Hi Nathan

Here are a few thoughts about your headings. Most of them look very interesting, although I am sceptical about how simple you make it all sound!

1. Surely, the better the letter you create the more quickly it will go out of date? There's nothing worse than a well rehearsed spiel full of platitudes and clichés that hides a genuinely good "product". I'd concentrate on the structure of the letter rather than a pro forma letter. Imagine if I read the same letter twice from different sources?

2. "Magic Words"? Could be useful, but you HAVE to be sure that people really understand the words they are using. There's no point using words like "Strategy", "Metrics", "ROI", "CPM", "user friendly", "transparent processes" etc unless you know the "arguments" behind them and how they relate to YOUR particular business. It's far better to use your natural language, the natural language of YOUR business, as when you come face to face with a client, isn't this the way you'll be selling your business? I come across countless telesales people talking rubbish from a script because when I challenge them or ask for clarification, they can't respond.

3, 4, 5 and 6. These seem very broad brush categories. It's hard to see how these could "deliver" against the promise of the suggested headings! For individual ideas or to add significant understanding to "my" business, I find that well analysed case studies are far more valuable than the general lists. Perhaps a combination of "case studies" and "Top 10 X, Y, Z", is the most helpful way forward?

7, 8, 9, 10, All of these look like useful general categories, although words like "sure-fire" make me nervous. If life is that easy why do most businesses fail? Isn't the vital factor here about how the guiding principles are applied to individual instances (which is why case studies work well for me)?

11. I like with this topic. Getting the basics right before investing huge money in other forms of marketing is definitely "best practice". The only concern is that optimisation is an ever moving feast. Anything useful that you get in print could be out of date before you publish it? perhaps you could create an online resource that keeps the info up-to-date?

12. I like this topic as well. So many small business find it hard to judge how much money to invest, and how much business they should expect back in return.

other ideas / topics might be:
- When to outsource, when to DIY?
- How much to invest? (What are you trying to achieve? What is the function of your internet site? Is it a dynamic site or a static "catalogue"?)
- Online marketing activity - how to market your business online (seeding, CRM, Banners, Partnerships, web rings, competitions, promotions, search engines/directories, online PR...)

Good luck!

Barney

On 16:29:00 11 August 2002 baxcomm wrote:
>Hi
>
>Wonder if anyone can help?
>
>I am about to publish some information products about how
>to make profits in your business using the Internet.
>
>I'm looking for help. Can people tell me which one of the
>following ideas has the most appeal to them:
>
>1. Write killer letters…ready made sales letters on
>tap
>
>2. Magic Words…The words to use when selling on the
>Internet
>
>3. My Amazing Formula…A set step-by-step system for
>making big money
>
>4. Insider Secrets…An A-Z training course for
>making profits on the Internet
>
>5. E-Marketing Strategy…the secret of profitable
>e-mailing
>
>6. Instant Business…your own ready made Internet
>business
>
>7. The Write Stuff…How anyone can make money as an
>Internet author
>
>8. Saving Money…How the Internet can help you save
>big money
>
>9. Beating the Competition…How to use the Internet
>to do research
>
>10. Understanding E-Commerce…A beginners guide to
>profiting from the Internet
>
>11. Inside the Search Engines…Understanding the
>secrets of getting to the top of search engines
>
>12. Even a Small Business…At last…a sure-fire
>method that shows how even small businesses can use the
>Internet profitably
>
>Thanks in anticipation to anyone who can help out.
>
>Regards
>
>Nathan Goldberg
>Baxter Communications
>
>
>PS I’ll send a free copy of my new book “The
>Gun That Fires The Silver Bullets”…a complete
>easy-to-use system on how to think and act on marketing,
>to everyone who is good enough to help out.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Hi,

Like Ashley said, what titles work best depends on the audience you're trying to reach, and the action you want to induce. As you may well know, the standard copywriting formula is AIDA - Awareness -> Interest -> Desire -> Action

First you capture their attention, arouse their interest, invoke a desire ("I just got to have that thingy"), then spark them into action.

As I understand, your key message is making profits using the Internet. This means demonstrating a way to make or save money using Internet technologies or strategies.

The ideas behind your titles are good, but the wording of some of them are a little too hyped-up for me, especially in this age of distrust, cynicism, and market downturn.

I use these principles when doing copywriting:
1) Prefer the concrete to the generic - use concrete examples of success where possible
2) Use keywords that my audience cna immediately identify with

My comment are below on the titles that I think work best:

On 16:29:00 11 August 2002 baxcomm wrote:
>1.Write killer letters…ready made sales letters on
>tap

You're talking about a feature here. What's the benefit to me of a killer letter. More sales, more leads? Make your message more obvious.

Try something like "Letters that sell...reach out and touch your customers with our ready-to-go messages "

>2.Magic Words…The words to use when selling on the
>Internet

Magic words doesn't tell me much about what you're offering. The title and the sub-head repeat the same concept.

Try something like "Words that Sell...A step-by-step guide to communicating more profitably with your customers.

>5.E-Marketing Strategy…the secret of profitable
>e-mailing

Try "Email your way to bigger profits...great marketing strategies for the most effective way to reach your customer.

>8.Saving Money…How the Internet can help you save
>big money

Try "Do more with less...Learn how the Internet can save you big money"

>9.Beating the Competition…How to use the Internet
>to do research

Try "Know your enemy...The Internet can tell you how to beat your competitor. Here's how"

>11.Inside the Search Engines…Understanding the
>secrets of getting to the top of search engines

Again, what's the benefit of getting to the top of search engines? more visibility, more potential contacts?

Try something like "They can't find what they can't see...Learn how to get to the top of search engines"

>12.Even a Small Business…At last…a sure-fire
>method that shows how even small businesses can use the
>Internet profitably

Try "Profits? Even your business can do it... here's a sure-fire way to making money online."

How this helps you out a little.

// Geoff