This month I analyse some examples out of the book from which I stole more ideas than any other. Starting with a comment on whether stealing ideas is a good idea and what NOT to do. Plus a test for you: which of two designs did best - and why.
What is the best way to get people to open and read your mailing?
Two brilliant people give utterly different answers. Who was right? After all, they were both successful? It's important to realise that there is often no one answer to a question, You have to understand what's involved, and apply what you learn. "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men" - David Ogilvy
A little gem that always works
We're all trained like dogs to recognise our own names - so here's how you can profit from it.
If you want to make more money, what matters most?
(And is making more money the most important thing?) An example of very small piece that made a ton of money - a masterpiece of compression. The art of flattery. Copy many writers ignore – which is tremendously important. The two moments of truth. And lots about what works and why.
A startlingly good piece of copy by a startlingly good writer
How you take what people believe and turn their views upside down. This copy sold an entirely new magazine in an entirely unexpected way. Every aspect is covered without just making a list. What’s the one thing that makes marketing fail? The thing you must define – which most people don’t.
A little “P.S.” to the previous video
This is something that sells to the people who are not quite convinced – it’s called the lift letter. But this is the most unusual one I’ve ever seen. Again, something that anyone who appreciates good writing should enjoy (with advice about what you MUST do to succeed).
Hi Draton, you are forever harping on about testing and tracking.
It appears your a advice has fallen on deaf ears.
This piece was swiped from… writerunderground.com
Ad network populated entirely by scambots. Didn’t anyone notice?
Online ad clickthrough rates are so low — and conversions are apparently so bad — that it’s possible for scammers to make millions populating an ad network entirely with scambots.
Most of the advertisers didn’t even know until the trade press broke the story:
Some of the globe’s most recognizable brands — including Oreo, GlaxoSmithKline, Burger King and Sprint — were bilked out of millions of dollars by a Florida company that used fake websites to skim from the ad-tech ecosystem.
Then, the scam’s operators simply disappeared.
Perpetrators of online ad fraud are usually portrayed as running sophisticated, high-tech operations. But this scam is notable for its simplicity. The fact that some of the biggest names in ad tech were unable to detect it draws the industry’s fraud-fighting capabilities into question.
Think about it. An ad network that couldn’t produce anything beyond scambot clicks collected millions and ran for months.
If we’re truly in the era of Big Data, how come nobody knew the online ads aren’t working?
What piece are you referring to?
I agree John what you don’t test you don’t know make it your business to measure – before you lose your treasure . Valuable lesson thanks Drayton : )