Bly.com Newsletter Archives

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Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response to
business-to-business, high-tech, and direct marketing.
April 1, 2013

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

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***What to put in your “welcome” e-mail***

The “welcome” e-mail is the first e-mail your new subscribers
get when they opt into your e-list. Here are some of the items
a welcome e-mail can include:

** Thanking the subscriber for the trust they’re giving you.

** Offering an incentive to make a purchase.

** Setting expectations for the value and frequency of your
communications.

** Educating the subscriber on the depth of your product
catalog.

** Requesting information to help you improve the
relevance of future e-mail communications.

** Informing the subscriber of your privacy policy.

** Instructing the subscriber on how to “whitelist” your
domain.

** Promoting other social channels such as a blog, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook.

Source: Today @ Target Marketing, 3/4/13.

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***What’s worth more—ideas or actions?***

Google AdWords wizard Perry Marshall says that one difference
between real entrepreneurs and wannabes is that wannabes obsess
about ideas while entrepreneurs obsess about implementation.

He also says that wannabes shield their precious ideas from
harsh reality, postponing the verdict of success or failure
until “some day.” Entrepreneurs expose their ideas to harsh
scrutiny as soon as reasonably possible.

The late Isaac Asimov said readers would constantly approach him
with ideas for science fiction stories. They suggested that he
could write the story and then they could split the fee.

“I have a better idea,” Asimov always replied. “I’ll give YOU an
idea, you write the story, and give me half the fee.” No one
ever took him up on this offer.

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***Posting online video on your web site***

I asked Internet guru Terry Dean whether online video should run
automatically when the visitor clicks on the page or require the
visitor to click to start up the video.

“The answer to your question is it depends on where the visitors
are coming from; I would even check the time they’re visiting,”
replied Terry.

His advice: The more likely the visitors are at home, the more
likely you want the video to autoplay. The more likely they’re
in an office, the less you want it to autoplay.

In most b2b applications, click to play wins. In most b2c
applications, autoplay wins. “That’s a general rule of course,”
he adds.

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***How to write for Twitter***

Here are the top 25 Twitter abbreviations according to
Internet@Suite 101:

* AFAIK – as far as I know

* b/c, bcz or cuz – because

* BFN – bye for now

* EM – email

* fav/fave – favorite

* FB – Facebook

* FML – … my life (the first word most often interpreted as a
four-letter one)

* FTF or F2F – face to face

* FWD – forward

* GN – good night

* HT – hat tip

* HTH – hope that helps

* IIRC – if I remember correctly

* IRL – in real life

* J/K – just kidding

* LI – LinkedIn

* NP – no problem

* OH – overheard

* TY – thank you

* TYVM – thank you very much

* YW – you’re welcome

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***How to package your content***

Roger C. Parker suggests using the following types of
information for content marketing:

1—Information on buying … example: “10 Things to Look for When
Shopping for Floor Covering.”

2—Questions to ask … “6 Questions to Ask When Refinancing Your
Home.”

3—Mistakes to avoid … “Top 10 Mistakes Made by First-Time Book
Authors.”

4—Symptoms … “7 Signs of Job Burnout.”

5—Strategies … “6 Steps to Permanent Weight Loss.”

6—Definitions … “8 Important E-Commerce Terms.”

7—Best practices … “10 Keys to Sustained Growth.”

Source: Content Marketing Institute, 2/22/13.

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***7 things today’s businesspeople need to succeed***

1–Create strategies with a global context. Even many
solopreneurs now operate globally.

2–Know when affordability trumps innovation. In many markets,
users don’t care about innovation; they care about basic,
affordable functionality.

3– Be more adept at building relationships than filing lawsuits.
Businesses need to lose the crutch of legal systems to ensure
contractual commitments are met.

4–Become fascinated with world events. What happens in Asia,
Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Australia affects America.

5–Learn what motivates employees. Motivating employees will be
key to the productivity gains necessary to compete with rivals
operating with lower costs.

6–Embrace new bottom lines. Managers in the 21st century will
need to become super motivators who drive productivity and
innovation, create competitive products, and generate more sales
and increased profits.

7–Maintain a strong moral compass. This will be essential to
building trust and relationships, the business “currency” in many
countries.

Source: News and Experts, 3/4/13.

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***Tips for optimizing mobile landing pages***

>> Make sure your site is compatible with tilted screens and can
be read in either landscape or portrait view.

>> Don’t make users pinch and zoom to bring your page into focus.

>> On mobile screens it’s easy for content to appear cluttered,
so keep your copy concise.

>> Make it fast; 82% of mobile users expect a web page to load
within 5 seconds.

>> Use a click-to-call button; 61% of mobile users call after a
local business search.

Source: econsultancy.com

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***Quotation of the month***

“My deep, dark secret of success in this life: you can have
anything you want. Anything! All you have to do is go and get
it. All you can have in this life is what you grab and hold onto
with both hands. But you got to go and do!” –Harlan Ellison

Source: Harlan Ellison, “The Harlan Ellison Hornbook” (Penzler
Books), p. 165.

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***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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, landing pages, etc.) and
if Bob is available to take on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

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

March 4, 2013

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***10 tips for writing content Google will love***

Copyblogger.com offers these 10 suggestions for writing strong
content that gets marketing results online:

1. Care — deeply — about the quality of your writing, and about
your audience.

2. Go deep with original research.

3. Share a never-before-seen interview.

4. Avoid redundant, duplicated, or stolen content.

5. Build so much trust with your audience that people would be
happy to hand over their credit card.

6. Build your authority — and your site’s authority.

7. Write for humans — not machines.

8. Create something nobody has ever seen before.

9. Remain balanced and worthy of your audience’s trust.

10. Cover a topic comprehensively (don’t aim for an arbitrary
word count and stop once you reach it).

According to Marketingprofs.com, some of the types of content
Google likes include interviews, lists, surveys, polls, reviews, news,
case studies, predictions, humor, and contests.

Source: www.copyblogger.com, 2/18/13.

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***Are you really a business, marketing, or content
strategist?***

Writing on LinkedIn, Jeff Haden asserts that a lot of people who
sell themselves as strategists really aren’t. Says Haden: “I
sometimes help manufacturing plants improve productivity and
quality. There are strategies I use to identify areas for
improvement but I’m in no way a strategist. I don’t create
something new; I apply my experience and a few proven
methodologies to make improvements.”

Strategists look at the present, envision something new, and
develop approaches to make their vision a reality. “Very few
people are strategists,” says Haden. “Most ‘strategists’ are
actually coaches, specialists, or consultants who use what they
know to help others.” He adds the good news that 99% of the time
that’s what customers need – they don’t need or even want a
strategist.

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***The value of listening***

An old man was going deaf. He got a hearing aid that enabled him
to hear much better.

When he went for his checkup in a month, his audiologist said,
“Your hearing is great. Your family must be happy you can hear
again.”

The old man replied: “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just
sit around and listen to them talking. I’ve already changed my
will 3 times!”

Source: American Dreamer, Vol. III, No. 2.

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***5 reasons why people fail***

1—Uninspiring goals … make the goal the feeling you will get
when you achieve the thing rather than the thing itself.

2—Fear of failure … if you’re afraid of failing, you won’t take
the necessary risks required to achieve your goal.

3—Fear of success … you are worried that even if you achieve
something spectacular, like enormous wealth, it still won’t make
you happy.

4—An unrealistic timetable … most people overestimate what they
can do in a week and underestimate what they can do in a year.

5—Worrying about getting stuck … a plateau is almost always a
sign that you’re on the brink of a major breakthrough. Have
patience!

Source: The Ziglar Weekly Newsletter, 2/13/13.

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***Hire a coach – not***

Internet marketing expert Terry Dean lists 5 situations in which
you should not hire a coach:

1—You only want a “yes” person to put a stamp of approval on
your project.

2—You refuse to track your stats and results or install Google
Analytics.

3—You’re not open to new ideas.

4—You want someone to do the work for you. “Coaches don’t do the
work for you,” says Terry. “They guide you.”

5—You simply can’t afford it. Don’t spend the rent money.

Source: Terry Dean e-newsletter, 2/14/13.

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***A top PR coach you can “hire” for one dollar***

Paul Hartunian, a top public relations guru, dispenses PR advice
to subscribers online. As a member, you get tips on how you can
get free publicity for your business, regardless of what
business you’re in.

If you aren’t a member, you can join for just $1 for a trial
membership and get everything a full member gets, including the
coaching call recordings, downloads, and more. Just go to the
link below, click on the LogIn button, and sign up for the $1
trial offer:

www.PublicityMadeEasy.com

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***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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, landing pages, etc.) and
if Bob is available to take on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 4, 2013

—————————————————————–

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 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 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 put on your home page***

Have you ever come across a home page littered with copy? Or, on
the opposite spectrum, a home page with barely any content at
all? Think of your home page as the gateway to your business.
This is your chance to make a first impression and convey what
you’re all about.

Your content should be enough to clarify who you are, what you
do, where you’re located (if you are local), your value
proposition, and what to do next. Users should leave satisfied,
not over- or underwhelmed, and certainly not confused.

Source: White paper, “17 SEO Myths You Should Leave Behind in
2013,” HubSpot.

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***5 tips for marketing with free webinars***

Here are the 5 qualities of a successful webinar marketing
program:

1—Intrinsic value – your free webinar offers such valuable
content that people would gladly pay for it if they have to.

2—Strategic alignment – the entire webinar is designed to
produce a specific action on the part of the prospect.

3—Topical precision – specific and well-targeted webinar content
helps attract quality leads and improve response rates.

4—Customer intelligence – take advantage of registration,
polling, questions, surveys, and other data collection
opportunities.

5—Conversational presenter – adopt a conversational style
between the moderator and the speaker.

Source: 1080 Group white paper, “Content Marketing with Webinar
Programs.”

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***Should you write a business book?***

Writing a how-to business book has become a recognized tool for
business professionals marketing and branding themselves and
their companies.

Reason: It helps them establish their expertise while sharing useful
information appreciated by readers. Plus, it can introduce them to
a vast new audience of potential customers.

Today, more than 11,000 business books alone are published
each year – and that doesn’t include self-published e-books,
according to the authors of “The 100 Best Business Books
of All Time.”

“Whether you’re using your book to generate media, speaking
opportunities or new customers, it is the most powerful
marketing tool in your arsenal,” says Adam Witty, CEO
of Advantage Media Group, an international publisher.

When you consider that the average book sells less than 2,000
copies, getting rich off of book sales becomes a far away fantasy.
But if you use your book to get a feature in your industry trade
journal, what is that worth? If your typical customer is worth
$5,000, and you use your book to attract and generate new leads
into your business, how much more valuable does your book become?

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***5 tested ways to get more famous online***

1–Assert expertise in your niche … Use content to position and
prove yourself as an authority. Give your ideas names and
labels, and present formulas alongside empirical evidence. This
approach has far more impact than simply spouting your opinion.

2–Develop a valuable free product … Offer valuable free content
as an incentive for people to opt into your e-list. First
discover what’s keeping your audience up at night, then provide
a detailed solution packaged in an e-book, special report, or
white paper.

3–Create a popular blog … Focus on your topic, express your
personality, and use it as a base to communicate your unique
perspective.

4–Interview an expert … This proven technique lets you tap
into the audience of an influencer (and cheekily position yourself
with them). Post the interview on your blog or site.

5–Guest blog … If you write articulate, interesting, and unique
guest posts for relevant blogs, you can tap into a whole new
audience. It’s the quickest way to get known by more people.

Source: www.copyblogger.com, 1/16/13.

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***Free “18 marketing strategies” booklet***

Business expert Graham McGregor has a brand new booklet, and
he is willing to give a copy to my subscribers, including you.

It’s called “The Little Blue Book of Marketing Magic” and
contains a short summary of 18 of the marketing strategies from
his popular “Unfair Business Advantage Report.”

You can download a free copy of Graham’s new booklet – and like
all his stuff, it’s well worth reading – here (no registration required):

http://www.bly.com/LittleBlueBook

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***Use text at the top of your e-mails***

If you send HTML e-mails, use real text, not graphics, at the
top of your e- mails.

Reason: a graphic-heavy e-mail will appear blank until the
subscriber has selected to download the graphics. Real text in
the message remains visible even in HTML.

Source: “10 Rules: Successful Email Marketing,” iContact White
Paper.

Another e-mail tip: When I put a link to the landing page within
the first 2 paragraphs of my e-mail copy, click-through rates
increase substantially.

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***What’s in a name?***

Dolphinfish tastes good, but people weren’t ordering it because
they thought it was dolphin (it isn’t; it’s a fish). The
solution? The restaurant industry changed the name of the fish
on menus to mahi mahi.

Other foods have similarly been handicapped with unappealing
names. Canola oil used to be known as rapeseed oil. The name of
another fish, the slimehead, was changed to the more appetizing
orange roughy.

Source: The Pohly Company

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***Have more fun at work***

A subscriber recently wrote to tell me he wished to find a job
he could love but didn’t know how to go about it.

If you’re in that situation, I recommend my latest book Start
Your Own Home Business After 50: How to Survive, Thrive, and
Earn the Income You Deserve (Linden Publishing). As the title
communicates, it is a guide to starting your own home business
for men and women 50 and older.

Scheduled for May publication, the book may be pre-ordered on
Amazon at a 32% pre-publication discount. Click here for more
information or to order:

http://www.bly.com/HomeBizAfter50

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***Quotation of the month***

“What the world needs is more people who feel true enthusiasm
for their work … people who have taken the time to think out
what they uniquely can do and have to offer the world.”
–Richard Bolles

—————————————————————–

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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, landing pages, etc.) and
if Bob is available to take on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 3, 2013

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***How to do keyword research***

Using keyword research tools like the Google Keyword Adwords Tool
to check out the popularity of your keywords. How many
times do people search on each of your terms, in comparison to
other search terms? You want to target keywords that attract
lots of monthly searches (at least 100,000 for global topics).
Lots of searches mean that your topic is in high demand, and
that people need information on that subject.

Next, take a look at how much competition you’re facing for
each of your keywords. How many pages of web content
(and how many websites) are specifically targeting your
keyword? Are there large numbers of people actively trying
to rank for that term? If so, you will have a harder time ranking
well for that keyword. A perfect keyword is one that has lots
of searches (high popularity) and very few people actively
trying to rank for it (low competition.)

Source: Copyblogger 12/13/12.

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***The social media time suck***

Social Media Examiner founder, Michael Stelzner, in his “2012
Social Media Marketing Industry Report”, surveyed over 3,300
marketers’ social media practices and found that 59% of
marketers are using social media for 6 hours or more each week,
while more than 33% use it 11 or more hours per week.

Further, according to Techlunatic.com, recent studies have shown
that businesses must commit at least 6 hours per week to social
media marketing if it is going to have any positive impact at
all … something not easy for some small business owners to do.

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***Best fonts for landing pages***

Some fonts are better on the screen than others. Try Georgia or
Cambria for serif fonts. For sans serif, use Tahoma, Verdana,
and Geneva. Remember, serif fonts have little extensions on the
ends of the letters; sans serif fonts don’t.

Source: Mequoda Daily, 11/27/12.

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***Don’t join networking groups***

The best places to network are groups whose members are
marketing professionals. For instance, I am a member of the
Business Marketing Association, a group catering to B2B
marketing professionals.

The worst places to network are these groups formed specifically
for networking purposes and that attract local business owners,
usually one-person businesses.

“Don’t join a networking group full of financial planners, HVAC
guys, and chiropractors,” correctly warns subscriber MC. “You
will get leads to other tiny businesses with no money – and no
sense of the value of creative services.”

—————————————————————–

***Take a break from your worries***

If you’re like me, you have some big ongoing problems you deal
with. Speaker Brian Tracy says the best way to cope – is to
forget about it!

“If you are involved in a difficult relationship, or situation
at work that is emotionally draining, discipline yourself to
take a complete break from it at least one day per week,” says
Tracy. “Put the concern out of your mind.

“Refuse to think about it. Don’t continually discuss it, make
telephone calls about it or mull it over in your mind. You
cannot perform at your best mentally if you are emotionally
preoccupied with a person or situation. You have to give
yourself a break.”

Source: 11/30/12 e-mail from Brian Tracy.

—————————————————————–

***Mobile marketing tips***

Consultant Wendy Montes de Oca says web sites designed for
display on mobile devices should be fast and user friendly.

Being fast, according to de Oca, means having a site that loads
in around 5 seconds or less. Being user friendly means having
large buttons, easy search capabilities, and limited scrolling.

Consider having responsive templates that adjust accordingly
based on the user’s device, albeit template, desktop, or mobile
phone. Offer ready access to company information such as
easy-to-find business directions, contact numbers, product and
purchasing information.

Even better: add a click-to-call access button to contact a
customer service rep to take an order via the phone as well as
an option for users to visit a non-mobile site.

Source: Precision Marketing eNewsletter, 12/11/12.

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***Quotation of the month***

“There are, of course, people who consider themselves happy
because they are successful: healthy and rich, lacking nothing,
respected by their neighbors. Such people might believe that
their life is what happiness is. But this is merely
self-deception; and even they, from time to time at least,
realize the truth. And the truth is that they are failures like
the rest of us.” –Leszek Kolakowski

Source: New York Review of Books, 12/20/12.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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, landing pages, etc.) and
if Bob is available to take on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 3, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Getting more mileage out of LinkedIn***

1—Make your profile easier to share and remember with a LinkedIn
“vanity URL.” Example: www.linkedin.com/in/joesmith

2—Customize the anchor text on the links to your web site and
blog. For instance, instead of “blog,” say “Stock Investing
Blog.” Each profile can display up to 3 web site links and they
can be customized.

3—Optimize your profile for search engines by adding keywords to
various sections such as the headline or summary.

4—Use the SlideShare application to allow LinkedIn users to view
PowerPoints of your key presentations.

5—Add an icon known as a Profile Badge to your web site; it is
hyperlinked to your public LinkedIn profile.

Source: http://blog.hubspot.com

—————————————————————–

***Web site color design tips***

>> Use a limited color palette. Choose and use two main colors
in additional to black. Use these colors consistently throughout
every page of your site.

>> If you use your two main colors consistently, you can
occasionally draw attention with an accent color that stands out
from this limited palette – for instance, on a button you’d like
visitors to click. See the red push pin in the upper right
corner of the www.bly.com home page as an example.

Source: Copyblogger, 11/14/12.

—————————————————————–

***Turning webinar non-attendees into leads***

Don’t neglect the folks who register for your webinar and then
do not attend. Although not everyone who registers will be able
to attend your webinar, anyone who registers is probably
interested in your topic.

Follow up diligently with all. Send attendees a “thank you for
attending” note; send those who didn’t a “sorry we missed you”
note and encourage them to access the webinar on-demand by
sending a link to the archived content. The on-demand period can
generate 40 percent or more of your total attendees, so don’t
take it for granted.

Source: Target Marketing e-mail, 11/21/12.

—————————————————————–

***Getting leads from Facebook***

What kind of conversion can take place on Facebook? Fan
acquisition is most common, or asking a user to “like” your
brand. Ads with conversion events that stay within the platform
perform better than landing pages outside of Facebook.

Example: Details magazine used Facebook ads to promote a contest
for a trip to NYC. They had a dedicated Facebook landing page
for their “Homerun Sweepstakes” that required you “like” their
brand page before you could enter.

Source: Social Ads white paper, Trada, p.1.

—————————————————————–

***Best sentence length for copy***

“Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs in
writing copy,” advises master copywriter Ted Nicholas. Keep 75%
of words 5 letters or less. Sentences should average 8 to 17
words. Paragraphs should have no more than 5 sentences. But vary
the length, says Nicholas. Otherwise your copy will seem
repetitive and boring.

Source: 87 Marketing Secrets of the Written Word, p. 7.

—————————————————————–

***Avoid humor in global communications***

When dealing with foreign partners, “keep the message clear,
conservative and on the mark,” said Amy Frey of ATC
International. She recalled a time she received foreign business
partners in America on Halloween and decided to conduct the
meeting in costume to introduce them to the American tradition.
The foreigners, she said, didn’t quite understand her gesture.

Source: SIPAlert Daily, 11/8/12

—————————————————————–

***The 6-letter word that doubled sales***

A copywriter working for a shampoo company wrote on the bottle:
“Lather. Rinse. Repeat.”

By adding the word “repeat,” he effectively doubled product
consumption and sales.

—————————————————————–

***Overcoming price resistance***

To overcome “sticker shock,” quote the price in more palatable
terms. If your price sounds too high, rephrase so it sounds less
costly.

Instead of $60, offer three easy monthly payments of $19.95
each. Instead of $100, sell it for $99.95. Instead of $22, make
it $19 plus $3 shipping and handling. Instead of $1,000, make it
$500 upon order and $500 upon delivery.

—————————————————————–

***Accepting someone’s business card***

Ask everyone you meet for their business card, advises an
article in The Successful Practice. When they give it to you,
look at it. A business card is an extension of the person.
Handle theirs with respect.

Let them see you put it in your wallet. Ask for a second card to
pass along to someone who might be interested in their product
or service. Then do so.

—————————————————————–

***Why I don’t multi-task***

“Multi-tasking” — doing two or more things at once — means
you’re not giving any one task your full concentration.

Don’t, for example, read mail while talking to a prospect over
the phone.

Philosopher Umon sums it up this way: “When walking just walk,
when sitting just sit.” Poet May Sarton adds: “Do each thing
with absolute concentration.”

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so
powerful as hope. With hope, one can think, one can work, one
can dream. If you have hope, you have everything.” –Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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, landing pages, etc.) and if
Bob is available to take on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 12, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Please help me write my next book***

For a book I am writing on persuasive language, I’d love to
learn any phrases or words you use in your copy that you think
are particularly effective. You can e-mail me at rwbly@bly.com.
Thanks!

—————————————————————–

***5 ways to spam-proof your e-mail messages***

>> Check the e-mail for wording or content that will trigger
spam filters.

>>Identify any content issues that affect your reputation.

>> Check that links are working and confirm that the links are
not on any blacklists.

>> Determine if there are spelling or HTML errors.

>> Perform seed list tests before sending out the campaign to
ensure there are no issues affecting deliverability.

Source: Ten Steps to Effective E-Mail Marketing, Aprimo white
paper.

—————————————————————–

***What price should affiliate products sell for?***

Which of your products are affiliates likely to be interested in
promotion? “Make sure you know which are your best-selling and
most universally appealing products,” writes my colleague Wendy
Montes de Oca. “Those are the ones you’d want to have in your
affiliate program.”

According to Wendy, you should also have varied price points.
You don’t want to pick prices too low as, after the affiliate
split, there won’t be anything left for your own profit. And you
don’t want to pick prices too high, as most of these leads are
cold, it will be a harder sell. A good range is generally $69 to
$300, depending on the product and benefits.

Source: Target Marketing, 10/22/12.

—————————————————————–

***6 SEO copywriting rules***

1—Write in a voice that your readers will engage and appreciate.

2—Provide useful information.

3—Know the keywords customers are searching to find your product.

4—Create unique, clickable titles and meta descriptions.

5—Stress benefits in your copy.

6—Use keywords in your web pages – but not so many that it hurts
your copy’s readability.

Source: Heather Lloyd-Martin, Target Marketing, 10/12, p. 51.

—————————————————————–

***Simplify your shopping cart to prevent abandonment***

According to Forrester Research, 55% of consumers who fill a
shopping cart abandon it without ordering the product.

One way to solve the problem: have no functionality or
navigation in your cart other than “order now.”

“The shopping experience can be confusing to the buyer if
different calls-to-action, buttons, and selection options are
presented,” reports Bronto, an e-commerce solutions provider.

Source: From Abandon to Conversion, Bronto White Paper.

—————————————————————–

***5 ways to improve e-mail deliverability***

>>Never send commercial e-mail to customers who haven’t
specifically consented to receive it.

>>Keep e-mail volume low; throttle the flow of e-mail
communications sent.

>>Optimize your e-mails for mobiles – of the 70 million U.S.
consumers who access e-mail on their mobiles, 43% do so 4 or
more times per day.

>>Test e-mail deliverability across a variety of e-mail
providers including Yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail.

>> Avoid using words and phrases that activate spam filters;
e.g. “free offer” or “buy now.”

Source: DM News Email Marketing Guide 2012, 10/12, p. 10.

—————————————————————–

***Rules for direct response TV (DRTV) success***

1-Make empirical, not emotional, decisions. Base them on hard
facts.

2—Don’t wait for a campaign to weaken. Test offer, creative, and
media from the very beginning. There’s always room for
improvement.

3—Creative drives response. Response builds brand. Media builds
brand awareness.

4—Treat DRTV and the Internet as a single channel. The Internet
adds efficiencies to DRTV, and DRTV adds scale to the Internet.

Source: Lockard & Wechsler Direct

—————————————————————–

***Repeat storm warning for PC users***

If you use a gasoline generator when your power goes out, do NOT
hook up your PC to it.

Gasoline generators produce “dirty” power, meaning it fluctuates
in voltage to a level unacceptable to a PC’s sensitive circuitry.

If you lose power during a storm or for any other reason, do not
under any circumstance connect your computer to your back-up
gasoline generator. You risk destruction of your PC and loss of
all your data.

—————————————————————–

***Invent your own words***

Want to make your product stand out? Invent a new term to
describe it.

Consumer example: Miller Brewing advertising its beer as “cold
filtered.”

Business example: Mike Hammer called his approach to business
improvement “re-engineering.”

Advantage: if people accept the term and it gain popular usage,
you own it.

Disadvantage: new terms don’t always catch on, and if they
don’t, they may not be clearly understood (i.e., what is
re-engineering, exactly)?

Source: The Copywriter’s Roundtable.

—————————————————————–

***How to increase renewal rates in a recession***

During a recession, renewal rates plunge for subscription-based
services, especially high-priced annual contracts.

To solve this problem, Dataprise, a technology company serving
small and midsized businesses, offered clients a monthly
contract option.

Result: renewal rates climbed to 95% and new business increased
25%.

Action step: if your product or service is sold on an annual
fee, test quarterly or monthly subscription options.

Source: BusinessWeek SmallBiz.

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

”Life is unfair. Some people are sick. Some people are well.”
–John F. Kennedy

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 1, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Techniques for success***

>> Regularly discuss issues of substance with your peers at
other organizations.

>> Take control of your time and interruptions.

>> If others are successful at what you are trying to do, figure
out what they are doing that works and start doing it.

>> The more you focus on your objectives and priorities, the
more you will accomplish.

>> The most satisfying business opportunities are found at the
intersection of your passion and a legitimate market need that
is large enough to support your ambitions.

>> Don’t place too much emphasis on “best” when “better” may be
all that is needed.

Source: The Richards Report, 10/12, pp. 1-2.

—————————————————————–

***Tips for creating profitable infomercials***

1—Tell more and sell more … the most successful infomercials
embody the basic premise of “the more you tell, the more you
sell.”

2 – Solve a problem … the bigger the problem your product can
solve the higher your return on investment.

3—Demonstrate the product and describe it in detail … educate,
excite, earn trust, and entice.

4—Create a story around your product … in a way that develops a
strong emotional tie with viewers.

5—Create a sense of urgency to buy … use such techniques as
quick-response bonuses, two for one, and free gift with purchase.

Source: Timothy Hawthorne, Response Magazine, 9/12, p. 56.

—————————————————————–

***Old-fashioned response mechanism still works***

Don’t get swept away by personalized URLs and QR codes.
Telephone numbers are still an effective response mechanism, so
include 800 numbers on your marketing materials. 70 million
Americans have purchased products over the phone. Six out of
seven customers prefer to buy from firms that have an 800 number.

Source: Avrick Direct, 9/25/12.

—————————————————————–

***The Silver Rules of business success***

From Internet marketing pioneer Yanik Silver come these 3
“Silver Rules” of business success:

>> Focus most of your time on your core strengths and less time
working in areas in which you are weak.

>> Get paid before you deliver your product or service – and when
possible figure how to create recurring revenue from
transactions.

>> Bootstrap – start your business on a shoestring. Reason:
having too much capital leads to incredible waste and doing
things using conventional means.

www.yaniksilver.com

—————————————————————–

***Free B2B marketing webinar***

If you’re a business-to-business marketer … or a copywriter who
writes for B2B clients … I urge you to attend my free webinar,
Multichannel Marketing for Business-to-Business.

In this idea-packed program, you’ll not only discover how to
effectively integrate direct mail and e-mail marketing. You’ll
also learn how you can use the ever-growing arsenal of new media
channels – including social networking and mobile marketing – to
sell to business like never before.

The webinar takes place Thursday October 4, 2012 from 2pm to 3pm
EDT. And, it’s free! To register, click below now:

http://www.bly.com/TMWebinar

—————————————————————–

***Does the low price always win the sale?***

Do customers always want the lowest price? Not always, it seems.

A software company selling to both consumers and professionals
priced their software at $79 per seat, which they thought would
appeal to both segments. But it appealed to neither: consumers
found it too high, and it communicated “not a serious tool” to
professionals.

Solution: Focus on the professional market and raise the price
to $129. When the company did so, sales soared. Lesson: despite
your intuition to the contrary, the best price is often not the
lowest price.

Source: Brown, Dennis, “10 Common Pricing Mistakes,” Atenga, p.
3.

—————————————————————–

***7 ways to engage your Facebook fans***

1—Focus on the unique personality of your fans to determine what
type of messaging or content they’ll respond to with the
greatest enthusiasm.

2—Ask simple, closed questions that are easy to answer.

3—Use instructive language in your posts to make it crystal
clear what you want your fans to do.

4—Give your fans exclusive content, promotions, and deals that
you haven’t shared or posted to your web site yet.

5—Address your fans by name whenever possible, and respond to
their comments one-on-one.

6—Actively invite personal conversation with your fans by
soliciting their opinions on relevant topics.

7—Ask your fans what types of content they want to see and then
act on their suggestions.

Source: “Best Practices for Engaging Messaging,” Wildfire white
paper.

—————————————————————–

***Facebook advertising results you can expect***

According to eMarketer, the average page “like” click-through
rate is 0.7% at a cost of 45 cents. That means for every 1,000
people who see your Facebook ad, 7 will click on it, and the ad
will cost you 45 cents for each of those 7 people.

Source: How to Attract Customers with Facebook, HubSpot.

—————————————————————–

***Is direct mail dead?***

Not hardly. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) made $18 billion last
year from direct mail revenues. Half of consumers say they pay
more attention to direct mail than e-mail marketing. In August
of this year alone, IKEA mailed a staggering 211 million
catalogs.

USPS VP Gary Reglin says studies rank direct mail as the #1
customer acquisition strategy in terms of effectiveness. “It
gets your message in front of people and gets them to act on
offers when they’re ready to act on them,” he says.

Source: DM News, 9/12, pp. 19-20.

—————————————————————–

***Follow these e-mail “best practices”***

–Send a sample e-mail to an account with each of the major
providers – such as AOL, Earthlink, Gmail, and Yahoo! – to spot
bad links, poor rendering, or other formatting issues.

–Honor “unsubscribe” requests within 10 days as required by
CAN-SPAM laws. Stay off blacklists by monitoring and resolving
spam complaints.

–Use a double opt-in process and unique IP address.

–Put important content – including the offer and call to action
– at the top of the e-mail for immediate viewing.

–Test variables – such as subject lines, offers, distribution
day or time, list segments — with every e-mail you send.

Source: “25 Essentials for Exceptional Email Campaigns,” Lyris
white paper.

—————————————————————–

***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: 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 local
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.

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

”Life is unfair. Some people are sick. Some people are well.”
–John F. Kennedy

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of landing
pages, web sites, e-mail marketing campaigns, ads, direct mail,
and white papers. 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 on your assignment,
we’ll tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Bob Bly at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***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:

www.freeConferenceCall.com

—————————————————————–

***6 steps to sales success***

1-Be clear in knowing your goal.

2-Ask for what you want.

3-Ask again.

4-Ask a lot of people.

5-Be persistent.

6-Don’t take “no” for an answer.

Source: Wendy Weiss, 7/18/12.

—————————————————————–

***What can you copyright?***

“Copyright law doesn’t protect facts or ideas,” says Tom Curley
of Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz. What it protects is the exact
wording somebody used, so you can’t just steal his or her copy
and reprint it.

But you can write about the same event or topic as someone else,
as long as you don’t copy their language. The safest practice:
write about a subject in your own words, so you don’t violate
anyone’s copyright.

Side note: book titles cannot be copyrighted.

Source: SIPAlert, 7/12/12.

—————————————————————–

***Prefer long tail keywords***

A “long tail” keyword is a phrase very specific to what your web
site is selling and what people are looking for. By comparison,
shorter keywords are called “head keywords.” Example:

Head keyword: laundry detergent.
Long tail keywords: environmentally safe laundry detergent.

Long tail keywords are usually cheaper to bid on for Google
AdWords campaigns because there is less competition for them.

Also, people who search online using long tail keywords are far
more likely to become buyers because they know exactly what they
want and are often searching for a supplier.

By comparison, people who search on the head keyword are
typically more in the research stage and not so ready to buy.

Source: Wordtracker, 7/17/12.

—————————————————————–

***Direct mail idea from Joe Polish***

Joe Polish sent me a direct mail promotion in a cardboard tube.
It stands out, but it’s not a new idea.

What was new is that Joe’s tube made a sound from inside when
you picked it up or changed its position.

The low-tech method he used was to put two pennies inside the
tube!

Try enclosing a couple of pennies next time you mail a DM
promotion in a tube or a box. The noise involves another sense
(hearing) and ratchets up the recipient’s curiosity.

—————————————————————–

***Does webinar attendance translate into sales?***

Yes, according to Rally Point Seminars. Their findings: 20% of
the attendees will be ready to buy in 6 months or sooner, and 5%
will be ready to buy immediately.

Tip: to increase conversions, have your sales team call webinar
attendees right after the event.

Source: “How to Sell with Webinars,” Rally Point Webinars white
paper.

—————————————————————–

***Keep online news releases concise***

Here’s yet another reason to write concisely: according to a
guide published by PRWeb, news search engines sometimes reject
news releases with overly long headlines, excessive lists, and
high overall word counts.

Solution: Eliminate unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or
redundant expressions such as “advance plan” (all plans are made
in advance) or “different versions” (no versions are the same as
one another).

Source: Writing Great Online News Releases, PRWeb.

—————————————————————–

***7 secrets for successful freelance copywriting***

1–Create value in what you provide. Give 10 times or more the
value of what you charge for your services.

2–Get paid at least 50 percent before you begin any work on any
project for a new client.

3–Turn a small project into a larger one by learning more about
marketing and upselling; e.g. if a client needs an e-newsletter,
can the lead story also be used in a press release.

4–Set up a package plan for your business that offers clients a
better rate in exchange for guaranteed work over extended
periods of time.

5–Have your client sign an agreement that outlines your terms
of service, what you will do, fee agreement, timetable, and any
caveats.

6–Be sure to include a cancellation clause in your agreement
that lets you keep your deposit should a client cancel the
contract after you’ve already started work.

7–Never charge by hours worked. Charge by project based on the
value and return on investment (ROI) you’ll provide.

Source: The Writer’s Life, 8/3/12.

—————————————————————–

***Unique promotional item***

A new promotional item I absolutely love is the “MiniBuk” or
mini-book. This is a tiny paperback book of between 16 and 96
pages in a 3.5 X 5-inch trim size. You write the text and the
MiniBuk company publishes the mini-book for you.

To promote yourself, write your mini-book on your area of
specialization. If you are a social media consultant, for
example, write and publish a mini-book on Google Plus. You can
also get a business card bound into the mini-book.

For more information on mini-books visit: www.minibuk.com or
call toll-free 800-900-2499.

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you
are.” –Liv Tyler, “Jersey Girl”

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 2, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***5 tips for turning Facebook “Likes” into customers***

1-Use Facebook to drive e-mail opt-ins. Create a unique tab on
your Facebook page that houses an opt-in form.

2-Offer coupons for use in your ecommerce store; 79% of
consumers use social media to take advantage of special offers
and discounts.

3-Run sweepstakes to get fans to engage with you; 65% of social
media users connect with brands on Facebook for the games,
contests, and promotions.

4-Offer sign-up tabs for white papers, webinars, and other free
content. Share links to your tabs on your Facebook wall.

5-Tease fans with products updates, news, and announcements; 55%
of consumers connect with social media for new product news.

Source: Silverpop.

—————————————————————–

***The kick in the pants you need right now***

You hate your job. You want to make more money. You know the
best way to get rich and be successful is to start your own
business. But you’re afraid – afraid you have to quit your job
and risk your life savings to do it.

Well, one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs says you
don’t. In fact, it’s the biggest mistake you could ever make.

Click here to learn how he started dozens of businesses “on the
cheap” … and amassed a 50 million personal fortune along the way…

http://thereluctantentrepreneurbook.com

—————————————————————–

***7 ways to find great content for your marketing campaigns***

1-Subscribe to RSS feeds from bloggers that cover your industry
or speak to your target audience.

2-Subscribe to e-mail newsletters from niche publishers that
cover your niche or market.

3-Set up Google Alerts for keywords related to your products and
your customer’s pain points.

4-Monitor social media to get a real-time feed of what your
prospects are talking about.

5-Conduct original research, such as a survey; use
www.surveymonkey.com.

6-Repurpose content; e.g., combine text from an old whitepaper
with new video to create a video e-book.

7-Keep a list of evergreen content; e.g., ideas for saving time
and money, inspirational articles, anecdotes.

Source: Hubspot.

—————————————————————–

***101 habits of highly effective web sites***

What happens when you assemble over a dozen researchers to
develop guidelines on web site design, copywriting, and usability?
You get 101 best practices resulting from rigorous scientific marketing
research.

Armed with this knowledge, you will know exactly what to do in
order to make your web site the most effective tool it can be
for your business. Check out these examples:

www.bly.com/101Habits

—————————————————————–

***So what exactly is Pinterest?***

Pinterest.com is a social community where users “pin” (think of
a bulletin board) things that they like. Quite simply, it’s a
virtual pin board. Users can re-pin (which promotes viral
marketing) or follow someone with the same interest.

Pinterest is a fun site because it focuses on the visual
element. You can leverage your keyword-rich content when you
add descriptive text to your “pin.”

In addition, Pinterest asks for your URL, which will be a
back-link to that webpage. This will encourage search engine
marketing, branding and webpage traffic. Pinterest uses
graphics, images (pics), and video pictures. And that’s what will
grab community members’ attention, along with well-written
descriptive text.

Source: Precision Marketing eNewsletter, 7/10/12.

—————————————————————–

***Social media for B2B companies***

A survey of 622 B2B marketers found that 30% said LinkedIn was
their most important social network, followed by Facebook at 19%
and Twitter at 16%. Only 8% chose YouTube.

Source: B2B Social Media Marketing

—————————————————————–

***Make your direct mail stand out***

Bigger isn’t always better, but in the case of direct mail it
might be. If you opt for a small direct mail piece it has a
greater chance of getting lost in translation with the other
mail. However, if you use a bigger piece of mail or a brightly
colored piece, clients will be able to see that your direct mail
stands out. Also, try a piece of mail that isn’t in the shape of
a rectangle so that it sticks out from standard envelopes. Be
different, be loud and be noticed.

Source: Printing Hub

—————————————————————–

***”Free” in subject lines: does it work?***

“Free” used to be an effective subject line word up until
content-driven filtering became popular. At that time, use of
the word “free” in your subject line resulted in delivery to the
junk folder.

Fortunately, sender reputation now means more than content. As a
result, if your e-mail offer gives something free, don’t be
afraid to say it. For example, a recent subject line from Red
Envelope.com – “FREE 2-day shipping when you use your MasterCard
card – ends 12/20.”

Source: 20 Quick Tips for Improving Your Email Programs

—————————————————————–

***Is “sales” a dirty word?***

“Sometimes the sales staff is rebranded as ‘marketing’ — direct
marketing, outbound marketing, network marketing,” says Neil
Carlson.

“I suspect that many resist being called a salesperson, owing to
a perceived notion that sales is somehow an undignified
profession – an opinion which I do not hold. In fact, sales guru
Zig Ziglar in his seminars would often offer $100 to any member
of the audience whose business card said salesman or saleswoman
instead of account executive and the like; he usually kept his
money.”

Sourced: LinkedIn.

—————————————————————–

***Book PR tips***

If you’re like most authors, you know you need to write a press
release that announces your book, but you aren’t sure how to do
it. Fortunately, you finally have help: the new e-book “Get Your
Book in the News: How to Write a Press Release That Announces
Your Book” takes you through the process step-by-step.

Veteran publicist and book marketing coach Sandra Beckwith helps
authors, book publicists, publishers, and others learn how to
create a press release that contains the information journalists
need and expect. You can order the e- book for just $9 here:

http://bit.ly/M2d7M1

—————————————————————–

***A tip for overcoming writer’s block***

If you’re faced with writer’s block, consider that just perhaps,
your subconscious mind requires a day off.

Every writer needs rest. And sometimes, especially if your life
is particularly harried, you simply need to stop and “be” for a
while.

If you need rest, simply rest. Pet your dog. Drink a cappuccino.
Allow your mind time to rejuvenate and heal.

“Writing isn’t so much a sprint as it is a marathon,” says Beth
Erickson. “Keep your mind in the right place, and the body will
follow.”

Source: Beth Erickson, Writing Etc.

—————————————————————–

***Phrases that trigger B.S. detectors***

A group of bloggers who cover corporate and business news
were recently asked to list phrases that spark concern a business
or person lacks authenticity. Some of those listed:

>> “We are an innovative company” – that’s become an empty
promise, bloggers said.

>> “This deal is a win-win” – bloggers said few deals, if any, are
a win-win.

>> “Thinking/working/planning outside the box” – labeled as classic,
empty corporate speak.

>> “We’re not here to talk about the past” – a clichéd, not-so-clever
way to avoid an unpleasant topic.

Source: Sales & Marketing Business Briefs, 7/11/12.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 3, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***5 reasons to publish an e-newsletter like this one***

1—To keep your name in front of your clients and build
relationships.

2—To let your customers know about special offers that you are
giving only to them.

3—Because if people don’t hear from you, you don’t exist or no
news is bad news.

4—To get more business or get people to your web site or store.
More communication means more business.

5—A newsletter can give helpful information and fun, thus giving
your customers the pleasant surprise of extra value.

Source: Colleen Wilhite.

—————————————————————–

***Little-known trick for boosting landing page sales***

In the close of your landing page, in addition to the “click
here to order” hyperlink, provide a toll-free phone number as an
ordering option.

Reason: according to a Search Marketing Now Webcast, 84% of
companies close leads and sales from their web site via phone.

Source: BtoB Lead Generation Guide, p. 23.

—————————————————————–

***Create your positioning statement***

If you want to get your message across, it has to be memorable.
The purpose of a Positioning Statement is to create a short
message that people will remember.

The first sentence tells people what your service is and how
they will benefit from it. The second sentence tells how your
service is different from that of other firms.

The formula goes like this:

• [Name of firm] is a [category] firm that helps [primary
clients] achieve [primary benefits].

• Unlike other [category] firms, [name of firm] specializes
in [primary difference].

Example:

“ABC is an architectural firm that helps medium-sized businesses
find and renovate unique commercial spaces. Unlike other
architectural firms, ABC specializes in this type of renovation.”

Using this simple formula, you can get at the essential
description of what your firm does that’s different from other
firms, and make your message more memorable.

Source: PSMJ newsletter

—————————————————————–

***Be a better networker***

1–As soon as possible after meeting new contacts, jot down
notes on the back of their business card. Your notes should
include memory joggers (mustache, red hair), reminders of where
you met, what you discussed, and things you have in common.

2—The next day, transfer their details and your notes into your
contact management system.

3—Follow up. Send a short note or e-mail to strengthen the
initial contact. Note: unless sales information was specifically
requested, your first follow-up should not be marketing
oriented.

Source: IABC

—————————————————————–

***Getting feedback on your sales pitch***

After making your sales presentation, pause, and ask the
prospect: “How does that sound—good, bad, or terrible?”

If the prospect answers “good,” you can proceed to the next step
in the sales cycle. If the prospect answers “bad” or “terrible,”
ask her what she doesn’t like. Then address these concerns so
you can move the sale forward.

Source: Studebaker-Worthington Leasing Corp.

—————————————————————–

***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

—————————————————————–

***Get a free bait piece from Uncle Sam***

In past issues, I’ve recommended that you have a “bait piece” –
a special report, white paper, or other informational premium
you give away to generate leads for your product or service.

But many marketers don’t produce info premiums because of the
research and writing work involved.

An easy way to get around this is to visit the U.S. government’s
Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) online. There are
loads of how-to and information booklets on a wide range of
topics such as money, health, travel, housing, nutrition,
computers, small business, and more.

If you find one that would make a good info premium for your
business, you can print or download the text, put your own cover
on it, print copies, and use it as your own freebie – without
paying Uncle Sam a dime!

How? Most of these publications are not copyrighted, so the U.S.
government allows you to use them for your own purposes (they do
appreciate if you credit them as the source).

To see whether FCIC has a booklet you can use as a bait piece,
go to their Web site:

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/

Warning: Be sure to check the publication for copyright notices.
If the booklet you selected is copyrighted, then you can’t use
it.

—————————————————————–

***How long should SEO web pages be?***

According to the white paper “Top 10 Considerations When
Planning a Web Site Redesign,” each page on a search engine
optimized web site should contain 200 to 500 words of text-based
content.

Make sure none of the elements you want search engines to be
able to crawl (headlines, body copy, navigation) are image or
flash-based.

Source: www.MoreVisibility.com

—————————————————————–

***3 ways to increase sales of luxury products***

“As a rule, I believe it pays to think of high-end buyers as the
same as you and me, except they have lots more money,” says my
colleague, Ruth Sheldon, a copywriter specializing in luxury
product marketing.

Here are 3 tips from Ruth on how to sell costly goods and
services to affluent buyers:

1. They love a deal. Even though they have more resources than
most, buyers of luxury products want to think they’re getting a
bargain.

Being frugal may be how they got their money in the first place,
and wanting to get a deal will always be a part of their
emotional make-up. Besides, thinking you’ve scored big-time is
part of the game — and everyone wants to feel like a winner.

2. They love exclusivity. Consumers of luxury goods want to feel
the product or service for which they are being asked to spend
top dollar, will not be available to everyone.

They can afford to be different — and they’re willing to pay
for it. Try to use one-of-a-kind or limited edition positioning
if possible.

3. They want value — and do their homework to make sure
they get it.

Although luxury car buyers, for example, will spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars for a car without flinching, you can be
sure they’ll carefully evaluate performance, safety,
acceleration speeds, etc. to make sure they’re getting exactly
what they want.

So be prepared to give them the facts they want along with a
knock-your-socks off emotional appeal.

—————————————————————–

***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.”

—————————————————————–

***Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter***

It’s true – You CAN make a living as a writer.

And last week I sent you note about the program that can show
you how. It’s called AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure
Copywriting and until midnight on Thursday July 5th, you can get
a special risk-free test-drive … simply because you subscribe to
The Direct Response Letter.

PLUS, you’ll have an entire year to give it a shot, and see if
copywriting is right for you. If at any time during the year you
change your mind, you just call and they’ll refund every penny
you paid.

Learn more now.

http://www.thewriterslife.com/cop/0705/bly/lc/

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

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

June 14, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***How to profit from LinkedIn***

According to social media consultant Paul Gillin, here’s what
you should be doing on LinkedIn:

** Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and tagged with
the right key words.

** Answer two questions in LinkedIn Groups or Answers every day.

** Contact current and past colleagues and ask them to write
recommendations for you – then return the favor.

** Send a connection request to any current or past contact who
might have value to you.

For more tips on how to market yourself with LinkedIn, click
here now:

www.marketinglinked.com

Source: BtoB, 5/14/12, p. 6.

—————————————————————–

***Free cold-calling e-book***

Wendy Weiss is recognized as one of the leading authorities on
lead generation, cold calling, and new business development. Her
new e-book, The Cold Calling Survival Guide, shares her secrets
for getting face-to-face with highly qualified prospects. In it,
you’ll discover how to:

>> Identify real prospects fast.
>> Grab your prospect’s attention in the first few seconds.
>> Get more appointments and more sales in today’s tough selling environment.
>> Overcome phone fear forever.

After reading the Guide, you’ll start setting appointments
within 24 hours. Download your free cold calling guide here:

www.bly.com/ColdCallingGuide

—————————————————————–

***Automate your direct mail***

The United States Post Office (USPS) has a new online tool,
Every Door Direct Mail, that enables you to easily send your
direct mail piece to prospects in any town, zip code, or county
you choose. You can decide whether you want to reach city
addresses, rural addresses, or PO boxes, and whether to mail to
residential only or business addresses too.

For more information on the Every Door Direct Mail service,
click here:

https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm

—————————————————————–

***What your customers want online***

According to an article in Target Marketing (6/12, p. 5):

** 59% want easy navigation.
** 57% desire a simple check-out process.
** 42% seek product images.
** 45% said in-store pick-up options for online purchases were important to them.
**28% wanted to return products bought online at a retail store.

—————————————————————–

***Put the important word last***

Speaker Patricia Fripp advises putting the most important word
or phrase in a sentence at the end.

Let’s say that word is “decision.” Instead of “You have to make
an important decision today,” write: “Today, you have to make an
important decision.”

Source: Patricia Fripp, Behind the Podium, Winter 2011, p. 11.

—————————————————————–

***Selecting print typefaces***

When evaluating new or unusual typefaces for e-books, white
papers, and other print documents, set a paragraph in the new
typeface and compare its appearance with the same text set in
Times Roman, suggests graphic designer Barb Willard. Here are
the steps she takes:

1–Format a paragraph to Times Roman 12 point, line spacing at
15 (a commonly used size and spacing in documents).

2–Copy the paragraph and apply the new font.

3–No two fonts are ever the same size visually, so you should
adjust the new font to a size that has the same “readability” as
the Times Roman paragraph.

Times Roman, while not exciting, is a standard for clear,
readable type. If the text in the new typeface doesn’t look as
good as the Times Roman version, stick with Times Roman for the
whole document.

—————————————————————–

***A simple rule of thumb for copy length***

When deciding whether you need long copy or short – whether in a
landing page, e-mail, or sales letter – follow this simple rule:
short copy for generating leads, longer copy for generating
orders.

“As a general proposition, an ad in which you are seeking only
inquiries should be short, merely leading the reader down to the
free booklet and the coupon,” writes copywriter Robert Collier,
“whereas an ad in which you are attempting to make the actual
sale should be long enough to tell all about your offer.

“Some authorities will tell you to write only short, crisp ads, with
plenty of white space – others to crowd in every word you can
get. Both are wrong. There is no hard and fast rule as to how
long an ad should be, except that it should be long enough to
tell your story, but short enough to hold your reader’s
interest.”

Source: Collier, Robert, “How to Make Money at Home in Spare
Time by Mail,” p. 154.

—————————————————————–

***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.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of
direct mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers,
ads, e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, Landing Pages,
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 on your assignment,
we’ll tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Bob Bly at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

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

May, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Radio PR secrets***

The worst thing you can tell a radio talk show host when
answering her question is “It’s in my book.”

“I have found that some authors are reluctant to share the meat
of their book with their listeners, hoping the listener will run
out and buy the book,” says KTKK Radio host Linda Strasburg.

“The outcome is usually the opposite. When an author doesn’t
share some of his or her core insights, the listeners think the
book is weak and are reluctant to buy it. Over the years I have
discovered this as the number one reason people don’t sell more
books after interviews.”

Other radio interview tips from Linda:

>> Share with the audience unique, key tips and concepts to
remember and use. The more unique and applicable to the
listener’s life, the more memorable your interview will be.

>> Use a landline, non-speaker phone for your interview and turn
off the call waiting.

>> Do not have barking dogs, kids and other noise in the
background during the interview; it will not project the
professional image you want.

>> Listen for the commercials coming up that are indicated by
lead-in music; you have 30 seconds to complete your thought when
the music starts.

>> Near the end of the interview, you will have time to give
your Internet address and any additional promotional information
you want to share; the best Internet sites are easy to remember.

—————————————————————–

***Mobile e-mail marketing tip***

When sending e-mail messages to mobile devices, make sure the
font sizes are larger and the targets big enough to easily hit.
Include extra space around buttons and links to accommodate “fat
fingers.” (The average adult finger pad is 0.4 inch.)

Source: BtoB’s Interactive Marketing Guide, p. S6.

—————————————————————–

***How to build a better Web site***

If someone comes to a Web site and never returns, the marketers,
writers, and designers have failed. In direct marketing, this is
the equivalent of spending money to acquire a customer and never
making another offer – quite simply a lousy business model.

What can you do to your Web site to create dependency, so that
people will return over and over again?

For starters, create a vision statement and live up to it.
Refresh content often. Make content relevant, interesting, and
easy-to-digest.

Ruthlessly self-edit, so that people’s time is not wasted. Hire
writers and designers with print discipline, who don’t wander
off message.

Source: Denny Hatch, Target Marketing, 4/17/12.

—————————————————————–

***Are you charging enough for your info products?***

The minimum price for physical information products can be
calculated using the “10:1 rule.”

This rule says the price of a physical product sold through
direct marketing must be at least 10 times your product cost.

Example: A set of DVDs that cost $8 per copy should sell for a
minimum of $80.

But that’s the minimum. If your information is worth more, and
buyers will pay more, then charge more.

Source: Speaker Fulfillment Services, News & Notes, Vol. 15,
p.1.

—————————————————————–

***Does personalization pay off?***

A study from GI Direct, reported in the Talon Newsletter, found
that over 70% of adults surveyed said they are 5X more likely to
respond to properly personalized direct marketing offers vs.
non-personalized mailings.

My own experience is that personalization almost always
increases response rates, but not always sufficiently to pay
back the added cost of the personalization.

In b-to-b DM, the larger the company and the higher up on the
corporate ladder your prospect, the more likely personalization
is to pay off.

Conversely, middle managers, professionals, support staff,
salespeople, and small business owners respond well to
non-personalized mail.

For business-to-consumer direct mail, personalization often pays
off in mortgage mailings, insurance, banking, credit cards, and
other financial services promotions … and also in mailings to
existing customers.

—————————————————————–

***How long should my e-book be?***

“How long should I make my e-books?” a new Internet info
marketer asked me.

Answer: for an e-book selling in the $19 to $39 range, the PDF
should be a minimum of 50 pages.

If it’s much shorter than 40 pages, your customers may think you
are not giving them enough “meat.”

A typeset PDF page is around 300 words. So when you are writing
your e-book, you know you have enough content when your Word
document is around 15,000 words.

—————————————————————–

***What you can’t say in nutritional supplement copy***

The one thing you absolutely can’t say when selling dietary
supplements is that they can treat or cure a disease.

Solution: substitute the euphemisms below for the disease, and
then say “promote” or “optimize” or “improve” instead of “cure”
or “treat” or “prevent.”

Unacceptable: “Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Better: “Improves memory.”

Other recommended disease euphemisms: “joint pain” instead of
arthritis … “blood sugar problems” instead of diabetes … “bone
loss” instead of osteoporosis … “abnormal cell growth” instead
of cancer … “low energy” instead of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Source: Carline Anglade-Cole’s Copy Star, Issue #20,

http://www.carlinecole.com/

—————————————————————–

***The 10 commandments of copywriting***

Over half a century ago, G. Lynn Sumners, who created the
classic Harry & David Fortune magazine ad (“Imagine Harry & Me
Advertising Our Pears in Fortune!”), put forth these 10 rules
for writing winning advertisements – all of which are still
applicable today:

1–Learn all about your proposition before you write anything
about it.

2–Organize your material from the viewpoint of the buyer’s
interests, not yours.

3–Decide to whom you are writing.

4–Keep it simple.

5–Use meaningful words and phrases – words that stir the
emotions, make the mouth water, make the heart beat faster.

6–Don’t try to be funny. Remember, the most serious of all
operations is separating a man from his money.

7–Make your copy specific – names, places, what happens to whom.

8–Prove your points.

9–Make copy long enough to tell your story – and quit.

10–Give your reader something to do and make it easy for him to
do it.

Source: G. Lynn Sumners, “How I Learned the Secrets of Success
in Advertising.”

—————————————————————–

***More (unintentionally) funny headlines***

“Homicide Victims Rarely Talk to Police”

“City Unsure Why the Sewer Smells”

“Meeting on Open Meetings is Closed”

“Puerto Rican Teen Named Mistress of the Universe”

“Statistics Show That Teen Pregnancy Drops Off Significantly
After Age 25″

“Meat Head Resigns”

“Miracle Cure Kills Fifth Patient”

—————————————————————–

***Book of the month***

One of the hot trends today is marketing with content. Now Jon
Wuebben has written a clear, comprehensive guide to content
marketing, “Content is Currency” (Nicholas Brealey Publishing).

In this book, you’ll learn how to write effective content that
is optimized for search, social media, and mobile devices. Jon’s
book covers podcasts, webinars, widgets, blog posts, articles,
YouTube videos, e-newsletters, and more. Click here for more
information or to order:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1857885732/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bobblycop-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1857885732

http://www.bly.com/ContentIsCurrency

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or
bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than
yourself.” –Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata,” 1927.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of
direct mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers,
ads, e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, Landing Pages,
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 on your assignment,
we’ll tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Bob Bly at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

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

April 2, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***How not to be a spammer***

To make sure you comply with Can-Spam, your e-mail marketing
messages must include a mechanism for the recipient to “opt out”
– meaning they can request that you send them no more messages.

The e-mail must also include the identity and physical mailing
address of the sender, and some statement that the message is a
solicitation or advertisement, although it need not be in the
subject line.

Source: SIPA Hotline, 2/12, p. 8.

—————————————————————–

***3 cool ideas for YouTube videos***

1—Animated videos.

At www.GoAnimate.com you can easily create your own animated
videos. You just supply the dialog. They give you the animation.

2—Paper cutouts.

At www.CommonCraft.com, you can create instructional and demo
videos using paper cutouts and a dry-erase board. Also check out
www.StopMotionPro.com

3—Doodle videos.

Doodle videos feature voice-over narration illustrated by an
artist’s hand doodling images on a white background. You can get
them done for you at www.Sellamations.com.

Source: Special Report, “YouTube Google Hack,” p. 7.

—————————————————————–

***Does Facebook marketing fail?***

“Like seven-year old soccer players, we insist on chasing the
ball in a pack. The latest ‘ball’ of course is social media,”
says Ian Percy.*

But, according to Ad Age, a six-week study of Facebook’s Fan
pages showed a mere 0.45% of fans engaged in any way beyond
clicking “Like.” This indicates that Facebook fan bases and
actual engagement aren’t the same thing.

The average engagement for the 10 brands with the largest fan
bases (like Harley Davidson, Nike and Porsche) was 0.36%. The
highest engagement was in the alcohol category and the lowest in
laundry detergent, social platforms and apps.

In other Facebook marketing news, my colleague Brian Croner
reports that “world famous Sun Valley Ski Resort here in Idaho,
invested their entire $950,000 ad budget in Facebook advertising
in 2011 and it bombed. It bombed so bad in fact, they fired
their marketing director. Last year they had more snow than they
knew what to do with and still couldn’t pack the hotels after
using FB exclusively.

“Starting last fall and into 2012, I saw ads running in Ski
magazines and on television. And despite it being a weak
snow year, they had good crowds and full hotels. There’s been
a large score of so called marketing/ad agencies trying to push
FB and other Social Media as a primary and not as a
supplemental media. And it’s sad how many companies have
taken the bait.”

*Source: Jeff Davidson.

—————————————————————–

***3 ways to increase sales letter readability***

>> Limit 80% of the words to 5 characters or less.

>> Make sentences 1.5 lines or shorter.

>> Keep the first paragraph to 3 lines or fewer.

Source: Target Marketing, 3/12, p. 14.

—————————————————————–

***Book of the month***

New from master entrepreneur and how-to success writer Jim Straw
is “Mustard Seeds, Shovels, & Mountains: How to Succeed Using
Your Physio-Psychic Power,” a 112-page paperback published by
Kallisti Publishing. Its main premise: positive thinking alone
is not enough; you need to take positive, productive action to
succeed.

I am a fan of Jim Straw, and his book is worth reading. Get it
now on Amazon:

www.bly.com/MustardSeeds

—————————————————————–

***Start seminars on time***

How close to the advertised starting time should you begin live
seminars and webinars?

The live seminar should begin within 5 minutes of the start
time. Don’t delay longer because the crowd is thin; it’s not
fair to those who show up on time. Exception: an unexpected
event (e.g., fire drill) that causes attendees to be late.

Webinars should also start promptly, within a couple of minutes
of the stated starting time.

You can get the correct time online here:

www.Time.gov

—————————————————————–

***4 rules for writing credible copy***

Copywriter Ryan Healy offers these tips on how to get readers to
believe your copy:

** Don’t use hype to sell your product.
** Make every effort to be accurate.
** Do not distort the facts.
** Don’t be hypocritical.

—————————————————————–

***Instantly publish your book on Kindle***

Only now can a writer get his or her book in print free in
minutes and have it marketed worldwide in days.

Gordon Burgett has written a how-to, step-by-step guide that
walks beginners and veterans through the process, from writing
to submitting to marketing, called “How to Get Your Book
Published Free in Minutes and Marketed Worldwide in Days.”
Whether the writer creates a novel, cookbook, photo book,
memoir, nonfiction book of almost any form, a kids’ book, or
virtually anything else in book form, here’s how it can be sold
in Kindle and other forms to family, friends, colleagues, or
anybody else anywhere in the world.

For more information or to order, click here now:

www.bly.com/kindle

—————————————————————–

***How the recession is affecting marketers***

Nearly 1,700 visitors have taken a survey on www.bly.com on how
their businesses have been affected by the recession:

>> Of these, 53% said their sales have gone down, and only 17.5%
reported increased sales.

>> 75.1% are spending either the same or more on marketing as
they did the previous year. Only one in four has decreased their
advertising budget.

>> 85.8% are worried about the effect the recession will have on
their business.

>> Some good news: two out of three have not lowered their
prices since the recession started.

** Nearly seven out of ten think the recession will not end any
time soon.

To take the survey and get a free copy of my special report
“Recession-Proof Business Strategies,” click here now:

www.bly.com/recessionsurvey

—————————————————————–

***What you can get on the Internet for $5***

On the web site fiverr, you can buy almost any service
imaginable online, starting at only $5 – everything from
voice-over recordings and chiropractic advice to cover designs
for your Kindle e-books and travel tips:

http://fiverr.com

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Is Death important? No. Everything that happens before Death is
what counts.” –Ray Bradbury, “Something Wicked This Way Comes”

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 1, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Best frequency for e-mails***

If you are an Internet marketer, you probably don’t send enough
e-mails to your list, according to Internet marketing coach
Terry Dean.

“I used to say bare minimum was once a month,” says Dean. “Now
it’s more like once a week.”

Markets vary, but Dean says the most profitable frequency of
e-mail marketing is often somewhere between three to six times a
week.

What should you send in your e-mail? According to Dean, the best
long-term profit strategy is to mix content with offers. “Keep
them interested, reading, and buying from you,” he says.

—————————————————————–

***Is there too much competition for your keywords?***

“Keep in mind the competition for keywords,” says Direct
Response Letter Subscriber BG. Example: I have a web site about
aquariums – www.aquariumdetective.com. According to BG, there
are 36.6 million sites I have to compete with for the keyword
aquarium “which makes it really hard to rank from an SEO
standpoint.”

You can find your competitor’s keywords pretty quickly through
www.spyfu.com, and the site offers a free trial.

—————————————————————–

***Add credibility to your landing pages***

Many consumers are turned off by and distrust long-copy landing
pages, which they find too salesy or even sleazy. Here are some
elements you can add to your landing page to eliminate this
turnoff and add credibility:

>> Industry or media awards (editor’s choice, fastest growing
company).

>> Media coverage (mentions in mainstream press or blogs).

>> Endorsements from individuals, analysts, associations.

>> Partnerships (e.g., authorized reseller) with well-respected
companies.

>> Client lists and logos.

>> User testimonials and third-party review.

>> Studies and surveys (e.g. ranked #1 in customer satisfaction).

Source: Target Marketing Group, “3 Landing Page Mistakes to
Avoid.”

—————————————————————–

***Accept credit cards with your smart phone***

Now you can process credit card orders on your Android phone,
iPhone, or iPad. There’s a 2.75% charge for this service. For
details, visit:

www.squareup.com

—————————————————————–

***Used books: a cheap source of articles***

Need articles for your blog or e-newsletter? Frequent used
bookstores and browse the books in your topic area. Often you’ll
find numbered lists and other short content you can easily turn
into articles.

If the books are old and worn, you can often buy the books for
as little as a dollar or two each. Obviously look for content
that hasn’t become dated or irrelevant.

—————————————————————–

***Register like domains***

Registering domain names similar to your own can protect your
brand, says David Fowler of Marketfish Inc. It can also prevent
others from setting up fake (phishing) web sites that allow them
to conduct unlawful behavior. This tactic is inexpensive and can
save you lots of aggravation.

Mike Hotz, of ESP Responsys, says customers are more likely to
fall for phishing scams if your company’s message, design, and
branding change frequently. He advises that every e-mail you
send should have elements that recipients are familiar with …
and can look for before deciding to click through.

Source: BtoB, 2/13/12, p. 12.

—————————————————————–

***Free webinar: Writing high-conversion landing pages***

I am giving a free webinar on “Creating Landing Pages That Sell”
on March 8 at 1pm EST. There’s no cost – you don’t pay a dime –
but you do have to register:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/605179498

—————————————————————–

***5 reasons online buyers abandon your shopping cart***

In the first 6 months of 2011, the online shopping cart
abandonment rate was a staggering 35%. According to Forrester,
here are the 5 most common reasons for it:

>> Shipping and handling costs were too high – 44%.

>> They were not ready to purchase the product – 41%.

>> They wanted to compare prices on other sites – 27%.

>> The product price was too high – 25%.

>> They wanted to save the product in the cart for later
consideration – 24%.

Source: Response, 2/12, p. 47.

—————————————————————–

***Digital advertising boom***

According to American Business Media, digital revenue for B2B
media was up 22% to $1.6 billion in the third quarter in 2011
over the same period in 2010.

In the same time frame, B2B print revenue increased only 4.6% to
$5.7 billion, and trade show revenue increased just 1.1% to $7.7
billion.

Source: Media Business, 2/12, p. 6.

—————————————————————–

***Real newspaper headlines – believe it or not***

“Homicide Victims Rarely Talk to Police”

“Statistics Show That Teen Pregnancy Drops Off Significantly
After Age 25″

“Man Accused of Killing Lawyer Receives a New Attorney”

“Rally Against Apathy Draws Small Crowd”

“County to Pay $250,000 to Advertise Lack of Funds”

“Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons”

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

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

February 2, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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.

—————————————————————–

***How long should an SEO web page be?***

According to the white paper “Top 10 Considerations When
Planning a Web Site Redesign,” each page on a search engine
optimized web site should contain 200 to 500 words of text-based
content.

Make sure none of the elements you want search engines to find
(headlines, body copy, navigation) are image or flash-based.

Source: www.MoreVisibility.com

—————————————————————–

***How to determine your budget for online advertising***

To determine your online advertising budget, your first step is
to determine what you can afford to pay for each new name you
add to your list.

To determine the value of new names, divide annual online
revenues by the number of subscribers. Example: If your 20,000
online subscribers account for $300,000 in annual sales, your
subscriber value is $15 per name per year.

List-building campaigns should ideally pay back their cost
within 6 months or sooner. Therefore, if your names are worth
$15 per year each, you can afford to spend up to $7.50 per
subscriber to acquire new names.

—————————————————————–

***What you can’t say in nutritional supplement copy***

The one thing you absolutely can’t say when selling dietary
supplements is that they can treat or cure a disease.

Solution: substitute the euphemisms below for the disease, and
then say “promote” or “optimize” or “improve” instead of “cure”
or “treat” or “prevent.”

Unacceptable: “Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Better: “Improves memory.”

Other recommended disease euphemisms: “joint pain” instead of
arthritis … “blood sugar problems” instead of diabetes … “bone
loss” instead of osteoporosis … “abnormal cell growth” instead
of cancer … “low energy” instead of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Source: Carline Anglade-Cole’s Copy Star,

http://www.carlinecole.com/

—————————————————————–

***The Secret Reason Many Home Businesses Fail***

According to my colleague, Sarah Clachar, a professional health
writer and educator, many home businesses fail or don’t go very
far for reasons that aren’t business-related.

“Health problems are a major contributor to small business
failure,” Clachar explains. “An estimated 1 in 6 small business
bankruptcies are due to personal issues like illness or divorce.
It’s why business leaders like Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Walker,
MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson place so much importance
on their own health. They know they need to keep in shape to
keep their business going.”

To make it easier to stay healthy while running your business,
Clachar advocates integrating activity into your workday. And
she’s created a terrific system for doing so. Unlike most health
programs, she’s tailored it just for solopreneurs and home
business owners. You can get the full how-to report by clicking
below:

www.bly.com/HealthyHomeBiz

—————————————————————–

***Words that work in headlines***

Here are some words and phrases that, according to advertising
great Ted Nicholas, work especially well in headlines:

Announcing … Secrets of … Facts you … Advice to … Protect … Do
you … Yes … Love … Hate … How much … How would you … Only …
Free … You … How to … New … Now … Amazing … Breakthroughs … At
last … Life … Discover … Bargains … Sale … Free.

Source: “Success in the Sun,” Ted Nicholas seminar, Tampa, FL.

—————————————————————–

***3 vendor management tactics to avoid***

Here are 3 things customers often do to vendors to save money
and gain control. Unfortunately, they have the opposite effect,
causing the vendor to resent the customer and not care about
doing their work:

>> Paying vendors late – this may improve your cash flow. But
vendors give priority treatment to customers who pay their bills
on time.

>> Haggling over price – yes, you may be able to drive the price
down if the vendor needs the work. But too much negotiating can
have an adverse effect on the relationship.

>> Showing the vendor who’s the boss – yes, you are the boss.
You are the customer. You are in charge. But don’t treat vendors
like children, morons, or slaves.

The common perception is that employees require motivation but
vendors do not. Unfortunately, it’s not true. Vendors are people
too. And your treatment of them influences their treatment of
you.

Source: Gene Marks, Home Business Magazine.

—————————————————————–

***Which products are easiest to sell online?***

According to Internet entrepreneurs Brock Felt and Buck Rizvi,
products sold online can be divided into four categories:

1 – Products that alleviate the prospect’s pain.

2 – Products that solve a problem.

3 – Products that give or enable pleasure.

4 – Products that prevent a problem or condition.

Of these, #1 and #2 are the easiest to sell, because people feel
an urgent need to solve the problem or get rid of the pain.

Pleasure is desirable but its attainment is less urgent, making
products in category #3 more difficult to sell.

Products in category #4 are the most difficult to sell –
because, as health marketers have long known, people will buy
cure but not prevention.

Source: ETR Internet Marketing Conference.

—————————————————————–

***What size ad is best?***

In print advertising, size doesn’t matter nearly as much as
frequency. For instance, a quarter-page ad will generate
approximately half the response of a full-page ad. Therefore,
it’s better to run a quarter-page ad four times than a full-page
ad once.

Source: “The 50 Greatest Retail Advertising Tips, Tricks, and
Techniques,” www.movingtargets.com

—————————————————————–

***Free newsletter from Dan Poyner***

Free “Publishing Poynters” e-zine is full of tips and resources
on book writing, publishing, and promoting. Subscribers can
get past issues:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”
–Chaz Palminteri, “A Bronx Tale”

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to
www.bly.com. That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 5, 2012

—————————————————————–

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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Best days to send e-mail***

According to an article in Target Marketing (12/11, p. 7), 56%
of e-mail is sent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, distributed
almost evenly among those 3 days.

Participants at a 12/8/11 SIPA* Roundtable reported some success
e-mailing on other days, most notably Friday and Saturday.

I send 4 e-mails to my list weekly. Monday and Thursday are
content messages. Tuesday and Friday are promotions.

As a rule of thumb, at least 50% of your e-mail messages should
be content. If not, people unsubscribe.

*Specialized Information Publishers Association

—————————————————————–

***Mail-order magic***

Among the classic mail order products were those advertised with
tiny display ads in the pages of 1960s and 1970s comic books.
Example: Sea Monkeys.

Kirk Demarais collects photos of the products and the ads in his
book “Mail-Order Mysteries.” Classic headlines include:

“Enter the Wonderful World of Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys”

“Over 1,001 Free Items – Yours for the Asking”

“Genuine Soil from Dracula’s Castle”

“Absolutely Free! Giant Life Size Moon Monster”

“100-Piece Toy Soldier Set — $1.25″

“The Insult That Made a Man out of Mac”

“Amazing X-Ray Vision Instantly!”

“Discover the Hidden Secrets of Nature’s Most Exotic and
Mysterious House Plant!”

Source: Kirk Demarais, “Mail-Order Mysteries,” Insight Editions

—————————————————————–

***Eliminate parking hassle with this simple travel tip***

Use your cell phone’s camera to take a picture of the parking
lot post that has the row number/letter where you’re parked.
That way, you’ll be able to find your car. Delete the photo upon
your return.

Source: Ryan Lee and Bill Huddleston.

—————————————————————–

***4 free marketing e-books for you***

For a limited time only, my colleague Bill Hall is offering 4
free marketing e-books, a total of 192 pages, just for checking
out his “Real Marketing Works” e-newsletter:

1-The Step by Step Guide to Writing Profitable E-Books.
2-10 Ways to Double Advertising Response Rates.
3-101 eBay Secrets Revealed.
4-The Easy E-Book Idea Generator.

Bill has experience in corporate marketing as well as mail
order and Internet marketing. Download your 4 free e-books here:

www.freemarketingforyou.com

—————————————————————–

***Building your e-list***

According to my friend and consultant Wendy Montes de Oca,
conducting online polls is a great way to add names to your
e-list.

She says that for an e-list built with online polls, less than
2% of the names dropped off the list after 6 months.

Other methods Wendy recommends for e-list building include
article marketing, reciprocal ad swaps for lead generation, and
pay-per-click advertising.

Not working so well: buying e-mail addresses (“almost always a
waste of money”), renting e-lists, sweepstakes, and e-mail
address appending. “With these methods, more than 50% of the
names dropped off the file after 6 months,” she says.

—————————————————————–

***Listening to Freud***

One day Dr. Sigmund Freud was visited by a depressed man seeking
help. After an extensive interview, Freud advised the man, “You
have severe clinical depression and it will take many visits for
an effective course of treatment.

“But in the meantime the famous clown, the Great Grimaldi, is in
town for the night, and I suggest you see his show, which may
provide some temporary relief against your gloom.”

“I cannot,” Freud’s patient answered sadly.

“And why not?” asked Freud.

“Because,” said the man, “I am the Great Grimaldi.”

—————————————————————–

***I have to think it over***

One of the most dreaded customer objections is “I have to think
it over.” Here are some responses that can help get past it:

>> “What exactly do you want to think about?”
>> “Let’s think it over out loud. Sometime two heads are better than one.”
>> “Let’s think it over while it is fresh in your mind. What are
some of the items you need to know more about?”

Source: Selling Power magazine

—————————————————————–

***Stop ignoring Facebook***

If, like me, you pretty much ignore social media, you are making
a mistake according to Rachel Yeomans, marketing director of
social media at Astek Consulting.

She notes that the average Facebook user is connected to 80
community pages, groups, and events. Facebook has nearly 657
million users worldwide with almost 8.7 billion visits per month.

—————————————————————–
***Focus on repeat sales***

Too many marketers focus on the initial sale, when the real
profits are often generated by repeat business over the lifetime
of the customer, says marketing expert Jay Abraham.

For Icy Hot, a balm, he got $10 million worth of advertising
without paying for a single spot. In exchange for running the
ads at no cost, the station or publication could keep the $3
customers paid for each jar bought from the ads. One million
people tried Icy Hot on that basis.

Approximately one-third of these buyers came back at least 6
times a year at an average order of $10, generating $21 million
a year in sales.

Icy Hot became so successful that a major pharmaceutical company
bought out its original manufacturer for many millions of
dollars.

Source: The Abraham Files

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”
–Stephen King

Source: Stephen King, “11/22/63: A Novel” (Scribner, p. 454).

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly’s Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to
www.bly.com. That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 1, 2011

—————————————————————–

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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Ideal length for audio scripts***

Nightingale-Conant and some other info marketers script their
audio products. If you do the same, how long should your script
be?

Typically each CD should run about an hour. Since we talk at a
rate of 100 to 120 words per minute, figure 6,000 to 7,000 words
in your audio script per CD.

If there are 6 CDs in your program, total length is around
35,000 to 40,000 words. By comparison, a 200-page nonfiction
book has about 80,000 words.

—————————————————————–

***Upcoming speaking engagement***

I’ll be speaking in Miami on December 9th at the meeting of the
Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA), on “How
to Engage Customers Once They Are On Your Web Site.” For more
information, visit www.sipaonline.com.

—————————————————————–

***A simple trick for increasing print ad response***

After you make the offer at the close of your copy, restate it
and put a box around the restated offer. It seems redundant but
experience shows that repeating and highlighting the offer
increases response.

—————————————————————–

***Quick way to bond with your prospects***

Find out what trade association your prospects belong to and
join as a member or (if that’s not allowed) an associate member
(usually permitted for vendors). Then cite your membership on
your web site and other copy promoting your services.

When years ago I specialized in writing for chemical equipment
manufacturers, I was a member of the American Institute of
Chemical Engineers. Still am.

—————————————————————–

***How to handle people who want free advice***

Speaker Patricia Fripp suggests you say something like the
following: “I charge X dollars an hour for consulting. I will
give you 5 free minutes starting now.” Then start the clock and
give them 5 minutes. End the call when the time has been used
up. Not only does this prevent callers from rambling on and on,
but it establishes that the free advice you are giving them has
high value.

—————————————————————–

***Book authors: get great testimonials online***

When you write your book, offer something free to the reader
that they must e-mail you to request. This could be a password
to a members-only web site or a free report.

Reason: when readers e-mail you for the freebie, most will also
take a sentence or two to praise you book, giving you a
ready-made file of positive book blurbs. If your book sells on
Amazon, you can also find reader comments there.

—————————————————————–

***Do B2B marketers sell to companies or people?***

I would have said “people.” But Terry Jukes, CEO of B2B Direct
Marketing Intelligence, a direct response consulting firm,
disagrees.

“In B2B, a customer is a site first and a person second,” says
Jukes. Reason: turnover rate of company personnel is greater
than 25% a year. Also, notes Jukes, “Central purchasing erodes
value of person tracking.”

Terry gives three suggestions for generating more B2B sales:

1. At customer sites with 250 or more employees, do periodic
mailings to update your contact list within the company.

2. Real buyers often hide in larger sites. But there are ways to
find them: warranty cards, product evaluation questionnaires
(offer a bonus gift for completion), e-mail order and shipping
confirmation, and birthday recognition programs.

3. Create a preferred supplier relationship that can withstand
the turnover in people at a customer site by telling them they
are a “loyal buyer” and rewarding them for it.

For instance, you can offer a loyal customer discount based on
longevity (number of years they have been buying from you),
frequency (number of orders per year), or dollar amount (total
amount of money spent).

Source: Merit Direct Coop.

—————————————————————–

***Improving customer service at the check-out line in your
store***

When giving change to retail customers, do not, as most cashiers
do, hand them the receipt, coins, and bills all at once.

Reason: the customer already has one hand occupied holding the
item purchased, making it awkward and difficult to separate
these three other items.

A better practice for your cashiers:

1. First, put the receipt in the bag for the customer instead of
handing it to him.

2. Next, give him the coins, and wait until he puts them in his
pocket.

3. Then, hand him the bills, which he will put in his wallet.

—————————————————————–

***Best typefaces for sales letters***

An old rule of thumb for designing direct mail letters is to, as
much as possible, make it look like a personal letter.

But in 2011, what typefaces best achieve that objective?

When sending sales letters to prospects age 60 and older, use
New Courier or Prestige Elite for the body, Arial Black or
Impact for the headline.

But for letters aimed at the 40-and-under crowd, use Times Roman
or another PC typeface for the body, and again, Arial Black or
Impact for heads.

Reason: to older prospects, who grew up in an era of IBM
Selectrics, New Courier and Prestige Elite, the two most popular
Selectric typefaces, remind them of typewritten, personal
letters.

Younger prospects, however, don’t remember typewritten letters –
and so to them, New Courier and Prestige Elite convey no
particular feel or impression: they just look funny.

Popular PC typefaces like Times Roman are what these young
people are used to seeing on everything – personal letters
included.

—————————————————————–

***No-cost Google Ad Words campaigns***

This may put all those Google consultants out of business: When
you open a Google account, Google will help you build your Ad
Words campaign for free! And who knows more about Google than
Google? For more information call: 866-2-Google.

—————————————————————–

***Quotation of the month***

“Life is so much longer than any of our enthusiasms.” –Tim Parks

Source: New York Review of Books, 9/29/11, p. 37.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to
www.bly.com. That’s it!

—————————————————————-

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@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 3, 2011

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 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.

—————————————————————–

***Easy way to make small ads stand out***

If you are running a print display ad of a quarter page or
smaller, put a dashed border around the advertisement.

Reason: it makes the ad look like a coupon, which catches the
reader’s eye and signals to him that the ad requires a response.

—————————————————————–

***Little-known trick catches more typos when proofreading***

To proofread a document more effectively, read it backwards.

Reason: doing so prevents you from reading so fast that you miss
mistakes, and it helps you focus on each individual word.

—————————————————————–

***Don’t rush a price quote***

Don’t feel you have to come up with an instant answer when a
prospect asks you, “So what will it cost?”

Instead reply: “Let me work up an estimate and get it back to
you within 24 hours.” Taking the time to carefully consider what
you want to charge eliminates the likelihood that you will quote
too small a price in haste and under pressure.

—————————————————————–

***Should you cut prices during a recession?***

According to a survey by the National Federation of Independent
Business, nearly 30% of small business owners have lowered their
prices.

When setting your own prices, consider these ideas:

>> Be flexible – offer a wide variety of pricing options to win
over and keep risk-averse customers.

>> Customize – ask your clients what they need, and then change
your mix of offerings to emphasize the most affordable.

>> Target customers when they have the most cash – the first
week of the month after shoppers have received their pay checks
is usually the best time.

Source: Evans, Teri, “Slash & Earn,” BusinessWeek SmallBiz.

—————————————————————–

***How long should my e-book be?***

“How long should I make my e-books?” a new Internet info
marketer asked me.

Answer: for an e-book selling in the $19 to $39 range, the PDF
should be a minimum of 50 pages.

If it’s much shorter than 40 pages, your customers may think you
are not giving them enough “meat.”

A typeset PDF page is around 300 words. So when you are writing
your e-book, you know you have enough content when your Word
document is around 15,000 words.

—————————————————————–

***Are you charging enough for your info products?***

The minimum price for physical information products can be
calculated using the “10:1 rule.”

This rule says the price of a physical product sold through
direct marketing must be at least 10 times your product cost.

Example: A set of DVDs that costs $8 per copy to make should
sell for a minimum of $80.

A book that costs $2 per copy to print should sell for at least
$20.

But that’s the minimum. If your information is worth more, and
buyers will pay more, then charge more.

Source: Speaker Fulfillment Services, News & Notes, Vol. 15, p.
1.

—————————————————————–

***Did you know this shocking fact about Google?***

Incredibly, sites can actually have different positions in
Google depending on who is searching for them!

“Several things can account for differences in search engine
position results,” says my SEO guru Ed Taylor. “One factor is
the Google server (data center) that is accessed. Google has
many data centers around the world and they often have slightly
different rankings.”

Another factor affecting the results you see in the Search
Engine Results Page (SERP) is the location of your PC. According
to Ed, this is especially evident on searches that Google deems
of a local nature (i.e. a dentist). In the case of local
searches, very often the Google Map setting will appear with a
group of listings specific to the local area.

Ranking differences can also result from the searcher’s computer
settings. Computers that are logged into a Google account often
display different ranking results that than those that are not.
These results are influenced by the web sites the searcher has
visited in the past.

Recommendation: The best way to view core Google indexes — the
rankings uninfluenced by your browsing history and location –
is to log out of your Google account, clear out your browser’s
cookies and cache, and then perform a search on your keyword.

Source: Ed Taylor, www.edtaylor.com

—————————————————————–

***Bill Bonner’s copywriting secret***

Agora Publishing founder Bill Bonner uses the “IRS” (interrupt,
reveal, sell) formula to write great copy:

1—Interrupt your audience with a big idea they haven’t heard
before.

2—Reveal what it is you are talking about and how it connects to
the reader.

3—Sell by linking your big idea message to the product you are
about to offer.

Source: http://copywritersroundtable.com

—————————————————————–

***Do you measure this important e-mail metric?***

Measuring open and click-through rates can show you just how
successful your e-mail marketing campaigns are.

But on the flip side, there’s another metric you should measure:
the “complaint rate.” And if it’s too high, you could be in
trouble.

Complaint rate is the percentage of recipients receiving your
e-mail who complain to their ISP that you are spamming them.

According to e-mail deliverability expert Kevin Senne, the
complaint rate should not exceed 0.2% — meaning a maximum of 2
spam complaints per 1,000 e-mails broadcast.

Warning: a number of e-mail services will refuse to distribute
e-mails to your list if your complaint rate exceeds 0.2% or even
0.1%.

To lower your complaint rate to acceptable levels:

>> Make your e-mail copy more content-heavy … and less
sales-oriented.

>> Ask subscribers what they want to read in your e-mails – and
give it to them.

>> E-mail your list less frequently.

Source: The Marketing Report.

—————————————————————–

***Telemarketing tip***

When making cold calls, the first thing you should say is: “Am I
catching you at a bad time right now?” The prospect will
typically give one of two answers: yes or no.

If she answers “yes,” ask when is a good time to call back and
set an appointment for the call.

If the answer is “no,” then she is giving you permission to
proceed – at least for another minute. And the fact that you
showed respect for her time raises her opinion of you a notch.

—————————————————————–

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to www.bly.com.
That’s it!

—————————————————————–

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly is available on a limited basis for copywriting of
direct mail packages, sales letters, brochures, white papers,
ads, e-mail marketing campaigns, PR materials, landing pages,
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 on your assignment,
we’ll tailor a package of recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Bob Bly at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

—————————————————————–

—————————————————————–

October 10, 2011

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.

—————————————————————–

***Using QR codes in direct mail***

According to an article in Target Marketing (10/11, p. 11),
Quick Response (QR) Codes should catch the eye. They can be
read from any angle so there should be no issue in finding space in
your mailing for them.

QR Codes should be place above the fold. Avoid any area close to
the edges or crease of the mail piece. Include a white border
equal to the width of two black modules around all four sides of
the QR Code.

—————————————————————–

***A word about my blog***

Between issues of this newsletter, I write short articles that
give either how-to tips or opinions on marketing trends and
issues. These are posted regularly on my blog; please check it
out if you haven’t already. I think you will not be disappointed:

http://bly.com/blog

—————————————————————–

***The 50% e-mail marketing rule***

If your online business makes money by sending e-mails to your
opt-in e-list, how many of those e-mails can be sales messages
that generate revenue vs. how many must be content messages that
educate your readers but don’t directly produce income?

My finding is that your ratio of pure content to sales e-mails
must be at minimum 50% or more – that is, you must send at least
one content e-mail for every sales e-mail. If the ratio of
content messages to sales messages falls below 50%, your
subscribers will become disgruntled, stop reading your e-mails,
and unsubscribe from your list. This rule is of utmost
importance and should not be violated.

—————————————————————–

***7 ways to make meetings more productive***

1-Start on time. Give warning; then do it.

2-Assign time-keeping and minutes responsibilities.

3-Keep posted on the time remaining and the amount behind
schedule if any.

4-Start with and stick to the agenda.

5-Allow interruptions for emergency purposes only.

6-Restate conclusions and assignments to ensure agreement.

7-End on time.

Source: Alec MacKenzie, “The Time Trap” (Amacom)

—————————————————————–

***Ideal length for subject lines***

Craig Stouffer of Pinpoint, an e-mail service, says subject
lines that are 40 to 50 characters generate approximately twice
the click-through rates of subject lines 70 to 80 characters in
length.

—————————————————————–

***The power of print***

According to a brochure from Appleton Coated, a paper company:

>> Consumers receiving a printed catalog are 2X more likely to
buy online than consumers who do not receive a catalog.

>> 67% of online action is driven by offline messages.

>> 80% of Americans read or skim direct mail, and 38% find
direct mail interesting.

>> 75% of consumers say they have made a purchase as a result of
direct mail.

>> Consumers rate direct mail as 3.9 on a scale of 1 to 5 for
the acceptability of various communications channels – above all
other channels.

—————————————————————–

***Facebook advertising tip***

When advertising on Facebook, send the clicks to a Facebook page
and not to your web site, advise Perry Marshall and Thomas
Meloche in their new book “The Ultimate Guide to Facebook
Advertising” (Entrepreneur Press).

Reason: If you send your clicks to a Facebook page, then the
visitors land in known and comfortable surroundings.

Says Marshall, “Their defenses are much lower than when they are
taken to a foreign web site for the first time, and they are
more likely to engage more frequently with your content.”

In addition, visitors don’t have to worry that you’re about to
install a virus on their computer, post offensive material, or
assault them with pop-ups and ads.

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***4 reasons why sales stall***

If your prospect says “I want to think it over,” it’s likely for
one of these 4 reasons:

>> He’s not convinced he wants what you are offering.

>> The prospect has not been completely honest with you – and
doesn’t want to reveal the real reason he’s not buying.

>> The prospect wants to shop around first.

>> The prospect is afraid he may be overlooking something.

Source: Harry Browne, “The Secret of Selling Anything.”

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***A quick tip for building credibility***

If you want to gain credibility with your prospects, participate
in the markets you serve.

For example, I knew of a fellow who sold welding equipment to
welders. To relate better to his prospects and make them more
comfortable with him, he took courses at night and became a
certified welder.

Similarly, if you sell million-dollar life insurance policies,
it’s difficult to convince someone else to buy a policy unless
you own one yourself.

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***Book of the month***

My friend Joe Vitale said in a lecture I attended, “Money loves
speed.” Now my colleague David Meerman Scott has written a book,
“Real-Time Marketing & PR” (John Wiley & Sons), that shows you
how to put Joe’s guideline into practice.

The thesis of David’s excellent book is that marketing and PR
must get their messages to consumers in real-time – days or even
hours — and not on the old, leisurely time frame of weeks or
months.

Technologies like smart phones and Twitter enable this real-time
marketing to become a reality.

For more information on “Real-Time Marketing” or to order, click
below now:

www.bly.com/RealTimeMktgPR

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***Believe it or not***

In Yuba City, California two thieves attempted to steal a
barbecue grill, while it was still hot, during a picnic of
county probation officers.

In other news, a bank robber was arrested when he wrote his
hold-up note on the back of his own deposit slip.

Source: Leland Gregory, “The Stupid Crook Book.”

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***Quotation of the month***

“It seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table,
but you only want the ones that you can’t get.”
–”Desperado,” The Eagles

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***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to
www.bly.com. That’s it!

———————————————————————

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

September 1, 2011

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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.

———————————————————————

***Have your Internet results sucked lately?***

According to consultant Wendy Montes de Oca, Internet marketing
results are depressed from June through August. This may explain
why your click-through and conversion rates have sunk lately, if
such is the case. Action step: promote your best-selling
products heavily after Labor Day. But don’t over-promote; at
least 50% of your e-mails should be content rather than sales
messages.

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***Upcoming speaking engagement***

I will be speaking on “12 Ways to Succeed as a Freelance
Copywriter in 2012″ at the AWAI Boot Camp in Delray Beach, FL,
10/26-10/29/11. Among the other speakers: Michael Masterson,
Nick Usborne, Steve Slaunwhite, Dan Kennedy, Brian Clark, Joe
Sugarman, and John Forde to name just a few.

For more information or to register, click below now:

http://www.awaionline.com/bootcamp-brochure/?referredby=WB11L_49BLY

www.bly.com/12WaysBootcamp

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***My pet peeve***

If you are an author, don’t send me a copy of your book
unsolicited in the mail. Ask me for permission first! My office
is overflowing with business books authors have sent me – books
I will never have time to read but hate to throw out, thereby
resulting in annoying clutter. (You should see the place!) One
author sent me 2 copies of his book after I asked him not to.

If I agree to review your book and it is an e-book, don’t e-mail
me a PDF; send me a hard copy print-out in the mail. I don’t
want to consume my paper and ink printing out your book.

———————————————————————

***Don’t pat yourself on the back***

I recently got an e-mail promotion from a colleague who is a
successful copywriter. In it, he refers to himself as a “legend,”
which I found self-serving and a turn-off.

My rule of thumb: if others call you a genius, there’s a chance
you may be. But if you call yourself a genius, then you probably
aren’t. Solution: get a client, colleague, or someone known in
your industry to give you a flattering testimonial. (My first
one came from David Ogilvy.)

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***New 2012 Bob Bly calendar now available***

Unlike Ali Brown, I don’t have a magazine about me; I’m not in
her league.

But now Adams Media has published “The Words You Should Know to
Sound Smart 2012 Daily Calendar” – which features a different
mind-expanding vocabulary word for each day of the year and is
based on my book of the same title.

Mastering this daily listing of deliciously obscure and obtuse
terms will have you tossing about bon mots with the best of the
portentous artistes and aesthetes … and impressing the
susurration out of the perfervid hoi polloi – in no time.

For more information or to order the calendar at 15% off the
list price, click here now:

http://www.amazon.com/Words-Should-Sound-Smart-Calendar/dp/144052

7121/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314736565&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440527121/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bobblycop-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1440527121

www.bly.com/Words2012Calendar

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***Your publishing options at a glance***

There are 3 basic options for publishing a book:

1—Self-publish it as an e-book.
2—Self-publish it as a physical book.
3—Sell it to a mainstream publisher (e.g., John Wiley & Sons).

I am frequently asked which publishing option is best. My answer
is always the same:

>> #1 has the highest margin and profit potential. Choose it if
your primary goal is to make money with your book.

>> #3 has the most prestige. Choose it if you want to use the
book to promote your career or business.

>> #2 has some prestige but not as much as #3, and has better
margins than #3 but less than #1. It’s a good choice for
professional speakers who need a book to promote themselves to
meeting planners and have a product to sell at their talks.

———————————————————————

***Why I can’t look at your web site***

I am frequently asked via e-mail by my readers if I can “take a
quick look” at their web site and give my opinion.

But I can’t, for 3 reasons:

1—It falls under the category of marketing consulting, which is
what I do for a living. Why do you think I should give you my
services for free?

2—It takes time, which I have in extremely limited supply and
must reserve for my paying clients.

3—Even if you wanted to pay me, I am so booked up that the
chances I could review your web site any time soon are close to
zero.

Not trying to be mean here – just realistic.

BTW, if you asked me to review your web site, wouldn’t it have
been decent of you to at least suggest you were willing to pay
me?

———————————————————————

***Which mailing format is best?***

One of the most common questions my copywriting clients ask me
when doing direct mail is which format is best – a postcard,
self-mailer, or sales letter?

Here are some guidelines to help you answer that question:

>> When in doubt, go for a sales letter with reply element in a
#10 envelope … still the most powerful and proven format.

>> Self-mailers work well when your product is visual (e.g.,
selling vacation cruises, Christmas lights) and you want the
prospect to see pictures right away.

>> Postcards work best when driving response to a web site URL
or toll-free phone number.

>> Letters in envelopes work best when selling professional or
technical services, and with promotions that have an emotional
appeal or a story to tell (e.g., life insurance).

———————————————————————

***How to capture e-mail addresses of your web site visitors***

Another question I’m asked frequently by prospects and clients
is, “How can I make my web site convert?” By this, they often
mean “How can I capture the e-mail addresses of people who visit
the site?”

There are several methods, but the simplest is to offer free
content in exchange for the e-mail address.

For instance, create a valuable special report or online tool.
Have a prominent button on the home page that says “Free Report”
or “Free ROI Calculator” (or whatever the name of the tool is).

When they click on the button, they are taken to a simple form.
They are required to enter their name and e-mail address and
click Submit, and then they are taken to the content which they
can download or use. By doing so, they have opted into your
list, and you have captured their e-mail address with permission
to mail to it.

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***Using press releases to optimize your site for search engines***

In the good old days, press releases were exclusively mailed to
editors and journalists. Consumers never saw them unless they
were printed in the newspaper or magazine.

Not today. Now, press releases are routinely posted on the web
site of the company issuing the releases. Therefore, press
releases can be used in search engine optimization: simply
include your keywords in the headline and body of the release.
This doesn’t matter offline, but it does online.

———————————————————————

***Generate more inquiries from fractional display ads***

Running a half-page or smaller display ad in a magazine? Put a
dashed border around the entire ad. It resembles a coupon,
visually signaling to the reader that it’s a response ad.

Other tricks to increase print ad response:

–Show a picture of the free white paper or brochure you are
offering.

–Use the word “free” in the ad headline or a subhead.

–Run the ad on a right-hand page in the publication.

For more tips on boosting leads and sales from your print
advertising, read my e-book “Ads That Sell.” Click here for
details:

www.winningadsecrets.com

———————————————————————

***Book of the month***

Everybody tells you to market with articles, but nobody tells
you how to do it effectively.

Now my colleague Wendy Montes de Oca shares her proven 5-step
SONAR model for article marketing in her new book “Content is
Cash,” published by John Wiley & Sons. By following her model
you get higher search engine rankings and more web traffic
instead of just churning out an endless pile of articles that go
nowhere and do nothing.

For more information or to order, click below now:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789741083/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_

tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bobblycop-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399
373&creativeASIN=0789741083

www.bly.com/ContentIsCash

———————————————————————

***Quotation of the month***

“Forget about who you thought you were and just accept who you
are.” –Liv Tyler, “Jersey Girl”

———————————————————————

***Reprint my articles – free!***

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters –
need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can
syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Bob
Bly Direct Response Letter — for free! To view complete
articles, visit our newsletter archives at www.bly.com/archive.
Republishing our articles is quick and easy. All you have to do
is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the
following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly’s
Direct Response Letter,” and include a back-link to
www.bly.com. That’s it!

———————————————————————

***Our 60-second commercial***

Bob Bly 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 on your assignment, we’ll tailor a
package of recent samples to fit your requirements. Call Bob Bly
at 201-505-9451 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com.

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