I’ve worked with many businesses and individuals the past 6 years as a full-time copywriter.

And I can attest that most businesses are lacking one critical ingredient that separates them from the pack.

Personality!

Most people go into business as “Steve the Plumber” or “Joe the Insurance Agent”, put up a cookie-cutter website, and expect people to flock to them and buy their services.

But as soon as most people exit from their website, they forget about them as soon as they check their Facebook status or email.

Why?

Because their brand they are portraying is so forgettable (or non-existant) that people forget about them as soon as they click of their site.

I talked about Dave’s Killer Bread in this post: Important Copywriting And Marketing Lessons From A Loaf Of Bread? It’s a brand of bread that stands out from the Wonder Breads of the industry because Dave tells his story right on the package.

And now I’m going to show you more individuals who let their personalities shine through in themselves–and their marketing.

1) Jim Carrey

I used to watch Jim Carrey a lot when he was on “In Living Color” back in the day. Anyone remember “Fire Marshall Bill”?

Jim made his mark with exaggerated facial expressions and body movements. People who were into that kind of sense of humor laughed their butts off as a result.

Did everyone like Jim Carrey? No way. Some people didn’t care for his type of humor and preferred someone like Jerry Seinfeld who was a little more intellectual:

Jerry likes to point out the obvious in an intellectual way. That’s his style of humor and he grew a large fan base as a result.

So neither Jim or Jerry watered down their act to appeal to everyone. They each had their own personalities and “quirks” they displayed during their performances.

And that’s how they stood out amongst the sea of comedians.

2) The Warner Home Plumbing Guy

Anybody who has lived in the Washington D.C. area for a long time probably remembers this guy. He is a plumber who had some pretty goofy commercials.

How many plumbers do you know that dress up in a look-alike Superman outfit? Sure it seems corny and the guy is a little uncharismatic.

But when your toilet is overflowing at 1:47 in the morning, you want to call the first plumber that comes into your mind. It’s awful hard to get that cheesy Superman cape out of your head.

Plus I am distantly related to the guy.  He’s my Dad’s second cousin–my genealogy isn’t very good so I don’t know his exact relation to me.

3)Howard Stern

When I watched TV on a regular basis, I would come across Howard Stern’s TV show and find myself pausing to watch more.  It was like slowing down to gawk at the scene of an accident.  But I would then keep going on my destination–thankfully.

Many people hate his guts. However, his fans listen to him every day on Sirius radio and they’ll continue to listen to him until the day he dies.

Would he have a raving fan base if he wasn’t offensive? If he was just like every other radio personality that just played Top 40 hits every day?

Probably not.

Howard just acts like himself on the airwaves. And that’s how he stands out from his competitors.

4) Dan Kennedy

I talked a little bit about Dan Kennedy in last week’s post: My 10 Top Copywriting Resources (Both Paid And Free!). But here I will elaborate further.

I’ve listened to a lot of Dan Kennedy programs. Anyone who follows Dan can attest to the following:

1. He hates cellphones
2. He loves horses
3. He is extremely anal about time management
4. He’s just a tad grumpy
5. He’ll let out an occasional 4-letter word now and then in seminars.
6. He is NOT politically correct
7. He just tells you like it is…and doesn’t sugar-coat anything.

In other words, Dan doesn’t water himself down so he appeals to everyone. Some are repulsed by him while others love his straight-shooter style.

These are the ones that love him go to his seminars, buy his books, and are customers for life.

In other words, Dan acts like himself.

(Hmm…see a pattern here?)

5) John Alanis

I saw John speak live at an event several years back. He’s from the Dan Kennedy school of marketing and knows the concept of the attractive character very well.

John is in the dating market and he calls himself, “The King of Let ‘Em Come To You”. That’s how he differentiates his business from the slew of dating sites that, for the most part, teaches men how to pick up women.

This is just SOME of what he reveals about himself in his marketing:

1. He is a Dallas Cowboys fan
2. He likes “Beavis and Butt-Head” and “Man vs. Food.”
3. He loves 80’s hair metal bands and doesn’t care for the current music scene.

Is he afraid that some people on his list are Washington Redskins fans and will be offended every time they see him with a Cowboys hat on?

Does he care if someone on his list is a big fan of the early 90’s Seattle grunge scene…and gets offended when John talks about how the 80’s rock bands were way better.

No.

Because he knows the people who DO agree with him will bond with him…and perhaps turn into a long-term customer. John acts like himself in his products and marketing–and that’s how he stands out in an ultra-competitive niche.

Conclusion

The attractive characters in this blog post stand out in the marketplace because they let their personalities shine through.  They don’t try to “sugar coat” themselves so they can be all things to all people.

So now you need to ask yourself:

Are you watering yourself down in your business? Are you holding yourself back so you don’t offend anyone in your marketing communications?

Look at the examples above and think of ways you’ve been holding yourself back. And think of ways you can express yourself more so you stand out from your competitors.

Talk soon!

Kevin

I’ve been writing copy for the past 6 years. And I’ve been fortunate to have worked for Russell Brunson for 4 of them.

When I used to speak at Russell’s seminars or participate in one of his workshops, people would ask me my top copywriting resources. I still get these questions through this site and my email list.

I’m going to outline my top 10 copywriting resources every marketer needs to consume if they want to excel in copywriting and marketing. This will be a mix of paid and free resources, so there’s something here for everyone.

 

1) “Kick Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel” by John Carlton.

 

This is the course that got me started in copywriting. I firmly believe every marketer needs to go through this course. Even if you don’t plan to write copy yourself, you need to have some basic copywriting and salesmanship skills in order to succeed online.

The price is not cheap, but it is a worthwhile investment. Carlton has a writing style that is very easy to follow and understand. If you have the dollars, I would highly recommend getting this course.

You can find a link to the course here: John Carlton’s Copywriting Course.

2) The American Writers And Artists Institute Accelerated Six-Figure Copywriting Course. 

This is another course I went through when I got started copywriting. It mostly goes through how to structure a sales letter. This was written more for copywriters who want to write offline direct mail packages; however, the copywriting principles are still the same.

Again, this one is not cheap, but it is a worthwhile read. The course also includes a member’s forum and a swipe file of winning ads.

Here’s the link: AWAI Copywriting Course.

3) The Gary Halbert Letter

Gary Halbert was one of the best copywriters who ever lived. Unfortunately he passed away several years ago, but his newsletters are still online. You can read them here: The Gary Halbert Letter.

Not only will you learn some critical copywriting and marketing tips, but studying Gary’s conversational writing style in each newsletter is an excellent lesson in copywriting by itself.

4) The Bencivenga 100 Seminar

This resource, however, is NOT free. Gary Bencivenga is another top-gun copywriter who used to write for major mailers such as Boardroom, Phillips, and Agora. He retired several years ago and held a final $5000-per head seminar for 100 people—hence the name “Bencivenga 100”.

You can buy the DVDs for the same price as the seminar ($5000). You’ll also get a lot of Gary’s promotions as well. The price is steep but if you’re serious about copywriting and marketing it’s an excellent investment. It’s just that good!

If the price is a little rich for you, then I would at least read the sales letter for the DVDs: Bencivenga 100 Seminar. It’s one of the few examples of Bencivenga’s writing on the Internet.

5) Rich Schefren’s Tribute Blog Post to Billy Mays.

Billy Mays, the pitchman for many infomercials such as Oxy-Clean, passed away on June, 28th, 2009. A week later, Internet marketer Rich Schefren posted an awesome blog post outlining how he turned ordinary products into multi-billion-dollar businesses.

It goes into great detail about how his products were chosen for direct response TV. It also goes into the sales process for each infomercial—including many video examples. This is a must-read post: Rich Schefren’s Tribute to Billy Mays.

6) “Personality in Copy” by Dan Kennedy

This is an excellent audio taken from a seminar where Dan Kennedy talks about creating an attractive character. He also talks about how to create a “herd” of customers that will keep buying your products again and again.

This is one of the top reasons copy does not get read. Either the copy lacks personality, or the person/company behind the product is just “ho-hum”. Dan Kennedy has created a successful brand and people flock to his seminars and buy his books again and again.

Mostly because he just acts like himself.

Anyone who follows Dan Kennedy can attest that he is a little “grumpy”, really loves horses, and is extremely anal when it comes to time management. This is some of what endears people to Dan Kennedy…and another reason why people are repelled by him.

But that’s OK, because the people who follow him are going to come to seminar after seminar. He’s created a customer base that’s loyal and will keep buying his products for years. This is definitely a must-listen if you’re serious about copywriting and building a successful business.

You can buy the audio and workbook here: Personality In Copy by Dan Kennedy.

7) Copy Doodles

Here’s a great way you can make your sales messages stand out. Copy Doodles allows you to add handwritten graphics to your promotions—such as arrows, circles, and small drawings such as dollar bills.

I’ve used these many times. The key is not to overdo them, as it will make the promotion look messy. However, when done right, it does a great job of attracting the attention of your prospect who has seen tons of promotions.

To see CopyDoodles in action, here’s a link to a lead generator I wrote for DotComSecrets a couple years ago that did very well: Direct Mail Lead Generator.

8 ) “Million Dollar Mailings” by Denison Hatch

Every copywriter and marketer should have a swipe file of winning ads. This is probably the cheapest way to get started. This huge textbook shows proven ads you can use as a template for your own.

One of the largest mistakes most beginning marketers make is using a promotion that wasn’t successful as the basis for their own. You should always use winning promotions when swiping, and this book is chock-full of them to study.

9) “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene Schwartz

This book was written by one of copywriting and advertising’s legends: Eugene Schwartz. This book was so valuable that, when the book was out of print, copies were being stolen from libraries and sold on eBay for over $1000.

However, the book is now back in print and you can purchase it from Amazon for $95 as of this writing.

Schwartz goes into great detail about learning the “sophistication” of your market…or how many ads they’ve seen before yours. For example, if you created the first weight loss product ever, you could probably get away with a headline that read, “Lose Weight Now!”

However, since weight loss is a competitive and highly sophisticated market, that headline wouldn’t work. That’s because most prospects have seen many pitches for weight-loss products, and you have to have a headline that breaks conventional thinking in order to get people’s attention.

An example of an unconventional headline would be, “Lose 4 Pounds Per Week Eating Cheeseburgers!” It defies convention since most people think cheeseburgers are the last thing you want to eat to lose weight.

Here’s a link where you can get the book: Breakthrough Advertising.

10) “How To Write A Good Advertisement” by Victor O. Schwab

Here is another great book on copywriting that is a little dated since it was written in 1964, but gives a good primer on everything from how to write a headline through writing the body copy.

The best part is this book can be had for less than $20 on Amazon.com. This is an excellent resource if some of the courses and books I’ve recommended are a little outside your price range.

You can get the book here:  How To Write A Good Advertisement.

Conclusion

I firmly believe every marketer should learn basic copywriting skills—even if they never plan on writing their own copy. You’ll be able to know what to look for in a copywriter, along with whether or not the writer you hired did a good job.

These resources (besides my site 🙂  ) will help you get a leg up in your copywriting education and will allow you to beat your competition.

In any profession, I believe it is critical to keep learning and reading throughout your entire life. I personally aim to read 1 book per week in copywriting and marketing—which equates to about 1 hour per day of reading time.

So turn off the boob tube this evening and start going through these resources tonight!

Until next time,

Kevin Hill, Direct Response Copywriter

“The Professor of High Response.”

I love bread.

I used to eat the white, bleached-out stuff like Wonder bread when I was a kid. But then I smartened up and started eating whole-grain bread.

However, there’s one brand of bread that I’ve been buying for the past year.  It’s not cheap, but it’s very good.

It’s Dave’s Killer Bread.  Not all stores carry it.  It’s an organic bread that’s usually $4 per loaf.

What’s cool about this bread is it implements an important copywriting and marketing lesson you should be using for your business.

If you look on the back, it tells the story of Dave Dahl…an ex-con who has reformed his ways and now wants to make the world a better place “one loaf at a time”:

 

Nowadays I always buy Dave’s Killer Bread whenever I go into the grocery store.  For three reasons:

1. I connected immediately with Dave’s story. Dave tells the typical “rags to riches” story that always piques people’s interest. Look at most good sales letters and there’s always a great “rags to riches story.
2. Dave’s story has forever “stuck” in my mind every time I buy bread.  Since I connected with Dave’s story, I always head on over to the organic aisle and buy his bread–over the other “run-of-the-mill” brands.
3. I always recommend Dave’s Killer Bread to everyone.  Since they did such a great job creating awareness of their bread. I always recommend it to people when asked.

Would I have done this with any other brand of bread?  Probably not.  Dave has done such a great job of creating a memorable brand that makes his bread stand out among the many other brands.

So how can you make yourself memorable in your marketplace?  Think of ways you can stand out in your market.  It could be through a compelling story or an unique experience you’ve had.

Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of mixing in with the crowd.

Until next time,

Kevin Hill – Direct Response Copywriter

“The Professor of High Response”

 

Hey everyone,

I was doing some last-minute shopping this morning and thought about a very important copywriting concept.

This is something you need to keep in mind at all times–especially if you’re selling an online product or service.

Check out this quick 3-minute video:

Thanks!

Kevin Hill

Direct Response Copywriter

Hi gang!

Copy that is not conversational in manner is one of the main things that’ll kill your conversions.

Yet it’s an error I see many new copywriters and marketers commit a lot.

Below is a quick “double check” you can use to make sure your copy comes across as conversational to your prospect:

Thanks, I hope you enjoy. 🙂

Kevin

This is something a lot of people don’t get right when they write their copy …or create their website.

Many people do not prominently display credibility boosters on their site.  They’re either hidden on page 23 or totally absent.

This quick video shows a case study on how the site www.squarespace.com could boost their conversions.

You’ll also learn the #1 thing you ALWAYS have to keep in mind when writing copy…or creating your website.

Until next time,

Kevin

I write a lot of copy and work with many clients. Most of the time they don’t have a strong list-building component in their marketing…and I end up helping them create a marketing plan that allows them to start building a list.

You see, most marketers just shoot for getting that $27-dollar ebook sale…or that $197 course sale right off the bat.  They ignore the importance of building a prospect list you can market to again and again.

Anyway, here are 4 things you can use as “ethical bribes” to get people to opt-in to your list.  They go way beyond the usual “Free Report” or “Free E-course” everyone else offers. I personally feel these are losing their effectiveness as lead-generators online as everyone and their dog is using them.
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1) Offer An Enticing Video

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It’s no secret…video is becoming popular.  And most people would rather view video content than a PDF that’ll sit on their hard drive collecting digital dust.

In most cases, video has a higher perceived  value than a free report or a free e-course. This alone could boost your opt-ins if you’re already using the former.
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2) Create A Hard-Hitting Checklist

This could be extremely effective in most markets. You basically create a simple checklist that’s no longer than 3-4 pages that your prospects can easily consume.

For example, if I were in the dating market and wanted to build a list of people interested in getting a date online, I would create a checklist prospects can easily mark off when creating their online profile so they don’t make any mistakes.

A checklist is also something prospects can get immediate value from, since they’ll recognize things they left out.  They’ll get several “a-ha” moments while going through the checklist…which will further position you as an expert in their minds.

Finally, checklists are easy to consume. One can easily go through a checklist in a minute or so…whereas going through a free report or e-course would take much longer…and would take more effort.
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3) Give Away A Free Audio

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Many people are busy these days and would prefer to listen to content on their iDevices while they’re driving, doing housework, or walking.

You can easily create a short 10-minute audio describing 7 important tips your market would be interested in discovering. The best part is all you have to do is download a free program such as Audacity to record the audio.
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4) Generate A Cheatsheet

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This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the checklist idea above, but you can easily create a cheatsheet that’s only 1 page you can give to your prospects after they join your list.

A great example is Perry Marshall’s site…he’s been giving away an Adwords cheatsheet for years on his site here: Google AdWords Cheatsheet.

Think about your own market…is there a way you can create a cheatsheet that’ll help your prospects?

Anyway, I hope these ideas help you out.    The key is to make all the above extremely valuable to the prospect–that they’ll want to consume them again and again.  After all, this is how you start to build the relationship with your list and it’s important to start off with a bang.

Until next time,

Kevin Hill

“The Professor of High Response”

 

I’ve been copywriting for 7 years and have reviewed over 100 pieces of copy, taught at several workshops and seminars, and written many articles on how to write good copy.

Let’s say during that time I’ve seen a lot of crazy things when it comes to copywriting.

Here are 5 mistakes most people make with their copy.  Make sure you study these very closely so you can prevent yourself from committing these mistakes!

 

1) Having A Horrible Headline

 

Most people tack on a headline right after they finish writing their letter. This is the worst thing you can do and is almost guaranteed to lower response!

You should write at least 25 headlines before choosing which headline to use for your copy. Like preparing to run a race or lift weights in the gym, you have to go through a “warm-up” period, and the same goes for writing headlines.

The first 2-3 will be OK…but after 10 or 15, your brain starts to warm up and you’ll write a headline that’ll literally jump off the page!

 

2) Not Researching Your Competition

 

Most marketers don’t research their competition to check out their offers, pricepoints, and what they offer for bonuses. This could save you hours (and perhaps years) of “figuring it out” for yourself.

For example, I’ve seen many people get into the “make money online” industry and write sales copy without researching competitors.  This is suicide in any highly-competitive niche, and you need a unique “hook” or “angle” to position your product.

And the only way you can do this is by performing proper research.

 

3) Not Including Social Proof

 

This is the #1 reason why people won’t buy from you. Make sure you have at least 8 testimonials and case studies in your promotion–as it proves your product/service provides the advertised benefits.

Watch any infomercial and you’ll notice they all have reams of testimonials. And for good reason–social proof sells and make sure you include it in your promotion.

 

4) Not Appealing To A Prospect’s Wants And Desires

 

Most copy written by beginners does not provoke a response because it does not appeal to the innate emotions or desires within a prospect.  It doesn’t tell them “what’s in it for them”.

A good test is to ask yourself “So What” and “Who Cares?” after each line of copy. This’ll allow you to get after the deeper benefits you can insert in your copy.  It gets your prospects to imagine what their life will be like after using your product.

5) Not Pushing The “Easy” Button Enough

 

You should ethically emphasize how easy, simple, and fast your product/service is going to solve their problems or fulfill a desire. That is, assuming your product/service  follows through on this promise.

Newsflash: people will do anything to avoid pain!  The more you can ethically position your product/service as the “Easy” button to getting what they want, you’ll get more sales.

i hope this was helpful…more to come!

Kevin Hill

Direct Response Copywriter

“The Professor of High Response”

 

 

 

So as most of you know I write for a living.  I’m always looking for cool software to buy that’ll make my life easier.

Well I came across a software called Scrivener. It’s a modified word processing program that’s really neat!

Don’t worry, this isn’t a pitch for the software, but you can check them out by going here: Scrivener.

They did one one really cool thing while demonstrating their software via video you should test yourself.

Check out this short 2-minute video:

This is a perfect example of how to use video demonstrations on your site.

Learn and implement.  🙂

Talk soon!

Kevin