This article is more along the lines of a rant, and should be skipped by the faint-hearted reader. Having given the proper disclaimer, lets get right to the point of making fun of some really bad promotional copy.
A lot of people dont seem to appreciate the difference between a classified ad and a solo ad delivered via email. Heres a nice piece of work I found in my inbox yesterday:
Cialis Soft Tabs: perfect feeling of being men again.
Starts working within just 15 minutes.
This is not miracle. This is just Soft Tabs
Never mind the product Im being spammed about, lets just focus on the copy structure. Its about what I would expect from a junior high student who is advertising this months fund raiser. A great way to tell your prospects that you are a complete amateur is to begin your ad body with the name of your product and a colon. Should your reader somehow maintain faith and continue past this point, a few choppy phrases and some lousy grammar should effectively eliminate the sale for you. Yep, the above ad is a wonderful example of how to avoid cultivating interest in your target.
Heres another shining example of how to embarrass yourself and seriously damage any shot at future credibility.
hello evey one I have found a program that might intrest you.
Are you making any money online yet!
Here is a global system that dose 95% of your work for you .
There is no other system like it and you can view it for free Today. Networkers are going crazy over this system!
Easy there slick. Might want to take just a couple of seconds to make sure you have your spelling and sentence structure in order. Ever hear of a paragraph
The program being advertised above must be really special, because the affiliate got so excited he/she forgot to communicate like a full grown adult. I guess all the profit this killer sales copy is generating has them giddy.
Im not making a judgement about anyones intelligence here. I can tell you with confidence that Im not the brightest bulb in any batch. :o) I just want to express the importance of taking your time and actually composing a message.
Keep in mind the ads Im showing you were in my mailbox. Had they turned up while I was browsing a links page or text ad board, I would have found their format (minus the poor grammar) acceptable.
People dont want to see cookie cutter ads in their inbox. The act of placing such adverts stands tall and shouts I am an immense cheese ball without tact or shame.
Lets look at yet another winner. The following is a very typical illustration of how to blow the best thing since sliced bread angle.
$5 Infinity PAYLINE! Be FIRST! Just Launchd
People are singing up every minute!!
Not even sure what this person was promoting. I mean really, if this is the best message they could devise for grabbing my attention and rousing my curiosity, Ill just move on. I see dozens of these ads on a daily basis, and frankly, they all tend to run together. A little originality is in order for those who plan to sweep their readers away in a current of hype and urgency.
Again, the above ad may have worked well on a classified site, had the marketer at least checked their spelling. But it does nothing more than agitate the reader who finds it among their daily emails.
If someone expects me to spend money, request more information, or even visit their website, they are well advised to send me a valid piece of communication. A real message, complete with interesting dialogue and an identifiable point, is needed when communicating via email.
Consider this analogy. Lets say you are browsing the local newspaper, and you see the following advert:
Closeout Deals!
Massive liquidation event this Friday!
Merchandise discounted up to 50%
All stock must be sold!
While this example is certainly not dramatic or revolutionary, it may cause you to stop for a second to see which local retailer is having the sale. Its pretty much the kind of ad your are expecting to see when you read the paper.
On the other hand, imagine finding the same ad among your daily postage. Would you be prone to look into the Massive liquidation event, or would you discard the flyer while muttering something about junk mail
Well, Im pretty much out of breath for now. Thanks a lot for letting me get that off my chest. Sometimes a good tantrum clears the mind. ;-)
Tim Whiston has enjoyed network marketing on the world wide web since April of 2003. He publishes a monthly ezine, and is the author of a hard hitting that exposes the truth behind all the hype in this industry.
I subscribe to quite a few different email lists. I receive newlsetters, links to ezine sites, special sales bulletins, articles on self improvement, and even regular updates on the progress of my favorite science fiction pictures. Im a big fan of information, and thanks to electronic mail, I can receive loads of it on a daily basis.
Its great to open my inbox and find an insightful article that helps me put a current dilemma into balanced perspective. Its also pretty nice to find that software Ive had my eye on being sold at half price to members of the companys mailing list. A well managed mailing list is a valuable service that Im happy to take advantage of.
On the other hand, Im less than thrilled when I find a message about viagra from someone who told me their newsletter was going to include some great business tips. Im also not entirely pleased to receive daily updates on the latest pre-launch hogwash from that guy who offered me the email marketing course. And why, someone tell me, do so many people insist on sending me the same articles by Corey Rudl or Yanik Silver A poorly managed mailing list is a sad thing that puts me somewhere between irritation and sympathy.
I mean, someone obviously got my attention, and even convinced me to fill out a form to receive more information. They got off to a great start, and who knows where things could have gone.
If they had offered some legitimate communication instead of a bunch of garbage, I may not have unsubscribed from their list. In fact, if they had given me some quality info and worked to build a relationship with me, I may well have become their next loyal customer.
Your opt-in mailing list is arguably the most important asset you have as a network marketer. It is imperative that you manage this list in a professional, intelligent manner if you plan to build a successful operation.
Here a few things to keep in mind when working your opt-in leads.
1. Give them what you offered. If you promote a newsletter that focuses on retail skiing equipment, you are likely to agitate your readers by sending them adverts about big savings on fly fishing gear.
2. Be clear about your mailing intervals up front, and make a good effort to maintain this schedule. While additional mailings are sometimes appropriate, sending out special notices too often is going to devalue your credibility.
3. Always offer your prospects the option of contacting you directly. Let them know on a regular basis that youd like to hear from them, and give them your personal email or phone number to open up the lines of communication. People will respond much better to someone who is accessible.
4. Keep your pitches realistic and grounded. An honest recommendation about a product you have used and benefited from is much better than the hyped up best thing since sliced bread copy you find in your affiliate programs member area.
5. Be yourself! To build a proper relationship, you must be honest about who you are and what you want. Dont worry about trying to impress your readers with rehashed guru speak.
Email marketing is a great way to build your business. If you apply sound judgement to the management of your opt-in list, you will be rewarded with new relationships and return customers.
Tim Whiston has enjoyed network marketing on the world wide web since April of 2003. He publishes a monthly ezine, and is the author of a hard hitting that exposes the truth behind all the hype in this industry.