How to write copy that people actually want to read

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

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

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

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.

© 2011 Jolene Bestbier. Author. i-literate.

The Top 2 Rules of Marketing Success

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.

© 2011 Jolene Bestbier. Author. i-literate.