Don MacLeod

Create Your Own Newspaper via Twitter

Posted: 22nd August 2010 by admin in Marketing
Tags: create newpaper, Marketing, twitter

Cool app from Twitter 3rd Party Developer called Small Rivers. Create your own newspaper on Twitter using a hash mark, tag name, user name and by lists. Visit this one I created using #marketing. Visit the Newspaper by clicking this sentence.

Direct Response Copywriting

Posted: 11th August 2010 by admin in Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing
Tags: article writing, business writing, content writer, copy writing ad, copywriter, copywriting, copywriting services, copywriting web content, direct advertising response mail, direct mail, direct mail services, direct marketing, direct response, direct response copy writing, online writing, professional writing, proofreading, web copy writing, writing

There is a great deal of direct response copy writing in the world today. Direct response copy writing can take several different forms. It could encompass a direct-mail campaign as well as direct response ads. Within this article today on direct response copy writing, we will look at what this entails and where you can find more information about direct response copy writing.

To learn more about direct response copy writing, you should look at one of the masters: Dan Kennedy. He has written many books which you should look into. Dan has done many different areas of copy writing but direct response copy writing is one of his specialties.

When you talk about direct response advertising, there is a great deal of competition. Many companies employ direct response copy writing so you must make sure that you have different ways for your advertising to stand up. When you are doing direct response copy writing, you should make sure that you are writing to your prospects as you would write to a friend. This will be slightly formal but informal in the sense that you are writing to the person in a conversational tone. You do not need to stick to a certain length of space within your writing but rather write until what you need to say has been said.

Direct response copy writing is a complex subject so you should read more about this subject because a formula has been developed that you can use. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when you’re copy writing because that involves more work on your part and people have taken the time and effort to test the different parts of the letter to maximize the current formula and wring out the most sales possible with a direct response copy writing campaign.

There are three main parts usually to a direct response letter. These are the headline, the offer, and the postscript. The headline is the most read part of your sales letter so you must make sure to grab your prospects’ attention immediately. If you do not grab their attention, you’ll find that your direct response copy writing letter is at the bottom of the trashcan along with many other junk letters. The second most important part of the letter is the postscript. This is where you will be giving an incentive for someone to respond immediately to what you have to offer. With the offer, you want to make sure that this explains in great detail what a person will receive if they take you up on your offer. The postscript will offer further incentives so that the person will respond immediately.

Hopefully this article on direct response copy writing has benefited you. The key behind direct response copy writing is that you want the person to immediately respond to the offer that you have presented. Good copy writing is done by following the formulas that have been established. By focusing upon the three main parts such as the headline, the offer, and the postscript, you will be setting yourself up to have a high success rate. Direct response copy writing can be very effective and produce great sales for you or your clients if you do it correctly so be sure to continue to learn more about the subject.

To learn more about direct response marketing master Dan Kennedy – click here. I subscribe to his monthly newsletter and it is invaluable. This is not an affiliate link and I make no money recommending the newsletter. But if you want to make money, I would recommend you subscribe.

Digital Marketing is Growing Quickly

Posted: 28th July 2010 by admin in Advertising, Marketing, mobile marketing
Tags: blogs, digital advertising, digital billboards, digital marketing, rss, sms, text, text messaging

Utilizing online distributions methods to promote products is known as digital marketing. This approach is both time saving and cost effective. Digital marketing is done through items such as cell phones, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, websites, emails, banner advertisement and digital billboards.

Digital marketing involves some of the techniques of direct marketing and Internet marketing. In digital marketing traditional methods of promotions are executed digitally. It involves marketing in two forms, pull and push.

Pull digital marketing requires the user to pull or extract the content directly. The customer has to approach the promotional matter and see the matter by himself. Examples are websites, forums and web logs. All these require clicking on a URL in order to view the content. The content that is being displayed doesn’t have to follow any guidelines. Effort is required to only display the content on the website or forum and there is no additional cost of sending the information to the customer, but the customer has to make the extra effort of reaching to the content .The customer doesn’t have to opt-in for such kind of promotion and one message is being viewed by all and it cannot be personalized. The customers who see the content cannot be traced, although the click through rate can be considered which give details about the number of clicks the message received. This is be done by enabling the click though tracking during the campaign, which records the information.

Push digital marketing technologies requires the effort of both the marketer and the customer. The marketer has to push or send the content to the customer and the customer has to make the effort of receiving it. This is a very effective kind of marketing and the investments surely earn a big return as it creates brand recognition. SMS, MMS, emails, RSS podcasting are examples of push digital marketing. Since the content is sent to individuals, it can be personalized according to the intended recipient. Whether the message has been opened and viewed by the customer or deleted it can be tracked and reported. Information related to the customer such as name, geographical location could be traced. But when sending this king of message, certain criteria should be met as the SMS and emails sent are monitored. If the marketer doesn’t follow the rules and regulations properly, there is a possibility of messages getting rejected and blocked, before they reach the targeted audience and the message is considered to be spam. Bigger consequences involve marketers getting blacklisted temporarily or even permanently. The number would be blocked and they won’t be able to send any messages at all. Messages sent to the RSS feeders require a mechanism with an application to reach, when sent by an email marketing system.

Both forms of digital marketing should be used in consonance to achieve positive results. A smart marketer sends out emails along with SMS and uses multiple channels to market his products. The type of messages being sent should also be different from one another. They should not only be text, but animations, audios and videos. There is a possibility of using pull and push message technologies in conjunction like the email sent to a potential customer can have a URL or a banner ad, which on clicking downloads information. If there is enormous group of people to be reached via email, Email service providers can be hired who sends loads of emails to the customers on behalf of the marketer and they take measures so that the messages are not considered as spam.

Although much of the marketing is opt-in, federal laws, such as CAN SPAM Act, have been passed to protect the customers from unscrupulous marketers who would go to any extent to promote their products or hackers or spammers who have a bad intent i.e. like harming the computer or installing adware, spyware on people’s computers.

10 Quick Tips For Proofreading Your Copy

Posted: 22nd July 2010 by admin in Copy Writing
Tags: copywriting, proof copy, proof copywriting, writing copy

Proofreading is more often than not a neglected responsibility by many copywriters. If you value, however, the opinion of your readers then proofreading is but a small price to pay for the success you enjoy because of them.

Knowing What to Look for

Before anything else, proofreading can only be made possible if you know what to look for. This means having a considerable grasp of all the intricacies of proper grammar and punctuation as well as solid knowledge on spelling. If you fail in any of these counts, you need to work on them because they can make a huge difference with the quality of your copies as well.

Appropriate Environment

Proofreading is a job that requires great concentration, so find an environment suitable for the job. Get rid of all possible sources of distraction as well.

On Paper

It’s easier to overlook errors when you are proofreading with your computer so do print your copy on paper whenever possible. It might be more costly this way, but don’t you think the sales you can generate for a well-written copy can easily offset the expense?

The Right Mindset

The best way to proofread your copy is to have clear expectations of finding errors. If you think of your work as flawless, you”re more liable to overlook errors. Remember: a positive outlook – even if it means finding errors in this case – always helps in getting a positive outcome.

Read

Resist the temptation to read in the pace that you”re used to. Instead, read your copy slowly and read it out loud if possible. Reading will help you find errors in the style and cohesion of your writing.

When you”re done reading from start to finish, try reading it backwards. The brain tries to automatically correct any spotted error in the content, making you read what you think you see instead of what you”re actually seeing. By reading backwards, you prevent your brain from correcting on auto-mode and view your work for what it really is.

Appearance

Proofread includes correcting the look of your copy. Pay attention to wrong spacing and margins, irregular font styling, and improperly capitalized words. Indeed, pay greater attention to words in uppercase as it’s more difficult to see errors in that format.

Consistency

Proofreading includes making sure that everything about your copy is consistent. Uniformity, after all, makes a web copy more attractive. If you use a certain name for reference, be sure to use that name at all times rather than confuse your readers with various synonyms sprinkled across your text.

Grammar and Spell Check

The options for these mechanisms provided by your processor are not always right. And no, this doesn’t mean that you”re smarter but they”re probably not configured correctly. In any case, don’t rely on them to do your work for you.

Over and Over

Proofreading is not a one-time process. You need to do it over and over and at properly spaced intervals to make sure your copy is entirely error-free.

Another Point of the View

Last but not the least, have someone else – preferably one with the necessary knowledge and experience – proofread your work. You don’t have to pay a professional to do it. If you know other copywriters, you can strike a deal and proofread each other’s work.

A fresh pair of eyes, not to mention unbiased as well, can help find the last few errors in your copy.

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

Posted: 17th July 2010 by admin in motivation
Tags: employee motivation, motivating employees, motivation, self motivation, ways to motivate employees, ways to motivate people, workplace motivation motivational strategies

I saw this video yesterday. It discusses what motivates us as human beings. It is very well done and the results of the findings are startling.

Using Power Words In Advertising

Posted: 12th July 2010 by admin in Advertising, Copy Writing, Marketing
Tags: Advertising, copywriting, excellent words, Excellent Words & Phrases For Ad Writing, power words

Plus the Top Ten Power Words according to Yale University

Words cannot only influence the minds of people but can completely change their perception abut a particular thing. Words have the persuasion power to entice and motivate. They are used by the politicians, public relation folks, and even by parents to pass on their message. These words are known as power words and they can do wonders when used in advertisement.

New or improved words create a sense of curiosity. The customers get an impression that the product is something that is different from others and he tries to get it before anyone else does so as to have edge over others. The laundry products have always been advertised as new and improved, from years. Although it can be either new improved version of the existing product, but the power of both the words and the product reinforces each other’s strength.

Take for instance the line “Money back guarantee”, these power words helps gain the trust of the customer. It is a must to print these words at the closing line of an advertisement. After this sentence, the methods of payment and how money will be returned if the customer is not satisfied should be stated.

Most of the successful advertisements have a little known secret that surely generated curiosity within the reader. People are knowledge thirsty, they want to know what others do not know. They think that there is some vital information they are missing because of which they haven’t gained success in something particular.

Words “Insider say that”, is similar to ‘secret”. It gives out information from some expertise that is still unknown to the outside world and only if the customer gives money, information will be divulged to him.

Free word in the headline of the message simply does wonders. The reader easily absorbs the message, unless and until something free is given to the customer in reality. By any change, if the company tricks the customer into paying money for something, which was supposed to be free, the trust of the customer is lost instantly. Usually the word FREE is spelled as FR~E on websites as ISP filters blocks messages having the actual word, considering it to be some kind of spam.

You is a very important word to be used in an advertisement. It directly points out the advantages to the customer, if he buys a particular product or service. Step into the shoes of the customer and try to note down the points which will be of benefit and what points will decrease the interest. The advantages then should be referred to the customer by addressing them with “you”. The customer feels that he is being directly talked to.

The word “Immediately” rings in the emergency. It can be interpreted as “Don’t wait any longer, get it now!” This motivates the customer to take some necessary and quick action.

Power in itself is a powerful word. Give that power to the consumer and see the magic. This gives the consumer a feeling that he can get possession of something that he lacked till now and this could make him achieve the impossible.

The basis of a successful ad is to understand the consumer’s needs and then design the ad accordingly. Just stating the advantages of using the product or service of the company isn’t enough. Sentence should be so designed that the customer should see his advantage in the product. For example, when advertising for a digital camera, just stating that the in-built memory of the camera is of 1 GB, won’t do the trick. Instead, the sentence should be changed to “enough memory to store 350 pictures or 50 videos”. The solution to the problem of the customer is reflected in this sentence. Ideas can be taken from advertisements of other similar brands like how the sentences are written and placed in an advertisement. After the sentence framing, adding power words to spice up the advertisement will definitely make a winning ad campaign.

Top 10 Power Words You Should Use in Your Advertising

According to the psychology department at Yale University, some words in the English language are more powerful than others. Here are their top 10 most powerful:

10. New — It’s part of basic human makeup to seek novelty.

9. Save — We all want to save something.

8. Safety — This could refer to health or long-lasting quality.

7. Proven — Helps remove fear from trying something new.

6. Love — Continues to be an all-time favorite.

5. Discover — Presents a sense of excitement and adventure.

4. Guarantee — Provides a sense of safety at the time of purchase.

3. Health — Especially powerful when it applies to a product.

2. Results — Works in rationalizing a purchase.

1. You — Listed as the #1 most powerful word in every study reviewed. Because of the personal nature of advertising copywriting, you should use “you” in your headline, opening line and as often as possible. In fact, many copywriters will throw out a headline if “you” is not in it.

Characteristics of Successful Ads

Posted: 1st July 2010 by admin in Advertising
Tags: create successful ads, successful ads

Many small businesses don’t get success they want from advertising due to availability of very little resources. The results are simply flat due to lack of good ideas for improvements. Whether the ads are put in a local newspaper or are printed in the famous periodical, posted on a website or in a radio or TV ad, the money invested should gain the desired outcome. There are some common mistakes small businesses and professional service providers do when designing and posting the ad, which leads to the failure of the ad.

Bigger is better is believed in by many. That’s exactly what some of the small firms think when they want to advertise their product. They think bigger and select a medium where they need to invest a lot of money, but do not reach the targeted market. Like if a company specializes in designing diet plans and want to help out people who had disappointing results from their individual diet plans, and the company chooses to advertise a full page in the local paper instead of running ad in a health magazine, obviously not many of the dieters will notice the ad and the ad doesn’t get the desired attention.

So the point is to come up with the best campaign, which will increase the probability of the ad getting viewed and the right customers trying to buy the product or sign up for the service. Studies and research can be carried out on the market and targeted audience can be narrowed down. Once getting the list of radio stations, websites, magazines and magazines meant for the customers in mind, find out how many readers/listeners they have and the cost for the ads. Special deals are offered by them from time to time and can only be found by watchful eye. Don’t accept rate card numbers at face value. Negotiate – Negotiate – Negotiate!

It is estimated that everyday people are subjected to around three thousand commercials. That is a huge number and if someone desires to be noticed, he should certainly be different. Not only the services and product sold should be unique in the market, so should be the ad. For example, if a business selling mattresses says, “We sell mattresses”, it will not make a statement and will be passed off as any other mattress ad. But if they say, “Our mattresses are of the finest quality”, it will make the ad stand out in the crowd. Other catch lines are “Are you suffering from back pain? Probably you must try our mattresses “, are more specific and will catch the fancy of the people who are suffering from back pains since a long time. The ad should also focus on the uniqueness of the product and how it is better compared to the competitors” product.

Focusing on the problems of the customers and giving a solution for them, is what a customer demands. A customer does not buy a product; he buys benefits in the form of a product. The real value of the product should be realized and a clear picture of it should be presented to the customer so he will be able to relate with the product. If the advertisement doesn’t specify the solution it can provide, the customers will never know of it. So focusing on the customers problem is what some ads miss.

The last thing missing in most of the advertisement is motivation for the customers. If the advertiser has designed the ad and the customer had read the ad, all efforts and money invested will be wasted if he doesn’t get up and do something about it. It shouldn’t be assumed that the customer knows what to do; instead the ad should influence the mind of the customer and should tell him what to do. Call of action is the final job of the ad. It should call for information, or visiting the store or even visiting the online store. The message should sound confident and clear.

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