COPYWRITING SECRETS OF THE MASTERS - Lorrie Morgan Ferrero

Copywriting Articles by:

Lorrie Morgan Ferrero

http://www.procopywritingtactics.com/

Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero Bio

Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero founded Red Hot Copy in 1999 an effort to work anywhere, raise her
family, and still make a good living.

After studying closely with master copywriters, Lorrie has become a world-renowned and award-
winning copywriter with her own unique style. She has an uncanny ability to make her copy bond
and build relationships with the prospect…driving them to become loyal customers buying from
her (or her clients) over and over again. “It’s almost like she’s talking you through it,” said one
client. “Lorrie keeps your attention from the first word to the last.”

Lorrie’s words have sold products in a variety of industries including mompreneurs, professional
speaking, the seminar business, hypnosis, health & fitness, nutritional supplements, biz op, and
entrepreneurial services. After working closely with high profile speakers and entrepreneurs,
Lorrie now focuses her passion on educating business owners in reaching the female market.

She is a frequent guest speaker. Lorrie has written award-winning home study courses, conducts
world-famous copywriting trainings on how to sell to women, holds live workshops, and authored
the original book, The She Factor based on her own She Factor Marketing System.

This special report is brought to you free courtesy
ofwww.ProCopyWritingTactics.com


She's Got Game

The attraction of women always outsells anything else and that was demonstrated
when 35 women were ousted at a recent World Cup game. Why were they singled
out since 47.2% of all soccer fans are women? They were representing an
unsponsored brewery wearing their distinctive marketing colors. Get their
attention! By using S.E.X. as in Seduction, Engaging, eXpression they were
connecting with their target audience. It's the same in copy. But you can only get
their attention authentically when you put your personality in the copy.

Marketing is a process of getting there, closing the deal, and what happens
afterwards. Every stage is incredibly important whether you're marketing to men
or women. So get their attention by proving that you care. Do your own due
diligence by studying your target market intently. You see, the thing about writing
is a lot of energy has to take place before a single word is written. You have to
know the answer to these 3 questions:
1. Who are YOU?
2. Who are THEY?
3. What do they WANT?
2.
The more you recognize it as a step-by-step process, the more successful you'll
be in reaching the female market. An interesting thing happens as you emphasize
the benefits to women... men are also drawn to the more gentle persuasion.

What sort of angle are you going to take in your copy? You need to figure it out.
Here's a tip to help your decide on your 'hook'. I personally love the Oriental
Trading Company catalog just for ideas to develop a hook when I begin writing
content for sales letters. Don't underestimate the importance of developing that
hook. Female soccer fans spend 80% of all sports apparel dollars and that same
percentage goes for ALL consumer purchasing decisions. What a force! I guess
you can say with gusto...She's Got Game!

Award-winning marketer, world-renowned copywriter and creator of "The She
Factor", Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero of Red Hot Copy has a reputation as the top


female copywriter in the info-marketing industry. She has written award-winning
home study courses, conducts virtual copywriting training, holds live workshops,
and is authoring the original book, The She Factor based on her own She Factor
Marketing System. Lorrie is dedicated to teaching the world it is possible to shift
from the hype-filled sales to a more modern version...marketing written with
authenticity, trust, and rapport.

_________________________________________________________________

Find Her Wave-Length, Build Loyal Prospects

If you're looking to reach the female audience, there are few things you must
understand about women.

While these are broad strokes, what I'm about to share is embedded in the
female DNA. That isn't to say she can't override her instincts but many reactions
are triggered without her even realizing the source. When you, as a marketer,
understand what's important to her, she'll be much more engaged in what you
have to offer.

Doing your due diligence is cheap insurance against consumer resistance. It's
NOT about what you want or think. It's all about her, your prospect.

Be authentic by appreciating that universal principles underlie every factor
between you and her. Women want to create a relationship which creates stability
over time. So charm her by letting her see she's important to you.

• Women are primarily interested in community, people, relationships - there is
no winner...only a village.
• Women base their opinions on personality whereas men base opinions more on
specifics (or features).
• Storytelling is very powerful to building a connection with women.
• Numbers, facts, and figures aren't as important to women as they are to men.
• Women just don't care about the mechanical details so spending a lot of time on


the features of a product won't turn her head.
• Women love to weigh in and give opinions so things like quizzes, contests,
surveys, and essays are good ways to draw her in.
• Give her tips she can use with no strings attached.
• Know what her values and priorities are.

Women are high value customers because once they join your brand, they are
likely to keep spending their money with you. And they are extremely loyal with
who they do business with. Not only that they tell EVERYONE about their
experiences, good or bad. If they're happy, they tell. If they're unhappy, they tell
even more! So you definitely want to keep your female customers smiling.

Award-winning marketer, world-renowned copywriter and creator of "The She
Factor®", Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero of Red Hot Copy has a reputation as the top
female copywriter in the info-marketing industry. She has written award-winning
home study courses, conducts virtual copywriting training, holds live workshops,
and is authoring the original book, The She Factor based on her own She Factor
Marketing System. Lorrie is dedicated to teaching the world it is possible to shift
from the hype-filled sales to a more modern version...marketing written with
authenticity, trust, and rapport.

5 Factors to Successfully Marketing to Women - Part 1
of 5

Men and women have been trying to understand one another for thousands of
years. Both genders are trying to get something from the other, yet we just don't
speak the same language, do we? The reason is because underneath it all,
biologically we're still hard-wired to be like our cave people ancestors. It's true!
Think back a few million years ago (give or take) when we as human beings were
just emerging. Largely because of the drive to procreate and the differences in
the male/female bodies, certain psychological protections emerged. Those drives
continue to live on today. One of the successes of our species is that men and
women DO have this hardwiring. (Of course as we've developed over time, we
have more control over our instincts. But ignoring they exist puts any marketer
looking for success at a huge disadvantage.)

What I'm trying to say here is the secret to reaching women all comes down to a


word that rhymes with 'vex' and starts with the letter 's.'
Like this act, marketing is the process of getting there, closing the deal, and what
happens afterwards. Every stage is incredibly important to women - both behind
closed doors and in the marketing world. And the more you recognize it as a
step-by-step process, the more successful you'll be in reaching the female
market. (The male market too for that matter.)
Imagine this . . .When a guy and a gal first notice each other and gaze from
across the room, they get that little butterfly jump that they could be a match.
Then there's flirting, getting to know each other, testing the waters, and
eventually that major commitment. Of course if he doesn't call, text, or email her
again, their relationship ends right there. But the smart guy who follows up is
more likely to get a repeat performance.
Now let's put this in marketing terms, k?
You still basically have two people interacting . . . the prospect and the marketer.
Once the marketer sees the prospect from across a sales page and realizes this
could be a match, then he knows it's okay to take the next steps.
So you start by getting her attention, building rapport and trust, and eventually
you get her commitment . . . the SALE.
Again, that's not the end of it. How you treat her AFTERWARDS makes all the
difference in whether or not you're going to get a repeat sale.
Now can you see why those old hard-sell techniques are only marginally effective
today? Modern women expect more. They know they have tons of choices, so if
you aren't the right 'fit' for them, they'll simply move on.
There are FIVE FACTORS to successfully reaching the female market that I've
researched and isolated. The first one is - THE FLIRT FACTOR. Today I want to
talk about one way to use that one in your marketing.

FACTOR NUMBER ONE: THE FLIRT FACTOR
The first thing two potential matches do when they're attracted to each other is to
start flirting. Flirting is that electric stage of the game when you're learning about
each other, and deliberately trying to get the other person excited.
Works in marketing too. The more you take the time to learn about your
prospect, the more connected you'll be.
Here's the challenge though. Women are vastly different from one another, and fit
in multiple categories like married, unmarried, divorced, with kids, without kids,
blue collar worker, entrepreneur, white collar worker . . . . the list is practically
endless. That makes market research A LOT MORE challenging.


One of the things I figured out a long time ago is when you're writing copy or any
marketing materials, you need to be very specific about who you're talking to. So
rather than writing to a mob of people - your target market - I recommend you
write to a SINGLE PERSON - your TARKET. Tarket is the term I coined as the
singular of target market. It's like your persona or character or avatar who is a
representative of the majority of your ideal customers.
This technique is extremely connecting and relationship-building which is
what women in particular look for. When you read copy that uses this device, it's
almost as if the writer were in the same room talking to the reader. Copywriting is
actually an interactive activity. There is the writer or marketer - you - and the
reader or prospect. As soon as the prospect doesn't feel connected the
relationship is over.
This is one of a five-part series on how to market to women. Next week we'll talk
about the second factor in the process of marketing to women - THE TRUST
FACTOR.
Copywriting guru Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been helping entrepreneurs and
copywriters get their marketing messages razor sharp since 1999. She is the
creator of the She Factor Marketing System where she shares the secrets to
marketing to a female audience.

Successfully Marketing to Women - The Trust Factor
(Part 2 of 5 Series)

Last week I talked about the *Flirt Factor* - the first step to take to find your
share of the female market. Today, we're going to cover a very important piece of
the puzzle, the *Trust Factor.*

FACTOR NUMBER TWO: THE TRUST FACTORTrust and authenticity are not
just good ideas but critical to women in particular. Now I want to back up a little
and give you a reference that's going to help you in all your marketing decisions
when it comes to reaching either the male or female market. It comes down to
how both genders are hard-wired to make not just purchasing decisions, but ALL
decisions.
Ready?


Psychology Today says, "We inhabit our high-tech world with Stone Age minds
because there has not been enough time to change our psychology to match our
environment."In other words we're just cave people driving around in fast cars
and talking on cell phones. So here's how I'd like you to think of the two genders.
Trust me, this is a huge observation because it speaks volumes about how to
reach either gender, but particularly women.
His Drive: Fight competition for tribe status and survival, plus win choice of mate
and pass on genetics. That's his instinct. The more conquests, the better for
survival of DNA.
Her Drive: Survive by being taken care of by provider, not being difficult,
bonding with other females to create community & raise healthy offspring. That's
her instinct.
Take time to choose mate because women don't have as many potential
pregnancies/options in life. Naturally men are more single-focused on the
individual. It's about getting ahead and winning. Women are more community
focused on the group. Women don't want to see a loser. Everyone wins. Kumbaya.
Another thing you should keep in mind when you're marketing to women is we
make decisions very differently than men because our brain circuitry is very
different. Both genders have the same number of brain cells by the way... they're
just set up differently. Not to be offensive, but women's brains are like pinball
machines - all over the place - and men's brains are like Pong - single focused.
Women use both lobes of the brain and spend more time picturing things in their
minds before making a decision.

They have 11% more neurons for language and hearing as well as a larger hub
for language and emotions. Men use only one side of the brain at a time and have
2 ½ times more brain space devoted to sex than women do. Men also have larger
primitive areas of the brain that trigger fear and aggression. I find this stuff
fascinating and face it, marketing is largely based on psychology so the more you
know, the stronger your marketing can be.

Understanding biology is key to success in marketing. This is all literally about
masculine versus feminine energy. Neither is bad or good. They just are. And
what's so wonderful about our world today is men are embracing more of their
feminine or conscious side and women are experimenting with their masculine or
power side. So we really have the best of both worlds. Yet, you can't
underestimate the hard-wired difference both genders will ALWAYS have with
communication. So you want to come at your target market speaking the same
language. With women, that language is about trust. This is the second of a five-


part series on how to market to women. Next week we'll talk about the third
factor in the process of marketing to women -THE CLOSE FACTOR.

Successfully Marketing to Women - The Close Factor
(Part 3 of 5 Series)

Last week I talked about the *Trust Factor* - the second step to take in catching
your share of the female market. Today, we're going to talk about getting paid,
the *Close Factor.*

FACTOR NUMBER 3: THE CLOSE FACTOR
You may have heard the phrase, "The more you tell, the more you sell." Well with
women, the more you SHARE the more you sell. In order to close her and get her
to want to buy from you, a lot of triggers have to be included in your copy and
marketing. Here are some devices you can use in your marketing right now to
increase your close rate with women.

Remember, women are primarily interested in community, people, relationships -
there is no winner...only a village.

Women base their opinions on personality whereas men base it on specifics. It
makes sense when you go back to our instincts of what is important to a caveman
versus cavewoman. Caveman is single-focused in order to procreate his DNA.
Cavewoman is multi-focused in order to preserve her children & the security of
the village.
This makes storytelling very powerful to women. Storytelling works with women
AND men. While it's been a nice marketing device for awhile, women seem to
NEED it more than men. It deepens the connection because they can relate to
you.
Numbers, facts, and figures aren't as important to women as they are to men.
Women would much rather hear how someone's life was improved by a product or
service than by what percentage. Think back to making your copy more story-


oriented.
Women just don't care about the mechanical details so spending a lot of time on
the features of a product ain't gonna get our attention. YALE STUDY: Tested
college students' ability to program a VCR from written instructions. 68% of the
men did it on the first try. Only 16% of the women did it. My husband thinks I'm
joking when I can't remember how to use one of 5 remotes to work the TV versus
the DVD versus the radio versus the Tivo. It's enough to make my head spin.

Women love to weigh in and give our opinions...quizzes, contests, surveys,
essays...we love it! So using interactive media works great to hook women in.

Give her tips she can use with no strings attached. So infuse your copy with
useful statistics or fascinating facts she can tell her friends. You want to build a
relationship over time. Just like dating. You don't just want to jump into bed...well
maybe the guy does. But women want to be romanced and trust needs to be
built.

Know what her values are. Making a difference in the world is a stronger position
than looking younger/better (for a male...get it?) Women's aspirations according
to the Grey Advertising Study. Make the world a better place: 85%; See kids
successful 83%; More time for me 82%; Travel 72%: Wealth 62%; Attractive
53%; Career 48%.
Also women like to know your business is out to make a difference. Like to know
you're involved in outreach programs beyond making money. So if you donate to
a cause by all means let her know.
This is the third of a five-part series on how to market to women. Next week we'll
talk about the fourth factor in the process of marketing to women -THE AFTER
FACTOR.
If you're ready to reach a brand new league in marketing, you want to take a look
at The She Factor Marketing System where I show you how to market to the
female demographic.

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Copywriters - The New Athletes

"No Risk; No Reward" was the tagline for a boxing match between James Toney
and Samuel Peter. And it reminded me-copywriting is a lot like boxing.
At first blush it may sound ridiculous to compare a hard-slugging athlete primed
for pain to a solitary marketer pecking away at the keyword. But there actually
are many similarities. Let me explain:

1) Both require a strong mental game.
If a boxer is not mentally prepared, he is toast. He can be his own worst enemy
in the ring as he stops punch after punch with his face. Same with marketers.
Just try to work on your marketing when you are not in the mood. Tough, ain't it?
The words come out all wrong. Your marketing is dull, limp, and lifeless. So your
sales suffer. It is all on you to keep your head in the game.

2) Both require systematic training.
Sure a boxer can study tapes of former fights and talk to other boxers over time
about what they did to become champions. But sooner or later without an
effective coach to show him how to eat, how often to work out, what exercises to
do and so on, the chances of being a winner are slim to none. Learning to
effectively market and write copy can also be learned by studying the masters
and talking to other marketers - eventually. But it will take years of heartache
and mistakes. It is so much easier to follow a system that already works for
someone who has been there so you can avoid the pitfalls.

3) Both require decisive action.
At the end of the day, you are the RESULT of what you have put into your goals.
In other words, everything you are today is because of choices you made in your
past. Those decisions all added up to whatever your station in life is today.
Whether you are a boxer by himself in the ring, or a copywriter putting together a
kick-butt marketing campaign, to get results, you must decide what you want
first, then go get it! You cannot just HOPE for results. No matter what your goals,
you must take action and put in your training time.
There aren't any shortcuts.


Gary Halbert and Me

You probably already know the story of how I became a copywriter, but I'll bet the
part I'm about to reveal today you DON'T know. The reason I think you don't
know is because I haven't told very many people. But before I launch into the
new stuff, let me review the old stuff briefly, okay? Okay, here it goes -
In 1999 I took a leap of faith and left my corporate job as a secretary to stay
home and raise my two young sons. (One of them was learning disabled and both
missed me very much.) So I hung out my shingle as a freelance writer in the
virtual assistance world. Leaving a steady paycheck was a huge financial strain. I
wasn't really sure how to get clients or build a business at all - just a devoted
mom.

Fortunately I landed a client right away who introduced me to the world of
copywriting. He had a successful network marketing business but he hated to
write. So he sort of talked me through what he wanted and showed me some
templates. Copywriting was like nothing I had ever seen before. (Well, I had seen
it, but I didn't realize people actually got PAID to do it.)

Because I was so passionate about it, I kept getting better and better very
quickly. But soon my client didn't need any more writing - and I didn't have
anyone else lined up. Bummer. So my family started living off credit cards. My
husband and I fought like cats and dogs. It sucked.
Thanks for your patience - this is the NEW part
Under the weight of our circumstances I reluctantly started looking for a new
daytime job. In 2002 I found a listing on Craigs List to write copy for a stock
company. (I knew nothing about stocks.) They were looking for someone to write
in "Gary Halbert's style". "Who?" I asked. That was the first time I had heard
Gary's name.
I didn't get the job. They claimed to love my samples but sensed I just didn't
want another "office job." That was their excuse. I think it might have been my
confession about Gary. But their decision saved my life. I couldn't have gone on
to get my feet under me and really grow Red Hot Copy if I had gone done that
road.


So thank you, Gary. That was the first life-changing moment you were
responsible for in my life. There were many others to come.
As soon as I got home after that interview, I did a search on "Gary Halbert" and
absolutely fell in love. Every carefully chosen word drew me into his copy deeper.
I couldn't stop reading! His copy was so raw and full of personality. He was like an
old, salty dog not caring what you think, while driving you like a speeding car
toward the call to action. So in-your-face. So irreverent. So testosteronal. And I
wanted to write JUST LIKE HIM.
What you're used to reading from me is a departure from his style but trust me,
even though I'm no Gary Halbert, I learned to write in a similar tone. How do I
know? He called me a few years later on the phone and told me so. But I'm
getting ahead of myself.
When I first met Gary at a seminar in 2003 it was like meeting a rock star! I was
so in awe of him. He was with his gorgeous girlfriend, Sirian, who is truly one of
the most genuinely sweet women I've ever met. Gary was different than his brash
persona. You could tell he had that side, yet he had such a vulnerability and
honesty to him.
Over the years we've had sporadic contact. I wouldn't go as far as to say we were
close but he offered me advice semi-regularly via email and phone. I would
occasionally show him sales copy. He would give me honest feedback(which was
surprisingly more gentle than his buddy, and one of my favorite mentors, John
Carlton - you lovingly brutal beast, you).

The last time I saw Gary in person was in 2005 at his Root Canal Seminar. He
was brilliant, naturally. But somewhat of a lost lamb since his trusted assistant
Teresa had retired. Poor guy even got lost on his way to the bathroom - but he
had enough sense to ask for someone to find him through his mike, which he
hadn't turned off. I met his two sons Kevin and Bond there too - really cool guys.

At the end of the first night's event, I invited him to have dinner. He declined
saying he was tired. Frankly he looked as if he were ready to crash and I know
how much throwing an event can sap out of you. Then about 20 minutes later he
surprised us by joining a few of us in the bar. He said he had changed his mind
about being tired. He gave up booze long ago but had a couple of cokes and
shared our pizza. I wish I could have recorded that night. Some of it I'll NEVER
share. But he was so open and candid, I felt like I'd known him for years. That is
one of the lessons I got from Gary. Be vulnerable and be yourself. Because there
is nothing worse in life than being BORING or inauthentic.


Gary, you were never boring. You have secured your place in history as one of the
greatest marketers of ALL TIME. You lived life right. Give 'em hell, Gary. You were
one in a billion.
In closing
I'd like to quote an excerpt from his online newsletter about his Halbert Index:
"The Halbert Index is a totally unique way of classifying people. To be at the top
of the Index you must have the following:
1. You must have a life, and
2. You must have a sense of humor, and
3. You must have intelligence and be an independent thinker, and
4. You must be a generous and giving person but... at the same time...
5. You must refuse to take sh!t from anyone who doesn't have a gun to your
head, and
6. You must be willing to take chances and cheerfully accept losses, and
7. You must have the capacity and courage for true intimacy with your loved
ones, friends... and sometimes... even your associates and strangers, and
8. You must be wealthy always in your mind... and therefore... very often... in
your pocket, and
9. You must be honest and have integrity not defined by laws but rather, by
the inner-core of your being, and finally
10. You must have a relationship with a higher power (nicknamed "God")
that does not necessarily include and/or often transcends any association
with an organized religion."

Lorrie will be a guest speaker at this year’s AWAI Fast Track to Success
Copywriting Bootcamp & Jobfair where she’ll be sharing the secrets of selling to
women.

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The Average Day of a Successful Entrepreneur

I was having a conversation with fellow speaker Ari Galper ofUnlock the Gameat a
recent event we spoke at. We were talking about how copy is in absolutely EVERY
aspect of your marketing. A lot of people think copy is something they will get to
eventually. Or they will hire someone to do it for them. But Ari put it in a way that
I really had not thought of before. He said, "We are ALL in the publishing
business. You should share with your list what an average day is like for you and
how important writing is on every level." Okay, Ari. Good idea. Here is my
average day (if there is such a thing):
 5:30am Get ready for the day, get the kids to the bus, walk the dog
 7:30am Drive to and from Tae bo, shower
 10:30am Write emails (COPY)
 11:00am Write article for ezine (COPY)
 12:30pm Lunch
 1:00pm Write promotional email for list (COPY)
 1:30pm Write affiliate email (COPY)
 2:00pm Meditate
 2:30pm Write promotional (COPY)
 3:00pm Write landing page copy (COPY)
 3:30pm Write emails (COPY)
 4:00pm Phone calls
 4:30pm Boys come home, FAMILY TIME

So of my working hours, OVER HALF of my time requires copywriting skills. Yes,
I'm a trained copywriter, but all entrepreneurs should really be spending this
much time marketing. In other words, you should be spending this much time
WRITING COPY.

Think about ways you can improve your copywriting skills this year. Pay attention
to your junk mail. Raise your awareness to how other marketers are trying to get
your attention. Study the works of those who have already cracked the
copywriting code. Every year you don't have copywriting under your belt dollars


are slipping --no, pouring -- away. The good news for you is it's never been more
economical to get this skill down solid in record speed. Take a look at The She
Factor Program.

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5 Hot Spots to Tweak for Higher Conversion Rates

All successful marketers know the sale comes from the words or the copy. While
the traditional definition of copy is salesmanship in print I actually take a broader
approach. Copy is used in ALL your promotional sales and marketing material.
That means any place there are words about your business there is copy. So it's
EVERYWHERE. Some people will drop loads of cash on website design or graphics,
but balk at learning the one skill that's a veritable silver bullet when it comes to
boosting income fast - tweaking the copy. Don't make that mistake. Your business
is too important.
Here are 5 targeted hot spots any entrepreneur can tweak copy to start raking in
the green.

Home Page Website Copy
Your home page or index page is the most important one on your site for two
reasons. First, it's your welcome mat. It explains what the visitor is going to find
on your site. Hopefully there's enough information to entice him to stick around
and check out other pages on your site. Second, the home page carries the most
weight with the search engines. Good copy can attract search engines while
strategically sprinkling keywords and keyword phrases around that get your
message across.
Things to tweak:
 Headline
 Opt in form for ezine, etc.
 Privacy policy on opt in
 Add audio


Sales Letters
A good sales letter is at the center of most successful marketing campaigns. I call
sales letters the mother of all marketing because they have all the elements you
need for effective promotion. You can chunk it up to use it for descriptions about
your product on the back cover, in ads, in mailings ... the possibilities are endless.
But you have to walk a fine line between over-the-top hype and grabbing a
prospect's attention. There's a definite art to writing a successful sales letter, but
it's not rocket surgery, as I like to say. (I'm famous for unknowingly mixing my
metaphors.) There is a specific pattern you'll notice if your study other sales
letters - which I recommend you do. Things to tweak:
 Headlines
 Sub-headlines
 Opening
 Price
 Bonuses
 Call to Action
 P.S.

Articles
When people see your name enough times they come to recognize it (can you
say, free advertising?) Best of all, you become known as an expert in your field.
Post articles on your website and watch your search engine rankings improve.
Just be sure to indicate your name and contact information must stay on any
forwarded material. In general, people are pretty cooperative if you just ask.
Things to tweak:
 Titles of articles
 Length
 Update shirttails (about the author)

Ebooks
Ebooks (or electronic books) are completely downloadable files usually created in
a format that's difficult to copy like PDF. And they are fast becoming the new
standard for printing. Microsoft projects that within five years, over 50% of all
new books will be in e-book format. They are a great way to make some passive
income. Spend some time brainstorming your idea. Check online bookstores like
Amazon.com to see what's in the marketplace already. If you want some help
James Roche, the Info Product Guy http://www.infoproductguy.com is uncanny at
yanking the product right out of you. Things to tweak:
 Titles
 Subtitles


 Back cover copy
 About the author

Ezines
One of the best ways to stay in contact with your clients is through an ezine or
"electronic magazine," like this one. These are newsletters emailed out on a
regular basis with valuable information people want to read. You can also
announce new products, contests and specials. As long as you provide something
of value, people allow you to market to them. But beware. The minute your ezine
becomes nothing more than one long ad, you'll lose subscribers by the boatload.
Need help getting started? My gal pal, Alexandria Brown , the Ezine Queen can
tutor you through the process.
Things to tweak:
 Put content at top
 Don't overwhelm with ads
 Add stories and observations
 Provide useful tips
Remember, never stop improving your copy. Little tweaks go a loooong way when
it comes to increasing pr0fits.

Lorrie will be a guest speaker at the AWAI Fast Track to Success Bootcamp &
Jobfair where she’ll be sharing the secrets to selling to the female market.

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Copywriting and "The Force"

My inner geek re-emerged after seeing Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the
Sith.
The original came out in 1977 before the days of VCRs and small recording
devices.(By the way, the title was Episode IV - A New Hope my sons inform me.
NOT Star Wars as I foolishly thought.)As a teen, I paid to sit through it 15 times.
My cousin and I even snuck in a cassette player and recorded the whole movie on
two 60 minute cassettes, memorizing every line. Told you I was a geek!
Watching the final installment of the series come full circle last week, I realized
there are similarities to the good and evil in the world and the good and evil of
creating out-of-this-world copy.


1)Like "The Force", copy is EVERYWHERE. It is in all of your marketing and
promotional materials. Whether you're talking about emails, websites, brochures,
back cover product copy, ezines, blogs, flyers, even business cards...they all rely
on copy to get your message across. Obi Wan Kenobi was right when he said, "It
surrounds us. It penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." He just didn't realize
he was also talking about copy!

2) Persuasion techniques are just as prevalent in copy as they are in the old Jedi
Mind Trick. Copy is salesmanship in print so naturally you need to overcome
objections, put yourself in the shoes of your target market and move the prospect
toward the sale. Get them thinking like you do. If they come to believe it was
THEIR idea instead of yours, all the better!

3) Copy and lopped-off limbs can always be repaired. Jedi and Sith Lords
have a habit of taking off one another's limbs with light sabers. But
never fear. They can be replaced with stronger, mechanical versions.
Same with copy. Don't be afraid to cut and edit your words. In the end
your message can be more powerful.

4) Good copy and the Death Star pull the prospect in like a tractor beam.
Whether the prospect consents or not, when the copy is on target and
compelling, it should suck the reader in like it has gravitational pull. If
your copy is doing the job, there is nothing else the prospect would
rather do than read it right NOW. As earthling Gary Halbert put it, "Copy
can never be too long. Only too boring."

5)Just as Anakin Skywalker had a reason to turn to the Dark Side, you should
have a reason "why" you're giving such a great deal.(By the way, how hot is
Hayden Christensen who plays young Darth?! Sizzling, I say!)Darth Vader didn't
become the Dark Lord because he WANTED to be evil.

He had a darn good reason for turning. You, too, need to have a darn good
reason why you're making the exceptional offer you're making. Did you make too
many widgets? Are your partners coming for back pay? Do you have to liquidate
your cassette product supply? Be honest, but let the prospect know "why" this
deal is a no-brainer.
May "The Force" be with you.


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Do They Read Long Copy?

One of the more popular questions I get about copy from subscribers is, "Do
people really read all that copy?" Of course they are talking about the online long
copy sales letters you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to find out
how much it costs. These letters can be from 5-15 pages or more in length and
they flat out bug some people.

The answer to the question is, "No. Yes. And maybe." It all depends on where
your prospect is mentally in the buying process. I'll get to that in a minute.

First let's take yourself as an example. Are you currently in the market to buy a
car? If you're not chances are you don't pay a lot of attention to the car
marketplace right now (unless of course you are a car aficionado). So it wouldn't
matter much to you if a certain car got better gas mileage over another or came
with an Island Blue paint job. But when the time comes to get serious about
buying YOUR car you will focus intently on every little detail. You will scour every
word you can get your hands on about the specific make and model you want
parked in your garage.

So back to them - will your target market really read all that copy?


1) No. Some people will not ever even find your copy in their universe. Billy
Joe in Iowa is more concerned about his next day off from the construction
site so he can party with his friends. Billy Joe is not your target market and
there is no reason to waste time trying to reach him. I only bring up Billy
Joe to illustrate everyone has some natural drop off of potential customers.
Everyone can NOT be your customer.

2) No. Some people will simply not be interested in doing business with you
for whatever reason. Jane is in the market for a water filtration system. You
sell them. Unfortunately Jane will only purchase from Pygmy goat farmers
in Norway and you don't qualify. Go figure. You can't do anything about it.

3) Yes. People read your copy when they begin to recognize a need for your
product/service. This is called the peripheral interest stage. They may not
be focused on buying what you sell today but on some level they are
interested in how you can benefit them in the future. Say you sell a vitamin
supplement for hair growth. Your prospect, Archie, has noticed some
premature thinning but he's not overly concerned about it yet. If he
stumbles onto your sales page he will skim through your copy, looking for
nuggets that will help him make a buying decision later. For now he may
just buy a hat and continue to check out options as he comes across them.
He's just not urgently motivated right now.

4) Yes. People read your copy when they are ready to make a buying decision.
This is called the deep investigative stage. These are the serious
contenders. And they will read 'all that copy' because they are ready to
trade dollars for your product/service. It doesn't matter whether the
purchase is for $37 or $397 or $3997. No one likes to make a bad
investment.

Veronica has been looking for a business coach. If you provide that service
and she finds you online, remember you are not there personally to answer
all her questions (but she will no doubt have them). That's the job of your
copy - to fully represent you when you're not there. So you need to make
sure you overcome all of her objections IN WRITING. She will have an
internal dialogue in her head of frequently asked questions. Your copy had
better anticipate and answer every one. Trust or mistrust is conveyed
through your copy too. (As you know, no one will do business with someone


they do not trust). She must visualize how her life will improve with your
service.
Your copy can convey that by focusing on the benefits. Do you have a guarantee?
Are there sign up bonuses? Who else have you helped? When you are thorough it
doesn't take long for the copy to get lengthy. There is a distinctive pattern to
keeping your prospect informed while maintaining interest. As advertising front
man David Oglivy said, " The more informative your advertising, the more
persuasive it will be."

5) Maybe. If Betty stumbles onto your site out of the blue without a
predisposed idea to buy what you sell. Your copy is informative, interesting,
and entertaining. She finds herself mesmerized, pulling her credit card out
of her wallet to rush and order your product. This is a rather rare, though
not unheard of, action. Especially when the copy follows the proven
formulas of the masters.
Long sales copy exists because it works. If it didn't work it would go the way of
the dodo bird. As it is, it shows no signs of losing its effectiveness. In test after
test long copy outperforms its short copy brother.

The Wall Street Journal has been sending out a four-page direct mail sales letter
with great results for decades. Then just a few years ago they pit the four-pager
against a longer letter to see which one pulled in more subscriptions. The longer
letter won. In fact in every industry the long copy format has been introduced it
has been a rousing success. Again to quote David Ogilvy, "If you tell, you will
sell."
Long copy can work in your industry too. But I have to let you in on a little secret.
A long copy sales letter is the kingpin of your marketing campaign, but it does not
perform on its own. By itself it is not strong enough to get the cash flowing for
your business. There is also support copy that is often ignored in the copywriting
process yet it is just as critical to the overall success of the sales letter.

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5 Ways to Avoid Hype in Your Copy

Copy is salesmanship in print, but does it have to be a greasy used-car salesman?
The answer is, "No!" Follow these 5 tips and watch your prospects' trust level rise.

1. Make it believable. Face it - we are just smarter nowadays than we
were several decades ago. In fact, we're jaded. We've seen it all.
Bought the miracle pills (and felt stupid for believing the charlatans).
We all know it's impossible to lose 25 pounds over night. So why even
go there? Once you lose credibility, you've lost your prospect's
attention too. Respect your prospect with honesty and you have a
much better chance of doing business together.
(Psst. A great way to build trust is to actually reveal a flaw in your
product. We all know nothing is perfect - so show us where it's not
and we believe in you.)

2. Easy on the adjectives. Great copy is "verb-heavy," not laden with
adjectives. In fact ad man great, Leo Burnet (of Green Giant ad fame,
among others) wanted to discover why 62 of his ads failed. So he had
his staff separate out the parts of speech. Here's what he found - of
the 12,758 words in the 62 failed ads, 24.1% were verbs. His
conclusion - if the failed ads had more verbs, they probably would
have done better. Take my advice. If you haven't already, go to
Amazon and buy Richard Bayan's copywriting thesaurus, Words that
Sell. And keep it by your desk when writing.

3. Write in your prospect's language. Make sure you understand their
particular jargon. For example, in general chiropractors have a bit of a
rivalry with medical doctors. But chiropractors are "real" doctors. If
you slip up and say otherwise, you have alienated them. But you
would only know that by deeply studying your target market. An
excellent resource to learn more about various inner languages is at
http://www.thewordsthatsell.com. They have special reports on
markets from real estate agents to radiologists to attorneys.


4.Write to one person with the "tarketing" technique. To really sound sincere and
empathetic, do what I call "tarketing". That's taking your target market's
demographics down so far that you're actually referring to just one person. (See,
a target market is a mob or plural while a "tarket" is ONE PERSON or singular.)

Corporations take this approach all the time. For example, Volvo's tarket is a 35
year old mother of two. (Does that mean men don't buy Volvo's? Of course not!)
When you use the tarketing technique, not only is your writing more concise, but
your reader connects with you on a very deep level. After all, you're talking
directly to him or her

4. Think from the prospect's point of view. You have to do your due
diligence if you want to avoid the hype. This is where summoning up a
little creativity goes a long way. Once you've got your tarketing
technique in place, really drill it down. Get deep inside your prospect's
head and ask yourself some of these questions:
· What magazines does he or she read?
· What restaurants does he or she go to?
· Does your prospect take vacations?
· Who did your prospect vote for for president?
· How would your prospect describe his or her life if they ran into a childhood
friend they haven't seen for 10 years?
Are you beginning to see just how deep you can start to go? These questions are
a nick on the surface. I go on for pages in my workbook, but you get the idea.
The best way to avoid hype is to genuinely connect with your prospect through
prewriting research AND respect. You'll be rewarded with customer loyalty and
many more sales.

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Open Letter to Entrepreneurs - 5 Ways to Sell More by
Using a Copywriter

When I tell people I'm a copywriter, I sometimes get a glazed-over look. "What
kind of writer?" Or better yet, "A copyRIGHTER? Are you some kind of lawyer?"
They just don't understand how a copywriter can help them. So here's the scoop.
Basically, we're salespeople with the time and expertise to make you look good on
paper.

Sure, you can write your own copy...if you can find time in your grueling
schedule. (Hopefully it will sound professional). Maybe you're nervous about
letting someone else create content that represents you. That's understandable,
but you have to get over it. You're never going to make money with products that
exist only in your head.

Worried that your copywriter doesn't have experience writing in your field? Don't
be. Here's why. Good writers research. They jump in and study all the materials
ever written about your business. They check out what your competitors are
doing and how well their tactics are working. They understand your target
market. Plus, copywriters are schooled in proven techniques that entice people to
pull out the plastic.

Here are five specific ways any entrepreneur can use a copywriter to package his
or her products, get to market faster and start raking in the green.

HOME PAGE WEBSITE COPY
Your home page or index page is the most important one on your site for two
reasons. First, it's your welcome mat. It explains what the visitor is going to find
on your site. Hopefully there's enough information to entice him to stick around
and check out other pages on your site. Second, the home page carries the most
weight with the search engines. A good copywriter can strategically sprinkle
keywords around that get your message across while simultaneously ranking your
page higher in the search engines.


SALES LETTERS
A quality sales letter piques an interested customer to read on. Not strong
enough and the potential client surfs on. Over-the-top hype and you get the same
result. There's a definite art to writing a successful sales letter. This area should
be left to professional copywriters. (Side Note: It's amazing to me that people will
drop loads of cash on website design or graphics, but balk at hiring someone to
fine tune their message. Copy *conveys* what you're all about. It should be a no-
brainer.)

ARTICLES
A copywriter can ghostwrite these for you if you're short on time. Articles trigger
a few things. When people see your name enough times they come to recognize it
(can you say, free advertising?) Also, you become known as an expert in your
field. Post them on your website and watch your search engine rankings improve.
(Just be sure to indicate your name and contact information must stay on any
forwarded material. In general, people are pretty cooperative if you just ask).

EBOOKS
Ebooks (or "electronic" books) are fast becoming the standard for printing.
Microsoft projects that within five years, over 50% of all new books will be in
ebook format. Spend some time brainstorming your idea. Check online
bookstores like Amazon.com to see what's in the marketplace already. Finally,
create an outline, some parameters on length, hire a copywriter and become a
legitimate author overnight.

EZINES
One of the best ways to stay in contact with your clients is through an ezine or
"electronic magazine." These are newsletters emailed out on a regular basis with
valuable information people will want to read. You can also announce new
products, contests and specials. As long as you've provided something of value,
people will allow you to market to them this way. But beware. The minute your
ezine becomes nothing more than one long ad, you'll lose subscribers by the
boatload. Copywriters can keep your ezine full of fresh content. Suddenly your
time is freed up to promote your services. More importantly, your name will be in
front of your subscribers regularly, which builds trust - and sales down the road.

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Getting in the Mood

"Anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."~ Napoleon
Hill
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what
lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Whatever you feed your mind comes to fruition in your life." ~ Lorrie Morgan-
Ferrero

If you are in a bad frame of mind, I promise you, your copy will not work. You're
defeated before you get out of the gate, and that is a bad way to start. It's much
better to consciously put yourself in the right frame of mind BEFORE writing
copy...or before doing anything really. There are many ways to align your mind
before writing. Here are a few that work for me.

Take Care of Yourself First -It's so easy to let clients, colleagues, friends and
family dictate how you will prioritize your day. Just like they tell you when
traveling with a small child on an airplane...Put on YOUR oxygen mask first, then
your child's. You can't be of any use to others if you aren't breathing (or
functioning) well first. Don't put off what feeds you. It affects everyone around
you.

Attitude of Gratitude- It is impossible to feel truly grateful for what you have and
constricted in the same moment. Each evening I like to think of 10 things I'm
grateful for that day. Make this a habit and it will color your world each and every
day.

Affirmations- Basically an affirmation is a positive statement you say to your
subconscious to visualize the outcome you want for your future. I write them on
post it notes stuck around my office and on my bathroom mirror. Say your
affirmation as if you already have it using the present tense. I'm no expert with
affirmations - I just know what works for me.
Example, "I have fun effortlessly writing powerful copy that sell in record time."


Visualization, "Theatre of Your Mind" Style- This technique comes from Dr.
Maxwell Maltz of Psycho-Cybernetics. Imagine yourself in an actual theatre
complete with popcorn and drink holder. But this theatre is better than a real one
because on the screen you can play anything you like. But for copywriting, I like
to imagine the success of completing the project, the sales it brings in, the happy
clients, etc. I bring the emotion of it to life. I also use my theatre to visualize
what I want in my life. It's powerful for me because it is in a controllable
container rather than as random pictures floating around in my mind. Have fun
creating your own blockbuster!

Write Out Your Success History- Take 15 minutes and write out 30 successes you
have had over your lifetime - no matter how big or small. Tap dance in a recital at
3? Put it in. Launched your blog? Put it in. Add everything you can think of,
whether personal or business. Then post it where you will see it often. I did this
with my Elite Platinum group and they loved it. One of my two business coaches,
Matt Furey, put it this way: Intensely Desired Goals + Imagination + Action =
Success (If you're serious about success YOU should also have a coach or mentor
in your life. That's what keeps you sharp and edgy.)

Top 20 Lifetime Goals- What do you have planned for the rest of your life? Write
down your goals and look at them regularly. It gives them more power when they
are written down. If you are too embarrassed to write it, you're probably too
embarrassed to LIVE it. So open your imagination and let 'er rip!

Visioning Board- Create a collage on a large poster board of the things you want
in your life now and in the future. Cut out pictures from magazines or
newspapers. Print out pictures websites. Draw. Be as creative as you like. You
may be surprised at how fast you get them when you face them each day.My Elite
Platinum group and I created our own visioning boards at a weekend Retreat. It's
beautiful to watch other people's thoughts and desires unfold into something
physical.I was surprised how important owning a horse was to many of the group
- including me. Hmmm...

Calm Body, Calm Mind- This is also a technique from Psycho-Cybernetics. You
can't create if you are uptight. You need to be in a relaxed state to perform at
your best whether it's writing copy, exercising, or driving in traffic. Imagine your
body is a balloon and slowly release the air (tension). Let your body melt into
your chair (or bed if lying down). Tell yourself you have a "calm body, calm mind".
Before you know it, you will. This works immediately under all stressful situations.


Blast Past Writer's Block Like a Keg O' Dynamite

Recently I asked my list of copywriters and entrepreneurs what their biggest
problem with writing copy was. Wanna know what the overwhelming answer was?
Fighting writer's block. Yup, writer's block seems to be an equal opportunity pain
in the butt. But plenty of stuff gets written. So how do others battle it? Peter
DeVries (another writer) said, "I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm
inspired at nine o'clock every morning."
Even Albert Einstein said this, "How do I work? I grope." You know it ain't easy
when geniuses have the same problems as you and me. In fact, even as I sit
here, supposedly writing, I keep getting distracted. Who emailed me? Who's
online? What other research can I do? Don't I need to call my mother? Boy, my
dog sure needs to go out and play. Am I hungry? Nah, but that's okay. I'll check
out what's in the fridge anyway. Sound familiar? So in the interest of finding an
answer myself, I'm going to share with you lessons I learned about banishing the
block.

1. ELIMINATE ALL (AND I MEAN "ALL") DISTRACTIONS
At the beginning of each week, block an hour or two every day
for your work. Do not schedule lunches, workouts, shopping
trips or errands during that time. You're on the clock, comrade.
Turn off your email, instant messengers and phones. Do NOT
allow yourself to be tempted. The writing gods will know if you
cheat.

2. FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR TIMER
Marketing master, Eugene Schwartz never went anywhere
without his timer. He was partial to the numbers "3-3-3--3,"
which means 33 minutes and 33 seconds. He believed you can
only hold your focus for a limited amount of time before your
brain "drops dead on you." After you work straight for 33.33
minutes, you're required to take a 5 minute break.


3. ZEN OF WRITING
Ole Eugene also believed writer's block was more of a Western
world condition than an Eastern one. That's because 4,000
years ago, Zen Buddhists came up with a simple routine. Sit
down where you're doing your writing - on your computer or at
a desk with a pad of paper. Are you sitting? Okay, that's what
you get to do for the next 33.33 minutes (or whatever time
chunk works for you). Now do nothing else. For the next 33.33
minutes, it's all about you and the blank paper. You don't have
to write anything. You can stare at the screen if you want to.
Write gibberish. Begin the great American novel. But what you
CAN'T do is anything else. You may NOT leave that spot for
33.33 minutes. Don't worry. You're bound to get bored enough
to get started -- and that's usually all we need.

4. STOP IN THE MIDDLE
Some writers like to stop their creating in mid-thought or mid-
sentence. Then you're not faced with a blank canvas when you return
to your writing -- assuming you can remember what you were
thinking about to begin with.

5. START IN THE MIDDLE
Sometimes, we get so uptight about finding the brilliant hook to open
the copy with, we paralyze ourselves. Stop it. Just dive in. Start
writing. Edit later. The best copy comes from overwriting anyway. If
you need a little inspiration, try writing out the features and benefits
of your product.
I hope some of these tips help jumpstart your writing. There's nothing worse than
staring down a wordless document.

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Copywriting Tips- 3 Speedy Headline Templates for the
Super Busy

Headlines are arguably the most important component to eye-catching copy. If
you don't have a compelling headline, odds are you've lost your prospect for
good.
Ideally you should write anywhere from 50 to 100 headlines before choosing one.
But sometimes you just don't have time. I have the solution. Swipe these 3
templates, fill in the right words and ta dah! Instant headline!

1) How to ___________ (get) __________________ (the biggest
benefit your product delivers)
Example:"How to Make $87,000 Per Year As A Magazine Writer!"How to
headlines are particularly attractive to people looking for information -
which is their main activity on the Internet.

2) Quantify it with numbers.
Example:"7 Easy Ways to Save Money On Groceries Without Clipping
Coupons And Running All Over Town Just For Those Sale Items!"
People respond very well to finite numbers in headlines - they want to know
exactly how much information they're going to get. (Note that you need to
tear up the English teacher rule book here.
No number is spelled out - it's all numerals. In other words, forget about
the one, two, three - it's 1, 2, 3. There's something psychologically powerful
to our eyes when we read a numeral that just isn't there when we read a
spelled out number).

3) If ________________________, then __________________!
Example: "If You're Looking for One Convenient Source for All Your
Business Needs, We Offer a Huge Selection of Office Supplies". This format
almost always works because it states a problem and the solution right
there in the headline. That's what people are looking for, the solution to
some problem.


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3 Tragic Mistakes of "Green Marketing"

When I say "green" I am talking about the environmentally conscious consumer,
also called "Cultural Creatives" or the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and
Sustainability) market which includes about 50 million people.

If you are trying to reach them, ya gotta go green. They are all about a better
lifestyle for the planet over the long haul. They are interested in the environment,
personal development, health, alternative therapies, and a sustainable economy.
This growing market is relatively untapped.

But like Marie Antoinette many marketers rush in and lose their heads. While
there are many errors committed make when trying to reach that sector, these
are the three worst mistakes made.

Mistake #1: Dull, boring headlines. It's hard to keep awake long enough to read
the copy in those boring magazines and websites. Headlines like: "Make an
impression and you can change the world" "Healthy. Happy. For Real" or "A
Natural Partnership"...yawn. Look - The job of the headline is to cut through the
clutter and grab your attention. We are exposed to more advertising in one day
than our grandparents use to get in an entire year. You've got your work cut out
for you if you want to address anybody, and it starts with the headline. Stick with
the tried and true attention-grabbing formulas.

Mistake #2: Ignoring long copy. I know you like to "think" the LOHAS market is
just too smart for all that long copy. After all they are made up of wealthy CEOs
and soccer moms. Don't be ridiculous. They are a very educated segment of the
population which means they make informed decisions. Just like anybody, when it
comes down to making a buying decision, LOHAS want all the facts. Long copy
continues to prevail because it WORKS. Now long copy for the sake of being long
is plain stupid. You want copy that overcomes objections, makes a solid case, and
answers all the questions in the prospect's mind.


Mistake #3: Not capitalizing on celebrity endorsement.
Ed Begley Jr. is a fixture in Studio City where I live. He has been known to ride
his bike to work way before it was cool to look at alternative fuel options. Now he
has launched his own environmentally safe cleaning products called Begley's Best.
Ed's endorsement means something. If you tie a celebrity to a green product, it
means instant credibility so you have a much better chance of succeeding in the
LOHAS market.
Remember, you can market to the green folks, using many of the same marketing
principles you would use for the regular joe. Come from an authentic position and
be respectful. Soon they'll be showing you the green.

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5 Easy Ways to Put Personality In Your Copy

The late, great Gary Halbert once said something like copy can never be too long,
only too boring. That is why you need to infuse it with character! Don't be afraid
to put a little stand-out language in your copy. Know why? Because we are so
bombarded with marketing messages all the time, now more than ever we need
copy that is a little - no, A LOT more interesting.
But how do you get a sparkling personality down on paper?
Here are five options you can try.
1) Create a "Yarket"- This is a play on my famous tarket technique where you
establish your target market, then distill it down to one single person. When
writing your copy, you write to him or her. A "yarket" is creating a persona
that is YOU. For example, Do you want to be gruff? Irreverent?
Approachable? Write out the qualities of how you'd like to come across in
your communications, frame them around you, then step into that
character.

2) Identity Theft- Find a larger than life character that you resonate with and
model your copy after how that person would talk. For example, there used to be
a comedian by the name of Sam Spade whose onstage persona was a gumshoe
detective from the forties. All of his phrases and tone used language from the
forties.


3) Swipe an Identity- Read your swipe files and sort out the ones with personality
plus. If you find one with the qualities you want your copy to have, go ahead and
overlay that voice with your own. For example, if I am writing heavy-duty,
testosterone-laden copy, I will first read Gary Halbert, John Carlton, or Dan
Kennedy. My tone goes through their filter and comes out on the other end as a
unique personality.

4) Get a Familiar- Don't restrict yourself to a human personality. You can also
be more creative by using inanimate objects like your computer mouse, or
even a pet. For example, copywriter Michele PW's dog, Nick, writes a
column for her newsletter. It's fun to read (and fun to write - just ask
Michele!)

5) Be Your Heightened YOU- Find qualities about yourself you already like and
emphasize them. Act how you would at a party with a couple of cocktails
under your belt. For example, I am pretty extroverted most of the time, but
sometimes I am not into other people and vant to be alone, dahlink.
Nevertheless, when I sit down to write my copy I am always careful to amp
up my energetic side.

Most of all please stop caring what others think. Sure you might offend a few by
being edgy. So what?

You won't make everybody happy unless you write boring, milquetoast copy that's
easy to ignore. The first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Herbert Bayard Swope
wrote, "I can't give you a surefire formula for success, but I can give you a
formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time." Nothing more need be
said on the subject.

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Idea Incubators

I firmly believe that all of us are creative. We all have unique thoughts, make
distinctive connections, and are capable of producing great things for our
businesses and for our lives...if we put our minds to it.

Like your car engine, your brain works better when it's warmed up. Here are a
few cool ways to do that - and get closer to crafting killer copy!

In Daniel Pink's very cool new book A Whole New Mind(no, I don't have a
superhuman ability to read books, but I do use a service that provides executive
summaries of the top business books, Soundview Executive Book Summaries® I
found a great new way to get that creative motor running.

It's fun and really simple. Go to a bookstore or library and pick up five magazines
that you've never heard of in areas you've never chosen to read about. Flip
through 'em, and (if you've bought 'em!) tear out some images or articles that
speak to you in some way. Then, watch for breakthroughs.

I gave this a shot and -wow! It's amazing what some time with Cat Fancy,
Motocross World, Blender, andTeen Vogue can do for your creative juices. I came
away with some new thoughts about a web project, ideas for more articles, and a
sense of amazement that there are so many niche markets out there in the world.

Even if you're not wrestling with a particular form of block or working on a
project, spending just an hour doing this can make some creative connections
and furnish a very economical - and portable- brain break.

You can also get reading: other people's copy.
Find a few copywriters or styles of writing that resonate with you. Keep their stuff
close at hand and read a few pages before you start. Your brain will unwittingly
start to mimic their flow.


Look over a list of power words. As you know, certain words elicit a subtle
psychological response. The ones that inspire excitement and sales need to be
peppered in your copy. Here are some of them:
 Accelerate
 Achieve
 Act
 Boost
 Burn
 Capture
 Deploy
 Ensure
 Finalize
 Focus
 Gain
 Gather
 Illuminate
 Leverage
 Manage
 Overcome
 Position
 Reconsider
 Shatter
 Train
 Unleash
 Win
There are several sources where these words are already collected."Words That
Sell," by Richard Bayan is a popular one that I use religiously. Whatever it is that
you do, the key is to DO SOMETHING. Set a timer for 20-30 minutes, turn off the
phone and shut down e-mail. Give yourself a concentrated boost of creative
time...and watch what happens!


How to Run An Internet Business WITHOUT a Website

My websitehttp://www.red-hot-copy.comhas been down for three long days now.
That means no online sales. That means no email. That means brand, spanking
new web surfers looking for information about copywriting pull up a "Page Not
Found" when they Google my website.
I am not a happy camper.
But life goes on. It has to. So how can an Internet marketer run an Internet
business without a website? Here are a few workarounds to keep you in business
while things get straightened out.
1)Keep an alternate email address in your back pocket. Sure it looks more
professional to have your email address with part of your URL or website
listed as the root. But having a free email address is also handy if your
website isn't working. I recommend either
Hotmail,http://www.hotmail.com, Yahoo,http://www.yahoo.com, or
Google,http://www.google.com.(Yes, AOL is an option in the event of an
emergency but I just despise them for working so hard to dumb down their
subscribers and make them juvenilely dependent).

2) Invest in a shopping cart.My shopping cart at www.redhotcart.com is my
most valued piece of Internet marketing real estate. It is the reason I am
able to contact you today, regardless of the fact that my site is down. You
can use a shopping cart to send up a flare in the form of autoresponders,
emails, and ezines letting them know you're still alive and well. You can
even do promotions and make sales directly through the cart (if you have
good copy).

3) Do direct mail, voice broadcasts, or faxes.I feel like I'm time-traveling back
to the dinosaur days but sometimes a postcard or an actual hard copy of a
sales letter can cut through the clutter when an email cannot. Of course you
can't send them to a website if yours is down. Have them call a phone


number. I usehttp://www.ureach.comto receive my toll-free number and
faxes. If you're looking to send them or do a voice broadcast, contact my
friend Ron Romano athttp://www.findmeleads.com. Fortunately I have
detailed information for many (not all) of my subscribers. If you haven't
been collecting addresses, phone numbers, and/or fax numbers I suggest
you begin.

4) Find joint venture partners. Even if you don't have a website, you can find
someone else who is selling a product related to your field. In the carrot-
growing business? Why not joint venture with someone in the tomato
business? If you have a database you can still survive a website crisis. I
wouldn't advise going to your list too often to sell or you will lose many
subscribers and a lot of good will.

5)Back 'er up.You must have a back up copy of your website or you will be in a
world of hurt when it comes time to rebuild that puppy. I work with people who
have lost months just trying to get their site staked out online. My webmaster, my
virtual assistant and I all have a backup copy of my website. Wanna see? I wish I
could show you but my @#! server is having issues. So no site for me.

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Keys to Writing a Solo Email

The day you hung out your shingle as an entrepreneur, you also took on the job
of marketer. The minute you stop marketing yourself is when your pr0fits dry up,
so you may as well get used to your role. If you don't let people know what your
business has to offer, you will NOT run a thriving business. You may not want to
hear this - in fact it may even make you mad. But a great way to let people know
you have something special for them is through a solo-mailing (an email with a
single offer sent to your permission-based list of subscribers).
Solo-mailings are so prolific because they WORK. While I don't advocate abusing
your list by sending them more than a few times per month they ARE effective
when done correctly. They have kind of a bad rep because some marketers have
a "buy or die" attitude. They send solos out daily or every couple of days until you
either buy or unsubscribe. They aren't worried about building loyalty and trust.
They just want a quick buck. (I do not share this philosophy.) Even when you


0ffer something of great value I've found three definite trends you can count on
with a solo-mailing:
1. You WILL get unsubscribes
2. 2. You WILL get hate mail
3. 3. You WILL make money

It is number 3 that I want you to laser focus on. See, I WANT you to make
money. Since you have entrusted me with your email address, I consider it my
job to show you as many tactics as I have learned about how to run a successful
online business. That being said, here are the 5 keys to making solo-emailing
work for YOU:
1. Attention-grabbing subject line. Do you sort through your email and
select "delete" without even opening some? Me too. But if the subject
line is intriguing the email is much more likely to get read. It's really
the headline for your email. Also try to keep the number of characters
on the short side so the words don't get cut off in the email program.
Here are the maximum subject line lengths for some commonly used
email programs:
 Outlook: 64 characters
 AOL: 52 characters
 Hotmail: 45 characters
 Yahoo: 80 characters
Some of my more successful subject lines were:
 I'm not that kind of girl
 She didn't want me to tell!
 May I critique your copy?
 How to get *lucky* on Valentine's Day
 Are you in?
Remember, you're competing with hundreds of other emails so make your subject
line strong.

2. Take it Personal. Studies show an increase in response when first
names are used in the copy. Think about it. If you were in a busy
airport and you heard someone holler out your name, wouldn't you
turn to see who it was? Of course you would. Works in email too.
(Techno Tip: The code looks like this: Linda but when it comes out it
reads as the subscriber's first name. You have to use a delivery
system that supports this mail merge tactic. Personally I use Kickstart
Cart but there are many other solutions out there.)


4. Dazzle them with your hook. Nothing kills a sale faster than boring copy. So
throw in a little soft shoe entertainment. Give your readers a reason why
you are having this special sa!e or 0ffer. Tell them a (brief) story. Marketer
Jason Potash (www.articleannouncer.com) does an excellent job with hooks.
One email explains how he needs his subscribers help to get him out of the
doghouse with his wife...so they should buy his product. Tellman Knudson
(www.listcrusade.com) caught my attention with a tale of how he was
unable to sleep at night...so I should buy his product.
Perry Marshall (www.perrymarshall.com) spun a brilliant story of how as a
kid he wanted a robot to do his chores for him but that was just a fantasy;
today he knows copywriting is as close as you get to an effortless marketing
solution...so you should sign up for his teleseminar. All of these hooks tie
back into the 0ffer. A good story keeps them reading.

5. Don't forget the 0ffer! Let's have a little chat between the two of us, k? The
purpose of your solo-mailing is to generate cash. So remember to ask for
it. Allow me to grant you permission to ask for business. Poof! It is okay to
ask for business. It is okay to market. It is okay to make m0ney. You, like
me, are in business to make a living, correct? So marketing ourselves is a
given. I expect to be marketed to...and so should you. Like the late, great
Ray Charles said, "If you think in pennies, you get pennies. But when you
think in dollars, you get dollars."

5. Make your P.S. work harder. Your post script, or P.S. is a very highly read bit of
copy. It's that last afterthought of the email. And our eyes are drawn to it like a
magnet to steel. So this is a great place to encourage them to take action NOW
and place the order link. Even scanners are likely to read the P.S.
For better or for worse, we are all in sales. So face your fears, gulp hard and get
out there and market!


Lower the Bar

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I'm so excited. I got a cool new power point template with orange and yellow
flames. It's not too much (well, maybe it is), but I don't care. I like it.
So I transferred my regular presentation to the new template. I got some
mesmerizing slide transitions like Jim Edwards used (spinning boxes and such
that the audience at Big Seminar were oohing and aahing about). My handouts
were ready to go.
Then I find out -- they don't have a projector where I'm speaking.
Bummer.
So I freak out. I call my marketing buddies, who don't answer their phones
(they're busy marketing). I dial up my mastermind group. No go. I beg to borrow
my ex -husband's projector and big 'ol screen to drag on the one day roundtrip
flight. He says yes. I don't know how to set this up. Now my husband John
usually goes with me. But since this is just one day, he opts to stay at home and
take care of the kids. So I figure I can just figure it out and follow the manual
(never mind that techno geek John was unable to set this monster up at the last
event and we had to borrow someone else's).
My flight is an hour so I'll have to go through security, take off my shoes, get pat
down by the female guard (those metal things are set so low now even my belly
ring makes it beep) all while dragging around a 6 foot screen that weighs about
45 pounds, a projector, a laptop and a purse.
Hmmm. This isn't sounding like such a good idea.
Finally, I whine to John. But he's used to me making a big deal out of little things.
So he just waits for me to get a grip. Why is it so easy for him to not get mired in
the details? Because he's good at seeing the view from 10,000 feet. He's a big
picture guy, while I'm stuck staring at blades of grass up close and personal.
Handouts. We nix the projector idea and decide on handouts instead. "Well, there
can't just be ANY handouts," I say!! "They have to be eye- catching and fancy. I
want them spiral bound with a clear cover and black back. The front page should
be color. Oh and they have to be ready by this weekend, John. Thank you very
much."
"Lower the bar," he reminds me. He has an annoying way of remembering all
the chunks of wisdom I tell him then feeding them back to me. He reminded me
that Tom Antion widely distributes a recording with some very bizarre background
noises (that's a whole different story I'll tell you sometime). One of John Reese's
most highly acclaimed articles is about writing "cr@p" for the internet. My gal pal,


Alexandria Brown even told me sometimes those of us who care try so hard for
perfection, we don't get anything done.
Lower the bar. That does NOT mean under-deliver. Far from it. All it really
means is don't worry so much about perfection. I say this for you as much as I
say it for myself, because I know other people suffer from this same affliction.
You are an expert in your field, right? So just share that information and people
will be able to improve their businesses. They don't need shiny covers on their
handouts. They don't need eye-popping power point presentations. All they need
is information. Information given to them from a place of empathy for what their
needs are. And your expertise. So I'm going to go to my event and share some
down and dirty information that will undoubtedly help them with their marketing
and their businesses.
Lower the bar enough to step into your own power.

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Cause and Effect

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect." Ralph
Waldo Emerson
What is the "unique selling position" in your market? Luck will not propel
you to success. Understand the "cause" of your market's problem by knowing
your target. Solving their problem is the "effect" they are looking for.
Corporations have entire departments dedicated to finding out who buys from
them so they can hone in on that market segment. They do that by profiling not
only who buys from them, but who is their competition. Successful marketing
campaigns listen to their market. It's about connecting a hidden desire or an
expressed desire in a market, a target market. Your job is to identify where those
minds are, find them and then connect with them. You don't have to be a
corporation. It's your job to do your own research and it's available to you
through your competition.
Singularly look at writing to one person rather than a group. When you get this
one concept down, your copy will stick like glue to the reader because it's just the
2 of you in the room. It's a real easy thing to say "everybody is my target
market" but it's not. Your target market is only those potential customers who are
suitable for your products or services. You really have to know exactly who you're
talking to so you can provide the solution to their problem. That's why I demolish


those roadblocks for you in my highly acclaimed workbook and audio CD, Red Hot
Copy to Woo Your Target Market.
Copywriting is interactive between the reader and the writer. You want him or her
to keep reading so you have to engage the reader. When you get in touch with
your TARKET, that's where you really make the sale. You need to know everything
about who you're writing for. In other words, start with the catch in the mind
instead of the pitch.
Remember that it's not about you. Eugene Schwartz, Copywriting Master says,
"The creativity is in your market and in your product, and all you are doing is
joining the 2 together. And the only way you can get the creativity out of your
product and your market is to dig it out. And the only way you can dig it out is
dig it out more than anybody else digs it out."

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Mastermind Your Way to Success

What do Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Andrew Carnegie,
Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin have in common?
They all leverage the power of the mastermind team.
The mastermind works on the concept that two (or more) heads are better than
one. When you gather a group of like-minded people and focus on one particular
problem, a funny thing happens. Not only do you get intelligent feedback on blind
spots you may not have noticed. But a truly phenomenal thing also happens with
a mastermind group - the psychic aspect.
"The human mind is a form of energy, a part of it being spiritual in nature. When
the minds of two people are coordinated in a SPIRIT OF HARMONY, the spiritual
units of energy of each mind form an affinity, which constitutes the 'psychic'
phase of the Master Mind." Excerpted from Think and Grow Rich
See, when a group is united in the same purpose, the number of ideas in the
room balloon off of other people's ideas. I witnessed this personally last month at
a networking meeting lead by Jim Bunch of Six Figure Practice. In groups of 6-8
we brainstormed how to raise $10,000 in three days. The ideas were mind
boggling. As we got more and more excited, our ideas became more and more
bold. One group said they weren't stopping at $10,000. They wanted to raise
$1,000,000!


So how do you harness this kind of power for yourself? Masterminds are rather
subjective in that you must do what works for YOU and your lifestyle ultimately. I
have been in my mastermind for a year now and I couldn't be happier. My
business has hit an all -time high. And I credit the habit of masterminding with
the lion's share of my success. Here are some of the qualities that work for us.
 Keep the number small. My group is 4 people but we could comfortably
increase to as many as 6.
 Meet regularly. We meet by phone once a week to go over successes and
challenges. Plus we put one person on the hot seat for special focus. Then
we also meet in person for an all day retreat a minimum of 3-4 times a
year.
 Don't make anybody wrong. There is no such thing as a bad idea.
 As soon as you begin attacking the creativity of the mastermind, the ideas
will shrivel up. Keep the brainstorm going and you'll be astounded at the
new levels of insight you reach.
 Treat each meeting as if you paid $100,000 a year to be a member.
A mastermind meeting isn't a coffee klatch. The only way it can truly be
effective is if everyone takes it seriously and shows up ready to focus.
 Hold one another accountable. Got a goal? When do you expect to have
that done by? Your mastermind team wants to know. There is great power
in verbalizing your intention.

Make a wish list of people you would like to be in your mastermind. Write out the
qualities you would like to see in the ideal candidates. Be specific.
A word of caution - be very picky about whom you choose to make this
commitment with. You will likely be together for a long time. Make it a goal for
this year to be a part of a mastermind team.

Be part of the copywriting event of the year – AWAI’s Fast Track to Success
Copywriting Bootcamp & Jobfair.

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7 Tips to Make Your Order Page Work Harder

So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading your compelling sales
letter. She's convinced she needs your product. So she clicks on the order link,
with her credit card next to the mouse. She's taken to the order page. What she
sees next makes her change her mind and click away. Can you prevent bail out at
the crucial moment of ordering? You betcha!
Here are 7 surefire tips to make your order page work harder for you...
1. Check marks the spot. Add a check box with a big, bold "Yes! I'll take it! I
understand I get blah, blah, blah." For extra impact, consider adding a red
border around the box so it stands out.

2. Repeat yourself. Remove all doubt about what the prospect gets for her
moolah. List all bonuses and the guarantee (if there is one). Include
directions on when and how the product will arrive. Hold her by the hand
and take all the mystery out of the order.

3. Be kind. Remind. We all want to feel like we made a great choice. You
already know how cool your product is. Let her know it too. Something as
simple as, "You've made a smart decision. Imagine how much your life will
improve with this widget."

4. They like you! They really like you! The order page is a natural place for
a stellar testimonial. As my friend Jonathan Mizel (one of the original
Internet marketing pioneers) told me, "It's not over until they actually
order." Consider adding audio as well like I do on RedHotAudio.com Studies
show it adds a human element to your testimonials.


5. Type the easy stuff first. Psychologically the credit card fields should be
at the bottom of the page after the prospect's name and address. Once she
starts typing, the sales resistance goes down and the buy in begins. (Note:
One Shopping Cart does this by default.)

6. Give 'em options. Some people are still nervous to reveal their credit card
info online. If you don't have alternate methods of ordering like by fax or
phone, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. Marty Foley
suggests you reassure your prospect that your security (SSL) has "bullet-
proof encryption".

7. Wait! Don't leave! We all hate pop ups (and many are blocked - see the
Resource below for an option). But they work. if the prospect clicks away,
why not add a pop up box with another offer, like the downloadable version
at a cheaper price? After all, she's leaving anyway. What do you have to
lose? Tom Antion does this masterfully at Wedding-toasts.org.

These improvements should take less than 30 minutes to put in place. Tiny
tweaks to your copy go a long way toward improving your sales. Never stop
improving.


Copywriter Trick Unveiled: How to Write Better Copy
Faster

"Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book."
Ralph Waldo Emerson's Goethe
I'm going to share with you a method guaranteed to get your copy razor
sharp in a hurry. It's an old trick I learned in journalism school, and it works
great to get those creative juices flowing. Since I've been using it regularly again,
I write circles around my former output times. The words are just at my
fingertips.

How did I do it?(More importantly, how can you do it too?) Well, you probably
already know you must have curiosity to become a good writer. Take your natural
curiosity to the next level and become an avid observer.

When you're driving, look at the car next to you on the road. Pick up a can of
beans in the grocery store. Check out your shampoo while in the shower. Notice
the colors and smells. What qualities does it have that set it apart? What would
make someone want to buy what you're looking at? You're surrounded with
opportunity to sharpen your writing skills. It's easy.


Here's how --
 Describe appearance of product
 Identify Features (look for complementary and contrasting qualities)
 Single Out Main Benefit
 Create your Benefit Statement or Summary
Let your imagination go. This is only an exercise. If it were a real product, of
course you'd do your research. But our goal isn't to actually sell this copy to a
client. It's designed to open up and free your mind.

THE RULES:
1. You don't have to write down your observations. Just practice doing them.
You'll be amazed at how quickly your writing improves.
2. Limit yourself to five minutes on each "product."
3. Brainstorm. Do NOT edit yourself until you're done.
4. Stop on time.

Here's a case in point. Today, I took Shadow, my border collie/chow mix, on a
hike through the mountains. (I should say, he took me. If you've ever walked a
trotting pony on a leash, you have an idea what it's like to walk Shadow.) So,
while being drug behind my dog, I noticed pretty yellow weeds lining the path. I
picked those to represent my "product" and played my copywriting game.
 DESCRIBE APPEARANCE: butter -colored spray of petals, braided green
stem, burst of color, gently moving with the breeze.
 IDENTIFY FEATURES: soothing, calming, appealing color contrast to
trees, heaviest around the path as though guiding hikers
 SINGLE OUT MAIN BENEFIT: Rejuvenating
 BENEFIT STATEMENT: "After hiking with these soothing butter-colored
wildflowers lining the trail, you'll return rejuvenated and ready to face the
day."
Maybe not award-winning copy, but with practice I'm sure I'll do better on our
next walk.

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How to Set Up a 7 Day E-Course

An e-course is a sequence of emails set up to be delivered automatically without
any effort on your part after the initial set up. Just set it and forget it. Setting up
a free e-course is a great way to keep your services on top of mind and educate
people about what you can do for them.
I highly suggest you subscribe to other people's e-courses in your field and study
what information they offer too. Psst! To make this e-course work, you'll need a
sequential autoresponder service. I use Click Start Cart. (It's an entire shopping
cart system, but I actually signed up with them initially because of the sequential
autoresponders. They have a free 30 day trial).

HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED

STEP ONE: Outline your topics. First you have to figure out what you think
people would want to know about. Do a brainstorm exercise where you limit
yourself to 5 minutes (use a timer). Write down all the topics you can think of on
your area of expertise. Then edit down what you think is most relevant. For
example, here's the basic outline of my free e-course on copywriting.
 Day 1: Overview of copywriting
 Day 2: Tips on attracting your target market
 Day 3: Features/benefits brainstorm exercise
 Day 4: Single most important aspect of writing copy -- headlines
 Day 5: Keep them reading with the inverted pyramid
 Day 6: Copywriting tricks the pros use
 Day 7: The Cardinal Rule of Copywriting: Expect to Rewrite

STEP TWO: Go deeper in each subject. Really provide some content here.
Make 2-3 points about each topic. Don't be afraid to do some hardcore research.
Find statistics and trends and use them. Two of my favorite resources for current
info are Answers.Google.com/Answers and CEOExpress.com. Your message
doesn't have to be long, just information-packed. You have the attention of
people who "asked" to learn from you. So give them something valuable.


STEP THREE: Tease them till next time. After you've educated them, let them
know that the next lesson will have something even more mouthwatering. The
less specific you are, the more tantalizing the copy. Here are some teaser phrases
I used in my e-course. Feel free to swipe versions of them for your own use:
 Hang on till tomorrow and I'll give you some tips to turn the heads of your
target market.
 In Day 3, you'll learn the secret method I use to getting copy to sell.
 Tomorrow you'll learn the SINGLE most important aspect of copywriting.
 Next I'll show you how to keep them reading once you've snared them with
your headline.

STEP FOUR: Sign off. End your email like a real letter with a closing like
"sincerely", your name, business and some ways to get a hold of you. Add your
website and any tagline you use too.

STEP FIVE: P.S. Alert them to your other products or services. You have
something to sell, right? But the purpose of your e-course is to educate and
develop a relationship, isn't it? Don't worry. You can do both. As long as you're
giving good content, people often like to know if you have something else to buy
they would be interested in. For a gentle call to action, I recommend putting a
product link with very little text in the P.S. (Studies show that people read the
headline first THEN the PS. Weird, huh? But it's true.)
So to recap. Follow up is one of the biggest problems in doing business.
Autoresponders do it effortlessly.
THE CHALLENGE Write your 7 day e-course and have it ready to go in 7 days.
For sequential autoresponders, again, I recommend Click Start Cart. Writing a
free e-course is a great way to get business. And you'll use it for years with only
minor tweaks. It gives people a reason to go to your page. Best of all, they get to
test drive your material at no risk. Autoresponders save you time and make you
look professional. I can't wait to read YOUR free e-course!

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5 Critical Mistakes Most Freelance Copywriters Make

Think you have what it takes to be a freelance copywriter? I wasn't so sure I
knew when I first started in 1999. All I knew was I desperately wanted to work
from home to raise my two sons after my divorce. It took a lot of trial and error
to get to the stabile and profitable business I am running now in 2005. There are
some things I learned along the way I wish I knew much earlier in the game.

One thing I learned is thatwriting is a very small part of being a successful
freelance copywriter. Don't get me wrong. You DO need to know how to write.
But your success depends largely on your savvy as a business person. How do I
know? Because I've played it from both sides of the street. And I didn't begin to
enjoy success until I started doing some very distinct things in my business.
Please let me share with you some of the mistakes I made starting out so you can
avoid those pitfalls yourself...and catapult to success much faster than it took
me.

Mistake #1: Don't attract new clients.
When I first started out in 1999 I had exactly one client. He kept me very
busy...for awhile. Then, without warning, he suddenly shifted his business to
100% offline and began using a copywriter with more experience in that area. I
floundered for 10 months before I got back on my feet again from that blow.
Solution: NEVER stop marketing yourself. Even if you have a full practice, don't
stop getting the word out. Write articles and press releases. Do interviews
whenever possible. Start an ezine and/or a blog so your name is always out
there. Don't get caught flat-footed.

Mistake #2: Don't effectively manage your clients.
At first I was so grateful to have any clients I let them call all the shots -
regardless of what was in my best interest. It took me a long time to realize
every client is not a match for me. Sometimes they were unreasonable in
deadlines. Other times they would call me at all hours...including 6 a.m. and even
on the weekends. (Until I learned to communicate better there were even a few
clients I had to fire!) Bottom line is you can never have enough communication.


Solution: Have the client fill out a detailed questionnaire to open up lines of
communication. Get a feel for his or her expectations. Add an extra cushion to
your deadline. If possible, get a gatekeeper (assistant) to set up schedule so you
can focus on what you do best - writing.

Mistake #3: Poor time management.
Eager to please, I often did not give myself enough lead time for an assignment.
I'd say, "I'll do it!" before I looked at the reality of my schedule. So I'd have to
pull all nighters or miss important family events. I was incredibly stressed and not
a lot of fun to be around.
Solution: Schedule your daily schedule BEFORE you go to bed at night. Turn off
email until you've made some headway with your copy. And use a kitchen timer
to work in increments of 35 minutes (studies show after that frame your mind
craves distraction). When the ding goes off, get up, stretch and clear your head.

Mistake #4: Not getting paid enough as a copywriter.
Face it...copywriters do a lot more work than most people realize. We have to
deeply research the client's business, competition and target market. Then we
have to write excellent copy that crawls inside the head of the prospect and leads
them to a specific action. I didn't find out until late in the game there is more
than one way to structure a deal. I only recently figured out how to get paid on
the front end AND the back end for my work. (There is still a ton I need to learn
about this which is why I can't wait for the exclusive Dan Kennedy seminar on the
business of copywriting in October!)
Solution: Value yourself enough to get paid what you're worth. Have an iron-clad
contract that protects you.

Mistake #5: Don't invest in yourself.
I have read the classic "Think and Grow Rich" 14 times. Every time I read it, I
learn something new. I go to seminars (even when I've heard the speakers
before). Because I learn something new every time. I have a huge marketing
library of books, binders, home study courses, CDs, DVDs, MP3s and I listen to
them over and over. Again, every time I take in material, whether it's new or old,
I learn something new.
Successful people in all walks of life invest in themselves. It's one of the keys that
separates them from the less successful. (Trust me, at times it hurt to part with
the massive amounts of cash I've laid out for this education. But the payoff
happens every time. Just do it.)


Solution: If you're looking to attract more money into your business,
start by investing in yourself. Think LONG TERM. As the old adage says,
"If you're not growing, you're dying."

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The Raw Truth About Persuasion and Copywriting!

I get asked all the time, "Lorrie, how can I make my copy more persuasive?" Well
frankly it helps if you can speak your prospect's language. But writing
persuasively is more involved than just saying the right words. You need to say
them in the right order...and in a way that lowers resistance to new information
and is acceptable to his or her mind. One discipline that translates nicely to
writing persuasive copy is NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming.
NLP isn't a replacement for good copywriting. It's a turbo boost. Meeting a person
on his or her own level by using familiar words puts YOU in control of the
communication almost immediately.
Have you ever been moved to buy a pair of sexy shoes instead of the sensible,
comfy shoes you really needed? But when you got home you didn't know how you
got over the resistance of spending the money? See, people understand the
RESULT of making a purchasing decision, but are often unaware of the internal
recipe that gets them there. We all know we tend to buy based on emotion over
logic. In fact, most buying decisions are largely emotional.
WHO'S RIGHT ANYWAY?

We can all agree there are two sides to the brain, correct? The left (logical) and
the right (emotional). Interesting fact: information is first perceived by the
emotional right brain. Then within a fraction of a second, it shoots over to the
logical left. Then finally, once again, is reflected to the emotional right. In other
words, every message we get is influenced by the emotional right brain. Pretty
fascinating, huh?

Here is the basic principle of NLP as I understand it. There is no mental resistance
to an idea you perceive as your own. And whenever any of us engages our
imagination, we think we came up with the idea ourselves. So it must be great!!!
It aligns with our own beliefs so it's unconsciously accepted as being the truth
and you act as if it's true. So NLP always prefers to presuppose that changes can


be made quickly and automatically.
So let's cover some NLP principles and how to use it in the art of persuasive
writing.

PACING
Pacing is putting yourself in the prospect's shoes through languaging. Look at
David Ogilvy (one of the greatest advertising masters who ever lived) as an
example. His first headline for Rolls Royce didn't come from HIS mind, but that of
an engineer at the factory. Ogilvy was told, "You know David, the loudest noise
from this Rolls Royce comes from the clock on the dashboard at 60 miles an
hour." And David thought this man, this engineer must know something because
he's constantly in the flow about changes and revisions and everything happening
at the Rolls Royce factory. So David did his research and made a connection. I'm
not suggesting the engineer was deliberately using NLP on David, but it's an
illustration of how we as humans connect the dots and are able to write
persuasively as a result.

Though similar to empathy, pacing is a bit more complex. In pacing, you actually
encourage the prospect to use visualization or other accessing cues in a very
subtle and vague way. These are the same communication skills of matching,
mirroring and rapport that allow you to pace and lead someone to the sale.

NLP Master Ross Jeffries says, "People will not accept that you are an authority on
where they should go unless they accept you're an authority on where they are
at."

In other words, if you're reading a letter or listening to a podcast, it makes sense
for me as a writer to mirror that experience for you. Then you subtly relax:
 "As you're sitting there reading this letter..."
 "As you are sitting in front of your computer..."
 "While you are listening to this broadcast..."
Any of those phrases have you and the prospect share an experience, which
moves him or her toward the sale. Have you ever met someone and felt an
instant kinship with that person? Or on the other hand, met someone who you
just could never quite get on the same wave length?

What if you knew how to get on that person's "wave-length"? You would have a
totally different outcome - the outcome you wanted! That's the importance of


defining your target audience (or my own term, TAR-KET). You can communicate
with that one person because you have already defined him or her.

PRESUPPOSITION OF AWARENESS
This technique also ties to speaking directly to your own target market. (If people
don't have their target market nailed down, it doesn't matter how good their copy
is. It doesn't matter if you're trying to sell beef to a vegetarian. It's just not going
to work. So you really have to zone in on your target market.)

The way you do that is to understand your product. Figure out where they shop,
where they eat, what they look like. Are they a family or are they single? Do they
have dogs or not? Do they live in a rural area or the city? These keys make a
huge difference when you are trying to figure out who your target market is.

When I write my copy, I write to one person. I visualize everything about them so
it's very real to me when I start to write. I would suggest that you funnel down
your target market to your TARKET as much as possible. That's how you're able
to give them the illusion. You've given them information and the mind fills in the
blanks. The more specific the better is what I'm saying.

In this technique you direct the conscious mind of the reader by assuming
something is true. So you speak to him or her as if something has already
happened. Here are some examples:
 "As you become aware of..."
 "As you recognize ..."
 "I'm not sure just how excited you can get about this offer but..."

The proper use of language patterns in written words means you communicate by
tonal shifts, tempo shifts etc, following the patterns of a question, a statement, or
a command. We invite people to share our certainty about our product or service
by using an intonation of a command or a statement like "Do you agree?"

PRESUPPOSITION OF TIME
This concept piggybacks onto the previous one. You build on the prospect's
experience of awareness by adding in the element of time. Examples:
 "Before you order today..."
 "After you make your decision to order..."


 "While you are filling out your order form..."

Use language patterns to move yourself and others in a direction that results in a
win-win situation. The truth is that we are selling ourselves every day, all day
long. Doesn't it make a lot of sense to use communication skills like NLP to lead
someone where you want them to go? And the more that happens, the more
successful you will be with your copy.

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Sales Resistance on the Rise

Have you noticed it? More and more marketing campaigns are going over the top.
They're trying bolder, more in-your-face tactics. And consumers DON'T like it.
There's a growing resistance toward advertising. According to a recent
study byYankelovich Partners(a marketing company) 60% of consumers have a
much more negative opinion of marketing and advertising than they did a few
years ago. 65% already feel overwhelmed with too many marketing messages.
And 61% feel the volume is out of control.

Beat consumer negativity and resistance by precisely targeting the "tar-ket" of
your audience. (Remember a "tarket" is the single person you write your copy to
rather than the mob of your entire "target market". "Target" plus "market" equals
"tarket").

When you tap into the psyche of your tarket, you understand better how
to approach your marketing.

So pull those boxes out of storage. Grab that big chunky 'swipe' file. Collect up
your competitor's promotions. Query your past customers. Get it all together. I
mean EVERYTHING. Your business history, promotions, flyers and articles. Where
did you file that business plan that you created when you first started? How has
the message evolved since you wrote it? What is the lifestyle focus of your tarket?
Surround yourself with thorough research materials.

The most powerful copy is focused with a clear idea first of the person
who is already looking for your product or service. Without doing your


research, your message meets resistance every time. Doing your due diligence is
cheap insurance against consumer resistance. Know what your tarket wants. Not
what YOU THINK he or she wants.

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Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to
Great Copywriting

Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or
recruits) get a daily drill designed to reinforce the training I give on weekly phone
calls. The drills are illuminating and fun. Plus these drills build your copy from the
ground up. By the end of Bootcamp, you actually have a sales letter that would
have cost you anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 to have written professionally.
So how do you get going? Grab a kitchen timer or stopwatch, a piece of paper
and a pen. Your bite-sized drill today is to separate out the features from the
benefits. So let's do an exercise.
Before you write a single word of copy you must define your product or
service using features and benefits if you want to really connect with your
reader. (When I'm trying to get my features and benefits to poke their heads out,
I like to write by hand. I think there's a connection between the brain and
handwriting.)
So we're on the same page, here are the definitions of each.
 A feature is the adjective of the product. It describes what the product
is.
 And the benefit is the emotional component of what the person gets
out of the product.
Now schedule 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to play and let's go!
1. Set your timer for 10 minutes. So take a sheet of paper and fold it in half
vertically. In the left hand column write the word "Features". And on the
right, the word "Benefits".
2. Start brainstorming about what features you offer to clients. Then for every
feature find a corresponding benefit. Benefits are what sell. Remember we
all want to know, "What's in it for me?" That's just the way we're wired.
"How is your product or service going to benefit me?" While the timer is
doing its thing, let the ideas flow freely. Don't judge your answers or edit
yourself. Stop on schedule. (You'll edit later).


3. Reset the timer for the last five minutes. Review your list. Circle the
ultimate benefit - this is the benefit your copy and headlines should focus
on.
4. Put the other benefits in order of importance. These will become your
bullets and subheads.

It's no secret. The amount of money you make with marketing comes down to
how well you craft your words. It's the most valuable skill you can learn for
making money online. But not everyone wants to be a copywriter. So I wanted to
create a program that makes writing fun and effortless for entrepreneurs and
copywriters alike. I’ll be sharing the copywriting secrets that I’ve learned from a
lifetime in the trenches at the AWAI Fast Track to Success Copywriting Bootcamp
& Jobfair this year. Be sure to attend.

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The Secret to Drilling Down Deep in Your Target
Market

Here's another drill ripped out of the Field Guide for my Red Hot Copywriting
Bootcamp. There are 20 drills total which take 15 minutes per day (my "recruits"
get weekends off). Each drill stands on its own but put them all together and the
impact on your salesmanship is phenomenal! So here is another one for you...

Copywriting is a team sport. There is you (the writer) and the reader. But the
reader has all the power. She gets to decide when the game's over. As soon as
the reader is gone, no one is there to read the copy! So anticipate what's going to
keep her interested and intrigued ahead of time. Here's how it's done.

Pick a primary target market. (Yes you can have more than one, but the more
specific you make your target market, the easier it will be to sell to them. So let's
go with ONE.) Now let's narrow it even further. I coined a term called "tarket"
which is a combination of Target + Market = Tarket.

See, "tarket" is a singular way to look at writing to one person rather than a mob.
Get this one concept down and your copy will bond effortlessly with the reader.
Because it's just you and her in the room. (Oops - I let out another of my secrets.
We're limited in the English language when it comes to identifying rather than
"he" I suggest if you use the pronoun "she" instead. Your copy will go through a
subtle filter that you may find is more palatable to more of your audience than
you imagined. Of course, it depends on who your target market or "tarket" is.)

Here's a million dollar tip for your copy. In general, even educated people
don't mind reading simple words. Simple means clear. If you use high falutin
language, you risk pulling the reader out of the reading experience...maybe fast
enough to click away forever. But there's a fine line between talking down to your
market. Don't go there. For the most part, Americans read between the 11th and
12th grade levels. Did you know that best-selling books are written for the 8th to
10th grade level? "Reader's Digest" aims for the 10th grade level, while "Time"
and "The Wall Street Journal" reach for the 11th. So Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!


Prepare a Fact Sheet for your target market. Write down all the facts and
demographic information you know about them. Here are a few categories to get
you started;
 Age
 Gender
 Education
 Family status
 Socioeconomic status
 Profession/occupation
 Hobbies
 Geographic location
 Media they consume (including Web sites, blogs, magazines, television
shows)
Next find a picture of your newly born "tarket". Make him or her as real as
possible. I have a picture of my tarket I got from clip art. (In fact, he or she can
BE real. If you would like to focus on a client or friend that fits the bill, that's fine
too. Just do the brain work.)

Finally give your tarket a name. That helps solidify EXACTLY who it is youre
speaking to in your writing.
Putting yourself in the shoes of your client is the best thing you can ever do.
When you start thinking and anticipating what's going on in their minds, that's
when your copy's going to start connecting. And that's what we do as copywriters
and business folks.

So where do you grab this Field Guide for more copywriting exercises? Sorry.
Only recruits of my Bootcamp can get it for now. So sign up today for the next
session. It will be one of the best business decisions you've ever made.www.red-
hot-copy.com/rhcbootcamp.htm

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12 Lessons I Picked Up from Attending Seminars

So you just dropped a tidy sum to attend a seminar or some other three-day
event. Now it's over and you're exhausted. Your client work is backed up. You
have a fistful of business cards to connect with. And your family would like some
face time. Time to get back into the swing of life, right? Wrong.
I go to A LOT of seminars. Rubbing shoulders with my colleagues, talking over
dinner and debating our hottest industry issues at a live event is honestly one of
my secret weapons to success.

Here's a checklist of 12 lessons from any seminar you can apply to future
events to maximize your momentum:
1. Collect business cards- Just remember these are not "business cards".
They are "people". Each card you collect is attached with an obligation to
listen to that person and follow up.

2. Write a note to niggle your noggin- Take a second right then and there
to write something on the back of their business card that will remind you
of your conversation. Don't trust yourself to remember. These events can be
draining. Just make a note.

3. Categorize each business card- Take 4 rubber bands and put each card
into one of these categories: a) potential client, b) joint venture, c) general
and d) stalker/creepy person (hopefully this is a small pile). Piles "a" & "b"
should be a priority for you to follow up with when you get home. Pile "c"
can take a few days but don't forget them. And pile "d" you can destroy
privately.

4. Keep a portable notebook or recorder with you- You're going to get
some brilliant ideas. Save them for posterity immediately. Also make sure
you make a note of any follow up action you promise. Personally, I keep a
spiral bound index card booklet with me. The paper is firm enough it doesn't
rip. Then I can detach them at home and sort out my thoughts. Some


people actually keep a small digital recorder around their necks. Great idea!

5. Take lots of pictures and upload online- I have the tiniest little Casio
Exilim camera that's no bigger than a credit card! And I take a ton of
pictures. People LOVE seeing them later. Be sure to get their name,
business and website (A lot of folks have more than one website. Ask first).

6. Show genuine curiosity- You never know when you are a good fit for
someone's business. Or if you might form a new friendship. Ask about
them. Then shut your mouth and really listen. (It's good practice).

7. Do something unexpected- This isn't just some karmic ideal. It's a very
real business (and life) principle. A great example of that was what my
husband, John did for Marlon Sanders. In a nutshell, John was just being
John -- paying attention to his surroundings and responsive to people. He
had no idea who Marlon "was". Well he helped get Marlon out of a bind
before his presentation without any expectation. Marlon not only mentioned
my business from the stage in front of over 400 people, but he dedicated an
entire ezine to lionizing John, including a link to my site. (Thanks to Marlon,
John now has god-like status in our house).

8. Get away from the same old crowd- It's tempting to hang with the
people you know. Especially when you don't see your online friends that
often. That's fine. Just make sure you take some spins around the hallway
and forge some new friendships, too.

9. Take mini breaks- You're getting bombarded with a lot of information and
a lot of different energies. It's easy to get depleted. Mini breaks will keep
you going. But don't miss an entire presentation if you can help it. You will
undoubtedly miss the biggest aha moment of the seminar.

10. Do NOT make deals or promises- The excitement makes this a
hotspot of deal-making, but don't. Not yet. Talk about it. Brainstorm. Come
up with different scenarios. But don't talk money or legal issues until you're
back in a sane, stable environment -- like home.

11. DO buy extended packages from the speakers- I didn't "get" this
when I first started going to seminars. First of all, you will never remember
everything you heard from a speaker. Total immersion is the only way to


really get those lessons to soak in. Secondly, you always get a much better
deal onsite! If you're moved by a speaker, then let that person teach you
his or her expertise. Seminars are the best places to find and connect with
your mentor. (Now that I think about it, every mentor I've had I met in
person at a seminar first. Hmmm. I don't know if that's so for everyone, but
I believe in the power of taking a piece of a dynamic, successful speaker
home with you.)

12. Plan to take 1-2 days off work for follow up-Here is where 90%
of the people miss the boat. You have all those business cards and
connections. Remember the categories and the notes we made? Now it's
going to be easy for you to follow up. Send out a short, friendly email to
categories, "a", "b" and "c". (I try to add a personal touch to each one, but
you don't have to. It's time well spent, though. Taking that extra minute
really separates you from the masses.) However, if you send out a group
blast, be sure to use the BCC (blind carbon copy) so you don't expose
everyone's emails - that is a huge pet peeve of mine. This is a nice time to
have those photos uploaded.

Warning: Do NOT sign them up automatically for anything, even f~ree stuff like
an ezine or e-course. It's okay to include a link to your site in your signature line
or the P.S., but don't assume they want your materials unless they opt in. A
phone call or a postcard will make you stand out even more.
Like I said, seminars have become my business bread and butter. They can work
for you too. Will I see you at the next event?
International copywriting trainer, author and speaker, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has
been a freelance writer and journalist for over 25 years. Her words have made
her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now she focuses her vast experience
on teaching others the skill of copywriting. Lorrie is the author of a highly
acclaimed copywriting course, creator of The She Factor Marketing Program, a
unique membership resource site designed to support copywriters and
entrepreneurs on all levels.

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7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!

Copywriting Checklist
Okay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it's time
to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter. But where do you
begin? Whether you hire someone to write your copy, pass it off to a staff
member or learn to write it yourself, you need this checklist.

The Critical Steps to Take Before Writing Your Sales Letter
One of the biggest misconceptions new clients have when they come to me is I
can whip out a sales letter in a few days. Wrong, wrong and wrong. A lot of
preparation goes into writing copy. I spend on average 50% - 70% of my time
PREPARING to write copy. If you don't do your homework, the chances go up
exponentially that your copy will fall flat on its face. Use this simple checklist to
get you prepared for writing your own sales copy.

 Use the product or service yourself. I wouldn't dream of writing copy
about something I had never experienced. (If it's your product, you may
want to let someone else test it, then interview her about her experience.)
It's one of the fastest ways to get a complete understanding of its strengths
and weaknesses.

 Research your target market thoroughly. If you know anything about
the way I help others write their own copy, you know about the "tarket"
concept. Basically it goes like this. Segment your market down by age,
income, marital status, etc. Then write out a detailed description of ONE
PERSON in your target market - your "tarket".
When you write, speak only to that person.


 Spy on the competitors. Make yourself a customer to your competition.
Then study how they handle marketing and customer service from A to Z.
Sign up for their ezines, study their websites, collect their direct marketing
campaigns. Learn to think like they do.
Soon the differences between your company and theirs begin to reveal
themselves. Your unique selling position pops its head out!

 Anticipate objections by writing out the FAQs ahead of time. Put
yourself in your customer's shoes and think like she does. What questions
come up for her that would stop her from buying? Expect those frequently
asked questions to come up and address them in your copy.

 Identify the features and benefits. We already know people buy more
on emotion than logic. So have a list of what your product or service does
(features) and how each feature makes your customer's life better
(benefits). The more you can stimulate an emotional response in your client
with benefits, the deeper the connection goes.

 Collect compelling stories from the client. Nothing pulls us in
psychologically more than a good story. Humans are a storytelling society.
It's in our genes. So give them what they want. Get the reader entranced
by your copy with a hard hitting short story. Then connect it back to what
you're selling.

 Gather testimonials from happy customers. How often do you read a
testimonial about how badly this product stunk? Not very often.
Testimonials are designed to increase credibility. To put a face on people
who have had success with your product. How it made them richer, happier,
thinner. Let them speak for you. Your trust quotient goes way up!

If you follow each of these steps thoroughly BEFORE you sit down in front of a
blank screen, you have all the elements you need for a successful sales letter. I
know. I know. Putting the pieces to the puzzle together can be easier said than
done. But no matter what your skill level is at today for writing copy, we all start
from these same basic steps.

Check out "Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six Figure Copywriting"
through AWAI-American Writers and Artists Institute. I personally took this course
by Michael Masterson and I definitely recommend it.


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What the BLOG?

Blogs Are the NEW Secret Weapon for Reaching Your Tarket. Just like you, I hate
being marketed to. Every day we're bombarded with over 3,500 marketing
messages. And frankly I'm sick of it! But blogs are different. Blogs are a two-way
conversation between blogger and bloggee (plus all the readers in between).
Through commenting and cross-linking, you can share feedback. You can build
your network. You can become, dare I say it, an Internet celebrity!
See blogs add humanity and instantaneous expression to the web. Like ezines,
blogs are a way for your customer to get to know you.
However, unlike ezines, blogs help you with search engine rankings. Did you hear
me? I said, unlike ezines, blogs help you with search engine rankings. That's a big
one.
Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Week, even the FCC (Federal Trade
Commission) all believe blogs are here to stay. Recently Michael Powell, chairman
of the FCC, started one. His initial post drew over 30,000 readers. A Microsoft
spokesperson says Bill Gates is considering starting a blog. And filmmaker
Michael Moore built a blog to promote his controversial new movie, Fahrenheit
9/11.
But who has time to read a blog anyway? Exactly! The job of a blog is to cut
through the information overload and deliver searchable, relevant and current
content. BlogAds website recently conducted a survey of over 17,000 blog
readers.
Here's what they report:
 Blog readers are older and more affluent. 61% of blog readers are over
30, and 75% make more than $45,000 a year.
 Blog readers are more cyber-active. 54% of their news consumption is
online. 21% are themselves bloggers and 46% describe themselves as
opinion makers.
 Blog readers are media-mavens. 21% subscribe to the New Yorker
magazine, 15% to the Economist, 15% toNewsweekand 14% to theAtlantic
Monthly.
 Whether on the left or right, blog readers have traits in common that often
are absent in today's public spaces: passion and initiative.


 Blog readers have apathy towards traditional news sources. 82% say
that television is worthless. 55% percent say the same about print
newspapers. 54% say the same about print magazines.
 Meanwhile, 86% say that blogs are either useful or extremely
useful as sources of news or opinion. 80% say they read blogs for news
they can't find elsewhere. 78% read because the perspective is better. 66%
value the faster news. 61% say that blogs are more honest.
 Blog readers appear united in their dissatisfaction with conventional media
and their rabid love of blogs.
Don't you want to be a blogger too? How about looking at some samples of the
good, the bad and the bizarre?
Model citizen blogs: John Reese's blog. Hey, the guy just made $1,080,496.37
online in a single day. Here's a good rule of thumb. If Reese is doing it, you
should be too.
Copywriter Paul Myers keeps us up-to-date on SPAM and other Internet
marketing nightmares.
Michael Port's weekly calls to inspire those who aspire now have an online
connecting point. Designed by Andy Wibbels.
My Blog:http://www.red-hot-copy.com/blog.htm- my blog today.
Bizarro Blog: Jeff Bridges' site is considered a "blog." It's hand-written! (Yes,
really).http://www.jeffbridges.com
I've been dipping my toe into the blogging pool since earlier this year. Now I've
decided it's time to really learn how to do this stuff with an expert who will take
me by the hand through the scary forest of the blog-world. I'm going back to
school! Through another client, I met blogging guru, Andy Wibbels. Sure, he has
a funny name, but he is adorable! And his writing style has me rolling on the
floor. Well Andy is a self-professed geek. And Andy knows blogs. He says it's easy
and I trust him.

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Deciding What Voice to Use in Copy

You have to choose a character or an angle that you, the copywriter plays. Copy
is interactive. There's a copywriter and a copy reader. As soon as one is gone, the
relationship is over (at least for the time being). Readers don't have to stick
around. There's no locked door. And they won't...if you don't keep them
interested. So you need to write as if you are talking to that person directly.
How do you do this? Nine times out of 10, you need to use the present tense. The
word "you" is like using the reader's name in a sentence. It perks up their
interest.
But there are times you'll need a more institutional and formal tone. Decide that
before you start writing. What will resonate most with the reader?
 Who are you to the reader?
 One of them
 One of them who discovered something the hard way
 One of them but far superior (the guru model)
 A peer
 A buddy
 An authority figure
Or are you a "gimmick" like the pet dog talking to the reader about his fleas or
something like that?
You have to decide what will best resonate with your prospect. Selling is
the transference of feelings. The prospect needs to feel that:
 He or she has been exactly where you are
 Shared feelings and experiences (for example, if you asked where were you
when JFK died would you think of senior or junior? This goes back to doing
your homework before you ever sat down to write)
 He feels my pain
 She speaks my language (If you're using jargon, you really need to get it
right. One misstep and you've lost the trust. So be careful using jargon and
insider language. For example you call something "sick" if you're a surfer
and that's a very good thing. But if you used that lingo with a nurse, you'd
get a very different reaction.)
 I wish I could meet him or her personally
 I feel so close, I want to share my story with him or her just like he did for
me
It's how people feel not what they think or know that controls their buying
behavior. It's not a logical process. So if you can present your benefits in terms of
feelings like how the buyer will feel as a result of having your product and what
negative feelings will go away. This is why we highlight problem, agitate, solve.


We want them to recognize a problem that needs fixing and show them we are
the solution. So what voice you choose, and how to communicate makes a
monumental difference in whether or not your copy is effective.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Copy

1. Isolation technique
It doesn't matter how good your copy is if they don't read it. Put blinders on and
read each line (including the headlines and subheads) as if they exist in total
isolation. Ask yourself if it makes sense on its own. For example, I was looking
through Esquire Magazine and saw an article on a celebrity. The headline was
"That Voice." Does that headline compel you to read on? It didn't do it for me. A
mistake many copywriters make is to write too cleverly, insisting that "if you only
read the rest of the copy, you will understand my masterful headline." Uh -
wrong. Make it clear enough to stand on its own.

2. Hire child labor
It's okay if little Johnny isn't old enough to vote. If he's old enough to read, he
has the potential to work under you as a mini entrepreneur. Here's what you do.
Find a child between 8 and 12 years old (much younger or older and this trick
won't work). Have him or her read your copy out loud. Every time little Mary
stumbles or doesn't know a word, pay her a buck. If the prospect has to think
about what a word means, you risk taking him or her out of the "reader's trance"
and losing the prospect forever. Use short words and sentences and you'll save a
lot of money with this test.

3. Show it happening NOW
Use active voice rather than passive. In other words, make your subject do things
rather than have things done to him or her. The copy reads more dynamically that
way.
Example of passive:
"Over 500 qualified prospects were sent an invitation to the meeting."
Example of active:
"We sent out over 500 invitations to qualified prospects."


4.Get headlines and subheads to work harder
Sometimes you only need to change a word or two to vastly increase your
conversion rate (the number of online visitors who convert to buyers).
I've seldom seen one that couldn't be tweaked for more impact.
Example,
"Put music in your life"
Versus
"Puts music in your life"
Simply adding the "s" increased conversion over 400%. Do the isolation technique
on those heads and subheads. Then ask yourself after each one, "So what?" If it
makes you want to read further, good. You're on the right track.

5.Add lists
Some of the most highly read parts of any copy are the bullets or numbered lists.
They are bite-sized and easy to understand with one quick glance. (Whether
online or offline). So make it easier on your prospect by spoon feeding him or her
Here's a tip. Be put your strongest bullet first and last. When a prospect scans,
those are the two most thoroughly read positions. the information. Hey, you're
reading one now!


COPYWRITING SECRETS OF THE MASTERS - Lorrie Morgan Ferrero

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COPYWRITING SECRETS OF THE MASTERS - Lorrie Morgan Ferrero