I couldn’t talk about this when I first learned about it, but now that it’s public I wanted to pass the info along.

You may or may not know Julie Perry.

She’s a very dear friend of mine, a well-​​known Internet marketer, and an entrepreneur. We constantly see each other at seminars and always have a great time. She’s always laughing, fun to be with, and a great person.

If you can’t picture her, to help you here’s a photo of the both of us — you might have seen her at Internet marketing seminars, yourself:

She’s known for her love of boats. She’s written a book on yachting, and she’s also the host of TheBoaters​.tv, a website for yachters and boat lovers.

Now, the sad news…

(more…)

Since the new year is right around the corner, bloggers and marketers alike are posting their predictions as if a psychics convention has come to town.

So in keeping with that tradition, I’d like to post a few of my own. But unlike those who post their predictions in point form, I won’t make a specific list but rather share with you some of my thoughts.

(Near the end, however, this post will culminate in what I believe will be three major trends to watch out for and dive into, if you want to make some serious money in 2008 and beyond.)

First off, let me state that you may or may not agree with me on these. But something is definitely going on right now that points to these three trends. All the clues are pretty evident, and you’ve probably seen some of these yourself.

What I’m talking about is…

(more…)

It’s around the corner! More and more people are registering to come to my upcoming seminar on multimedia copywriting with Dan O’Day.

You already know who I am, but you probably don’t know Dan, who’s my “secret weapon” when it comes to audio and radio copy.

Dan is the world’s leading expert on radio advertising, which just happens to be the single most effective mass medium for driving targeted traffic to a website.

Well, Dan agreed to do a special teleseminar for you this Wednesday.

(more…)

If you ever wanted to use multimedia to double or triple your conversions online, you don’t want to miss this.

As promised, the doors are finally open for my upcoming Web 2.0 Multimedia Copywriting Workshop at the LAX Hilton, with star audio copywriter Dan O’Day.

Online video is all the rage. And now, with Google Audio Ads (and soon video), this training is extremely timely. With this 2-​​day intensive workshop, we guide you on how to write effective copy that sells and drives visitors’ actions!

You get wall-​​to-​​wall content for two solid days and receive individualized attention from both Dan and me during an entire weekend in November in a classroom-​​style setting — a hands-​​on, intensive workshop on how to write sizzling copy for audio, video, online multimedia, and Web 2.0.

There are no other speakers. But best of all…

(more…)

I feel kinda bad.

Julie Isaac, who commented on a previous blog post in which I said I was preparing for my upcoming Web 2.0 copywriting workshop, was upset with me. And for good reason, too. Here’s what she said:

This is the first time, since you announced it in May, that I’ve seen you write about your Web 2.0 Copywriting workshop. Are you still planning it for the weekend of November 10th? I’ve been holding that weekend open since I heard your plans, but finally gave up, figuring you must have postponed it. Just last week, I signed up for something else that weekend. Please tell me I’m not going to miss your workshop!!!

Sorry to dissapoint you, Julie. But yes, the seminar is indeed that weekend.

The salesletter is not up yet, but if this seminar interests you, you can certainly go there now and join the notification list. That way, you will be notified as soon as the web page is up so you can register…

Click here for the Web 2.0 Copywriting workshop.

(You gotta see what Dan O’Day has in store for you… He shared it with me last night on the phone, and it blew me away! You’re going to love this event. Plus, with Google Audio Ads coming out, his stuff is very timely.)

A recently understood segment of marketing is the immense power behind the product category. Often, many businesses build their entire marketing strategy around a particular brand and its better qualities within a currently known product category, only to have it all go down the drain in the end.

Remember the “New Coke”? In the 80’s, Pepsi conducted taste tests called “The Pepsi Challenge.” Coke, on the sidelines, also heard from their own research that a newer, better tasting brand would beat Pepsi.

Only 77 days later, according to Coke’s former marketing vice-​​president Sergio Zyman in his book “The End of Marketing As We Know It,” not only were they forced to reintroduce the older version as “Classic Coke” but they also had to eventually wipe the New Coke out. Better is not always better.

(more…)

So, if you’re following the commandments, you should now have a unique name, possibly a tagline, and established yourself as the first or leader in your unique category. What about the service or product you offer? Do you offer an extraordinary product or service, or do you offer an ordinary one?

Even if the service you provide is customary, traditional, and probably offered by your competition, you should make it appear unique just as well.

Remember that perception is more powerful than truth. You don’t need to emphasize that your product or service is unique, better than the competition, or even the best for that matter. Doing so by declaring that it is can sometimes be worse than not saying anything at all, and the reason for that is that it makes your self-​​serving claim appear suspect or exaggerated.

(more…)