Is your copy a bit lifeless? Marketing flat? Michele PW is here with tips and tricks to get your marketing and copy back on track.
10.30.08
Posted in Business, Copywriting, General at 6:14 pm EDT by Michele PW
One of my friends recently sent me a link to a sales page. This person (who shall remain completely nameless) was having a sale. The reason behind the sale? For the second time this year, they had experienced a natural disaster which had destroyed their living room. (Then even had photos of the destroyed room on their site.)
Now, I’m all for having a reason for a sale. I think having a reason for why you’re knocking the price down or adding an extra bonus makes it that much more compelling for people to actually buy.
But, there are good reasons and not-so-good reasons. This particular one falls under the category of not-so-good — and here’s why:
First off, people tend to shy away from people who seem to have a bad case of bad luck. Bad luck can be catching after all. Seriously, people want to hang around with winners. They want to hire or use products from people or businesses who are successful and lucky. Bad luck makes good television drama — after all, that’s why we watch the doctors on Grey’s Anatomy stumble through one unlucky situation to another, but in real life people want to hang around winners.
Telling people you were subject to not one but TWO natural disasters that basically destroyed the same room in less than a year is not smart marketing. Especially when in your sales letter you say “I did this sale last January, and made enough to pay for my new living room, but now eight months later, it’s destroyed again.” Is it even worth it to help pay for a new living room when, with this person’s luck, in another six months the whole house could be sucked up into a tornado?
Also, when you play the “woe is me” card, you run the risk of turning yourself into a charity. Bad luck happens. People will feel sorry for you. But do you really want people to give you money because they’re feeling sorry for you? Consider how that’s going to affect your brand down the line. Sure you might make a few bucks now, but what about a year from now?
So, is there a time to use the “woe is me” card? Well, there is, but not with you. I would use it to help someone else. For instance, maybe someone you know winds up with serious medical issues, and with it some serious financial issues. Perhaps you raise some money for them. Or maybe you raise money for a charity in their name. That would be acceptable.
But, I can hear you asking, what if something bad DOES happen to me, like I need that new living room?
Look, there’s nothing wrong with having a sale or a promotion to get some cash in the door, it’s just how you do it. Depending on what exactly happened to me, I may or may not use it. I might choose to have a different reason for a sale or promotion. And if I DID use it, I probably wouldn’t use another story like that for at least a good 10 years.
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10.20.08
Posted in Copywriting, General, Marketing at 7:07 am EDT by Michele PW
Hi there,
Just wanted to send you a quick reminder that my second preview call, 5 Psychological Triggers to Turn Prospects Into Clients, is Wednesday at 4 pm PST/7 pm EST.
Here’s the link to reserve your seat:
http://www.michelepw.com/triggers
If you’ve already signed up for my first preview call, 5 Secrets to Getting All The Leads You Can Handle, you’re automatically signed up for this call as well. Watch your in-box for call-in info.
On the call, 5 Psychological Triggers to Turn Prospects Into Clients, you’ll learn:
* What to do to get people to listen (and believe) what you say.
* How to harness the same power that makes word of mouth marketing so successful.
* How to seamlessly transform lookers into buyers.
* What you need to do to “seal the deal.”
Note: these are pretty powerful, so you should make sure you always use them in an honest and ethical manner.
Here’s that link again to sign up:
http://www.michelepw.com/triggers
“See” you on the call!
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11.12.07
Posted in Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing at 12:39 pm EST by Michele PW
Dear Readers,
Wow. I just got back from Dan Kennedy’s Info Marketing Summit, and as great as it was, I am simply exhausted.
I’ve been to a number of Dan Kennedy’s events over the past couple of years, and I think this is the best one yet. Not so much because of what I learned (although I always pick up new tips and ideas) but the connections I made.
As one of the quotes said hanging on the wall of the conference said, “An entrepreneur is the loneliest person on earth.” As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably experienced this yourself. Your friends, spouse, mother, etc. don’t really “get” what it is you’re doing. You can’t talk to them because not only do they not understand what it’s like to be a business owner, but they also probably have no idea how exactly you make money.
Now that I’ve been regularly going to these, I’m making “connections from my connections” so I’m meeting more people, collecting more leads, getting more ideas on what to do with my business (and my clients’ businesses) and just plain enjoying spending time with people who “get” me and what I do.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make That Kill Their Sales…And How To Prevent Them. Ready to turn lookers into buyers and watch your business skyrocket? Click here to learn more about this special report, free for a limited time.
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05.14.07
Posted in Copywriting, Creativity, Marketing at 10:23 pm EDT by Michele PW
The other day, a colleague of mine told me about a new marketing agency and sent me a link to their Web site. I checked it out.
Needless to say, it was dreadful.
Oh, it was pretty enough. Very nice graphics. And what little copy there was, was very artfully placed (although so tiny it was difficult to actually read).
Why do I say it was dreadful? Because, even though it was pretty, it had absolutely no personality.
The copy was boring (not to mention full of “we’s” but that’s for another day). The graphics were pretty but boring. There was no life, no energy. Just flat.
It was as though the Web site was trying so hard to appeal to everyone, it ended up appealing to no one.
You see, people want to do with business with people. And they want to do business with people they know, like and trust.
But how will they know if they like you if they don’t know your personality? If you’re so busy hiding behind some boring, flat, but oh-so-politically-correct Web site, how will they ever figure out if they like you enough to do business with you?
And, even more importantly, will they stick around long enough to get to know you. Read the rest of this entry »
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07.10.06
Posted in Copywriting, General, Marketing at 5:53 pm EDT by Michele PW
The moment I decided to specialize as a direct response copywriter (which means you get a response directly from the marketing materials, there’s no middle person involved, like a sales rep) I knew there would be one thing that would determine if I would be eating steak or eating mac and cheese.
And what’s the one thing? The results I got for my clients.
Therefore, improving results became a pretty big focus of mine. You might even call it a passion. (Some people who aren’t nearly as nice have called it in an obsession.)
Regardless, here are 5 tips that can help you improve the conversions of your marketing materials. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Copywriting, Public Relations, Writing at 5:42 pm EDT by Michele PW
Headlines are the most important part of a print ad.
In fact, David Ogilvy, famous ad man and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, has said that four out of five people only read headlines. Nothing more.
And if people DO choose to read the rest of the ad, they make that decision based on the headline.
That’s a big job to put on the shoulders for what amounts to a few words.
But before you start despairing over your headline-writing skills, take heart. There are several “headline types” that have proven to sell products and services over and over again. Below are four of the most powerful and the easiest to implement. Read the rest of this entry »
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05.15.06
Posted in Business, Copywriting at 3:13 pm EDT by Michele PW
If you want people to buy, you gotta ask for the sale.
Truly, it is that simple. Yet I can’t tell you how many ads, Web sites, brochures, sales letters, etc. are floating around out there that aren’t asking.
So, what is a call to action? It’s telling people what action you want them to take. Typical calls to action include:
Hurry in today.
Buy now.
Call now.
Visit now.
Click here now.
Nothing terribly sexy, I agree. However, if you want to see an increase in your customers, leads, income, etc., this is an essential component.
But, you might be thinking, isn’t it obvious? Why else would you be running an ad if you didn’t want people to buy what you’re selling? Read the rest of this entry »
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12.02.05
Posted in Copywriting, Marketing at 4:00 pm EST by Michele PW
You’ve done it. Gotten that press release written. Now you’re ready to send it out to your carefully chosen list of media contacts.
But before you hit that “send” button, take a moment and run your press release through this checklist. Remember, you only have a few seconds to catch the attention of busy journalists and editors — don’t blow it over an easily corrected mistake.
Some of these may seem painfully obvious. Alas, even the obvious gets overlooked from time to time (even from professionals – I know, I’ve made my share of mistakes) so it’s always a wise idea to take a few moments to double check that your release is up to snuff before sending it out into the world. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Business, Copywriting, Marketing at 3:59 pm EST by Michele PW
Several years ago, when I was working for an agency, I was fired from an account. What that means is the client didn’t want me writing for him anymore.
Another writer, a friend of mine, got the account and life went on.
Of course, I was pretty upset by the situation. I had completed several writing projects already for that client, which had seemed to go well, and had just finished a press release when I got the boot.
My writer friend told me later her “secret” for making this client happy. Basically, what she did was rewrite the press release so it focused solely on the client and the client’s business. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Business, Copywriting, General at 3:49 pm EST by Michele PW
You know that old saying — if you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there. That’s what happens if you don’t take the time to figure out what your goals are and WRITE them down. There’s power in writing things down (but you know this, you’re a writer).
Figuring out your goals is probably one of the most important and one of the most overlooked steps for writers starting their business. Ideally you should put together a business plan. However, I have yet to meet a writer (including myself) who has one. (In fact, if you are a writer with a business plan, please contact me. I’d love to chat with you about it.) Second best is getting your goals down on paper. Here are some things to include. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Advertising, Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing, Public Relations, Writing at 3:47 pm EST by Michele PW
Whatever kind of writing you do, knowing how to successfully network and meet people is critical to your success. You can leverage networking opportunities to increase readership of your books (people love to know authors and to tell people they personally know the author of the book they’re reading) get clients for a coaching or copywriting business, or line up speaking opportunities.
As writers, though, it’s sometimes difficult to drag ourselves out from behind the computer and actually interact with the human race. Here are fifteen tips to get you started. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Business, Copywriting, General, Writing at 3:44 pm EST by Michele PW
Now that you’re ready to start making money as a writer, you’ll need a place to be a writer. Here are three steps to get you started.
1. Start with a desk. Actually you need more than a desk — you also need a place to work. While a separate room is ideal, I’ve seen people turn dining rooms, basements and even a corner of a master bedroom into an office (yours truly started out of her bedroom).
Wherever you decide to set up shop, you need enough room for both a computer and paper files (background information, magazines, client files, etc.) Let yourself spread out.
Don’t forget to make room for a bookshelf and file cabinets. You’ll need both.
What you DON’T want to do is share that space with something else. Believe me, it’s a real drag to put together and tear down an office every day because you need the kitchen table for dinner. It drains your energy and will keep you from being as productive as you could be. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Advertising, Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing at 3:42 pm EST by Michele PW
Here are seven tips to help get your copywriting business off the ground.
1. Put together a portfolio. Most people won’t hire you without seeing samples of your work. That said, I’ve found the longer I’ve been in business the less people look at my samples.
When I first started and had hardly any samples, well then, of course everyone wanted to see them. So my portfolio consisted of every little thing I had ever done. Now that I have more samples than I can keep track of, I only bring a handful.
As for why potential clients aren’t asking to see my samples anymore, my guess is what’s probably happened is I’ve changed. My confidence has gone up and clients probably sense that in me, thus they’re also confident I can do the job. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Advertising, Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing, Public Relations at 2:59 pm EST by Michele PW
You are a professional writer — therefore you need a professional identity or image. And if you also offer marketing consultation, that image becomes even more important (after all, you’re in the business of helping other businesses with their identity, you better have a decent one yourself).
People want to work with successful people. The image you present to the world goes a long way toward establishing that.
Although the following three tips are designed more for copywriters, all writers can benefit from taking a closer look at their professional identity. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Copywriting, Writing at 2:56 pm EST by Michele PW
Looking to chuck that full-time job for a life of full-time writing? Or maybe you’ve already dumped the day job but aren’t quite as busy as you’d like to be. Why not take a closer look at copywriting?
Copywriting, also known as business or promotional writing, can do more than put a few extra bucks in your wallet — it can also help you develop as a writer. Here are ten reasons why:
1. Copywriting pays well. Actually it can pay very well. I know copywriters who easily make six figures in a year. That’s because copywriters charge by the hour rather than the by the word or page. Beginning copywriters usually start at $25 or $30 an hour, but if they’re good (or good at asking for what they’re worth — a rare trait in writers but one definitely worth developing) they can quickly move to $45 to $75 an hour. Senior copywriters charge well over $100 an hour.
Now you probably won’t start at $100 an hour, but even a few small jobs at $30 an hour can really boost your bottom line. Read the rest of this entry »
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