http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Who's "voice" your sales letter is written in, is a very important factor you MUST consider, before you ever sit down and write ANYTHING. And of course, your entire marketing "angle" is going to be dependent on that voice as well. Generally, you ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_32807_3.html 05th March 2006 Yesterday while doing a sales copy review -- a problem kept coming up repeatedly, and it's one I see very often. The problem is... Wasted Words. A lot of times when you're writing copy, since you know "the more you tell, the more you sell" you fe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_31116_3.html 21st February 2006 Remember that old television show " The Twilight Zone"? It originally ran from 1959 to 1964 on the CBS network, and was one of the most provocative and controversial shows of its time. The show's narrator, host, and main writer, Rod Serling, always... http://www.articlealley.com/article_28898_3.html 14th February 2006 Today I am NOT going to be talking about marketing. It is the farthest thing from my mind right now. And I also will NOT be telling you anything about writing sales copy... and I probably won't help you come up with your next USP either. Today ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_28757_40.html 13th February 2006 A few days ago, I exposed a foolish letter I wrote to try and get prospects when I first became a freelance copywriter. (Just go here in case you missed it: http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/better_left_unsaid_081805.html) Do you know what the right wa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_28547_3.html 11th February 2006 How come you're seeing certain ads over-and-over again? Why are they working. and why do some display ads deserve to be nothing more than bird cage lining. Since we've been discussing sales copy "voices" lately, I'll let you in on a little secret ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_28542_3.html 11th February 2006 Over the last couple of days we've been talking about something few people stop and take the time to consider, BEFORE they go ahead and start writing their sales copy -- and that is -- whose "voice" your sales copy should be written in. Remember, w... http://www.articlealley.com/article_28143_3.html 09th February 2006 One of the problems my consulting clients consistently ask me about especially if they are in the information marketing business (most of them are) has to do with "What should you be selling your customers?" Here's what Microsoft did in a similar si... http://www.articlealley.com/article_27912_3.html 09th February 2006 If you're using direct mail, and you want to boost your response, make sure you're using first class "live" stamps, as opposed to using "machine" stamped, or pre-sorted bulk rate mail. Nothing tells you "Hey, there's a sales letter inside this env... http://www.articlealley.com/article_27905_3.html 09th February 2006 Last week, I revealed an embarrasing letter I used to send out when I first got into copywriting, and how I tried to pick up clients with it. You can see that here: http://www.kingofcopy.com/tips/do_not_make_this_same_mistake_081905.html Anyway, ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_26485_3.html 01st February 2006 Here's a very common mistake people make when they're trying to get new business. And I'm going to use my own foolish screw-up to illustrate it. It goes to show you what I keep trying to drum into your thick skull, and that is... if you use it rig... http://www.articlealley.com/article_22643_3.html 05th January 2006 What Did Richard Pryor Know About Marketing, That Most Business Owners Are Scared To Death About? You may know exactly how much of a comic genius Richard Pryor was, however few people are aware of what a marketing genius he was too. Here's why: Lik... http://www.articlealley.com/article_20223_3.html 17th December 2005 Some things are better left unsaid, and when it comes to writing sales copy, saying TOO much, will in fact, cost you sales. Look, writing sales copy isn't easy -- everybody knows that. But how do you know when you haven't said enough... and when you... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17970_3.html 01st December 2005 Today I want to talk about something that was in our original mock ad that may seem incidental, but the way it was handled, is GUARANTE-ED to lower your response. You can check out that original ad, and even print out a copy of it, right here: htt... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17871_3.html 01st December 2005 Ever see an ad and just "sense" that it's an outright lie? Or maybe even more frustrating, ever write an ad yourself, and feel you can't make your sales pitch accurately "unless" you're lying? Don't worry, because I'm going to tell you exactly how to ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17724_3.html 30th November 2005 One of the most frustrating things you'll need to deal with when you're writing sales copy is struggling to figure out what copy you should "keep" because it's benefitting you and helping you make sales, and what copy to eliminate. And the truth is, so... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17714_3.html 30th November 2005 Listen, most advertisements and marketing pieces are nothing more than big business cards lacking the ONE central ingredient needed to make a sale -- showing benefits to your prospects. See, regardless of what you're selling and who you're selling it ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17578_3.html 29th November 2005 If you speak to most marketing experts, they'll tell you one of the ways to get your prospects to buy from you, is by tapping into their "fear of loss". But if you're a REALLY smart marketer, before you do start figuring out "what" to "hook" your prospec... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17574_3.html 29th November 2005 Many people foolishly believe because they're using the "internet", you no longer have to "sell" -- that the intenet "does it all for you". Nothing could be further from the truth. See, the internet is just another selling media, like direct mail..... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17345_3.html 28th November 2005 Most people really struggle with figuring out how to start their sales letters. Today I'm going to show you the right way... and the wrong way to start your sales letters so you don't mix things up and wind up losing any sales, O.K.? We're going to ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17323_3.html 28th November 2005 "Closing" prospects isn't easy -- and it's even harder to do in print than it is in person. After all, if you "miss" the one trigger that causes your prospect to buy... you're out of luck. Today we'll take a look at the final paragraph of our mock ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17170_3.html 25th November 2005 Is it actually possible to use the same formula the mighty Google uses, to create your own compelling sales copy? It is, and today I'm going to let you in on the very powerful secret they use, so you can do exactly that. Let me start by sharing a ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_17122_3.html 25th November 2005 Whether selling online or offline, selling something in print is one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do. You've got to worry about your headline... your opening... your closing... Sheesh! Today I'm going to show you 9 little-known bur V... http://www.articlealley.com/article_16422_3.html 20th November 2005 If you want to make sure your prospects stay GLUED to your sales copy once they start reading, then this is the most exciting and important message you will ever read! Keeping your prospects glued to your sales copy isn't easy, but remember what I s... http://www.articlealley.com/article_16370_3.html 19th November 2005 If you want to make your sales copy do all the selling for you, here's a quickie mistake you'll have to eliminate. See, making your sales copy do all the selling for you will dramatically boost your response and your sales, if... you do it right. T... http://www.articlealley.com/article_16365_12.html 19th November 2005 Want to know a "sneaky" way to instantly generate more sales and multiply your profits by "cloning" yourself? You do? O.K., then here it is. What you want to do, is to go out and "clone" yourself. Create another company that's selling the exa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_15188_3.html 12th November 2005 Today we're going to wrap up our discussion about these 5 critical copywriting techniques you must be using in "5 Ways To Give Your Prospects A Much-Needed Break!" O.K.? Let's just go over the 3 items we've already discussed: 1. Writing compel... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14949_3.html 11th November 2005 Do you find it strange that I'm a writer and yet occasionally, you'll find simple words in my daily e-mail messages, and the spelling of them is completely wrong? Know why this happens (besides the fact that I'm not a big "spelling" fan? The answ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14941_3.html 11th November 2005 Today I want to plow through some more of the "5 Ways To Give Your Prospects A Much-Needed Break!" Yesterday, we talked about using sub-headlines throughout your sales copy, and how to leverage them to boost your sales -- taking advantage of both th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14773_3.html 09th November 2005 Did you know, that television -- the persistent purveyor of pop culture here in America -- shapes a LOT of your prospects behavior patterns? Here, listen to this: 1. The average US home has the TV on for 7 hours and 40 munites a day. In case y... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14545_3.html 05th November 2005 Today I'm going to be showing you a 100% legal way you can spy on your competition, and why, if you're not doing this, you're really missing the boat on some potentially ground-breaking earth-shattering marketing ideas. I'm writing today's tip from ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14515_3.html 05th November 2005 I am not a patient man. Nor am I overly devious. So although I haven't personally experienced the following hijinx, I have watched a guy I know go through this ritual, several times. Plus, I hate Starbucks coffee. It's way too "acidy" and exp... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14510_24.html 05th November 2005 Yesterday I was going through a 7-Step Sales Copy Overhaul with a client of mine - www.KingOfCopy.com/salescopyreview - and he was having a bit of a problem "describing" what he was selling. He couldn't seem to find the right sales copy so he could "... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14430_3.html 05th November 2005 David Dutton, a subscriber of mine from Nashville, Tennessee, wrote in and asked me to "touch on prospecting with direct mail" As you probably know, I love direct mail for loads of reasons, but mostly I love it because you can use it to say anythin... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14109_15.html 02nd November 2005 Yesterday, we took a look at how television has influenced American behavior, and the importance of giving your viewers, or in this case, your prospects... a "break" every once in a while when they're reading your sales letters. So, without any fur... http://www.articlealley.com/article_14107_3.html 02nd November 2005 Ever hear about someone eating something spicy, and once they get the spices down, it makes them start sweating? Well, the other day I was eating lunch with a friend of mine -- Mexican food -- and immediately after gobbling down some hot salsa, swea... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13848_24.html 30th October 2005 How would you feel if you got your ass kicked by a frog? Because that's what happened to the new Coldplay CD that just came out over in the UK this week -- it was immediately handed its first setback -- by a frog. Seems that neither 2 years of p... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13846_3.html 30th October 2005 There are some things you really just "can't" imagine. If you're a man, you just "can't" imagine what it's like to be pregnant. If you've never had to do this before, you really just "can't" imagine what it's like to put your old pet dog down to ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13842_3.html 30th October 2005 There's an old joke that goes something like this: A man is walking down 7th Avenue in Manhattan and he asks a stranger "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The stranger tips his hat and politely says, "Practice... Practice... Practice." Now ther... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13767_3.html 30th October 2005 Last week I met up with an old friend of mine at one of the local cigar retailers. The store was having a little get together for their customers, which basically means they had one of the manufacturers reps there, and they featured a discount on ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13762_3.html 30th October 2005 There are some people who will absolutely never ever succeed. Let me tell you a little story about one of them: I was going through some feedback forms from one of my client's recent seminars. My client's a successful info-marketer in the real es... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13757_3.html 30th October 2005 Sometimes all you need is a simple "shift" in your thinking and that missing "link" you've been needing, all of a sudden appears, clear as day. Here's what I mean: A common problem I see with clients of mine, especially my consulting clients - http... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13709_3.html 29th October 2005 Tammy also happens to be a subscriber of mine, and she recently sent me in this nice note: "I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely love the way you end your emails with, "now go sell something"! It always gives me a chuckle, makes me feel l... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13095_3.html 23rd October 2005 Remember this passage from the movie, "Pulp Fiction"? In the movie, Samuel L. Jackson told you it came from the bible, Ezekiel 25:17, and it went like this: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish, and... http://www.articlealley.com/article_13027_51.html 22nd October 2005 Want to know how to use direct-response in your personal life, for your next romantic "Hook-Up"? I saw this posted somewhere on a marketing board a long time ago and I thought it'd give you a good laugh going into your weekend. You see a handsom... http://www.articlealley.com/article_12952_3.html 21st October 2005 You know, some jobs just stink, and no matter how hard you try, there's just very little to no redeeming value in them. For example -- the guy who splits the peas that go into split-pea soup. That can't be too much fun, now can it? Or how about... http://www.articlealley.com/article_12379_50.html 14th October 2005 1. Avoid talking about yourself. Bluntly, your prospects could care less. Sure you need to credentialize yourself, but they really don't need to know about the weird relationship you had with your mother... your first bi-curious experience... or ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_12204_50.html 13th October 2005 Listen to this. "John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman, a resident of Hawaii. Chapman purchased the gun he used to kill Lennon on Young Street in Honolulu, exactly six weeks before he shot Lennon in cold blood, right in front of Lennon's ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_12186_3.html 13th October 2005 Like my wife, super model Kate Moss was born in England. Unlike my wife, Kate Moss has a little "nose candy" problem. Personally, I don't think it's anyone's business who's doing what -- to each his own. And besides, good ole Kate's probably a sai... http://www.articlealley.com/article_11896_3.html 10th October 2005 When my kids were little, whenever they lost a tooth, they'd put the tooth under their pillow, knowing full well the tooth fairy would pay them a visit overnight, taking their tooth, and leaving some money in its place. Interestingly enough, I find ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_11870_24.html 10th October 2005