It seems so obvious…but I can tell you first-hand that many marketers just don’t do it.

They don’t take the time to learn from their competitors. 

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve most likely read stories about professional coaches who spend 18 hour days watching film of their upcoming opponents.  On the surface, of course, it sounds absolutely insane to spend so much time in a dark room making notes about whether 300-pound blockers push to the left or to the right. 

So why do they do it?  To gain an edge.

Believe it or not…the same idea applies to marketing.

The days…hours…or even just minutes you spend investigating the lessons already learned by your competitors could save you thousands of dollars or more in your next campaign.

In some cases, it may be enough to simply examine an ad that you’ve seen a half-dozen times to try and understand what might be working about it.  In other cases, you might need to examine a cross-section of competitors and find out who they’re marketing to…what message they’re using…and how they follow up.

It might sound like as much work as that head coach who spends 18 hours watching film.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  You can start picking up valuable knowledge – quickly and easily – with just a few steps.

Here’s how you can get started:

* For internet marketers: Carefully “seed” yourself on as many lists as possible.  It may take a small amount of effort, but if you truly want to get an idea of how your main competitor treats a customer, you need to become one.  Set up a dedicated e-mail address and use it solely for the purpose of signing up for your competitor’s free e-letters and ordering his products.  Then you’ll see exactly how your competitor communicates with a customer, including frequency…consistency of message…and price point.

* For direct mail marketers: Work with a list broker to get your name – or various pseudonyms – “seeded” on your competitor’s lists.  You’ll not only learn which promotions your competitors are mailing…you’ll also see what other offers are working to those lists…and that knowledge can be invaluable to you.

Now it’s important to remember one thing when it comes to researching the competition:

You’ll pick up valuable knowledge, but…

Remember…your competitors’ ideas aren’t necessarily better than yours. 

The knowledge you’ll gain by studying the competition is like a two-mile “head start” in a five-mile race.  You’ll quickly learn lessons that it may have cost your competition thousands of dollars to learn.

But that doesn’t mean they’re expert marketers.  Not by any stretch. 

So you shouldn’t simply follow their lead.  Your task is to take the knowledge you’ve gained and apply it to your own big ideas. 

When you do that successfully – you’ll be on a much faster path to success than someone who presses ahead blindly and ignores the competition.  And before you know it – you’ll find your competition examining your business to see what they can learn!

I realize I may be stepping onto some dangerous turf with this topic.

Because if I’m to believe all of the whitepapers, trade publications and online how-to guides…the enormous popularity of social networking web sites is going to change everything when it comes to marketing.

After all…according to the New York Times, Facebook had a whopping total of 316 million users worldwide as of May 2009. 

And Twitter has seen its total number users grow tenfold over the past year to 37 million.

This astounding rise in the number of people using social networking sites – if I’m to believe all the hype – is going to mean that marketers and copywriters will need to make wholesale changes in the way they go about selling products and services. 

I realize I may come off as the lamest guy at the party when I say this, but…sorry -- I’m just not buying it.

Oh, sure, I absolutely believe that the popularity of sites like Twitter and Facebook is soaring.

On top of that, I’ll confess – I’m personally addicted to BOTH Twitter and Facebook…and I’m not ashamed of it.

But that doesn’t mean that marketers and copywriters need to suddenly forget everything they’ve learned and adapt to some complex new set of marketing instructions that only a select few understand.  (The same select few, by the way, who are happy to explain all of these new rules to you in a new course/book/seminar that sells for $199.95…)

Think about it.

When e-mail and internet marketing began to take off, we were all told that “long copy” would no longer work.  “People have shorter attention spans,” we were told, “so they won’t read a 16-page sales letter.”

As it turns out, that was only partially true. 

People do now have shorter attention spans – but the fundamentals of good copywriting and marketing still apply…even to e-mail or internet sales. 

Even some of the oldest, crankiest copywriters in the business were able to successfully master the art of writing for the online market.

How were they able to do it?  It’s simple: the basics are still the same. 

It’s all about appealing to the prospect’s core desire – what keeps the prospect awake at night?  What does the reader dream about and aspire to?  What kind of lifestyle would your target prospect most like to be living?  Those fundamentals don’t change just because the medium changes.

But if I’m to believe the hype, this latest “revolution” – the social networking revolution – is the one that’s truly going to be different. 

After all, the “experts” say, the shift from traditional direct mail to e-mail or internet only affected the delivery of the message. 

But they tell us that what’s happening now is different.  The reliance on social networking – and the surge in popularity of Twitter in particular – could very well be changing the mindset of consumers. 

The warning is very clear – you’d better capture the reader’s attention in 140 characters or less…or else they’re gone.

And, again, there is some truth to this.

After all – I know my habits have changed.  Twitter has become an easy-to-use way for me to learn what’s going on in the news…with celebrities…and with friends. 

All I have to do is open to my Twitter page – I can even do this with my phone or my Ipod – and I’m instantly able to scan the headlines from those I’ve deemed important enough to “follow.”

Very quickly I decide – is this important?  Do I want to read more about this news story?  Am I interested enough to click the link?

But here’s my point – at the end of the day, though – is it any different than the world we’ve been living – and marketing – in all along?

For decades, haven’t the great marketers and copywriters been grabbing readers’ attention via direct mail with powerful headlines?

And in the last decade or so, haven’t those same brilliant marketers and copywriters expanded their expertise to include writing great e-mail subject lines?

In my mind, the same principles apply.

It’s not possible to become an overnight marketing guru by amassing thousands of Twitter “followers” or building a large network of Facebook friends.

Sure, having lots of followers can be helpful – but what will you do with them?  How will you turn those eyeballs into sales?

When you get right down to it, the “secret” to successful marketing – and copywriting – in this new era is the same as always. 

Those writers and marketers who make the strongest connection with their target audience – regardless of medium – and deliver the strongest, most compelling messages will be the ones who enjoy continued success.

No matter if the challenge is to grab the reader’s attention using a magalog headline…a #10 envelope…an e-mail subject line…or a 140-character “tweet” – the fundamentals are still the same. 

 I remember a great line from John Feinstein's classic book, "Season on the Brink" about being comfortable.  "Season on the Brink" is Feinstein's bio of a season spent with coach Bob Knight and his Indiana basketball team in the 1980s...and Knight's outbursts in the book are legendary.

 My favorite was when he stopped practice to criticize a player, yelling..."You act like all you care about is being comfortable out there."

 As strange as it may sound -- "comfort" is also a danger when it comes to your marketing campaign.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a marketer or publisher say, "We prefer the magalog as our format because that's what we've always done."  

I'm of the school that says you must constantly test against your control in order to operate at maximum efficiency.  If the magalog is still working for you, that's great -- but how do you know another format or idea might not provide a greater response unless you test?

I was taught over a decade ago that in order to maintain success with your marketing, you must "Make it New...and Make it Now."

 Here's what that means:

"Make it New" is very simple -- your reader is very busy and doesn't have time to return to a place where he's already been.  So if he has any opportunity to think, "I've seen this before" -- your promotion is headed for the recycle bin.  

But by making your marketing "new" -- you have a chance to keep your reader's attention...even if the message is the same one he's seen from you multiple times.

 How do you "make it new"?  You can test a new format...test a new lead to your promo...test new terminology to describe your product or service...test a new angle...test anything!  

I happened to play a small role in one of the most successful control packages in direct mail history.  Back in the early 1990s, my boss -- a terrific marketer -- worked with one of the industry's best copywriters on an idea.  They took a successful -- but tired -- #10 control package and turned that copy into a small paperback book...and they mailed it in a 6 x 9 envelope.  That simple change -- making the format "new" and adding to the perceived value of the promotion -- resulted in millions of dollars in sales and a jump in subscriptions from 20,000 to more than 100,000 in just a matter of months.

 That's what I call making it new!

As for "Making it Now" -- you can probably guess what this idea is all about.  You can add to the perceived value of your marketing message if you successfully tie that message into current events, politics or the current overall market.  

Think about it: "Seven steps to success" might work for you...but "Seven steps to success in a recession" certainly has more relevance today -- and a better chance of capturing your reader's attention.

So remember -- it's important not to get too comfortable in your marketing.  Test often -- and keep your message "new" and keep it "now."

The headline – it’s the most important part of any sales letter.

In fact, some writers spend 50% or more of their time working on this one key element of their promotion.

And with good reason.

With direct mail, you have – at most – three seconds to capture the reader’s attention with a good headline.

With web or e-mail copy…you have even less time.

So for today’s entry, let’s take a look at five things every good headline MUST do…

1. Grab the reader’s attention – it’s not enough to have the reader think, “Gee, that’s nice” or “Isn’t that interesting?”  Instead…you need to forcefully grab the reader’s attention and let him know – beyond any doubt – that what he’s about to read is incredibly important.

2. Be about the reader…and NOT the writer – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen junior copywriters make the mistake of crafting a headline they hope will impress their friends or colleagues…without focusing on the reader.  Sure, a clever turn of phrase may impress a friend – but the focus of the headline should be squarely on the reader.  What’s in it for him?  Why should he care?

3. Deliver ONE complete idea – Under no circumstances should you leave anything to chance.  Never assume that the reader understands where you’re headed with your point…take him there and show him what you mean.  In fact, you should write the headline as though the reader will make his ultimate buying decision without reading any of the rest of your copy.  At the same time, make sure you’re delivering ONE complete idea in your headline – not a collection of several ideas that could confuse the reader to the point where he loses interest.

4. Move the reader along to what’s next – The best headlines are those that not only grab the reader’s interest…they actually leave the reader salivating for the next idea you’re about to deliver.  Many times as I’m writing headlines, I try and imagine the reaction I’m hoping to elicit from the reader – shock, anger, fear, greed – and in every case I want to not only get that reaction…but also keep them reading on for the next idea.

5. Directly connect your big idea to your product – This is another mistake I see young writers make on a regular basis.  In the quest for the “ultimate” headline, they sometimes lose sight of what it is they’re actually selling.  It seems like an obvious point, but…a powerful, fear-oriented headline about higher energy prices makes perfect sense if you’re selling a letter that covers natural resource stocks…but not so much sense if you’re selling a letter that focuses primarily on biotech.

 Before any promo leaves my desk, I have a simple list of questions I ask myself about the piece in the "final review."  The list has evolved over time -- and it's actually gotten quite lengthy.  So lengthy, in fact, that I don't often go through the entire thing.

 But there are a handful of questions that must be asked before turning in any promo.  Here are a dozen that I consider to be among the most important...

 1. What is the Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?  Is it clear?

2. What is the reader's point of maximum anxiety?  What keeps him up at night?

3. Does the package have enough all four components of the "four-legged stool"?  (Benefit, track record, credibility and strong idea)

4. Does the promo have enough of each of the Four P's?  (Promise, Picture, Proof and Push)

5. Is there an attention-grabbing headline?

6. Is there a strong enough promise in the lead?  Is it clear to the reader "What's in it for me?"

7. Does the promo have a single main purpose?  Is it clear how you want the reader to feel or respond?

8. Is there a single main idea that can easily be explained in 2-3 sentences?

9. Does the "close" of the letter tie back into the beginning of the piece?

10. Does the promo "show" rather than "tell"?

11. Is the pace fast enough?

12. Is the offer simple enough that the reader can easily respond?

And over the last two years, I’ve maxed out three hard drives storing e-mail samples and pdf files.

So why am I hoarding all of these marketing samples? 

There’s a reason for my madness – although I’m sure my wife would love for me to throw away all of the boxes of mail that are piled up all over our basement.

You see…I’m not just throwing my mail into a huge pile and leaving it at that.  Each promo sample is filed away meticulously…and each pdf file or e-mail on my computer is labeled and easily accessible.

That’s because I believe strongly that research is at least 80% of the game when it comes to creating winning ideas and successful promotions.

You see, in order for me to help successfully market your product or service to your prospect, I’ve got to know what he or she is feeling…what keeps him up at night…what web sites she reads.  And – most importantly – I’ve got to know what’s in the mailbox each and every day.

It's not enough to simply read the promos for competitor's products...I also insist on reading promotions from other advertisers who may be renting lists the prospect is on.  Because there's no guarantee that your competitor has the prospect properly identified...in fact, in many cases they miss the mark entirely.

You need to know -- with as much confidence as possible -- what your reader's greatest fears are.  You've got to understand the type of expressions he uses...and who his heroes may have been.  (In other words -- if you're selling to a list of 20- to 30-year-old web developers, chances are references to Mickey Mantle and John F. Kennedy are going to have minimal impact.)

So that’s the reason my mail carrier groans when approaching my house every day – it’s all because I like to get my hands on every single piece of advertising that your prospects are exposed to.  In the end, keeping an eye on the competition – and understanding what’s working in your marketplace – is critical to the success of any potential partnership.

As the marketing assistant, my job was to coordinate the printing and mailing…and to track the results.  So what I saw when I came in early on a Monday morning – a few days after the promotion had mailed – nearly knocked me off my feet. 

We had included a fax reply option in our mailing – pretty heady stuff for the early ‘90s – and as I sat in a quiet office I was curious what the “humming” sound was coming from the copy room outside my door.

When I went to check it out, I discovered that the humming sound was coming from our fax machine…and that there was curled-up fax paper all over the floor.  Upon closer inspection, I had to laugh – each and every one of those faxes, and there must have been hundreds, contained an order from our bookalog promotion.

Just like that…I was hooked.  I learned first-hand just how rewarding it could be to put together a blockbuster direct mail campaign – and I still get just as excited about positive results as I did that Monday morning more than 15 years ago.