i-literate

How to write copy that people actually want to read

2011-02-01T14:49:00.004+02:00

You’re sitting at the kitchen table with your 16-year-old son. “Listen, Jason,” you say. “I’m tired of the way your room is always a mess. And do you realize, you never help with the chores and you’re always rude and sullen to the rest of the family?”

STOP! Freeze frame! You’re still at the kitchen table with your son, but let’s rewind that tape and change the dialogue:

“Jason, I know you have a date on Saturday night. Here are the three things you have to do to persuade me to lend you the car....”

Now tell me: which scenario is more likely to get Jason’s attention? Not exactly a tough question, was it? Of course Jason paid more attention to the second bit of dialogue – because it wasn’t just another useless lecture. Hey, if he picked up his socks, he could get the family car. WAHOO!

Well, good for Jason, you think, but what does his story have to do with copywriting?

Why your readers are just like Jason

Jason’s reaction illustrates the What’s In It For Me factor. Or, as I like to say: WII-FM – the one radio station everyone listens to.

Now of course I’m not suggesting that when you sit down to write copy, you should promise your readers a car. (If that was the case, copywriting would be really, really easy. Expensive. But easy.)

And I’m obviously not in a position to tell you what specific facts or promises will most appeal to your potential customers.

But I am saying that when you’re writing copy, you need to get out of the “here’s what I want tell you” attitude and into the “what does my reader want to hear?” mentality.

Reading is Tough - but here's how you can make it easier for your customers

What readers want – in addition to the merchandise or service you have to offer – is to be engaged and entertained.

Reading is a bit of a chore for many people, and if you expect them to put their eyeballs and brains to work on your 250, 500 or 750 words, you’d better not bore them.

One of the very best ways to avoid boredom is to base your copywriting on a story, just as I did at the beginning of this article.

Sure I could have started the piece by saying something straightforward like: “If you want people to read your articles, then begin with an anecdote.” But I didn’t. I actually told you an anecdote instead.
Authors of bestselling self-help books discovered this trick decades ago. Pick your favorite gurus – Dr. Phil? Dr. Laura? Dr. Spock? – and you’ll see that all of their books are brimming with anecdotes – stories about real people in believable (if often crazy) situations.

You already have more stories than you think: just use them

We human beings are hard-wired to like stories. And if you’ve been in business for any length of time, you already have a million stories in your brain: The crazy requests from customers. The time you pulled out all the stops to get a shipment out on time. The marriage/big contract/life you saved by doing your job.

And if you’re a business newbie, then make up a story. (Just as I made up Jason. This kind of creative writing is perfectly okay as long as you don’t try to pass it off as a real incident.) There are interesting stories all around you. And, with a little thought, they can be made to illustrate just about any business point you can imagine.

In addition to being interesting, stories are also memorable. I bet the next time you give your teenager a lecture, you’ll think of this article. You, too, can harness that kind of power for your own copywriting.

And here’s the best news of all: Telling stories is a whole lot cheaper than buying cars.

Author: Daphne Gray-Grant , Writer – Editor

Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach with an international practice. Daphne really offers fantastic insight into writing best practices as well as fabulous tips on engaging her audience! Her methods WORK!

Why Invest in a Good Corporate Identity? Part One

2011-01-25T13:04:00.004+02:00

First let’s define what a Corporate Identity actually is:-

A Corporate Identity consists of 3 parts - the Corporate Design which includes your logo, colours and so forth, Corporate Communication which includes the information you present to your audience such as adverts, website etc., and your Corporate Behaviour which encompasses your culture, values and norms.

In this post, we will be dealing with the first element only – namely the Corporate Design, as this is the first element that WILL leave a lasting impression on your clients.

How the Corporate Design Works

The logo is the basis of the Corporate Design, or Visual Identity of an organization.

Included within the Corporate Design/Visual Identity however are the standardized use of elements such colours, design elements, layouts etc.

In simpler terms, this means that your business card, letterhead, corporate presentation folder, brochure and all other materials need to have the same look and feel across the board and you achieve this by using the same colours, positioning on a page and so on. Everything needs to ‘match’.

Why Standardise the Visual Identity?

A standardised approach ensures you create a Visual Identity that can be recognized easily by your customers. This is important no matter how small you are.

By standardizing the use of your logo and all its adjoining elements and by using materials that are well crafted and attractive, you convey a level of professionalism that your customers will appreciate.

Your Visual Identity is your customer’s first impression of you. Your expertise, efficiency and service fall in behind the Visual Identity and build what will become a solid reputation where customers will associate certain experiences and emotions with you and your brand.

Take a look at this logo…

What do you think of and how do you feel?

Your thoughts now encompass what the Woolworths brand means to you and you are associating an image with a level of service, efficiency, culture etc.

This is also what you want your clients to do.

Think now of everything you see from Woolworths – everything matches.

Okay but I’m just a Small Business / Consultant…

Yes Woollies is a big company with an undoubtedly substantial marketing budget. That budget is relative to the size of your company however. Small companies and consultants don’t have to pay a fortune to look good – just employ a design company that will give you everything you need at a reasonable price (yes indeed - think i-literate!).

In presenting yourself or your company professionally, you can liken the need for a professional logo and Corporate Design to your going for an interview.

You know that by dressing the part (neat, tidy and in line with the expectations of the company), your potential employers first impression of you will set the tone for the rest of the interview. Your interviewer will first shake your hand and size you up based on your appearance – your expertise and abilities are assessed after that.

Your Logo and Corporate Design are the clothes you wear to the interview. They are also how you dress every day.

The Basics - What Do I Need? (and if you already have a logo – you should have these too!)

A comprehensive Corporate Design consists of:-

The Logo Design A simple, striking design using preferably one or two colours only. More colours end up costing you more to print.

The Corporate Colour Profile This should give you your logo, presented in ALL the colours profiles you would need: ie:

CMYK – for digital printing (smaller amounts),

PANTONE – for Litho printing (large amounts),

RGB – for electronic use (email signatures, PowerPoint, facebook etc.),

HTML – Hex Value for online use (websites, newsletters etc.)

Black & White – a standardised grayscale colour

Various Logo Formats RGB full colour Jpeg in a high and low res format, as well as the same format for your black and white logo. i-literate also provides our clients with their logo in a PNG format with a transparent background so that for certain applications - such as in PowerPoint, you don’t get that white block behind the logo.

Basic Communications Your letterhead and business card are the most basic items required of your Corporate Design. These should be designed to represent your logo and any design elements that you want clients to remember. In addition, your basic communication designs would also include email stationary, compliment slips, envelopes and so on.

Corporate Design Manual This document will show you how the logo and design elements need to be used. Included in this PDF document (also sometimes printed) will be the Corporate Colour Profile, Fonts used (and smallest size recommended) examples of your letterhead, business card, compliment slips and so forth. i-literate provides this service, although some of our clients are happy with just the Corporate Colour Profile in which case we provide the Fonts and size suggestions therein.

Any other benefits?

So beyond the impression you leave and reputation you build, ensuring that you have invested in professionally designed marketing materials - and lets re-iterate that this is most importantly the foundation, your Corporate Design - adds value to your business should you wish to sell the company in the future. Marketing tools are an investment in your company – their value extends way beyond the benefits you reap from them in the day to day running of your business.

So to sum up Part One –

Be Consistent – same look and feel always

Look Professional – what lasting impression do you make/want to make?

Save Time & Money – one good design once and make sure you get everything you need

Add Value – professional marketing materials and a solid Corporate Design add value to your business when you want to sell it

Need a logo?

If you need assistance in developing a Logo and Corporate Design, or if you have discovered that you don’t have everything you need and want us to bring you up to speed – give us a call on 071 866 5512, or email us at jolene@i-literate.co.za . We can help you no matter how big or small you are.

Happivate Workbook Workouts - Empowering . Practical . Affordable

2011-01-18T14:54:00.012+02:00

i-literate had the pleasure during 2010, of assisting Zane Green from Happivate to compile the strategy and copy for his website, as well as prepare the layout and design of his two workbooks.

Zane's approach of coaching through these workbooks is really unique which is why we wanted to share them with our readers! Do yourself a favour and head on over to http://www.happivate.com for more information or simply click on the links below.

Both workbooks - the Goal Setting Workbook Workout and the Personal Energy Workbook Workout - are structured in an incredibly engaging, personable manner that really inspires you to enhance your life through adopting practical tools and a positive approach.

Here is the introduction to the workbooks on the Happivate website:-

EMPOWER YOUR LIFE WITH A WORKBOOK WORKOUT TODAY! Whether you need to lose weight, prepare for that sports event, go further in your career, or overcome financial obstacles – your Happivate Workbook Workout will give you the skills you need to achieve anything you aim for both now and into the future. Goal Setting and Achieving is a life-skill nobody can do without !
WITH HAPPIVATE YOU WON’T JUST READ - YOU WILL ACTUALLY DO! Will just sitting in your car get you to your destination? – no – you will need to start the engine up and drive there! Our Workbook Workouts provide you with the opportunity to actively engage in the coaching process through our step-by-step, practical exercises that require you to actually write out your answers and actively plan your future.
WORKBOOKS ARE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE! Workbook Coaching costs far less than Personal Coaching and is a great way to start before you decide to make a bigger investment.
WORKBOOKS OFFER ABSOLUTE PRIVACY! Workbook Coaching is confidential and private – all your plans and answers are seen by you only.

Click on the book covers below to see samples of the books, or go to http://www.happivate.com for more information.

Setting and Achieving Goals and Having Fun: A Workbook Workout

Accessing, Increasing and Managing your Personal Energy: A Workbook Workout

Share your Wealth of Knowledge and Reap the Rewards

2011-01-18T14:47:00.002+02:00

It is customary in South Africa to closely guard ones knowledge and abilities – particularly in the professional arena.

Fact 1 – You’re the Expert

By sharing what you know and how you do things, you are not giving away trade secrets. You are showing a potential customer that you are worth what you charge and that you have an in-depth knowledge about what you do. Sharing what you know develops confidence in what you do on the part of your customer. The key when sharing knowledge, is to provide information that adds real value to a customer by increasing their understanding of your product and/or area of expertise.

Fact 2 – They will Hire You

Maybe you enjoy servicing your car, or even know what there is to know about your car’s engine. Even if the garage gave you step-by-step instructions on how to perform the service yourself - do you have the tools, or the time to do that service? Probably not, so you will be sending your car to a reputable garage instead!

In virtually all areas of specialization there is either an understanding, but limited degree of experience/proficiency in carrying out a task, or simply a time/capacity/resource constraint that requires the hiring of a professional. What we are trying to illustrate here is that by giving customers valuable information, you are certainly not going to lose the work. Quite the opposite in fact.

Fact 3 – You’re Unique

You may understandably be concerned about the competition getting hold of your secrets, or doing things the way you do. Fear not! for it is your method of service delivery or a particular product benefit that sets you apart from your competitor. This differentiator needs to be defined and utilized! By providing practical tips, valuable statistics and relevant insights you won’t be giving away information in detriment to your business.

Fact 4 – You’re Open and Honest

Back in the day, being secretive about an ingredient or a process may have been intended to reserve something particularly special. To another audience from another time – this may have been rather attractive. By being overly secretive about products and processes today however (and we have seen companies who still label their process as ‘Secret’), potential customers can be put off – even if subconsciously – as this may be construed as dishonesty even if it isn’t intended that way!. We live in a society that over the last decade has transformed how it shares and distributes information. Think Wiki Leaks and no more need be said.

Round-up

Sharing information and knowledge is probably one of the most valuable marketing approaches a company can take.

Instead of only saying you’re the best, or showcasing your successes, you are in a subtle manner, proving that you’re a serious player, while allowing your customers to develop a relationship of trust with you, making the acquisition of new customers a simpler reality.

The Top 2 Rules of Marketing Success

2011-01-18T11:30:00.005+02:00

Fear is the one thing that drives the all too frequent tendency to litter marketing materials with as much information (and often concepts) as one possibly can. Companies are often worried that if they don't put enough information out to their potential customer base in a single communication that these potential clients won’t know what it is they do.

Rule #1: Consistency, consistency, consistency!

Shall I repeat that?

The cost of marketing is often a factor for companies. Instead of marketing consistently, some companies try to market on an ad-hoc basis and when they do send out marketing messages, they tend to bombard the customer with too much information. Consistent marketing enables you to not only remain top-of-mind, but to also feed your audience little bites of information that are easy to assimilate and remember.

Vital to note - DON’T GIVE UP. Just because a single ad or email shot didn’t deliver thousands of phone calls from customers interested in your product or service – doesn’t mean it didn’t work. Keep it up. Be consistent.

Rule #2: One overall concept per communication

Whether you are writing for a website front page, a press release or a business marketing letter, or whether you are designing an advert, or email shot - the copy and graphic design need elements to successfully communicate an easy to understand, engaging message. This message needs to focus on one central concept.

But how do you arrive at a concept that will engage your customer? Read on!

BE UNDERSTOOD…

1. Understand what makes you different/better

Customers buy solutions and benefits. Why are your customers buying from you? What makes your service unique compared to that of your competitor? Pin-point these and make a list. What else do you do which benefits your customer? Are there any specific problems a customer may have that you are able to solve? Brainstorm these and add them to your list.

2. Focus on a particularly persuasive benefit

Pick one benefit or solution and centre your message around that. Customers will not be impressed as much by features, as they will be by how something makes them feel, or how a solution solves a particular problem.

For example:-

Medium: Advert

Service: Human Resources

Tag Line:- ‘Make Change Stick’

Image: Face of a smiling corporate individual with a sticky note stuck to their forehead bearing a company change.

Detail: XYZ Company – your partner in implementing successful Retention, as well as Change Management Strategies.

BE ENGAGING…

3. Associate the product with an idea, feeling or emotion

As shown in the example above, we have included the smiling face of a person. Whether consciously, or subliminally your audience will relate this feeling with your company. Try and focus on the benefit, or pleasing result. For example instead of reflecting a lady with a flat tyre in an advert, rather reflect the roadside assistance person changing the tyre and a relieved lady.

4. Use Stats and Testimonials

Customers like having proof that whatever it is you are offering them, works. If you can prove that a percentage of your existing customer base has achieved results with you, or if you have a relevant testimonial that backs your central concept – use it!

5. Offer more detailed information elsewhere

There are 2 distinct types of customer that need to be catered for:

Emotional: This customer prefers an overview of information and will make a buying decision based on an emotional engagement.

Analyst: This customer wants more detailed information and will make a buying decision based on detail and analysis.

It is essential to cater for both groups to ensure all your bases are covered. A detailed website for example provides for the ‘Analysts’ need for detailed information. (more detail on how to structure your website in another post!)

So to sum that all up – be consistent and keep it simple.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Phone Lines Down

2011-01-14T10:25:00.002+02:00

It would appear that Christmas was very merry for those who re-appropriate copper telephone cable! According to Telkom, they are in the process of replacing what was copper with new fibre-optic cables. Thankfully our internet connection is wireless!

Any clients wishing to contact us - please do so at 071 866 5512, or 082 893 9683. Alternatively you are more than welcome to email me with any requests or queries at jolene@i-literate.co.za

We will notify all clients once our lines are back up and running.

i-literate Launches Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB) Website

2011-01-13T17:05:00.003+02:00

This website provided i-literate with our first opportunity to create a fully accessible website that would cater to both sighted, as well as blind and visually impaired visitors. Having conducted research into suitable website design and copy requirements both locally and internationally, we were able to hone our approach and deliver a solution that would appeal to all users.

Although we are still fairly limited in terms of the type of design that can be incorporated that will suit the requirements of blind and visually impaired persons, evolving technologies have assisted us to move away from a very ‘boxy’ amateur feel to something that looks clean and sophisticated. ‘Ugly’ websites that are suitable for viewing by blind and visually impaired persons are therefore a thing of the past. Let us hope that organizations will try to accommodate the needs of blind and VIP’s in future – at i-literate we will certainly be taking their requirements into account for future projects.

A big ‘Thank you’ to Brynley Evans at Pixel8 for your outstanding development ability, as well as your advice and input! It is always a pleasure working with you!

Visit the CTSB at www.ctsb.or g.za

Their online shop offers an array of beautifully crafted cane goods.

Marketing Versus Sales – What is the Difference?

2011-01-07T11:38:00.004+02:00

The marketing and sales functions within a business are often confused as being one in the same thing, when in fact, each are entirely separate operations.

Although intrinsically broad, the foremost function of marketing within an organization is to understand the needs and wants of the target market. Products and services can then be promoted in such a way as to raise awareness and interest within that target market.

Marketing supports the sales function by making it easier for the sales person or team to approach a customer, who having been exposed to the company’s products and services, is both less resistant to engaging with a sales person and more informed as to the product or service on offer.

So, marketing does:-

Discover what customers want
Help hone products and services that align with what customers want
Help ensure pricing is competitive or justified
Promote products and services by raising awareness
Maintain awareness within a customer base to make future sales easier
Maintain a professional image for the company

In very basic business flow terms, the marketing function in a company would look like this:-

This diagram reflects how the marketing and sales functions support the core business function. All functions are interlinked – meaning they influence each other, yet all are entirely separate in their actual function.

Marketing does not:-

Generate leads
Actively sell products or services
Maintain close relationships with customers
Deliver services and products the customer is paying for

In marketing, we seek to understand what a group of customers (target market) wants and create promotional material based on that. In sales, more time is spent on actually selling a product/service or variation thereof to an individual customer. Marketing deals with a macro anticipated need, while sales delivers individualized solutions to customers. Marketing develops awareness, while sales maintains lucrative relationships.

When planning the sales and marketing function within your business, be sure to draw that line between what the marketing and sales team is responsible for achieving. This will result in greater successes and more targeted results in the long term.

Author: Jolene Bestbier

The Phsychology of Banner Ads

2010-01-18T11:02:00.001+02:00

By John Timmer

A quick test: how many of you can name the product being advertised in the banner ad at the top of the page? Chances are, the ad's presence didn't even register with most seasoned web browsers. But that's probably okay, at least according to research that appears in June's Journal of Consumer Research. The research concludes that repeated exposure to a product via banner ads generates a positive feeling towards that product. The good news for consumers is that a critical reevaluation of the product can make these positive feelings vanish.

There is a long history of experiments that show that repeated exposure to a stimulus that's barely perceptible can enhance a person's feelings towards what's otherwise a neutral object.

These feelings can include a liking or more subjective things such as "fame, truth, duration, loudness, stimulus brightness and darkness." The authors hypothesized that banner ads should work well as such a stimulus, given that "most viewers pay minimal attention to banner ads."
To test this, they asked students to read a multipage essay under the assumption that they'd be answering questions on the essay's content. Instead, the students were ultimately quizzed about a fictitious brand of camera, Pretec, that had appeared in banner ads on the pages that contained the essay. Different pools of students were exposed to Pretec ads zero, five, or 20 times.

Afterwards, when asked about their negative feelings towards the brand, the number of exposures made absolutely no difference. In contrast, those students asked about their positive feelings towards the brand saw those feelings increase in a linear fashion based on the number of exposures. In fact, the authors noted that the positive vibes still appeared to be going up after 20 exposures, leading them to wonder where this effect might start leveling off.

There are apparently two models competing to explain this phenomenon. The first proposes that people will more readily assign positive properties to something that they can remember more readily. The second suggests that the processing of even minimal exposures can create an actual positive evaluation (for example, the conclusion that the item is not a threat). That positive affect then influences future evaluations.

To determine which of these may be at play, the authors took another pool of students and asked them to make a similar evaluation but attempt to do so without considering the familiarity of Pretec. In that case, the positive effect vanished, suggesting that the first model was correct. To nail this point down, the authors played music during the time the students viewed the banner ads. When asking their feelings, they warned the students (falsely) that the music might create a positive impression of Pretec. This false warning also eliminated the positive effect, suggesting that it was simply based on familiarity and not backed up by any real positive evaluation.

So, the psychologists have a better grip on their theories, and advertisers have a few things to consider. The first is that banner ads may provide a valuable function in fostering familiarity even if those that view them never click through to the source of the ads. The downside for advertisers is that any evaluation of the positive impressions that this familiarity creates, even one based on false premises, is enough to make those positive feelings vanish. This suggests that familiarity-based advertising may work best for impulse buys, where more detailed evaluations aren't likely to occur. More importantly, this gives us a glimpse into the way our unconscious works with visual stimuli.

Important Video on Business Sustainability

2009-07-13T10:40:00.003+02:00

Hi everyone,

I have been completely inactive on this blog for quite some time - i-literate has been really busy and in the current recession - I am certainly not going to complain about it!

i-literate is working with a highly dynamic organisation - Living Wealth. In a nutshell, their solutions enable business leaders to drive sustainability throughout all levels of the organisation - with the objective of ensuring lasting business success, while assisting the communities, economy and environment in which they operate to thrive along with them.

Sustainability has become a bit of a buzz-word, that is true, but please view the video below which really identifies what is fast becoming a modern business imperative.

For more information about Living Wealth, visit www.livingwealth.co.za or drop me an email.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Energy_Resources_Materials/Environment/When_sustainabillity_means_more_than_green_2404

Download our Latest Portfolio's!

2009-04-16T12:39:00.003+02:00

Our latest Copywriting and Graphic Design Portfolio's have been placed on our website for you to download and view. Please visit the 'Contact' page of our website - www.i-literate.co.za - where you will find the download links for both of our portfolio's. Enjoy and all feedback is welcome!

IMPORTANT NOTICE! New Contact Number

2009-04-08T13:38:00.002+02:00

We have finally recieved our new telephone line!

To contact us telephonically please call (+27) 021 572 7785.

How to contact i-literate by phone

2009-04-05T16:01:00.005+02:00

As you may already know, i-literate moved to new premises at the beginning of March.

We are still waiting for a land-line to be installed at our new premises - this has been taking Telkom a frustratingly long time! Thank heavens for cellphones!

If you would rather chat to us than send an email - please contact Jolene on 082 893 9683.

Increase your Marketing Efforts during Tough Times

2009-04-04T12:52:00.002+02:00

Those successful business leaders who have been known to increase their marketing efforts during tougher economic times are the ones who reap the rewards when the economy improves.

The global economic slump like it or not, has had amongst other factors, a distinct effect on the South African economy and with ever increasing petrol prices, interest rates and therefore everything else, business and individual consumers have at best, become more careful in terms of how they part with their hard earned money.

“Right now it is essential to ensure you have dynamic, cost effective marketing strategies in place. In fact you need to spend as much time as you can, nurturing the client relationships you already have, looking to secure new clients and building brand awareness overall. The worst thing you could possibly do right now is to cut your marketing budget!”

This is according to Jolene Bestbier of i-literate, a copywriting and graphic design agency and specialist marketing consultancy based in Cape Town.

Marketing should been seen as an investment rather than an expense because successful marketing efforts are really the life-blood of any organisation, particularly during tougher economic times.
“Most businesses are experiencing a decrease in customer spend right now, so you need to work harder to gain new customers and keep the growth of your company on the steady rise. You are going to not only need to keep up your marketing efforts, but more than likely market more than you usually do when the going is good!” says Jolene

The worst case scenario of companies right now should involve their inability to increase their marketing budget, which would be entirely understandable. Now is the time, however, that companies need to be clever about how they market and be choosy about the marketing tools they use.
“What companies would benefit from primarily at a time like this, is getting more mileage out of their marketing budget. Look for more cost effective ways to maintain the quality and prominence of your image in the market place by applying creative marketing strategies, that are memorable and highly appealing and rooting out valuable resources you already have available in your business but may not have even considered or recognised in the past” she says

When your competitors pull back on their marketing and advertising, take note and take action.

According to Jolene if companies are savvy and perhaps a little daring, the current climate potentially gives them a fantastic opportunity to boost their reputation and brand by making even more of an impact on their target market which will in turn give them an undeniable lead right now, when they need it most and even more so in the future when the economy improves.

i-literate Launches Finance Option for SMME’s

2009-04-04T11:57:00.004+02:00

The manner in which your small or medium business is portrayed to your clients is of vital importance as it should attest to the quality of your products and/or services.

First impressions last!

Whether you are concentrating on a niche market, where larger more established competitors may not operate, or whether you are indeed competing for market share against these established competitors – you need to be able to portray what you do professionally. An organisation that has taken the time to establish their corporate ID and marketing/sales materials is received as favourably as the sales person who dresses neatly and ensures his shoes are clean!

The Finance Option

i-literate understands that start-up organisations and small to medium enterprises which may need a revamp don’t necessarily have the cash-flow to have all their needs attended to at once which is why we have launched our Financing Option. This option allows you to have what you need done when you need it, yet enables you to pay off any quotation* above the value of R 5000 over a period of 6 months.

For further information please contact Jolene Bestbier on 082 893 9683 or email her at jolene@i-literate.co.za

*Terms & Conditions apply

Free Website Evaluation!

2009-04-04T11:10:00.001+02:00

i-literate is offering new and existing clients a free evaluation of their website and proposal of solutions to remedy any areas where adjustments or improvements can be made. This is a no obligation, impartial evaluation that will give you the opportunity to investigate what you can do to generate more viewer traffic and sales in line with your needs and budget.

Please do not hesitate to email your request to jolene@i-literate.co.za

Your website is your shop window – make it stand out!

2009-04-04T11:01:00.004+02:00

In South Africa, over 1 million individuals access the internet everyday. This figure is set to double in the next 5 years due to the much publicised undersea cable currently under construction.

What does this mean for business? The internet is an incredibly powerful, highly cost-effective marketing tool – provided you take advantage of everything available to boost your online presence. An effective website has the ability to boost your sales significantly!

Your goal is to ensure that browsers can find your website easily and ensure that the content you offer not only promotes your products and services, but is enticing enough to motivate future re-visits.

A website works very similarly to a retail shop – you may have many browsers wandering through your shop, taking a look around, but if you display your merchandise in an enticing manner, you will enjoy higher sales.

So your website is your virtual shop-window - how do you achieve success?

The Design

The look of your website needs to tie in with your overall Corporate ID. You should be using the colours that are portrayed within your logo to really emphasise your branding. The layout needs to ideally be as simple as possible – a website that has too many flashy things, buttons in different places and blocks with text all over the home page or down a side margin will confuse the eye resulting in a far more diluted marketing effect than was no doubt originally intended.

Present pages, buttons and information in a logical format and ensure that these elements attract the eye in the order that you intend them to. For example - you would want your visitor to see your logo first, so ensure that it stands out clearly and that its size is reasonably prominent without overpowering the rest of the page, from here your eye should naturally move to the welcome area discussing the services you offer in a nutshell etc. The links to additional pages should be easy to find.

Importantly, the design of your website should allow for later expansion (i.e. being able to add more pages), so that as your business grows or you add more products and services to your business that you are able to portray these reasonably quickly and easily.

The Content

There will always be those visitors who like to read and those who don’t so it is best to cater for both. One good example of this is can be seen on a website that we designed for Ginkgo Landscaping (www.ginkgolandscaping.co.za). Services are listed on each page and each listed service has a quick access link to more information. Although in more elaborate websites where more information is made available, this particular approach may not be possible, it remains imperative to appeal to both preferences and this can be achieved with a little strategic thinking.

Enticing copy is imperative to ensuring your website speaks for you by effectively promoting what you offer in a clear, comprehensive manner. Punctuation, spelling and logical format separate a reasonable website from a really good one and special attention must to be paid to ensuring there is less waffle and more information you feel would help your visitor to take the next step of contacting you for an order, or even just further information.

Search Engine Optimisation

Firstly let’s define ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ (SEO for short).

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search and industry-specific vertical search engines.

As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.

Thanks Wikipedia!

The importance of SEO cannot be stressed enough. Your website must appear within the first 3 pages of a Google search at the very least or your website will only work for you when you drive potential clientele to it through print advertising. This does largely defeat the object of having a website!

Now to ensure that your website ranks closest to the top of the first few pages on an internet search, you need to ensure that the copy content of your website is geared to picking up keywords that potential clients would be likely to use in order to locate your product or service.

If for instance I were looking for a landscaper to revamp my garden I would type in ‘landscaper’, ‘landscape design’, ‘landscaper cape’, ‘residential landscaper’, etc. As a copywriter I need to ensure that these key-words are incorporated into my landscaping client’s website copy. As a standard practice, i-literate checks recent keyword stats relating to the service our clients offer to ensure we incorporate the common words which are being used in searches.

Apart from the copy used on each page, the website developer must have the knowledge and experience to attend to meta-tags and other related back-end stuff. Here they insert key search words and phrases – similar to the ones I use in my copy and this enhances your ‘page ranking’ significantly.

Partnering with an experienced Copywriter, Designer and Developer

Ensuring the company or individuals you choose to assist you to develop a good quality website is of utmost importance - remember this is after all your virtual shop-front, it needs to be perfect!

The copywriter and the designer need to work closely together to achieve an effective end result, the designer needs to understand the limitations the developer may have and overcome challenges to that end and the developer needs to be experienced in setting up simple, as well as advanced websites.

Proper snagging is extremely important. When the developer formats and loads the website, spelling errors etc. often occur. It is important to retain the services of your designer and copywriter to proof the website before it goes live to ensure that everything looks 100% perfect!. All too often I have met clients who have had their website compiled where it clearly falls short in more than one of these essential areas. At i-literate we do offer a comprehensive service to ensure we are able to offer our clients exceptional value for their marketing investment!

Please view our special offer article entitled ‘Free Website Evaluation and Proposal of Solutions’ to arrange your free website evaluation.

i-literate has moved premises!

2009-03-19T15:28:00.000+02:00

As many of our clients will already know, i-literate moved premises at the beginning of March.

Now we have been very quiet on the newsletter and blog front for the last two months and for this we must apologise. Securing the purchase of a property in today’s financial climate is no mean feat, but the deed has been done and our new office is far more comfortable. Because we are situated out on a small-holding in Philadelphia, we will as usual, meet you at your offices or a location closer and more convenient for you.

Please note that we are still waiting on Telkom for our telephone lines and will advise you when we have our new telephone numbers.

A special thank you to our all our loyal clientele, old and new who have kept us so very busy since we re-opened our doors in January – in these financially stressed times we sincerely appreciate your continued support!

How to gain the most from your print advertising.

2009-03-19T15:07:00.004+02:00

There are three key factors that are imperative to the success of your print advertising campaign, they are:-

1. Simplicity

All too often the advertiser wants to place as much text and imagery as possible within the ad-space they have available. Although this is understandable it is notoriously counter-productive. The best ad’s are the simplest ones because they are easy to read and highly impactful. A good advert should jump out at you and be memorable - ideally it should be something clever you would want to show your friends and family.

2. Targeted Messages

Where are you advertising and who will read the publication you are advertising in? Always ask the publication for statistics so that you are able to ensure you are reaching an audience who would be interested in knowing about your products and services. Target your central message to the most important need of your target audience – in other words sell your benefits to the reader rather than just telling them what you offer. ‘Answer their needs’ – so to speak.

3. Repetition

This cannot be stressed enough. Placing an advert in a newspaper or magazine (for instance) just once, will not fetch you the kind of returns you are undoubtedly looking for. Budget for at least 3 consecutive adverts in the same publication. Also ensure that your adverts are positioned in a similar spot and have a similar look and feel. Design a series of adverts that lead on to one another by all means – but ensure they are all easily identifiable as being your company.

Drive readers to your website

If you have a website (and you should as it is one of the cheapest forms of advertising), structure your ad content around what your key benefits are and then drive readers to the website to find out more about your products and/or services. Ensure that all your advertising content carries a similar message – this entrenches the key benefit sell you want your customers to quickly recognise (and more about that in another article!).

Communicating Green Policies - An Introduction

2008-12-02T16:44:00.011+02:00

The move towards eco-friendly practices is not a new fad – in-fact Green Marketing began in Europe in the early 1980s when certain products were found to be harmful to the earth's atmosphere. The trend towards supporting green initiatives, products and services has seen a substantial increase in recent years as consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change.

What is a ‘Green Policy’?

Like any formalised policy drafted for your business, a Green Policy (also known as an Environmental / Sustainability Policy) is a document that details your commitment to environmentally friendly operations and your activities which uphold them.

A comprehensive Green Policy is measurable and will detail your current green activities, your objectives for the future and the steps you plan to take in order to reach your goals. Ideally any claims to green practices should be substantiated with evidence which may include scientific and targeted investigative reports where necessary.

Why Communicate Green Policies?

While Green Policies need to be drafted for the good of the environment and not to generate more profit from increased marketing activities, communicating Green Policies to clients and consumers does assist to build awareness around environmental issues and favourable green practices. As organisations add weighting in terms of suppliers green practices to their procurement decisions, suppliers who actively undertake to operate in a measurably green manner will find themselves more competitive now and in the future.

How should Green Policies be communicated?

How Green Policies are communicated to clients and consumers is worth a good deal of genuine forethought specifically as younger generations (X & Y) display the highest level of concern over the environment, yet are the most cynical in response to green marketing messages they receive.

When communicating Green Policies and practices, organisations should always seek to deliver information that is indeed measurable, constructive and accurate in order to develop and sustain client and consumer trust in the ethics of the organisation.

Green Marketing must satisfy two objectives:- improved environmental quality, and customer satisfaction. Where specific products and services are concerned, the same marketing technique of communicating benefits (for the client) first must be adopted and followed by detail regarding measurable benefits to the environment.

Green Marketing is a subject for hot debate at present and it certainly requires more sensitivity and thought than virtually any other form of marketing strategy and communication. In future posts, we will delve deeper into the practical applications of Green Marketing and the more specific dynamics of this fascinating subject. We welcome any ideas and questions that you may have in the interim.

Banner Advertising – Achieve Measurable Results!

2008-11-30T17:06:00.007+02:00

Businesses are feeling the pinch in an ever increasingly cash strapped economy and it follows that marketing budgets are monitored closely with marketing professionals called upon to look at tools which will achieve measurable results. In 2009, online advertising has been cited to grow exponentially due to its low cost and easy measurability.

Still, in order to make sure online advertising works, careful planning before actual advertising is essential.

I always advise clients to look at the most simple, strategic message to attract customers – no matter what the advertising medium. This sentiment couldn’t be closer to the truth in banner advertising.

The internet today is highly commercialized and consumers are continually bombarded with advertising messages both online and through traditional media such as magazines, T.V. etc. It is for this reason that banner adverts need to bear a clear, simple message within a dynamic design, targeted to the desired audience, while ensuring the ad is placed in the right location. Applying these simple principles will maximise your chances of achieving the results you seek.

Now for some Banner Ad basics:-

Here are some basics regarding the why’s and what-for’s of Banner Ads. They can be relatively complex – the level of which is largely dependent on your budget and desired outcome.

What is a Banner Ad?

A Banner Ad is a graphically appealing advert embedded into a web page. The ad can (but doesn’t necessarily need to) carry animation – which in its simplest form will be made up of 2-3 frames bearing a sequence of messages and graphics. More complex animation can be applied, but this is of course at additional cost. Usually the advert carries a link – know as a hyperlink which in all probability takes the reader to your website.

What are the overall benefits of Banner Advertising?

- Excellent brand exposure
- Highly affordable
- Easily measurable
- Ability to drive traffic to your website
- Easy to target specific potential clientele
- Easy to manage (advert placing, changing & removing)

Who designs a Banner Ad?

One would usually employ a graphic designer to compile the advert if you don’t have an in-house designer to use. For animated adverts, the graphic designer would utilise an HTML or animation specialist to insert the advert into the required format – and yes, i-literate can do the whole lot for you.

Where are Banner Ads placed?

Banner Ads can be placed on industry / interest focused websites who provide Banner Ad space. By identifying a website your target audience or potential client is likely to visit often you are able to ensure the right people are seeing your message.

How much do Banner Ads Cost?

The cost of a Banner Ad will vary according to the size, complexity and location of the advert. Generally speaking, Banner Ads are by far cheaper than print adverts to place and run. There are three areas that need to be considered:-

- Design/Copywriting/Strategy
- Animation (not always applicable)
- Cost to place ad (variable depending on where you place the ad)

How are Banner Ads charged for?

Ad Impressions (CPM)
Banner Ads are usually charged for according to ‘impressions’ – that is the number of times the advert appears to each unique visitor. Based on the stats of the site you intend advertising on, you will be able to calculate how much on average you will be spending. You will usually be charged per 1000 impressions.

Pay per click (PPC)
Not very widely used anymore, PPC is based on the site charging you every time the advert is clicked on (which usually takes the reader to your website).

Once the reader has clicked on an Ad, where do / should they go?

In the case where a Banner Ad is generating interest relating to a specific promotion, the information regarding the promotion should ideally be located within the usual layout of your website. This allows the reader to navigate the rest of your website and learn even more about your products and services, thereby building true brand awareness, a lasting impression, quicker conversion from browser to client and therefore more sales.

How big is a Banner Ad?

Most websites follow basic sizing standards, calculated in pixels rather than millimeters (your designer will know how to calculate this) although some may differ very slightly from the standard sizes below:-

Skyscrapers120 x 600 pixels.
Located on the right hand side of the website.

Small rectangles
120 x 60 pixels
Can be located at any position of the page.

Square banners
125 x 125 pixels.
Can be located at any position of the page.

Large squares
250 x 250 pixels.
Located directly under the header of the page.

Anchor banners
468 x 60 pixels.

Located at the top of the page

Leader board
728 x 90 pixels.
Located above the header of the page at almost the entire width of the page.

How do you track Ad response?

The easiest way to check how many readers have responded to your advert is to check your website stats. Most web stat report programmes will provide you with detailed information as to where your visitors have come from. The site where your ad is situated may also be able to provide you with details.

How are Banner Ads Managed?

Unlike other more traditional advertising mediums such as print advertising for example, Banner Adverts are exceptionally easy to manage effectively. Although it is important to book your spot with your selected site, placing the ad is quick and easy. After tracking the results of your advert through your website stats, you have the added advantage of removing the ad and replacing it with another one, or removing it entirely and advertising elsewhere should you wish.

This article provides the most basic information to give you an idea of what Banner Advertising is, in future posts we will delve into more specific information regarding the latest trends and dynamics of this potentially powerful marketing tool. If you have any questions whatsoever – feel free to go ahead and ask – we will respond to your query as soon as possible.

Helen Zille to attend the Cape Town Toy Run!

2008-11-21T14:23:00.003+02:00

Completely off the subect of marketing, but nevertheless - I just have to report this!

The Toy Run , a national event held on the last Sunday of November each year, is aimed at collecting toys for underprivileged and orphaned children for Christmas and is attended by more than 50 000 motorcyclists nationwide. This year in Cape Town, I am thrilled to say that our Mayor, Helen Zille will be leading the run from the Ottery starting point (Pick and Pay) Nowehere else do officials become involved in a run like this for kids so 50 000 big thumbs ups to Helen Zille - what a legendary thing to do!

Mobile Marketing - it's here and now!

2008-11-18T13:49:00.008+02:00

In this particular posting, I am not going to go into the technical detail of the why’s and what-for’s of Mobile Marketing – we are just going to look at some of the overall advantages for you in your marketing efforts by way of introduction to this incredible marketing tool that is on the brink of an absolute world-wide boom!

Although Mobile Marketing is becoming increasingly popular due to its low cost and highly targeted appeal, within most companies it is still perceived as a bit mysterious and inaccessible as a professional marketing tool.

There is no doubt that for many South Africans, their cellphone is something they just cannot leave home without. The cellphone of today is becoming more and more of a portable all-in-one device that can wake you up in the morning to begin with, keep you entertained with music and games, enable you to take really incredible photo’s, allow you access to the internet and still provide you with increasingly advanced voice and messaging options – honestly the list of modern cellphone attributes just seems to go on and on…

Having stated the obvious, it is interesting to note that over 80% of South Africans own and use a cellphone, the average cellphone user carries his/her phone around with him/her for on average 14 hours per day and an increasing number of us are enjoying easier access to the latest in cellphone technology (few of us still use a phone that isn’t at least MMS enabled).

So the question is – what could mobile marketing mean for you in your promotional activities?

Let’s first identify and briefly discuss two of the major ways in which you can market using mobile technology.

1. Direct sms marketing

Here you will access your target audience directly – as marketing messages are delivered directly via sms to the potential/existing client’s phone. The challenge lies in developing a database of opt-in readers. Generally speaking, sms marketing is hinged on your ability to offer the reader something useful – in essence you need to make their lives easier in some way, whether that be delivering information to them that they would otherwise need to go and look for, like InContact from FNB where you can track account activity on your cell, to ticket confirmations, booking reminders and notifications of special promotions. As mentioned the key here is to be able to develop that database of subscribers – privacy is a big issue in cellphone marketing. As with email marketing, you need to ensure your readers can unsubscribe at any time. Note that MMS is an great option as you are able to include colours and graphics – but you would need to first think about whether your intended recipients are in all likelihood MMS enabled.

2. Mobile Websites

Although relatively few cellphone users utilise their phones to search the web (primarily due to current cost and download speed issues), Mobile Websites are due to become a prominent marketing tool in the next few years. As a incredibly inexpensive (you can have your Mobile Website hosted for free) shop window for your company, a Mobile Website provides you with a fantastic way to access potential customers who don’t have regular access to the internet. Once you have established your Mobile Website, your advertising and corporate material should carry links to both your Mobile Website and Internet Website – you will be able to reach just about everyone in this way!

So how do you target your mobile marketing efforts?

Today’s mobile phones are seen as an expression of who we are! While there is no doubt that the younger generations X and Y are going to be more open to mobile marketing, you will be able to ensure a greater likelihood of success if your marketing efforts have been targeted to the user profile of a particular handset type. For instance, someone with a Blackberry is more than likely to be a business person/corporate, probably on the go and out of the office a lot and possibly sitting with extra cash to spend – this user profile will be very different to that of someone using a Motorola razr, or a Sony Ericsson walkman. In developing your opt-in database of message recipients, it would be prudent to try and establish what cellphone the individual uses. This of course would also assist you enormously in deciding whether to go for funky MMS type advertising or just plain text.

The opportunities are endless – and in further postings we will go into more depth into more specific areas that require discussion as there is really so much to cover regarding mobile marketing. It goes virtually without saying that mobile marketing is most definitely here and now. In 2009, companies are going to want to start looking at ways of engaging their target markets through this inexpensive, highly targeted marketing tool.