This link has been bookmarked by 1 people . It was first bookmarked on 12 Sep 2006, by Nick.
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12 Sep 06
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Abraham Maslow, the famous psychologist who developed the hierarchy of human motives, stated that the foundation of all human needs is our need to survive. Once satisfied, the next one is our need for safety. Our need to be with other people is next, followed by our need to feel appreciated. Finally, our need to be challenged is at the top.
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The bigger the numbers are, the greater the impact is. If you say “five times more,” replace it with “500%” (or better yet, “517%” or “483%”). Don’t say “one year,” say “364 days.” The brain thinks in pictures, not numbers or words. Both terms may mean the same thing, but one is perceived as bigger.
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Whenever possible, be quantifiable, measurable and time-bound. For example, you’re promoting some “how-to” marketing program. Don’t say, “increase your income” or “make money fast.” Words like “income” and “fast” are vague. Be specific. Say, “How six simple sales strategies helped me stumble onto an unexpected $5,431.96 windfall — in less than 27 hours!”
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Remember, the first job is to catch their attention. Then (and only then), it’s to get them to start reading your letter.
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Study and model successful copywriting as much as you can. Dan Kennedy, my mentor and a hugely successful copywriter, teaches his students this exercise: buy tabloids, such as The National Enquirer, on a regular basis. Of course, the publication may be questionable for some, and it may not necessarily fit with your style or cater to your market.
But here’s the reason why.
Ad space in tabloids is excruciatingly expensive. If an ad is repeated in more than two issues, preferably copy-dense ads and full-page advertorials, common sense tells you that the ad is profitable. Rip out the ad and put it into your swipe file. (If you don’t have one, a shortcut is to copy someone else’s, or swipe from proven list of successful headlines. But also, don’t discount supermarket magazines, like Cosmo, Vanity Fair, Men’s Health and the like.)
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- Curiosity (”Revealed! Closely Guarded Secrets For …”)
- Mystery (”The Five Biggest Mistakes to Avoid By …”)
- Fear (”Over 98.4% of People End up Broke When …”)
- Pain (”Suffering From Needless Back Pain? Then …”)
- Convenience (”How to Increase Your Chances With …”)
- Envy (”How Fellow Marketer Pummels Competitors By …”)
- Jealousy (”They All Laughed When … Until I …”)
- Sloth (”Slash Your Learning Curve By 57% When …”)
- Love, Lust (”Make Her Fall in Love With You With …”)
- Shock (”Finally Exposed! Get The Dirty Truth On …”)
- Greed (”Boost Your Income By More Than 317% When …”)
- Pride, Power, Ego (”Make Fellow Workers Squirm With …”)
- Assurance (”… In Less Than 60 Days, Guaranteed!”)
- Immortality (”Reverse The Aging Process With …”)
- Anger (”Banks Are Ripping You Off! Here’s Why …”)
Here’s a list of “triggers,” coupled with actual examples I used in the past:
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In today’s fax-microwave-email world, people want everything fast. Their attention span is smaller than an subatomic particle. Online, they surf the web in a click-happy state, ready to open and close browser windows at the blink of an eye. Literally.
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