Posts Tagged ‘Internet Marketing’

« Older Entries
7 Psychological Secrets: Scarcity
Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

It’s funny. People are more motivated by the thought of losing something than the thought of gaining of something. That’s why deadlines, limited opportunities, limited production numbers, etc. will work well.
There are so many examples. If you have any teenage kids or grandkids you’ll know the hottest item this Holiday season was PlayStation2. I was even looking for it – just because it was so rare.
If you remember a few years back the hottest items were “Tickle Me Elmo”, “Cabbage Patch Kids” and “Furbies”. Why? Because they were incredibly scarce.
Here’s a personal example. I now drive an S2000 roadster. Last year was the first year Honda came out with this car in the U.S. and they were only making 5,000 available for sale here. This increased my desire to have the car even more than
I wanted before. I was comparing between a Mercedes SLK and the S2000. The SLK was available through any dealer but the S2000 was incredibly hard to find (especially in Silver with Red interior like I wanted).
I had to be put on a waiting list and dealers were getting ridiculous mark ups. And all of this only increased my desire even more until I found the exact car I wanted and traveled 600 miles to retrieve it. Heck, I would have gone even further since I was calling dealers all across the country. That’s a simple illustration of the power of scarcity.
Bottom line is this: people will try to seize opportunities and resources that are rare or becoming rare.
You can do this in your copy by mentioning there are only a certain number of seats available (good for seminars) or that you’ll be accepting a finite number of applications.  Scarcity works great for collectibles.
Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

7 Psychological Secrets: Curiosity
Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

“Inquiring minds want to know”, that’s what the Enquirer commercials said anyway and it’s true – people are extremely curious. You’ll see curiosity used a lot with business opportunity ads. Most of the time they will never reveal exactly what they are selling but they’ll tell you exactly what it’s not, like this long-running ad from John Wright:
* * *
“This secret is incredibly simple. Anyone can use it. You can get started with practically no money at all and the risk is almost zero. You don’t need special training or even a high school education. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are and it will work for you at home or even while you are on vacation.”

* * *
And here’s an example from Nightingale Conant. On the outside of the letter is this copy:
* * *
The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on a park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.
Suddenly an old man appeared before him.

“I can see something is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check and pushed it into his hands saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The executive looked down and saw in his hand a check for $500,000. signed by (continued inside)

* * *

I bet that would make a lot of people rip open the envelope to find out who wrote that check. Wouldn’t you be curious?

Curiosity works well in combination with a strong benefit. Curiosity is a major selling point for direct marketing. Remember, customers can’t see or feel the

item you’re offered so if you build up enough curiosity they have to see it for themselves. Selling of information products leads right into this.

Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

7 Psychological Secrets: Answering Objections Before They Occur
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

A lot of people think if they don’t bring up an objection in their copy, a prospect won’t be thinking it. WRONG!!
As you’re making your case for your product or service – if there is a common objective about it – you’d better bring it up and resolve it because they’re thinking it anyway. A nice way to handle this is by putting questions and answers inside the copy like this:
* * *
“Before we go on, I’m sure you probably have some unanswered questions and concerns. So here are some of the most common:

Q. “My practice is driven by word-of-mouth, all this “marketing” stuff isn’t for me”
A. Yes, a great deal of your practice comes from word-of-mouth and it will continue to. One major focus of the system is to generate and help control
word-of-mouth and referrals. There are many strategies and techniques in the system that you’ve never considered before that will accelerate your current referral sources.

Unless you shape word-of-mouth you have no control over what patients are saying. They could be talking about the great restaurant down the block from you or anything else. With this system you will get a true system for referrals and generating word-of-mouth.

Q. “Will all of this work for me in my part of the country? My patients are different.”
A. People are people and they all respond to emotionally charged marketing, it just doesn’t matter if you’re practicing in a major city or out in the country. These marketing systems will work anywhere –guaranteed. The key factor is, you’ll be using proven methods that work no matter what.”
* * *
You should write down all the possible objections a prospect would have and try to resolve them inside the copy. Once you get really good at copywriting, you’ll be able to place the answers in right spot as people would be thinking about it. Something like this from Instant Sales Letters
* * *
Okay, Now I Hear You Grumbling: “But I Can’t Write” or “I’m Not Creative”
Actually, that’s the whole point of these sales letter templates. Even if you can’t write a grocery list and if you don’t think you have a creative bone
in your body — you can still create powerful, profit-producing sales letters just by filling in a few simple blanks.
Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club
A lot of people think if they don’t bring up an objection in their copy, a prospect won’t be thinking it. WRONG!!
As you’re making your case for your product or service – if there is a common objective about it – you’d better bring it up and resolve it because they’re thinking it anyway. A nice way to handle this is by putting questions and answers inside the copy like this:
* * *
“Before we go on, I’m sure you probably have some unanswered questions and concerns. So here are some of the most common:
Q. “My practice is driven by word-of-mouth, all this “marketing” stuff isn’t for me”
A. Yes, a great deal of your practice comes from word-of-mouth and it will continue to. One major focus of the system is to generate and help control
word-of-mouth and referrals. There are many strategies and techniques in the system that you’ve never considered before that will accelerate your current referral sources.
Unless you shape word-of-mouth you have no control over what patients are saying. They could be talking about the great restaurant down the block from you or anything else. With this system you will get a true system for referrals and generating word-of-mouth.
Q. “Will all of this work for me in my part of the country? My patients are different.”
A. People are people and they all respond to emotionally charged marketing, it just doesn’t matter if you’re practicing in a major city or out in the country. These marketing systems will work anywhere –guaranteed. The key factor is, you’ll be using proven methods that work no matter what.”
* * *
You should write down all the possible objections a prospect would have and try to resolve them inside the copy. Once you get really good at copywriting, you’ll be able to place the answers in right spot as people would be thinking about it. Something like this from Instant Sales Letters
* * *
Okay, Now I Hear You Grumbling: “But I Can’t Write” or “I’m Not Creative”
Actually, that’s the whole point of these sales letter templates. Even if you can’t write a grocery list and if you don’t think you have a creative bone
in your body — you can still create powerful, profit-producing sales letters just by filling in a few simple blanks.
7 Psychological Secrets: The Truth
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

That often quoted passage, “the truth shall set you free” should be revised to “the truth shall set you financially free”! Your mother always told you tell the truth and you didn’t know that she meant in your advertising also.
Here’s an example: John E. Powers, one of the top copywriters in the 1900′s, wrote this ad for a Pittsburgh department store in severe financial trouble:
* * *
“We are bankrupt. We owe $125,000 more than we can pay, and this announcement will bring our creditors down on our necks. But if you come and *buy* tomorrow, we shall have the money to meet them. If not, we shall go to the wall.”
* * *
Instead of yelling ‘SALE’ like so many other stores would, he’s telling the truth about why people should spend their money at this store. And this ad was said to be responsible for saving the store.
Another ad written by Powers, for a different merchant, proclaimed “We have a lot of rotten raincoats we want to get rid of.” This sold out the entire inventory of raincoats by the next morning. Hey, it was the truth and it worked!
Here’s something else, you should try to include a “damaging admission”. This will dramatically boost your credibility and truthfulness in the eyes of your prospects. Here’s what I mean:
Joe Karbo, famous for his book “The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches” wrote this in his often copied ad:
* * *
“I used to work hard. The 18-hour days. The 7-day weeks. But I didn’t start making big money until I did less – a lot less. For example, this ad took me about 2 hours to write. With a little luck it should earn me 50, maybe a hundred thousand dollars.
What’s more, I’m going to ask you to send me 10 dollars for something that’ll cost me no more than 50 cents. And I’ll try to make it so irresistible that you’d be a darned fool not to do it.”
* * *
Wow – if that isn’t honest I don’t know what is.
Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

7 Psychological Secrets: Specificity
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

99 1/4 pure. Who is that? That’s right – Ivory soap. What if they said 100% pure – doesn’t sound as specific and believable, does it?
As you know people are downright skeptical of any advertising or promotion they see. By including specifics you greatly increase your believability. Specifics hold
much more weight with your prospect.
Many times, I’ll use specifics like this headline and subhead that I used for Instant Internet Profits
* * *
“27 Year-Old Maryland Man Reveals His Proven System For Creating Instant Internet Profits From a Simple 2 Page Web Site…Even If You Hate Computers”

The Amazing Story of How a Completely Different Approach to Internet Marketing Took Me From Zero to Making $51,351.94 in Just 6 1/2 Short Months, Working From Home – And Why I’m Convinced Nearly Anyone Can Copy What I’m Doing
* * *
Let’s look at the specifics here:
1. I’m 27 years old
2. Maryland man
3. 2-page web site
4. Zero to $51.351.94 (not $50,000)
5. 6 1/2 months
Wow! 5 specifics in the headline and subhead.
When making a statement or stating a fact – make it specific. It takes a little more digging or research but it’s well worth it.
Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

7 Psychological Secrets: Reason Why
Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

Do you remember the stupid beer commercial a few years back with the tagline “Why Ask Why?” Well, completely unknown to the ad agency — they had almost stumbled onto a breakthrough marketing concept.

Telling people the reason why you are doing something is one of the most powerful influencers of human behavior.

Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. in his book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” talks about an experiment by Harvard social psychologist, Ellen Langer, that concluded people like to have a reason for what they do.

Her experiment consisted of people waiting in line to use a library copy machine and then having experimenters ask to get ahead in line.

The first excuse used was “Excuse me, I have five pages.  May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” This request coupled with a reason was successful 94% of the time. However when the experimenter made a request only: “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” this request was only granted 60% of the time. A significant drop.

Okay now for the shocker.

It may seem like the difference between those two requests was the additional information of “because I’m in a rush”, but that’s just not the case.

Because in a third experimenter, the experimenter asks “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” There’s no reason mentioned or new information presented, just the words “because”.
This time a full 93% of the people said yes simply due to the word ‘BECAUSE’! And it didn’t even matter that there was no reason given. Just the word because triggered a magic response.

Using this psychological ‘trigger’ can massively increase your Marketing success. Max Sackheim, famous for the long-running ad “Do You Make These Mistakes In English” and originator of the book-of-the-month concept, says this: “Whenever you make a claim or special offer in your advertising, come up with an honest reason why, and then state it sincerely. You’ll sell many more products this way.”

Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

7 Psychological Secrets: Stories
Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Download 7 Hidden Psychological Secrets to Maximum Sales here!

From the ancient times to current day – stories continue to hold readers and listeners spellbound. There is nothing better than a good story. It works almost like magic. You can give people information and motivate using stories without having the barriers that come up normally. This is a seldom used copywriting technique that work wonders for your bottom line.

Here are a few examples of successfully using stories:

The first is the single most successful letter ever mailed according to Denny Hatch, former editor of “Who’s Mailing What?”. How about that for proof this trigger works? It is the famous Wall Street Journal mailing with “two young men”. Here’s how the story (and copy) starts:

* * *

“On a beautiful late spring afternoon, twenty-five years ago, two young men graduated from the same college. They were very much alike, these two young men. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both – as young college graduates are – were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.

Recently, these two men returned to college for their 25th reunion.

They were still very much alike. Both were happily married. Both had three children. And both, it turned out, had gone to work for the same company Midwestern manufacturing company after graduation, and were still there.

But there was a difference. One of the men was manager of a small department of that company. The other was its president.”

* * *

Here’s another example, it is from Joe Sugarman’s most famous ads for Blu-Blocker sunglasses. He uses a story approach:

* * *

“I’m about to tell you a true story. If you believe me, you will be well rewarded. If you don’t believe me, I will make it worth your while to change your mind. Let me explain.

Len is friend of mine who knows good products. One day he called excited about a pair of sunglasses he owned. “It’s so incredible,” he said, “when you first look through a pair, you won’t believe it.”

“What will I see?” I asked. “What could be so incredible?”

Len continued, “When you put on these glasses, your vision improves. Objects appear sharper, more defined. Everything takes on an enhanced 3-D effect. And it’s not my imagination. I just want you to see for yourself.”

* * *

And the copy continues in a story fashion. You’ll notice Joe’s friend talks about the benefits of the sunglasses inside the dialogue so prospects don’t have their “ad defenses” up. It slips right by.

Find more about Yanik Silver at Your Success Club

“What next?” — Getting ahead when you’re financially set
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Ramit Sethi and Tim Ferriss on the topic of Getting Ahead When You’re Financially Set

NOTES:

  • 10 year plan: Talk to people 10years older than you and find out what they are thinking/worry about
  • Extra cash can be invested or spent on experiences to enrich your life
  • Define your TMI (target monthly income) based on the experiences and lifestyle you want
  • Work on eliminating your dependency on materialistic things (don’t link your value to finances)
How Can I Help My Friends Create A Better Lifestyle?
Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Ramit Sethi and Tim Ferriss on the topic of Tips To Help Loved Ones Create A Better Lifestyle

NOTES:

  • Lead by example – ‘Practise what you Preach’
  • Invite them to experience the alternatives Eg. Personal outsourcing – start with something small and fun for positive first experience
  • Let them know you are available, but they need to realise it themselves
  • Remember that people will get defensive if they feel like they are lacking
Self-Publishing vs. Getting A Real Publisher
Friday, August 21st, 2009

Ramit Sethi and Tim Ferriss on the topic of Self Publishing and Traditional Publishing

NOTES:

  • Self Publishing is now perceived as more credible
  • If you aim to make money – Self Publish
  • If you aim to create the foundation for national and international reach – Traditional Publisher
  • Not all publishers are the same, most are bad – “Publishers are good at 2 things… distribution and designing book covers”, they don’t do marketing
  • Publishers are good for Retail Distribution, Editing and Recognition by mainstream media
  • Traditional Publishers help you create credibility and be viewed as ‘authentic’ author – access to more opportunities and resources
« Older Entries