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A mini-mini course in copywritng/product development.

by GordonJ
8 replies
Celebrating my 275th post (this incarnation). Why wait to 1000 or some other number?
Mini Course for Copywriters.

Drilling down. Market: GOLF. Niche Senior Men in all season golf states. PROBLEM: arthritis and joint and back pain. This is a rough sketch avatar of your PROSPECT.

You know an age range, location, a passion, a problem. All this and more. Now a PRODUCT. Supplements, pain relief, massage, chiro, devices, copper bracelets, gels, wraps, supports. OK, let's for simplicity sake say you have a

pain relief gel. Google that. If you see a few ads, and more on the right, you now know there is a market and people are already spending money, see? But let's refine the search: pain relief for senior golfers, then add hands on the next search, then put backs where hands were, and then knees. So, you have conducted a basic search for pain relief for senior golfers.

This RESEARCH will give you a starting point of knowledge of what is out there. My product is going to be GOLFER'S HOT-ICE FOR MEN. Where would I get such a product? I'd private label it.

Put blue labels on for men, Pink labels for women (with a contribution to a cancer project). Back to google and search: pain relief gel private label. Dozens will come up, I'll price shop and see if I can get a proprietary blended gel, maybe add some pepper or cinnamon.

So, I have a PROSPECT. A person who has a problem (assumed one, but safely assumed).
I have a PRODUCT, A proprietary blended gel which I want to offer.
Now I must choose a MEDIA, or Promotional Delivery mechanism. Here is where you determine what kind of a PROMOTION you will create.

You have several choices, Direct Mail (lists available of seniors in warm states who golf), I checked with Nextmark and they have lists of golfers by state. Sweet. If I want to do a direct mail piece, I would probably include a small sample, a lift letter, ordering form, a personalized letter. This type of product can be ordered in 3 month time frames or maybe even an auto ship. I might include 2 samples and ask the guy to give it to a friend (if he doesn't have a problem, I guarantee he knows someone who does).

If I were going to create a VSL, it would be heavy on testimonies. They can send them in, I'd youtube it maybe start a Facebook group, OR, use Facebook to advertise on, get the exact eyeballs I want on my PROMOTION. I could use radio, TV or magazines and also other golf equipment sellers or book sellers or even clothing sellers to JV, and include my promotion in their fulfillment.

Lets say, I choose to use FACEBOOK. Easy enough to get the right eyeballs, but, it is going to be a high cost per eyeball, I better have a tested and proven promotion, or be willing to spend the dough to test.

OK, now YOUR main job; the PROMOTION, the sales page, your stimulus/response masterpiece.

Now here is what other guys don't teach, it is exclusive to me, and I'm not inclined to share THAT much. Now that you know where the INTERSECTION IS,

the intersection is where your prospect meets your promotion.

If using direct mail, it will meet your prospect in his home and it gets a quick yes or no on how important it is AT THE TIME of the intersection. Since our intersection is going to be at FACEBOOK, you need to quickly capture his attention.

Then he clicks on your link, and lands on the PROMOTION itself, he'll quickly scan, from left to right, zig zag down the page, look for price, see the POP OUT important ideas...PAIN RELIEF. INSTANT PAIN RELIEF. LONG LASTING PAIN RELIEF. 18 HOLES OF PAIN RELIEF.

Then he gets to the order form, link, checkout...have you used all your skills to lead him here?

The results will determine your success as a direct response copywriter.

Now, you will find these 4 elements in all sales process.
Prospect-Product-Media-Promotion. In this order. Too many so called marketers start with the product and then try to find a prospect. It is faster and easier to start with a PROSPECT first, easier to find and identify as in our senior golfer example.

START with the PROSPECT, his problem his path AND then control the intersection and the pitch which takes place there.

This mini course is one of the fastest ways to copywriting freedom.

Any Questions or comments?

GordonJ
#copywritng or product #development #minimini
  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    You left out the main step: push button, count money! Other than that, this is awesome! I will be back in 10 days or so to count the number of posts that say it won't work. (I've seen it happen with other good posts... You know, instead of just following the recipe, whine.).

    Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

    Celebrating my 275th post (this incarnation). Why wait to 1000 or some other number?
    Mini Course for Copywriters.
    .....
    This mini course is one of the fastest ways to copywriting freedom.

    Any Questions or comments?

    GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by DABK View Post

      You left out the main step: push button, count money! Other than that, this is awesome! I will be back in 10 days or so to count the number of posts that say it won't work. (I've seen it happen with other good posts... You know, instead of just following the recipe, whine.).
      Well, two things then. The golf example is an actual case study, having spent 20 years in supplements, long before the www. Using list brokers, we were able to create very specific promotions for users of our "Tiger Balm" like gel. The advantage today is, all this information is at one's fingertips.

      The four steps or formula isn't mine, it has been tested and proven over 40 years with billions of dollars sold, and, in fact...ONE product sold over a billion dollars worth.

      There isn't any theory here, so maybe, that will quiet some of those most likely to say it won't work, they can save their typing for posting some articles, lord knows we need some more content posted here.

      GordonJ
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        I guess I'm jaded. I fully expect someone to complain that you did not back up anything with screenshots of your bank account or something similar. Then, if you did show any numbers, someone'll be complaining that it's easy to fake screen shots and numbers.

        As I said, I like your post: everything needed to succeed is there, and easy to apply to pretty much anything. But it requires work, and complaining and nitpicking is easier, so... Call me The Jaded One.

        Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

        Well, two things then. The golf example is an actual case study, having spent 20 years in supplements, long before the www. Using list brokers, we were able to create very specific promotions for users of our "Tiger Balm" like gel. The advantage today is, all this information is at one's fingertips.

        The four steps or formula isn't mine, it has been tested and proven over 40 years with billions of dollars sold, and, in fact...ONE product sold over a billion dollars worth.

        There isn't any theory here, so maybe, that will quiet some of those most likely to say it won't work, they can save their typing for posting some articles, lord knows we need some more content posted here.

        GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
    Great post packed with information, better the long article nonsense posted here.

    Quick question for a similar niche that is chosen. The search only shows knee braces for Seniors that very in price. Would it be better to switch out knee braces to a Click Bank product or would you try a gel or cream and sell it to that market? After the day they we still suffer pain if they have bad knees.
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by DWolfe View Post

      Great post packed with information, better the long article nonsense posted here.

      Quick question for a similar niche that is chosen. The search only shows knee braces for Seniors that very in price. Would it be better to switch out knee braces to a Click Bank product or would you try a gel or cream and sell it to that market? After the day they we still suffer pain if they have bad knees.
      The customer wears a knee brace? Is this correct? What is the search for?

      IF we are sticking with senior golfers then it is possible they have several devices and have drawers full of creams and gels. Are you thinking a ClickBank product for pain relief?

      I'm sorry, I'm just not sure what your question is.

      IF I have a buyer, a senior man, a golfer, who bought a joint, back, or some sort of pain relief product, I would think that would be valuable for a variety of products and/or services.

      One note, the niche is defined by the problem, and the "drilling down" I wrote about is more toward getting the ideal target.

      Not sure if this is of any help, but I'd be glad to try to answer your question, perhaps you could put it a different way?

      GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
    I was using the same terms for Senior Skiers. The few different searches I tried show up for knee braces but nothing for any creams. I guess it is time to dig a little deeper in to google.
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by DWolfe View Post

      I was using the same terms for Senior Skiers. The few different searches I tried show up for knee braces but nothing for any creams. I guess it is time to dig a little deeper in to google.
      The marketers choice: product vs prospect. There is no right way, we see success from either direction. Take the great Billy Mays and Ron Popeil, two of TV's best...found PRODUCTS and sold them by the millions. This is old school, SEARS/Montgomery Wards style marketing, find products then sell them.

      In many Direct Response businesses, especially smaller one man band types, it is a shorter route and less expensive to find PROSPECTS (Markets/Niches) of people who already are BUYING. The old ways had us check the SRDS book of lists to find large "hot lists" of recent and frequent buyers, then create/acquire a product to sell to them.

      Again, and I challenge any and all who claim one way is better than the other...which one is right for YOU (the reader) depends on your knowledge, goals and what you want to do.

      I'm not a skier. And lack interest in the sport, albeit, I know and acknowledge it is a very lucrative market and equipment/clothing niches as well as DESTINATIONS all have made tons of money for those who are in it.

      So, what is it you want to do?

      The FASTEST money comes in most of the time when we introduce a product to a niche which has a history of buying in that niche. Golfers are a market, and certainly some products have universal appeal, every golfer needs balls. Clubs. Can't play the game without them.

      The so-called drilling down in a market means getting a smaller niche, a more specific part of the market and selling to their needs.

      In my OP, I gave a mini lesson on ONE way to CREATE a product, through the use of PRIVATE LABELING. There is an Internet surge among the gurus and supplements, much like the boom of the 80,s and especially after the FDA was sold to the state of Utah, (political satire). So, you see every mafia member in the online sydicates now pitching supplements (some have even managed to get themselves in trouble doing it).

      There are all kinds of private label opportunities. For not much more than the cost of the labels, any Entrepreneur can enter a wide variety of markets, so much easier now than it ever was.

      One can ACQUIRE a product. In the OP I wrote of a pain gel. I also in 1972, imported a large quantity of Tiger Balm from Taiwan (made the deal while I was there). Could have had exclusive North American rights, but I chose not to exercise them. We did test and this could have been a great product, but it wasn't as good or great as other products, and so, we abandoned the product.

      The REASON so much Pain Relief is sold today is....BABY BOOMERS, and their old bodies, but still with a can-do (more of a want to do) attitude.

      The point is, IF you know the ski markets. If you ski, participate and spend money in that market, then you already have a leg up on the research. You know what they buy. So, can you do ecomm as an affiliate? Can your source product? Can you locate overstocks and discontinued items?

      What is the cost and what are the barriers to entering the market?

      Now you can take this and do the same thing with any activity. Golf, bowling, softball players, horseshoe pitching, corn hole, tennis, biking, climbing, etc., etc.

      My best advice is to start with a niche in which you have an itch, do you participate in? Because you give yourself some edge by knowing what your group buys, then you can quickly get in.

      As for google, when doing your searches, use a wide variety of variations, but take note of the ADS, the more ads, above, below and off to the side...the more ads you see tells you it is probably an EVERGREEN market, and with these, there is always room for something new.

      Even if you can't find a superior product or new one to offer, you can always use your SUPERIOR copywriting skills and be the David among the Goliaths.

      Many a small company has sold huge amounts of things when they write a great ad and put it in front of the right people at the right time. Even the Desperado golf ball has a market. .

      So, in summary.

      Product or Prospect? Either way, you need to have a
      PROMOTION.

      And set up your INTERSECTION. And if the person you target gets to the intersection you created at the right time...then you have the best opportunity to turn your writing skills into some cold hard cash.

      Hope this helps somewhat.

      GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
    Sure did help Gordon, and I know the market being a skier. With the information from your posts, I will meet them at the Intersection like you instructed. Thank you for the Help !
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