Steve Slaunwhite's Blog, page 5

Quick Tip for Writing Copy Quickly

I was writing a landing page last week for one of my new programs, and I noticed that it was taking – well, forever – to get the thing done. Finishing just the first few paragraphs was like hacking my way through a jungle with a pocket knife. It was slow going.

Then I realized my mistake. I forgot to ask my “starter questions”.

What am I talking about? Well, before I sit down to write marketing copy, I quickly jot down the answers to three questions. Sometimes I type those answers at the top of the page I’m using for the copy, but usually I just scribble them on a notepad next to my laptop.

The thing is, I find that when I have those questions in front of me, I write the copy more quickly and easily. Also, the finished piece tends to be much better—more focused, more persuasive, more likely to be a winner.

Okay, so what are these “magical” questions? They’re pretty simple.

Who is the prospect?
What action do I want them to take?
What information do they need to make that decision?

I told you they were simple!

Say, for example, you want to write a direct mail letter to promote your services to a list of prospective clients. And let’s also say you decided to take my advice and answer the “starter questions” before you begin!

First you would ask, “Who is the prospect?” Your answer might be, “Marketing managers of healthcare companies.”

Next question, “What action do I want them to take?” You might write, “I want them to visit my website and sign-up for my e-newsletter and free report.”

Final question, “What information do they need to make that decision?” Your answer here would likely require more detail. A prospective client will want to know what you do, how you help, and what makes you different from others offering the same services. She will also want to know more about your special report, and what practical tips and ideas she’s likely to glean from it.

Jotting down those answers shouldn’t take more than half a page. Remember, these are just notes. For your eyes only.

And if you have those answers in front of you as you write the letter then, chances are, the words will come easier. I’m not entirely sure why, but I suspect it’s because getting clear about what to need to say removes the number one roadblock to faster writer: which is, not knowing what to say!

So try this technique on your next copywriting task. See if it helps you write marketing copy more quickly and painlessly.

It sure helps me. That is, when I remember to do it!

How to Write Fast

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I admit, I’m the last person who should be writing an article about writing quickly. I procrastinate. I get stuck on a paragraph and can’t move on. I get distracted, like a minute ago when I felt compelled to organize the items in my pencil cup.

But if you’re a service provider — a copywriter, a designer, a consultant, an expert — then writing is a necessary component of marketing your business. You need to produce good sales copy, web pages, emails, and thought-leading content like articles and special reports on a regular basis.

And, chances are, you do much of that writing yourself.

So how do you complete writing tasks more quickly?

Like I said, I’m not a naturally fast writer. (Oh, how I wish I were!) But I have written several books, hundreds of articles and probably a half million words of marketing copy over the years. Here are some things I’ve learned:

1. Plan what you want to say first.

Don’t jump in and start writing until you figure out what you want to say. That doesn’t mean you must put together an exhaustively detailed outline. You just need to jot down the main points. That’s it.

You could fit one of my outlines on the back of a napkin. Yet, I know from experience that without that “napkin”, my writing productivity slows to a crawl.

2. Decide how you’re going to start.

For me, the first few sentences are the most difficult. Once I have those in place, the rest seem to come together more easily.

So I craft those first few sentences — also known as the “lead” or “intro” — at the same time I create my back-of-the-napkin outline. That way, when I’m ready to sit down and write, I’m not starting from scratch. The first few sentences are already there. I’m just picking up where I left off.

3. Just say it.

Author Seth Godin says in one of his books, “No one ever gets talker’s block.”

When you’re writing, you’re essentially talking. So just talk. Talk your way through the article or sales copy or email message until you come to the end. Don’t go back and revise what you said. (You can do that later.) Just have a conversation with the reader.

This leads me to my forth tip, which is closely related…

4. Don’t edit or revise while you write.

Going back and revising a section you’ve just written is a powerful urge. Resist it.

You can’t write and edit at the same time. Correction, you can – but it makes the writing process painfully, painfully slow.

Get the piece written first, even if it’s awful. No one but you is going to read it. Once the words are on the page, you can go back and edit, fix, revise, etc. to make it better and better.

5. Have a deadline.

If you had an exam that required you to write a 350-word blog post in one hour, could you do it? Of course you could.

If you want to write faster, give yourself a deadline. I put a time limit on every page I write and, most of the time — I wish it were ALL of the time, but hey, I’m human — I get that page done by the bell.

6. Write everyday.

If you exercise every day, you’ll get fitter. If you practice the violin every day, you’ll sound better. Well… if you write every day, even for a few minutes, you’ll get faster and the process will become a lot easier.

So there you have it. Six strategies that help me write more productivity. Maybe they’ll help you, too.

(By the way, I wrote this article in just over 90 minutes.)

 

Marketing Lesson from a Flourishing Florist

I attended a funeral last week. Rather than being a gloomy affair, it was actually a celebration of a long and happy life. I didn’t know the deceased well — (he was my neighbor’s older brother) — but by the time the service was over I wish I had. What a cool guy!

Anyway, there was a lot of people there I didn’t know. So I tried my best to mingle, which I’m not particularly good at, and ended up in a conversation with a woman who was in the midst of planning her daughter’s wedding. She noticed all the flower arrangements that adorned the chapel and said, “That’s my next task. Finding a good florist.”

As soon as she said that, I blurted, “Hey, I know a great florist.”

“Oh?” She said.

“Yes, in fact I ordered an arrangement from them last year for my wife’s birthday.” I said. “They really impressed me. They even called the next day to ask if my wife liked the flowers.”

“What’s their name?” she asked excitedly.

Not only was I able to tell her the florist’s name, but also their website address. I was pretty sure that, if I racked my brain a bit more, I could have even come up with the first name of the manager.

Now here’s the thing…

I ordered from that florist just once, a year ago. How was I able to remember their name and website so quickly? And what prompted me to recommend them so enthusiastically?

The answer is simple. The florist stayed in touch with me.

Not only did they call to check if I was satisfied with the flowers, they also sent me a regular e-newsletter along with the occasional personal email from the manager.

I admit, I didn’t read half those emails. But those I did read were informative, friendly and helpful. And I appreciated their sincere effort to stay in touch with me — their brand new customer — and get to know me better.

Within just a few months of my first order with them, that florist became top-of-mind, so much so that the first opportunity I had to recommend their services, I did so without hesitation.

Would I still have recommended that florist if they hadn’t stayed in touch?

I’m not sure. Maybe, maybe not. I certainly wouldn’t have remembered their name and website address so quickly. (Hey, I’m fifty!)

By simply staying in touch with me, with a few well-written emails, they turned this satisfied customer into an advocate.

I’m not sure what sort of business you’re in – copywriting, design, consulting, coaching – but whatever type of service you provide, we could all learn something from that florist.

And that is… taking the time to build relationships with the people you do business with — and the people you’re hoping to do business with — pays off. Usually in more repeat business and referrals.

So ask yourself. Honestly. How well are you staying in touch with your clients, past and present, and your prospects?

Can you do better? Truth is, most of us can. Including me.

 

Which Tweet worked best?

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I’m moderately active on Twitter. I follow experts, creative thinkers and other people I like. I reply and retweet fairly often. I even had a long conversation with an author friend of mine using Direct Message (when we could just as easily spoke on the phone!)

I also use Twitter to, frankly, promote my business. If you follow me, you may have noticed that when I come out with a new article – like this one – I post a couple of tweets about it.

For example, to spread the word about my last article, Create Your Own Crowd, I tweeted the following:

A few years ago, I couldn’t find a convenient way to get in front of a new market. So I created a way: [link]]
Can’t get in front of your target audience? Maybe you need to create your own crowd. Here’s how: [link]
Use opportunities that already exist to reach your target market. But if none exist? Create your own crowd. [link]

Each of these tweets fall into a distinct category. I call the first one a “Personal Story” tweet, the second a “Problem-Solution” tweet, and the third a “Tip” tweet.

Which do you think got the most clicks?

Yes, I was curious about that too. So I checked my analytics (which clearly is something I should do more often!)

What I discovered wasn’t too much of a surprise, but still revealing.

The “Tip” tweet received the fewest clicks. The “Problem-Solution” format did much better. It got about twice as many clicks. But the big winner was the “Personal Story” tweet. Not only did it get more clicks – two and a half times as many as the other two combined – it was also retweeted and “liked” more.

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Now, I realize it’s a mistake to jump to conclusions looking at just one example. But I’ve noticed a similar pattern with tweets for many of my other articles.

The “Personal Story” tweet almost always wins out.

The reason, I suspect, is that the Personal Story tweet seems more authentic. And it is. It’s not saying, “Hey, you’ve got a problem and I’ve got the solution.” That’s a little like saying, “Hey, you’ve got acne. Buy my facial cream!” Nor is it saying, “I’m a smart guy and I’ve got a tip for you.” There are a gazillion tips on the internet. Instead the Personal Story tweet is simply saying, “Here’s a problem I’ve run into a few times. And here’s how I dealt with it. Maybe you can learn something from my story that will help in your business.”

It’s clear that people are far more interested in real-world examples and stories than they are pitches and advice. I know I am. Your target audience is probably like that, too.

Does that mean you should use the Personal Story format every time you tweet about one of your blog posts or newsletter articles?

That would be very difficult to sustain.

Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to continue to post the most genuinely helpful tweets I can, in a mixture of Problem-Solution and Tip formats.

But I’m also going to make an extra effort to incorporate more personal stories, examples, and lessons from my own business in my tweets. (And in my LinkedIn and Facebook updates, too.)

Maybe that makes sense for you to do, too. If it does, tweet about it!

Create your crowd

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Here’s something you’ve probably heard umpteen times before: To market your services, you need to get in front of your target audience as often as you can. You need to give talks. You need to write articles for the trades. You need to network.

All that is very true.

But what if there are few opportunities available to reach your prospects in those ways?

What if there isn’t a group or association you can speak at? Or a targeted publication you can contribute an article to? What then?

I faced that situation a few years ago when I was promoting my services to a new and somewhat unfamiliar niche market. I couldn’t find a convenient way to get in front of those people.

So I created a way.

First, I outlined a series of 20-minute “Virtual Lunch ‘n Learn” sessions that I would conduct via a teleconference line. Then I invited prospects to attend. (For free, of course.)

The idea behind this strategy was obvious. The Virtual Lunch ‘n Learns would get me in front of my target audience and position me as an expert at what I do. Of those who attended, some would decide to give my services a try.

That was the hope, anyway.

I admit, my first Lunch ‘n Learn wasn’t much of a success. Only two prospects attended. And one hung up partway through!

However, I had seven prospects on the line the next month.

And, a couple of months after that, twenty-three people attended my Virtual Lunch ‘n Learn.

Yes, these were small numbers of prospects but they were high quality. I got several leads and referrals and some very good clients by doing these sessions.

What’s the lesson here?

Don’t get me wrong. I did it the hard way. It’s much, much easier to take advantage of the opportunities that already exist to reach your target audience. So by all means look for those popular blogs, publications, associations, conferences, and LinkedIn groups. Leverage those to get in front of your target audience.

But if none exist, consider creating your own crowd. There are many ways to do that.

Recently, I worked with a client who was struggling to get the word out about his services. Most of his prospects belonged to a professional association with chapters throughout North America. But traveling and speaking at chapter meetings wasn’t an option for him.

What did he do?

He created a webinar. Then he contacted all the chapter presidents and offered to do the webinar for their members. Some said no. Most said, “Maybe some other time.” But three said yes.

Within the next few weeks he got in front of more than a hundred targeted prospects.

If you do some brainstorming, you can probably come up with several non-traditional ideas for getting in front of your prospects.

Sure, creating your own crowd may take some work. Like I said, you’re doing it the hard way. But if no other opportunity exists, it may be worth the effort.

Don’t get stuck in the “how”

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My friend Kevin invited me to his Super Bowl party last Sunday. One of the pre-game festivities – besides eating waaaay too many chips – was watching a baseball documentary about knuckleball pitchers.

I was particularly fascinated by the story of Tim Wakefield – not because he was a legendary knuckleballer, but because that was apparently the last thing he wanted to be.

His original goal – or what his thought was his goal (more on that in a moment) – was to be a first baseman. And by all accounts he was very good. The problem was, to make it in the majors, you have to be very great. So Tim was about to be shown the door.

That’s when he made a realization that saved his career. He didn’t really want to be a first baseman. That was just a means to an end. His REAL goal was to be a major league baseball player. And if playing first base wasn’t going to get him there, he was going to find another way.

So he switched from playing first base to pitching the knuckleball. As a result, he enjoyed a 17 year career with the Boston Red Sox.

What does this have to do with marketing your business?

As a marketing consultant, I sometimes work with business owners who become stuck stubbornly trying to make a particular strategy work, while losing sight of – or in some cases, even forgetting – their real goal.

I call this “Getting stuck in the ‘how’”.

For example, I worked with a client a few years ago – Judy (not her real name) – who was trying to expand her client base by networking at business meetings and conferences. She had taken a couple of expensive networking skills courses and even worked privately with a networking guru. Yet, she wasn’t getting any results.

During our first coaching session, it was clear that she was more determined than ever to make this “networking thing” work for her. After all, she had so much time and money invested in the strategy, she was damned if was going to give up.

I asked her, “What’s your real goal here? To become a good networker? Or to find a way of attracting clients that works well for you?”

She quickly realized that she had lost sight of her ultimate goal. She was stuck in the “how”. Networking wasn’t working for her, so she needed to drop that and find another “how” that will work.

We explored a number of other marketing strategies for her business. Eventually, after a couple of false starts, she found a methodology for attracting clients that is working VERY well for her today.

Are there areas in your business where you’re stuck in the “how”? If so, take a page out of Tim Wakefield’s playbook. Remind yourself what your real goal is. Then be willing to try a different “how” to achieve it.

Oh, and one more suggestion: Never eat a bowl of chips before a steak dinner. Trust me on that one!

Become more “find-able” on LinkedIn

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Last week I was looking for a virtual assistant to help me with a new project. In the past, I would have Googled to find someone. But that’s so 2012! This time, I went to LinkedIn, did a search for “virtual assistant” and was greeted with a long list of professionals who offer that service.

That’s a trend I’m seeing these days. More and more clients are using LinkedIn to find the professionals they need.

I can understand why.

When you use LinkedIn to search for a copywriter, designer, leadership trainer or other type of service provider, the top results are people you know (or sort of know) followed by people who know people you know.

There’s a comfort in hiring a professional who’s already in your network, or at least on the periphery.

In addition, I know many people who think LinkedIn profiles provide better, more accurate information on a particular professional than can be found on his or her website. For example, a seminar attendee once told me, “I don’t trust website testimonials anymore. The only testimonials I trust are those I find on LinkedIn.”

At the very least, many potential clients are reviewing your LinkedIn profile in addition to your website to pre-qualify you.

So how do you make sure you’re being found on LinkedIn? Here are a few suggestions:

First, build your connections. You need to be proactive about this. There are probably dozens of other professionals you’re acquainted with who have not connected with you on LinkedIn. Send them an invitation! First level connections show up first in search results. As with Google, you want to be found on the first page of such results as often as possible.

Next, optimize your title. (The text displayed just below your name.) Clients will often search for the kind of professional they’re looking for – “corporate trainer” – or the type of service or solution they need – “leadership skills”. So consider using both in your title. For example:

Corporate Trainer on Executive Leadership, Negotiation, and Decision Making Skills.

Why is the title important? If a search term is found in your title, LinkedIn will highlight it in the search results, making your profile stand out and more likely to be clicked.

But title is just one factor in increasing your “find-ability”. It’s also vital that your entire profile be as complete and up-to-date as possible. LinkedIn uses all that information to generate its search results.

I used to think the Summary section was the most important. It is important. However, a lot of clients are telling me they’re using the Skills & Expertise section more often now to evaluate a professional service provider. I suppose it’s because this section is easy to scan quickly. And recent addition of the Endorsements feature has made this section even more relevant.

Those are a few ideas that will help you get found more often. The bottom line is, LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly important tool for helping clients find the professional services they need. So make sure when they’re looking for someone like you, they find you!

Facts are not enough

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I had an amazing opportunity earlier this week. I was invited to pitch a book idea, in person, to an Executive Acquisitions Editor of a major publisher.

That doesn’t happen every day!

So, as you can imagine, I worked hard preparing my two-minute pitch. As I wrote the script, I found myself boasting about how original and wonderful my book idea was, and incorporating facts about the size of the target market, my ability to reach that audience, competing books, and so forth. All essential ingredients of a book proposal.

Then I recorded the pitch and played it back to myself, imagining I was the editor listening to it for the first time.

I came across as… b-o-r-i-n-g. (I actually yawned.)

What was missing?

It took me a few minutes to realize my mistake. What I failed to do in my pitch was utilize the power of stories.

As you’ve probably heard before: Facts tell, stories sell.

In my pitch, I was hitting the editor with a barrage of description and data. But I wasn’t doing anything to turn on the movie projector in his head so he could “see” what I was saying.

That’s a mistake many professionals make on their websites and in their pitches, presentations, and other promotional materials. As important as a compelling description of a feature or benefit is – and the facts, statistics, and other proofs that support it – it can be all for naught if you don’t bring that information to life through a story.

Now, by story, I don’t necessary mean a traditional story featuring a person doing or experiencing something interesting. A story can simply be a quick example or scenario.

Here’s an example of what you might say on your website, if you were a business succession planning consultant.

Our family business succession program helps ensure there are no lasting family disputes.

Now here is that same example, but with an added touch of storytelling.

Imagine a retirement where squabbles among family members cause your business to gradually go downhill – the legacy you worked so hard to build disappearing before your eyes. Our family business succession program helps ensure that never happens.

As you can see, simply by helping the prospect visualize the benefit – in this case, with a scenario of what might happen – the copy becomes more relevant, interesting and impactful.

So the next time you’re writing a pitch, a proposal, or marketing copy, incorporate a story (or two or three.) It will make your piece much more effective.

PS: As many of you know, I have a second website called ForCopywritersOnly.com. I recently updated it and changed its name to CopywritingTrainingCenter.com. On the site, I’m offering two free workbooks for copywriters: The CLINCHER Copywriting Formula and How to Find Copywriting Clients. If you’re a copywriter (who likes free workbooks), visit the site and check it out!

About your “ABOUT” page

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A few weeks ago, I was looking for a consultant to help me with a particular issue. I asked around, got a referral for “Jane” (not her real name), and then checked out her website.

I scanned her home page, quickly went through her list of services, and then spent quite a bit of time on her “About Me” page.

I did that for two reasons. First, I wanted to learn more about her credentials and experience. And second, I wanted to get a sense of what it would be like to work with her.

She may not have realized it, but her ABOUT page – which is excellent, by the way – played a big part in convincing me to call her.

This isn’t surprising. Studies in professional services marketing repeatedly show that the oft-neglected ABOUT page is one of three pages a prospective client is likely to review. (The other two are HOME and SERVICES.)

So what your ABOUT page says – particularly, what it says about you professionally and personally – is much more important than you might think.

On that page, you want to demonstrate that you have the training, experience, track record, skills, expertise, etc. to provide the service or solution the prospect needs. That’s a given.

But you also want to introduce the prospect to who you are personally, and what it might be like to work with you.

How do you do that?

I’ve written a lot of ABOUT pages for clients. Here are two techniques that work well for me.

1. Connect the dots.

A big mistake consultants and other service providers make on their ABOUT pages is talking primarily about themselves. It’s all me, me, me.

Of course, you’ve got to talk about you. It’s an “about you” page! But you also have to connect the dots – explaining what your background, talents and credentials mean to your prospect.

A great way to do this is with what I call the “That means…” technique. You say something about yourself, and then you explain what that means to the prospect.

Here’s an example:

“I have 15 years experience in the IT Healthcare industry. That means the marketing materials I write for you will be clear, accurate and uniquely persuasive. Why? Because, like you, I have a deep understanding of healthcare IT products and what motivates buyers to say yes.”

Isn’t that more persuasive than the copywriter simply stating he has 15 years of industry experience?

2. Let your personality shine through

All things being equal, prospects will choose to work with someone they like. So, on your ABOUT page, help them get to know you better – as a person.

A fellow marketing consultant, Michael Katz, has pictures of himself and his daughter throughout the years on his ABOUT page. Those pictures speak volumes about the kind of person he is.

But you don’t have to show family photos or mention personal details. Often just letting your personality shine through in the copy is enough.

So take a look at your ABOUT page. Ask yourself: “Would I want to work with this person?”



A simple way to write an elevator pitch

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Imagine you’re a freelance copywriter…

You visit a major marketing convention. There are hundreds of prospective clients there. It’s the perfect networking opportunity. Someone comes up to you and asks, “So, what do you do?”

You say, “I’m a copywriter.”

If that’s your answer, you may have lost a big opportunity.

Will that prospect remember you? Will she position you as an expert at anything in particular? Will you stand out from the dozens of other copywriters who are roaming eagerly around the same convention?

Probably not.

That’s why having an effective elevator pitch – or positioning statement, or 20-second audio commercial, or whatever you choose to call it – is so important.

And not just in networking situations.

Your elevator pitch is the core message that drives what you say on your website, in your prospecting emails, on your LinkedIn profile, and in other communications. It’s your brand.

A lot of clients I work with struggle with their elevator pitches. Agonize is probably a better word! But it really isn’t that complicated.

An elevator pitch is simply a clear statement that describes:

What you do
Who you help
What makes you different or better

In fact, clarity is king when it comes to an elevator pitch. You don’t have to be fancy or clever or try to sound oh so impressive.

Consider this example:

I’m a copywriter specializing in white papers. I work mainly with marketing managers of healthcare IT companies.

Short and sweet. Very simple. It’s also effective because it communicates – with brevity, in this case – what this professional does, who he helps, and what makes him unique.

Of course, you can – and should – have a more expansive version of your elevator pitch. For example:

You know how difficult it can be to create a good white paper for marketing campaigns, right? Well, that’s what I do. I’m a copywriter. I work with marketing managers in healthcare IT and help them plan and write white papers that establish thought leadership, generate leads, and move the sales process along more quickly.

If you were a copywriter and said that to a prospect you met at a conference, would you gain her attention and interest? Likely. Especially if she’s ever struggled to create an effective white paper!

And, finally, here’s another example:

I’m a copywriter specializing in white papers for healthcare IT marketing. What makes me different? Unlike most copywriters, I have 15 years experience in healthcare IT and, as a result, have a deep understanding of the products and customers. That enables me to craft a white paper that’s on target, written well, and works well in your marketing.

As you can see, you don’t need to follow any particular formula. All you have to do is write a blurb that answers the questions above: What do you do? Who do you help? How are you different or better?

It’s that simple.