Right now, I’m toying around with a few different headlines for my Copywriting Code membership site.

In fact, my plan is to rewrite the headline and restructure the entire sales letter to be more persuasive.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to do something COMPLETELY different. Rather than do a split-test (since the site doesn’t get much traffic at this point), I thought I’d see what YOU think about the following headlines.

Please vote for your favorite headline or suggest one of your own.

Also, please keep in mind that Copywriting Code is a membership site that teaches both freelance copywriters and business owners how to write direct response copy.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Do you have an idea that needs more explanation? I’d love to hear it. Just leave a comment below.

On page 110 of How to Make Your Advertising Make Money, John Caples writes:

Techniques change, but basic sales appeals go on forever. Therefore, when you are searching for an idea to sell your product or service, don’t forget to review the ideas that have been successful in the past.

I’ve gotten some great ideas from reading proven ads and sales letters. Sometimes it’s just a small copy idea. Other times it’s a headline or subhead. Still others, a sidebar or scarcity play.

Just remember: It does you very little good to review (and recycle) the same three or four or five ads over and over again. You need to be continually inspired by fresh material.

Click here to learn more about Swipe Files.

-Ryan M. Healy

Unlike my copywriting colleague, Ben Settle, I actually did respond to a Netflix ad.

That was a few years ago now.

At the time, they were doing a bunch of print advertising. Mostly blow-ins included with the grocery store flyers delivered by mail once a week.

Those little ads were brilliant. They demonstrated — in print form — how easy it was to use Netflix. Three steps: Sign up, add movies to your queue, get movies in the mail!

Seemed like a brilliant idea to me, so I signed up.

But Ben now reports that Netflix is running some pretty lame radio ads. I haven’t heard ‘em, but I believe it.

If I know anything about advertising, I bet the marketing execs just got bored of their own ads and decided they “just had to mix it up.” I can imagine the following exchange:

Ted: “You know, Bob, I think those 3-step ads have run their course.”

Bob: “Why?”

Ted: “I don’t know, I’m just so bored of them. Why don’t we do something cool… like a mock game show commercial? Now that’d be cool.”

This happens a lot. The advertising that built the company gets scrapped in favor of something “cool.”

Now, to their credit, Netflix is still running hardcore direct response banner ads on the Internet. The latest one I’ve seen uses the following headline:

    Movies delivered 2 ways for only $8.99 a month.

I think that’s a pretty solid headline. And I bet it’s getting results (banner advertising is easily tracked).

Anyhow, the lesson here is simply this:

1. Always test your advertising.

2. Don’t attempt something “cool” or “clever” just because you get bored of your own ads.

3. And don’t resort to branding on radio commercials just because it’s a different medium. (Direct response ads work on radio, too.)

-Ryan M. Healy

Just about all practitioners of direct response marketing know: When a piece is mailed twice, it’s most likely profitable.

Well, the same thing is true for email. When you see the same email — with the same subject line — sent out twice, it’s probably a winner.

What’s interesting is that almost NOBODY does this. The thinking is, “I’ve already sent this email once. Surely I can’t send it a second time because my subscribers will notice.”

True, some may notice. But chances are most of them won’t notice… because… they ignored the first email anyway.

Perfect example.

I wrote an email for a client with the following subject line:

    “What If…”

We’ve now sent it out five times, with similar results every time. It is the best-performing email we’ve ever used for this particular market and product.

Here’s another example:

The Oxford Club sent me an email on June 16. They sent the same email with the same subject line again on June 21. (The only change was a short intro paragraph at the top of the 2nd email.) Here’s the subject line they used:

    “Why August 12 Starts Phase Two of the Euro’s Meltdown”

Pretty compelling, wouldn’t you say? When I saw this, I literally HAD to open it.

Sometimes you can find great email subject lines just by “farming” your email inbox. Here are four recent examples (and one older example) that caught my attention:

    The best advice I never received…
        -AWAI

    The Info-Marketer’s Most Precious Business Asset…
        -Daniel Levis for The Makepeace Total Package

    uh-oh. he’s naming names.
        -Ray Edwards

    Your copy bombed – now what?
        -Carline Anglade-Cole

    How to Break Into Financial Copywriting
        -Doug D’Anna

Notice that most of these have to do with copywriting or direct response advertising. That’s because these subjects are major interests of mine.

Looking through my own inbox can be fun, but tedious. It takes time to find the gold.

But just imagine how easy it would be to come up with great subject lines if you had 527 of the best ones all compiled into an easy-to-use PDF?

That’s exactly what Lawrence Bernstein has done with “Made You Look: 527 Subject Lines that Dare You to Look Away.”

He and his partner, Art Crowley, reviewed 18,000 subject lines mailed over a three-year period to come up with the 527 that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

They then broke these down even further into 12 separate categories for easy reference.

This little gem normally sells for $97, but Lawrence is giving it away free when you join The Ultimate Online Swipe File through this link:

http://www.ultimate-online-swipe-file.com

Not to mention, I’ll also give you a free membership to Copywriting Code — my private web site where I share some of my best how-to copywriting info.

But please act quickly.

This offer expires on Friday evening, June 25. Please sign up now to claim your free gifts…

http://www.ultimate-online-swipe-file.com

-Ryan M. Healy

A well-organized swipe file is as good as gold in the hands of a skilled copywriter.

But while many copywriters and entrepreneurs know how to spot winning ads, very few know how to go about building, organizing, and using a swipe file to write stronger copy faster.

This is the subject of a recent interview I did with Lawrence Bernstein. When you listen to this 53-minute interview, you’ll discover:

• Right ways and wrong ways to use a swipe file. (Plus, why Lawrence calls one famous copywriter “Flawed Hopkins.”)

• An evergreen subject line that works like crazy in the financial market — plus the psychology behind why it pulls so well.

• Famous ads that were swiped — why they worked when other swipes fail.

• What David Ogilvy said would NOT work in the 1960s, but actually works very well today.

• How a pay-per-email model could actually be a good thing for savvy online marketers.

• Why 2002 is a lot like 2010 — plus an insider tip on how to use this insight to instantly strengthen your ads.

Here’s the MP3. You can listen to it by pushing the play button, or download it to your MP3 player.

Why Am I Giving This Interview Away?

Quite simply, I’d like to encourage you to join The Ultimate Online Swipe File, Lawrence Bernstein’s flagship membership site for serious direct marketers.

I’m a member.

And if you look at the testimonials page, you’ll see other heavy hitters who’ve joined the site as well.

In Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art, he writes: “It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”

In other words, it’s the getting started that’s so difficult as a writer. But here’s what’s so wonderful about The Ultimate Online Swipe File: It makes getting started easy.

By the time you read an ad or two or three, you’ll be building so much momentum that it will actually be hard not to write. Even better, when you start writing, your ad will practically write itself!

Two Free (Out-of-the-Ordinary) Gifts When You Sign Up

The Ultimate Online Swipe File is an extremely valuable resource. In fact, copywriter Gary Bencivenga says it’s “the best source I have ever found” for “an almost limitless supply of great ads.”

Naturally, I want you to sign up for The Ultimate Online Swipe File. So to make it easier for you to say yes, I’ve got two free out-of-the-ordinary bonus gifts for you.

First, I’ll give you free membership in my Copywriting Code site. You’ll get free access for as long as you maintain your Ultimate Online Swipe File membership. This is an extra $19.95 value every single month.

What’s more, Lawrence has also agreed to give you a free copy of his subject line swipe file called “Made You Look: 527 Email Subject Lines That Dare You to Look Away.” This product sells right now for $97 — but it’s yours free with this offer.

All together, this is an extra $117.95 in value you get your very first month of membership. And the email subject line swipe file is yours to keep no matter what.

Go ahead and sign up today:

Click here to sign up for The Ultimate Online Swipe File

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Forward me your receipt after you sign up and I’ll issue your free Copywriting Code membership immediately. Thanks!

Have you ever been trying to write an ad or sales letter and just gotten stuck?

Have you ever written headline after headline after headline… and still come up empty?

Or have you ever completed a sales letter only to discover that it lacks that gut-level punch you know it needs to have?

If you can relate to any of these frustrating situations, then you simply must have a robust and easily accessible swipe file on hand.

The Value of a Swipe File

A swipe file is simply a collection of ads and sales letters that have been tested and proven in the real world.

In other words, they worked.

The value of a swipe file is in its inspiration. By reading a winning ad, you  may be suddenly inspired to finish some copy that’s had you stumped for weeks.

Or you may come up with a new (and stronger) selling angle. Or you may even find new ideas for how to structure and position your pitch.

Any number of good things can happen when you take the time to study and review winning ads and sales letters.

(In fact, an old Eugene Schwartz ad recently inspired a sales letter I wrote that sold more than six figures in six days.)

Where to Find Proven Ads

Obviously, you could piece together a swipe file by tracking down old ads, buying advertising books, and raiding your mail box. But this approach is tedious and time-consuming.

You can spend months and years building a swipe file — and even then the ads won’t be organized in a way that’s easily accessible or searchable.

More to the point, why bother becoming a direct response detective when Lawrence Bernstein has already done all the detective work for you?

In case you don’t know, Lawrence Bernstein is the #1 direct response researcher (and archiver) on the planet. He probably knows more about the history of advertising than anybody alive today.

Even better, he’s got the biggest collection of direct response ads and sales letters anywhere. His personal swipe file contains literally thousands of pieces dating from the 19th Century to the present.

And possibly best of all, every ad and every sales letter has been scanned and uploaded into a private members-only web site called the Ultimate Online Swipe File.

Quickly Find Any Ad, Anytime You Want

When you join, you’ll have access to direct response ads that have been responsible for literally billions of dollars in sales. And you’ll be able to search these ads by author, market, product name, or any other keyword you can think of!

As soon as you click “Search,” you’ll instantly be served with dozens of profitable ads that fit your exact search criteria.

This is especially valuable if you write copy on a regular basis.

• Serial entrepreneurs will be able to roll out product after product — and write the sales copy with ease.

• Freelance copywriters will find proven copy templates — and lots of raw inspiration — for just about any project under the sun.

Of course, you’ll find plenty of ads from guys you know. Guys like Eugene Schwartz, David Ogilvy, John Caples, Claude Hopkins, and Gary Halbert.

Plus, you’ll find plenty of ads from guys you don’t know. Guys like Drew Kaplan, Dan Rosenthal, Mel Martin, Bud Wessecker, Ralph Ginzburg, Ben Suarez, Maxwell Sackheim, and many more.

Which means you’ll have direct access to the masterpieces of the most successful advertising men in all of history.

The Bargain of the Decade?

Imagine for a moment that all these men were still living today. And imagine that you commissioned each one to write an ad for you.

How much would you pay? Perhaps $20,000 per ad? Maybe $30,000?

Based only on what you’d have to pay to have these ads written today, there’s easily millions of dollars worth of ad copy inside Ultimate Online Swipe File.

You get it all for just $100 a month. For the right person, this is the bargain of the decade.

When you sign up for the Ultimate Online Swipe File through my affiliate link, I will also give you free access to my Copywriting Code member site.

This is an additional $19.95 a month value, yours free as long as you remain a member of Ultimate Online Swipe File.

Click Here to Join Ultimate Online Swipe File

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. The Ultimate Online Swipe File is an investment in your direct response business, and it can easily pay you back many times over. I’m a member myself and it’s worth every penny.

Remember: Sign up using this link, then email your receipt to rhealy@gmail.com so I can issue your free Copywriting Code membership.

Working as a freelancer can be a dream when you have a good client. But it can be an absolute nightmare when you have a bad client.

Here are 4 red flags to help you spot bad clients before you agree to a project:

Red Flag #1:
Client promises future work to lower your fee.

I remember the first time a potential client used this tactic on me. He told me there would be a boatload of work to come after the first project. “We’ll be able to keep you busy for months,” he said.

That’s pretty appealing to a freelancer just starting out.

But don’t fall for it. The promise of future work is just a red herring to get you to reduce your fee. And chances are, all that future work will never materialize.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that clients are notoriously fickle. They always have big dreams and plans — but often get distracted and move on to “the next big thing,” which probably doesn’t include you.

Furthermore, if that work does indeed materialize, you won’t be able to raise your fees. Your client will demand that you do the work for the reduced fee you agreed to at the beginning. And do you really want to work on the cheap for a stingy client?

Bottom line: Never bank on future work a new client promises. And never lower your fee based on the mere possibility of a future project. Focus on today’s project and get paid what today’s project is worth.

Red Flag #2:
Client says, “It should be really easy for you.”

If a client comes to you with a potential project, and then says, “It should be really easy for you,” be cautious.

This statement reveals that the client doesn’t value your hard-won talent. It also reveals he is trying to get you to quote a fee based on the time it will take you to complete the task instead of the value you’ll create.

Unfortunately, anytime you’re working on an hourly basis, there’s a penalty for experience and efficiency. The more experience you have, and the more efficient you are, the faster you’ll get things done.

Therefore, if you’re charging only based on the time it takes you to complete a task, you’ll get paid less and less per project, and you’ll have to increase your project volume just to maintain your income.

I personally recommend that you charge by the project. Charge for your services based on the value you bring to the table. And don’t let a potential client make you feel bad (or lower your fee) for your experience and efficiency.

Red Flag #3:
Client pushes for a complicated payment schedule.

If I take on a new client, I get full payment up front. With clients I trust, I’ll let them send payment during the project or 50% up front, 50% on completion.

But a 50/50 split is as far as I will ever go.

I once had a client who wanted to split up a project into three payments. I don’t remember the exact percentages now, but it was something like: 35% to get started, 35% upon submission of first draft, 30% upon completion of edits and client satisfaction.

Guess what? This client withheld the final payment, claiming he wasn’t “satisfied”… yet continued to use my copy to sell new clients into an expensive mentoring program for 2+ years.

Another client told me she couldn’t afford my fee and asked if I would accept a down payment plus three monthly payments after that. I agreed.

I got the down payment, but — no surprise — she never made a single payment after that. And this was after she had assured me her credit was good, that she would never think of not paying me, etc.

Anytime a client wants an unusual payment plan, walk away, ‘cuz you ain’t gettin’ paid. At least that’s been my experience. Get your entire fee up front, or get a 50/50 split. Any fee schedule that’s more fragmented than that and you’re asking for trouble.

Red Flag #4:
Multiple people involved in approving your work.

The best working relationships I have, I’m working with just one person. Anytime I write something, one person has the final say. This is the way it should be.

On the flip side, if more than one person is reviewing your work, and each person has an equal say, then you’re in big trouble. Because you can’t please everybody. It’s impossible.

I recently had an experience where I thought I was dealing with one person, then found out too late that I was actually dealing with 4-5 people.

In fact, there was at least one person I had never met or spoken with reviewing my work — and his feedback was given considerable weight. Did this person know anything about direct response advertising? Of course not.

I once remember John Carlton talking about how he stopped writing for the big mail houses because getting copy approved by the board was such a nightmare. Five years later, I know firsthand what he was talking about.

Try to determine in advance who is going to approve your work. Make sure you know who that person is. And make sure nobody else has an equal say. Too many chefs in the kitchen spoils the soup, if you get my drift.

If you find out that your work will be reviewed by three or four business partners, watch out. You may be destined to fail before you even begin.

It’s a Learning Process

Building a successful freelance business is a continuous learning process.

There’s no way you can avoid bad clients altogether, but hopefully the “red flags” I’ve shared here will help you avoid the worst of them.

And, of course, if you have any red flags you look out for, please share them below.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Want to get your first client… or just get more clients? Check out my special report on How to Get Your First Real Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less.

I’m reading a great book called Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

Rework is a collection of brief one-page and two-page business lessons. You can plow through five or 10 chapters at a time and feel inspired, stimulated, and rejuvenated. It’s time well spent.

Keep in mind, Fried and Heinemeier are the founders and creators of Basecamp, a project management tool used by millions of people around the world (including me!).

So the business lessons and anecdotes in the book come directly from Fried’s and Heinemeier’s experience building a successful, multi-million dollar business.

What They Say on Page 118

On page 118 begins the chapter titled “Don’t Be a Hero.”

Their premise is simple: When you get stuck, or your unsure of your work, don’t try to be a hero. Get another person’s input instead of trying to muscle your way through it.

“Even heroes need a fresh pair of eyes sometimes — someone else to give them a reality check,” they say.

I agree. That’s one reason I offer copy critiques: So you can get a fresh pair of eyes looking at your work.

Eyeballs for Sale

For the last few months, I’ve been offering to do up to 8 copy critiques at a significant discount. Six of them have been claimed.

In fact, one guy bought a second critique after he saw the results from the first. He writes:

PS – that last copy critique you did for us… We combined your suggestions with a couple minor design tweaks and ended up with a 55% lift in conversion. Nice job :)

Do you have a sales letter or landing page that could use an in-depth critique? Then I invite you to order your copy critique here. (Only 2 left at the discounted price.)

-Ryan M. Healy

In the middle of a big project right now, hence my lack of blogging lately.

But I thought I’d share one little tip with you that I’ve recently discovered.

If you’re working with a client or partner on a project, and you want to strengthen a subject line or email or headline or whatever — Skype can be a great way to do it.

Just hop on the instant chat and bat around your ideas.

For me, I’ve found it really enjoyable — contagious even — to collaborate in this way. You generate a bunch of ideas in a short amount of time, eventually zeroing in on the best one.

Next time you’re trying to hammer out some copy with a partner or client, log on to Skype (or any instant chat program) and see what happens.

-Ryan M. Healy

Lots of people come and go on email lists. A few of them actually tell me why they unsubscribed. These are some of the most fascinating responses because they’re usually passionate — and I struck a nerve.

Here are a few reasons people have unsubscribed from my email list this year and last year.

******

I am unsubscribing because of the most recent post and your saying that we should not have responded to 9/11. Thank you.

(I suggested forgiveness as an alternative to revenge. So this guy unsubscribed. Go figure. -RMH)

******

It’s just a lot of e-mail to add to already too much e-mail received daily, especially when I never explicitly opted in to receive these e-mails

(To this woman’s credit, I checked my opt-in page and realized I wasn’t saying subscribers would get email updates. So I changed this. -RMH)

******

I just have signed up for too many blogs. I’m on information overload.

******

I am sorry.But you have no value or you do not give any free e-book guides,software,cource,etc,.

******

Very good and valuable information but have to decrease the amount of email coming in… hard decision but will have to unsubscribe at this time. Thanks for all you do!

******

internet marketing is a huge scam and nobody honestly makes a living online

******

Tired of being sold things instead of given useful content.

(This one surprised me. In the month of April 2010, I’ve published 8 posts. Four of them have had soft sales pitches. Not a single pure sales message — and this person still freaked out. -RMH)

******

To many newsletters, I need to focus on the most relevant ones to my industry. I think you do good stuff. Except the references to your religion, then, I better not say anything.

******

I love your writing, I just don’t have the time to read everything in my inbox

******

I am an Obama supporter and DO NOT appreciate you posting such negative remarks about him…I no longer want to hear from you. You are entitled to your opinion and I am also entitled to mine. I did not like this post.

p.s. I WAS really a big fan and follower of you and your IM work. Not anymore.

(Amazing how radically a political difference of opinion can polarize people. This response proves it. -RMH)

******

Believe it or not, I’m actually happy when I get passionate reasons why people unsubscribe. It tells me that I’m bonding with people who are on the the other side of a particular viewpoint.

It also tells me that I’m standing up for something.

The only way you’ll ever develop a loyal following is by standing up for a particular point of view. This allows other people to identify and bond with you.

You can’t be all things to all people, so this is a good thing. Embrace that you’re never going to please everybody. Just do your best at being who you are — and writing to the white hot core of your fan base.

-Ryan M. Healy