Well, it’s that time again, I’m beginning to believe that there is some truth in the old saying ‘time flies’. A whole week has gone by already since I last sat here typing out the Début Marketing blog, and quite a lot has changed: We’ve entered a new month, more and more Christmas paraphernalia has crept onto shop shelves, my laptop has been fixed, I’ve finished two projects and started another one, and my brother got up on time for college…na, that last one was fib.
But joking aside, keeping up with the fast paced world of consumerism and communication breakthroughs is no mean feat. So for that reason I have compiled this list of copywriting musts and must nots…that and because I especially enjoyed being authoritative last week so thought I’d get my fill this week too.
So without any further ado, let’s begin…
…When writing to or speaking to an audience to promote a product or service there are a few things that you must do to make sure your message is clear:
- Focus less on the features of your product and/or service and more on what benefit they will bring to the customer. Explain to your customer what problem you are going to solve for them by identifying with your customers’ issues and need for your product. Tailor your wording according to what your customers’ require from your product, this will not always be the same so you need to know your customer base.
- Do not talk about how great you are. Yes, credentials are a good thing to have but they are not always going to be the most important point to your customers and swing you the deal. Keep the self praise to a minimum so as not to make the conversation too one sided.
- Are you using the most suitable and relevant avenue to reach your target market and get their attention i.e. Is a brochure showing your product range best, would a radio advert get the response you desire or would direct contact via mail or email be better due to the demographic of your target market?
- Does your customer base understand what you are saying? Make sure you use language suited to your audience, for example; are they a technical bunch, is it a corporate client base, perhaps they are elderly so will not understand jargon, maybe they are young and looking for the best deal around? Now you need to consider your tone, should it be friendly, serious or authoritative etc. These points have a direct bearing on the relationship you form with your customer.
- Engage your audience by telling a story that your company is part of and by adding points that they can relate to.
- Give your customers a reason to buy from you! I don’t just mean because ‘you are the best’ or ‘your product is the cheapest’. Customers are looking for those little extras that make all the difference and that your competitors do not offer. Think of your USPs (unique selling points) and tell them so that they are in no doubt whether to buy from you or the guy down the road.
- Work up to the offer in hand and don’t go in with all guns blazing. You don’t want to scare potential customers away by appearing to be forceful, the key is to be persuasive by focusing on the benefits of your product and striking up a rapport with your customer.
- Use positive language to reassurance your customers – try ‘will’, ‘can’ and ‘guarantee’ as opposed to ‘may’, ‘might’ and ‘possibly’. After all, how are they expected to buy into your claims if you don’t believe them?
- Make your message clear and unambiguous by not bombarding your audience with information, pick out the key points for your market and focus on getting them across clearly.
- Structure your text and link the most relevant points with subtle repetition. This is a great way of reinforcing a message, point of interest or key selling attribute.
- Do not glorify statements, make unsubstantiated claims or use false and unbelievable testimonials (*You Will Lose 30lb with our Product … …*but only if you eat nothing), as this will do absolutely nothing good for your credibility, integrity and believability as a vendor.
- Don’t forget your ‘call to action’ otherwise all your hard work is in vain if customers cannot reach you or purchase your wares.
- Do not go off on a tangent and fill your space with meaningless words; leave enough space for the relevant and important points. Your text may not always be pretty and fun to read but it is trying to serve a specific purpose – to sell!
And finally
- Don’t be too subjective, this is not the CFW show or a one-sided review, base your words on facts and where necessary, informed opinions and advice, and be objective!
So there you have it, easy when you know how, huh! Next week I will stay on the topic of communication but instead highlight some differences. More specifically, the differences between PR, Marketing and Advertising. Until then, I bid you a good rest of the week.