What are the techniques copywriters should be forgetting about?

found in the numbers.

Where is your proof these methods don't work? And you are saying a review is different from a testimonial, which could be true...but to toss out testimonials altogether, I'd need some proof.

See, one of my biggest complaints against all you newer copywriters is, you aren't grounded in the sciences of DR, you like to use absolutes, you tell us what isn't working, you give some sort of a statistic, like 57% of people don't believe "hype" ads, which means 43% may still be susceptible to them..,

and FORTUNES have been made on a 3% response rate to a cold list.

Limited time offers work. PROVE it otherwise.

I do agree if they are used, however, they need to be real. Prove this to your customers over time, and you have trained them to believe you, I have thousands of customers who know when I say it is going off the market, it goes.

Social media hasn't changed basic human nature, and in fact, it helps rounding up the herd, and makes selling to them much easier, by USING the tested and proven by results and NUMBERS methods which produce results.

You are wrong. Junaid is wrong. Instead of telling us all what is wrong with the OLD world methods, give us the PROOF you know what you're talking about. Where is the science behind these statements?

Give me an old Bob Stone or Ben Suarez book on numbers, with BILLION dollar results to back them up over Guru Du Jour, especially a warrior, and I'll continue to chuckle my way to the bank.

The beauty of direct response marketing is the numbers reveal the truth, and all your theories are exposed as what they really are; not very well researched opinions based on personal preference.

And as for HYPE being dead, please visit the WSO and warriors for hire sections.

GordonJ

What is up with all these newbs making massive sweeping generalizations?

With few notable exceptions, none of these tactics is ever gonna die. None of the channels will ever really be tapped out.

It simply comes down to:

1) knowing your market
2) having an offer that solves their problem
3) finding them where they hang out

Now, there is something to be said for inauthenticity. That CAN shoot you in the foot if you don't know what you're doing and you're just swiping or modeling without understanding HOW or WHY the thing initially worked.

I can assure you, when John Carlton closes the Simple Writing System, that sucker is CLOSED. It's not a gimmick to get you to sign up because today's the last day....except it's still on sale tomorrow.

Neither testimonials nor time based offers are dead. Learn how to use them properly and you might surprise yourself with the results.

Avoid 'yeah, yeah' comments, generalisations and superlatives if you don't want to turn your readers off quickly.

I use limited time offers very successfully. Especially in my meta descriptions. Creating urgency works - fact, and its not pushy, it could be the difference between a lead or not just from your serps.

Customer testimonials work also. Any fool can tell the difference between paid ones and otherwise.

Proof and scarcity will never go out of style.

How do I know?

I know because the emotions that drive buyers don't (and won't) change.

Platforms change. Tactics change. Buying emotions don't.

Alex

I appreciate your comments, I know many of you are experienced copy writers, so obviously I cant argue with you without having good arguments, which I have to say I dont, at least not at the depth you would like. However, I must say that its kind of disappointing that many of you mistreat my arguments because im a newbie. Of course im a Newbie, im learning, and one of the reasons I joined this community is precisely because I think I can learn a lot from experienced profesional like you.

Regarding the points I raised in this thread, I recognized that some of my statements might have been too definitive or exaggerated, the point I was trying to make is that I believe there are some people out there that are still using old techniques that I believe are not working any more. I dont have any evidence to backed that statement, maybe one day I will have them, but thats not the case today.

I was thinking about the before and after kind of ads, those are the type of advertising that I believe are not working anymore, but if you say they are, im sure I must be wrong.

So sorry you feel that way. Actually, we are shooting down your arguments because they are wrong. You yourself said you have no basis whatsoever for saying them!

Do you really think we should say you're right if you in fact are wrong? And that we should agree with anything said here without any evidence whatsoever?

Marcia Yudkin

OP - I got news for ya dude. Part of my transition from newb to experienced copywriter was people calling me out on my assumptions and bullshit.

You absolutely should start the convo if you want the education. But be self aware enough to know that you DON'T know what you don't know, not until someone tells you or you learn a life lesson.

Here's my first lesson: there are no absolutes in this field. Nothing works 100% of the time. Nothing really dies unless it's a completely obsolete technology like BetaMax. There are different channels, different tactics, different copy approaches that work for different markets. There's a reason those "outdated" books a lot of the new people are referring to are STILL talked about to this day. The knowledge there is timeless, even if the technique is outdated and can be tweaked.

You guys have got to learn to DIG and not get tripped up on very superficial shit.

hi,

I think you are listening to the wrong advice - maybe.

I understand what you are saying - however, there's a stress test that as a writer you must use each time you write copy.

Ask yourself this question:

Is it believable?

Too much hype can often leave the reader just saying, "this guy/gal is full of crap" - of course in cases like this, your testimonial and/or other writings become ineffective. This is why some "gurus" might be telling you the "old" ways don't work any longer. (maybe their writing is crap and they're trying to sell you something?)

But I can tell you for sure, that using real and believable testimonials, statistics, proof and old techniques still work today.

That's not to say that verbiage needs to be modernized, it does.

I hope that helps.
Tony