Guru Economics

I spent Friday night surfing around the web looking to see what people are offering these days that is new.

(Yes, I have kids…therefore, I have no life!)

I have written in the past about the hyperbole that exists on the internet and Ad-Copy itself is something you must read between the lines and realize the truth that really exists.

Remember that is it illegal and fraudulent to lie or provide incorrect information on the internet (especially when trying to market a product for sale).

Still, there are facts and there are opinions.  Facts can be measured.  Opinions can be almost anything, as long as it is an opinion. If I write:

“This is the greatest program ever invented!”

This is essentially an opinion.  If I say it, you may believe me.  If someone else says it, you may believe it more (Ah!, the power of Social Proof!).  Still, it is an opinion that cannot be measured and therefore, fair game.

So what about facts?  This is where the power of marketing explodes!  Fact CAN be measured and therefore, much more believable.

BUT!, facts can be twisted and with minor subtly  may appear to be believable when, in fact (no pun intended) they are nothing more than claims or incomplete data.

For example:

“You Can Make $500/day in Less than 3 Months”

Is this a fact or opinion?  Well, it really is a claim.  And for a claim to be accurate, there needs to be past proof.  Can you make $500/day in less than 3 months doing online business?  Sure.  And it has been done by many.  Will You?  I don’t know.

The grain of salt.

That is what we take.  If someone else has done it, it can be claimed.  And remember this statement is not a promise, rather a fact.  You CAN win the lottery, too, if you play.  Does it mean you will win?

But what about a twist on numbers?

I saw a lot of this recently, especially from the gurus:

“X Program Made $1,000,000 in less than 24 hours!” 

WOW!  That is great and invigorating to read!  And this probably is the TRUTH, too!  But how much of this $1,000,000 did this guru actually make?

You need to deduct a few things:

• Affiliate Pay-Outs
• Returns
• Charge-Backs
• Material Costs
• Staff Payroll (including Customer Service, Affiliate Management, Product Fulfillment, Web Developers)
• Merchant Fees
• Hosting Fees
• etc.

So yes, this product did make $1,000,000 in sales (which is an extraordinary thing!) but he or she  (meaning the Guru, owner, etc.) would be lucky to see even 25% of this in their pocket.

Do you see my point here?  By stating facts that seem surreal but are true, we can grab the prospects attention even faster without lying.

I know, I know…some may say that this is dishonest, but it is not…it is marketing and it exists EVERYWHERE.  And still, if the guru above did make $250,000 in 24 hours, that is still pretty darn good (but $1,000,000 sounds better!!!).

So next time you read over some ad copy, remember to take everything said with a grain of salt.

And next time you write your own ad copy, follow the lead of how Guru Economists do it and focus on the extreme truth, rather than the boring reality.

cheers…matt