Classic copywriting books are needed now more than ever. With the explosion of marketing technology, AI-generated content, and companies worldwide competing for the same customers, timeless principles are priceless. 

Because although AI can generate content, understanding human emotions and psychology, as taught in these books, is essential for creating an engaging and persuasive copywriting piece.

With all our new technology, it’s easy to get pulled away from the fundamentals of copywriting. However, when you combine the fundamentals with modern technology, you become unstoppable.

Breakthrough Advertising By Eugene Schwartz

Breakthrough Advertising is a favorite among copywriters. Eugene Schwartz, a direct-response copywriter who was prolific in the mid-20th century, is a legend.

Breakthrough Advertising is a dense book, and most reviews will only cite the Schwartz lessons from the first half. For example, almost every review will cite Schwartz’s advice that demand for a product cannot be created—only channeled.

(I guess I just did it too.)

That advice about customer demand is indeed sage wisdom to write down and remember forever. But it’s in the second half of the Breakthrough Advertising, which gets little attention, where I find the most gems. 

One of those gems is Schwartz writing about the topic of belief.

Belief is the goal, Schwartz states.

If you can channel the tremendous force of his belief—either in content or direction—behind only one claim, no matter how small, then that one fully-believed claim will sell more goods than all the half-questioned promises your competitors can write for all the rest of their days.

A prospect can’t fully accept and value your offer unless you build the necessary beliefs. Your coupons and bonuses will bounce right off your prospects unless they believe your product is right for them.

As an example, Schwartz describes a challenge he had in selling a TV repair manual. Back in the 1950’s, TVs were complex, intimidating machines that broke down constantly, leading to expensive repair bills.

The homeowner could save a ton of money doing TV repairs themselves. The problem was that nobody believed they could actually repair a TV.

Schwartz persuaded prospects they could repair the TV using nothing but his words. He did it through the way he structured his sales letter, strategically targeting belief after belief. You can find the full sales letter in Breakthrough Advertising—it’s incredible.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK TODAY:

These days, the marketing world is filled with hype and over-the-top promises. Schwartz advises us to dial down those big promises. Instead, focus on building belief. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and ask, “What does my prospect need to believe in order to say “yes” to my offer?

If you want more on this topic of belief building in your prospect’s mind, I teach a step-by-step process in my own, Simple Marketing for Smart People.

The Robert Collier Letter Book

Robert Collier built a successful direct-response marketing business by sending simple letters in the mail. 

He used letters to sell all sorts of products, from coal (Collier was a mining engineer) to women’s dresses. But he mainly sold books. 

The books were typically stories from history, such as H.G. Wells’s The Outline of History, or personal development books around achievement and success. Collier sold over 300,000 copies of his personal development book called The Secret of the Ages.

His letters were clear, compelling, and most importantly—human.

Collier has a way of writing that makes you feel like he’s writing you a personal letter even though has was mailing these letters to thousands of people.

One notable letter was written to mothers and sold a home study course. It has the headline: “There is No University Like a Mother’s Reading to Her Child.”

Really tugs on the heartstrings, doesn’t it? That’s classic Collier.

Now, these letters were not merely for entertainment. He calls the letters he writes “Resultful Letters,” meaning the letters had to lead to results. That is, a purchase.

But it’s Collier’s way of getting the reader to take action (i.e., to purchase the product) that sets him apart.

His approach centers on knowing your reader. Collier states:

Familiarity with the thing you are selling is an advantage, but the one essential without which success is impossible in selling, by mail or selling in person, is a thorough understanding of human reactions. Study your reader first—your product second. If you understand his reactions and present those phases of your product that relate to his needs, then you cannot help but write a good letter.

Wise words for today’s copywriter.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK TODAY:

Use The Robert Collier Letter to add a human element to your writing. This book is different in that it’s learn by example. There’s not as much teaching as other copywriting books, but rather, you learn from Collier’s example letters, of which there are dozens.

Read Collier’s letters, his commentary, and his approach will sink in. The next time you sit down to write copy, you’ll naturally harness your inner Collier.

Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins

Claude Hopkins is a pioneering figure in advertising. His most famous book, Scientific Advertising, is short at just 87 pages. Yet, it’s still constantly referenced for its timeless principles.

In Scientific Adveritsing, Hopkins writes:

The lack of fundamentals has been the main trouble with advertising in the past . . . it was like a man trying to build a modern locomotive without first asserting what others had done.

Hopkins laments that advertising success has felt like too much of a gamble, too much too much like speculation, like betting at the race track.

Do you see how even today, we’re wrestling with the same problem? We roll out a new product launch, ad campaign, or VSL, and it feels like we’re rolling the dice.

Hopkins believed advertising could be a safe and sure venture. But in order to do so, we must learn the fundamentals.

Hopkins then walks through his nearly 20 laws of advertising. He covers everything from headlines to distribution to giving samples. That last law, giving samples, was one of Hopkin’s favorite techniques. He sold a mountain of products by giving away samples. Hopkins believed the product should be its own best salesman. 

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK TODAY:

Each of Hopkin’s laws can be applied today. For example, his law of giving samples is easier than ever thanks to shipping across the world being easier than ever. 

His law on individuality and adding personality to your copy is critical given the massive amount of content on the internet and the difficulty of standing out.

Weave Hopkin’s laws into your next copywriting project and enjoy the results.

Your Turn

The benefit of learning copywriting from history’s greats is that they weren’t distracted by the internet and modern technology. That meant they put all their effort into the only tool they had—their words.

Study these great books to learn the timeless principles that lead to high-converting copy. Then, combine those principles with modern technology and watch your results soar.

The post 3 Classic Copywriting Books You Need Now More than Ever appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Email is almost 40 times better at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter. But only if you send the right emails, to the right people, at the right time. 

There are countless ways to write copy that converts, but only one way to do it consistently: by using a framework. 

The Power of a Copywriting Framework

Before we introduce you to one of our favorite frameworks, let’s unpack why you should use a framework to begin with.

Copywriting frameworks provide a structure to organize your ideas while ensuring you don’t mistakenly neglect any key points needed to achieve your goals. They’re simple to use, easy to remember, and most importantly, they drive results. 

But not all copywriting frameworks are created equal. Some pack more punch than others. Let’s look at why: 

Neuroscience teaches us purchasing decisions are strongly influenced by emotions, but it doesn’t stop there. The written word (and that includes email) has the power to make neurochemical connections in the brain that inspire brand loyalty…for life. 

The L.O.V.E. email copywriting framework is designed to create emotional connections and build the trust needed to convert your prospects into buyers.  Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

The L.O.V.E. Email Copywriting Framework 

L is for “Leverage”

In the typical sense of the word, leverage means to take something (maybe even the simplest thing) and use it to maximum advantage. Does this principle apply to email copywriting? You bet. You only have one chance to make a great first impression. To do it well:

Remind readers why they’re receiving your email in the first place. 

Be mindful of how your reader first learned about your brand. Whether they opted-in to your list in-store, through a lead magnet, or because they made a purchase, make sure your first email reminds them that they asked you to send them something.

Follow-through shows you pay attention and that your brand values integrity.

Capitalize on your existing authority & build trust. 

People have a million things on their mind. You have to convince them that out of the many voices competing for their attention, yours is the one they can trust. 

Adam Waytz, an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, suggests trust is built when you demonstrate benevolence, integrity, competence and predictability.

What does this mean in actual practice?

Let’s start with an example of what not to do: 

“Dear Susie,

My name is John. I am the owner of The Luxury Cars Company. We have sold thousands of cars to people just like you!”

This email doesn’t incorporate any of the trust factors we mentioned above. In fact, it may even come across as arrogant and disengenuous. That’s definitely not what we’re going for!

What about this? 

“Dear Susie,

My name is John and I am the owner of The Luxury Cars Company. We take pride in having helped countless people like yourself find their dream car.”

Better. But still not quite hitting the mark. Because there are umpteen other luxury car dealerships that say the same thing. What’s so special about this one? 

So let’s try this again:  

“Dear Susie, 

According to studies, 56% of luxury car owners feel happier overall with their lives. That’s why clients of The Luxury Cars Company will be the first to tell you, we don’t sell cars, we sell happiness. We’ve helped over 10,000+ people find happiness behind the wheel since we opened our doors 10 years ago.

While there’s still plenty of room for improvement here, we’re getting a lot closer to the finish line because:

• The writer seems benevolent (they want people to be happy–and the fact that their customers are saying they are happy after shopping with them adds a touch of implied integrity). 
• The statistic is interesting because it speaks to the reader’s desire–and demonstrates success (competence!). 
• The fact that over 10,000 customers have been helped suggests a sense of predictability. If they did it for them, they can do it for you, too! 

Find common ground. 

You must understand what matters to your readers in order to write copy that resonates with them. You may need to conduct market research, analyze customer feedback, or gather data on their demographics and behavior. By doing so, you can identify trends, patterns, and commonalities among your customers, which can help you create more targeted messages.

Want to take it a step further? Personalize your message. Even the tiniest things, like adding “Hi Susie” to the beginning of your email, can increase engagement exponentially. 

Speak to their pain point. 

You have to tread carefully with this one, lest you delve into the not-so-recommended territory of fear-mongering. In order to offer up your solution, you have to first communicate why the reader needs that solution. 

There are many ways to do this. One of the best ways is to let someone else deliver the bad news. You can do this easily by sharing an interesting fact or statistic from a reputable source. 

You’ve seen this a million times. Insurance companies use statistics related to accidents, disasters, or health issues to encourage consumers to purchase insurance policies. Security companies may use crime statistics or statistics related to home invasions to encourage consumers to purchase security systems. And the list goes on and on. 

What statistics can you use that might inform your reader about something they might not have even been aware of–and how your product or service can solve that problem? 

O is for “Offer” 

Now that you’ve captured attention and made a connection with your reader, you need to clearly communicate why your prospect should buy the solution you sell. There are many ways to do this, but here are a few we love: 

• Emphasize the unique benefits that set your product/service apart from competitors.
• Share testimonials from satisfied customers who have benefited from your product or service.
• Illustrate how your product or service has positively impacted the lives of real people.

V is for “Validate”

Now that you’ve captured your reader’s attention and shown them that your product/service will solve their problem, they’re ready to buy, right? 

Wrong. Because objections are popping like popcorn in your reader’s mind. Right now, they’re thinking: But wait! What about… [fill in the blank with an objection your reader might have.]

Today, customers are more skeptical than ever. Between bots trying to sell them cryptocurrency on Tinder and Instagram ads sucking them into buy products they never actually receive, people are pretty darn afraid of getting burned. 

To help them overcome their objections, consider what may be causing them to hesitate, empathize with them, and then address their objections head-on. 

Here are a few ways to do this: 

• Respond to the concern in a way that makes the reader feel heard and understood. Use clear and concise language. Relate to the reader. And be honest. 
• Display social proof, such as the number of followers or subscribers on social media, positive reviews on review sites, or the number of happy customers.
• If price is a concern, offer discounts, financing options, or alternative pricing plans that fit within the customer’s budget.
• Offer a satisfaction guarantee or free trial period to help customers feel more confident in their purchase.
• Provide evidence of your company’s credentials, certifications, or awards, and share any media coverage or industry recognition.

E is for “Ease”

It might seem ludicrous at this point to think your reader is still sitting on the fence when you’ve given them so many reasons to get off, but humans can be interesting creatures. We tend to fear commitment. This is why your call to action needs to speak to those who are ready to click “Buy Now” – and to those who aren’t. 

Here are a few ways to make it easy for your readers to take action:  

• Test different CTAs:  “Learn more” or “Try it out” are great CTAs, as they invite the reader to explore and learn more about your product or service without committing to a purchase.
• Good old-fashioned FOMO: By adding a time limitation or limited offer to your service or product, you are more likely to inspire action. 
• Include a transitional CTA: If your reader isn’t ready to take the desired action, give them another option. 

Think of your CTA as asking someone on a date. Don’t be demanding. Be enticing and inviting. 

Wrapping It All Up

Once you’ve nailed the L.O.V.E. copywriting framework in an email sequence, you’ll want to tie it all together by writing absolutely unforgettable subject lines for each email. Remember,  33% of people open email based on the subject line alone.  It would be a tragedy to invest the time in developing an awesome email marketing sequence like this only to find that noone actually reads it. 

Here are a few tips to help you create email subject lines that work: 

• Keep it under nine words if possible. People have short attention spans. 
• Make sure it touches on a pain point. 
• Make it weird–weird subject lines inspire curiosity and clicks. 

Check this out if you want 8 more points to make effective email marketing subject lines quick and easy.
By integrating the proven L.O.V.E. email copywriting framework into your marketing tactics, you can create an automated system that deepens connections, builds trust, and converts prospects into buyers consistently and predictably. And that’s the whole point of this thing we call digital marketing!

The post The L.O.V.E. 4-Step Email Copywriting Framework: Connections, Trust & Conversion appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Do businesses email their customers too often? According to a recent article on Business Insider, the answer is yes. But not for the reason you may think.

It’s not because customers loathe getting emails from companies. Or because frequent emails are considered spam. It’s actually because most brands nowadays email like this:

They use discounts as their main strategy to persuade customers to buy. But what happens when your customer’s whole inbox looks like the picture above? The inevitable: they stop paying attention to your emails.

Because here’s the thing.

Why would they open your emails if they can already predict the content inside? Why would they buy now when they can clearly see you’ve got discounts all the time? And, most importantly, why would they pick your brand over your competitors?

If you want to stand out in someone’s crowded inbox, you need to do the one thing that everybody else avoids doing: building strong relationships with your email subscribers. Here’s how:

How Storytelling Helps Your Brand Shine Bright in a Crowded Inbox

Storytelling is the most effective way to communicate. That’s not me saying it. It’s the countless studies (such as this one, this one, and this one) that prove it, time and time again. Why?

Because storytelling helps you form positive emotional associations with you and your brand. The emotions you evoke with your stories go a long way in defining how people perceive you, creating a stronger connection in your audience’s mind between you and the problem you solve for them. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. 

The truth is, writing story-based emails makes you more than just a brand that sells a solution to their pain: it makes you an entertainer, too. And as a marketer, being able to entertain while selling is like having a superpower. People hate being sold to. But they love being entertained (ever binge-watched a Netflix show? I know I have). 

Plus, with story-based emails, you can easily add more variability to your email calendar. As a result, customers will no longer be able to predict what your next email will be about: a fun story? A new product? Maybe even a discount? Curiosity translates to increased engagement. And increased engagement translates to stronger relationships with your customers. 

So by choosing the right stories to tell in your emails (which we’ll discuss in a bit) and by writing them in an engaging way, you’re guaranteed to keep your audience hooked and excited to read your next email. As opposed to adding yet another sales email to their already crowded inbox.

Here’s How to Supercharge Your Email Strategy with Stories That Sell:

1. Pick the Right Story 

The storytelling approach will give you little to no results if the stories you’re telling are flat to begin with. No matter how engaging your writing is. 

So the first thing you need to do is to make sure you select story ideas with potential. Okay, but where do you find these ideas? And what does a good story idea look like?

If you’re anything like me, your life isn’t that exciting or eventful. And yet, you may still have a funny conversation with your next-door neighbor. Or your team may geek out about wild adaptogen mushrooms at a team-building event. Or your spouse may accidentally spill coffee on your laptop (true story!). 

Any of these can be turned into fun story-based emails that tell your audience a little bit more about who you (or your team) are as a person. Most business owners assume their customers don’t want to know what goes on in their personal and business life. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

In fact, customers want to know there are real people behind brand names. According to this report from Sprout Social, 70% of consumers report feeling more connected to a brand when its CEO is active on social media. 

And depending on how much you’re willing to share about your life, you can then select the types of personal stories to write about. When in doubt, think about what you’d want to tell your friends/family at the dinner table. More often than not, that’d make a great story for your email list too.

Related Articles

• How Standardizing Your Sales Process Boosts Overall Conversion

• 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 2

• 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 1

2. Write a Strong Hook

Let’s face it. 

Nowadays, attention spans are short. And no matter how good your story is, if how you write it isn’t engaging enough, your email subscribers aren’t going to read it. 

So the very first thing you want to do is to make sure the first three sentences of your story hook the reader into the action. Once someone reads that much into a story, it’s incredibly difficult for them to stop. 

So how do you do it? Any of these hooks have proven to work again and again whenever I write stories for myself or my clients:

• Start in the middle of the action (and explain the context later). For example:

“RUN!”, the police officer yelled at me.

“Okay, thank you!”, I yelled back, running out of Paddington Station and trying to find a cab.

Except, it was 4 in the morning. And I had no idea where to look for one.”

• Start with ‘x time ago’. Recalling a past event hooks people instantly into your story. For example:

“A few months ago, Joanna Wiebe (the original conversion copywriter) slid into my DMs on Slack completely out of nowhere…”

3. Segue to Your Sales Pitch Seamlessly

By the time you get to this part, your readers are entertained and primed to purchase your solution to their problems. Your brand is no longer just another brand in their busy inbox. It’s someone they now know, trust, and like. And so, buying from you feels just right.

But you can’t just end your story abruptly so you can sell your products/services. That’d feel intrusive. In the same way that, when you’re engaged in a YouTube video, an annoying ad interrupts your stream.

So you must find a way to tie your story to your product or service so seamlessly that your readers won’t even notice they’re now reading a sales pitch. Sounds difficult. But you’ll see how easy it actually is. In fact, what most people get wrong about this part is that they try to find the moral of the story and tie that to their sales pitch. 

For example, let’s say your story is about how your team went to a team-building event and someone accidentally broke a bunch of glasses. And if you’re selling a service, you might be able to spin that incident into saying something like: when you hire our software developers, your app stops breaking.

But that’s a predictable way to transition from your story to your sales pitch. Plus, not all stories will end with a moral. Most stories will be fragments of conversations you have with someone or something ridiculous that happened throughout the day (like forgetting your keys at the office). There’s no moral in that and there’s no need for one.

What you can do instead is to look back at your entire story and find one or a few phrases/words that could help you build that segway. Here’s an example of a full story-based email. Pay special attention to the part where the story ends and the sale begins.

Example of a Full Story-Based Email

“SUBJ: Hacker threatens to destroy my reputation in 72 hours straight

This morning, I was at my laptop reading my emails when suddenly, I came across an unread email from… 

Me.

What in the world…?

Out of confusion, I open it without reading the subject line. 

And once I go past the first sentence, it becomes pretty clear:

I’m being hacked.

“You may have noticed we are using your company’s servers to send you this email: we have hacked into your website, kaleidocopy[dot]com.”

Oh.

Okay… They did send this email from my email address. 

Still, I can’t help but wonder… could this be a hoax?

“This is not a hoax.”

Ah! Well, that settles it then.

“We are willing to forget about destroying the reputation of your site and company for a small fee. The current fee is at $2500 in bitcoin.”

I mean… at least they are nice about it, you know? Their willingness to forgive and forget says a lot about a person’s character.

In the following lines, they take me through exactly what they’re going to do to ruin my company and reputation, step by step.

Then they teach me how to buy Bitcoin (I already know how, but I appreciate their thoughtfulness!).

And finally, they assure me that my Bitcoin payment will be anonymous and that no one will know that I complied with their master plan.

Mmmmkay. 

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Now that is a bit suspicious, Mr. Hackerman (or Ms. Hackerwoman — it’s 2022, what the heck.)

I’m willing to bet the $2500 on the fact that I’m not the only person they sent this to.

So if the payment is anonymous, how will they know it was ME who sent it? It just doesn’t make sense, y’know? 

Jokes aside, I’ve got to admit: seeing that the email came from my address made me panic a bit. 

But then I checked my Sent folder and the email wasn’t there.

I also checked to see if there were any alerts or logins from different devices on my Google account. There were none.

I also checked with my hosting provider, who reassured me no one has broken into anything. 

Soooo… hoax? Hopefully, lol. 

But if it isn’t, it means you’ve got 72 hours left to get Email Story Alchemy, my mini-course on turning boring day-to-day events from your life into story-based emails that build your fandom and help you stand out. 

After that, my business will supposedly disappear from the face of the Earth. And you’ll no longer be able to buy it. Everrr.”

Conclusion

Story is a structure, not a tale. Which means that you can apply it to anything, including email. And when you do it right, amazing things happen. 

Like building strong relationships with your customers. And turning a casual customer into a die-hard fan who wants to buy from you because they just can’t get enough of your brand.

Sure, discounts work too. But they work when used strategically and in moderation. So if you’re ever unsure about what to email your customers next, consider story-based emails. They’ll make your brand shine bright in anyone’s crowded inbox.

The post Storytelling: The Secret Sauce to Making More Sales With Email Marketing appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

“Email marketing is DEAD!”
“AI is taking over the inbox!”
“Why hire a copywriter when I can just use email templates?!”
“Who needs an email list when I have a large social following?”

Um….. stop right there and listen up, because I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

THREE little secrets to be exact. 

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of misconceptions floating around the cyberspace when it comes to email marketing. So in this blog, we’re going to talk about the three biggest Email Marketing Myths & Misconceptions… 

AND I’m going to fill you in on the SECRET WEAPON that’ll give you a massive advantage and leg-up over any competition. 

Alright, now let’s get started with myth-busting. 

Myth #1 – Email Marketing Is DEAD

This is a myth that I’ve been hearing ever since I got my start in the online marketing industry… over a decade ago! And guess what?

The rumours were wrong back then and they’re STILL wrong today. 

No matter what you heard at the latest online summit you attended… Email Marketing is STILL alive and well—and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon!

In fact, Email Marketing is the single best way to market your brand or business, increase your revenue, and cash in on more conversions.

That’s right. It’s better than ads, better than social media, and better than organic traffic…

I said it.

In fact, I did my FIRST launch back in 2020 and made almost 6-figures by sending just 8 emails to my list of 2300 subscribers. Yup.

But don’t just take my word for it, here are some stats to prove it. It is estimated that there are 4 BILLION active email users right now (and that number is projected to go up, btw).

Email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI of all marketing channels – earning on average $42 for every dollar spent… and in case you don’t want to do the math on that…

That’s an ROI of 4200%!! I don’t know of a single brand or business that wouldn’t love to see numbers like that. 

And just in case gaining a massive ROI isn’t enough to convince you… this probably will:

According to MarketingSherpa, email is STILL the most preferred marketing channel that most consumers want businesses to communicate with them through. YES, even Millennials and gen-Z-ers prefer email to social media.

And not only is email your consumer’s favorite way of communicating… it should be your favourite too! And that’s because your list is YOURS. It belongs to YOU. Not Facebook, not Instagram. YOU. 

And when you use Email as your preferred method of communication, ALL you have to do to get your message heard is make sure your emails aren’t landing in the spam folder. You’re not held captive by the algorithm Gods, “platform rules,” or having to keep up with the latest trends to get your content seen.  

When you take just a moment to step back and look at the facts, it’s crystal clear.

While I still love and use other marketing channels…

My girl Email Marketing reigns supreme.

Myth #2 – Templates Work Better

This is another myth I’ve been hearing over and over again lately.

Why hire a copywriter when I can just use email templates?! 

Now for the sake of clarity, in this context, I’m referring to fancy and impersonal emails that are all show and no substance. You know those fancy-looking HTML emails you commonly see from e-commerce sites or big corporate businesses…

Listen – they work for brands like Sephora or Apple, well, because they are Seophora and Apple…

But as a personality-based brand (or as the real PERSON behind the brand), you don’t want to get too fancy in your emails. 

Why? Well, because facts: Extensive A/B testing has shown that the overwhelming majority of consumers prefer simple, text-based emails (you know, just like those emails you send to your friends and family).

Not only do consumers prefer plain jane text-only emails, but templates come with a whole list of other cons to consider.

Downsides of Email Templates

• They take a long time to load, depending on your consumer’s internet connection.
• Customization can be difficult and unreliable. You can spend hours finicking with a template, where your time would be better spent just writing and personal, empathetic email.
• HTML templates often get all funky on mobile if not coded correctly.
• They are WAY more likely to end up in the Spam or Promotions folder because of heavy images and design features
• These kinds of emails focus on imagery, not on brand voice or actually connecting with the audience.

On the other hand…. While copywriters might not be able to design a “pretty-looking email”…

They are specially trained to WRITE WORDS THAT WORK. They understand how to craft powerful subject lines that hook your reader and get them to open your email. They know how to open a loop with engaging content to get your consumers to keep reading…

And they know the psychological triggers that get people to CLICK and BUY your offer…

And when you’re a business that RELIES on having a strong, powerful, and intimate relationship with your consumers… 

These factors are absolutely essential to your Email Marketing success. 

Alright, now onto the last—and most controversial—myth on this list… 

Myth #3 – AI Is Taking Over

Look, we’ve all heard it… AI is replacing copywriters at the speed of light—and especially in the Email Marketing world. 

Because I mean, who needs to shell out a bunch of money for an experienced copywriter when they could just spend a quarter of the money on some fancy automation software that “does just as good”?

Right? NO!!! 

Listen, I know AI software and done-for-you templates are becoming more and more prevalent in the email marketing space – there’s no doubt about that. 

But with that said, there’s a whole lot more to the story than what the internet would have you believe…

I’ve said it before, and I say it again and again until the day I die…

A.I. is a tool, not a takeover. 

And as a TOOL—there are certain things A.I. CAN help us to optimize, streamline and improve…

Things like: research, ideation, email automation, personalization, and segmentation. You know, the left-brain, back-end, logistical stuff. The truth is that A.I. can actually make an Email Marketers job A LOT easier. 

But when it comes to replacing the CREATIVITY & EMPATHY that a human copywriter brings to the table…?

It’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

And while it’s true that there ARE going to be some brands and businesses that will choose to get by with A.I… Their emails will be mediocre, at best.

I mean it’s just like anything else that’s being “replaced” by technology…

If you want mediocre results, then sure – go with a plug-and-play tool. If you want exceptional results, hire an expert. 

Mediocre accountants are being replaced by do-it-yourself software like Freshbooks, Honeybook & Quickbooks… but that doesn’t mean we don’t pay a LEGIT PROFESSIONAL when it comes time to file taxes. 

Mediocre graphic designers are being replaced by tools like Canva… but that doesn’t mean we don’t pay a GREAT DESIGNER to design our websites.

And if you want to optimize your email list, increase your revenue, and cash in on more conversions… then you HIRE A COPYWRITER. 

It’s as simple as that. And it’s never going to change. 

So here’s my advice to the copywriters who are worried about A.I. takeover and the other Myths on this list… 

Don’t be mediocre. Position yourself as an expert. 

Do that, and you’ll be INVALUABLE to any brand or business that wants to optimize their Email Marketing strategies. 

THAT’S your secret weapon. 

THAT’S how you make yourself A.I. proof. 

THAT’S how you position yourself as an expert in the industry and get clients banging down the door for your talents and services. 

But now the question is… HOW?! HOW do you become a damned good copywriter and email marketer? One who understands the audience, knows the power of connection, and has mastered the art of conversion?

Well… you develop the skills, techniques, practical EXPERIENCE, and knowledge needed to make yourself an expert! 

And after months and months of listening to this community ask me question after question about email marketing… I decided it was time to do something about it. 

Now up until recently, I never really thought this was needed. Mostly because I already teach an entire module all about Email Marketing inside my 8-week Copywriting Coaching Program.

But the truth is, not everyone has the time, money, energy, or desire to invest in a two-month coaching course…

And that’s why I created a FREE email guide—to help you cut through the B.S. 

My Ultimate Email Marketing Cheatsheet will help you future-proof your biz from the throes of unpredictable algorithms and the never-ending threat of A.I. takeover by teaching how to master the art of impactful inbox messaging. 

• You’ll discover the 7 must-have emails to build and monetize your list (with real-life examples straight from the Posse’s private vault)…
• Discover the right way to build and monetize your email list, without relying on templates or standardized messaging. 
• Get the secret to sending engaging emails that won’t drive away subscribers or lose you any brand loyalty.

Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!

The post Is Email Marketing Dead? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Need to write a sales page for an upcoming launch? Looking to improve the existing copy in your funnel or website?

If so, I’m going to teach you the 10 things your sales page MUST include if you want to make sure your copy creates trust, builds authority and converts like craaaaaaazy.

Hey Posse! What’s up? It’s Alex. 

Coming to you this week with a super quick sneak peek into the full sales page training that I teach my students inside my flagship program – the Copy Posse Launch Files. And inside my 5-day Write & Ignite Challenge.

In this video, I’m sharing 10 conversion triggers that I always look for when writing – or reviewing – a sales page. 

But first, if you’re new to the crew – welcome!

Here on my blog, you’ll find tons of tutorials on copywriting, digital marketing, and freelancing – to help you out on your entrepreneurial journey.  Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, so you’ll get my next tutorial right to your inbox. 

Now – today I’m going to teach you exactly how to optimize your sales page – from the bottom to the very top. 

This tutorial is perfect for any coach or entrepreneur with a service-based or education business. Think of things like 1:1 coaching or consulting, in-depth online programs, or other services. 

Now – ya ready to dive right in?

All great Sales Pages need to start with… 

#1. Headline 

The headline may be the shortest section of a sales page, but it definitely takes the longest to write. In fact, I usually write my headlines LAST.

But, because it’s the first thing a prospect sees on the page, it’s the first conversion trigger we’ll talk about here.  

You want to be sure that your headline is strategically written to:

• Hook your prospects’ attention
• Introduce a core pain point, benefit, or USP of the offer 
• Open a loop that entices the reader to keep scrolling below the fold

YEP. That’s a big job for such a small section of text. 

Another thing you need to consider when writing your headline is…

Speaking directly to your target audience – and more importantly – to their specific level of customer awareness.

Now if you have no freakin’ clue what I mean when I say “Customer Awareness”, here is another tutorial that explains all of that for you. 

Moving on to the next conversion trigger you must include… 

#2. Indoctrination

Essentially this is what comes immediately after the headline. It’s the lead-in portion of your sales page – the build-up before you actually start selling anything.

This copy is insanely important because this is when your reader self-selects and decides whether or not you’re actually talking to THEM! And yes, like the headline, it can be very difficult and take the longest to write…

But it’s worth taking the time to do it right because when done well it can make a MASSIVE impact on your conversion rate.

Your indoctrination needs to “indoctrinate” your readers on who you are, why they should listen to you and why they should care at all. This is where you empathize, educate, and validate your reader – you can do this through storytelling, sharing stats and facts or painting a picture of what’s to come…

And of course, the most important thing is that you speak to your prospects’ immediate needs and fears, which takes us to the next conversion trigger…

#3. Problem & Solution

Of course, the whole point of your sales page is to sell something that solves a problem for your audience. So you need to get really clear on what that is.

As human beings, we’re (unfortunately) wired to avoid pain above gaining pleasure. This means that in our most natural state, we respond to problems more urgently than we do solutions. 

Because of this, the sales page needs to address your prospect’s problem – what I like to call the aggravating status quo – early on…

Your copy should evoke an emotional response – but be careful not to put salt in the wound.

You don’t want them to feel alienated, misunderstood or attacked you want your copy to make them feel safe, understood and heard.

That’s why you should effectively and accurately communicate ONE core problem in your copy before introducing your promising solution, or the “big promise” your reader is looking for. 

In this case, specificity goes a long, long way. No one is going to believe you have a solution that does EVERYTHING under the sun. Think of how your solution is the BIG easy button for what your client is looking for.

Now, a very important distinction to make is that the solution is not the product… at least not yet.

Rather, at this point in your sales page, the solution should just be the specialized method, approach, discovery or tool that can solve your prospects’ problem.

Remember – they FIRST have to believe in the solution, before they buy your product – whether it be coaching, mentorship, guidance, expert services…

Now, once a believable solution is presented, you want to pivot into…

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#4. The Offer

This is where you introduce your specific version of that solution – aka product – as the easiest, simplest, fastest, or best way to attain the big promise that you just talked about. Here is where you want to have a clear and concise USP – or Unique Selling Proposition. 

This is also where you want to include the value breakdown and all those left-brain details that make up your product: 

• What it is
• How it works
• Where to get it
• When to expect it
• How much it costs 

The most important thing to remember in this section is that the value of your offer should always be greater than the price. 

The greater the gap between value and price—the more irresistible your offer becomes.

This is why you often see campaigns that use bonuses, price juxtaposition, or discounts to increase the offer appeal and, therefore, conversion rate. 

Alright. Now you have all the left brain stuff out of the way. It’s time to address…

#5. Juicy Benefits

Or bennies, as I like to call them. This is where you stop talking about the what of your offer and start talking about the why. Or in other words… WHY your prospect would want to buy your product. I mean, what’s in for them – really?

This is where you can do deeper into all the amazing things your product or service does on top of the big promise you already shared.

It’s not enough to simply show them what they’re getting. It changes the game altogether when a prospect believes they have to have it. 

You answer this question in sales copy by presenting the specific and relatable benefits that the product can provide. 

And remember, features are NOT benefits. 

Features are something a product HAS or IS, whereas benefits illustrate desired results that solve REAL pain points. 

For example, a FEATURE would be “batteries included”. 

Whereas the corresponding BENEFIT would be “no disappointed child on christmas morning”. 

Now it can be pretty difficult to convert features into benefits – especially when you’re writing for your own product or service. It takes practice!!

If you need help squeezing some juicy bennies out of your features, I have a FREE feature-to-benefit converter that you can download at the end of this video! 

Alright, next up you want to make sure you’re including…

#6. Social Proof & Authority

A common objection in the minds of consumers is whether or not a brand is the RIGHT company or person for them. 

Trust is a huge factor that determines a customer’s decision to buy from you. 

So it’s important that a sales page communicates social proof and authority through testimonials, social media stats, press coverage, credentials, experience and any other credibility factors.

However, authority is not just something you slap into a single section on the salespage — I like to see it communicated throughout the copy as much as possible.

Alright now on to lucky #7…

#7. Scarcity

In marketing, scarcity refers to the idea of making products or services limited in some way, making people more likely to act because the offer is scarce or exclusive. 

The 4 most common types of scarcity are:

• Price: limited-time discount
• Quantity: limited amount left
• Premium: limited-time bonuses
• Offer: limited-offer/cart closing

The most effective sales copy communicates scarcity that compels the prospect to act while the offer is still available. 

And – this is insanely important – your copy also needs to clearly and effectively communicate a big reason WHY the offer is limited, without it being hypey, pushy, or misleading. 

Is it because of a special event like an anniversary? A passionate mission to touch 1000 lives by the end of the year? A global cause such as World Mental Health day? 

Having a reason why massively increases trust and believability. And, this goes without saying… but always use REAL scarcity. Never lie and say and offer is limited when it’s not.

Before we move on to the next conversion trigger, I want to make sure I clarify that NOT ALL sales pages need scarcity all the time. 

If you want your sales page to be 100% evergreen for anyone to purchase anytime, scarcity can be left off the table. Instead, use urgency and provide benefits as to why someone would want to act right away. 

Ok moving right along to #8… 

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• 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 1

#8. Risk Reversal

In other words, how does the copy make the purchase process seem easy, safe and risk-free?

People like to be told exactly what to do and what is going to happen next, so the copy needs to assure them that they will be taken care of every step of the way… 

From the moment they add the product to cart, to when it will be delivered, to how it can be returned if it doesn’t work out. 

This is where you’d want to include any:

• Security language
• Verifications
• Return or exchange policies
• Next steps & delivery details

In other words, this is where you want to debunk the fear of,“Am I going to be screwed over by this company/person?”

Now onto #9…

#9. Call-to-Action

Whether it’s a single button or a multi-tiered order section — the call-to-action, or CTA, needs to pack a serious punch. 

It must only take a second for the prospect to understand exactly where to click and how to buy the product. 

Your CTA should be clear and straight to the point. For instance:

• “Order Now”
• “Get Instant Access”
• “Enroll Now”

The most important rule of copywriting is to have one clear and concise call to action. 

It can appear multiple times though.

For example, if you have a longer sales page, then you’d probably want to include your call-to-action button 2 to 3 times throughout the copy. And always always always make a CTA the very last thing someone would see if they scroll to the very bottom of your page. 

And finally, number 10… 

#10. Overall Feel & Flow

This is less about the copy itself and more about the readability of your sales page which is an insanely important factor to consider.

Once you have the first 9 conversion and optimization triggers covered, it’s time to sit back, look at the entire picture, and ask yourself:

• Is the sales page messaging consistent and coherent throughout?
• Is the page easy to skim with clear section titles that guide me down the page?
• Was everything easy to read or did I stop to read any sentences twice? 
• Were there any glaring gaps or illogical links?

Make sure that the copy is simple and effective. 

I’ve said this a few times before and I’ll say it again — studies have shown that the average reader reads at a 7th-grade level. So there’s no need for wordiness, fancy explanations, or long lists of adjectives in a single sentence.  

I personally find that reading the entire sales page out loud helps me answer these questions. 

Now here’s one more bonus tip for ya…

Make sure you read the page on your cell phone!!!  

With far more than half of online readers consuming sales pages on mobile devices, you want to make damn sure that your copy is easy to read and navigate on small screens… 

And there you have it — an exclusive insider look at the 10 triggers I include on all my sales pages.

Now if you need help connecting the dots and taking your sales page from theoretical to tangible…

Make sure to check out my 5-day program, the Write & Ignite Challenge. 

Where you won’t just learn the parts of writing a sales page…

But I will actually help you IMPLEMENT it all so that you can write your own high-converting sales page in just 5 days! 

In this challenge, you’ll get…

• My 5-question copywriter checklist to help create a bomb-ass sales brief. 
• My Wheel of Persuasion – which includes 6 proven writing prompts to help you build trust, create believability and inspire action.
• My simple 4-point Offer Matrix to help you craft an irresistible offer. 
• My 16-step formula for putting it all together.
• Plus my H.O.T. headline formula and 3 proven hook templates to help you capture and keep your prospects attention. 

If you want help crafting the perfect sales page – from start to finish – you can learn more about my 5-Day Write & Ignite Challenge.

I hope this video has been helpful. 

Now as promised, you can grab your free copy of my feature-to-benefit converter by following that link. 

Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!

The post The 10 Must-Have Elements for a High-Converting Sales Page appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Having a million-dollar marketing funnel is nothing to scoff at. 

It’s a huge accomplishment that deserves its’ kudos. There’s a lot of automation, dedication, and ideation that goes into making something like that happen.

It’s the type of benchmark that says, “Hey, I was a serious business owner at 6-figures. But now? I turned my serious business into an EMPIRE.”

So listen, if you already have one: congrats, I commend you for the hard work. Feel free to kick back, put your feet up, and hang out.

For anyone looking to scale their funnel to that million-dollar benchmark, you’ll want to take a couple of notes.

But before I get into that, let’s talk about me real quick—just to make sure you know I’m not some random schlub pretending to know a thing or two about marketing.

My name’s Yogev Almog, I’m a marketing consultant and copywriting strategist for 6, 7, and 8-figure brands. 

I’ve written for and consulted on funnels ranging from fitness, coaching, eCommerce, business automation, CPG, financial institutions, telehealth services, done-for-you businesses, chiropractors—name an industry and I’ve likely written something or at the very least given some advice on it. 

And just to put the cherry on top, my work has been a direct contribution to a handful of million dollar funnels. 

So, now that you know a little about me and my credibility, I feel pretty comfortable saying this next part:

If your end goal is simply “The Million-Dollar Funnel,” everything I’m about to say is probably going to upset you. 

In fact, it definitely will. And you know who I’m going to upset the most today? Ad experts. 

Dearest ad expert friends of mine: I love you, truly, I do. I promise this isn’t a shot at you. 

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The thing is, entrepreneurs are especially obsessed with social media ads right now.

There’s this instant gratification that comes with an ad campaign because you can pretty easily track where a sale is coming from.

“Person sees ad. Person clicks on ad. Person spends time on site. Person buys.”

You can see how it might get addicting to watch as your phone blows up with sales confirmations but what people tend to be super quiet about is: 

1. The amount of ad budget you need to kickstart a campaign
2. All the creative you constantly need to test (Both the visual and written) 
3. Following community guidelines to make sure your account doesn’t get shut down for saying the wrong thing
4. The inevitable upward trend of ad spend due to market saturation

Talking about this often makes me think of a conversation I had with a client. 

On a call, she mentioned a competitor of hers in the coaching space who paraded around their million-dollar funnel. 

What’s important to note is this competitor went on a podcast talking about the $1.2 million they made that year but admitted to spending over a million on just ads alone…

…yea, that’s not what you want. 

Don’t get me wrong, loss leaders can be helpful in business, and turning a $200,000 profit is nothing to be ashamed of but the fact of the matter is that’s not $200,000 in profit. 

They still had to pay out employees, cover operating expenses, and ONLY THEN could they pay themselves out…  

…That’s a lot of work just to say you have a million-dollar funnel. 

Still, we see a few industry leaders truly killing it with Meta and Google Ads and all of a sudden that means everyone flocks to it as “the way” for every business to grow. 

Listen, there’s some truth to this. Ads can definitely grow your business and reach audiences you wouldn’t typically have access to. 

And sure, taking a loss on the frontend makes plenty of sense if you’re re-engaging repeat customers or people who didn’t initially buy on the backend—but how many people actually have that dialed? 

How many have figured out exactly what their ideal customer wants with organic traffic before putting money behind paid traffic? 

Ads are great, but only when they’re used the right way and only when you’re ready. 

(There’s nothing wrong with messy action, but if you’re not careful messy can become a disaster.)

And the only way you’re able to do that is if you recognize what is objective truth: ads aren’t THE answer, ads are just a tool—a piece of the bigger picture. 

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Once you see that, you’re able to use them more effectively, efficiently, and you put power back into your hands. 

Because when you rely solely on social media ads as your lead and revenue generator, you basically are at the mercy of Meta and how they want to run things. 

So how do you put that power back into your hands and build a business not dependent on ads? You take a step back and look at all the pieces that make a successful million-dollar funnel. 

There Are 3 Key Components To Any Successful Million-Dollar Funnel:

1. Attention
2. Affection
3. Retention 

I can dig deeper into each one of these in a later post but for now let’s just focus on the general idea.  

Attention is simply getting people to notice you. You’re creating awareness of something interesting or important. 

Typically this is where ads come into play but this can also be featured content, affiliate email programs, podcasts, you get the picture. 

Affection is what happens after you’ve grabbed their attention. The goal here is to connect with the audience and create a relationship that makes them want to buy from you.

This shows up as sales pages, email sequences, and even your everyday content on your social platforms but the bottom line is that you’re nurturing these people.

The last part is retention.

Now, whether or not this person has bought from you, they expressed interest in some form and you want to keep that person around. 

Why? 

Well, buyers will tell people how great your stuff is and anyone who didn’t buy might just need a little more time to think before they decide to buy from you. 

And again, even if they NEVER buy, best case they refer someone to you, worst case it doesn’t hurt to have one other person that likes you.

This piece also is largely working in your email and in the content you’re pushing out through your other channels. (Facebook, Instagram, podcast, blog, etc.) 

Okay, so remember when I said that entrepreneurs are addicted to ads? What I mean is, they’re so hyper-focused on making sure that Attention works that there’s little to no thought put into Affection or Retention—which is a problem. 

Those last 2 pieces of a successful million-dollar funnel can take time to build but are what can save you SOOOOO much time and money on cold ads and retargeting. 

Plus, if you set them up and automate the processes correctly, they account for the highest ROI in any successful business. (And I mean ANY.)

What really stops entrepreneurs from focusing on these areas is pretty simple: 

1. It’s harder to track exactly where a sale came from
2. It takes more time to see the results
3. It’s really not sexy

And I sympathize with you, really, I do. 

I want my results on demand like everyone else does. 

The thing is, that’s not how you build a million-dollar funnel. 

You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to make it work. Not only that, you need a strategy that makes sense within your business that can effectively scale as you do. (Because trust me, that million-dollar funnel is NOT a one-person operation.) 

SO am I saying don’t use ads? Absolutely not. (My ad expert friends would kill me if I did.) 

Ads are an important piece of a flourishing market strategy. 

But remember, that’s exactly what they are: a piece. 

And when you go back to edit or build your funnel, you should treat them as such—just a piece of the bigger picture.

The post Million-Dollar Funnels Aren’t Made With Ads appeared first on DigitalMarketer.