Listen, I'm no expert.

I just went to a website to see what it was all about. Going in, the person behind the website already had a fair amount of credibility in my eyes.

The product, like a lot of others, offered me a specific number of "secrets".

Gut reaction: as soon as I saw the word "secret", I was immediately turned off. It sounded scammy or fluffy to me.

I don't have a ton of knowledge here...maybe that word out pulls everything else?

But I just thought I would get it out there to the all-knowing members of this board. My first impression was to click the h out of there. (The pic of a c-note didn't help the cause.)

What do y'all think? Do you like that word? Do you? Huh? Do you? Huh? Huh?

I think for many niches words like "Secret" and "Free" still have meaning to prospects. However, not necessarily when those words are directed at many that participate in this forum due to the overuse of those words in the Internet marketing niche.

At one time, it was a great word to use in copy, but unfortunately (like so many other things), it has become over-used.

When words become over used in copy, they tend to either sound like everything else or they give the impression of a scam.

It's like the phrase "Who Else".

You've seen it a gazillion times...

The more you read it in copy, the more you feel someone is out to manipulate you.

The best advice I can give you is start your own trend. Learn to be open, honest, and sincere when writing to your target market. Learn the art of intimacy.

Try not to use "canned" phrases or words.

Sure, there are a lot of manuals, tutorials, and such that tell you, "use these magic words and you'll become an instant success", but, the best thing you can do is be different, be original... stand out from the crowd.

One of the masters of "oranginality" is Alan Forrest Smith.

Ain't no one on God's green Earth that could put Alan in a box... he's an original maniac to the enth degree!

Cheers!

It all depends on who is reading it. Keep in mind that while you may get
accustomed to your wife and think that she isn't all that exciting anymore
another man is watching with watering mouth. (Sorry but the analogy
just came to my head because it's my 13th wedding anniversary!)

The point is what is ho-hum to a marketer or copywriter could be very
powerful for the prospect. I vote that "secret" will always be a powerful
word.

And here is one more "secret" ... maybe next time.

-Ray L.

I find that both secret and discover have pull to them and I have used them quite a bit. Like Ray stated just because we are sick of seeing it doesn't mean it wont pull a positive reaction from our copies viewers.

Clean UP on aisle Copywriting...someone has spilled his guts.

First, thanks for bestowing further super powers upon us...being all-knowing ratchets some of us up a notch, not that the forum lacks for ego...

The ONE word that out pulls EVERYTHING ELSE? It is the word...

The.

Well, at least that is the word that came up in my research into 35 years of copy that has sold billions of dollars of products. Secret? A couple of times.

I'm sifting through my final 300 headlines, going to get it down to 100.

100 HEADLINES for promotions that sold at least 1 million dollars worth of product. Also, I'm analyzing the POWER words used. WORDS that do make a difference, and to make this claim there had better be some serious testing going on. In my case, I'm drawing upon the 35 years of direct response marketing of a 100+ million dollar a year company that has sold thousands of different products every way imaginable.

BUT, I'm focused on the Space Ads, most are full page ones. And on the direct response MAIL pieces...may include a few from radio/TV/Internet too.

OK. OK. Secret WORKS...as already stated, sometimes for some products in some pitches to some markets.

WOW. I'm not as ALL KNOWING as I thought...see,

It has to be TESTED.

Then on a personal note. Many of you have very limited exposure to ALL the different types of copywriting...and a vast majority of you are focused on the Internet and you HAVE been exposed to too much "Internet Marketing" type ads. Do they work? Of course. And some of that can cross over into other markets. That is the so-called "hype" type ads.

So MCC copy, as I'm mopping up my guts, I guess my ALL-KNOWING answer would be:

I don't know...but I'm still willing to TEST it to find out because I don't prejudice my target...it isn't about me and my preferences, it is all about what works for them.

gjabiz

PS. I never get tired of hearing how smart and good looking I am...but it would be nice to hear it from someone other than the man in the mirror. HA!

I'm also pretty certain it depends on who is writing it and the secret.

If I say I have a headline secret which can increase response 389%, well that's one thing.

If I say one change in the CSS file of a web site -- with not one word of text changed -- produced the same response, that's something else.

Most people have seen dramatic response in headline, and figure they know just about every trick in the book. But what if just one design element could produce the similar response boost as a headline?

What if you suddenly found you were leaving half of the response producing elements on each online sales letter untested by not testing design? Now that's a secret.

Who has the secret? Where did it come from?

Boardroom did a pretty nice job of explaining the source of the secret. In one letter, they explain, if you're being attacked never scream "help." Advice from veterans on the police force: Scream "fire" instead.

Let's say I'm trying to take a photograph of people in a crowd or on the street, looking natural. If I do it the amateur way, everyone in the shot is going to be looking at the camera. Some will even try to pose for you.

Some may tell you to get an expensive lens for shooting long distance shots.

Pro photographers get into a wheelchair to take that kind of shot. Nobody makes eye contact with you, the photos look just like they do in magazines.

Insiders have secrets. Real secrets. And if you have the authenticity of insider secrets, you should be able to use the word without too much trouble.

Like anything else there's a right way, and then there's the way most people do it.

I'll bring the BeanO and Geritol Mr. Subtle...could you bring Jessica Rabbit by any chance? Now that I'm a Toon, she's at the top of my list.

gjabiz

PS. OH, if you do bring JR, let me know in advance, I'll also have to bring some little blue pills. Hope this gets deleted by a mod...you perhaps?

Like most words it depends on how it's used in the copy.

It is still a very powerful word...if you do one on one sales with your prospects before writing your copy you'll discover that very quickly.

Being specific usually makes the biggest difference.

"This ebook has a lot of really great secrets you can use" sucks big time.

"The simple 3 word secret proven to create a 123%+ increase in response on 789 different sales letters" is probably going to get attention.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

P.S. Stop picking on the words. It's not their fault hacks are screwing them up!