Today is Part 5 of the 15 Profitable Marketing Power Tips you should use in every marketing or advertising technique you use to promote your business.

What’s the most prominent thing your potential customers see in your marketing copy?

Is it your company name in bog bold letters? Or is it a headline that quickly shows them how your product or service can help them?

If you’re like most business owners, your answer will be “your company name”. And that’s unfortunate.

Right now you’re probably saying to yourself: “So what? I need to get my name out there”.

But what you don’t realize is at this stage of their interest, prospects don’t usually care about your company name – yet.

What they do care about is that you can solve whatever problem they have or provide exactly what they’re looking for.

Which leads me to…

Profitable Marketing Power Tip #5:

As a rule of thumb…Always remember WIIFM (what’s in it for me) when writing marketing copy for any media. What should stand out before anything else is the headline that tells your prospects you can help them and why they should do business with you – not your company name.

Your company name may be important, but unless they know the benefits of dealing with you first, it wont’ matter to them.

Let me know your thoughts on this…

To check out the previous tips you may have missed, the links are below:

Part 1 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

Part 2 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

Part 3 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

Part 4 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

If you want help with your marketing strategy, writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

Today is Part 3 of the 15 Profitable Marketing Power Tips you should use in every marketing or advertising technique you use to promote your business.

Exactly what makes people buy?

Is it because buying this widget makes sense?

Sometimes it is, but not usually.

Studies have shown that most buying decisions are actually made based on emotions, not logic.

Think about this example for a second…

Do you really need an expensive car like a Mercedes? Um… NO.

Do you want a Mercedes? If you do – it’s because you want to be associated with the status it gives you, or you’ll look cool to your friends.

You’ll buy it on emotion. Then to justify it to your better half, you’ll explain how the engine runs smoother, and the quality is so fine, and how all the other bells and whistles will help you drive better.

Now you’re justifying it with logic.

Profitable Marketing Power Tip #3:

Make sure all of your sales and marketing copy appeal to the emotions of your reader.

Remember, all buying decisions are driven by emotions and then justified with logic.

Let me know your thoughts on this…

In case you missed the first two – here are the links so you can check ’em out.

Part 1 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

Part 2 marketing & advertising power tips for NH small business owners

If you want help with your marketing strategy, writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

Today is Part 2 of the 15 Profitable Marketing Power Tips you should use in every marketing or advertising technique you use to promote your business.

Let’s say you came up with a blockbuster headline that really got people’s attention.

But what do you do next to compel readers to continue reading your ad or sales copy?

Profitable Marketing Power Tip #2:

In simple terms – you have to give them a reason to.

You see, most people are squeezed for time and being pulled 20 directions at the same time. So your copy must quickly resonate with them in the first sentence, or their gone.

And if their gone – they’re sure not going to buy.

Fortunately, there are many ways to interest your reader enough that they keep reading.

Just make sure you follow up on any promises or questions you make in the headline that got their attention in the first place.

One way is to incorporate a story that hits a nerve with your readers to demonstrate an understanding of their own feelings, problems, and desires, and how you will help them.

Using people’s natural curiosity is another common technique used to keep them reading.

And there are many other ways, but always remember the marketer’s motto: WIIFM!

(What’s in it for me)

Because as soon as you’re not talking about your reader, you’ve lost em.

And losing ‘em – well…it doesn’t help you at all now, does it?

So whatever you write – keep their attention, and they’ll keep reading. Then you have the chance to make a sale.

Let me know your thoughts on this…

If you want help with your marketing strategy, writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

Attention-getting headlines rock!

If your small NH business is going to survive, you need to market and advertise using cost-effective techniques that get results.

So starting with today’s post, I’m going to give you the first of 15 Profitable Marketing Power Tips you should use in every marketing or advertising technique you use to promote your business.

Profitable Marketing Power Tip #1:

Use attention-getting headlines in every single piece of sales or marketing copy you write – No ifs, ands, or buts!!

The primary purpose of a headline is to immediately grab your reader by the eyeballs and compel them to read further.

And I’m talking using headlines on your web pages, emails, space ads, handouts, follow-up letters, and even your business card.

You do that by conveying a powerful benefit, addressing a problem that your product or service can solve, or by arousing the reader’s curiosity.

There are many “formulas” that have worked successully to create powerful headlines, and I’ll just toss out a couple of ideas you can use…

• • Start your headline with “How to…” (most people love to learn)
• • Ask a thought provoking question – (it engages your reader and gets them to nod their heads)
• • Make a bold promise or offer – (most people love deals, and if you make a promise, make sure it doesn’t come across as too good to be true)

But whatever you write, and wherever it will be written, make sure all of your marketing and sales copy  includes a headline that will get the rest of your material read.

And if you do just that one thing – chances are, it will be more effective than most of your competitor’s copy.

Let me know your thoughts on this…

If you want help with your marketing strategy, writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

NH small business owners love to discover secrets of writing better sales copy, so let me give you one.

Every time my buddy asks (or tells) his 5 year-old son to do something, he always responds with a question – “Why?”

And if you have young kids, you know where I’m coming from.

What I didn’t realize until recently though, is how important the question “why?” is with regards to writing ad or sales copy.

Why, you ask? (no pun intended)

It’s quite simple really…

Because if your copy can answer that question, it will have a much better chance of getting your readers to respond.

Answering it will overcome the possible objections and obstacles they have, but only if you answer it to their satisfaction.

Plus it provides a “reason why” – just make sure it’s believable.

Basically, if you can write copy that the reader looks at, and they don’t have to ask “why?”, then you’ve done your job.

Let me know your thoughts on this…

If you want help with your marketing strategy, writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

And visit www.webcontentNH.com for help with Website design, writing SEO copy, e-mail marketing, or other online marketing strategies.

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

I’m sure you’ve seen websites and ads that include inflated or unsubstantiated claims about their products, services, and companies.

For example:

“We’re the leading parts distributor in Southern New Hampshire”  or “Rockingham County’s #1 Auto Dealer”

They’re just empty fluff words written to fill up space…

And because you see them so often, you may even be immune to them.

It seems like every business inflates their claims of being the best – but should they?

I don’t think so. Who cares or believes claims that just aren’t true. Heck – they don’t even sound real.

What you, as a business professional, need in your marketing materials is tp provide proof that differentiates you from your competition’s claims. In other words, actual, valid proof about the claims you make.

4 ways to make your advertising claims more credible

     • Third party endorsements
     • Valid statistics
     • Success stories
     • Before & after comparisons

Start using these in your sales copy today and deliver the proof your prospects want to see.

Let me know your comments!

If you want my help in writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with,
e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140

And visit www.webcontentNH.com for help with Website design, writing SEO copy, e-mail marketing, or other online marketing strategies.

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter

If you’re a New Hampshire business or sales professional, you may be making a fatal mistake while delivering your sales message to prospects.

You see, when you delivering a sales message that sounds like sales pitch — or if you sound or act like a salesperson — your message is doomed.

Think about it…do you know anyone who wants to listen to a sales pitch?

Deliver a compelling message

Fortunately, you can easily fix this. All you have to do is change your message so you’re delivering an educational message instead of a salesy one.

Just educate your prospect about his problems and the solutions you can provide.

 Offering free, relevant information that helps your prospect’s ability to solve their problem or how to get more help goes a long ways in establishing trust and credibility.

Let me know your comments!

If you want my help in writing effective sales copy, have any comments, or have a marketing project you’d like help with, e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140.

And visit www.webcontentNH.com for help with Website design, writing SEO copy, e-mail marketing, or other online marketing strategies.

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark
Website and Marketing Copywriter