Internet Copywriting Myths

12 years ago

Niche man,

All I have to add here is the author of that piece is bouncing back and forth between content writing and copywriting. Some of the "myths" referred to are not myths in one discipline, but are in the other.

Too wide a net cast in my estimation.

Doc

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briancassingena

12 years ago

Yeah, once again, the confusion between copywriting vs article writing vs seo . . . those clients I don't want

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The Niche Man 12 years ago

Originally Posted by briancassingena

Yeah, once again, the confusion between copywriting vs article writing vs seo . . . those clients I don't want

So, could the fact that you can be effective when you cross the lines between copywriting, article writing and seo be a myth that needs to fall?
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- Will Roarke 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by The Niche Man
  
  So, could the fact that you can be effective when you cross the lines between copywriting, article writing and seo be a myth that needs to fall?
  
  I think it's more along the lines of - people should realize the differences between those 3 things. You can be effective at all of them, but only (usually) after you realize they are different (but look similar to most people).
  
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rdxsumo

12 years ago

He could be an amateur trying to share his 2 cents or 20 cents.

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ChloeCKimberley

12 years ago

Actually...

Michel Fortin did conduct a test on long VS short copy. With my own tests and some things I've read from his own tests, it probably turns out that short copy wins, but only in the following conditions:

-- Price points are usually lower (it's pretty obvious that you'll need a much longer 'copy conversation' to sell the prospect for a $9000 product or something)
-- Less "textual" copy, but "high-impact" substance
-- KISS, trim the bushes

According to Pareto's Principle, nearly 20% (+/-) of a copy's triggers will contribute to about 80% of the total customer base. But yeap, I know the topic's crazy and controversial and all... so maybe I'll shut the lid for now. :p

Well... These said a lot about his copywriting concepts:

The objective of a blog post might be to increase customer engagement.The objective of an online customer survey might be to discover unmet needs, new product uses, or untapped markets.

In the competition between web spiders and web users, web users win every time.

O' well.

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Elion Makkink

12 years ago

Originally Posted by ChloeCKimberley

Actually...

Michel Fortin did conduct a test on long VS short copy. With my own tests and some things I've read from his own tests, it probably turns out that short copy wins, but only in the following conditions:

-- Price points are usually lower (it's pretty obvious that you'll need a much longer 'copy conversation' to sell the prospect for a $9000 product or something)
-- Less "textual" copy, but "high-impact" substance
-- KISS, trim the bushes

According to Pareto's Principle, nearly 20% (+/-) of a copy's triggers will contribute to about 80% of the total customer base. But yeap, I know the topic's crazy and controversial and all... so maybe I'll shut the lid for now. :p

Well... These said a lot about his copywriting concepts:

O' well.

Interesting, but how does one define 'short' and 'long' copy? :-)

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clove

Banned 12 years ago

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The Niche Man

12 years ago

Originally Posted by clove

Pareto's Principle. There's a myth right there. This was originally an economic concept, but now people on the internet are spreading it around like candy. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO EVERY AREA IN LIFE.

Are you sure?

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erichammer

12 years ago

From reading what he wrote there, the first myth he should have mentioned is: Content writing is not the same as copy writing.

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The Niche Man 12 years ago

Originally Posted by erichammer

From reading what he wrote there, the first myth he should have mention is: Content writing is not the same as copy writing.

Maybe he was trying to kill two birds with one stone.
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Elion Makkink

12 years ago

I'm having doubts as well whether short vs. long copy wins.

But, when I read the old Gary Halbert letters I catch myself reading the whole thing in a few mins.. He's a true master of art. It really depends on your skills!

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Beno27

12 years ago

Agree on the whole, long vs short copy will be debated forever.

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The Niche Man

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Beno27

Agree on the whole, long vs short copy will be debated forever.

Maybe not for much longer though. Why? Because I think Video Sales Letters may eventually stop or at least dillute the debate, maybe even make it obsolete. Stay Tuned!

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Zeplix

12 years ago

Originally Posted by The Niche Man

Maybe not for much longer though. Why? Because I think Video Sales Letters may eventually stop or at least dillute the debate, maybe even make it obsolete. Stay Tuned!

Afraid not. Some information is simply is simply better explained and shown graphically, than orally. Features for instance. Or technical things. It's easier to get an overview, and go back and forth between points, in text, than in video.

Video also brings in the problem of languages. Lets take Japan for instance: a large percentage of Japanese feel comfortable reading English, and understanding roughly 80% or so of it, in normal everyday life. However, a tiny fraction of those same people will be able to understand you if you speak normal English to them.

Then there's the fact that bringing video into it, also changes so many other things. How does the person in the video look? Male? Female? Clothes? Hairstyle? Voice? Ethnicity? Way of speaking?
Not to mention that it's much more expensive creating these things for video, than for type: you need the same effort as copy, since you need to write a script, but then you also need an actor, a good microphone, and a good video camera, then you need video editing skills and software, hosting capabilities, and so forth.

Lastly, a video plays through in a linear fashion. Meaning it starts at one end, ends in the other. The content in the middle isn't visible, unless the user specifically jumps to that point. Whereas in text, adding BOLD LETTERS in the middle of the text, in a big size, with wild colors, makes that jump out, even if the reader is only reading at the top at that point.

Will video play a bigger role in the future? Yes, most certainly. Will it remove copy? Hardly, at least not in any foreseeable future.

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The Niche Man

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Zeplix

Afraid not. Some information is simply is simply better explained and shown graphically, than orally. Features for instance. Or technical things. It's easier to get an overview, and go back and forth between points, in text, than in video.

Video also brings in the problem of languages. Lets take Japan for instance: a large percentage of Japanese feel comfortable reading English, and understanding roughly 80% or so of it, in normal everyday life. However, a tiny fraction of those same people will be able to understand you if you speak normal English to them.

Then there's the fact that bringing video into it, also changes so many other things. How does the person in the video look? Male? Female? Clothes? Hairstyle? Voice? Ethnicity? Way of speaking?
Not to mention that it's much more expensive creating these things for video, than for type: you need the same effort as copy, since you need to write a script, but then you also need an actor, a good microphone, and a good video camera, then you need video editing skills and software, hosting capabilities, and so forth.

Lastly, a video plays through in a linear fashion. Meaning it starts at one end, ends in the other. The content in the middle isn't visible, unless the user specifically jumps to that point. Whereas in text, adding BOLD LETTERS in the middle of the text, in a big size, with wild colors, makes that jump out, even if the reader is only reading at the top at that point.

Will video play a bigger role in the future? Yes, most certainly. Will it remove copy? Hardly, at least not in any foreseeable future.

It's interesting, a lot of the reasons you just gave for video is some of the same reasons Newspaper publishers (in the 1950's) gave - on why people will never get their news and information from television.

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Zeplix

12 years ago

Originally Posted by The Niche Man

It's interesting, a lot of the reasons you just gave for video is some of the same reasons Newspaper publishers (in the 1950's) gave - on why people will never get their news and information from television.

So... that just proves my point? As I said, there's no doubt video will play a bigger role, but it won't make it obsolete.
And before you go "But newspapers are becoming obsolete!", I just want to add: Yes, but not because of television, but because of the internet - which is also generally a written medium for news. What's killing newspapers, are online news websites that function as both TV and newspapers, as well as blogs. Video and TV didn't make newspapers obsolete.

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Paul Hancox

12 years ago

"Long" versus "short" is a stupid debate anyway, because if I've PRE-SOLD you effectively enough, then I could say, "Oh by the way... I have just product you need", give you a link to a page containing just the "Buy Now" button and a bit of copy... and you might well buy.

I'm not suggesting that's the most effective way of doing it, but it shows that sales copy is ONE factor that determines a sale.

An important one, sure... but you can get away with "short" if you're a big enough authority in your niche and you're good at preselling.

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JstewartPiBR

12 years ago

Long vs Short..the debate will never arise if your content tells whatever you want to depict to your clients. There are many writers who use less words or sentences to depict an idea, whereas others continue writing long sentences and paragraphs to discuss on the same topic. Actually, it is the "SKILL" what makes all the difference.

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Zeplix 12 years ago

Quite an interesting read here
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Wants

12 years ago

I do consider "Myth #2: The Goal of all Copy is to Sell" is the only real Myth here.

If you do it for the money, this shines through.

If you do it for 'it need's to be said' copy will be more problem-oriented.

You want the hole in the wall. As long as the seller seems solid, you don't care about him.

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TamilYoung

12 years ago

Dude, just had a look at your Top 5 copy-writing myths and that's a good read. Particularly your 4th one, "Myth #4: Write For Search Engines First, Then People" is worth getting a lot of attention here!

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new2d Banned 12 years ago

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- The Niche Man 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by new2d
  
  long sales letter is dying fast. they look so spammy and scammy to anyone under the age of 50.
  
  I'm not sure the long sales letter is dying that fast. I just think the long sales letter has to be more targeted now than ever.
  
  Now it has to do a better job at hitting that magic sweet spot as far as benefits, urgency and solutions to prospects problem. I think the target is getting smaller for markekters to hit.
  
  Now you have to have better aim than ever before. Sales letters who can no longer hit that shrinking target will fade away like the buggy whip and cassette recorder.
  
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Viramara

12 years ago

I think short vs long sales copy will depend on product price. You don't need a 3000+ words sales letter if you just sell a $5 product

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Lewis Doe

12 years ago

Don't really follow that, it seems to be getting content writing and copywriting mixed up.

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