Search Results for ‘marketing copy’
“The traditional business definition of marketing is identifying and fulfilling customer needs. There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.” Heidi Richards Mooney
Do you remember the “WIIFM” formula when designing your promotional tools? You know, the “what’s in it for me?” The “me” in this case is not about you, your company, your product or business, rather it is about the customer, the prospect, the reader, the person you are trying to get to take action regarding your product or service.
How many times have you picked up a brochure about a company to find out what they can do for you only to find it filled with stuff about them? And have little or no idea what they can do for you? Your customers and prospects could be asking the same question.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to talk about themselves and their products rather than talking about the CUSTOMER and what he/she will gain by doing business with them. “The traditional business definition of marketing is “identifying and fulfilling customer needs.” There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.”
Identify and focus on the benefits. Prospects want to know how what you offer will benefit them. You MUST make it clear what benefits the prospect will receive from doing business with you, otherwise then there is no reason for that prospect to do so. You MUST focus on what the prospect is going to GAIN by using your product or service.
In order to articulate the “what’s in it for them,” you must first understand the difference between a feature and a benefit. A feature is something that your product does or has (for example, a shirt can be 100% cotton). A benefit to 100% cotton could be durability, easy-care or even wrinkle resistant. Now you’ve given them the WIIFM. Why the prospect might want to purchase the shirt.
Count how many times you refer to you – that includes the “I,” the “WE” and your “company name.” Take a second look and count how many times you refer to the “YOU,” the “prospect/customer” or “she/he.” If your copy has more than 50% “I,” etc. take a look at how you can reword it to tip the scales in favor of the prospect. Good copy should be at least 60-75% prospect focused and only 25-40% focused on who you are, (such as the awards you have, the color of your building, the type of equipment you have, etc.).
To change things around in your marketing message whether it is in your proposal writing, brochures or your website (any advertising), you must identify the goals, objectives and obstacles of your prospect. Then you show your prospects how you can help them reach their goals and overcome their obstacles.
Once you know how your business benefits your customers, and you begin to focus on the how the customer benefits formula, you can write copy that will increase prospect response. You will begin seeing a greater response to your marketing messages and your bottom line!
(There are 42 “You’s” in this article and only 2 “I’s.” Did it get your attention?)
Redhead Marketing specializes in creating copy that makes you stand out. Need a print ad for a publication? Need a flyer in a hurry? Let Redhead Marketing create it for you. Special Holiday pricing starts at just $50. Call 954-625-6606 or email heidi (at) redhead marketing dot com (no spaces) Today!
November 18th, 2009
Quirks Marketing Research Review recently wrote an article about how to increase survey respondents satisfaction. Surveys can help to give the smart marketer a heads up on what your client and prospect really want and need. Surveys can be used to gather all sorts of market data such as customer demographics, likes and dislikes, customer satisfaction and much more. I highly recommend that if you are not using surveys in some form or another (digital, hand-written or by phone) you are missing out on information that can take your business to a new level fo success.
Here are the 10 tips Quirks shared:
1. Make surveys engaging and convenient
2. Avoid complex questions
3. Limit questions to 50 words or less
4. Avoid long lists of rating questions
5, Avoid open-ended questions
6. Avoid repetitive questions
7. Advertise accurate survey times
8. pay incentives (prizes) promptly
10. Pre-test surveys thoroughly
11. Get feedback on surveys
I would only disagree with number 5. Sometimes a person needs the option to expand on a response and having an open ended question makes that possible. You might have an open ended question but make it an option to reply thereby not annoying those really want to offer feedback but who don’t have or want to spend a long time doing so.
About accurate survey times, the article states that respondents don’t mind taking longer surveys as long as they know how much time they will take. This is good to know when you need more in-depth replies.
You can read this and other articles online at http://www.quirks.com/. While there, you can also request a FREE subscription (if you qualify).
While you’re at it you can grab a FREE copy of eMarketing ~ 300 page textbook aimed at tertiary education students, business owners and marketers who want to get ahead in online marketing. It has everything from the facts to case studies and study questions around each eMarketing tactic. Go to http://www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/download.
About Quirks: Quirks brings you the possibility to find market research companies, facilities, jobs, articles and more options. Click on this link to access the site`s directory, articles and reviews. Check out Quirks Today!
September 17th, 2009
The whole point of advertising is to get noticed. With all the noise these days both online and off, it is difficult at best to get seen…
That’s why I recommend publicity over advertising. Do things like createingan event or a stunt that will get you noticed in your niche. Get busy on social networking sites where your customers and clients hang out, including the top 3 Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Having said that, there are reasons and places to advertise online that will pay off without spending a fortune.
Here are some tips to “advertise”:
List your online business in free directories such as Google (http://www.google.com/local/add), Yahoo (http://www.listings.local.yahoo.com) and Bing (http://ssl.bing.com/listings), DMOZ, The Open Directory Project (http://www.dmoz.org/) and ZoomInfo (http://www.zoominfo.com/). By the way, if you do list your site in these directories be sure and only list once because you could get banned for multiple listings of the same company. You can also show videos and photos which can be added to your listings.
In addition, list your business in LOCAL Directories such as YellowPages http://listings.yellowpages.com, City Search http://myaccount.citiysearch.com, AOL Local Search http://localsearch.aol.com, Local.com at http://register.local.com and Merchant Circle at http://merchantcircle.com.
When you list your business above, use keywords to describe what you do using benefit words (eg. “24 hour turnaround” or “loose weight or you don’t pay”) rather than vanity words (like BEST, AWARD WINNING) – people don’t believe that anymore and they don’t search for businesses that way.
This will take you less than an hour to set up and about 10-15 minutes a month to maintain.
Find sites that sell to your audience that compliment what you do and see if they will either sell you space on their site, list you in their links or if they have a newsletter that goes out to your target audience see if they do ads. Most of the time these ads are innexpensive and you can test for very little money. BTW, one insert is not a test. You need to create a campaign and keep your ad in for a minimum of 5-6 issues to see if it is going to work. Remember that it takes that many impressions before people begin to recongize your company. It also builds credibitly.
And remember to add social networking to your marketing plan. I know so many people who just hang out on SN Sites but don’t really know how to effectively use them to get attention for their businesses. Before you waste a lot time check out what those you admire are doing and model them. Don’t copy them, learn from them. See what they are doing and what is working for them. See how you can adapt to your own situation.
As you can see, I could go on and on about this topic. Let’s just say there are many ways to advertise without breaking the bank and many of them are FREE. The price you pay is TIME which by the way IS NOT FREE. Once its spent you NEVER GET IT BACK. So use it wisely.
September 12th, 2009
– Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale (”National Celebration”) the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. (Source Wikipedia).
Today is Bastille Day
In honor of Bastille Day I thought it would be fun to showcase an event the *American Cancer Society hosts ever year called Jail & Bail.
Jail & Bail is an annual fundraising event that brings together community leaders and ordinary citizens for a common cause… to help fight Cancer!
Jo Walters, David Singer, Sabrina Singer and Marilee Maddox
For many years I was an active participant in Jail & Bail, serving as a Parole Board Member AND a Jailbird!
This year, the American Cancer Society’s annual Jail and Bail event, held recently at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel in Dania Beach, raised more than $150,000.
Here’s how it works: The fundraiser has community members “arrested” by local law enforcement officers and brought to the mock jail. While in custody, these “jailbirds” have unlimited use of a telephone to call friends, relatives, co-workers, business associates, etc…, to raise the bail in pledges to the American Cancer Society. The bail is determined by a “judge” at the “jail”. And, all donations are fully tax deductible contributions to the American Cancer Society.
The local ACS sends media releases with Parole board members names and companies and also provides volunteers with their own press release Template to send out to their own media contacts. This is also a great way to stay top of mind in the media when they are looking for a story or resource.
One of my good friends David Singer (an attorney in Hollywood, Florida) has been the local Jail & Bail chairperson for years. And he and his law firm have received prestigious placement in all the major media outlets in the tri-county area including print, radio AND TV. He works tirelessly to recruit Parole Board members who in turn find people to “arrest.”
And it’s a fun event.
What does Jail & Bail have to do with Marketing? It’s called Cause-related marketing. Whenever businesses support a cause that has potential to reach a lot of people in the community, it helps them not only create goodwill in the community, it often will gain incredible media attention. And that’s the kind of attention most businesses want. Because we don’t have to pay for it and we can feel good about giving back. As a “sponsor” you get visibility on marketing materials, mentioned during planning meetings and in media releases and much more. As a participant you get to work closely with other like-minded volunteers AND maybe even see YOUR name in the media.
Here are 5 tips to help you plan and execute a successful Cause-related Marketing Campaign:
1. Find a cause you can get your arms around. Something that feeds your soul AND does good in the community. You will find it more worthwhile and you will be able to relate better to the people who also believe in the cause – the volunteers, staff and supporters. Organizations are also looking for partners with similar agendas, those who can achieve their goals by partnering with the right businesses and individuals in the first place.
2. Set realistic, measurable goals for your program. Like any other marketing plan, you need to know what outcomes you hope to get from your participation. Include how you will achieve those goals.
3. Create a “partnership agreement” that both parties understand and agree to. A clearly defined agreement will include both “partners” obligations, rights and expectations. Remember this is like any other partnership and if you can add a little formality to it, then the chances of success increase and it creates a sense of comfort knowing in black and white what each partners responsibilities include.
4. Be an ambassador for your Cause. Let everyone in your own circle know what and how you are supporting the organization. You will be pleasantly surprised by how many people will give you a thumbs up and also will want to “help you in your cause.”
5. When all is said and done, do a thorough review to make sure the campaign met your goals, your needs and the expectations of all concerned. Remember that while you want to support a cause you believe in, the bottom line is your support should create awareness of, interest in and customers for your company.
So next time you are trying to decide what community event to support, look at your calendar and see what’s going on and find a local charity to align yourself with. And then let me know what you did. Maybe your story will end up in the next edition of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays.
*The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem—by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer— through research, education, advocacy and service.
Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: GET MEDIA SAVVY!– The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World at: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/get-media-savvy/
July 14th, 2009
June 1st is Flip a Coin Day - Heads or Tails? Julius Caesar is credited with starting the practice of flipping a coin to make decisions. His own head was on one side of every Roman coin, so “heads” determined the winner in each flip. People thought “heads” meant that Caesar agreed with the decision. The coin flip was used in serious litigation involving property, marriage and even criminal guilt.
Just think how many lawyers would be out of a job if we went back to flipping a coin as a form of justice. And while it’s an interesting concept, probably not a good way to make business decisions. Imagine if your clients used the flip a coin method to decide if they should do business with you or not? You’d either have twice as many customers or half.
However, you could flip a coin for other things such as deciding on which strategies to start with in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ after all, marketing is all about TESTING to see what works and what doesn’t.
Did you know when you purchase a copy of the Quirky Marketing Calendar, you receive updates for a full year! That’s right, when you purchase the 2009 edition, you will automatically be sent the 2010 edition when it is released! And Quirky Marketing is Your Marketing Calendar. The only holiday marketing guide you will EVER Need again! Check it out now at www.QuirkyOffer.com.
June 1st, 2009
April 22nd is also National Jelly Bean Day – On October 15, 1999, the world’s largest jar of jelly beans was unveiled. It weighed 6,050 pounds. Did you know that each year, U.S. manufacturers produce more than 16 billion jelly beans for Easter — that’s enough to completely fill a plastic Easter egg 89 feet high and 60 feet wide (about the height of a nine-story office building.
Time for another “world’s largest jar of jelly beans?
BTW, I am giving a presentation to the American Business Women’s Association called Leveraging Social Networking to Grow Your Business. During the event I am having a “Guess the Jelly Beans” contest and will announce the winner at the end of the program. Someone will go home with a free copy of my Social Networking Formula for Success CD (value $47). And everyone will get a handful of Jelly Beans too!
Read the History of Jelly Beans at Xomba.com
Take this Jelly Bean Quiz
For more great ideas like these, check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and non-traditional Holidays.
April 21st, 2009
… and get your audience to buy more of what you have to sell
Any good copywriter will tell you words sell products (and services). Many times people will look at a picture and have the desire to achieve an outcome or be like the photo portrays but it’s the words that get most people to hand over money for your product or service. Words tell the story behind the picture. Words will make your copy stand out, get noticed and more importantly get results! Before you publish a single word, here are four tips to get you started.
1. Take a look at your product or service from the customer’s perspective. Make a list of all the benefits (what the customer will gain from using your product) and features (the reasons or justification for buying the product). Prioritize your lists in order of importance.
2. Now look at what makes your product different or superior to your competitor’s products. What do you offer that your competition does not? This is called positioning. Positioning will help you develop the right strategy to sell.
“Customers don’t want to be befuddled by specialized language any more than you want to be hit with all medical lingo when you go to the doctor. So, speak, write, and present in a language and manner the audience will understand.” Dave Green
3. Who is your target audience? What are their needs, wants and motivations to buy? Are they rich, poor, educated, young, older, professionals, blue collar workers, etc.?
4. Create your plan. What do you need to say to get your point across and how many words or “copy” will you need to make your point. While it is not always the case, a general rule of thumb is that the greater the investment in a product or service, the more copy you will need to convey the message. Keep in mind, there are exceptions to this rule. Simple products/services with well-known (evident) benefits will require less explaining than those that are more complicated.
Reprinted from WORDS THAT SELL! Finding The RIGHT Words or “WRITE” Words To Get Your Point Across, Get Your Reader to Take Action and Get Your Info Products Noticed! And more importantly Sold! Including 229 Words & Phrases that PAY! This special report is available when you sign up for Cashing in on Info Products at www.cashinginoninfoproduct.com by Heidi Richards Mooney
In the next post I will share 5 more tips to jump-start your copywriting
April 8th, 2009
Amateur radio is a community of people that use radio transmitters and receivers to talk to each other. They are called ham radio operators, “hams” and even CB’rs. But, it’s more than just a high-tech hobby. Ham operators very often play a vital role in emergency communications. Ham radio has been used for years as a way to get messages out during national disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other life-threatening incidents that happen when normal means of communication are lost.
Ham radio operators use their amateur radio station to connect with individual hams as well as participating in round table discussion groups or “rag chew sessions” on the air. In fact, some participate in regularly scheduled on-air meetings with other ham radio operators. Interestingly these meetings are called “Nets” (short for Networks). These meetings are generally moderated by a station referred to as “Net Control”
Many people start their involvement in amateur radio by finding a local club. Clubs can provide information about licensing, local operating practices and technical advice as well as educational programs. New operators can study independently by purchasing books or other materials, sometimes with the help of a mentor, teacher or friend. In addition, many countries have national amateur radio groups or societies which encourage newcomers and work with government communications regulation authorities for the benefit of all radio amateurs.
The oldest of these societies is the Wireless Institute of Australia(formed in 1910). Other notable societies include Radio Society of Great Britain, the American Radio Relay League, Radio Amateurs of Canada, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters and South African Radio League.
Some Ham Radio Lingo you should know:
“Copy” indicates how well communications are received. “I have a good copy on you” also used as a question, as in “did you copy?” (means to understand all)
“Come back” means to say again or your turn to talk.
Hamfest is a ham festival, a social and commercial event at which hams meet to buy, sell, and swap equipment.
“Roger” or “Roger that” means “I understand that.”
“Handle” is someone’s personal or ham radio name.
“Mama Bear” ~ female police officer.
“Smokey (Smokey Bear)” ~ State police officer who generally wears a Smokey the Bear style ranger hat.
“73” is Best regards
“88” means Love and kisses
“807” is the ham radio operator’s term for beer.
For more Ham Radio Jargon visit http://www.ac6v.com/jargon.htm#C
To learn how Ham Radio Works, check out www.howstuffworks.com/ham-radio.htm
Check out this guide to new ham radio operators www.eham.net/newham
For a great Q & A on Ham Radio, visit www.hello-radio.org/hello/whatis.html
Even with the advent of the internet, skype, Facebook and Twitter, there are still more than 6 million ham radio operators in the world. Tie in with or become a Ham Radio Operator and you have a whole new group of people to share your knowledge, expertise and resources with.
Makes you want to say… “Time for an 807”
“73” for now.
April 7th, 2009
“I had cornflakes for breakfast.”
“I just saw a bird fly by.”
“The garbage collector is driving down my street.”
So what do these three sentences have in common?
They are some of the comments you will find on Twitter.
Ho hum… it really wants to make you get involved with Twitter, doesn’t it?
But there’s more, much more, to Twitter than this. Read on…
Twitter is a social networking site, true, but it’s also an excellent vehicle for building your business. It’s not the only way mind you, but one of the ways for you to market yourself.
Build you brand.
Find clients.
Get outsourcing help.
Have joint venture opportunities fall into your lap.
Create joint ventures with others.
Build your list.
Bring in customers to your offline business.
Tiptoe past the gatekeepers.
Gather info for your next info product.
Sell your products.
Get asked to be a guest blogger, an interviewee, an interviewer, a speaker at a seminar, a participant in an ebook, and more.
I’m not making this stuff up… it happens on Twitter all the time!
Just ask these successful marketers – Willie Crawford, Jack Bastide, Bev Clement, Thom Scott, and Felicia Slattery. They, along with a few others (17 marketers in all) tell their stories in the Twitter Success Stories ebook. In fact, my story is in there! Whoohoo….
They tell you about their personal Twitter successes and what they’ve learned in using Twitter to grow their businesses. These marketers also give you TIPS to get you on the right track.
So if you’re interested in growing your business and using Twitter as another marketing avenue, pick up a copy of Twitter Success Stories. I’m guessing you will come away with some great ideas you can apply to your business.
Heidi Richards Mooney
P.S. I pulled out a quote from the book for you that I liked:
“If you own a business of any size and you’re still not Twittering, you’re missing out on what amounts to a global virtual chamber of commerce networking event you can access anytime, day or night.” Heidi Richards Mooney
March 31st, 2009
The Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Contest is officially over!
The “rules” were to “Create a fun, quirky, unusual card message as a promotion for your company, product or service and tell me what you did. The message should be creative and promote something you want to spread the word about. It can be a product, a new product launch, an event, a celebration, a strategic alliance, does not matter. As long as the message can be expressed on a greeting card or postcard.”
What surprised me is that some people did just that and others sent in cute cards with no purpose in mind. They did not have a clear message nor did they promote their company in any way, shape or form. Having said that, we did have a few people who followed the directions and sent us some cute and/or quirky cards. It was a tough decision, in fact so much so, it took the judges an extra week to decide who to bestow the honors to.
Honorable Mention goes to the following:
Honorable Mention winners receive a half page ad in WE Magazine for women.
Kristine Sheehan of The MerryBird.com for her Valentine Postcard announcing her pen and Ink portraits for your Valentine.
Lisa Moren Bromma of Wise WomenInvestor.com for her postcards announcing her services and invitation to visit her website.
3rd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is Jessica Sellers of Chrysalis Logos.com – her card focused on “Make up Your Own Holiday Day” and offered an economic stimulus incentive (discount on services) to anyone who placed an order on that day. Way to Go, Jessica! Jessica won a One-year Charter Membership in the Women’s eCommerce Association.
2nd Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challenge is Mr. Jim Barber. Jim promoted his company Tooter Talk (www.TooterTalk.com) with a picture of him on the cover standing in on stage at the IMPROV with the headline “Do You Know What Today is?” The inside said simply… “Today is the first day of the rest of your new career!” Talk about perfect timing in this economy! Jim won a full page ad in WE Magazine for Women!
1st Place winner in the Quirky Marketing Greeting Card Challlenge is …..drum roll please………………
Racheli Smilovits of WCS Lending! Racheli didn’t send in the required one entry – she sent in SIX! And each one was clever and unique. The one that cinched the winning was the postcard attached to a bag of peanuts that said “It will be NUTS to Navigate throught the Real Estate Waters without a Professional Lender.” And her contact info, etc. The graphic she used was a walnut shell and her beautiful face peeping out of it. Racheli won a two page article interview in the Spring Issue of WE Magazine, a copy of her choice of one of the fabulous books in our library AND a $25 gift certificate from SendOutCards (choice of Visa Gift Card, Candy, Brownies and more).
Each of the above entrants will also receive a frameable Certificate customized with their names and date of the Quirky Marketing Contest as well as a mention in the accompanying media release announcing the Winners!
Several of the contestants grabbed their free account at SendOutCards.com/Heidi. THANKS!
Look for our next contest in the summer!
And if you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Quirky Marketing, go here: www.QuirkyOffer.com. More than $2,000 worth of bonuses are waiting for you when you do!
March 25th, 2009
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