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11.20.09 Creating Successful Marketing Materials  By Stacy Karacostas Do you ever have to write your own marketing materials (brochures, Websites, bios, ads etc.)? How about emails to potential clients? Or sales letters? How does it go? Do you dread it, or is it fun and easy? If you're like most people, you've probably had one of two experiences: You either ended up sitting in the front of a blank computer wondering where to start. Or, you struggle, agonize and finally write something you are happy with, but it generates little or no response. If either of these scenarios hits home for you, then you are in for a treat. Today I'm going to show you a way to avoid both of those horrible fates. How? By sharing one of the best kept secrets for easily writing copy that really sells. And believe it or not, it has far less to do with your writing ability than you would think. In fact, all you need to be able to do is write clear, easy to understand sentences and this secret will vault all your copywriting into the stratosphere. Are you ready? Good. Here's the real secret to crafting compelling copy quickly and easily: Preparation. Yeah, I know. You probably wanted to hear that about as much as you want a root canal. But trust me, it really works. Abraham Lincoln once said "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." The same holds true when it comes to writing marketing materials, ads and even sales presentations.
So before I start writing, I do quite a bit of work "sharpening my writing axe". And by the time I'm done, whatever I'm working on is already 75% written. Now I'm going to show you exactly what I do to get ready to write knock-out killer content. To make it even easier, I've broken the process down into 10 simple steps... 1) List all the features and benefits of your product or service. 2) Make a note of what makes your company, product or service different from competitors. Marketers call this your USP or Unique Selling Proposition. 3) List of all the pains or problems your product or service solves. 4) Describe your primary customer or ideal target market. Include all possible details such as sex, age, race, education, geographic location, socioeconomic demographics, etc. 5) List any pains or problems your target customer is likely to have (whether or not they relate to what you are offering). Try thinking about their goals and dreams, and what could be stopping them from achieving those. 6) Write down what your ideal client stands to gain by purchasing your product or service, and what they stand to lose if they don't. 7) List every excuse or objection you can think of that might cause customers to resist or delay making the purchase, then write down answers or rebuttals for each? Continue reading this articles. About the Author: Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas, founder of SuccessStream Sales & Marketing Solutions, specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. She's the author of the 2-page marketing plan workbook Putting Your Business on the Road to Success, and The Small Business Website Bible. Stacy also writes the fun and informative Marketing Junkie blog and Bright Ideas weekly newsletter. For more practical, business-building wisdom help yourself to a copy of her free report The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins... Are You Guilty? |
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