by Dina Giolitto

Did you ever read one of those sales letters written by top marketers on the web, and immediately feel envious of their success?

Do you ever wonder why the Big League web marketers have that Copywriting Voodoo Magic... but your website seems to be cursed?

I have some sad news for you. If you're not pulling in the cash that you well deserve for your talent; yes, there's a good chance your website may indeed be doomed. Keep doing (or not doing) what you're doing, and you can look forward to embarrassingly small sums of profit piddling in at a snail's pace, for the rest of your life.

But I also have some happy news: the curse can be undone. You CAN turn your luck around, and start enjoying prosperity and abundance, selling like a champ, doing what you love.

So, how to lift the web copy curse, and majorly up your profit potential?

1. Call upon the forces of that old dynamic duo, Copywriting and Web Marketing


2. Kick up the audience collection and involvement process


3. Eradicate ALL traces of "modest, humble, mediocre, ho-hum and so-so" from your web materials and replace with "Killer Confidence" Copy that really gets things humming!

Copywriting and web marketing go hand in hand, working to bring you greater reader response and better sales conversion. Simply said, you cannot ever have one without the other and expect real results. Rub those two magic stones together, and surprise... the curse of the bad web copy is forever lifted.

Lift the curse!

Breathe new life into your web copy, and present your readers with a powerful emotional argument as to why your product or service is the answer to their every desire - the cure for what ails them, the satisfaction that eludes them, and the peace of mind to quell their fears. One you have the copywriting nabbed, you're halfway there. The next necessary step is a web marketing campaign that stirs your audience to life and motivates them to take immediate action (ultimately, buy what you're selling).

What's web marketing? It's the plan or strategy that you will use to motivate your readers to act now. Your marketing could be an event, a limited time only promotion, a contest, a sweepstakes giveaway, a "get it now" incentive. It could be something as big as inventing a new holiday, or as small as inviting fellow article marketers to join you for a blog carnival. Every marketing campaign requires timed information releases, pre-written materials, specific instructions that tell your readers what to do next... and small "rewards" that will be the incentive for folks to keep following along.

Typical incentive rewards on the web:

1. free exposure (in the form of links, author spotlights or free classified ads)


2. price breaks (for members only, of course)


3. free information (perhaps an e-book download, original article or short tutorial)
   

Each time you promise and deliver one of these key incentives, you bind your readers closer to you, build confidence in your ability and establish trust in your business. From this transaction grows the potential for future sales. Again, the marketing is the "plan" that will become the catalyst for future success. And as we roll out the plan, we discover that copy and marketing are inextricably bound together... for if your copy lacks the punch and pizzazz that will have your readers catching "Me Too" Fever, you may as well quit trying to pull off the marketing!

Now, HOW are you going to ever kick off a web marketing campaign if you have no loyal readership? You can't do it. That's why the audience collection process is one of the first critical moves toward "big-time web marketer" fame.

Audience collection involves two actions: 1. bait, 2. capture. Gosh, that sounds so sneaky, but bait-and-capture is really just par for the marketing course. So put out the bait - start showing up in places where you know your target audience regularly checks in. For example, a web networking forum that you run yourself, or participate in regularly. A public posting area or classifieds site, an article or blog directory... these are all opportunities to cast your line so to speak, and be noticed by people who are primed for what you can offer them.

The "capture" (which is not a capture at all because it's purely voluntary), involves suggesting that your reader sign up to be on your mailing list. Give them a reason: "We offer special price breaks to our exclusive list members." Start passing out those incentive cards. You'll be shocked at how many web surfers willingly trade you their email addresses in exchange for immediate gratification (say, an instant e-book download) or the promise of excitement and freebies to come.

Finally: kick the modesty habit. Your sales letter or promotional mailing is no place to tell your readers, "Golly, we've never done this before and we've only got a couple sign-ups so far, but we sure hope you participate..." Humility might work at the local church ladies' luncheon, but not for your web marketing sales pitch. I mentioned Copywriting Voodoo Magic in the opening paragraph of this article? Learn how to pump up your energy levels and use your Superstar Marketer voice to communicate exactly why...

1. You're THE BEST at what you do


2. This offer is like no other


3. The item in question will fulfill your greatest needs, wishes and desires

And don't forget to tell your readers that...

1. Folks are flocking in droves and if you're anybody, you should be, too


2. Hurry, time is of the essence and you won't want to miss out!

Are you ready to start marketing like the professionals?

Here are three tasks for you to complete RIGHT NOW to get the ball rolling:

1. Get an email management system and autoresponder (try KickstartCart.com or ConstantContact.com)


2. Review your web copy and replace EVERY instance of "wishy washy" with "wild and wonderful!"


3. Grab a pen and paper and WRITE DOWN THE EXACT PLANS for your next marketing campaign.

That's all there is to it. Just those three easily-achieved goals for this week, and you're off to a running start. Think you've got what it takes to lift the curse and get your copy on par with the web's top marketers? It's going to take some work and possibly even some professional input... but you're bright, motivated, and I know you can make it happen!

Copyright 2006 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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