To All The Ugly People...

by 53 replies
67
Lots of ideas on headlines.

Here's what I do.

I'm going to grab your attention...probably pi** you off...but you'll read the headline...then you'll continue...

"To All The Ugly People", was a headline I used for a cosmetic line.

"Hey Fat As*" - a headline I used to promote a weight loss business...they now sell franchises.

The opening copy read like this:

Look at you...

You fat pathetic pig.

You've helped spawn phrases like...

It went on from there.

I'm a copywriter/marketer...and I'm going to get your attention...then I'm going to pi** you off, then bring you down easy. By the time you're done reading my short ad, you'll be wanting what I'm selling.

I'm going to get you emotional.

Most of you suck at copywriting...you're like little lemmings that fall for every $39.95 guru. I've read your work...it's bad.

Flickering fire...or fire flicker...fire cracker...whatever...something about playing with fire.

Sales funnels or funnel cakes or something like that.

What are you thinking?

So here's some quick advice.

Forget all the BS you've heard from the "gurus".

Grab attention.

Oh, wait a minute Marcus...what about the benefits, the features, the other mumbo jumbo hoopla maniac depressive crap I've been told?

Forget it.

Get bold.

Most of the crap you've read is info from the 30's or 40's.

Be your own person...times are a changin...

...the same stuff that worked for the copywriters who were writing during the pre-computer age is obsolete now. Get it?
#copywriting #people #ugly

  • At last!

    Someone calling out to me.
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    • Ha...I actually visited your site the other day...

      I was impressed...I loved the qualifications you gave to someone wanting your services.

      I'd recommend everyone check out your stuff...I can tell you know what you're doing.
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  • Banned
    Lol, you'll forever be known as "The Antagonist".
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    • "The Antagonistic Copywriter"

      Yeah. My new nick name.
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  • Great message here...definitely not the "know me like me trust me buy from me" route, but whatever works!
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  • Banned
    Crikey...what's this place coming to? The Copy Nazi agreeing with the high-flying, Bentley-driving Max5ty? Good post. Very good post.
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    • Thanks Mal.

      Anyone that knows anything about the copywriting world, knows you're one of the "Super Stars".

      You definitely know how to write the good stuff that makes your clients some serious cash.
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  • I can't figure you out, and I probably don't want to - you do
    give awesome value in your posts...

    Great post on a good copy theme.

    This is one of the best ways to capture attention - trigger
    their flight or fight neuropattern.

    The more "present" the prospect feels with respect to time,
    the more relevant your words are going to be to the reader.

    That's why personalization, rapport and all of that work
    really well in stimulating the Reticular Activation System...

    Not to mention stories - just amazing what a good storyteller
    can do to your brain.

    Still the classic AIDA principle. Definitely reminiscent of RJ

    Winston Tian
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  • Headline really got me.
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  • Good stuff... The times I've used this approach have been some of my highest converters. What sucks is when you have a client that wants you to tone it down because they're afraid of offending people.
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    • My favorite example of this copy strategy is the Mark Stevens' book title: "Your Marketing Sucks".

      - Rick Duris
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  • If you know what people's hot buttons are (i.e. their deepest insecurities,) you can definitely go after them and guarantee your copy will get read.

    However...

    When you unsuccessfully trigger people's shame, it can really damage a company's brand and reputation.

    A good place to test these types of approaches are in your email sequences or squeeze/landing pages.

    Just make sure you're efficient in going from the antagonist - to someone who genuinely cares and wants to HELP your prospects achieve their goals (and overcome their demons.)

    Here are a few emails titles I've used (in weight loss and the financial markets

    "Did you know you're completely full of sh!t?!?!" (I brought this one around to bloat and toxicity.)

    "You're so bad at making money, you can't even afford to buy your kids Christmas gifts!" (I was exploiding people's fears that they won't get their financial sh!t together in time for the holidays, then used my solution as the one and only answer.)

    My favorite one:

    "Stop pretending you're actually going to change... because you're not!"

    A good generic one is:

    "You should feel horrible about yourself..."

    Or...

    "It's all your fault..."

    Again though...

    You have to sell these types of approaches to people who are putting their brand names on the line.

    Mark
  • Are you a Rich Jerk?

    -Ray Edwards
  • Oh yea this is really new information, its only the same formula that has been around for 200 years.

    A
    I
    D
    A

    Maybe a light flicked on in your head and u figured out A stands for attention? OooOOooO Lets listen to the wise guru who says, hey dont listen to the gurus! U have to get attention!

    Yea... what u really meant was lets give the exact same advice thats been given for a couple hundred years and call it new.

    And yes lets stop selling benefits because those dont work at all. People buy Rolexs for $20,000 because it tells the time slightly better than the $20 watch, it has nothing to do with prestige, power, glory or sex.
  • How about fire watcher, mate? lol
  • Good thinking there. This will catch more eyes than the normal sales pitch thingy
  • I appreciate the comments...both good and bad.

    There's some top notch copywriters in this forum...they all have their own way of doing things. If the approach I use isn't your thing, I understand. Some of the approach others use is not my thing. We all have our "thing".

    Anyways...

    As some of you know, I started out in car sales.

    If you've ever done sales in a place where you're competing with 50 other sales people, you know it's a highly competitive atmosphere.

    The first month there I outsold everyone. Talk about "coming unglued", there were salesmen that had been there 20 years or more...lots of them said I was just lucky and couldn't do it again. The next month I even sold more. I eventually broke every record that had ever been set.

    I had my own way of doing things. Others said, "You can't do that". Oh yes I can...and I did.

    6 months later I was promoted to sales manager. Some of the "old timers" were so pi**ed they left. I wasn't upset. I replaced them with some go-getters.

    I'm telling you this because I want you to understand that the way things have always been done is not always the best way. You need to be open minded. There were a couple other sales managers in other stores that were outselling my team. Did I hate them or get upset? No...I became friends with them and started using some of their tactics. It's all about learning...we should never stop learning.

    Take a little bit from everywhere you can find it...try it...if you like it, use it. Copywriting isn't a hard science, there's a lot of twists and turns.

    The important thing is that you're successful.
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    • Banned
      Interesting. I didn't start out in car sales...but I worked as a salesman for a Volkswagen/Audi franchise for 3 months and was the top salesman every month.

      My approach was to be completely honest. With Audi I'd say "Too expensive for what you get really. You're paying for the badge. Service and parts will cost you. Insurance is higher than other cars. But it is German - and you know how well they make cars - think of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche - and yes even Volkswagen.".

      With the Volkswagen Golf I might say "Got "Car of the Year" but I don't know why really. It's just a box on wheels. Not a lot of room in the boot. The seats aren't the greatest. Blah blah blah".

      People were so used to the car salesman telling blatant lies that I was a breath of fresh air.

      I learnt I few little psychological tricks from the old-school salesmen. The cry would go up from the office "Heads on the lot!" - which meant there were potential buyers looking at the cars.

      Probably nine times out of ten when you approached them they'd say "Just looking". Which meant "leave me alone I don't want to be pressured". So your first job was to qualify them. What are they looking for? Which led to a conversation about the old shitter they wanted to trade in. That's really why they're there - to see what their trade-in is worth.

      So the trick I learnt was to say "Come in to the office and we'll see what your trade-in is worth". You'd spin on your heels...ignore their protests of "But I'm not ready to buy yet"..."I'm just looking"..."I don't have time at the moment" - whatever it is...and walk back to your office - without stopping - without looking back to see if they're following you.

      Back in the office I'd count to myself - "One Mississippi...two Mississippi...three Mississippi..."

      And sure enough 9 times out of 10 the "head" would indeed follow you into the office - where you had a much better chance of closing the deal.

      Why would they follow you? People don't like to be rude. They'd follow...protesting that they were not ready to buy...and you'd close probably a good half of them.

      There's a couple of marketers I can think of off the top of my head who are ex-car salesmen. Frank Kern and Mike Filsaime. Know any others?
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  • Hey Max, why'd you buy more than one Range Rover to begin with?

    I just got back from Bocas del Toro - beautiful, and the Panamanian government is taking steps to keep it that way.. despite the influx of foreign investment and expats. I suggest you buy a home there.
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  • Just on the insulting bit.

    Yes, you can take the risk and insult your prospects - might work, has worked, could crash.

    Or...

    Insult your prospects enemies - does work, has always worked, never crashed.


    Steve
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    • Banned
      Whats that saying? Something about "if you help people throw stones at their enemies...reaffirm their beliefs" etc

      oh yeah (Thanks Google) - I used to have that pinned up on my wall to help me write copy. Must put it back up.
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  • ...Bang on.
  • Interesting post Mal.

    The things someone can learn from face to face selling are amazing.

    The "I'm just looking", is usually always the first objection the customer raises. "I don't have time", "What's the trade worth?", "How much will the payments be?", "How low can I get the car", "I need to think about it". Sales is all about overcoming objections...same way with copywriting/marketing. Once you overcome the objections, you've got the sale.

    Even the car business is changing...many now do their research on the internet before they ever walk on the lot. Most dealerships have their own internet department...the traffic they can generate is phenomenal.

    On a side note: Today's the big election in the U.S. Billions have been spent on advertising. Negative ads, positive ads, funny ads, sad ads, good ads, bad ads. Everyone that ran ads will see if the approach they used paid off or not.
  • Great thread. Sure got my attention.
  • After reading the 'insulting ugly' ad, this is the virtual conversation you may find a customer having with the copywriter.

    Customer : Oh you're such a witch! You call me ugly... bad bad... very bad!

    Copywriter: I'm not ugly... I'm very ugly because only things that are very ugly sells quickly. Example: fashion, condoms, cosmetics & copywriters.

    Manipulation sells. You manipulate, you sell... that's because there are loop holes.

    LOL ROFL.

    No wonder Seth Godin puts it right, marketers are the biggest liars.
  • Banned
    Uncle Maxie (real name Bill)...

    MuttonheadSays.com

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