By JD Biros - 9 Ways to Rule, and 6 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Marketing Throne

1. The Forever Reign
9 Ways to Rule and 6 Ways To Avoid Losing Your Marketing Throne
JD Biros, Partner, Creative Services, Sudden Impact Marketing, Inc.
You have all the makings of a great campaign. Sound strategy. Unique product offering. Tightly defined audience.
Proper budget. Perfect market conditions.
Now it all comes down to content — and that’s make-or-break time.
Granted, that’s a copywriter’s perspective, but the phrase “Content is King” still reigns supreme no matter the communications vehicle or program.
If the copy and visuals do not capture and compel your audience to pay closer attention, the chase is over. Kaput. Sure, that makes sense, but it’s
astonishing to see how much bad content is still produced.
So how does bad content happen? Because good content is not easy, and in many cases, it’s uncomfortable for businesses. It’s safer to simply
present product details and company rah-rah. There is a time and place for that information, but not when starting a conversation with a prospect.
Steer clear of these pitfalls when you’re pitching a potential customer:
1. We-we copy – prospects don’t want to hear how great you are. They want to know if you have a viable solution to their problems.
2. Saying a lot of nothing – get to the point, and it had better be about the customer.
3. Losing focus – trying to be all things to everyone muddles the message. Determine a lead-in message and stay on it. You can’t reach everyone.
4. Boring visuals – save product beauty shots for sales collateral.
5. Speeds and feeds – be careful about tech talk early on; explain how the solution addresses a pain point instead.
6. Overusing adjectives – you may think they add flare, but they can easily cloud the message and sound less than believable. Try it – you’ll find you
don’t talk that way.
What’s the secret to good content?
1. Answer the “So what?” – you need to immediately tell the prospect why they will want to pay attention.
2. Use persuasive writing – after all, you’re getting them to take an action. And if you aren’t, then why not? Go ahead and ask them to call, visit your
site, or fill out a form.
3. People love lists – top 10, 5 things to know, 4 ways to avoid failure, etc. Did our headline pique your interest?
4. Have an active voice – this applies even in case studies — one of the best marketing tools available. It amazing how new and current one can
sound when written in an active voice.
5. Be genuine, not corporate – write as if you are speaking to one person in light conversation. Your audience might be smart people, but it’s
doubtful they sound like a textbook.
6. Write and design for “scanners” – write headlines, subheads and captions to do the heavy lifting. Make your sell through those elements.
The copy in between will complete the story.
7. Make the Call to Action obvious – put it high in emails, in letters and visually called out on web sites and lead generation materials.
8. Read it aloud to yourself or have someone read it to you – if it sounds awkward, rewrite it.
9. Sleep on it – whatever you’re working on copy or design, be sure to set it aside for a day or two and look at it fresh. You’ll likely find ways to
polish it and make it better.
If you follow these suggestions, you’ll see an improvement in your marketing materials. That can lead to better responses and results. And don’t
forget that if you do it in one place – say, a direct mailer – be sure to do it everywhere, such as the web site you are directing a prospect to.
Oh, and Suggestion No. 10: it’s okay to end sentences in prepositions. People do talk that way.
Want more content insights? Give me a call. I’ll be happy to discuss your challenges.
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