Gary Halbert 30 day challenge Copywriting Group

[kytro360]

I tried writing out copy by hand but felt myself zoning out and getting bored of it by the second week.

 

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[Mac]

Another great marketing/persuasion book is "The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion" by Blair Warren.

 

[sdemierre]

I tried writing out copy by hand but felt myself zoning out and getting bored of it by the second week.

I think that when you zone out is when the magic is actually happening. You cannot write and think about something else unless your unconcious mind does one or the other. In other words, your writing has to become automatic I.E. your unconcious mind takes over the process of copying the add.

Joe Carbo and many others talk about how much copywriting is tied to the unconcious mind.
Keep at it. I think the idea is to learn the feeling of writing, the flow... the pauses... the one word lines... etc.

 

[sdemierre]

Another great marketing/persuasion book is "The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion" by Blair Warren.

I have it somewhere. For now, I really try to stick to the classics. As Garry said: as important as what you read is what you don´t read (untill you have a complete idea of what´s the real deal and what´s "opinions"

 

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[devine]

I have it somewhere. For now, I really try to stick to the classics. As Garry said: as important as what you read is what you don´t read (untill you have a complete idea of what´s the real deal and what´s "opinions"

Officialy my favourite new member of TFLF.
Intelligent approach, fine attitude, value input.

 

[sdemierre]

Officialy my favourite new member of TFLF.
Intelligent approach, fine attitude, value input.

I read the whole thread and it was really funny to see how as the thread went along

Officialy my favourite new member of TFLF.
Intelligent approach, fine attitude, value input.

Thanks!
An example of this...
yesterday I opted in to a site mentioned in this thread. The FIRST email I got talks about market awareness and talks about how a specific ad targets all market awareness... which acording to Eugene it´s impossible to do. (1 ad should target one awareness state).

I remember once I asked John Reese "How do you know when you know enough?" And he said... You already know enough.
Now that I REALLY got into learning copywriting in a mechanistic way, I can say I found the answer to my question. You know enough (marketing / e-marketing) after reading all these books.

Most of these guys learnt copywriting first, or learnt from somebody who was into direct marketing and THEN they applied it to internet.

All the "Gurus" are only rephrasing or coining names after what these authors wrote.

The reason to read only these guys is because this will become your foundation to a solid future, if you put cheap "stuff" in the foundation sooner or later the building will show cracks. And you will not know where they come from.

If you are reading all books from pdfs ( I must confess I am) then pay special attention not to read Caples 5th edition. I haven´t. If what I heard is true, about 30% of it is doubtful.

PS: I plan on buying all these books anyway. (somebody mentioned that and I think it´s great advice)

 

[sdemierre]

I love how they use words in certain ads. They associate your mental images to what they offer.
When talking about coffee... I´d be mighty glad to send you..."
Or... when talking about social security... "The book is entitled"
OMG
What a better way to put the thought of being entitled to cash in...
.This process is being more than enlightening!
I recommend it to anybody willing to make money, even if they don´t plan to ever write a word of advertising.

My biggest understanding so far is this.

"You don´t try to convince anybody to buy anything. You find the 2, 3 or 10 things they need to believe in order to make a conclusion. Then, when the conclusion it to buy a product like yours, and you tell them you have a product that matches what they believe is logic... then you made a sell"

So instead of pushing a sale, you build the stepping stones for them to go buy it on their own. You don´t sell. You lead them to conclusions. You eliminate the other options. You make each stepping stone be solid, logic, easy, attractive. You put a monster behind them, chasing them if they don´t take the first step. You put the hottest (insert sexual preference here) at the end of the path. And then you put a twin (insert sexual preference here) if they act now, so it becomes even more attractive.

This is awesome.

 

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[sdemierre]

I have to add something else because it´s really important.
I kind of mentioned in the post but I want to make sure it´s clear.
Your copy should manage and guide responses. When you talk about being cheated, they´ll go into the pissed-off state. So whatever you write after that is going to be perceived in that pissed off state. You can direct it or piss them off even more.

So, in order to get them to your goal... What are the steps they would need to take to get there? What is the chain of states, moods, thoughts then would need to have in order to get there?

Work backwards from your goal to where they are NOW and you´ll get results. The headline is the first step in the bridge from where they are and where you want them to end up.

 

[sdemierre]

Done copying all ads. This process was awesome.
It´s funny that you may hear the best advice of your life 10 times and ditch it as "fanatism" and it may actually be "the best advice of your life"
Breakthrough advertising is out of this world.

 

[GMSI7D]

Breakthrough advertising is out of this world.

yes i am reading it

the author slaps our face with this big idea :

the Mass desires are an energy to be mastered like nuclear energy or any form of energy

we are dealing with the emotions of the masses to be focused on a product.

we are thinking at a meta level , like business strategists or american think tanks.

 

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[sdemierre]

I´m on reading number 5 of Breakthrough advertising. Each time I discover something new that I haven´t seen before

 

[GMSI7D]

In fact, i don't understand why Gary Halbert didn't talk about another amazing book of Eugene Schwartz :

The brilliance breakthrough

This is an amazing book as well. The author says in it that we have to forget all we have learned at school about academic writing !

because the goal of langage for famous advertisers /copywriters whether it be David Ogilvy, Eugene Schwartz or anyone is this :

connecting with customers and making them buy , not becoming PHD in litterature.

remember this famous quote :

 

[sdemierre]

Merci beaucoup!

 

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[GMSI7D]

Merci beaucoup!

tu parles français ?

parceque j'ai trouvé une video en français de christian Godefroy sur " how to write a good advertisement "

this is a video about schwab's " how to write a good advertisement" for french speaking users.

 

[sdemierre]

tu parles français ?

parceque j'ai trouvé une video en français de christian Godefroy sur " how to write a good advertisement "

this is a video about schwab's " how to write a good advertisement" for french speaking users.

Oui, c´est pas ma langue maternelle mais oui (yes I do)
Thanks for the link

 

[notyet]

Late to the party. But as I'm a new user, this is just the perfect start.

Current progress :

• Scientific Advertising
• The Robert Collier Letter Book
• Tested Advertising Methods
• How To Write A Good Advertisement
• The Gary Halbert Letter
• The Boron Letters
• The Lazy Man's Way To Riches (Book 2 is very fastlane)
• Break-Through Advertising
• 7-Steps To Freedom

 

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[notyet]

Progress update (it was hard to get my hand on the books):

• Scientific Advertising
• The Robert Collier Letter Book
• Tested Advertising Methods
• How To Write A Good Advertisement
• The Gary Halbert Letter
• The Boron Letters
• The Lazy Man's Way To Riches (Book 2 is very fastlane)
• Break-Through Advertising
• 7-Steps To Freedom
• Boron 2
  

Does anybody has the advertisements? I can't seem to find them. Just the first from the list.
@Enki can you add me to the dropbox folder?

 

[Katsuya]

I will be joining this challenge!

Time to get my hands on the books!

 

[Pyromaniac]

I am joining this challenge.

Already enjoying scientific advertising

 

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[vonmaxim]

/Hey Everyone
This is an AWESOME thread and VERY helpful.
Thank you.
Is it still possible to get access to the Dropbox?
There are a couple books I still need to consume.
Thank you in advance.
VM

 

[Michaelblackc]

Hey guys, I decided to join the fun.

I'm super committed to become an A++ Copywriter, no matter what it takes.

I'm going to start reading the books in this order:

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book



I will keep you guys updated about my progress.

P.S: I'm going to be the first in the forum to make this in 30 days exactly as Gary says.

P.P.S: Why? Cuz, I'm obsessive, I love this shit so much, I love to learn and I can put tons of focused time daily.

P.P.P.S: If I cannot make it on 30 days, this challenge is NUTS! in this time . Just so you know.

 

[Michaelblackc]

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". - Lao Tzu

Finished The Boron Letters.

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

Now is the turn of The Gary Halbert Letter (8 issues)

 

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[Lex DeVille]

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". - Lao Tzu

Finished The Boron Letters.

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

Now is the turn of The Gary Halbert Letter (10 issues)

What will you do once you finish all of this?

I have yet to see a breakthrough or even moderate success from anyone who started this challenge.

It's great you love to learn, but at what point do you put it to practical use?

When do you start making money?

This thread was started almost 3 years ago.

29 pages.

Why isn't it GOLD?

Because it's a waste of time.

Time you can't get back.

For everyone reading this...

For the love of god, read Ca$hvertising and apply it.

Write copy in the real world and test it to get real results.

Skip all this other crap until you make a dollar.

 

[Michaelblackc]

I'm doing this because I want to become an A++ copywriter myself. So you are going to see the first breakthrough case.

I learned some copy in the past from DK and one of the best internet marketers, but now I want to model the absolute best in the world, not waste my time with mediocre composition.

So if the best copywriter in the world, says to you, that you will become far better than 99% of others copywriters doing this. I will simply trust in his advice and do it.

And do it the way he wants me to do it.

 

[Michaelblackc]

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

 

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[Michaelblackc]

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

 

[arfadugus]

What will you do once you finish all of this?

I have yet to see a breakthrough or even moderate success from anyone who started this challenge.

It's great you love to learn, but at what point do you put it to practical use?

When do you start making money?

This thread was started almost 3 years ago.

29 pages.

Why isn't it GOLD?

Because it's a waste of time.

Time you can't get back.

For everyone reading this...

For the love of god, read Ca$hvertising and apply it.

Write copy in the real world and test it to get real results.

Skip all this other crap until you make a dollar.

Agree. I didn't start learning anything until I actually tried to write copy for real clients. There is so much that none of these books will prepare you for.

 

[Tedd]

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

You've read 3 books and that's quite enough. You're already good enough; time to put the theory in practice. Find real clients and write for them, test and learn along the way, as @SinisterLex recommends!

 

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[arfadugus]

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
Tested Advertising Methods
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book

Agree. I didn't really start learning anything until I actually tried to write copy for real clients. There is so much that none of these books will prepare you for.

 

[Michaelblackc]

The Boron Letters
The Gary Halbert Letter
Scientific Advertising
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches
Tested Advertising Methods
Your First 100 Million
Break-Through Advertising
7-Steps To Freedom
How To Write A Good Advertisement
The Robert Collier Letter Book