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Every Small Business Owner Needs a Killer Bio (or three)

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

As a long-time copywriter I know how hard most entrepreneurs struggle with writing an effective and compelling bio. Partly because they don’t really know what it should say, and partly because it’s really, really hard to write about yourself.

That’s why, when I run across a small business owner who doesn’t have a powerful bio, and they don’t know how to fix it, I send them to get my friend Nancy Juetten’s Bye Bye Boring Bio workbook. It’s so well-done and easy to use I wish I had created it myself!

Now you can learn even more about bios in Nancy’s article below. And you can also find out how to join Nancy on her upcoming free teleseminar Broadcast Your Brilliance – Monetize Your Message. Her topic below is SO right on target it’s a must read post even if you don’t do anything else…

One Size Bio Does Not Fit All Situations

By Nancy Juetten

One thing I’ve noticed is that people often mistakenly rely on one bio to serve multiple purposes. This is a mistake that can be avoided with some good work that will serve you and your business forever.

If you wear many hats, you need to have bios to suit every occasion.

If you are a speaker, you need a speaker sheet that showcases what you talk about and why you deliver a lot of wow with every presentation.

You also need a speaker introduction that sets the audience on fire with anticipation before you speak your first word.

These are not the same thing, so prepare the right story for the right situation so you are always "rock star" ready.

Similarly, if you need a bio that attracts clients, don't forget to identify your ideal client in the story you tell. Otherwise, the bio runs the risk of talking only about you and neglects to showcase the wow you deliver for clients who invest wisely in your services.

And, please, make every word count. Don't offer non specific claims that are packed with non specific results.

Example:

Well known for creating an exciting learning environment, Bob engages the mind of the learner leaving participants with an experience and information they will never forget.

Do you know what Bob talks about, really?

As my good buddy Liz Goodgold likes to say, "Specifics are terrific."

My advice to Bob is to get more specific about how he engages the mind of the learner. I want to know what specific kinds of information he shares that is going to change my life for the better. And I want to know the details in a way that turns my head.

This isn't easy to do. That's why it can be helpful to bring in the reinforcements. And you can get plenty of help on Nancy’s upcoming FREE TELESEMINAR Broadcast Your Brilliance – Monetize Your Message on 11-21-11 at 10 a.m. Pacific .

During this FREE call, she’ll address the specific steps she took to monetize my message to inspire you to do the same with yours. Yes, the call will be recorded so you can enjoy it anytime, as long as you register to receive it. Get all the details and register here: http://bit.ly/slF33W

About Nancy Juetten

Authentic Visibility Mentor Nancy Juetten helps mission-driven experts who are tired of being well-kept secrets and ready to do something about it to prepare and share their stories so they can prosper in the spotlight. She is a word wizard, workshop leader, speaker and Bye-Bye Boring Bio author on a quest to guide clients to spell out their greatness and broadcast their brilliance through the power of storytelling and publicity. Learn more at http://www.authenticvisibility.com/

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Categories : Branding, Build Your Business, Copywriting, Practical Marketing, Publicity

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Tips and Tricks for Formatting Copywriting Content for Web or Print

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Clients regularly ask me how much text is enough versus too much. Often entrepreneurs are afraid to put too many words on a page since all we hear is that people don’t read anymore. And everybody wonders what the deal is with those long, online sales letters that scroll forever…How can they possibly work?!?

The thing is, content—and in particular written content—is king. And it always will be.

The text on your Website, or in your ad or sales letter, is what is going to hold someone’s attention. It’s also what is going to explain your products or services, answer prospect’s questions, deal with their objections, and convince them to take action.

Sure videos and audios are great. And a picture says a thousand words.

But not everyone likes to watch videos or listen to audios (I, for one, much prefer to read than watch or listen unless a demonstration is warranted). And a picture can be interpreted, or misinterpreted, any way you want.

Without enough copywriting, there’s no telling what someone might think of your business, products or services. Or what action they’re likely to take after visiting your site, seeing your ad or reading your letter. That means you need copywriting, and plenty of it, to effectively market and grow your business.

However, you can’t just stick a ton of text on a page and expect people to wade through it—let alone buy. The key to getting prospects to read every word of your copy—whether it’s on a Website, in an email, or on paper—is proper formatting!

These days most people skim before they decide to invest time in reading. So visual clarity is key. You need to make sure prospects can get the most important information at a glance.

Below are a few steps you can take to ensure prospects get all the info they need from your marketing materials to confidently take the next step…

1) Create a Hierarchy of Information Importance

You communicate the importance of different info via its size and color. Whatever is most important needs to be the biggest and boldest text on the page (think headlines, guarantees, offers, calls to action). The next most important info is still going to be called out, but it’s likely to be less bold and smaller. And so on.

2) Create and Follow Standard Formatting Guidelines

You don’t want to end up with a rainbow colored page, or too many things called out. Do this and the reader can no longer tell what’s most important. Instead, come up with standard formatting guidelines and stick to them.

So all headlines might be font size 20 and red or orange. Whereas subheads, which are a step less important, might be font size 16 and blue. And information that’s still important but not as critical might just be bold, or red or highlighted.

No more than three colors should be used for text, usually dark orange or red for headlines, guarantees and pricing, plus one of your brand colors for subheads and call-out boxes, and black for body text for best readability.

3) Create a Double Readership Path

A double readership path is a way for you to ensure skimmers get the most critical information from your marketing pieces. So once you’ve got your information hierarchy and formatting in place for all the really important stuff, go back and skim your text.

Now, use bolding, highlighting, bullets and call-out boxes to create a more complete story for skimmers. That way as their eye skims across the page it picks up enough info to create a pretty clear picture of what you offer, why they would want it, and what they need to do next to get it.

Remember, don’t overdo it. If you bold or highlight too much then you lose your information hierarchy and skimmers can’t tell what’s important.

A Few Final Rules of Thumb for Formatting Copy

Keep sentences short (21 words or less) and paragraphs short (no more than 5 lines). Giant blocks of text and super long sentences are both intimidating and hard to read.
Make headlines bold and at least 6 points larger in size than body text.
Make subheads bold and at least 2 points larger than body text.
Use red and bold for critical information.
Underline links and links only.
Use all caps sparingly. Too many words in all caps makes it difficult for the eye to skim. And online all caps are the equivalent of shouting.

Got thoughts, suggestions or ideas to share on this topic? Please do leave a comment…

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Categories : Copywriting, Online Marketing, Practical Marketing

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Copywriter Shares Secrets of Successful Print Ads

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Copywriter Shares Secrets of Successful Print Ads

Have you ever spent hours struggling to craft the perfect print ad to grow your business, only to have it run and get no results? Or spent hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars on advertising and not gotten a single client, customer or sale?

If so, you’re not alone. I’ve met loads of entrepreneurs who struggled with creating effective advertising. And while one of the reasons may be that your not offering what your prospects one. Or that you’re not advertising in the right place. If you designed your ad yourself, it may be the layout that’s keeping you from getting the results you want and need.

That’s why today I’m sharing a terrific article from my good friend and fellow copywriter, Michele PW. Follow her tips to make your next ad much more effective!

Three Keys to Crafting Successful Print Ads

By Michele PW

Want to create print ads that get results? Below are three keys to get you started.

1. Write for the eye. Print ads are visual. Therefore, craft ads with the eye in mind.

Eyes are kind of picky, though. So, here’s a checklist of what eyes like and don’t like:

A catchy headline that encourages them read more.

Art, such as photos, illustrations, clip art, shapes, etc.

Eyes like art. When you create the ad, create words AND the visual at the same time. Words and visuals should work together.

Designed in an interesting, intriguing, attention-getting manner. Eyes like that. Remember, graphic designers are your friends. If you don't have training in graphic design, I strongly urge you to hire a graphic designer to create your ad. The results will be well worth it.
White space (blank space in the ad). Eyes like white space. Eyes don't like print ads stuffed with words and/or art. Those ads look way too difficult to read and comprehend. So eyes will skip over those ads and find other open, clean ads to look at. (And if they do, you might as well have never bought the ad in the first place.)

2. Write for the busy eye. Nobody is reading a newspaper because they want to see your ad. (Okay, your mother is the exception.) People are reading the paper because they want information. Reading your ad is an afterthought. So, they aren’t going to spend a whole heck of a lot of time on it.

A common mistake is asking print ads to do too much. To be successful, print ads must:

Capture the attention of your potential customers,
Encourage those potential customers to remember what you want them to do,
Then persuade them to actually do it.

That's a lot to ask for one little print ad.

Print ads should have one message and one message only. The more "extras" about your business you start throwing into the ad, the more convoluted the ad is going to become, and the less likely your potential customers will act upon your ad.

Now at this point you may be thinking "Okay. We need one message. That message should be to get my potential customers to buy something, hire my services, donate money, become a volunteer, etc. Right?"

Well…

For one thing, that's a pretty big leap for your potential customers. Getting potential customers to buy without first developing a relationship with them is, again, asking an awful lot for one little print ad.

You might be better off inviting potential customers to take one small step in the buying process. For instance, stopping in the store for a free gift, logging on to your Web site to enter a contest, putting their names on your mailing list, trying a demo version of your product, etc. Let them get to know you.

3. Keep your target market in mind. Your message should be focused on your customers' needs, not your own. Getting customers to buy your products and services is YOUR need. How your products or services solve your customers' problems is THEIR needs. See the difference?

That's why so many retail stores have sales. They’re effective because they're solving a need (saving customers money). But saving money is not the only need. There are many others.

You should also think about ways to add value without bargaining on price (this position can backfire). Contests, free gifts, free reports, free food — stuff like that.

Think outside the box. And use that value as a way to set yourself apart.

Learn by example

One of the best ways to learn how to craft successful print ads is to study what's out there.

Get out a newspaper or a magazine and open it. See where your eyes go. What ads attract your eyes? What ads drive them away?

Which ads have headlines that intrigue you? Graphics that capture your attention? Copy that encourages you to find out more? Why?

Now look at ads that do nothing for you. Why don't you like them? Are they too cluttered? Too difficult to understand?

Have a headline that makes you yawn?

Sometimes you can learn as much, if not more, from bad examples as you can from good ones.

About the Author

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek), Your $Ka-Ching!$ Marketing Strategist, specializes in is writing copy and creating marketing campaigns that gets people to TAKE ACTION, whatever that action may be (signing up for your newsletter, buying a product, hiring you etc.).

Michele has mastered psychological and hypnotic techniques designed to persuade your target market to become your customers. She also specializes in warm Web 2.0 traffic strategies that will bring a flood of hungry visitors to your Web site who want to buy exactly what you sell!

Whether it’s online or offline you need, Michele PW knows how to Rev Up Your Results! Learn more at www.michelepw.com

What’s work for you when it comes to advertising? Thoughts on this article? Please do share by leaving a comment…

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Categories : Build Your Business, Copywriting, Practical Marketing

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How to Use a Call to Action Effectively on Your Website

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (2)

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Recently, I wrote an article on: “5 Steps to Creating a Call to Action on Your Website that Gets Results” (Read it here: http://theunchainedentrepreneur.com/?p=1801 ). In it, I explained exactly what a Call to Action is, why every entrepreneur needs to use them on their Website, and then gave 5 simple steps for writing one.

What I didn’t talk about was how and where you actually use them in your Website content. So today I’m going to share exactly that.

Now, just to recap quickly, a Call to Action is where you tell readers what to do next. Basically a “Do X to get Y” statement.

On a Website it might be “Call 206-200-7594 Now to Schedule Your ‘Website Effectiveness Assessment’. Or “Visit my services page (insert link) to learn more about…”

It could also be something like “Enter your name and email below to…(get a free ebook, register for a teleseminar, etc.).

Even a “Buy Now” button is a Call to Action.

The thing is you can’t just whip up a Call to Action, place it randomly on your Website, and expect to see great results. There’s a psychology to using Calls to Action effectively.

You have to put yourself inside your prospect’s head, tap in to their internal conversation, and understand what they want. Plus what they need to know in order to be willing to take the desired action.

If you just plop any old Call to Action anywhere on a Web page, and your prospect still has unanswered questions or concerns — or can’t yet understand why they would want whatever it is — they aren’t going to do anything.

So, how do you know where to use Calls to Action on your Website?

Follow these 5 simple steps to effectively using a Call to Action

STEP #1 Determine the main goal of your Website, and the goal of each of your main pages.

Do you want to grow your list, have people call you, get people to buy products, click a link to read more, something else? Your answers determine what action you want them to take on each page.

STEP #2 Make a list of all the questions or concerns that might stop prospects from taking each desired action. Then be sure you address them.

Keep in mind, if you’re selling a high-priced product or service, prospects are going to need quite a bit of information. They may want to look at videos, testimonials, case studies and more before they feel confident about taking action.

So your Calls to Action should be designed to move them through your site by clicking links to learn more before asking them to buy now or call you.

On the other hand, if you’re offering a free ebook, their main concerns are going to be: “Is the information of value to me?”…“Is this worth my time?”…and “Is my contact information safe with you?”

If you can address all that on one page, your Call to Action would be “Enter your name and email below to get…”

STEP #3 Create a site plan showing all the pages on your site, how they are linked, and how you anticipate moving visitors through your site to meet your end goal.

You can do this as a simple flow chart either on paper or on the computer. If you only have a one-page site, squeeze page or long-form sales letter, skip this step.

STEP #4 Insert Calls to Action where it makes sense.

Be thoughtful about where to place your Call to Action. And about what you’re asking prospects to do. Again, you want to try to tap into their internal dialogue Then put your Call to Action wherever it seems like you’ve truly made a convincing enough argument for taking that action.

STEP #5 Make it big, bold and obvious.

The last thing you want to do is hide your Call to Action by burying it in text. Make links bold and a different color from the body text. Make Buy Now buttons big and bright.

Calls to Action aren’t just for Websites. You can apply this same process ads, promo emails, tweets, Facebook or ezine blurbs, or any other marketing pieces—both online and off—to increase response and results.

The bottom line is…Having clear, obvious Calls to Action on your Website—and in all your marketing and advertising—is one of the keys to small business success.

Because if someone doesn’t know exactly what to do next—and how to do it—they probably won’t do it. But if you make the right offer to the right people at the right time—and you’ve given them all the info they need to take confidently take action—they probably will. That’s good for everyone!

Do you use Calls to Action on your Website or in other marketing materials? What works best for you? Please do share your thoughts on this topic…

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Categories : Copywriting, Online Marketing, Practical Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Website Marketing

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5 Steps to Creating a Call to Action on Your Website that Gets Results

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (5)

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Why do you have a Website for your small business?

Sure, a big goal is getting the attention of your ideal client and letting them know what you have to offer. And getting your name out there is always good too. But just doing that is not enough.

If you’re going to invest all that time, money and effort, you want to get clients or customers too, right?

In other words, the real goal of any marketing—including your Website—is to get people to take action…

Whether that’s visiting another page on your site, calling for an appointment, registering for a call, signing up for a freebie, or busting out a credit card and buying something right now.

The thing is, most entrepreneurs forget all about this when they’re working on their Website. So they spend a ton of time and/or money creating a (hopefully) professional site that is basically just a bunch of company info.

They talk about who a company is, what they do, how they do it and who their clients are. Then add a contact page and wait for something to happen.

Only it never does. Or if it does, the results are nowhere near what they’d hoped for.

Chances are their site simply wasn’t planned, designed or written to move people through the sales process and get a response.

That means there is something important that probably missing. And you can add to your Website—and every piece marketing and advertising you create—to dramatically increase response rates!

It’s a “call to action”!

What, exactly, is a call to action?

Fundamentally, it’s where you tell someone exactly what to do next if they are interested in what you are offering. A perfect example can be found on any infomercial. It’s where the announcer says “Call 1-800-buy-this within the next 30 seconds to get your super juicer and the special, bonus slicer-thingy for just $9.95”

In a print ad, it might be “Visit www.dogtricks.com to get your F*ree report 7 Fun Tricks You can Teach Any Dog”

On a Website, it could be as simple as “Visit my services page (insert link) to learn more about what I can do for your business…” Or “Call Jennie at 867-5309 and mention this offer to save 50% on your first consultation”.

Even a “Buy Now” button is a call to action.

Why is a call to action so important?

“If you don’t tell someone what to do next, there’s no telling what they might do.”

Life is busy and full of interruptions. Even if someone is ready and willing to buy, they might not be sure what to do next if you don’t tell them. Or they could end up going to the bathroom, answering the phone, or clicking to another Website as easily as calling you.

It’s up to you to know what action would make the most sense—both to meet your customers’ information needs and your business goals. Then let prospects know how to take that action.

Five steps to writing a powerful call to action

STEP 1: Decide exactly what you want someone to do after they read each page on your Website. Then write your copy to lead them to the decision that taking that action makes good sense to them.

STEP 2: People need a good reason to take action. So make them a specific offer they can’t refuse. These days, a f*ree consultation isn’t enough. A lot of folks think this will just be a pitch-filled waste of time. Ditto for just saying sign up for my f*ree e-newsletter. Who wants more random stuff filling up their inbox?

STEP 3: Tell them exactly what to do to take advantage of your offer. IE: Do X to get Y

STEP 4: Make it painfully easy. Put the phone number, link, sign up box or BUY NOW button right there. Don’t assume they’ll take time search for it.

STEP 5: Whenever possible, add incentive with limited availability (only 10 left!), deadlines, or special sale prices. People are busy. The more reasons you can give them to take action now, the more likely they are to do so.

That’s it. Give ‘em a good reason to take action, tell ‘em what to do, and make it easy as pie to do so. You’ll be amazed at how many people do.

Got thoughts on this article? Questions? More suggestions? Please do leave a comment…

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Categories : Build Your Business, Copywriting, Online Marketing, Practical Marketing, Website Marketing

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Why Writing Effective Content for Your Website Is So Different

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Friday, August 5th, 2011

As an entrepreneur, the most important part of getting a Website or blog site that actually drives leads, grows your list and/or makes sales is planning. The next most important part of your Website is the content, or copywriting.

You can’t just slap any old writing up there and expect it to get your ideal prospect’s attention and sell them on why they need to buy from you. If you really want your site to be effective at growing your small business, typically you can’t even take good print marketing copy and put it up there without at least tweaking it.

Now you’re probably thinking “Why not? What’s so different about writing for the Web?”

I hear this question from entrepreneurs all the time. Often followed by, “Can’t I just put my brochure content up there…Or worry about content later…Or put up a business card site?”

The answer is “Sure, you can do any of those.” They’re fine as temporary measures so you can get a site up in a pinch. But I wouldn’t expect to get any leads or sales.

This kind of thrown-together Website might even be worse for your business than nothing at all, depending on the information you do have and how it’s organized.

Here's why…

If your site creates the wrong first impression, is confusing, or doesn’t tell people what they want to know, most folks will be gone in a heartbeat.

And chances are they will never come back!

Think of it this way…In the physical world you have to cut through a lot of clutter. But there usually aren’t a hundred stores right in front of your customer, competing for their business.

On the Web, competition is virtually unlimited and at your prospect’s fingertips. They can easily go to another site if they don’t find what they want on yours right away. So they do.

This alone greatly affects the kind of content you put on your site and how you organize it. But there’s even more to it than that.

Let me explain…

There are three major differences between writing
for the Web and writing for print.

First, you have to write for two audiences: potential customers and search engines. Each of these audiences has different information needs. And each is vitally important.

If you don’t write to suit the search engines, your site doesn’t get found. If you don’t write to suit your potential customer, you won’t make sales.

Second, people read differently on the Web than they do in print. Typically they’re in a bigger hurry and skim first to see if you have what they’re after…Then only reading if something really interests them.

This makes how you organize the information on each page critical. Because you have to consider not only what they want to read, but how they’re going to read it.

Third, you only have maybe four seconds to get—and keep—people’s attention on the Web. So you have to let them know right away that you have what they want, and make it easy for them to find, or they’re gone.

I know, I know…You’re probably thinking that’s a heck of a lot to take into consideration. And you’re right.

Which is why just slapping up your brochure text or a business card site isn’t going to do the trick. Instead it takes careful thought and planning—combined with on-target, copywriting designed to get your ideal client or customer to take notice, and take action—to really make your site work for you.

But it’s worth it!

After all, few things beat having a prospect get in touch wanting to hire you out of the thin blue air because they found you on the Web…Or waking up with more money in your business account than when you went to sleep. It’s like manna from heaven.

The key is to start by knowing exactly who your ideal client or customer is, and they’re specific wants, needs, goals and problems. Then writing your content to suit them first, and achieve your goals second.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. But once you understand the basics, it gets much easier to create the content you need. To help you with exactly that, I highly recommend you sign up for my free 7-day copywriting ecourse “Write Money-Making Marketing Materials like the Pros” below…

Want more help writing lead-generating, sales-making Website content?

Sign up for my free 7-day copywriting ecourse “Write Money-Making Marketing Materials like the Pros” at: http://theunchainedentrepreneur.com/resources

(Just scroll down a tad if you don’t see it right away.)

Of course, feel free to leave a comment about this article or my free copywriting e-course here.

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Categories : Build Your Business, Content Marketing, Copywriting, Website Marketing

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Writing to Satisfy Both Readers and Skimmers on Your Website

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Writing for the Web truly is different from writing for print. One of the most critical ways it’s different is that people don’t read the same way on the Internet as they do on paper. In fact, many people don’t read on the Web at all—at least not at first. Instead they skim and scan to see if your business has what they’re after.

Then, only if they’re really interested will they read your site content word for word. Or do a mix of skimming and reading.

So as an entrepreneur you don’t want to skimp on the amount of Website content (or copy) you write. Because, as I’ve talked about in previous articles, your Website has to have all the tools and information it needs to be a good salesperson. Otherwise it won’t help you grow your small business.

That means your writing has to be friendly and easy to understand. And your copy has to answer all your customer’s questions and deal with their objections…Then convince them to take action.

It also has to achieve three core goals:

Make the shopping experience easy and convenient
Inspire confidence
Show what’s different, or better, about buying from you

That’s a mighty tall order to fill in the 250 words or less some “experts” recommend. Though really, it’s not about how many words of copy should go on a page because you need exactly as much as it takes to achieve your goals—no more and no less. It’s about how you write and format that copy.

So, let’s get back to what I was saying about skimming versus reading…

Most people will skim your Website before they read it—at least initially—because they want to see if you have what they are looking for. And they want to find it as quickly as possible.

However, when they’re really interested in what you are saying—or serious about buying soon—then they’ll devour every last word you put up there. Assuming, of course, that it is interesting, informative, and easy to read.

So, since some site visitors are going to read while others are going to skim, you need copywriting that satisfies both. How do you do that? Try editing and formatting your Website content with these important rules in mind:

Banish Big, Bulky Paragraphs

Big, long chunks of text are just not inviting to read. Especially on the Web. They just look like too much work, and are almost impossible to skim.

Make all your paragraphs no more than five lines long. On the Web even a one sentence paragraph is fair game.

Be Up Front

Stick to one point and state it early in the paragraph. People who skim read the beginning of a paragraph far more often than they read the whole thing. And the last thing you want to do is bury critical information where it won’t get seen.

It’s Good to Be Short

It’s easier to both skim and read ideas that are broken down into bite-sized pieces. So keep sentences around 20 words or less. This seems hard at first, but you can almost always find a way to break a long sentence into two shorter ones. Use Tools/Word Count in Microsoft Word to keep yourself honest.

Use 5 Cent Instead of 50 Cent Words

Long words take more thought, and are more likely to be misunderstood, than short ones. Plus, these days most people (even college educated ones) read most comfortably at about an eighth grade level. So anytime it’s possible to use a shorter word, or two short words instead of one long one, do it. The exception: if the long word is specific to an industry or market you are trying to reach, then by all means use it.

Catch Their Eye

One of the best ways to make your copy both skim friendly and effective is with well-written headlines and subheads, and well-placed bolding and highlights. Someone should be able to skim nothing but these to get all the major points and decide whether or not to read deeper.

Bring On the Bullets

Next to headlines and subheads, bullets are one of the best tools for satisfying both skimmers and readers. Just make sure each one provides a clear, compelling benefit—not just a feature. Because it’s not just about what your product or service is or does. It’s what it does for your customer that matters.

By writing and formatting your small business Website content with these rules in mind, you make it easy for people to find exactly what they are looking for in an instant. And you can write as much copy as you need to satisfy anyone who wants to read more, and convince them to take action.

Share your thoughts on this subject by leaving a comment below.

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Categories : Content Marketing, Copywriting, Online Marketing, Website Marketing

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Worthless and Powerful Words for Marketing Your Small Business

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (2)

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Have you ever run across a clearly talented entrepreneur, whose marketing materials didn’t come close to doing their services or products justice?

Ever read a business’ marketing materials or Website and still not really understood what they did or sold, who would buy, or why anyone would even want to?

Maybe you’ve had the experience yourself where someone read your stuff then asked, “Okay, so what exactly do you do (or sell)?” Or worse, discovered that loads of people were visiting your site…Only they were clicking away without taking any action.

All too often the problem lies in the written content or copy. Copywriting, or writing to sell, is vastly different from the way most of us were taught to write in school. And it’s highly specialized skill that requires years of practices and a solid understanding of sales and marketing psychology to be effective.

When small business owners either decide to write their own marketing materials or Website, or they hire the first or cheapest writer they run into, they typically end up with generic, bland, boring copy. Instead, what entrepreneurs really need is content that grabs their ideal client by the eyeballs and doesn’t let go until they’re convinced to take action right now (whether that action is signing up, emailing, registering, calling, or buying right now).

To help you determine whether or not your copy is designed to do the job—and help you make it more effective—below are two lists. The first is common words and phrases that are worthless in your marketing materials. The second is a list of words that really sell.

Avoid these weak and worthless words and phrases like the plague:

Great customer service
Quality
Honesty
You can trust us
Will
That
Prosperity
Call for a free consultation
Sign up for newsletter

Plus…

Overblown promises (Lose 30 pounds in one week with no dieting or exercise)
Most words with 3 or more syllables
Having most of your sentences or paragraphs start with we, I, our company, or “your company name”
General statements meant to speak to the greatest diversity of prospects

Use these powerful marketing words and phrases whenever possible:

Free
You
Imagine
Because
Discover
Finally
At last
Why?
Guarantee
Here’s why
Here’s what you get

Plus…

Any kind of call to action like: Click here, Sign up below, Email me, Tear out this coupon, call this number, etc.
Specific nouns and adjectives
Numbers, graphs, charts, examples, and other specifics

Just switching out a few words and phrases can make a huge difference in your response rates and sales. So grab this list, and use it to make your own Website and marketing materials way more effective.

Want more help writing sales-making Website content and marketing materials? Sign up for my free 7-day copywriting ecourse “Write Money-Making Marketing Materials Like the Pros” right here: http://theunchainedentrepreneur.com/resources

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