Posted: October 27th, 2009 | Author: Chance Barnett | Filed under: Copywriting, Internet Marketing, Marketing Strategy | Tags: daily routine online, internet habits, user bubble, user profile | View Comments
If you’re interested in online marketing for your business, there’s something important you should know about the people you are looking to become your subscribers or customers.
It’s a process that every single user online is doing, and they’re doing it every day, every time they decide to open up their computer. I call this process the “User Bubble”, and I’m going to explain what it is and why you need to know about it.
First, a few things you need to get before you see what I’m talking about clearly…
Blind Spots As An Internet Marketer
We all have a psychological “blind spot” when we cross over from being USERS of a product or service to being the CREATOR of our own product or service.
Here’s what I mean…
As a USER we’re in a hurry.
We don’t want to have to read all the text on a page. We want to get what we want in 2 seconds or less, and we don’t want to have to give anything up for it.
As a CREATOR… we assume that users should pay attention to us and care.
We want our users to read all the text on our page. We expect to get the users attention and for them to stay engaged and do what we assume they will want to do for minutes on end.
You see the clear disconnect, yet most of us can’t help but fall into this blind spot when we move into being a CREATOR.
Great marketers are often people who think past or overcome this blind spot, and build and design with THE GAP between USER and CREATOR in mind.
Ok. Now that you know a tiny bit about the User/Creator Gap, there’s something 99% of of web/email/mobile users do that we practically all forget about when we go to create and market something of OUR OWN.
The User Bubble
Humans are creatures of habit.
Being creatures of habit, we tend to like or trust things we already know about and have seen before MORE than we like things we haven’t seen or heard about.
We also generally follow the same routes and paths to getting things done on a daily basis.
Examples…
- you take the same route to work
- you filter and respond to email messages at a given address
- you use the same search engine or search bar on your browser
- you talk to the same friends
- you eat the same things
- you watch the same tv shows
- you visit the same websites
- you log in to the same social networks
- you read the same blogs or social feeds
The list goes on.
The process users do day-in and day-out of finding and filtering information from the same people, the same places and doing it in the same ways online is what I call the User Bubble.
Here’s a visual aide from the BBC on users daily routines in media that’s both funny and revealing…
Online Marketing Strategy - Understanding User Routines
Now, you might ask why do people do this? Why do we live in “bubbles?” One reason is that we create habits to make our lives more manageable- to find a rhythm in the chaos that is the overload of Information, knowledge, work and entertainment today.
The point is, we largely do the same things in our lives over and over again, including what we do and where we go and visit online and on the web.
This becomes really important to know when you think about how to get your product or service in front of a real life human being you’d like to become your user or customer. It becomes critical to consider if your business and marketing plan calls for you capturing thousands or millions of users.
The reality is that if you want to get in front of users today, you have to get into what I call their “User Bubble.” You have to find a way to get into their bubble or communication “loop.”
This means that you not only have to be using the channels/mediums they’re repetitively using… but you might have to get a real individual talking about you or mentioning you to their network for many users locked in tiny Bubbles of their own to ever hear about you and come across you in their daily Bubble.
Getting Into Your Users Bubble
Knowing about “User Bubbles,” where do you need to be at to get into your users bubble and daily info “loop”?
I’ve acquired several million subscribers in businesses over the last 7 years.
In the Web 1.0 era there weren’t that many options. Banner ads, forums and email. Search used to be much less crowded. Now there are tons of options, and you need to pick and choose. Most importantly, you need to FOCUS.
Not only does your user and where they are online determine where you need to be to get into their Bubble, but your product or service often determines this as well.
Email has been a great way for marketers and brands to try and get themselves into users Bubbles, and stay there. That’s part of the beauty of email. If you have a users “good” email address, you can bet they’ll at least come across your message when you want to push it to them. But email isn’t as effective as it used to be for many businesses, and users are trying to spend less time be “marketed to” via email. (opening and clicking less non-personal emails)
The social web has expanded many users Bubbles. Now many users have 1-2 email addresses, 1 or 2 social “identities” where they share and glance at feeds, and likely several sources of info/news – blogs, newsletter subscriptions, or Twitter for real time news.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your users will abandon their habits and break out of their Bubble for you. Instead, make sure you’re finding great relevant ways to have them invite you in.
So think about it…
Knowing about how users live in Bubbles, what’s the best way to get into their loop, and stay there with recurring messages, recurring value and give them reasons to continue to interact with you?
Tip of the hat here… I’ve been thinking about writing about the User Bubble phenomena for a few weeks now, and finally got around to it after being inspired by a panel put on by two smart cool folks Tony Adam and Jackie Peters on knowing and finding your Customer at The Perfect Pitch conference.
Posted: May 20th, 2009 | Author: Chance Barnett | Filed under: Copywriting, Marketing Strategy, Search Marketing | Tags: conversion, landing page, subscriber conversion | View Comments
Hey- if you’re interested in learning about how to get your online business off the ground and convert visitors to your site into customers, then you need to check out a video interview I did with Andrew Warner over at Mixergy on How To Ensure Success Before You Launch.
Now, I also want to share some things I didn’t share on the call- one of which is an easy Landing Page Formula. With the theory and insights and tips I gave about Positioning your business, finding your market online and “framing” your product to a hungry crowd… when it comes to actually sitting down and deciding what’s on your landing page, it can be a challenge knowing where to start.
Before I show you where to start, you should remember what I said in the interview-
Creating a great landing page (given time) is not all about being a great copywriter or designer. It’s also a function of being a great tester. (Although talent and experience are the ultimate time savers and leverage – considering time and expense)
So… with that, here’s a quick formula to follow as you’re developing your landing page and the elements to include and test within:
Element #1: Lead With “Finished Story” Benefits
Every page needs a place where the visitors eyes are initially drawn that focuses their attention. Traditionally this is a headline, image or tag line. Make sure that you have this initial element be an attention grabber that let’s your visitor know what they’re going to get out of staying and engaging with you. Remember, you only have a few seconds for a user to decide if your page (and your site/service/product) is or isn’t for them.
The way to make sure that this initial attention element has the result of making your visitor stay and then convert is to talk about what I call “Finished Story” Benefits. These are benefits about what the finished story will be for the visitor after they engage and/or take the action you’re suggesting with your product.
Making your visitor visualize and imagine what they will get and how they will feel after using your product is your goal.
Again, on our call I talked about the company I helped with their business plan template marketing. The “finished story” here wasn’t the obvious – a finished business plan. It was farther removed than that. It was having raised money successfully with the polished and professional business plan.
Long story short, make sure you’re not talking about all the work that might go into your visitor getting the result they’re after. Make sure you’re getting them to connect then ultimate end goal – the finished result and REWARD.
Do this well, and you end up tying the purchase of your product directly to their desire for that end result. Once this happens, most resistance and objections from your visitor will have been removed.
Element #2: Social Proof
I’ll run through these quickly. There are LOTS of examples out on the web of each of these you can find if you just do some Google searched and click on the Paid Adwords ads and see the landing pages there.
“As Seen On” – get your product or service talked about or reviewed on trusted sources and piggy back on the trust and credibility these sources already have with the masses. Present the image of these sources (CNN, Newsweek, etc.) early on and prominently on your landing page. And the images don’t need to be big. Just there next to the language “As Seen On.”
Testimonials- these are the tried and true workhorses of the direct marketing and copywriting world. Use them. Don’t get generic ones. Get specific ones of your customers talking about actual steps or tips or action taken from your product or material and the end result (finished story).
User Count or Comments – it’s amazing, but simply displaying how many other people are using or have signed in or commented on your site or business raises the perceived value and credibility.
Element #3: Credibility
If you didn’t know, most people online are very very hesitant to click on links that they don’t know where they’re being taken… and they’re even more hesitant to share their email.
When it comes to buying and pulling out their credit card number, it’s a whole other ballgame.
As I’ve talked about before, for a visitor to your site, everything you want to ask them to do represents something very “risky” to them. For more on this check out some of what I wrote about removing risk in online marketing , along with some thoughts about how this applies to the current state of marketing music online.
Anyways, how can you reduce this risk? In short, start by demonstrating your Crediblity (building Trust)
There are a few simple ways I’ve tested, and that lots of other people have tested to this end.
An easy thing you can do and test along these lines that are likely to increase your clicks, signins, and sales is getting approved by some of the institutions that protect consumers and make users feel safe.
Examples:
Sign up with the Better Business Bureau and add the “BBB” approved logo
Get on one of the verified Safe Sender programs if you’re driving emails subs and sending emails… and display this programs logo close to your email sign up form
Simply tell your visitor that you’ll never spam them or share their email (and mean it!)
Bottom line- new visitors to your site don’t know who you are. Make it easier for them to take the risky move of sharing something with you and inviting you into their world.
Element #4: Offer/Value
You can write great copy on your landing page, and design a great layout… but if what you’re asking for and offering on your landing page doesn’t boil down to a great offer then you’re wasting your time.
A lot of people these days are trying to build their list, or build their social friendships or “followers.” If you’re asking for anything like this, let alone asking for a sale, on your landing page, you better make you’re visitor feel like they’re getting the better end of the deal.
So what do I mean by a great offer, and what does one look like?
A bad offer, if you’re looking to drive email signups from your page, is essentially offering nothing but the chance to “sign up” in exchange for the visitor giving up their precious email and expose their inbox to you.
Arguably, that’s not an “offer” at all. But the crazy thing is, most people’s email sign up forms on their landing pages are framed in this manner.
Instead, what can you create and provide in exchange for a user putting in their email? And how can you tie this directly into their “finished story.”
This question is exactly what I love the “free report” give away or white paper type free line content. It creates an instant “offer” that makes a visitor feel like simply sharing their email address in exchange for this information is giving them the better end of the deal.
Element #5: Call To Action
This is what inexperienced copywriters and marketers have the most problems with. They either don’t even use a call to action, or they make it so weak and passive that they might as well not have one.
A great call to action does the following:
Gives specific instructions on exactly what action you want the visitor to take
Tells the visitor exactly how to do this
Uses the already “anchored” benefits you’ve put in your visitors mind and reminds the visitor of what they’ll get by taking this action
Here’s a bad call to action if you’re trying to drive email subscribers-
“Sign Up Here And Get Our Emails.”
Just what we all want, more email. No thanks!
Ok, now go out and get on the web and look at 30 or more landing pages by doing all kinds of searches and clicking on paid ads. This will start to bring some of these 5 elements into your awareness and give you ideas on how to go about writing and designing your landing page.
And don’t forget to test, test, test.
Let me know how it goes.
And here’s some Recommended Reading:
To better understand how and where to “frame” and place your business in your market, read Position by Al Reis and Jack Trout.
For a great overview of the psychological principles and operators to be aware of and use in your landing page copy and offer read Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Cialdini
For design guidance and insights, go get Universal Principles of Design (design insights with the psychology behind them) by Lidwell, Holden & Butler.
For your copywriting bootcamp, get all 3 of these books and study them regularly as you’re writing copy: Ogilvy On Advertising, Tested Advertising Methods and The Ultimate Sales Letter.
Posted: May 19th, 2009 | Author: Chance Barnett | Filed under: Business Startup, Communication, Copywriting, Entrepreneurs, Marketing Strategy | Tags: conversion, Entrepreneurs, landing pages, marketing | View Comments
Hey- just wanted to let you know that I’ll be interviewed by Andrew Warner at Mixergy and sharing over an hour of my best stuff on marketing and developing content that attracts and converts.
Andrew asked me to do this interview and I decided to make it my goal to share with viewers how to move from a site that “chases traffic” to a thriving business that consistently drives engagement (email, social, subscriptions) and repeat sales.
The secrets I share are all about honing your ability to understand your visitors/prospects, deliver real value that engages them in the form of on page written and designed content, and create a system that allows your results to happen repeatedly and to be improved and optimized over time.
Do you have a system and a way to automate some portion of your business/work? Then how to do plan on getting out of the “trading your time for money” conundrum?
In this video interview I’m going to share some of my best tips for marketing online and creating automated systems that will allow you to scale your success and results.
I’ll share why most successful entrepreneurs fail at attracting and converting paying customers… and what your business or idea needs for people to both find you, engage with you, and buy from you.
If you’re not 100% sure how to start with your online business or idea, and you don’t have tested and proven experience writing and designing marketing that works… then watch my video interview Mixergy.
The interview is here:
Free Online Marketing Tips to Convert Traffic Into Customers
Posted: February 4th, 2009 | Author: Chance Barnett | Filed under: Copywriting, Email Marketing, Marketing Strategy | Tags: Copywriting, Email Marketing, Offer Testing | View Comments
Dear Rand (and SEOMoz team),
You asked me to reply and tell you WHY I wasn’t interested in your offer you emailed me.
I’m going to answer you, and hopefully provide something valuable back about why I didn’t take you up on your offer (and perhaps why others won’t as well)
Here’s what your offer said…
.
***SEOMoz Offer Email***
To: Chance Barnett
From: Rand from SEOMoz
Subject: Try SEOMoz PRO For Just A Dollar!
Hi Chance,
Thanks for hanging out on the SEOmoz blog this year; I’m thrilled you’re a fan of our work. As a special thank you for your support, here’s a gift that will (in my humble opinion) have an enormous, positive impact on your SEO performance in 2009: a full month of SEOmoz’s PRO membership for only $1.
There’s only one itsy bitsy teeny catch: because we offer one-on-one Q+A with the SEOmoz staff, we’ve had to limit the number of places available at the discounted rate. So while we’re sending this offer out to 122,451 SEOmoz members, it’s only valid for the first 5,000 people who respond. Don’t delay – we’ll be promoting our once-in-a-lifetime $1 offer on the blog on Monday, February 9th. So act now, before the riotous, can’t-be-tamed masses hear of this.
To claim your first month of PRO membership for just $1, visit www.seomoz.org/trypro and enter SUCCESS09 as your promo code. The code expires February 13th (that’s next Friday), but remember, space is limited.
IF YOU DECIDE YOU DON’T WANT TO CLAIM THIS SPECIAL $1 OFFER … then please send a reply to this email with a brief explanation of why you aren’t interested (and don’t worry about hurting my feelings; my wife says it “builds character”).
I hope you have a prosperous 2009!
Thanks,
Rand
P.S. Here’s the link again, just in case you missed it 
To claim your full month of PRO member services for just $1, visit www.seomoz.org/trypro (using SUCCESS09 in the promo code!)
***End Of Offer Email***
.
Rand- here’s why I’m not taking you up on your offer, from my perspective as a prospect of yours…
.
REASON #1
You assumed that I would click through on the link in your email to get to the real specific value of the offer you get at in your landing page.
But I don’t like clicking through.
Not unless I can’t help myself and you’ve caught my attention so much so that I’ll literally distract myself and become “your prospect” for a few precious moments.
You didn’t catch my attention enough to cause me to interrupt my time in email and at my computer and click through.
.
REASON #2
I’m busy and I don’t care about you and your email.
Inside your email you did not give me a clear simple easy way to understand some of the SPECIFICS I will get as a result of signing up. You made me guess what I might get, without spelling it out for me.
Big mistake.
I wish you would have included 3-5 bullets that would have painted a clear picture of specific things I would have learned or had access to learn in my first $1 month, or specific RESULTS I would have gotten as a result of my learnings and applying them.
You needed to let me know what I would get AFTER I signed up, and the BENEFIT to me… rather than focusing so much on the offer you’re pitching. It’s about me, your customer, not you.
Focus on me in your copy, not you and your company.
.
REASON #3
You added an exclamation point at the end of your email subject line.
I’m kind of embarrassed when I see smart people do this.
It’s like you were thinking…
“Hey, let’s do something salesy. Oh, add an exclamation point on it and people will get really excited and respond. Yeah!”
This is the single most obvious junior copywriters mistake out there. I’ve seen many a test result showing that headlines without exclamations perform better. Seriously!
You don’t need to get my attention in these cheap ways. Think of real value, and let your words provide the impact.
You’ve got enough great stuff in your teaching, and your know your clients needs. Stick to that.
.
REASON #4
You don’t give enough specific examples of things that actually work and show them working.
If you did, I would have been shooting myself in the foot and denying myself value and opportunity by passing your offer up.
But you didn’t make me feel this way.
You tried to make me feel like this offer was scarce and time sensitive. (Which likely will work with some people too, but not many others)
You’re better than this. In your site and blog, you share a lot on “How to”, techniques, mistakes to pay attention to, etc…. but I haven’t seen a whole lot of “here’s how this really works in action”.
Gimme screen shots, stats. Take me out of the abstract and apply what you’re talking about to specific domains, keywords, etc. more often please.
.
As your prospect I have to admit something to you…
I AM DUMB.
I need you to make the value of your offer and why I must click through and take you up so obvious that I already have an idea when I click of what clicking and taking you up on your offer is going to do FOR ME.
As someone who doesn’t know you, and doesn’t know exactly what your membership is and will give me, I’d like you to make this CRYSTAL CLEAR for me and show me what I’m going to get.
What is the specific benefit I’m going to get? Simplify my life and let me know, I’m listening.
Ok, Rand and SEOMoz…
With all that said, I hope this pulls great for you guys, and it’s nice to see you doing some direct copy kind of stuff.
Keep it up!