No doubt affiliates are seething.

“What’s this case AGAINST affiliate marketing nonsense?”

Hey, like it or lump it, affiliate marketing can be extremely profitable, but in most cases it PALES in comparison to selling your own products.

Some reasons why include:

1. List building

You get a short term sale/commission, but the publisher gets all the long term benefits of having another buyer (not just a lead) on their list.

Goodie for the publisher.

Not so goodie for you…

2. Less money

You can make a 50% (or whatever) commission selling someone else’s product, or 100% commission selling your own. Yes, I know some publishers pay 100% commissions, but see reason #1 again.

3. Cookies

Think about this:

Someone gets your email on their smart phone or iPad and opts in. Unless they buy from that same device (and correct me if I’m wrong…) you won’t get the credit for the sale.

This happens a lot.

People opt in with phone/tablet, buy on computer.

Phooey.

4. No guarantee of getting paid

Publishers are notorious for not paying. Of course, this is is not a problem with clickbank, etc. But something to consider…

5. Sales tax nexus

I’m no tax guru.

But all the nexus laws here in the US of Bureaucrats is making it less attractive for publishers to let affiliates sell their products at all. At this rate, we may even see affiliate marketing go the way of neon text and tracking “hits” as a measure of online success.

So might as well sell your own stuff, too.

Anyway, let’s face it.

You and I both know hardcore affiliate marketers reading this email are rolling their eyes and think I’m nutzo.

But it’s all about good, better, best.

With selling affiliate offers being good.

And your own offers being best.

So at the very LEAST sharpen your email fangs to a gleaming sharp edge. In the next “Email Players” issue I give some tips on emails and affiliate marketing.

Including plenty of email examples.

And, a real life “case study” of a recent affiliate campaign.

(One where I blew away all the gurus competing against me — despite my less known brand, smaller list, and “unorthodox” email techniques.)

Hey, a merry time was had by all.

And it’s all ‘splained in the October issue.

Subscribe in time to get it here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A while back I got sucked into a stupid debate.

I should have seen it coming.

As the blue flame special with too much time on his hands was telegraphing his intent to want to debate like an inexperienced boxer telegraphs a punch. In this case, he had read an email I wrote about how a client’s FTC lawyer told him (when I was writing an ad selling health supplements) “Imagine a big pharma exec with the FTC in his hip pocket reading this ad and he thinks your competition”.

It was really annoying, too.

Took all the fun out of writing those ads.

(We couldn’t make anything even resembling a claim.)

Anyway, back to the debate guy.

He starts asking questions that sounded innocent… but really he was trying to set me up to debate him, waste my time, and get whatever drama queenery inside him out of his system.

He didn’t really win any arguments.

(He sounded kind of like a crackpot, actually.)

But, he did waste my time.

Which means, yeah, he is an idiot.

But, I was the even BIGGER idiot.

After all, I let myself get sucked in to the pointless debate and wasted some time as a result.

(Time is money for me, what about you?)

Why am I telling you this?

Because:

I have since learned of a way to *profit* from these igits who want to mindlessly waste your time debating, arguing, and ranting about things you say in your emails or even if it’s a customer arguing with you about something.

I wish I could say I invented it.

It’s ingenious.

But, I heard it from someone else.

Anyway, want to know what it is?

Then make sure you get your hot little hands on the upcoming October “Email Players” issue.

She goes to the printer soon.

Get your lovin’ here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

In this anti-professional “Ben Settle Show” episode, Producer Jonathan and I natter on about:

  • The one time it’s okay to kiss ass.
  • Why being a “time whore” is basically like robbing yourself.
  • How Dan Kennedy forces people to value his time (I once heard him say he only talks to people who are 80% “sold” on him before talking to them, here’s how he does it).
  • How to make more sales by NOT letting people buy.
  • How to deal with serial refunders (the blue flame specials who buy and refund ebooks over and over…)
  • The dangers of imitating your favorite gurus.
  • How to be successful if you have a repulsive personality.
  • Dr. Atkins’ secret to being wildly successful even if everyone thinks you’re full of crap about whatever you teach.
  • A warning to clients who screw copywriters over.
  • Clients I forbid my copywriting apprentice to work for.
  • And mucho more…

Giddy-up on over here to download it:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

The big question is axed:

“A while ago you wrote and encouraged some of us to embrace our inner anti-professionals. Then you gave some examples. The examples were all guys. And while I understand and embrace your points around being anti-professional, as a chick, such things can occasionally backfire. Do you have any examples of anti-professional women?”

True.

It’s not the same for chicks.

In fact, ever since I first wrote about the concept of the anti-professional back in 2012 my opinion has been only a few anti-professional attributes work for chicks.

Take my old biz partner in the female diet niche.

He’s an anti-professional.

Yet, he writes under a female pen name.

And, he does all the customer service and stuff where he has to pretend to be a chick online (a transwebite?) Some anti-professional stuff he can get away with like not projecting fear of losing the sale or kissing buttz of hostile customers (he was even making them get refunds directly from PayPal instead of issuing them himself — he made ’em work to get their refunds, which probably creeped some of ’em out…)

But, you’re right.

Not all this stuff necessarily works for chicks.

So why do I write about it?

Because of my audience.

According to Alexa and other sources, the vast majority of my audience is unmarried guys without kids who work at home.

There are Ben Settle female “groupies”, of course (heh).

But, mostly it’s dudes.

So bottom line?

Chicks should only adopt anti-professional attributes that work for females and avoid behaving like men.

Or don’t.

It’s all up to you.

Speaking of which…

Tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast is all about the traits and “marks” of anti-professionals.

And, also, who are NOT anti-professionals.

(Many people who think they are, aren’t.)

Details in tomorrow’s show.

To download past episodes go ye here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

This email is for affiliate marketers.

Specifically, ye affiliate marketing scoffers and naysayers who think my email methodology “doesn’t work!” because nobody else on the Warrior Forum or wherever is doing it my way.

Following is some beef soup for your soul.

It’s from my biz partner Ryan Levesque.

And, how I was able to out-convert all the affiliates selling his Survey Funnel product last July — including people with way bigger lists and whose lists are way more qualified to want to buy a sales funnel-type product than mine.

(i.e. they sell sales funnel products, I sell email products.)

Giddy-up:

Ben promoted one of my information products to his list as an affiliate. Even though his list is smaller than some of the bigger “gooroos” who promoted the product… Ben had the highest conversion rate among all affiliates to date.

Prior to Ben promoting the highest conversion rate (sales vs. webinar registrants) was 21.6%.

Ben blew that number out of the freakin’ water with a 28.6% conversion rate (32% better) – and 50% of those sales came on the LAST DAY when Ben sent not one… not two… but THREE emails to his list. (Heresy!)

So in other words – all that stuff Ben teaches about mailing OFTEN…. mailing MORE than you might think is prudent… and using a TONE that might make you feel uncomfortable?

It works.

I’ve seen the numbers first hand.

Ben generated over $20,685 in affiliate sales for me using what he teaches – and he did those numbers in a single weekend! The man knows what he’s talking about – and more importantly, he practices what he preaches.

Now, there are 2 reasons I’m showing you this:

1. I like getting my props

2. In the October “Email Players” issue I walk you through exactly what I did to out-convert all Ryan’s guru pals… including the exact emails I used so you can see the psychology behind them.

This is invaluable info.

Especially if you’re an affiliate marketer.

(And, even if you’re not.)

Subscribe here today to get it in time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of my favorite parts of the movie “300” is when the Spartans are fighting an entire army of supernatural-like beings that claim to be immortal.

Does it scare the band of 300 Spartans?

Hellz no!

As the narrator Dilios says:

“immortals…we put their name to the test.”

And they begin slaughtering them left and right in a bloodbath of epic proportions — oh yeah baby!

Loooooove that movie!

Anyway, here’s the point:

That movie is based loosely on real life events.

A tiny band of 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas really did hold off entire armies. And they did it by using not just brawn, but wit, cunning, intelligence and positioning. The same traits that can help you (even if you have a small list now) conquer the army of goo-roos and gurus you are up against.

One way is to stop thinking in terms of list size.

And, instead, think in terms of AUDIENCE size.

When you have an audience (and not just a “list”) you have far more reach… far more power in the market place… and, yes, far more potential for sales — regardless of if you are even that good at creating ads or copy or emails.

Enter my droog Danny Iny.

He’s like the “King Leonidas” of audience building.

He has it down to a science.

In fact, not only has he built his own business from $0 to almost $700k per year in just 3 years using his audience-building techniques, but he has hordes of students who have kicked gluteus assimus using his methods, too.

And guess ye what, Spartan?

He can help you, too.

And, he will do it free.

How?

By getting your bootykis on his free online interactive workshop tonight where he explains his methods.

This is “for real” information, too.

Not just sales pitch.

He’s gonna show you what to do.

How to do it.

And, how to profit from it all.

This IS an affiliate link:

www.EmailPlayers.com/audience

However, there’s no other way to attend.

So deal with it.

That’s all for today.

I’ll see ya on the workshop tonight.

(5 pacific, 8 eastern time).

Ben Settle

So check this out:

Yesterday I told you about Danny Iny and how he built a business from $0 to doing close to $700k per year in just a few years. You hear that and it almost sounds like I’m full of crap, doesn’t it? Or like something only HE could do and a simple minded newbie fresh off the turnip truck could never pull off.

Well, that’s where you’re wrong my little droogie.

And, I’m going to prove it to you.

Check this out:

I have many varied interests.

I read many different kinds of blogs.

(Most have nothing to do with bid’niz.)

And, one of them is in a market where a lot of guys are confused, in pain and they don’t really know how to solve the problem that plagues them.

Anyway, the point?

A lot of people comment on blog posts in this market.

A lot of people ask questions, too.

But, not a lot of people have answers.

And so, the few who DO have answers stick out like an honest man in the White House. In fact, there is one guy who comments ALL the time on blog posts in this market, and he gets deep, is clearly passionate about helping people… and is SO helpful and popular, people practically BEG him to start his own blog and write his own book on the subject!

Until now, he has refused.

But, that doesn’t matter.

Because some of his “fans” have taken to putting all his blog comments onto its own blog!

That’s how popular this guy is.

How well known he is.

And, how much people respect him.

They are ASKING HIM to sell them something.

Yet, he has no site of his own.

No list.

And, no product.

What he DOES have… is an audience!

A raving fan base who hang on to his every word, save his blog comments for future study, and just hoping for him to some day create a product they can pay for.

This is just one (of many) things Danny Iny teaches.

It’s goes beyond building a “list.”

He teaches you how to create an audience.

And, how to go into ANY market — whether you’re brand spanking new or a seasoned pro — and start building a raving fan base of people who are *waiting* for you to sell them something (and many of who will eagerly join your list as HOT, eager-to-buy customers the second you slap an opt-in form up).

And like I just said:

This is just ONE small part of what Danny teaches.

He actually has a whole system.

And, he’s teaching it free.

Here’s the scoop:

This Thursday at 5:00 pacific (8:00 eastern) he’s teaching a free interactive workshop online showing you how to create your own raving fan base using methods it took him YEARS of trial & error to figure out.

I’ll be there too.

Taking notes.

And, learning with you.

Here’s where to register:

(again, it’s free)

www.EmailPlayers.com/audience

Be there or be nowhere…

Ben Settle

“Ben why don’t you talk about list building!”

I hear this on a weekly basis.

From all kinds of people.

From all walks of marketing life.

And, from all corners of the planet.

Well, guess what?

I have heard thy groans and I have found a solution for you.

(Don’t worry, it’s free.)

Check this out:

Late last year, I got an email from my droog Daniel Levis saying he wanted me to meet a friend of his named Danny Iny who is to the blogging world what I am to the email world. So I jumped on skype with him and, sure enough, we hit it off and had a great chat.

Anyway, turns out he’s a master at something besides blogging.

And that is building an “audience”.

No, not just a list.

An AUDIENCE.

There is a huge difference between the two.

An audience who knows, likes and trusts you… wants to hear from you and is eager to buy from you may or may not be on your “list” — but it doesn’t really matter. They are actively engaged with you, hot to buy from you, and trust you over and above any of your competitors. And if they want you what you have, they will find a way to buy from you.

Think of someone like Rush Limbaugh, for example.

He has an “audience” of 14 million people.

But, not all of them are on his email list.

Yet it doesn’t matter.

They still buy from him.

And, they buy readily and eagerly.

(Whether they are on his list or not).

Anyway, Danny developed a system for building an audience (and, thus, a list) which took him from $0 to just shy of $700k per year in just 3 short years (which is talked about in the free pdf interview I sent you yesterday if you read that far down the email).

He’s got a ton of successful students, too.

And he really has it down to a process anyone can do.

What??

Prove it, you say??

Okay tough guy, I will.

Here’s the deal:

This coming Thursday (September 18th) at 5:00 pacific (7 central, 8 eastern) Danny is holding a free interactive online workshop on how to build your own raving fanbase/audience from scratch… regardless of if you’re a brand spanking newbie or a seasoned marketing veteran who wants to add another “0” to ye olde profits.

I’ll be there.

And, if you want to be there, too, go to this link:

www.EmailPlayers.com/audience

Yes, this is an affiliate link.

But, it’s free to attend.

And, even if you don’t buy what he sells at the end, you will walk away with a lot of great tips and ideas for building your own audience.

(Whether you buy or not).

Good times….

Alright, that’s it for today.

More goodies tomorrow…

Ben Settle

Alrighty then…

Below is an interview transcript of a conversation I had with a cat who went from $0 to $700k in sales in just a few short years using a system for building an audience (not just a “list”) he created that is so simple, even a goo-roo fanboy could do it.

It’s especially useful if you are a newbie.

(Or if you are invading a new market.)

Real, actionable tips are inside.

And, they “for real” work.

Here’s where to download it:

www.EmailPlayers.com/audience/scratch.pdf

More about this tomorrow…

Ben Settle

Title: The 21 horsemen of the Email Players apocalypse

Behold… today’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast reveals:

  • How to keep your spam complaints to almost zero. (I mail sometimes twice per day, 7 days per week, and hardly get any spam complaints. This is how…)
  • The #1 most valuable market research skill I taught my copywriting apprentice.
  • What to do if competitors (or anyone) lies about you, paints you as a villain, and hates on you. (Do this and you’ll not only not care about having haters… you’ll profit from them.)
  • How to know if an email you write is worth sending. (If you are unsure your email is not going to be profitable, run it by this criteria and watch your sales go up, up, up…)
  • How a copywriting friend would get thousands of visitors to his blog whenever he wanted. (A warning: This technique works like gangbusters… but takes big, “clanging” balls to pull off.)
  • The single best way ever invented to write emails people love to read (and, in many cases, buy from).
  • The worst thing you can say in an email if you want an audience, a bigger list, and more sales. (Sadly, a lot of people do this thinking it works, but it doesn’t — and their dismal sales show it.)
  • What the Bible says about how to treat your list so they’re full of qualified, “ready to buy” prospects.
  • The most interesting man on Facebook. (I highly recommend friending and following him ASAP. His business advice is free, some of the best I ever heard, and is always profitable.)
  • How to profit from trolls and idiots (with too much time on their hands) who want to debate you via email, social media, or in any other way.
  • And much, much more.

Download now and there will be peace…

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

BEN SETTLE

Publishes ridiculously high-priced books & newsletters about online marketing, writes twisted horror novels & screenplays, and trades options & invests in companies he thinks are cool – like BerserkerMail, Low Stress Trading, and The Oregon Eagle newspaper.

Yours FREE:

World Leader In

Email Copywriting Education

Gives Away His Best Tips

For How To Potentially

Double, Triple,

Even Quadruple

Your Sales Online

Type in your primary email address below to open Ben's daily email tips and a free digital copy of his $97.00/month Email Players newsletter, plus get access to 40+ HOURS of content in his free mobile app:

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WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

Even when you’re simply just selling stuff, your emails are, in effect, brilliant content for marketers who want to see how to make sales copy incapable of being ignored by their core market. You are a master of this rare skill, Ben, and I tip my hat in respect.

Gary Bencivenga

(Universally acknowledged as the world’s greatest living copywriter)

www.MarketingBullets.com

I confess that I have only begun watching Ben closely and corresponding with him fairly recently, my mistake. At this point, it is, bluntly, very rare to discover somebody I find intelligent, informed, interesting and inspiring, and that is how I would describe Ben Settle.

Dan S. Kennedy

Author, ’No BS’ book series

Ben is one of the sharpest marketing minds on the planet, and he runs his membership “Email Players” better than just about any other I’ve seen. I highly recommend it.

Perry Marshall

Author of 8 books whose Google book laid the foundations for the $100 billion Pay Per Click industry, whose prestigious 80/20 work has been used by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs, and whose historic reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review.

www.PerryMarshall.com

I think Ben is the light heavyweight champion of email copywriting. I ass-lo think we’d make Mayweather money in a unification title bout!

Matt Furey

www.MattFurey.com

Zen Master Of The Internet®

President of The Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation

Just want you to know I get great advice and at least one chuckle… or a slap on the forehead “duh”… every time I read your emails!

Carline Anglade-Cole

AWAI’s Copywriter of the Year Award winner and A-list copywriter who has written for Oprah and continually writes control packages for the world’s most prestigious (and competitive) alternative health direct marketing companies

www.CarlineCole.com

I’ve been reading your stuff for about a month. I love it. You are saying, in very arresting ways, things I’ve been trying to teach marketers and copywriters for 30 years. Keep up the good work!

Mark Ford

aka Michael Masterson

Cofounder of AWAI

www.AwaiOnline.com

The business is so big now. Prob 4x the revenue since when we first met… and had you in! Claim credit, as it did correlate!

Joseph Schriefer

(Copy Chief at Agora Financial)

www.AgoraFinancial.com

I wake up to READ YOUR WORDS. I learn from you and study exactly how you combine words + feelings together. Like no other. YOU go DEEP and HARD.”

Lori Haller

(“A-List” designer who has worked on control sales letters and other projects for Oprah Winfrey, Gary Bencivenga, Clayton Makepeace, Jim Rutz, and more.

www.ShadowOakStudio.com

I love your emails. Your e-mail style is stunningly effective.

Bob Bly

The man McGrawHill calls

America’s top copywriter

and bestselling author of over 75 books

www.Bly.com

Ben might be a freaking genius. Just one insight he shared at the last Oceans 4 mastermind I can guarantee you will end up netting me at least an extra $100k in the next year.

Daegan Smith

www.Maximum-Leverage.com

Ben Settle is a great contemporary source of copywriting wisdom. I’ve been a big admirer of Ben’s writing for a long time, and he’s the only copywriter I’ve ever hired and been satisfied with

Ken McCarthy

One of the “founding fathers”

of Internet marketing

www.KenMcCarthy.com

I start my day with reading from the Holy Bible and Ben Settle’s email, not necessarily in that order.

Richard Armstrong

A List direct mail copywriter

whose clients have included

Rodale, Boardroom, Reader’s Digest,

Men’s Health, Newsweek,

Prevention Health Magazine, the ASCPA

and, even, The Limbaugh Letter.

www.FreeSampleBook.com

Of all the people I follow there’s so much stuff that comes into my inbox from various copywriters and direct marketers and creatives, your stuff is about as good as it gets.

Brian Kurtz

Former Executive VP of Boardroom Inc. Named Marketer of the Year by Target Marketing magazine

www.BrianKurtz.me

The f’in’ hottest email copywriter on the web now.

David Garfinkel

The World’s Greatest Copywriting Coach

www.FastEffectiveCopy.com

Ben Settle is my email marketing mentor.

Tom Woods

Senior fellow of the Mises Institute, New York Times Bestselling Author, Prominent libertarian historian & author, and host of one of the longest running and most popular libertarian podcasts on the planet

www.TomWoods.com

I’ve read your stuff and you have some of the best hooks. You really know how to work the hook and the angles.

Brian Clark

www.CopyBlogger.com

Ben writes some of the most compelling subject lines I’ve ever seen, and implements a very unique style in his blog. Honestly, I can’t help but look when I get an email, or see a new post from him in my Google Reader.

Dr. Glenn Livingston

www.GlennLivingston.com

There are very, very few copywriters whose copy I not only read but save so I can study it… and Ben is on that short list. In fact, he’s so good… he kinda pisses me off. But don’t tell him I said that. 😉

Ray Edwards

Direct Response Copywriter

www.RayEdwards.com

You’re damn brilliant, dude…I really DO admire your work, my friend!

Brian Keith Voiles

A-list copywriter who has written winning ads for prestigious clients such as Jay Abraham, Ted Nicholas, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, Robert Allen, and Gary Halbert.

www.AdvertisingMagicCopywriting.com

We finally got to meet in person and you delivered a killer talk. Your emails are one of the very few I read and study. And your laid back style.. is just perfect!

Ryan Lee

Best-selling Author

“Entrepreneur” Magazine columnist

www.RyanLee.com

There’s been a recent flood of copy writing “gurus” lately and I only trust ONE! And that’s @BenSettle

Bryan Sharpe

AKA Hotep Jesus

www.BooksByBryan.com

www.HotepNation.com

I’m so busy but there’s some guys like Ben Settle w/incredible daily emails that I always read.

Russell Brunson

World class Internet marketer, author, and speaker

www.RussellBrunson.com

Type in your primary email address below to open Ben's daily email tips and a free digital copy of his prestigious Email Players newsletter.

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