One of the best I've seen

Clearly, us copywriters (printed word) are being threaten by my comments about video. People are threatened that it's replacing the the written word.

It IS. Get used to it.

Oh my goodness.

As an entrepreneur and business owner, if you've got the goods... assuming you can be interesting, entertaining and compelling and most importantly REAL at the the same time, it's game over.

Sure, written word will NEVER go away, especially in direct mail where communication is limited. But when it comes to the the Internet, it's quickly getting to the point where the fact if you AREN'T using video, it IMPLIES you are hiding something. Translation: Loss of believability and credibility.

Bottom line: Sub-optimization. And loss of sales.

I don't care how good of a wordsmith you are, how attention grabbing your headline, how compelling your story, or how many power words you use.

Compelling video trumps the written word.

Hands down. And I say that as one of the most profit-producing, prolific copywriters around. (Modestly speaking, of course. ) As copywriters, we should all start transitioning and start writing compelling video scripts for our Clients.

- Rick Duris

Hi Alan,

You make some interesting points. I DO affirmatively agree with some of them. No argument here.

Here's my overall take on what you said:

If you had a stadium full of your most targeted prospects, you would rather pass out perfectly crafted, proven salesletters to read rather than taking the microphone and talking with them directly, flubs and all?

And while in the stadium of your best prospects, you'd rather have them read short or long testimonials off the pages handed out, rather than you giving the microphone to just one of your average, yet still successful clients for them to tell their story?

You'd rather have them read a description, short or long, of how your product is made or your service rendered, rather than showing them?

And when you went for the close, you'd rather have them read it off the page, rather than see you up there, speak from the heart and hear from your own lips how much you want for them to benefit from what you have to offer?

Sometimes, the best strategy IS words on paper. No doubt.

Sometimes, that is pictures and audio.

In the case of this particular letter, being a fisherman myself, if these crappie catching secrets are as effective as they say, I would have pulled out my credit card the moment I watched a couple of videos of some average, possibly drunk fishin' buddies reeling them in, one after the other.

My wall of skepticism would have come right down, and I would be receptive to hearing more.

I would have enjoyed watching them whooping it up, cleaning their day's catch, guts, blood and all. Especially if they were showing their kids how it's done, because that implies they'd be passing on a crappie fishin' legacy.

I would also have enjoyed, like a voyeur, watching them sitting down with their family and friends, over a picnic table or a makeshift campfire, feasting on the results their efforts. Telling funny stories of the ones that got away, watching the sun set over the lake.

These would not have not just reaffirmed my decision, it would have been incredibly compelling.

Alan, if you can put those kinds of images into words alone and make them sell, you are by far a better copywriter than I. My opinion is this salesletter is begging for video.

- Rick Duris