by Amy on September 20, 2010
Some business people have no idea what it costs to get a customer or what the lifetime value of that customer is. Knowing these two things helps you understand what you can spend on marketing and how much you stand to profit when people choose your business. It’s a fairly straightforward, simple equation.
First look at the price of your product or service. People often think it’s easier to sell something less expensive. Not necessarily true. Depends on your target audience and the value of your product/service. [click to continue…]
by Amy on September 14, 2010
Never make assumptions about what your target audience does or doesn’t know and how they speak. Don’t talk down to them, but certainly don’t assume they know your industry language and terminology. Some people think that using insider and industry lingo makes them sound professional or expert. More likely it alienates the very people you want to attract. No one wants to feel left out, or stupid or uninformed and that’s what you risk when you start using jargon. [click to continue…]
by Amy on August 30, 2010
Features tell, benefits sell. Let’s look at some examples. Take steak knives. Feature might be that they are as sharp three years later as they were the day you bought them. Benefit might be that they are low maintenance, no need to sharpen them. This would appeal to people who either don’t have a knife sharpener or don’t like to sharpen their knives, or like me, never find the knives are any sharper after I sharpen them myself.
Say you’re a dentist and you offer any level of sedation a patient wants. Feature: Choice of anesthesia. Benefit: removes the fear of experiencing pain and makes the patient feel in control, because they have a choice.
Another example – say you remodel homes and you use green and eco-friendly materials. Feature: recycled and environmentally friendly materials. Benefit: responsible stewardship, good for the environment, in many cases healthy for the end user. [click to continue…]
by Amy on August 23, 2010
The answer is yes. The best copywriter for your business is going to be the person with marketing experience. Why? Because everything your business produces should be carefully written to move your business agenda forward and tie into a plan to advance your brand, to provide clients, customers and prospects with value so when the time comes that they need what you offer, you’re who they turn to. Good marketing copywriters will accomplish that for you.
Work by a good copywriter keeps you engaged, grabs you by your self-interest – the thing that motivates us ultimately – and moves you toward a desired outcome. [click to continue…]
by Amy on August 12, 2010
Every potential client or customer has a problem and you have a solution. Remember, all good marketing solves problems, offer solutions. I have a pain, you tell me how you can alleviate it. We do more to avoid pain than we do to gain pleasure. Use that in your marketing. [click to continue…]
Some business people have no idea what it costs to get a customer or what the lifetime value of that customer is. Knowing these two things helps you understand what you can spend on marketing and how much you stand to profit when people choose your business. It’s a fairly straightforward, simple equation. 
