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Obnoxious WSO titles... do they work?

by vip-ip
30 replies
I'm wondering if I'm weird or if the WSO section really is over-saturated with titles like these:

"$1,000 IN 2 DAYS - IT'S NEVER BEEN THIS EASY :: $0 INVESTMENT :: GUARANTEED RESULTS"

or

"RESIDUAL INCOME 24/7 ON TOTAL AUTOPILOT! MAKE $150 A DAY SITTIN' ON YO LAZY ASS!"

or

*** 3 autoblogs = $300 a day. See how my top secret formula does it! ***
That's not to actually quote anyone, I just wrote these off the top of my head. Don't these look a bit obnoxious? Or am I overreacting?

I see titles like these, dozen after a dozen after a dozen... and none seem as appealing as the next. Because they're all the same. Because they all seem as phony as the rest.

When I look at a title like that, I think to myself, "wow, this one is going to have me making a bunch of cash right away... just like this one. And that one. And this one. And I bet they're all between $7 and $27. Yeah, right, that's legit. NOT."

Why would that make me look at them, let alone buy them?

But then the next thing I see completely contradicts my personal expectations: I see hundreds of replies, which shows that people are highly interested, which (I guess) implies a good # of sales.

Apparently, these headlines must work, then. But, but, but ... how? We're all IM here, selling to fellow IM. How do we buy into our own tricks?

I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I just don't get it. Share your thoughts.

Best Regards,
vip-ip ...
#do they work #obnoxious #thoughts #titles #work #wso
  • Profile picture of the author Droopy Dawg
    Thread titles are written with the hope that visitors will click the link... PERIOD.

    Boring titles get no clicks... no clicks = no interest... no interest = no sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
    Look at them and see how many views they have...

    You'll have your answer.

    Unfortunately for many, hype is about the only thing that sells them.

    Have a great day!

    Gary
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    The word "obnoxious" wouldn't be my first choice as a one-word descriptor for those titles, but yes, there are lots of titles like that. As Droopy Dawg says though, they get clicks. Not from me, but check the views and you'll see how each title is doing.

    There's a lesson in studying the thread titles and views to see which draw the most interest, but don't make the mistake of thinking the title is the only factor. The subject matter and the individual Warrior also factor in.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    Don't make the mistake of categorizing all these headlines with the "obnoxious" term. What is more important is that you study which ones are getting a lot of views and replies (they don't all succeed in attracting lots of attention, trust me on this) as Droopy says, and this is what will ultimately give you your answer. This will give you a better understanding of the types of headlines that succeed in getting those clicks in here.
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    • Profile picture of the author FredJones
      If you see enough number of replies, and can guess enough bumps to have happened, there is a very decent chance that they worked. Else the seller would not bump them up (and spend money).

      On the other hand, similar-looking titles do not imply similar WSOs. The subjects and methods are unique in each WSO. If the sales letter brings out the features and benefits well enough then they are going to sell, for obvious reasons: the people looking for such methods all are looking inside the forum all the time - these are hungry buyers.
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  • Profile picture of the author vip-ip
    I think the mistake that you all are making is assuming that I meant 'obnoxious' in a negative way. Great movies and chart-topping songs are sometimes obnoxious, but they sell (allow me to Raise Your Glass so we can go Bottoms Up, anyone?).

    That being said, I generally agree with what's been said so far. Droopy Dawg hit the nail on the head, so just to tie it back to my original post: if the thread title's job is to get a click, aren't there enough repeating look-alikes (and damn near copies) of various thread titles, one after another? All-caps, with ambigously optimistic figures and stretched-out promises? The subjective matter becomes, "what is enough." Perhaps someone can quantify it for us and give us some interesting figures?

    Best Regards,
    vip-ip ...
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    • Profile picture of the author Diane S
      The rate at which WSOs are posted results in a WSO staying on page one for a very short time. Few people go to page 2. People write as catchy a title as they can because they know their time on page one is short. The post views can reveal how good of a title the WSO has, but is not an accurate gauge for judging the quality of the WSO.
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    • Profile picture of the author Justin Jordan
      I've changed the title for my Warrior for Hire thread several times, and tracked the results. While it's difficult to tease out the confounding factors, the obnoxious ones got more clicks and more work than the plain versions.

      That said, the one I've been using lately has been the most effective, and I wouldn't lump it in with the obnoxious ones.

      I've found the same thing with articles; "Five Ways To Improve Your Blood Sugar" doesn't get anywhere near the clicks as "Five Ways To Keep All Your Toes"

      Embrace your inner Bill Mays.

      And, you know, test.
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    • Profile picture of the author Fraggler
      Originally Posted by vip-ip View Post

      I think the mistake that you all are making is assuming that I meant 'obnoxious' in a negative way.
      Obnoxious to you, but the possible answer to a problem for others. (Adjust your headline to the market you are chasing).

      Find the successful WSOs and see what headlines they are using. Don't just look at the ones with a lot of views, look for the ones that get bumped time and time again.

      (I'd like to know how obnoxious can be used in anything but a negative way).
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      • Profile picture of the author paulie888
        Originally Posted by Fraggler View Post

        Obnoxious to you, but the possible answer to a problem for others. (Adjust your headline to the market you are chasing).

        Find the successful WSOs and see what headlines they are using. Don't just look at the ones with a lot of views, look for the ones that get bumped time and time again.

        (I'd like to know how obnoxious can be used in anything but a negative way).
        I'd like to add that you should also observe the sales copy of the WSOs that have catchy headlines. The WSOs that do the best in terms of views and sales typically have a great combination of both.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rex.T
    As obnoxious or insulting as some are, they do work. Sadly, hype sells.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Nobody knows.

      The only way to know would be to split-test the same WSO with two different titles and compare the sales, and it's unlikely indeed that anyone would do that (and there'd be other, additional problems involved in doing so, anyway).

      My own strong hunch, from my impression of "general copywriting principles", Clickbank sales copy, and some bits of other experience, is that people actually lose sales, overall, by using these "obnoxious titles".

      But there are lots of things from which people lose sales, overall, which they carry on doing, imagining that "they must work, otherwise everyone wouldn't be doing them".

      With absolutely no disrespect to Allen (and I'm not saying that to be polite: I have plenty of respect for our host), it often surprises me a little to see so many WSO's with such clearly non-FTC-compliant headlines listed here, and I never know whether to "report" them or not. I almost never do, actually, on the grounds that they've been "approved" before being posted anyway ...

      Originally Posted by Rex.T View Post

      Sadly, hype sells.
      People say so.

      But in every split-test I've seen done by my clients of their Clickbank sales pages, the "non-hypier" version of whatever was being split-tested has always converted better. Food for thought.
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      • Profile picture of the author Rex.T
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post


        But in every split-test I've seen done by my clients of their Clickbank sales pages, the "non-hypier" version of whatever was being split-tested has always converted better. Food for thought.

        You are right as well. I'm speaking in the context of WSOs.

        Do I buy into those hype? Heck no.

        Do I for a minute believe those titles? Over my dead body.

        Good thing is, their target market are for those that are looking for that 'magic bullet' to make money, the one that's automated, hands free, and make lots of money. Would you find people fitting that profile? You bet! I was once like that many ages ago when I first got started.
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        • Profile picture of the author paulie888
          Originally Posted by Rex.T View Post

          You are right as well. I'm speaking in the context of WSOs.

          Do I buy into those hype? Heck no.

          Do I for a minute believe those titles? Over my dead body.

          Good thing is, their target market are for those that are looking for that 'magic bullet' to make money, the one that's automated, hands free, and make lots of money. Would you find people fitting that profile? You bet! I was once like that many ages ago when I first got started.
          You definitely make a good point there. Before we start considering what headlines work and what don't, you have to consider your target market first. This is one of the cardinal rules in copywriting, and that is to put yourself in the shoes of your prospect. Once you understand how they think and feel, you'll be able to synthesize something powerful that connects with them emotionally and pushes all the right buttons, so this is probably the most important factor when concocting headlines and sales copy.
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      • Profile picture of the author DannyDarwin
        "Sadly, hype sells."

        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Nobody knows.
        People say so.

        But in every split-test I've seen done by my clients of their Clickbank sales pages, the "non-hypier" version of whatever was being split-tested has always converted better. Food for thought.
        Copywriters who are good at writing hype-copy that converts say so. Copywriters who are better at getting sales with a different writing style tend to disagree.

        Follow the money.

        This is my theory: A lot of WSO buyers are newbies and silent followers that are struggling in IM. They never post on the forum and absolutely never on a WSO-thread, not even after actually buying the product.

        So, what we have is a nice, helpful group of people who support each other, consciously and subconsciously, to cross promote products by giving reviews and positive feedback.

        I especially like the kind of positive reviews of some business system which takes 90 days to implement, and the first review is posted within the first hour saying "This WSO is a must for anyone who is serious about making money online, I just downloaded it and the videos are amazing."

        Yeah, nice videos, what about that making-money-part? And some months later, people ask "Anyone made some real money with this system?"... silence. Next WSO!

        Newbies and the silent spenders will always be there.
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  • Profile picture of the author LetsGoViral
    They do work alright. Otherwise nobody would use them. People will always be looking for the "magic button"!
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Someone posted /made remark a few weeks ago on how effective it was to use numbers in titles.

    Since then it seems overnight every sheeple has started to add numbers to the ads, some you need to play spot the word.

    I have seen at 17 examples in 12 days that covered 9 topics, and this is a 50% increase in total topics submitted with over 125 new warriors signing up to at least 1 or more new wso's per day.
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    • Profile picture of the author vip-ip
      Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

      Someone posted /made remark a few weeks ago on how effective it was to use numbers in titles.

      Since then it seems overnight every sheeple has started to add numbers to the ads, some you need to play spot the word.

      I have seen at 17 examples in 12 days that covered 9 topics, and this is a 50% increase in total topics submitted with over 125 new warriors signing up to at least 1 or more new wso's per day.
      I'd be curious to see the original thread of that remark!

      Best Regards,
      vip-ip ...
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by vip-ip View Post

        I'd be curious to see the original thread of that remark!
        Best Regards,
        vip-ip ...
        dig it, it will be there somewhere not sure what section i read it in ? / sorry can't help past that. but it would be in the last 2 weeks or so.
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  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    They do it because it works.

    95% of people want quick solutions to all their problems and they don't want to put any effort into it. The other 5% know the truth and that's why only a small percentage of online marketers are actually making any real money. It's sad because no matter how many times the 95% is told, hard work equals success, they don't want to hear it and would rather buy WSOs with obnoxious titles.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Those type of titles are usually aimed at gullible newbies and probably actually break advertising laws in many countries - they stink of desperation and I avoid them like the plague.
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    nothing to see here.

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  • Profile picture of the author J.M.Wilson
    The titles themselves work as all you have to do is look at the view counts next to the posts in the WSO section.

    From experience and watching many buyers over the years (myself included) a good title makes your mind up for you and many times you will decide to buy just from reading the title if it hits all your hot spots!
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by LetsGoViral View Post

      They do work alright. Otherwise nobody would use them...
      That's a perfectly logical conclusion to reach, but it isn't always true. There is a lot of "copycatting" that goes on, and many of the copycats don't really know what they are doing. They could as easily be lemmings following the tail ahead of them over the cliff as they could be following a good example.
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  • Profile picture of the author macchiavelli
    Purchase the one wso you are interested in.
    Try the method and if you dont like it, ask your money back.

    No biggie

    Instead of people focusing on what headlines annoy them, focus on what makes you the most money!

    Looking at headlines that do nothing but annoy you wont bring you the residual income you so badly desire.

    At least thats how I looked at it.

    I find that the WSO section provides way better content then any guru could ever release.
    The best IM product I ever purchased was a WSO
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  • Profile picture of the author DylanJames
    Sell what people want and are asking for. People are often sold the pipe dream/quick fix deal even though common sense tells them that there is no quick fix.

    Building a business is hard work. Much harder than working a regular job. These titles are simply giving people what they want without regard to whether or not it will be good for them.
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  • Profile picture of the author romolo
    yes they work, believe me, especially because allot of people are new to all this, and when you use power words which promise allot of money with little effort, "make money in 1 hour" or "3000 in your first month", yes it those work.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanlucht
    What I don't understand is how two WSOs with almost identical titles detail two totally different methods...

    ...and how two differently marketed WSOs contain a lot of the same material, tactics, methods, advice, etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author vip-ip
      Originally Posted by ryanlucht View Post

      What I don't understand is how two WSOs with almost identical titles detail two totally different methods...
      ...and how one outsells the other by a landslide, right?

      Originally Posted by ryanlucht View Post

      ...and how two differently marketed WSOs contain a lot of the same material, tactics, methods, advice, etc.
      This one's pretty simple: different people write their sales letters differently. For example, I'm selling my book about telemarketing as a guide that will teach you how to make extra cash in the offline world by just dialing some numbers and asking people a few questions. I could have been selling it to a narrower (or a wider) audience by expanding it to online AND offline marketers. Who knows - maybe the latter would have outsold my method. Only way to find out is to split test it :rolleyes:

      Best Regards,
      vip-ip ...
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  • Profile picture of the author vip-ip
    I think if I had to focus on one thing that I can take away from this thread - just ONE thing - it would be this: your reputation is at stake with each WSO you post.

    Shady WSO titles may or may not work, but that that many automatically dismiss them is undeniable. A well-balanced WSO title with a solid copy and an amazing product will keep buyers coming back for more for sure, because people buy from people they like over people they, for instance, have never dealt with before.

    That's why names like Ryan Deiss and Joe Sugarman bounce off my tongue with no hesitation.

    Best Regards,
    vip-ip ...
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