Friday September 20, 2002         Issue: #006 ISSN 1539-056X
(c) Copyright2002 - http://flashmarketing.com        Editor: Flash
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                The FlashMarketing Newsletter(tm)
                   ~Simple Steps to Success~
                  Marketing Online Since 1997
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"Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well."

- Phillip Stanhope

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                          Contents
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1. Editor's Notes

2. Feature Article - Create Headlines That Pull, Persuade and Propel!

3. Announcing - Free Meta Tag Generator

4. Doctor's Advice - Be Personal!

5. Useful Links

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1- Editor's Notes
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Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. Well, business is
finally picking after a slow summer. Hope yours is too. I am
starting a new service, maybe by next month. Can't say much about
it now but it will have an affiliate program that pay 30%. Maybe
you can profit from it.

If you have products that benefit from Christmas, it's time to
start that marketing effort.

If you haven't heard yet, there have been big changes to "Site
Build It." If you need a website that drives a lot of traffic on
autopilot, check it out: Site Build It

- The Editor
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2- Feature Article
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Create Headlines That Pull, Persuade and Propel!
- Michel Fortin

A headline is meant to do two vital things. First, it needs to
grab your reader's attention. Realize that people surfing the
web are click-happy. They tend to scan web pages quickly, even
many of them simultaneously. Your site is but a blur. So, your
headline must be prominent and effective enough to stop them.

Second, your headline needs pull the reader into the copy and
compel her into reading further. To do that, it must cater to
a specific emotion or a relevant condition -- one to which the
reader can easily associate. To illustrate, here's a list of
"triggers," coupled with actual examples I used in the past:

- Curiosity ("Revealed! Closely Guarded Secrets For ...")
- Mystery ("The Five Biggest Mistakes to Avoid By ...")
- Fear ("Over 98.4% of People End up Broke When ...")
- Pain ("Suffering From Needless Back Pain? Then ...")
- Convenience ("How to Increase Your Chances With ...")
- Envy ("How Fellow Marketer Pummels Competitors By ...")
- Jealousy ("They All Laughed When ... Until I ...")
- Sloth ("Slash Your Learning Curve By 57% When ...")
- Love, Lust ("Make Her Fall in Love With You With ...")
- Shock ("Finally Exposed! Get The Dirty Truth On ...")
- Greed ("Boost Your Income By More Than 317% When ...")
- Pride, Power, Ego ("Make Fellow Workers Squirm With ...")
- Assurance ("... In Less Than 60 Days, Guaranteed!")
- Immortality ("Reverse The Aging Process With ...")
- Anger ("Banks Are Ripping You Off! Here's Why ...")

The cosmetics of a headline is equally important if not more
so. The type must be bold, large and prominently placed, even
written in a different font or typestyle. It must "scream" at
your readers. Don't worry if it's too harsh or too long. (My
experience tells me that the longer headlines pull the most,
even for professional clients or in conservative situations.)

Specificity is also quite important. The more specific you are
with your headline, the better the response will be. Use odd,
non-rounded numbers because they are more believable and pull
more than even, rounded numbers. (Ivory Soap used to say it's
"99.44% pure." That number is more believable than "100%.")

Whenever possible, be quantifiable, measurable and time-bound.
For example, you're promoting some "how-to" marketing
program.

Don't say, "increase your income" or "make money fast."
Words like "income" and "fast" are vague. Be specific. Instead,
say, "How six simple sales strategies helped me stumble onto an
unexpected $5,431.96 windfall -- in less than 27 hours!"

The bigger the numbers are, the greater the impact is. If you
say "five times more," replace it with "500%" (or better
yet, "517%" or "483%"). Don't say "one year," say "364 days." The
brain thinks in pictures, not numbers or words. Both "1
year" and "364 days" may mean the same thing, but one looks
bigger.

Using some of the triggers mentioned at the beginning, here
are some examples of being specific with your headlines:

- "Nine Jealously Guarded Techniques That ..."
- "Here Are 17 of My Most Prized Recipes For ..."
- "How I Made $42,791.36 in Only 11 Days With ..."
- "Boost Your Golf Drives By 27 Yards When ..."
- "A Whole New Way to Lose 45 Pounds in 7 Weeks With ..."
- "Marketing Toolkit Contains 35 Powertools That ..."
- "Follow These Eight Magical Steps to ..."
- "Read This 22-Chapter, 376-Page Powerhouse ..."
- "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning ..."
- "Chop Paperwork By as Much as 47% When ..."
- "Slash Your Learning Curve By Four Weeks With ..."
- "... And Start Using Within Only 33 Minutes!"

With the "pain-pleasure principle," we either fear pain (and
try to avoid it) or crave pleasure (and try to gain it).
When given a choice between the two, pain is a superior motive.
Our need to survive and feel safe, which are at the foundation
of Maslow's pyramid of human motives, rule over all other
needs.

So, a headline that instantly communicates a problem (i.e.,
a painful situation or a potentially painful one that may
arise without the benefits of your offering) will have more
impact.

People who associate with the message will feel compelled to
read more, which also isolates the serious from the curious.

You heard it before: there's a difference between "needs"
and "wants." When I work with plastic surgeons, I often tell
them to use as a headline, "Suffering from wrinkles?" That way,
it pulls only qualified prospects into the ad because it
appeals not only to people with wrinkles but also to those who
suffer from wrinkles (i.e., they want to do something about
them).

Ultimately, ask yourself: "Does my headline effectively stop
people from scanning my web page, capture their attention
and trigger their emotions in order to pull them into the copy?
Does my opening statement beg for attention, arouse
curiosity and genuinely cater to the motives and emotions of my
market?"

If not, change your headline and try different ones. Sure,
the change may be small and insignificant. But often, the
smallest changes can create the most dramatic changes in your
results.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Michel Fortin is a copywriter, author and consultant
dedicated to turning businesses into powerful magnets. His
specialty are long copy, email and web sales letters. Get a FREE
copy of his ebook and subscribe to his FREE monthly email
newsletter, "The Profit Pill," by visiting
SuccessDoctor.com right now!
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[ Back to Contents ]

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3- Announcing
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Free Meta Tag Generator
http://flashmarketing.com/fmtg.htm

Please visit this free utility and try it. If you have any
problems, questions, or comments let me know. It's brand
new.

It will produce perfectly formatted meta tags. There are links to
articles on meta tag design. You'll find it useful if you don't
have your own submission software.

[ Back to Contents ]

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4- Doctor's Advice
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Be Personal!
by Kevin Nunley

Whenever you're trying to sell something,  many things factor
into whether your prospect actually buys.   A few of the things a
customer looks at is if they connect with you, if they like you,
and if they trust you more than their competitors.  Here are some
ideas that might get customers to feel at ease with you.

Make sure that you focus and are sincere.  If your presentation
doesn't seem to respond to the customer's concerns, then try
taking a different approach.  Don't just go on with your prepared
speech. The customer will feel like you don't care about them or
their problems.

When you give a presentation, shake hands with everyone as they
enter the room.  Your prospects will feel a greater connection
with you, and you will be able to see them as individuals.

Don't use technical language and jargon.  Rehearse your
presentation in advance with another person not in your field.
If there is anything that they can't understand, change it. It's
probably too complicated for the average customer.

Try telling a story in your presentation.  People can often
resist a sales pitch, but it's difficult to resist a good story.
Use a "Hollywood approach."  Give your story interesting
characters and dialogue. Be sure to include a lesson that your
prospects can relate to.

Connect with your customers emotionally as well as
intellectually. You will have the edge if you can establish a
personal connection with your customers.

Kevin writes your sales letter, web site copy, or autoresponder
messages so they get response.  He can write any style and on
any subject.  See Kevin's writing deals at:
www.flashmarketing.com/copy/

[ Back to Contents ]

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5- Useful Links
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WebPosition Gold 2- Submitting your sites does no good if it's not
good enough to be listed on the first couple of pages. Optimize
it with:
http://webposition-gold.com

TrafficSeeker - Mega-Submitter - 799,000+ sites.
http://trafficseeker-platinum.com

MYSS! - The Internet Selling Manual (Bible)
http://flashmarketing.com/myss.htm

Dr. Nunley - Killer Copy - Never Underestimate the Power of Words
http://flashmarketing.com/copy/

ScamFree Zone - "Internet Success Blueprint" - Highly Recommend.
scamfreezone.com

eBook: "How to Write and Publish your own eBook... in as
little as 7 Days"

[ Back to Contents ]

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(c) Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved
FlashMarketing