This is totally true.
It happened less than two months ago.
Out of the blue, 20-pounds of cocaine washed ashore in Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys.
People must have freaked-out, right?
Nope.
Because cocaine washing up on Florida beaches is becoming a regular thing down here.
In fact, it’s become so common in the Florida Keys to see packages of drugs floating in the water, they even have a popular nickname for it – Square Grouper.
A few months ago, while walking on the beach in Miami, a guy found almost 40 pounds of cocaine.
And, like an idiot, he took a picture of himself with it. And posted it on Instagram.
Wonder where he is now.
Anyway, this reminded my of a bizarre marketing story I once heard from Scott Haines about the late, Gary Halbert.
The story went something like this:
Sometime in the late 1970’s, Gary was contracted by Entrepreneur Magazine to write an ad for one of the special reports they were selling.
And, for some unknown reason, he put a bullet in the ad (buried deep down somewhere in the copy) that said:
* Fake Cocaine: A legal substitute that fools almost everyone!
It had absolutely nothing to do with the product or offer in the ad.
And amongst the rest of the copy it was totally out of place.
But, it generated such a buzz and sensation… that… sales of the product shot through the roof.
Supposedly, even months after that ad hit, people were still franticly calling in trying to find out what the heck this “fake cocaine” was all about.
Not sure if this tells us more about marketing or more about what people were into in that era. But, that’s a discussion for a different day. 🙂
Now, I don’t know if Gary purposely put that bullet in. Or accidentally left it in there.
Regardless, I’m *NOT* advising you should do anything remotely like that.
I chose to share the story with is for two reasons:
1. You need to recognize the power of your bullets in your marketing (i.e. video sales letters, long-form sales letters, emails, etc.)
This is an example of how one single, teeny-tiny bullet can radically impact conversions and sales numbers.
So, when putting together your bullets, go the distance on every one. Every one.
If you look at the bullets on this page, and you’re familiar with the 4U Formula, you’ll see I went the distance with each one.
2. Curiosity, used ethically and properly, is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal.
Combining curiosity with a benefit/promise is one of the most effective ways of crafting powerful headlines and subject lines.
Don’t underestimate your prospects’ desire to satisfy their curiosity. Especially when it involves reaping a benefit they desperately want.
Got it?
Good.
Sidednote: I’m frequently asked, “What should I be saying to prospects throughout my marketing funnels?”
