The Art of Finding Ideas

Posted on 18. Oct, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, Copywriting, editing, Email Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Headlines, Landing Pages, persuasion, productivity, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing

image of humphrey bogart and maltese falcon

Every writer who has ever lived has lusted after ideas.

Where are they, how do I get them, and how do I keep them coming?

If you’ve been writing long enough, you know that — like Solomon — there is nothing new under the sun.

Try as you might to sweat them out of your head or pull them gently from the stars above, there are no new ideas.

So, relax.

But that page is not going to write itself, is it? Where then do we turn for ideas that work, ideas that move, ideas that persuade?

In short, we steal them.

The moment you free yourself from The Cult of Originality, you realize that “original” ideas do not come from within.

They are given to us, from without.

A writer should not look inside, but outside, at external sources, stories, events, and emotions.

If you’re offended that I’d suggest you “steal” ideas, please get over it. You’re already a thief, you just don’t know it yet.

Here are two of the most significant idea repositories on earth …

1. The modern media is a torrent of ideas

In this information age, you have absolutely no reason to “draw a blank”.

Ever.

What took our writing ancestors days and weeks to research and learn, takes us mere moments.

In fact, the only problem we have now is one of finding trusted curators. We need to develop self-discipline and discernment in seeking out correct information from reliable sources.

There is no drought of ideas.

Brian Clark recently wrote:

You have more computing power in your pocket than it took to send men to the moon. What are you doing with it?

Indeed.

Are you wasting it or harnessing it? You don’t need to go to moon, the crossroads will do just fine for our purposes.

Research. Read. Steal.

Product manuals, literature, interviews, talk radio, magazines, newspapers, televsion, Twitter, Google Trends, movies, Wikipedia, and on and on and on …

It’s all there, right in your pocket.

And it’s actually more than you’ll ever need.

So use it. Don’t let it use you.

2. People will give you exactly what you’re looking for

Ideas are walking around everywhere out there.

Eugene Schwartz once told a story about a copywriting job he had.

He met with the client and asked him to start talking about the product. They ended up sitting together for four hours — the client talking, and Schwartz simply listening and taking notes.

Later that night, while he was waiting for his wife to get ready for a night out on Manhattan, Schwartz wrote the ad.

The entire ad.

He said about 70% of the finished copy was comprised of his client’s own words.

The headline itself was a phrase the client had hit on, word for word.

He waited two weeks, mailed the ad to the client, and they both made a lot of money.

You might think this was some kind of dirty trick on Schwartz’ part, but you’d be wrong.

Schwartz knew how to write a powerful direct response ad. The client didn’t.

Schwartz was smart enough to know that the client knew (in this case) his own product better than he ever could, and simply translated that knowledge and passion onto paper.

The ideas were sitting in the client’s head and Schwartz knew exactly what to do with them.

It goes further …

For better or worse, a writer is working all the time.

Phone calls with friends, the plumber, your spouse, your child, your boss, your client, your neighbor — they are all constantly giving you ideas.

They are all constantly telling you what they — and the entire world — truly want.

It is all grist for the mill.

All you need to do is … listen.

Steal this post

Eugene Schwartz summed this up for me perfectly:

You don’t have to have great ideas if you can hear great ideas.

I stole this post from him, and he stole it from many others.

Listen more. Talk less.

Read less. Read better.

Steal.

The Art of Finding Ideas is then … to go out and find ideas.

Originality? That’ll come from using your own voice, and your voice develops from only one thing — writing more. And more. And more.

Where have you been getting your ideas?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

The Art of Finding Ideas

Posted on 18. Oct, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, Copywriting, editing, Email Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Featured, Headlines, Landing Pages, persuasion, productivity, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing

image of humphrey bogart and maltese falcon

Every writer who has ever lived has lusted after ideas.

Where are they, how do I get them, and how do I keep them coming?

If you’ve been writing long enough, you know that — like Solomon — there is nothing new under the sun.

Try as you might to sweat them out of your head or pull them gently from the stars above, there are no new ideas.

So, relax.

But the page is not going to write itself, is it? Where then do we turn for ideas that work, ideas that move, ideas that persuade?

In short, we steal them.

The moment you free yourself from The Cult of Originality, you realize that “original” ideas do not come from within.

They are given to us, from without.

A writer should not look inside, but outside, at external sources, stories, events, and emotions.

If you’re offended that I’d suggest you “steal” ideas, please get over it. You’re already a thief, you just don’t know it yet.

Here are two of the most significant idea repositories on earth …

1. The modern media is a torrent of ideas

In this information age, you have absolutely no reason to “draw a blank”.

Ever.

What took our writing ancestors days and weeks to research and learn, takes us mere moments.

In fact, the only problem we have now is one of finding trusted curators. We need to develop self-discipline and discernment in seeking out correct information from reliable sources.

There is no drought of ideas.

Brian Clark recently wrote:

You have more computing power in your pocket than it took to send men to the moon. What are you doing with it?

Indeed.

Are you wasting it or harnessing it? You don’t need to go to the moon, the crossroads will do just fine for our purposes.

Research. Read. Steal.

Product manuals, literature, interviews, talk radio, magazines, newspapers, television, Twitter, Google Trends, movies, Wikipedia, and on and on and on …

It’s all there, right in your pocket.

And it’s actually more than you’ll ever need.

So use it. Don’t let it use you.

2. People will give you exactly what you’re looking for

Ideas are walking around everywhere out there.

Eugene Schwartz once told a story about a copywriting job he had.

He met with the client and asked him to start talking about the product. They ended up sitting together for four hours — the client talking, and Schwartz simply listening and taking notes.

Later that night, while he was waiting for his wife to get ready for a night out on Manhattan, Schwartz wrote the ad.

The entire ad.

He said about 70% of the finished copy was composed of his client’s own words.

The headline itself was a phrase the client had hit on, word for word.

He waited two weeks, mailed the ad to the client, and they both made a lot of money.

You might think this was some kind of dirty trick on Schwartz’ part, but you’d be wrong.

Schwartz knew how to write a powerful direct response ad. The client didn’t.

Schwartz was smart enough to know that the client knew (in this case) his own product better than he ever could, and simply translated that knowledge and passion onto paper.

The ideas were sitting in the client’s head and Schwartz knew exactly what to do with them.

It goes further …

For better or worse, a writer is working all the time.

Phone calls with friends, the plumber, your spouse, your child, your boss, your client, your neighbor — they are all constantly giving you ideas.

They are all constantly telling you what they — and the entire world — truly want.

It is all grist for the mill.

All you need to do is … listen.

Steal this post

Eugene Schwartz summed this up for me perfectly:

You don’t have to have great ideas if you can hear great ideas.

I stole this post from him, and he stole it from many others.

Listen more. Talk less.

Read less. Read better.

Steal.

The Art of Finding Ideas is then … to go out and find ideas.

Originality? That’ll come from using your own voice, and your voice develops from only one thing — writing more. And more. And more.

Where have you been getting your ideas?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

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You Already Know How to Write an Ebook … So What’s Stopping You?

Posted on 01. Sep, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, Copywriting, editing, Entrepreneurship, personal branding, productivity, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing

image of bookstore sign

There are plenty of great reasons to write an ebook.

A short, free ebook could be precisely the cookie you need in order for your email list to grow beyond a handful of members.

A big, paid-for ebook could be an important part of your revenue stream — and the first product in your sales funnel.

Being able to say, “I’m an author.” could give your credibility a massive boost.

So what’s stopping you? I think I know …

Maybe you think you don’t know how. Sure, you’re comfortable with writing blog posts, but an ebook is a totally different animal.

Or is it?

Everything you know about blogging applies to ebooks too

Think of your ebook as a series of blog posts.

Content-rich, in-depth posts that readers can’t wait to read and share.

When you look at it that way, your ebook suddenly seems less … daunting.

You already know how to write an ebook. Everything you’ve learned from blogging still applies. Just think of your ebook as a series, and each post as a chapter within that series.

That way:

  • Your ebook won’t become a bloated, “everything I’ve ever learned” guide to your whole field. It won’t sell — and you won’t have any room for your second ebook. Pick one topic, just as you would for a post series
  • Your writing style can stay friendly, informal and engaging. You don’t have to come across all stilted and academic just because it’s an ebook. Your readers will want to hear your voice, just like they do on your blog
  • Your chapters can be concise and information-packed — just like your blog posts. You don’t need to waffle on and on to fill the pages. After all, what would your readers prefer: straight-up information or a ton of padding?
  • Your content-creation routine doesn’t have to change drastically. You don’t need to lock yourself away for two weeks in order to finish your ebook. You can just write a couple of short chapters each week — in the same way that you write blog posts on a regular basis

You can use your current blog content too

If you’ve been blogging for a while, you could repurpose some of your existing content for the ebook.

For lots more on this, see Carol Tice’s excellent post, 12 Ways to Turn Your Old, Dusty Blog Archive into Cold, Hard Cash.

For instance:

  • You might use one of your popular posts as the introduction for the ebook
  • You could turn a “how to” post into a worksheet
  • A case study post could become a vivid example
  • Your readers’ comments might inspire new chapters or a Q&A section

Formatting matters just as much in ebooks as in blog posts

Some bloggers seem to ignore formatting completely when it comes to ebooks.

They’ll produce dull, grey documents densely packed with text … and they’ll wonder why no-one’s interested.

If your ebook is going to be a pdf (and most info-products are), then you can use all the same formatting features that you’d use in blogging:

  • Add images to grab attention, break up the text and show concepts that are hard to describe in words.
  • Include subheadings to help signpost the way through the text
  • Add hyperlinks so that readers can jump straight to the chapters that they need
  • Use bullet-pointed lists to display information more clearly
  • Create a style for block quotes so that these stand out from the text

You already know how to do all of this

You know how to write regularly.

You know how to make your style engaging.

You know how to use formatting to hold the reader’s attention.

So let me ask you again: what’s stopping you from writing your ebook?

About the Author: Ali Luke is a blogger, writer and writing coach. She’s just released a brand new ebook in her popular Blogger’s Guide series: The Blogger’s Guide to Irresistible Ebooks. If you’d like to write an ebook that your readers can’t wait to snap up, click here and check it out today.

A 7-Step Guide to Mind Control: How to Quit Begging and Make People Want to Help You

Posted on 25. Aug, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, conversion, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Headlines, Keyword Research, Landing Pages, List Building, Online Product Launches, personal branding, persuasion, productivity, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing, Traffic

image of black and white spiral

Well, why not?

They are the problem, right?

Here you are with a blog or a product or a charity you believe will change the world, and yet no matter how excited you are about the possibilities, no matter how much faith you have in yourself, you can’t help being worried:

  • If you ask a popular blogger for a link, will you get a reply?
  • If you ask a partner to email a product offer to their list, will they agree?
  • If you ask a friend for a donation, will they write you a check?

You don’t know. You can’t know. And it bothers you.

Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just close your eyes, pop over into their mind, and seize control?

Yeah. Too bad it’s not possible …

Or is it?

A Brief Introduction to Mind Control

As it happens, mind control is possible. Sort of.

No, you can’t turn your customers, partners, and in-laws into mindless zombies, but you can influence them.

In fact, there’s a science to it.

Back in the 1980s, a researcher by the name of Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote a book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. He outlined different principles scientifically proven to influence people, as well as suggestions for how to do it.

Since then, it’s become maybe the most important book in the field of marketing. If you haven’t read it, you should, as well as the sequel.

Here’s the bad news:

Mind control isn’t about magic powers, arcane arts, or even shaving your head and gallivanting around in a wheelchair (although, I’ve been tempted). The truth is it’s about something that makes a lot of people squeamish: marketing.

The Truth about Marketing

The core of marketing isn’t customer profiling or market segmentation or any of the other complicated nonsense taught in most business schools.

It’s infinitely simpler than that, and it can be encapsulated in one word:

Yes.

You ask a blogger for a link, and they say, “Yes.” You ask a partner to promote your product, and they say, “Yes.” You ask a customer for a testimonial, and they say, “Yes.”

If you get enough yeses, your blog/business/charity succeeds. If you don’t, it fails. It’s so simple, and yet so few of us really understand how to do it.

The good news?

You can learn.

What follows is a marketer’s guide to mind control. Use these seven strategies wisely.

1. Do all the thinking for them

The worst mistake you can make when asking anyone for anything is telling them to “Think it over.”

Here’s why: people already have too much to think about.

Between their jobs, their family, and their own hobbies and friends, their mind is already stuffed, like a suitcase bulging at the sides. Add one more sock, and the whole thing will explode.

To avoid it, they “forget” about things that aren’t very important to them, or if they do think about you, they don’t think very hard. It’s not because they are lazy or stupid. They’re just busy, and you’re probably not very high up the priority list.

And so the best strategy is to not ask them to think.

Do it for them.

  • Instead of expecting them to see how your blog post will benefit their audience, explain it, and offer examples of similar posts that have done well in the past
  • Instead of asking them to host a webinar for you, setup the webinar, landing pages, and emails yourself, and send them as part of your pitch
  • Instead of begging a customer to write a testimonial from scratch, send them a dozen different examples to use as a guide

Be specific. Explain your reasoning. Offer proof. Tell them what to do next and why.

If you do it right, it won’t feel like asking at all. It’ll be more like advising.

And they’ll say yes. Not because of magical powers of persuasion, but because you’ve thought through everything, and it’s a no-brainer.

2. Start an avalanche

Creating a successful marketing campaign is a lot like starting an avalanche.

First, you climb up the mountain, and then you find the biggest boulder at the top, and then you sweat and grunt and strain to push the boulder over, and then you sit down and watch happily as the boulder goes crashing into other boulders, eventually bringing the whole side of the mountain down.

The lesson?

The first big yes is a pain in the butt to get, but if you get it from the right person, then getting all of the subsequent yeses is easy.

For example:

  • Getting a popular blogger to tweet your post is hard, but once they do, dozens or maybe even hundreds of people will retweet them
  • Convincing a leader in your niche to promote your product is tough, but once they do, everyone else will want to promote it too
  • Persuading a celebrity customer to give you a testimonial can be tough, but once you do, sales skyrocket, and getting further testimonials is easy

Of course, a lot of marketers recommend taking the opposite approach.

They tell you to start from the bottom and work your way up because it’s easier.

But really, it’s just an illusion. Yes, pushing over a small rock is easier than pushing over a boulder, but the boulder is a lot more likely to cause an avalanche. So while it’s more work in the beginning to get top people to help you, it’s actually less work in the long run, and the results are far, far greater.

3. Ask for an inch, take a mile

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” right?

It’s supposed to be derogatory. It’s supposed to be a warning against appeasement. It’s supposed to protect you against getting taken advantage of.

But it’s also great marketing.

Whenever you’re asking for anything, never start by asking for everything upfront. Instead, start small. Make it easy to get started. Reduce the risk if it flops. Let them see the results for themselves.

And when it goes well, ask for more. And more. And more.

You might think that’s unethical, but if everything is going well, why not push for more? It’s not manipulation. It’s common sense.

For instance:

  • If you want to write a guest post for a popular blog, start by pitching the idea in one or two paragraphs, and then send them an outline, and then write the full draft of the post
  • If you want do a JV promotion with a leader in your field, start by asking them to email your launch content to only 10% of their list, and than 50% of their list, and then 100%, and then a direct mail campaign
  • If you want your customers to give you case studies, start by asking for a 1-3 sentence blurb, and then ask for a half-page testimonial, and then talk about doing a two-hour webinar going in depth about their success

    • It’s not psychological trickery or anything like that. It’s smart business. No one likes to risk everything upfront, and by offering progressive levels of commitment, your chances of getting them to say yes go through the roof.

    4. Always have a real deadline

    The keyword is “real.”

    All of us have had salesmen tell us, “Well, you’d better get back to me fast, because I have three more prospects coming this afternoon, and I don’t know how long it’ll last.” It’s BS, of course.

    There are no clients, and there is no urgency. The salesman is just so desperate he’s willing to lie, not only costing him your trust, but probably the sale too.

    And it’s not just salesmen.

    How many times have other people handed you completely artificial deadlines, thinking it will motivate you to act? Our teachers do it, our bosses do it, our family does it, and without thinking about it, you’ve probably done it too.

    Stop.

    Not only is it ineffective, but it’s totally unnecessary. Real urgency is easy to create. With a little thought, you can build it into your marketing. For example:

    • Instead of leaving a free report on your blog forever, tell everyone it will only be available for seven days, and then you’re going to start charging $7 for it. Not only will you get a lot more downloads, but other bloggers will be a lot more likely to promote it during the window
    • Instead of letting JV partners dictate when they will promote your product, schedule a launch, announce it to your list, and then forward partners the announcement, inviting them to participate
    • Instead of asking customers for testimonials whenever they get around to it, show them the timeline for an upcoming launch, including a specific date to send out testimonials. You need it by then, or you won’t be able to include it

    Will some of them bow out, saying they are too busy right now, and they’ll catch you next time?

    Sure, but it’s better than never getting started it all. And if you let other people dictate timelines, that’s exactly what will happen.

    5. Give ten times more than you take

    You know you’re supposed to give before you get, right? But what you might not know is how much to give.

    A lot of marketers mistakenly assume it’s a 1:1 ratio.

    Before you ask for a link, you should give a link. Before you ask for promotion, you should give a promotion. Before you ask for a testimonial, you should do one thing that deserves a testimonial.

    But that’s wrong. Smart marketers use a 10:1 ratio, and not just in action, but in value:

    • If you want 100 visitors, send them 1,000
    • If you want $1000 in product sales, sell $10,000 of their products first
    • If you want one testimonial, do ten different heroic acts of customer service worthy of a testimonial

    This isn’t about “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” It’s about generosity so overwhelming they can’t say no.

    Yes, it’s a lot of work, but that’s the price of influence.

    6. Stand for something greater than yourself

    Imagine there are two homeless guys standing on a street corner.

    The first guy has a normal, run-of-the-mill sign saying, “Spare a few dollars? God bless you.” The second guy, on the other hand, has a much more unusual sign: “Can’t afford to feed my family, and it’s tearing me apart. Please help, so I can stop feeling like such an awful Dad.”

    Which one would you be more likely to help? The second one, right?

    Forget giving him a few bucks. With a sign like that, you’d take him to the grocery store and buy him $200 worth of groceries. I know I would.

    That’s the power of standing for something bigger than yourself. It makes people care.

    And it applies to everything:

    • Instead of writing yet another how-to post, take a stand on an important issue, arguing with both passion and unassailable logic
    • Instead of starting yet another me-too consulting business, create a movement, working tirelessly to change the lives of your customers
    • Instead of selling yet another step-by-step manual, sell a philosophy, filled with heroic examples to inspire your customers

    Those are the types of things people want to talk about. They feel grateful just for having the chance to help you spread the word.

    7. Be completely and utterly shameless

    You want to know what separates a great marketer from a mediocre one?

    Shamelessness.

    I’m not referring to a lack of conscience, having a gregarious, extroverted personality, or any of the other ways we traditionally look at marketers. For the most part, those stereotypes are myths.

    No, by shamelessness, I mean this:

    An unshakable belief that what you are doing is good for the world and the willingness to do anything to bring it into being.

    When you believe in your content, you don’t publish it and forget it. You promote it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, working tirelessly to spread the message to everyone who needs to hear it, and refusing to rest until they do.

    When you believe in your product, you don’t balk at sales. You revel in it. Not because you’re greedy or desperate or egotistical, but because you know your product will help them, and so it’s your duty to get them to buy. Whatever it takes.

    When you believe in your charity, you don’t beg for donations. You demand them. You grab people by the shoulders and look them in the eyes and tell them what you’re doing is changing the world, and it’s time for them to step up and do their part.

    It’s not about money. It’s not about glory. It’s not even about legacy.

    It’s about falling in love. It’s about being enchanted. It’s about seeing a vision so beautiful you can’t help but fight to make it real.

    Do you have a vision like that? Something worth getting up every day and fighting for?

    If you do, you can accomplish damn near anything.

    And if you don’t, well …

    What’s the point?

    About the Author: Jon Morrow is Associate Editor of Copyblogger. If you’d like to learn what it really takes to become a popular blogger, check out his free videos on guest blogging.


    Comments

    Further Reading

    How to Build a First-Class Email List in 30 Days — from Scratch

    Posted on 23. Aug, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, conversion, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Entrepreneurship, List Building, personal branding, persuasion, productivity, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing, Traffic

    image of postmark stamps

    If you want to quickly build a responsive email list in the next 30 days — especially if you’re just starting online and don’t have a lot of money — the following strategy can get the job done.

    Here’s the story:

    Several years ago, I was struggling to build my email list and nothing seemed to work.

    I wrote hundreds of ezine articles. I tried setting up joint ventures with other list owners. I even added loads of fresh content to my site hoping to attract search engine traffic and leads.

    All of these things were helpful, but they didn’t deliver the big “hit” I wanted.

    Then one day, I decided to try something completely different. Something entirely obvious …

    Hardly anyone was doing what I was going to attempt (must less teaching it).

    The simple 30-day email list strategy

    What I did was “trade” writing a half dozen press releases to a marketer I knew (who had a big email list) in exchange for plugging my site a set number of times to his list over the course of a month.

    Did it work? Oh yeah!

    In fact, it only took a few hours to write the press releases, and every time he plugged my site a new batch of leads came in like clockwork. Before long my list was up and running with dozens of fresh, new responsive subscribers.

    The total cost? A few hours of my time doing something I enjoyed.

    And guess what?

    You can do the exact same thing.

    You probably have a skill other email list owners in your industry want.

    It could be writing … web design … programming … SEO … editing audio/video … building websites … or just about anything a list owner in your industry can use.

    If you simply find these email list owners, you can leverage your time and skills to build your list by trading that skill for endorsing your website.

    Of course, the “devil” is in the details, isn’t it?

    How — exactly — do you find deals like this?

    Here’s 5 ways you can get going on as early as today:

    1. Intentional social media networking

    Mostly, I think social media is overrated as a marketing tool.

    But one thing I do like about it is how easy it is to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise get to know.

    With FaceBook, for example, you can friend someone and get to know them (by chatting them up about common interests, responding to their updates, etc). Sometimes that can naturally turn into a valuable contact.

    That contact may or may not have a list of people who would be interested in your joining your list. But he/she probably will know someone who does and can give you an intro.

    2. Ask your colleagues

    Chances are you know other business owners.

    It can’t hurt to ask them:

    “Hey, I want to build my list and am wanting to trade my XYZ service/product in exchange for other list owners plugging me to their list. Do you know someone who needs an XYX service/product?”

    All it takes is one referral like that, and you’re off to the races.

    3. Forums are not dead

    Go to online forums where list owners in your industry hang out and look for people asking questions you can answer.

    Don’t try to pitch them your offer. Just answer their questions and be helpful.

    Eventually, you’ll create relationships with people you help.

    And when the time is right, simply make them your offer to trade.

    4. Starting small is not a waste of time

    Don’t poo-poo the smaller email list owners!

    Someone with a small list is FAR more likely to accept your offer. And, after you’ve helped them, simply ask if they know someone who might be interested in the same deal … and would they mind giving you an intro?

    Again, it’s simple referral marketing.

    Starting small lets you leverage social proof to the hilt as you work your way up the food chain to bigger list owners.

    5. Excel at what you do

    Finally, as the great negotiator Jim Camp says:

    “The more effective people are, the more we respect them.”

    When you’re starting out, it’s tough getting anyone to take your calls. But as you rack up successes … and as people on the lists you’re promoted to see your name … and as word spreads about how groovy you are at what you do …

    People will eventually start promoting you without you even asking them.

    They’ll want to do it.

    It makes them look good to their lists.

    Believe it or not, this happens all the time, and it can happen for you, too.

    Get good. Then, get better.

    Start implementing the simple tips in this article.

    Of course, building your list is just step #1. The next step is to monetize your list by mailing offers to your new subscribers.

    To learn 24 proven ways to write emails people love reading and buying from, click the link in my bio below and subscribe to my email list.

    About the Author: Ben Settle is a direct response copywriter and email marketing strategist. Although Ben no longer accepts clients, he gives away over 700 pages of his bestselling ideas and insights free at BenSettle.com.


    Comments

    Further Reading

    5 Collaboration Tools Demonstrate How the Future Web Will Act

    Posted on 04. Aug, 2011 by in ajax, Blog, Collaboration, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Social Media, Vokle



    5 Collaboration Tools Demonstrate How the Future Web Will Act

    This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

    TalkWheelThe ability to collaborate with individuals and groups around the world is one of the greatest gifts offered by the new breed of online tool. These tools, and perhaps the web in general, are evolving to become more interactive and feature rich.

    With the eventual adoption of HTML5 and its heavy support for AJAX, web pages are quickly becoming web applications in a foreshadowing of the next standard for web sites. Take note of these new tools as they will usher in the expectation that all sites begin to function instead of merely house information.

    Below are 5 new breed collaboration tools making heavy use of HMTL5.

    Groupzap – This one wins the coolness award in my book, but offers a really powerful set of tools for instant collaboration and brainstorming meetings and white boards on the fly. Marry it with Skype and you have a no cost tool that is hard to beat. You can drag files into the space, document with notes and save the entire session as a PDF. Nobody has to register you just send out a link via IM or email.

    Microsoft Office Web Apps – (okay, this one probably doesn’t use HTML5 as IE doesn’t add support for it until IE9, but it still fits the new breed label) – Using the Office Web Apps and SkyDrive you can open a document with a group of people and  co-author and edit in real time with the entire group participating, making changes and viewing the changes live.

    Google + Hangouts – One of the most talked about features of the much talked about Google + is Hangouts – a video chat function that allows you to invite or simply host an on the fly group video meeting. (There is now a Facebook plug in that mirrors this and you can add a Group Meeting plug in to your own WordPress blog)

    TalkWheel – TalkWheel is an instant messaging platform that works more like a roundtable discussion than the linier stack of the typical IM. It actually create a visual representation of the conversations and filters and relates topics. Looks like a very cool way to keep track of conversations from around the web and I can see lots of focus group and brainstorming uses with its visual presentation.

    Vokle – I’m probably stretching how some might view collaboration with this one, but I just love what you can do with Vokle. Vokle is actually a live streaming video platform, but it makes it very easy to have two people present or invite virtual guests to create a talk show kind of feel. You can also share a computer screen as the guest to flip back and forth from live presenter to slides or images. The entire stream can be recorded for future playback as well.

    A Crash Course in Marketing With Stories

    Posted on 02. Aug, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, conversion, Copywriting, editing, Email Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Headlines, personal branding, persuasion, selling, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing, Traffic

    image of big brother

    Remember learning Greek mythology in school?

    I’m going to give you one name, and I want you to think about the first image that pops into your head …

    Hercules.

    What’d you think about? Was it what you read in that dusty old history book, or was it the unforgettable Disney cartoon?

    That, my friends, is the power of storytelling in action.

    According to Chip and Dan Heath in their book “Made to Stick”, stories are an incredibly important element in creating ideas that stick.

    We humans process information much more efficiently when it’s in the form of a story, and we’re therefore much more likely to remember it.

    We quickly forget a dry recitation of the facts.

    And yet, most marketing is just that: fact after fact after fact …

    “Buy this widget from us, and it’ll do this, this and this.”

    That doesn’t stick.

    If you want your marketing to really sizzle, if you want people to remember it, you need to turn your marketing messages into stories.

    I’ve broken down the classical elements of story below so you can begin to think like a storyteller, and make your marketing messages stick …

    The protagonist leads the way

    You don’t have a story unless you have a main character — also known as the protagonist — whom the audience empathizes with.

    The protagonist helps the audience become emotionally engaged with the story.

    That’s why very emotional scenes, such as love and action scenes, are so powerful.

    Think about horror movies, particularly when the killer is chasing the protagonist.

    The audience is on the edge of their seats because they are experiencing the same fears and rush of adrenaline as the protagonist.

    Who or what is the protagonist — the hero — of your business?

    Your antagonist is their antagonist

    In addition to a protagonist, a story also needs an imposing antagonist — someone (or something) hindering the protagonist from reaching her goal.

    The antagonist creates conflict.

    An antagonist can be a person, an entity, or even the protagonist herself (for instance, the protagonist trying to overcome her own fear).

    Tap into and talk about a common “enemy” to bond with your customers, and their loyalty to you will grow very strong, very fast.

    The protagonist must be on the move

    Boring stories are ones where things happen to the protagonist.

    Engaging stories are ones where the protagonist takes action to defeat the antagonist.

    In other words, there’s an active struggle.

    Let’s say there’s a story about some really bad guys who steal a boy’s dog. The boy is sitting on his couch, crying, missing his dog terribly.

    A few moments later, a police officer knocks on the door and delivers the slobbering, excited dog back to the boy.

    Boring.

    We’d rather see the boy chasing down the bad guys, trying to get his beloved dog back himself.

    Are you boring your clients/readers/customers?

    This is a cardinal sin of marketing.

    Boring kills sales.

    No plot, big problem

    Of course, a story isn’t a story unless it has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

    The beginning sets the stage, showing what the protagonist’s life is like before the antagonist disturbs it.

    After the antagonist is introduced, we enter the middle of the story where the protagonist fights the antagonist, trying to accomplish a particular goal.

    Then, we reach the climax.

    All seems lost. The protagonist makes one more dramatic move and defeats the antagonist totally.

    In the end we see how the protagonist restores order to his life.

    What’s the “plot” of your content marketing?

    Is there a beginning, middle, and end present in your messages?

    The moral of the story is …

    Lastly, great stories have an overarching message, or moral.

    For instance, the moral of “Beauty and the Beast” is that we shouldn’t judge people by their looks.

    What’s the major message — or, moral — of your business or idea?

    Distill it into one or two very clear lines that you repeat, like a mantra, over and over in all of your marketing efforts.

    Pulling it all together

    Now, let me bring this all together by diagramming one of the greatest marketing stories of all time: Apple, Inc.’s “1984″ commercial.

    Take a minute to watch it here:

    The protagonist in this story is the running woman.

    The antagonist is “the man” on the screen (Big Brother for you “1984” fans).

    The plot here is interesting. There is a beginning, middle, and end, but the commercial only shows us the climax, and merely hints at all the other elements.

    We can determine the beginning of the story was that the woman and society were living free. Then, Big Brother came and forced everyone to conform. But the woman — possibly alone — resisted (the middle).

    Now, when there is no hope left and the entire culture has submitted to the will of “the Man” (the climax), she takes one last action: she destroys big brother by launching that hammer through the screen.

    And she does it in front of the entire world.

    As the screen explodes, we know that both the woman and society have been freed from Big Brother once and for all.

    The moral? We must act to overcome tyranny and conformity.

    And the marketing message? Macintosh will set you free from the tyranny and conformity of the other droning, boring PC manufacturers.

    See how stories really help make a marketing message stick?

    Apple could have just said, “Hey, we make better computers, and here’s why …”

    Instead, they told a story.

    Take a look at your marketing message and ask yourself: How can I use a story to make my message stick?

    It’s how we humans communicate with each other best.

    Go tell your story …

    About the Author: Ready to create relationships with your customers that lead to more sales? Want to build a business consumers know, like, and trust? Check out Brandon Yanofsky’s website, B-List Marketing, and discover how.

    Your Next Hire

    Posted on 02. Aug, 2011 by in Blog, Collaboration, Commit, hiring, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Social Media, Vision



    Your Next Hire

    This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

    It’s become pretty standard business advice these days to suggest you need to “hire for fit” rather than experience or job skills.

    Hire for fit

    Torley via Flickr

    Most interpret fit to imply fit with the culture of the organization. While I agree that your recruitment should aim to attract people that share your mission, vision and values, it’s also essential to consider how they might fit in the new reality of business.

    There is a specific skill set required these days in order to be successful in the world of marketing and business owners need to start finding ways to uncover these skills in the people they recruit.

    Most of these skills aren’t taught directly and come more naturally to some than others, but an employee that lacks them, or worse, questions them, is going to contribute significantly less to your organization in the coming years.

    While I can define the new skills, you still have to find the ways to unearth them and bring them out in your culture and your employees.

    The good news is that these are the same qualities it takes for any business to compete and if you can make these qualities the central theme of your hiring, they will carry over into the central theme of your business in general.

    Collaboration bias – Today’s business teams are as fluid as ever. They move from project to project, plug and play with virtual members and draw from around the globe. Work today is basically collaboration on all fronts. If any past experience matters it’s experience that demonstrates ease with contribution and collaboration. Some people thrive on this way of work, some people don’t.

    Design character – Creative people just see the world a little differently than most and, when balanced with stated business objectives, this can be a powerful tool. Look for people that demonstrate a feel for design, even though that may not be the primary or even secondary function. Creativity in design easily blends over into creativity in ideas, problem solving and collaboration.

    Social knack – Recent college grads take note, social business is not Facebook. Social knack isn’t a tech platform at all. It is a skill that engages your ability to have a great conversation, to know how to find what makes people tick, to present ideas to a group and to innately look for ways to help others get what they want. If your staff possesses these qualities naturally, they can make whatever the tool of the week is pay.

    Tech curious – Technology is an incredible game leveling tool in the hands of smart business owners. Blending high tech capabilities with high touch customer experience is the killer play in todays plugged in world. Employees that are curious about new technology and gadgets as a means to creates a better, deeper and richer customer experience are a must. Hire self-proclaimed nerds and let them fuse the technology with proven processes.

    Bundle vision – This is quite likely the hardest quality to identify, (certainly in a 30 minute interview) but it may be one of the most important. Business, technology, tools and trends evolve so quickly these days that every business owner and every staff member needs the ability to appreciate how seemingly disparate parts might come together to make something remarkable. This is perhaps the combination of all of the traits described above and when you find this trait and hone it, it will become one of the most valuable assets your business develops.

    Why Bad Writing is Essential to Good Blogging

    Posted on 26. Jul, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, Copywriting, editing, Entrepreneurship, Headlines, Keyword Research, personal branding, persuasion, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing, social media marketing, Traffic

    image of open dictionary

    I’ve been blogging for six years now, and in that time I’ve noticed something — anyone can do it.

    At first, I thought that this was a good thing. But then I realized that every good thing has a shadow side.

    So here’s the downside of the accessibility of blogging: It makes the already-terrible writers much, much louder.

    There are too many bloggers out there.

    How can this be a good thing for you?

    For too long, the bar has been set way too low with millions of blogs contributing to the noise without adding anything substantive to the discussion.

    Our fame-obsessed culture has driven teenagers and baby boomers alike to create their own blogs — all for the sake of being heard. They’re taking up space with half-formed opinions and rants, and it’s given the blogosphere an infamously bad name.

    But now, there’s a new phenomenon: The prolific, mediocre blogger.

    This person actually understands the basics of SEO and social media and can attract a decent readership.

    The problem, though, is that their content sucks.

    This probably drives you real writers completely nuts. But maybe it’s not all bad.

    Here are three reasons why these awful wordsmiths can actually make you a better blogger.

    1. Envy leads to action

    Be honest: part of the reason why you hate these champions of mediocrity is jealousy.

    Because if you’ve stuck around the Internet long enough, you’ve seen how even a terrible writer can build his own tribe.

    You’ve seen spam queens go into six digits on Twitter and typo-ridden articles go viral on Facebook.

    And this pisses you off (and it should.)

    But we need you to act, not sit back silently judging and mocking. Okay, you can judge and mock too, if you really want.

    We need you to move, not lock up out of protest. We need your voice, and we need it now.

    Don’t just complain. Act. Fight awful quality with excellence.

    2. Competition is (always) good

    Social media has, indeed, leveled the communication playing field.

    Now, if you have a good story or idea, you can share it, without having to know the right people or possess the right skills.

    The days of the gatekeeper are ending.

    This, for the most part, explains a lot of the frustration you’re feeling. There are terrible writers out there with nothing to say, and they’re saying a lot … very poorly.

    They are stealing away your readers and making them dumber by the minute.

    This is actually a good thing.

    It forces you to up your game, to woo your followers back to your well-crafted blog. This is not a sprint to the bottom; it’s a marathon to the top.

    And those who are truly excellent in their craft and committed to finishing will win in the end.

    3. Bad writers need coaches (i.e. you)

    The fact that you’re an excellent writer irked by all this mediocrity may be an internal prompting to give back.

    More people are blogging, because they recognize the value of building a platform. But they’re breaking the first rule of Copyblogger.

    You can help them.

    Look at it this way: If you’re really good at writing, you can help others become better writers. Instead of seeing these mediocre bloggers as a threat, why not view this situation as what it really is — an opportunity?

    You could begin a writing consulting practice.

    You could start coaching amateurs on how to stop sounding stupid and start writing like a pro.

    You could help, instead of criticize.

    The opportunity is there — do with it what you will.

    What do you think? Does this just frustrate you further, or are there some legitimate lessons we can learn from mediocre bloggers?

    About the Author: Jeff Goins is a writer and marketing guy who helps people use digital media to amplify their voice. Follow his blog or connect with him on Twitter.

    How to Beat the 3 Types of Writer’s Block

    Posted on 27. Jun, 2011 by in Blog, Blog Psychology, Collaboration, content marketing, Copywriting, Headlines, productivity, Small Business Internet Marketing, Small Business Marketing

    image of woman with writer's block

    It’s just about the least fun part of being a writer, and one of the big stumbling blocks a lot of businesses face with content marketing.

    You never seem to have enough ideas.

    Or you have a bunch of ideas, but you don’t quite get around to writing them.

    Or you start a dozen different projects, and manage to finish half a page on each one.

    It’s maddening, and it’s got to stop.

    And then, some non-writer rolls his eyes at you and says something trite like …

    “You know, plumbers don’t get plumber’s block”

    Well, duh.

    I’m no plumber, but I’d imagine that unblocking a sink is pretty much like doing housework — it might not be fun, but it’s not exactly fraught with creative uncertainty.

    Writing is different.

    When you write, you pluck ideas out of your head, impose order upon them, and translate them into black marks on a screen.

    And you hope that those black marks will mean something. They’ll teach, or entertain, or persuade.They’ll touch the lives of people you’ve never met.

    Writing takes focus. Dedication. Energy.

    And, sometimes, you’ll get stuck.

    The 3 causes of writer’s block

    No writer in the world feels inspired every single time they sit down to put words on a page.

    Sure, you’ll have had moments when the words flew from your fingertips, almost without conscious thought. But more often, it comes a little more slowly.

    You chew the end of a pen. You check Twitter. You delete two sentences. You check Twitter again. And then you find your stride, and get a draft written.

    That’s a pretty normal day.

    But some days are harder. You try to get started. You try. But you can’t face putting down words. You feel almost sick at the idea.

    Why?

    There are three types of blocks you’ll face on those tough days.

    1: External blocks — when real life intrudes

    Family trauma. Financial struggles. Childcare issues. All sorts of non-writing factors can tank your productivity and get in the way of your work.

    Sometimes you can battle through. Sometimes it helps to lose yourself in the words.

    Sometimes you can’t.

    This is the easy one. It’s actually okay to take a break from writing. In fact, it’s often good. Tackle the real-world problems that are blocking you, and come back to your work with a clear head and fresh eyes.

    2: Internal blocks — your emotional state

    Stage fright. Perfectionism. Fear of trolls. Your worries fill your head and stop the words from getting out.

    If you’re terrified of “getting it wrong,” it’s almost impossible to write.

    There’s no quick fix for this one, but there are ways to make it easier:

    • Write a journal that only you will see — work through your struggles on paper
    • Write something deliberately bad
    • Write every day, but remember you don’t have to publish every day … give each piece of writing the Rule of 24 and see if it holds up
    • Remember that everyone’s first drafts are crap

    3: The writing itself — you’re good and stuck

    This is where writer’s block gets tricky.

    Sometimes, the problem isn’t you. It’s what you’re writing.

    • You’re six chapters into your novel, and your main character is irritating the hell out of you.
    • You’ve been blogging for a year and you realize that if you write one more post on your topic, you’ll scream.
    • Your sales page just doesn’t seem to come together — however many times you redraft it.

    Whatever the problem, you want it fixed.

    You want to keep going, but you’re stuck.

    So you do what you think will help. You sit down, religiously, and you write. You force out some words. You tell yourself the cliche about Plumber’s Block again.

    It doesn’t help.

    What you need to do is take a big step back from your work.

    Get ruthless

    If your writing isn’t on the right path, there’s no productivity tip or trick that will help you.

    The only way out is to get truly honest with yourself.

    Does your novel need a new cast? Or a new plot? Maybe it should be a short story or a screenplay or a video game.

    Are you still interested in the topic you’re blogging about? Do you still feel driven to serve the readers you’ve attracted? Are you still learning and growing in your topic?

    You may be able to rekindle that spark and fall in love with your blog all over again. Or it may be time to change gears. You don’t necessarily need to retire the blog, but it may be time to bring a writing partner in who has the energy you’re lacking.

    Is your sales page promoting a product you really believe in? Is there something in the product or service that makes you hesitate when you promote it? Do you know who your buyers are? Are you solving a problem they care about? Are you solving a problem you care about?

    It’s hard to get this kind of perspective on your own. When I’m stuck, I ask around in Third Tribe or on Twitter.

    Sure, it’s scary to share something which you know isn’t quite right. It’s hard to be ruthless with yourself and face the uncomfortable stuff.

    But it’s the fastest way to smash through a block and get moving again.

    About the Author: As well as bouncing around the blogosphere with guest posts, Ali Luke blogs about writing and the writing life at her home base, Aliventures. If you’re looking for a dose of writing motivation, try her most-tweeted post, 7 Habits of Serious Writers.


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