MarketingMoment

Picture by Sceptre via Wikipedia

The grammatical cousin of the bored teenager, the apostrophe can be found hanging out in all the wrong places. Or just being plain useless. Worrying or confusing everything that crosses its path.

Take, for example, the following as a case in point:

“Choose from 1000’s of DVD’s…”

Or:

“Visit Brighton, for refreshing sea view’s…”

Both are not as innocent as they seem on the surface.

Incorrect use of punctuation — and here, we are specifically referring to the humble apostrophe —can weaken your writing and your message, as well as trip up your reader.

So here are some dos and don’ts in the world of apostrophes:

• And it’s all right, now…

Ah, yes, the king of confusion — ”it’s” is a contraction of “it is”. However, it’s often presented as “its”. This is bad. And should be avoided. Unless, of course, you mean “its” in the possessive sense of the word. For example:

“It’s about time it showed its true colours.”

Here “it’s” means “it is” and “its” (without the apostrophe) indicates that something belongs to “it”.

• Ps and Qs, Dos and Don’ts…

You do NOT need an apostrophe to pluralise. OK, it’s tempting to slip in a quick apostrophe, but that would be mere folly. Apart from the obvious one — “don’ts” — which is correct in this instance.

There is neither a contraction nor a possessiveness connected with numbers, abbreviations or the “dos” in the world.

So the following are correct:

“There are 100s of them out there.”

“You only ever saw two PCs, but that was in the 1970s.”

“The MPs had 1,000s of complaints.”

So remember, only use an apostrophe for a missing letter or, in every other case apart for “its”, when something ‘owns’ something else. (“It’s amazing to think that the project’s deadline was met.”)

Please send me any ‘grammar gaffes’ via the ‘comments’ section here, and I’ll pop them in a future post on this blog.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Save yourself embarrasment and costly reprints by getting your documents professionally proofread:  

http://www.mediaminister.co.uk/proofexpress

(C) 2007-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include. 

Picture by ‘Billy Frank Alexander Design’ via stock.xchng

I recently advised one of my marketing clients to offer his prospective customers a free white paper. This is because although he has a great product, it is fairly complex and its use (extremely widespread, as it happens) seems at first fairly limited.

The argument for the white paper was that it would a) provide helpful information about the product and its many uses, b) show how it can overcome a problem shared by my client’s prospects, and c) serve as a ‘bait piece’.

At first he objected. Quite vehemently so, with an expletive thrown in for good measure. “People have had enough of this ‘free’ malarkey,” he continued, “They already have too much to read. They certainly won’t want my white paper adding to the pile.”

I can understand where he was coming from. However, a study by the Columbia Business School concluded that, even in an age of information overload, educational marketing still works. And very well, too.

The study, which focused on politics, found that getting a lot of information out to the public, especially in the early stages of a campaign when many voters are ambivalent, is an effective campaign strategy.

Quantity is more important than quality, the study found, because ambivalent individuals are open to persuasion from a variety of sources, and accept messages regardless of the source’s perceived reliability.

This can easily be applied to the business arena. Which my client now happily appreciates.

Source: Columbia Ideas at Work

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include. 

Picture by ‘LeoSynapse’ via stock.xchng

QUESTION

“Would you mind answering a quick question for me?  I received an email from XXXXXX (name removed for client confidentiality) earlier this week that they’ve developed a sample media release that members are free to modify and distribute to local media.  My question is, if I was to distribute this via email what do I put in the subject line and covering email?  Do I just say ‘Subject: For immediate release’ and in the email ‘Please find attached a press announcement for immediate release.’ Basically, what’s the code of conduct when sending these things?

Not sure if that’s turned out to be a quick question or not so I appreciate your comments.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANSWER

When you send a release via email put the actual heading or title of the release in the subject line. You can also add the fact that it’s a release, like this: “[news release] MediaMinister launches new service for the busy exec.”

Don’t bother putting “For immediate release” — that’s an antiquated tradition that doesn’t mean much. If it isn’t intended for immediate release, you’d say so. Hopefully!

Also, and this is a biggie, do NOT attach any attachment. Instead, simply copy and paste your release into the body of the email. (That said, it might be better to turn off HTML and send your email as a standard ‘text’ message, which could mean that the formatting/line spacing may need to be tweaked).

At the top of your message you might want to state that you have pictures (if true!) and whether the release available as a PDF or Word document. It’s also worth asking editors to to get back to you should they want either of these or have any questions.

Immediately below this insert an obvious break in — like a solid line, or dotted — and then put line release.

Be sure to put the media contact (whomever will deal with press release enquiries) for editors, and of course their contact details. You’d be surprised how many people omit this vital information.

Hope this helps.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

For specific ideas on tailoring a news release to your business, and how to develop a PR campaign that can help you generate masses of free publicity, 
for less than the price of dinner, see: re: http://freepublicitymadeeasy.mediaminister.co.uk

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2008-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

FREE CONSULTING ALERT: Got a burning question you want answered? Pop it in the ‘comments’ box and I’ll see what I can do. 

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.

================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include. 

Picture by ‘State Library of Queensland, Australia’ via flickr

I used to sell air once. Some people say I’m sometimes full of the stuff (ah, they love me, really!). But I can fill it rather nicely, too.  :)

If you need effective script-writing or editing services for films, videos, radio, telemarketing and speeches, then you’ve come to the right place.

I can provide copy for all of the above and offer creative direction, too.

Find out more, request samples or book your project in at: www.mediaminister.co.uk

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include. 

When was the last time you took a long, hard look at your branding? What’s that? Branding is just for big corporations? Rubbish! It’s vital for ALL businesses. Really, every business, no matter how small, MUST have a recognisable brand. (Yours probably does; you may not just know it does.)

Moreover, it’s important to evaluate your brand from time to time — give it a ’spring clean’, so to speak. And with the UK economy intact (albeit a little fragile at the time of writing), now is the time for us all to consider sprucing ourselves up with a bit of fresh branding — if only to let people know that we are still here . . . that we are surviving these challenging economic circumstances.

Now, before we go any further, let’s just get one thing straight: Your logo is NOT your brand. Rather, it is just ONE element of your overall branding.

So what exactly is branding?

Simply put, a brand exists in the ASSOCIATIONS your clients or customers have with it. And branding is about getting your prospective customers to see you as the ONLY one that provides a solution to their problem, want, need or desire. That means making sure everything you say, do or write supports that objective.

Here are six ways to help your business on the way to becoming a successful brand — whether you are re-vamping your current branding or just starting out:

1. Are You Conveying REAL Value? Is your brand ‘promise’ resonating with prospects and customers? Is it delivering the way you want it to? In other words, does the customer experience equal their expectation?

You need to make sure what you are offering and what you stand for are enticing enough to differentiate you from the competition. Think about what your target customers want from your product or service and that your competitors can’t provide. Then make a compelling claim about whatever it is and BACK IT UP to create brand trust and brand loyalty. And always, always deliver on your promises.

2. Are You Making the Best Use of Your Words? If you can clearly and compellingly communicate your value to prospects in fewer than 20 words, then skip this part. If not, read on.

Your words — those that you use on your website, in your brochures and for other branding materials — should establish a relationship with prospects by relaying the benefits of your product or service. These benefits can be emotional, functional or self expressive. So instead of simply stating you’re a life coach, for example, focus instead on what unique benefits you provide. It might be that you specialise in self-confidence coaching, or perhaps your USP (unique selling proposition) is that you also offer nutritional advice, thereby offering a distinctive holistic approach.

3. Are the Visual Aspects of Your Brand Making the Right Impression? Because the consumer mindset equates quality promotional materials with a quality product or service, it goes without saying that quality materials speak volumes about your business. It is not accidental that ‘posh’ or big-name restaurants have fancy signs, business cards and even menus; all reinforcing the same message of supreme quality. It would be difficult to sell a high-quality dining experience with homemade flyer stapled to a telegraph pole. In that vein, the look and feel of your branding materials should consistently, accurately and effectively reflect your brand and give it ‘life’.

NB: Before you change the entire direction of your design, take heed of an advertising adage that says by the time you are tired of your ‘look’, other people (including your prospects) are just starting to notice it. So don’t drastically change things. A simple logo change, but keeping the same colours, or modifying your slogan, may suffice in making your brand feel fresh without losing its original appeal.

4. Are You Up to Date? It makes sense to ensure all product information, pricing, ordering procedures, delivery policies, etc, are up to date. But you’d be amazed at how many out-of-date materials are out there. This morning, I followed a link to an elapsed (by two years!) limited-time offer being advertised. That sort of oversight can do more harm than good for a business brand.

5. Are You Being Consistent? Consistency is one of the best ways to establish trust in any marketplace. So make sure all your marketing materials convey the same look and feel — that includes your core messaging and the tone of your wording. Of course, they don’t need to be a complete match, but when viewed side by side your stationery, website and other materials should form a cohesive ‘family’. One that preferably has an appealing image and so is able to evoke the desired emotional response in your prospect’s mind. Remember, awareness and recognition are key drivers to a growing business.

6. Are You Social Enough? Studies showed  that the adoption by businesses of social media more than doubled during 2010-2011, and this year looks set to continue the trend. Have you a consistent, relevant and distinctive presence on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter? I personally find Twitter to be one of the most effective ways to build my brands. With no less than almost 200 million ‘tweets’ or messages created every day and approximately 100 million active users [sources: Twitter, eDiscovery], you really should give it a go — before the revolution is over.

Twitter enables you to easily monitor what is being said about you and your business via its inbuilt search engine. So if you come across inaccurate or negative information about your company, you have the opportunity of redress. And remember, everything you say and do on social media sites BECOMES your brand.

Many companies are increasingly using Twitter for creating or raising brand awareness, as well as reaching prospects by providing valuable links and information. If that sounds like your competition, why aren’t you doing the same? If you are, then perhaps it’s time to assess what is and isn’t working or even start something new altogether.

Branding is an essential tool in delivering company profitability. By periodically reviewing your branding, as well as your other marketing strategies, you should create a strong ‘personality’ that gets the right message to the right audience … which can ultimately lead to sales and business growth.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Got your USP nailed down but having a difficult time marketing it? Then consider a ‘power coaching’ session. I can give you everything you need to know to create a compelling USP, positioning statement or marketing message that will appeal to the best customers for you — plus LOTS of other crucial techniques to help you fill your sales pipeline. You can read more about my marketing consulting programmes — including one-off sessions — at:

www.business-marketing-advice.mediaminister.co.uk

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?)

(C) 2010-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include.

Picture by ‘StillSearc’ via stock.xchng

In our constantly information-overloaded, plugged-in society,
attention has become an increasingly scarce
commodity. Here’s how to win it back…

In the 1960s, we had mainframe computers. These were found only in larger institutions, and required hundreds of punched cards for data analysis. Today, we have high-tech personal computers, wireless technology, take-charge-of-our-lives Blackberries, multi-platform phones and other fancy gadgets that seem to have developed among us a kind of impatience, zest for more information and even a shorter attention span than ever before.

We have, it would appear, learned to put a lot of value on all those things that lend us novelty, convenience, and most importantly, speed.

It is this very change in the heartbeat of our society that is forcing copywriters and marketers to redefine their priorities when it comes to communicating their or their clients’ message.

Multiprocessing Yet Switched Firmly Off

Take the online media. There is so much vying for our attention – links, information, ads, video, music, the latest social-media craze – that we end up with little time or inclination to notice the messages that are targeted at us.

You could say that consumers have moved beyond reaching saturation point, and have simply switched off.

This is a major setback for companies who provide goods and services –especially via e-commerce. Because they are wakening up to the fact that the real commodity for any successful company isn’t consumers, per se, but rather the attention of those consumers.

Positively Influencing Reader Behaviour

The challenge, therefore, is to capture and hold the attention of those consumers they wish to attract – despite the increasing number of demands for that attention. Their message or brand has to stand out as if it were the only one wearing a high-visibility vest on a foggy internet motorway.

Which is why copywriters and marketers alike are striving to come up with ways to attract attention to their written message. Because by attracting attention, there opens the possibility to influence consumer behaviour – notably, their buying behaviour.

But with so many stimuli attempting to dazzle and reach the consumer, your own stimulus might well be ignored altogether. So how do you ensure yours isn’t intentionally – or even inadvertently – filtered out by your very prospects?

Push Pull it Real Good

Perhaps the biggest thing to note is that the traditional media with which we’re all familiar – including television and books – are one-way propositions. That is, they push their content at consumers. Whereas the web is a two-way, push-and-pull interactivity.

One solution, therefore, is to encourage consumer participation. Interactive marketing should place the user in control. What copywriters and marketers need do is promote – via a ‘soft-sell’ approach – voluntary involvement from the consumer to interact with a message. This can take on the form of blog posts, video streams, and social-media/Web 2.0 sites.

Another thing to note is that the message can no longer get away with taking on a mass-market appeal. Instead, it should zero in on a select target market.

Perhaps the biggest thing to note is that the traditional media with which we’re all familiar – including television and books – are one-way propositions. That is, they push their content at consumers. Whereas the web is a two-way, push-and-pull interactivity.

One solution, therefore, is to encourage consumer participation. Interactive marketing should place the user in control. What copywriters and marketers need to do is promote – via a ‘soft-sell’ approach – voluntary involvement from the consumer to interact with a message. This can take on the form of blog posts, video streams, and social-media/Web 2.0 sites.

Another thing to note is that the message can no longer get away with taking on a mass-market appeal. Instead, it should zero in on a select target market.

Pay Attention to Them, and They Will Pay Attention to You

By paying attention to the mindset of a particular group of individuals (or businesses, in the case of B2B communication), copywriters and marketers can fully understand and creatively bundle online content with a personalised offer of products or services. This requires work with the online medium of choice so that the user feels they are in the right place – and also in control; an important factor.

Here are some common solutions to capturing consumer attention:

• Take a leaf out of the newspaper industry

Write from the bottom up. The inverted-pyramid style has the conclusion or juicy bits first, with more detailed information being introduced as the story develops.

• Use benefit-laden summaries

Keeping with the theme of derrières, your reader should be presented with the bottom line up front. This means offering a brief ‘sell’ or introduction that lets them know what information is being presented, and why it is important to them.

• Only include links that do not waste your readers’ time

Making your readers follow lots of competing links from one web page, for example, is an expensive mistake. Pages need to be structured so as to minimise the number of links that must be followed. And every link must be of interest to the reader. This is where in-depth research into a finely honed target market turns up trumps. You don’t want to include anything that your intended audience would not care for. Writing next to each link what can be expected if the reader follows that link will help her feel she is wasting their her time, and avoid frustration.

• Make liberal use of headlines, subheads, lists and bullet points

The aim here is to capture your reader’s interest and make life easier for him by presenting your content in the most effective way possible. Avoid cleverness and cuteness, and go for the jugular. That is, provide enoughrelevant information by way of big headlines and emboldened subheads, lists or bullet points to help your reader skim and determine when he should stop and read further or follow a link.

• Always, always answer the SW

Your audience wants information that is quick to access and that is of relevance to her needs or interests. So ensure your headlines, web pages, blog posts, banner ads, and so on, answer the following question that your reader will have in her mind: “So what?”

Getting the attention of your target audience is only the beginning, of course, but it’s more than winning half the battle…

And by folllowing these guidelines you will have a head start on your competition.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

 Need help pinpointing exactly what you target market is in the first instance? 
My mentoring programme can help you start off — and keep on — the right track. 

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2008-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include. 

What is the fastest route to increased sales and outrageous success? In a word (well, two!), media exposure. Today’s article is inspired by a question from a reader and shows you how you, too, can easily get great publicity for nada, or next to nothing. I hope it helps you. Please share and also if you have any comments to make, or tips to add, I’d love to hear your feedback in the ‘comments’ box below the article.

Picture by ‘Stefan’ via stock.xchng

QUESTION

“Do you have any tips on how to get some free public relations and media coverage for a friend’s business. Is there any way one can advertising their business within spending much cash?” 
~Deville W, of Hampshire

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANSWER

There are a myriad of ways to generate publicity (which is a kind of ‘free’ advertising) without breaking the bank. But consistently advertising or promoting your business through a combination of paid and non-paid-for means is key to surviving in the business jungle — especially in today’s economical landscape.

Let’s start with the latter. Getting on the (right) side of the media is perhaps one of the best things your friend can do for her business. She can achieve this by, for example, becoming what is known in the industry as an ‘expert source’ — that is, the ‘go-to’ person that journalists call when they want a quote or some insight from an expert on a given topic.

I suggest she reads through the papers and online news blogs, as well as look at TV news broadcasts, to determine who covers what, and then build a relationship with a reporter who covers her area of expertise. She could introduce herself by way of a covering letter, which should mention her credentials, and then either jot down some ideas for possible discussion or send an idea for a story (in the form of a press release). She should, of course, make sure the story has a news ‘hook’ with solid facts, rather than simply be a promotional pitch. The release should end with your friend’s contact details and make it clear she is available for interview.

Every day, entrepreneurs and small businesses are brought under the local or even national spotlight, thanks to some journalist or radio or TV personality.

Maximise Your Market

The problem is, of course, when you do not pay for media coverage, you essentially have no real control over the timing or content of your publicity. And there’s no guarantee you will get that publicity in the first place.

That said, by being consistently helpful and available as an expert, and by submitting a properly formatted, professionally-written press release that offers reporters something new and different, your friend will stand a much greater chance of grabbing that media attention — and get her name/business in the news.

Ideally, your friend should aim to write at least one press release every month or so, and get it published in places where her target audience is likely to see her announcements.

As a copywriter, editor and ex-journalist, I write or rewrite press releases on a regular basis, so I know what works and doesn’t . . . meaning both my clients and my business benefit from this powerful publicity tool. By studying her market and following the advice here and the rest of this blog, your friend will soon get an idea of what the media is looking for — and how to deliver it.

It needn’t be time-consuming or difficult, either. I began distributing my own articles online a number of years ago, and qualified prospects are still coming to me through my articles today.

Stretch the String & Generate Revenue

It’s a really great way of getting and keeping your name in front of your prospect list or target audience. I will be covering this in a future blog post.

Another route for your friend to try is forming alliances with other entrepreneurs in her field. It doesn’t have to be a big network, a group of three can easily work. The point is for each person to agree to refer newspaper reporters to each other whenever they get approached about a topic on which they all could comment.

She should also consider social media. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter offer free platforms to increase her reach to prospective customers — either locally or internationally. More about that here.

Finally, online business-networking sites such as Ecademy and LinkedIn can be great promotion tools. They’re a fantastic way of searching for contacts, too. The key here is to be authentic and offer value in some way.

I urge your friend to try at least one of the above methods to rustle up brand recognition. And remind her that, at the end of the day, generating publicity and new business on a budget all boils down to three things:

Finally, to read what I think of advertising for small businesses, read this previous blog post.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Powerhouse Publicity (how to profit from the media and get FREE publicity) shares the insider secrets of how to 
come up with newsworthy ideas for press releases, how to build your own personalised media list, and catch the attention of busy reporters who are sniffing out stores about new trends, products, brands and more: http://tinyurl.com/2ybj89

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2006-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.

================================

Do you ever feel just a little bit jealous of the ‘big names’ such as Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Michael Port, all of whom are enjoying ‘the rich life’ thanks to all those passive income streams?

What’s their secret? Well, they all know their target markets inside out . . . and they all put a huge amount of effort into building and maintaining strong relationships with their audience.

That’s what a publishing an effective e-newsletter is all about…

Most people agree that producing an email newsletter has been the single best thing they have ever done for their business. One of my clients saw her sales increase by more than 350% when she started to publish an email newsletter — aka ezine — and many others have reaped similar rewards.

But that doesn’t mean all newsletters work, of course. In fact, many simply don’t deliver . . .  and never will.

After rewriting and critiquing a wide variety of customer, business-to-business and employee newsletters, here are the top five common mistakes that I have come across over the years, and more importantly, how to correct those problems.

1. Not setting — and sticking to — a schedule. A lot of newsletters fall through the cracks because people underestimate just how much effort and time can go into producing them. So the promised weekly newsletter becomes a monthly. Then its delivery gets later and later. Soon, it suddenly stops, only to be sent another after an unannounced four-month hiatus.

Ad-hoc newsletter marketing simply does not work. You will lose credibility with your readers if you don’t stick to your schedule. Most will lose interest in you altogether.

Needless to say, it’s imperative that you keep your commitment to your subscribers. Furthermore, for any ezine to succeed — that is, if it is to generate leads and ultimately sales  — you have to make it a priority. That includes publishing it on time, all the time.

BIG TIP: There’s no point scheduling a weekly ezine if you don’t have the resources to meet do so, or if pulling out all the stops means you’re going to produce a weak or ineffective newsletter. I’d suggest working out how long it takes you to write a couple of issues before you commit to a dedicated schedule.

2. Forgetting your readers. I’ve seen heaps of e-newsletters that are little more than one big pitch fest, or that keep boring readers with ‘we platitudes’ (”We offer unique, innovative solutions…” or “We have the biggest range of…” and so on) or ‘pseudo-news’ about the new member of the accounting team or the latest office day out. This is the kind of egocentric prattle we tune out from during face-to-face conversations. So you can imagine how busy the ‘delete’ key is going to be if you carry on sending out such dribble in your ezines.

The stark truth is that your readers are not really interested in you. Sure, they won’t mind hearing some of your news, but they certainly don’t want to be ignored.

Everything in your newsletter must answer the questions: “How is this relevant to my readers?” and “Why will this benefit them?”. Show readers that you DO care about them and that you have their best interests at heart by providing useful or interesting targeted content. Content that they actually want to read.

3. No compelling reason or incentive to sign up. When I first started producing newsletters, it was possible to simply put a “Sign up to my ezine” box on a website or post a message in a forum and have 100 people sign up.

Unfortunately, that stopped working a few years ago.

Today, you have to work harder at getting people interested in what you have to offer. One idea to try is dedicating an entire web page to actively encourage people to give you their email address in exchange for some form of incentive. Don’t forget to tell people WHY they should sign up and HOW they will benefit.

4. Ignoring the first rule of all marketing: Keep it simple. Too much waffle, too many sections, too much advertising, too much complicated content, too many changes from issue to issue… these are deadly sins in the world of ezine publishing.

Some of the best ezines I’ve come across are nothing more than singe-topic articles, around 700-1,000 words in length.

I recommend you start off with 90% valuable content (practical tips, useful resources, interesting stories) and include just 10% promotional material — where you toot your own horn — and work up to 25% sales copy, no more.

5. Ineffective subject lines. In order to get read in the first place, the words you’ve chosen for your subject line have to get past the spam filters. So be careful not to use too many words and symbols that are likely to be caught (including too many exclamation marks and words such as “special”).

Once it has passed the spam test and arrived in the recipient’s inbox, the job of your subject line is to get your reader to open your ezine. Incorporate a specific benefit that will pique your subscribers’ interest and motivate them to read the issue. Be as provocative as you can.

For example, one of my recent subject lines was “How The X Factor Can Help Your Business” — it proved to be one of the top subject lines I’ve ever used, garnering an impressive 72% open rate.

That’s not to say you can go wild with the subject line, making up fantastical offers if they don’t exist! It must accurately reflect the theme of or what’s inside the issue.

Put these tips to use in your next newsletter and you’ll have one that is friendly, non-intrusive, thought provoking, informative, capable of building a sustained relationship with your readers and, above all, leads to more business.

Adapted from “Newsletters that Build Customer Relations AND Fill Your Inbox with Orders” — http://bit.ly/6NYZGT

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Online marketing not getting the results you want? 
Let Tracey teach you how to produce PPC ads, blogs and email 
copy that impresses the spam filters AND your readers: http://tinyurl.com/ywyucg

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2010-12 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include.

Picture by ‘pedjami’ via stock.xchng

As this is my first post of 2012, I have to officially say … HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that this year proves to be the happiest and most successful year yet…

With a new year ahead of us, now is the perfect time to re-evaluate your business and mark out areas for improvement. In terms of your advertising and marketing copy, that could mean giving it a boost with a re-vamp. Sometimes, the smallest changes can yield the biggest results.

As for other areas, this week’s article may help. It’s the second part of an old favourite and you can find it here.

I hope you enjoy reading it, and please do post any questions in the comments box below … or, indeed, any other insights that may help other readers. Thank you.

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include.

For this week’s main article, I want to turn back the clock to a feature I originally wrote for MediaMinister’s newsletter, Communiqué for Success. Although a few years have passed since, it is still as relevant now as it was then.

The two-part article takes a look at ten of the major lessons learned in marketing, and how they can help ANY entrepreneur or business-owner when the calendar turns to the next year.

You can read part one here.

I hope you enjoy reading it, and please do post any questions in the comments box below … or, indeed, any other insights that may help other readers. Thank you.

================================
Add my RSS feed to your reader now so you never have to miss a post.
================================

Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include.