Zazou Marketing

Sometimes marketing campaigns just aren’t sexy. And that’s OK.

Take banks, for example. There is a whole slew of them who want the public to know that they are safe and solid–in a word, they’re boring. I have personal experience with this message, since I was hired recently by a credit union to two write letters for their annual report. The content of those letters? In part it was that the credit union is safe, solid and growing. And that they never took part in all of those risky lending practices that got the big banks in trouble.

But the marketing message definitely goes beyond one credit union. The New York Times ran an article about banks earlier this month, titled “We’re Dull, Small Banks Say, but Have Profits.” While the title pretty much sums it up, here’s an excerpt:

“community bankers have felt compelled in recent months to mount public relations campaigns to emphasize their fiscal health and in some cases to announce they rejected Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, funds. Some have held cookouts, others have held “reassurance” meetings in their lobbies, hoping to educate customers and prevent panics.”

The point of all of this? Sometimes what sets you apart from your competitors is not something bold and flashy. Sometimes it is your boring old business practices that give you an edge. The important part is that whatever it is that gives you an edge, go ahead and sell it!

I was contacted by two new clients this week. One gave me a list of ideas about their company; the other gave me what amounted to a list of facts about an event. Both clients wanted the information turned into one page of marketing material copy. And both were rush jobs — the marketing materials needed to be done in less than 24 hours — so there was no time to get additional information to fill out the marketing pieces.

Can you guess which one I took on and which one I passed on until I could get additional information? You may be surprised to know that I took on the one that started out as essentially a list of facts. Why? Because with such details I knew the:

• unique selling proposition
• target market
• what sets them apart from their competition

Here’s the key: If I have the facts and details to start with, I can usually add flavor, tone, and style. But with only series of belief statements, I have little to work with to tell your customer why they should hire you or buy your product.

Here’s an example: The list of facts included the location of a contest that the organization is putting on (Highline Ballroomin NYC) and what the grand prize will be for the winner of the contest (including a Jacob & Co. pendant).

There are certainly plenty of people who know exactly what kind of vibe and caliber this performance space is and just how coveted a a custom-made Jacob & Co. pendant is. However, there are plenty of people who do not. And if someone who does not know is being approached to be an investor, the one-sheet needs to let him or her know what kind of an event this is.

That in mind, to address what kind of a club the Highline Ballroom is (and by extension, the contest), I included the caliber of artists who have performed there:

“That night, the six contestants will let loose and have some fun—all at the same location that performers like Lou Reed, Mos Def, and Amy Winehouse have performed, at the Highline Ballroom, a performance space in the Meat Packing District on 16th Street.”

And when I described the grand prize, I included some of the designer’s celebrity fans — thereby showing just what kind of caliber the entire contest is:

“a custom-made Jacob & Co. pendant (popularized by the likes of Angela Bassett, Jimmy Fallon, Gisele Bundchen, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Enrique Iglesias, Justin Timberlake, Fred Durst, David and Victoria Beckham and many others)”

So, when you are creating your marketing materials, remember to include the details of what sets you apart — and also remember to include information that lets people know just why those details are relevant.

I got a call today from a client who wants a brochure. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, so I mentioned a few possible topics that we could cover in the marketing material, many of which were a surprise to him. It made me think that it might be helpful if I posted some general areas that are often covered in brochures.

So, as you think about your own brochure, think about which of these will be most helpful in selling your service or product. And that really is the key — don’t just include that you have been in business for 50 years because you think it sounds impressive; only include that information if it’s going to make your clients buy your product or service. And keep in mind that you almost never want to have all of the following topics covered in one brochure!

Also, just because you talk about your services (or some other topic), you should not label the section “services.” Instead come up with a catchy, descriptive header that helps sell your company, product or service.

Possible features to include in your service or product brochure:

• Introduction – Outline what you offer and–of course–what you do for your client.
• Call to action – Ask the reader to act. Do you want a call? Order a product? Or for the client to visit a website? Then let them know what to do and how to do it.
• Services and/or products – Describe the services and/or products you offer (and always focus on how they benefit your customer).
• Business structure – Describe how you do business and why it benefits your client.
• Clients – Include case studies or a list of people or organizations who have hired you or bought your product. Or you can include descriptions of the kind of companies who have hired you.
• Testimonials – Include testimonials that tell how great you or your product or service is, of course, And, if possible, use ones that include numbers that prove that your service or product has improved their life.
• Fees, prices and terms – If you have a set price structure, you may want to include it, in addition to any guarantees that you make. For products, you may want to also include shipping and handling costs.
• Features – Highlight features that set your product apart from your competition. And, of course, include how those features benefit your client.
• How the product works – Describe how your product works and what it can do, including why its superior to the competition.
• Information about the buyer – Sometimes its helpful to spell out who the product or service is designed for. (Even if you don’t have an entire section for this, all of the content should keep this person in mind.)
• Applications – Describe how your product or service can be used and answers the question of what problems it solves.
• Availability – If you sell a product or two or three or more, you may want to list the models, sizes, construction materials, options, accessories, etc. Again, include why these specs matter to your client. Also, you may want to include charts and graphs to help your client select the right product.
• Technical specifications – For products, you may want to include and technical requirements, such as cleaning methods, storage conditions, etc.
• FAQ – This is obviously where you include frequently asked questions (and their answers).
• About Us – Including a brief company description section can show that the service or product is backed by a reputable company. And, if it well help sell your product or service, highlight the credentials of important employees.
• Support – This section can be either who and how to contact support, or it can be information about delivery, installation, upkeep, etc.

Many organizations create websites assuming that the product or service will sell itself… If you can just get people to your website, they’ll see how wonderful what you offer really is. And then they’ll go ahead and buy it, right?! Well, now that you’ve had your website for some time, you have probably realized that simply having a site doesn’t necessarily mean sales.

So, if you want your website to actually generate revenue, you may need to revamp a few important aspects of your site. In fact, there are six things you should update, says an April 28 article in The Washington Post. And since I’m writing about this article here, you won’t be surprised that one of the fixes that the article advises is to “write better product descriptions.” Here’s the article’s sage advice:

Spend some time reading your product descriptions to make sure they’re succinct and filler-free. The formula here can be difficult because, as Amy Schade says, you need to “convince [users] the product meets their needs,” but the verbiage “has to be short and descriptive.” There’s no salesperson available on a website, so shoppers “should be able to see a product and know what it does,” says Schade, a director at the Nielsen Norman Group in New York City and co-author of the second edition of the “E-Commerce User Experience” report. Writing new and better product descriptions, Schade says, “is time consuming but worth it.”

So there you have it. Good writing can equal sales. So, when you are creating product descriptions, remember to make them succint, descriptive, and filler-free, while also ensuring that they convince prospective buyers that the product meets their needs.

Zazou Marketing

Whether you are writing a website, brochure, advertisement, newsletter, or email, it’s important to look as professional as possible. That means getting your spelling, grammar, and word usage correct. So, here’s a quick reminder on a few words that we use all the time: “everyone” and “every one.” And remember that there’s a difference between them!

• Use two words when you are referring to an individual item: “We used every one of those sales tips in our pitch meeting.”

• Use one word when you are referring to all persons: “Everyone wants a bonus this year.”

Zazou Marketing

Coming up with marketing copy seems like it should be easy. After all, you’re writing about something you know well – your own business. In reality, we often know our own business too well, so we stumble around looking for the right words to describe it. Even worse, we end up making mistakes that can cost us business.

So the next time you start writing your brochure, newsletter, sales letter or website copy, keep the following pitfalls in mind. Avoiding these can mean the difference between making a sale and sending potential clients running.

1.    Benefits, not features. You’ve heard this one before, but you probably need to hear it again. Don’t get so charmed by your “features” that you forget to talk about your benefits. Don’t just say that your widget is cool because of its bells-and-whistles. Instead, explain how those bells-and-whistles help your customer. So, when you list a feature, follow it with words like, “so now you can… ” (and spell out exactly what problems it’s going to solve).

2.    Not so impressive. The first sentence of your brochure or website should NOT be, “We’ve been in business since 1984” (or whatever year you started). Your potential clients simply don’t care. At least not yet. Hook them by telling them how you can help them. Once they’re hooked, you can impress them with your experience and how long you’ve been in business.

3.    You’re not the only one. Don’t bother including that you are passionate about what you do or that you love your job. Absolutely everyone makes this claim (like everyone claims to give superior customer service). And it simply isn’t a selling point. Stick to telling potential clients how you can help them.

4.    Avoid hype. Don’t use buzzwords like “spectacular,” “incredible,” “one-of-a-kind” and “breakthrough.” These simply alert people to the fact that you are selling something, and your reader stops paying attention. Instead, explain what makes your product or service spectacular. And don’t forget to include what your clients will get out of it.

5.    No one cares about you. I know it’s hard on your ego, but people really don’t care what you do or who you are. They do care how you can help them. Remember to keep the focus off of you and on what you can do for your customer. Instead of saying, “We offer professional guidance to small businesses,” say, “If you are a small business stuck in a rut, we can help you overcome barriers and get new clients.”

6.    You are not a professor. I’ve said this before, I know. Still, it’s important to remember to simplify your sentences! Once you’ve written a draft, go through your document sentence by sentence, and see where you can split sentences into two. Then go through and take out insiders lingo. And take out unnecessary or convoluted words (come to think of it, “convoluted” is a great example of a word to avoid!). Big words and long sentences simply won’t help you to be taken seriously. But easily-grasped words and short sentences will make your marketing materials accessible.

7.    It’s all about sales. Remember that the goal of your marketing materials is not to impress, be liked or even to present a professional package. It’s great if your materials do that too — but the goal is to make sales. So don’t lose sight of your goal. Think very carefully about what your copy is actually doing. Is it acting like your star salesperson? If not, scrap it and start over.

Zazou Marketing

When you’re writing words like shake up, shape up or set up, do you ever wonder whether to use two words or combine them into one with a hyphen? Well, you’re not alone. Here’s a little rule to follow, use “shake up” when you need to use a verb and ”shake-up” as a noun or an adjective. Others that fit in a similar camp are:

Verb            Noun or Adjective
shape up        shape-up
speed up        speedup
set up            setup
sell out          sellout
stand in         stand-in
tie in              tie-in

Of course, the English language often makes no sense at all. For example, “second hand” is a noun, while “secondhand” is an adjective or adverb.

So, remember, next time you shape up your house, set up a garage sale and get rid of all of that secondhand clothing…

Most of us turn into wanna-be college professors when we start writing, especially when we write about our business. Our words get big; our thoughts get convoluted; and we try to sound like we know what we are talking about.

While you do likely know what you are talking about, if you’re like most of us, you may well let words get in the way of demonstrating your expertise. To remove yourself from the professorial role, think a moment about how you talk. Then write like that.

For example:

• change: “After consulting extensively with the board, staff, and leadership committees, a research-based program that has nationwide acceptance was implemented this year to address ongoing issues of productivity and staff output.”

• to: “The board, staff, and leadership committees offered input about staff efficiency. Then, to address those productivity issues, we implemented a research-based program that has national respect.”

The key to writing like you talk is being able to step back and look at your writing with an objective eye. This is a skill that takes practice, but with time you can certainly do it. In the meantime, have someone else take a look at your work—it could mean the difference between grabbing your audience (and selling your service or product) or flat out losing your audience.

It almost goes without saying that marketing is most effective when it is easy to understand. But we often forget this simple concept. So, whether you want to sell more doohickeys, or you want your company to stand out in the crowd, make sure your copy is crystal clear. You’ve been told this before, I know. But here are a couple of refreshers to creating confusion-free verbiage:

Cut, cut, cut! We all have too many things vying for our attention. So, don’t clump too many thoughts and words together—or you’ll just add to the day’s distractions. Here is one simple ways to cut the clutter: Remove unnecessary words. For example,

• change: “We know that providing top-notch service is important.”
• to “We provide top-notch service.”

Don’t bore your audience. Sounds obvious, I know. But if your marketing materials start with, “We have been in business for 10 years” or with “(insert your company name) is owned and operated by ME” well then, you’ve bored your reader already. Instead, start by talking about your reader. If you start with a “you” statement there’s a better chance your reader will stay tuned in.

For example, if you are a personal concierge, you could start with: “Your desk or kitchen counter is probably stacked with papers, bills, and correspondence.” Don’t worry, you’ll get around to writing about your business and how long you’ve been in business. Just wait until your reader is already engaged and cares.