Me product, you copy

[lionpuncher]

Hello everyone.

Remember when you were new to internet marketing? You spent hours researching different things like Google Adsense, web design, affiliate marketing, generating traffic, copy writing...

How many hours did you spend? A million?

As a relative newb to the IM scene myself, I''m going through this right now. Recently, I decided that creating products would be the best use of my time. But now that I started doing that, I've got to worry about PROMOTING them!

*groan*

To me, this means copywriting which I find to be the most tedious part of IM.

My strength, however, is that I can come up with content faster than an underpaid Indian blogger.

So here's my proposition:

I come up with the content, you write the copy. Bada boom bada bing, deal is made, everyone is happy.

PM me!

[Scott Murdaugh]

Not knocking you, but there's a few problems with your strategy...

1. I don't know how well you write, but the quality of the product is just as important as the copy and marketing. This is why I don't outsource product creation (although I would for certain niches.)

2. Good copywriters are generally booked solid. They get paid upfront, they have a waiting list of clients who are eager to pay their fees upfront. Why? Because they make money. Copywriters who aren't booked solid are the ones who MIGHT try something like this, and they aren't booked solid because of a lack of results or the ability to market themselves. (And if they can't market themselves, how are they going to market your product?)

3. The copy and the marketing are a lot more work than the product. That's where the magic happens. Getting a sales letter that converts and figuring out how to drive traffic is the key to this business.

4. If you want to get paid to create products while you learn, try ghostwriting. In fact feel free to PM me with some samples of your work. I'm not going to work for free but if you can create a high quality product I may be interested in hiring you.

Good luck,

-Scott

[lionpuncher]

Scott, thank you for the thoughtful reply.

"1. I don't know how well you write, but the quality of the product is just as important as the copy and marketing. This is why I don't outsource product creation (although I would for certain niches.)"

I agree, but I've often heard that product creation can be outsourced for relatively cheap.

"2. Good copywriters are generally booked solid. They get paid upfront, they have a waiting list of clients who are eager to pay their fees upfront. Why? Because they make money. Copywriters who aren't booked solid are the ones who MIGHT try something like this, and they aren't booked solid because of a lack of results or the ability to market themselves. (And if they can't market themselves, how are they going to market your product?)"

This makes sense. However, I would argue that everybody has different talents. Besides, trying to market marketing is more difficult than marketing something else. Especially marketing copy writing on the web. What are you supposed to do, write a sales letter with good copy on it? That's what 99% of your competition will do. Personally, I think I could write some decent copy but the formatting and graphic design frighten me. If I learned those two things, then boom, I'm a copywriter!

"3. The copy and the marketing are a lot more work than the product. That's where the magic happens. Getting a sales letter that converts and figuring out how to drive traffic is the key to this business."

I didn't know this, but you're right. Of the two, copy writing is more useful than product creation. I should have known that. I think I did know that, but maybe someone is just such an awesome copy writer and they happened to be in the mood to promote my product? I guess it was a long shot...

"4. If you want to get paid to create products while you learn, try ghostwriting. In fact feel free to PM me with some samples of your work. I'm not going to work for free but if you can create a high quality product I may be interested in hiring you."

Hey, I'll take it!

[travlinguy]

I agree with Scott and would like to expand on one point. There are four essentials to success selling digital stuff.

1. The creation of the product
2. Writing the sales letter and associated copywriting
3. Web design and all that goes with maintaining a Website
4. Driving targeted traffic to the offer

Normally I say there are three essentials because I lump product creation and copywriting together. I know there are distinct differences but I'm decent at both. I'm primarily a content writer who uses stories whenever possible to teach. A good writer can use stories to teach and sell.

I discovered very much by accident that I could do both fairly well. That was back in 2002 when I was too dumb to know that copywriting was a specialty so I wrote my own copy for a book on self-publishing physical books that I'd written and it converted at 4%. I followed that with a book on self-hypnosis to stop smoking and that one converted at close to 8%. So the long and short of it is, I’ve got the writing covered. And there are plenty of decent writers on WF who are good at both as well.

To me the most critical part of the entire game is traffic. I suck at driving traffic. I can get an ebook, a course, videos, audios, whatever, on driving traffic and I still suck at it. That’s because I absolutely hate all the little details required to make it work. I love to write because I can just be me. But to drive traffic I have to turn into this left-brain creature responsible for literally hundreds of small but critical details. And that just ain’t me. So, I suck at driving traffic.

A few weeks ago I wrote a product review for I guy I found on CraigsList. We talked on the phone and I found out he was working from home and making six figures promoting about 30 of his own Websites. He’s not a guru and it’s no one people here would recognize. He’s an okay writer but he knows when he absolutely has to outsource. He humbly told me that he was pretty good at driving traffic. I asked what he meant by pretty good and that’s when he told me about his earnings.

Then he asked if I might write an ebook for him. I said sure. He asked for some samples and I sent them. He called back an hour later all excited. He was impressed with the material and suggested we partner up on a project. That’s been the missing piece to the puzzle for me, a traffic guy. Now I’m part of a partnership that’s comprised of two competent people, a writer and someone who can drive traffic. As for the Web design and maintenance, he was some sort of corporate computer geek before he broke free to go on his own, so that’s covered too.

I think you’re on the right track. I also think that before you go looking for a partner that you actually create an info product in a not-too-crowded niche. Then you have something to bring to the table. Once you do, try putting your proposal on the JV board as well as the main board. If you’re any good you’ll get some action. And who knows, you may find out you’re a decent copywriter in the process too. Good Luck!

[sanjid112]

good news for you travlinguy. You got good partner I think.
The best combination between a copywriter and a traffic guy.

Yes, I must admit, everyone has his own specialty. Me, myself, I'm not write well, but yes, my strength is in negotiating, and promoting. So, what I sell to others would be that skills, not my writing skill.

So, like Scott said, you need to provide some samples as a proof about your quality. Good luck for all of you guys.

[lionpuncher]

Wow, thanks for the great reply.

I liked your story, it gives me hope. Let me ask you something. Sometimes when I think about all the stuff that goes into making money online, I get overwhelmed. I keep bouncing around from thing to thing, trying to learn how to do every possible way of making money online that I can't decide on anything. I've been doing this for months and its finally lead me to copy writing. But the end seems to be in sight: Getting traffic!

[travlinguy]

lion...
I've seen so many people in life who were stuck on the idea that they have to do everything. I once believed that too. It's often a hard habit to break. But unless you're good at every aspect of a plan, you're going to suffer one way or another.

I've only met one guy in IM who can do it all. He's a great Web designer. He's both a great writer of excellent info products and sales copy. And he's a brilliant at driving traffic. Starting with only determination he's managed to dominate several good sized niches with consistent page one Google rankings. He's truly a genius. People like that are rare though.

I'd say pick something you enjoy doing and work at becoming good at it. Then once you're good, work at becoming great at it. If you bring value to the table it's just a matter of time before you'll be in demand and get the rewards.

[sanjid112]

Hey lion, have you check this thread:

http://www.warriorforum.com/warriors...-new-post.html

Maybe you can get that work?

[Paul McQuillan]

I will not do anything but write copy, that's consuming enough

I even have others update my blog... I would likely blow up
the Internet or something