Ben Settle

Last year, on a Copyblogger podcast I was described as being like the cranky old “black sheep” uncle in the corner telling the kids what a crock social media is.

It was actually pretty funny.

All good jokes are based on truth, after all.

And, let’s face it:

He’s right.

I don’t drink the social media kool-aid.

Frankly, I hardly ever waste time on FaceBook. I have a Google+ account but barely ever log in. And besides Twitter (which I find entertaining and fun, and somewhat useful for business purposes) I basically avoid social media like the zombie apocalypse plague.

Still, that doesn’t mean it’s totally useless.

Or that you can’t make $$ with it.

For example…

Here are some ways I’ve used and/or observed for increasing sales (short term and long term) with social media:

• Finding JV partners

• Connecting with businesses

• Getting new customers to tell people about your website (like Amazon does — after you purchase they have links to social media so you can tell all your friends how wonderful they are that they let you buy something from them…)

• Market research (hear what people complain about)

• Seeing what your competition is up to

• Advertising (i.e. FaceBook PPC)

• Ruthlessly sabotaging your competition by spamming their wall with how much they suck (just kidding… wanted to see if you were awake…)

Anyway, there are more than that.

So even I admit it’s not ALL bad.

But compared to email, it’s a joke.

I take great pride in all the people I’ve “converted” from being diehard social media evangelists to being diehard email evangelists.

Do email right and it’s way more fun.

Way more convenient.

And… way more profitable.

Give a shot at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Lists shmists.

While back, this dude online was bragging about how big his list is. He said it was over 100k people and was droning on and on and on about how great his list is, how much they love him and want to shower him with money every time he graced their presence with an offer.

That is, until he was asked the magic question:

“How well does your list convert?”

“….”

Turns out not to well.

Over 100k subscribers and he makes maybe a half dozen sales of a cheap ebook and other assorted products per day.

Whoop-dee doo.

Not exactly overwhelming is it?

And that’s the point:

It ain’t about how big your list is.

It’s how responsive it is and how well you sell to it.

Frankly, having a big list of low quality prospects is like a golfer who can launch a 400 yard tee shot that lands in the parking lot on some poor duffer’s windshield hundreds of yards away from the target. If you can’t hit the target (or even the golf course!) who cares how far it goes?

And so it is with email lists.

Yes, grow your list.

But focus on having a responsive list, not a big one.

Size may matter in some things.

But not lists, OK?

So don’t worry about it.

Of course, if you’re serious about converting your emails into sales, then make sure you check out the next”Email Players” newsletter.

Why?

Two reasons:

1.) It’s got the usual tips for increasing sales

2.) It’s also got some great ways to build your list (“meat & potato” ways — nothing complicated) using your EXISTING traffic.

Good stuff.

Especially if you want a bigger list.

Check it out at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Sorry copywriters.

But you’re now almost as useless as tits on a bull.

At least, to entrepreneurs who understand (1) the power of email and (2) how much more profitable *speed* is over grinding perfectionism.

Prove it?

Behold… from “Email Players” subscriber Carl Juneau:

Yo Ben,

I just did a quick caveman launch Ben style (TM) and it worked again. WITHOUT a sales letter. Here’s what I did:

Free + shipping t-shirt by the mail offer = 112 sales.

All 112 got the t-shirt + 2-page crap letter that explained the offer (I wouldn’t really call this a salesleter, wrote it in 20 minutes).

Made 18 sales for a 49,95 $ a month continuity offer. Based on previous members, those are worth $200 each.

So that’s a 16 % conversion rate for $3600. Not bad.

Best part is really WITHOUT a sales letter. Just write them emails and put an order link in there.

Can it get any easier? Boy this is easy.

I guess that pays my subscription to Email Players for another 37 months.

Yeppers.

This is why people who implement “Email Players” don’t complain about not being able to “afford” it because it pays for itself several times over.

Moral of the story?

A sales letter ain’t nearly as important as copywriters preach.

They used to be.

But with email, it just ain’t so.

No…

I’m not saying not to write a good sales letter. But to obsess over your precious copy like Gollum stroking the One Ring in his cave of gloom is a waste of your life. Get your offers out there with email first, then worry about the sales letter (if you think it’s worth your time — and don’t be surprised if it ain’t).

I know this is blasphemy online.

Maybe that’s why it’s so fun to write about it?

Whatever the case:

My boyz & girlz in “Email Players” are kicking butt online.

Join us at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. If you want to learn the process Carl used to launch his product using just email, I wrote about it in the December 2011 issue. Back issues are for sale to current “Email Players” subscribers.

“Ben I never see you at IM seminars, why???”

Internet marketing seminars?

Ugh.

I can think of about a gazillion other places I’d rather be than an Internet marketing seminar. Not saying they are ALL bad by any means. But there are many reasons I’ve never been to one (I might venture forth from my cave in 2012 to attend one, depending on where it’s at…)

The biggest reason is time.

There better be something worth learning to go.

For example:

If Gary Bencivenga ever did another seminar, I would probably hop on a plane and risk getting molested by the TSA to attend.

But these other ones?

Nah, I’ll pass.

The Internet marketing ones are mostly just for networking anyway, from what everyone tells me.

Not much meat on them bones.

And so they don’t hardly seem worth it.

In fact, most of them sound like nothing more or less than Internet marketing “needle exchanges” — where instead of drug addicts swapping dirty needles for clean ones… you got dreamy eyed goo-roo fanboys coming back to exchange the worthless “shiny new object” info they learned at the LAST seminar they attended for all new shiny new object info they think will make them a bajillion dollars.

Alright, that’s it for now.

I may not be big on seminars.

But I AM big on newsletters.

The good ones are like a seminar in an envelope, anyway.

That’s the goal with “Email Players”, at least.

You can get the skinny on it at:

Ben Settle

Sucker! Sucker! Oh, sucker…
Yeah, I am a liar
Yeah I like it…I’ll lie again and again
And I’ll keep lying
I promise

-Henry Rollins
“Liar”

Ever hear “Liar” by Henry Rollins?

It’s about how he purposefully (disturbingly) lies to a woman TRYING to ruin & corrupt her.

No remorse.

No guilt whatsoever.

He LIKES lying

He LAUGHS about it.

And, he LIVES for it.

Anyway, I can’t help but hear that song whenever our presidential candidates yap away.

Like this, for instance:

“And then you meet me
And your whole world changes
Because everything I say is everything
you’ve ever wanted to hear
So you drop all your defenses and
you drop all your fears
And you trust me completely
I’m perfect In every way”

Reminds me of people fainting at Obama rallies…

Or, check this one out:

“I’ll hide behind a smile
And understanding eyes
And I’ll tell you things that you already know
So you can say
I really identify with you”

Ha.

Romney doesn’t do THAT, does he?

He feeeeeeels your pain, right?

What?

You think I’m out of line? That this is THE most important-est election ever? And, the country’s fate lies (ha) in the balance? (Like *every* election… the manipulation the powers-that-be gets away with is astonishing…)

Alright enough.

I can see people angrily hitting reply to this email.

Yes!

Do it!

Write me a 5 page email about how WRONG I am!

Or, I gotta better idea…

Use that energy to write your LIST an email.

To, you know, sell something.

Hey, you can be a sheep or a wolf — the sheep put their faith in politicians, while wolves make their own way. (No matter who’s in the White House or the OUThouse.)

Anyhoo.

Time to take care of bid’niz.

Go here for advanced email training:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Hmmm.

Seems reader Martha wasn’t happy about last week’s FaceBook email:

“And just when i was about to sign up for email players…you let me down Ben”

It’s amusing she thinks I care.

I don’t.

In fact, she’s exactly the kind of person I DON’T want subscribing.

And, have even refused to sell to in the past.

Why?

Well, I’m sure she’s a good enough cat and all.

So it’s nothing personal.

But you don’t read my stuff to get the warm fuzzies from political correctness or to not get anything but my unrepentant opinion. (And, let’s face it, if it’s my opinion, then that makes it a *fact*). What’s funny is virtually everyone agreed with my opinion (i.e. fact) FaceBook is stealing guys’ ballz because they know I’m right about it, and am just one of the few willing to say it.

Whatever the case, I’ve said it before:

I don’t practice “attraction” marketing.

I’m a REPULSION marketing kinda guy.

That means being polarizing.

Saying things that WILL sometimes offend someone. (Hard not to when people are so easily offended today…)

And (gasp!) telling the truth.

That’s just the way I roll, Batman.

In fact, let me be perfectly blunt:

If you want to subscribe, great!

Let’s make lots of $ales together using email.

If you don’t, I couldn’t care less.

So it’s ALL good either way.

The newsletter ain’t everyone’s cup of tea.

And, neither am I.

If you got the right stuff, subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A couple years ago I saw a funny cartoon.

Basically, it was from Mr. Subtle — the guy who has designed a few of my book covers — and he was making fun of how copywriters think compared to the rest of the marketing world (specifically, people who actually understand the principles of direct response).

Anyway, it went something like this:

He put up a cartoon image of two human brains.

One of the brains was a copywriter’s brain.

And the other a marketer’s.

Both brains were sectioned, like pie slices, with each “slice” being representative of what’s most important by the size. So, for example, in the copywriter’s brain, it had the copy being a big piece of the marketing pie, while the offer and list were smaller slices.

And the marketer’s brain was the opposite.

His brain showed the offer and list being most important.

(With the copy being much smaller.)

Anyway, kinda funny stuff.

And very true, too.

It’s amusing how many copywriters think they’re little “gods”, responsible for “millions of dollars in sales” when, in reality, their client’s offer, product, list, etc had FAR more to do with all those bags of money than their little lame killer headlines or whatever were.

Not saying copy isn’t important.

But it’s not the sales “panacea” it’s hyped up to be.

This is why I teach both email writing AND marketing in “Email Players”.

The one without the other is like a car without a steering wheel.

(Which is why so many emails crash & *burn*…)

No fluff.

No wasting time with nonsense.

And no messing around.

Just hardcore email info you can use to beef up sales fast.

Subscription info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I don’t hang much on FaceBook.

Sometimes I’m on there for S&G’s or because I want to say something to get a rise out of people for my own amusement. And when I do log in, lately I’ve noticed something kinda… disturbing… inside:

All the constant emotional whining by guys.

It’s no big deal when women do it.

I mean, that’s what women do (they “emote”).

But guys?

You gotta be kidding me.

We’re talking grown men incessantly whining about everything from their jobs and financial problems… to women who have SPURNED them (gee, I wonder why)… to how much they hate Obama or Romney (depending on which brand of kool-aid they drink)… to how everything sucks, life is terrible and the list goes on.

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

Moan, moan, moan.

It’s like put the dress away, dudes.

And sac up, already.

But here’s the million nickel question:

Why is this happening?

What is it about FaceBook that turns men into girls?

I have a theory about that.

And here it is:

Like I said, when women do these things, I don’t really care. Women emote and that’s just how they deal with things. That’s natural and normal. But the problem is, there’s this social theory (that’s eerily accurate) that says you are (more or less) the sum of your 5 closest friends. And since a lot of women hang out on FaceBook emoting all day, these guys can’t help but become more like the females emoting around them.

These dudes probably don’t even realize it.

It just… happens.

So anyway, that’s my theory.

Yes, there’s value in social media.

Or, at the very least, fun.

Just don’t let it turn you into a skirt.

Go here next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Once in a while… I get stuck for ideas.

Considering how many emails or sales letters or other writings (newsletter issues, books, products, etc) I’m creating at any given time, this can put a serious damper on one’s productivity mojo.

(Especially when writing multiple daily emails…)

So what can you do about this problem?

What I do is, I take long hot showers.

And I kind of just stand there… and think.

What do I think about?

YOU, actually.

Specifically, what things I can write about to help make your emails (and your business) more profitable. Then what happens is, that hot water pouring over my head stimulates the “creative” part of the brain and — BAM! — out pops ideas.

Usually LOTS of ideas.

So MANY I have trouble capturing them all!

(I use a memory technique to do it.)

In fact, wanna know something funny?

I got the idea for THIS email taking a shower yesterday.

Anyway, something to ponder.

Of course, getting ideas is one thing.

Profiting from them is a whole other bag.

So if you want to start turning those ideas into cold, hard cash in your hot little hand (using email) check out the “Email Players” newsletter.

That’s what each issue is about.

Combine what you learn with a hot shower and you’re unbeatable.

Deadline for the next issue is Thursday.

To subscribe in time, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle