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Copy Doodles

by Dan Williams
40 replies
Worth the $300 ? Do you use it ?
#copy #doodles
  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
    Spend $41 on a graphics tablet like this:

    Amazon.com: Genius G-Pen 560, USB 4.5 x 6 tablet...Amazon.com: Genius G-Pen 560, USB 4.5 x 6 tablet...

    ...and draw your own copy doodles. It's easy to draw your very own custom asterisks, arrows, boxes, underlines, overlines, etc. Who needs stock doodles (and trying to make them fit into your copy) when you can draw your own in seconds.

    I've just saved you $259.00.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jack Bastide
      Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

      Spend $41 on a graphics tablet like this:

      Amazon.com: Genius G-Pen 560, USB 4.5 x 6 tablet with cordless pen.: Electronics


      ...and draw your own copy doodles. It's easy to draw your very own custom asterisks, arrows, boxes, underlines, overlines, etc. Who needs stock doodles (and trying to make them fit into your copy) when you can draw your own in seconds.

      I've just saved you $259.00.
      Will this work if you handwritng sucks like
      mine does?

      (does it aid you in drawing?)

      Jack
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      I go even cheaper than that. I bought a $5 set of kids' markers. When I want a doodle, I draw it on a piece of white scrap paper and scan it. Once I've saved it, there is no cost...
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        I go even cheaper than that. I bought a $5 set of kids' markers. When I want a doodle, I draw it on a piece of white scrap paper and scan it. Once I've saved it, there is no cost...
        Me too, but you had to buy a scanner at one time and I'd guess your scanner cost you more than $41.00. (Mine did.)
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        I go even cheaper than that. I bought a $5 set of kids' markers. When I want a doodle, I draw it on a piece of white scrap paper and scan it. Once I've saved it, there is no cost...
        I normally don't quote myself, but this was far enough up in the thread I wanted a reference for this post.

        I do indeed make my own doodles, but this was in no way meant as a slam against the CopyDoodles product. In fact, I was just about ready to buy it when it first came out. I looked at what was in the pack and decided to pass because it was unlikely I would ever make full use of everything.

        So I started making my own. Squiggles, arrows, quick sketches, handwritten notes, a hand printed sig that matched the doodles, etc. In the volume that I still use them (low), it's still more cost effective to spend 3-5 minutes getting exactly what I want vs. scanning through a large collection looking for what I want.

        A set of kids' markers (almost free, if you buy during back-to-school sales) and white copy paper (also almost free, if you watch the loss leaders), and I'm good for a couple of years' worth of doodles.
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        • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
          John,

          Sounds like you made a wise decision based on your business needs. Props to you.

          The fact that you "reuse" the doodles you've previously created is a time-saver for your future projects. Time is truly the only limited resource for all of us.

          Take care,

          Mike
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          • Profile picture of the author Jason Moffatt
            I saw Glazer talking on stage today about CopyDoodles and he seemed pretty pumped about it. Admittedly, I was kind of excited to check out the doodles myself. Until I saw the price tag.

            Then I got excited about the price tag as I thought... "Is there an affiliate program?"

            On issue such as this, I usually trust Mr. Subtle's advice. He always steers people in the right direction on this kind of stuff.

            And heck, the tablet looks fun. I'm guessing I can make doodles way more funnier too.
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            • Profile picture of the author Matt James
              One of my tests that I've done to date involved using a graphic callout... the callout (which happened to be a CopyDoodle) boosted response rate of my opt-in page by 296%. The article is on my blog.
              Hey Mike,

              You might want to check out your blog. I went to take a look at the callout but the images appear to be missing.
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            • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
              Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt View Post

              I saw Glazer talking on stage today about CopyDoodles and he seemed pretty pumped about it. Admittedly, I was kind of excited to check out the doodles myself. Until I saw the price tag.

              Then I got excited about the price tag as I thought... "Is there an affiliate program?"

              On issue such as this, I usually trust Mr. Subtle's advice. He always steers people in the right direction on this kind of stuff.

              And heck, the tablet looks fun. I'm guessing I can make doodles way more funnier too.
              It's 5,000+ doodles in different colors. Like I said in previous posts, it saves me a lot of time to just grab one rather than wait for Fireworks to load and create one myself.

              Yes, there is an affiliate program. See the bottom of the CopyDoodles site for links for that information. My affiliate link for it is onlinedoodles.com if anyone would like to use it.
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              • Profile picture of the author Jason Moffatt
                Originally Posted by MikeHumphreys View Post

                It's 5,000+ doodles in different colors. Like I said in previous posts, it saves me a lot of time to just grab one rather than wait for Fireworks to load and create one myself.

                Yes, there is an affiliate program. See the bottom of the CopyDoodles site for links for that information. My affiliate link for it is onlinedoodles.com if anyone would like to use it.
                I totally see where you are coming from Mike. I'm sure it's more than paid for itself in your scenario. However, I doubt he has little yellow penis drawings taking a leak on your neighbors lawn, or big red breasts or silly stuff like that. I'd like to get really creative with my doodles.

                Anyhow, thanks for the heads up on the affiliate program. I may try and run a little PPC to that bad boy on the blog.
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
      Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

      Spend $41 on a graphics tablet like this:

      Amazon.com: Genius G-Pen 560, USB 4.5 x 6 tablet with cordless pen.: Electronics


      ...and draw your own copy doodles. It's easy to draw your very own custom asterisks, arrows, boxes, underlines, overlines, etc. Who needs stock doodles (and trying to make them fit into your copy) when you can draw your own in seconds.

      I've just saved you $259.00.
      Great tool, especially for an expert graphic designer like yourself. You could probably knock something out in PhotoShop in about a minute because you know it like the back of your hand.

      Unfortunately, not everyone is so skillled at graphic design.

      The reason why I started using CopyDoodles, even before I was hired to write copy for the product (that's my full disclosure here) was the amount of time it saves me. It's the same reason why I don't create my own order buttons, bullet marks, headers, etc.

      It's massively faster for me to use graphics that I bought from someone else than to try to create it myself. And when you look at what my work time, especially as a copywriter, is worth... well, the long-term savings for me is significant. It's the same reason why I pay a graphic designer to create mini-site graphics for me instead of me trying to futz around with it myself.

      My 2 cents,

      Mike

      P.S. Like Jack mentioned, my personal handwriting is extremely hard to read... so unless I printed, the only person who'd be able to read it would be me.

      P.P.S. The copy that is on the CopyDoodles site is no longer 100% my work. What I wrote can be found on my copywriting website and ran unchanged for 2 years.

      Mike's blogging installer fancies himself to be a copywriter and frankensteined my work and that guy hasn't changed it back like he was supposed to. Just wanted to clarify that before I get another email or PM about how the copy doesn't flow well in spots when it used to.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
        Originally Posted by MikeHumphreys View Post

        Great tool, especially for an expert graphic designer like yourself. You could probably knock something out in PhotoShop in about a minute because you know it like the back of your hand.

        Unfortunately, not everyone is so skillled at graphic design.
        It doesn't take any graphic design skills to do this...

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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

          Me too, but you had to buy a scanner at one time and I'd guess your scanner cost you more than $41.00. (Mine did.)
          My original scanner did indeed cost more than $41, but a client paid for it. The one I use now is part of an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier/fax, so I don't really assign a value to the scanner alone. It's just a bonus.

          That said, I'm looking at a tablet like the one you linked to for easier annotation of Camtasia videos. Thanks for the link...
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        • Profile picture of the author Kevin-VirtualProfitCenter
          Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

          It doesn't take any graphic design skills to do this...
          That looks awesome Mr. S, but I wouldn't have a clue how to create that on a web page. I can do it on paper or I can do it on an image, but I wouldn't know how to do that with text sections on a web page other than as an image.

          Is that how it should be done, or is there a way to do it with a transparent gif or something that would work to highlight things on a web page?
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          • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
            Originally Posted by Kevin-VirtualProfitCenter View Post

            That looks awesome Mr. S, but I wouldn't have a clue how to create that on a web page. I can do it on paper or I can do it on an image, but I wouldn't know how to do that with text sections on a web page other than as an image.

            Is that how it should be done, or is there a way to do it with a transparent gif or something that would work to highlight things on a web page?
            I'm wondering the same thing. I bought the Bamboo tablet and really like
            it. The mouse that comes with it works nicely.

            While technically you can layer transparent DHTML over the top with
            transparent .png or .gif images in it, the problem is controlling the
            actual layout of text in browsers so it lines up with the doodles. It's
            hard to absolutely position HTML text in all browsers. You can absolutely
            position blocks of text with CSS and position graphics in relation to them,
            but it strikes me as a lot of work.

            The other way, the "easy" way, is to make most of the salespage composed
            of images. The problem is, of course, that people on mobile devices,
            slow connections, and those with vision impairments may have a
            hard time reading your letter since it's not rendered in standard HTML.
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          • Profile picture of the author Nathan Alexander
            Originally Posted by Kevin-VirtualProfitCenter View Post

            That looks awesome Mr. S, but I wouldn't have a clue how to create that on a web page. I can do it on paper or I can do it on an image, but I wouldn't know how to do that with text sections on a web page other than as an image.

            Is that how it should be done, or is there a way to do it with a transparent gif or something that would work to highlight things on a web page?
            Ahh... now that's where I'm having problems as well. However I'm not "web-design" inclined, so I just chalked it up to the million things I don't know that everyone else does.

            Do it in Word? Sure. In Frontpage? No clue.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ben916
        Originally Posted by MikeHumphreys View Post

        It's massively faster for me to use graphics that I bought from someone else than to try to create it myself. And when you look at what my work time, especially as a copywriter, is worth... well, the long-term savings for me is significant. It's the same reason why I pay a graphic designer to create mini-site graphics for me instead of me trying to futz around with it myself.
        Your allusion to the fact that you are worth a lot of money as a copywriter, is... well, just an illusion. If that were true, then you should be willing to pay some graphic designer to do custom doodles for your expensive projects.

        Using stock work is for sites that aren't worth anything. So why are you, self-proclaimed guru, working on sites where the traffic doesn't warrant custom designs?

        The fact is, the doodles in CopyDoodles are ... junky and sparse. The internet marketing community needs less products like these.

        My 2 cents.

        -Ben

        P.S. Thank you to the others who have posted useful alternatives.
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        • Profile picture of the author MikeHumphreys
          Originally Posted by Ben916 View Post

          Your allusion to the fact that you are worth a lot of money as a copywriter, is... well, just an illusion. If that were true, then you should be willing to pay some graphic designer to do custom doodles for your expensive projects.

          Using stock work is for sites that aren't worth anything. So why are you, self-proclaimed guru, working on sites where the traffic doesn't warrant custom designs?

          The fact is, the doodles in CopyDoodles are ... junky and sparse. The internet marketing community needs less products like these.

          My 2 cents.

          -Ben

          P.S. Thank you to the others who have posted useful alternatives.
          Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? I'm not sure why you've decided to attack me but you're dead wrong on all counts.

          I have never claimed to be a guru... never will either. I will claim to be someone who has built a solid reputation -- as a copywriter and info-product marketer -- by overdelivering on value and acting professional. It's by those business tactics that I have developed a strong positive reputation.

          I charge $4000-6000 for an online sales letter and my clients gladly pay because my copy makes them money... sometimes a lot of money. To date, it's close to a million dollars worth of sales I've created for my clients.

          I don't hire the graphic designer for my clients' projects. My clients do and it's often on my recommendations. The graphic designer does the mini-site design typically.

          They aren't involved in the layout of the sales letter because I take care of that part. Until I write the sales letter and have the copy exactly the way I feel it needs to be, I don't know exactly where callouts are going to go.

          I frequently hire graphic designers for my own info-product business. I could name 5-6 different members of this forum who have done graphic work for me to date.

          In terms of CopyDoodles... here's what I can tell you from when I was writing the copy for it. It was several years ago now but the information is still accurate.

          The product was originally created by an offline marketing consultant. He used them in the marketing pieces he created for his offline clients... typically local small business owners. With those clients, he tracked the conversion rates (with and without the Doodles).

          Like Subtle said... the less elegant the handwritten note looks, the better. You want to look like you rushed to write a quick note.

          It was another marketer who suggested that he turn his collection into a paid info-product. That paid info-product became known as CopyDoodles.

          I don't know how much sales are from IMers but I suspect it's a small amount. The creator of CopyDoodles, Mike Capuzzi, is a major player (chapter president, seminar speaker, etc.) in the Glazer-Kennedy world so the product is frequently promoted to that target market (Glazer-Kennedy members).

          Mike

          P.S. One of my tests that I've done to date involved using a graphic callout... the callout (which happened to be a CopyDoodle) boosted response rate of my opt-in page by 296%. The article is on my blog.
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  • Profile picture of the author haikuangel
    haha this is really a cute tool, anyway thanks for sharing the link to all of us Ill make it a point later today to check it out and give you the skinny on my review about the copy doodles thing
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigsofty
    That tablet looks cool, have just ordered it



    B.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsarina
    There are fonts that look like doodle with all the arrows and handwritten letters. I got some here... doodle (29) - Abstract Fonts the ones on the bottom are free and make search for handwriting right there you will get a lot of nice ones. - Keeping the $300
    There is a neat script that makes doodle on sticky notes, and it's free here: http://www.copydoodles.net/
    In his latest book,Bill Glazer (Dan Kennedy's partner), is showing some impressive examples and improved conversion rates on page 130, you can see it free here :
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/25222221/O...sly-Successful
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  • Profile picture of the author lenlatimer
    Hi,
    I use Mike Capuzzi's CopyDoodles and I think they're terrific. They're high res and in black, blue and red, are optimized for both web and print, and include some very nice handwriting fonts. I know I greatly increased response with several sales letters after I added Copy Doodles.

    Yeah- you could do it yourself - but is that the best use of your time? I highly recommend them.

    By the way, my scribbles are pretty dump looking next to Mike's.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ben916
      Originally Posted by lenlatimer View Post

      Hi,
      I use Mike Capuzzi's CopyDoodles and I think they're terrific. They're high res and in black, blue and red, are optimized for both web and print, and include some very nice handwriting fonts. I know I greatly increased response with several sales letters after I added Copy Doodles.

      Yeah- you could do it yourself - but is that the best use of your time? I highly recommend them.
      So what you're saying is that by using his STOCk doodles, you know you greatly increased your response.

      But you aren't willing to create your own customized doodles?
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Question is - of what value is a post simply dissing a product you don't use? It's a good idea to know who you are talking to before rudely dismissing someone skills.
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        • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
          Hmmm... let's see... spend $50 (plus $7.50 s/h) on a Bamboo pen tablet and be able to create my own custom callouts in a minute or spend $400 for stock images? Wow, that's a tough one.

          You don't need to hire a designer for callouts. Your writing doesn't have to be perfect. The less font-like your writing is the better.

          Plus the tablet can do so many other things (and is fun to use):

          Bamboo Pen

          (Check out the VID... it's short and then click on the "inking" tab.)




          .
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsarina
    I like my unique doodles and they are saying exactly what I need and where I need and in style and color I need. But the choice is yours.
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  • Profile picture of the author kfk2003
    I've just stumbled across this resource, and thought it might be of relevance to this thread:

    70 Hand Drawing Style Resources, Brushes, Textures,Icons And Tutorials | Graphic and Web Design Blog -Resources And Tutorials
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    Andrew Gould

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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah Harvey
    I will be honest... I use a WACOM graphics tablet and it is still the best. The two best ranges for it is the 'graphire' range and the 'volito' range. You can get from the cheaper ones to the more expensive ones. It's precise and works like a dream.

    As for copy doodles...you won't find me dead paying $300 for something like that. Perhaps if I paid someone from scratch to create my own unique ones, then sure... but I will stick with doing it myself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dexx
    Reading the affiliate program TOS it states that in order to promote Copydoodles you must be an owner of the product to be accepted and be willing to promote it (or one of their promotions) to your list 4x a year.
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  • Profile picture of the author CopyDoodles
    Folks, I couldn't help but chime in here and set the record straight. While CopyDoodles may not be right for everybody, we have helped thousands of customers around the world improve the look and response of their marketing.

    Our customer list includes some of the world's top copywriters and marketers and I would be happy to provide anybody with a huge testimonial book and case study after case study of real world entrepreneurs who use CopyDoodles with much success. In their cases, buying a tablet and making their own doodles doesn't make sense (on a side note, our membership site has over 4,000 unique doodles including tools to create your own on the fly).

    While I respect everybody's opinion on this topic, I couldn't let this get too one-sided. CopyDoodles is far from "sparse and junky" and given the fact CopyDoodles have appeared on TV, in newspapers, in many printed books, countless direct mail examples, etc., etc. indicates not only the quality, but what they do for folks just trying to improve their marketing and copywriting.

    Mike Capuzzi
    Inventor of CopyDoodles
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    • Profile picture of the author CopyDoodles
      Ken,

      Thanks for the suggestion, but it seems that would be a slippery slope, eh?

      Here's what I will do. If you're a copywriter working on a non-profit project, I would be happy to provide a free evaluation copy PLUS the creation of up to 5 customized CopyDoodles for your NON-PROFIT campaign requirements. Just send me a private message with the details about your campaign.

      Mike
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnGoodwin
        I have used "Copydoodles" on many of my marketing pieces and I find them to be very useful and I've also noticed a much greater increase in response from using CopyDoodles.

        I've tested one sales letter using CopyDoodles and the same sales letter without using CopyDoodles. The letter using CopyDoodles increased reponse by almost 30%

        I also like to use CopyDoodles on my web pages especially to draw attention to my opt in box. I will use a CopyDoodles arrow or a CopyDoodles circle to draw the attention of my customer.

        I hope this helps. I also think if you have a problem paying $300 for a product to improve your marketing you have bigger problems than worrying about whether or not CopyDoodles is for you or not.

        Just my 2 cents.
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        • Profile picture of the author BizWebMan
          Cost often depends on how much use you will get from a product. If you only use it occasionally then paying for expensive software may not be to your liking.

          I only use this style of personalizing copy now and again and I have found these FREE doodles do the trick.

          Doodle My Copy | Free Hand Drawn Doodles to Boost Sales Copy Response

          Hope they are of use to you guys.

          Grahame
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  • Profile picture of the author AlanCarr
    For your own use, rather than for a client, why not just print the thing out, draw on it, then scan it as a .PDF?

    I use a tablet, simply so I can supply editable Word docs. Even then I'll often just scribble on paper then scan the scribbles. Works for me.



    AC
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