Tag: blogging

Beware this “bait and switch” social media ad buying scam

conorkelLeave a comment

Cautionary tale today.

The social media marketing gurus of the world will delight in telling you why now is a great time to do Facebook ads.

After all, much of your competition is running scared and skimping on their marketing.

Cost-per-click is down 30% on average, according to some sources.

‘Tis a fine sentiment.

Back in ’08-’09 I did make out like a bandit on Google ads while other advertisers were lying in the fetal position on the floor of their offices.  Indeed, smart marketers know that when there’s “blood on the streets”, it’s time to market even more aggressively and hoover up market share like a Dyson.

Which brings me to the caution part.

Last year, a client of mine was sucked in by the promise of fast leads thanks to a social media marketing agency keen on raiding his wallet.  When I first found out about the campaign, I insisted on giving it the once over to determine if it deserved The Muscle’s much coveted seal of approval.

It did not.

For one, I was appalled at the lack of basic grammar and spelling on the landing page they’d created.

(And, as a writer, somewhat professionally offended.)

Ditto for their email follow up sequence.

I sent the client a note requesting that we bring those leads back into his Aweber so we could nurture them properly and with the quality of writing consistent with his other messaging.

And while this agency liked to point out ‘so many leads’ were coming his way, my client had only one booking (that didn’t show up) and a grand total ZERO sales.

Then, I noticed something, well…a little funky:

Almost ALL of the leads I imported had an IP address based in South Korea.  Yet, this client was a chiropractor based just outside of Toronto.

The Muscle smelled a rodent of the scurrying, pointy-tailed variety.

Now I’m not discouraging you from doing paid traffic on Facebook.

I have other clients that are doing very well with this right now.

And it may be truly be a good time to throw your hat in the ad buying ring.

But if you’re new to all this, my advice is not to trot down a dark alley and act surprised when you meet some questionable characters.

Beware the charm offensive.

Insist on proof.

Anyway, hope this warning saves you a few dineros.

Two MORE ways I can help:

I know people.

Good people.

If you’re ready to swim in this particular shark tank, I can open my rolodex and introduce you to some great ad people with high-powered tranq riffles.

And two, aside from targeting, two big factors in your ad success are the copy used in your ads (how you get attention) and the copy on the landing page you are bouncing them to (how you keep that attention long enough to get them to take action).

My book Stealth Email Secrets shows you a simple-yet-proven landing page formula and no less than 7 easy-to-create email types that can easily be adapted as Facebook ads.

Get those, and a ho’ lot more goodies inside the book, here:

Click here to get your copy of Stealth Email Secrets from Amazon.

Find out why leading author and speaker John Brubaker calls this, “one of the small handful of books that sits on my desk next to my laptop and my planner, while all others are relegated to the shelf.”

Alright, that’s all The Muscle wrote for today.

Happy Scam-Avoiding,

Conor Kelly

 

How to make sales from stuff happening to you

conorkelLeave a comment

Alright, so this note is overdue.

I would have sent such lovely musings to your inbox sooner, but last week my thirty-eight-pound 1957 laptop finally up and died.

(‘Big Berta’.  May she rest in peace.)

Fine, she wasn’t quite that heavy.  Or that old.  But she did outlast many of her contemporaries.

Mercifully, I managed to pull off a daring rescue op to save my files from the brink of abyss.   So you need not worry; no client or personal content was harmed in the making of this email.

Anyway, the point of such shenanigans?

We’ve all been thwarted by technology.

And we understand what it’s like to have our grand plans mocked by the computer gods.

There’s an old saying that goes nothing bad ever happens to a writer.

Tales of woe like this one (and indeed better, more woeful ones) are relatable and can help frame almost anything your ambitious heart desires to sell.  One of the best ways to dream up stories to tell in your emails and your sales copy is simply to ask,

When did things go wrong?

Next, all you need to do is connect it to something you sell (like I’m doing here) and PRESTO.

You’re in business.

(And THAT’s turning a frown upside down.)

One of easiest examples of this is when I sold personal training and would tell of my own failures on the way to getting fit.  This story got main-stage billing on my website, in my emails, and in public speeches.  You’ve probably seen this done.  That’s because it works.

But don’t stop there.

All sorts of stories of things that happen to you can serve as fodder for emails and other sales copy.

Bottom line:

You almost can’t go wrong by keeping the conversation in your prospect’s ‘world’.

That means telling stories they can identify with.

And plenty of them.

When in doubt just use my handy question above and you’ll be well on your way.

That’s all for today.

GOOD NEWS for those who have been asking: I have an opening for a new client next month.  If you’d like to set a time to discuss having me write some copy for your website, or emails for your distinguished biz, shimmy on over here to book your Free Brainstorm Call:

http://calendly.com/conorkel/emailincome

The standards of direct-response marketing would dictate I remind you it is urgent for you to take action on this today.

But I don’t know that.

I have no idea your current situation or whether it’s even a fit.

What I CAN say is I expect this spot to go fast, and I’m almost always booked several months in advance.

Therefore, if it be the case that you ARE interested, booking sooner rather than later would seem wise.

Until next time…

Happy Storytelling,

Conor Kelly

P.S. There is one particular story “type” which I’ve discovered (after testing it in about a dozen markets) that converts so well it gives you an almost unfair advantage over your competition.

Alas, I reserve such secrets for my clients.

To learn more, book your Free Brainstorm Call here:

http://calendly.com/conorkel/emailincome

I only have 1 spot open for a new client.

And time waits for no Sapien.

To hyperlink or not to hyperlink?

conorkelLeave a comment

That is the question today…

One interesting fact about the era we live in is how quickly the names of computer functions become verbs.

A point illustrated by my 7-year-old the other day when she misspoke and blurted out “Wait!  I need to backspace that” before correcting herself.

So in an attempt to remain cool in her eyes (although I’m reserving the right to make Dad jokes), we’re going to examine a question I got from a client about whether ‘tis nobler to ‘hyperlink’ your links vs. not hyperlinking.

If it’s not clear to you yet what I mean, here’s a conveniently self-promoting example.

A hyperlink would be if I were to ask you to:

Get Your Copy Of My Super-Cool, Outrageously Awesome Book Here.

(Which, ironically, is about selling with email by not using hype.  Ahem…)

VS.

Simply dropping in the real URL address, like so:

www.ConorKelly.com

Conventional wisdom would say that if you make your link a benefit-laden call-to-action, as in Get your free thingamajigger here, or Get the program at 96% off, or Double your sales with email, you’ve got a better shot at compelling the reader to take action.

Still others would argue that a plain old URL stands out.

It’s not congruent with the text of your email, and therefore weird or ugly or whatever other differentiating quality you’d like to ascribe to it.

Also, it’s possible that displaying the actual URL is reassuring.

If people know where you’re taking them, they might be more inclined to click.

However, IMHBMO (in my humble-but-muscular opinion) the point is somewhat moot.

It’s been my experience that once you’ve built trust with your list, neither one significantly affects clickthroughs.

See, if you have a healthy relationship with your list…and you have offers they want…you don’t need any fancy ‘tricks’.  They are clicking because you’re the one asking.  And part of building that relationship is consistently making sure what they see when they do click is what your email promises.

(That’s why I tend to lean toward not hyperlinking.)

Anyway, take such musings for what they’re worth.

If you’d like my help with an email campaign or sales letter, follow the yellow brick road below and add yourself to my email list to be notified when a client spot opens up:

https://conorkelly.com/from-leading-copywriter-conor-kelly/

Happy Linking,

Conor Kelly

Goofy’s entire family may be dead

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It’s sad to think about…

But according to a reliable source, i.e. the internet, it’s entirely plausible that Goofy – yes that Goofy, Disney character – suffered the tragic loss of his wife and most of the members of his extended family.

Why do I bring this up?

My subject line is the title of an article I came across a while back.

And I thought it was clever.

(The rest of the article is pretty amusing too.  You can find it via “the” Google if you’re interested.  It seems in cartoons during the fifties Goofy had a wife, but when Disney rebooted the character in the nineties with Goof Troop, he was found to be raising his son alone.  No explanation offered.  This prompted speculation online about her fate, and the fate of other family members who, similarly, are hinted at but never make an appearance.)

Back to the article’s title.

It implies tongue-in-cheek humor, curiosity…even a pinch of dread.

I mean, how does a cartoon character, let alone a Disney one, wind up with a biography like that?

Titles, like email subject lines, are meant to entice you to read on.

The best ones evoke an emotional reaction of some kind, just like you probably smirked a little or went “wtf?” when you read the subject of my email just now.

Anyway, something to ponder as you dream up your own subject lines, titles, and headlines.

If you’d like to go a bit deeper, I’ve included a brief article below (only about 500 words) that deconstructs this further by peering into deceptive media headlines.

And if you’d like a few simple formulas  for how to write subject lines and headlines that are almost impossible to ignore, my book Stealth Email Secrets is filled with concrete examples that can make your life easier (and more profitable) when it comes to marketing.

Get your copy here:

–>The Simplest System Ever Created For Writing High-Converting Emails On Command.

Until next time…

Happy Enticing,

Conor Kelly

 

A Copywriter’s Rules To Avoid Being “Duped” By Headlines

If you’d like to know a professional copywriter’s insider secrets to avoid being misled by the media’s headlines, then you might find this brief article fascinating.

You see, copywriters, like journalists, spend a lot of time breaking down, analyzing and learning how to write compelling headlines. This puts us in a unique position to understand what makes them “tick”.

The first rule is simply to not be confused about a headline’s purpose. Just like direct-response copywriters need people to read our sales offers, journalism is a business first and foremost. Media outlets need eyeballs on their content.

The headline’s job is not to inform. Rather, the job of any headline is to capture attention with the goal of getting you to read, watch, or listen to the story or message, nothing more. For this reason, there must be some important context which is left out; otherwise, why would you need to go deeper?

When you remember that headlines deliberately leave out details which are explained in the body of the article, and that these details provide necessary context, you’ll read openers with a more critical eye. The problem is most people don’t read whole articles; instead, they scan headlines, which can only give you an incomplete picture.

It’s also important to note headlines that do their job well typically pack an emotional punch. This often requires drama, a hint of the sensational, curiosity, wrenching on powerful emotions like fear and outrage, or some combination of the above.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples in health reporting:

One is from The Toronto Star, Just 60 Seconds of Intense Exercise Can Boost Your Fitness Level. Why is this a solid appeal? The idea of getting fitter with such a small amount of exercise sounds counter intuitive, for one. That contrast serves up a little curiosity already baked in. It also speaks to the fantasy people have of getting fit more easily, or faster.

In the article, the study compared 10 minutes of interval training with 45 minutes of traditional cardio for its effects on V02 max. However, V02 max is only one small parameter of fitness. Even the study’s author said that “60 seconds is all you need” was not the right conclusion to draw, contrary to what the article’s headline implies.

The second is a press release entitled, Exercise, More Than Diet, Key To Preventing Obesity. The attention-grabbing features here are (i) “Key to preventing obesity” is a dramatic claim. Most people know obesity is a big problem. Also (ii) “Exercise vs. Diet” is an ongoing debate, so it’s topical.  But guess what?  The study wasn’t an even an obesity study. It examined metabolic indicators in rats to determine the impact of exercise on metabolism…independently of weight loss.

It’s also wise to inspect the source of the headline. Do they have an agenda? Truly objective reporting is an endangered species in today’s business and political ecosystem.

Bottom line: there’s an art to writing headlines that seduce people away from other stuff they could be doing and effectively “steal” their attention. With the tips in this article you’ll be better able to resist their subtle persuasion tactics.

When a headline hits you in the gut, let that be your cue to have a peak beneath the surface and scan the article or content. More often than not, you’ll discover some detail missing from the headline that can lessen its impact.

Naked Baby Doll’s gastronomic adventure

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All of this lately reminds me of a story.

At the time of the great Northeast blackout in ’03, I was renting a basement apartment from a Russian family in Richmond Hill.  They were sweet, red-cheeked little dumplings with much love for The Muscle.

Even had a pet name for me:

Pupsik.

It’s a Russian toy shaped like a naked baby.

(Don’t ask.)

Many stores were closed due to the power outage, so they insisted I come upstairs for a bite.   The family’s Babushka (Grandmother) brought forth a large crystal plate.  From what I could tell, it contained a gelatin substance with random floating chunks of mystery meat (which I later discovered is traditionally pig’s feet, cow’s feet, or chicken feet).

[Akwardly] Ah ha ha!  Yummy…

Being the Canadian paragon of politeness that I am, I powered through.  I took spoon to splotch, and went at it like a champ.  And with my eyes watering from suppressing the gag reflex, I politely asked for more bread, hoping to relieve some of the violent siege on my senses.

During this gustatory power struggle, I noticed the oldest son downing the meat-flavored jell-o like it was chocolate cake.  “What the…?  Is he enjoying this??”  I thought, as I nodded, forced a smile with high eyebrows, and flashed a thumbs up.

That experience drove home for me how varied taste can be.

Same basic DNA shared between us…but our amigos in other cultures will gladly shovel into their mouths forkfuls of fat which we’d normally discard AND vaporize with dish cleaners powerful enough to thin paint.

What does this have to do with you?

First, it’s just an entertaining story.

And we could all use more of those right now.

Second, the most common objection I get when encouraging business owners to up the frequency of their emails is,

“But I don’t want to annoy my customers.”

Here’s the thing:

It depends WHAT you’re sending them.

If you’re serving up the equivalent of ‘Mousse au animal-foot-fetish’ to North Americans, per above…then yes, more is not better.  But consider a different example:  Imagine your favorite food is chocolate chip cookies.  And every day I show up to your house in the afternoon with one freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, just how you like it.

How quickly are you going to love seeing me and hearing from me?

The point is to send them emails they like.

Then you almost can’t send them too many.

With that in mind, if you’d like a simple system for writing emails that your subscribers love reading AND buying from, then my new book Stealth Email Secrets might just keep you teetering on the edge of your seat.

It reveals no less than seven “magic” formulas to write emails that let you make more sales (and build more customer loyalty) at the push of a button. (HINT: I’m using one right now.)

And if you buy it now and turn to page 52, I show you a little-used secret that, if you do it correctly, can make your emails almost impossible to ignore.  In fact, if you’re not currently doing this, chances are good you are losing readers every time you hit ‘send’.

Grab your copy from Amazon to read about this secret today:

Click here to get your copy of Stealth Email Secrets.

Also, I just knocked 40% off the price of the paperback (Kindle is just $9.99).

Personally, I’d always rather have a physical book in my hands.

Call me old-fashioned.

I know you might prefer that too and understand many folks are tightening their purse strings right now so figured I’d help out.  I also know that for some this could be potentially business-saving information.  You can thank me by leaving an absolutely glowing review, should you feel so inclined. 😉

However, I won’t be keeping the price this low forever.

Don’t wait, get your copy now so you don’t miss out:

Order Stealth Email Secrets from Amazon.

And if you’re ever confronted with intestinal Russian roulette like I was, remember: loads of bread and water, minimal chewing, and SMILE…you can do this!

Happy Baking,

Conor “Naked Baby Doll” Kelly

Books to help you beat worry, anxiety, and stress

conorkelLeave a comment

Give the ol’ newsfeed a rest and feast your weary eyes upon these lovelies instead.

Here for your viewing pleasure are a few tomes that inform my own approach to managing stress, anxiety, and worry:

1. Grow Rich With Peace Of Mind by Napoleon Hill

This is my #1 Napoleon Hill offering.

His book Think & Grow Rich gets a lot more press (and is the best-selling personal development book of all time) but I like “With peace of mind” even more.  Hill was in his eighties when he penned this one, had lived through more ups and downs by then, and the hard won wisdom it reveals practically leaps off every page.

It’s also more concise, and his list of 43 characteristics of the ‘man who is consistently himself’ (Note it was published in 1967 – there’s good advice for the ladies here too) is one of the best things I’ve seen.

2. How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Again, Dale Carnegie is probably more famous for his How To Win Friends And Influence People, but I can’t get enough of this book.  I’ve given it to clients and they’ve made it mandatory bed time reading too.

Each chapter is easy to follow and it’s filled with great stories and examples of folks thriving by using these principles.

It was first published in 1944, so another one that’s stood the test of time.

3. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Speaking of being tested by time…

Now we go back even farther.

Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher and the emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD.  If you’ve seen Gladiator, he was the old emperor killed by his son Commodus at the start of the movie.

This one’s an outlier because it was probably never intended by its author to be a coherent whole.  It’s more like a collection of his notes that were compiled and published after his death.

Some say it’s cynical but I don’t agree.

Many of its ideas are based in Stoicism, and are all about practicing acceptance, not getting attached to things, and focusing on becoming the best version of yourself – all viewpoints which, if you embrace them as your daily MO, can make you almost “worry-proof”.

4. Biographies.

This one’s more of a category than a specific book.

One of the reasons I love reading biographies is they grant you such a long-term perspective.   You can read about a person’s life and all the setbacks they overcame.  And you can read about a life in another time.  Often reminds me there’s nothing new under the sun.

Every age has its shocks.

The world keeps ticking on.

In fact, Warren Buffet makes a practice of reading old newspapers for the same reason.  He says looking at long gone, sensationalist headlines about events that are now mere echoes in time keeps him grounded.

My favorite biography (and perhaps my favorite book) is Titan, the biography of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow.  I also loved Nelson Mandela’s autobiography A Long Walk To Freedom and the Walter Isaacson biography of Benjamin Franklin.

Something about getting lost in these amazing, epochal lives leaves me with a persistent sense of calm.

On a different-but-related note, having a solid plan for a free marketing channel (that more than 60% of business owners rate as their most profitable) could also give you a leg up on the next few months, as life burps and sways its way back toward normal.

Hence, I recommend my new book Stealth Email Secrets.

It reveals for the first time the complete email marketing system I use to increase sales and customer loyalty for my clients.  I honestly believe anyone can use this system to sell more of ANY product or service, in ANY economy.  You can read it in a single afternoon and start using its secrets to make more sales as soon as tomorrow, if you want.

(Plus it’s just an entertaining/informative read per my usual muscular style.)

Available in Kindle or paperback, you can grab your copy from Amazon:

Click here to get The Muscle’s NEW book.

Also, I just knocked 40% off the price of the paperback (Kindle is just $9.99).

Personally, I’d always rather have a physical book in my hands.  Call me old-fashioned.  I know you might prefer that too and understand many folks are tightening their purse strings right now so figured I’d help out.  I also know that for some this could be potentially business-saving information.

You can thank me by leaving an absolutely glowing review, should you feel so inclined. 😉

However, I won’t be keeping the price this low forever.

Be sure to grab your copy TODAY so you don’t miss it:

Get my Stealth Email Secrets book for 40% OFF.

Well, there you go.

Books to lighten the load, as it were.

I hope they’ll be as good to you as they’ve been to me.

Happy Stress-Busting,

Conor Kelly

“Best business email in response to the CV crisis I have received.”

conorkelLeave a comment

Question:

How well are you communicating with your customers during this time?

98% of what’s landed in my inbox as a response to the crisis from various businesses has ranged from pointless to inane, such as suggesting I sing the Happy Birthday song to myself twice when washing my hands (no joke, that was part of a real email a business thought to send me).

Most have had me running for the unsubscribe link.

With one of my clients this week we took a different tack.

Here’s just a sample of the responses we got:

====

“This is a wonderful message.  You will always have my business!”

“Thank you folks for reaching out and offering your generous support and good spirit to the community.”

“You are awesome.  So thoughtful!”

“That is the best business email in response to the CV crisis I have received.”

====

Now I have to give credit to this client because the initiatives were 100% his idea.  He’s good that way, and a smart marketer in his own right.  My contribution was knowing how to frame them effectively, and with a certain amount of flair.

Here’s the point:

You have an opportunity right now.  The word ‘crisis’ comes from the Greek krisis.  It literally means “turning point”.  So you have a choice; you can fall silent as some people will surely tell you to do.  Or you can use whatever platform you currently have to show leadership.

Now is the time to BUILD relationships.

Not let them go cold.

Think for a second about the relationship capital contained in responses like the ones above.

Case in muscular point: I started my personal training business in 2008.  Believe it or not the easiest and most profitable years, as far as marketing ROI anyway, were between 2008 and 2011.  One theory I have is when times are tight people clam up and stop marketing aggressively.  I was doing the opposite.  That meant less competition.  And indeed the business grew nicely during those years.

There’s no doubt about it, we’re headed for a recession.

You might need to make some sacrifices in the months ahead.

Don’t let it be your marketing, unless you want to fade into oblivion.

Alright, I’ll climb down off of my soap box now.

(And wipe it down thoroughly.)

If you’d like me to help you quickly grab more market share in the coming months while your competition is hitting the snooze button, go here to request your no-stress Free Brainstorm Call to find out if we’re a fit:

https://conorkelly.com/free-brainstorm-call/

But time is short.

My schedule is filling up.

And I’ll be marketing more, not less.

Happy Relationship-Building,

Conor Kelly

Copywriters who cheat on book reports

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Recently got this testimonial from leading coach, speaker, and podcaster Paul Reddick of Baseball Education Center:

====

“I’ve worked with various copywriters over the course of 20 years of being in business.  Some were expensive, some highly recommended, others had sterling reputations, yet at every turn I was disappointed.  It looked like they applied whatever cookie cutter sales system they had, and it would end up being this big pile of marketing hype and words.

Working with Conor has been a breath of fresh air.  Not only has the entire process been professional from start to finish, but it quickly became obvious that he took the time to understand, I mean really understand our product, which caught me by surprise because I wasn’t used to it!

For anyone who is thinking about working with Conor, I suggest you get on the phone with him.  You’ll have a different experience of a copywriter.  I certainly did.  And we’ll continue our professional relationship into the foreseeable future.”

====

This is interesting for a couple of reasons.

Paul said something in conversation after our first project together that stuck with me.  Not only was it obvious to him that I’d spent a lot of time on the product (in this case a video), but in his previous experiences of copywriters, when looking over their work, he was always waiting for that moment when you realize they didn’t watch the training.

That statement kind of blew me away.

You’re writing a sales page, how are you not going to study the product you’re selling?

It’s a bit like when we were back in school and had to do a book report.

You know there were always those who’d try to skip the reading part, get the crib’s notes – or ‘borrow’ a classmate’s notes.

It depends on the product and how much content is in there, but if it’s an info product and I’m writing the copy, I usually go through it MULTIPLE times.  And in various formats if I can (e.g. if it’s a book I try to get the audio version too).  It’s the only way to know the material.  It also lets me dig up a wealth of sales hooks and write dozens of badass bullet points that stomp all over a prospect’s indifference and get them leaning in, watering at the mouth and wanting to read more.

If you don’t put in this kind of effort, all that’s left is to follow a paint-by-numbers template or throw so much hype in there the ad becomes embarrassing to run.

Not saying I’m perfect.

But at least you can count on me bringing my A-game.

If you want copy that converts, there’s no two ways about it; you’ve got to shut the door to your room, turn up the Baroque classical music, and study your gluteus assimus off.

Them’s the breaks.

Or, you can legally and ethically “cheat”, and hire an honor roll student like me to geek out and write your book report for you. 🙂

Step 1 is booking your 15-minute no-fuss Free Brainstorm Call to see if we’re a fit.

Meet me after class here:

http://calendly.com/conorkel/emailincome

I’m booking projects three weeks out at the moment so best hurry if you’re interested.

Alright, that’s enough shenanigans for one day.

Muscle out.

Happy Studies,

Conor Kelly

[PHOTO] Are you missing this crucial piece in your marketing?

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IMG_1957

Take a minute and read the ad above.

This one caught my eye while riding the subway the other day.

Can you tell what’s missing?

Let’s come back to that.

First, the good (or at least decent):

Not a bad headline, although it could probably be better.  The “Did you know” with the statistic used is what I call a ‘catch all’.  It paints with a broad stroke how the ad’s content could be relevant to anyone on the train.  The amazon review is also a great way to do social proof.  And I like the “common causes of dehydration” as it supports the claim in the headline.

Subconsciously, riders are reading this going, “I travel, I drink…maybe I’m dehydrated.”

Now the bad and the ugly:

What’s being promised here?  There’s no real benefit.

For starters, dehydration can lead to fatigue, poor mental performance, higher toxicity, faster aging of skin, headaches, dizziness, poor digestion and…wait for it…a slow metabolism.  You can’t stop at telling them why they’re dehydrated.  You’ve got to connect the dots for them so they know precisely what it means.

Better hydrated they can:

Boost energy…

Look younger…

Think better…

They’re in dehydration ‘hell’ right now.

Show them heaven.

Heck, you might even drink more water today just based off my short paragraph of ‘harms’ above.  Those could easily be bullet points in the ad and would not take up much space.

No doubt you can see how any of the above might give this puppy an ROI-enhancing facelift.

But the simple 5-minute “trick” that will juice up the response from this ad without changing anything else?

Survey says…

Having a call to action.

What do they want us to DO here?

Not clear at all.

Sure, the Amazon review would suggest you could find the product there, but that’s simply too much homework to lay on people who are rushed, distracted by their phones, or merely avoiding making eye contact.  Even “Visit this website” with a URL would probably beat what’s there now.  A web address with a promo code to get a limited-time discount…even better.

And maybe a QR code so they could scan a digital coupon direct to their phone.

Which leads me to the rub:

If there’s any confusion about what action you want your prospects to take in your ads, your emails, or when landing on your website, guess what?  You’re that much less likely to get any action whatsoever.  Don’t leave it to them to put two and two together.  Tell them EXACTLY what you want them to do.

Spurn this advice at your ownrisk.

Those are just a few potential ‘upgrades’ that jumped out at me while staring at this ad for a few minutes between Ossington and Bay stations on Toronto’s Bloor line.

Imagine what I could do if I had two solid hours to spend on your marketing. 😉

With that in mind, if you’d like me to perform one of my signature Mini Power Critiques on your website (or your sales letter, or your email campaign) here’s how it works:

I spend a couple of hours on your website then I send you detailed notes, along with a screen capture video, that outlines every last one of my recommendations to help you get more conversions, leads and customers – and jack up the ROI you get from any advertising you currently do.  I’ll even throw in suggestions for taglines, headlines, bullets, or other hooks that’ll inevitably occur to me.

The cost for this goodness is just $275USD.

And if your pulse is not already a bit faster, here’s what I’ll do:

If you book (and pay for) your website critique before Friday March 6th at 6PM, and you end up hiring me to do a re-write, I’ll credit this amount toward my fee.  In that sense, you’ll have gotten to drink of the fruit of my knowledge for free.

If you’re interested, go to my calendar below and book a time to tell me a little about your business, your current situation, and the item you’d like reviewed and we’ll take it from there:

http://calendly.com/conorkel/emailincome

That does it for today’s muscular installment.

Mind ye this hallowed rule:

Let no marketing leave the door WITHOUT a call to action.

Happy Commuting,

Conor Kelly

 

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“With just a few short questions Conor was able to come up with a marketing plan that’s perfectly customized to my goals and my strengths.  He’s very knowledgeable, and has great instincts!”

–Amirali Rahnamoon, Osteopath at IN and OUT Fitness

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Use this ancient martial arts secret for writing persuasive copy

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True story:

Fourteen years ago I was a bouncer at the largest night club in Toronto.

Because of the sheer numbers of people we dealt with, the club had a reputation for hiring giant men to do security.  Which makes perfect sense; if most of your bouncers look like ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones, you’ve got yourself a compelling deterrent against would-be troublemakers.

Interestingly, our head of security was a relatively small Korean guy called Jung Ho.

At 5’8” and I’d guess 165 pounds, Jung was not very physically imposing…

But he could single-handedly clear out a room of roided-up college football players.

He generally didn’t get involved, but if he did, you understood pretty quickly why he was in charge.

You see, Jung had his own dojo.  He was a master of a martial art called Hapkido.  Hapkido is based on foot work, leverage, pressure points, and uses its opponent’s strength against him.  In this way, Jung overcame his size disadvantage.  In fact, the more you struggled, the more Jung was in control.

He was adept at steering natural forces.

That’s how I view copywriting.

Your prospects already have certain ways of thinking about their problems.

And specific words they’d use to describe them.

It’s the research you do that lets you hone in on and spotlight those key ideas, phrases, and emotions.  As email marketing grand poobah Ben Settle says about the market intel  you dig up: “Realize it’s energy coming at you.”  The trick then, is to reflect back this energy in a way that causes them to perk up, listen, and understand their own problem (and hopefully your solution) so clearly they’re compelled to do something about it.

When they do, the sales dynamic is entirely different.

You’re in the driver’s seat, baby.

They’re putty in your hands, like drunk sophomores are to Jung Ho.

You can have great punches, kicks, or throws (i.e. great at what you do), but as long as you’re the aggressor (out there “pitching”, bleh), you’re working too hard, and you’re not seeing enough new greenbacks marching through the door each month.

If you’d like my help with becoming the black belt that skillfully parries market demand into new prospects or customers, you may enter The Muscle’s dojo by requesting your Free Brainstorm Call here:

http://calendly.com/conorkel/emailincome

Spot open for only 1 new client only this month – so if you’re interested, make haste.

Until then…

Happy Redirecting,

Conor Kelly