Get It In Writing

Same-old, same-old: Web writing mistakes we see over…and over…and over

2008-07-01T23:08:00.004-05:00

Mistake # 1: No-no Navigation

Navigation, in fact, must be so easy that visitors to your site shouldn’t even have to think about it. Your website navigation should immediately let someone know:

Where they are,

Where they’ve been,

Where they can go next,

How to get in touch with you, and

Where the home page is.

Mistake # 2: Putting existing print on your website.

No, no, no. Do not take your brochure, product catalog, employee manual, whatever and simply put it on-line. Printed materials don’t work on-line; they’re two totally different species. Wouldn’t you be annoyed if you read a brochure, had your interest piqued, logged on to the site and found the exact same copy there? I would…and am quite often!

Mistake # 3: Believing people care about you personally and your website.

In the final analysis, nobody truly cares about your site. That sounds horrible, but it’s true. What people want is a solution. They want their problems solved and they want to figure out in as few seconds as possible whether you’re the one to do it for them.

How to get your hands on a dose of marketing perspective?

2008-06-27T10:48:00.002-05:00

Here are my commandments on how to keep your eye on the big picture even as you are so focused on your own slice of the business world:

» Read, read, read. When it comes to your market, your industry and what you know, there is no such thing as too much information, too much knowledge.

» Know thy audience and know thy competitors. “Nuff said.

» Don’t be 24/7/365. Take time, schedule it if you need to, to focus on something not related to your business.

» Keep it humble. Don’t assume, talk to others, ask questions and always be prepared to change your mind and your plan.

» Be real. You’re important and what you do is important but there’s a whole world of important people and businesses and causes out there.

Got Marketing Perspective?

2008-06-23T12:30:00.002-05:00

You know when you’re so focused on something that you may lose sight of what it really is or of how important it really is (or isn’t) in the grand scheme of the world?

I got a great dose of perspective the other day. My 8-year-old daughter has an e-mail address. Her e-mail is included on this subscriber list. Recently, she received an e-mail with tips on blogs and blog writing.

She sent me back an e-mail that read like this: So….I guess BLOGS are IMPORTANT?????

That gave me a good laugh. It reminded me that while what I do is important, and, I like to think, helps others succeed, sell more, realize their dreams and learn something new as much as possible, the truth is, most of us aren’t finding the cure to cancer. We take ourselves seriously, as we should, but it’s just too seriously at times.

Taking a step back and drinking a big mug of perspective will make you much better and much more successful at what you do. So….remember….and this is very important: blogs are very IMPORTANT!!!

Market From A Position of Strength

2008-06-19T06:15:00.003-05:00

I was reading (re-reading, actually) a great book over the weekend: Soar With Your Strengths. It’s all about how our teachers, our bosses and we ourselves are often so focused on improving weaknesses and changing natural tendencies that we neglect to focus on what makes us great, unique and powerful: our strengths.

“The goal,” the book says, “is to manage weaknesses so that the strengths can be freed to develop and become so powerful they make the weaknesses irrelevant.” By focusing on real strengths, people, their teams and their businesses will excel in ways never before imagined. By focusing on weaknesses, you will constantly be trying to explain away, make excuses and be something you really aren’t.

The same can be said for your marketing efforts. All too often, I see so much time and effort spent on trying to be something you aren’t. Why focus on what your business does just OK or a niche that you really don’t own? Focus on what works, on what makes you powerful and, ultimately, on the true value you offer your potential clients.

And speaking of strengths in marketing, I hope you consider your website to be a strength, an asset. But what are you doing beyond your website? Read my most recent post below, Beyond Your Website, to learn what you should be doing to build on the strength of your website.

Beyond Your Website

2008-06-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

You have a website. You love your website. You might have the best site around, but chances are it’s not enough. It needs to be part of an active, dynamic and constantly-growing online marketing presence that is your business.

Blog: Blogging, or writing articles on your website, can help give readers a sense that you're an expert in your field. Writing about relevant industry news, new products or anything you think will help customers stay informed can really boost you as a reliable resource (and bring in new business, of course).

Optimized press releases: Search engines filter out websites and list them in order of relevance. When people search for keywords, it's crucial that your website be at the top of the search engine lists. Keyword-optimized press releases can help give your site a boost in the rankings.

Guest postings: It may sound strange, but writing for other websites (or blogs or other online publications) can be an asset to your reputation. Writing informational articles for a website relevant to your business shows you have expertise, as well as branches you out to a different readership.

E-Newsletters: Keep in touch weekly or monthly with your target market and existing clients. Inform and educate them. Share your insights and build a meaningful relationship with them. There are companies available who strictly send out e-mail newsletters, or "blasts" to your web readers. Keep your target market reading and interested in what you’re offering.

Content, The Key To A Successful Marketing Strategy (Part 2 of 2)

2008-06-09T13:17:00.001-05:00

In the last post, we talked about how a successful marketing strategy is centered on content. Determining exactly what content to focus on is 100% dependent upon your target audience.

A few questions to ask yourself before mobilizing your next marketing plan,

Who is my target audience and ideal client?

What motivates this ideal client?

What problems do they have?

How can I solve their problems?

What content will be most compelling to them?

Once you have answered these questions and determined exactly what content to focus on, you then want to deliver a call to action for your ideal client. Explicitly call them to action so that they are not left wondering what they should do next. Keep their attention focused on you and how to proceed, so that they don’t feel they need to look any further in the direction of your competition.

Content, The Key To A Successful Marketing Strategy (Part 1 of 2)

2008-06-05T13:13:00.002-05:00

It is likely safe to assume that everyone understands the true purpose of marketing.

Attract attention to your brand and company.

Gain more business and/or increase sales.

Brand yourself as the industry expert.

What everyone does not understand however, is that a successful marketing strategy has very little to do with hype or flashy design.

The most successful strategies concentrate on feeding much-needed content to prospective clients, a process that truly brands you as the “go-to” expert in your field. By keeping the focus on your ideal clients and their problems, you will be successful in holding their attention.

As long as problem solving for your clients remains the center of your content and information marketing strategy, you'll go far.

DIY Copywriting Strategies - No Cost Teleseminar

2008-06-04T06:38:00.003-05:00

Just one more day until I share my DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Copywriting Strategies Guaranteed to Rock Your World at NO CHARGE!!

From Marketing Limbo to Marketing ‘Aha!’ is tomorrow, Thursday, June 5th, at 12 noon EST.

You will not want to miss this FREE one-hour teleseminar because I promise you will:

• Receive valuable, instantly implementable tools from a leading copywriting and marketing expert that recently rewrote a clients’ web page resulting in the page climbing to the top of Google in just 48 hours.

• Learn once and for all if you are on the right track with your marketing copy from someone that has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, INC Magazine, and WomanEntrepreneur.com.

• Determine how to make words work for your and your clients’ businesses (and your bottom line!) from a REAL copywriter with over 15 years experience and substantial training in journalism and writing.

I am not get-rich-quick seeker who stumbled upon copywriting and went in for the money. I KNOW copywriting and will be dedicating this one hour teleseminar to helping you find the right words that speaks to your target market so that you can MAKE THE SALE!

Sign up here, there is only one day left!

How do you know what to blog about?

2008-06-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

Time for me to be honest: It is NOT EASY to write for your blog. The actual writing is doable, but the frequency and constant feeding of information and content to your blog is, well, constant and never-ending.

I think feeding the content beast is something that many business professionals struggle with. In an attempt to come up with something unique and fresh, the feature topic is often times over analyzed, and other good topics are ignored.

Most people read blogs because they are looking for tips, opinions or advice on an issue they are dealing with. They want to read something that is written by someone that has experience and passion about the topic. They want answers!

So a few tips when writing your next or your first blog:

• Be honest and authentic.

• Start with something you are passionate about.

• Stick to the topic and keep it narrow in focus.

• Consider who you want to read your blog and try to speak to them.

• Read and monitor industry articles that interest you for motivation. Was there information that you felt should have been included? If so, make that piece of information your next topic.

• If you come across a business problem and have difficulty finding resolution, turn your experience of finding the answer into a blog post. It may prompt dialogue between yourself and colleagues, as well as potential clients, resulting in great networking potential.

Is your marketing effective? Find out for sure in this no-charge teleseminar

2008-05-29T08:57:00.002-05:00

How well do you explain to potential clients and customers YOUR product or service?

SOME BAD NEWS:

If your target market doesn’t understand your message, they will not buy from you and will never become your customer. Plain and simple!

SOME GOOD NEWS:

I have an exciting and FREE opportunity for you. On Thursday, June 5th, from 12 Noon to 1PM EST, I will be hosting a free teleseminar, From Marketing Limbo to Marketing ‘Aha!’ It is geared specifically toward business professionals (such as entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants and VAs) who write their own copy.

If you are unsure about your marketing copy or feel it could be more effective, this FREE teleseminar is a must for you. It is going to be value packed with DIY (Do-It-Yourself) strategies that will be easily applicable across all marketing media from web pages, brochures and ads, to e-mail campaigns and direct mail pieces. Click here for more information.

What's your marketing myth?

2008-05-20T15:05:00.003-05:00

Businesses of all sizes make mistakes, right? (Even yours, I promise.) Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we don’t learn from our marketing mistakes -- and it’s not due to a lack of marketing know-how.

There are simply many marketing ‘myths’ that tend to be believed and acted upon even when they prove time and again to not be valid or productive:

Myth 1: Believing your own hype. Telling prospects your product is best is fine, but only if you understand what really motivates the buyer. Research customers directly to find out why your customers think a competitor’s product might be superior to yours and why your product isn’t performing as expected.

Myth 2: The lowest-priced product or service wins! Thinking that your customers will buy your product based solely on price is not a good strategy by anyone’s measure. More than anything buyers want to believe they are receiving good value for their money. If you think you’re losing out to lower-priced competitors, you may ultimately lose out to higher-value competitors. Instead, focus your marketing copy on demonstrating how your product offers the greatest value.

Myth 3: Successful businesses are very serious. Make doing business with you is easy – and may even be fun. It’s amazing how many companies make doing business with them difficult. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and insure that every contact – whether by phone, email or in person – is easy, fun and personal. Take some time to put together questions and advice to ask or offer to customers (and prospects). Make it simple to find things on your website or in your store.

Myth 4: Changing your marketing campaign frequently is the way to go. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” definitely applies here. Too many companies believe that frequently launching new marketing or ad campaigns is the way to go. Big mistake! It’s all about reach (getting to the right audience) and frequency (making sure your prospects are exposed to your message on a regular basis). Winning concepts should be given enough time to work… to sink in. Just because you’re tired of the same campaign doesn’t mean your potential customers have even come close to getting their fill or even recognize your brand.

Web Presence – Do You Have It? (Part 2 of 2)

2008-05-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

In the last entry, we focused on things (like prospective customers) you could potentially lose by not having web presence. Now let’s focus on the things you WILL GAIN by having a good well planned web presence.

• Your website and web presence can be the center of your marketing strategies. Using the same branding as your site, you can create and send e-newsletters, blog about industry specific topics, take part in editorial sites, social networking sites and lead generators. Most of this could all be done for FREE!

• Let people learn about your company. If you are a small business and personally manage your customer interaction, tell your prospective customers that on your site. People love working with small businesses, so be what you are and tell people all about it for FREE on your site.

Well planned web presence can catapult your business and allow you the opportunity to reach a broader target market. Put your finely tuned business sense and people skills to work in this virtual environment and see where it can take you and your business.

Web Presence – Do You Have It? (Part 1 of 2)

2008-05-08T13:21:00.000-05:00

If you do not have a web presence for your business and feel like you are missing opportunities because of it, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

• A website allows you to extend your business hours. Imagine being able to keep your “OPEN” sign up 24 hours a day without having to be “in” or paying someone to be “in.” You don’t want to be closed when your competition is open.

• It doesn’t matter what type of product you sell or service you offer, more than half of your potential new customers will go on-line to try and find an expert in your field -- shouldn’t you be where they are looking?

• Because of the Internet, local businesses are no longer just local in most cases. Take advantage of your potential global reach.

Using Your Voice In Copywriting

2008-05-04T06:50:00.002-05:00

Perhaps when you were in a high school or college English or writing class, your instructor talked a lot about “finding your voice.” In creative writing and other more personal writing styles, finding and using your own voice is very important.

But… (and you knew there would be a ‘but’), your personal voice has no place in your marketing copy. No place.

Now I know what some of you are saying: “My business is all about me and my expertise, if I don’t tell people about me personally then I’m not telling them the whole story.” Or, “only big companies have no personal voice, but we entrepreneurs and small business people rely on our own voice to get the clients we need.”

Here’s my answer: the no-personal-voice-in-your-marketing rule applies to all of you. No exceptions.

Focus on what you are selling and why your target market should be buying from you. Focus on that with laser-like precision and stop focusing on what you should not be doing. (And the things you should not be doing, as far as copywriting, include going on and on about your history, your personal story or your passion. Focus on what you are selling and why they should buy.)

I promise you your copy (and subsequent sales) will be SO much better and more effective. Try it and let me know what happens.

How does your marketing taste?

2008-04-29T13:49:00.001-05:00

Regardless of the forum you use for marketing, there are four essential ingredients to make sure you have a tasty message!

1. Customers want to know who you are and what you are all about. The easiest and least expensive way to make this happen is via the Internet. Right now, potential consumers everywhere are on-line looking for your service and the more they know about you, the more likely they are to hire you.

2. Offer a value-packed product. When a consumer has multiple experts to choose from for a particular service, they will go with the professional that offers the most value, not necessarily the one that is the least expensive. It is important to know the difference!

3. Incentives are important. Once you have provided great service to customers, it is likely they will return, but incentives are key when trying to attract new customers. Offering free promotional products of value or discount coupons can make the difference.

4. Don’t let past customers forget you. Use a post-sale marketing campaign to stay in front of past customers so they remember your great work the next time they are in the market for your service.

SAY “I CAN DO IT MYSELF!” WITH CONFIDENCE!

2008-04-24T21:21:00.007-05:00

(Your business success depends upon it)

A good rule of thumb with any “Do It Yourself” project is to be sure that you have all the tools you need to successfully complete the project.

Should writing your marketing copy be any different? The answer is ABSOLUTELY not!

Most small business people, entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants and VAs know that good copywriting is incredibly valuable and crucial to good business. And many of these people and businesses want to or have to write their own copy. Meanwhile, most experts don’t want to “give away” their techniques for fear that they won’t have any business or clients.

I think there’s a real lack of good DIY Copywriting and marketing resources out there, so I wanted to create a great tool to implement and use immediately. I always ask why good marketing and copywriting resources should be overly complicated or confusing. I think you should read something, implement what you need, move forward in your marketing and then re-visit the expert sources again and again each time you need some guidance.

The principles and techniques presented in my DIY copywriting book can be applied across all marketing media from web pages, brochures and ads to e-mail campaigns and direct mail pieces.

Check it out for yourself:Do-It-Yourself Copywriting Guaranteed to Ignite Sales & Explode Your Business can be downloaded at: www.getitinwriting.biz/landing_Do_It_Yourself_CopyWriting.html.

Effective Networking, Words to Live By (Part 2 of 2)

2008-04-22T12:08:00.000-05:00

In the last post, we talked about the importance of networking. What about those of you who hide behind your computer?

Come on, you know who are you are!

Well networking is just as important for you.

Trust me, I know first-hand how hard it can be to make time. Between work, family and life, I am just as busy as the next person. However, what I have to come to learn is that networking is essential to sustain my business growth. If I want to stay busy behind my computer, I need the customers to do it!

I found a great article by Internet marketing guru Derek Gehl that focused on effective networking and how to best utilize workshops. I highly recommend it to anyone that may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the process.

Some highlights:

• When meeting people, describe yourself and your business in less than 10 seconds.
• Don’t stay too long in one place. If at a workshop and the conversation is running beyond eight or 10 minutes excuse yourself politely, so that you have ample time to meet other people.
• Listen and ask questions, this is a key part of networking. You don’t have to be the one doing all the talking for the networking to be effective.
• Follow up. Once the workshop is over, keep networking.

Effective Networking, Words to Live By (Part 1 of 2)

2008-04-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

Whether you are employed or self-employed, work from home, work in a large corporate office or are somewhere in between, you likely know that effective networking is essential to your success.

So why do so few people do it effectively?

I have heard from many people that they feel like networking is phony, for schmoozers, and with the rise in Internet usage, a thing of the past. For all of you who don’t feel comfortable networking, I have to tell you that all of those excuses are nowhere near the truth.

Business, regardless of the industry, is all about people and the relationships between them. I can tell you with certainty that there are many people out there that do exactly what you do just as well as you do. The professionals that thrive and succeed are the ones with lasting relationships and effective networking that allows them to build new relationships.

Journalists,Are One Target Market You Can't Forget

2008-04-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

We all know that a great way to make more sales, grow your business and gain name recognition is through having your company or service featured in an article that appears in a well-read publication. The first step towards having your article appear in one of these publications is to become known by the journalist.

Are you wondering how to go about doing that?

The easiest way, is to target journalists the same way you would target customers.

It may sound odd, but you want to sell the journalist on your service or product, just as much as your target market. If the journalist doesn’t know your product or service, how are they going to write about it?

Here is what to do:

1. Gather a list of journalists and determine which would be most meaningful for your business.

2. Read what those targeted journalists write. Get to know what they like and how they like to see it. They may even have a blog you can frequent and comment on, as well as reference within your blog.

3. Start a plan and schedule to send them information about you and your business. Don’t push for articles, just try to build a real relationship with them.

4. NETWORK. (I know it appears twice…because it is VERY important). Invite them for a sandwich or a cup of coffee.

Are You Choosing the Right Marketing Vehicle?

2008-04-15T07:18:00.003-05:00

You have a limited budget and can’t do everything you want to do marketing-wise. Sound familiar? How do you know what marketing vehicle to choose?

How do you know whether you should be writing a brochure, a webpage or something else?

Take some time to figure out the following:

What is the purpose of this marketing effort? Is it for a one-time event or product? Is it a general corporate or business piece that is meant to last for a long time?

How will it be distributed? If it is not something you need to deliver in person (like a sales sheet at a trade show), then online/web may be your best bet. If it needs to be mailed, that’s something you need to determine as well.

Will it be “evergreen” or revised often? A web page or other online format is far easier (and less expensive) to update than is a print piece.

Who is your audience? Does it get all of its information online? Is this an in-person sales type of relationship? You need to know how your target market best accesses and digests its information.

Marketing is an imperfect science at best.

2008-04-12T09:11:00.003-05:00

I get calls, e-mails and face-to-face questions about all aspects of marketing all the time. The most common one may be this: “What is the best way to market my business? [Blank] or [blank]? The blanks represent a certain kind of marketing vehicle. So someone will ask if I think postcards are better than an e-newsletter, or a press release gets more mileage than a print ad.

There is no one answer to this question. A local drycleaning business has a different market, and therefore different marketing needs, than an online gift company. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who views marketing as a one-size-fits-all kind of thing has it all wrong. And I promise you their results will speak for themselves.

No matter what expert you hire, no matter what kind of expert you may be on your own, this is a very subjective thing. For sure, there is much we can do to ensure we’re going in the right direction toward our sales goals, but at the end of the day, marketing is not neat and it’s not a science.

More Than CopyWriters

2008-04-09T15:23:00.004-05:00

When we last left off two weeks ago, I was explaining how, for me, my business/professional (as well as personal) goals have, inevitably, changed and evolved over time. Whereas in the early days of Get It In Writing I did my best to work with all businesses and all budgets, I have become more specific and niche-oriented over the years.

So it’s not a change of what we do, but a shift in how we present what we do. Our best client is a fast-growing small business or entrepreneurial company with a significant Internet presence (or looking to build a significant presence). They know that the best way to grow and build their businesses is through the use of content and information (more on information marketing in a future issue) as the backbone of their efforts. They are in this for the long-term, have ongoing content and marketing goals and needs and they understand and have the kind of budget necessary to get the job done.

Over time, we have been more than copywriters and copywriting providers to clients – we have become their marketing consultants, their marketing planners and their project managers. So much so that, I have come to realize, we are more of a full-service marketing company than most of the marketing companies I have seen in the marketplace!

For clients looking for one-time projects, I now have a wonderful copywriting-only company I work with and would be happy to refer you to directly.

The way I see it, everyone wins: my company is free to say we do what we really are already doing. Other copywriting companies enjoy more work and added referrals. And, best of all, our clients experience first-hand the power of ongoing information-based marketing with a partner in it with them for the long haul.

Is Your Content Green?

2008-04-06T08:50:00.004-05:00

You may already think (rightly so) that content is what drives your future sales and current visibility and sales inquiries. You may also think (not so rightly) that you need to have a lot of content to push your marketing efforts, you can't reuse past material.

But the truth is that you can. Consider it a means of recycling, saving the Earth one article at a time. If you can reuse a soda can, you can reuse a business article. So why not contribute to the “greening” of marketing content?

YOUR:

Expertise is valuable, right?

Services and products are much-needed, right?

Target customers are eager for whatever tips you can give them, right?

SO…why would you share only once? Take your existing content and re-purpose it. The recycling potential of good content is priceless – and you never know who you will “speak” to and in what format.

Split up longer pieces of content into shorter blog entries, e-newsletters and auto responder e-mail tips.

Create articles and blog posts from Q&As and Q&As from articles and blog posts. The Q&A can be for an expert in a related field, or for your audience itself.

Convert audio into written words and vice versa. Record, transcribe, and publish into different formats such as audio, video, slide shows and written articles.

Plan in advance, almost like an “editorial calendar” like a magazine would use. If you know you have to give a speech at a trade show in the following month, write on your topic for your blog over the next week and start from there.

Anatomy of a blog entry (a good blog entry)

2008-04-03T08:24:00.003-05:00

Blogs are everywhere, and some 100,000+ blogs are being created EVERY DAY! (In September 2007, Technorati reported it was tracking 106+ million blogs.)

In my humble opinion, your blog entry and together as a group, your entries, are what make or break you. So, the anatomy of your blog entry is crucial, right?

Here are MY PERSONAL beliefs (based on professional experience and real results) on what a blog entry should and shouldn’t be:

An ideal blog entry is made up of 150 to 200 words. You have more to say on the topic? No problem – break it up into parts (1 of 3, 2 or 3, 3 of 3, etc.).

Headline is key.

SEO it – keywords are key. You want to rank highly for “SEO copywriting?” Then use the term! (See how I did that!?).

The body of the entry should actually match what the headline promises.

The blog entry itself consists of timely, relevant and real information your audience can use.

It should be written for “blog skimmers” – those who skim the blog’s content, picking out keywords here and there and only fully reading if something catches their eye.

Platinum Joint Venture Bonus Giveaway

2008-04-01T07:10:00.004-05:00

As I told you last week, today is the launch of the Platinum JV of which I am a part.

What is the Platinum JV? Very simply it is a group of 10 Internet-based entrepreneurs who decided to pool our expertise and give away 10 e-products (mostly e-books) for free.

Yes, for free.

Really…for free.

(Click here to view the press release.)

Ready to tap into these products and the accompanying expertise? Click here to begin downloading immediately.

Also, feel free to send this link to anyone and everyone you know, work with, live near, like and have heard of: http://www.kathleengage.com/jvplatinum.htm