Today's Specials: Spam and Caviar!

> You see, all good marketers know the value
> of creating swipe
> files. A swipe file is a collection of
> salesletters and ads
> or other marketing materials that you refer
> to when writing
> your own salesletters.

> You basically analyze them and mine out the
> techniques the
> copywriter used to get attention and sell
> the product or
> service being promoted.

> What psychological triggers did the
> copywriter use?

> Is that a great headling or subject line?

> How are the bonuses and special offers
> constructed?

> These are just a few of the things to ask
> yourself
> when looking over your swipe files.

> What does this have to do with spam?

> Well, most of the unsolicited email you
> recieve on a daily
> basis is trying desperately to sell you
> something. Your
> inbox fills up with tons of junk mail - but
> to the savvy
> marketer - spam isn't junk. Each and every
> one of those
> emails is a mini copywriting course in and
> of itself.

> Some of the companies sending spam have
> spent thousands on
> hiring top copywriters to write this stuff.

Interesting claim. WHO are these companies who have spent thousands on hiring top copywriters? And WHO are these "top copywriters"?

And why even bother trying to find something interesting in Spam?

Cause it sells/works?

How do you know that?

Cause you keep getting the same messages over and over?

Doesn't prove anything. Just means you keep getting the same message over and over.

Could mean the people sending the spam have found another sucker to give them money to spam. Could mean out of the 50 million email address spamed, one person bought. Could mean someone else just bought the "50 million email address on CD with suggested products to sell complete with their sources" CD and is giving it a try.

Personally I think it would be more beneficial to go to the top selling affiliate sites and save their sales letters into your "swipe file." Obviously they are top because they are selling; they are selling because of the sales letter; and you will learn more because you will have copies of sales letters that are working without annoying people.

Yes Spam can teach you something...

• How to be anonymous,
• How to trick people into opening an email,
• How to annoy people - last thing I'd want to do is annoy a hacker,
• How to risk losing your isp and be banned from having an internet connection,
• How to be dishonest in your business dealings,
• How to prey on emotions of those who are open to it at the moment,
• How to give millions of people a bad impression of you and your product.

In other words

Spam can teach you how NOT to do it.

Michael Ross


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