Ray Edwards Show
Ray Edwards is a sought-after Copywriter, Author, Speaker, and Communications Strategist. His clients include Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Jeff Walker, Robert Allen, and more. On this show, Ray helps you start, run, and grow their Internet-based businesses. The show includes interviews with well-known experts like Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Dan Miller, Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Stelzner, Amy Porterfield, Don Miller, and many others.

I will never forget the day I heard the bad news about copywriting. And now, I'm about to give you that same bad news.

copywriting on blackboard I heard the news from an off-the-wall copywriter in Utah, who had miraculously survived a brain tumor. I'll tell you the whole story in today's episode. And what it means to you.

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Tip Of The Week

This week, my tip of the week is a simple exercise… a short question that can totally revamp your perspective on your business, and even your life.

Spiritual Foundations

 God wants us to build people up, not tear them down.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29

This is only possible when we begin to see other people the way God sees them. And he saw enough in them, even the people we are fear or we hate, to actually die in their place.

“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”
1 Cor 3:3

Feature Segment: 7 Things You Don't Want to Hear About Copywriting

Here are the seven inconvenient truths about copywriting:

  1. It takes work.
  2. Not everyone is good at it.
  3. Even the best have flops.
  4. Sometimes it's not necessary.
  5. It works almost like magic.
  6. Long copy usually works best.
  7. The most effective copy probably will embarrass you in front of your friends.

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:    Do you write your own sales copy, or do you have someone write it for you? Click here to leave your comments.

 

Direct download: REP085.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:40am PDT

My consulting client was facing a tough season. None of her marketing was working. While considering the problem she was facing, it became obvious what was missing.

caucasian man 5 five counting gesture

Since that time, I've developed a short checklist that can almost always cure marketing woes. Today I'll share the checklist.

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Tip Of The WeekSoWhatDoYouDo-JoelComm

This week's tip is once again a book, this one by my friend Joel Comm. The book is called “So, What Do YOU Do? Discovering the Genius Next Door with One Simple Question”, and it features people from all walks of life who are passionate about what they do.

The goal is to inspire readers and demonstrate that it’s not just the so-called “gurus” who have something to say.

There is tremendous value all around us if we just stop long enough to listen and discover what others are all about.

Spiritual Foundations

 Would you like to know how you can be stronger, healthier, more at peace, and experience more of God's blessing?

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Romans 8:11

The more aware we become of what it means to be righteous through Jesus, the more we will see a renewing of life in all areas.  How we gain this awareness? By reminding ourselves of biblical truths.

Feature Segment: 5 Marketing “Musts”

If your marketing fails to produce results, chances are it's missing one of the following five “musts”.  In any complete marketing system, you must have:

  1. Credibility
  2. Congruency
  3. Connection
  4. Competency
  5. Consistency

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:   Which of These Five Areas Do You Excel In, Which Do You Need to Strengthen? Click here to leave your comments.

 

Direct download: REP084.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:25pm PDT

There is a dangerous reason why you don't achieve your goals.

Goal

There's a good chance you are committing this mistake yourself, even if you do lots of good stuff. In today's episode I will share with you how to go about fixing this problem.

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Tip Of The Week

Spiritual Foundations

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
Galatians 2:20

What does it mean to have Christ living in you? It's really an astounding concept. I don't really know how to explain it fully, but I know that Apostle Paul meant something by it.

A good place to start might be simply asking the question throughout the day, “If Christ is living in me, what is he doing right now? And am I cooperating?”

Another good step would be to check out this discipleship course by my friend Frank Viola. If you click this link, I receive a small commission. If that makes you uncomfortable, please click this link. It won't change your price, but clicking the second lake means I will not be compensated financially.

Feature Segment:Why You Don't Achieve Your Goals, And What to Do about It
I've noticed two key distinctions in almost every one of these conversations.
  1. The individual in question does not have an accurate definition of success.
  2. The individual in question has not clearly defined how they will KNOW if they have achieved their desired outcome.
THESE TWO POINTS ARE NOT THE SAME THING.So often, people get distracted away from these two stark realities, by substituting activity for accomplishment. For many people, this begins to look a lot like “buying the latest information product” or “attending the latest seminar”.In other words, accumulating more information. What we NEED is not more “learning”, but more “earning”.Take a little time to write (preferably in your journal) about the following:
  1. Decide what you want. The lifestyle you want your business to provide.
  2. Determine the necessary steps to achieve what you want.
  3. Determine the price of doing what is necessary.
  4. Commit to pay the price.
  5. Ruthlessly track your progress through data, not through storytelling.

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:  How Do You Objectively Measure Your Progress Toward Your Goals? Click here to leave your comments.

 

Direct download: REP083.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00pm PDT

It's harder than ever to get people to share their email address. Nobody wants more spam in their inbox. What's a marketer to do?

Leads, prospects, customers formula

The solution to the problem is surprisingly simple, and increasingly difficult. But it's well worth the effort as I will demonstrate in today's episode.

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Tip Of The Week

Drafts for iOS is my new mobile text editor of choice.

For the past week I've been traveling using only my iPad as my main computer.

Spiritual Foundations

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1–2

All over the world, men and women are looking for wisdom. If you want proof, just visit the self-help section of the bookstore.

I've often said that self-help is no help, and it often becomes shelf help. I don't mean to say there is no wisdom in those books. The fact that the Bible urges us not to sit in the “counsel of the ungodly” means that the ungodly actually do have counsel.

But it also tells us that those who meditate on Jesus day and night “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Keep your eyes on Jesus, seek out his wisdom and counsel, and the counsel of others who follow him. It will cause you to prosper.

Feature Segment: How to Create Lead Magnets That Attract Prospects

By now, you are certainly convinced that you must build an email list if you want to succeed in marketing online. You may be a little more advanced, and understand that it's only partially true that “the money is in the list”… You may have realized that the money is actually in your relationship with the list.

The relationship starts with how you acquired the list. Purchased emails are at the bottom of the barrel, as they are almost certainly spam. Opt in for a “free newsletter” or even a “free report” are somewhat higher up the food chain, but not much.

Yet some people manage to create lead magnets that draw people like a gravitational field. How do they do this, and more importantly, how can you?

  • Know your customer
  • Know the customer's FFA's
  • Develop a unique solution
  • Solve their problem with power, elegance, and finality
  • Communicate the value of your offer
  • Deliver on what you promise
  • Provide the answer in each modality, with excellence
  • The fortune is in the follow-up

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question: How have you used testimonials to help market your business? Click here to leave your comments.

 

Direct download: REP082.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:31am PDT

We all know we should be using testimonials to help sell our products and services. But there's another, less obvious use that can boost your bottom line.

Testimonial Definition

This week's episode, I'll explain how you can actually make sales by giving testimonials to other people… Even your competitors.

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Tip Of The Week

TextExpander allows you to type less, while writing much more.

Spiritual Foundations

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.
Acts 2:46, NIV

Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is how we access the life of Jesus. When you break the bread, remember that he took the punishment in his physical body so that we could be completely healed. When you drink the wine, be reminded that Jesus has already paid the price for every sin. The point is to be reminded that what matters is not what we do, but what Jesus has already done. The more we can be aware of this, the more his grace we will see manifested in our lives.

Feature Segment: How to Market With Testimonials

I'm not talking about using testimonials where people proclaim how useful your product is, or how great you are. Those are important, and you should use the.

But there is another way of marketing using testimonials that is less obvious. I'm talking about giving testimonials to others, and being strategic about what you say when offering those testimonials.

  • Make your testimonial truthful, to the point, and inspirational.
  • Be as specific as possible about results.
  • Pay attention to production quality.
  • Make it useful to the recipient.
  • Strategically embed your USP and your web address.
  • Remember the “Before – during – after” framework.
  • Use a powerful closing statement.
  • Make your testimonial easy for the recipient to use.
  • Be proactive in offering testimonials.

Example Testimonial

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question: How have you used testimonials to help market your business?Click here to leave your comments.

 

Direct download: REP081.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:30am PDT