Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

The Good Guys of Internet Marketing -- Clayton Makepeace
There's a good reason I didn't list Clayton in my "Good Guys of Internet Marketing" list four years ago. I didn't know the guy existed back then. Clayton is a multi-million dollar copywriting master -- one of the best around.

I wasn't into copywriting all that much back then, so I didn't pay much attention to copywriting experts. As my awareness grew, however, about how important good copywriting is to selling, I kept hearing one name over and over again when I talked to colleagues about copywriting.

They'd tell me, "If you want to learn copywriting, you've got to read Clayton Makepeace's daily blog! He gives away so much great information for free every day."

Their advice was 100% accurate. Like I said about Jim Edwards the other day, the tips and strategies he gives away for free is better than what was in almost any copywriting course I've paid for.

The minute the email arrives that alerts me that his next blog post is up, I go to Clayton Makepeace's "The Total Package" copywriting blog to read it. If you want to improve your copywriting, I suggest you do the same.

You can get all you need to get you started in copywriting from his free info. And you can get a master class in copywriting from any of his paid courses that bring his best tips and strategies together in a well-structured format where each lesson builds directly on the last.

The following two paid products are especially helpful for those who want to learn to write more profitable copy in a hurry: Double Your Profits in 12 Months or Less and Steal These Secrets!

Granted, those two aren't free. They will, however, give you the structured learning that will get you writing more persuasive copy a lot faster.

If you're interested in improving your copywriting (and increasing your sales in the process), I think that the best person to check out is Clayton Makepeace. And just about every marketer I've ever talked to about copywriting agrees.

Start with his free blog. You'll learn a lot from that. Then move on to his more structured training. You won't regret it.
Jeff

Labels: Clayton Makepeace, copywriting, Good guys of Internet marketing

Are You an Internet Marketer Who Hates Marketing?
I can't get out of my head a rant I read yesterday by Clayton Makepeace. Clayton is one of the world's best copywriters and he has an awesome online newsletter in which he gives away a wealth of copywriting and marketing information every day.

Well yesterday he googled himself to see what others were saying about him. As usual, there was a lot of high praise. But one blogger's comments stuck in his craw.

Now, as I said, Clayton gives away tons of free advice every day. This blogger, though, was incensed that, a couple of times a month, Clayton also sends his list an email offering a special discount on one of his products.

"How dare this charlatan ask people to pay money for his expertise. He should share everything he's learned over 20+ years of hard experience absolutely free." Her rant was somewhat along those lines. And Clayton was disgusted.

But one thing he said in his reply rant really stuck in my mind. He said that a lot of Internet marketers really hate marketing. And he's absolutely right.

I even see signs of it in myself.

I've experienced lots of times where I've been hesitant to promote what I have to offer because I didn't want to "dirty myself" by coming across as trying to "persuade" people into buying.

I've experienced lots of times where I've looked at marketing strategies as forms of manipulation.

I've experienced lots of times where I've tried to market by doing nothing more than vaguely hinting that I had something of value available and hoping that people would batter down my doors demanding the chance to buy it.

Maybe you've had the same feelings.

So why do people who look down marketing try to do it for a living?

For the money.

It appeals to that get-rich-quick mentality with a promise of "tricks" that will enable us to shovel in truckloads of money for little effort. It promises that if only we hit on the "secret formula" for successful persuasion, the world's coffers will open up and spill out on us all the money we could ever desire.

And so we dabble in marketing, trying to discover the "tricks" and "secret formulas" while we inwardly suppress a disgust for the whole idea of manipulation that another part of us associates with marketing.

That doesn't have to be, though. Clayton brings up a great point when he quotes marketer Bob King: "Marketing is the art and science of bringing value to consumers’ lives at a price that is insignificant relative to that value."

If we're marketing junk just to make a buck, if we're trying to trick people into buying stuff that isn't worth what they're paying for it, we have every reason to feel ashamed of our "marketing" efforts. That's because we're not really doing marketing. We're scamming people.

But if we are truly bringing people solutions that have far more value to them than we're asking in return, we're not doing anything disagreeable at all. We're providing a great service.

Now don't think I'm advocating that the solution to our love-hate relationship with marketing is that we give away things of great value for next to nothing. Marketing should be neither coercive nor sacrificial.

The solution is to understand intimately the needs of those whom we seek to market to and provide a solution that truly is of value to them. The moment we can do that is the moment that "marketing" turns from distasteful manipulation to an eager exchange of value for value.

Get to know what your customers desire and provide it for them. Do that and you'll never need to worry ever again about how to "coerce" them into buying.
Jeff


P.S. Clayton's newsletter is one I faithfully read every day. I encourage you to check it out. Just click here and enter your name and email address in the banner at the top of the page and you'll get not only his free newsletter, but also four useful ebooks on ways to improve your advertising.

Labels: Clayton Makepeace, copywriting, marketing

Thanks, Clayton!
This is a Christmas present for Clayton. But it's also a Christmas present for you.

Don't worry. I'm not saying that as hype for some overpriced Internet marketing product. You won't pay a cent for what I'm talking about.

See, I subscribe to Clayton Makepeace's newsletter. Excellent newsletter. Each day a new article about improving your copywriting, increasing your sales, running your business more effectively. All sorts of good stuff like that.

Yesterday, Clayton's newsletter started out with him saying that he was going to solve my problem of what to give him for Christmas.

"Whoa!" I thought. "What business does he have expecting a gift from me?"

Then he went on. "Just tell people who could benefit from the articles in this newsletter about it. Email your friends, mention it in your blogs and newsletters, talk it up on forums. Is it out of line to ask you tell people about something you enjoy?"

I have to admit, it isn't.

But then he went on to say, "You realize, I'm giving you a lesson in marketing, too, by doing this, don't you? I know not all of you will talk up this newsletter. That's OK. But the few of you who do will bring in new subscribers. Even if only five percent of you say anything about this newsletter, it will result in people finding it that otherwise wouldn't, because you probably wouldn't think to tell them except for the fact that I asked you to.

"Now, what would happen if you applied that same strategy to your business? What if you asked your customers, your subscribers, the people you work with just to invite people they know to check you out. It wouldn't cost you a thing to ask, and who knows how many new people would get to know your business?"

I've got to admit that he's right. So thanks, Clayton, for your good advice -- not only in yesterday's newsletter, but also in all your other articles throughout each week. Check out Clayton Makepeace's The Total Package newsletter and see if the common sense insights that Clayton and his staff give about copywriting, sales, and business are helpful. (You can sign up in the banner near the top of the page and get four excellent reports as well as the newsletter.)

Oh, and while you're at it, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to think of who you know who would benefit from my blog. Take a moment to let them know. Say what you think of this blog in
forums you visit. If you think what you get from this blog is worthwhile, help others discover it.

It won't hurt you. And it will be a great gift not only for the you know who would enjoy this blog, but also for me. Thanks!
Jeff

Labels: Clayton Makepeace, copywriting, marketing

Turning Your Negatives Into a Positive
What do you do if your business is saddled with something that puts you at disadvantage in comparison to your competition?

Turn it into an advantage, of course!

I saw a great example of this in a TV commercial last night. Let me pass it along to you as a lesson in effective copywriting that you can apply to your business.

A popular allergy medicine had just been taken off the shelves and put behind pharmacy counters. It wasn't because anything was wrong with the medicine itself. It simply contains an ingredient that could be extracted to manufacture illegal drugs.

Suddenly, this medicine was at a severe disadvantage to those drugs that remained within easy reach of the general public.

So what did the company do? They made the fact that the medicine had been restricted the key selling point of the commercial.

The commercial showed one happy allergy sufferer after another thanking the maker of this drug for keeping the restricted ingredient in the medicine. And in doing so, they backhandedly accused this company's competitors of making their medicines less effective so they could stay on the shelves.

It was a classic example of framing a disadvantage as a considerable advantage. Not only did the commercial portray the medicine as far more effective than its competitors, but it also trained potential customers to obtain it by asking their pharmacist for it by name.

And it portrayed the manufacturer of this medicine as a company that was genuinely concerned about the well-being of its customers instead of as one that looked out only for how it could make the most sales.

Take a look at your own products. What disadvantages do they have when compared to your competitors? Then think creatively. Figure out how you can turn your disadvantages into advantages like this medicine did.
Jeff


P.S. Copywriting is perhaps the most important skill to build as an entrepreneur. Nothing can boost your sales as powerfully as well-written copy.

If you want to take steps to improve your copywriting skills, click here and sign up for Clayton Makepeace's free newsletter. You'll get four free reports for signing up.

You'll get a lot more than just that, though. You'll get frequent copywriting tips from the copywriter who is considered by many to be the best in the business.

Frankly, I think you'll be amazed at the tips this guy gives away for free in his newsletter.

Labels: Clayton Makepeace, copywriting