MarketingMoment

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.

Picture via stock.xchng

Whenever I tell people what I do, the word ‘copywriting’ typically draws a blank face. If I follow up with the words “writing marketing and advertising material” there’ll be a flicker of recognition. Yet copywriting is a much, much bigger area, covering a large and rather impressive range of communications, including, but by no means limited to:

• advertorials
• annual reports
• brochures
• ebooks
• ezines
• fundraising materials
• marketing materials, such as flyers, invitations, posters, etc
• press releases
• radio or TV scripts
• sales letters
• speeches
• web pages
• and more.

Put simply, copywriting is the CRAFT of writing advertisements, direct-response sales letters and other communications used to promote, market, and sell products and services. It’s about motivating customer action through (usually, written) words.

Essentially, copywriting involves the process of turning words into cash. Selling your product or service through effective language. Online, it’s the equivalent of your best salesman. Your ’shop front’, if you like.

So it is certainly worthwhile getting to know all about copywriting (or at least the basics) so you can determine whether or not you are clearly communicating the VALUE of your product or service.

Whatever form it takes, copy has two traits:

1. The author of the piece remains anonymous (there is no “by” anyone to be seen).

2. The language used attempts to persuade the reader to do, feel, or believe something. It’s writing that gets things done: making sales, building leads, stimulating interest . . . and so on.

What’s this got to with you? Put simply, copywriting is one of the most expensive skills any solopreneur or business can outsource. And, worryingly, not all copywriters are created equal: I often get asked to work my magic on copy that a client had previously paid someone else to write in the first place.

With good copywriting, however, anyone can make a connection with their customers or potential customers. A connection that ultimately results in improved business performance.

And the best part?

You can do it yourself. You don’t have to be a great writer to write or identify great copy. And when you can recognise powerful copy you are able to get your message noticed, read and responded to.

That said, you will need a firm grip on the proven copywriting principles in order to write copy that is customer-oriented and customer-motivating.

Here then are some copywriting tips to get you started:

1. Before you write one single word of copy it’s essential that you define your product or service. This is so that you can appropriately appeal to and connect with your target audience. You do this by listing all the features and benefits of what it is you’re selling or offering, and then focusing on a one or several of the strongest ones.

2. Headlines sell. That’s a fact. So make sure you include a strong headline, and write it from your prospective customer’s point of view, not your own.

3. Make ample use of one of the most magical words you can use in advertising, marketing, promotional, or web copy . . . the word “you”.

4. Avoid ‘patting self on the back’ copy at all costs.

5. Ideally, your copy should address at least one of the six main human ‘motivators’: duty, gain/greed, love, pride, self-indulgence, and self-preservation.

6. Make sure you answer the WIIFM proposition. No matter how diplomatically you put it, there’s only question that your readers will be interested in: “What’s in it for me?” Or, rather, what’s in it for your reader? Why should your readers listen to you? Successfully answering that question can go a long way toward establishing a positive relationship, and help get your copy read — and acted upon.

7. Use specific, powerful and — most important of all — genuine customer testimonials (make sure you get permission first) to back up your claims.

8. Use the active rather than passive voice. In other words, make your subject do things rather than have things done to him or her. The copy reads more dynamically that way.

9. Follow the AIDA rule: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.

10. Overlook the grammar rules you learned at school. Instead, use sentence fragments, split infinitives, and contractions to make your copy more conversational in tone.

11. Don’t forget the ‘call to action’ – what do you want the reader to do after reading your copy? Ask! Better still, tell them.

So there you have it: As well as dramatically reducing your marketing costs, being able to recognise the fundamentals of effective copy will help ensure your message is something that prospects will want to read . . . and ACT upon.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Want More Detailed Step-by-Step Help, With Examples You Can Model? See my quick-start audio programme, “Better Writing Skills 101 - Write Your Way to Blockbuster Results and BOOST Business to Boot“: 

http://snipr.com/10sq8m

(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

Want to use this tip (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 also runs KingfisherCopy.co.uk. She has spent 18-plus years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertain. 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

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

Picture by ’snigl3t’ via Flickr

Some of my clients originally came to me courtesy of their competitors! They knew the competition were doing something really well with their marketing and advertising, but didn’t know how.

Having spoken with them and researched the competition, it quickly became clear that they hired copywriters.

Hiring a professional wordsmith has been shown time and time again to be a wise investment. Dozens of companies — including Lastminute.com, Independent Newspapers, NEC, IPC Media, Holland & Barrett, Centaur Communications, National Magazine Company and FilmFour — certainly think so. And who am I to tell you any differently? I’d soon be out of work if I did!

So, have you ever hired a copywriter? Do you really need to? Yes!

All businesses – no matter what size or type – have ongoing communication needs. Think of staff newsletters, press advertisements, website content, news releases and a number of other written materials. These are all communication vehicles used to best reach targeted audiences, whether made up of your employees, partners, customers or prospective clients.

When it’s wise to bring in the professionals

“Yes, but I know how to write,” you’re thinking.

That’s great, but do you have the time? (Good, effective writing is time consuming and labour intensive.) Can you really be bothered? (You want to be free to concentrate on what you’re best at.) Even if you could, do you have the necessary skill sets to communicate your company’s message effectively to its target markets?

Let’s face it, you wouldn’t expect someone without a medical background to operate on you. A copywriter is an expert at using words to position your business favourably.

During one summer, I got a call from a client. He’s absolutely fantastic at what he does but admits he’s not writer. Even so, he reckoned he knew enough about his own product to give writing his sales brochure a shot. He called to ask me to “give it a quick once-over” and make sure there were no typos. There were a few misspellings. That didn’t worry me too much. What did was the fact that, while he had included his company’s core messages, it was all very confusing. After a re-write, he agreed that the brochure was much easier to understand.

Make the right kind of splash

Most freelance copywriters work in varying industries. However, that’s not as important as their main speciality: persuasion through language. They do more than produce copy that merely informs; they analyse the way people are in today’s changing global marketplace and craft your message in such a way that it really makes a splash. In turn, that gets the attention and sustained interest of the audience you wish to reach and prompts buyers to do just that – buy.

Even if you do get your reader’s initial interest, this age of information overload and heightened scepticism means you have to work harder to bypass the “Why should I care?” and “Yeah, right!” objections that your target markets will share. That’s where a copywriter comes in handy.

When you hire a copywriter, not only are you paying him or her to write – you are paying her to think how she can overcome any potential problems. She’ll use a selection of proven techniques that appeal to the emotions without hype so that your copy gets real results. The desirable kind that can help your business grow.

Perhaps the best thing is that you can use and pay for copywriting services only when you need them. The only time it isn’t cost-effective is when you don’t get results. Investing in a proven professional copywriter is an investment that should pay off not just once – but time and time again.

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

(C) 2007-11 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.

================================
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 via stock.xchng

In today’s economy, when marketing budgets are tight, most people are looking more closely at return on investment (ROI). One tool that has consistently surpassed other channels in terms of ROI is email marketing.

“But hasn’t social media well and truly stolen email’s thunder,” you ask. Not quite. And if you have scaled down or are thinking of abandoning your email marketing efforts, then you should think again. Email marketing is here to stay…

According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2010 Email Marketing Benchmark Report, the channel remains effective for organisations of all kinds, with an overall average UK open rate of 17.98 per cent and a click-through rate of 3.56 per cent.

Not only is email one of the — if not THE — most cost-effective marketing methods, it also provides unparalleled reporting. This means it’s easy to work out what works and what doesn’t, and makes establishing the most effective tactics for any given offer or audience an effortless task. Which goes a long way in explaining why leading companies around the globe still consider it as a top priority in their marketing plans.

Further Reading: Avoiding the ‘Delete’ Key: http://bit.ly/9qj0Wd

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

Not getting results? Let Tracey teach you how to write email copy that impresses the spam filters AND your readers: http://www.mediaminister.co.uk/products.htm#Online. Having trouble with converting visitors into buyers once they get to your website? Check out Website Copywriting Secrets that Convert Web Readers into BUYERS.

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert help and/or affordable mentoring and have fun attracting new business easily?)

(C) 2010-11 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.

================================
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 via stock.xchng

There’s no denying the ongoing obsession with social media. Love it or hate it, the social media movement has changed the way we shop, communicate and do business. It’s also expanded our online ‘reach’ — the number of people we connect with on a personal level (not to mention the speed at which a story can go viral on the web once it enters Twitter land). Some prononents even liken it to ‘the new TV’. But what about business? Is social media a viable business tool?

In one camp, there’s a resounding “yes!” You have to take control of your brand, supporters say, or someone else will do it for you. And that may not be in your best interests. The worst thing you want is for someone to be searching for a product or service that you provide, only to come across negative comments about you. So proponents of social media for business suggest using networks such as Facebook and Twitter to protect and boost your brand … and, at the same time, your search-engine rankings.

Other entrepreneurs and SMEs (small-to-medium enterprises) take a more cautious view. Some are watching from the shoreline to see how the social-media wave develops. Others lose no time in saying it’s a waste of time.

What it boils down to is this: social media WILL WORK for the right people in the right circumstances. And IF you’re going to make inroads, you’d better put in the effort. Not just in terms of learning as much as you can about your prospects, but taking the time to give them what they want and how best to deliver it via social networking. It’s a lot of work, but it can also be rewarding…

Last words: In all likelihood, your prospects are already visiting social-media giants such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. And if they’re not yet, the odds are that they soon will be. If your business does not have a presence on these platforms, you are missing some very valuable opportunities to connect, engage and build rewarding relationships with your target audience — let alone new markets. So it’s worth spending some time on social media, no matter how limited that may be. Finally, don’t forget to also consider other available marketing channels, including email marketing offline tools such as direct mail — these can work very well alongside social media … IF done correctly.

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

Need help with developing, executing or managing social -of-mouth marketing campaigns?
 Hop on over to my coaching page to bring your digital presence to life:

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

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert help and/or affordable mentoring and have fun attracting new business easily?)

(C) 2010-11 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.

================================
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 signs pointing to the country emerging from the recession, 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 survived the economic downturn.

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? Recent studies have shown that the adoption by businesses of social media has more than doubled over the past year. 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 three million ‘tweets’ or messages created every day and approximately nine million users, 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, Creative Consultant | Editor | Copywriter

(C) 2010 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved
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?)

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.

================================
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.

(This is the second part of a two-part article, which I originally published in my ezine last year but is still relevant today. If you missed part one, you can access it here.)

6. Email Marketing

Despite the increasing problem with spam, email marketing still works. In fact, 2010 will still see to it that no other marketing vehicle will be as powerful, efficient and inexpensive as a regular eZine (email newsletter).

When done well, an eZine keeps your name in front of your customers and prospective clients, is a great showcase of your expertise and works to build relationships and trust with them.

Some eZines are nothing more than blatant advertising, so try to include as much valuable information as you can. It might be as simple as a local massage therapist regularly sending out a one-page update of case studies or offers, or news on the complementary health industry. Make it a New Year’s resolution to start or improve your e-newsletter in 2010.

Further reading: “E-Newsletters: Where to Start” — http://bit.ly/3Q8ZGL

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

Aweber eZine Management — http://www.aweber.com/?212431

7. Web-Blog Synergy

Growth in e-commerce is leaping ahead of other sectors. According to figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online sales in July 2009 alone grew by 15.7% compared with the month before, and by 16.8% compared with a year ago.

This growth shows no signs of slowing down. So it’s vital that ALL businesses  have an online presence in order to get or remain competitive in today’s fierce marketplace. 
 Even a relatively simple website will do to begin with. Just something to get you online and that allows your potential customers, business partners, investors and employees to find out more about you quickly and easily.

The best websites integrate their website and their blog, the latter designed to keep the web presence ‘fresh’ and to update people on news, thoughts and ideas.

Further reading: “Is A Business Blog Worth It? — http://bit.ly/biz-blog

“Using Online Marketing to Your Advantage” — http://tinyurl.com/ywyucg

“Website Copywriting Secrets that Convert Web Readers into Buyers” — http://bit.ly/5UDTPR

8. Stress Benefits, Not Features

With all the companies and marketing messages out there claiming to have the best of X, Y and Z, you have to go that little bit further than most if you are to help people understand why they should buy YOUR product or service.

That means not turning features into benefits. By doing so you will position your business away from simply offering a commodity that everyone is presenting to delivering something special.

Further reading: “Are Your Benefits Featureless?’ — http://bit.ly/5jp5oj

9. Marketing is NOT Negotiable

We all know that well-managed companies are the survivors in any climate. They know how to pull through any recession or economic dip, and often come out stronger than the rest.

One of the most valuable lessons to be learned in lean times is that we need to be marketing more thoroughly and more smartly than ever before. After all, people will always need advice and services and products — regardless of what the economy might be doing.

As the study “Turning Adversity into Advantage: Does Proactive Marketing During a Recession Pay Off?”, shows organisations that a) value marketing, b) feature a corporate culture that rewards risk-taking, and c) are willing to up the ante on marketing efforts are those who come out on top.

“The firms that had all three characteristics did very well in a recession. But firms that are missing any one of them, they’re in trouble,” says Dr Gary Lilien, one of the report’s authors.

Marketing is something that ALL businesses absolutely must invest in if they wish to remain in business now … and in the future.

Further reading: “Turning Adversity into Advantage: Does Proactive Marketing During a Recession Pay Off?” — http://bit.ly/8REmTN

10. The Unexpected

Under promise and over deliver, that’s become my business motto. And it works. Good hotels leave guests chocolates on their pillow. Exceptional hotels will leave an eye mask or something equally useful and unexpected. These more thoughtful and imaginative hotels will gain by attracting customers that are fiercely loyal because they know the hotel has their desires and best interests at heart.

Over-delivering is quite simply the number one way to stand head and shoulders above your competition, and grow your business, to boot.

As well as providing excellent products and support to my clients and customers, I try to always go the extra mile. For instance, a regular client recently contacted me at 5pm on a Friday to see if I could fit in a small copywriting project over the weekend. It didn’t take me long at all, and the client was more than grateful. Yes, I do work typical business hours and I could have charged overtime and rush fees, but nurturing a strong client relationship — and repeat business — is worth a lot more to me.

I hope that some of my marketing insights will become your marketing practices for 2010 and beyond. Why not implement one or two today? You might find they transform your business for the better.

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

Psssst . . .  Not sure where to start? 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 affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2009-10 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved 

Want to use this article 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 the following:

Tracey Dooley of MediaMinister (www.mediaminister.co.uk) is an experienced copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. =====> 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.

The following article is one that I first wrote last year for my ezine subscribers, but is as relevant now as it was then.  So I thought I’d post it here. I hope you enjoy it!

.    .    .

As the decade draws to an end, every publisher and producer is turning their head towards the “top ten of ” … well, everything, it seems — films, books, TV shows, gadgets, it all makes for a good top ten list. Everything, it seems, but the top ten marketing insights for business.

So here are my top ten for 2010. They come from some of the insights I’ve had or come across about marketing to date that I believe will still be just as influential for your business in 2010.

1. Social Media

Hoping to become firm favourites with their target audiences, a lot of brands jumped on the LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter bandwagon that rolled in and has since dominated cyberspace over the past few years. The problem is, despite their keenness and swiftness, they really didn’t invest enough time or resources to leverage either one. Worse, some businesses chose to ignore social media altogether. Big mistakes…

For these Web 2.0 tools are here to stay — at least until they’re replaced by Web 3.0 or something even more sophisticated. With that in mind, savvy marketers will make the most of them by building direct relationships and developing conversations with the very people they want to reach. Not only that, they will make sure they are being as authentic and credible as possible by being prepared to listen, share information or valuable resources and respond fairly quickly.

Further reading: “Reach a Wider Audience With Less Effort” – http://bit.ly/4BLXkA

2. Joint Ventures

One of the best ways to market a business — especially if you’re just starting out — is to set up joint ventures (JVs). This is where you partner with other businesses to sell your services or products to their customers or prospects.

There are two main ways of doing JVs: a) let your JV partners introduce what you’re selling to their customers for a set price, or, b) let them join your affiliate programme and earn commission for each service or product sold through them.

(PS Tried-and-tested JV Programme coming in 2010)

3. Honesty

Over recent years, there have been more and more ‘tell-all’ consumer-created TV shows and websites, thus signalling a new era of honesty and transparency.

By being authentic in everything you do or say, always delivering what you promise, being upfront about the small print and being as genuine and good to your word as you can, your customers are more likely to sing your praises, rather than badmouth you. Therefore, your reputation will grow and so will your market share. And, as Comcast found out, honesty can even transform a PR nightmare into an industry-leading customer service.

Further reading: http://comcastmustdie.com

http://twitter.com/comcastcares

4. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

A lot of freelancers, entrepreneurs and businesses don’t have a system for determining which prospects would turn out to be good clients and which ones would not.  Others simply cast their net too wide. Rather than focusing on a niche or core client base, they are trying to be everything to everyone. This kind of marketing hardly ever works in your favour.

If clients are less than ideal, chances are they will end up draining your energy, productivity and overall enjoyment. So set up a system for recognising the warning signs of ‘toxic clients’ — it will save you time, energy and resources in the long run.

Further reading: “Engage the ‘Right’ Clients & Watch Your Business Grow” – http://bit.ly/8sGPDb

“Stop Working With Deadbeats! Attract IDEAL Clients & Knock Out The Competition Instead” toolkit — http://mediaminister.co.uk/products.htm

5. It’s Not What You Sell it’s the Way that You Sell It

How a business sells to consumers is just as important as what is being sold — indeed, it is more significant than ever before.

With today’s consumer more firmly in the purchasing driving seat, advertisers and marketers alike are having to change the way they communicate their message.

What sets apart a business in today’s shifting landscape boils down to one thing: Does the marketing message identify and appeal to customer ‘hot buttons’? That is, is what you are saying likely to trigger your prospect’s hidden psychological buying triggers?

You have to truly understand your target market. You need to know what makes them tick … what makes them buy. And then you use proven methods to ethically turn casual browsers into qualified leads and buyers.

Further reading: “From Cold to Hot - How ‘Buttons’ Can Drive Up Sales Like Nothing Else” – http://bit.ly/75mVvf

TO BE CONTINUED … Catch Part 2 in the next Issue!

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

Psssst . . .  Not sure where to start? 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 affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients easily?) 

(C) 2009 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved 

Want to use this article 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 the following:

Tracey Dooley of MediaMinister (www.mediaminister.co.uk) is an experienced copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 18 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertains. =====> To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD  and sign up for her freebie business-building tips, marketing and publicity pointers, visit 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.

Picture by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

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.

================================
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.