MarketingMoment

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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.

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The run-up to the holiday season is a perfect time to say thank you to your business prospects, current and past customers, suppliers and associates for their custom and support.

Seeing as though we all liked to be appreciated (I do!), why not send an email, a letter, an online or offline greeting card and acknowledge the people that have made a difference in your life and business?

If you’re feeling particularly flush and want to jump straight into that ‘giving’ mode, up the ante and send a ‘thank you’ note along with a gift.

And, while it may seem a little early, I’d still like to ’say’ a big thanks to all my clients, blog readers, Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections and Twitter followers – I really do appreciate your support.

(C) 2011 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

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The holidays are nigh upon us. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet (smug? Moi? Actually, I haven’t managed to get it all done. Still a few bits and pieces to get yet. Heyelp!)? If not, for last-minute gifts for people anywhere in the world you can’t beat ‘flexi’ vouchers. Click here to read more: http://tinyurl.com/y2cfce. 

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You own a business. You want it to succeed (hopefully!). Your competitors (and there are plenty of them, mark my word) are constantly fighting for a share of the same market niche. And it’s getting tougher out there . . . So how do you ensure that YOUR products or services stay in the limelight?

The following article is one that I first wrote several years ago, but is as relevant now as it was then. It shows you how to get the ‘X factor’ for your business. Something that’s increasingly important in an increasingly tough business landscape. I hope you enjoy - and benefit from - reading it.

* * * * * * * * * *

This weekend I couldn’t help but turn on the TV set just in time to watch the inaugural episode of the latest series of The X Factor (I know, I know, but I am sure there is a hidden alto in me!). When one crushed hopeful stood on the stage and listened to what Simon Cowell had to say about his performance, I, well cringed more than usual.

This heartbroken contestant had just been told to jack it in. He’d tried out on another popular signing contest about six years prior, where he’d met then-fellow contestant and and most recent The X Factor judge Cheryl Cole. He didn’t make it then, either.

She, on the other hand, went on to join one of the world’s most successful girl band ever, Girls Aloud. And now this unfortunate chap was told that while he can sing OK, he simply does not have the ‘X factor’.

So what is that elusive ‘X factor’ and how it can help you attract more clients (and sales) to your business?

A Starring Role For Business?

On the hit TV show, it refers to a rare something extra that can’t be manufactured or bought. It’s that elusive, likeability ’star’ quality possessed by only a few . . . something that draws us to them . . . and takes them to the very top of their careers.

How does this apply to business (and, more importantly, YOUR business)?

Well, most of us have heard about the mysterious ‘X factor’ that will take our businesses to the next level. We all have one, whether we know it or not. There is something unique about each and every one of us, and each and every business.

You just have to discover what it is.

And there’s the rub. Most marketing managers and business owners do not know what it is about their business that makes it stand apart. They never find that elusive ‘X factor’.

Who Cares?

When I asked one of my mentoring clients, a life coach, why her business was different to the plethora of other life-coaching organisations, she replied: “I care. That’s what makes me special.”

Clearly, she’s very passionate about what she does, but like I said: “All life coaches care about their clients. That’s the very nature of what they’re about.”

“No, but you don’t understand, I REALLY care about my clients!” she retorted.

In the end, we worked out her USP (unique selling proposition) and she went on to attract not only more clients, but also more of the type of clients she prefers to work with.

Stand Apart From the Competition

Also known as the ‘point of difference’, the USP was coined by Rosser Reeves in the 1950s and later made popular by marketing genius Jay Abraham. It points to what it is about what your business, product or service that makes you stand out from your competitors.

Like it or not, every business has competition. So it goes without saying that it is incredibly important to your bottom line to be able to stand head and shoulders above them and offer your clients something that they don’t.

Everyone can ‘cold-brew’ beer. But the first company to offer ‘ice’ brews stood out - and made a small fortune, to boot.

What They Really, Really Want

What about you? Why should people choose YOU over your competitors? Worse, what if there really is nothing that differentiates you from everyone else — what do you do, then?

To get your USP, think about what it is about your product or service that makes your customers’ lives infinitely better. And if that’s too difficult, think about what your customers really, really want.

For the life coach I mentioned earlier, the majority of her clients wanted lasting, positive change. Some of them wanted to change careers. Others wanted to get out of a relationship rut. And still others wanted to take control of their finances.

Once you have pinpointed your customers’ ultimate wants or needs, you simply tie that into your USP. For example, if you’re a search engine-optimisation specialist, your clients would obviously want to achieve top-ranking results for their businesses or websites in the search engines. And let’s say you can not only help them do that, but can also prove you’ve helped clients achieve a number one spot on the biggest search engine, Google, in a few weeks. So your USP could be: “Getting you the #1 spot on Google in just 2 weeks.”

When you have honed your own ‘X factor’ — ideally boiled down to one short, compelling sentence — be sure to use it in ALL your advertising and marketing materials, including on your website, and also when you introduce your business to people. As well as being a powerful marketing tool, your USP will help create a brand in your prospects eyes - IF it is used often enough.

One final thought: Offer that all-important proof whenever possible . . . and ALWAYS deliver on any promises made with your USP.

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 help and/or affordable mentoring and have fun accelerating your sales through credibility?)

(C) 2008-11 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

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Do you believe that Carlsberg is “probably the best lager in the world”? I mean REALLY believe it? Probably not. I’m not sure I do, either. But then, truth be told, my opinion is worthless, considering I don’t drink lager, or beer for that matter.

OK, I get the joke. The “probably the best” line — first used in the 1970s and evolving in many different directions over the years — is saying that Carlsberg drinkers are successful but enjoy having a laugh at themselves. Some would say that the slogan is taking a swipe at the advertising industry as a whole.

But, as refreshing as the original slogan is, it’s a difficult claim to substantiate.

If you are going to make a bold statement such as Carlsberg’s, then surely you need to have a product that’s good enough to back it up. This, however, is a major flaw in Carlsberg’s slogan. My other, better half — a fairly keen lager drinker — is adamant that Carlsberg is NOT the best lager in the world. He doesn’t really like it. Plenty others agree, he assures me, preferring the likes of Stella, Becks, Grolsch and, for the flat and malty beer brews, Hoegaarden and Erdinger Hefe.

Feel the Difference

Consider another outlandish claim: “The best a man can get”; can you tell what it is yet?  ;0) 

Apart from putting on a blindfold and seeing if you can feel the difference between Gillette’s twin-blade swivel-head razor and, say, the equivalent from Wilkinson Sword (er, blindfolded? No thanks! Imagine the agony of all those razor cuts!), one has to guess that Gillette is simply using its market dominance to fudge over the fact that it really isn’t the best a man can get. (Is it?!)

I’d have thought a new Ferrari might arguably have the edge for most men. But not according to Gillette. Nope, give your nearest and dearest a good shave any day of the week. Even if he does prefer another brand of disposable plastic razor.

Spread the (Believable) Word

So, would YOU get away with such blatant cheek? I’m willing to bet “no”.

For a start, you’re unlikely to be the market leader in your field. (Yet.) And I’d wager that you’d rather stick the razor in your right eye than spend countless millions advertising on an ‘airless’ claim.

So you’re left with only one choice: Show your target market PROOF of how your product or service will benefit them. Provide evidence such as facts and figures, awards, testimonials, case studies and so on. You do NOT have to have millions or thousands to do this effectively. Crikey, you can even get away with a shoestring budget and make an impact . . . while maintaining your credibility.

In the 21st century, cynicism is running at all-time high. Your prospective customers are not going to believe that you have the “best” this or the “greatest” that unless you can walk your talk. Really, they are not. Not on face value, in any case.

Show, Don’t Tell

A client recently told me that her company is the “Number one choice for offering financial advice.”

“Great!” I said, with an obvious air of flippancy. “Now prove it.” (I’m a LOT nicer than this makes me sound. Really. See my client feedback, if you don’t believe me!)

When I was a journalism student, my tutor used to repeatedly say that the key to a great story was “show, don’t tell”. After all, anyone can promise the best quality, service and reliability day in, day out. But your prospects won’t believe it until they either experience it firsthand or are shown evidence of some kind.

The best writers are able to get their readers to ’see’ the story, as if a personal movie was running in the reader’s mind. Authors don’t state that the main character was afraid, for example, but instead show through description the sheer terror running through the character. This same principle can be applied to advertising and marketing.

Think carefully about the messages you are sending to your prospects. And always, always back up your claims with benefit statements, testimonials, pictures of your product in action, quotes or stats from scientific-research studies and more ‘proof’ elements.

Be ruthless — push yourself hard: Be a “yeah, yeah, right” sceptic when you read every single sentence of your marketing message (and certainly BEFORE you send it out to prospects). What can you change to make your copy almost impossible to refute?

Any business can strengthen its advertising or marketing efforts by improving the credibility of what is being said or implied. And doing so doesn’t have to cost the equivalent of a fleet of yachts. Simply foster confidence in your prospective customers’ minds and the world is your oyster. Probably. ;0)

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

If you’re not sure how to create your most compelling offer or marketing message in the first place, then now is the time to take action. As well as offering worksheets and home-study tools, I can give you profit-multiplying advice and pointers on things you can do straight away to attract new business with my Powerfully Effective Marketing sessions. 

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert help from a seasoned copywriter?)

(C) 2008-11 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

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AIDA is one of the most popular time-tested formulas used in writing winning ads, as well as any other piece of ‘responsive selling’ using the power of words. And that applies to both offline and online communications. The acronym stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, and it boils down to one over-riding principle: Every single word you pen MUST be relevant to your target audience if they are to take note of and identify with what you are saying. And particularly if you wish to take your business to a new level…

Here, then, are 12 top tips to getting it right:

1. While striking visuals do get attention, perhaps the best way to attract it is via a compelling headline — that’s the hook on which your overall message is pinned. Imagine you’re in the middle of a crowded, sold-out event of some kind. You spot someone you really need to get an important message to. They can’t hear you, of course. So you shout to get their attention: “Hey, Robert!” (Obviously, in real life, I only advise doing this IF it’s an emergency, else you’ll probably get a lot of cold stares from the crowd itself!) A headline is your online or in-print equivalent. Use it wisely.

2. Use benefits, offers, news, and so on to grab that all-important attention.

3. But don’t overdo it — you really need to come across as credible.

4. No matter how skilfully you gain your audience’s attention, the real test is sustaining that interest long enough to achieve the desired result. Begin to build interest by giving your readers a good reason for reading on, then hopefully they will. So again, you focus on the NEEDS of your audience in order to get that.

5. Reinforce the promise made in your headline, or tap directly into the emotions of your reader, to build interest.

6. Never underestimate the reader’s emotive response to your words. Choose them carefully. People don’t like to be sold. Whether you’re writing a sales letter, your classified ad or your website, don’t apply pressure. Avoid phoniness, too. And certainly never lie or rely on hype to do the selling. Instead, tempt your prospects by appealing to their feelings and desires.

7. Try to make each and every one of your readers feel as if you have written your message purely for their eyes — and benefit — only. Talk to them using “you” throughout — it’s actually one of the most important words that any business can use in direct-response copy.

8. Build desire by making your offer as irresistible as possible. Your readers can’t feel or touch your product like they can in a store, for example, so you have to communicate the VALUE of your offer. Tell them HOW they will benefit and what great things they’ll get for their money. Give them the big picture of what lies ahead. Draw them into the full experience. And always, always make sure you answer the question: “What’s in it for me?” (That’s your reader, not you!)

9. Testimonials, case studies, and statistics all help build the case for credibility, and therefore boost the desire for your product/service.

10. People are lazy — or, more so these days, easily distracted. You have to literally demand action. Make sure you spell out exactly what you want them to do next and HOW. Would that be to call you? Be sure to give them the number. Should they send off for a special report? Make it obvious why they should bother.  Tell them and convince them. And make sure it is easy to apply (common sense, really).

11. It’s a good idea to recap the key message and main benefits of what you’re offering before you end your copy.

12. Above all, make sure what you write is relevant and from the reader’s point of view.

By structuring the way you approach each piece of business or direct-response copy using Aunty AIDA as a guide, the less likely you’ll start with a bang and finish with a whimper. Try it, and see for yourself. Business might just thank you for it.

Adapted from Website Copywriting Secrets that Convert Web Readers into BUYERS.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

There’s always room for improvement. If you would like to improve your marketing ROI, get me to review your marketing material to add a bit of zing and power, or create copy that sells for you, just go to: http://www.mediaminister.co.uk/contact2.htm

(C) 2008 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article (or any article, tip or post on this blog) on your website, blog, a message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include copyright info above, along with the following:

Tracey Dooley is a freelance copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. Her expertise runs across many different sectors and her client list includes marketing agencies, a leading supplier of personal computers, semi-conductors and telecommunications equipment and the UK’s largest TV and interactive production company. =====>  www.mediaminister.co.uk.

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Do you sometimes struggle with your marketing? Or perhaps you’re at the stage where you need to increase the response of your advertising or your website?

Well, take a leaf from Socrates’ book (or clay tablet, as it was centuries ago)…

Socrates was perhaps the greatest master of persuasion. His tactic was to get people to agree with him, or concede their side of the argument, belief, or debate, by getting them to say “yes”. He would do this by asking questions that people would simply have to answer in the affirmative. And he’d do this over and over until they agreed with him!

How does this help you?

By getting your prospects to agree with your statements or questions, then each time they do they are one step closer to becoming a buyer.

Why not try this ‘Socrates Method’ in your advertising and marketing, and see what happens? Oh, and feel free to report any findings here.

(C) 2010-11 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

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Whether your company is still feeling the pinch of these brutal (and frankly confusing) economical conditions, or whether there are personal factors affecting your bottom line, one thing is certain: to succeed in business you have to keep on marketing.

Don’t market your products or services . . . and your business will fail. And that goes for ANY business in ANY economy.

Here are five low-cost ‘no-brainer’ marketing tools you can use right now to help break out of a sales slump and boost your revenue — and therefore your staying power. In fact, it’s a strategy that has been proven to work irrespective of which direction the economy is heading.

1. Reactivate ‘Stale’ Clients

It’s a well-known fact that it is 5-7 times more expensive to acquire a new client (or customer) than it is to get a repeat sale from an existing or even ex client. Yet still, business-owners are all too often so busy chasing new clients that they completely overlook what they already have: a gold mine of neglected sales. And even if they don’t ignore their former clients, most companies never properly implement or even consider a follow-up strategy.

There are numerous ways to  ‘mine’ lapsed clients. Here is one of the quickest and perhaps easiest methods:

Simply pick up the phone (or write to them, if you prefer) and ask how thing are going. Apologise for it being a while since you last were in contact. Check how they’re doing, and what’s going on with their business, etc.

The purpose of the call is NOT to sell your new product or ask for more work, but rather to remind them that you exist. You’ll be surprised how many ’stagnant’ clients will say, “Hey, while you’re here, I’ve got a need for…”

Don’t feel like contacting them? No problem! But you can be sure that when you are not talking to your former clients on a regular basis, your competition will be.

2. Have a Referral System

You’re probably like a lot of people; you think that as long as you do a good job, then you’ll get recommended. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Sure, you’re bound to receive a few referrals here and there, but to really leverage your good work, you have got to be more proactive and have a referral system in place.

The next time you finish a job (or deliver a great product) — and each time after that — pick up the phone or email your client and ask for a referral. (I know this can be hard, but the more frequently you do it, the easier it can get.) However, don’t use the R word itself: for many people the word “referral’ has negative connotations. Instead, simply ask, “Who else do you know that would be interested in my services/product?”

Another great way of generating more referral business is to give an incentive to compel customers to happily provide their friends and colleagues’ names and addresses to you. A gift certificate or a discount on future orders are two popular incentives.

It’s a good idea to personally thank people when they recommend you. They are more likely to remember your gesture, and will acknowledge the weight the referral carries. I usually send a thank-you note and a small gift.

3. Leverage F.R.E.E. Publicity

It’s difficult to beat public relations as a marketing tool. It’s free, believable (when your story is published in a newspaper, for example), gets you noticed, helps spread the word about you or your company, helps establish your identity, gives credibility and, best of all, it can generate quality leads.

Journalists and news reporters are always looking for good stories. So commit to writing at least one press release every month or so, and aim to get it published in places where your target audience is likely to see it (or hear it, if it’s a radio station). Sooner or later, your release will be picked up, and then it’s “Bingo” all the way!

The trick with getting your media release into newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations is to make sure they’re newsworthy or at least have an interesting hook, write a compelling headline that sums up the story AND grabs the reader’s attention in as few words as possible, use active verbs and stick to facts (no fluff allowed in the domain of news releases).

4. Hold a Prize Drawing

A great way to get noticed and generate new leads is to host a sweepstake or contest, with a prize that hits your ideal customer’s ‘hot buttons’. Make it desirable enough that people will play again and again, or invite others to play. Promotional materials such as T-shirts, mugs, bags or pens inscribed with your logo and web URL also help spread the word.

5. Give Something Back

Finally, be charitable. Sponsor an event — a local photography competition, for example — or a youth sports team (you could provide T-shirts for them with your logo on the back, for instance), or team up with one of your local charities and help with fund raising. All of these are terrific ways to position your company in a positive light in your community.

Variety is the Key

So whether you are suffering from a seasonal downturn in business or are feeling the consequences of the larger global economic meltdown, don’t let these valuable opportunities pass you by. Get going with one new tactic today and introduce another every month or so, if that’s what it takes. Just make a start! Your business will thank you for it in the long run.

By Tracey Dooley, Creative Consultant | PR Doctor | Marketing & Alliance Strategist

If you want to learn how to systematically implement a simple-yet-powerful reactivation strategy that adds 10-30% to your business profits with little time, money or effort on your part, and at absolutely no risk to you, then please get in touch for your no-obligation complimentary consultation by visiting my sister site: www.traceydooley.com

Please be aware that I am offering this service to just one company at this time. This company will learn just how easy it is to implement — and execute — this sustainable 2-step profit technique . . . and it WILL gain an incomparable competitive advantage. All places are on a first-come, first-served basis.

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

(C) 2009-2011 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

Want to use this article (or any article, tip or post on this blog) on your website, blog, a message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include copyright info above, along with the following:

Tracey Dooley is a freelance copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. Her expertise runs across many different sectors and her client list includes marketing agencies, a leading supplier of personal computers, semi-conductors and telecommunications equipment and the UK’s largest TV and interactive production company. =====>  www.mediaminister.co.uk.

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People do business with people (or ‘brands’) they like and trust, and social media provides the bridge between companies and consumers. But what are the other compelling reasons for using social media? Here are the top 10:

1. It allows you to reach your target market by simply engaging in the right conversations with the right people. This can be much more effective (and a heck of a lot cheaper) than advertising.

2. You can create and build relationships with people who might not otherwise know about your products or services.

3. At least half of Facebook and Twitter users admit to being more likely to do business with a brand that uses social media than one that doesn’t.

4. You can drive high-quality traffic to your homepage/blog/other online sites via call-to-actions, and SEO (the Google search engine loves Twitter updates.

5. It allows you to learn more about, and tap into the wisdom of, your market — which ultimately leads to better positioning and therefore sales.

6. You can listen AND respond to what’s being said about your business (and your competition).

7. Social media allows people to gain a better insight into the company persona - it makes you ‘real’ to consumers.

8. It’s a tool that your ‘fans’ can use to spread positive word of mouth about you.

9. Offering help and advice related to your area of expertise/your products in a spontaneous fashion gives you authority.

10. Because your customers and competitors are using it.

Originally published in the newsletter, Communiqué for Success!

Copyright, T L Dooley. All Rights Reserved.

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There really is no more effective sales clincher than the words of existing clients or customers. As well as boosting your sales, good, believable testimonials can bolster your credibility — an important factor in an increasingly cynical world.

Nine times out of ten, customer testimonials, or even positive feedback on Social Media sites such as Twitter, will outsell any fact, any other ‘proof’ factor or, indeed, hype.  It works on the idea that not only are you a business to be trusted, but also if everyone else is doing something (buying your products, enlisting your services…),  then others are going to want to do it as well.

If you are going to use other people’s praises for your marketing/promotion purposes, make you get permission first.

Another thing you may want to consider is to get testimonials in formats other than the written word. For example, people call a given telephone number and their feedback is recorded to be used as an audio clip. You can even video your clients when you meet up with them (with their permission, of course!) or ask them to video themselves and send you a copy. The idea here is to have testimonials that are as authentic as can be.

At the end of the day, testimonials form some of the most low-cost, high-impact ways to gain new business. So use them!

Copyright, T L Dooley. All Rights Reserved.

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