Business directory for the Central Coast of NSW, Australia
Blog
Let’s focus on the message and make sure you always put your best foot forward. I haven’t created these tips with any particular form of advertising in mind. You’ll need to adjust the type and amount of content depending on which advertising format your using.
What is it you want the reader to do? What do you want them to take away from your advertising? What do want them to feel, know or think about?
Once you’ve worked this out, you can begin to write. This simple technique will make your writing sharp and your message clear.
When drafting my content I start by writing the objective at the top of the page. Then I create a framework with the key points I need to make. I then create the content for each point. Finally, I wordsmith the message so it’s persuasive and compelling.
This ensures you communicate the most important points and creates a clear flow for the reader.
Write as though they’re the only one reading it and you’re talking directly to them. Try to talk about things in the present, as it’s more in the here and now. This is more relevant for the reader.
Also try and talk as though they’ve already bought the product. “The dustbuster 3000 let’s you pick up bowling balls as though they are a feather”
This is so important with today’s consumer. We don’t have the time to read irrelevant information. If I don’t get a compelling reason to keep reading in the first 2 sentences, I’ll stop.
Newspapers are one of the most successful forms of writing. They regularly get readers to checkout their entire article. Even if they don’t, the reader still knows the core concept.
How do they do it?
I see this problem time and time again. Most often on websites. We’re X company and we’ve been established for 15yrs. We do this, we do that, we’re so great, we’re the best, etc etc.
As a consumer, I’m not interested in you. What I’m interested in is what you can do for me. How can you help solve my problem.
Your message should focus on the reader and how your service helps them. A good rule of thumb is to have 2x ‘You/Your’ for every ‘We/Us’. That way you know your message is speaking to them.
Use simple language wherever you can in your messages. This makes it easier to digest and more likely that the reader will ‘get it’.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are two of the most successful people of our time. They are both considered very smart people and yet Jobs is also regarded as one of the best presenters in the world.
The secret, Jobs presents at a 5th grade level while Gates presents at a l0th grade level. Jobs is easier to understand and easier to follow.
With our limited time. we want information and we want it now. If we see a big block of text, we immediately know its hard work. Use bullet points to quickly and succinctly get your ideas across.
Try to use an odd number of bullets where possible (the brain prefers odd numbers) and don’t use full stops at the end of each bullet.
Don’t think about what your business does or what services you provide. Think about the solutions that you provide a customer and the problems you solve. This is called the ’so what’ factor.
So you clean carpets, so what? What about, we free your house of nasty dust allergens and make your carpets look like new.
This so what factor is the actual reason why consumers are buying your service. They’re not buying it because of the features, they are buying it for the problem in their life it solves.
Platitudes are empty words that are ignored by the reader. Efficient and effective tells a reader absolutely nothing. Neither does, ’superior service’ or ‘we’re the best…’. Focus on what your service actually does.
Cliches are marketing messages that have been so overused that they no longer have any meaning: ‘Buy now and save’. ‘but wait there’s more’.
Always give consumers a reason to act now. This could be with a limited offer that’s only available for this week. It could also be by stressing the pain/issues they might have by waiting.
Identify what barriers exist between your potential customer and their purchase decision. If they’re worried about changing their mind, include a 30 day guarantee. If they aren’t sure that your better than the competition, include a product comparison table.
The crucial element is to breakdown any barriers to the purchase decision.
This is the use of information that endorses the need for your service. It includes testimonials and data that validates the benefit of your product.
A vacuum cleaner manufacturer might state that 60% (not an actual figure) of consumers hate their vacuum losing suction when the bag is full, so they’ve developed a bag-less vacuum cleaner that never loses suction.
As a final tip, here are a number of other things to keep in mind when you create your message:
Checkout Advertising Central Coast
Please leave a comment below and it will be submitted for approval.
Owned and operated by Air Conditioning professional Martin Bramall, Bramins is a tru...
Design & Print in 24 Hrs ...
Hello my name is Louise Drescher and I would be honoured to conduct your marriage cer...
We are the fire and water damage restoration specialists. Approved by al major insura...
We're the paramedical beauty specialists...
Charcoal Chickens and hot take away food. Open 7 days....
