The 11 most valuable words in all of marketingdom?

Reader Ryan Sprague calls me out: "The important part about your copy for me is that it consistently makes me laugh. If that is the only value your readers get from your emails then it is still enough. Very few people know how to make others laugh in the process of selling them something." Something to noodle around with regarding that: I learned a ton from the great Matt Furey about email. But sometimes I think the #1 most important thing — especially as a copywriter who was constantly indoctrinated early on with being told to never use humor, never be funny, never joke, etc because Claude Hopkins or whoever said not to — I learned from him about email was to ignore all those guys. And that email is far more talk radio than “copywriting.” And… to not fear making people smile. All this is likely common knowledge now since he pioneered it over 20 years ago. But when I got started in 2002 I remember entire lectures, trainings, eBooks of email ‘swipes’ all warning against what Matt said, and citing each other as sources. Today you got a lot of people running around barely old enough to shave acting like they invented it and figured it out, when they aren’t even qualified to pour water out of a boot much less teach email. Making people smile is like the bare minimum if you want to do infotainment. Of course, there are some topics this won’t apply to. i.e., if you’re writing to someone with a fatal disease. I have to say that for the pedantic types on my list. They will take one sentence I write, totally out of context, and freak out about it. We’re talking generalities here. Everything is fractal. And every situation is different. But by the hoary host of Claude Hopkins' ghost you can rest assured that making someone smile won’t hurt your sales. As for “how” to do that? Especially if you’re not a likable or entertaining guy? That’s where figuring our your game comes in. Figure out and play your game, not mine or anyone else’s. Most reading this won’t realize it, but I just taught arguably the most important copywriting, marketing, business lesson you can ever learn with those 11 words. I suggest reading them again, thinking about them, and realizing at the same time there is no, never has been, and never will be a one-size-fits-all-for-everyone solution for anything — including email, marketing, copywriting, business, or anything else. After that you might be interested in the July Email Players issue. Why? Because it’s all about infotainment. And, specifically, a unique (I believe it is unique at least) twist on how to apply infotainment to your emails and sales letters and probably other marketing content — especially if you’re writing for a client or “from” someone else’s name, as well as when selling your own offers with your own name. But I believe it can be especially helpful for freelancers. To subscribe before the deadline go here: []( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2024 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA