Write Great Emails – free video training

The true-life story of how I made $80,000 from just one email, PLUS my 10 rules for writing great emails that people will read.

I certainly hope I can play this over again because I’m getting so many gems I can’t quite take it all in right now. – Sabrina

This has been incredibly valuable. Thank you for this gift. – Gail

Thanks, Sam! This is very helpful for designing my new adventure over the next couple of months. Perfect timing! – Shelley

 

My Infusioncon, My Love…

My Infusioncon, My Love…

Why I Get Mushy About Infusioncon

Well, first of all let me say that I am the last person on earth one would expect to be in love with a software company’s annual conference.  But Infusioncon changed me.

Please note: I have no business or marketing background, no training in computers or software.  But back in 2009 when started working for myself full time, I found Infusionsoft, and it’s been true love ever since.

First, let me tell you what Infusionsoft is: it’s an all-in-one system whereby you can send emails, track who opens and clicks on those emails and also sell people stuff.  It’s like having a way to send nice emails, an extra-detailed address book that remembers everything a person has ever done and a shopping cart system to sell your stuff — all in one.

It’s a huge, beautiful machine.

Now, back to that conference . . .

Back in 2010, I attended my first Infusioncon, slightly shocked to be honored as an Ultimate Marketer Finalist.  I presented the story of my business in front of a thousand people.  I wrote Ode to the Entrepreneur for them and they gave me a standing ovation.  You can see it on the tape here: the proof that poetry and business can make great bedfellows.

That Infusioncon was the first time I ever really embraced my new identity as a business person, and I was able to do it easily because Infusioncon is a convention of THE NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.  The CEO, the management, the tech support staff… unnervingly kind, every last one of them.  Even their customers are crazy-nice.  Which is why it’s so fun to hang out with them all once a year.

 

Really, you must go.

 

This year it’s March 27-29 at the swanky Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.  Your brain will melt (in a good way) from all the information and ideas – there’s a ton of expert sessions & trainings and this year my hero David Allen is speaking and – wait for it – so is Daymond John from Shark Tank, the world’s greatest television show.

I love them so much that I’ve become an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant (do I look smarter?) and I am proud to represent them, especially to the creatives, iconoclasts, writers, artists, performers, poets, teachers, geniuses, weirdos and wild bunch-ers who make up my community and might not otherwise hear about this stuff.

So if you’re interested in learning about Infusionsoft, check out the demo and see if it’s right for you:
https://crm.infusionsoft.com/go/viewdemo/samanthabennett/
(you bet that’s an affiliate link – I’m a Certified Consultant for heaven’s sake.)

And if you want to learn more about small business sales & marketing in three days than most people learn in a lifetime, check out Infusioncon: http://2013.infusioncon.com/

 

Anyway, that’s my love letter.

Join me at Infusioncon 2013, won’t you?

4 of 7: How To Tell If Your Copy Is Really Effective

Discover How To Feel Great Writing About Your Creative Projects and Entrepreneurial Endeavors Online

Hi — This is #4 of 7 days I’m sending out a series of articles about how to do better & feel better about marketing your creative projects and entrepreneurial endeavors – it’s a promo for this fabulous new teleclass called www.WriteRightNowVIP.com that starts this Thursday, May 24th.

So before we get to the article part I want to talk for a sec about the class…

Answer me honesty — would better, more TRUTH-FILLED “sales” copy earn you an additional $100 a month? An additional $500? What if we could create you some materials that would up your income by $1000 in the next eight weeks?

(And I’m not guaranteeing that we can, of course — I’m just inviting you to consider the possibility. Because it IS possible.)

Would you like some personalized assistance from 2 small business creative entrepreneurial experts?

If you have an intuition that the full Write Right Now VIP workshop is going to be right for you, then sign up ASAP and you can save yourself a PILE OF MONEY before the price goes up tomorrow. (Like $500…) so take a look: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/

“These articles are AMAZING.” – M.W.

Wes & I are happy to provide as much free help as we can AND I really want to urge you to consider enrolling in the Write Right Now VIP workshop so you can get the BEST INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS from us personally and one-on-one.

We offer “satisfaction guaranteed or your money cheerfully refunded.” That’s how confident we are that you will benefit enormously from this course.

OK — so here’s #4 of the “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” article as derived from the free on-demand webinar that Wes Schaeffer & I did the other day —

—–> Did you miss it? Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)

And, FYI, here are all “7 Copy Writing Mistakes…” topics:

1 of 7: I don’t want to feel sales-y…(read this one here)
2 of 7: I’m too wordy… (read this one here)
3 of 7: How to get started & how to find the time to keep going (read this one here)
4 of 7: What’s REALLY effective copy writing & how do you know?
5 of 7: Beat perfectionism once and for all
6 of 7: How to discover what’s really going to be compelling for your audience
7 of 7: What to do if you feel constrained by having to write for SEO, academic writing, your boss…

How To Know If Your Copy Is Really Effective

“I know half of my advertising dollars are being wasted…I only wish I knew which half.”
– John Wanamaker, Founder of Wanamaker’s Department Stores; now Macy’s

One of the great truisms of “traditional” advertising is that no one is really sure if it works or not.

And one of the advantages to being a small, nimble entrepreneur in the age of Internet advertising is that you can test all kinds of different strategies quite inexpensively.

Even better, you can see & measure your results instantly.

But only if you know what you are measuring and why.

So…What’s My “Bounce Rate” Anyway?

We’ll get more into this during the Write Right Now VIP workshop, but just for starters, let’s talk about GOOGLE.

You know that Google determines where you show up in their search engine results, but do you know how them make that determination?

Nope.

Neither does anybody else.

Not really, anyway. It’s an ever-changing algorithm that they keep top secret.

But we can create our own metrics by looking at is the following data from your website:

Bounce Rate
Number of Pages Viewed
Time on Page

And you should be looking at those numbers, too. Let’s talk about what they mean.

(And if you don’t have Google Analytics on every page of your website, do that now: http://www.google.com/analytics/. And I keep track of my metrics & got this info using Craig Jacobson’s www.JuicedMetrics.com. That’s not an affiliate link, BTW…I just dig his stuff)

Bounce Rate – You Want It To Be Under 70%
That’s Google measuring how many people click over to your site and then immediately click away. They assume that if you have good content, people won’t instantly “bounce” away.

Number of Pages Viewed – 2.5 Is Good
More is better, of course. That’s why you’ll often see blog posts that say, “read more” and take you to another page. That counts as an additional page view.

Time on Page – More Than 2 Minutes Is Good
Again, longer is better. Video is great for getting people to stick around, as are juicy blog posts.

Now PAY ATTENTION because this is the important part…

Here is the simple secret to GREAT content creation:
Content = What You Wish Someone Had Told You Ten Years Ago.
That’s it.

If you write an article a week explaining some aspect of your work that you wish you had known about 5 or 10 years ago, you will be AUTOMATICALLY creating content that is SEO-friendly.

SEO = The Questions Your People Are Asking (Typing Into Google) Right Now

So let’s put this all together:

– if your Bounce Rate is high then your SEO might be off (in other words, people aren’t finding what they expect to find when they come to your site.)

– if your Time on Page is low, you might need to create “stickier” content.

– if your Number of Pages Viewed is low, you might need to improve your Site Navigation by making it clearer where they should click and why.

Make sense? Good. Now go write something.

P.S. Of course this all varies wildly from person to person and from industry to industry, which is why Wes & I offer a PRIVATE, one-on-one session with each of us to every Write Right Now VIP workshop participant.

Want more? Here’s how to get more…

You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.

And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.

So…

I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )

So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”

—–> Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)

It’s for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…

and YOU if you know that if only your…

– web pages

– bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)

– blog posts

– product descriptions

– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)

– press releases

– emails (like this one!)

…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people! (Which is why we do all this, right?)

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.

– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.

– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.

– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.

– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!

– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.

– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.

Then this event is for you!

Here’s what people said about it:

so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California

“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA

“I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington

“7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”

—–> Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)

You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.

I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.

YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.

But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?

 

And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!

 

P.S. And yes, of course this is a preview event for the Write Right Now VIP workshop – but it’s not a pitch-fest – you know I hate that, too. This is TONS of useful content, tailored just for you. In fact, if you want to check out what the Write Right Now VIP workshop is all about, you can go here: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/

If you have an intuition that the full Write Right Now VIP workshop is going to be right for you, then sign up ASAP and you can save yourself a PILE OF MONEY. (Like $500…) so take a look: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/

– SSB.

2 of 7: I’m Too Wordy…

YAY! Here’s #2 of the “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” article as derived from the free on-demand webinar that Wes Schaeffer & did the other day —

 

Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2

And, FYI, here are all 7 Copy Writing Mistakes…” topics:

1 of 7: I don’t want to feel sales-y…(read this one here)
2 of 7: I’m too wordy…
3 of 7: How to get started & how to find the time to keep going
4 of 7: What’s REALLY effective copy writing & how do you know?
5 of 7: Beat perfectionism once and for all
6 of 7: How to discover what’s really going to be compelling for your audience
7 of 7: What to do if you feel constrained by having to write for SEO, academic writing, your boss…

I’m Too Wordy…

Well, honey, it’s tempting to just say, “Use fewer words” : ) But that’s not really the issue, now is it?

One part of the issue is that you want to tell everybody everything about your work right away.

Think Of It This Way: A “Sales Funnel” Is What Takes You From First Glance To Marriage

If you imagine that you look across a crowded room and make eye contact with someone who looks interesting to you, then you would find a way to strike up a conversation, right?

And you wouldn’t start the conversation by giving them every last detail about where you grew up, would you?

Of course not – that would be weird.

You would start the conversation by saying something like, “Hi.”

  And then you might give them a compliment or offer to buy them a drink or make some pithy observation.

Same thing goes for potential clients: begin the conversation in a way that demonstrates that you are genuinely interested in them.

But there’s more to it, isn’t there?

The marketing conundrum of 2012: people have short attention spans but they still need to be convinced, persuaded and soothed.

So you need to use as many words as necessary to convey a feeling of confidence in your prospects, but no more.

(In other words, shut up when they are ready to buy…but how do you know?)

So try using VISUAL CUES to break up long copy into shorter, more easily understood segments.

For example, you might create an email or sales page that has:

  • A compelling headline (bold) that piques their interest
  • A fantastic opening paragraph
  • An image that supports your text
  • A caption under the image that makes a point or encourages an action
  • Several sub-headers (bold, colorful) that break up the text

 

One of the participants on the “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” noticed that it was just like creating a magazine article — brilliant!  YES!

Here’s the logic:


The most-read parts of any document are 1) The headline 2) The opening paragraph 3) The image  4) The captions  5) Sub-headers

Taking the time to make these elements intriguing pays off when you remember:

No one reads anything – they only LOOK at it.

So making those elements really groovy will help your reader determine – at first glance – whether they should go back and actually read the rest or not.

This gives you the punch of “short copy” combined with the detail of “long copy.”

Find this helpful?  Here’s how to get more…

You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.

And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.

So…


I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )

So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”

—–> Watch or download the free preview event here: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2

It’s a free on-demand webinar for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…


and YOU if you know that if only your…

– web pages

- bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)

– blog posts

- product descriptions

– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)

– press releases

- emails (like this one!)

…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people!

(Which is why we do all this, right?)




Does any of this sound familiar to you?

– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.

– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.

– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.

– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.

– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!

– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.

– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.

Then this event is for you!




Here’s what people said about it:

“so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California




“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA




”I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington

7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
(and how to fix them WITHOUT having to hire an expensive copywriter)

with Small Business Experts

Wes Schaeffer & Samantha Bennett

—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2

You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.

I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.

YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.


But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?




Please join me & my pal Wes on this Really Useful Webinar

–


—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2

 

And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!

 

P.S. And yes, of course this is a preview event for the Write Right Now VIP workshop – but it’s not a pitch-fest – you know I hate that, too. This is TONS of useful content, tailored just for you. In fact, if you want to check out what the Write Right Now VIP workshop is all about, you can go here: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/

If you have an intuition that the full Write Right Now VIP workshop is going to be right for you, then sign up ASAP and you can save yourself a PILE OF MONEY. (Like $500…) so take a look: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/
- SSB.

I Call “Buschwa!”

Exclusive Buy-Now Click Here Six-Figure Secrets to Unlock the Five Business Mistakes That Are Blocking Your Top Ten List-Building, SEO-Perfecting, One-Click Marketing Overnight Success VIP Teleseminars from Skyrocketing Into Infinity and Beyond Product Launch Social Media Make A Grillion Dollars In Just 3 Hours = BUSCHWA!

Are you as exhausted by internet marketing hype as I am?

Honestly – if I get one more email promising to show me how it’s so easy to get tons of traffic from Facebook or how to outfox Google or how to organize a three-day webinar that will brainwash attendees into buying everything that’s on offer….

I know we all need to make a living.  Me, especially.  And the good news is that while there is a lot of strained overselling going on, a lot of the information out there is terrific.

There are a lot of really wonderful, smart, good-hearted people sharing deeply valuable information – some for free, some charge, some charge a LOT.

But the fact of the matter is that building a business – any business – is dang hard work.

And being self-employed is a nonstop challenge with a near-vertical learning curve.

So let’s be fair but firm: if you want to learn how to grow your business, you should hook up with the right people and learn from them.

Everything I Know About Creating A Successful Business I Learned From Amy Ahlers

That’s not an overstatement.  Amy’s been one of my closest friends and advisers for over 15 years, and she has blazed the trail for me this whole time.  Seriously – she does stuff and then I just copy her.

Amy is offering a brand-new teleseminar that is dedicated to busting open the myths about internet marketing and telling YOU the TRUTH that you need to know.  Amy’s hilarious and sunshine-y and smart, and she’s partnered with two of the savviest female entrepreneurs I’ve ever known, the dynamic Christine Arylo and the genius-nutty-professor of copy writing, Michelle P-W.

Don’t miss this event!  Register here for free and get immediate access to three great videos DEBUNKING the myths and Big Fat Lies about internet marketing: http://bit.ly/iEoQve

Register and not only can you attend live or via streaming audio on the web, you will also get the recording PLUS you get immediate access to great new videos that break open three common misconceptions and pose really interesting questions for you to answer.

(And yes, of course I’m a Big Fan and an affiliate for this program –  for heaven’s sake, the woman is one of my best friends!  And you know Amy & I were promoting each other’s stuff way before either of us had ever heard of an affiliate program and I don’t imagine we’ll quit doing it any time soon.)

Here’s to your authentic success story!

P.S. Seriously – do yourself a favor and sign up for this free event so that you can break free of the Big Fat Lies about internet marketing and build a business based on the TRUTH: http://bit.ly/iEoQve – xoox Sam.