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Who Cares?

June 16, 2008

Want to write better copy? Who Cares?
Want to write more effective Headlines? Who Cares?
Want to write text ads that get more clicks? Who Cares?
Want to make more money? Who Cares?
Who Cares?
Who Cares?
Who Cares?
No One, that's who!

No one cares about you. I've had to learn some things the hard way, and this is one of them. If you're selling product or service xyz, no one and I mean no one cares about you.

What about my Mother?
Sure, your mother and family probably care, and a few friends, but how much can they buy? You want thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands customers. You want people who don't know you, who in all likelihood will never know you, to purchase something from you or your company. Well guess what, they don't care about you. The faster you learn this fact; the better off you'll be in your efforts.

What do People care about?
They care about themselves, their problems, their lives, their issues, their successes, and their failures. Yes, you heard it here: people are selfish creatures!

Sing Your Song...
Depending on how much of this blog you've read, you may or may not know that I'm an aspiring songwriter as well. In songwriting, there are songs that are written to help the songwriter deal with a situation, and not really with the intention of creating a great song: a kind of therapy if you will. On the other hand, there are songs that are written with the idea of writing a great song in mind. The former may mean something to the songwriter and his or her close friends and family, but its scope is limited and will probably not mean much to anyone else outside that small group. To them it may well be the best song they've ever heard. To others, it's just a song, and maybe not a good one at that. However, if the songwriter takes the second path, using the same subject material, and makes the song into a more generally appealing song, one that more people could identify with, it could well be a hit.

What's' the Difference You Ask?
The difference is in who cares. Only one, two, or a few people care about the first song. By shifting the focus to include others, and making the song something more people can identify with and relate to, more people will say "I do" when asked "Who Cares?".

Long Sales Letters and Infomercials
But what about those long sales letters or infomercials that ramble on and on telling a story about the person selling the product? Good question. If they're successful, the story is one that a lot of people can relate to, therefore they see themselves in the shoes of the author, and they become the person in the story. If the author is successful with that transfer of identity, the person reading the ad is much more likely to make a purchase.

Always ask "Who Cares?" as you're writing and make sure the answers includes more than just you!

Until next time,
Fred

About the Author

Fred Black is an experienced programmer, web site developer, online business operator, systems integrator, father, husband, musician, and songwriter. Visit his Internet Business Blog at: http://www.pqInternet.com.

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Posted by Fred on June 16, 2008, 12:23 AM

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Comments:

Hi Fred,

Interesting analogy with songwriting.

Isn't it true though that the greatest songs aren't really written in this "customer focused" way? They're written from the heart of the writer - and it just so happens that they connect with enough people to make them a hit. The paradox is that if you set out to write a hit song you'll usually fail - it'll be bland and without soul.

Ian

Posted by Ian Brodie on June 16, 2008 6:27 AM
From Fred...
Ian;
You bring up a good point.
I think that you are correct about setting out to write a hit song, it's a target that's rather elusive. Even successful artists and producers who've been in the music industry for years can't pin it down and are often surprised by songs that "make it" and those that fail. Following a "formula" often fails - you end up with bland mush as you imply. Once an artist has a hit with a song, you'll often see them try to duplicate that hit by releasing songs that are very similar, over and over again... sometimes to their detriment, and sometimes, to their success. Brad Paisley comes to mind: you can usually tell a Brad Paisley song as soon as you hear the first few measures, yet his songs are usually hits because he's a very skilled writer and very talented musician. When Brad writes a song, people can instantly identify with it and the story he tells.

The best songwriters combine what comes from their heart with good writing skills that come from their head (either naturally or that they've learned), to create a song. It's kind of a balancing act. Some are re more naturally gifted at it than others, but it can be learned. The end result is a song that resonates with a lot of people because the songwriter hit on feelings, emotions, experiences, or thoughts that they have or have experienced too, but also contains "heart".

Posted by Fred Black on June 16, 2008 8:23 AM
Once again, a smack in the face. I've done a ton of writing over the years... and yes I've been successful. But, now you've got me thinking about some of those webpages, emails, articles that didn't really do what I had hoped they would.

I've always told my people... if anyone tells you they know it all, they're an idiot. You can never stop learning. You can never know too much. Thanks for "learning" me something today... hehehe
Posted by Michael Clutton on August 22, 2008 4:45 PM

Some photos are by: Lee Hinshaw Photography