Why Most Copywriting Success Stories Are Bogus

By Author: Philip Johnson
Total Articles: 38
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Seems not a week goes by when someone doesn't email me all discouraged about their lack of copywriting response, and say something like this:
"I research the product, I spend weeks coming up with compelling headlines and copy...I learn the market better than anyone else...and yet my ads don't pull big numbers. What am I doing wrong?"
And if you've been feeling this way, I've got a secret to share with you.
Not the kind of secret that'll magically make your ads start pulling orders.
But it is a secret that will hopefully put a few things in perspective for you...and show you how to fix the problem you're having.
Anyway, here's the secret:
Stop comparing yourself to all the hyped-up, exaggerated stories copywriters-for-hire like to tell when promoting themselves. Most of these stories are bogus...and some are even borderline fraudulent.
Why?
Because when you hear someone say they sold a million dollars worth of a product in 20 minutes...there are some details they're leaving out as far as how much effect their copy really had.
Like, for example, the quality and size of the ...
... list.
One copywriter I know (and have a ton of respect for) really did sell over a million dollars of a product within a day or two.
And when I congratulated him he said, yes, it was a great promotion, but it was also read by a huge and loyal list of rabid buyers (not freebie seekers), and the product was high ticket. And many of the people who bought didn't even need to read the copy. They knew what it was, who it was from and that they wanted it. Period.
That's not to say the copy didn't play a factor. It was great copy. But even the best copy in the world is only about 20% of the success of an ad. The rest is almost entirely dependent on the list and the offer.
And when you have all those forces working for you, you almost can't fail.
Here's another example:
I know this other guy who claims to be one of the best "copywriters" on the Internet...and just about every copywriter I know thinks his copy is probably mediocre at best.
But, because this dude is such an absolute master at positioning...and because he's always had the right people endorsing his product (which even his competitors agree is the best in his market)...his ads pull in tens of millions of dollars a pop regardless.
Anyway, if your copy hasn't been producing the numbers you've hoped for -- and if you can't understand why -- consider what you've read in this article.
While it's true it could be your copy, most likely it's the lack of list quality and positioning.
And if you really put the time and effort into your ads...and if you get yourself a decent-sized list of proven buyers to sell to...you'll start to see those big numbers, too.

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