Issue 135 of the Excess Voice newsletter for online copywriters

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Excess Voice Newsletter
July 2007, Issue # 135

In this issue:

>> Intro: Not too much hype here...
>> Review: Six Weeks to Masterful Copywriting
>> Article: I want to sell you twenty pairs of shoes, not just one
>> Survey: Does Web 2.0 Make Copy & Content Less Important?
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Greetings,

Based on feedback from the last issue, it seems that most of us favor the “soft sell” when it comes to writing copy.

Not that we don’t write to sell...but our style uses the persuasive power of good writing, rather than the hammer blows of the hard-sell school.

That said, we have to be careful not to judge too quickly, as I know every well that the hard sell approach can often generate more immediate sales.

As in most things, I think a balance between the two approaches is where the answer lies.

In this issue the article takes a different look at this same topic...comparing the benefits of making one quick sale today with making repeated sales to the same person over the long term.

And be sure the read the review. This is the first new copywriting course I have reviewed for a long time. Good courses are hard to come by. But this one is excellent.

Finally, as always, please take a moment to respond to this issue’s survey.

Until next time,

Nick

Nick Usborne

>> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

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REVIEW: Six Weeks to Masterful Copywriting, by Marcia Yudkin

It has been a while since I found a copywriting course worth talking about. This course by Marcia Yudkin caught my attention for a number of reasons.

One thing I like about it in particular is that it doesn’t focus simply on hard-selling copy. So many courses and books now focus only on writing sales letters and online sales pages.

Marcia’s course does cover the writing of direct-selling copy, but also includes instruction on writing for a much broader range of purposes and media. This makes it a great course for copywriters who want to learn the craft of copywriting in its broadest sense.

I also like this course because Marcia is not only a consummate copywriter and instructor, but also part of what one might consider an endangered species – an ethical copywriter.

Read my full review here:
http://www.excessvoice.com/masterful-copywriting.htm

Previous Reviews:

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#2. The 6 Elements of a content-rich, money-making e-newsletter

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#3. 7 Ways To Optimize the Performance of Your Home Page

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#4. Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

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Read my review:
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ARTICLE: I want to sell you twenty pairs of shoes, not just one.

Many marketers are tempted to take the short view when selling online.

That is to say, they pull out all the stops to secure a single sale. They want to sell one pair of shoes and then move on to the next customer and sell one more pair of shoes.

In fact, during a phone conversation recently I was told about one marketer who stated that his sole focus when writing a landing page was to minimize the number of product returns.

What he was saying, essentially, is that he doesn’t care what he is selling, nor to whom he is selling. Nor does he care whether the buyers are happy with what they buy, or ever come back to buy again.

He just cares about making money today, and minimizing the number of requests for refunds.

That’s a pretty cynical view of marketing.

I don’t think many businesses online take a view that’s quite so extreme.

But even without the cynicism, I do think that many businesses focus too much on making an immediate, single sale...without giving enough thought to the potential lifetime value of the buyer.

>> Doing the math isn’t rocket science

It costs you time and money to secure a new customer. Yes, even if you are an SEO wiz and never pay for PPC or banner advertising.

Even if you do the SEO yourself, you are still spending time to get higher listings. And your time is worth something.

So regardless of the channels through which your customers arrive, there is an acquisition cost for every new customer.

So once you have that new customer, you should care a great deal about how happy he or she is.

And you should take considerable efforts to hold that customer’s attention and even turn him or her into an advocate of your products or services.

In other words, pay customer acquisition costs once, and then keep your buyers happy and talking about your company for many years to come.

>> How do you hold a customer’s attention year after year?

Well, you won’t do it with pages from your web site. Unless you want to hold your breath and hope they come back one day.

Nor will you do it by sending frequent, intrusive sales emails.

But you can do it with a good e-newsletter, or a sequence of emails containing useful and timely information.

The key here is not to split hairs about whether you’re sending an e-newsletter or an email. What’s important is that every time you write to your customers you keep in mind that this is a long-term strategy.

While keeping in touch, don’t focus on whether or not you can make a sale today. Focus on keeping each reader’s attention for the next twelve months.

Don’t measure the conversion rate of each communication sent. Measure the benefits of keeping in touch with your list over each twelve month period.

And don’t gauge success simply by counting the value of sales. Look at less tangible benefits also – like how low you can get your unsubscribe rate, how fast you can grow your list, how many issues are forwarded to other people, how much positive feedback you receive from your subscribers.

>> Concluding thoughts...

It makes no sense to focus on making just one sale and then not caring about what happens.

Selling one pair of shoes per customer is a mug’s game.

You’re better off selling shoes to that customer every year for the next ten years. And get him to buy the whole family’s shoes from your site. And their sneakers too. And give him the tools to tell his fiends and colleagues all about your great company.

This is all common sense. But in the high-speed, high-churn, quarter-by-quarter world of Internet marketing, common sense is becoming a rare commodity.

** If you would prefer to read this article on the web, or would like to forward the url to a colleague or friend, you'll find it here:
http://www.excessvoice.com/article135.htm

>> Feedback: mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

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SURVEY: Does Web 2.0 Make Copy & Content Less Important?

True Web 2.0 sites typically depend primarily on user-generated content. Many are about enabling their visitors to share their own words, audio and video. Does this mean that the existence and quality of the site’s own copy and content is becoming less important or relevant?

[ ] Yes
[ ] No

Comments:

(NOTE: Any comments and your name may be published in the next issue, or on the Excess Voice web site.)

Cut and paste your replies to me at mailto:nick@excessvoice.com

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NICK USBORNE'S SERVICES:

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