Marketing Copy - Brand Identity Guru
Tips on writing great copy for your marketing efforts.
It's just four steps that I call the Writing Path
1. I create a deadline for something to be produced. This creates pressure that I think is very important. Because I write this e-newsletter-BIGNews every other week, I must find an idea and the time to write. If I didn't have a deadline looming, I think procrastination would be a lot easier.
- Do you have a specific goal and a deadline? If not, just make one up. If you don't, you'll have no focus to keep you on track.
2. I define a problem, predicament or challenge I believe my audience is facing. And since I've faced most of these problems myself, they are very familiar to me. It might be the problem of creating a marketing message, writing an e-newsletter or putting together a proposal. I only spend a little time thinking about a problem and one usually pops into my head in a few minutes.
- Can you identify several problems your prospects and clients have experienced in the past? What are they currently struggling with? What's missing for them? Then pick just one.
3. I think about my solutions to this problem. Since I've solved many of these marketing problems in the past, I usually have a good idea of what will work and what won't work. I just reflect for a few minutes about various solutions and approaches to the problem until I feel confident I have something valuable to communicate that will make a difference to those who read what I write.
- Do you have solutions, techniques and strategies you can apply to the problems of your clients and prospects? Can you express these solutions in a way that is easy to understand and apply?
4. Then I just start writing. I don't worry about doing it perfectly the first draft. I just follow the Writing Path as I've outlined above. I try to avoid theory and stay very practical, giving very detailed how-to information. If I can make things clearer with a story or example, I'll use those too. My main concern is: Can my readers use this information to improve their current situation? If they can, I've succeeded.
- Are you ready to start writing using this basic Writing Path? Are you willing to do it imperfectly and then go back and edit and rewrite until it makes sense and flows well? And that's my simple Writing Path.
If you are stuck, I believe it's all you need to get started. And the more you write using this formula, the easier it gets. Not only that, the more you write, the more all your other marketing activities improve because your thinking gets more focused and your communication becomes more persuasive. So take a shot at it and see what you come up with! What will you write about today?
Recap:
* Deadlines - You'll have better results if you have a regular deadline for writing. Interestingly, I found that a bi-weekly deadline was more powerful than a monthly deadline. Set it up so that the consequences of missing the deadline are worse than doing the writing!
* Problems - A good way to prime the pump is to list every problem you can think of that your clients and prospects have faced. Then trim down and prioritize the list until you have several good topics you can write about.
* Solutions - Beside the list of problems, write the main solution that will be the foundation of the article. For instance, beside "Writer's Block" I'd put "Writing Path." These sets of problems and solutions will be the foundation for several articles.
* Just Write - The writing that gets the highest readership is writing that is conversational. Throw out most of what you learned in English class and just write like you talk. And then read what you've written out loud until it flows naturally.
* Stay Present - Don't worry about what people are going to think of what you've written. Just focus on your ideas and communicate them with clarity. If your ideas make sense, people will read what you've written and get the value you intended.
To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today.
Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston. Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.
Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.
Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.
Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner.
 Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:09 GMT Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - * at No. 5 Florida 26, Miami 3: Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes for the Gators (2-0), who ended a six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes with their first win in the on-again, off-again series since 1985. Tebow's maturity key to Gators' win over Canes - College Football Marve's debut gives Miami (Fla.) reason for hope Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:58:47 GMT Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News
CNET News - Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy. Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama - New York Daily News
New York Daily News - BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF WASHINGTON - If John McCain wanted to poach the women's vote from Barack Obama, he shouldn't have tapped a running mate who dubbed herself a "pit bull with lipstick. Sarah Palin's appeal to working-class women may be limited A feminist's argument for McCain's VP Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:10:33 GMT Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report - The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade—which belong to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers (TNF-alpha blockers)—to strengthen the warning for risk of fungal ... FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:23:08 GMT Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer - Yakima Herald-Republic Yakima Herald-Republic - by Ross Courtney PROSSER - Cody Jansen sloshes through a pasture, his rubber boots squishing in muddy puddles as he goes. He dips a ladle into a tiny pool and looks closely. Rockland resisted West Nile virus query Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:47:33 GMT 'Home: A Novel' by Marilynne Robinson - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - Drawing on the characters of prize-winning novel 'Gilead,' Marilynne Robinson revisits an Iowa town. By Emily Barton UNLIKE novels that delight in plot twists and structural play, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Gilead" is seemingly ... Back at home, troubled siblings look for refuge Their Father's House Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:04:58 GMT 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion - Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter - By Eric J. Lyman ROME - Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," which set the Venice Lido abuzz after its world premiere Friday, won the festival's top prize Saturday. Video: Mickey Rourke Pinned in 'The Wrestler' Will victory at the Venice Film Festival help 'The Wrestler' in ... Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:36:04 GMT Increased Website Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Every now and then I will meet someone who has... Read More 1. Personal Fundraising letters are about as personal as you... Read More Sometimes the simplest data is the best. Marketing is not... Read More ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinThere are two types of lists, determined by... Read More You followed time-honored online marketing techniques to the letter: you... Read More When Advertising, it's not always better to be the lone... Read More A database is more than a simple list of names... Read More This list contains 25 powerful strategies to improve your direct... Read More It's 1954. Yes, Mrs. Patricia Smith has been a good... Read More What's the fastest, simplest and cheapest way to promote just... Read More Direct marketing is advertising from a manufacturer or front-end supplier... Read More And not only your logo, but also your website, your... Read More Sometimes you can use a guarantee effectively in your headline.... Read More If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to... Read More I just collected my mail. As usual, more than 80%... Read More Have you created a marketing plan for your Website? If... Read More Although they are inexpensive and product fast results, online surveys... Read More Triple your response from expos by avoiding the top ten... Read More If you are in the mobile car wash business and... Read More In his classic best-seller, "How To Win Friends And Influence... Read More The customer is king/queen. We have all heard this mantra.... Read More Most companies ask themselves this question: "How much will this... Read More I don't know if you have ever seriously considered bartering.... Read More I don't mean you, I mean the YOU that is... Read More Marketing your cleaning business is something that you will already... Read More
Adsense
websites
Why Most Marketing Videos Dont Work
Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods
Basic Marketing Dope
Twelve Places to Buy a Mailing List
Distinguish Your Business From The Competition
The Lone Wolf is Blind
Benefits of Developing & Maintaining a Database
25 Ways To Make Your Next Direct Mail Campaign Work
Meaning and Marketing - The Eye of the Storm
Postcards Work
Direct Marketing Puts Information In The Buyer?s Hands
What Does Your Logo Color Say About Your Business?
Use a Guarantee In Your Headline To Increase Trust
Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business
Is Most Marketing by Small Businesses KILLING THEM?
Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Website
How To Conduct Effective Online Surveys
Top Ten Blunders Exhibitors Make in Expos/Tradeshows
Signage for Mobile Car Wash Vehicles
2 Little Words That Work Marketing Magic
10 Packaging Tips That Will Make Consumers Buy Your Product
Good Marketing Pays for Itself
Build Lifelong Networks With Your Own Barter Group
The YOU Factor
7 Proven Tips To Market Your Cleaning Business
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Bedroom Marketing
Hopefully we are all adults here, so let's talk about... Read More
Turbo-Charge Your Viral Marketing- Five Easy Ways
The world of marketing has changed. With increasingly better educated... Read More
Build A Successful Business By Staying Connected
Over the course of your business life you'll come in... Read More
Creating And Maintaining A Mailing List
Starting to collect proper information to create a... Read More
Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?
When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More
Nice Guys Finish First
Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form... Read More
The Lone Wolf is Blind
When Advertising, it's not always better to be the lone... Read More
Nine Must-Do Positioning Steps
Every professional or consultant knows that clients typically hire people... Read More
CRM: Strategic Engine or Just Another Tool?
CRM?strategic engine or just another technology tool? How would you... Read More
11 Rock Solid Techniques For Generating Product Ideas Anytime Anywhere!
Whatever business you are in, either online or offline, you've... Read More
Small Business Marketing Tip - Focus on a Niche or Target Market
I think selling and marketing today often feels a bit... Read More
The Death of Product Packaging as We Know It.
It used to be you that if you had a... Read More
How Would You Handle This?
We have been talking about choosing groups to participate in... Read More
Building Skills in Information Marketing will Boost Your Business
Yesterday I was sitting on a train going into London... Read More
Perceived Value Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Q: My partner and I are having a hard time... Read More
Direct Mail Still Works!
Direct Mail CampaignsDespite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes,... Read More
Eliminate Your Competitors With 2 Simple Steps
In business, having competitors goes with the territory. There's almost... Read More
Two kinds of Advertising for a Marketing Strategy
Advertising is the lifeblood of any business. If you do... Read More
Keep Costs Down and Keep the Marketing Strategy Simple
One of the biggest mistakes we could make as business... Read More
How To Let Your Customers Search For YOU! ? Part 2
First I want to welcome you to part two of... Read More
Making Your Mark With The Millennials
Generation Y--The second-largest crop of young people in America's history,... Read More
A Successful Solution: 10 Things to Consider
A provocation for the coming year, decade, century or millennium.By... Read More
B2B Marketing - Why it Should be Subtle
Subtle adj. Showing or making, or capable of showing or... Read More
Simplicity In Marketing
In a world that is spinning out of control; with... Read More
How Architecture Rendering is Part of the Impact
Cartoons have gone from celluloid to digital. Movies have gone... Read More
Marketing |