Umm…
Today, an observation on human nature…
Actually, I’ve spent the last three days buried in research. Specifically, this is for a new financial/investment promotion I’m working on. Trying to really get my finger on the pulse of investors right now. To understand how they’re feeling, and specifically, what they’ll respond to.
In the process, I spent a couple hours browsing around my local bookstore, looking at the magazine racks and all the bestsellers…
Plus I’ve spent a TON of time flipping through headlines of all sorts of financial news sites…
And I’ve been on the phone speaking with my client, about their sense of what’s really humming in the markets right now…
And without tipping my hand too much, investors today are comfortably numb. Pinching their noses, not liking the markets at all, but not wanting to miss out if it keeps going up like it has consistently since 2009.
There are a few outliers in NEW markets like cryptocurrencies and pot stocks that have massive greed going for them…
But for the most part, the market is all doped up on opiods hoping the good feelings won’t go away…
So for today’s issue, a light-hearted diversion…
Occasionally I take a peek at the ClickBank best-sellers list. Because it’s such a huge affiliate marketplace, there are entire sites set up to track the daily performance and rank of the best-selling products on ClickBank.
I’ve had the good fortune of seeing clients’ offers there — which is what first brought my attention to the list. But that’s not the point of today’s meandering there.
Rather, I know that a lot of things that sell on ClickBank represent things that I definitely would not buy today! But, it’s rather entertaining and enlightening to look at the list. Entertaining, because it’s a little fun to be astounded by what people buy. And enlightening, because being reminded of the breadth of markets that are out there is a good way to also be reminded of just how much money is floating around.
Plus, occasionally, you might be able to get a little inspiration for new product ideas. After all, if there’s a top-selling product on ClickBank, there’s probably a pretty big (and long-copy responsive) market there.
NOTE #1: I’m not linking to any of these offers. While I’m signed up in the ClickBank marketplace, I’m not trying to fill your inbox with a bunch of random affiliate links. We’re looking at this for entertainment and educational purposes only.
NOTE #2: I’m going to do this countdown-style. We’ll start at #10, and count down to #1. With a few thoughts on each, and then a reflection on what we learn from the list as a whole.
- The Big Diabetes Lie — Diabetes is a hugely-common health problem, only becoming more common. This is touted as a doctor-backed diabetes-reversal method. And, it’s all-natural, based on food and lifestyle choices. This is a proven offer in a proven market, executed pretty well. Interesting observation: they have a .org website.
- Lottery Dominator — If it seems like total BS to you, it does to me, too. But, it sells. And so it’s on this list. A guy who has won the lottery a few times claims to have a formula for picking winning numbers. There’s a part of all of us that wants to believe. For some, apparently that part is strong enough to get them to take out their wallet.
- The Lost Ways — I wasn’t sure what this was about, based on the name. But basically, it’s a survivalist pitch, talking about the lost ways of knowing how to live off the land. Interesting concept in a proven market. It starts with a picture of a weed that you might find in your back yard, and tells you not to cut it down because it’s a natural painkiller. Nice hook!
- 15-Minute Manifestation — Imagine everything you want and it magically becomes real? There’s a perennial market for it. This is the latest version of “The Secret” I suppose.
- Mike Geary 4-Part Fat-Burning Offer — Mike Geary has been at the top of ClickBank, basically, forever. Maybe not quite. But he and his team have managed to stay in the top 10 list for a very long time, starting by basically saying that anyone can have six-pack abs by losing a few pounds… And building from there.
- Paleohacks Cookbook — Paleo + Hacks? Sounds trendy as heck. And that’s probably a big part of why it works. Yes, there’s the lose weight, be fit, live clean, and eat real food all going for it. But ultimately it all comes down to that oh-so-exciting easy button for being fit, happy, and healthy.
- EZ Battery Reconditioning Course — This is a little surprising to me. But I’ve consistently seen it in the top sellers list. I think it’s a winner for two reasons. First, it basically shows you how to recondition your old car battery instead of dropping $150 on a new one. But the kicker is that it throws in a business opportunity on top of it — making the $47 ebook cost seem relatively small.
- Unlock Your Hip Flexors (PainFix) — The name of this makes it sound like a product that really wouldn’t sell. But the promise is that fixing problems with this one muscle will eliminate joint and back pain, boost energy, increase your sexual health, decrease belly fat, and fight off disease. Seems like a big promise, but if there’s anything we learn from looking at these, it’s that people want to believe.
- The 2-Week Diet — We don’t just want diets or exercise programs, do we? We want better results in less time, with less effort. Reminds me of the conversation from There’s Something About Mary… 8-Minute Abs? “Bingo, man, bingo. 7-Minute Abs. And we guarantee just as good a workout as the 8-minute folk.”
- Numerology — Discover your destiny in the moment you were born? What your name and birth date say about you? Well, horoscopes have appeared in newspapers for as long as I’ve been alive, and they’re one of the “destinations” in nearly every periodical in which they’re published. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise then that this is currently the top product on ClickBank… And has been top-three for at least the last 90 days…
General observations:
— The “magic button” prevails. There’s an old copywriting lesson (from John Carlton) that people want a magic button to fix their woes or live their dreams. Nearly everything that works on ClickBank feels like a “magic button” pitch. That’s probably a reflection of the buyers and promoters that are all tied into that, but… It’s also an interesting insight into the fact that this still holds incredibly true. Most people don’t want to hear or believe this. Especially people with more formal education. But the vast majority of people just want anything that gets them results without any work or responsibility.
— Mostly expected markets, with notable exceptions. Health, wealth, and relationships are the biggest markets historically. For the most part, that’s what you have here.
— Lots of VSLs. The VSL, sometimes with a little more shine, still dominates, when you look at the marketing. It’s not universal — and the #1 spot isn’t held by a VSL. But VSLs are a reliable media for selling a lot of stuff…
Use this market intelligence wisely!
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
