Words to the Wise

Creative briefs can be long and intricate, and they often take up precious time that could be spent actually creating something. However, there is a place in this world for the creative brief as it does help agencies (and freelancers like myself) better understand the task(s) at hand.

The creative brief typically involves questions. Lots and lots of questions. Now, I don’t always use a creative brief. If I believe that a client and I are on the same page about the scope and goals of the project, then I forge ahead. But when I think a creative brief will clear up some questions and help both me and the client better understand objectives, these are some of the questions I ask:

1. Who are we trying to reach? If you’re a real estate agent, are you trying to reach people selling their homes? Or are you trying to reach people in the Raleigh, NC area who are selling a home worth between $300,000 and $900,000 and has been on the market over 120 days?

2. What’s your objective? Is your objective to simply reach them? Or is your objective to send them to a special landing page on your website that gives them a unique offer and information that is tailored to their situation?

3. What are the obstacles? Does your audience have a belief that precludes them from thinking your product or service is for them? Are you one of a dozen companies sending similar offers?

4. What’s in it for your prospect? Will you solve a problem? Will you save them money? Will you MAKE them money? Will you save them from embarassment?

5. What feeling or personality will your communication take on? Will you be the voice of authority? Will you speak to your prospects’ emotions? Will you be out-and-out human?

6. Is the timing right? Some messages are more effective at certain times of the year. Do your prospects need your service right now? If you send them a message now, will they forget about you when they truly do need you? Can your message be used in more than one medium? For example - can you turn your blog posts into articles that can be distributed via the Internet?

7. How does this project fit in with your overall brand? Will this be one piece of the marketing mix? Are there other agencies working on other parts? For example, if I’m writing web copy, I like to be in touch with the web designer to see how my copy will be laid out in the page.

8. Are there any creative mandatrories? Is there a phrase or paragraph that must be used? An image? A logo?

This is just the start. Often, these questions lead to more answers. Fortunately for me, more questions lead to more answers and a better product in the end.

We see it every day - outstanding web design, breathtaking graphics, a wonderfully-crafted message, and stellar use of SEO tactics.

But what about the sale? You can have all of the above and STILL not get a single new client or make a single sale.

Today I have five tactics to help you convert visitors into buyers on your website:

1. Give something away. A free report. A free item. Free shipping. Free money.

2. Get them to sign up for a newsletter. I dislike the term “newsletter” since the idea has evolved so much. Regardless, have a way to maintain contact with people - even if they don’t buy the first time. Make it easy for visitors to sign up and give them a reason to buy. Put your free offer from item 1 above in your communication. See number 5 for more details.

3. Have a sale that’s not really a sale. Pick an item or a service. Now give it prominence on your site and say “Now Only $249.99.” Nobody but you knows that it’s always been that price. Sounds like a deal. People like deals.

4. Bundle your offerings. Do you have two products or services that were made for each other? Do people buy the two separately often? Bundle them, reduce the price by 5 or 10 percent and capture more sales.

5. Give away a coupon or savings offer the moment someone signs up for your newsletter or catalog…give them a reason to buy when you KNOW they at least have interest in your site. Not an hour later, not a day later….5 minutes at most…set up an autoresponder and get that offer into your prospect’s inbox.

Many of my clients are good writers. Which, for me, is a double-edged sword. Often, the fact that my clients are good writers with great attention to grammar and spelling leads to questions like this:

“Uh, Jason, I know you’re a professional copywriter, but you left the period off the headline in my print ad. Could you please revise and re-send? Thank you.”

While some copywriters see this as a negative email, I see it as an opportunity to enlighten clients on the difference between writing and copywriting.

In the case of the above-referenced email, I have a two-part, general rule about periods and headlines. It goes like this:

1. If the ad is text heavy and reads more like editorial (such as the Ayer #1 format) than a simple print ad, I tend to not use a period in the headline.

2. If the ad is more of a branding ad with heavy reliance on images, I tend to use a period.

A study was done some years ago, and the results indicated that use of a period in an editorial-style ad headline dropped reader comprehension levels and caused readers to feel like they didn’t need to read any further.

In fact, 22% of the people in the study commented that they realized they were reading an ad when they came to the period. It may seem like a ‘duh’ statement, but advertising shouldn’t jump up and scream at you. It should walk up to you and shake your hand, not yell at you from across the room.

Also in the study, 10% of respondents claimed that the period lessened their intent of reading beyond the headline.

The bottom line here is that your advertising should not get its own way. Test your advertising and be sure that your audience is reading past the first line. Talk to your copywriter and make sure you are both on the same page before the first words are even written.

…you’ll get to hear them, too. That’s right, I’m going to start my own BlogTalkRadio show called “This Hour Has 22 Widgets.” But it’s not just my ideas and marketing insight that you’ll be hearing. My clients will also be part of the show. They’ll be on the air to talk about THEIR marketing and their products and services. So now you’ll get to hear MY marketing wisdom and that of my clients.

I’m working on the details for the first show which should air sometime in the next two or three weeks. If you’re interested in being on the show, contact me and we’ll work out the details.

Also, if you have a radio spot already produced and would like me to air it, I’m offering a limited number of complimentary advertising slots to my blog subscribers.

One of the most common complaints I get from clients when I suggest that they start a blog is that they don’t have the time to sit in front of a computer and ‘talk’ to their customers.

First of all, in my experience, potential clients don’t want to hear about your trip to Cameroon or what’s going on with your dog. There’s a way to write that is conversational, yet still manages to incorporate important selling points about your products and services.

My solution takes you less than one hour per week, and the I do most of the work.

Here’s how it works: You and I have a conversation where we discuss one or two topics that you would like ME to blog about for you the following week. It’s just like ghostwriting – I write in your tone about your products and services, add relevant links back to specific pages on your site and make you, once again, look like a subject matter expert.

I do a maximum of two blogs per week, and use WordPress as my blog service of choice.

This type of work is very affordable and pays off because of the relevant links and content. If you’re not sure blogging is for you, give me a call or send me an email and we’ll talk about it.