15 Second Marketing (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

15 Second Marketing

[gberardi]

I love how it takes me almost 15 minutes of reading the 15 Second Marketing page to understand what I'm being sold. B-)

"but first, let me ask you…"

Wait, how about first telling me what it is that I'm reading here?

[Savage]

Originally Posted by gberardi

Wait, how about first telling me what it is that I'm reading here?

I'm not a big fan of flashy product sales pages either, but lots of Internet marketers seem to find that they convert well, so they're pretty much everywhere. I'm not sure how effective they are with "smart people" though.

I also went through two of Charlie's other programs (Highly Effective Marketing and Avoiding Obstacles to Sales) and found them quite useful as well. All of the material is well-organized and jives with my own business experience. 15 Second Marketing does a nice job of addressing the core issues and the right mindset. The other programs go into greater depth and detail on various elements of marketing and sales, but they're a lot more expensive.

If you can learn this style of marketing, you'll save tons of money in the long run because you'll be able to attract all the business you can handle without spending a dime on advertising or promotion. I remember spending money on various ad campaigns for my games business, and they were almost always a waste of money, even when I got really good deals.

[Antarananda]

Originally Posted by gberardi

I love how it takes me almost 15 minutes of reading the 15 Second Marketing page to understand what I'm being sold. B-)

"but first, let me ask you…"

Wait, how about first telling me what it is that I'm reading here?

LOL. I was immediately turned off when I scrolled down below Steve's testimonial (which is the only part I actually read). I have been studying Internet Marketing methods this past month, so I have overdosed on the long form sales-pitch landing page. I couldn't even bring myself to read this one, because I would otherwise be analyzing it "here is where he's creating rapport, here is the testimonial section, here is where he uses storytelling hooks, here is where he employs the scarcity tactic, etc". The "Wait, before you go... " exit pop-up was annoying, too.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Antarananda

...I have overdosed on the long form sales-pitch landing page.

Me, too. The most awful part for me is where they list the "value" of the special added bonuses -- like "List of Keywords...Valued at $25!" or "3 Magic Words NO ONE can resist...Valued at $290!" Please. Enough already.

I got way more value out of Steve's article than I would expect to get out of the product itself, based on the pitch.

[Dev]

I agree with both Antarnanda and Angela. I have been researching & tracking such sales pitches over the last few weeks. The long list really puts me off. I should add that some renowned Masters of LoA have also been pitching such stuff. It's not only a pain reading...it actually puts one off. Not only that, with coloured & huge fonts inserted in between...some times it looks like spam contents & unreliable.

I think it should be short & crisp with links at the end for testimonials, pricing etc.
But then, as Angela pointed out - the real value is in what Steve writes
.....and what he recommends.

[Carl Carlson IV]

Would be much more inclined to purchase if it wasn't for this crazy page!

[munish]

The benefits are exaggerated.

Like

"Within three weeks, we added nine new clients and increased our income by $180,000."

"Immediately helped me make a $10,000 sale!"

Your investment is just $69.

How is it possible to make $ 180,000 by investing $ 69?

[Matt Willard]

Mmmm. Not sure what to think about this post. First I saw it and I was all, "Sweet! Reality is providing me with another tip on marketing!" Then I got discouraged when it entered a pitch for another product. Thankfully, there was some actual honest-to-goodness value in there, so the article wasn't a total bust for me.

I guess I'm kinda recoiling because I don't have a lot of money right now, and can't afford to pick up anything that's supposedly good. But let me tell you-the gigantic sales letter webpage does not help. I hate websites that serve no purpose but to try and sell me something, at length. Usually I end up scrolling through them real fast to see the price, and I'm probably not the only one here. The guy could start talking about Knight Rider and I probably wouldn't notice.

You're right about one thing, Steve. This guy's direct sales pitch is not stimulating or inviting at all. I guess a little bit of you rubbed off on me-I want something interesting that provides me value before I buy. You know, like what you do. And if you didn't recommend it-if we didn't trust you-would we even care what this guy's trying to sell?

(And pop-ups when I close the window? That's definitely not extremely annoying and doesn't happen on every sales pitch website at all :V)

[andreelerowes]

It's like the Ronco Turnip Twaddler. It slices! It dices! It juliennes!

They say that the human hand can cut through this board. But can it cut through a tomato?!
YouTube - Original Ginsu 1 Ad

If the product is so good, why can't he just let it speak for itself? He tries so hard to sell it, he unsells it. Why would I want to buy a product on 15 second marketing from such a long-winded, redundant, boldface-abusing writer? If he practiced the brevity he's trying to sell, I'd be more inclined to put the cash down.

[patrickq]

I thought it would be interesting to see responses to this article in the forum, but didn't expect to find so many posts that echoed my feelings.

I detest these manipulative sales pages, primarily because they are targeted at those not savvy enough to see what's happening and maybe get sucked into buying something they don't need, or can't afford. Certainly, they are a successful way of getting sales, which is why they are everywhere on the internet. I haven't bought any product marketed in this way for a long time, no matter how good it appears, just because I find the sales method despicable.

Also, for a guy who is supposed to be so clued up on writing marketing spiel, how come he makes such glaring basic grammatical errors as mixing the use of yours/you're - no, I didn't read the whole sales pitch, just noticed these at the beginning and end.

Now, because it has been recommended by Steve I feel fairly confident that it will be a reasonable product, but that's not going to be enough to persuade me to give a cent to this Charlie Cook salesman character!

[Antarananda]

There's actually been discussion recently in marketing circles about whether the long form online sales letter is dead. Some marketers now use a video based pitch page.

Frank Kern, who has always been wildly successful in his launches and is a master of sales copywriting exclusively used the video approach for his recent Mass Control 2.0 product, which was $1997.

Of course, when people like Kern use video, it can still be pretty subversive, playing on the minds of potential buyers by using covert persuasion methods disguised by a "regular joe personality".

I have become such a cynic about Internet marketing, yet strangely enticed to try it myself. The dark side beckons

[RT Wolf]

Question: What other sources of authentic, honest and non-manipulative marketing advice are there? I've read Steve's posts on the topic and I'm looking for more. Thanks!

[Antarananda]

Actually, as Dave Lakhani has said in his books, what differentiates persuasion from manipulation is intent. Pretty much all tactics used in marketing can be used ethically. Or not.

Of course, many marketers simply use the subjective yardstick that if they believe what they are selling can truly change the lives of their prospective buyers, then covert persuasion and sneaky psychological tactics are justified.

That includes online information products being sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars that are grossly overpriced to reflect the inflated perceived value which the marketer convinces you they are worth. Here's another method they commonly use (copied from a copywriter's twitter feed): "people have a void in their soul. Promise to fill their void, and they'll respond like crazy. People want wholeness"

Books written by Robert Cialdini, Kevin Hogan, Dave Lakhani and Mark Joyner deconstruct the psychology underlying methods of marketing to its nuts and bolts, and are useful to understand how we are being sold to all the time -- even by Steve Pavlina

[gberardi]

Hah, I didn't expect so many people to analyze the page!

If it helps anyone, I did immediately get my credit card out and pay the $69. It's only $69, and Steve recommended it. I know the real benefits can only come if I make the time and put in the effort to make it work, and it does sound beneficial. I do too much research and work myself, so it would be nice if I can take short-cut once in awhile to free up time for other things I'm better at doing. After reading through the table of contents, I'm looking forward to photoreading the book. B-)

But yeah, on a side note, I wish I knew why the long form page works so well for so many. Is it because people that get convinced early on short-circuit to buy, while everyone else feels compelled to read to the end, and the longer it is, the more likely you convert somewhere along the line?

Even so, I find it strange how 1998 some of those web pages can look. B-)

[RRR]

I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by RRR

I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.

Classic...

[Andrew Brunelle]

15 second marketing? Have people's attention spans dropped to that low? I bet commercials are going to become shorter now and we won't be able to follow the plot of Green Acres anymore. Most people today can't even read a book. It's too long and borin g, they say. Probably why most people don't read any books after graduating school.

Either way, it's useful in the current society we live in, this 15 second marketing. It's another way of branding yourself. I think it has merit, as it defines who you are in the least amount of words possible. Very minimalist. Very to the point. Maybe I can use it to usher more people to my blog about saving the Earth and becoming one with the Earth again. Who knows? They say a tagline is what invites people in and if it's worth staying, you've provided tremendous value. It's worth a shot.

[sirkinm]

Originally Posted by andreelerowes

If the product is so good, why can't he just let it speak for itself? He tries so hard to sell it, he unsells it. Why would I want to buy a product on 15 second marketing from such a long-winded, redundant, boldface-abusing writer? If he practiced the brevity he's trying to sell, I'd be more inclined to put the cash down.

Well put. I saw the page and I was immediately put-off.

While the other products this blog endorses seem congruent, somehow this one seems to be a stretch. Posts like that put the blog at risk of jumping the shark, like Diff'rent Strokes when Nancy Reagan came on . I want Steve to make money, and I'm sure he has an awesome deal with this dude, but I'm not feelin' it with this endorsement. I got very little value from the post, and I have no intention of buying a 60 dollar book.

[sirkinm]

Originally Posted by Angela

Me, too. The most awful part for me is where they list the "value" of the special added bonuses -- like "List of Keywords...Valued at $25!" or "3 Magic Words NO ONE can resist...Valued at $290!" Please. Enough already.

Oh yeah, those are great! Who exactly is the one assessing the value here? I guess he went to an appraiser of such things? And no, just because some sucker somewhere once paid $290 for an ebook report does not make it legit.

Hmm, I think I just got an idea for my signature...

[sirkinm]

There it is

[squeakywheel]

I think Erin's marketing message should be "I help illuminate people's best life path." Steve's should be "I am the grain of sand in the oyster shell." His messages have just enough irritation in them to cause you to think and become convicted and then to actually change. And that creates the beauty which reflects back the truth. Sometimes I don't know whether I feel like slapping him or hugging him Thank you, Steve!

[Savage]

Originally Posted by sirkinm

There it is

Lol. That is a pretty funny signature.

Recommending this product isn't likely to make me rich or anything -- I don't earn a lot per sale, not on a $70 physical product. I wanted to give this one a thumbs up because I found it very insightful. It's rare that I encounter a product that gives me some decent a-ha moments.

Fortunately I already earn enough passive income that I don't really have to worry about how well a product sells. I just recommend what I like. If it makes money, great. If not, it was still worth recommending for the people who benefitted from it. I only recommend stuff that includes a money-back guarantee, so nobody has to risk their hard-earned money.

A while back I recommended a bunch of books on polyamory. I think I earned about $10 from those recommendations so far, and that really isn't an exaggeration.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by squeakywheel

Steve's should be "I am the grain of sand in the oyster shell."

I prefer to think of myself as an alarm clock since I enjoy waking people up. Sometimes that makes them want to throw me across the room, yet they still keep switching me on.

[helga]

This comment is my FREE gift to you ($47 value)!

I love it!

[Savage]

Originally Posted by helga

This comment is my FREE gift to you ($47 value)!

I love it!

Reminds me of the free bonuses I offered in the final section of this post:
Zen Habits Interview, Facebook Page, Free Book Bonuses, and More

[RRR]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

15 second marketing? Have people's attention spans dropped to that low?

First impressions are universally important to people. Regardless of culture we are quick to evaluate.

A 15 second (1-2 sentence) marketing (self-description) is a verbal tool for defining yourself, similar to appearance (how you dress, tone of voice, posture). It conveys confidence, directness, clarity, and brevity (brevity is wit).

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

15 second marketing? Have people's attention spans dropped to that low?

Well, I can certainly see the benefit of preparing a marketing line for myself that can be delivered in 15 seconds, or the time it takes to introduce yourself to someone on an elevator. If someone asks me what I do, I think it would be much more inspiring to say something like, "I help people feel exactly the way then want to and make their most treasured dreams come true," than to say, "I'm a coach."

Although lately saying "I'm a hypnotherapist" has been starting a lot of fun conversations!

[sirkinm]

When people ask me what I do, I say, "I'm a machine that turns food into a doo-doo." Just kidding -- I don't know why I find that funny.

Maybe I'll look more into this 15 Second Marketing thing -- there might be something to it.

[Angela]

Hmm. How's that working for getting customers?

I think you would have great success with: "I write lines that make people laugh."