I'm in Richmond working on the DentistryForDiabetics program which I'm a partnered with Dr. Charles Martin and Dan Kennedy. My job is basically copywriting (yes, even with Dan, one of the best copywriters in the world, is on board) strategy and, email marketing.)
One of the things I've changed in my copywriting is toning down the amount of hype. I look at some of the things I've written in the past, many which were very effective, and they were pretty "hypy" to say the least.
Here's an advanced concept to chew on:
You want you marketing to have a motivating, exciting energy to it however, in most cases, you don't want to artificially create that with hype. There are SOME markets where hype is justified. For example, low end business opportunity markets pretty much require outlandish claims to be effective. But, in other markets, hype is going to be a turn off.
Don't get me wrong...you still need to make a BIG PROMISE to make people act BUT you must be able to justify your promise so it is believable.
One of the most successful infomercials company's, BeachBody.com, makes huge promised about weight loss and body transformation in a short period of time BUT, unlike many of their competitors, they do NOT claim that you don't have to do anything to get the results. In fact, they do just the opposite and flat out tell you that you are going to have to sweat and work hard but if you do, you'll get the results they promise.
It comes down to sincerity and believability. The more sincere and believable you are, the more of the people you want are going to buy from you. Notice I said, the "more people you WANT" will buy from you.
Your marketing should attract the types of people you want as prospects and repel the people you don't want. For example, I don't want people who think they can make mucho dee-nero doing nothing but sitting on the coach drinking beer and eating potato chips. BUT, there are some businesses who DO want to attract this type of customer. This type of business is going to use much more hype in their marketing than I would.
Let me give you an example of believability and sincerity with an example from the sales copy from my best selling product, "Your Marketing Department In A Box". A strategy I learned from Alex Mandossian was instead of creating some phony, hyped up reason for people to buy now, tell 'em the truth. Here's how my copy reads:
Oh, and here's another thing: I'm not going to try to persuade you into thinking there's a limited supply of the "Your Marketing Department In A Box" Systems.
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The reason I want you to give the "Your Marketing Department In A Box" a try is not because "supplies are limited", or because my "price is good for a limited time". Gimmicks like that only would lower my credibility.
This course belongs in your business library because I want you to stop having to worry about get clients and spending your hard-earned cash on marketing books and schemes that just don't work!! Isn't that a good enough reason alone to order the "Your Marketing Department In A Box" right now?
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Doesn't that sound more believable and sincere than the traditional, "You need to order within the next 3 minutes or we are going to be sold out!" You betcha it does.
Your prospects are more marketing savvy than you might think so if you're going to make a big promise, you need to make sure it's believable or they will think you're just full of hot air.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
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2 comments:
Dave,
Your "check your hype" post is right on the target.
Since we invested in your marketing for magicians years ago we too have evolved in regard to the type of "hype" we present.
Like you said, there are times and places for different levels of "hype" in marketing.
One example where we have a "low tone" marketing piece is on one of our web sites for Human Resource Directors to book us (http://.DavidBreth.com).
It answers their questions and gets us booked (in 2007 over 452 paid shows). The "hype" is there, it is simply not over exaggerated, but we have refined the way we present the information so our customer base connects with us on a human level and knows we are the "right" entertainers for their next event.
Sure our guarantee on this same page may "seem" hype filled, but the reality is most people who opt-in for more information from us read our long "hype-filled" guarantee and this is one of "selling" points which entices them to contact us.
Of course, we back our guarantee up 100% (though we have never had anyone request a refund). Nor will they ever have to.
We first learned this principle from you reading your course for magicians those many years ago, "be believable and credible (features and benefits out-weigh the "hype" in all of our successful ad copy).
In a nutshell we always ..."make a BIG PROMISE to make people act, BUT we are able to justify our promise so it is believable."
P.S. You did this from the first time we heard of you, you sent us a tape (yes, the younger readers are asking what is a tape). You mailed us a tape with a title which was "hype-filled" ("Make an extra $10,000.00 per year as a part time magicians" - or it was something like this).
The head line on the cover of the tape was "Hype-Filled", but the reality of what you claimed in your headline "seemed" real when we heard the tape (BTW, $10,000.00 extra per year as a part time magician is what can be earned in one month using the materials you provided in the marketing for magicians - earned over $7,000.00 in one month using them...and this is not "hype" - - this is reality).
Hi Dave,
I agree with David Breth in that from the early days,(I was at your 1999 LA conference) your copy was heavily hyped but you delivered on your big promise.
Always. :)
Even your first product, the marketing course for magicians, which was... well ugly to look at and filled with typos, helped launch the careers of myself and many other entertainers. I still use some of your hype-filled materials, (toned down a bit) from that manual. But again I could deliver on the promise.
Look at the all-time hype king... Muhammad Ali. He was the hype master... but he sure did deliver on his promises. (We won't talk about Leon Spinks). :)
What turns me off these days is those over hyped headlines that literally scream/shout at me. This instantly puts a lock on my wallet. Also copy that has way too many bonuses. I find this overkill and something in my brain freezes up and I refuse to buy.
Dave, I've seen you change your marketing attitude from, 'let's see how much money I can suck out of people's pockets', (but still delivering on your promise) to "how can I help people achieve their dreams, i.e. passion into profits, etc".
Your copy now even when it's 'hypey' comes across as totally believable and when I read your stuff I really do get the sense that you really care about trying to help people solve their problems.
The irony is that this shift in attitude is actually making you more money. :)
Have your best day,
Franc
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