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Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter:
Resources, ideas, and tips for improving response
to business-to-business, high-tech, industrial,
Internet, and direct marketing.
July, 2004
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6 WAYS TO WRITE WEB PAGES THAT SEARCH ENGINES CAN FIND
What's the most effective way to gain high ranking
on search engines for your Web site?
Rick Bateman of Etraffic Solutions says it's in
writing Web content that optimizes search engine
placement.
Rick's recommendations for writing SEO
(search engine optimized) copy (most of which
result in search engines giving added weight
to your site) are as follows:
1. Use keywords in your headings, subheads,
and body copy.
2. Place keywords at the beginning of a sentence
or paragraph.
3. Group keywords in copy as close to each other
as possible.
4. Use keywords as frequently as possible – between
two to 10 times.
5. Use keywords as the link text of hyperlinks.
6. Cover no more than one topic per page on your Web
site.
Source: DM News, 6/14/04, p. 22.
Also see http://www.seoworkbook.com
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NEW RULES OF INTERNET ETIQUETTE
Here are my quick rules of thumb for angry
letters-to-the-editor, complaints, asking to be taken
off a mailing list, disagreements, and the like:
1. Don't say anything in an e-mail that you would not
say over the phone or face to face.
2. Getting something you don't want or like over the
Internet does not entitle you to be rude or abusive.
3. Think about how bad the offense really is before
you let loose. Follow the golden rule: Talk to others
online as you want others to talk to you.
These rules apply equally to marketers and those
communicating with marketers (customers, prospects).
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QUICK TOOL FOR FINANCIAL MARKETERS
In financial marketing, we often need to
calculate, by hand, the effects of compound interest,
i.e., showing how much $10,000 would grow to in 20
years at an annual compounded return of 23.5%.
Here's an online tool you can use to get the answer
in seconds – without a pocket calculator or pencil
and paper:
http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm
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JEFF BEZOS ON 3 STEPS TO WEB SITE SUCCESS ...
PLUS THE 4 HE LEFT OUT
According to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com,
there are 3 keys to creating an e-commerce Web
site that delivers a favorable customer
experience:
1. Selection.
2. Price.
3. Convenience.
Of course, "a favorable customer experience" does not
by itself – as Bezos well knows – ensure a profitable
online business.
For an online business to make a profit, 4 additional
factors must be present:
1. Sufficient profit margin on products sold – ideally,
a minimum selling price that is at least 8 times the
cost of goods (bare minimum acceptable mark-up is 2:1).
2. The ability to generate visits to the product page
or Web site at a reasonable cost.
3. A sales-oriented product page or Web site persuasive
enough to convert a sufficient percentage of visitors
into buyers to break even or (preferably) make a profit
on the first sale to any new customer.
4. A back-end of additional, related products to sell
these online buyers to generate repeat orders.
Source: InformationWeek, p. 5.
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UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
At the annual Merit Direct Co-op, July 15, 2004,
White Plains, NY, I'll be giving my well-received
workshop, "The 1-Hour Formula for Creating Successful
E-Zines."
In this presentation, I show why it takes me just one
hour to write and design a complete issue of this
e-zine ... how I built my subscriber list from 3,000
to 43,000 in just 6 weeks for under $1,000 ... and how
I used my e-list to generate 200 leads at zero cost in
48 hours.
But don't just go to my presentation; plan to stay for
the whole event. With speakers like Don Libey, Regina
Brady, JoAnna Brandi, Mark Amtower, and Sandy Clark,
the Merit Direct Co-op is well worth attending.
And, it's free!
For more information, call Merit Direct at
914-368-1000
or visit: http://www.meritdirect.com
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DID GROUCHO MARX HATE TO WRITE? YOU BET YOUR LIFE!
"I'm not much of a correspondent. My letters are not
only uninteresting but sparse. I'm glad I don't have
to write for a living. It's arduous work and the
money is very uncertain. On those rare occasions when
I wander into a bookstore it amazes me to see the
avalanche of literature and semi-literature that is
turned out weekly in this country. The people who
write these things are either desperate for money or
love starved. Why should anyone on a nice balmy day
lock oneself in an office and hit a typewriter for
hours on end. I think one of the greatest pleasures
in the world is not writing...."
--Groucho Marx, 1955
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WANT GUARANTEED PUBLICITY FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE?
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BMW provides editorial coverage for your product,
service, idea, firm or association. You can even have
you own advice or ghostwritten columns. This press
release distribution service targets your news to over
45,775 media outlets. They guarantee results from a
minimum of a hundred up to 1,250 story placements for
as little as $15.95 each. For more information,
e-mail blitz4pr@att.net; call (631) 924-8555
or log on http://lgroup.addr.com/PRSuccess.htm
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RECENT COPYWRITING PROJECTS (JUST A SAMPLING)
Direct mail package for Agora Publishing ... direct
mail package for American Chemical Society ... direct
mail for Titan Health Corporation ... space ads for
CAT Media ... e-mail marketing for Forbes ...
online marketing for International Speculator ...
online marketing for Elite Small Cap Trader ...
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60-SECOND COMMERCIAL FROM
FERN DICKEY, OFFICE MANAGER:
Bob is available on a limited basis for copywriting
of direct mail packages, sales letters, brochures,
white papers, ads, e-mail marketing campaigns,
PR materials, and Web pages. We recommend you call
for a FREE copy of our updated Copywriting
Information Kit. Just let us know your industry and
the type of copy you're interested in
seeing (ads, mailings, etc.), and if Bob is available
to take your assignment, we'll tailor a package of
recent samples to fit your requirements.
Call Fern Dickey at 201-797-8105
or e-mail fern1128@optonline.net
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Bob Bly
Copywriter/Consultant
22 E. Quackenbush Ave.
Dumont, NJ 07628
rwbly@bly.com
http://www.bly.com
phone 201-385-1220
fax 201-385-1138
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