.

I tell you all of this because I think Glyphius and MuVar are two essential tools to have in your copywriting toolkit. They will help you get better results out of any copy you ever write.

Now, these programs sell for $300 each. To get both would normally cost you $600. Want proof? Go to the order pages and you'll see for yourself I'm telling the truth...

Glyphius 2007: http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00LYTR9C

MuVar 2007: http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00ZNIZO9

As I said, I have 9 0 copies of each program. And I'd like to make a special offer to you for being a loyal reader. I will give you both programs--Glyphius and MuVar--for only $299. That's more than half off. Said another way, it's like buying Glyphius and getting MuVar for free.

Why so reasonable?

The biggest reason is this. My wife is due with our third child this week. She could go into labor at any moment. But here's the problem. Insurance no longer covers birth. Go figure. So call this promotion a "pay for my baby" sale. Whatever. The bottom line is I'm letting these programs go for half what other people pay. (I hope James Brausch doesn't get mad!)

These are physical products, by the way. When you order, you will get a package in the mail containing one Glyphius disc and one MuVar disc. You will be able to install them on however many computers you may have. (These programs don't work with Mac, only Windows.) If you ever get a new computer, it will be easy to re-install the programs.

Keep in mind this offer is good for the first 9 0 orders only because that's all I have. Here is the PayPal order link. Please include the address you would like me to ship your product to.

THIS OFFER IS SOLD-OUT BECAUSE OF ERIC GRAHAM'S RECENT BLOG POST ABOUT A GLYPHIUS STUDY! If you haven't read it, I highly suggest you do.

My Best,

Ryan

P.S. These two programs make copywriting so much easier. Never again will you have to guess whether or not you're writing good copy. You'll know.

P.P.S. Both products come with training videos. You can be up and running in minutes.

Applying the 80/20 Rule to Copywriting

In case you haven't seen it yet, you might be interested in reading my latest article over at Michel Fortin's blog.

The title of the article is "Copywriting the 80/20 Way." I think it's beneficial concept no matter if you write copy for a living or you write copy for your own products and services.

==> Click here to read Copywriting the 80/20 Way

Be sure to leave a comment.

P.S. I just discovered that Jason Robert linked to my article from Digg. If you liked the article and have a Digg account, would you mind "Digging" it here?

What Changed David Ogilvy's Life

David Ogilvy had some excellent advice for copywriters.

Unfortunately, most people overlook it... or outright ignore it... even though Ogilvy said it was responsible for changing his life!

Ogilvy's advice is printed on the font cover of My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. Here it is...

Nobody should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book (Scientific Advertising) seven times. It changed the course of my life.

It is interesting how Ogilvy suggests this as a prerequisite to entry in the advertising field. I bet less then one-tenth of one percent has actually followed his advice.

I have personally read Scientific Advertising twice. I am amazed by how much wisdom is packed into this slim volume.

It is rumored that Jay Abraham has read it more than 50 times.

With that in mind, let me share another bit of advice from Ben Settle, one of my mastermind partners and a copywriter I have a great deal of respect for. He writes...

It always amazes me how someone can buy an expensive book or info product and only read it one or two times.

It doesn't make any sense.

Since you're paying $200, $500, $1,000 (or more) for a course on copywriting or marketing or whatever it is you do, doesn't it make sense to read it over and over and over again—milking out every single secret you can?

I like to cover the stuff I buy at least ten times in a row—minimum.

I just pick it up and work through it—highlighting and underlining and making notes along the way—until I've read it ten times.

After that, I try to read it at least once a year.

This is one of the best ways of mastering a subject you will ever see.

This piece of advice is in Part 3 of "Private Details About Ben Settle." You can read the whole thing here.

Here's the takeaway. You don't constantly need new information to succeed. You need only to fully absorb and apply information that has been tested and proven to work.

Instead of getting sucked into yet another irresistible offer, why not do this instead: Look through your personal library of training materials, pick one book or course, and read it a second time.

After you're done, read it again.

Yeah, it's work. But it's where the real breakthroughs happen...