Here’s Daniel Levis on the 3 ways to engage your visitors to your website…

And…

Gain more opt-ins, phone calls, and sales.

Does Your Online Copy Talk?
THE UNSPOKEN DIALOGUE

When it comes to online copywriting, it’s not the words you use that count. It’s the reaction to those words in the mind of the reader, as he reads them on the screen…

And it’s your ability to anticipate and plan out those reactions that spells the difference between being able to get your web site visitors to opt-in or buy your product in sufficient numbers to make your business a success.

It’s like a dialogue between two people, divorced in time and space. You are feeding your reader images, ideas, and emotions across the continuum, in a carefully planned sequence… and he is feeding you back reactions.

You plan for certain reactions, and do your best to make them come about. You hope your reader will understand and agree with the assertions you put forward, and that he will share in the emotions you are suggesting he feel.

Included among these reactions are demands, questions, and anticipations, which must be answered, or your copy will fail…

When you’ve successfully aroused your prospect’s interest, his reaction may be to demand more information, more image, and more desire from your copy, as if to say… hmmm, tell me more? Where you have inflamed his desire, he will demand proof. And even when you demonstrate proof, he is likely to demand to know how those results are to be achieved, so he can judge for himself whether or not the product will work for HIM.

CREATIVE SCHIZOPHRENIA… So your challenge is to play a dual role. You must be copywriter and prospect at the same time. You must walk in his shoes, sense his reactions, feel what he feels at each point in the copy… so you can switch direction at the precise moment his demands arise, and answer them. This fracturing of your mind is one of the most difficult skills to master in copywriting. And naturally it demands a great deal of research into the product, and the market you’re working with. This sensitivity is one of the key distinctions between writing “good enough” copy… and writing grand slam home run copy that pulls in obscene returns.

Those anticipation points are crucial. If you miss them, you lose the interest of your reader.

Let’s examine one of these demands in more detail. At some point in your copy, your prospect generally will ask this question. “How does your product do all these good things you say it does?” First you must anticipate where this question will arise, and then answer it.

“REASON WHY”

Notice this a very specific kind of proof. It’s not a testimonial or an authoritative endorsement. Your prospect is asking for an explanation of the “reason why” something works, which may or may not be included in the aforementioned. It is an explanation of the mechanism behind the magic.

I have seen ads that included every conceivable proof element under the sun fail, because they left this simple device out. They failed to demonstrate the ‘reason why’ the product delivered the promised results.

Of course John E. Kennedy and Claude C. Hopkins are well known for popularizing the importance of this idea at the turn of the last century, and today many direct response ads make use of it to some degree. But how much ‘reason why’ is enough, how much is too much, and where in the copy does it belong?

WHEN TO USE LOGIC AND REASONING IN YOUR COPY

The answer to these questions comes from your market. Are you writing to those who already understand the reasons why your product can do what you claim? Do they accept those reasons as valid? If so, there is not much point in wasting the reader’s attention with a lot of ‘reason why’ copy. For example, if you are writing a car ad today, and the car you are writing about has ABS brakes, all you need do is name this mechanism. Millions of dollars of advertising, perhaps hundreds of millions that has gone before you, has distilled the logic and workings of this technology down to a three letter acronym that just about everyone with a license to drive understands. You simply name the feature, tie it to a benefit, and then move on.

But what about the vast array of products that present a new promise, but where the prospect does not yet understand the mechanism behind the claim? Here it is a simple matter of building a strong promise, backed up by a ‘reason why’ the product delivers on the claim. In the early days of ABS for example, the pioneers made the promise of greater safety, and then backed up that claim with a reason why. Safe, because you could now steer while braking in slippery conditions, and so on.

Of course, the cardinal sin is to make your ‘reason why’ copy dull and boring. It is not scientific discourse. It should sell the mechanism, just as hard as the opening sells the promise, and it must continue to captivate and engage the reader’s interest and build his desire.

In the later stages of product competition, where the market is sophisticated, and it seems that everyone has the same technology, the same promise, the same price, a new strategy is in order.

At this stage your ‘reason why’ should take center stage. Move it up from the anonymity of the body copy, and put it in your headline. It is now just as vital as your promise, no longer just a proof element, but a new, fresh incentive for your prospect to read your ad.

Another place in your copy where this reaction commonly arises is where you offer a special price or discount. Your prospect is suspicious. Many advertisers ignore this fact, and are shocked to discover that a price reduction does nothing to increase sales.

What you must realize is that a price cut, like a promise or a claim or a benefit is only as good as the words you use to describe it, and the strategy you use to present it. Price cuts should be justified. There must be a reason for them. A ‘reason why’ you are doing what you are doing. Without it, you are selling with only a fraction of the power.

Related articles on Copywriting:

• Your words can make a difference. Do it pro bono. (socialactions.net)
• Resources Every Copywriter Must Have (lazerpromotions.com)
• The Art of Zen Copywriting for Bloggers (copyblogger.com)
• Copywriting Advertising Is Easy (wealthyways4you.com)
• 4 Things an Ethical Internet Marketer Can Learn from Spammers (copyblogger.com)
• Get Business Buzzing with a Buzz Piece (freelanceswitch.com)
• How The Marketing Rebel Can Help Your Business (marketingonlineinternet.com)

Photo Credit:Flickr

Is your marketing flat?

Many local businesses “play it safe” with same and lame marketing.

Here’s Daniel Levis on the Two Emotions you MUST trigger to put a spark into your local marketing efforts.

Do You Market to These Emotions Online?

What can Mother Theresa and Charles Schwab teach you about marketing online?

Certainly these two historical figures saw two vastly different worlds in their lifetimes.

Mother Theresa spent hers with the poorest of the poor, while Charles Schwab spent his with the richest of the rich.

But look at these two famous quotes.

“There is more hunger in this world for love and appreciation than for bread” Mother Teresa

“I have yet to find a man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” Charles Schwab

Do you see the underlying thread?

Regardless of who you are selling to, from one end of the social spectrum to the other, and everywhere in between, human beings are looking for appreciation, and approval, above all else.

Show your customers how the use of your product yields a sense of importance, and recognition, or how it helps them avoid embarrassment and indifference, and you will make many more sales than if you simply describe the qualities of your product.

But it takes a certain kind of selling to pull this off.

While your advertising can speak directly about the features of your product, and explain what those features do for your customer, it is much more difficult to transfer emotional meaning with the same directness.

Yet it is the emotions that trigger desire in the buyer. As an advertiser, it is your job to bring those desires that already exist in the buyers mind to the fore. To stir them to life, so to speak. And the best way to do that is through indirection.

By wrapping your sales message up in a story, you give your prospect permission to imagine. You’re not telling them how they should feel. They instinctively project themselves into the tale. They can’t help themselves. It’s what we all learnt to do as little children.

Remember this.

Without imagination, there is no desire, and without desire, there is no action.

When someone comes to your website and reads your copy, do they see themselves using your product? Do they see themselves living the results of using it? Even more importantly, do they see others approving of them, and appreciating them for having done so?

That may sound like a strange way of thinking about a product, but let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.

Let’s say you’re selling a diet plan. How do you use indirection and storytelling to trigger your prospect’s desire for it?

You might talk to your overweight potential client like this…
—————————————————————————————-
Imagine yourself walking briskly along a hot, sandy, sun drenched beach. An azure haze hangs over the skyline as the warm wind caresses your bare skin.

As you stride confidently to your favorite spot, your breathing is normal, and your body relaxed. You smile to yourself, knowing you could walk for miles like this without becoming fatigued.

The beach is busy, and as you glance around you catch the eye of someone of the opposite sex. They smile at you, and you smile back.
You walk assuredly into the water, and swim a couple of hundred yards out and back with ease. Lying back on your towel you can’t help but think…

‘Life Has Never Been So Good’

OK, now stop dreaming, and answer this question. Did you have a little trouble seeing yourself in that picture? If so, then take heart.

A slim, sexy figure and abundant self-esteem can now be yours, thanks to the amazingly simple and easy to follow…
——————————————————————————————

Do you see how indirection works?

You don’t have to come right out and tell your potential client people will appreciate them, and approve of them as a result of what your product can do. You don’t have to tell them they’ll no longer feel embarrassed by their weight in social situations.

The story does it for you.

Now you’ve got their undivided attention, and a real chance to prove your product is unique and that it works.

Photo Credit:Flickr

Here’s Daniel Levis with 8 Tips to improve your marketing and convert more visitors to your website to clients.

8 Timeless Tips for Making Your
Web Marketing More Persuasive …

The first thing you need to do is draw attention to your marketing.

Spend at least as much time worrying about the headline of each web page you create as you do worrying about the body copy.

Brainstorm at least five headlines, pick the one most likely to stop your prospects dead in their tracks (tip, the only way to know for sure is to test), and use the rest of them in the body of the message.

Curiosity Killed The Cat - It’s human nature to be curious. One of the most effective ways to get your sales message consumed is to throw a little mystery. Mystery, mixed with relevant benefit is essential to creating a powerful headline that drags people into your copy. But that’s not all …

It also helps to drive your prospect deeper into the body of the message. Remember, the deeper your readers go into your copy, the more difficult it will be for them to STOP reading it.

It doesn’t hurt to tell a little bit about what your offer isn’t, to build up the suspense, and help drive your reader further down the page.

Tell A Story - In 1919, a Russian immigrant named Max Sackheim, stumbled upon a fascinating discovery. He had been hired by the Sherwin Cody School of English to come up with a mail order advertisement, and his original headline read, “Do You Make Mistakes In English”?

The ad didn’t pull.

By adding one magic little word to the headline, Max was able to make the very same ad produce amazing results. The ad became so profitable that it ran for over 40 years straight, when Max changed the headline to, “Do You Make These Mistakes In English”?

People’s curiosity got the better of them. They just couldn’t resist reading Max’s advertisement. They were all wondering if they might be making “these” mistakes in English. Max was able to slip right under the buyer’s natural resistance to being sold, and suck them right into the advertisement.

Story telling has the same effect.

You Can Never Over Educate - Nobody ever bought a hammer, because they wanted a hammer. What they wanted was a bunch of nails tapped home just right. Sequential e-mail follow up is ideal for showing your prospects how to achieve their goals with your product.

Remember, the more comfortable your prospects are about the “How To” of using your product or service to solve their problem, the more confidence they’ll have in your ability and willingness to really help them. One of the most effective things you can do with your autoresponder, is to offer free courses and tutorials that show your prospects how to use your products to get the results they’re looking for.

It’s the ultimate soft sell, and very effective!

Warts & All- It’s all about trust. That’s why follow up is so essential. Your prospects need to be exposed an average of 7 to 9 times before succumbing to your seduction.

Pointing out the imperfections of your product can go a long way toward building that trust. You don’t necessarily have to slam your product, but giving the straight goods on the pitfalls the buyer might encounter when using such products, and helping them to avoid them, demonstrates your honesty, and openness.

It’s like showing the front of your hands in a face-to-face encounter.

Be Specific - Details, exact numbers, and vivid descriptions worked into your copy are worth their weight in gold, because they’re far more believable than generalities. When you make a claim, back it up with facts and figures.

Your prospects are both naturally skeptical, and hungry for truth.

Don’t Be Shy About Objections - Every product has natural objections. Don’t be afraid to address them.

Read your copy after being away from it for a while, and at some point in the message you’ll feel them creeping in. That’s the point when you add something like, “OK, you’re probably thinking _________. I can understand why you might feel that way. Many others who looked at this product felt just the same way, until they found out about ________.”

You need to come up with a list of reasons why your prospect would want to buy your product or service, and also the reasons why not.

The Fear of Loss Is Greater Than The Desire For Gain - Often the fear of losing something, sometimes even something that we do not yet have, is a stronger motivator than our desire for gain.

The fear of missing out on a special price or promotion is a good example of this.

Don’t we all want what we can’t have? Work hard to find ways to make your product scarce, or at least make your offer scarce, by offering it for a limited time.

Justify Your Offer - People know that you’re in business to make a profit, and that you don’t give things away out of the goodness of your heart.

When they see a sale, or a special price, or a bonus offer, the wheels naturally start turning in the back of their heads. What’s the catch? While it’s our emotions that truly motivate us, logic does have a nasty habit of getting in the way.

When you are open with your prospects about the reason why you’re offering them a special deal, it’s amazing how easily they’ll accept your reasoning, and abandon their resistance. The same applies to giving a legitimate reason why your special offer absolutely expires on a specific date.

So there you have it. Eight timeless persuasion tips, revealed.

About the Author
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant, direct response copywrter, and one of the leading web conversion experts operating online today. He is also the originator of the 5R Web Conversion System (TM), a strategic process for engineering enhanced Internet profits. Click here to watch a complimentary 5R System training video. (Affiliate links)

Photo Credit: Flickr

EVAR!

1. Arnie and Jack starting things off.

2. Tom Watson.  Ageless. Love Tom’s quote in this month’s Golf:

“We ought to have a tournament, the Top 30 Champions Tour players versus the Top 30 kids. Have a tournament on a 7,000- yard golf course. Same tees. Lets go tee it up. Let’s hit it.”

4. Phil Mickelson. Finally finding his game this year.

5. Lee Westwood, Y.E. Yang.  Two superb International players who play big in The Majors, in the mix.

6. Oh, yeah, Tiger… guy held in together nicely. Look out… he could be a factor come Sunday.

7. Freddie “Boom-Boom Couples! “Super-Cool”. (Freddie’s so cool, he even let Tiger play a practice round with him) 50 years old. Fires a 66. Leads The Masters after Day One.

8. Freddie’s shoes: “Surfer-Dude Cool”. No socks required. Wear ‘em for a round at Augusta or a clambake on the beach.

P.S.—  Nike, with Freddie, the coolest golfer on the planet, wearing “Surfer-Dude Cool” shoes…

… HAD to respond.

Here’s their YouTube vid.

Doncha LOVE golf, The Masters… and Marketing?

The Masters 2010- Day One:

• Gallery doesn’t take shots but Tiger sure takes his (windsorstar.com)
• A flash of the old magic (nationalpost.com)
• Mickelson, Watson among early leaders at Masters (timesunion.com)
• 2010 Masters Round One: Phil Mickelson Solidly In The Hunt (bleacherreport.com)
• Rejuvenated Fred Couples Claims First – Round Lead At Masters (nytimes.com)
• Tiger Woods Soars on Masters Return (nytimes.com)
• Tiger Woods begins Masters charge (cnn.com)
• Woods hits form but Couples leads (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Mickelson’s hot putting helps him to solid start (thestar.com)

Starting a Small Business Blog—SocialMediaOnlineClasses (Flickr.com)

Seth Godin and Tom Peters chatting at the American Express Open Forum on Inside The Entrepreneurial Mind.

Here’s the thing to understand from this quick clip…

Now, perhaps you’re not an author or business thought leader like Seth or Tom.

But, make no mistake…

You ARE the Expert, the thought leader in your space.

Perhaps you’re the expert in health and disability insurance for self-employed folks in Bucks County,PA?

Maybe you’re the “thought-leader” when it comes to Deferred Compensation for Highly Paid Executives and Engineers in Palo Alto,CA?

What if you happen to be THE “Go-To” person for retirement planning and investments in Palm Beach, FL ? (And, no, your name isn’t Bernie)?

Realize this:

You are in the MARKETING Business

and you ARE a Media Firm.

Doesn’t matter if you handle health and disability insurance …
Set up split-dollar Deferred Comp plans …
Or, handle investment portfolios for retired folks …

A blog is your Publishing Platform.

And, it’s Free.

Isn’t it time you invest in a Blog for your Financial Services business?