Bad Writing, or Garbage Product?

[CoderGuy]

I made an account on Warrior Forum the other day.

When I signed up, a popup said "Last Day for FREE Registration" for an event about event-marketing (with an "ACT NOW" 15-minute countdown, of course...) I like the irony, so I put in my email. I was redirected to a (bad) landing page...

The landing page: eventmarketingschool (dot) com/order/

The reason I think it's bad, is because it's so cliche. I've pirated enough B2B "make money quick" conferences in my time, that I simply don't trust that type of writing or believe "unlimited access" to some YouTube tutorials will do much for me...

... But they MUST be making money, because it popped up on Warrior Forum as soon as I signed up, and that advertising slot must be expensive...


Let me draw your attention to some specifics:

1. Sentences that don't even make sense, like

This is not a “site back and enjoy” the content. We’re implementing event marketing strategies in a technical fashion here, so be ready.

2. As soon as I signed up, they sent me NINE emails at once! I unsubscribed immediately. (Isn't blowing up your inbox considered rude?)

3. Many cliche phrases, like:
"HOW TO HACK THIS PASS AND GET EVERY CENT OF ROI..." (Good use of ellipses for suspense, but...)

Does that actually increase perceived value/trust?

To me, it sounds cheesy and sarcastic... Like "wow, you're so clever you're practically ripping me off! Seriously, you're breaking my balls here, buddy... Congrats on making a great deal!" when the author really means "Congrats on buying this cheap garbage, sucker."

To me, the source has zero credibility... And the written-voice sounds condescending, like they're selling magic beans to a little kid they're trying to rip off.


Am I too jaded, or is this what most people think when they read B2B copy?

And most importantly...

What ARE the best ways to establish credibility with your audience?

 

[gman777]

Unfortunately, many people perceive the situation different than you. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any point in a sale page.

I mean take a look at Clickbank. They look pretty much the same, and convert like crazee, well at least those who are well built.

Wtf is that an ellipse? Lol. See?

 

[Mr Dingle]

Typical WF language
Speaking from experience (unfortunately) nothing on there is even worthy of the term "snake oil"
Unfortunately there is no shortage of newbies, and it's these who they target
We also have to remember that not all the "victims" are native speakers and so blame their lack of understanding rather than think of the copy as BS.

 

[CoderGuy]

Wtf is that an ellipse? Lol. See?

An ellipsis is the little dot-dot-dot thing, which...

When used correctly...

Leaves a thought incomplete, such that...

The person is "pulled" through the copy, until a part where they feel "done".

 

[vancleve]

This is typical of any sales page--be it on WF or elsewhere. Even here on BHW, plenty of marketplace threads have great reviews despite the poor language used in the infographic or sales post. Even those that offer content writing services contain errors in their writing, yet many continue buying from them. Perhaps people just don't read the entire page. Or they don't know English well to spot the mistakes. Or they just fall for all the hype.

 

[Digital Media Lab]

Despite our judgment of Warrior forum or the WSO products, they continuously make a lot of money. I know several guys who are making a killing by taking use of newbies and selling them garbage.

We see things differently. I would never purchase a WSO product as I know it does not contain the information that is of any use to me. But a newbie in this world does not look at it the same way. He is mesmerized by the fancy words or promises of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, many still fall for this, and I honestly do not see that trend stopping any time soon.

Rather than judging sellers, we should be judging the people who buy these type of products. Sellers are just adapting to the buyer's mindset.

How to establish credibility with your audience:
In my opinion, the prerequisite for establishing credibility or instilling trust in your audience, is to first get to know your audience. Who is your ideal visitor/client? What type of information he/she is looking to receive? In what form? Once when you answer this kind of questions, you should start planning your strategy based on the data you have collected and adapt your business to tailor the needs of your audience.

 

[CyberGenie]

Deffo bad writing as even the most dumb products can be sold with a solid marketing and distribution campaign.

 

[BiggyHF]

As for your question, to get more credibility you need to be more relatable to the market for your niche. The more someone else sees themselves in your ad, the more credibility it will have.

 

[rafark]

I made an account on Warrior Forum the other day.

When I signed up, a popup said "Last Day for FREE Registration" for an event about event-marketing (with an "ACT NOW" 15-minute countdown, of course...) I like the irony, so I put in my email. I was redirected to a (bad) landing page...

The landing page: eventmarketingschool (dot) com/order/

The reason I think it's bad, is because it's so cliche. I've pirated enough B2B "make money quick" conferences in my time, that I simply don't trust that type of writing or believe "unlimited access" to some YouTube tutorials will do much for me...

... But they MUST be making money, because it popped up on Warrior Forum as soon as I signed up, and that advertising slot must be expensive...


Let me draw your attention to some specifics:

1. Sentences that don't even make sense, like


2. As soon as I signed up, they sent me NINE emails at once! I unsubscribed immediately. (Isn't blowing up your inbox considered rude?)

3. Many cliche phrases, like:
"HOW TO HACK THIS PASS AND GET EVERY CENT OF ROI..." (Good use of ellipses for suspense, but...)

Does that actually increase perceived value/trust?

To me, it sounds cheesy and sarcastic... Like "wow, you're so clever you're practically ripping me off! Seriously, you're breaking my balls here, buddy... Congrats on making a great deal!" when the author really means "Congrats on buying this cheap garbage, sucker."

To me, the source has zero credibility... And the written-voice sounds condescending, like they're selling magic beans to a little kid they're trying to rip off.


Am I too jaded, or is this what most people think when they read B2B copy?

And most importantly...

What ARE the best ways to establish credibility with your audience?

Didn't know WarriorForum offered such popups, for advertisers like me sounds juicy af. Do you think the pop up per sè damages the brand's image or is it fine with proper copywriting?