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Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

 

When NEVER To Use A Copywriter

June 27th, 2012 |

When NEVER To Use A Copywriter

I just knocked back a quick $3,000.

I’ll tell you why.

Firstly, she was a lovely lady.

No… not because she was happy to pour some moolah into my bank account.

Had nothing to do with it…

Just one of those deserving souls trying to crack it in this unforgiving (sometimes ruthless) Internet marketing world

There’s a good lesson here, so pull up a chair.

She’d recently dropped another $5K into her project – for a big fat ZERO return. Small for some – but painful for most, would you agree? Anyway…

I checked out her copy and sure enough, it needed a thorough overhaul. That’s why she came to me.

My A-team and I could’ve whipped it up to perfection – no probs – but I canned it for 3 reasons.

1) It was her last $3,000

Folks, that’s what we call “scared money” – wrong energy. You don’t wanna be someone’s life raft.

2) She had no list

Well, a tiny (very tiny) list that she hadn’t contacted for months – so pretty much no list. Meaning, she needed some heavy marketing muscle. Which brings me to point 3…

3) No funds for marketing

No use having a killer sales page if you’ve got no resources to get it seen by your target market. She needed a marketing solution – not a better sales page.

And because I actually care about my people…

I gave her this advice on how to get clients fast (on a shoestring budget).

Instead of spending time looking for clients or customers – spend that energy on finding “Joint Venture (JV) Partners” who have a list of hungry prospects in your niche.

Offer the JV a percentage split of profit if they send out an email promoting your product or service. But if your sales page sucks, then try this…

Offer to do a webinar or teleseminar to the JV’s list – give massive value – then make your offer at the end.

That way, you’ll build instant trust and rapport that’ll carry the sale… despite what your page looks like.

Cost to do this: ZERO
Potential results: Instant sales and leads

If she does this – she’ll make it – I know she will

I told her to do this, get a bunch of sales, then come back and see us – so we can crank her conversions even higher.

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Of course, if you want to crank up your own sales letter in warp speed time… by yourself… just follow this link to my famous 7-hour sales letter system (Check it out)

Then ALL your marketing efforts will come back to you tenfold…

Was this helpful? Let us know in the comment section below… or share the love 😉

 

How To Get Killer Copy For Under $500

June 5th, 2012 |

How To Get Killer Copy For Under $500

I was interviewed last night via podcast by my good mate and blogging expert, Yaro Starak.

(Recording available next week)

I gotta say… I surprised myself just how amazing, intelligent and

awesome even, I sound sometimes.

Anyway…

He threw this question at me near the end of the call:
“Okay Bret, knowing that top copywriters, like yourself, won’t take on a project under the 10K mark. And knowing that only big players can really justify spending that much…. But what about the small fish that might only have a budget of say $500 or maybe a few thousand?”

I have to say… I came up with a cracker of an answer.

Problem was… it was ½ an hour AFTER the interview finished.

(I hate that)

At the time, I revealed how I have a team of kickass “Marketing Avengers” who I co-write with, where we tackle smaller to middle size jobs.

Another option is to invest in an affordable copywriting course (based on their budget) so they can learn this craft for themselves.

I also mentioned they should start building up their own swipe file of winning sales letters, emails, landing pages, video sales letters,headlines,bullet points, graphics, whatever they come across, to arm themselves for battle.

Notice how I didn’t mention investing in a B-grade copywriter? Why? To be blunt…

Bad copy will COST you money!

The penny pinchers might save a few bucks at the front end… then forever be cursed with below average sales and repel customers from then on…

Moving forward…

Here’s the answer I thought of AFTER we ended the interview. And you need to know this. What I should have added was…

Get an A-class copywriter to critique your sales copy

Word-by-word… line-by-line…

It’s the closest you’ll get to me sitting down and writing your sales copy for you! How it works is… I will…

… Analyze (and intensify) the headline so it jolts the reader into a frenzy of desire

… Strip the offer down to the bone and re-build it so it’s brain-dead irresistible

… Inject the bullet points with bionic power so they feel helpless to your persuasive powers

… Shake out boring flatline chunks of copy and replace it with snappy conversational flow

… Polish the overall look & feel to eliminate any possible sales-friction from the get go

… And unleash an unstoppable barrage of big idea and marketing insights just for you

Yep… that’s the best solution if you’re on a shoestring budget and want fast results.

So… I s’pose you wanna know how much you’d have to invest for me to overhaul your sales copy like that, right? Look, there’s a good chance I might regret this. It’s pretty insane, but I’ll plunge ahead anyway…

Instead of my usual $1,500 critiquing fee…

Get this: If you’re one of the first 10 (and only 10) people who shoot us a message through the “Contact Me” tab at the top right of this page, I’ll give you one of my LIVE critiques over Skype for a measly $497.00.

So it’s me and you… on Skype…

Dissecting your sales letter LIVE in real time

(Side note: If you came across this post too late, then don’t shoot the messenger if the price has gone back up to normal)

When we start the LIVE critique, I’d strongly suggest you record it. And I’d encourage you to have a pen and paper on hand and catch everything I say. Cos once I’m on a roll… you’d have a better chance of stopping Niagara Falls with a paper cup…

PLUS (and this is cool), I’ll give you access to my private million-dollar swipe file for any piece of winning sales copy related to your market.

But know this… You’ll have to qualify to make the final 10…. I’ll be extracting some info from you first… before I accept you, fair enough? Good.

So, if this message caught you at the right time, then here’s what I want you to do, I want you to click the “Contact Me” tab above and shoot us a brief (very brief) summary of your business. I don’t want an essay at this stage. Keep it simple.

I’ll reply personally to you and start the ball rolling…

And before you know it…you’ll have razor sharp sales copy that’ll mesmerize your clients into a buying frenzy… for under $500? Sweet deal, my friend.

Speak soon…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. This is ESPECIALLY good timing if you’re about to launch a product in any way. And one more thing… you’d wanna hope your competition doesn’t see this email 😉 So go ahead and shoot us a message now so we can start chatting…

The Avengers In Your Biz?

May 25th, 2012 |

The Avengers In Your Biz?

 

It’s the big rave right now…

The Blockbuster flick, “The Avengers”. Pulse-pumping adrenaline fix for the year…

Six superheroes: Captain America, Thor, Ironman, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye

Each with individual ‘gifts’ that, once united, can obliterate any enemy…

(Except Chuck Norris, of course)

So here’s my take on how to posses each of their unique skills… to decimate your competition and be the hero in your niche…

  1. Captain America: Tactical thinker. Under extreme pressure he’ll whip out a strategic action plan with unquestionable confidence. He’ll delegate with such clarity and vision that others are compelled to follow his lead. (Lead with vision and confidence)
  2. Thor – God of Thunder: He knows what his main strength is. His lightening Hammer. He doesn’t waste time picking up swords or guns. He knows what works and he’ll wield the hammer to annihilate his competition. (Know your strengths)
  3. The Hulk: One word, “SMASH”. No time to procrastinate. Doesn’t second-guess. Zero hesitation. There’s only one speed, one focus, one objective: To Smash, conquer and demolish his task. (Don’t get distracted, take focused action)
  4. Hawkeye: As Eben Pagan says, “Get Altitude”. Scale to the highest roof and look down at the whole picture. Keep an eye on what’s working, what’s not and spot the targets that’ll get the best results. (Take time to look at your whole business)
  5. Black Widow: Stay in the fight. Be grounded, stay where the action happens and sharpen your skills with street-smart, practical experience, not just theory or observation. (If you’re going to preach being an expert, get in the trenches and earn your respect)
  6. Iron man. Exude confidence almost to the point of arrogance. Display your skills with dynamic impressive demonstration. And have the intelligence to know your enemy. (Your clients won’t believe you’re the best until you believe in yourself and show them)

 

Let’s face it… we all need a bit of the avengers within us to triumph our daily battle of entrepreneurship, right?

But if you’re sick of fighting the same daily battle by yourself…

If you want to delegate your marketing to my team of marketing avengers (that’s their new name as of 6 seconds ago)… then let us fight in your place.

Here’s the page that shows the world just how amazing we are when we put our greatest skills to work: Making you moolah.

Check it (You’ll even see some videos of other mortals we have avenged from the clutches of marketing despair)

www.bretthomson.com/project-success

Our mission: To eradicate your competition and bring you complete domination.

Think big. Be different.

P.S. Tell me… If they had a 7th Avenger, who should it be? Comment below. Over and out…

 

Simple Trick To Instantly Build Trust When Writing

May 21st, 2012 |

Simple Trick To Instantly Build Trust And Rapport When Writing

 

A short & sweet tip to help you make an instant connection with your reader… with pinpoint accuracy

That’s the name of the game, right?

After all… people don’t buy if they don’t believe. And they don’t believe if they don’t trust you.

“Wait a minute Bret… I’m honest, trustworthy and a good person. Shouldn’t they know that?”

Wake up vanity Smurf…. you need to prove it.

Here’s one (of many) ways to do this.

The fastest way to create connection and rapport is to have a similar interest.

Think back when you had a social life (pre kids and business). You’d meet someone at a party. You quickly found out they had a personality like a soggy mud brick.

You’d look for an opportunity to do a toilet dash… just to escape the deathly vortex of boredom.

Amongst the dreary monotone conversation, the dude mentions what suburb he grew up in. Low and behold… it was the exact same suburb you grew up in as a kid! Blood rushes back to your head with a renewed enthusiasm as you spit out,

“Really? No way… That’s where I grew up!”

“What street did you live in?

“What year did you go to School there?

“Was Mrs Calligahn still teaching English then? Man, she was scary”

 “Do you remember the old abandoned warehouse on Waterview Road? We used to play footy there for hours a day… long before it was turned into a housing development.”

Blah, blah, blah, you get the idea.

So what happened? Connection, that’s what happened. Through a similar interest…

So how can you do this in your marketing?

Nostalgia is a powerful mechanism for creating connection, rapport and trust. Especially when you’re selling to the mass baby boomers.

Look for opportunities to mention your favourite movies, books, holidays, pets, cars, childhood memories, and so on…. Take time out to think about this, seriously. It’ll pay off tenfold.

Okay, you may not hit the bulls-eye every time, but I promise you this… The more you share, the more you reveal your human side, the more trust and rapport you’ll build… and ultimately make more sales.

People buy from people they like. Reveal the real you. That’s what we want to see.

You may not get the sale on the spot, but it’ll quickly add some much-needed tokens to your trust account, get it?

Of course, that’s just one small (very small) taste of the profitable breakthroughs you’ll learn at www.thecopywritingsystem.com

That’s the place for taking your sales and conversions to all new heights… fast!

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Does anyone press these social media share buttons below or what? I might start the trend and give it a go. Care to join me?

Why I Bribe My Kids To Read

May 12th, 2012 |

The Ode Of A Copywriter

YouTube Preview Image

Ignore the bad singing and enjoy the message of how reading changed my life… And my ongoing dilemma of getting my kids to do what I NEVER did!

Why I Bribe My Kids To Read

 

Yep, it’s true.

I bribe my kids (with cash) to read books.

Good? Bad? Whatever. Nothing else works.

The idea of them reading a book… heaven forbid… outside of school hours… would cause a raucous mutiny… Thinking back, I was the same…

My only appetite for reading as a kid was Alfred. P. Newman’s “MAD Magazines”… or the occasional “Choose your own adventure” books… (Might explain some things)

So with my boys… why did I revert to bribery? Cos books (eventually) changed my life, as you’ll hear when you read on…

And let’s face it folks… as any truth-telling parent would admit… We tend to fill the voids from our own life with a caring hand of direction to our kids. True or true?

I needed to inject some outside positive dialogue into their noggins… To open their eyes up to what’s possible in life… So they can see the unlimited potential in themselves, like i see in them.

Don’t get me wrong… They get smothered with my daily positive brain droppings…But you know how that goes. I never listened to my old man till i was in my thirties (thtupid me)… So they need to hear it from someone else, i.e. Books.

And besides… wearing the “Strict Dad” hat with my hard-nosed-drill-sergeant routine doesn’t always work with my kids. So I found another way (maybe not the best way, but a way)… I got creative and bribed them.

There Is Madness To My Method.

I’ll tell you why in a sec… and… believe it or not… this relates to your marketing success too. But first…

Here’s a typical scene at our house:

I’ll whip out a $10 (or $20) note and tape it to the inside back cover… with an inch or more of the note sticking out the top.

I’ll call my boys (usually 3 or 4 times) into the room to announce the challenge…

“Okay my men, first person to read this book, cover to cover, get’s to keep the cash. I have no way of checking if you’re cheating or not. I’m trusting you.”

Then I’ll say, “You’ll have to live with your own guilt if you take my money dishonestly. And besides, I’ll be quizzing you about sections of the book anyway”

I’ll rant about the book and tell ‘em why I think it’ll benefit them. Then I’ll slap the book on the table, tell them how awesome they are, and walk away.

I’m Sure Qualified Quacks Would Preach 101 Reasons Why This Is Wrong.

Whatever.

Look, it’s getting harder to fill their minds with positive stuff these days, would you agree?

Man… I thought the X-box and PlayStation were a brain drain for kids… Pfft… that’s nothing… Facebook dominates that role now. Don’t get me started on that…

Moving on. Like I said, books changed my life. But here’s something that might surprise you…

I didn’t start reading till I was in my mid twenties. True story. Prior to that, the only reading I’d do was the “Did you know” quiz under beer bottle caps.

Oh yeah… Mr Suave, thank you.

Actually, I do remember reading one article once… about how excessive alcohol is highly damaging to your brain. Blew me away. Stunned, I was.

So I made a firm decision that day.

I Was NEVER Going To Read Again.

In time, I smartened up. The first book I ever read (by my own choice) was when I was 26, called, “Awaken The Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins.

Changed my life forever… and launched me on a never-ending journey of personal excellence. I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge… I devoured books like a piranha let loose in a fish farm.

These days, I tell my boys…

If You Can’t See Where You’re Going In Life Then You’re Not Standing On Enough Books

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said, “The books you read and the people you meet will determine where you are in five years.”

Friend, that’s especially true with your business…

Whether you do your own copywriting and marketing… or you get me and my word-slinging A-team to do it for you… the point is this…

You’ve gotta keep yourself educated… stay sharp with your marketing… cos things can change fast, amigo…

That’s why I created http://www.thecopywritingsystem.com

So fellow biz owners, entrepreneurs and copywriters can get weekly breakthrough insights on how to annihilate their competition with edgy marketing and copywriting power.

To open their eyes up to what’s possible in their business… So they can see their unlimited potential with effective (and affordable) marketing… like I see.

Remember… He who markets the best wins!

Just one idea… one tweak… one insight… one paragraph from a book (when actioned)… can fling you into poll position. It’s true in life… and in business.

Keep your saw sharpened my friend…

Think big. Be different.

Bret Thomson

P.S. Spread the love and share or comment below. Catchya