How to Resonate with your Readers

10 replies
It amazes me just how powerful our words are.

I mean, it's pretty amazing that we as copywriters can influence such a large amount of people with the words we write.

That's why I'm always trying to write stuff that's considered "life changing" or so helpful... that people feel better off AFTER they read it then before.

Now, I have no affiliation with Ben Settle... I'm not an affiliate of his, but read his post today and tell me he doesn't know how to resonate with his intended reader.

Today's post from Ben really struck a nerve with me... because I could literally almost feel his pain that he felt while writing it.

Sure, I'm a big believer in piling on the value... and to make your stuff valuable and interesting, but hell... why not open up a bit and share some personal stuff.

Don't be shy about opening up and getting personal. Become a friend.

Ben's post today titled "Take the Tampon Out" is exactly the kind of email and marketing that resonates with your reader.

Daily Email Marketing Tips By Ben Settle

I remember a few years ago, while writing my daily email to my fitness list... I was in a bad place, I was feeling down and sad about something.

so, I wrote an email to my list and basically just became very personal, talked about how down I was... but then I also talked about what I was doing about it... how I was taking action to change my situation.

That one email literally was the most popular email I had ever sent. I had to have my assistant literally help me keep up with replies that we got from it.

All because I was willing to take down my walls and open up a bit, and become a bit personal with my list.

anyways, take a look at Ben's post if you want to learn how to write emails that resonate with your reader...
#readers #resonate
  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

    so, I wrote an email to my list and basically just became very personal, talked about how down I was... but then I also talked about what I was doing about it... how I was taking action to change my situation.
    This is the ONE ingredient that separates the celebrated email marketers
    from other marketers. I have an autoresponder product and so I look
    at all those marketers whose names are recommended when it comes
    to email marketing and they all share their life stories. So if you are
    a "normal" email marketer and want to kick it up a notch you have
    to make yourself vulnerable. Subscribers today MUST BE ENTERTAINED.

    Otherwise, it doesn't matter how smart and informed a marketer you are
    you'll lose attention.

    -Ray Edwards
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    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Ray, I couldn't agree more... if you look at all the top internet marketers in general... they tend to stand out because of their "entertainment appeal". Not all, but many.

    I remember seeing Frank Kern back in 2002 or 2003, and he had the short hair, the dress shirt on... he looked like your average Joe.

    Then came the long blond hair, the surfing dude, the cuss words, the fun loving guy.

    All positioning.

    When you think of email, it's just content.

    And so is the National Football League. And American Idol. And the VMAs where Miley Cyrus was "twerking"

    All content.

    And yet, the most entertaining of it gets talked about and noticed.

    Be entertaining and valuable... and you'll go much further.
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    • Profile picture of the author Raydal
      Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

      Ray, I couldn't agree more... if you look at all the top internet marketers in general... they tend to stand out because of their "entertainment appeal". Not all, but many.
      For sure. A nice exercise to do is look in the main forum and see the topics
      that have the most replies. Many of them tell a story about how the poster
      "made it", or the struggles someone is having, or even how they made their
      first sale. The human element is common to all of them.

      BTW, if you [generic] are looking for a headline for a WSO you have a lot
      to choose from in that same section.

      -Ray Edwards
      Signature
      The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      Ben's post today titled "Take the Tampon Out" is exactly the kind of email and marketing that resonates with your reader.
      Depends who your readers are, actually.

      His email does not resonate with me and would not resonate with my audience, many of whom are age 50+ and more than 65% women. I have never used crude language and gross images with my audience, never intend to and do not introduce experts to my list who do so. I also do not admire people who talk about bottoming out.

      I understand and appreciate your point about getting personal, and am just adding here the uncontroversial point that it always has to be done in a style that appeals to your target market.

      Marcia Yudkin
      Signature
      Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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      • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
        Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

        Depends who your readers are, actually.

        His email does not resonate with me and would not resonate with my audience, many of whom are age 50+ and more than 65% women. I have never used crude language and gross images with my audience, never intend to and do not introduce experts to my list who do so. I also do not admire people who talk about bottoming out.

        I understand and appreciate your point about getting personal, and am just adding here the uncontroversial point that it always has to be done in a style that appeals to your target market.

        Marcia Yudkin

        Marcia,

        You are spot on... which is why I mentioned that it would resonate with his intended reader...

        Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

        Now, I have no affiliation with Ben Settle... I'm not an affiliate of his, but read his post today and tell me he doesn't know how to resonate with his intended reader.
        Because you're right... MANY people would have been turned off, disgusted, etc... at his email.

        Which goes to show, you have to know your market and write to them and only them...
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        • Profile picture of the author Raydal
          Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

          Marcia,
          Because you're right... MANY people would have been turned off, disgusted, etc... at his email.
          Which goes to show, you have to know your market and write to them and only them...
          The other lesson is that ANY great marketer is also a great polarizer as well.
          There are going to be as many people who love you as hate you. It comes
          with the territory. (Think politics.)

          There are people who love poetry and those who hate poetry.
          There are people who love Jazz and those who hate Jazz.
          There are people who love and God and those who hate God.

          But I'm with Marcia that you don't have to be crude and use strong
          language to be effective. You have to know your audience.

          And we tend to attract people who are like us.

          -Ray Edwards
          Signature
          The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Shawn, opening up and showing your vulnerable side
      is something I am working on now.

      I believe there is a right and wrong place for it.

      It's the heroes journey.

      How gut wrenching low you were
      and the lessons you learnt from the experience
      of crawling out of it.

      Then those lessons you learnt and being told
      become your gift.

      Daniel Levis first brought this to my attention.

      Now Jon Benson has again with his latest VSL
      training.

      Best,
      Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author Auxi
    If the readers insult me and I get plenty of negative feedback, I know I did good job
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    There are different levels of resonation...and I don't know if that's a word.

    People love to hear stories about the come back kid. They relate the story to themselves in one way or another. Either they were just like that, or, they want to be like that.

    Every single person has a fear of opening up and telling too much about themselves. It causes them to open the castle gates, and when the gates are open they leave themselves vulnerable.

    There's a lot of fine lines when it comes to "telling".

    Just about everybody you talk to wants to be wealthy.

    But...many have a disdain for the wealthy...

    they want a nice car, but if someone has "too" nice of a car they get a snobby attitude. I sometimes see it if I'm driving my Bentley.

    People would love to have a nice house...but they gossip about those that live in really nice houses.

    On the other hand...

    People love to hear stories about how tough somebody else had it. It seems to make the person seem more normal, or one of them.

    So yeah...I lost my train of thought. Too much going on at once.

    Anyways, interesting post.

    I can understand Marcia's point too.
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  • Profile picture of the author ECTally
    Thanks for this, Shawn.
    While I am quite certain that I am nowhere close to his target audience, I appreciate candor, I applaud honesty, and most of all, I respect humility.
    +1 subscriber
    "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." - Hemingway
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