Zazou Marketing

This morning I got a newsletter in the mail from a company that I have hired in the past. I scanned it quickly and immediately threw it in the recycling. Such a waste — a waste of people’s time and a waste of resources. As you know, this is a very common experience. But then, once in a while, you get one that you actually read. Why? Because it’s interesting and relevant.

Yes, a newsletter that is actually relevant may take more time to create than just spitting out some words to keep on people’s radar. But wouldn’t you rather put your resources toward something that gets read, rather than toward something that is just discarded?

So, when you write your next newsletter, whether for snail mail or e-mail, make sure to do the following:

• Write about something relevant to your customers. Think about what problems your customers call you about and give advice to help solve those problems.
• Tell real stories. Even better, use real customers to illustrate your story — there’s usually no better way to sell your service or product .
• Minimize the sales-y copy. Yes, you want to give your company a plug, but keep it short and sweet. Instead, put the focus on good information — it will be much more effective than focusing on a sales pitch.

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