Just got back from seeing “The Hulk.”
Holy crap I love these comic book movies! (And my “fanboy” hairs are all a tingle about the upcoming “Batman.”)
Funny thing about “Hulk” though… is how much it reminds me of certain copywriters.
When I hear some of the mega claims certain copywriters make about “their copy” bringing in millions of dollars (without any mention of list, offer, positioning, company credibility, product quality, market place timing, ad design, etc), I see this image of the copywriter ripping off his shirt, pounding his chest like the Hulk and screaming at the top of his lungs…
“COPYWRITER SMASH!”
“COPYWRITER KING!”
“COPYWRITER RULES WORLD!”
“RRRRRAAAAAARRRRR!”
And let’s face it.
Just like the Hulk, the more excited they get… the STRONGER their hype gets.
Which is kind of a pity.
Because no matter how much we copywriters think otherwise, copy is merely a sales multiplier.
It’s not going to make a crappy product better.
It’s not going to magically force people to buy something they don’t want.
And it’s sure as heck not going to “hypnotize” someone into buying something against their will.
Yes, copy IS extremely important.
And if you have the right traffic, positioning, product and offer it can blast your profits through the roof.
But copy is not “king.”
Heck, it’s not even queen.
(It’s more like a jack or 10 of spades.)
In fact, Ken McCarthy nails it in his “System Club Letters” book:
“… All things being equal, the prize goes to the person who writes the best ad. But the reality is ‘all other things’ are rarely equal…and the so-so letter to the hyper-responsive list is going to wipe the floor with the brilliant letter sent to the so-so list.”
Words to live by for ANY copywriter.
Even if your copy really is “super.”
P.S. If you’d like a free MP3 of the interview I did with Ken McCarthy about copywriting (that he contributed to my “Copywriting Grab Bag” book), simply buy “The System Club Letters” from his site at:
And then send your receipt to: ben [at] bensettle.com
An no… I am NOT an affiliate for his book. I just think it’s one of the single best marketing books I’ve ever read, and I think the marketing world would be a much better place if everyone owned (and read) it.
P.P.S. Speaking of “The Copywriting Grab Bag” book…
Yesterday I got a testimonial for it from Internet marketing “legend” Terry Dean.
You can hear what he said in a 30 second MP3 clip here:
It was a real honor to get a testimonial from Terry.
Frankly, if anyone has the right to be called an Internet marketing “guru”, it’s him.
Anyway, I’m soon raising the price considerably (probably to $97) when I write a “real” ad for it. So if you want the book while it’s still relatively inexpensive, just go to:
