Bly.com Newsletter Archives

—————————————————————

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing.

April, 2008

—————————————————————

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to
the bottom of this message and click on “SafeUnsubscribe”.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

—————————————————————

Imagine Getting Paid to Read Books You Would Want to Read for Free Anyway:

www.bookreviewprofits.com

—————————————————————

***Make online buyers push your buttons***

A common mistake in designing landing pages is to use an
underlined word or phrase as the hyperlink to the order page.

Much more effective is to design the hyperlink as an order
button. To increase response, says online marketing guru Amy
Africa, use big buttons. She recommends telling your designer to
triple whatever they think is big.

Color makes a difference. The Mequoda group reports a split test
where the only variable on the landing page was the order button
color. Red was the control, which was tested against green,
yellow, and ochre. The winner? Ochre, generating 27% higher
conversion rates than red.

Source: Thinking Inside the Box, 2/8/08; Mequoda Group.

—————————————————————

***Get your e-mails past spam filters***

In your HTML e-mails, don’t use “http://” in your linked text if
the underlying URL is different, because it trigger a scam alert
from the recipient’s spam filter.

Example: If the text is “http://www.cheapovens.com” and the link
under the text is also “http://www.cheapovens.com,” everything
is fine.

But if the text “http://www.cheapovens.com” links to the URL
“http://www.ovensonline.com,” your e- mail will be delivered
with a scam alert notice.

Source: Steffen Schneider, www.flatrate-newsletter.de

—————————————————————

***Free report: 8 ways to improve radio advertising***

Radio Lounge, a radio marketing and production company out of
Houston, offers free information to help take the mystery out of
using radio as a powerful marketing tool. You can sign up for
free radio advertising tips sent weekly via e-mail. Also, check
out the audio samples and download the free report “8 Steps to
Effective Radio Advertising.” Call 281-494-4680. Or click here
now:

www.radioloungeusa.com

—————————————————————

***Optimize your Web site with hyperlinked PR***

To optimize your Web site for search engines, post your press
releases on your site, preferably in a media or press release
section. Insert up to five hyperlinks per release that link your
press release to other web pages relating to topics mentioned in
the release.

Source: SIPA Marketing Conference, Miami, FL, 12/13/07.

—————————————————————

***Outsource article marketing for your online business***

Most Internet marketing gurus recommend writing and distributing
articles on the Web to generate traffic. But most of the
Internet marketers I talk to don’t do it because (a) they don’t
know where or how to get their articles posted and (b) they
don’t have time.

Dan Janal’s PR Leads Article Marketing Service solves this
problem. For a fee, Dan – a PR expert and an old friend of mine
from way back when – can help you get new clients by
broadcasting your expert articles to highly targeted web sites
that are read by tens of thousands of your prospects. Click here
for details:

www.IWantMoreProspects.com

—————————————————————

***Increasing trade show ROI***

In her e-book “The Secret to Achieving Brilliant Returns at Your
Next Event,” Joyce McKee offers these proven tips for designing
trade show booths that appeal to multiple senses:

>> Be sure your products are displayed in the booth and can be
touched by visitors. You’d be surprised by how many exhibitors
have brochures only and no products in site. The visitor didn’t
come to look at brochures.

>> Spray your booth area with a subtle classic perfume or place
potpourri in and around your space. The scent will attract more
booth traffic.

>> Offer hard candies or, if the sponsor permits, give out food;
e.g., have a popcorn machine in the booth.

—————————————————————

***5 ways to get more copy written in less time***

Whether you are a copywriter, a white paper writer, a web site
content writer, a blog writer…or any other kind of commercial
writer… not every day is as productive as it should be. As
writers we have both good days and bad days. The trouble is,
those bad days lose us a lot of money.

Nick Usborne’s quick-reading – and entertaining — “Writing
Rituals” guide walks you through 5 separate rituals which will
help you turn every day into a super-productive writing day. For
more information or to order, click below now:

www.writingrituals.com

—————————————————————

***Recommended vendor of the month: American Slide Chart***

American Slide Chart is the premiere producer of promotional
slide charts. These are hand-held cardboard wheels and slide
guides that perform simple calculations and are used as
promotional items; e.g., a bank might give away a slide chart
that calculates monthly mortgage payments based on interest
rates.

In an age where marketing takes place increasingly online, slide
guide usage has faded, and creating a slide guide gives you a
chance to stand out and get noticed. For more information, call
800-323-4433 or visit:

www.AmericanSlideChart.com

—————————————————————

***Turn your words into massive wealth***

“A”-list copywriter David Deutsch has put together an amazing
series of free tele-seminars featuring an all-star collection of
17 of the world’s top copywriters and marketers as well as yours
truly.

I know there are too many tele-seminar offers in your e-mail
these days. But I promise you, you’ll never hear one as packed
with people who can multiply your income as this one. Because
nothing makes money like great sales copy. Signing up is easy,
and every call is free. To find out more, click below now:

http://copyquickstart.com/go/bly

—————————————————————

***Quotation of the month***

“You might as well like yourself. Just think of all the time
you’re going to have to spend with you. And if you don’t like
yourself, how do you expect others to?”
–Jerry Lewis in “The Nutty Professor”

—————————————————————

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

—————————————————————

——————————————————————-

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing.

March, 2008

——————————————————————-

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to the bottom of this
message and click on “Safe Unsubscribe” for immediate removal
from this list.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————-

***Avoid hard-sell tactics that turn potential clients off***

“When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation
about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer,”
advises sales expert Ari Galper.

Instead, says Galper, start with a conversation on a specific
problem that your service solves, e.g., “I’m just calling to see
if you are open to some new ideas relating to driving traffic to
your Web site.”

You are not pitching your services or approach with this opening
phrase. You are addressing a problem that you believe they might
have an intense desire to solve. For this to work in your favor,
of course, you must identify desired results and benefits that
your services can deliver.

Source: Galper, Ari, “7 Ways to Cut Loose,” SFS News & Notes, p.
4. Visit Ari online at:

www.unlockthegame.com

——————————————————————-

***Double or triple your online conversion rates, orders, and
revenues***

Internet marketers: imagine how much of a difference it would
make in your annual income if you could double or triple your
online revenues.

One way to achieve that goal is to increase landing page
conversion rates – that is, the percentage of unique visitors to
the page who order the product.

My brand new free Web site, www.thelandingpageguru.com, shows
you many ways to do just that. It includes free tips on improving
landing page copy … boosting conversion with an auto-responder
e-mail series … improving e-mail address capture rates … Taguchi
testing … and much more.

Take a look right now, bookmark for future reference, and tell
your friends. They will be glad you did:

www.thelandingpageguru.com

——————————————————————-

***Free Taguchi test elements for your new landing page***

One of the things we teach you about on
www.thelandingpageguru.com is Taguchi testing.

Taguchi testing enables you to test multiple elements –
including headlines, subheads, banners, salutations, offers,
guarantees, and more – in your landing pages simultaneously.

As a result, you can quickly optimize landing page performance,
often doubling or tripling conversion rates within a few weeks.

Normally, when I write landing pages for my clients, I charge
thousands of dollars extra for a complete set of Taguchi test
elements.

This month, I am offering to any new or current client a
complete set of Taguchi test elements for free when you hire me
to write a new long-copy landing page or rewrite an existing
page.

The only catch is that, to qualify for the free offer, you must
agree to share the test results with me and allow me to publish
them. And it must be a page to generate direct sales of a
product, not a squeeze page giving away a white paper, e-zine,
or other free content.

To find out more about having me write a Taguchi-optimized
landing page for one of your products, e-mail fern@bly.com. Or
call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 today.

But I urge you to hurry. This offer ends 5/15/08. And once it
expires, it may never be repeated again.

——————————————————————-

***A clever new idea for keyword discovery***

Check your internal search box on your Web site. The words most
frequently searched using the internal search function are
usually the same keywords people search on when trying to find
information on your topic.

Recommendation: optimize your site and bid on pay-per-click ads
for these keywords. Because these are the keywords people use to
find out about your product or company.

Source: SIPA Marketing Conference, Miami, FL, 12/13/07.

——————————————————————-

***How to design content and marketing documents for older folks
like me***

Since vision impairments increase with age, time spent
organizing your layout and using legible design and typography
will more than pay for themselves in increased audience response
when marketing or publishing to the over-50 market.

One tip: maximize contrast between the typography and the
background. Reason: a greater amount of contrast makes it easier
to distinguish an image. This is especially true for the
contrast in color between text and paper.

As for type size: yes, older readers prefer large type. But type
style also matters. Avoid ornate typefaces and overuse of
italics. Choose a serif type.

A bit more spacing between lines also enhances readability.
Avoid extensive use of ALL CAPS and type reversing out of a
solid or screen.

Indenting paragraphs and use of standard capitalization improve
reading, as do smaller blocks of copy, shorter lines of type,
and more paragraphs.

Source: Writing That Works, 1/9/08

——————————————————————-

***Free report on how to become a six-figure grants
consultant***

Would you like to build a home-based writing business, earning
$120,000+ annually, that is always needed and NOT saturated like
other writing niches?

There will always be non-profits needing funding and wealthy
foundations and government grant programs to fund them. You can
make them your clients at $100 - $200 per hour.

Learn how in One Stop Grant Shop’s Free Report: “How to Become a
Six-Figure Grants Consultant,” including: price setting … how to
write winning proposals … tools … and more.

Written by two consultants with over 20 combined years of
experience winning more than $20 million in grants, this report
regularly sells for $29.99. But it’s yours free for a limited
time only when you click on the link below:

www.onestopgrantshop.com/FreeReports.php

——————————————————————-

***Pricing audio information products online***

For years I have been selling audio information products on tape
and CD.

Now, my customers are beginning to ask if they are available for
immediate download as MP3 files. And maybe yours are, too.

Internet marketing guru Fred Gleeck, who has produced somewhere
north of 2,000 audio info products, recommends that you offer
your customers a choice: MP3 or CD.

He suggests that, for multi-CD programs, the physical product
cost $50 more than the downloadable version, e.g., $77 for the
MP3 download and $127 for the CDs.

I would suggest that the buyer of the physical product also get
the downloadable MP3 as a bonus.

Visit Fred online at www.fredgleeck.com/ebooks to claim 5 free
books worth over $75.

——————————————————————-

***Avoid this cover design mistake when producing e-books***

When designing e-books, do not use black as the background color
for the covers or even the headers.

Reason: printing a page that’s mostly black uses up a lot of
ink, especially on small printers for home PCs. And the pages
can come out wet and wrinkly.

Fancy covers attract buyers, but too much color and design can
waste the customer’s ink, creating a cost concern that stops
them from ordering more e-books from you.

Source: Thanks to subscriber Ann Hasselquist for this tip.

——————————————————————-

***Tax savings every freelancer should take***

As an independent contractor, you’re your own boss. You call
your own shots.

But with that freedom come responsibilities — quarterly taxes
among them.

Find out where you can save … what the IRS really needs to
know … how to make the most of those deductions for travel,
meals, entertainment, home office, and more …

To get answers to hundreds of tax questions along with practical
worksheets you can use to make sure you’re paying as little as
possible to Uncle Sam, click here:

www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/bb

——————————————————————-

***Quotation of the month***

“The only demon that really counts is the lazy demon. And we’re
all lazy. But every human on earth has to figure out a way to
get your ass to do something.”
–Jerry Seinfeld

Source: Parade Magazine, 10/21/07, p. 5.

——————————————————————-

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————-

——————————————————————-

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing.

March, 2008

——————————————————————-

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to the bottom of this
message and click on “Safe Unsubscribe” for immediate removal
from this list.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————-

***Avoid hard-sell tactics that turn potential clients off***

“When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation
about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer,”
advises sales expert Ari Galper.

Instead, says Galper, start with a conversation on a specific
problem that your service solves, e.g., “I’m just calling to see
if you are open to some new ideas relating to driving traffic to
your Web site.”

You are not pitching your services or approach with this opening
phrase. You are addressing a problem that you believe they might
have an intense desire to solve. For this to work in your favor,
of course, you must identify desired results and benefits that
your services can deliver.

Source: Galper, Ari, “7 Ways to Cut Loose,” SFS News & Notes, p.
4. Visit Ari online at:

www.unlockthegame.com

——————————————————————-

***Double or triple your online conversion rates, orders, and
revenues***

Internet marketers: imagine how much of a difference it would
make in your annual income if you could double or triple your
online revenues.

One way to achieve that goal is to increase landing page
conversion rates – that is, the percentage of unique visitors to
the page who order the product.

My brand new free Web site, www.thelandingpageguru.com, shows
you many ways to do just that. It includes free tips on improving
landing page copy … boosting conversion with an auto-responder
e-mail series … improving e-mail address capture rates … Taguchi
testing … and much more.

Take a look right now, bookmark for future reference, and tell
your friends. They will be glad you did:

www.thelandingpageguru.com

——————————————————————-

***Free Taguchi test elements for your new landing page***

One of the things we teach you about on
www.thelandingpageguru.com is Taguchi testing.

Taguchi testing enables you to test multiple elements –
including headlines, subheads, banners, salutations, offers,
guarantees, and more – in your landing pages simultaneously.

As a result, you can quickly optimize landing page performance,
often doubling or tripling conversion rates within a few weeks.

Normally, when I write landing pages for my clients, I charge
thousands of dollars extra for a complete set of Taguchi test
elements.

This month, I am offering to any new or current client a
complete set of Taguchi test elements for free when you hire me
to write a new long-copy landing page or rewrite an existing
page.

The only catch is that, to qualify for the free offer, you must
agree to share the test results with me and allow me to publish
them. And it must be a page to generate direct sales of a
product, not a squeeze page giving away a white paper, e-zine,
or other free content.

To find out more about having me write a Taguchi-optimized
landing page for one of your products, e-mail fern@bly.com. Or
call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 today.

But I urge you to hurry. This offer ends 5/15/08. And once it
expires, it may never be repeated again.

——————————————————————-

***A clever new idea for keyword discovery***

Check your internal search box on your Web site. The words most
frequently searched using the internal search function are
usually the same keywords people search on when trying to find
information on your topic.

Recommendation: optimize your site and bid on pay-per-click ads
for these keywords. Because these are the keywords people use to
find out about your product or company.

Source: SIPA Marketing Conference, Miami, FL, 12/13/07.

——————————————————————-

***How to design content and marketing documents for older folks
like me***

Since vision impairments increase with age, time spent
organizing your layout and using legible design and typography
will more than pay for themselves in increased audience response
when marketing or publishing to the over-50 market.

One tip: maximize contrast between the typography and the
background. Reason: a greater amount of contrast makes it easier
to distinguish an image. This is especially true for the
contrast in color between text and paper.

As for type size: yes, older readers prefer large type. But type
style also matters. Avoid ornate typefaces and overuse of
italics. Choose a serif type.

A bit more spacing between lines also enhances readability.
Avoid extensive use of ALL CAPS and type reversing out of a
solid or screen.

Indenting paragraphs and use of standard capitalization improve
reading, as do smaller blocks of copy, shorter lines of type,
and more paragraphs.

Source: Writing That Works, 1/9/08

——————————————————————-

***Free report on how to become a six-figure grants
consultant***

Would you like to build a home-based writing business, earning
$120,000+ annually, that is always needed and NOT saturated like
other writing niches?

There will always be non-profits needing funding and wealthy
foundations and government grant programs to fund them. You can
make them your clients at $100 - $200 per hour.

Learn how in One Stop Grant Shop’s Free Report: “How to Become a
Six-Figure Grants Consultant,” including: price setting … how to
write winning proposals … tools … and more.

Written by two consultants with over 20 combined years of
experience winning more than $20 million in grants, this report
regularly sells for $29.99. But it’s yours free for a limited
time only when you click on the link below:

www.onestopgrantshop.com/FreeReports.php

——————————————————————-

***Pricing audio information products online***

For years I have been selling audio information products on tape
and CD.

Now, my customers are beginning to ask if they are available for
immediate download as MP3 files. And maybe yours are, too.

Internet marketing guru Fred Gleeck, who has produced somewhere
north of 2,000 audio info products, recommends that you offer
your customers a choice: MP3 or CD.

He suggests that, for multi-CD programs, the physical product
cost $50 more than the downloadable version, e.g., $77 for the
MP3 download and $127 for the CDs.

I would suggest that the buyer of the physical product also get
the downloadable MP3 as a bonus.

Visit Fred online at www.fredgleeck.com/ebooks to claim 5 free
books worth over $75.

——————————————————————-

***Avoid this cover design mistake when producing e-books***

When designing e-books, do not use black as the background color
for the covers or even the headers.

Reason: printing a page that’s mostly black uses up a lot of
ink, especially on small printers for home PCs. And the pages
can come out wet and wrinkly.

Fancy covers attract buyers, but too much color and design can
waste the customer’s ink, creating a cost concern that stops
them from ordering more e-books from you.

Source: Thanks to subscriber Ann Hasselquist for this tip.

——————————————————————-

***Tax savings every freelancer should take***

As an independent contractor, you’re your own boss. You call
your own shots.

But with that freedom come responsibilities — quarterly taxes
among them.

Find out where you can save … what the IRS really needs to
know … how to make the most of those deductions for travel,
meals, entertainment, home office, and more …

To get answers to hundreds of tax questions along with practical
worksheets you can use to make sure you’re paying as little as
possible to Uncle Sam, click here:

www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/bb

——————————————————————-

***Quotation of the month***

“The only demon that really counts is the lazy demon. And we’re
all lazy. But every human on earth has to figure out a way to
get your ass to do something.”
–Jerry Seinfeld

Source: Parade Magazine, 10/21/07, p. 5.

——————————————————————-

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————-

——————————————————————-

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

February, 2008

——————————————————————-

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’ clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends, and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————-

***Want prospects to pick your product? Pile on the info***

One argument against marketing with free content offers is that
prospects already have too much to read, so they won’t look at
your white paper. But a new study from Columbia Business School
suggests that, even in an age of information overload,
educational marketing works.

The study focused on politics, not business, and found that
getting a lot of information to the public, especially in the
early stages of a campaign when many voters are ambivalent, is
an effective campaign strategy.

Quantity is more important than quality, the study found,
because ambivalent individuals are open to persuasion from a
variety of sources, and accept messages regardless of the
source’s perceived reliability.

Source: Columbia Ideas at Work, 10/24/07.

——————————————————————-

***The best F-r-e-e marketing info on the Internet***

If you’ve never participated in an Online Giveaway Event,
don’t miss out on a fantastic opportunity to grab a
bunch of great free information and software
products.

Here are a few giveaways running this month;

http://viralmarketinggiveaway9.com/vmg9/?aff=4599
Viral Marketing Giveaway 9 brings you over 500 hot, fresh
Internet marketing ebooks, software packages, guides, and
memberships you can grab instantly for absolutely no cost
and supercharge your business!

http://greatipodgiveaway.com/x/?aff=1648
Download over $16,888 worth of hot online marketing tools,
PLUS they’re giving away new Ipods every 2 days, free!
All you need to do is visit the site, and you can choose
which products you want to download.

http://jvmonthlygiveaway.com/go/145/jv
Over 71 Marketers Are Giving Away Close To $3763.00 Worth
Of Ebooks, Software, Audios, Videos And Scripts for FREE..

Giveaway Dates: Friday, February 1st - February 29th 2008.

——————————————————————-

***How many renewal notices should you send?***

It’s very common for a renewal series to have 8 to 10 efforts,
according to Mary Lou Probka of Inside Mortgage Finance
Publications.

“The rule of thumb is to add notices until one stops paying for
itself,” she notes. Probka recommends starting renewal notices
for weekly and monthly publications 8 months prior to
expiration. This is followed by a break of 2 ½ to 3 ½ months
before the next effort.

Source: Best Customer Retention Strategies, SIPA Marketing
Conference, 12/13/07.

——————————————————————-

***Zzzzzzzzzzzz***

I thought I was a rare bird with my insomnia, but according to
an article in the New York Post (10/25/07, p. 3), 48% of
Americans surveyed say they can’t sleep at night because of
stress.

That’s why I recommend Kim Stacey’s informative guide,
“Overcoming Insomnia,” which is packed with advice to help you
get a good night’s sleep – without taking sleeping pills.

For more information, click here now:

http://www.overcominginsomnia.com/

——————————————————————-

***5 ways to make your sales letters easier to read***

1—Indent all your paragraphs 5 or 7 spaces.

2—Use short paragraphs. Maximum paragraph length: 7 lines of
copy.

3—Write your copy in the tone and rhythm of a personal
one-on-one conversation.

4—Underline key phrases and put a few well-chosen words in ALL
CAPS for those who will skim your letter.

5—Use lists of features or benefits with bullets or asterisks.

Source: Jutkins, Ray, “Magic Marketing Minutes,” p. 27.

——————————————————————-

***New copywriting e-zine: yours free***

Whether you are working on a finely crafted sales letter or
brainstorming some knockout headlines, copywriting for your
business is critical to your bottom line. Haven’t you ever
found yourself wishing you knew just a few more tricks to get
the customer’s attention, one more technique that could close
the sale?

Sign up for the FREE monthly ezine, “COPYWRITING TNT!” It’s
packed with real-world tips for blast-off copy. Sign up now and
get 3 free bonus reports (a $59 value). Just click below now:

www.thewriteline.biz/ezine.html

——————————————————————-

***4 reasons people buy anything online***

According to business columnist and Internet entrepreneur Jim
Edwards, people buy 99% of everything sold online because the
product:

1—Makes or saves them money.

2—Saves them time and effort.

3—Helps them escape either physical or mental pain.

4—Increases their popularity and social success.

Source: www.thenetreporter.com

——————————————————————-

***The voice of authority***

It may be politically incorrect to say this, but according to
copywriter Dean Rieck, male voices frequently work better than
female voices in radio commercials.

“I’m working on some ad tests now and a script using a male
voice is outperforming the same script with a female voice by a
factor of two or three,” he notes.

——————————————————————-

***Where to get your video produced***

Do you need a video producer to create a promotional video or an
information product on DVD?

I priced this out recently, and even local companies wanted
$5,000 to $10,000 or more to shoot a video. That price makes
sense for big corporations, but not for information marketers
and small businesses.

One solution: get a quote from the media department of a local
college, offering to let students shoot your video as a class
project. You pay costs plus a modest donation to the school.

Or, try Turn Here, an affordable video production company that
does great work and shoots for clients nationwide. Call
510-658-9292 ext. 130. Or click below for details and to watch
sample videos online:

http://www.turnhere.com

——————————————————————-

***How many words in a 60-second TV commercial***

CK, a copywriter for a big Madison Avenue ad agency, says that
“the time constraints of a 60-second commercial demand” that you
never use more than 150 words.

Best way to write radio and TV spots: write a first draft
without regard to word count. Then in the editing process, cut
and prune until you have 150 or fewer tightly written words.

——————————————————————-

***Take stock in this SEO tip***

Want to increase the search engine rankings of Web pages
containing financial and business news?

Whenever you mention a company in an online document or on a Web
page, include its stock symbol. Then, hyperlink the symbol to
the Google and Yahoo financial pages about the stock.

Source: SIPA Marketing Conference, Miami, FL, 12/13/07.

——————————————————————-

***Master Microsoft Excel – now!***

Bill Jelen, known as “Mr. Excel,” is perhaps the top Excel
trainer, speaker, and author in the world.

If you want to learn Microsoft Excel or take your Excel skills
to the next level, I urge you to visit his Web site:

http://www.mrexcel.com

——————————————————————-

***Quotation of the month***

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people
who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don’t. Believe
everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it.
If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy,
they just promised it would most likely be worth it.”
–Michael Gartner

——————————————————————-

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————-

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

January, 2008

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends, and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————-

***A formula for writing stronger subject lines***

To improve your chances of getting your e-mails read by your
customers, get the meat of the message in the subject line.

The formula: subject + verb + object.

Too vague: Shipment coming.

Better: Blender parts shipped today.

Source: Customer Service Advantage, 10/19/07, p. 3.

——————————————————————-

***Jump-start your copywriting business for 2008***

For a limited time only, I am selling unlimited rights to all of
the forms and other documents I use in my copywriting business.

You get over five dozen of my sales letters … contracts …
agreements … phone scripts … forms … checklists …
copywriter’s roughs … ads … and other materials I’ve developed
and tested — at a cost of more than $25,000.

These materials have helped me earn millions of dollars as a
freelance copywriter. And at a price of less than $1.30 a
document, I’m practically giving the collection away. For more
information … or to order on a risk-free 90-day trial basis
… click here now:

http://www.copywritersforms.com

——————————————————————-

***Is “click here now” old hat for Web pages?***

Adam Lasnik from Google says you can raise your site’s ranking
in Google by using descriptive key words in links.

Example: Instead of “click here now,” hyperlink the call to
action to a key word or phrase, e.g., “red widget.”

Lasnik also advises marketers to avoid using keywords
repetitively. Instead, he recommends focusing on just one or two
keyword concepts per page.

Source: DMA SEM Certification Program.

——————————————————————-

***Free report on how to write magalogs***

Have you ever found writing 16 and 24-page magalogs a bit scary?
Well, guess what? You’re not alone. I used to. And superstar
copywriter Carline Anglade-Cole did too.

But like me, Carline overcame her fears. And today, Carline Cole
is the undisputed queen of long-format copywriting –
specializing in magalogs and tabloids for alternative health.

For a limited time only, she is offering to send you a 26-page
Special Report, “How to Write Tabloids, Magalogs and Other
Monster Promos,” in which she shares the secrets that have
helped her write so many million-dollar controls.

Regularly $39.95, the report is yours free when you click on the
link below now:

http://www.carlinecole.com/specialreport/registration.htm

——————————————————————-

***5 most important marketing metrics***

According to a Direct Marketing Association (DMA) study, the
most important metrics to measure – online and offline – are
sales, leads, revenues, response rates, and profits.

Among the least important: brand awareness and perception.

The study found that email and web sites had highest ROI. The
lowest ROI was mobile marketing.

Source: Levey, Richard, “Money Talks,” Direct, 10/07, pp. 27-28.

——————————————————————-

***Know where prospects are in their buying cycles***

According to Gary Elley of KeywordMarketer.com, you can tell
where your prospects are in the buying cycle by looking at the
key words they search.

“Those at the beginning of the buying cycle tend to search with
keywords and phrases that are one to three words long and
describe the niche in generic terms,” says Gary. These prospects
should be sent to pages giving them detailed product
information.

On the other hand, prospects nearer to making a purchase
decision search with more specific terms and phrases including
brand names, models, or product numbers. These prospects should
be sent to a page where they can order the product.

Source: The Marketing Minute, 11/14/07,
http://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm

——————————————————————-

***Create your first information product in just 60 minutes***

Want to get into information marketing, but are intimidated by
the idea of having to create a product?

Quickest and easiest product to start with: a 1-hour audio CD.

How to do it: interview a subject matter expert for an hour over
a conference line, then sell the recording as a CD, downloadable
MP3, or transcript.

Cost? An hour of your time, and none of your money – since you
can record it at no cost using this free conference line
service:

http://www.freeConferenceCall.com

——————————————————————-

***What a Nathan’s hot dog can teach you about marketing***

When Nathan Handwerker opened his first hot dog stand in Coney
Island, sales were slow, despite the price of a hot dog being
just a nickel.

Reason: the public believed rumors that hot dogs were made from
tainted beef, and stayed away.

Solution: Nathan hired good-looking young college men to stand
around his cart eating hot dogs. He had each student wear a
white lab coat and a stethoscope.

The public “ate it up.” They believed that these “customers”
were doctors, and if doctors were eating Nathan’s hot dogs, it
must be healthy. Sales skyrocketed.

To learn the full story on Nathan and the selling of hot dogs in
America and overseas, check out my new book “All American Frank:
A History of the Hot Dog” from PublishAmerica.

For more information or to order online, click here now:

http://tinyurl.com/32s9ul

——————————————————————-

***Super-size me***

Why do so many fast-food chains push their super-size meals?
Because larger sizes command higher prices. Yet the increase in
cost of goods is minimal, resulting in fatter profit margins.

Example: when Starbucks eliminated the 8-ounce size, the new
“small” — a 10-ounce cup — increased profits by 25% per cup.
Added cost of product? Only 2 cents per cup.

Source: Fast Company, 11/07, p. 40.

——————————————————————-

***Quotation of the month***

“Ignorance is no crime. To call somebody ignorant is no insult.
All of us are ignorant of most of what there is to know. If I
tell somebody who believes the world is 6,000 years old that is
he ignorant, I am paying him the compliment of assuming that he
is not stupid or insane.”
–Richard Dawkins

Source: Scientific American, 7/07, p. 89.

——————————————————————-

***A constant stream of fresh news and content for your Web
sites***

My former Web master, Peter DeCaro, has created an exciting new
technology designed to automatically and continually display
fresh relevant content on any of your Web sites.

Pete’s system gives you a continuous news feed to a window on
your site, so you are always giving visitors the latest news and
developments in your field. Not only does all that new content
generate loads of targeted traffic. But it also gives your
visitors a reason to return again and again.

All the content is continually uploaded to your site through the
system — without you having to write anything or do any work.
Best of all, there are no syndication “fees.” All the content is
yours free for the taking!

Click below to find out more:

http://www.rsskillerapp.com

——————————————————————-

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of landing
pages, white papers, direct mail packages, sales letters, e-mail
marketing campaigns, PR materials, feature articles, and Web
sites. We recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated
Copywriting Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and
the type of copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings,
etc.) and if Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll
tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————-

——————————————————————

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

December, 2007

——————————————————————

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————

***Who says advertising doesn’t work?***

There’s an old joke that goes: the proof that advertising works
is that millions of people think yogurt tastes good.

I think even better proof is that marketers have conned
consumers into spending $15 billion per year on bottled water
brands ? about a third of which use filtered tap water anyway.

Bottled water costs about a thousand times more per gallon than
tap water. Worse, bottled water often contains more bacteria and
impurities, because the EPA monitors municipal water systems
more stringently than the FDA regulates bottled water.

Yes, bottled water is conveniently portable. But why not just
buy a plastic bottle and fill it with cold water from the tap as
needed? Can anyone say “canteen”?

Source: “Water and Oil Shouldn’t Mix,” Ecoprint, 10/07, p. 3.

——————————————————————

***Make money as a marketing consultant***

You spend a lot of time and money studying marketing. You read
this e-zine, other e-newsletters, books, e-books, reports. You
attend tele-seminars, conferences, and boot camps.

Have you ever thought about parlaying your hard-won marketing
knowledge into a six-figure annual income as a freelance
marketing consultant?

Well, now you can. Just click below for details:

http://www.sixfiguremarketingconsultant.com/

——————————————————————

***Overcoming price resistance***

When selling against a lower-priced competitor, communicate the
price difference ? your extra cost ? in the smallest unit of
measure possible.

Example: You sell an annual service agreement covering home
appliances for $395, and a competitor charges $295.

Customers like you better, but are having trouble with your fee
being $100 higher.

What they don’t see is that $100 divided by 365 is only 27.4
cents a day.

You need to focus on that small price differential in your
selling.

Point out that they are getting superior service — and greater
peace of mind — for just 27 cents a day … “less than the price
of a first-class postage stamp.”

Source: The Selling Advantage, Special Issue, 10/6/07, p.2.

——————————————————————

***The 5 things we cannot change***

Author David Richo says the key to happiness is to accept
difficult realities, drop our resistance to them, and even
embrace them.

According to Richo, the 5 realities of life we must learn to
accept are that:

1?Everything changes and ends.

2?Things do not always go according to plan.

3?Life is not always fair.

4?Pain is a part of life.

5?People are not loving and loyal all the time.

Source: “Shambhala,” Autumn 2007, p. 2.

——————————————————————

***Can you really be a millionaire?***

My colleague, Internet marketing superstar Jim Straw, has
written a new mini-report on how you can become a millionaire ?
in one year or less.

Everything Jim writes on business success is worth reading, and
his new report is no exception. And it won’t cost you a penny,
because he is giving it away!

To claim your free report, just click here now:

http://tinyurl.com/2mkp8o

——————————————————————

***Mail a catalog, get an online order***

According to a recent study, catalog recipients are nearly twice
as likely to buy products online from a Web site as those who
are driven to the site by an online communication.

Your catalog customers typically buy one more item per visit to
your site than purely online customers, and also spend nearly
28% more per order.

Source: “Direct Mail Boosts Online Commerce,” MailPro, 10/07,
p.2.

——————————————————————

***This will make you see red***

For two-color direct mail packages, red is usually the best
choice for the second color.

The reason: a growing body of scientific literature on the
effects of color indicates that red is exciting for people ?
arousing ? while blue and green are calming.

Source: “Seeing Red,” AARP Magazine, 12/07, p. 103.

——————————————————————

***My final speaking engagement of 2007***

As I phase out public speaking from my life, I am doing just 2
more workshops, one next year and one this year.

For SIPA, the Specialized Information Publishers Association, I
will be giving a presentation on “17 Ways to Increase E-Mail
Marketing Click-Through Rates” in Miami, FL on 12/13/07. For
details and to register:

http://www.newsletters.org/Events/marketing_conf/2007/index.htm

——————————————————————

***Free “grammar-at-a-glance” guide***

Do you struggle with commas, apostrophes, and hyphens? Gary
Blake, who presents writing seminars across the United States,
offers a free mini-poster, “Punctuation at a Glance.”

The poster concisely describes 8 common punctuation marks and
the correct usage of each. The poster is extremely handy; I’ve
used it for years. For your free punctuation poster, just e-mail
your name and snail mail address to garyblake@aol.com.

——————————————————————

***Punny you should ask…***

I love puns, but my kids moan whenever I unleash a new one,
which means my puns are probably bad. So how do you write a good
pun?

According to my friend and fellow copywriter Don Hauptman, the
best puns are: (1) original, (2) ingenious, (3) natural and
meaningful rather than contrived (my sin) or labored, and of
course, (4) funny.

Example (one of Don’s): a combination artificial sweetener and
tranquilizer: Equal/Librium.

Source: Hauptman, Don, “When I Hear the Word ‘Culture,’ I Reach
for My Pun,” Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics,
May 2007.

——————————————————————

***Quotation of the month***

“Permission in e-mail marketing is important, but it might not
be enough. The relationship a mailer has with the recipient is
the critical factor in determining whether a message will be
considered spam or not. If a consumer doesn’t see value in the
message and if they don’t respect the relationship with the
mailer, they are more likely to report the message to their
service provider.”
–Charles Stiles, AOL

Source: DM News, 10/15/07, p. 13.

——————————————————————

***Free tele-seminar on how to make money writing catalog
copy***

Catalogs are currently one of the hottest segments in direct
response, generating annual sales of $145 billion. Yet very few
copywriters target this highly lucrative marketplace.

Jay White has spent the last decade quietly making a terrific
living writing catalog copy. In his new free tele-seminar, he
shows how you can, too:

http://tinyurl.com/2pntbb

——————————————————————

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of
direct mail, landing pages, and other promotions. We recommend
you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting Information
Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of copy you’re
interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if Bob is
available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package of
recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————

—————————————————————–

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

November, 2007

—————————————————————–

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

—————————————————————–

***What to charge for online copywriting***

“Estimating print is not difficult,” says copywriter Charles
Moore. “Obviously the web is an entirely different animal.”

He offers the following suggestions for pricing online
copywriting assignments:

–Site maps are needed before copy/content estimates can be
formulated. Essentially, you want as many site specifications as
you can possibly get before you start estimating.

–Establish the number of new pages needing original copy, and
the number of pages requiring editing of existing copy/content.
These will be estimated at different hourly rates.

–Be wary of non-copy-related tasks. For example, clients may
ask you for site architecture improvements. You can either
charge separately for this or set a limit with the client on how
much time you’ll spend on tasks that don’t directly relate to
copy.

–Unlike printed materials, web sites can be modified at any
time. Your quotes should specify: “Estimate subject to revision
as project parameters change” — a good idea on any project.

—————————————————————–

***5 secrets of successful high-tech marketing***

The tech marketing experts at Tatum Marketing have just
published a new special report, “5 Top Strategies of Successful
Technology Marketing.” Covers demand generation, lead nurturing,
testing, and other techniques proven to increase marketing
response by 80% or more. To download a FREE copy immediately,
click below now:

http://www.tatummarketing.com/5strategiesbly

—————————————————————–

***Does e-mail isolate you from other people?***

Yes, the results from a recent survey from Novations Group
imply.

Too much reliance on e-mail ? and having little face-to-face
time with employees ? was the #1 reason, cited by 35% of HR
executives who were asked, “Why does senior management have a
hard time connecting with employees?”

Action step: Don’t hide behind your PC. Pick up the phone and
talk with your clients. Take your key vendors or team out to
lunch.

Source: Training & Development, 9/07, p.17.

—————————————————————–

***What’s working in e-zine subject lines***

“Why do you change your subject line with each issue of your
e-zine?” a subscriber asked me the other day. “Shouldn’t the
subject line just be name and date of the issue? Otherwise,
won’t readers get confused?”

No, because the “from” line already tells them who’s sending it.
So your subject line doesn’t need to repeat that information.

You need a strong and intriguing subject line to catch interest,
because your subscribers are inundated with e-mail.

“October Newsletter may be in fact what you’re sending,” writes
Clint Smith in B-to-B. “But readers need something catchier to
know just what makes October so great.”

Source: Smith, Clint, “10 Things to Avoid in B-to-B
E-Newsletters,” BtoB’s E-Mail Marketing Insight Guide, p. 34.

—————————————————————–

***Retire in 18 months with a $200,000 a year annuity***

How would you like to retire in 18 to 24 months ? and never have
to work another day in your life if you don’t want to?

With a home-based Internet marketing business, you can earn
$250,000 a year “working” only 2-3 hours a week — writing and
selling simple information online.

For more information on my guaranteed Internet Marketing
Retirement Plan, click below now:

http://www.theinternetmarketingretirementplan.com

—————————————————————–

***It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it***

Direct marketing consultant Gary Hennerberg is a master at
boosting response rates through proper usage of semantics.

He’s famous for increasing sales of a mail order bakery 60% by
changing the name of their product from “fruitcake” to “native
Texas pecan cake.”

He’s also worked the same magic in insurance, by calling his
client’s product “financial protection” instead of “life
insurance.”

“No one wants to buy life insurance,” says Gary. “But they seem
to warm up to ‘financial protection.’ So that’s what I call it.”

Source: Gary Hennerberg, www.hennerberg.com

—————————————————————–

***How to prevent typos in your copy***

According to an article in Customer Service Advantage (10/5/07,
p. 4), spell-check fails to catch 7 out of 10 errors.

Therefore, you have to proofread your copy carefully. But that’s
difficult to do if you’ve already read the copy multiple times,
because your mind skips many words.

Solution: proofread your copy backward.

Why it works: the copy loses all meaning when read backward,
forcing you to notice each word more.

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“To me, a high-pressure salesman tries to make people buy. I
*let* them buy. I believe one of the most important determining
factors of a sale is: does the prospect like, trust, and believe
me. If I fail to develop these attitudes in a prospect, chances
are I’ve also failed to make a sale.”
–Joe Girard

Source: “How to Sell Anything to Anybody,” Simon & Schuster,
1977, p. 95.

—————————————————————–

***New “do it yourself” guide to copywriting***

Problem: small business owners need copy that sells. But when
they write their own copy ? or hire affordable newbie
copywriters ? they don?t get the results they want.

Sure, they could hire a top copy pro. But they can’t really
afford it. And there’s no guarantee the copy will work, so they
could be out thousands of dollars they can’t afford to lose.

Solution: in her new book, “Copywriting 101,” Allison Nazarian
teaches the craft of copywriting to small business owners,
entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants who want or need to
write their own copy.

Why it works: as the business owner, what you lack in
copywriting skill and experience you make up for, in part, by
superior knowledge of your market and your product. With
Allison’s guidance, patience, and time, you can learn to write
sales copy that will get the job done.

For more information or to order, click here:

http://www.profcs.com/app/?Clk=2150165

—————————————————————–

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of
direct mail, landing pages, and other promotions. We recommend
you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting Information
Kit. Just let us know your industry and the type of copy you’re
interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if Bob is
available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package of
recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

——————————————————————–

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

October, 2007

——————————————————————–

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

——————————————————————–

***Lessons from Wal-Mart***

With annual revenues of over $312 billion, Wal-Mart must be
doing something right.

Here are 3 rules for success formulated by founder Sam Walton:

1?Commit to your business. You have to believe in it more than
anybody else. You have to have passion. Love your work and do it
the best you can every day.

2?Exceed your customers’ expectations. Give them what they want.
Then give them a little more.

3?Control your expenses better than your competition. You can
survive a lot of mistakes if you’re efficient.

Source: “Words from Woody,” Fall 2007, p.1.

——————————————————————–

***Free tele-seminar***

The Information Marketing Association selected my little
Internet marketing business as one of 30 companies to profile in
their new book, “The Official Guide to Information Marketing,”
coauthored by Dan Kennedy, Bill Glazer, and Robert Skrob.

As a special bonus for my subscribers, Robert Skrob and I will
discuss why they chose CTC Publishing to profile ? giving you an
inside peak into how I went from zero online revenues to $4,500
a week in just 6 months ? working only 27 minutes a week.

Of course, it’s not all about me. We’ll also discuss other
info-marketers and how the business helps so many people get the
detailed how-to information they need:

Topic: Easy Steps to Building an Info-Marketing Business

Date: October 16, 2007

Time: 2:00 PM, Eastern/11:00 AM, Pacific

Call Info: Dial 512-597-6012 and enter pass code 726012#

Cost: Not a dime of your money and just an hour or so of your
time.

——————————————————————–

***Free e-zine gives tips for clear writing***

My friend, Gary Blake, has a monthly newsletter that you should
know about.

It’s called “Gary Blake’s Claims Writer’s Letter” … and although
it is aimed at helping improve writing throughout the insurance
industry, it can give any writer many valuable tips about
improving your writing in general.

Gary is my co-author on 10 books, including The Elements of
Business Writing and The Elements of Technical Writing, both
published by Pearson Education. His firm, The Communication
Workshop, offers on-site business and technical writing seminars
throughout North America.

To claim your free subscription, click below now:

http://www.writingworkshop.com/newslettersignup.htm

——————————————————————–

***Learn from the man who taught me direct response
copywriting***

In their September 2007 issue of Target Marketing, copywriter
Denny Hatch wrote a full-page review of the new e-book I edited,
“Milt Pierce’s Marketing Success Secrets.”

As Denny points out in his review, Milt Piece is a legendary
copywriter. He is perhaps best known for his “33 ways to save
time and money” letter, which was an unbeaten control for Good
Housekeeping for an unprecedented 25 years.

I took Milt’s copywriting course at New York University in the
early 1980s. The new e-book is a collection of Milt’s best
articles and sales letters ? including the full text of the Good
Housekeeping control.

“You will find dozens of useful ideas in ‘Milt Pierce’s
Marketing Success Secrets’ as well as have a very enjoyable
read,” says Denny. “At just $39, it’s a bargain.”

For more information or to order, click here now:

http://www.miltsmarketingsecrets.com

Source: “The Wisdom of Milt Pierce,” by Denny Hatch, Target
Marketing, 9/07, p. 66

——————————————————————–

***How to deal with unreasonably tight requests for rush jobs on
copy***

“When clients push me for rush delivery, I say, ‘What do you
want me to do? Change my business card to read: Copywriting
While You Wait?’” says copywriter Ivan Levison. “This always
gets a laugh.”

It also signals to the client, in a friendly and humorous –
rather than an adversarial — way that his request is not
reasonable … and he should give you more time.

Source: Ivan Levison, http://www.levison.com

——————————————————————–

***My last AWAI Boot Camp ever***

With the exception of one commitment already made to speak next
year, I am ending my public speaking career this year to focus
full-time on copywriting and Internet marketing.

One of my final speaking engagements will be at the AWAI Boot
Camp “Fast Track to Copywriting Success” in Delray Beach, FL
from October 10-13, 2007.

The event is nearly full, and AWAI has room for 10 more
attendees. To register before these slots are gone, click below
now:

http://www.awaionline.com/blybootcamp/

——————————————————————–

***Avoid this mistake in financial copywriting***

A financial promotion I read recently said: “This stock is going
to triple ? giving us a 300% gain!”

Only problem is: triple isn’t equal to 300%. It’s 200%.

To calculate the correct percentage, take the multiple, subtract
1, multiply by 100, and that is your gain.

Example: the stock triples, so the multiple is 3. Therefore, 3 ?
1 = 2 X 100 gives us the answer: the stock tripling equals a
200% gain.

——————————————————————–

***Why Madison Avenue ad agencies suck at selling***

A few years ago, superstar direct response copywriter Richard
Armstrong gave a speech explaining, once and for all, why direct
marketing is better than general, brand, or image advertising.

Even if you completely disagree with him, I think you’ll enjoy
hearing his speech. You can listen to it as an MP3 file by
clicking here now:

http://www.goddoesntshootcraps.com/creatives.mp3

——————————————————————–

***Don’t be an “affiliate pest”***

An “affiliate pest” is a newbie Internet marketer who thinks she
can convince a bigger Internet marketer to promote her product
as an affiliate by constantly calling, e-mailing, and otherwise
pestering him to get a commitment.

It’s OK to query and to follow-up in a reasonable manner. But
not every day. Even more important: don’t write a huffy e-mail
complaining “I haven’t heard from you” to the person you’re
trying to recruit as an affiliate.

Yes, all the big and even the medium-size (like me) Internet
marketers today are inundated with requests from people who want
us to promote their products to our lists.

But that means we’re busy. We have many other projects going. So
we can’t respond to requests for joint ventures as quickly as we
like.

Acknowledge this, and you have a chance. Pressure us, and we’ll
avoid you like the plague.

——————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Marketing on the Web is not about generic banner ads designed
to trick people with neon color or wacky movement. It is about
understanding the keywords and phrases that our buyers are using
and then deploying micro-campaigns to drive buyers to pages
replete with the content they seek. Great content brands an
organization as a trusted resource and calls people to action.”
–David Meerman Scott

Source: “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” (John Wiley & Sons),
p. 20.

——————————————————————–

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

——————————————————————–

Bob Bly
Copywriter
22 E. Quackenbush Avenue
Dumont, NJ 07628
phone 201-385-1220
fax 201-385-1138
www.bly.com

——————————————————————–

———————————————————–

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

September 2007

———————————————————–

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week. These are typically either free tips or
personal recommendations for information products on marketing
or related topics. I review products before recommending them
and in many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

———————————————————–

***Add your location when bidding on keywords***

If your service is one where customers would prefer to work with
a local vendor (e.g., cosmetic dentistry, PC repair), bid on key
phrases that include your location. Example: “Hard drive data
recovery Northern NJ.”

Why it pays off: there are fewer people bidding on this key
phrase than on the broader “Hard drive data recovery,” so you’ll
likely be able to pay less per click … and, you attract
prospects more inclined to hire you.

Tip: Make sure your physical address is prominent on your Web
site. Many service providers bid on local key phrases, and then
try to hide the fact that they are actually out of town.

———————————————————–

***Packaging information products for maximum profit***

The packaging of your information product has a huge effect on
perceived value, notes self-publishing guru Dan Poynter.

For a book, binder format has the highest perceived value. But
binder products are more expensive to produce, more difficult to
store, and harder to ship.

Publishing your book as a traditional “bookstore book” has more
prestige - people revere book authors - but the lowest perceived
value, because buyers compare its price with books sold in
bookstores.

Hardcover books, which can be printed with or without dust
jackets, have higher perceived value than paperbacks.

“Oddly enough” says Dan, “a hardcover without a dust jacket has
a higher perceived value than one with the dust jacket.”

Reason: books for professionals do not have dust jackets. Think
of the leather-bound volumes you see in the library or
conference room of any law firm.

E-books also have a higher perceived value than paperback books.
Because an e-book doesn’t look like a traditional book and has a
larger page size, buyers see it as a specialized report rather
than a regular book.

———————————————————–

***Distract buyers from thinking about your product’s high
price***

Ever notice how some car commercials avoid using the words
“dollars” or “thousands”?

Instead they say: “The car — fully loaded — is just twenty
four nine fifty.”

Next to your home and possibly a college education for your
kids, the most expensive product you buy is your car.

“This technique makes it sound like the car doesn’t cost any
money,” says mail order entrepreneur Bob Kalian. “It’s yours for
just a bunch of numbers.”

———————————————————–

***Free white paper: 12 rules for effective marketing
communications***

“12 Essential Rules for Effective Marketing Communications” is a
new free white paper written by David Fideler, Creative Director
of Concord Communications and Design.

“Design communicates your message in the most effective way,” he
writes. “Superior design is needed to cut through the clutter
and engage attention. But design must not overpower the content
- and it must not overpower the strategic purpose behind your
message.”

I think that’s right on target. Weak design makes the piece look
dull and fails to attract readership. But over-designed
marketing materials cause the reader to focus on the graphics
instead of the copy. To download a free copy of David’s white
paper, go to:

http://www.12-marketing-rules.com

———————————————————–

***Shipping costs are a problem for some online buyers***

According to a recent study from the U.S. Postal Service, 43% of
online buyers abandon their orders at checkout.

The most common reason, cited by 48% of those surveyed, was that
shipping was too expensive.

Two solutions suggested by the study:

1) Offer free shipping.

2) Give buyers a choice of delivery options (12% of consumers
said they will not buy from online companies that do not offer
multiple delivery options).

———————————————————–

***Bob Bly’s copywriting business for sale***

For a limited time only, I am selling unlimited rights to all of
the forms and other documents I use in my copywriting business.

You get over four dozen of my sales letters … contracts …
agreements … phone scripts … forms … and other materials
I’ve developed and tested — at a cost of more than $25,000.

These materials have helped me earn millions of dollars as a
freelance copywriter. And at a price of less than a dollar a
document, I’m practically giving the collection away. For more
information … or to order on a risk-free 90-day trial basis
… click here now:

http://www.copywritersforms.com

———————————————————–

***5 tips for profitable e-commerce***

1. The e-commerce business is built on repeat customers.

2. Don’t compete on price.

3. Make sure your Web inventory is 100%.

4. Centrally locate your distribution.

5. Be wary of so-called experts.

Source: DM News, 8/13/07, p. 4.

———————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Some criticism of advertising is justified. A lot of it is
awful, primarily because it doesn’t fulfill its intended
purpose: selling the product. It’s created by self-proclaimed
‘creative’ people solely - or so it often seems - to ‘entertain’
and to win industry awards and the plaudits of their peers.”
–Don Hauptman

Source: The New Individualist, 6/07

———————————————————–

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let me know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern@bly.com.

———————————————————–

Bob Bly
Copywriter/consultant
22 E. Quackenbush Ave.
Dumont, NJ 07628
phone 201-385-1220
fax 201-385-1138
rwbly@bly.com
www.bly.com

———————————————————–

———————————————————–

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing.

August 2007

———————————————————–

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients, prospects,
seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would prefer not to
receive further e-mails of this type, go to www.bly.com, enter
your e-mail address, and hit Unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue, usually
at the beginning of the month, plus one or two supplementary
messages each week, usually recommendations for information
products on marketing and related topics. I review each product
personally before endorsing them and in many cases know the
authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to
forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates you
think would benefit from its contents. They will thank you. So
will I.

———————————————————–

***Learn to handle customer complaints***

Next time you get a customer complaint, use the L.E.A.R.N.
formula to resolve it:

1–Listen ? Close your mouth and listen. Do not interrupt. Let
her blow off steam.

2–Empathize ? Put yourself in their shoes. Then let them know
that you understand their feelings.

3–Ask ? Ask them what they would like done.

4–Reassure ? Reassure them that you will do what you can to
resolve the problem.

5–Never forget to follow-up ? Pick a specific date for
resolution or when you will respond, and stick to it.

Source: National Appraisal Consultants,
http://www.AppraiserSuccess.com

———————————————————–

*** Generate free Web traffic by writing online articles***

One of the best ways to get free exposure for your copywriting
business is e-zine articles. Even if you don’t publish an e-zine
of your own, you can get your articles published in others.

The beauty of it is these articles have links back to your Web
site, bringing you boatloads of targeted traffic. And, online
publishers run them for free. You don’t pay for advertising ?
your cost is zero cents per click!

Now you can discover the secrets of writing e-zine articles that
work for you like a dedicated 24/7 salesman though the
home-study course “Article Secrets Revealed” by Lisa Sparks.
It’s filled with specific, step-by-step instructions on how to
profit from writing and distributing online articles. I found it
extremely useful, even though I’m fairly experienced and having
written hundreds of articles.

For more information or to order, click below:

http://tinyurl.com/3ycmx4

———————————————————–

***How to back up sales arguments with statistics***

The great thing about statistics is that, no matter what the
statistic is, you can manipulate it to prove the point you want
to make in your copy.

Example: Harry & David say “not one person in a thousand has
ever tasted our Royal Riviera pears.”

This conveys the impression that you are buying a rare and
exotic fruit. But another way to interpret the statistic is that
hardly anyone orders these pears!

McDonald’s always took the opposite approach: “More than XX
billion sold!” The implication is that it must be a good burger,
because everyone eats them. The same logic is used in book
advertising: “New York Times best-seller!”

———————————————————–

***Free e-zine on white paper marketing***

Want to learn about white paper writing and marketing? My friend
and colleague Michael Stelzner is one of the leading experts on
writing and marketing white papers. He has an excellent monthly
newsletter that I strongly suggest you subscribe to. Michael
has agreed to provide a sample chapter from his new book to
everyone who subscribes this week. Go to:

http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/newsletter.html

———————————————————–

***Tips for using numbers in your copy***

When you want to make a number seem large, use the biggest unit
of measure available to describe it ? e.g., “a quarter of a
century” sounds like a longer time than 25 years.

Conversely, when you want to make a number seem smaller, use the
smallest unit of measure to describe it ? e.g., “takes just 60
minutes” sounds faster than “takes an hour.”

———————————————————–

***Are you missing the opportunity to upsell online?***

A common mistake in Internet marketing is not attempting to
upsell buyers during their online purchase transactions.

Example: I have an e-book “The World’s Best-Kept Copywriting
Secrets” that sells for $39.

It sold so well, I released a sequel, Volume II, also priced at
$39.

On the landing page for Volume II, I added a P.P.S. allowing the
reader to buy both volumes together at a bundled price of $55, a
savings of $23 off the list price of $78.

Result: more than half the buyers took both volumes at the
bundled price, and 62.5% of the revenues were generated by the
bundled offer.

To see how this works, take a look at the P.P.S. in this letter,
and click on the Order button to see how we handle it in our
shopping cart:

http://www.morecopywritingsecrets.com

———————————————————–

***5 secrets to success***

1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think
success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals. Write down your
specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be
afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books. Get
training and acquire skills.

5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a
sprint. Never give up.

Source: Investor’s Business Daily, 7/24/07, p. 8.

———————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Time is the most precious commodity. Time is more valuable than
money. How effectively you manage your time will have far more
impact on your success than any amount of money.”
–Mark Cuban

Source: Selling Power, 5/07, p. 61.

———————————————————–

***60-second commercial from Fern Dickey, Project Manager***

Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting of direct
mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers, ads,
e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, and Web pages. We
recommend you call for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let us know your industry and the type of
copy you’re interested in seeing (ads, mailings, etc.), and if
Bob is available to take your assignment, we’ll tailor a package
of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Fern Dickey at
201-797-8105 or e-mail fern1128@optonline.net.

———————————————————–

Bob Bly
Copywriter/consultant
22 E. Quackenbush Ave.
Dumont, NJ 07628
phone 201-385-1220
fax 201-385-1138
rwbly@bly.com
www.bly.com

———————————————————–

———————————————————–

Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct
marketing.

July 2007

———————————————————–

You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on
www.bly.com or because you are one of Bob’s clients,
prospects, seminar attendees, or book buyers. If you would
prefer not to receive further e-mails of this type, go to
www.bly.com, enter your e-mail address, and hit
Unsubscribe.

Your subscription brings you one regular monthly issue,
usually at the beginning of the month, plus one or two
supplementary messages each week, usually recommendations
for information products on marketing and related topics. I
review each product personally before endorsing them and in
many cases know the authors.

We do not rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free
to forward this issue to any peers, friends and associates
you think would benefit from its contents. They will thank
you. So will I.

———————————————————–

***”Key word continuity” increases online conversion
rates***

Key word continuity simply means making sure that the main
key word or phrase used in the headline of your online ad ?
or in the subject line of your e-mail ? also appears on the
headline of the landing page the ad or e-mail hyperlinks
to.

Why is this important? It assures the reader that his click
has brought him to the correct landing page ? one that
features the same product or offer that enticed him to
click through in the first place.

Worst mistake you can make