What's wrong with "Who Else Wants To Blah Blah Blah"?

I don't like that headline neither, if think it doesn't add any credibility at all, and it's kind of outdated, many people have already seen it.

It might be outdated in the IM market because everyone started using it once they heard how well it works. That said, everyone started using it because of how well it works.

You are on to something. Markets have to adjust to ever changing details and consumer awareness, and the "Who Else" headline may not stop people in their tracks the way it used to.

Cheers,
Stephen

When I see the words "who else" I click off the page without reading any further. Another expression that is overused is "Dear frustrated marketer".......

The IM niche's got more sophisticated, as soon as a prospect sees 'Who else....' they realize the rest is a sales pitch.

It's still worth a try in other markets though.

Yeah, me too! That and the phrase nearer to the payment button (...even if it's 2:00 a.m.). I've seen that copy so often on PLR content that it makes me shudder. Like Andrew said, it might still work in some markets but ... urrrgghhhh!

Ina

There are three kinds of people: Those who want to replace tired old headlines like 'who else' with a brand-new zinger, even if it's 2 a.m. Those who don't. And those who wonder, who else wants to reuse overworked cliches?

Chris

It doesn't matter how "Who Else Wants" headlines make you, me, or any other copywriter feel. What matters is how the specific market you're writing for responds.

Alex

It's nothing wrong with it. It is just a tested method of opening a copy.
Creativity most of the time kills response. This is not because your creativity is bad, but most of the people may not understand your metaphor or event try to understand what you've wrote there.
Scientific advertising beats creative advertising every time.

The industry is always changing and the "Who Else" start once got the job done. If you don't like it just make sure you don't use it

The problem I have is the implication behind the fact there is no question mark at the end of this sentence.

This is vomited up like "salesmanship in print." Few understand the concepts behind the parroted phrases.

Who else works because it implies you are not the first, the pioneer, the guinea pig for an unproven product. Now it is a flag for "just about nobody else bought" newbies -- who refuse to test and want the answer from the back of the book.

These people don't understand Who Else headlines demand certain other elements go into the body copy. And they don't know what else they're missing which makes Who Else headlines work.

The question is can you come up with an alternative based on the same concept that revives this played out headline? Most can't.

There are a lot of headlines I don't care for. Anything with the phrase 'Cash Sucking' or 'Dirty Little Secrets' or 'Ninja Tactics' makes me cringe. The list goes on. However, these all work in certain markets. So... I rarely take assignments writing for markets where people respond to stuff like this. Simple.

Yes I agree, i hate that too.

I also hate the SHOCKING: or JUST REVEALED: types of headlines.

Once an audio engineer develops their ear enough,
they begin to notice things in the audio and the music
that the general public never does.

Sibilance... that "SSSSsss" sound that whistles like a
spike in your ear.

Hypercompression... that massively squashed "wall
of sound" that eliminates all dynamics and makes
everything loud as hell.

Tubby bottom-end on the kick drum, flabby bass tone with
no definition, grainy sounding sample rate conversion.

It's MADDENING... because you can never go back to
just experiencing the music the way the audience does...

Well, guess what?

...same story as your develop your marketing chops.

You spot something in the sales copy or the offer and your
mind says, "AHA!... I know what they're doing there...."

"They're using a big promise with specifics in the headline
and here comes the social proof... Yep! I was right...."

Often the interpretation of that reaction is, "I hate that...."

Do you really? Hate that?

I don't believe you do.

Now, don't get me wrong - crap is crap.

But I'm often a bit amused when I see the pile on that typically
develops in these conversations... with people who purport to
have a vested interest in selling things to others...

Inevitably folks begin rattling off all the "marketery" phrases,
approaches, tactics, and strategies they can think of.

"I hate ______... As soon as I see that, I'm gone..."

The IM space is full of consumers who think they're sellers.

And their protestations are more buying criterion than they
are marketing philosophies.

You're hearing sibilance. A tubby kick drum...

Why HATE that...

I'd rather think about how I'd notch the mids and boost a few
db at 4.5K to give it some "click" then smack the bottom end
with a multiband compressor and tighten it up.

And... yeah. I HATE SSsssibilance too.

Brian

Brian, if I understand you right:

Who else wants to use a tube preamp's euphonious even-harmonic distortion to gate the output of a plate reverb that provides automatic double tracking to thicken their headlines?

I really do hate the "Who else" headline. I'll still read the copy, but it really does make me cringe.

I strongly believe that copywriting skills and all that relates to it when it comes to mini sites (squeeze pages, sales copy etc) are totally overrated. I personally do not read headlines or whole sales letters. I am opted-in to almost every online marketer out there. I received more than 300 emails from online marketer everyday, when I visit the mini sites I go directly to the bullet points to find out exactly what it is that I am going to get, if they do not have bullet points in the salecopy with specific information on what it is that I get I just click away and move on to the next email. I do not have time to be reading "success stories", and lines trying to make me dream of becoming a billionaire, nor I have time to read the "this is not about" stupid bullet points, and the "imagine this" paragraphs, I also click away even if it is a video, if the video hides the controls not letting me fast forward I am out to the next email also, all it matters to me are the bullet points stating exactly what I get, I don't care if the salecopy was written by Mike Tyson or by Albert Einstein.

note: I am just stating how I react in front of squeeze pages and salecopies, not offense intended. I am sure there is more people like me out there.

Nope. If theres anything that riles me in the copywriting section its posturing. The shut up I know everything I'm a copywriter of a certain standing (most of the time propped up by not one singular fact besides board politics) that is soooo prevalent in this section .

So the OP is saying he doesn't like to read a certain phrase and some people chime in that they agrees. So what? Has anyone thrown salt on you grandma?

Instead of trying to shut them up or belittle the sentiment use it as limited market research.

"Okay some people are getting tired of this and they are consumers as well. I'll note it even if not follow it"

Now if you feel its still working for you in your target market then fine but who gives any of you the right to look at the op and say you and those that agree with you don't count?

First of all its sophomoric market analysis to say that a phrase universally works. Why? Nothing works outside of application to a target market. A phrase that works to one group may tank in another. So you can't do what my alleged writing instructor just did and point at one product being offered by one copywriter in one target market and say voila! the phrase still works. It may in that market and not in another - in one demographic and not in another.

So to me the less abrasive and intelligent way to approach a thread like this is say hey - what is it about this group of people that doesn't like the repetition? Do they have something in common? because I may just get a job whose market has that characteristic and it may give me some clues on what to TEST - not assume.

Oh and by the way my old beef stands. Every time certain people bring up what is proven they are always at a loss to point to ANY data that proves it. Its always anecdotal. sales rates can be affected by lots of things beside a particular phrase in copy so pointing to MR X and saying "oh he sold a million copies and he used that phrase" doesn't go one wit to prove that the phrase and not something entirely different caused the sales

Really guys I was just referring to the natural common sense reaction of people to lock down after hearing a phrase 17 times before. I didn't think it would be a point of contention but this is the copywriting forum so protect the turf. I should have known better.

Paul, if I got a Frank Kern headline that said "Who else wants to learn how to make cool, fun videos that get unbelievable orders and publicity" - I'd jump for it! That's because Frank is clearly successful with this area himself. If he says "who else" I know two things. 1. He really could teach me how to do this. 2. There might not be anyone else who could teach me as well as he could. It's something that appeals to me with a potential huge payoff in both money and happiness.

But if I see a headline that says "Who else wants to learn how to wash the dishes," I'd be bored bored bored! For one thing, I already know how to wash the dishes, for another, there's a million ways I can learn for free. And it could be that the person selling the dishwashing guide is a slob!

To me, the key point is not whether or not a phrase is re-used. "I'll give this to you for free, and you only pay if you like it after a month" is something many people have said. I wouldn't mind hearing it again! The key point is whether the phrase is an excellent way to communicate a valuable offer.

From the right person, any number of "tired cliches" could be appealing. Frank could also write, "They laughed when I said I'd sell business services with cheap videos, no suit and a beach bum's hairstyle... but when they saw my profits..." Or, "At sixty orders a day the loudest sound in this office is the crashing of the surf..."

Rinse and Repeat - that's another overused phrase I am getting tired of hearing............

Hey :-)

I agree with ya.

So if I'm writing to a niche that has seen "who else" headlines to the point of crying their eyes out...

I like to keep the concept but switch up the words (cause I think the "jump on the bandwagon" concept is great)...

So I might say...

"If you too want to..."

Or something like that.

I agree with you though - I usually start with a "who else" headline just to get the juices flowing, and to get the most obvious thing down on paper. But then I refine it until I'm satisfied.

David

"Unless you've been living under a rock." I'm tired of hearing that one too.

#1 google search for soload examples yields a site on which the first piece of advice for writing a powerful headline is....

WHO ELSE WANTS TO....


when in doubt, blame Google =)

While I agree that a creative headline is not all that is needed to pull in sales, but a good headline grabs attention and lures the reader to probe further.

Don't ignore a good headline.

The ideal thing is to have a solid product that makes a buyer salivate, then unleash a great headline with a powerful copy.

I like this order and mix:

1. Solid product
2. Great headline
3. Powerful sales copy.

This is the way I personally see it. I could be wrong but having observed successful copywriters, I see this common touch.

It really makes you stand out in the IM niche when you are willing to give away some actual information on your sales page.

Like give away one of the steps. You can have hype, but if you're all hype, it seems you're only going to catch the greenest of noobs.