For many years Bob Bly has been writing books about copywriting, then he pushed forward with advertising how he was going to help you make a lot of money copywriting and the books were of little value and never lived up to the claims… Here’s why I don’t trust him: In 2005 in was promoting something that he presumably invented called the American Consultants League with a long sales letter about how he began on his own in 1982 as a freelance/consultant copywriter. He attributes his success almost entirely to a manual from, or that relates to the American Consultants League. And then he offered to let people join for $350 and get a little badge to put on their business card stating that they were an American Consultant League professional consultant. And, he claimed, you needed to get this special manual because it contained all the secrets you need to get set up as a profitable consultant and do your marketing, copywriting, etc.
But here’s the thing, his basic boring copywriting book in 1992 for example mentions no marketing, copywriting or other business secrets, and no mention of the American Consultants League.
Also out of place in his sales letter he claimed he made approximately $25,000 and $35,000 in the early eighties in his first two years of offering his consulting services – and he apologizes for making so little, only to proclaim that he increased his earnings from doing everything in that special manual he came across referencing the Consulting League. But if he really made $25,000 and then $35,000 in the early eighties he would know about inflation – that amount of money at that time offered considerably more purchasing power than when he wrote his Consulting League sales copy in 2004 or 2005.
And what do real consultants say about putting professional consulting designations on your business card? They never do so and advise against it in their books.
I remember looking at Bob Bly’s sales letter and thinking, “This is a scam. What a fraud.” I had already reviewed his copywriting success books and how he claimed the tips, strategies, and secrets in his books would make you a small fortune but they were of little value and mostly hype.
***Update 2011: Bob Bly is up to something else…
How to Profit from the New Online Video Craze
Do you think you’re actually going to learn anything from his new sales pitch?
Nope.
In his marketing video where he asks you to buy his ebook he is making the video from his dirty home office with trash bags nearby. He has no video marketing and presentation sense – the video is very poorly made with improper lighting from the window behind him. He showed no common sense and a complete lack of presentation effort. There’s no way he can be trusted to show anybody how to profit from online videos. And his lack of education is apparent by the fact that he calls it a “craze” rather than a mainstream business practice.
A marketing blogger asked him how could anyone take him seriously and buy an ebook on video marketing from him when Bly himself doesn’t appear to have any experience or success with video marketing? Bob Bly replied that he didn’t even write the ebook on “How to profit from the new online video craze” – he paid someone else to write the ebook and doesn’t have direct experience with video marketing (obviously).
But he’s comfortable telling you he can teach you to be successful at something he’s never done himself.
He’s taken down the original poorly made video. Avoid Bob Bly and his offerings.
It reminds me a little of the guy who was promoting Web TV Show in a Weekend – he also had a poorly made video and a weak sales pitch. Contact me for more information on the Web TV show in a Weekend – I’m taking his information and boosting it into a useful program and it will save you anywhere from $1000 to $3000.