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How to persuade people like a boss by @mominbusiness_

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Vanessa Cast

3 principles of persuasion that will help you get the most out of your business

Think about it, you create a product that you know it can help many people.

But you are helping nobody because you don’t know how to persuade them to say yes.

When you have an offline or online business, being able to convince people that what you are offering provides real value is a priceless skill.

You can have the best product or service.

But if you failed to persuade people to say yes and move forward, you’re going nowhere.

What can you do?

Rober Cialdini is the master of persuasion and the author of Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion

He identified 6 universal shortcuts that guide our decision-making.

Here you have 3 of them, you can read about the other 3 in this blog post!

You just need to address these 3 principles in an ethical manner and people will be scientifically proven more inclined to say yes to your requests.

1 Reciprocity

When we do something for others, it creates a sense of obligation from them when asked for something in return.

Remember the Law of Reciprocity when you’re working on your digital marketing strategies.

You need to give your visitors the information up-front, be helpful and transparent, and offer them something of value.

Amazon is a great example.

Kindle customers can choose to download a free sample of an ebook, which is the first 10% of the book.

The free samples never expire, so you can keep them for as long as you like until you decide to buy the full ebook.

2 Scarcity

People want more of those things there are less of.

When British Airways announced in 2003 that they would no longer be operating the twice-daily London-New York Concorde flight because it had become uneconomical to run.

Sales took off the very next day.

It becomes a scarce resource.

You need to point out what is unique about your proposition and what they stand to lose if they fail to consider your proposal.

3 Authority

People follow the lead of credible knowledgeable experts.

You can hardly go around telling potential customers how brilliant you are, but you can certainly arrange for someone to do it for you.

Go and find the authorities in your niche, provide value to then so you can get their attention and make you worthy of mention.

Next steps

Test your business, website and social media strategy against these 3 principles (remember there are 6 principles in total), if you lack one of them, find a way to adapt your marketing strategies to cover it.

 

I wish you happiness, love and the courage to live your life according to your priorities ♥

Vanessa Cast

 

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What Makes People Buy? 4 Simple Website Copy Hacks to Boost Your Sales by @thecopypsych

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What Makes People Buy? 4 Simple Website Copy Hacks to Boost Your Sales

by Jeanne San Pascual

Your website is your gateway to the online world and just like in the real world, first impressions last. When your visitors don’t find what they’re looking for in your site, they’ll have no qualms closing that tab and finding a site that does.

Many businesses don’t realize that their website can be a powerful sales tool—but only if you build it to be.

You can do this by zeroing on what your target audience is looking for and making sure to include those in your website. However, it’s not always enough to provide information. It has to be the right kind of information delivered in a way that’s easily digestible and valuable for your readers.

To learn how to do this, read on below!

 

Don’t Overwhelm Your Visitors

One downside about today’s Internet age is that we’re rife with choices. Too much so, in fact, that we’re having a hard time choosing from all the options we have. Psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this the paradox of choice.

Schwartz claims that when faced with plenty of choices, customers often become anxious and take less positive risks when picking. For instance, in a study done on by Columbia and Stanford researchers, people are more likely to make a purchase when faced with a maximum of six options as opposed to choosing between 24 flavors of jam.

Why is this so? Because it’s tiring to go through 24 flavors just to figure out what you like. When you apply this to your website, try to distill your offerings to just six or below.

Content-wise, you can apply this concept by not intimidating your visitors with the sheer number of categories or blocks of text on your website. Start out with a handful of categories first and take it from there. For your content, utilize short paragraphs with enough spacing in between. Use brief, punchy sentences and bullet points to make your website copy look less intimidating.

 

Be Customer-Centric

Nothing screams bad copy like a website that spouts a mile-high list of information, awards, and accolades about them. There is nothing wrong with including the said things per se, but when it’s all there is then you’re leaving out a big chunk of potential business on the table.

The way to writing effective web copy is to understand what makes your customers tick. If you don’t take the time out to understand who your audience is, the result is a copy that never quite hits the mark when it comes to engaging your customers.

If you want your website becomes a powerful sales tool for you, you have to make sure that your message caters to the needs and interests of your customers.

You can do this by getting into the mind of your prospective clients before even attempting to make a sale. Know their pain points and choose the right words that will help convey how you can solve those for them.

More than just providing a solution, make your customers feel good about buying from you. When you focus on this kind of value, you’ll naturally sell more of your products and services.

 

Give a Reason

Another great way to make sure your website copy sells your business convincingly is to provide a reason. Yes, you read that right. If you’re thinking to yourself, “What could reason probably do with being persuasive?”

Well, for one, it helps people justify what you’re asking them to do. In a foundational study done a couple of decades ago, they found out that more people are willing to acquiesce to a request if the other person gave a reason—no matter how silly or unrelated the explanation behind the request is.

You can apply this to concept to your website copy by providing a rationale to potential barriers to sale. For instance, if you’re charging more than most of your competitors, explain why this is so. Maybe your business can save them twice the money than others or that no else has a specific feature that you have.

Prove your value to your customers and they will choose you every time.

 

Don’t Forget The Most Important Part of Your Website Copy

You can have a superbly written copy but if it lacks a powerful call-to-action (CTA), you likely won’t get anything from it. To make sure your website remains an effective sales tool, include a killer call-to-action on your most visited pages (usually the homepage, about, and services pages).

So why is a CTA an extremely vital part of your website? Because it directs your readers to the action you want them to do.

A CTA should be action-oriented and straight to the point. It should be personalized and relevant to your target audience. Don’t make the mistake of settling for standard CTA phrases like, “Click here,” “Download,” or “Register now.” These calls-to-action have been used and worn down ad infinitum that it just doesn’t make that much of an impact anymore.

People can be easily desensitized to messages that they keep seeing or encountering so make sure that yours stand out.

Real-world examples such as this one by Impact has shown that when they changed their CTA from “Free Download” to “Show me how to attract more customers,” they experienced a whopping 78.5% increase in people signing up for their lead magnet.

When you have calls-to-action that are creative and meaningful, it allows you to connect to your customers on a personal level. The result? A website that gets more clicks and better sales in the long run.

 

From a Collective Standpoint

These best practices have been proven and tested by not just me, but countless of other copywriters and marketers as well. If you want people to respond to what you’re offering them, you have to zero in on the right message from your website content down to your CTA.

The above tips are meant to help you do just that so you can transform your website to an online selling beast that does all the heavy lifting for you!

 

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Jeanne San Pascual is your no-hype sales copywriter and the founder of The Copywriting Psychologist—a copywriting service for entrepreneurs who want to sell big without resorting to strong-arm sales tactics. Learn how to attract your dream clients and win sales using these top 3 data-backed tips that won’t leave you feeling icky!

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The Secret To Bridging the GAP Between Your Message and Your Copy by @slideberry

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by Ling Wong | business-soulwork.com

Copywriting Alchemy: Secrets To Turning a Powerful Personal Brand Into Content That SellsThis article is adapted from Ling’s new book on Copywriting for Coaches, Consultants, Solopreneurs & Small Businesses – How To Turn Your Personal Brand into Powerful Marketing Communications.

Is this happening to you:

You buy courses to learn the latest and greatest marketing strategies and promotional tactics. Your invest money on the newest tools and eagerly pump out content as prescribed by the countless templates and checklists.

Then… cricket.

Amidst all the chatter in the marketplace, any “new” promotional tactic gets old after a month or two. We’ve grown immune to noise without substance.

“Freshness” is no longer about deploying bright shiny objects. We need good solid materials that can stand the test of time.

“Freshness” is perceived when your point-of-view gives your audience a breath of fresh air – a different perspective, a new understanding of their world.

To turn bright shiny objects into meaningful and effective marketing, we need to understand the GAP…

On one side, there are all sorts of coaching and programs to help people get “clarity.”

On the other side, there are tons of training on strategies and tactics, not to mention a slew of tools for implementation.

There’s little to bridge the space between the two.

The GAP happens when the good stuff in your head doesn’t get communicated to your audience in a way that delivers transformation.

How do we translate the “clarity” in your head into marketable content to make those tactics and tools deliver meaning?

How do we come up with meaningful input for impactful marketing?

Your Facebook ad won’t be effective no matter how much you know about the mechanics of setting up a Facebook ad, if the copy you put in those ads sucks.

WHAT exactly are you popping into those social media profiles, pretty website, press kit, or email campaigns so they truly communicate who you are, make you stand out and portray you in a way that connect and resonate with your audience?

What’s the secret sauce to building an online presence that makes you proud and gives you just the right words to sell your products and services with 120% confidence?

The answer lies in getting clear on your values, convictions, life experiences, skills, and talents, mapping your message to your niche, communicating your expertise through the lens of your unique points-of-view – and turning this deep understanding of YOU into a unique personal brand.

A strong personal brand gives you the foundation for powerful copy.

Great content doesn’t come out of nowhere. Copywriting is NOT an afterthought. 

A strong personal brand bridges the space between “clarity” of your message, and powerful copy that not only sells but also amplifies your confidence and motivation.

A strong personal brand gives you the meaningful input for impactful and effective copywriting and marketing:

  • It helps you stand out from a sea of competitors and establish a leadership positioning.
  • It boosts credibility and expert status, which in turn earns trust that leads to conversion.
  • It makes your business memorable and keeps it top-of-mind.
  • It embodies a clear message that attracts loyal clients and customers willing to pay a premium fee because the deep resonance makes your offering more than a “commodity.”
  • It allows you to better communicate your brand identity and control how others perceive your brand by being consistent across all touch points.

In my new book, I reveal the 5 critical layers of a powerful personal brand, and how to turn it into meaningful and effective marketing communications. I invite you to check it out here.

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Ling Wong :: Intuitive Brainiac | Copywriting Alchemist. Through her unique blend of marketing coaching, content strategy and copywriting process, she helps the maverick-preneurs uncover, articulate & transform their WHY into content that connects, resonates and converts – by way of an intuitive yet rigorous iterative process born out of her Harvard Design School training and 10 years experience in the online marketing industry.

Get her new book on Copywriting for Coaches, Consultants, Solopreneurs & Small Businesses – How To Turn Your Personal Brand into Powerful Marketing Communications here.

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7 Techniques to Write Sales Content That Converts by @KendraLeeKLA

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7 Techniques to Write Sales Content That Converts

by Kendra Lee

Writing copy, emails and marketing materials is one of the most avoided tasks in marketing and sales. Why? Everyone wants to write that perfect copy that inspires prospects to take that next step in the sales process. Yet, it remains elusive, as if it were magic.

Whatever action that you want your reader to take, your content must engage and convince them that it is in their best interest to do it.

It’s not “voodoo” like one of our clients said yesterday!

You just need to use language that sells.

Here are 7 writing techniques that can take your content from standard sales language to sales conversion-worthy copy.

1. Use descriptive adjectives – Your words should evoke a mood – painting a picture of the problem you solve. Excite your readers with words that evoke strong feelings. “Best, great, amazing, bad” – these adjectives are over-used and no longer evoke a passionate response. “Authentic, intimate, startling, coercive” – these are descriptive, electrifying adjectives. Choose uncommon (but still understood) adjectives. If you get stuck, use a thesaurus. While there are many, my current favorite is www.WordHippo.com.

2. Emphasize benefits over features. – Prospects want to know what the value is to them – whether you’re trying to convert them to read a blog post, or to download an ebook. Highlighting the fact that your software can track the number of pages printed per employee won’t hook them. They’ll be more interested to read ten strategies about how they can save thousands of dollars in annual printing costs.

3. Add precise details for credibility. – Which sounds more credible: “Over 1,000 contacts” or “1,029 IT managers looking to leverage the cloud more fully?” Explicit details add credibility and inspire trust. Both are essential if you want prospects to convert.

4. Ask questions. – Questions automatically cause you to pause and think – even if it’s only for a moment – and make you more receptive to new information. Use questions to prompt your prospects to form their own conclusions about their situation. Ask a question, then immediately answer it to guide prospect’s thinking. Echo a sales question prospects frequently pose, then follow up with how you can solve the problem.

5. Choose action verbs. – Sprinkle action verbs throughout your content to drive prospects to take immediate action. Instead of the marketing phrase “click here,” use “read how now” or “you’ll want to read this before you send another prospecting email.” Doesn’t that sound much more intriguing? In sales prospecting, instead of “let me know”, use “click reply to let me know.”

6. Tell contacts exactly what you want them to do. – Tell your prospects explicitly what you want them to do in your call to action. Notice how the examples in #5 aren’t just action verbs, they use directive language like this: “read how now” and “click reply to let me know;” or time sensitive language like this: “you’ll want to read this before you send another prospecting email.”

7. Limit prospects’ commitment. – Your prospects are savvy, skeptical and stressed. They don’t want a commitment – they probably don’t even want to talk on the phone. (That’s why immediate sales follow-up isn’t always successful.) Use your copy to set a commitment expectation. Is it a free downloadable technical checklist, a free 45-minute webinar, or a free 90-minute on-site assessment? Tell them in your copy. Then let them determine if they’re ready for the commitment.

Yes, writing sales and lead generation content that converts can be tough – that’s why copywriting is its own profession and why so many clients engage us to do it for them! Now you, too, can use these seven techniques of the content development trade to hook your contacts, reel them in, and convert them. You’ll soon see more people taking that next step, whether it’s for sales or marketing.

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kendra leeKendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the popular books “The Sales Magnet” and “Selling Against the Goal,” and president of KLA Group.

KLA Group is a Sales Consulting and Training firm focused on helping clients get more customers in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment.

 

 

Kendra Lee

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3 Quick and Easy Ways to Improve your Copywriting @beck_ruiz

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3 Quick and Easy Ways to Improve your Copywriting @beck_ruiz

by Rebecca Ruiz | Featured Contributor

It’s no secret when it comes to your website, your marketing material and social media posts the most important thing is your copy. When you have clear and engaging copy that speaks in your audience’s language they will respond to your copy instantly. They will want to learn more about you, what your message is and they will keep reading on which is the most important thing. When your copy is done badly it will be challenging to reach your audience, convert sales and get people to stay on your website or social media page.

In the entrepreneurial world there is so much competition as more new businesses are starting each and everyday. We are all different by having something only ourselves can offer our clients, which is our unique talents and skills. If we don’t convey this in our copy with our audience they won’t know enough about us to be even interested in buying from us. We have to reach out and grab their attention which means that we have to write copy that sells.

Copywriting isn’t as difficult as most people think and yes I am a trained copy writer but I can share 3 tips that will help improve your copy writing starting now.

Who is your audience?

Yes this is an extremely basic question but do you really know your audience? Writing copy for your audience is easy when you know your target market really well. When you find writing your copy challenging it’s often because you don’t know enough about your audience’s needs.

When I started out in my business I interviewed 8 women already in business (my target market). I asked them about their challenges, what they found easy, what they needed the most help with and I really listened to their words. I looked out for words they used a lot in our conversation and the way they spoke. This was important because you want to be able to speak in your audience’s own language.

The clarity I got from these conversations gave me the information I needed to write copy that spoke directly my audience. I used this insight for my website copy, my blog posts, marketing material and social media posts. My challenge for you is to really get to know your audience, speak with them to find out what they really need.

Write authentic copy

 Like I said earlier there are many businesses and websites out there on the web. I know for a fact we all have a glance from time to time at what other entrepreneurs are doing in our field. There is nothing wrong with having a look but it’s important not to copycat what they are doing.

When you are in a serviced based business like myself (copywriter and confidence life coach for women) I sell my services every single day. The reason clients are interested in reading about my services is because of writing my copy authentically. I’m 100% being myself, sharing my celebrations and challenges, giving my audience tips like I am right now on copywriting. My writing is in my own style, my words come from my heart and I’m sharing my knowledge from working in my field. This is the key to authentic copy be yourself, share your expertise’s and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

On every piece of copy create a call to action

Whether you are writing a blog post, creating an advertisement, a social media post or anything copy related remember your call to action at the end. The audience reading your copy when they get to the end of the post you want to engage with them. What did they think of the post, what did they learn or it could be a simple question to see if they would like to learn more about what you offer? Ask them an open question at the end to gain a response from them. Open questions are questions where they can’t give a yes or no answer and good tip is to start the sentence with “what” as it’s an open question. A call to action is good for a few reasons it gives you an opportunity to know your audience better, to give them something they can action themselves straight away and possibly a future client.

As you can see it’s a win/win situation with something so incredibly simple like asking a question at the end of each piece. Give it a try next time.

What a fantastic journey today on the discovering 3 quick and easy ways to improve your copywriting, thank you joining me to the end of the post. Now you get the treat of the call to action question. What’s one thing you can do to improve your copy writing starting right now? Please share with me below.

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Rebecca RuizRebecca Ruiz is a certified confidence life coach, professional copywriter, blogger, and freelance writer at Life Perceptions based in Perth Australia. She inspires women entrepreneurs through her one on one life coaching to build their self esteem along with their confidence to create more success in their life and businesses. She runs her exclusive invitation only small group program “Mentoring for Success” twice per year.

Rebecca has always being a writer since she was a child and now uses her skills as a professional copywriter. She loves making words come alive by writing web copy, SEO and sales pages that helps women entrepreneurs make more money. She combines her unique style of coaching and copywriting skills to teach women how to write their own copy with confidence. She also loves freelance writing, blogging in her favourite areas of personal development and travel for online magazines.

When Rebecca isn’t working she loves practicing yoga along with sampling gourmet food and wine with her husband.

You can find out more and connect with Rebecca on https://www.facebook.com/lifeperceptions and Twitter.

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Your Copy Doesn’t Need to be ’Salesy’ And 2 Other Copywriting Myths by @MemmaHough

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“Your Copy Doesn’t Need to be “’Salesy’” And 2 Other Copywriting Myths

by Memma Hough

If your copy isn’t ‘salesy’ it’s a bit like a digestive biscuit without the chocolate. Absolutely useless.

Yet people will talk openly about not having to actually ‘sell’ a service or a product. And I honestly believe that lies like this have led to under par sales pages being written across the globe.

Now it’s time to bust some chops and set the record straight.

Top 3 Copywriting Myths

#1 – “Your copy doesn’t need to be ‘salesy’”

Of course I know that when people say ‘salesy’, what they actually mean is hyped up fluff that nobody cares about.

But the trouble I’m finding is that because people are so intent on not pushing forward with their copy to make a sale – it’s failing. People aren’t getting signups. Nobody is biting. Entrepreneurs are looking at their Google analytics and they can see tumble weeds rolling across the screen!

You need to sell yourself and your services in your copy. You can’t do that just by writing a friendly post to people to say “hi”. Fact.

Avoid hype by proving value.

Illustrate the problems that your ideal client has. Paint a vivid picture of what life could be like with your help and show them the proof by telling your own story or a client’s success story.

#2 – “You don’t have to show off”

Really? Think about it. Who would you rather work with; the person who writes “Yeah I’m OK at helping you with that problem, I guess…” OR the person who writes “I’ve been doing this for years, I’ve helped x amount of clients get over that fear and I’m confident that I can help you do the same.”?

I know, right? Complete no brainer.

Of course you can use testimonials so that you don’t have to blow your own trumpet all the time but the most important thing to remember is that if you don’t show off what you know – your ideal client won’t realise that you can help them.

#3 – “You need to use a ‘clever’ headline”

The biggest mistake with this one is the fact that when people think of clever; for some reason their brain instantly switches it to ‘obscure’.

So then you see headlines that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. The writer has thought about some long, complicated metaphor that’s almost like an inside joke for them and… nobody. Nobody else gets the joke and it takes 3 whole paragraphs before any kind of sense can be made of the article/sales page etc.

A clever headline could contain a huge unknown benefit about a subject that most people don’t know or put a slight twist on a subject that’s been written to death. But most of all it’s clear. The reader will understand why they should read the rest of the page and they should be compelled to do so.

Never forget the purpose of your copy; to be clear, show value and compel people to take action.

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Memma HoughMemma is the Crackalackin’ Copy Mentor. She helps coaches to craft their own copy that converts while being 100% authentic.

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5 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Selling Your Services by @TheBlogLoft

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5 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Selling Your Services

by Margo Snyder | Featured Contributor

I’ve been talking to a lot of fellow entrepreneurs, lately who are fed up. After  all the work they’ve done developing their skills, designing services and packages, they aren’t making as many sales as they should be. And when I’m asked to take a look at their website, and tell them “Why god why” aren’t my packages selling, it almost always boils down to the same 5 reasons.

I’ve sort of fallen into the role of “website coach” without even knowing it! Through these conversations, I’ve noticed the same problems in some combination or another that tells me right away that they are not making sales because of their website. If you’ve spent countless hours, dollars, and nuggets of your sanity developing services that you hoped to sell online- only to find yourself twiddling your thumbs and checking your Paypal account every 5 minutes, listen up. You might have one, several, or all of these problems with your website- which is hindering your sales right now.

  1. Your website looks like the default “theme”  you bought. There’s nothing wrong with using themes- in fact I encourage it and even use them for clients sometimes. But your theme is not your website design. There are a lot of amazing themes out there, and with the right customizations, they can make your website look like a professional custom design. When choosing a theme, look for one that has a lot of documentation and options for customization. Short codes are your friend. Don’t just throw a theme up, upload your logo, and wait for the sales to start rolling in (you’ll be waiting a while).
  2. Your sales page looks like every other page on your site. Customize your sales pages so that the typography stands out. Use images or graphics to break up blocks of text. Be creative. Your sales page shouldn’t look like every other page on your site. If you can’t afford a designer to design your whole website- consider hiring someone to create unique graphics, and design an eye-catching layout for your most important page: your sales page. The money maker. If you owned a brick and mortar shop, and your storefront was covered in graffiti, you’d invest the money to fix it right?
  3. Your copy sucks. Disclaimer: I’ve been soo guilty of this one so many times. I get it. You’ve worked so hard on this program or product. At the end, you’re just ready to sell it. Describing it in an interesting, entertaining, and informative way makes you antsy and you just want to be done with it. So you throw up some words that are just “good enough.” Good copy can move your customer’s mouse over to that buy button. Your design is the skin of your business, but your copy is the guts. Don’t skimp on this investment if you can afford to hire a copywriter. If you can’t, I recommend setting aside a large block of time and patience to write your copy. In my Facebook group, We have an entire community of people who are in the same boat as you are- and who are eager to hear about your issues and help you out. Having a whole group of people look at your copy, your packages, and your website and point out areas where you could improve really takes the guess work out of this whole online business thing.
  4. You’re not clear on who you’re selling to. And your customers aren’t either. If you don’t know who you’re selling to, not only will your customers be confused- but so will your website. When you were creating your package or service, you probably thought about your target market (at least I hope so!). But once your service was ready to sell, somewhere along the way, you lost site of who your customer is, and how to sell to them. You lost sight of what she needs to hear, what her problems are, and what aesthetic would be pleasing to her eye. How do you fix this? Step back, breathe, and again, ask for feedback. You really can’t do it all on your own. Sometimes we are so close to a project that we can’t see it from our customers’ point of view.
  5. Your product description is full of “industry” language. I see this a lot. Everyone is trying to be unique and stand out. And that’s good- until your words get so muddled I can’t understand what you’re even trying to sell me. I’ve seen some really beautiful websites. Websites that are trying to sell me something that I’m not even able to wrap my head around. Let’s look at a real life example: What coaching package would you be more likely to buy based on these descriptions? “Discover your purpose, unlock your potential, use your energy.” or “A coaching program that will help you eliminate stress, get clarity in your business, and create a schedule that works for your energy levels- not against it.”

If your website isn’t converting to sales- there’s a reason. As a business owner, it’s your job to roll up your sleeves, and fix whatever problems come your way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t worry- no one gets it right on the first try, but those who are successful are those who try again. And again.

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Margo SnyderMargo Snyder is a graphic & web designer who spends her time dreaming up ways to help women achieve their goals in business. She’s been working from home for three years, and loves every moment of it! She knows from experience that it is possible to create a career and life you love!

Margo runs an online community for bloggers and small business owners, as well as her graphic & web design business. Her goal is to help like minded women battle the convention that we need to spend eight hours a day (1/3 of our lifetimes) stuck behind a desk, making someone else a lot of money.

When she’s not working with design clients creating beautiful websites or branding materials, she’s writing to those women who aren’t sure they have what it takes- because we all need a little (ok a lot) of encouragement when we’re going it alone, venturing into the unknown, and running our own empires!

You can also find Margo here: Design Website / Blogging Community / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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How to Go Into Therapy to Create Better Copy by @davincidiva

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Marketing Therapy Cartoon by Lisa Rothstein

Lisa Rothstein | Featured Contributor

When I was a copywriter and creative director on Madison Avenue, working on everything from software (IBM) to underwear (Hanes) it was hard sometimes to be creative and eloquent on deadline.

But creating compelling copy for your own business, especially when the product is YOU or your services, can be even harder.

But there’s a simple solution.

Take the focus off yourself, and place it where it belongs…on your customer.

Now I know this may not seem new. After all, all the copy gurus tell you to write about “what keeps your customer up at night”.

But I find this old stock advice often elicits stock answers like, “They’re worried they’re not making enough money” or “they wonder if they’ll ever find love”  or “They want to lose weight” and that’s pretty much it. This leads to copy that’s unoriginal, inauthentic, and — the cardinal sin — BORING.

The problem is, you’re still looking at your customer.

Instead, I suggest that you BECOME her.

How to conduct a “copy therapy session”

Try this simple and fun exercise. It helps if you like acting, or if you have ever been in therapy (which if you ever have been an actor, kind of goes without saying).

This works best if you do it with a friend. (You can reciprocate if your friend is also a business owner who wants to craft more authentic, compelling marketing messages.) This can be done over the phone or in person but you do really want to record the conversation(so Starbucks is probably not the best place for this, especially since you might cry).

  1. Close your eyes and pretend you are your customer, and you’ve come to see your therapist or counselor with a problem that’s really been bugging you.
  2.  It helps if you can really feel upset. TIP: If you can’t put yourself in your client’s shoes emotionally, try this Method Acting trick. Remember something from your own life experience that made you feel unhappy, angry, scared, depressed or whatever you think your client is feeling. Your own experience does NOT need to be the same as your client’s — we’re going for the feeling. So if remembering when your dog died when you were 7 makes you feel like crying, and your client is experiencing another kind of loss that makes her equally sad, that works!)
  3. Start recording. Have your friend ask, “So, what seems to be the problem?”
  4. Now, talk to your “therapist” and just vent. Don’t try to “write” or find the perfect words. Don’t listen to yourself or even think about what you’re saying. Just complain, as if you were really your customer pouring her heart out to her most trusted confidante.
  5. From time to time your “therapist” should ask,”And why is that a problem?” or “What bothers you so much about that?” “How does that make you feel?” “How does this affect other areas of your life or business?” and keep asking, so you can drill deeper and deeper into the ripple effect and exponential chain reactions being caused by the problem, and get some true emotions to the surface. (You will be amazed what comes out!)

I do this with my marketing clients all the time. One of them worked with parents of preschoolers with ADHD. Her clients’ kids were having behavior problems at school. I got her to pretend to be her client, and just worry out loud about her situation.

We discovered that the real problem was not only that little Johnny was kicking his classmates…but that she felt ashamed and like a bad mother because nothing she was trying was working, and she worried constantly that the other moms were talking about her behind her back…that Johnny was not getting asked to play dates anymore, and that he’d become even more lonely and isolated…and he’d have no social skills and get involved in drugs or other bad behavior… never get into college, which would mean he’d be held back his whole life. Not only that, her own life and marriage were falling apart because of all the time and energy she was expending on trying to “fix” Johnny, and her stress level was through the roof so her health was suffering….and of course she couldn’t possibly concentrate at work and kept having to take time off suddenly because she got called to the school again…so she was not being considered for a promotion she had been working so hard for …

I could go on, but you get the idea! That’s what REALLY keeps her up at night.

Now of course you wouldn’t necessarily use all of this. But you can see how knowing this would help you (or any writer you might hire) to create more compelling copy than “How to manage the behavior of your ADHD child”.

Whenever you find yourself forgetting why your product or service is valuable, listen back to your own recording of you “channeling” your customer. You’ll likely find marketing gold in it!

For another creative way to produce  marketing messages that really connect with your clients’ emotions, grab my fun audio and illustrated ebook, “How to Use the 7 Deadly Sins in your Copy & Enter Marketing Heaven”.  (It’s free! Click here to get it. )

What would YOUR client vent to her therapist about her problems? Will you try this approach? Please comment below!

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Lisa Rothstein, Cutting-edge creative strategistAfter starting an entrepreneurial career as a street performer in New York City, Lisa Rothstein traded her street corner for a corner office as an award-winning Madison Avenue ad agency copywriter and creative director at top agencies like Y&R and Ogilvy in New York and in Paris. Lisa’s clients have included IBM, Colgate and Hanes…and she is best-known for having created the famous “Wait’ll We Get Our Hanes on You” campaign that “changed America’s underwear” and transformed it into must-have fashion.

Lisa is now a cutting-edge marketing strategist  to creative entrepreneurs and businesses worldwide. She loves firing them up about their unique value, getting inside the heads of their ideal clients and showing them how to use the latest tech tools to turn their creativity, content and copy into cash.

An author and speaker on marketing, messaging and the entrepreneurial journey, Lisa is featured in the Amazon Bestsellers Ready Aim Captivate with Deepak Chopra and Success in High Heels, as well as Happiness Awaits You with Dr. Susan Jeffers and Contagious Optimism. An avid cartoonist, musician and inventor, Lisa co-authors the blog and upcoming book, The DaVinci Dilemma – How to Manage Your Multiple Talents to Create A Life You Love. She is a graduate of Brown University and lives in San Diego with her husband Jim, a television historian and radio talk show host who thinks she’s gorgeous and brilliant – in other words, he’s perfect. Follow Lisa on Twitter at @davincidiva and download something awesome for your business here.

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Copywriting and “The Force”

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By Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Expert Copywriter

My inner geek re-emerged last week after seeing Star Wars, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

The original came out in 1977 before the days of VCRs and small recording devices. (By the way, the title was Episode IV – A New Hope my sons inform me. NOT Star Wars as I foolishly thought.) As a teen, I paid to sit through it 15 times. My cousin and I even snuck in a cassette player and recorded the whole movie on two 60 minute cassettes, memorizing every line. Told you I was a geek!

Watching the final installment of the series come full circle last week, I realized there are similarities to the good and evil in the world and the good and evil of creating out-of-this-world copy.

1)     Like “The Force”, copy is EVERYWHERE. It is in all of your marketing and promotional materials. Whether you’re talking about emails, websites, brochures, back cover product copy, ezines, blogs, flyers, even business cards…they all rely on copy to get your message across. Obi Wan Kenobi was right when he said, “It surrounds us. It penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” He just didn’t realize he was also talking about copy!

2)    Persuasion techniques are just as prevalent in copy as they are in the old Jedi Mind Trick.  Copy is salesmanship in print so naturally you need to overcome objections, put yourself in the shoes of your target market and move the prospect toward the sale. Get them thinking like you do. If they come to believe it was THEIR idea instead of yours, all the better!

3)    Copy and lopped-off limbs can always be repaired. Jedi and Sith Lords have a habit of taking off one another’s limbs with light sabers. But never fear. They can be replaced with stronger, mechanical versions. Same with copy. Don’t be afraid to cut and edit your words. In the end your message can be more powerful.

4)    Good copy and the Death Star pull the prospect in like a tractor beam. Whether the prospect consents or not, when the copy is on target and compelling, it should suck the reader in like it has gravitational pull. If your copy is doing the job, there is nothing else the prospect would rather do than read it right NOW. As earthling Gary Halbert put it, “Copy can never be too long. Only too boring.”

5)     Just as Anakin Skywalker had a reason to turn to the Dark Side, you should have a reason “why” you’re giving such a great deal. (By the way, how hot is Hayden Christensen who plays young Darth?! Sizzling, I say!) Darth Vader didn’t become the Dark Lord because he WANTED to be evil. He had a darn good reason for turning. You, too, need to have a darn good reason why you’re making the exceptional offer you’re making. Did you make too many widgets? Are your partners coming for back pay? Do you have to liquidate your cassette product supply? Be honest, but let the prospect know “why” this deal is a no-brainer.

May “The Force” be with you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

International copywriting trainer, author and speaker, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been a freelance writer and journalist for over 25 years. Her words have made her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now she focuses her vast experience on teaching others the skill of copywriting. Lorrie is the author of a highly acclaimed copywriting course, creator of the Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp and founder of Copy Campus, a unique membership resource site designed to support copywriters and entrepreneurs on all levels. Visit her site to learn more at www.red-hot-copy.com.

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Copywriting Success in Easy Steps

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How can you write copy that sells and sells and sells? You can either hire someone, or you can just learn to write great copy yourself. From beginner to a moderate degree of skill will take about three months. To write your first high-converting piece of copy will take about six months.

Copywriting is not rocket science. If you speak fluent English, chances are you can learn to write great copy soon. Here’s how.

=> Read the Gary Halbert Letters

Gary Halbert was one of the greatest copywriters to ever live. In fact, he’s the writer who wrote the one piece of copy that’s been mailed more than any other piece of copy on the planet.

Though he recently passed away, all his previous works and teachings are still freely available online. Reading through all his previous works and newsletters will give you a very strong start in learning how to copywrite.

Visit http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/

=> Study Everything You Can

Study everything you can about the various parts of the sales process. Learn how to …

* Write a good headline
* Direct people’s attention
* Intensify the problem and create a solution
* Ask for the sale
* Build proof
* Use power words

Study everything you can from different teachers about everything it takes to make a sale online.

=> Start a Swipe File

One of the best ways to learn is to study people who are already great. One way to do so is to create a swipe file.

Sign up to as many newsletters or magazines as you can. You’ll immediately start getting letters in the mail trying to pitch to you.

Any that catch your attention, keep them in a folder. This is your swipe file.

Similarly, create a separate email account online. Sign up for as many newsletters as you can. Save any email or favorite, or “star” any email that catches your attention.

In just a few weeks, you’ll have access to tons of great sales material to learn from and draw inspiration from.

=> Start Writing

Writing copy isn’t something you can learn in theory. You have to actually start writing to really get the hang of it.

After you feel like you’ve got the basics, write your first sales letter. Even if it’s just for someone else’s product or your own product and you have no idea how you’re going to drive traffic to it, just write the letter anyway.

Alternatively, offer to write one for free on a marketing forum online, just for the sake of having a sample (if you want to freelance) and to get experience.

Whatever it’s going to take to get some experience, just do it to get started. Then aim to write at least one sales letter every six weeks or so to build up your skill.

Learning to write great copy is one of the highest paid skills you can possibly learn. It’s not difficult, though it does take effort to start. Learn this skill and it will pay off handsomely for you for the rest of your life.

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