Michael Fortin

Internet Marketing Archive:

Michael Fortin

The Michel Fortin Blog
Top copywriting tips, news, and thoughts on the world of direct response copy, Internet marketing, branding, and positioning from copywriter Michel Fortin.

Not-So-Shocking Responses to Shocking Report
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:00:54 +0000
When my wife released her controversial report, Internet Marketing Sins, we received mixed reactions. As expected, of course. Some people thought it was about time someone spoke out on these underhanded tactics and stupid marketing tricks. Others praised Sylvie’s efforts and gushed her with appreciation. Others, on the other hand, didn’t feel as… appreciative. The positive side about [...]

Are You Committing These Sins?
Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:06:08 +0000
After typing furiously for the last three days, my wife has finally put together the first part of a three-part manifesto, in which she finally exposes some of the grievous sins committed by many marketers on the Internet. It has shocked a great number of people, and it will make a lot of people mad. She’s [...]

After 9 Months, It’s Finally Born!
Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:15:03 +0000
I’m back from New Zealand. We had a chance to eat at The Orbit, a rotating restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower with our friend and copywriting whiz Alan Forrest Smith. Now that I’m back, I have a something for you. You’ve probably read my last blog post about this seeming “intuitive skill” some marketers [...]

Why Some Marketers Are Psychics
Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:59:24 +0000
Why is it that successful marketers and online entrepreneurs seem to have this virtual "6th sense" when it comes to pinpointing hot, hungry, and highly profitable markets they can sell products to? We see this again and again and again. They seem to have this "Midas touch" when it comes to selling online. Any product they launch [...]

How I Used My Forum As a Marketing Tool
Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:09:21 +0000
A member on my copywriters forum started a thread on what makes my forum so popular. Everyone chimed in with some great answers, and I appreciate the feedback. (The cool thing about it is, that very thread also reached an important milestone. It was the 10,000th one! Talk about a coincidence, eh?) But then someone asked: “Michel, can [...]

Author of The Famous Seven Dirty Words Dies
Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:18:46 +0000
I’m in Vegas right now attending three seminars back to back. I’ve been here for close to three weeks now, and we’re about to return home tomorrow. This explains why I haven’t blogged in a while. While here, we’re looking at some properties. We want to buy a vacation home, especially during those cold winter months [...]

Apply The Law of Contrast to Build Desire
Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:25:43 +0000
In a recent critique for a coaching client, the issue of “gap analysis” arose. Gap Analysis is something I learned in sales, and it was heavily taught by sales trainers like Brian Tracy, such as in his course “The Psychology of Selling.” Gap Analysis is an immensely powerful selling technique. It’s also an important feature of [...]

This Plugin Increases Membership Conversions
Thu, 29 May 2008 20:11:31 +0000
One of the many tools available that I absolutely love is Amember from CGI-Central. Amember not only manages my membership sites, it also handles digital product sales, delivery, and protection. For instance, it protects download pages, offers backend sales and automation, allows protection of “external” folders and files, and it even comes with a built-in autoresponder. [...]

The Lines That Divide Us
Sun, 18 May 2008 15:03:43 +0000
We have all been judged at one point. But if you have ever judged others, particularly if you feel your judgments — no matter how small — were inconsequential or meaningless, you have to watch this video. My wife shared this video with me yesterday, and I had a hard time trying to stop myself from [...]

Testing New Camcorder With Killer Drum Karaoke
Fri, 16 May 2008 01:02:24 +0000
Bought myself a new camcorder (JVC Everio) and compression software to record some “whiteboard discussions” with my wife Sylvie for SuccessChef.com content. I wanted to test the software. So I decided to place the camera in front of my drum set (the lighting was bad and my fault), and played along with “When We Were Young” [...]

Customers Won’t Discount Your Dishonesty
Tue, 13 May 2008 19:18:16 +0000
A recent coaching session touched upon the growing trend that some marketers have adopted to squeeze out sales from exiting traffic. In other words, you visit a website and read the salesletter. You decide it’s not for you, so you leave. But when you try leave (either as you close your browser or simply hover your [...]

Phone Calls Can Kill Your Copywriting Business
Tue, 06 May 2008 16:54:13 +0000
Recently, a coaching client asked me about dealing with prospective clients over the phone. This copywriter understood the importance of communicating with prospects and answering their pre-sale questions. However, like me, he preferred to avoid the telephone and asked me if his strategy was sound. Free consultations are often a necessary step in securing clients in your [...]

Are All Business People Dishonest?
Fri, 02 May 2008 19:20:14 +0000
Seems I’m ranting a lot these days, and a little more opinionated than the norm. Perhaps it’s my broken back, which is killing me, that’s making me more sensitive or irritable. I don’t know. But something someone recently said in my copywriters forum irritated me. And it’s not what this person said specifically, but the mindset [...]

Breaking My Back Promoting New Product. Literally.
Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:42:09 +0000
Here at the Big Seminar in Atlanta, the same question seems to pop up over and over again. I walk with a cane now, and people keep asking me, “Michel, What’s wrong? Are you OK? What happened?” I don’t blame them. My wife told me I was turning as white as a ghost, so we’ve decided [...]

Follow Me and Become a Fan!
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:22:39 +0000
Short post. In fact, it’s a short post about short posts. Looks like I’ve been hit by the Twitter bug. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/drsuccess. It’s also added to my Facebook profile. So as I “twitter,” it updates my Facebook status. If you’re a Facebook member, add me as a friend and follow me there: profile.to/michelfortin. [...]

Forced Continuity: A Different Perspective
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:28:07 +0000
Preamble: In response to some excellent rebuttals as well as countless comments I’ve received on my previous post, “The Real Sinister Side of Forced Continuity,” I believe some people are missing the point of my argument, and I want to clarify a few things. I’m not a lawyer by any stretch. But as a copywriter and [...]

The Real Sinister Side of Forced Continuity
Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:24:29 +0000
Rant warning: what follows may offend some people. But I wanted to throw in my three cents on the topic of “forced continuity,” which seems to be the subject of a lot of debate these days. Several well-known marketers have made offers of late with forced continuity. What it means is, the intended product you want [...]

Secrets of a 10% Conversion Rate
Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:08:24 +0000
I know Paul Hancox. Paul is a fanatical tester. He’s also an excellent copywriter. But what you may not know is that Paul is also the creator of the very first split-testing software I’ve ever used. We’re talking, um, circa 1999, I believe. It was called “Sales Page Master Pro.” (Paul has a new version out now.) Well, [...]

How to Negotiate Better Copywriting Fees
Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:07:32 +0000
After reading my articles on how to find copywriting clients, a student of mine, Jeff, asked me an interesting question. He’s an aspiring copywriter and wants to build his own freelance copywriting business. When he read that I wrote copy for free when I started my career as a copywriter, he asked me about doing the [...]

Are Bottlenecks Clogging Your Sales?
Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:23:42 +0000
When a sales page is not performing up to your expectations, the worst thing you can do is nothing. In most circumstances, there are steps you can take to alter the copy to improve your results immediately. By taking action and making changes, you can strengthen your copy quickly and improve your sales conversions. The key to [...]

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