The Most Powerful Copywriting / Selling Concept In The Universe!

[Raydal]

Well that’s one title for a post but I believe this to be
true and I’ll tell you WHY even if you don’t agree with me.

Copywriting Tips And Tricks The Most Powerful Copywriting Concept In The Universe

[AlanCarr]

Great insight, thanks Ray


B.

[Loren Woirhaye]

I love this kind of stuff - Clayton Makepeace gets a LOT
of mileage out of us vs. them positioning - it doesn't hurt
that he writes for vitamin-peddling "health advocate" MDs
and investment-advisory companies, and he didn't invent
this type of positioning at all - he's just good at exploiting
it and he works in the markets where it is not hard to set-up.

Folks can check out his stuff Makepeacetotalpackage.com -
while i don't vibe with his political opinion pieces his copy
writing material is awesome.

[Cherilyn Woodhouse]

Yes, Guru bashing is where this gets dangerous. Like you said in your original post, you absolutely must differentiate yourself from your competition if you want to see any kind of success, especially if you're charging a premium price for your knowledge. But in the IM market especially, a lot of people are really seeing the concept you talk about getting over-used.

One letter does well with the "gurus are screwing you over I'm better" add random curse word theme, and we end up with 15,000 "me too" copies. Now that positioning no longer differentiates you from the crowd, it just becomes background noise that prospects have to see through to find out what the real benefits are.

Now, that ISN'T to say that this concept can't still be used successfully in the IM niche. But think about differentiating yourself. Perhaps instead of the "gurus", the one common enemy that almost every IM salesletter under the sun is fighting against right now, why not fight against the guru bashers? "The people who write letters about how the gurus are tricking you... They're the real hucksters!" etc. etc. (I know, hucksters isn't a common colloquialism anymore - but I live out in the country LOL)

Find another enemy. Stand up for your prospects. Offer them a change from everything else they've seen.

Now that the gurus are doing anti-guru salesletters, that entire point just kind of gets lost in the noise...

- Cherilyn
The Canadian Copywriter

[Cherilyn Woodhouse]

Not as much when lately there have been a few six figure launches "bashing" the gurus. Especially when you reveal that they are gurus themselves. Differentiate yourself by saying you aren't going to bash the competition, and you're going to focus on something that is more important to your prospect - what YOU can do for THEM.

Then it still becomes an us vs. them (me, the honest person, vs. the bashers that are gurus themselves.)

It is just an idea, but done correctly it could work...

[Alex Cohen]

Ray,

While I agree that the "common enemy" persuasion trigger is powerful, I don't agree that it's necessarily the most powerful. "Scarcity" and "curiosity" are powerful also.

It really depends on the niche. For example, in the the lawn care market, "envy" is the most powerful.

Alex

[Kyle Tully]

Ray, you actually mentioned the most powerful copywriting concept in your post... but it's not what you think it is.

It's not about authority figures, "us vs them" or any of those specific strategies.

It's one "chunk up" from all that...

The most powerful copywriting concept is... CONCEPT!

As your post illustrates, concept is more important than copy. But there is no one particular concept which is more important than any other, each has their place depending on the market, timing, product etc.

Years ago I picked up advice from Robert Stover, which he in turn had picked up from an old copy chief, "concept over copy". Those 3 words have never left me and have made me and my clients very happy.

[hernan10]

Originally Posted by Raydal

Hey Alex,

You've nailed it. How? Because the appeal that I mentioned has all
those factors built into it.

If the authority don't want you to know then that's curiosity.
If only the authority figure knows then that's scarcity.
If only the BIG guys have it then the small guys want it too, that's envy.

-Ray Edwards

this post made my brain light up like a bulb!!
i really like all you copywriting tips...

[hernan10]

Originally Posted by Raydal

And your comment gave me my first real laugh for the day!

So thanks as well. I try to share as much as I receive on the
Warrior Forum, but I'm still in debt to this place.

-Ray Edwards

Yea.. this place is awesome... but I wasn't kidding about the whole brain glowing thing. Think I finally realized why my sales copy sucks.. its so bad that even i wouldn't buy the product.. even though i KNOW for a fact how great it really is. it missed all those 3 elements you talked about.

So yes, thank you once again.

[ultraeternity]

Thanks for the post Ray. I've learned about the product/concept theory before, but found it difficult to actually put in practice. Your example of the college kid's product has helped me get some good ideas.

BTW, Do you have any special trick to come up with unique angles or do you just brainstorm till you feel you have a good one.

[hernan10]

Originally Posted by Raydal

Now let me add some more juice to me original post ...

Now what I'm about to share with you is so powerful and secretive
I'm sure I'll get some angry PM's and emails from other top
copywriters because they'll think that I'm giving away too much
of their most closely-guarded secrets ...

But you deserve to know this.

The REAL secrets to using this strategy is to make it as subtle
as possible and here's how you do it .....


-Ray Edwards

That was really great. By the way, is this what most copywriters reffer to as the 'hook'?.. what is the hook??

[Tyrus Antas]

The only thing I know is that Raydal is the man who's keeping us down!

Tyrus

[dorothydot]

Ray,

You touched very lightly on a concept that is really quite compelling... the "It's Not Your Fault" type of thing.

Harlan, I believe, is big on this. Once people can shift "blame" to someone else - guru, higher authority, whatever - that exonerates them.

And leaves them open to the message, "Here's How To OutWit The Authority" sort of thing.

But this powerful concept, as you said Ray, needs to be used ethically.

Dot

PS - I also have learned much from this Warrior forum.

[BillOliver]

Ray,
You wrote:
The REAL secrets to using this strategy is to make it as subtle as possible and here's how you do it .....
Now, I'm sure by now that I have your attention and I just used the same strategy on you! I painted the "top copywriters" as not wanting you to know their secrets so right away you wanted to know more. There's more to what I did as well but I can't give away the whole farm.

REPLY:
Ray, you set us up you .......!
UNFAIR!
(I like it - I'll use it too :-)
Bill Oliver
Sales Writer/Marketing Coach

[Justin Mandel]

Its downright powerful stuff Ray. You're 100% right - people read that subtle copy and it starts to turn over gears in their head that they *relate* to.

As they dig deeper and they discover that you are on their side they find out they have a friend, a buddy, and both of you have a common enemy. Now you're on their side and you have successfully opened the door to their minds and hearts, and ultimately...their wallets.

[Stuart Stirling]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom Ray....great concept and great example.

I also appreciate Kyle Tully's reply where he mentions
"Concept over copy"... I think that will stick with me too.

Stuart Stirling

[WCA]

This is a great concept and I totally agree with what you have to say. Adding additional information and understanding about copy principles to this can surely help anyone to create a killer piece of sales copy that will not only convert, but convert big time and result in huge sales.

[Phalanx]

Great thread, guys!

Special thanks to you, Kyle. I don't know how, but you emphasized the "concept over copy" concept in such a way that you made me immediately grab a big sheet of paper, write CONCEPT OVER COPY on it in huge letters, and stick it on my notice board.

Now I'm going to see it dozens of times each day, and every time I'll get a chance to think about it for a few moments and let it seep deeper into my brain.

It feels like a very powerful concept. So thanks Kyle, and thank you too, Ray!

[Jon Steel]

PEOPLE WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE REASONS FOR THEIR FAILURE IS OUTSIDE OF THEMSELF!

that was the greatest concept...and VERY TRUE...trust me -

js