MarketingMoment

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

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Have you ever heard of a lazy rhetorical question? I think perhaps we all have.

The primary purpose of rhetorical questioning is to make a certain point, and then to allow the reader to ponder the thought or reasoning rather than providing an answer.

But the chances are that reader will submit an answer — and it may be considerably different to the one you were hoping to elicit.

People often ask empty rhetorical questions. They’re commonly used to hide the fact that a point hasn’t been made. This is, to me, lazy prose and almost forces the audience to do all the hard work.

Do we need more rhetoric? If you really must use rhetorical questions in your advertising and marketing, it’s useful to attempt to answer them somewhere in your copy.

If you can’t, then it makes sense to express the point you’re trying to make in the indicative.

Now, how does that sound to you?

Clear enough, hopefully. If not, let me know…

(C) 2011 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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Copywriting master John Carlton is renowned for obsessing over every single word he writes, especially when it comes to headlines, which are key to any marketing campaign’s success.

Is he paranoid about using the wrong word? No. Just smart. Because it can take just one word change here and there to boost the responsiveness of your advertising or marketing efforts –– doubling, tripling or even quadrupling your sales or opt-ins.

Professional copywriters know this and, in order to truly understand what makes consumers ‘tick’, will therefore test their headlines, pre-heads, lead sentences and paragraphs, etc, in the market place. Of course, a good copywriter will only test one change or ‘variable’ at a time.

If you’re not testing your copy, and that includes website content as well as ‘offline’ copy, then you should be. Start by making small improvements to your copy today, and then test each variable to see which pulls best.

By Tracey Dooley, Copywriter | Creative Consultant

Mind a Blank? Pushed for Time? Lost for Words? Try Tracey Dooley at MediaMinister: 

http://www.mediaminister.co.uk

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

(C) 2007-11 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved

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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

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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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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.

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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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“I have all the marketing books and info but still have a problem in the actual ‘doing’ — I still struggle to create that perfect ad/leaflet/flyer…”  

If this sounds like you, then you may be encouraged to hear you are not alone. Judging by the emails in my Inbox, it’s a common concern. So what are you supposed to do?

The Perfect Ad Does NOT Exist

Well, first I’d say it is important to understand there is NO such thing as the ‘perfect’ ad/leaflet/flyer/blog post. (In fact, when pushed, I’d go so far as saying NOTHING is perfect.) Even the most successful copywriters and marketers don’t always hit bull’s eye with their first attempt. Some have produced outright failures. Many more than once.

The thing to remember is that even professional copywriters are continually tweaking and testing their copy. After all, it really is the ONLY way to ensure they are left with the best possible draft.

I myself might go through several drafts before I think I’m on to a winner. And that’s before I’ve even thought about testing the copy. (You DO test your campaigns, don’t you?!) 

Why Perfectionism Could Be Your Worst Enemy 

Eugene Delacroix once said:“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” 

In other words, if you’re always trying to make your book perfect, you’ll never get it published.

Okay, my hands are firmly up in the air. I AM a self-confessed perfectionist. At least, I am for 99% of the time (I somehow manage to relax and be easier on myself for the remaining 1%). The thing is, I’ve learned (the hard way) that spending hours choosing the best words only to go back and substitute them out of fear they are not good enough does nothing for my confidence levels, let alone my business. So I’ve had to appreciate that, just as time is of the essence, perfectionism is a fool’s game. 

I’m NOT saying writing any old tosh will do. Just try not to be so hard on yourself the first time round. A first draft is just that; a first draft. You shouldn’t expect to have to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ with an initial attempt. To be successful, marketing copy needs to be slowly baked, and then tested and reworked — again and again until it hits the right spot. The idea is to get something … ANYTHING written down, rather than nothing at all.

I know this because, as I’ve said, I’ve been guilty of staring at a few blank pages myself. And I know only too well that perfectionism is closely related to procrastination (oh, and how I have mastered the art of the latter, too!). 

It is sad to think of just how long it took me to realise that it’s more productive to aim for ‘good’ and then aim for ‘better’, rather than trying to produce from the outset THE perfect marketing piece or article or whatever it was I was working on at the time.

If you worry about being perfect in everything you do, you will NEVER get round to the part that counts: Attracting new customers and making actual sales. 

So forget about creating the ‘perfect’ ad/leaflet/flyer/blog post, and instead strive for completion. Your business will thank you for it.

Here’s something to try from today onwards: 

1. Set aside time each week for tackling your marketing collateral. For example, Friday afternoons.

2. Keep this time free of any distractions. Close your email program and let the answer machine take your calls. 

3. Buy a timer and give yourself exactly three hours to work on your ad/leaflet/flyer/blog. It can be less, but no more.

4. Once your time is up. Stop. Then give yourself permission to forget about that piece of copy until next week. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t finished. It’s a ‘work in progress’. You can finish it next week. And if it IS a complete draft, put it aside for a few days and then re-read it for sense and errors. 

At the end of the day, it’s about not allowing perfectionism to trap or hold you back from working toward your marketing goals. Take a shot and do the best you can. It may not be ‘perfect’ but I’m sure it’s more than good enough. Even if it isn’t just yet, you can always fine tune things later on — when you will have constructive feedback from your customers, say, and thus more information to work with.

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

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

http://bit.ly/BizWriting101

(Why struggle needlessly when you can get expert help and/or affordable mentoring and have fun attracting clients 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.

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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.
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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.