Buy My Book For $27 And Ill Give You Bonuses Worth A Gazillion Dollars!
|
|
Subhead
..How to bundle for valuable results without devaluing your product
I almost clicked. Really, I did.
The ad copy was compelling, the content focused. This was exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I was convinced I had found just the eBook I needed to add to my e-library.
Credit card in hand, my mouse cursor hovered over the "order now" button ready to click. The excitement mounted. I had to have it.
Then it happened...a doubt...a discordant second thought that caused me to view the irresistible offer in an entirely different light - so much so that I put away my credit card and clicked the "back" button on my browser instead.
Sale aborted.
What the devil could possibly have persuaded me to turn my cheek the other way so abruptly?
Was the cost too high to justify the purchase?
Not at all. In fact, I would have paid twice that for the information initially presented.
Perhaps there weren't enough bonuses?
Okay. Now we're getting warmer. However, it's not what you might think.
The fact is, this guy had me completely sold until he presented his gazillionth bonus...blah, blah, blah. Yea, this guy really blew it by offering overkill on his bonuses. By the time I got to the umpteenth bonus, I was actually doubting the value of his main product.
By bundling so many bonuses (many of which had been around the Net and back hundreds of times) with his eBook, the author actually succeeded in lowering the perceived value. I began to feel that perhaps the information was not truly worth the money. I mean, why did he have to attach so many bonuses, many of which did not even directly apply to his topic?
Is it possible that bundling bonuses with your offer can actually do more harm than good?
Yes, absolutely.
Does that mean that bundling is not good.
No, absolutely not. In fact, I'm a firm believer in bundling. You simply need to learn how.
So, what's the key?
How do you know what kinds of bonuses will actually help tip the Doubting Thomas over the line and compel him to click the "order now" button? And how many bonuses will it take?
There's a very simple 2-question "Bundling Test" you can use to know whether you're adding value to your products or whether you're devaluing them.
Bundling Test
1) Do your bonuses complement, as if to complete your product? (you want to do this)
2) Do the kinds and quantity of bonuses overshadow, as if to cloud or drown out your product? (you don't want to do this)
Once your bonuses pass the Bundling Test, you simply work over your ad copy until it is a fine piece of workmanship.
Now, that makes sense, doesn't it? Then, why do so many people insist on raping the quality of their product by removing the purity of the offer?
You've got to have firmly in your mind what it is you want to sell. Is it your product or is it your bonuses? It should be your product. Your bonuses should then support the sell of your product. It's as simple as that. Non of this haphazard throwing in bonuses.
May I offer two real-life examples I recently encountered? One made me click away, the other caused me to click the "order now" button. And, yes, I did purchase the product.
I've changed the name of the authors in the examples to protect the innocent (or not-so-innocent). For the purpose of comparison, in both examples the authors are selling info products on the topic of e-publishing; nevertheless, what is gleaned from each example applies to any product for any industry.
Example #1: The Slipshod Approach
For purposes of anonymity, let's call the owner of the first info product "Joe."
Nothing wrong with the first part of Joe's ad copy. It was convincing and compelling. Where did his offer fall apart? In his bonuses.
First of all Joe's bonuses were never mentioned until the very end...well after the first, second or even third "order now" button. It was as if they were thrown in as an after-thought, and a not very-well-thought-out bonus package at that. This positioning brings to mind the shady used car salesman who tries a last-stitch effort with, "Tell ya what I'm gonna do." Tacky. No thanks.
Secondly, most of Joe's bonuses were nothing more than eBooks that you can find on any free eBook directory. Oh, and the hundreds of reports with free reprint rights? Worthless! Can you see how quickly Joe's offer is losing credibility?
Thirdly, Joe offered a total of seven bonuses containing 21 eBooks, 650 reports with reseller rights, a software toolkit, an eBook compilation service, a free email account, and free subscription to an ezine...all this for Joe's one measly little eBook and, as Joe stated, "to sweeten the deal." This sweet deal was rapidly leaving a sour taste in my mouth. What was so wrong with his eBook that he had to offer so much junk?
Furthermore, none of the bonuses directly complemented the topic of his own eBook. Why simply throw them in? Customers are looking for a nicely-put-together package, not the slipshod approach.
But, here's the straw that broke the camel's back. Joe's book was priced at $27. How much would you think his bonuses should be worth? An additional $10? $30? A doubled $54? Would you believe over $1,000? Get real! The value of the bonuses was grossly lopsided to the value of his own info product.
Now, what value do you perceive that $27 eBook to have? Most likely, not much value at all by now.
Unbelievable! Yes, quite frankly it was.
You've heard the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." My sentiments exactly. With so many slipshod bonuses thrown in, it was simply too good to be true.
In short, it turned my interest to suspicion.
Let's put example #1's offer to the "Bundling Test." Did Joe's bonuses complete his product? No. In fact, they took away from it. Did the bonuses drown out his product? Yes, grossly.
Looks like the first example failed miserably. Let's go on to the next example.
Example #2: The Seamless Approach
The owner of the info product in this second case study presents an excellent example of how bundling and presenting your bonuses should work. In this actual example, let's call the owner "Paul."
Paul's new info product was worth $97. With this he bundled three quality eBooks. Already, he established value in his offer.
Although I already had two of those eBooks, the way Paul seamlessly wove the three bonuses into his product was intriguing. He made me feel as though those three eBooks should not be read as stand-alones, rather that they were integral to his own product.
How did he do this so seamlessly?
First of all, Paul took the time to explain in detail what each bonus eBook contained. He expounded on how each eBook complemented his product, calling the bonuses "the primers" to his course. Not only this, he spoke personally about each author of the bonus eBooks and what they could offer the reader.
There was nothing presented as an after-thought. The bonuses were an important, well-thought-out, integral piece of the puzzle.
Let's put Paul's bonuses to the "Bundling Test." Did his bonuses complement his product? Yes, in fact, they completed it. Did the bonuses drown out his product? No. There were three perfectly thought out bonuses, no more. And, their value to his product was reasonable, giving value to his own product.
Bingo.
Now, I did not put out money for the cheaper $27 product. I did, however for the more expensive one. Why? Paul's example created value, and much of that value was in how the bonuses were presented. In contrasting the two above you can clearly see why.
And how did Paul end his ad copy? With these words, of course, "No $1658.97 worth of useless bonuses to waste your time. Just the stuff you need to get results."
Amen, Paul.
That is what you and I ultimately want, after all, isn't it? Results?
We online entrepreneurs are generally very busy people. Our time is limited. We don't have time to read every book or eBook that comes our way. Give us quality products only that will give us results.
Folks, there's a fine line between adding value to your products and devaluing them. Make sure you know which side of the line your bonuses are on.
Use the "Bundling Test" to help you add value to your products. If your bonuses pass the test, your readers will click.
Bundle away...but be sure you bundle for desired results.
Copyright 2004 Heidi Perry
About The Author
Seasoned entrepreneurs, Dave & Heidi Perry are founders of HomeBusinessOnline.com and PrettyGreat.com. Known for their straight-shooter style, Heidi & Dave are editors of HomeBizBytes. Receive a free issue at http://HomeBusinessOnline.com/nsl.htm?sya
|
|
|
Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites
Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE NewsletterMaking Your Purpose Your Business Step #4 - Organizing & Developing Online Content
If you have done your homework then you are ready to organize and develop what will be your online content. Your content is very important as it will be used for promoting you, your work, and your website. Content serves a variety of purposes; it displays public relations, target marketing, and general information to build a platform for your product (your purpose).One of the main items that need attention would be your biography. If you are an artist or writer, you will get asked for this pertinent information every time you make a submission or apply for competitions. Your biography is an essential piece of information that often can get viewed p...(related: Copywriting)
What A Ghostwriter Can Do For You
Do you ever have brilliant ideas for articles, books or a website, but never get around to doing anything about them? Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Trust and credibility are vital in creating consumer confidence. Being able to tell the world who you are, what you do and how you do it is the best kind of confidence-building free publicity?producing results rivaling those of standard advertising. But even if you could crank out passable copy yourself, most businesspeople should be spending their time doing what they do best?minding the store, not staring at blank sheets of paper!If that's you, and your marketing plans inclu...(related: Copywriting)
Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 Of 2
In part one of this article series we began looking at the Cruise Vacation Center site: a travel site whose copy was sorely lacking in emotional appeal and visual imagry. (You can see the previous version of the copy here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/CruiseVacationCenter-Original.pdf.) In the conclusion, youll see how all the rewrite turned out and how exciting the end results have been.The RewriteIt took me a while to get started on this co...(related: Copywriting)
Discover Your Creativity
You have a choice. Do you want to be constructive and positive in a unique way? Or do you want to be destructive and negative in ...(related: Copywriting)
Designing For A Non-english Audience
Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large corporation at my previous job, I did not think being in charge of foreign language typesetting would be too difficult. After all, the layout and the images are already prepared ...(related: Copywriting)
Write Hard-hitting Headlines With Magic Words That Sell
Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You just need to follow simple dos and donts that make or break a headline respectively. If you think you have tried them all, check this out....TOP 9 POINTS TO FOLLOW:1. Stress on ADVANTAGE, RES...(related: Copywriting)
Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines
Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. The time spent writing headlines can pay you back many times over.Do you have a product or service to sell? How do you attract new customers, clients, prospects, leads or patients?Most likely you attract them through the written word in some sort of advertising, articles, or press release. In each case you need a headline.In fact, every printed document you publish should have a headline on it. Yes, even including your business card, if you have one!So, what shoul...(related: Copywriting)
Freelance Business Writers - How To Get The Best From Your Writer
At times, it can be frustrating to find freelance business writers that are of good quality, dependable, and within your budget. The good news is that there are many people w...(related: Copywriting)
19 Secrets To Making Your Ad Copy More Effective
The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is the key - echoes through the Internet marketing mountains.Ad copy, sales copy, sales letter, copywriting or whatever you want to call it ? the goal is the same for every Internet marketing business.Get the traffic and convert the hits into cash. And how do you do just that? With an effective sales letter.Let's find out how to make your sales letter more effective.1. Create a "teeth-pulling" headline. We live in a headline society. Ignore this fact, and you lose. With the overload of information, people don't have the time to stop at every webpage and read it. Instead, they use the headlines to direct their attention. If your headline doesn't pull them to your sales lett...(related: Copywriting)
Getting Over Copy Shock
A few weeks ago I wrote some copy for a business owner "Marvin." My copy was hard-hitting but honest and down-to-earth...(related: Copywriting)
Are You Asking The Right Questions In Your Copy?
It's a common approach to writing copy. You begin by asking questions. Why? To evoke thoughts in your readers' minds, to stir up emotions, and to get customers thinking in the way you want them to think. But have you ever thought about how you phrase your questions? Are you doing it in a way that will have the greatest impact on your readers or are you just throwing questions on a page?Behaviorally speaking, not everybody respo...(related: Copywriting)
Memorable Sales Copy -- How To Write It
Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your custome...(related: Copywriting)
A Copywriting Lesson From Dr. Seuss
Looking for inspiration for your next marketing communication? Try the children's bookshelf.Dr. Seuss has entertained young (and old) audiences for nearly 50 years with titles such as "The Cat in the Hat," "Hop on Pop" and "Green Eggs and Ham."The reason why his books remain so popular says something about what makes for good writing (and reading), no matter who the audience is.Nouns and VerbsNothing keeps readers moving like strong noun-verb combinations. If the sentence were a train, nouns and verbs would be the engine. Adjectives, adverbs and the other parts of speech make the train longer and slower. Dr. Seuss' sentences have strong engines pulling light loads to kee...(related: Copywriting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Empower! Web Design | All Rights Reserved. | Copywriting
