Business Writes

What Does The Future Hold For Your Business In 2012?

2011-12-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Well if only we could see what is going to be in store for us in 2012, we could avoid the pitfalls and embrace the successes. In 12 months from now we'll be able to look back and say, "wish I had seen that coming", or "glad I made that decision". Okay, if you're in any kind of business right now then heading into 2012 must feel like walking into the abyss, falling over the edge of a cliff or treading water in the middle of the ocean.

Yes it's all looking a bit scary. The reason is... even our politicians don't know what to expect in 2012, and worse, our fiscal "stick your finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing" policy makers seem to be absolutely clueless. These are people we trust...ed!

So where does that leave you and me? Simple... on our own!

Individually we can neither change the world's financial situation or even influence it in any way, so for us it's got be business as usual. And I mean "business as usual". That means you should continue to promote your business but with vigour. Continue to advertise but make every single penny spent, work harder for you. Look for ways to effectively get your business in front of potential customers for the least possible cost.

What you definitely shouldn't do is stop advertising or marketing all together. That would be suicidal because you'll let others trample all over you as they desperately try to win new business... your business. So for you... just go with the flow. But all the time look for new ways to target your market or even delve into new markets. Diversify if you have to. It's a much better option than holding on to the mast of a sinking ship.

Yes 2012 is going to be a toughie for most of us but everyone can get through this uncertain period if they just keep their heads. Make a New Year's resolution to get more customers and make more sales starting in January. If you can achieve that in this economic climate, and then keep the momentum going all year, you'll have lots of pleasant things to look back on in 12 months from now.

I have a plan for my own business starting in January, and it involves helping as many of my clients as possible to survive and prosper over the coming 24 months. My BusyVids business is already helping my clients get their websites onto the first page search results of Google and on the top of YouTube search.

For me 2012 is going to be all about video marketing and social marketing... combined, and reaching out to all those mobile phone users worldwide. I know for a fact that this time next year I'll be looking back with a big smile on my face. You could too.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bill

www.busyvids.com

BusyVids Captures The Imagination

2011-11-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Since the launch of our new video marketing service back in April, BusyVids has really captured the imagination of small business owners. It's become very clear that a BusyVids ad running on Youtube, Metacafe and Dailymotion has enormous benefits for businesses in terms of advertising, marketing and in creating brand awareness.

Since the launch we have added a newer longer option. Business owners can now opt for the two minute video, complete with professional voiceover and audio backing track. The one minute option is still available but is only being marketed on eBay. This is seen more as a lead generator.

We have also set up an affiliate program, where affiliates promoting the BusyVids service can make $58.00 (£35.00) per sale. Here's a direct link to the affiliate program signup page: SIGNUP

Promoting the BusyVids service just couldn't be easier and costs absolutely nothing. We have found that the best way is to scour the Google Adwords ads, visit the advertisers' websites and copy and paste their contact emails into a spreadsheet. Then use a prewritten email, that we supply, and send it out to the advertisers... simple!

The reason we are targeting Google Adwords advertisers, is because they are already spending money on advertising, so should be receptive to our offer of trying something different.

Currently, some advertisers still don't quite understand how our service works, so here's a video, which shows the possible results that can be achieved. VIDEO

Now we're probabaly jumping the gun a little, but we are already looking at creating animated videos for next year... wach this space.

All for now.

Bill

BusyVids.com

A Copywriting Course With A Difference

2011-09-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well wouldn't you just believe it! No posts for months and then two come along at once...

Well I just had to tell you about this because it's absolutely unique. After years of deliberation and procrastination I've finally done it.

I've just completed and now launched my Art of Copywriting course. Yes, it's a copywriting course... but like no other. With many other online courses you are sent a manual with a few exercises to complete. And with many offline courses you attend a one-day training session and pay up to £500 for the privilege.

Well my course is not like that...

There are 10 modules, which cover everything about copywriting and just as much about marketing techniques and strategies. This course is so in-depth it takes 10 months to complete.

And believe me... at the end of it the student will know everything I know. They will be primed to go out and start earning a living as a freelance copywriter. I even give advice about securing paid work and setting up a website.

I know that there is no other course like this because I've checked.

But make no mistake! This is not some mamby pamby, glossed over ebook packed with useless filler material. This is the real thing. At times it will be intense and it WILL be hard work. But for anyone seriously considering a career in copywriting, my course will be well worth the effort and expense.

Oh yes! You have to pay for it. A monthly instalment plan over 10 months. Students have access to my email and can phone me for help and advice. This course is going to take up much of my time but I'm willing to put in the time and effort as long as my students are too.

Realistically I can only manage to teach 10 students at a time. So if you're interested you'll have to be quick and enroll asap.

First thing to do is visit my dedicated website and find out more. Download information about the course modules and get yourself a free copywriting ebook.

Don't leave it too late... this could seriously change your life forever!

Till next time.

Bill

www.copywritingschool.co.uk

Video Marketing Rocks!

2011-09-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Well I'm glad to say that my video marketing service to small businesses, BusyVids, has been very well received.

We are now offering 2 levels of service. A one-minute video and a two-minute video option. Of course we will do longer if required but obviously it will cost more. We now have a choice of 4 voiceovers specialists to read the scripts and there's a whole library of back ground music.

Considering this video marketing service was only launched in April this year, it has really captured the imagination. And of course the results speak for themselves. About 95% of all videos we have produced have made it into the top 10 of Google's YouTube search results and many have made it onto the first page of Google search for the selected keywords.

Of course having a video climbing up the rankings like this also has a very beneficial effect on the actual website it is promoting. If the website is well optimised for the search engines then the promo video will help it gain a more prominent position in the general search.

A promo video can also be used to increase awareness of a company's products and services, and not only on YouTube. Videos are portable and can be shared on all the social networking sites as well as all the video sharing websites. It really does make a lot of sense for any business to have a marketing video created and uploaded to YouTube.

The most amazing thing about video marketing is its versatility. A video can be created to promote a whole website, a single product on the website or any kind of service that the company is offering. With a video you can target a local market or a regional market as well as national and international markets. It's perfect for promoting anything to just about anyone. And a video is much more acceptable to a market audience than any other kind of ad is, especially those old banner ads.

Watch this short promo video I have made to promote the service:

To find out more about BusyVids just nip over to the website here, read the information and watch the demo videos. Video marketing for any kind of business is a complete no-brainer!

Till next time!

Bill

www.busyvids.com

Video Marketing At Last!

2011-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

As you're probably aware I've been harping on about video marketing for years. However, just over 13 months ago I realised that video marketing was going to be big, I mean BIG! Much BIGGER than I originally thought, so I started experimenting. My self and Dave, my graphics designer looked into what professional video producers were charging for their services, how many clients they were getting and how the finished videos were faring in the search engines and on the video sharing sites.

At the same time we were creating our own videos, in various formats and uploading them to our websites and all the video sharing sites like YouTube and Metacafe etc.

Okay so here are our findings...

Almost all of the really expensive video productions didn't do much better than the cheapy ones we created in terms of popularity and driving traffic to websites.

So, we set about creating the perfect, or near perfect video ad at a price all businesses could afford. But our videos had to perform. I mean they had to get into the search engines and they had to drive traffic to our client's websites, otherwise what would be the point?

We listed a number of parameters and goals, which our videos must achieve and then set about creating all kinds of examples. We opened up 4 YouTube accounts and an account with Tubemogul so we could post our videos all over the Internet.

We tried using various screen capture software and settled for Camtasia as it had the most features and was relatively easy to use. We produced short videos, long videos and powerpoint videos. We used soundtracks on some and no audio on others. On some we used voiceovers and on some we just used text.

We tried promoting CPA products, Clickbank products and our own products and services. We logged everything we did and we tweaked and tested everything. We learned a lot of very interesting stuff along the way, but most of all we finally figured out what worked and what didn't.

During our testing and tweaking YouTube took down 2 of our videos and we received written warnings. One of our accounts was closed down completely for violating YouTube's terms and conditions. So facing a total ban we had to be careful. It was a wise move to create 4 different YT accounts and to use computers with different IP addresses, otherwise we would have been in real trouble.

So, after 13 months of trials, tribulations, late nights, lots of writing, lots of coffee, lots of swearing, drinking laughing, joking and falling asleep at the computer we were certain that we had cracked it.

We bought a great domain name, busyvids.com and .net, .org and the .info variations and Tom, my web design guy created the website with Dave's help. I wrote all the copy and we went to work on getting some clients. That was just about 4 weeks ago now and BusyVids is going from strength to strength.

Our videos do all that we say they do and more.

If you're in any kind of business and you want free traffic to your website and higher ranking for your website in the search engines then a BusyVid video is an absolute "must have".

We have kept the price very affordable because we know that our clients will want more of them when they see how powerful they are. We have created some proof videos and other demos and put them on our website so you can go and watch them. Seriously guys this is amazing and you really should consider having a video created if you want to dominate your market.

Well, that's the story. To read about the service in detail and to see for yourself how it all works, visit our BusyVids website now. BusyVids.com

Don't miss this opportunity to make your website earn you a living.

All the best,

Bill
www.BusyVids.com

Who Else Wants To Start A Home-Based Business?

2011-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

As always and without fail, every January and February I get asked the same question. Can you really make money on the Internet? And my answer is always the same... YES!

Many people like the idea of working from home and earning a living from their laptops. The very thought of not having to commute to and from a place of work, being their own boss and being able to work at a desk, or even a kitchen table, wearing nothing more than a dressing gown has much appeal.

However, after considering the inevitable questions like… How do I get started? What will I sell? And, how will I get paid? Many people simply give up the idea. So, is it really possible for anyone to set up their own business working from home? Well, in a word… yes.

Buy It, Sell It, Love It

There are a number of proven ways to earn money on the Internet, including eBay, affiliate programs and developing and selling your own product. So, let’s look at these in a little more detail.

It’s completely free to set up an eBay account and you can sell just about anything, from the contents of your attic to cars and even multi-million dollar yachts. The main advantages of selling on eBay are you can reach a worldwide audience and you won’t have to pay a single penny in advertising costs. Also, you don’t need a website and you get paid for your items upfront.

And it’s not only work-at-home mums, students and OAPs who can make money with eBay. It’s suitable for just about anyone of any age and experience. Even small established companies can see the benefits of having an eBay account, as a means for offloading surplus stock.

It’s true that many eBay sellers just dabble in a few household wares and collectibles, which unfortunately has helped to create the image that eBay is not a serious business option. However, whilst many people have managed to create a real part-time business on eBay, a few savvy traders have gone on to make millions.

The key to making eBay work and generate enough money to be able to earn a full-time income is to source a variety of dropshippers. These are wholesalers who can not only provide you with an endless supply of goods to sell, but will pack and post the items direct to your customers.

If all you ever had to do to make a full-time income from home was to create a few eye-catching listings and then pay your supplier and eBay fees, wouldn’t that be worth checking out?

Affiliate Programs

Setting up an affiliate business is probably one of the easiest and potentially the most profitable of all work-at-home options. You don’t need any products of your own and you don’t need a website, although you might have to invest some money in advertising.

As an affiliate you simply promote other people’s products and you are then paid a commission for each sale. Commission payments can be as high as 75% in some cases and there are many US based affiliates who have managed to create a six-figure income from simply doing this.

Affiliate programs work well for both the product owner and the affiliate. And the reason why is because the Internet is vast, which can make it difficult and costly for the product owner to reach enough people in order to make sufficient volume of sales. So it’s better to recruit an army of other people to sell the product for you and pay them well for doing it.

Many affiliates promote these products either using Google’s pay-per-click advertising or by placing ads in ezines, which are the Internet’s equivalent of a printed magazine.

The most successful affiliates have built large databases of prospects by offering them free products, usually ebooks, in return for their names and emails. Any seasoned Internet marketer will tell you that “the money is in the list”.

You can sign up as an affiliate for free at Clickbank.com, PayDotCom.com and Click2Sell.eu. Many of the products in these programs offer commission payments of between 50% and 75%. Other affiliate programs worth considering are, Commission Junction and Affiliate Future.

Probably the most important thing to study and learn about promoting any kind of product on the Internet is marketing. And there are numerous ways in which products can be successfully marketed including pay-per-click, video marketing using YouTube, social network marketing with Facebook and Twitter, article marketing and email marketing to name a few.

Anyone who can master the highly successful tried and tested techniques and strategies of Internet marketing, can pretty much write their own pay cheque.

Creating Your Own Product

Creating your own product to sell on the Internet is not as difficult as you might think. Many products that sell very well online are information products, especially the “How To” guides and video tutorials, both of which can be created on your own computer.

Many people have some special knowledge or skill that others would be willing to pay for, but if you think that you might not have any, then you’ll probably know someone who does. Perhaps a relative, a neighbour a friend or work colleague could help you with this.

People all over the world want to know “How To” do things better, faster and cheaper. You might know “How To” cook fish a certain way, or you might know how to grow certain vegetables. You might know “How To” repair computers or “How To” learn to play the guitar quicker. The list is endless.

Basically, whatever you can think of, there will be a market for it, a little niche waiting to be exploited. All you have to do is research your subject matter, put all the facts together and write a book about it. If you’re not keen on writing then you can get someone else to do this for you.

Your book should be at least 30 pages long and produced using a word processor. This document can then easily be converted into an ebook, better known as a portable document file (PDF), which can then be downloaded from a website or blog.

A blog, such as Wordpress or Blogger is free to set up and so is a payment processing account like PayPal or Nochex. So you can host your product on a free blog and use a payment processor to be able to accept debit and credit card payments over the Internet.

Video tutorials are fast becoming very popular and do sell very well. If you are able to “show” people how to do something rather than “tell” them, then you could be onto a winner in terms of sales volume.

Most laptops have built-in cameras and come with recording software, and now camcorders are relatively cheap to buy too. Some good examples of video tutorials are dog training, tree pruning, building, plumbing and electrical installations.

If you know a local tradesman, you could agree a 50-50 split on profits from sales in return for filming them at work.

Providing A Service

Another work-at-home option, and one that does involve actually working, is to provide a service such as writing or web design. Website owners are always looking for new content and articles for their sites, which helps in their search engine rankings. Also, catalogue companies need product description writers and many companies that produce products need people to write the user manuals.

Anyone with web design or graphic design skills could also ply their trade on the Internet, along with software developers and technical support professionals. To get an idea of what services people are offering and looking for visit elance.com, getafreelancer.com and rentacoder.com.

Anyone with artistic and creative skills can make a living on the Internet by either bidding for work or by advertising their services on a website. Some legal services also do well on the Internet along with accountancy, secretarial and virtual receptionist services.

That time tested reference to “supply and demand” is very much in evidence on the Internet and you just might happen to have a skill that you can readily transfer or use to your best advantage.

If you would like a change of lifestyle, earn an extra income or even generate a six-figure income from your own business, then working from home and running a home-based business is certainly worth considering.

Otherwise the rest of your working life could consist of early morning starts, traffic jams, clock watching, mundane tasks, long hours and the boss breathing down your neck. It’s your choice.

Here's a good place to start... License2Profit

Okay till next time.

Bill
Knight Writer

What Have I Been Up To Lately?

2010-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Yes I know, I know it's been a while... but I really have been very busy.

First off I still have to keep my large client base happy, plus I've taken on several new clients this year. I've also been testing some marketing products and... I'm working on my copywriting course.

So... what new clients?

Okay, well there have been a number of enquiries recently from people in the gambling business, resulting in my taking on two casino owners and a horse-race tipster.

There have been enquiries from a number of new Internet marketers, five of which are now my clients.

I have also taken on a client based in Saudia Arabia, but I can't really say what kind of business they are in except that it is government related.

My most recent new client is involved in spread betting and forex and will be holding training seminars all over the country early next year.

So you see, I've been busy with my copywriting service.

Then I have been testing some of the so-called automated blogging software programs. My verdict? Leave well alone... they are frustrating to set up and most of the time they don't work.

The principle is good but the software and support leaves much to be desired. I'll keep testing them as they become available and I'll keep you all posted.

Ones to avoid are, CB Predators and Stealth Profit Machines. My verdict? Useless!

Okay, and the last thing that's been keeping me awake at night is my copywriting course. I've been working on this now for what seems like years, although it's only been months.

Problem is, every time I think I've covered everything in one of the lessons I think of something else that needs to be mentioned. Anyway, I hope to make this available some time next year. It will be a monthly subscription and I'll provide all the support myself.

I can only offer this to a limited amount of people, purely due to time constraints, and yet I have more than 30 people on the waiting list already!!!

Well, I'll keep everyone posted on this soon.

Okay that's the end of this update and I'll be back asap.

In the meantime... have a great Christmas... by doing just one good deed for someone in need.

Regards to all,
Bill

www.knight-writer.co.uk

In Memory Of The Long Sales Letter

2010-08-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Again!

You know... there was a time, long before the Internet, when most people looked forward to getting mail. I mean real mail like letters from friends and relatives. Letters that were written personally, in ink, using a fountain pen and later the more convenient ball point.

Then as time went on, marketers realised that people liked receiving letters, and so they hit on the idea of writing letters to people to tell them about products and services they were offering. These letters were quite generic in layout and although they were a little impersonal, people responded positively to them.

This became known as the Direct Response Sales Letter.

Later, marketers and copywriters realised that if they engaged their readers by tapping into their thought processes and then tweaked at their emotions, the responses to their product offers could be increased. And very soon marketers were making millions from their mail order businesses.

Now, like everything in marketing, if you can get one step ahead of your competition then you can make a small fortune virtually overnight. And that's when the mailing list broker was born. It soon became obvious that if you had a large list of names of people who were interested in buying certain products, then you too could make a lot of money.

A list like that was very valuable. A list that contained first and last names, postal addresses and details of previous purchases was like gold... and to the same extent it still is.

The list broking business soon became almost as big as the marketing businesses and list-building eventually became part of the marketing process.

Marketers started to look at ways that they could find prospects who might be interested in buying their particular products rather than just blindly sending out mail to random names and addresses.

It became obvious that marketers needed to focus on particular niche interest groups, and offer them products that would be more suited to their wants, needs and desires.

To more closely target specific markets, the 2 step process was deployed.

The first step was to place a small ad in a magazine that the likely prospect might buy, or to place an ad in a newspaper classified section. The small ad would always end on a call to action, which would either be to ask the prospect to write for further details, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope or call a telephone number.

Once the marketer had the name and address of the prospect, this became hot property because the prospect responded to the ad and was therefore interested in the product.

The marketer would then send the prospect a long sales letter explaining the benefits of the product, the features of the product and why the prospect should own the product. The letter would include an order form for the prospect to send back together with their payment.

Some switched on companied like Reader's Digest went one step further and personalized their mailings. This had a dramatic impact on response because it appeared that the letter was specially written for them. It would also appear as though the writer has personally signed the letter.

Many millionaires were created from direct mail, but today it has much less impact.

Today we all get far too much junk mail and don't bother to read hardly any of it. One reason is we simply value our time more. And the other reason is the Internet. If we want to buy something we'll just go online and find out all about it first. And compare prices.

Marketers still use some of the old mail order tricks, only now they are much more focussed on delivering their sales pitch via a web page. And that's a whole different story that I'll save for another day. Suffice to say that the long sales letter is dead or at the very least... terminally ill.

Ah well C'est la vie!

See ya soon.

Bill

Knight-Writer
eMarketingToolkit
License2Profit
MoneyHarvest

The Web Page Sales Letter Has Evolved

2010-08-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It's been a while I know but I've just been soooooo busy!

I've been working on a number of new projects with my team, and with a hefty number of new clients coming on board this year it's all been a bit hectic.

Now, although I've been beavering away I haven't been too busy to notice a definite trend in the way web page sales copy is currently being presented.

Basically it's getting shorter!

Five years ago a typical web page sales letter might consist of more than 5000 words... today it's around half that. But where these letters might be lacking in word count they more than make up for with the use of images and... video.

Yes... video.

If you go to Clickbank and browse the landing pages in the Marketplace under categories: Business/Investing and E-business and E-marketing you'll see just what I mean.

It all started about 4 years ago...

First there were images of Clickbank cheques and PayPal accounts being used to prove incomes. Then came audio files... then the web designers were let loose and the landing page templates became part of the story with intertwined header graphics, which were usually dark and mysterious.

Even the product titles were becoming more "Explosive"... "Turbo"... "Killer"... "Assassin"... and "Predator"... and well you get the picture.

And then came Powerpoint presentations recorded with Camtasia... ah! Camtasia... wouldn't be without it.

And now we are seeing video footage of the product owners who tell us, in no uncertain terms, why we should buy their products.

And I think it's all great!

I love video and I'm going to be recording myself and putting my video on my own websites very soon.

So... what's the point I'm making here?

Well like it or not the online sales letter has moved on in leaps and bounds, pushing the printed sales letter a little further into obscurity. But that doesn't mean that direct mail is totally dead... oh no... far from it.

The one-page invitation letter is thriving. If used as a vehicle to get prospects online to see the real presentation on the web page, then the one-pager will live on and flourish amongst the pile of printed junk that falls on our door mats virtually every day.

There's absolutely no doubt that the web page sales letter has evolved and will continue to absorb the benefits of video presentation until it becomes a complete video ad.

Heck!!!

I'd better brush up on my script writing quick... otherwise I could soon be out of a job!

See ya soon!

Bill

Knight-Writer

The Future of Online Marketing

2010-02-18T05:23:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I've said it before and now I'm going to say it again... loud and clear. Video is by far the best way to market your products, your websites and your announcements. As the Internet becomes more and more popular it seems to be gradually taking over from the humble TV, at least in terms of advertising.

And advertising on the Internet is steadily increasing, whilst ad spend on TV is decreasing. It won't be long now before we all start to see high quality visual advertising on the Internet as standard.

Now here's the big opportunity...

Media and advertising companies who create TV ads for their clients charge exorbitant fees, and are generally more concerned with winning awards for themselves rather than helping their clients increase brand awareness or sell more products.

To create a video ad for the Internet can cost peanuts compared with these TV ad agencies and just about anyone can create them. All you need is a camcorder, a video editing software program and perhaps a soundtrack.

So let's compare the costs...

A TV commercial can cost anything from $100,000 to around $400,000 for a 30 second final edited, ready to go version of the advertisement. Of course production does swallow up a large percentage of the costs but ad agencies do like to make BIG profits too. Either way you look at it, that's a lot of spondulics for a half minute presentation.

Now let's look at the alternative...

A decent camcorder with accessories will set you back £300-£400 and a good editing software suite should cost around £150. So let's say around $500 in total to get started. Now you're ready to start making commercials for the Internet and you could charge anything up to $10,000 for a 30 second production... and still be a heck of a lot cheaper than the agencies and still make huge profits.

Start off by making 3 minute videos for your own products and post them on YouTube. Here are a couple we created for our own products...

eMarketingToolkit

License2Profit

We used our website templates in Powerpoint for the backgrounds and recorded the presentations in Camtasia Studio. We added soundtracks for the backing, which we purchased online... but we have since bought a synthesiser so we can make our own. I would say all in all it cost around $70 in time to produce and it is available 24/7 to a worldwide audience.

Here are couple more we created for a client...

Thai Massage

Self Defense

Again these video ads were created using MS Powerpoint, Camtasia Studio and readily available backing soundtracks.

We're now experimenting with high definition video, new state-of-the-art video production software, and as mentioned previously, we are creating our own weird and wonderful audio soundtracks.

If you're trying to promote your own products or affiliate products, the why not try creating your own video ads and posting them on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and link back to them from Twitter. It's video marketing on steroids!!!

Till next time.

BFN

Bill

Knight-Writer
Money-Harvest
Anglox

Secrets of a Successful Copywriter

2009-09-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I've been a full-time professional freelance copywriter and marketer for 24 years and I'm often asked the question... "what does it take to become a successful copywriter?"

It's a fact that many of the world's leading copywriters have had no formal training, tuition, coaching or mentoring. Many do not possess a degree in any subject and many did not even attend college. So, what does it take to become a successful copywriter?

I think it's simply a passion for business, an understanding of people and a flair for communication through writing.

I also think that anyone who has a degree in English, Marketing or Journalism is going to be pretty handicapped in this business. And the reason I think this, is because copywriting is not about use of the "English Language", although the use of good grammar and punctuation are quite important, as far as credibility is concerned.

And it's not about "Marketing" in the sense of creating flashy, meaningless advertising like you see in the TV commercials. And it's definitely not about "Reporting" as you might read in a newspaper or magazine.

But it has everything to do with communicating with the reader. And the only study I would recommend for anyone considering copywriting as a career is to study the masters. A master copywriter does not merely make a very good living at his craft, but is recognised as a master of his craft by everyone else in the copywriting and marketing business.

So, if there is one piece of advice I could give anyone contemplating becoming a professional copywriter it is to "write as you talk". I've said this many times but it doesn't always sink in with some people, and that's because some people find it really difficult to write this way.

Not surprisingly, the people who find this concept the most difficult to grasp are those who have been educated in… you guessed it… English, Marketing and Journalism.

I'm not going to dwell on this issue but instead I'm going to tell you a story…

Before I became a professional, freelance copywriter I was a Garden Designer. Briefly, here's how it all began…

I set up in business as a freelance Garden Designer and I advertised my services locally. I would get a phone call from an enquirer and we would arrange a mutually convenient time for me to visit them and survey their garden. After taking the overall measurements of their plot, I would then listen very carefully to what they wanted in their garden and how they wanted it to look.

My initial question to my potential client would always be, "so how do you imagine the finished job will look?" I needed to either paint a picture in their mind or somehow get a copy of the picture they already had their mind. My job then was to put that picture on paper and get my construction team to bring it to life.

The finished garden design would be the result of understanding my client's exact requirements, and by using my skill as a designer, I would transfer those communicated desires onto paper. I would then have to communicate the contents of this blueprint to my construction manager and create a finished picture of the garden in his mind.

That's how I worked. I relied heavily on a communication process that would ultimately create pictures in the minds of everyone involved in the project in order to achieve the desired result. And it worked like clockwork.

However, after 12 years of garden designing I began to get bored. It was all becoming too routine and I needed a challenge. And I mean a real challenge. Something to get really excited about and something that could make me feel like I really wanted to get out of bed for. So, I wrote a book about garden and landscape design. I self-published it and I had 100 copies printed.

Next, I wrote a sales letter.

I'd never written a sales letter before but I found it quite easy to do. The words just flowed onto the page. Of course it is easy to write about something you already know a lot about. Then I did two things. I placed a small classified ad in a national horticultural magazine and I rented a mailing list of 1000 names and addresses.

Next, I sent out my sales letter.

The Internet wasn't around then so direct mail was the only way to get right in front of my target audience. And the result? I sold all 100 copies of my book in the first week, so I repeated the process over and over. Now what I was learning here was that I had discovered a way to communicate with complete strangers through a letter.

I wasn't duly concerned about the volume of book sales, although it was nice to be making some easy money. However, I was much more interested in experimenting with my writing and promoting other completely unrelated products.

I bought the resell license to a home study course about "Making Money from Direct Mail". Well, I was suddenly very interested in direct mail, so I thought I'll read the course and promote it at the same time. So, I wrote the sales letter, had 100 copies of the course printed, rented a mailing list and placed an ad in the business opportunity section of the Exchange & Mart.

Within a week I had sold only 17 copies.

Well, not only was I feeling a bit bemused but my ego was totally deflated. After a while I thought, how arrogant I was to think that I could communicate with people I didn't know, about something I didn't really know much about, and expect them to buy from me. What a wake up call!

Lesson learnt!

And that lesson became the driving force that led me onto the path of copywriting. I read everything I could find about copywriting, advertising and marketing and from that day on I tested everything.

I tested headlines, sub headers, guarantees, PS's, length of copy, testimonials, font colours, font type faces, length of sentences, length of paragraphs, I wrote sales letters with images and without images. I created order forms and tested them against "priority reservation certificates". I used lightweight paper and heavyweight paper. I used white paper and I used vellum coloured paper. I wrote teaser copy on the envelopes and I used different size envelopes. I personally signed my letters and I used handwriting fonts on others.

I tested and tested and tested.

And today, 24 years later I am still testing…

Only now I'm testing my copy on websites, in emails, in press releases and in articles. And, in all my years as a professional marketer, I've learned never to assume anything, never take anything for granted and never, ever think you will ever know everything there is to know about copywriting.

The best you can hope for is a result.

And with testing and tweaking you can make that result a profitable and viable proposition.

So, let's summarize. The question was… what does it take to become a successful copywriter?

And the answer is, know your product, know your customer, communicate naturally and test, test and test again.

Till next time,

Bill

Knight-Writer.co.uk

VideoAds - The Time Has Come!

2009-08-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

If you've been marketing any kind of product or service online then you'll know just how important video is. Websites like YouTube and Yahoo Video make it soooo easy to reach a vast audience, and in marketing terms this just cannot be ignored.

I must admit that I've been a bit slow in embracing the video scene and adapting it for marketing, but all that's about to change. I've just released 2 Powerpoint presentations on video complete with soundtracks. I call them VideoAds.

My team at Anglox are working on some really cool ads at present and they want to build a portfolio because we're going into the ad production business. Well we create and publish just about every other type of media, so why not video ads?

You can see our 2 hastily created offerings on YouTube. See this one first: License2Profit and then this one: eMarketingToolkit.

If you're thinking about creating and distributing videos then check out this website. www.tubemogul.com

More on this subject soon.

BFN
Bill

www.knight-writer.co.uk

My Closely Guarded Secret Is Out

2009-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Okay, this is not something I do every day. I am letting you all in on one of my most lucrative income streams...

About 10 years ago I stumbled across an Internet "goldmine". It was a horde of precious products freely available on the Internet and hardly anyone knew about them.

I wrote a book about my find. The title was "FreeDotCom". I sold many copies, but not as many as I would have liked. Still, I had become a self-publisher and because I had access to literally hundreds of thousands of free products, many of which I could legally claim as my own, I started Anglox Pubications.

Anglox is my publishing business and year on year it has grown bigger and bigger without me having to do very much at all. All my colleagues at Anglox are freelance professionals and so we have been able to expand the business into many areas of creativity including web and graphic design.

But it all started out from very humble beginnings...

I can clearly remember the very first product I "created". I say created, but it was already freely available to me. I just tarted it up and made it saleable. It was the text of the Magna Carta. I just downloaded it, reformatted it and changed the font to Engraver's Old English Font. I then designed and printed simple front and rear covers with 120gsm card, placed transparent covers over these and ring binded it all together.

That was my product! And I sold it all over the world. Most went to the US. And want to know something? I'm still selling it to this very day!... Want a copy? :)

Now, after all these years I'm also selling hundreds of other creative products too... and it doesn't cost me one single penny to get them.

That's been my closely guarded secret!

Get this! More and more free products are becoming available almost daily. And there's a huge market for all this stuff. It's all much, much too big for little ol' me to reach, so that's why I can afford to tell you about this.

I just know you're going to be absolutely gobsmacked!... even shell-shocked!

This information will totally blow you away...

You just won't believe that a business can be so easy and yet so profitable.

This home publishing mularkey is the real prize, guys. There's nothing else like it on the planet.

Ans it's even easier to do now than it was 10 years ago. What's more... it has branched into so many other areas. I mean... when I first started in the home publishing business my only option was to produce information products in print. Now there's all kinds of information and entertainment products that can be reproduced in print, pdfs, reproduced onto CDs and DVDs, mp3s and apple iTunes.

The markets are vast! And the money... it's the easiest you'll ever make.

Okay are you ready to learn more about my little secret?

Just go and visit my website and all will be revealed. License2Profit

If you have questions about this truly amazing opportunity, just drop me an email to the support line at: info@anglox.com

Time to live!

Warmest regards,
Bill

www.license2profit.com

An Internet Marketing Solution For Small Business Owners

2009-08-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Some small business owners I've spoken to recently have told me they are getting very confused about all the various online marketing options, so I've written this post for them...

Now, every small business owner knows only too well that a well planned and executed marketing strategy will keep them in profit regardless of the ups and downs of the economy. I know some business owners tend to plough much of their marketing budget into offline advertising, like press ads, magazine ads, radio and television commercials.

Whilst others prefer to invest their hard-earned cash in online advertising like pay-per-click and flashy banner ads.

With the trend increasingly in favour of online advertising, simply due to the huge volume of online shoppers, many business owners who are trying to promote their products and services online are obviously facing a few problems.

Not least is the problem of e-confusion.

This embarrassing and uncomfortable condition is brought about due the numerous streams of marketing options now available to all internet based businesses. Anyone who has been soundly educated in the bricks and mortar type world of business and marketing is now finding it increasing difficult to know which way to turn.

Should they focus all their efforts and resources on pay-per-click or have a few banner ads circulating cyberspace too? Well, it would appear that the outcome of this little decision is the very least of their problems. The real dilemma, which is striking fear into all but the very savvy of internet marketers is, where does social network marketing fit into their strategy?

It can't be ignored. There are millions of potential customers frequenting the social sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, not to mention LinkedIn, Bebo, Hi5 and Friendster. And every dedicated businessman and woman worth their weight in salt knows that you have to ply your trade where the masses gather.

It's what's called a marketplace!

As offline advertising becomes more and more expensive and much less effective, many small business owners know they must get a foot firmly on the threshold of as many streams of new media marketing as possible. And herein lies the problem for many, because they simply don't know how to.

New media marketing is not even remotely like marketing in the real world and it goes against everything business owners have come to know and trust. So here lies a big opportunity. Master the many facets of internet marketing and you master the web.

It might sound simple but in practice it takes work, effort, training, learning and a bit of trial and error.

So why is internet marketing so complex?

It's because there are so many options, and a business that wants to survive, grow and prosper needs to explore most of them before deciding on which marketing option is right for them.

The social networks have already been mentioned and come high in the list of avenues waiting to be explored. A search on Google for "social network websites" returns a page count of more than 295 million, which at least suggests its importance. That's certainly a lot of web pages devoted to the subject. But social network marketing is only part of the equation.

Today, the modern savvy internet marketer, AKA online business owner, needs to be conversant with or at least familiar with article marketing, affiliate marketing, referral marketing, viral marketing, video marketing and forum marketing.

Then there are blogs and RSS feeds, search engine optimisation, keyword optimisation plus joint ventures and online press releases to consider.

All these avenues represent the various options, in which a business needs to apply its marketing techniques, strategies and formulas.

So is it any wonder why so many small business owners are e-confused?

Well thankfully a solution is at hand. Myself and my colleagues at Anglox are helping to unravel the many mysteries of internet marketing by producing a complete marketing toolkit, appropriately called the eMarketing Toolkit. It's a comprehensive training programme, which covers just about every aspect of e-commerce marketing.

It's now available as a 2 CD set.

And because the Internet is a global marketplace, we have made the eMarketing Toolkit available worldwide. For businesses in the UK we have created this website: emarketingtoolkit.co.uk and for businesses everywhere else we have created this website: e-marketingtoolkit.com

Having this toolkit in your marketing armoury will save a lot of time and wasted effort. It will also open up many new marketing possibilities. I highly recommend it to any online entrepreneur or small business owner.

More to come later.

BFN,

Bill

Online Marketing Is Now More Important Than Ever!

2009-08-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I went to a seminar a few months ago, which was all about using the Internet to market your business. There were over 100 small business owners there and I got to rub shoulders with quite a few of them.

For me, it's especially nice to make new contacts in the business world because like many writers, I tend to lead a very solitary existence.

Now what really surprised me was the number of people who didn't quite understand the whole concept of Internet marketing. I mean, hardly any of them had used article marketing and only one or two had even heard of viral and video marketing.

There also seemed to be lots of confusion about social network marketing!!!

During the course of the day it became quite apparent that many of these guys are just far too busy running their businesses to find out about marketing on the likes of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

WHAT!

Too busy to find out how to make more money online?

Too busy to find out how to get their products and services right in front of their target market audiences?

I couldn't believe what I was hearing... but I could understand how it was happening.

Okay... so many small business owners and entrepreneurs are very busy. But that doesn't mean they should let profitable marketing opportunities pass them by.

Getting your head down and throwing yourself 100% into your business is one thing, but it's just like putting your head in the sand. The problem with this is when you eventually pull your head back out of the sand you just might find that everyone else has moved on 100 miles down the track and are sharing in a feeding frenzy at the green, leafy oasis.

Get my drift? Ignorance is bliss!

After the seminar was over I started thinking about these guys and I wondered how many more there were just like them... in the UK... in the US... everywhere!

What they needed, I thought, was a whole marketing toolkit that they could study and use whenever they had the time. A kind of portable, self-educational, marketing masterclass. They needed to know about every type of online marketing method, technique, strategy and formula and how they could apply it to their particular businesses.

So, I rounded up my colleagues at Anglox Publications and got them all working on a project to compile the most comprehensive training package ever. I mean a complete A-Z of Internet marketing, suitable for every type of business that has a website and wants to promote any kind of products or services.

The result?

The eMarketing Toolkit

It comprises over 1 gigabyte of data and comes on 2 quality CD recordings, which can be mailed out to anywhere in the world.

I could go on and on about it here in my blog, but I've written a sales letter, which explains everything in detail so...

If you live in the UK go here: MarketingUK

And if you live in the US and anywhere else. go here: MarketingUS

The reason there are 2 websites is because there is an affiliate program for both UK and US affiliates. And apart from a couple of minor differences, the sales letters are virtually the same for both. You'll find the affiliate links at the bottom of the page.

The product pre-launch was very well received and I'm glad I've been able to help the many small business owners who wouldn't otherwise have this information to hand.

Well that's all for now.

Back soon.

Bill

Learn And Earn... Fast

2009-07-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Today I've got some interesting news, especially if you're interested in making money on the Internet. Two of my close business colleagues have decided to get together and teach you how to make some hard cash. These guys have made millions and started with nothing.

Just imagine if you could sit in a room with any multi-millionaire Internet marketer of your choice, and ask any questions you wanted. Questions like...

How do you get started in Internet marketing?

What are the best products to sell online?

How do I get hordes of customers scrambling over each other, eager to buy my products?

Look guys, if you want to know how to make money online you only have to ask the right people. People who are doing it right now.

My two colleagues will not only answer all your questions, they will teach, coach, mentor, guide and steer you onto the path of riches. And what do you have to do?

Just sign up to their programme, then watch, listen and learn your way to a personal fortune.

Their special mentoring programme is about to be launched any day soon and I'll be announcing it right here on my blog, and I'll also provide a link to all the details.

Watch this space!

Warm regards,
Bill

A real and FREE business for everyone

2009-06-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I've always said there's no such thing as a free business but now I'm having to eat my words, which is not an easy task, especially if you're a well-known copywriter.

Well here's the story...

As you know, there are some really good opportunities on the MoneyHarvest website and Maverick Money Makers continues to be one of the very best.

However, I received emails from some members who told me they just cannot afford to join MMM, and for whatever reason some also can't afford to buy any other opportunities either.

So, I started searching high and low to find something that everyone could afford, and with which everyone can earn some cash. Well, I've found it! And the best part is... it's absolutely FREE to join.

It's called Ei42 and you get paid whenever you shop online. But better than that, you get your own shop and all the marketing materials you need to promote it, and better still...

Encourage your friends and family to join and if they buy from their own shops they get a commission... and so do you! That's right! Whenever someone YOU recommend buys something from their own discounted shop YOU get a commission too.

So the more people you tell about this and the more people who sign up for their free shops, the more you could make. And there's no limit to how much you can earn.

It's suitable for members based both in the UK and the US. Just click on your country flag when you get to the website.

I've checked it all out and it's completely legit and all above board. There's no catch and no commitment whatsoever.

There are many well-known brand name companies involved too.

More and more people are finding it convenient to shop online and I'm sure you will want to buy something from your own shop eventually, so why not get it cheaper? It makes a lot of sense.

You just can't afford NOT to sign up.

It's a completely free business, so get over to the website and get involved now...

Click on this link now: my-free-business to find out more and get started right away.

Sign up and start making money. Simple!

My very best regards,

Bill

MoneyHarvest.Com

Social Networking For Your Online Business

2009-03-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A post about social networking...

The way we do business online is evolving, and at the forefront of this change is social networking. It was only ever going to be a matter of time before business crept into the realms of Facebook, Myspace and more recently Twitter. And for any self-respecting Internet marketer it has been an obvious move.

It stands to reason that where there's a crowd, there's money to be made.

But social network marketing is a brand new concept and many "traditional" marketers are failing to grasp the real opportunities it offers. It's going to be a case of "back to school" for many of these social misfits and it's going to be "back to the drawing board" for many of their ill-fated marketing strategies.

So can we mere mortals unravel the mystery of successful social network marketing?

Yes of course we can. Just as long as you can implement the theories relevant to reverse psychology and fully understand the principles of viral and affiliate marketing, then you should have no problems whatsoever.

What does this mean for the typical Internet marketer of today? Well, to a degree it means no more automatic sales machines pumping out cash 24/7. Why? Because you're going to have to start communicating with people, and that means you'll have to make yourself available.

People don't want to be treated like a "prospect" anymore. They don't want to be seen as just another sales figure. They want to be able to meet their seller, talk to them and befriend them.

They want to know that you are a genuine person. And they want to know that if anything should go wrong with the product or service they have purchased from you, you will respond to their problems in a timely and courteous manner.

They also want to know that they can count on you for help and advice. So if you want to stay in business and grow your business, then you are going to have to learn to talk to your customers. It's back to basics.

That understood, how then do you create new business through the social network channels?

The answer is, create a formula or a system. Every successful Internet marketer knows that to generate a lot of business you need a system. It's as well to remember that people don't make money, systems do.

So, let's look at what is needed in order to create an effective business generating system.

Obviously you will need a product or service, which you will have already established that your prospects will want. Don't worry, if they don't want it you'll soon find out.

Next, you need to start socialising. For the sake of this demonstration, I recommend you open an account on Facebook and Twitter. Use Twitter to get as many followers as you can and don't stop getting new followers every day. Build that list!

Make sure that your "Tweets" are interesting. Talk about what you know and try to get people to join you on Facebook, where you can offer more in-depth information about yourself, your business and your products and services.

Start a blog and write about your business, then tell your followers on Twitter and Facebook each time you post to your blog. Offer free advice, free information and even free products.

Now, at no time should you try to convince people that they should visit your website to buy your products, even though this is what you obviously and ultimately want them to do. Instead, offer free and valuable information about your products or services. Your goal is to get people asking where they can buy such a product or service. And of course you will have the answer.

If you can become an "expert" by offering free information and advice, people will fall over themselves just to get to you. They'll beat a path to your website and they'll beat your front door down and buy everything you suggest.

Don't stop giving your customers freebies. For example, create a report, which need only be 10 pages long and include links to your website or affiliate products throughout. Tell your customers that they can give it away for free from their websites, their blogs and their emails.

Encourage them to give it away to as many people as they can. It needs to become viral, so make sure the report contains valuable information or links to free downloads.

Now make sure that your main product or your next product can make money for your customers. As part of your "system" you need to create an army of affiliates. Start an affiliate program and recruit resellers like there's no tomorrow. Use Clickbank or PayDotCom to handle everything for you.

But don't ever, ever try to recruit affiliates on your social network circuit unless they have expressed an interest or have bought from you already. You must first nurture your prospects. Give them help, advice, guidance and valuable information so they practically fall in love with you. Then they will buy your products, and tell everyone else how great you are.

Remember, this is SOCIAL network marketing. Make friends first and the sales will follow.

All for now,
Bill

Copywriting Services
Twitter Stuff
Making Money

Twitter & Tweet

2009-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I know I've posted about Twitter already, but I'm still getting emails from people asking me what it's all about. So this is for all those who want to know more about Twitter...

If you want to know even more about Twitter and how to build a massive list in the shortest possible time, then go and get a copy of "Twitter Trick".

Here's a link to my "Twitter Trick" website. CLICK HERE

All for now.

Be sure to follow my progress reports about free ebay advertising.

Regards,
Bill

MoneyHarvest.Com

Getting Your Ad On Ebay For Free - Update

2009-02-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

As you might be aware from one of my previous blogs I've been testing something on eBay. It's about getting your ad in front of potential customers for free.

Ebay now has a classified section, and allows you to post information about products and services... for free. You can see one of my ads here

This ad has so far received 57 hits and brought 34 new visitors to my website. I am also promoting this website on Google Adwords at an average CPC of 50 pence, which is about 72 cents. So I've either saved £17 ($25) or I've got £17 worth of prospects for free, whichever way you want to look at it.

This free classified ad has only been running for 20 days, so I would estimate that I should get a total of 85 hits (page views) in a month, which equates to around 50 unique visitors to my website. That's a value of £25 or $36.

I've no doubt I could probably increase the conversion rate by tweaking the ad/sales copy. And there's no limit to how many ads you can have running as long as they are not for the same product or service and are not in the same category.

Now, my testing is far from complete. I currently have 4 free ads running and I intend to put up many more. I just know this is going to be explosive, and why shouldn't it be? There's 212 million members on ebay!

Keep you posted!

Bill
www.money-harvest.com
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Social Network Marketing – It's All About Twitter!

2009-02-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Turn on your computer, switch on your TV or talk to anyone, anywhere and everyone seems to be talking about Twitter. And in case you didn't know already, Twitter is the fastest growing social networking website on the Internet. And why is this?

Well, there are many reasons and here a just a few…

1. It's easy to join and it's very easy to use. Even the most computer illiterate or PC handicapped amongst us can figure out how to use it. You just join up and follow people, who in turn will generally follow you.

2. It's very convenient. You just login and tell everyone what you're doing. Then you can strike up a conversation with someone who might be living in your town or anywhere in the world.

3. You can use it to meet like-minded people and make new friends. You can contact people who might be interested in exactly the same things you are, which could be music, gaming, gardening, selling on ebay, collecting antiques… or anything.

4. If you are a musician you can use Twitter to promote your music and ask people for reviews. If you are a writer or an artist you can also share your work with others and get their opinions.

5. But, the most interesting use of Twitter in recent months is for marketing purposes. Where there's a crowd, there are possible leads, prospects, future clients and customers.

Internet marketers of all experience levels are flocking to join Twitter in order to sell their wares. But, beware… Twitter is NOT an open marketplace. Blatant upfront marketing will only get you banned from the site.

However, there is a subtle way to build a list of prospects on Twitter and a massive list at that. What's more, it's possible to build a list of thousands of followers within a few short days and at absolutely no cost whatsoever.

But, this is not how you would go about building a list say with Google Adwords or any other list building method for that matter. Building a list on a social network site is different, very different.

This is taking marketing to a whole new level, a higher level, a more respectable level, and a more acceptable level. And it could also prove to be a much more profitable level too. This is "Social Network Marketing".

By that I mean it's like selling to friends and family. This is about building credibility, trustworthiness, honesty and integrity first. Then offering your product or service, second. It's like acting out the sales pitch of your sales letter, only your sales letter now becomes your script.

Successful Social Network Marketing is all about making friends then selling something your friends might want or need. Only it never actually appears to be "selling". For many marketers this is going to be a whole new learning curve.

If you're completely new to Social Network Marketing, you'll need this secret weapon.

One thing is for sure, Twitter is here to stay and Social Network Marketing is just emerging as the new online sales technique that every Internet marketer will have to master.

So… What are you doing?

All for now.

Bill
www.money-harvest.com
www.knight-writer.co.uk

How To Build A Massive List On Twitter Super Fast!

2009-02-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Unless you've been living on a different planet you'll know that Twitter, the social networking website, has gone absolutely ballistic.

Now Twitter is a great place to meet new people, share ideas, keep up to date with current affairs and breaking news and even share in some much-needed humor. But...

There's a much more serious side to Twittering and Tweeting, and that's business building or to be more accurate... list building.

Now there's a number of reasons why you should join Twitter and get thousands of people to follow you, but if you want to build a list super fast, and for FREE, then Twitter is the perfect place for you.

Even if you are not a business owner or marketer, you must have something that you would like to share with others. It could be that you are a musician and would like to share your music or maybe you like playing games on your Xbox, PS3 or Wii and want to meet some real competition.

Or... you might like to hook with people who have similar interests, hobbies and experiences.

Whatever... you'll definitely find many like-minded people on Twitter.

Want to build a big list and get people into YOUR network. How about 1000 in a week?

Yes, it can be done if you have the TWITTER TRICK.

What's the TWITTER TRICK?

Take a look... Click here

Internet marketers have been quick to seize on the opportunity of building a big list for free, and many are successfully offloading their products on Twitter... and making a small fortune in the process.

But it's not all about direct selling, it's much more subtle than that. And, if you get it wrong, you could end up as a dead duck..."quack!".

Rest assured, TWITTER TRICK reveals everything you need to know.

If you're not involved with Twitter then you could be missing out BIG time.

But it's not too late.

Whether you're new to Twitter or you're a tough old "bird" that's been goose-stepping the boards for years, here's one sure way to feather your nest.

Go get the TWITTER TRICK package and discover a whole new opportunity just waiting to be exploited. Click here.

All for now,

Bill

MoneyHarvest
KnightWriter

Too Good To Be True?

2009-02-19T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

A few hours after posting my last blog I received some emails about the free website I am giving away. The main question being asked was "Is this really free?"

Well yes, of course it is... but I didn't say that the "My Internet Business" opportunity was free. It's not! You have to join at one of the 4 levels.

MIB is a business... like a franchise is a business. Tell me where you can get a free franchise.

So let's get it all cleared up. You sign up to join the MIB network and you promote it, and the products.

To help you build a list of prospects and to help you promote your MIB business I will give you a personalised website. That means you get a landing page with an autoresponder, 6 follow-up emails loaded into the autoresponder, 2 Internet marketing books, a link to your own contact form, a domain name of your choice and 12 months hosting for your website.

Your website will have YOUR domain name at the top.

It will have a line above the salutation which reads: "From the desk of: YOUR NAME.

The follow-up emails will appear to come from YOU.

You can have YOUR signature on the website and even YOUR photo if you want. Just send them to me.

Everything about YOUR website will appear to be about YOU.

When you join the MIB network at any of the 4 levels you will be given a username and password so you can access all the MIB marketing materials, and a certain number of products depending on your entry level.

You will get a link to your own MIB invitation page. Now this is the link that I will put on your free website, so you can send people to your own sign-up page and make huge commissions.

What I am doing is giving you a helping hand to get your MIB business rolling.

Everything I will give you is valued at over $1,000... I know it's hard to believe but it's absolutely true.

How can I afford to do this?

I own Anglox Publications Ltd, which is a collective of freelance talent including, writers, web designers and graphic designers. Our business is about building Internet ready websites, and of course we have web hosting facilities, and we maintain websites.

I can afford to give you a website for free because... I'm the boss!

And it doesn't stop there...

After you join the MIB network I will help you to get traffic to your website by giving you some really valuable information about where and how to advertise your business for free.

For as long as you remain my colleague in the MIB network I will be there helping you all along the way. You will also have access to my personal email and telephone number.

So, if you want to get started, go and sign up now by clicking here.

Here is a sample of the website again, and this is what YOU will personally get from me as my way of saying thank you for joining my network. Click here.

I hope that makes it all clear, but if there's anything else you're not sure about just drop me an email at: billknight@ymail.com

Have a great day!

Kind regards,
Bill

MoneyHarvest.Com
KnightWriter.Co.Uk

Extra Help & Support For All New MIB Colleagues

2009-02-18T08:06:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

For almost 6 months now I've been making some serious money from the My Internet Business opportunity (MIB). But there are others who are making more than twice and even three or four times as much as me.

One of my marketing colleagues in Birmingham, UK is currently making between $10,000 and $20,000 a week!

Now that's truly incredible.

One of the questions I get asked by many people who are interested in joining the MIB network is... do I need a website?

Well, the short answer is no.

When you sign up to join MIB you get a cloned version of the main website and all you have to do is promote your link. You just get people to visit the website, see the opportunity, and the videos and sales copy will do the rest.

There are several ways that you can get traffic to your MIB website, some are paid and some are free and to be honest, they are both just as effective.

I have many ways that you can use to get traffic to your site... all for free.

What's more... anyone who joins me from my invitation page, (special-invitation) will get unlimited help, advice and support from me for as long as they need it.

And that's on top of all the in-house training you will also get.

And there's more...

Now, although you don't actually need a website to promote the MIB opportunity, it's a good idea to have one, so you can stand out from the crowd. So, I've put together a very special FREE service for anyone who signs up from my invitation page, which will help to propel them to success even faster.

If you sign up at either the bronze, silver, gold or platinum levels, I will give you your very own website. No other MIB marketer does this, but I want to prove to you right up front that I will do all I can to help you make money.

Here's what you'll get...

*** A professionally designed web page template with sales copy and java script date-reader, so your site always looks fresh and new... value $250

*** A GetResponse autoresponder and 2 Internet marketing books so you can capture names and emails of your prospects and build your list... value $250

*** Six follow-up emails, written by me and loaded into the autoresponder. They will be set to go out to your prospects every 3 days. That's 6 more chances to convert prospects to buyers... value $300

*** A disclaimer page and an email contact form linked to your main landing page, to help build credibility and trust between you and your prospects... value $100

*** Your own .com or .co.uk domain name, a redirect email account and a 12 month website hosting account together with ftp access so you add to, or change anything on your website... value $100

Your website will be personalized and customised just for you.

You will have your domain name at the top of the page...

From the desk of: Your Name...

Your signature can be placed at the bottom (Just send us a scan of your written signature and we'll put it on the page for you).

And your domain or business name copyright notice at the end of the page.

If you would prefer to create your own headline and copy, then we'll put that in for you too.

Just take a look at what you'll get...

Click this link: free-website

That's over $1,000 of products and services I am willing to give you just for signing up at any level... bronze, silver, gold or platinum.

Think all that might get you off to a flying start?

You bet it will!

And don't forget...

That's just the beginning. You will have access to a special email address I have set up just for my MIB colleagues. I'm prepared to help and mentor you all the way to success.

Is anyone else prepared to give you so much?

I'm a professional copywriter and Internet marketer and if you want to make money online, I can help you.

Let's get started right away.

Visit: special-invitation

Any questions? Contact me at: billknight@ymail.com

Come on... let's make some money.

All for now,

Bill

http://www.money-harvest.com
http://www.knight-writer.co.uk

Free Ads on eBay?

2009-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Following on from my last posting about Martin and his ebook, I've just found out that his ebook was about plumbing and electrical wiring.

His book explains in easy steps how to go about doing your own plumbing jobs around the home. It covers everything from fitting a new bathroom suite to installing an outside tap.

The electrical wiring section covers everything about rewiring your complete house including, adding more sockets and light fittings and even extending the electrical supply into the garden.

Now, listen up guys because there are certain things you can advertise for free on... eBay.

Martin's book is one of them! And there could be thousands of other products out there that also quailfy including... Business Opportunities.

Here's how you get a free ad on eBay...

Obviously you need to have an eBay account so if you don't yet have one go and open one.

Then, go into your account and select Sell>Sell an item.

Put in your 3-5 word description and then on the next page look at the category list.

Browse categories and select Local Services.

You will then be presented with a whole list of sub categories that you can advertise in for FREE.

Once you've selected your final category, click on the Continue button.

Now you can put in the information about your listing. The title is very important so make sure it is relevant to your product or service, and contains those all-important keywords i.e., plumbing.

You can add one photo for free and if you don't add anything else your whole ad will be free. Of course you can spruce it up if you want to by adding a background, sub title, emboldened title etc, etc.

Now, for those with no experience of html you can just type in your sales letter/pitch and place a link direct to your blog or website.

If you know how to use a WYSIWYG html editor like MS Frontpage for example and you can host images on a web server, then knock yourself out!

Create your listing as a web page then cut and paste the html directly into the eBay html section of your listing.

Remember to cut and paste only the section between the body tags.
Now, the important points to remember here are...

The ad is free and will be displayed for 28 days.

You can have a link to your blog or website so long as there is further information about the product or service you are promoting.

You can also have a link to an email client like a contact form.

You can use some javascript, but check what is allowed.

You can place unlimited images on your posting, if you use html and host the images elsewhere.

These classified ads come under the category of Local Services so if you want to promote to a wider audience, just say in your description that you also provide your products/services nationally or internationally.

As with everything else about ebay, play by the rules. Be upfront and honest in your description and try to build credibility by including some information about yourself.

Here are a couple of examples of what you can do...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110347167214

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110348385375

Okay... now go get busy!

And... if you didn't already know about this then don't forget you found out about it right here.

Till next time,

Regards,
Bill

http://www.knight-writer.co.uk/
http://www.anglox.com/
http://www.money-harvest.com/

How to Sell Your Products Without a Website

2009-02-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Recently one of my MoneyHarvest members emailed me and said...

"Bill, I'm new to all this Internet marketing stuff, but I want to get started in the business as I have my own ebook I want to promote. Problem is I don't have a website and I don't know the first thing about building websites or web hosting . What do you suggest?"

Well here's what I said...

"Martin (real name), you don't need a website to promote your ebook, but you do need somewhere to put your sales pitch. So, set up a blog. It's free and it's very easy to promote a blog. I would recommend either or both, Wordpress and Blogger"

He then gets back to me later that same day and says...

"Okay thanks for that. But, what about advertising? How and where do I advertise my blog? And how would I be able to take payments for my book sales without a website?"

So here's what I told him...

"If you're on a low budget, you can get some free traffic by writing and submitting some interesting articles to the article directories. Ezine Articles and Article City for example. You can put out a free press release and you could get more free traffic by joining some social networking sites and spreading the word about your book. Also, if you're able to create a video you can post it on YouTube"

I mentioned how important it was when using these free advertising avenues, NOT to make your Press release or article look or sound like an ad.

I then went on to tell him about Google's pay per click, placing paid ads in newsletters etc, etc.

So now Martin was all ready to start his marketing campaign.

Next, I told him how to accept payments without a website. He didn't have a PayPal account so that was the first thing he needed to set up so he could take payments by credit card.

I suggested he opened a free email account just for the purpose of selling his book. It didn't really matter whether it was a Yahoo account or a Hotmail account or any other free account, but what it must have is an auto reply or a vacation response feature.

I told him to write a message for the auto reply saying something like...

"Thank you for your order. Your custom is very much appreciated. You will receive a PayPal money request within the next 24 hours. As soon as payment receipt has been confirmed I will personally email you a copy of my book" etc, etc.

Now he needed to put a message with this email address on his blog. I said the message should read something like...

"To order a copy of my book, please send an email to booktitle@yahoo.com
and put ORDER in the subject line. Please note I process all orders personally so please be patient. You will receive a money request from PayPal, my payment processor within 24 hours of receiving your order".

So... he would have to manually process his orders but it wasn't going to cost him anything to set it all up. Of course he could have used a free website and put a PayPal button on it but he didn't have the experience, so this was a better way to start.

Now... All you MoneyHarvest members who are just starting out... there is no excuse. Get your business started and you'll begin to learn everything else as you go along. That's how everyone does it.

Till next time.

Regards,
Bill

www.knight-writer.co.uk
www.anglox.com
www.money-harvest.com

Viral Marketing Explained

2008-12-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Let's take a quick look at viral marketing.

As the name suggests, viral marketing is a way to spread your message, affiliate link or anything else for that matter, all over the Internet. Here's an example of how this works...

So, you have a product to sell. It could be your own product or it could be someone else's, for which you are the affiliate marketer. Basically you want people to click on a link that will take them to a sales page. And again, it could be your own page or that of an affiliate website.

This is what you do...

You write a short report or an ebook of say 10 to 20 pages and throughout the document you place your link or links. At the end of the document you tell your readers that they can give the book away free to their website visitors. You then give the document away absolutely free to anyone who wants it.

Make it easy for people to download the report or ebook and tell them that they can use it as a freebie on their website. Now, they could download a copy, save it and then put it on their web server or they can just place a link to it on their website or in an email.

So here's what happens...

Visitor "A" puts a link to your ebook on his website. He gets 50 visitors a day to his website and so 25 of these visitors also put links to your book on their websites. They also, each get the same amount of traffic and so it goes on and on...

Example: 25x25=625 links back to your product.

In a matter of days your ebook could be circulating like this...

25x25=625 - 625x25=15625 - 15625x25=390,625 - 390625x25=9765625

That's almost 10 million people who have a copy of your ebook and if only 1% clicked on a link within the ebook and bought just one of your products, which sells at $19.95 you would make a cool $1,995,000. That's almost $2 million!

That's the power of viral marketing.

But it gets better!

You wouldn't have to write a single word of your report or ebook. Just get hold of an ebook that comes with Private Label Rights. You can then edit the text, claim to be the author and add all your affiliate links. With PLR you can do what you want with the product.

I'll soon be adding some great products with PLR on the Money Harvest membership website, so look out for them. If you haven't taken up your free membership yet go over and sign up now. http://www.money-harvest.com You'll get email updates (only if you are a signed-up member), special offers, tutorials, discounted products and tons more.

Existing members should look out for more offers and freebies coming soon.

All for now.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas

Stay warm and well.

Bill
http://www.money-harvest.com

Want Traffic? Get Traffic!

2008-11-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

One of the pressing problems facing marketers who are new to trading on the Internet is getting traffic. Without traffic there can be no sales, so here are a few ideas.

When any new business is first launched on the Internet, priority must be given to acquiring customers. Without a solid advertising and marketing strategy that new business will never get off the ground.

Every single website owner operating any kind of business on the Internet faces the same single challenge. How to drive traffic to their websites? The answer is to advertise, but what is the most effective means and more importantly what is the most cost-effective way?

Let’s consider the options. Pay Per Click on any search engine is effective but as Google is the top dog, then it stands to reason that if Google attracts more users then this is where you’ll find more prospects and potential customers.

But, as many online marketers have discovered to their detriment, PPC advertising can be the quickest way to go absolutely broke. Although the big advantage is... almost instant traffic. The same effect, although to a lesser extent can be experienced with Yahoo and MSN.

So what else can you do? Well, there’s email marketing but beware, scamsters and shisters and just about every other rip-off merchant going operate freely in this field. Anyone can build an email list very quickly by using ‘email harvesting’ software, then rent or sell the list to unsuspecting marketers.

Desperate for traffic many marketers will gladly hand over their cash for these lists only to find their websites have been taken down or banned for spamming.

Email marketing can be a very useful marketing tool but it’s highly advisable to always use a reputable list broker. Choose one that guarantees delivery of your email and offers some way of tracking results.

Another method of getting your message out there is article marketing. It runs in close parallel with press releases for getting results but costs nothing but a little time.

Basically, you write an interesting article about a subject similar to the product or service you want to promote. You can’t blatantly advertise, so the article has to be skillfully crafted to include benefits and features of your product or service without actually mentioning it.

You are allowed to include a resource box at the end of your article, which will include your name, a bio and a link back to your website. You then submit your article free, to the main directories such as, Article City or Ezine Articles and wait.

The idea is that people looking for free and relevant content for their websites will download your article in its entirety and feature it on their website. Hence you get free promotion. Press releases do very much the same thing.

One of the most effective methods of advertising online today is to find someone who is promoting a similar product or service to yours and who has a large list of subscribers to their newsletter or ezine.

Simply contact the webmaster or business owner and ask if you can place an ad in their publication. Most will be happy to accommodate and even recommend your product or service to their list, for a fee of course.

They might even offer to promote your products to their list and to other similar lists for a percentage of the profits. This is generally known as a joint venture and works well for both parties.

Next, if you have your own product to sell, you might consider setting up an affiliate program. The idea is to get as many people as possible promoting your products all over the internet. Think of it as building a sales team. Each member of your team will make sales for you for a percentage of the sale.

Finally, I should mention viral marketing. (Ooh! Sounds nasty!)

Don't worry it's not a contagious disease, and it can bring in a very healthy profit.

Think I'll leave this one till next time, as I want to cover it in detail.

So... all for now.

Bill
www.money-harvest.com
www.knight-writer.co.uk

A Warm Welcome to Money Harvest Members

2008-11-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I was going to set up a completely new blog for all you Money Harvest members, but then I thought... why? I'm writing about business and Internet marketing anyway, so why not just carry on as I am and include you guys.

Well, first of all I would like to welcome all new-comers to my blog.

With the world's economies in such a desperate state, I'm going to be looking at how you can avoid becoming a victim of the recession.

I can vividly remember the last recession during the early nineties, when many of my friends lost their businesses and some lost their homes. This time I think it will be a bit different. The banks don't have quite so much power now, and it appears that the governments are caling the shots.

Moving on...

I'm also in the process of setting up a forum on the Money Harvest website, so you can discuss your situation with others, ask for advice, let us know if you have any good ideas and meet other like-minded people. The forum will be your meeting place but NOT your marketplace. No advertising will be allowed.

Well, all that's to come.

And... I'll soon be adding some more freebies to the Free Products section of the website and some more great special offers.

If there is anything about business and internet marketing or copywriting that you would like me to cover in this blog, just let me know.

All for now...
Back soon.

Bill

It's Harvest Time

2008-11-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Okay so it's probably a little late for harvesting if you're working on a farm, but if you're working on the Internet then harvest time can be anytime.

In order to reap a harvest you must first sow some seeds right? So what do you sow on the Internet if you want to harvest a big crop of money?

How about an ebook?

What... a measly little worthless ebook?

Yeah, I know... ebooks are beginning to lose their value and that's only because idiots on ebay are selling like 500 ebooks for $5.

But ebooks still have a place in Internet Marketing. I'm talking about giving ebooks away for free and getting others to pass your ebooks on all over the Internet. I'm talking about viral marketing.

Imagine... You write a short ebook and you put some links to your products and services in the ebook. You then give it away and ask others to use it as a freebie or a bonus on their websites.

That little ebook then becomes a seed, which soon becomes a crop, which you can then harvest.

Here's an example of a simple seed.

www.need-extra-money.com/Internet_Marketing.pdf

And yes... pass it on.

Til next time...

Bill
www.money-harvest.com

That Was The Week That Was!

2008-10-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Well, what a week this has been!

You know when things are looking a little bleak in the economy, my work schedule doubles. With so many people fearful of the future, finding ways to make money on the Internet has become a number one priority. Of course, if you want to sell something, you need a great sales letter right?

Hence my increase in workload.

But that's not all...

I have also noticed a huge increase in signups for my money-making websites. Last week alone 77 people signed up for: http://www.need-extra-money.com/

And almost as many, at 69, signed up for the UK equivalent website at: http://www.need-more-money.co.uk/

But the most impressive, as far as generated income is concerned, are the amount of signups at the real big money-making website, http://www.money-harvest.com/

9 signups at various levels brought in a total of $8,219.00 for one week. So now, my income from my Internet marketing business has reached $25,000 a month.

Now I thought that was pretty good, but then I heard about what my friend Shaun Smith was doing. Shaun is my sponsor at MyInternetBusiness and like me, is also an Internet marketer based in the UK.

While I was feeling pleased with myself about making over $25,000 in 4 weeks, Shaun was making a ton more! For September alone he made $60,000... that's more than twice the amount I made.

Take a look at this short video and see for yourself... Click Here

Well, whichever way you look at it, a good week all round.

If you would like to know more about what Shaun and me are getting up to online. Drop me an email at: billknight@ymail.com

Til next time.

Bill
http://www.money-harvest.com/

What's New In Never Never Land?

2008-10-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

If any of you are into marketing then you will know just how frustrating it can sometimes be. Despite having success with various products, you will sometimes come up against a whole new totally stubborn market. You know the one I mean... The Bizopp market.

We all know that there are many people out there looking to make money online, but when you offer them the opportunity, they shy away. So what do you do? You try to coerce them and bribe them with freebies. But I think this is the wrong approach. Why?

Because I think all you are doing is creating a whole new race of freebie hunters. They become so accustomed to getting things for free that they don't see the point in buying anything from you. So you really are doing yourself and them an injustice.

Because of all the freebies being thrown around the Internet like confetti, some of your 'prospects' will never buy anything from you or anyone else, and they will never start a business online. They will become inhabitants of the Never Never Land.

So what is the answer?

Beats me!

Anyone got any suggestions?

Bill
www.money-harvest.com

Who Wants To Be A Warrior?

2008-10-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

*~*~* Wanted! New And Hungry Internet Marketing Warriors! *~*~*

If you have a list of at least 5 potential customers or if you can generate a list, I invite you to come and join me on a journey into the incredible world of wealth and freedom.

The only things you need to bring with you are courage, determination and a burning desire to be rich beyond your wildest imagination. Everything else will be provided including the products, the training, the tools and the support. Make up to $2,000 per sale!

Come take the tour...
http://www.money-harvest.com/special-invitation.html

This is an ad I have placed in a newsletter. I paid $85 and I will let you know how well it did or didn't ,whatever the case may be.

And here's a five-liner...

------------------------------------------------------------------
*** New Internet Business Opportunity Can Make You Rich ***
Good sales people can make up to $2000 per sale. Plus you
get hundreds of quality products, training, tools and all
the support you need to make it happen. See for yourself:
http://www.money-harvest.com/special-invitation.html
------------------------------------------------------------------

This ad will be going into an ezine next week.

The campaign goes on.

later,

Bill
www.money-harvest.com

For copywriting services visit my website
www.knight-writer.co.uk

For publishing services visit this website
www.anglox.com

For all kinds of home based jobs, visit this site if you are in the UK
www.need-more-money.co.uk

For all kinds of work at home jobs visit this site
www.need-extra-money.com

If you want to know about bird flu visit this site
www.birdflusurvivalguide.co.uk

If you like match fishing then visit this site
www.tonyrixon.co.uk

If you are a lady, you might find this site useful
www.ladieswares.com

If you are a fan of Heroes then go here
www.heroes-online.co.uk

Who owns all these websites?

I do!

And I own these too...

www.billknight.net

www.topclasscopy.com

Who Else Wants to Build a Multiple Income Stream Business?

2008-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Can this really be better than a franchise, better than investments and better than the stockmarket or forex? For the home based business entrepreneur, this must be the ultimate cash-on-demand system.

It's not very often a new system is designed and developed for generating multiple online incomes from a worldwide marketplace. At least one that actually works effectively. It's quite refreshing then to see a business system that has been meticulously planned with a view to standing the test of time.

This is a full-on opportunity fronted by a series of quality information videos, hundreds of products with resell rights and a hugely generous compensation plan. But the most important underlying aspect of the business is the back office.

Here the entrepreneur has access to valuable information about marketing, and how to take the business to the next level, and beyond. Part of the marketing package are impressive opt-in and gateway web pages, which the entrepreneur can link to in order to build a list of prospects.

And there are Professional Business Assistants who are waiting to call up your prospects and convert them into sales. Also, there is a built-in autoresponder email system and guaranteed acceptance with a major payment processing company as standard. The whole system has been very cleverly thought out and very skillfully put together.

And will obviously appeal to the more serious entrepreneur, as opposed to the part-time bizopp seeker.

With the state of the economy at present this might be just what the doctor ordered, as this business certainly appears to offer a real solution to the financial uncertainty, against a backdrop of possiblilty job losses.

And although it's never wise to state what can actually be earned, because this will always be down to the individual's level of experience and effort, on the surface it does look as though it has the potential to generate a substantial income.

There are 5 entry levels but realistcally, only the gold and platinum levels are worth considering if a large return is to be expected. However, it is possible to upgrade to a higher level at any time. If compared to any other business system available on the internet today, this has to be in contention for the top position.

To find out more about this cash-on-demand, multiple income stream system, visit the website and take the tour.

http://www.money-harvest.com

That was a press release I sent out yesterday.

24 hours later... 102 views, 84 visits to my site and 2 platinum level sales.

Earnings generated... $4,000.

Thank you very much!

"I love this business!"

Till later,

Bill
www.money-harvest.com

A Free Business?

2008-10-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

"A free business?"

Is there any such thing?

Not in my book there isn't.

This morning I get a phone call from some guy in the states, enquiring about MyInternetBusiness. That's the business I was talking about the other day.

So, this guy asks me whether he would have to pay to get involved in this business, right? And I say, "Is George Bush the president?".

He then starts to rant on about why should he pay money to make money blah, blah, blah!

I try to listen while he lets off steam about everyone trying to rip him off on the Internet etc.

When he has finished I said to him, "Look! If you were to buy a franchise it would cost you maybe $50,000, and if you were to start up any kind of traditional business you would have to rent premises, pay for lighting, heating, telephone, stationery and maybe evn employ staff"

I asked him whether he could get a franchise for free or start up any other kind of business for free. He couldn't think of any right there and then he said.

I was just about to tell him why he should expect to pay for quality information about setting up an Internet business, when he hung up... or we got cut off.

Why can't people realise that like everything in life. you get what you pay for. If you pay $37 for an ebook, then that's exactly what you will get... AN EBOOK!

If you pay $3,000 for a mega-cash generating Internet business, guess what? You can expect to get just that!

That's what I did. I paid almost $3,000 for a REAL business, which is making me REAL money right now. In this business I can make up to $2,000 just for one sale. And I also make money from my next level, which I call my lieutenants.

I thought I was doing really well, until I heard that my own sponsor made $20,000 last week.

If anyone knows of a business that can generate that kind of income and doesn't cost anything, let me know right away.

Come on guys... get real.

Go see for yourself... www.money-harvest.com

Later,
Bill

www.money-harvest.com

Am I Making Money Online?

2008-09-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I got a call out of the blue last night from a guy who said he was a taxi driver, but had tried desperately to find a way to make money on the Internet. As I listened intently, he told me he had tried all kinds of things. "Well like what?" I said.

In broken english he began to tell me...

"Well my fren, I try dat Google Adsense fing, and I try to mekka money from a selling du 'merican guru DVD stuff. An I try affiliate fings like the clickbank, init"

So we had a bit of a trying convesation about money and stuff and he asks, "You're that Bill Knight feller right? So are you making money on the Internet?"

Well, my 'frens', of course I am making money from my copywriting business, but that's not all I do.

As I told the taxi driver guy, I do other things too. In fact I make a lot more money from Internet marketing than I do from my copywriting... Hmm... maybe I should charge more.

So this guy starts to get a bit frantic. He is in his cab and waiting at a taxi rank. Any minute a fare could come by and he would have to terminate the conversation.

He wants to know about what else I do. I tell him to send me an email and I'll email him a link to my special website. Okay he says, what's the email address? So I tell him. So then he wants to know what the website URL is and I say... "Have you got a pen?"

He tells me he has so I tell him the URL, but he didn't hear me properly. Then, just as I am about to repeat it he says... "To the train station? Okay my fren"

And that was the last I heard from him.

So, if you're out there 'my fren' and you still want to know the URL of my special money-making website, get on over to www.money-harvest.com and start baggin' some serious loot!

You're driving days are almost over.

Right!

Taxi!

Bill Knight
www.money-harvest.com

I'm Still Standing

2008-06-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking, and that I'll be posting to my blog again very soon. Look out for some very interesting stuff...

Till then,

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

The Great Copywriting Quiz

2007-09-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

No apologies for not posting for such a long time. This year has been my busiest ever!

I get quite a few people emailing me for advice about copywriting, and I also receive sales copy from people asking for my opinion on their work. So, I thought it would be a good idea if I created a copywriting quiz. That way, all you budding copywriters can find out how much you actually know about copywriting, and whether you are any good.

Go to my quiz now and find out whether you should write your own copy or hire me to write your sales copy for you.

http://www.knight-writer.co.uk/quiz/popquiz.htm

Have fun!

Bill
http://www.knight-writer.co.uk

Web 2.0 – Revolution or Evolution?

2007-04-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

What's all this stuff about web 2?

Should online business owners sign up with Myspace or Youtube to promote their products or services?

Although still in its infancy, the World Wide Web has become an essential if not intricate part of our daily lives. As it continues to develop and evolve, almost relentlessly, through innovation and new technologies, what impact can these changes have on e-commerce?

In the short term it’s unlikely to have any noticeable effect, but for businesses that plan to be around for the long haul, it could be a case of sink or swim. Setting up a stall on the embankment of this vast torrent of progress may be fine for now, but unless businesses are prepared to dive in and go with the flow, they will quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer power of the undeniable web transformation now in evidence.

The question is what kind of technologies should e-commerce embrace and apply in order to move in the same direction as the mainstream? According to some influential developers and marketers, the answer is undoubtedly Web 2.0 technologies.

The term Web 2.0 was first expressed by O’Reilly Media back in 2004, which would suggest the conception of a second generation of web applications and services. And although some technology experts would argue that the basic components of Web 2.0 have been present since the creation of the World Wide Web, there are many who now recognize the demarcation.

To many people the definition of a Web 2.0 application appears to be somewhat ambiguous, but to the successful Internet marketer it is very clear. If your website visitors can submit content (text, images, videos), submit links to content, make comments, participate in discussions and vote one way or another, all or any of which will ultimately affect the amount of traffic that input will generate, then it’s Web 2.0.

Basically, adopting a Web 2.0 formula for any website will increase traffic and get your website ranked higher in the search engines. It’s a win-win situation. Some examples of Web 2.0 applications, which e-commerce website owners should seriously consider are
forums, surveys, feedback forms (for testimonials, reviews etc), blogs and RSS. The main points to consider are “user participation” and “social networking”. These are the buzz words associated with Web 2.0, which is made available through user-friendly browser-based applications.

The best examples of highly successful Web 2.0 websites, where almost all the content is generated by users are, “Myspace” - page rank 8, “Youtube” - page rank 8, “Wikipedia” – page rank 8 and “eBay” - page rank 9.

Major search engines like Google positively thrive on fresh content and openly encourage its production by rewarding websites that generate it. It’s quite clear that Web 2.0 applications cannot be ignored by any serious online business. And the question as to whether Web 2.0 be considered revolutionary or evolutionary, doesn’t really matter. What does matter, to the world of e-commerce, is adapt or die.

Web 2? Who needs it?

Answer...We all do.

Till next time

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Who Else Wants to Skyrocket Their Online Sales?

2007-03-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Friends,

About 50% of people who contact me requesting sales copy for their websites are absolute newbies. They have no previous sales experience and no marketing experience. So how the heck are they ever going to make it with their fledgling web businesses? Sadly, many don't and become totally disallusioned with the Internet. But if only they would take in some sound advice.

I've been a professional copywriter for more than 15 years and I've seen literally hundreds of different business models. Some good, some not so good. Some of my clients have gone on to make incredible amounts of money and some have failed miserably. Those that have made it, simply followed the rules. Now listen up, because I'm only going to say this just one time.

"Many online business owners continually make the mistake of focussing solely on the sales of their products or services. Then wonder why they end up spending all of their profits on advertising costs.

And many online businesses today, whether large or small and regardless of whether they sell products or services, completely miss their targets. Some online businesses fail miserably, simply because they misunderstand the principles of successful e-commerce. Many individuals and companies tend to focus solely on selling and nothing else. That’s a big mistake.

And quite often it can be a very costly mistake. When products and services are not selling as well as expected, many online business owners tend to make many more mistakes. They may reduce the prices of their products or services and hope that this will lead to more sales. But it only results in them making less profits.

They may spend more on advertising, wrongly believing that this will bring more sales due to more exposure. But it just ends up costing them more and further reducing their profits on any possible sales.

Some online businesses will go to any length to make sales, or increase sales, and that includes having their whole website redesigned, stocking a larger range of products, giving away endless discounts etc. etc. Any of these actions might increase their sales slightly, but they’ll never hit the big money league if they continue to adhere to this type of marketing strategy.

So, what is the answer?

Well, let’s get right back to basics. Every online business owner must ask themselves these simple questions:

1. What kind of person will buy my products or services? The obvious answer is…The kind of person who is interested in your products or services. So rule #1 is: Find and target your market.

Next question:

2. Will my customers buy on their first visit to my website? Answer: Most will not! So rule #2 is: Follow up with your customers. And the best way to do this is to encourage them to sign up to a free newsletter, which should contain valuable information about your company’s products and services. It’s important for online business owners to remember that people surf the Internet for information. Simply give them the information they want and eventually they’ll buy your products.

Next question:

3. How should I deliver my newsletter and how often should I send it to them? Answer: Set up an autoresponder and send them your newsletter at least once a month. These days any online business can be fully automated so there’s no excuse for not keeping in touch with customers. Your newsletter should contain interesting information, product offers, product reviews, perhaps a survey and just about anything else that might make your publication appear friendly and acceptable to your market.

Next question:

4. How do I get traffic to my website without spending all of my profits on advertising? Answer: Fill your website with valuable and interesting content. This is where many individual online entrepreneurs and marketers score way ahead of their competition. A website that has lots of interesting content will outsell any website promoting similar products or services…every time…guaranteed!

Whilst large companies tend to rely solely on expensive advertising to bring traffic to their websites, the savvy Internet marketer can get 10 times more traffic for free. Writing and submitting articles to article directories has proved to be the most cost effective online marketing strategy of all time. But that’s not all. Writing interesting and informative descriptions of products and services based on the benefits of those products or services will outscore any type of ad…every time…guaranteed!

So what have learned here?

● Online business owners must first, fully focus on targeting their market.

● The #1 priority of any online business is to build a list of customers and prospects.

● You MUST follow up with your customers, befriend them and keep them informed.

● Automate the whole process of capturing email addresses and sending out newsletters.

● Fill your website with interesting and informative content, which includes articles and product descriptions.

Instead of focusing completely on making the sale, change your focus to befriending your customers then sales will surely come. If you haven’t heard it said already, “the money is in the list”. Build a list of responsive prospects, keep them entertained and informed then the wealth that every online business owner craves will come…guaranteed!

It really is that simple. Just focus on building a list, and not outright selling.

If you had a list of say 10,000 subscribers to your newletter, and you then decided to go for a sale with a product that you know for sure your prospects will be interested in, you will make serious money. So, let's say your target market is gardening. It could be absolutely anything but I'll use gardening as asn example. Your list are receiving your newsletter each month, which is filled with tips and useful information right?

Okay, so you write an ebook about how to keep your garden in tip-top condition spending just 2 hours a week. Make sure you list all the benefits of discovering this vital information and remind them what they could be doing with all the time they save.

So you send out a friendly, sales-pitch-type email to your list offering them a big discount on your new book. You tell them you're going to sell it for $37.95, but they can get it for just $29.97. From 10,000 subscribers, you get an immediate 5% positive response. That's 500 sales!

500 x $29.97 = $14,985

Follow up with 10 -20 of those that didn't buy and offer to give them a free copy of the book in return for their testimonial. So let's say, in comes 8 positive testimonials. Copy these into an email, together with your original offer and send it to all those that didn't buy first time. Chances are you will convert another 5%. That's 475 additional sales!

475 x $29.97 = $14, 235

That's a total of $29,220. If you did this or something similar every month you'd pull in around $360,000 a year. And if that isn't enough, just create another website, target a different market, follow the same format and repeat the process. Simple or what?"

Moral: GET LIST BUILDING

Till next time.

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Video Advertising on the Horizon

2007-03-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Being a freelance web copywriter I have to keep an eye on the changes that abound on the Internet. I need to know what area of marketing will work for my clients and what doesn't, and the only way I can know is to try various aspects of advertising. The long web page sales letter is still by far the frontrunner when it comes to selling individual products, but all that could soon change. And instead of writing sales copy, I could soon be writing scripts and screenplays.

I'm talking about the rising popularity of video. There's no doubt, Internet advertising is evolving. Who will continue to use PPC and other traditional means of advertising, when video is streaming onto computer monitors all around the world?

Keeping with Tradition or Moving with the Times?

When any new business is first launched on the Internet, priority must be given to acquiring customers. Many webmasters spend far too much time concentrating on search engine optimization, and although this is valuable, it should be considered as a long-term tactic. What’s more important is, without a solid advertising and marketing strategy a new Internet business will never get off the ground.

Every single website owner operating any kind of business on the Internet faces the same single challenge. How to drive traffic to their websites? Without traffic there are no customers and without customers there will be no sales. The answer is to advertise, but what is the most effective means and more importantly what is the most cost-effective means?

Let’s consider the options. Pay Per Click on any search engine is effective but as Google is the top dog, then it stands to reason that if Google attracts more users then this is where you’ll find more prospects and potential customers. But, as many online marketers have discovered to their detriment, PPC advertising can be the quickest road to going broke. The advantage is, almost instant traffic. The same effect, although to a lesser degree can be experienced with Yahoo and MSN.

So what else can you do? There’s email marketing, but beware scamsters and shisters and just about every other rip-off merchant are operating unhindered in this field. Anyone can build an email list very quickly by using ‘email harvesting’ software, then rent or sell the list to unsuspecting marketers. Desperate for traffic many marketers will gladly hand over their cash for these lists only to find their websites have been taken down or banned for spamming.

Email marketing can be a very useful marketing tool but it’s highly advisable to always use a reputable list broker. Choose one that guarantees delivery of your email and offers some way of tracking results.

Another method of getting your message out there is article marketing. It runs in close parallel with press releases for getting results but costs nothing, other than a little time. Basically, you write an interesting article about a subject similar to the product or service you want to promote. You can’t blatantly advertise, so the article has to be skillfully crafted to include benefits and features of your product or service without actually mentioning it.

You are allowed to include a resource box at the end of your article, which will include your name, bio and a link back to your website. You then submit your article free, to the main directories such as, Article City or Ezine Articles and wait. The idea is that people looking for free and relevant content for their websites will download your article in its entirety and feature it on their website. Hence you get free promotion. Press releases do very much the same thing.

One of the most effective methods of advertising online today is to find someone who is promoting a similar product or service to yours and who has a large list of subscribers to their newsletter or ezine. Simply contact the webmaster or business owner and ask if you can place an ad in their publication. Most will be happy to accommodate and even recommend your product or service to their list, for a fee of course. They might even offer to promote your products to their list and to other similar lists for a percentage of the profits. This is generally known as a joint venture and works well for both parties.

Next, you might consider setting up an affiliate program. The idea is to get as many people as possible promoting your products all over the Internet. Think of it as building a sales team. Each member of your team will make sales for you in return for a percentage of the sale. To see how this works, visit Clickbank.com or Commission Junction.com.

All the methods mentioned have been tried and tested and are effective in producing varying degrees of success, but the Internet is evolving. As more and more people access the Internet via a broadband connection, video advertising is set to explode.

Time to Put on Your Make-Up and Get Ready for the Curtain Call

Currently online video advertising represents a tiny fraction of the overall advertising market with a total spend of just $121 million last year compared with $9.5 billion for all other online media, according to Jupiter Research.

And according to ‘The Online Publishers Association’, 25% of all Internet users now watch video online at least weekly. Because of these statistics, it is predicted that there will be a 70 percent increase in online video advertising spend next year. The top video aggregators have reported daily video streams in the millions, which goes to prove that the audience is there.

All this adds up to the prospect of the Internet heading for direct ad competition with television. New technical capabilities include adding an interactive Flash layer to streaming video. At the forefront of this emerging rich media technology are companies like Klipmart, Eyewonder, United Virtualities, Eyeblaster and Viewpoint.

So, where can marketers place their ads? The media buyers ClickZ highly ranked MSN in terms of service, implementation and original video content. Also, Yahoo, via its Yahoo Music audio and video destination (formerly LAUNCH), is primed for a big video roll-out.

As video begins to impact on the online advertising scene, we’re also likely to see an upsurge in multimedia search engines. And the most exciting part about video advertising is that anyone can produce their own visual ad, just as they now compete with others for their share of the market via traditional means.

It’s time to put on your make-up, write a convincing advertising script and become star of your own marketing show.

Anyone need a script writer?

Till next time.

Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Some Important News About a Forthcoming Event

2006-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Friends,

As someone who is interested in making money, I thought I’d better let you know about something that’s going to be a bit special.

These days there’s so many people trying to make a living online and sadly, many will give up trying altogether at some point. Why? Because they simply didn’t make any money. They may have been trying to sell the wrong products or had the right products but couldn’t grasp the principles of effective marketing.

As a marketer and copywriter, with many clients here in the UK and in many other countries, I see it all the time. Myself and my colleagues here at Anglox, always do our level best to help new, up and coming Internet marketers get their business projects up and running, and into profit. But there’s only so much that we can do.

One day last year, during a ‘Meeting of Minds’ conference, I was having a discussion with some Internet marketing friends and the subject of new Internet marketing business start-ups featured in our conversation. We all agreed that most of the people we knew, who were struggling to get their Internet businesses started, lacked a number of key elements in their general business game plan.

We talked about getting together, pooling our resources, experience and knowledge with the intention of helping these people. Why? Because we know that many of them have been led astray by the lure of empty promises, which turned out to offer nothing other than false hope. Some promised great riches from selling certain PLR products, clearly not fit for the waste-bin. We happen to think that these people deserve better.

So, after almost a year of talking products, dates, venues and adjusting our personal schedules, we’ve finally agreed to do it. Myself, David Hyner, Craig Richards and David Watson cordially invite you to attend ‘The Profit Generator’ Internet Masterclass Seminar, which will be held in London on January 27th 2007.

Due to a limited number of suitable venues, we will also have to limit the number of attendees. So I thought you might like to be one of the first to know about this unique ‘one-off’ event. This email is already much longer than I intended, so if you would like to know more, take a look at the website we have just put up today. It contains all the information about the event and the 4 presentations.

http://www.profit-generator-masterclass.com

I would really like to see you there, but if you can’t make it, or you’re too busy with your own projects right now, you might be interested to know that you could make some good money by helping to promote it. We have set up an invitation only affiliate program for you, from which you will make £300 for each delegate who books their place before the deadline.

In the Promo Tools section of the affiliate page, we’ve also added an email for you, which will be personalised with your affiliate link, and all ready to send to your friends or likely prospects. All you have to do is type in their email addresses and click the send button.

To join the affiliate program and start making some serious money, just in time for Christmas, click on the following link and add your details. Your JV code is PGM (in upper case)

http://www.profit-generator-masterclass.com/affiliate

With more than £3,000 worth of free bonus products and services, this seminar and even the affiliate program we have set up to promote it, is all for the benefit of people like you who want to make money. We know that all available seats will be booked within the next 2-3 weeks, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you more notice.

If you have any queries or questions about the seminar, don’t hesitate to contact me here: anglopublisher@yahoo.com

Best regards,
Bill

How to sell more products and services online

2006-09-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Yes, yes I know it's been months since I last posted. Think I've got nothing better to do? I write for a living so it's not that I couldn't be bothered, it's just that I'm always busy writing for my clients.

It's been an amazing year for me. I've been working on so many projects for so many clients, I don't have time to sleep! But alas! Something has to give, and I'm afraid it has to be my free advice. You wouldn't believe how many people call me on the phone for advice about marketing their products or services. Well sorry guys, it all takes time. And as you're all aware, time is money.

I'm still making myself available to you but be prepared to pay for my time in future, unless you're a newbie. I'll still help you get going if you're completely new to Internet marketing, and as always, there will be no charge.

For everyone else, here's some advice to help you sell more:

Ways to Sell More Products or Services Online

The Internet is responsible for changing the way most people now do business. Global markets are now easily accessible to even the smallest of businesses, regardless of what they sell. Also, with more and more people now buying goods and services online (online spending reached $172 billion in 2005 – Forrester Research), potential customers are not very difficult to find. To survive and prosper, online or offline, every business simply needs to make sales and profits. It’s the life-blood of any business. Many marketing strategies developed to increase sales offline can also be adapted and applied online, although most online marketing techniques are either impractical or totally ineffective in an offline business.

The Internet has thrown up many challenges for the marketers of today, not least, is the question of exposure. How do you get your products or services in front of willing, buying customers? Learning how to succeed in business on the Internet inevitably takes time and effort. Below are few tried and tested methods, which can help to increase sales of your products or services online.

Set up your own affiliate program There are so many people on the Internet willing to sell your products for you, for a commission, that you just can’t ignore this avenue. But, for an affiliate program to work effectively, it has to be set up properly. You will have to supply your affiliates with all the tools they’ll need to promote your products.

First and foremost is a good quality written sales letter that they can use to attract interested prospects. Ideally, this letter should be a duplicate of your own sales pitch or website sales letter. Next, create banners that they can put on their website and most importantly, at least from the affiliates point of view, is a sales tracking system like, ‘yourcart.com’.

Established and successful affiliates generally have their own way of marketing other people’s products, and the more commission you’re willing to offer them, the more effort they’ll expend in promoting your goods and services. Some affiliates have their own lists of prospects and some have the ability to generate new lists for new products.

In simple terms, if an affiliate has a list or can access a list of 50,000 prospects, and can expect to convert just 3%, they’re going to be looking at the possibility of generating some 1,500 sales. If your product is valued at $97 and you offer your affiliate 50% commission, you can expect a return of $72,750.

Now, imagine if you had just six affiliates, with access to similar prospect lists, promoting your one $97 product. 6 x $72,750 = $436,500. It’s easy to see why affiliate programs are so popular on the Internet, and it’s no surprise to learn that some marketers can bank $millions each year by utilizing this tried and tested marketing method. Focus on back end sales Ensure that your website has an email capturing script installed. From each prospect you need to acquire two basic elements of information. Their first name and email address. When you have made a sale to your customer, it is always advisable to follow up with an email thanking them for their purchase. And, have another, perhaps similar product ready to sell them. If they were happy with their original purchase, chances are they will buy from you again.

This is the ‘back end’ sale, and more often than not, this is where the real profits are to be made.

To effectively capture the name and email of all your website visitors, you’ll have to give them a reason for giving up this information. It could be to obtain a free report, a free ebook or a free subscription to your newsletter. This is how you build your own list.

Next, you could offer your prospects a high value product at a break-even price. The object is to gain their confidence. Then within 2 -3 weeks of the sale, offer them a similar product with a much higher ticket value.

Always stay in touch with your customers by email if you want to continuously make sales. Autoresponders are undoubtedly the best method to achieve this line of communication.
Seek out joint ventures
Many Internet marketers have made a small fortune by promoting other people’s products and services, in return for their own products being promoted by others.

A good example would be a printer ink supply business promoting a printer supply or printer repair business and vice-versa. Or a ladies fashion business promoting a jewelry or cosmetics business. Whatever you sell, there is likely to be a related product that you can promote on your website in return for that business promoting yours.

Simply contact the webmaster of a site that sells products related to yours and propose a mutually beneficial deal. There’s not many Internet business owners who will refuse a 50/50 split of profits for just sending out an email to their list or for listing your products on their website.

Offline marketing opportunities

Just because your business is online, you can’t afford to ignore offline promotion opportunities. Place ads in your local press or other publications, where your potential customers will most likely see them. Offer them discounts for buying your products or services online, and remind them that they can conveniently visit your website anytime day or night to purchase the products they want at prices they can’t afford to miss.

Think about renting a suitably targeted mailing list and sending out a mailshot outlining the benefits and convenience of shopping at your online website, and the savings they could make compared to their local High Street stores.

Testimonials

Give some of your products away to prospects in return for their testimonials and endorsements. If you can get people to say good things about your products or services and highly recommend them to others, you’ll build credibility.

Credibility and trust are considered by many online marketers to be two of the most important aspects of converting browsers into buyers.

Freebies and bonuses

So many online businesses give away free samples of their products, free ebooks, free tips or free advice, that you really can’t ignore the value of the word “free”. People like to get things for free, so always add something for free to the product you want to sell them.

Free bonuses are perceived as added value and works every time. The Internet business that includes freebies and bonuses with its offer will outsell any similar website with no freebies on offer every time.

One of the best possible freebies you could give your prospects is a specifically written ebook all about the benefits of your products or services. It must be informative and interesting and it must have real or perceived value. Ensure the ebook contains links to all your website products, and tell your prospects it would normally cost say $27 or $37 to buy.

Allow your prospects to give it away or sell it with full resell rights. This will start a viral marketing campaign and will help bring visitors to your website from all over the Internet.

Peace of mind guaranteed

Before a customer buys something from you, they will want to know if they can return it, if for some reason it proves to be unsuitable. Their whole buying decision may rest entirely on this one ‘peace of mind’ benefit. Always, always offer your prospects a full ‘no-quibble’ money-back guarantee.

The longer the guarantee, the more comfortable they’ll be in buying your products. Also, the longer the guarantee, the less likely you are to make refunds. Can you remember what you bought 90 days ago?

Hope this helps. Till next time

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Time to talk about making some money

2006-04-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted to my blog, simply because I've been up to my neck in work. So far this year I've taken on 11 new clients and I'm involved in 3 new joint venture projects. Because I've been burning the candle at both ends recently, I've taken on some extra help to cope with the publishing side of my business (anglox), which for some reason has become a real bustle of activity in recent months.

So what's happening? Well, firstly there's obviously many more people interested in making money online. And secondly, they're doing it by creating their own unique products, which is great!

Here's a few examples of some of my new client's products:

1. An ebook explaining how to earn a six-figure income from other people's property. This is a fabulous product, which has been written by a property consultant based in the UK. He's selling around 10 books a week but could easily increase this number to 20, if he could just sort out his marketing. I'm working on a strategy for him, which will include articles, PPC and offline ads.

2. An Internet Marketing course for beginners. This is a JV and I've been extremely busy writing up the modules, the sales letter for the website and the ad campaign. This online training course will cover just about every conceivable aspect of marketing, from designing a website and creating products to exploiting the ever increasing niche markets.

3. Another JV I'm involved in is a 'Buy Property in Spain' project. The attraction here is the large commission payouts, which run into 4 figures for just one completed deal. The goal is to complete 4 deals a month. I wish I had got involved in this project much earlier, although it looks as if there's still a considerable market for overseas investment and retirement properties.

4. One of the main topical interests of the moment is the worldwide spread of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. My client has been quick to seize on the fears of infection by producing a survival guide. This particular guide is geared towards a UK market only. We carried out a marketing test soon after a dead swan was found in Scotland, which was confirmed to have had the H5N1 virus. Within 3 days, the website received over 1000 unique visitors and a few sales were made. The project has now been put on the 'back-burner' until another outbreak in the UK has been confirmed.

5. A new client from the US contacted me and asked if I was interested in writing a health book for him. The 50 page book was duly written and submitted for approval in both MS Word and pdf formats. He then asked if I could write a sales letter for his website, which I did. It turns out that he didn't actually have a website yet, so my team designed and constructed a site for him. And arranged for a domain, plus hosting and a full SEO campaign together with a full marketing plan. Basically we did the lot! And now we're discussing the next venture.

My work as a copywriter and Internet marketer can be quite varied, which means there's never a dull moment as I'm kept continually on my toes. The upside to this situation is that I'm always looking to find the very latest marketing strategy for my clients and my own online businesses.

Over the coming weeks I'm going to reveal some of my findings right here in this blog. I promise you it will be riveting stuff!

In the meantime, and due to endless 'cries for help', here's a few suggestions about making money online. These are for anyone looking to set up an online income stream, full-time or part-time, and can be operated from their own home office.

My first suggestion is to try our very own Publishing business opportunity. Becoming a home publisher has never been so easy and the profits are endless. The products don't cost anything and you get to keep 100% of the profits. Here's a link to the affiliate version, which means you will not only make some easy money from operating the system, but you can also make 50% profit from reselling it to others. A real win-win opportunity. License2Profit.

To sell anything successfully online, you'll need to master the art of writing effective sales and ad copy. If it was that easy, I'd be out of a job. But to help you understand the principles of this extremely important marketing aspect, I've written a very useful guide (Word Power). It comes with resale rights, so again here's another opportunity to make some money by reselling it to others.

For anyone looking for easy work at home jobs and other great products and services, check out the wide selection offered by Jack the Reaper.

Hope you find something useful among this lot.

Until next time.

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

The Net Reaper Forecasts Bumper Harvest

2006-02-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

With so many so-called business opportunities on the Internet today, it’s getting more and more difficult to weed out the real money spinners from the host of scams. Just go to any search engine and type in ‘work at home’, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

For Internet newbies, this represents a virtual minefield, and sadly many will fall foul of an unscrupulous, faceless assassin before they even realize they’ve been financially wounded. It’s all very well for those fully conversant with all things web and techie, to say experiencing the perils of the Internet is a simple learning process. Well, whatever happened to gallantry and chivalry?

Just because we’re operating in a virtual world of commerce with no face to face contact, it doesn’t make people any less human, does it? Okay, so there is an element of remoteness and individualism, when it comes to doing business online from your own home office, but it would be wise to remember that the leads, the visitors, and traffic are very real people.

And I for one believe that we should all be treated with some respect.

Now if you’re looking to find real opportunities and real time saving software products and really useful services all in one place, the information highway offers precious little choice. The no alternative option is to blow the Google bugle and find it all yourself, which can be fun if you have nothing better to do, but a real pain in the butt if time is of the essence.

I take my hat of then, to those that have spent the time searching, filtering, trying and testing products and services for the benefit of others. And when they neatly list these goodies on an easy to navigate website, for all to enjoy, I’ll gladly buy something useful as my way of thanking them for their efforts. This can only go some way to encouraging them to add more useful links in time for my next visit.

A website I came across recently fits this description perfectly. The Net Reaper, although sinister in name and design is steadily harvesting the type of products and services that will be of interest to at least some people if not most. New links are being added every day and it won’t be too long before the site itself will become a directory of interesting, informative and useful entities.

I’m sure other similar sites exist, but I found myself clicking on this site’s link through morbid curiosity, as I’m sure others will do. There’s a lot to be said for a well thought domain name. Wished I’d have thought of it.

Next time you’re searching the Internet and you come across a website which looks good, is easy to navigate and has useful products, give up a little respect to the webmaster. If the site looks as though it has taken a lot of time and effort to put together, it most probably has.

Pay Jack a visit: www.thenetreaper.com

Till next time,
Bill
www.knight-writer.co.uk

The Secret Power of Words

2006-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

A quick word on the secret power of words.

If the best way of communicating with prospects and existing customers was through sign language, we’d all have to learn to sign. Or if the best method of communication proved to be some kind of mutually understandable code, we’d all have to learn that code in order to say anything. Thankfully, our communication process is much more simple…or is it?

A sales person has the benefit of meeting his prospect face to face, and will be able gauge his pitch according to visible response signs displayed by his prospect. An experienced salesman will instinctively know from the facial expressions and body language of his prospect, whether he’s hitting the right buttons. This is usually indicated by the prospect’s head nodding up and down combined simultaneously with a beaming smile and wide-eyed appreciation.

A telesales person has much less to go on. They can only judge response to their sales pitch through the prospect’s answers to questions and the actual tone of their voice. Most telesales people find their job easier when they try to imagine the look on their prospect’s faces while they’re talking to them. But, the deciding factor will almost always come down to the tone of voice deployed by both parties.

The Internet and Direct Mail Marketer have no such advantages over their prospects. They can’t see them and they can’t hear them. Their only weapon in their armory of sales pitches is their written word.

How we communicate through our written words holds the absolute key to successful selling online and offline. Whether it’s a sales letter, an email or ad, the written words must convincingly convey the sales message directly into the prospect’s mind. But first, you have to get your prospects to actually read your message, and usually this very first hurdle will claim many, many casualties.

Getting someone to read your sales pitch will almost certainly depend on your headline. Your headline is your introduction. Your ‘hello’, your ‘hey you’ and your ‘listen up’. If your headline doesn’t grab the attention of your prospect within two seconds, it’s goodbye and farewell.

Other important aspects of a ‘killer’ sales message are sub-headings. Sub-headings are generally used to maintain interest throughout the copy. But they’re also included for the benefit of prospects that first scan your message before deciding to read it in full. To some degree, they’re almost as important as the headline itself.

Then there’s the body copy. It’s here that your copywriting talents and skills should really shine through. Here you have the opportunity to use any words in the English language to describe and explain in fine detail, the benefits and features of your product or service on offer. And the English language is positively rich in adjectives, so there can be no excuse.

But the real secret to creating captivating copy is to use ‘sense’ words. That is, words that arouse the senses. Touch, see, smell, taste and listen is what we instinctively do every day. They represent our human survival mechanisms and for the most part, we trust them. Other mammals rely on them totally.

When you use sense words in conjunction with emotionally fuelled trigger words, you can elicit all kinds of responses, which can be carefully channeled into the heart of your message for maximum impact. Harnessing words for profit in this way is a skill, and it’s a skill that every online and offline marketer needs to fully comprehend.

Learning to write outstanding and emotionally charged sales copy is not an essential requirement for business success, but recognizing the effectiveness is.

Never underestimate the secret power of words.

You can find more information about creating top class copy by visiting the link below.

http://www.topclasscopy.com

I know money isn't everything but...

2005-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone thinking I use this blog to let off steam is absolutely right on the money. And today is no exception, except from today, I'm also going to start adding a few 'business thoughts', just to make it even less interesting. Yeah! Thought you'd like that. Okay let's get on with it...

As most of my clients are based in the US, it was quite surprising to get 5 requests in a row, for quotations from people based right here in the UK. It was even more surprising, when I discovered that each had exactly the same product they wanted to market, and to a UK audience only. Each one asked me to produce a long sales letter for a web page, an introductory page, a classified ad and a press release.

Hmm! Someone's been making some money selling on these products, I thought. And yes they were. In fact it was old money-bags himself Mr XXXXXX XXXXXXXX. I'd love to give you his name but let's just call him 'Mr R' for now.

Mr R has made a fortune from mail order, selling people 'dreams' of becoming filthy rich, while all the time these dreamers were just making him filthy rich. I've been on his mailing list for years, under a different name, and I know about all his little 'offers', for want of a better word. It's quite amazing to learn that this guy has built up a following over the years, but I don't ever recall him having any hypnotic powers as such.

Then I guess, money is itself an hypnotic subject.

I don't blame anyone for making a mighty mint out of mail order, but opportunities in the print and mail business are fading fast. Here's what I have say about it. (The business thought)

Has the Internet Killed Off the Direct Mail Baron?

Over the past 30 years, direct mail has been responsible for generating vast amounts of money for businesses and individuals alike, but is it still an effective means of marketing?

The short answer, in the short term, is yes. But the Internet has without doubt diluted the power of pen on paper and will continue to do so, until only a few die-hard individuals and the glossy brochure brigade, are left to pick the bones of an industry once plump and ripe for plucking and plundering.

Today, the Internet offers the consumer a pure, unadulterated and convenient environment for buying goods, services, bill paying and browsing. And with more people logging on every day, it’s where businesses need to focus.

Compared to direct mail, marketing a business or service on the internet is simple, very cost-effective and can be just as profitable. If it’s the ‘right’ kind of business, offering the ‘right’ kind of product or service, it can prove to be overwhelmingly prosperous. And there’s many an Internet millionaire that will testify to that.

The big advantage, in terms of doing business on the Internet, falls right at the feet of the little guy. The one-man outfit, who has virtually no overheads and no employees. Better off still, is the little guy with no overheads, employees, products or services. He can make a phenomenal amount of money by selling other people’s products for commissions.

That’s quite difficult to do with direct mail and would likely prove prohibitively expensive to operate. And that’s another reason why direct mail is in decline. The overall expense of the operation.

When you add up the cost of stationery, printing, postage, mailing lists and the labor involved in the whole process, it’s clear to see that the ‘end is nigh’, for what was once a very lucrative marketing venture. That’s not to say that there isn’t still a place for some forms of direct mail. Some online businesses, especially the bigger companies, would do well to incorporate a direct mail strategy in promoting their online activities.

But generally, the opportunity of making a killing with direct mail is fading fast. So it’s goodbye to the direct mail baron and welcome to the Internet marketing guru. It’s the same animal but with different spots.

Okay, back to the whinging and whining bit.

So, I got down to writing up the sales letters for these guys, which although for the same products, are all completely different. Well, as different as the same product would allow.

Four of the five, were absolutely delighted with the results and paid up almost immediately. They now go on to my preferential client list. But one, and there's always one isn't there? Thinks he has secured my services 'ad infinitum'. Telephones me almost daily, emails me 3 to 4 times a day, expects me to give him all the advice and guidance necessary to launch a world war and has passed my sales letter around to everyman and his dog for their opinions.

Oh yeah! And he hasn't yet paid me a cent. But still expects me to help him build a website to launch and promote this 'unique' product, by which time will be selling on eBay for 99 pence. Because the others are well on their way to making some sales right now, while he's still dithering and dallying and meandering and procrastinating.

He goes straight to the bottom of my un-preferential client list.

I don't like to get messed about. And I don't like people taking advantage of my goodwill. But most of all, I don't like people that drag their heels when it comes to coughing up readies. That's fair isn't it?

Imagine if you'd just finished your week's work and your boss said, "I'll pay you what I owe you when you do another couple of days for free" How would you react to that? Yeah! I know what you'd say, and what you'd probably do. Well, that's pretty much the same thing in this case. Is it any wonder I'm whinging?

Thankfully, most of my clients respect my creative works and cross my palm accordingly. It's fair to say, that 99% of my US clients pay for my services within 48 hours of receipt of the final draft presentation. It's also true, that only around 50% of my UK clients settle during the same period. I just love the good old US of A.

Remember folks, money isn't everything. It's simply a blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it.

BFN.

Bill Knight

www.knight-writer.co.uk

When will I be famous?

2005-08-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

When will I be famous? When will people learn that money doesn't necessarily make you famous. It surprises me no end how many people want to be rich and famous. Why do they want that? What's wrong with just getting filthy rich and disappearing from the face of the earth? I mean opting out of society, becoming invisible, becoming someone else.

I get emails and phone calls from clients all over the world. Most want me to make them rich by writing gob-smacking, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring copy that will hypnotise their customers into transferring their life savings to their very own dodgy offshore bank account. Not only do they expect all this of moi, they want to be famous!

Look guys, if you want to make some seeeerious money, come up with a serious product or service and I'll do my bit to help you. But don't expect me to be your personal manager and don't expect me to give up my precious time, which incidentally is going to cost everyone more because I'm fast becoming the most famous copywriter on the planet, to spend hours talking to you on the phone.

Fame and fortune may well go hand in hand for some, but not for you my friend. Be satisfied with making a good living other than working for some shitty agency or working 25 hours a day in your own gruelling business.

I'm just a humble writer, who writes for a living. Should you come to me and ask if I can help you promote a product or service, online or offline, with my sales letters, I will do all that I can to help. I'll conjure up all kinds of magical marketing methods and startling stealth strategies, which will leave your prospects spellbound. At a price! - The more you pay, the better I get!

But once I'm done with my toil and it has been duly delivered to you, it's down to you to take it by the hand, take it to market and flog it. My part is done. Of course, if you need still further help in making your till ring, I'm available and at your service - At a price!

But please, please don't even consider contacting me, if all you have is a second rate, bottom of the barrel, something stuck on my shoe type of product that you're convinced will make you a shed load of cash...and make you famous.

Anyone else can contact me at bill@knight-writer.co.uk

Let's keep it real.

To see what's real, visit www.knight-writer.co.uk

Bless you all.

Bill

Freedom

2005-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

This has been a week of mixed emotion, not just for me but for the country as a whole. Winning the olympic bid and stuffing the French was very satisfying. Tony Blair hosting the G8 conference at Gleneagles, with Africa and global warming at the top of the agenda was not only noble but indicates genuine concern for others and the future of this fragile planet.

Then, in an instant, came brutal reality.

What kind of a world do we really live in? Answer. Whatever we care to make it.

I don't personally subscribe to any political persuasion, nor do I subscribe to any form of religion. Why? Because both can, and have been the catalyst to the loss of precious human life.

Looking at the world each day, mostly through the eyes of the various media, I'm always aware that I'm fortunate to be able to speak my mind, express my views and choose to live how I want to live. It's called freedom.

I'm also painfully aware that my ancestors, and their ancestors gave up their lives in order to secure and maintain this most coveted of all liberties, for the benefit of their children, and their children's children. They made the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their lives, so we may be free. This is something that should never be forgotten and never, ever be taken for granted.

If you'll just take a brief look into the history of our great nation, you'll find that we were almost always at war with someone sometime. Is it any wonder then, that we have the reputation we do? The stiff upper lip, the stubborn resolve, the 'we will never give up' stance. Of course not. It's in our blood and always will be. Only now, we have learned from our weary battles. But we have never faltered in our beliefs, we have never waivered on the fence, we have never backed out of a fight and we will never give in to anyone, ever. That's why we are Great Britain.

Okay, I know I'm sounding all patriotic, but you probably know why.

It's because a very little irritating gang of murdering bastards, think they can impose their will and idealism on the western world through the bomb and the bullet. Well it's simply not going to happen. Ask the Germans. And they were much more organised and much more tooled up than this bunch of second rate devil worshippers.

Think that's a bit strong?

Okay, I ask you this. What other religion on this beautiful planet advocates killing innocent people in the name of their loving and almighty god?

Answers on a postcard please.

Bill Knight

www.knight-writer.co.uk

So you want to be a copywriter?

2005-07-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

So You Want To be A Copywriter?

Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still give my competitor's websites a 'gander' every now and then, in case they're doing something that I should be doing.

I receive many emails from students working towards their marketing or other media degrees, asking for a few tips about securing work in the 'Copywriting Industry' I didn't realise we had an industry! If we have, it's surely a cottage industry because most copywriters are freelancers who work on their own and usually from home.

"Well what about advertising and marketing agencies?", They enquire. "Well what about them?", I ask. And so it goes on and on until they realise that a copywriter who works for a structured and institutional organisation, is a totally different animal to that of the freelancer.

Institutional versus Freelance

So what are the differences between them? There are many. Let's look at the agency writer. He or she is likely a talented person with creative skills and a good command of the English language. They will have learned, from their course work, the psychology of selling, aspects of communication and how to write in a flowing and interesting style.

Each day, at the agency office, they will work on their assignments, which have been delegated to them by their manager. Their work will be scrutinised by their manager or team leader, who, in the interests of their company, will decide whether it's worthy of publication.

After a couple of years, doing similar 'run of the mill' stuff, they may be offered the opportunity of coming up with something completely original. All by themselves, with no guidance, un-tethered by their mentor. And, in the interests of the company, not to mention their job security, they will produce something as institutional as they have been doing previously. They'll play it safe. Well wouldn't you?

Eventually, their creative awareness and talent may break through the institutional membrane and they'll want to move on. They'll want to do something for themselves. They may even become a freelancer.

A freelancer is just about anyone with a passion and a flair for writing. Some have started out on their career path by working for agencies, some have graduated in English and just feel 'qualified' to do the job, whilst others come into the 'industry' from a variety of other routes.

By whichever means, once they become a freelancer, they quickly learn to survive. To survive and prosper as a freelancer you must have the ability to adapt, diversify and develop the skill of writing in any and every style humanly possible. But there's more! You will have to meet deadlines, sometimes work for less than the lower national wage limit and learn to turn your brain inside out. Sounds painful!

What does it all amount to? What's the bottom line?

Let's summarise thus far.

A copywriter working for an agency will work in a nice warm office with nice friendly colleagues, writing simple institutional letters, brochures, ads and information packs. They'll be paid somewhere between 18K to 26K, get 4 to 5 weeks annual paid holiday and get to slag off the boss at the office Christmas party.

Sounds pretty good to me. If you want to be a copywriter, I recommend you go down this path. It offers a good salary and a steady secure position.

The freelancer's life is not so clear cut. They mostly work on their own, write all kinds of stuff about everything and wonder where their next packet of fags is going come from. They only take short breaks, get stressed and slag everyone off at any party.

They're self-employed, so have to keep accounts. They have to buy all their own stationery, stuff their own letters and post off their mailings. They have to advertise or even worse, they have to compete to sell their services for a pittance to unknown clients through some online freelance website. The pits!

Sounds terrible doesn't it? Then why do we do it?

The uncovered truth about freelancing

Well, obviously I can't speak for everyone so I'll tell you why I do it and how I do it. "Listen up"
The main reason I write for a living is because I love it. I've always been a creative person so writing comes as second nature. And let's face it, it's not very difficult to do.

I love the challenge that each assignment brings. I have ghost-written several books for clients and each has been on a completely different subject. The downside of ghost-writing is having to sign away all rights to the work, which means you can't showcase it or put it in your portfolio. The client gets all the credit for your masterpiece.

I've written many articles for websites, emails and sales letters. I write poetry, humour and boring stuff like FAQ's and product information. But I'm never bored because the work can be so varied.

Then there's the money of course. A good freelancer should be able to make around 50K a year. Some make less but some can make over 100K a year. There really is no limit. Make a name for yourself and not only will you be earning a good living, you could possibly find yourself in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose the work you do.

Still want to be a copywriter?

Good! Now let's dispel a few myths by answering a few questions that I get asked all the time.

The 6 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you need a formal education and a degree?
No way! Although most agencies will only employ graduates, there's no reason why a freelancer needs anything other than a good command of the English language, creativity and a flare for writing. There are many copywriting courses available, if you're a little unsure or want to hone your skills, but make sure the course work is set by an experienced and reputable copywriter.

2. Can previous work experience help?
Yes! Sales and marketing experience is very useful if you intend to make a living as a sales copywriter. At the very least, you should understand the sales process and the customer service aspect.

3. I don't have a portfolio. How can I get work?
Create one! Write some articles, write a small book, write some sales letters, brochures and emails. Show what you can do. Write for free. Write for charities, magazines or newspaper letter pages. Use your imagination and write about anything.

4. Where are the best places to get work?
You could try contacting marketing agencies by way of a letter of introduction, but don't hold your breath. Magazines are always looking for fillers, so this would be a good place to start. Local small businesses might be interested in having some leaflets written for door to door delivery. Contact them by letter, listing your services and your rates.

When you have gained a little experience, go online and subscribe to some of the freelance websites. Elance, Freelance Work Exchange and Getafreelancer are quite good, but be prepared to compete with other bidders from all over the world. Some Indian freelancers will work for as little #3 an hour, so you're up against it. Still, I think it's worth the experience. I get some of my assignments this way.

Build a website or have someone do it for you. I'm of the opinion that all businesses should have a website if they want to stay in business. Create a mail shot and work your way through your local Yellow Pages. Sell yourself. It's what you will have to do anyway, so get used to it.

5. What should I charge for my services?
This is just a guide. You'll instinctively know when you've become established.
A one page letter consists of around 500 words and should take no more than 2 hours to write, revise and finalise. If you want #10 an hour, that'll be #20 for the job. Don't bother quoting a price per word as you'll find yourself writing a load of drivel in order to fill the pages.
Again, once you're established you can charge what you think your work is worth. It's not uncommon to charge #400 for a 6 page sales letter, if you're good.

6. What do you think is the most essential skill of a successful copywriter?
If you can't do this, you won't be very successful.

"Write as you talk"

That's it! You must be able to communicate with your reader right off the page. Your words must be conversational. You must be able to 'speak' to your reader and stir their interest, their emotions, their desires.

If you're trying to sell them something, you must be convincing. Your letter has to be compelling and attention-grabbing. Finally, your letter has to make them take some action. This could be filling in a form, making a phone call or writing a cheque. It's a call to action.
Still think you have what it takes?

Then go forth and return with the bountiful harvest of your creative genius!

Good luck and warm regards,

Bill Knight - www.knight-writer.co.uk

(# denotes GBP or US Dollars)

Never Take Time For Granted

Being a freelancer means you have to make the most of your time. Time is a precious commodity and more importantly, time is money. The article below just about sums up the importance of this resource.

Don’t Bank On Time

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with #86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out ALL OF IT, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.” You must live in the present on today’s deposits.

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today. Treasure every moment that you have! And remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present!!!

(Author unknown)

Been a long week

2005-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's friday. Looking back over the week, it's seems to have dragged by. But perhaps it was purely because I was writing so many different sales letters, emails and ads and putting in some long days. Well whatever, another week over.

I aquired 3 new clients this week. One will surely be a millionaire within the next 12 to 18 months, thanks in part to my exceptional sales letter. One will make a load of sales but will most likely have to refund most of them, because the product is crap and the other is will make sweet FA. Why, because he's an amateur and just hasn't got a clue.

He hopes to make a fortune selling some shitty little ebook on ebay. Worst part is, the bastard hasn't paid me yet for writing a brilliant sales letter for his website and an ebay ad. It really does get right up my nose, when someone like him, with no talent whatsoever, asks me to write his shit with no intention of paying. This is my living. He's stealing my living, my bread and butter.

But shit happens! He won't make a single penny on ebay. I'll personally see to it. I have ways and contacts in this business. I have a feeling his website will experience a few major problems also. I'm going to put a hall of shame on my site. I'll name them and shame them. They won't be able to hide forever.

Right! Got that off my chest.

I had to take my dog to the vet yesterday. I've got a German Shepherd, called Taz. His ears have become totally bunged up with gunge and he won't let me near them. It's been causing him some distress, so off we went.

Vets always like to give your pet a thorough examination, helps to justify their extortionate fees. "Is there anything else wrong with him, only he looks a bit depressed?" She asked. I told her he was depressed beacause his ears were all bunged up. "Well I'll just check him over while he's here" She said. I thought, well okay if you insist.

She started to feel around his stomach, and asked if he'd eaten anything unusual. "No, just the usual. His regular meals and the odd 3 day old lump of dog shit" I said. "Oh, don't worry it was his own crap" I added. She gave me a, just dropped my trousers and flashed, kind of look. You know, partly shocked and partly disgusted. Hey! He's a dog. That's what dogs do...don't they?

Well next, she listened to his heart beat. "Mmm, it's very slow" she said. Then she thinks it might be a good idea to check his temperature. This is going to be interesting, I thought. Taz is getting a little nervous by now. He's getting agitated by all the feeling and probing. "Can you hold his head while I insert this thermometer" She asks. "Er, wouldn't it be a good idea to muzzle him first" I enquired, sheepishly. "Oh I'm sure he'll be okay" she replied, or rather retorted.

I laid Taz on the floor and held his head firmly, while giving him the baby talk stuff. "Tazzy!, Tazzy wazzy! Who's my tazmina cabina? Yeah! I know. But that's how I communicate with my buddy.

Taz knew something wasn't right when she pulled his tail to one side. I could see it in his eyes. It was terror! I just knew he wasn't going to submit to this indignation. I was getting nervous! Then, all of a sudden, my lovely cuddly furry pal, changed almost instantly into a wild savage killer. His eyes glazed over, his gums rolled back, fully exposing his pure white bone crushing canines and a deep growl was emerging from the depths of his throat.

He swiftly turned toward the vet and made a lunge for her throat. Shit! I had to jump between them and beg Taz for her life. She stood there rooted to the spot holding out her thermometer for protection. I grabbed Taz's chain, opened the door to the main reception area and dragged him out. It took all my strength. By now he was barking like a banshee. He wanted blood, and he wanted her blood.

I managed to get him outside and tied him to a rail. I had to go back to see if this crazy/brave woman was still breathing. She was still rooted to the spot and looked lifeless. Her skin had taken on a strange milky white colour and her hair was standing to attention. "Are you okay?" I asked, shaking her arm for vital signs. After what seemed like a age, she sucked in a deep breath and replied. "Wow, that was scary. Look, I'm trembling" "you're not the only one" I said. "Well what about his ears" I asked, "Will you be able to clean them out for him?" "Bring him in again next Thursday morning, I'll have to sedate him" came the reply.

I took Taz home and gave him a bowl of cold water. Funny thing. I've noticed he won't turn his back on me, and he has a very suspicious look in his eye. It's going to take a while to win back his trust, me thinks.

This is a true story. There's no moral to it, but I guess there is some kind of lesson to be learned.

Till next time.

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk

Ramblings of a writer

2005-06-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm Bill Knight, a professional, international copywriter. I was going to use this blog to give out advice to aspiring writers, but then I thought...what the hell. Why should I go around spouting on about what makes a good writer? Why should I give away all my sales and marketing knowledge? No-one would appreciate it anyway.

Instead, I'm just going to harp on about my work in general. You know? What I do each day, and some stuff about my many wonderful clients. Someone may be interested to know what goes on in the secretive world of copywriting, I thought.

Okay, well this is the first installment. Well, not really an installment, more of an introduction. I'm sort of pre-warning everyone, that I tell it as it is. I mean, I'm not afraid to say what I think, and I will!

For anyone interested, it should be interesting.

This blog is going to be about getting it off my chest. You know, all the things that really bug me. It could be work related or it could be just anything in general. It will be about whatever I decide it to be about, at the time of writing. Okay?

Good!

If at any time you feel like joining in, please feel free to express yourself.

I will.

Well that about raps up this informal introduction. My next offering will be much more indicative of a typical day in the life of...

Bet you can't wait!

BFN

Bill Knight
www.knight-writer.co.uk