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Is Brian Campbell Breaking The Rules?
Posted by Derrick | June 29, 2008
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Brian Campbell has created a new group on Facebook called P.R.I.S.M. - The Secret Social Media Alliance. You can read about it here: www.socialmediamarketingsystem.com/prism.html
That’s basically a sales letter aimed at getting people to join his group. Brian uses some startling images in that letter:
“There’s an elusive group of marketing elite secretly pooling their resources to collaborate against you by intentionally devouring all the resources worth untold fortunes that you’ll never see.
They are many, you are only one.
They know the secrets, you hope to get lucky.
They control the social network, you react to it.
They are the lense through which opportunities pass.
They work effortlessly, while you constantly struggle.
You are powerless against them.
They exist, although you resist the truth.
They can’t be matched, you’re powerless to compete with them for any resources they want to control online.
Their secrets are so amazingly powerful, they aren’t leaked out and taught anywhere else.”
My friend Ian Chapman has written a detailed analysis of Brian’s copy on his blog. He explains one of the reasons why Brian’s sales copy is so effective - the amplification of pain.
Another reason that springs to mind is what Joe Sugarman calls ‘The Desire to Belong’. Brian carefully constructs the image of a shadowy group of conspirators who influence social networks. He then holds out the possibility of joining that select group, but making it clear that only “a select few people who have what it takes” will be invited. Other psychological triggers which come into play are curiosity, scarcity, exclusivity and sense of urgency.
One of Ian’s readers seemed to think that Ian was being critical of Brian’s marketing techniques - she writes: “Here here! I read Brian’s post and immediately forwarded a copy to the powers that be at Facebook. This is definitely against the guidelines he agreed to when he created an account!”
Knowing Ian, I can assure you that what he writes is not intended to criticize Brian - he’s simply recognizing a master at work, and explaining why Brian’s sales copy is so powerful.
What do you think? Is Brian being too aggressive? Are you also being left out of the “same few”? See what the fuss is all about here: www.socialmediamarketingsystem.com/prism.html
Tags: brian campbell, facebook, Ian Chapman, joe sugarman, marketing techniques, P.R.I.S.M, social networks
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Topics: Copywriting, Social Media |
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June 29th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Hi Derrick,
great addition to my post, you have some good insghts about “The need to belong”.
I will check my settings to see if there is any reason from my end why your trackbacks don’t work
July 8th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
How can that person be reported to facebook…I see nothing wrong with what is being said. It isntt as if hes hacking or being malicious .
July 8th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Sure this is playing on emotion. If people are trying to give you a sales pitch then the bottom line is that it is for their ultimate gain. Bottom line is thats just marketing to the marketer.
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July 16th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I can’t say that I agree on the power of the copy, on the other hand I’m from Sweden and different cultures do demand different copy.
Magnuss last blog post..Snapback
August 14th, 2008 at 3:46 am
I don’t know if Brain’s comments go against Facebook rules, but analyzing the sales copy of a successful Internet marketer seems like a service to me.
We can all benefit from studying marketing by those who do it best, and that includes copywriting.
Linda P. Mortons last blog post..Success With Customer Relationship Management: Segmenting By Buying Behavior
August 16th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Well they are up to 1,500 users so it must have been a successful marketing campaign for them. Now what? That many members can’t be quite so elite, selective, and organized as the sales letter suggests!
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