FTC Internet Marketing Regulations Shake Things Up a Bit…

Hey everyone. Today’s post is a bit of a downer in some ways. Some might consider it a good thing though. Basically, the FTC just issued some new rules that are going to have a HUGE impact on the way we do Internet marketing. It doesn’t just affect fake blogs either. It also has a huge impact on anyone who uses testimonials.

To be honest, there are a bunch of unscrupulous marketers out there who need to get a kick in the pants, and these rules provide just that. On the other hand, there are other marketers who have integrity, and these new regulations are certainly going to make things a bit more difficult for them as well.

Anyway, without further ado, instead of typing my own post outlining what is going on, I’ll just forward you to Frank Kern’s blog where he did a pretty decent job of summarizing what the FTC has cooked up for Internet marketers. Check it out. FTC Declares Shenanigans On All Kinds Of Stuff!

Borrow Copy from Top Email Marketers

There is a very good chance that you get a lot of emails from various Internet marketers.  As a quick aside, I recommend that you start unsubscribing from lists that aren’t providing valuable information to you.  Too many top marketers sale without giving you useful content.  Give your email inbox a break and unsubscribe from their lists.  Now on to my point about email copy.

The main reason for this message is to convey the importance of paying close attention to and studying the autoresponder messages of effective email marketers.  What do they say in their email copy and how do they say it?  How much personality are they using?  Do they provide you with valuable content?  Pay attention to all of these key points.

The reason you should pay such close attention to these points is so you can use their messages as a foundation to write your own.  Do you think you have something to learn from someone who makes $30,000 just by sending a single email?  Probably.  As is common in the copy writing industry, a swipe file is something you should have.  But this swipe file will be of emails, not sales letters.  Look at the email copy that made you purchase a particular product or service and use that as a basic model for some of your products.

I’m not advocating wholesale confiscation of emails, unless of course you have have been given explicit rights to do so.  I’m talking about ideas to use as a foundation.

For me, a few email marketers stand out from the rest.  One of them is Michael Rasmussen.  When he sends an email recommending an affiliate product, he doesn’t just send a two line email saying in so many words- “Buy this.”  He gives a thorough rationale for why he is recommending a particular product.  And some of the stuff he gives away for free is pure gold.  So Michael is alright with me.

Another marketer who is quickly building a name for himself and who impresses me quite a bit is Jason Fladlien.  He’s an interesting guy.  And in email marketing, being interesting sells.  He’s also a top class copy writer, which helps tremendously in writing emails.  I recommend you check some of his stuff out.  He makes like 20 products a year it seems- if not more.

Frank Kern’s stuff is some of the most “borrowed” stuff out there- particularly his email subject lines, like “bad news”.  He is a trend starter, so he’s definitely one to pay attention to.  If he starts to do something, expect others to follow soon.

I think my point is clear.  Pay attention to the Internet marketers who actually provide value in their emails.  Pay attention to the marketers who draw you in with their autoresponders, the ones who make you feel like you are being somehow compelled to buy. Then use some of their ideas in your own email copy.

Number 1 List Building Strategy

There are a many methods to build a bigger list.  Some are more efficient than others.  The most effective and efficient method to build a list is also the one that requires the least amount of *personal* effort.  It’s about using leverage.

So what’s this mystery method?  Affiliates.  An affiliate program is the best way to get tons of sales as well as tons of new opt-ins for your list.  The key to a big list is a traffic storm, and there is no way one person can generate the traffic that hundreds of affiliates can.

Savvy Internet marketers take advantage of this powerhouse source of website traffic and give affiliates tons of resources to help them make more sales.  The more skilled an affiliate is at driving traffic and pre-selling, the more money the merchant makes. So clearly, it is in the best interest of the merchant to help affiliates as much as possible.