
9 Elements to Help Your Copy Connect With Your Ideal Customers

05/09/2011 04:23pm
When writing marketing, advertising and promotional copy, there are specific formulas to increase response and effectiveness. Since your copy truly is the secret to sales success its important to familiarize yourself with the formula even if you arent writing long copy. Heres why: There is a psychological process that readers go through regardless of copy length and regardless of reading preference ie: analytical reader who dives into all the copy or scanner who glances at the key points and quickly makes a buying decisions.Knowing the formula for creating a sales letter will help you connect with your ideal client. Regardless of...

How to Share Your Expertise and Get More Website Traffic

05/09/2011 04:06pm
Article Marketing is here to stay. In fact, its one of the quickest ways to gain notoriety on the web, get picked up in various publications, increase eZine (electronic newsletter) subscriptions and boost the Ive heard about you somewhere factor.When looking for no cost and low cost ways to market your business both online and offline, article marketing should be part of your mix. I challenge you to take it a step further and create an overall content strategy. Heres what I mean by that. Often entrepreneurs will put together a basic marketing plan. Of course, this is better than no...

Press Release Basics For Internet Publicity Or Mainstream Media Submission

05/09/2011 03:42pm
Once youve determined that you have something to say to the press or specific online prospects, youll want to issue a press release or news release in accordance to your overall press release strategy. Press releases are relatively simple to write. However, there is a specific formula that you must use or you could damage your credibility. Plus, it cannot be sales-y. Your press release must actually contain news, which by definition is previously unknown information.Many media outlets prefer 2-3 weeks advance notice to cover an event. At the same time, the Internet has greatly changed the way releases are...

Small Business Marketing Is Easier Than You Think

05/09/2011 03:30pm
Small business marketing is not only necessary to your success as an entrepreneur, it's easier than you think. Statistics say your small business has a 1 in 6 chance of survival, but without effective, ongoing marketing, your odds are far less than that. Utilize proven small business marketing strategies that will let you spread the word about your business quickly and get in front of the right people.Small business marketing can seem like a big task. After all, big corporations have entire departments devoted to nothing other than marketing, so what can you do with a one-woman (or one-man) show? The...

What Customers Really Want & Why Finding the RIGHT Copywriter Matters

05/09/2011 03:11pm
Lets take a closer look at what savvy consumers want and respond to. Pay close attention to these emerging trends. These are trends I predicted in 2009 and they are rapidly changing the way we do business. Youll want to adjust your marketing messages to keep up by incorporating authenticity and true voice.AuthenticityIts absolutely vital to be authentic and to keep it real. Although I believe the word authentic is being overused and by some marketers who really arent, this is still an important component to your overall message. Copywriters (the really good copywriters) and consumers alike demand truth. Its becoming...

How Your Story and The Stories Your Clients Tell Will Help Your Business

05/09/2011 03:02pm
Its all about a good story. AND what makes a good story stick is TRUTH. Authenticity, true voice, and focused messaging come as a result of powerful storytelling. Storytelling is not a new technique but its being used in new ways. Consumers are now savvier than ever, and they want to know who theyre doing business with. The must know, like and trust you to invest their hard earned dollars.Its not enough to have a strong brand anymore. Your brand is still vital and important element of relationship building but it must be supported with your voice to the right people...

Build Solid Relationship with Audio and Video to Truly Connect With Your Ideal Clients

05/09/2011 02:33pm
Social proof and engagement are the name of the game when it comes to building relationships online. The know, like and trust factor are vital when clients are determining whether or not they will do business with you.In general people are getting tired of hyped up sales tactics. They crave genuine connections and relationships with the people they choose to do business with. It now takes an average of 7 impressions for your marketing message to stick (and it could be even more by the time you read this). This means its even more important than ever to be consistent...

What You Must Know Before Creating Your Copy

05/09/2011 02:09pm
Copy is vital to your marketing success BUT if youre missing this ONE component it can cause your copy to fall flat. Before you begin your copywriting project, you must know who your ideal client is. Gone are the days of being all things to everyone. If you are not really clear about who youre talking to, your writing will reflect that and it wont connect.I often share one of my favorite analogies from my friend and the first high-level mentor I ever invested in, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She says that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. Think about that...

How to Turn Prospects Into Paying Clients by Shifting Your Focus

05/09/2011 01:55pm
Youre probably familiar with the acronym WIIFM (whats in it for me). As a business owner its one of the most important acronyms for you to be familiar with. Because, although you undoubtedly created your business out of passion, your business is about more than your passion, its about what makes your core audience tick.NEWS FLASH: While your clients may be drawn to doing business with you, they are more interested in what you can do for them than they are in who you are. When developing your content and content strategy you must leave your ego behind (the number one...

Sexual Education!

05/08/2011 08:39am
The most detrimental play time that stay with little girls well into their adult years is what I refer to as the "Barbie World". This world is entered when little girls receive and began to play with the very popular Barbie Doll (or any of the popular comparison dolls) the Barbie corvette, Barbie dream house, and the adorable Ken doll. Once little girls become women many of them want to emulate or duplicate the idea of the "Barbie World" into the real world. For example, once they have great friends, complete their education goals, and find themselves with a great job...

Expatriate Assignments - The 18 Mandatory Requests

05/05/2011 05:52pm
ACTUAL CASE HISTORY: Dennis was considered a rising star in the field of financial management software. At 39, he'd risen steadily over the years, and now worked for the third largest financial management software distributor in the U.S. As his company's National Sales Manager, he had taken company sales higher and higher for four years straight. He'd also expanded sales into the area of financial management for non-profit organizations, a fast-growing niche. His future seemed very bright.His company's sales in Europe, though, had lagged repeatedly. Despite several changes in their European sales leadership, sales volume continued to disappoint. When the company's...

How to Select a Eulogist

05/04/2011 04:52pm
Emily Dickinson wrote, After great pain, a formal feeling comes. After a death, there are formal, established routines you can follow, but even so it can be terribly difficult to think straight. Perhaps that formal feeling just isnt there for you. Unanticipated and agonizing decisions demand your attention. One of them may be having to ask a eulogist to speak at the funeral. Eulogies are optional, but a good eulogist can give you and the other mourners a great deal of comfort. If you decide to have someone give a talk at the funeral or memorial service, make it as easy...

Use No Less Favorable When At Impasse in Your Office Negotiations

05/03/2011 09:38pm
ACTUAL CASE HISTORY: In 1995, Petra joined a small St. Louis-based software development company as its 10th employee. She was hired to assist one of the three partners in his dealings with prospective customers. Over the next seven years, Petra worked hard, and grew in responsibility as the company grew in revenues. Seven years later, in 2002, there were 185 employees, with offices in four cities. While rising to the position of Senior Vice President of Business Development, Petra had helped build the customer base from 38 to 174. Unfortunately, her compensation hadn't grown nearly as much.Petra experienced first-hand what few...

The Biggest Mistake in Your Marketing Plan

05/02/2011 03:36pm
To market your business and to do it effectively, you need a marketing plan. Trying to just jump in and implement strategies as they come might seem like a carefree way to handle your marketing, but doing so will never create highly profitable results in your business. For a marketing plan to create results, the plan must be developed with your specific business goals in mind. You cannot market a graphic design business the same way you market a retail product. For your marketing plan to work for you, it needs to be customized for what you do, who you serve...

Tell Clients What To Expect, Upfront

04/30/2011 03:03pm
My clients and I seem to talk a lot about implementing referral systems in business. Once a client and I have set up a few of the 10 steps of the Client Attraction System, there always comes a time when referrals (or shall we say, the lack of them) becomes the hot topic to focus on in our coaching.In fact, almost everyone I speak to about his or her business does almost nothing to generate referrals, preferring instead to wait for them to self-generate. Problem is, these referrals dont always come as quickly as wed like, right? And for many people,...