01.26.09
E-mail marketing tip: learn from the pros
E-newsletters can be a great way to stay in contact with current and potential customers. Not only will you keep them updated on new products and services to keep them coming back for more, but you’ll also provide helpful information that will establish you as an expert in your field. But you may have no idea how to actually write content that will foster action from your readers. This is a tricky task that the experts have spent years perfecting. Forunately, though, you can learn from their trials and tribulations and start your own e-newsletter that will bring you many positive results.
First, think about your own subscriptions. Do you have any e-newsletters that you regularly read? Have you ever read an e-newsletter subject line that was so intriguing, you couldn’t wait to see what’s inside?
If your own e-newsletter isn’t getting the attention you’re after, try studying the experts, or the people who write e-newsletters that do get attention. Sign up for e-newsletters of people who are prominent in your industry and also those who are well-known for being successful e-newsletter marketers. A few names that come to mind are Ali Brown (a.k.a. the Ezine Queen) and Alice Seba (a.k.a. the Internet Marketing Sweetie).
Think about the techniques that actually capture your interest. Do the authors use mystery? Excitement? A promise to give you the secret to more money, a more successful business, a better life overall? Or maybe a combination of the above?
The point here is that there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. If you see a strategy that seems to be working for others, feel free to apply it to your own business (please note that I’m not condoning actually plagiarizing the content itself, only copying the overall strategy used).
01.19.09
Words that sell – step #1
All right, we all know that our words are what sell our products and services. (Oh, you didn’t know that? Better refer back to this post for more info.) But before you should even pick up that pen (or, more likely, break out the keyboard), there’s an important step that you need to take.
You need to get to know your target audience. Who are you selling to? And I don’t want to hear, “Anyone who’ll buy from me!” Of course, you’ll never turn away a sale, but when it comes to your marketing materials, you need to be writing to a very specific audience. They need to feel like you’re talking just to them, and that you get their problems. Then they need to trust that you (and only you) can solve their most pressing issues. Sometimes, really good copywriters can even convince people that they can solve a problem the client didn’t even know they had.
But I’m getting ahead of myself…back to that first step. There’s an awesome saying in the book Tuned In by Craig Stull, Phil Meyers and David Meerman Scott that goes, “Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant.” Ouch. Brings you down a peg, doesn’t it? And the same goes for the opinions of your family and closest friends. Not that you should discount them entirely, especially if they happen to reside smack-dab in the middle of your target market. But you wouldn’t go talk to one stranger off the street and use that one opinion to build your entire marketing message, would you? Thought not.
Okay, so this advice is all fine and dandy, but what does it mean for you? Basically, it means that you need to get out there and actually talk to your current and potential customers. If you’re an introvert like me, that’s a terrifying thought, but if you really want to grow your business, it’s time to get over it already. This conversation could be as simple as an email survey asking customers what they liked best (and least) about your products/services. You should also ask why they decided to buy from you, and if they’ll buy from you again and/or if they’ll refer you to their nearest and dearest. Some of the answers will surprise you, some will leave you glowing with pride, and others may hurt a little, but all of them should bring you one step closer to discovering what your customers really, truly want and need.
Only then can you craft (or refine) your marketing message. But more on that later!
01.12.09
What’s so important about copywriting, anyway?
Okay, so you’ve taken the time to fine-tune your company, and now you’ve got the best product/service out there, hands down. So you throw a website together that dishes all the glorious features of your product/service, and you sit back and wait for the orders to start rolling in. Only they don’t. As time rolls by, you get more and more discouraged and start thinking about scrapping this whole working for yourself thing and go back to 9-to-5 cubicle hell.
Wait! Before you throw in the towel, consider this: maybe your product/service really is the best out there, but you just haven’t been able to communicate effectively with your target market.
Consumers are bombarded with thousands upon thousands of advertising messages everywhere they turn these days: billboards that flash by on their way to work, little boxes that pop up when they’re surfing the ‘net, and let’s not forget the TV ads that are so conveniently ignored with the help of DVR (although you can’t get away from them completely – you still get the gist of the message as your eyes are glued to the screen, waiting for your favorite program to restart).
My point is that you have unlimited competition when it comes to catching and holding onto your target market’s attention. You can’t be subtle; you have to basically throw your message right up in your audience’s face and hope that it’s interesting enough to leave them wanting more.
Have no idea how to do that? Subscribe to my blog (by RSS feed or email – it’s oh-so-easy to do) and stay tuned in the coming weeks and months as I walk you step-by-step through the process.
Got questions? Email them to me at tammim at writeassociate.com.
01.02.09
Are you twittering yet?
If you’re not on Twitter yet, you’re missing out on one of the newest, most exciting marketing tools available to you. As a service professional, you can connect with potential clients worldwide. It’s like attending a local networking event without ever leaving your computer. I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to me!
I just made the leap to Twitter a few weeks ago, and already I’ve gained one new client. (She was someone who I’d had contact with in the past, but when I started following her on Twitter, she immediately contacted me to see if I had time to work with her. Said she’d been thinking about me for months but had been too busy to dig out my contact information.)
I’ve also made interesting contacts with people from around the world that I would have never had access to otherwise. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of fun experiences and discussions with new people. I can’t say enough about this great platform for connecting with other business people!
If you’re just getting started, be sure to read social media expert Chris Brogan’s blog, 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business. Heck, even if you’re an old pro at Twitter, I bet you’ll pick up a few cool tricks.
