One of the most useful insights I’ve ever heard when it comes to direct response copywriting is what I’ll refer to as “The Chasm”.
It was revealed by Mike Palmer, author of perhaps the most wildly successful video sales letter ever published. He spoke about it in a talk he gave at the American Writers And Artists Inc.’s annual “Boot Camp” a couple of years ago.
He said whenever you set out to write a new promotion, your emotions take you on what turns out to be a fairly predictable roller coaster ride.
I actually think it’s a bit more like traversing from the peak of one mountain to another peak that you can see off in the distance.
Your journey starts out with a sense of fun and excitement. Then, as you descend into the valley, the skies get darker. The terrain before you seems impossibly long, rugged and steep…
Grave doubts creep in…
All manner of obstacles – raging rivers, gaping chasms, vicious predators – seem to cross your path…
You wonder why you ever embarked on this insane journey in the first place…
And how in the heck you’re ever going to make it to the other peak.
Almost every serious writing project I’ve ever taken on seems to feel like this. According to Mike Palmer, a lot of writers just quit at this point.
You want to quit…
Unless you know to expect it. It’s just part of the game.
The reason I’m telling you this is, if you are writing your own marketing content (You should be) you may experience the same thing and just give up.
Don’t.
Keep moving.
Get up and take a break, whatever.
At a certain point, all of a sudden you’ll realize, “Hey, I’ve got a grip on this now…”.
From there, it’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other until you reach the pinnacle.
It’s done.
And worth the journey after all.
I suppose every venture is like that to one degree or another.
So keep on keepin’ on.
If, however, you really want to put the pedal to the metal in your business, there is one thing you can do that’s like just catching a helicopter ride to that other peak…
Get good at direct response copywriting – or at least recognizing it when you hire it out – for the most explosive media ever: the interwebs.
How?
Very simple: My “Copywriting For The Web” course is now available online at Boulder Digital Arts.
Will it help you?
Just ask my students:
“I think more people should take this class. I thought Mike was extremely knowledgeable and helped us.” — Kris
“Excellent class, I came naive, I leave less ignorant. Mike is a storyteller and listener both.”
— Jeff
“Mike Connolly has an easy, but methodical style of teaching that is effective…learned a lot without being overwhelmed.” — Sue
Check out “Copywriting For The Web” and sell more stuff over time with less effort.
Just one journey across “the chasm” with direct response copywriting for the web could reap repeat revenues for you for years to come.
