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FAQs: The Key to Fast, Easy and Effective Copywriting
Want to write better marketing copy … and practically eliminate writer’s block? Write your Frequently Asked Questions first.
According to legendary copywriter Robert Collier, the secret to successful copywriting is “Always enter the conversation already taking place in the customer’s mind.” FAQs are like taking a shortcut into the heads of your website visitors and prospective customers.
When copywriting, many people think first about the benefits or headlines. This puts the pressure on you as the copywriter to figure out what will connect most with your audience.
But if you know what your prospects’ questions, challenges or barriers, and/or problems are before you start writing – as you will when you start with FAQs – you’ll gain valuable insights into how to write the rest of your marketing copy.
A good FAQ list will mirror the conversation in your first-time (more…)
Leverage the Principle of Recommendation
The most powerful persuasion tool is the principle of recommendation. It’s a principle that all entrepreneurs should incorporate into their marketing, because we’re in the midst of what’s been called the Recommendation Age.
The principle of recommendation is not the same as the principle of referral. Recommendations are more active. You’re not just referring; you’re putting your reputation on the line by recommending it.
If you look at the Internet and you go to Amazon.com, what are you allowed to do? You’re allowed to rate a book. When you go to You Tube, what are you allowed to do? You’re allowed to rate a video. When you go to Ted.com, you’re allowed to rate a speech. When you go on social networks, you’re really rating each other just in your commentary.
When writing marketing copy, this means that the new call to action is not Order Now, Buy Now, or Opt-In Now. The new call to action that you want to use is getting people to comment and share.
By getting people to comment and share, you get them to (more…)
Pavlovian Principles for Copywriting
When asked how to distinguish persuasive web copy, I have a two-word answer: Behavior modification.
Behavior modification is what powerful and persuasive words do. They modify behavior. In fact, that’s how I define good marketing.
The person who taught me the importance of behavior modification in marketing is the late Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, who made behavior modification history in the late 1890’s.
In his revolutionary experiment, Pavlov put a slab of meat in front of dogs. As the dogs started salivating, he rang a bell. Over time, the dogs became conditioned to salivate whenever they heard the bell – whether or not meat was present. Their nervous systems had associated the bell with red meat.
What does red meat have to do with writing copy? Simply put… (more…)
Want Greater Influence? Smuggle Donkeys
Do you want prospects to take action more quickly? The fastest, easiest and most reliable way to influence your audience to take immediate action is to be transparent in your marketing.
Whether you’re writing a sales letter, a video script, an email or even meeting a prospect in person, nothing is as persuasive as the truth. People can sense the truth. And when you’re not telling the truth, they can sense that, too.
Master salespeople are magicians of persuasion. They’re transparent. They tell on themselves. They show you exactly what they’re doing, but it’s so natural, so organic, and so seamless that you often don’t notice.
When teaching my students about this elusive aspect of truth, I like to share the 13th century Turkish fable about a merchant named Nasraddin Hodja.
Hodja crossed the Turkish border every single day on his donkey, which always carried a big load of straw on its back. The border patrol knew that Hodja was smuggling somethinginto the Far East, because he was (more…)
Using Instagram – Content Creation Apps For Business
Are you using any of the free content creation mobile apps that exist within the iPhone/iPad app store and Android Market for your business?
2012 is all about sharing high-quality, unique, and original content on social media. And it’s all about visuals.
As a business owner or entrepreneur, you should be using your mobile device to create and share valuable content with your communities on social media. It’s never been easier than it is now to take photos or record videos that can help spread the word about your business.
I recently started using the mobile photo sharing/editing app Instagram as a way to share news and interesting content with my communities online. Instagram is one of the most popular iPhone photo app that individuals AND brands are using this year (about 27 million users total), and it was recently announced that the Android version is set to be released soon.
Here’s an example of a photo I shared as a way to get the word out about (more…)
How To Turn Customers into Promoters [VIDEO]
It’s not a faith in technology. It’s faith in people. — Steve Jobs
As social media and the web has become more and more a part of the lives of consumers, many marketers are asking themselves the following question: “What can we do to turn our customers using social media into loyal brand advocates?”
It’s a good question to ask. Social media provides an extremely unique opportunity for businesses. Never before has it been easier for consumers to talk to others about what they think of a brand’s services or products.
I want to share a video on this subject that I found helpful. It’s from the Harvard Business Review YouTube channel. In it, Fred Reichheld, fellow and founder of the loyalty practice at Bain & Company, explains how Apple builds loyalty. Take some time to watch it now:
Do you think social media has helped companies reach out to (more…)
Developing Productivity Rituals [VIDEO]
You already have daily rituals that you follow throughout your day—brushing your teeth, making the bed, reading news on your iPad—so it’s no surprise that creating rituals to enhance your productivity can help you get more done, faster, easier, and better.
I watched a video recently on the official Harvard Business Review YouTube channel that I wanted to share with you. In it, Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project, lists four habits that help him get more work done.
Take a few minutes to watch the video now:
What tip from the video are you going to try to implement into your own daily life? Tell me in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you! —Alex
By the way, I’m launching my new and only membership site, MarketingOnline.com!
MOL is not for entrepreneurs or independent professionals who believe that achieving a wildly successful lifestyle requires a strict separation between your business and personal lives.
We’re a community of family-centered entrepreneurs who whole-heartedly believe that the exact opposite is true: that the ONLY path to joy and success is to combine your personal and professional lives.
Click the image below to gain access:
Join THE Home For Family-Centered Entrepreneurs! | MarketingOnline.Com
Marketing Online is not for entrepreneurs or independent professionals who believe that achieving a wildly successful lifestyle requires a strict separation between your business and personal lives.
Marketing Online is a community of family-centered entrepreneurs who whole-heartedly believe that the exact opposite is true: that the ONLY path to joy and success is to combine your personal and professional lives.
Marketing Online is a community of family-centered entrepreneurs who whole-heartedly believe that the exact opposite is true: that the ONLY path to joy and success is to combine your personal and professional lives.
Our approach to marketing and entrepreneurship is relevant in today’s uncertain economy, because for us, “family” goes far beyond blood relationships and marriage ties. It’s having an “affinity,” “likeness” or “kinship” with our clients, vendors and colleagues, too.
Trying to separate your personal and professional lives is as challenging as trying to separate the sun from the rays it produces. They’re entwined with each other, no matter what you do. So why not celebrate and embrace that fact … rather than having it cause personal guilt or public shame?
Marketing Online believes the (more…)
Using Pinterest for Business – Finding New Prospects
Have you started using Pinterest for your business? It’s growing extremely fast! There are a lot of opportunities for businesses to take advantage of on the site.
In case you haven’t heard of the site, “Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes” (Source).
To help inspire you to create your own Pinterest account for your business, I’m sharing a few of my favorite brands that are successfully using the site. To explore each account, click on the images below:
How to Manage Email Overload on Vacation
I go on vacation and travel a lot, and I know you’re the same way. If you’re looking for a few helpful tips, I want you to take some time to watch the short video below. In it, I offer a few pieces of advice that you can use to have a relaxing, stress-free vacation. Here it is:
What other tips can you offer other people who need help managing their work stresses while on vacation? Leave a comment for me and others below! I’d love to read what you have to say. —Alex