Bob Bly

Bob BlyBob Bly is an independent copywriter and consultant specializing in business-to-business and direct marketing. He has been hired as a consultant by such companies as Sony, Chemical Bank, J. Walter Thompson, Westinghouse, and Prentice-Hall.

Bob is also the author of more than 50 books including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Direct Marketing (Alpha Books), Targeted Public Relations, Selling Your Services, How to Promote Your Own Business, and Keeping Clients Satisfied. A phenomenal public speaker, Bob will share with you how easy it is to start your own business.

Whether you’re ready to quit your job or are just looking to make a little money on the side, you’ll want to hear Bob’s advice. Bob is a primary contributor to ETR’s Direct Marketing Masters Edition program.

Recent Articles

The Cut-Off Age for Getting Into a New Career or Business
by Bob Bly (10/07/2008)

At what age are you too old to start a new career or business? I have thought at various times in my life (I am now 51) that the cut-off age was 50… 60… or even 70. There were two reasons I believed you’d reach a point where starting over just wasn’t practical anymore...

Avoid This Common Mistake When Creating Information Products
by Bob Bly (09/24/2008)

As I said in my last ETR article, the best way to prevent customers from illegally copying and sharing your information products is to create content that gives the buyer more than his money’s worth.

How to Profit From Idea Thieves
by Bob Bly (09/10/2008)

A common concern among would-be information marketers is illegal copying. Because their products are downloadable and easy for their customers to share, many think that will be the downfall of their business...

My Beef With Subway
by Bob Bly (09/01/2008)

When you are imprecise with language in copywriting, it conveys an impression of sloppy thinking… and can also undermine your credibility. A case in point: the new commercial from Subway that proclaims “Everybody wants to try Subway’s hot beef sandwich.”

A Non-Obvious Way to Build Your E-List
by Bob Bly (08/26/2008)

Internet marketers are always looking for new ways to build their e-lists quickly and at an affordable cost. So let me tell you about an under-used, non-obvious technique for adding new subscribers to your opt-in list. Using it, I added over 500 new subscribers to my e-list in just a few days - and these were buyers, not just prospects.

How to Design Written Materials for Older Folks Like Me
by Bob Bly (08/21/2008)

Vision impairments increase with age - something to keep in mind when putting together any written materials aimed at the over-50 crowd. Time spent modifying your layout for them will more than pay for itself in increased audience response.

Which Expert Will You Trust Your Business Success To?
by Bob Bly (08/13/2008)

The vast majority of entrepreneurs I meet - even mom-and-pops and small-business owners who operate out of their homes - spend thousands of dollars on hiring so-called experts to advise them on how to make their businesses more successful.

How Would You Rate This Headline?
by Bob Bly (08/07/2008)

I received a mailing today promoting a stock newsletter. In big, bold type, the headline on the outer envelope reads: "Inside: Three stocks set to quadruple in price in the next 12 months."

Playing the Slots
by Bob Bly (07/30/2008)

If you are building an Internet marketing business, you will soon start to get requests from people asking you to promote something of theirs by sending an e-mail to your list.

The Naked Truth About Naked Conversation
by Bob Bly (07/21/2008)

Social media evangelists are in love with Twitter, Facebook, and their ilk because these networks enable continuous "naked" conversations.

Marketing With Free Information
by Bob Bly (07/16/2008)

Are You Suffering from “RSS Feed Overload”?
by Bob Bly (07/11/2008)

These days, more information is published online every 24 hours than you could read in five years.

How Much E-Mail Is Too Much?
by Bob Bly (07/01/2008)

People have lots of opinions about this issue, which they support with arguments that are both passionate and logical.

How to Land a New Job… or a New Client
by Bob Bly (06/23/2008)

Recommendation: In any selling situation - whether you're selling a product or yourself - shift the conversation as quickly as you can away from yourself and onto your prospect, his business, and his needs.

How to Sell With Statistics
by Bob Bly (06/17/2008)

The great thing about statistics is that you can use them to support almost any sales point you want to make in your promotion.

How to Hire a Freelance Copywriter
by Bob Bly (06/11/2008)

Hiring a freelance copywriter is no small responsibility. Make the right choice, and you get great copy that brings in leads, sales, and profits - in bushels. Make the wrong choice, and you end up pouring thousands of dollars down the drain. Fortunately, you can avoid that particular heartache (most of the time, anyway) simply by knowing what to look for in a direct-response copywriter.

Direct Marketing Is Like Baseball
by Bob Bly (06/05/2008)

Experienced direct marketers know - and expect - a percentage of their test campaigns to under-perform the current control, or even lose money. They accept this fact without despair, because they know that if one test mailing in every two... or every three... or even every five is a winner, they can make a lot of money.

Do You Charge So Much Your Customers Complain?
by Bob Bly (05/28/2008)

Do we really want our customers complaining about our prices? Should we, in fact, always charge the maximum price we can get away with for everything we sell?

Why Good Prospects Don’t Return Your Phone Call
by Bob Bly (05/21/2008)

If you sell a professional, creative, consultative, or technical service, the following "Triple Play" Follow-Up System can help you increase your closing rate of leads to sales by 50 percent or more.

The Only 3 Bits of Copy Worth Agonizing Over
by Bob Bly (05/06/2008)

One of the most labor-intensive, time-consuming marketing tasks is copywriting. Not necessarily writing the copy... but agonizing over what has been written.

The Price Is Right
by Bob Bly (04/23/2008)

Ask most experienced direct marketers "What's the best price to charge for my product," and the answer will be: whatever the market will bear.

The Worst Self-Marketing Strategy Ever Devised
by Bob Bly (04/09/2008)

Conclusion: Doing a critique OR work on spec for a potential client who has not asked for it seems, on the surface, a sensible approach to marketing your professional or technical services. But it is not.

The 25-50-25 Formula for Business Success
by Bob Bly (03/26/2008)

Some people go "information crazy"... buying every course, attending every conference, reading every e-book, listening to every recording, and dialing into every teleseminar you can find. Sadly, they are suffering from a syndrome I call "analysis paralysis."

Selling Lifestyle
by Bob Bly (03/12/2008)

I am convinced he is right, and marketers who simplistically trumpet "get rich" in their ads are making a mistake. Instead of selling the obvious benefit, they could be reaching their prospects on a deeper and more powerful level.

What’s Your “Signature Dish”?
by Bob Bly (02/27/2008)

With increasing competition, a great business strategy is specializing in one area, your 'signature dish.'

The Trouble With Cold-Calling
by Bob Bly (02/13/2008)

I won't deny that cold-calling can work. Yet in 99 out of 100 cases, my advice is never to do it.

What Business Owners Can Learn From Baseball Managers
by Bob Bly (12/12/2007)

What makes a small business profitable and competitive over the long haul is a lot of small, sensible tests, trials and errors, and meticulously planned roll-outs.

The More You Learn, the More You Earn
by Bob Bly (11/14/2007)

Years ago, a famous rock star returned to her high school to speak. She told the kids to stay in school. "The more you learn, the more you earn," she said.

The Worst Positioning Statement in the World- "We’re Better"
by Bob Bly (10/12/2005)

Every business needs to have a Unique Selling Proposition, or "USP" ... a reason why customers should buy from YOU instead of from your competitors.

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