January 24, 2005
Eight Ways To Write Headlines That DEMAND Attention!
Do you know why some sites bring in buckets of cash while other sites don't make a dime?
One BIG reason could be the headline.
When selling things on the Internet you have about three seconds to make your point or lose your visitor.
Click ... BANG ... they're gone forever!
If *your* headlines are under-performing then it IS costing you sales. No doubt about it.
You need a great headline. You want a great headline. You'd love to have a great headline.
But how do you create a GREAT headline if you're not a professional copywriter?
Glad you asked. ;)
Here are eight tips that will empower YOU to write a great headline today.
1. Review the sites of about 15 top marketers before you begin to write. Never take their copy (that would be stealing) but *do* draw inspiration from their headlines before you begin. It's amazing how simple yet powerful this technique is when you need a powerful headline.
2. Make your headline short. Five to seven words works very well. You can be more expansive in the sub-head, once you have your visitors' attention.
3. Use a question as your headline. The point of your headline is to get people to stop long enough to consider your site. Asking a question is a great way to do this, if you ask the right question.
HINT: The right question is always one that can be answered by your product.
4. Use an exclamation point or question mark in your headline. It is important to convey excitement in the headline.
5. Be clear. Tell the reader exactly how your product will help them.
6. Use a "number of steps" formula. If your product will solve a problem in a certain number of steps, say so. People love simple solutions to their problems.
7. Use a "number of ways" formula. Use this instead of a number of steps.
8. Use an "in under" formula. When time or money is involved, using an "in under" or "for less than" approach works well. One example is "How to succeed online for under $100!"
Here are four sites that convert at least 15 of every 100 visitors to sales (some convert 25%!) which is pretty good. I'm using my sites because I can know how well they perform and want you to have a real world example.
Look at the headlines on these sites and you will see that I used the exact formula you read above.
It works!
http://www.directoryofezines.com/finetune/
http://www.directoryofezines.com/affreport/
http://www.directoryofezines.com/killerads/
http://www.directoryofezines.com/followup/
http://www.directoryofezines.com/commonsense/
Using these eight steps you can create powerful headlines for your website, your emails, your blog, or anywhere else you might need to get people to stop and pay attention.
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Through his Special Reports and membership sites, Charlie Page helps people succeed online. Visit
Charlie today at http://www.charliepage.com
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The article above was excerpted from the special report How To Fine Tune Your Web Copy For Maximum Results.
Better copy = more sales. Learn how to supercharge the words on YOUR website today at
http://www.directoryofezines.com/finetune/
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Posted by Charlie at 04:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 15, 2005
The Right Moment Is Now!
He was possibly the most sincere person I've met in many years. Voice filled with emotion, he asked a simple question. "Why am I not doing better in my online business?"
"I really *need* to succeed."
A great question. One I've heard (and asked myself) many times.
After a considerable time of soul-searching, I've come up with the answer for myself, and my friend, and maybe you.
The answer?
He was possibly the most sincere person I've met in many years. Voice filled with emotion, he asked a simple question. "Why am I not doing better in my online business?"
"I really *need* to succeed."
A great question. One I've heard (and asked myself) many times.
After a considerable time of soul-searching, I've come up with the answer for myself, and my friend, and maybe you.
The answer?
Waiting until things are JUST RIGHT before making a move.
Oh, the excuses I give myself.
* I need more information.
* I'll wait until it goes on sale.
* I'm just not sure.
* If only they had a trial version.
* I don't have the time to learn how to use it.
* This free version will do just as well.
* No one really succeeds with that stuff.
* I just want the site to look a little better.
On and on it goes.
But no more.
Actually, a quote by Ghandi helped me get off my duff and into the game.
Ghandi said "The difference between what we do and what we are CAPABLE of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems." (Emphasis mine)
So, in the spirit of "do it now" here are five things you can do today, and can do *quickly* to make your business better.
1. Improve Your Follow Up
Quickly write down on a piece of paper the top 5 reasons why someone should by your product. In the coming week, write one message of 300 words about each of the 5 reasons. Then load them in an autoresponder and offer them to the people who visit your site.
2. Do Something About SEO
Search engine optimization is so complicated that it makes my head hurt just to type the words. But there is something you can do *tonight* that will help your business.
NOTE: This will *not* always be free. Do it now.
3. Start A Pay Per Click Campaign
Go to Google and set up and Ad Words account. Then bid on the ONE keyword that best describes your site. Getting started is the key.
4. Place Some Ezine Advertising
You can place classified ads for as little as a buck. Some solo ads sell for under $50.
Looking in the Directory of Ezines I found 400 + ezines that sell solos.
Here's one with 64,180 subscribers that sells solos for $50 AND offers Directory of Ezines members another 10% off that!
http://www.christiantimesnewsletter.com
Don't let the name fool you - it's a business ezine.
5. Research What You Need To Know.
Why fiddle around with "free" eBooks that waste your time and are filled to the brim with affiliate links? The easy way is to isolate the area you want information in (say it was affiliate marketing) then go to Clickbank and find the top book in that area.
They buy the thing and *really* read it and commit to take action.
Without a doubt, taking action is the single most important skill online. YES ... you need knowledge and information, but you do NOT need to suffer from information overload.
Learn what you need to know, make a decision, the choose to act on that. Learn from failures and successes and soon time will become your strongest ally.
Posted by Charlie at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2004
Do these "Santa" deals appeal to you?
Some say this is an extraordinary opportunity to get bargains on products they need.
Some say it's just a ploy by marketers to build a mailing list by giving away products that are given away anyway.
What's your take?
Posted by Charlie at 05:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 07, 2004
The Sweet "Peas" of Ezine Success
Here's an article from late 2003 that is as true today as the day it was written. Think email marketing is dead? Think again!
As 2003 draws to a close, it's easy to see that email and ezine marketing have been under attack. Who are the attackers?
Some are the unethical marketers who flood our inboxes with messages we don't want, creating a perception that things are just out of control. Some are legislators who want to make a name for themselves by grand-standing that they are going to "fix the problem".
Some are industry insiders who have an agenda that works best if email marketing goes away. And some are the big email marketers, who want to eliminate competition and consolidate the business for themselves.
Some are even proclaiming (quite loudly) "email marketing is dead!"
Happily, that assertion is completely wrong. Here's why.
Email marketing, and by extension ezine marketing since ezines are delivered via email, will continue to be strong in 2004 for these three simple reasons. I like to call them "The Sweet P's of Ezine Success".
1. Ezines are Profitable. The trend in Internet marketing today is Joint Ventures. We've all heard about joint ventures until we're blue in the face. But what is a Joint Venture other than a new and effective use of email marketing?
Most JVs concentrate on the person who has a product they want promoted "Joint Venturing" with someone who has a powerful opt-in list.
In 2002, this was called a solo ad. In 2003 it was renamed "Joint Venture" and everyone began selling eBooks on the subject. The right JV can be very successful, but let's see it for what it really is … email marketing.
2. Ezines are Personal. How many times have you heard that "people buy from people they trust."? Well, it's completely true. Everyone online tries to create, or convey, credibility on his or her web site. But there is only so much one can do with a web site.
Only email marketing, with its ability to deliver personal messages over a period of time, can let your prospective customers hear your message in your voice, and on your schedule. And hearing your voice is what it's all about.
Success online is not the ability to successfully imitate someone else. It's the ability to let customers connect with you, and in so doing begin to respect and trust you and the products you offer or recommend.
3. Ezines are Proactive. Today, talk of blogs (web logs that act as sort of an online diary) taking the place of ezines is common. While blogs are fine, and an important part of a comprehensive marketing campaign, they are not as effective as ezines because the reader has to go TO the blog to get information.
In today's world people don't have enough time. With literally billions of websites out there, what are the chances that someone will remember to go to a particular blog? Not likely.
Some things don't change. People subscribe to ezines that deliver timely information they can use to make their lives better. People don't join a newsletter and then say, "Oh darn, there's that pesky ezine again. I wish they would stop that!" No, they do what you did.
Having chosen to join an ezine, you look forward to each issue, see the subject line in your email program, open it and read information that interests you.
4. Ezines are Powerful
An interested audience, choosing to read information that they asked to receive that makes a difference in their real world. Now, that's marketing power. And when your message (whether an ad or an article) appears in publications that fit this description, you win every time. That's why ezine marketing works so well.
5. Ezines are Persuasive
The online world is much like the offline world. How many times do you buy the first thing you see from the first person who offers it to you? Most of us need to see an offer more than once to feel that we're making an informed opinion.
Ezines, with their regular delivery schedule, are the perfect way to make your case over time.
6. Ezines are Precise
You've heard the term "target marketing"? Well, nothing on the Net is more targeted than ezines. Even Pay Per Click (although excellent) can't target as well as ezines since search terms can be very broad.
If you want precision marketing, you want ezines.
Yes, I'm an advocate of ezines, and happily so for one very important reason.
EZINES WORK ... they produce results.
And results is what all great marketing is all about.
While I respect every voice, even those with whom I seriously disagree, the facts speak for themselves. The market and technology have combined to beat back every serious attack on the email marketing business.
The bad people will not win.
The spammers will not prevail.
Those who use email marketing wisely and responsibly can look forward to a very bright future indeed. As the economy improves, the outlook for email marketing in 2004 and beyond has never been brighter.
Posted by Charlie at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)