Know thy customer

Recently, I was surfing channels on the TV, and I came across the movie, “The Fugitive.”

I happened to catch one of my favorite scenes in the movie. A tenacious U.S. marshal (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is chasing a wrongly convicted fugitive (Harrison Ford) through a giant drainage tunnel.

The fugitive turns to the marshal and blurts out, “I didn’t kill my wife.”

The marshal bluntly responds, “I don’t care.”

Now, from time to time, this scene pops into my head when I’m conducting a website content audit or a creative discovery session with a marketing client.

Too often, we get so wrapped up in our own story that we lose sight of why our customers should care about our business. We lose perspective on what’s in it for our customers to work with us or buy our products.

You’re a family-owned business − so what? Your company has an advisory board − so what? You have a fancy degree and big-time credentials − so what?

Why should your customers care?

Turn your marketing copy into a lead converter

You may have the best copy possible as far as grammar and readability are concerned. But if your marketing content isn’t tapping into what’s important to your customers, you are losing potential buyers.

You. Are. Losing. Business.

The good news is, there are questions you can ask yourself to develop marketing content that’s focused on your customers, rather than yourself. Better yet, buyer-centric marketing content is one of the best ways to get your phone a-ringing.

If you’ve drafted your own marketing content or website copy, look at each of your core messages and ask yourself:

1. So what?
2. Why should my customers care?
3. What’s in it for my customers? You may have heard this question referred to as “WIFM,” or what’s in it for me? It’s another way of asking, what’s the benefit for my customers?
4. How does my business help solve my customers’ emotional pain? Your customers’ pain points could include their frustrations, worries, fears, irritations, etc.
5. How does my business help my customers achieve emotional gain? Your customers’ gain points could include joy, fulfillment, growth, excitement, peace of mind, etc.

It’s not enough to answer these questions in your head. Work your answers into your copy… or hire a professional marketing writer who can help you.

Remember your brand promise as well

It’s worth noting that your customers’ points of view are also critically important when you’re developing your brand promise − the foundation for your marketing writing. A colleague of mine, Pecanne Eby of Brand Mentoring, often talks about the four “Cs” of a brand promise.

Your brand promise should be:

• Clear
• Concise
• Credible
• And compelling to your buyers

Translation: Do your customers care?

Parting thoughts: Know thy buyer

Yes, there is a theme here. Whether you’re crafting your brand promise, website content, marketing collateral or 30-second commercial, good messaging is about tapping into what’s important to your buyers.

And hey, if you’re like me and you do better with visual cues, picture Tommy Lee Jones in a drainage tunnel, telling you he just doesn’t care.

Those are fightin’ words! Get buyer-centric and tap into what makes him care.

You’ll be amazed with how much more effective you can be in your sales and marketing efforts.

Now it’s your turn…

I’m curious, what questions have helped you improve your marketing writing? What tips do you have to stay focused on your customers’ needs? I welcome your ideas.

Publish date: January 23, 2012

Here are a few highlights from the article and the follow-up comments:

• You’ve got eight seconds to grab someone’s attention.
• You need several versions of your commercial in varying lengths. However, your first eight seconds are critical regardless of the length.
• The key to an elevator pitch is understanding what you offer to your prospect. How does your product or service solve your customers’ pain or help them achieve great gain?

Check out the article at: Why You Need a Better Elevator Pitch.

Alas, not all writers were created equal.

So, you need a marketing writer. Now the real fun begins. How do you hire the best copywriter for your needs?

Fact is, not all writers were created equal. They have different strengths. Specialties. Writing styles. Work styles. Personalities. Haircuts.

Some writers are going to give you a much greater return on investment than others.

There are a lot of articles that describe good questions to ask a writer in an interview. So instead, I want to explore questions you should ask yourself first.

These questions will help you become a smarter consumer. With a little personal insight, you’ll be in a much better position to identify the best copywriter for your individual needs… and save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

It’s worth mentioning that these questions can help you hire any business that offers creative services − a graphic designer, web firm, marketing expert, brand consultant, etc. For sake of this post, though, I’m focusing on copywriters.

Ready? Question one…

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#1: Do you need an executor or a consultant?

If you ask yourself one question only, this is the one.

Are you looking for a writer who will simply execute your vision? Or, do you want someone who is going to push and stretch you?

• If you only want someone to wordsmith your copy or write a pretty sentence, look for an executor. You’re not looking for a writer to offer a lot of ideas. You just need a writer to execute what’s in your head.

• If you want someone who will share his or her expertise to make your business better, look for a consultant. Someone who will offer his or her professional advice. Get you to think differently about things. Push you outside your comfort zone.

You may find the best copywriter in the entire world. But at the end of the day, if you and your writer have different expectations about your writer’s role, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Personally, I vote for choosing a copywriter who will thrive under your expectations. Someone who won’t butt heads with you every… step… of… the… way. If that sounds good to you too, decide (in advance) what role you want your writer to serve.

Then, clearly communicate your expectations during the interview process. That way, the writer can either agree to your terms or politely tell you, “I’m not the right fit.”

There’s one thing to keep in mind.

You’ll need to pay more for a writer who is a consultant. You are investing in his or her professional advice. If you’re focused on ROI, though, that partner is much more likely to help you achieve your desired results.

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 #2: What do you want your content to do for your business?

This is a fancy way of asking, what are your goals? What results do you want?

I realize that these questions may seem obvious. Nonetheless, it’s easy to get caught up in the creative development process and lose sight of what you’re trying to do for your business.

When you’re clear on your goals, share them with your copywriter.

The more specific you can be about what you’re trying to do for your business, the better your copywriter is going to be able to help you.

There are three key reasons…

1. You’ll share the same expectations. There is less of a chance of surprises and misunderstandings later.
2. A good copywriter will use your desired outcomes to develop a strategic approach to your content. It’s much easier to write to specific goals when you know them in advance, rather than trying to retrofit copy to serve a different purpose.
3. The consultant type of writer can help you stay on track. When you’re in the middle of a project, it’s easy to get distracted with new priorities. If you’ve established your objectives upfront, your writer can reign you in and help you stay on course.

If you’re unclear about your goals (and hey, that happens), take the time to figure them out. Make it a priority.

Otherwise, if you’re muddy on what you want to achieve, your messaging is going to end up muddy too. You’ll have less of a chance of moving the needle for your business. At that point, you’re just throwing money away.

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#3: What traits are most important to you in a writer?

Creativity? Experience? Project management skills? Responsiveness? Price? Eccentricity?

(Hey, whatever works for you.)

If you’re unsure because you haven’t hired a writer before, think about other professionals you’ve worked with − such as graphic designers or web developers. What traits did you value in them? What traits did you really miss? If you had a poor experience with a creative partner in the past, what things went awry and why?

Make a mental list of the traits that are most important to you. Rank them. Decide which traits you can’t live without and which traits would be nice, but aren’t essential.

Then, ask your prospective writers about those traits.

For example, if hitting deadlines is really important to you, ask a writer how he or she manages a timeline. “What’s your process? What’s your track record?”

If it’s important for you to work with an effective communicator, ask your prospective copywriter to describe his or her process for communicating with clients.

The goal here is to avoid disappointment and frustration. Missed deadlines. Misunderstandings. Personality conflicts. All the headaches that can waste your time and money.

You may not get every characteristic in your writer of choice. But if you have a clear sense of what’s most important to you, you have a much better shot of identifying the best copywriter for your business.

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#4: How do you prefer to communicate?

We all have our favorite ways of communicating: Email. Phone. Face to face. Text.

If you prefer one communication method over another, let your prospective writer know what it is.

Ideally, your creative partner will proactively ask you about your communication preferences. But if he or she doesn’t, tell your writer what works for you.

This is about setting yourself up for a successful relationship!

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#5: What’s your timeline and why?

Ah, timelines. They can make or break a relationship.

There are actually a couple of questions to ask yourself related to timelines. The first question has to do with your personality.

Are you a planner or do you thrive on getting things done at the last minute?

Again, it’s good to share your preferences upfront, so your prospective copywriter can let you know whether he or she is a good fit for you.

It’s also worth exploring what the writer’s preferences are. If your writer loves a good fire drill and you don’t (or vice versa), you probably haven’t found a great match.

The second timeline question has to do with your project at hand.

When does your project need to be done? Why? Is there an event driving your timing?

The answer for most people is, “I need this work done yesterday!”

My recommendation is to be honest with your prospective copywriter about your timing. You’re creating a foundation of trust.

If you do have an urgent need, you should know that:

• You may have to pay a rush fee, depending on the turnaround time and circumstances.
• You may lose out on a writer who is a good fit because he or she is booked out a few weeks.

A little planning can save you some dough and better guarantee your writer of choice.

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Now it’s your turn…

Have an opinion? It’s time to weigh in!

In your experience, how can a business be a smarter consumer of copywriting services — or any type of creative services, for that matter?

What self-directed questions have you found to be helpful?

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Publish date: December 16, 2011

Some people like to savor fine wines. I like to savor fine blogs.

In the spirit of sharing my favorites, I want to introduce you to Ian Lurie of Conversation Marketing. He’s an expert in Internet marketing strategy. A guru, if you will.

Ian is wickedly funny, always insightful, and worth taking the time to read.

In one of Ian’s most popular blog posts, he shares tips to improve your web content. Make it more user friendly. Better connect with your customers.

(And who couldn’t use a few secrets on how to get more love from your customers?)

Ian’s article is two years old. But after rereading it recently, I was struck by how many of his insights apply today — particularly his tips on how to write for the web.

So here it is: 22 Things You Don’t Know about Your Customers.

Enjoy!

If you're hearing crickets (or grasshoppers, as the case may be), it's time for a new 30-second commercial.

There are endless networking books, marketing websites, and sales blogs that describe an effective format for a 30-second commercial. With that in mind, I’m not going to focus on the structure of your commercial (aka, your elevator pitch).

Instead, I want to talk about the words you use in your commercial.

But wait, you say. Someone once told you that how you say your 30-second commercial is much more important than what you say.

True… to an extent.

I believe that your choice of words directly affects how you deliver your commercial. When you use sensory words (words related to sight, sound and touch), you can greatly improve your rhythm, your conviction, and ultimately, your connection with the person across from you – or on the other end of the phone, as the case may be.

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The role of sensory receivers

There are schools of thought that suggest that people receive and process information in different ways − more specifically, through different senses.

• Visual people tend to think in pictures. They speak quickly. They’re animated and use their hands. They have a tendency to interrupt and finish other people’s sentences. They want to go, go, go!

• Kinesthetic people are visceral. They trust their gut. They tend to be slow, calm, and calculated in conversation. They like to process information and reflect on what’s being said.

• Auditory people tend to listen to the words themselves. They’re the middle ground between visuals and kinesthetics, in that they’re often evenly paced in how they speak. They may be more monotone in their delivery.

Under this line of thinking, each of us has a dominant sense and a secondary sense. Depending on where you fall upon the spectrum, you may be fairly balanced between two of the senses, or you may have a strong tendency towards one particular sense.

So this is all very fine and well, you say. But what in the world does this have to do with making my 30-second commercial more engaging?

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Choose words that appeal to the senses

As the saying goes, we do business with people whom we like… and who are like us. On a subconscious level, we connect with individuals who seem like us.

The key with your 30-second commercial is to get out of bland, boring words that could cure an insomniac.

Instead, choose words and phrases that appeal to the different senses. Words that appeal to your audience.

People who have each of the sensory styles − visual, kinesthetic and auditory − subtly communicate their sensory preferences. You may notice it in their speaking style. Or you may hear it in what they say. For example, people tend to use words and phrases that reflect the way they process information.

Ideally, you figure out the sensory preference of the person you’re speaking with before you share your commercial. That way, you can tailor how you say your commercial (the speed, pace, pitch, and rhythm) and what you say to his or her preference.

If that’s too much to ask, then create a commercial that contains words to appeal to all three senses.

Here are some examples from my 30-second commercial.

I often hear people say…

‘I’m stuck. I’m too close to my own story.’

‘I’m frustrated because we’re getting lost in the crowd.’

‘We’re bleeding leads. Our competitors look and sound more polished than we do, and it’s killing our business.’

‘Our team is not on the same page. We may as well be chasing our tails.’

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How to improve your 30-second commercial

So are you ready to spice up your 30-second commercial? If yes, get out your most recent draft.

1. Look for places where you can use more concrete words. Change bland, throwaway phrases into vivid phrases that can appeal to a person’s sense of sight, sound or touch.
2. Highlight the juicy words you want to emphasize. For example: I often hear, ‘I’m stuck. I’m too close to my own story.’
   
3. As you practice your commercial (out loud), emphasize your juicy words. Give them some weight. These are the powerful ideas you want people to remember.

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An added benefit

By being more deliberate in your word choice, you can create a more engaging commercial.

Just as important, you may find that you get greater enjoyment out of sharing your 30-second commercial. And that enjoyment will come across in your delivery and conviction – aka, how you say your commercial. In effect, you become more engaging.

Give these ideas a try, and let me know what you think!

Publish date: November 15, 2011

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The Associated Press Stylebook - A Writing Reference Guide

Tip #1: Treat apostrophes like a valuable commodity. Only use them to indicate possession or to make a contraction.

Ah, the apostrophe. For such a small punctuation mark, it causes a lot of problems. In my opinion, apostrophes are the source of many common grammar mistakes.

My biggest beef with apostrophes is that many people use them more than they’re needed.

In general, you should only use apostrophes in two instances:

1. When you have a possessive noun or a possessive pronoun.
2. When you have a contraction.

(The beauty of the English language is that there are always exceptions, but for this discussion, I’m not going to get into them.)

Here are some incorrect uses of apostrophes that I’ve noticed recently:

• Wedding venue’s in Denver
• The general manager’s in our market…
• The GM’s in our market…
• In the 1990’s, we …

You don’t need apostrophes in these examples because these nouns are not indicating possession or ownership. They’re just plural nouns. Simply give them an “s,” and you’ll be good to go.

Before you insert an apostrophe, ask yourself, is this an instance of possession? Do I have a contraction?

If your answer to both questions is no, you likely don’t need an apostrophe.

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Tip #2: Be singular in your subject. Be plural in your subject. But don’t mix the two in the same sentence.

I find this grammar rule to be one of the most confusing ones to explain.

When you use a pronoun (such as he, she, or they) or a possessive adjective (such as his, her, or their), it needs to agree with the subject of your sentence.

The short of it is, if you have a singular subject, you need to use a singular pronoun. It’s all about staying consistent.

Correct:

“Before a patient goes to the doctor’s office, he needs to make an appointment.”

Also correct:

“Before a patient goes to the doctor’s office, he or she needs to make an appointment.”

This grammar rule tends to make people cranky. REALLY cranky. Suddenly, your writing becomes a commentary on gender equality – or inequality, as the case may be.

Yet, if you mix a singular subject with a plural pronoun, your sentence becomes grammatically incorrect.

Not correct:

“Before a patient goes to the doctor’s office, they need to make an appointment.”

Rather than dip your toes into these contentious waters, my recommendation is to rewrite your sentence to avoid awkward uses of singular pronouns.

For example, in the sentence below, I’m going to change the subject from singular to plural (“patients”), so the pronoun can be plural (“they”).

Correct:

“Before patients go to the doctor’s office, they need to make appointments.”

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Tip #3: If you’re stuck choosing between proper grammar and readability, rewrite your sentence.

I used to work with a chief financial officer who pictured himself to be a bit of a “writing expert.” This was his way of saying that he was a grammar tyrant. While his content was technically correct, it was like reading Chaucer.

It. Was. Difficult. To. Read.

Fact is, there are times when you’re going to run into a sentence that sounds better with improper grammar. Of course, if you write it incorrectly, you run the risk of looking foolish or uneducated. Unintentionally, you may communicate that you don’t pay attention to details.

On the other hand, if you use proper grammar, you run the risk of writing a sentence that no one wants to read. It’s clunky.

So what’s the solution?

My recommendation is to rewrite the sentence. Yes, it’s a cop out… But it’s also an easy way to eliminate the conflict between proper grammar and readability. Problem solved.

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Tip #4: If you’d like a great reference guide for grammar rules, buy a copy of The AP Stylebook.

There are a number of stylebooks available to help you improve your writing. For example, you may have heard of The Chicago Manual of Style and The MLA Handbook.

Personally, I use and recommend The AP Stylebook. It’s the writing guide from the Associated Press.

The AP Stylebook is a go-to writing resource for journalists and editors. It contains useful sections on grammar, capitalization, the use of punctuation, and spelling.

Quite simply, it’s an awesome tool.

You can find affordable copies of The AP Stylebook on Amazon.com.

I don’t receive any kickback for recommending this book. I simply believe it’s an easy-to-use resource. If it can help you avoid grammar mistakes and improve your writing, great!

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Which grammar rules are the most challenging for you? What tips do you have to follow the rules? Sound off below to help others avoid common grammar mistakes.

Publish date: November 1, 2011

Jeff Ames, Brand Identity Expert and Graphic Designer

As a professional copywriter, I get to partner with many talented graphic designers – including Jeff Ames, a Denver designer with extensive experience in brand design.

I recently sat down with Jeff at a coffee shop in Greenwood Village to discuss graphic design tips for businesses that want to build a strong brand.

Jeff brings a unique perspective to branding because he collaborates with companies of all sizes. He is the owner of Jeff Ames Creative, a Denver brand design firm for small to mid-size businesses. He’s also the creative director for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a national restaurant company based in Colorado.

The American Graphic Design Awards, the Web Marketing Association, and the Art Directors Club of Denver have all honored Jeff’s work. In addition, many of his logo designs have been published in LogoLounge Master Library Series – a leading logo resource for designers.

Here’s what Jeff had to say about branding, graphic design tips, and investing in a professional graphic designer…

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Ann Kendall: People define branding in different ways. I’m curious, what’s your definition of a brand?

Jeff Ames: I define a brand as how a customer or an audience feels or reacts to your business. When people see your logo or a piece of communication from you, what’s the gut reaction they have?

A brand is a feeling. It’s the experience your customers have when they hear your name or interact with your business.

Managing a brand is about managing people’s perspectives and feelings about you. You have to do that through your marketing. You have to do your best to manage how someone is going to feel about your business.

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Ann Kendall: I’m sure there are many Denver companies that would love some graphic design tips. What are some simple changes that a business can make to improve its design and image?

Jeff Ames: De-clutter!

Strip down your message. Strip away all the excess garbage you don’t need.

Don’t fill space just because you can. Make sure everything that’s on a page or a website has a reason for being there. Give yourself a better chance to have your audience read what you’re putting out there.

Talk to your audience in a way that they want to learn more about you. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, and ask yourself, what would make me want to learn more about this company? Answering this question helps to strip away the clutter.

Stick to a nice, simple logo, and make sure it’s consistent across your brand.

Lay out all your collateral, and ask, do I have a consistent visual identity? Can I pick up a piece and know it’s from the same company? It’s about more than just your logo. Are you using the same color palette, fonts, etc.?

When you make these changes, you help to refine the gut reaction that people have about your brand.

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Ann Kendall: What do you wish that more businesses understood about design?

Jeff Ames: The value and power of simplicity. The whole idea of ‘less is more.’

If you try to communicate everything, you communicate nothing because you aren’t inviting your audience in.

I’ve worked with businesses that say, ‘But there’s all this white space!’

Yes, there is an opportunity to stuff a message in there, but as you do that, you take away from your core message and what’s most important.

It may seem easy to convey a simple message, but it’s not. Even for me as a professional. I’ve gone through years and years of learning how to simplify a design, and I’m still learning.

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Ann Kendall: Why would you encourage a business to invest in professional brand design, rather than doing it themselves?

Jeff Ames: If you take your brand seriously enough to invest in outside help, others will take your brand seriously.

Professional design can make a tiny, tiny company look much bigger than it is.

If you aren’t working with someone with a lot of design experience, your logo or communication can end up looking ‘hacky.’ You may think it looks good, but the professionalism will not come across. And that will affect how people perceive you. Your audience will not take your brand seriously.

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Ann Kendall: What do companies need to know about choosing a graphic designer?

Jeff Ames: If you’re looking for strategic guidance, you’ll need to pay more. But hopefully, you’ll get more return on your investment.

The value of a strategic designer is in simplifying your brand. Getting your value proposition on the page. Delivering a more successful message to your target audience through the design and copywriting.

If you just need someone to take the concept in your head and put it on paper, you won’t pay as much for that… But your concept better be great. Otherwise, you may not get the results you want.

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Ann Kendall: For a company that wants to build a strong brand, what would you say are the biggest graphic design mistakes to avoid?

Jeff Ames: Not empathizing with your audience…

Not thinking about the experience you want someone to have with your brand…

Starting to design before you understand what you’re trying to communicate…

Not knowing your value proposition…

If we’re talking about tactical things – such as designing a page – I’d say not considering what’s going to compel someone to turn to the next page.

A lot of people plop a logo on the cover of their brochure and make the logo the centerpiece. But if your audience doesn’t know who you are, they aren’t going want to open your brochure based on your logo.

It’s really important to step back and ask yourself, who is picking up this brochure? What is our company’s value proposition to this audience? What need are we trying to fulfill for our audience? That’s what you want to communicate through your design and copywriting.

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Ann Kendall: Will you explain more about a value proposition?

Jeff Ames: Every successful company has something distinct that they offer their audience.

Each business needs to the get to the meat of what they offer that their competitors don’t – or what they do better than their competitors.

It boils down to asking, what can you offer than no one else offers, and why should your audience care? That’s your value proposition.

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Ann Kendall: We can’t discuss graphic design tips without touching on brand standards. Why should a company create brand standards?

Jeff Ames: When you have standards, it’s so much easier to keep your message and visuals consistent. You can just hand off your brand standards to the vendors or designers who are working with your brand.

It’s important to keep in mind that brand standards are meant to be guidelines. They shouldn’t be handcuffs.

Some companies need to have looser standards because they’re talking to different audiences. For example, in the restaurant world, how you sell a burger to a family is different than how you sell a beer to a dude.

Make your standards flexible enough to talk to different audiences.

And if you’re working with an agency, make sure your agency isn’t using your standards document as a crutch to get projects out the door quicker. It’s not a reason to give up on being creative.

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Ann Kendall: What do you enjoy most about graphic design?

Jeff Ames: Solving problems.

Typically, when people come to me they’re at a point where they’ve gone through friends, or another designer, or a sister’s distant nephew’s cousin who is a ‘graphic designer.’ They’ve realized their problem isn’t being solved.

For me, the most satisfying thing is getting to the end result where the communication solved someone’s problem or did a lot more than expected.

If the communication can live within a broader brand, even better. If it can blossom into a brand, even better.

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Ann Kendall: Jeff, thanks for joining me today to share your ideas.

Jeff Ames: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

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Want to join the conversation? Leave a reply, and share your best graphic design tips with us!

To learn more about Jeff Ames Creative, please visit www.jacreative.org.

Publish date: October 20, 2011

I find that the “should I blog?” question is on the minds of many business owners that I meet.

Often, they’ve been to a marketing seminar or website workshop in which the speaker tells them that their business must start blogging. Other times, they see their peers blogging and decide they need to do it too.

Here’s the thing.

If you’re like many business owners, you have a finite number of hours and budget to juggle all your marketing activities.

You need to be strategic in how you spend your marketing time and dollars. You need to focus on the tactics that give your business the biggest bang for your buck.

With that in mind, I believe there are a few, fundamental questions to ask yourself before you can fairly answer the question, “Should I blog?”

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Questions to ask yourself before starting a blog

These fundamental questions include:

• Business objectives: What are you trying to do for your business? What are your goals? What do you want to achieve?
• Audience: Who is the target audience you’re trying to reach?
• Marketing tactics: What are the best marketing tactics to achieve your goals and connect with your target audience? Where does a blog fall on that list?

There is no question that a blog can add value in many ways.

A blog can help you attract potential customers to your website, give people a reason to return to your website, share your subject matter expertise, establish your credibility, grow your followers, connect with other experts, create a community…

The list goes on.

But there are other marketing techniques that may be just as effective for you.

I recently met with a Denver business executive who is trying to add new customers. She wants to establish her subject matter expertise with an audience of senior citizens.

Through public speaking events and seminars, she has had great success attracting new clients. She earns two to four credible leads from each speaking event, and she has a high success rate of converting those leads into business.

Her website is not an essential part of her marketing strategy. As such, she puts her time and dollars into tactics other than blogging. In this case, her strategy works for her.

Ultimately, the answer to the “should I blog?” question comes down to what you’re trying to do for your business.

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Practical considerations when deciding to write a blog

For sake of discussion, let’s say you’ve decided that a blog is a wise investment of your time and resources, given your business goals.

The next step is to ask yourself some practical questions:

#1: Are you willing to commit to blogging on a regular basis?

And by regular basis, I don’t mean three times a year. I mean, are you willing to write with some frequency: daily, every other day, weekly, every two weeks, etc.?

If you know you’re the type of person who starts something, but quickly loses steam or gets pulled in other directions, you need to factor that into your “should I blog?” decision.

You don’t want to unintentionally communicate to prospective customers that you don’t follow through on things.

#2: Are you a good writer?

I have a client − a small business owner − who is a master at what he does. He’s a true artisan in his field.

As he would tell you, though, his mastery does not extend to writing.

Consider the blog he was writing… He was too close to his own story. He used too much industry jargon. He didn’t have a clear sense of what he was trying to convey through his blog posts, and that haze came across to the reader.

Without intending to do so, his writing made his business look less professional and polished than it actually was!

#3: Do you enjoy writing?

You may be a great writer…

But that doesn’t mean you enjoy it.

If you don’t like writing but you believe a blog is essential for achieving your goals, you may want to partner with a professional copywriter or a blogging service (a team of dedicated bloggers).

Many search engine optimization companies offer blogging services, as well.

#4: Do you know how to write for the web?

Writing papers or customer correspondence is different than writing for the web. There are special web writing techniques that can make you more effective in engaging your audience and keeping their attention.

If you aren’t familiar with web writing techniques, you may want to partner with a professional copywriter who is.

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Parting thoughts about blogging

Whether you’re deciding whether to start a blog or you’re considering another marketing tactic, always keep sight of one question:

What am I trying to do for my business?

There is no better question to guide you on your marketing journey!

Publish date: October 4, 2011

#1: “Everyone” does not count as a target audience.

Several months ago, a colleague of mine and I were facilitating a marketing workshop. We asked our participants to define a target audience for their business and share it with the group.

One of the participants proudly raised his hand, dramatically looked around the room, and announced that his target audience was…

“All humanity.”

Now, I’m all for believing in your product or service.

But having recently spent an inordinate amount of time in line at the DMV, I can personally assure this participant that “all humanity” is not the right answer.

I’ve witnessed all humanity first hand. It’s a big group.

Here’s the problem with trying to be all things to all people. You end up being nothing to anyone.

You can’t tap into people’s emotional triggers because you have to speak so generically.

It’s difficult to identify the best advertising channels because you’re trying to reach everyone.

You spread yourself too thin, going a mile wide when you should be going a mile deep.

Not to mention, you aren’t giving people a frame of reference to send you referrals. It’s counter-intuitive, but the more general you are in how you describe your target audience, the less people are likely to think of anyone who fits your qualifications.

You lose the “target” in target marketing.

Consider an example. Let’s say you know a realtor who tells you his ideal client is anyone who wants to own a home. A little broad, no?

Having a pulse is not a qualifier. You need more definition.

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#2: There are number of ways to target your audience.

Thankfully, I’ve discovered that the DMV waiting room provides an excellent mix of people to help you define your target audience. Here are a few examples…

Demographics:

Demographics are the statistical characteristics of a human population.

For marketing purposes, I often ask my clients to think about their audience in terms of age, gender, income level, and job title.

But there are many more ways that demographics may apply in your world: Disability status. Family status. Home ownership. Religion. Race. Language abilities. Education level… The list goes on.

The beauty of sitting in the DMV for minutes (hours?) on end is that you get to observe a diverse mix of people. Young. Old. White collar. Blue collar. Ivy leaguers. High school dropouts.

Your mind can’t help but race with all the different ways you could define a target audience.

And when it comes to messaging, the beauty of defining your customers’ demographics is that you know which voice and level of writing to use. You can identify what’s important to your audience and work those messages into your copy.

Psychographics:

In my opinion, psychographics are where the fun really begins.

Pscyhographics have to do with people’s interests and opinions. Examples of psychographics include people’s attitudes, values, hobbies, interests, and lifestyle choices.

With psychographics, you’re getting into how your audience sees the world and makes decisions. What’s important to them? What do they care about? Which brands mean something to them?

Last year, I worked with a wedding photographer on her website content. She had a very clear definition of her target audience. From a demographic perspective, she wanted to work with brides in their mid- to late-20s.

It’s in the psychographics, though, where things got interesting.

Her target audience consisted of independent thinkers. Creative, art-inspired women who wanted something different for their weddings. Fun, outgoing brides who wanted to be trendsetters.

With her audience in mind, we were able to write copy that really spoke to those women. (And, in combination with other marketing techniques, her website messaging has helped her business flourish!)

Geography:

Ask yourself, are your best customers located in a specific location?

Your target geography could be a neighborhood, a school district, a zip code, a set of suburbs, a city, a county, an area or region, a country, or even broader.

Here’s another way to think about it. Do you want to specialize in a location that may attract a specific audience?

I walk through a neighborhood each evening in which 75% of the homes for sale are listed through the same realtor. Forget chasing customers for business all over Denver. This realtor has become the go-to guy for people who want to live near a particular elementary school. His marketing is targeted and on point. He knows his customer, and by the number of “for sale” signs he has up in people’s yards, they know him too!

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#3: Don’t forget to identify your ideal customers — those you enjoy serving.

While sitting in the DMV, I had an opportunity to observe a lot of interesting behaviors and personality types.

For example, I discovered that people react differently when they find out that the DMV is serving person number 18. And they have ticket number 42.

I watched one businessman walk up to the counter in a huff. He’d decided that he wasn’t interested in the numbering system any more. He wanted to be served right then and there.

(It didn’t work out so well for him.)

Nonetheless, as I watched him, I found myself wondering about the different ways you could interpret his personality. Some may say that he was impatient and pushy. They wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Others may say that he demonstrated initiative and moxy — he was a “go getter.”

As you consider ways to define your target audience, don’t forget to identify the personality traits of your ideal customer. What characteristics are a good fit for your business? Would you welcome a businessman with moxy… or disqualify him for being too pushy?

For my business, my “ideal client” includes business owners and executives who are visionary, collaborative, decisive and ROI-focused.

Ask yourself, what customer traits are best for your business?

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Parting thoughts

The better you define your ideal customer, the better we can tailor your marketing messages to their needs and motivations. Your brand messaging becomes much more effective and persuasive. Ultimately, you’re more likely to attract an audience that’s the right fit for your business.

Of course, if you’re looking for your own source of audience inspiration, there’s always the DMV…

Publish date: September 19, 2011

Recently, a Denver manufacturing company approached a colleague and me with a tagline development project.

The company wanted to figure out how to create a tagline for one of its divisions, but the division’s executives were stuck.

They’d already partnered with two professional marketing agencies in Denver. Yet, despite the best intentions − not to mention, numerous rounds of creative review − neither agency had been able to develop a tagline that the company liked.

The problem wasn’t the writing.

Both agencies had followed good tagline writing practices.

Nonetheless, the taglines didn’t feel right. They weren’t connecting with the division’s leaders. The situation had become frustrating… and costly!

So what was the issue?

The heart of the problem was that the division’s leaders didn’t share a clear brand promise.

Each executive had his or her own interpretation of how the division offered value to customers. And because the leaders weren’t on the same page about what made their division special for customers, they couldn’t create a tagline that worked.

An effective tagline starts with a clear brand promise

It doesn’t matter if you’re a member of a large executive team or you’re a small-but-mighty entrepreneur. If your brand promise is hazy or undefined, it can be a painful exercise to try to write a tagline.

And I’m talking paaaainful.

You end up wasting your time, frustrating your team, exhausting your budget… It ain’t pretty.

The secret of how to create a tagline that works is to take a step back and start with your brand promise:

• Who is your target audience? I know this may seem like a basic question, but I’m surprised at how often it’s a difficult one to answer. I find that many companies have a tough time defining who their ideal customer is. As a result, they try to be all things to all people… and end up being nothing to anyone. The more specific you can be about who your ideal customer or client is, the better.
• What is your claim to your target audience? This is the heart of your brand promise. Quite simply, if people use your product or service, what can they expect from your business? It can be helpful here to think in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If you had to put your business on Maslow’s pyramid, how would you say your company helps people? Does your business offer safety? Personal fulfillment? Something else?
• How do you deliver on your promise? It’s one thing to make a claim. It’s quite another thing to be able to back it up. Ask yourself, how do we walk the talk? Your “proof points” can become great marketing messages.

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand promise, it’s much easier to create a tagline that is memorable, meaningful and compelling. You’re much more likely to be “on point” with your brand.

Stepping back to take a step forward

In the case of the Denver company that couldn’t agree upon its tagline, my colleague, a brand strategist, helped the division’s leaders articulate their brand promise.

(It took a few iterations, but they got there!)

Once consensus had been reached around the division’s claim, I took over the creative reigns. I developed several tagline options, using the brand promise as my guide.

Because the division’s leaders had taken the time to develop their brand promise, they were excited about their tagline options. And, with input from the company’s chief brand officer, they selected a favorite.

Regardless of whether you run a big company or a small one, taking the time to define your brand promise can make all the difference in creating an effective tagline.

Publish date: August 30, 2011

If you want to improve your writing skills, it’s helpful to understand ways that you can take some creative license with writing rules.

When you know how to bend the rules, your writing springs to life. You’re engaging. You pull people in…

And when you don’t know what you’re doing, well, you run the risk of sounding uneducated. Or worse, incompetent.

In a recent article on the Ragan Communications website, Erik Decker describes “Five Writing Rules You’re Allowed to Break” from time to time.

Erik’s suggestions may leave you yelling, “Hallelujah!” or “Blasphemy!”

Read the article, and find out where you stand. Hopefully, you’ll walk away with some good tips.

You’ve heard that you need a company tagline… but do you?

It depends.

Personally, I don’t believe that every business needs a tagline. With that said, there are certain situations in which a tagline can add a lot of value.

Before we jump into the details, let’s take a second to clarify what a tagline is — and isn’t.

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What is a company tagline?

A company tagline is a short phrase that communicates your brand promise to outside audiences, such as customers and business partners. Typically, a tagline contains just a few, memorable words.

A good tagline is intended to last for multiple years. Unlike an advertising slogan that can have a short life span (often one or two years), a tagline is designed to endure for a series of years.

Company taglines often appear in logos and at the end of ads. Generally, they aren’t used as advertising headlines.

So, back to the question at hand…

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When does it make sense to create a tagline?

#1: You have an abstract business name.

You have a really cool business name. Unfortunately, when you share your company’s name with people, you’re met with a wall of blank stares. It’s so quiet you can hear crickets.

To complement your business name, you need a great tagline that clearly and concisely communicates what your company does.

While there are many different types of taglines, a descriptive tagline can be a great choice if you have an abstract business name. Quite simply, a descriptive tagline explains what your company does.

Here are a few examples of descriptive taglines:

• Mutual of America — Your Retirement Company
• Raid — Raid Kills Bugs Dead
• Titleist — The No. 1 Ball in Golf

#2: You’re repositioning your company to reflect new services or products.

UPS is a classic example of a company that has changed its tagline to reflect the evolution of its services.

In the early 2000s, UPS wanted to alter its reputation, so it was known as more than just a speedy shipping company. The company’s services had evolved to include new capabilities, such as supply chain management and logistics. UPS wanted to better highlight its range of solutions.

As such, in 2002, the company replaced its “Moving at the Speed of Business” tagline with “What Can Brown Do for You?” More recently, the company changed its tagline to “We [Heart] Logistics.”

It’s worth noting that in the company’s 100+ year history, the UPS tagline has only changed six times:

1. Best Service, Lowest Rates
2. The Tightest Ship in the Shipping Business
3. The Package Delivery Company More Companies Count On
4. Moving at the Speed of Business
5. What Can Brown Do for You?
6. We [Heart] Logistics

While a good tagline is designed to last, that doesn’t mean it will last forever. As your business evolves, your tagline may need to change too.

#3: You want to carve a niche in a really competitive market.

Whether you’re a startup company or an existing business, a good tagline can help you stand out from your competition.

At its best, a tagline communicates the essence of your company. It conveys what makes you special and how you’re different. It sends the message that you are a leader in a particular trait — such as innovation, reliability, rebellion, or fun.

Here are a few examples of taglines that differentiate a company or highlight a particular strength:

• Apple — Think Different
• 7-Up — The Uncola
• Chevy Trucks — Like a Rock
• Staples — That Was Easy
• Hallmark — When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best

A good tagline lasts in people’s memories. It sticks in people’s minds even after your ads have faded or people have left your stores. Ideally, people remember the essence of what makes you special.

Publish date: August 2, 2011

Last summer, when my boyfriend asked me to marry him, I can’t say my first thought was, “This is going to be an awesome experiment in messaging!”

Yet, here I am one year later, and I have to say, planning a wedding has given me an interesting look at the messages that companies send.

Working with small businesses — in this case, wedding vendors — has reminded me that every business sends a message about who it is and what it stands for, whether it intends to send a message or not.

Here are three of my takeaways on building a credible business image.

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#1: A professional website matters

In choosing which small businesses to contact — from florists, to musicians, to bakeries — their websites mattered to me.

A number of businesses had been recommended to me. Yet, I immediately disqualified several of them because their website designs and content were sloppy, unprofessional, or homemade.

Whether these businesses intended to or not, they sent a message that they cut corners. They were okay with “cheap.” Their business was not very important to them.

And that made me wonder, would I be important to them?

Your website is the virtual front door to your business. In many cases, it creates the first impression. It communicates whether you are a professional and trustworthy business, and that can be essential in getting someone to contact you.

Ask yourself:

• Does your website make you look professional?
• Does your content make you sound credible?
• Is your content well written, appealing to your customers’ needs and interests?
• Do you communicate that you understand what’s important to your customers?
• Does your website convey the image you want?

If you’ve answered “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to upgrade to a professional website.

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#2: What you do is as important as what you say

Quite simply, do you walk the talk?

The small businesses that impressed me were the ones who said they would take care of me in their marketing messages… and then they did.

Their actions sent the message that I was important to them. They returned phone calls and emails quickly. They under promised and over delivered. They followed through on what they said they would do.

They didn’t just tell me I could trust them. They showed me.

Aligning what you do with what you say is critical in creating a positive customer experience and a credible brand.

As a writer and consultant, I advise my clients, only make promises in your marketing messages if you can consistently deliver on those promises.

For example, has your team been professionally trained? Are they courteous and resourceful? If they are, then it may make sense to talk about your knowledgeable staff and how they help people. If your employees aren’t a strong selling point, don’t rave about them in your marketing messages.

You want the experience you deliver to align with or exceed your customers’ expectations.

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#3: Even a small business needs a credible email address

Register a professional email address for your business. This will instantly make your company look more credible. It will build people’s trust in you.

If you use a non-business email extension — such as an @yahoo, @gmail, or @hotmail account — you give the impression that your business is less professional or smaller than it actually is. People may question whether you’re an established and credible business.

Many web hosting companies (such as Go Daddy and 1and1) allow you to create email addresses that incorporate your website URL.

For example: JeffSmith@[CompanyName].com

In many cases, there is no additional charge to set up these email addresses. Plus, you can set them up to feed into your everyday email box.

If you’re unsure how to register a business email address, ask your website hosting company or your website designer for help.

Publish date: July 25, 2011

A number of years ago, I worked with a career coach on my resume. In my resume, I had a phrase that said, “Results-oriented communicator.”

“Uggghhh,” my coach groaned. “Results-oriented.”

Now, as much as writers love having their work greeted by the phrase “ugh,” I can’t say it was the reaction I expected.

“Isn’t it a good thing to be results-oriented?”

“Of course,” my coach responded. “Unfortunately, it’s one of those phrases that people have so overused that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Companies are jaded. They hear that phrase and tune it out. You aren’t setting yourself apart.”

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How good brand messaging can go awry

I find myself thinking about that conversation when I’m working with organizations that want to differentiate their business.

If you want to give people a clear reason to choose your brand, it’s important to find a positioning statement for your business that is:

1. Relevant and appealing to your audience.
2. Unique to your organization.
3. Clear and understandable.
4. Memorable.

What do you do or offer better than anyone else… that customers just love? What can you say you’re a leader in… that really appeals to your target market?

Here’s the catch. As you think about how to position your business, make sure you don’t get latch onto a characteristic that is:

• Simply expected of all businesses in your industry.
• So overused that it’s worn out its welcome with customers.

Want to position your business as the customer service leader? Think again…

In brand messaging, one of the most overused phrases that I come across is “great customer service.”

In many cases, great customer service is simply expected from customers. It’s a prerequisite, rather than a point of differentiation.

In other cases, companies spend a lot of time talking about great customer service in their marketing messages, but they don’t deliver great service through their brand experience. As a result, customers have grown skeptical of companies that claim to have superior service.

I’m not saying that customer service isn’t important. It may be incredibly important for your business. I’m simply saying that it’s difficult to use “customer service” as your unique selling point.

Generally, positioning your business as a leader in customer service will not set you apart.

And when customers don’t have a way to differentiate your business from your competitors, they compare you on price.

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A few more overused buzzwords, while we’re at it

In one of my favorite articles from ColoradoBiz magazine, David Heitman of The Creative Alliance discusses how to write an effective tagline. In doing so, he advises readers to avoid “the words of tagline death.”

What buzzwords can doom your company’s tagline to mediocrity or worse?

Service. Quality. Commitment. Excellence.

It’s not that these ideas aren’t important. The problem is that one company after another tries to claim these concepts as their own.

As with customer service, these overused words can make a business instantly forgettable.

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How to make your business more compelling

So here’s your quandary. If a characteristic, such as customer service, is what sets your business apart, how do you transform it from a sleep-inducing selling point into a more compelling concept to position your business?

Dig deeper.

You need to get to the heart of what makes your customer service special.

I work with a business that offers better service than its competitors. Unfortunately, their competitors claim they offer great service too.

To differentiate their brand, my client recognized that they needed a different positioning statement. They conducted some competitive analysis and collected input from their customers.

In doing so, they discovered that what really makes their business special is their compassion. They:

• Are great listeners.
• Are empathetic.
• Take phone calls from their customer in the middle of the night because they know their customers need immediate help.
• Adapt to their customers’ unique needs. They even drive to and hand deliver their products when their customers are in a time of great need.

Compassion is what sets them apart.

As you look for the characteristic that makes your business special, look for concepts that are tangible, concrete, and vivid. Be specific. Don’t settle for bland, blanket phrases.

Dig deeper.

Publish date: July 13, 2011

There are two important considerations when writing for the Internet.

The first consideration is your messaging. Are you saying the right things in the right places? Are you communicating messages that engage your customers and get them to take action? Does your content appeal to search engines?

The second consideration is how you write your web content. People read differently on a computer screen than they do in print. Are you using Internet writing techniques to make it easier for people to read your content?

In this article, I’m going to focus on how you write your copy.

If you’re writing for the Internet, here are five tips to instantly improve the readability of your website content.

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1. Lead with your most important information.

Start each web page with the most important information. Then, follow with your support statements.

You’ve got a few seconds to capture a reader’s attention. If people only read your first few sentences, you want them to walk away with what’s most important.

Plus, leading with your most important information — from the top of your page to the start of each paragraph — makes it easier for people to skim your content and find the information that interests them.

When writing papers, many of us were taught to provide support statements that build up to a conclusion. When writing for the Internet, you do the opposite.

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2. Shorten your paragraphs.

When you were in school, you may have been taught to write long, descriptive paragraphs with complex ideas.

Good news. You get to toss those rules out the window.

According to Jakob Nielsen, a leading website usability expert, people read up to 25% slower on a computer screen than they do in print!

Most people don’t read word for word when they’re online. They tend to scan for content and images that catch their attention.

With this in mind, keep your paragraphs short. Shorter paragraphs are easier to skim.

As a general rule, I like to limit my paragraphs to four to five lines in length. (And yes, we’re talking lines, not sentences.)

If you have a paragraph that is more than five lines long, split it into multiple paragraphs. This is one of the easiest ways to improve your web content!

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3. If you’re drafting your web content in Microsoft Word, adjust your margins to mirror the column width on your web pages.

Many people write the first drafts of their web content in Microsoft Word. If you do too, change the margins in your Word document to better visualize what your content will look like on your web page.

In Microsoft Word, you may have what looks like a short paragraph. When you change your margins, though, it may be too long. If your paragraph exceeds five lines in length, create multiple paragraphs.

Let’s say that you get about 12 to 15 words of copy per line on your web page. Adjust the margins in your Word document to reflect that column size.

Rather than having 1.25 inch margins on each side of your Word document, you may want to change to a left margin of 1.25 inches and a right margin of 2.75 inches.

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4. Use sub-heads. A lot of them.

You’ve got busy website visitors with short attention spans. When they arrive on your website, they’re going to scan your page to see if your content catches their attention.

Sub-heads are a wonderful way to break up your content, so your page is easier to skim.

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5. Break content into numbered or ordered lists.

I’m a big fan of lists. Lists allow you to:

• Highlight important information.
• Break up long sentences.
• Make it easier for people to skim your content.

Lists break up the uniformity of content, particularly if you’ve got a lot of text.

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Parting thoughts: Let go of the writing rules in your head

In high school, I had an English teacher who spent half a semester teaching us how to write properly.

One day she announced, “All right. You know what you’re doing. Now I’m going to teach you how to break the rules.”

The same principle applies in writing for the Internet.

There are some things you need to get right, such as spelling and basic grammar. After all, you want to look professional and competent.

But when it comes to how you compose your content, let go of the rules you learned in grade school. In doing so, you’ll create effective web content that’s much easier for your website visitors to read.

Publish date: July 6, 2011