Today we have a guest post from Mike Williams. And it’s fantastic. Make sure to read all the way down to the crazy dancing guy who inspires an entire crowd to get off their feet.

When I was 8 years old, I decided to boycott McDonald’s. A little differentiation to, you know, set myself apart from all those other 3rd graders and their lesser minds.

And even though I despised hamburgers, it was still a harrowing decision, because the McDonald’s on Forest Avenue was more than just a burger house…

… It was the arena of my glorious 6th birthday…
… It was the sign post marking we’re home, finally on any long drive…
… And it was the only place I could swan dive into a mesh pit of balls.

And so I made that decision with as much care as an 8 year old could muster. I felt liberated, almost.

No more burgers – who cares?
No more birthday parties – I’ve got laser tag now, big cat.
No mesh pit of balls – try comparing that to the high dive at Taylor Park!

It seemed so easy. But, you know, 8 year olds aren’t exactly long term thinkers. I hadn’t realized how many times we actually drove past that place. And that sign. That god forsaken sign.

Each time we passed, it whispered, even teased, “Over 90 billion served.” A gentle reminder that right now 90 billion kids around the world were swan diving into mesh pits of balls between Mountain Dew refills. And instead of joining in… here I sat, outside on my high horse, looking in.

Slowly, deliberately, it withered my soul and eroded my resolve.

Three weeks and a day later, I was back inside crushing french fries and Mountain Dews between swan dives.

That was my first experience with social proof. It would not be my last. I’d like to explore why it worked so well, and offer a few ways you can use social proof to improve your marketing.

Why Social Proof Works

Humans are pack animals. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We don’t want to go it alone. We fight to fit in in high school. We search for meet ups of like minded colleagues. If others are doing it… yes, we’re more likely to do it ourselves, too.

That’s why the top-rated workplaces are all big on company culture and chasing a mission bigger than profit. Employees stay longer if they feel a part of something meaningful.

With this evolution of the work place and the proliferation of the internet, you might think people are growing more connected. You might think your prospect feels inundated with tribes, and that the offer to join one more would be an annoyance.

You would be wrong.

People–your customers–are growing more isolated, not less. Your prospect has fewer close friends than she did 20 years ago.

And herein lies the opportunity. She needs you. You can give her that tribe to join. You can give her that something to be a part of. You can provide her the social outlet and supporting relationships she so desperately craves.

And if you do that, you will make more money. Here are a few tactics you can use to put this social proof idea into action.

Social Proof Tactic #1: Blog Comments

Simple, subtle, effective.

If you run a blog for your business, comments show your prospect that others find your content compelling, they show others view you as an authority, and they build buzz. (We’re more likely to read a post with 400 comments than one with none.)

Here are a few ways others have used blog comments to as social proof:

In a product launch, it is common to post pre-selling videos that explain your product and/or provide value of some sort. The savvy marketer often finishes these with instructions to leave questions or thoughts in the comments (to build commitment and consistency).

If your launch gets a lot of traffic, chances are you’ll also get a lot of comments. Once this happens, let your prospects know “just how many people are abuzz about the video.” Once she sees how excited others are, she’s more likely to get excited as well.

You can also use the number of comments to establish your authority. Point your prospect to the post “everyone is talking about.” She’ll see the comments and deduce herself that you’re the center of attention.

Here’s how John Carlton did this during his recent launch. Notice the subtle mention of blog comments to beef up perceived quality of his free stuff.

Big day today.

We’re releasing spots in the new Simple Writing System coaching program, starting at 2pm Eastern (11am Pacific).

Those spots are absolutely limited, because of all the hands-on, one-on-one, personalized attention you get from professional teachers.

Life-changing tools and skills… and packed up in one super-fun, totally interactive program that gently forces you to finally nail the simple system for creating every sales message you need. (For your ads, websites, videos, emails, etc.)

However…

… just because we’re such great guys…

… we are still leaving the free lessons (short cuts to making the sale) up on the blog:

www.SimpleWritingSystem.com/blog/

This is killer stuff, just being given away. (Over 2,000 comments have been posted on these lessons… it’s fascinating, game-changing advice.)

But we’re only leaving those lessons up until 2pm Eastern (11 Pacific)… when we turn our full attention to helping people get into the full-on SWS coaching program.

Stay tuned… those spots (and the bonuses — which include a free invite to our next Action Seminar) always disappear fast.

Stay frosty,

John

You can also use number of video views or file downloads the same way.

Social Proof Tactic #2: A Quantity-Based Approach

Maybe you don’t have 2,000 blog comments. How, then, can you show your prospect she’s joining a tribe?

Use the data available to you. How big is your mailing list? How many customers do you have? (“Over 90 billion served.”) How big is your market? How many people search for your keyword terms? Use these to show her she’s become a part of something.

Example:

Dear Jane,

Thanks for signing up to my newsletter. Here’s the first article I promised:

LINK

By the way, did you know you’re the 43,421 subscriber to this list? Crazy.

We’ve got a great community going here – I’m really glad you’ve become a part of it.

Talk soon,
Mike

In this case, I used the data to reinforce and validate my prospect’s decision to join, but you can also use it to compel her to join as well. For example, “We’re a community of 43,420 skiers strong–all sharing our best tips for finding the hottest deals around the country. Would you care to join us? It’s free!”

Social Proof Tactic #3: Celebrity or Expert Endorsement

In this tactic, you borrow the established credibility of a celebrity or expert.

Are there any relevant celebrities or experts in your niche? Who do your prospects hold in high esteem? Do any of them use your product? If so, let people know.

If you show your product is good enough for the niche all-stars, the hobbyist will more likely believe it’s good enough for her. The key is to get endorsements from people she respects or reveres.

Here’s a 2nd approach: Have these experts made any quotes that bolster your claims? Any documented, public quotes are fair game. Is anyone talking about your product’s production process or the approach your solution takes? Again, if you show your product is supported by the experts, the hobbyist will likely follow suit.

Example: Let’s say you’re the first person to build a dishwasher that uses no water. It’s an environmental breakthrough, except you don’t have a lot of credibility because no one has heard of your company. People also have a hard time believing you can clean dishes without water.

So you look through the newspapers and research articles and find quotes from 12 Harvard scientists supporting the water-free technology.

In my ad, I would include quotes from them and tell my prospect that Harvard scientists vouch for this technology… in effect borrowing the credibility of the Harvard brand.

Here’s how Frank Kern did this:

You’ll love this.

I’ve decided to release two of the best parts of Mass Control 2.0 and give them away to everyone who wants them – no strings attached.

And that’s not all.

I’m also going to flat out give you a TON of really incredible stuff in the next few weeks … totally for free.

The reason I’m doing this for you is two-fold:

Reason One: Just to be cool.

I mean hey, why not? I could use the good karma.

Reason Two: Blatant Self Promotion.

I’m about to release a new and ADVANCED training and I’ve decided togive away more cool and valuable stuff during this pre-launch than EVER before.

And the reason I’m doing that is because:

A: It’s fun.

B: The new training is fairly advanced and a lot this free stuff is designed to get you up to speed.

In fact, one of the things I’m giving you is a complete cut-n-paste campaign that’s designed to make you money BEFORE my new training goes on sale …so you can use the proceeds to get the training and still have some left over.

Anyway, the new training is called “LIST CONTROL” and it’s all about how to build a responsive list (starting from scratch) …and then how to sell your list TONS of stuff …while genuinely helping them …and being super cool and nice to them in the process.

It’s the damndest thing you’ve ever seen because they actually ask to buy stuff from you …and then they thank you for letting them give you money.

Awesome.

I’ve been working on these new strategies in secret for the past 18 months …and I used my high-paying private clients as guineau pigs.

(They were cool with that. Luckily, everything worked amazingly well and everyone made a lot of money!)

———————————————————————-

HERE’S THE SCHEDULE OF WHEN I’LL BE GIVING YOU AWESOME STUFF.

———————————————————————-

The pre-launch officially begins on March 8th, but I’ll be hooking you up before then.

Notice what he did in the last few paragraphs?

I’ve been working on these new strategies in secret for the past 18 months …and I used my high-paying private clients as guineau pigs.

(They were cool with that. Luckily, everything worked amazingly well and everyone made a lot of money!)

There’s a lot going on in those 3 sentences. Let’s translate:

1. That’s right, I get paid vast sums to consult high-profile clients.
2. I have so much authority they let me test stuff on their businesses!
3. And if this stuff made them a ton of money, it’ll definitely make you a ton of money, too.

Great subtle use of social proof.

Social Proof Tactic #4: Testimonials

No one trusts you. You’re a marketer. You sell stuff. You’re dirty.

But even though your prospect doesn’t trust you, she does trust the opinions of other customers. Especially if those other customers are just like her. (For example, middle aged women place the most stock in testimonials from other middle aged women, etc.)

As a result of this placement of trust, testimonials are downright crucial to convincing your prospect of your claims.

Here are some tips for maximizing the selling power of your testimonials:

• Focus on results. “I made $100 using Mike’s system” is far more powerful than, “Mike’s system is superb!”
• Be as specific as possible. Be specific about results, time to get those results, etc.
• Include a hard-hitting headline that gets the main message across quickly, like, “My Acne Disappeared in 23 days” or “I Saved $96 My First Phone Call.”
• Attach as much testimonial-giver information as possible to increase the credibility: name, location, business, picture, etc. * The most powerful testimonial is one from someone just like the reader, so get them from customers that represent each set of needs, objections, demographics, etc of your target market.

Here’s an example of a testimonial I got from a freelance client. It was perfect for showing other potential clients. Notice how it is specific, punchy, and straight to the point.

“Return on Investment of Over 1000%”

“Michael Williams is one of the most brilliant marketers that we have ever had at MindValley.

Month after month he came up with excellent new ideas on how to grow our online business and executed the plans flawlessly.

I can easily say that we got a return on investment of over 1,000% from engaging Michael and would strongly recommend him to anyone.”

~ Mike Reining, founder of MindValley.com

Here is a good guide for how to collect powerful testimonials.

Social Proof Tactic #5: Testimonial Case Study

Instead of confining testimonials to a short paragraph, you can also take an expose approach to your customer’s experience. This is perfect for combating objections and fears because it goes deep into the journey from problem to salvation.

And the beauty of these is your prospects often find them valuable. It delights them and sells them at the same time. Call up some past customers, interview them about their experiences, and package these as recorded interviews, videos, or short reports. Your prospects will take value from the stories, and you’ll have an excellent sales tool focused purely on proof that other regular people are loving your product.

Here are some questions I’ll use to guide these interviews:

• What was your life like before you got the product?
• What fears or hesitations did you have about buying it and/or using it?
• How did your experience compare to those fears you had?
• What specific results did the product provide you?
• What were the key factors to getting those results?

Depending on your niche, collecting these could be tricky as it requires your subject to document her results as she goes. Communicate with your customers early on, deepen the relationship as they use your product, and this won’t be a problem.

Social Media Tactic #6: Media Appearances

Similar to the expert endorsements, media appearances borrow credibility. This guy must be credible if he’s been on TV.

Perhaps you haven’t made any appearances yourself, but has any part of your product (your ingredients, approach, market, or trends) been spotlighted on TV? It follows the idea that, if you’re credible enough to get on TV, you’re credible enough for the hobbyist.

These make great pieces of sidebar content.

Final Tips:

As we’ve seen, social proof is powerful in and of itself, but here are a few ways to maximize its influential power:

1. Match each “piece” of social proof to its related claim or benefit. If you claim you’re the fastest, follow it with testimonials proving it. If doctors recommend you, follow with supporting endorsements.
2. Load the proof up front. Give your prospect reasons to believe you. Show her that other people like her have come before… and reached salvation by reading your ad.
3. Your prospect will be looking for testimonials from people like her. Figure out the main subsets of your market, and provide testimonials from people that reflect each subset’s characteristics.
4. Save some strong ones for your close. People often go straight to the end of your ad, so hit them with reputable, enticing proof. And don’t forget to use your social proof to seal the deal at the point of action.

One Last Thought

The great Gary Bencivenga once said, “Without proof, nobody buys” Proof was the critical element of his copy. And social proof specifically was a big piece of that.

But let’s go one step further. Click play on the 3 minute video below and watch the power of social proof unfold right before your eyes (with explanation as it happens):

Your prospect is skeptical. She’s lonely. She’s looking for purpose. Use these tactics to show her others have already paved the way, that her purchase will provide her a tribe, and chances are she’ll follow suit just the same.

Mike Williams is an entrepreneur in Jersey City, New Jersey. He runs an online hookah shop and teaches copywriting tips to other entrepreneurs.

Then here’s some well timed advice.

Start small, and grow.

That’s my preferred method. Another method would be to throw your life savings at a market before you know if you can make it profitable.

Yikes!

I don’t think so. Instead start small and borrow from businesses that are already established.

For example if you want to move in to the weight loss niche, you’re going to have your work cut out for you. It’s competitive. Doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’ll take work.

Do you really want to pay $10k – $20k for a new weight loss product and sales letter when you’re not even sure you’ll be able to find the traffic in this highly competitive niche?

That approach is all wrong.

Instead, let’s take a smaller, incremental approach that will actually make your business stronger in the long run.

Instead of creating a product, start with a squeeze page. And start driving traffic to the squeeze page.

This does a few things.

One, you start collecting email addresses which will be good if you release a product in the future.

Two, you get experience trying to drive traffic to a site in this niche. You might find it too hard for you and give up (which would save you the cost of creating a product).

And three, you’re likely building back links to the page which are ALWAYS useful, even if you decide to move in another direction or sell the site to someone else.

But Wait… There’s More

You ALSO will have an opportunity to test different headlines and angles with your squeeze page.

The results you get back from these tests can tell you what type of product to create.

For example, if your Internet Marketing squeeze page always performs best when you mention Private Label Rights, what type of product are you going to create?

Starting with an inexpensive squeeze page is a great way to test the market while still building the foundations of a new business.

Plus As You’re Building Your Business You Can Borrow From Others

If you don’t have $3,000 to hire a copywriter, you can send your leads from the squeeze page over to someone in the same niche who HAS paid for a copywriter in exchange for a commission.

This probably means signing up with a site like Clickbank where you can find Internet businesses in your niche ready to give you a commission for sales you send their way.

Try picking 2 or 3 products from Clickbank and rotate who you send your traffic to. You’ll soon get an idea of which business is the most profitable…

…and now you have a model to follow.

I can help you get your first squeeze page up, find an affiliate product to promote and write your promotional materials. Just fill out an application here.

Good luck and happy business building.

It behaves a little strangely, but having the opportunity to go back and save the files I almost lost is pretty cool. Those files include a ton of music that iTunes would not have let me restore from their end, AND a bunch of pictures from vacations and such.

Some people choose to backup pictures on external hard drives. And while that can be a good idea, it doesn’t save you from a fire. That’s why I like to find places to store files online.

Thanks to Aaron Brandon, I discovered that Google Docs also allows you to upload up to 1GB of storage. So I’m putting my pictures up there for now.

And an AWESOME service called DropBox gives you 2GB of free storage, and I’ll be uploading all of my music there.

But that’s only half the story of DropBox. The service creates a folder inside your “Documents” folder on your PC, and any files you put inside are automatically backed up online as well.

You can open and edit these files just like they were inside any other folder on your computer… but they’re automatically saved to the ‘net as well.

Perfect. This is much simpler than even an automatic backup service, and makes switching from one computer to another for projects very easy.

I love it.

But are you really trying to live it?

One way to live the Internet lifestyle is to stay MOBILE. Which means you can work from anywhere with an Internet connection, even in the Caribbean.

That means cloud computing. Or using online applications that are available from any web browser.

For the past couple years, I’ve mostly done that. But recently when my computer died, I realized I hadn’t made the full switch. All of my excel documents (which I made inside OpenOffice) were lost along with many of my brainstorms inside .txt documents.

I can take a hint. So now I’ve switched to Google Docs for spreadsheets. Surprisingly, Google Docs works very well and can essentially replace Microsoft Office (at least for my needs).

That means my list of mobile software programs for my business now looks like this…

1. Gmail
2. Google Calendar
3. Google Docs
4. Wordpress or (Internet Business Box)
5. CopyBreeze

If you switch your business around to use these programs, you’ll instantly find yourself more mobile and ready to live the Internet lifestyle.

You’ll also notice you’re more protected from hardware failure, which is very important if you run a serious business.

Seems that sins of the past can become mainstream. And I’ve noticed 3 “email sins” that have made the move to acceptable mainstream practices. Just like how Elvis’ gyrating hips went from national controversy to a moot point.

1) Free Mail With GMail

Recently I shared how using a Gmail address has become mainstream, even for professionals. It used to be using anything but xxxx@yourdomain.com was taboo. And while Hotmail and Yahoo! domains are still generally seen as amateur, GMail has crossed over to the mainstream simply because their inbox is THAT good.

2) Asking for email address only.

For probably more than a decade asking for both name and email in opt-in forms was standard. This allowed you to do “amazing” things like personalizing emails and sales pages.

But more recently word has spread that marketers are universally increasing conversions by asking for email only… I haven’t heard even one test to the contrary.

3) The death of double opt-in.

It used to be that when someone gave you permission to send them emails, that you did indeed have their permission. But the rise of spam and worry over deliverability rates led most autoresponder services to make Double Opt-in mandatory.

Double opt-in means the visitor has to submit their email address, then check their email and finally click a link to confirm that they did, indeed, give you permission to email them.

This of course drastically cut down in the number of new subscribers marketers were receiving. But finally it appears that companies are changing their minds again.

Many marketers are switching back to single opt-in and large autorepsonder services are making it double opt-in optional once again. This is good news for honest email marketers.

Overall, I love all 3 of these new developments in email. Although not quite as much as 50’s rock ‘n’ roll.

Oh, it turns on for few seconds I suppose. Just long enough to give me hope. But nothing ever appears on the screen before the power shuts off, then on, then off, then on in a never ending loop. Seems to be a common problem with HP Pavillion’s (And here).

In any case, enough woe is me.

This is just another reminder that your computer and all it’s files can go at any time.

If you’ve taken my advice in the past then you’re ready for a computer failure like I was. But if you’re still leaving important files not backed up on your computer, maybe it’s time you consider cloud computing as well.

Here’s my advice in a nutshell.

1. Switch to GMail for handling email, so you can access it at any computer.

2. Use web applications instead of desktop applications whenever you can. For example, Google Calendar is better than using whatever software came installed with your operating system.

3. If you write sales copy, then plead with me to release Copy Breeze immediately so that all of your projects will be backed up both on your webhost and in your email.

4. And use extra space on your webhost’s server to store important files.

Those are my general rules and they made sure the death of my computer was simply an annoyance instead of a disaster.

At one time, I used PHPMail to deliver copywriting applications to my inbox. And only after a long period without receiving an application did I discover that my web host turned off PHPMail without telling me.

Thanks!

Just last week I woke up to 3 emails in my inbox. And if you’ve ran an Internet business for long, you know that number is remarkably low.

I started poking around the ‘net and realized I could count for several emails that SHOULD have been delivered but weren’t! (Payment notifications, auto-response messages and the like.)

I contacted my web host who set up a “test” and discovered my email was working “just fine.” (And miraculously, it did start working after I complained.)

But as was confirmed today, potential clients did email me and, of course, received no response back from me.

Overall, I like my web host and I’d be very hesitant to move. But it’s becoming very clear that I need to stop using their email.

GMail, The Reliable Free Mail

It used to be that a free email address was a big no-no for business. But that’s changed since Gmail came along.

Gmail REALLY IS that much better than paid alternatives. There’s little excuse not to use them as your primary email address, and many of the IM GURU’s do.

Needless to say, I hope to quickly move away from my web hosts email and rely solely on Gmail for the foreseeable future.

Hmm… To me this shows the copywriter is a novice. It’s just impossible to do. Look what the famous copywriter, Bob Bly had to say about it…

“4-Do not promise your copy will generate a specific result. It is unethical and not true: no one can guarantee a particular response rate.” ~ Bob Bly

One BIG reason why talking conversion rates before you know about the project is the traffic source. This sole factor can have the BIGGEST impact on your conversions.

Because some sources of traffic convert MUCH better than other sources of traffic. Here’s a list of traffic sources, from the best converting to the least.

Product Announcement Lists

People who have opted-in to be TOLD when your product is ready… will be the most likely to buy by far. Here’s where you can hit REALLY high conversion rates. 30% might be average.

Your Customer List

People who have bought from you before… are VERY likely to buy from you again.

Your Subscriber List

It depends on the list, of course. If you haven’t built a responsive list, you may not get a good response.

But, in general. Emailing people who already subscribe to YOUR list and KNOW YOU is a great way to get 10%-20% response rates.

Other Business’ Lists

Having someone else promote your sales page to a list who knows THEM is almost as powerful as mailing your own list. They’re giving an endorsement to a crowd of people who trust them.

Signature Links From Articles/Forum Posts

A signature link from an article or forum post can be more valuable than other advertisements or links because the reader has gotten to know and trust you a bit by reading your content. Then when they hit your sales letter, you are positioned as an authority.

Paid Advertising: Text Ads, Banner Ads and So Forth

Then FINALLY we get to paid advertising. You can obviously still get great conversion rates from Google Adwords and other forms of paid advertising. But you’re probably not going to hit the 10%-50% conversion rates that you might from some of the traffic sources above.

This is good information to know when hiring a copywriter. If they promise a 2% conversion rate and hit 3%, you might think that’s great.

But if the traffic came from your customer list… the copy may not be nearly as great as you thought.

I’d reached the 2nd page of Google results for “copywriting” with Stephensblog.com, but I wanted to leave that domain for a number of reasons I won’t go into here.

Well a month or so ago when I checked the ranking of “CopywritingDean.com” for the term “copywriting,” I was shocked to find myself ranked 450th. YIKES. So I started making some changes.

Fixing a mistake

A major mistake when switching domains was copying the posts from StephensBlog.com over to CopywritingDean.com. We’ve all heard about the duplicate content penalty… well l got it.

After I went through and deleted a few dozen posts from CopywritingDean.com that were also on StephensBlog.com, I jumped from #450 to #119.

Still a long way to go, but that’s a start.

Sticking with what works

At Stephensblog.com I was able to jump from about #75 to mid twenties by having posts submitted to Blog Carnivals.

You can do this yourself here: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit.php

Just look for blog carnivals that fit your blogs topic, and submit individual blog posts to the carnival.

I’ve found software that automates the process for you before, but it seems to have stopped working. I assume the site doesn’t want you to submit via software, so now I just do it by hand. It doesn’t take too long and it’s a mindless activity, so I just do it while chatting on the phone to the GF.

Blog Friends

I’m also on the lookout for people who want to trade links in their blog rolls. I have 164 pages listed in google from CopywritingDean.com and each one will have a link to your page if you’ll put my blog in your blogroll.

Of course, if you don’t care for my blog then there’s no reason for you to add me to your sidebar. But if you do enjoy my blog, adding me to your blogroll has an extra benefit.

Just leave a comment to this post letting me know that you added me and I’ll make sure to add you to my sidebar. (Assuming your site isn’t objectional… you know, like illegal stuff and the like.)

So I wanted to share with you how I, as a copywriter, find the perfect domain name.

Pretty much every word in the dictionary is taken. There are plenty of two word combinations available… but the most obvious ones are usually taken. A lot of what’s left over doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense without good marketing.

MySpace.com, FaceBook.com and YouTube.com might seem like self explanatory domains to you now… but if you didn’t know what the sites were. They’d be a mystery.

Those two domains are a good example of what’s left.

BUT… those domain names aren’t bad at all. I just helped a client find the perfect domain name for his new product. It’s two words. Easy to remember. Easy to spell…

Well, why don’t I just go ahead and tell you my rules for selecting domain names.

1. They must be extremely easy to spell. Short words like… cat, hat, free are great. Stuff like “genius” isn’t good. You may think it’s easy to spell, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to mess up.

2. I like to avoid double vowels between words, and sometimes double consonants. For example, giveeasy.com is a domain name that I once considered, but that double “e” in the middle. It’s a little confusing. This can happen with consonants when double l’s or t’s get involved.

3. Less than 3 words. You can get away with breaking this rule every now and then. But in general, keep working ’til you find something that doesn’t take an hour to type in.

4. Benefit-laden. IF POSSIBLE, it’s great to have a domain name that states the benefit of your product or service. Why? Because the domain name can act like an ad for your site. It’s almost like a headline!

I bought a domain name a while back called snackawaypounds.com. Check out that benefit. Putting a benefit in the domain ALSO helps people remember the name.

Ok, those are my 4 biggest tips for selecting domain names. I could have said, always go for a .com. But you should know that.