I just saw an interesting sales letter for a program that generates a cheesy social media chatroom box. The idea is actually pretty awesome, and I’ve seen these around: instead of a big colorful ad that says “LOOK!!! CHEAP!!! AWESOME!!!” the ad seems to “reveal” a private conversation about some secret, insider information. With our natural curiosity, need to socialize, and comfort with ubiquitous chat platforms like yahoo, msn and facebook, these ads probably do work extremely well.
But do you need to buy a program to make them? Try this instead. Open up Facebook and click on a contact, then start typing in the box. When you’re done, use snagit or something like it to get a screen shot. Here is a sample that took me 10 minutes to do:
It took me that long because I was talking to myself and copy and pasting the pics… what I should have done was just open two different accounts from two different computers, say what I wanted, then take a picture
I added the red line on top for two reasons: First it catches the eye, second it looks I’m trying to keep the identity a secret, which makes it more believable. Of course, everyone’s going to know that this is just an ad, but it still has a powerful psychological effect. The Facebook chat box brings immediate trust and positive feelings. The casual chat seems kind of realistic. I added the last part about the girls and the vodka just because, for one, it makes it seem like this is a real conversation that continues, and two, it puts the image of girls and vodka in your mind (which will probably stir up positive emotions associated with desire, beauty, fun, relationship, friends, etc.)
All in all, this is a pretty freaking powerful ad for my book cover design business; and it was free to make. All I have to do is make it a standard size and use it on google ads or project wonderful, etc. You can do the same thing for any business, book, service, or anything else you want.
I’ll bet my hat that it converts better than almost anything else. Let me know if you use the idea and it works for you!

I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
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