Archive for May, 2008

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

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

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.

What’s your marketing myth?

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

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)

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

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!

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

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

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.

Using Your Voice In Copywriting

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

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.