Is your marketing fit enough to beat the competition?

I was at a classic triathlon event at the weekend in Swanage, Dorset. I wasn’t taking part, I hasten to add, I was there as a supporter. Yet even though I wasn’t directly involved in the  swimming, biking and running it was a very stimulating event. The energy, enthusiasm and excitement of the contestants was palpable.

Some of the other non-athletic supporters had brought their dogs along and you could see that their animals were also caught up in the moment. From a dog’s eye view it was all fast moving legs, flashing wheels and whirling spokes, not to mention splashing waves of windmill armed swimmers launching themselves into the briny. In fact the total sensory overload was almost too much to bear, causing the dogs to strain at their leashes. Given half a chance they would, beyond a shadow of a doubt, have joined in, too.

And it occurred to me that good advertising is like a well organised triathlon in many ways. It caters for a real need; attracts attention, creates and builds excitement; is well thought through and organised. From start to finish the ‘call to action’ is brilliantly mapped out with expert marshalling every inch of the way. Leaving everyone happy, content and glowing with satisfaction. Only without the aching knees, hips and back…

So in these competitive times, make sure your marketing is fit enough to go the distance.

Is it enough just to describe what you do when marketing your services?

Most of us living in the west are lucky enough to be able to write. So if you’re someone who enjoys putting pen to paper – or finger to keyboard – you’ll probably embrace the opportunity to write your own marketing material. After all, you know what you do better than anyone else.

However, being too close to what you do can sometimes make it difficult to sell your services to others. You need to be clear about how you express yourself. Think about how much or how little you need to explain your offering to a potential customer.

In written communications you don’t have the two-way flow that you do when you’re talking to someone one on one. So when a potential client reads your material it has to be powerful enough to answer all their questions and meet their needs.

Above all, make sure you are not just churning out an information leaflet, brochure or website. Because the essence of marketing is sales. So if your copy is not bringing you the business you want, take another look at what you are saying and see if you can make it more compelling - and drive the sale.

Does your copy give you confidence and make you look fabulous?

When you buy clothes, you select something that you like and that makes you look good, gives you confidence and that’s appropriate for the occasion you have in mind. For instance a business meeting, the beach or dining out at an expensive restaurant.

The same holds true for your copy. You want it to make your products and services look fabulous, give you and your customers confidence, and appeal to their needs. 

So how did you arrive at the copy you have? Perhaps you tried your hand at writing it yourself – and can easily run something up to suit any occasion. Or perhaps you bought something relatively cheaply that is fit for purpose but won’t necessarily last the course. Or, if you’re truly serious about attracting sales, you will most likely have gone to a professional copywriter for bespoke, tailor made copy that is making you stand out from the crowd.

Professional copywriting is a great term investment because high quality sales copy can be adapted for purpose and will last for many years, serving you well in any situation. Most importantly it will attract potential customers to you, help bring in sales and quickly pay for itself – over and over again.

Could your brand’s ‘tone of voice’ be losing you business?

There you were, thinking your brand was inanimate, impeccably groomed and well behaved. And now you discover it may have a tone of voice - and possibly an attitude to match. One that might even be losing you business.

So first things first – how can you tell what your brand’s tone of voice is? Well, just as when you speak to someone your tone of voice tells them whether you’re excited to see them, happy, sad and so on, the same is true with the written word.

Which means that if you aren’t clear or enthusiastic about the products and services you have to offer, it shows. People will rapidly lose interest and switch off by turning the page, throwing your leaflet, flyer or mailing in the bin, or clicking to another page on the web.

Brands are built by consistency of messaging. That’s why it’s so important to have a consistent tone of voice. One that injects energy into your brand and motivates people to buy or find out more. The energy comes from the enthusiasm you share about your products and services.

Of course fundamentally it comes from your products, services and target market. So if you’re a funeral director, instead of being enthusiastic, your tone of voice will be respectful, thoughtful and caring - as befits communicating with someone in mourning.

From web pages, to leaflets, flyers - and even company emails - consistency in your messaging and tone of voice will help build a powerful, reliable brand that can pay dividends.

So make sure everyone in your company knows your brand’s tone of voice. Because if it varies depending on who is writing your copy, your brand will suffer and you could lose sales.

Good copywriting is original

The internet is an amazing resource, but as with most things, you can’t believe everything you read. For instance, I was pulling together some inspiring quotes recently when I came across the following:

“Kodak sells film, but they don’t advertise film. They advertise memories.”

Great quote, which time and again on the internet is attributed to Theodore Parker. But a quick check on Mr Parker’s background shows that he was an American Minister who died in 1860 - which is 28 years before Kodak even came on the scene. And, of course, a minister is highly unlikely to be talking about the wonders of Kodak in terms of advertising.

Further research shows that the quote is far more likely to be that of Theodore Levitt, an American economist who died in 2006 and who proposed the following definition for ‘corporate purpose’ - rather than merely making money, it is to create and keep a customer.

Other errors I’ve come across include one in a map of Berlin which I discovered when I visited the city a few years ago. I had with me a guide book and a map I’d printed off the internet. And on arrival discovered that a road clearly marked on both maps simply didn’t exist – and never had!

The internet in particular is rife with errors. It’s such an accessible resource that many people seem to copy everyone else. And that’s definitely NOT what ‘copy’writing is all about! So if you want to stand out, be original and double check your facts and sources.

When it comes to websites, beauty is only skin deep

I’ve just been a little over ambitious with my designer looking WHSmith hole punch. I guess putting more than 3 sheets into it at one time gave it a nervous breakdown and the attractive, mauve plastic handle snapped. Oh dear.

As my local high street shops don’t include major stationery chains, I nipped into a local £1 shop to grab a bargain. Unbelievably, my replacement is not only cheaper than the WHSmith one, but is also made of metal. So whatever happens it’s unlikely to snap at me if I give it too much work to do.

Which just goes to show that all the bells and whistles in the world don’t mean a thing if the item in question just doesn’t work. Every element has to work together to bring about the desired result.

As it is with hole punches, so it is with websites. I’ve seen many websites that have all the latest sales techniques – from videos to free downloads. However the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And all too often websites can look great -  professional, sophisticated and cool – but lack clear, motivational messages and have no call to action. Potential clients therefore find it all beautifully confusing and leave without making an enquiry or committing to a sale.

So remember that above all, your website needs to have a strong sales message – without it, you could be wasting your valuable time and money. 

When less is more

When it comes to instructions, less is generally more. Often, it seems, the wordier the instruction, the more confusing it is to understand. This is especially true for products that are sold in various countries around the world and that are translated into many languages. Or even worse, are written in English for the global market by someone whose first language is clearly not English.

Ikea has an excellent solution in that they simply offer diagrams. While you still have to study them carefully, diagrams can answer a great many questions that poor writing simply can’t.

As with instructions, so it is with sales literature. When writing sales material, it’s important to think about all the questions that your readers are likely to come up with - and make sure you answer each and every one of them. Because in the absence of a sales person who can answer specific queries, it’s vital that you cover all bases so that nothing impedes the sale. Of course it makes sense to include at the end of the piece ‘if you have any questions, or would like to know more, please contact us on 1234 567890'. This then doubles as your call to action.