Friday September 20, 2002         Issue: #007 ISSN 1539-056X(c) Copyright2002 - http://flashmarketing.com        Editor: Flash_________________________________________________________________                The FlashMarketing Newsletter(tm)                   ~Simple Steps to Success~                  Marketing Online Since 1997_________________________________________________________________Hello,This publication is *never* sent unsolicited. If you are readingthis, it is because you've subscribed or someone has forwarded itto you. Please do *not* reply to unsubscribe.To subscribe: subscribe@flashmarketing.comTo be removed: unsubscribe@flashmarketing.comYou can also use the form at:http://flashmarketing.com/newsletter/Please *FORWARD* this whole newsletter to your associates._________________________________________________________________"Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well."- Phillip Stanhope_________________________________________________________________                          Contents_________________________________________________________________1. Editor's Notes2. Feature Article - Create Headlines That Pull, Persuade and Propel!3. Announcing - Free Meta Tag Generator4. Doctor's Advice - Be Personal!5. Useful Links_____________________________1- Editor's Notes_____________________________Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. Well, business isfinally picking after a slow summer. Hope yours is too. I amstarting a new service, maybe by next month. Can't say much aboutit now but it will have an affiliate program that pay 30%. Maybeyou can profit from it.If you have products that benefit from Christmas, it's time tostart that marketing effort.If you haven't heard yet, there have been big changes to "SiteBuild It." If you need a website that drives a lot of traffic onautopilot, check it out: Site Build It- The Editor[ Back to Contents ]_____________________________2- Feature Article_____________________________Create Headlines That Pull, Persuade and Propel!- Michel FortinA headline is meant to do two vital things. First, it needs tograb your reader's attention. Realize that people surfing theweb are click-happy. They tend to scan web pages quickly, evenmany of them simultaneously. Your site is but a blur. So, yourheadline must be prominent and effective enough to stop them.Second, your headline needs pull the reader into the copy andcompel her into reading further. To do that, it must cater toa specific emotion or a relevant condition -- one to which thereader can easily associate. To illustrate, here's a list of"triggers," coupled with actual examples I used in the past:- Curiosity ("Revealed! Closely Guarded Secrets For ...")- Mystery ("The Five Biggest Mistakes to Avoid By ...")- Fear ("Over 98.4% of People End up Broke When ...")- Pain ("Suffering From Needless Back Pain? Then ...")- Convenience ("How to Increase Your Chances With ...")- Envy ("How Fellow Marketer Pummels Competitors By ...")- Jealousy ("They All Laughed When ... Until I ...")- Sloth ("Slash Your Learning Curve By 57% When ...")- Love, Lust ("Make Her Fall in Love With You With ...")- Shock ("Finally Exposed! Get The Dirty Truth On ...")- Greed ("Boost Your Income By More Than 317% When ...")- Pride, Power, Ego ("Make Fellow Workers Squirm With ...")- Assurance ("... In Less Than 60 Days, Guaranteed!")- Immortality ("Reverse The Aging Process With ...")- Anger ("Banks Are Ripping You Off! Here's Why ...")The cosmetics of a headline is equally important if not moreso. The type must be bold, large and prominently placed, evenwritten in a different font or typestyle. It must "scream" atyour readers. Don't worry if it's too harsh or too long. (Myexperience tells me that the longer headlines pull the most,even for professional clients or in conservative situations.)Specificity is also quite important. The more specific you arewith your headline, the better the response will be. Use odd,non-rounded numbers because they are more believable and pullmore than even, rounded numbers. (Ivory Soap used to say it's"99.44% pure." That number is more believable than "100%.")Whenever possible, be quantifiable, measurable and time-bound.For example, you're promoting some "how-to" marketingprogram.Don't say, "increase your income" or "make money fast."Words like "income" and "fast" are vague. Be specific. Instead,say, "How six simple sales strategies helped me stumble onto anunexpected $5,431.96 windfall -- in less than 27 hours!"The bigger the numbers are, the greater the impact is. If yousay "five times more," replace it with "500%" (or betteryet, "517%" or "483%"). Don't say "one year," say "364 days." Thebrain thinks in pictures, not numbers or words. Both "1year" and "364 days" may mean the same thing, but one looksbigger.Using some of the triggers mentioned at the beginning, hereare some examples of being specific with your headlines:- "Nine Jealously Guarded Techniques That ..."- "Here Are 17 of My Most Prized Recipes For ..."- "How I Made $42,791.36 in Only 11 Days With ..."- "Boost Your Golf Drives By 27 Yards When ..."- "A Whole New Way to Lose 45 Pounds in 7 Weeks With ..."- "Marketing Toolkit Contains 35 Powertools That ..."- "Follow These Eight Magical Steps to ..."- "Read This 22-Chapter, 376-Page Powerhouse ..."- "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning ..."- "Chop Paperwork By as Much as 47% When ..."- "Slash Your Learning Curve By Four Weeks With ..."- "... And Start Using Within Only 33 Minutes!"With the "pain-pleasure principle," we either fear pain (andtry to avoid it) or crave pleasure (and try to gain it).When given a choice between the two, pain is a superior motive.Our need to survive and feel safe, which are at the foundationof Maslow's pyramid of human motives, rule over all otherneeds.So, a headline that instantly communicates a problem (i.e.,a painful situation or a potentially painful one that mayarise without the benefits of your offering) will have moreimpact.People who associate with the message will feel compelled toread more, which also isolates the serious from the curious.You heard it before: there's a difference between "needs"and "wants." When I work with plastic surgeons, I often tellthem to use as a headline, "Suffering from wrinkles?" That way,it pulls only qualified prospects into the ad because itappeals not only to people with wrinkles but also to those whosuffer from wrinkles (i.e., they want to do something aboutthem).Ultimately, ask yourself: "Does my headline effectively stoppeople from scanning my web page, capture their attentionand trigger their emotions in order to pull them into the copy?Does my opening statement beg for attention, arousecuriosity and genuinely cater to the motives and emotions of mymarket?"If not, change your headline and try different ones. Sure,the change may be small and insignificant. But often, thesmallest changes can create the most dramatic changes in yourresults.----------------------------------------------------------------Michel Fortin is a copywriter, author and consultantdedicated to turning businesses into powerful magnets. Hisspecialty are long copy, email and web sales letters. Get a FREEcopy of his ebook and subscribe to his FREE monthly emailnewsletter, "The Profit Pill," by visitingSuccessDoctor.com right now!----------------------------------------------------------------[ Back to Contents ]_____________________________3- Announcing_____________________________Free Meta Tag Generatorhttp://flashmarketing.com/fmtg.htmPlease visit this free utility and try it. If you have anyproblems, questions, or comments let me know. It's brandnew.It will produce perfectly formatted meta tags. There are links toarticles on meta tag design. You'll find it useful if you don'thave your own submission software.[ Back to Contents ]_____________________________4- Doctor's Advice_____________________________Be Personal!by Kevin NunleyWhenever you're trying to sell something,  many things factorinto whether your prospect actually buys.   A few of the things acustomer looks at is if they connect with you, if they like you,and if they trust you more than their competitors.  Here are someideas that might get customers to feel at ease with you.Make sure that you focus and are sincere.  If your presentationdoesn't seem to respond to the customer's concerns, then trytaking a different approach.  Don't just go on with your preparedspeech. The customer will feel like you don't care about them ortheir problems.When you give a presentation, shake hands with everyone as theyenter the room.  Your prospects will feel a greater connectionwith you, and you will be able to see them as individuals.Don't use technical language and jargon.  Rehearse yourpresentation in advance with another person not in your field.If there is anything that they can't understand, change it. It'sprobably too complicated for the average customer.Try telling a story in your presentation.  People can oftenresist a sales pitch, but it's difficult to resist a good story.Use a "Hollywood approach."  Give your story interestingcharacters and dialogue. Be sure to include a lesson that yourprospects can relate to.Connect with your customers emotionally as well asintellectually. You will have the edge if you can establish apersonal connection with your customers.Kevin writes your sales letter, web site copy, or autorespondermessages so they get response.  He can write any style and onany subject.  See Kevin's writing deals at:www.flashmarketing.com/copy/[ Back to Contents ]_____________________________5- Useful Links_____________________________WebPosition Gold 2- Submitting your sites does no good if it's notgood enough to be listed on the first couple of pages. Optimizeit with:http://webposition-gold.comTrafficSeeker - Mega-Submitter - 799,000+ sites.http://trafficseeker-platinum.comMYSS! - The Internet Selling Manual (Bible)http://flashmarketing.com/myss.htmDr. Nunley - Killer Copy - Never Underestimate the Power of Wordshttp://flashmarketing.com/copy/ScamFree Zone - "Internet Success Blueprint" - Highly Recommend.scamfreezone.comeBook: "How to Write and Publish your own eBook... in aslittle as 7 Days"[ Back to Contents ]_________________________________________________________________If you decide you no longer want to receive this publication,send a blank email message to:	 unsubscribe@flashmarketing.comIf you received this from an associate and you would like tosubscribe just send a blank email message to:      subscribe@flashmarketing.comYou are hereby granted permission to publish this newsletter inits entirety. This includes forwarding it to your associates. Ifyou just want to publish an article, you must also publish theresource information at the end of the article.Improve the Internet - Help a NewbieMarket a little *every day* ... it adds up!Thanks for reading![ Back to Contents ]_________________________________________________________________(c) Copyright 2002 All Rights ReservedFlashMarketing