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This is the fourth article in a series about the history of advertising. The previous article outlined how marketing greats, John E.Kennedy and Claude Hopkins made their impact in the world of advertising. They both left a legacy for us all, and their work went on to inspire other up-and-coming copywriters. So…continuing our “tour”

Ask any top marketer today and they may tell you that the secret to their success is attributable to two things:

1. the ability to write, and recognise, good copy

2. knowing what makes people buy

If you understand these two points, and understand them well, you will make your fortune. No doubt about it!

And it doesn’t matter if you sell your product or service online, or offline, the two principles above are still valid.

Think about it. What’s the point of having sexy-looking websites or graphically designed sales letters if they don’t convert prospects into customers? Who are you trying to impress? You need sales. You need conversions.

You don’t need to be a genius writer to succeed. William Shakespeare was a writer. Charles Dickens was a writer. Stephen King is a writer. But you don’t have to be in that league. You need to write as if you are sat next to your prospect and all you need to use are the right words.

It’s using the right words that will get you those sales.

Winston Churchill said: “Short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.”

John Caples wrote: “On average, 5 times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. Therefore, unless your headlines sell your product, you’ve wasted 90% of your money. The best headlines are those which promise the reader a benefit - a whiter wash; more miles per gallon.”

Now here’s a small sample from a book about writing copy:

“Good advertising copy consists of a combination of words that convince the reader that he should do as the advertising directs.

Therefore, to become a successful advertiser, you must study words and learn to combine them in a way that will express thought with force and conviction.

Don’t use too many adjectives, as they are likely to spoil an otherwise good advertisement. The buying public will be more easily convinced by the use of decisive words of praise in description of wares, than by what are known as “gushing” adjectives, which, however appropriate, will mean but little if they are too freely used.

Have a care for the proper use of words and you will find that far fewer words are required to express your exact meaning.

Do not deviate from “plain everyday speech” - simple, clean cut, incisive language.

Express yourself as simply as possible, for simplicity makes for efficiency at all times.

Unusual words, words of many syllables, long, involved sentences, complex phraseology, should be avoided.

Advertising should always be written for the one purpose of attracting and convincing the largest possible number of its readers and never for the purpose of exhibiting either your education or your cleverness.”

And those words were written approximately 100 years ago. Is the same not true today? I think so. And so too do all the top marketers of today.

Ted Nicholas, “The Guru of Direct Mail Marketing,” had this to say: “Certain words produce amazing results, as if by magic. All you desire in life , including everlasting wealth, can be yours depending on the words with which you express yourself. It doesn’t matter whether the words are written or spoken, either. As with all the great truths, once known, they seem so simple.”

In conclusion, you MUST learn how to write sizzling copy of your own. It’s a very learnable skill.

You can get a good grounding by studying the works of the great marketers of the past - guys like John E. Kennedy, Claude Hopkins and others.

In the next article I will cover the very necessary topic of psychology. Human psychology - understand why people buy and it will be a lot easier to sell to them.

Peter Woodhead is the author of a package of Public Domain works on advertising and marketing that reveal secrets that only the top gurus have had access to - until now. These materials and details of how to sign up for his mini-ecourse can be found at http://www.LongLostMarketingSecrets.com

Countrywide Financial Corporation, America’s biggest mortgage lender and now part of the Bank of America Corporation, made headlines when it announced that it had restructured 81,000 mortgages in order to permit borrowers to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.

You would expect a foreclosure expert, like me, who has often stated that foreclosures are part of the balancing mechanism of our free market economy and a means for the real estate and mortgage lending system to self-correct, to say that this is disastrous news.

In reality nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that Countrywide has bowed to both government and public pressure is absolutely great because it highlights exactly what I have been saying all along. Foreclosures, sad as they may be in their reality, also represent a correction mechanism and an opportunity to release money which would otherwise be locked up tight in the debt part of our economy, but this only works when they are a true, representative and therefore ‘normal’ part of our economic model.

In the case of Countrywide the implication has been that many mortgages were oversold using aggressive selling practices and this is leading to an eschewed picture of the real estate market with more foreclosures coming to light than there normally should be.

A system out of control is no good to anybody. It does not help lenders, it does not help real estate investors who need to find the right kind of foreclosure and it does not help home buyers and mortgage investment institutions all of which need to have a certain faith in the system before committing themselves in any way.

The Countrywide announcement is the best indication yet that the current crisis we face in our country with foreclosures increasing exponentially as a result of predatory selling practices is leading to a reform, sometimes a voluntary one, of the mortgage selling code. This means that the real estate market will soon be in the robust state of health it was before the crisis hit. House prices will start to rise again. Real estate will be a good investment area to be in and the mortgage lending market will stop getting the bad publicity it has been receiving.

Because there truly never is a cloud without a silver lining the lessons learnt from this crisis will serve to make sure that the U.S. real estate scene goes, once more from strength to strength, and continues to deliver solid value to our economy.

Additional legislature by the government at federal level will probably mean that these hard-earned lessons will not easily be forgotten and the U.S. real estate industry will learn that unchecked, predatory selling is a short-sighted goal that delivers quick profits in the short term but only results in greater damage in the long run.

Jeff Adams

This article was written by Jeff Adams, a national author, speaker and trainer who has done over 350 deals over the past 12 years. Get your FREE 7 Day E-Course and DVD “The Foreclosure Profits System” NOW at http://www.FreeForeclosureCourse.com

Let’s face it, there are many sick people out there running freely doing whatever they want. How can you be sure if there is one in your life? Or perhaps one that is living in your neighborhood. You can easily do this by doing a criminal background check on anybody who you suspect are up to something.

If you search on Google on how to do this, eventually you will find out that there are a lot of websites claims to do this for free. Let’s think logically for a second, police criminal records in the US are very big information to have. It takes considerable resources to maintain and update. So how can a lot of websites offering this for free?

This is what most people will eventually find out when looking for a way to get accessed to police records online for free; these so called websites that offer this for free will only eventually lead you to a paid site. During this process, they will flash you with a ton of advertisements. They do this to earn money. So basically, they have no intention in giving you a free police records.

There is also a rumor going on around the internet that claims that you can do a free criminal background check by using any search engine. The problem with this is that it is not reliable. What happens if you did not find anything? Does that make the person clear or not? You cannot really be sure right? So can you trust this method with your life?

The only way to get accessed to a comprehensive police records to do a criminal background check is by using a legitimate websites that specializes in this services. They do charge a small fee. But with that fee, you can expect to receive a complete up to date record that is quick to acquire. Click here now to get access.

For months and months, I’ve been seeing John Beck’s late-night infomercial on tax sale properties. Having been in the tax sale industry for almost 10 years, I can tell you that I’ve occasionally seen deals as good, or better, than the deals you see on TV for John Beck’s Free and Clear system. But let’s look at some of the realities that come along with investing according to John Beck’s system.

To get properties from tax sale, you will have to invest in a tax lien or a tax deed. Your state will offer one or the other, or sometimes both.

If you buy a tax lien, you will generally wait a period of time from 6 months to 5 years while the owner is given a chance to pay the lien off. Only after that time expires will you be able to apply for a deed to the property. I think most of the examples in John Beck’s Free and Clear System are of properties that were purchased through a tax lien. What the commercial doesn’t tell you is that the student probably had to wait a long time, and purchase over a dozen liens, to get the property featured on TV. This is because most liens on good properties pay off during the waiting period.

You also have to investigate dozens, or hundreds of properties to settle on a property to purchase a lien against. This is because many properties offered at tax lien sales are not even worth the amount owed in taxes, especially considering the time you have to leave your money tied up and possibly pay subsequent taxes.

I highly doubt that any of the properties purchased for under $1000 on the commercial for John Beck’s Free and Clear system were purchased at a tax deed sale. Tax deed sales offer immediate ownership of the property at the time of the sale. Therefore, these sales are well attended by investors, and the bidding process drives the final purchase prices well above the minimum amount, and often near retail. Therefore you will not see many $20,000+ properties going for under $1000.

But John Beck’s Free and Clear System has its merits. If you have IRA or other money that you want to invest at above-market rates, tax liens may be a good investment for you. Just don’t plan on getting many properties.

Also, it does at least identify tax sale properties as one of the most profitable niches in real estate investing. So how do you make money by acquiring cheap properties through tax sale, if most liens pay off and tax deed bargains are rare?

Simple! Identify the owners of tax sale property who are about to lose their property to a tax deed sale, or running out of time to pay off their tax lien. Then contact them by mail or phone, and offer them a token amount for their property, or work another arrangement with them so they won’t lose it. Avoid waiting for tax liens to mature, and circumvent the bidding process at tax deed sales. The profits can be enormous. When someone decides to walk away from their property and quit paying the taxes, you’ll be on top of it!

Want to learn to make money buying tax sale properties WITHOUT attending auctions or waiting?

Visit http://www.deedgrabber.com to sign up for my free 5 day mini-course. Get tax sale property deeds for as little as $10 with no auctions.

Little out-of-pocket money is required to get started - and if you have any questions just email me at deedgrabber@deedgrabber.com

Have you ever tried to get a free criminal background check. If you have I’m sure the you have been more than frustrated at many points along the road. There are ways to get a free criminal report on anyone. You do however have to know the right places to look and the correct steps to follow.

My favorite method of searching public records is to use a search engine such as Google. This method will allow you to retrieve any information that has been published on the Internet about anybody. The way that we do this, is to first pick your search engine of choice. My favorite happens to be Google, however any search engine will work.

After selecting your search engine which you want to do is to search for the person’s name. At first you will want to use just their first and last name as you would normally type it. Many times, if that person has a common name you’ll get too many results to sift through. So, you can narrow the results down by searching for the persons name using quotation marks. If there are still too many results to use, try searching for the persons name including their middle initial or complete middle name if it is known to you.

If for some reason you are unable to attain satisfactory results, the next step that I would recommend is to search in the online version of your local newspaper. By doing this, you will be able to view any type of police record that may have been listed in the newspaper. The only downside to this method is if the crime was committed outside of the jurisdiction of that particular newspaper there is a good chance that you will return with no results.

There are online services which have access to public records and criminal background check databases that will perform the search for you for a small fee. The report that is generated by them, is guaranteed to be 100% accurate and includes both felony and lesser charge arrests and convictions. The report also includes financial information such as any type of judgment that may be filed against them as well as an asset and liability investigation. One other key service that is provided is that the persons name is run through the national registry of sex offenders.

Once the report is compiled, which generally take somewhere between one and three minutes you are allowed to download it and stored on your hard drive for future reference or print it out for immediate use. While many of us only search for way to do something for free and without charge to us whatsoever they are often circumstance which arise that warrant paying a small fee. This very well could be one of those situations where paying a small fee to accompany to gather the information could be a wise investment. Especially if you are trying to gather a criminal he poured on somebody such as a childcare provider Orris possibly somebody that you already have a strong suspicion of being involved in criminal activity.

If you need to get a Criminal Report on anyone for any reason, you can access Public Records Here!

If you want to find out if someone has a criminal past, get a Criminal Background Check now to ensure your families safety.

A good way to get a cheaper home is to buy one that has been repossessed. How do you find one? Looking in the foreclosure listings will help you. You can find these by looking in your local newspaper and on the Internet. You can also go through an agent. Websites give you a comprehensive list of repossessed houses. You can get lucky and find local ones but it does take a little time. Sometimes it is wise to sign up for a mailing subscription, which will allow you to get updated properties sent to you each day. This will make sure that you are always aware of new properties and options.

Online websites are very useful. They will give you all sorts of different foreclosure listings. This will include HUD, Fannie Mae and regular repossessions. This is your chance to find homes at real bargain prices. It can mean that you will be able to buy a home, at lower prices, that you would never have been able to afford in the normal way. Of course this does take a little time, as mentioned and this is the only problem when you look for repossessed, cheaper homes yourself. In view of this you may want to contact a real estate agent. They are aware of the ins and outs of the profession and will help you get the best deal without getting cheated.

Real estate agents have additional foreclosure listings that will allow you to have a greater choice. Some of them are special agents for HUD reposed homes. This allows them greater access to these types of houses. They can show you the houses and point out the different aspects of the homes.

Some of these repossessed homes are in need of repair, a real estate agent can advise you about this. Fanny Mae homes’ prices are sometimes negotiable and your real estate agent can help you to get the best price. Be honest about what price you can afford and have a reasonable idea of what you want, when you talk to your real estate agent.

Before contacting a real estate agent take a look at the websites online that are offering foreclosure listings. They will have pictures of the houses and you can get a good idea of what you want and also the price ranges. Pick out a few in your area and see whether your real estate agent can show them to you.

There are lots of good tools online to help you with your choice. There are maps of the areas the houses are in so that you can gauge the area a little and you can go to see the houses yourself. You can apply online for a home and even get pre approved for a mortgage.

So do not give up when you see the high priced houses in your area. Look in more depth to find foreclosure listings and find the home of your dreams, one that will not cost you an arm and a leg.

It would be quite unjust to have any kind of doubt about the importance of the foreclosure listings. If you take much interest in the field of real estate, or even if you are a professional in these fields, the foreclosure listings are to you what the menu cards in the restaurants are to the customers. Just as you cannot decide what dishes you will order if you do not see the menu card, you cannot deal with the foreclosure affairs if you do not consult the foreclosure listings.

If you do not have any idea about the foreclosure listings, you must be wondering what purpose is served by the foreclosure listings. Here we are to let you know what they are for and how important they are for you if you are a professional in the fields related to the real estates.

The foreclosure listings will provide you with almost all kinds of information about the distressed properties and also about various kinds of announcements regarding bank home sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures auctions, and many other events in these fields.

The vastness of information will offer you the opportunity of judging the price of the real estates and compare it with the market value at that time. As a result, you can have the scope to acquire the foreclosures at a much cheaper price in comparison to the market price.

There is also another benefit of consulting the foreclosure listings. The real estate information provided by the foreclosure listings are thorough and all encompassing. The foreclosure listings are prepared following a thorough and systematic research in each and every state. So you never need to restrict yourself within a short area or within any particular state.

The foreclosure listings are also important for you even if you are not any professional in the field of real estates. For example, if you are interested to purchase a home at a particular state or place, you may consult the foreclosure listings where you will be provided with ample number of houses and real estates which you can purchase. If you are particular about your budget, you will search for those real estates that will within your budget, without putting much pressure on your purse.

One more advantage of resorting to foreclosure listings is that they can be accessed online. You need not travel a long distance in order to avail information about the real estates to be foreclosed. If you have the scope to access internet, you may think that you have already got the required information.

What is even more interesting, the foreclosure listings sometimes even provide you with some very important tips about how to acquire foreclosures. You will surely need them if you happen to be inexperienced in these fields. If you apply some sense and some of the lessons that you have learnt while dealing with foreclosures in the earlier time, you can also have a clear idea about how much you are going to gain by acquiring some particular foreclosure. It is, therefore, always advisable to you that you must consult the foreclosure listings before you venture upon acquiring a foreclosure.

Sal Vannutini is the author of ” The 8 Power Profit Secrets To Making More Money With Less Risk In Real Estate, a free strategy report for investors. Get your complimentary copy at http://www.FastFixerUpperProfits.com today.

If you have been injured you have rights. You should not have to suffer at the hands of someone else’s negligence. You should feel guilty or allow yourself to be talked out of pursuing legal remedy. If the misconduct of someone else has caused pain and suffering to you, you are entitled to some relief. If you are in the state of California, then an injury lawyer group can help you.

The first thing you need to do is determine whether or not you have a case. Once you have that established you need to know what is covered. Common claims include lost wages, medical bills, in-home care, child care, therapy, pain and suffering, embarrassment, and property damage. An injury lawyer group can help you figure it out. By answering a few simple questions and providing details of your case they will provide you with a free case evaluation and get you on the move to your next step.

An injury lawyer group will help keep things as simple and painless as possible. Regardless of what kind of pain, loss, or injury you have suffered, remember, you are the victim. People often do not like to admit liability and they certainly never want to be sued. So chances are they will not react positively to your claim. Rather than admit responsibility they will try to change your mind. Maybe they will use guilt and very often by using fear. Your personal injury attorney will handle all third party communication. You have enough to worry about without being harassed.

Do you know that hundreds of accident related injuries go unreported each year? Your legal advisor does. They know that all those victims suffered as a result of someone else’s carelessness simply because they didn’t know how to proceed and didn’t want to bother with filing the claim. A personal injury consultant knows that your life has taken a sudden change resulting in more stress and worry than you had yesterday. They will file your claim for you so you can focus on recovery and repair.

Your personal injury consultant also knows that another reason injuries go unreported is because victims assume they cannot afford legal representation. That is why they work on a contingency basis. They do not get paid unless you do.

From making the decision to file suit to filing the claim and receiving your settlement, you will never be alone. You can rest assured that your personal injury attorney will be with you every step of the way.

For more information about all types of injuries, accidents, and wrongful death lawsuits visit the Injury Lawyer Group

Are you selling your services online? If you’re a writer, designer or other professional who provides services, you need a way to differentiate yourself from the many thousands of others in your profession so that you get hired.

Luckily it’s not difficult. You stand out by creating a USP which you use in your marketing. (Writing your own marketing materials is copywriting, so it’s worth the effort to discover the basics of writing copy, one of which is creating USPs.)

A USP often becomes part of a company’s tagline (slogan.) Apple’s tagline for example is “Think Different.” Avis’s is “We Try Harder” (because they’re #2.) The tagline encapsulates the company’s USP.

What’s Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?

Your USP defines you, and what you do.

I teach writers, so in this article, let’s look at how a writer, Liz, might define her USP, even if she’s completely new to writing, and has no portfolio to speak of. Liz is eager to build a stable of Web writing clients; companies which will hire her to blog and write content for them.

Liz starts by thinking about her target market: the companies and individuals who will hire her. She decides that she wants to work with small businesses, that is, businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

Since she doesn’t have much business knowledge, she talks with people who do, and discovers that small companies often have no experience in working with Web writers. In fact, they may not be on the Web at all. However, these companies do have experience in working with graphic designers, which gives Liz an idea.

What if her USP was that she supplies a complete Web content service for a small business, from go to whoa? This means she needs to build a small team. She would do the writing, but she needs others to design and build sites.

Liz’s new USP makes her very appealing to her target market.

Small businesses who don’t have a Web presence feel that they should be using the Web as an additional sales channel, but it all seems too hard. They’re being pitched by agencies which want to create a Web presence for them, but the costs are too high. Since Liz works with a small team of independent professionals, she keeps costs low.

What’s your USP? Think about how you can create one, and stand out from the crowd, today.

Want guidance to learn copywriting? Top copywriter Angela Booth’s “Copywriting Master Class - Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius” at http://angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/copywriting.html helps you to start and run your own copywriting services business and/or write copy for your own business.

For quick results, Angela’s ebook “Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success” at http://abmagic.com/Copywriting/copywriting.html takes you from novice to pro copywriter in just seven days. This popular ebook has been turning writers into successful copywriters for five years. Packed with information, the ebook also includes exercises which become your copywriter’s marketing processes and portfolio. You could be signing up your first clients within two days.