Tips for Creating a More Effective Onesheet

If you've used print marketing to promote your business, you're probably familiar with the term "onesheet" (or "one sheet," one-sheet" et cetera). This simple document serves as an all-purpose leave-behind for those client meetings, networking events, and other situations in which you want to stay top of mind long after the encounter has come and gone. But you can't just hand out any old thing with your name on it and expect the calls to roll in. Like any other marketing piece, a onesheet needs to have all the essential elements in all the right places to make an impact and attract customers. So let's look at some smart tips for making your onesheet as effective as possible.

Envision Your Audience.

This rule applies to all kinds of marketing content, including onesheets. Before you write a word of content, ask yourself who you're writing that content for -- and get as specific about it as possible. Does your target market mainly consist of tired homemakers? Harried executives? New parents looking out for their kids' long-term health or finances? Try to imagine that person as vividly as you can, and then write directly to that imaginary person. You may asking, "But what if I have several different types of clients?" The answer: Create a different onesheet for each of those target audiences!

Match the Design to the Brand.

When I write onesheets for my clients, I'm working in tandem with a graphic designer -- either someone the client has already engaged, or one of my own "regulars." In many cases, the graphic designers will want me to create the text first so they can draw visual inspiration from it. But these experts also receive their design cues from your existing brand elements. Send samples of your company colors, fonts, and other key features to the designer early in the process. Make sure you have (or can construct) a high-definition image of your company logo to ensure crisp, detailed, clean-looking results.

Include Striking, Relevant Images.

Pictures always make a big, colorful, eye-catching splash as part of any good onesheet design. Yes, you can get away with stock photos of smiling people in suits shaking hands or whatever -- but honestly, everyone has seen that kind of stuff a zillion times, to the point that it doesn't make as much impact as you might think. Get a professional photographer to take pictures of your team members, workplace, equipment, and other images under optimal lighting and with optimal gear. If you typically display vivid yet simple charts or other graphics when you make pitches to prospective clients, your designer might be able to make use of those, too.

Use Each Side for a Different Message.

Of course, you can create a single-sided onesheet instead of a double-sided one. But it's not the smartest investment, in my opinion. For one thing, when you only use one side of the sheet, you're going to a lot of effort to create half a document -- when you could double the amount of information the onesheet communicates at relatively little additional cost. Even worse, the minute somebody accidentally turns that sheet upside down on a table or desk, it becomes nothing but a blank sheet of paper. So I recommend organizing your information so that each side of the sheet conveys its own important message. For example, the top side might lay out your basic sales pitch, while the reverse side might introduce you and your key team members.

Flow Toward a Call to Action.

Just as the graphic designer creates a format that leads the reader's eye in a precise pattern down the page of a onesheet, so must your written content flow toward a call to action. Both sides of your onesheet should end with a final encouragement to contact your company for more information or to make a purchase. (Some onesheets even include a tear-away coupon or other special offer for this very purpose.) It's usually smart to place your contact information in this same part of the page so your excited reader doesn't cool off while searching the document for it. You always want to make that response as easy as possible.

Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way toward producing a powerful onesheet. Or if you'd rather just leave it all to the specialists, here's one more tip: Contact me. Not only do I have decades of experience writing onesheet content, but I can also bring top-quality graphic design talent onboard as needed. We'll provide you with a leave-behind that won't get left behind!

How to Write Responses to Negative Online Reviews

The other day I saw a Reddit post from an apartment dweller who wanted to know why the overwhelming majority of online apartment reviews were so viciously, blisteringly bad. I answered that most tenants who are satisfied (or at least not too disappointed) with their apartments don't bother to post reviews at all, while the few genuine rave reviews are often dismissed as something the staff cooked up. You have to get pretty enraged to want to spend the time and effort typing up a bad review. Unfortunately, negative publicity tends to spread much more rapidly than the good stuff.

Has your business gotten a bad review or two? Maybe you made a mistake that infuriated a customer, or maybe the customer got steamed up over something and unjustly decided to blame it on you. Either way, you can't let that poison pollute your social media channel or website unchallenged -- you must clean up the mess quickly, cleanly, and professionally with the right response. So let's look at a few basic rules concerning this important form of reputation management.

Don't Let Your Emotions Dictate Your Response

That initial flush of outrage may compel you to grab your keyboard and hammer out a similarly insulting reply -- the worst thing you could possibly do, since it only fans the flames higher and makes you look like a hothead. Do not stoop to the primitive tactics of the reviewer. Stop, take a few deep breaths, and compose yourself before you compose your response. Taking the high road doesn't just cool the emotional temperature, but it also makes the reviewer look like a caveman by comparison -- which can go a long way toward invalidating the review itself.

Take Responsibility

I learned this lesson second-hand many years ago, when a friend and I were dining out and the waitress kept getting his order wrong. The waitress made excuse after excuse about the kitchen being short-staffed, the waitstaff having problems, the manager being a big meanie and so on. My friend listened patiently and then said: "Yes, but why are you making these things my problem?" You may have the most valid defense in the world for whatever went wrong, but it still went wrong, didn't it? Hold yourself and your team accountable instead of publicly trying to duck responsibility.

Make Gentle Corrections

What if you didn't do anything wrong at all? What if the reviewer simply misinterpreted the situation and decided to blame you for it? You certainly don't want to apologize for an error you didn't make, especially if it leaves the false impression that you offer substandard products or services. In your response, gently point out the truth of the matter without making the reviewer out to be stupid or a liar, noting that you can understand how such a misunderstanding might occur.

Conclude Your Response the Smart Way

If you don't want your response to escalate into a war of words with an aggrieved customer, wrap it up with care. If you accept the blame for what happened, offer to make things right with a refund, a discount on a future purchase, or other such reparations. But don't end the response with an open-ended question such as, "Would you like to discuss the matter further?" This approach invites the reviewer to leave another salty reply for all to see. Instead, encourage the reviewer to contact you offline so you can iron the situation out peacefully.

When in Doubt, Outsource Your Response

Regardless of whether or not you actually fumbled the ball with an angry customer, you don't want to fumble it in your response to a bad review. If you don't trust your ability to reply with a calm, cool, positive tone, hand that task off to a professional copywriter. Business owners facing this dilemma have hired me to craft gracious, constructive responses on their behalf -- and I can do the same for you, so contact me today!

Say Again? The Value of Repetition in Your Marketing Content

"Sorry, I guess I told that story already." You might feel self-consciousness about repeating yourself in conversations, letters, and other communications. That's only natural; after all, you don't want people to think you've lost your marbles, or get tired of hearing from you, or accuse you of lacking imagination. But you don't necessarily need to apologize for repetition in marketing. On the contrary, a certain amount of it can make all the difference between success and failure in marketing your products, services, or overall brand.

Is there a wrong way to repeat yourself? Of course there is. Any competent writing teacher would run a red pencil through redundant statements and repetitive points in a student's work. Even in the world of marketing, you've probably rolled your eyes at those endless landing pages that just keep saying the same thing over and over. But I'm not endorsing repetition within a piece of marketing content; I'm talking about repeating important or compelling points from one marketing piece to another. So let's look at some situations where it actually pays to revisit the same material.

Email Drip Campaigns

If you've worked in sales at all, you know that it takes several "touches" to get a prospective buyer's attention, reinforce your brand in that person's mind, and then finally persuade that person to respond. Email drip campaigns typically take this approach while changing up the content just enough to maintain interest from one message to the next. I've written drip campaigns of anywhere from 16 to 50 emails that cycled through the same handful of services or selling points. (The same strategy holds true for direct mail campaigns, by the way.)

Why doesn't this repetition bore or annoy readers? For one thing, the emails don't get vomited out all at once -- they're sent out every couple of weeks, or every month, or on some other relaxed schedule to avoid hounding the target audience. The next few emails then cover somewhat different ground while refreshing the call to action and basic brand awareness, keeping the sender top of mind over an extended period. By the time the first message gets repeated in a slightly different way, it feels fresh while also triggering a reminder in the reader's head: "Oh yeah, they said something about this a couple months ago, didn't they?" Eventually, the right point strikes home at just the right moment to produce a response.

Blogging

Your company blog serves as a combination of news center, editorial page, and sales kiosk. Here's your chance to post about different aspects of your brand and business on a regular basis, switching from one focus to another for variety's sake (and to cover all the points you want to convey over time). But once you've made all those points, you can benefit from refreshing them. Keep in mind that people stumble on blogs at random in their online searches. The individual who discovers your blog through a particular post may have never read anything from you on that particular subject -- and you can't expect that person to leaf through all your previous articles on the same subject. So the occasional fresh look at that subject  can help to capture new audience members while reinforcing the points you already made to the older ones.

Repetition can prove downright fun for readers if you make it something of an institution. For instance, I'll often write an annual Halloween, New Year's, or Christmas article that takes a light, humorous approach that relates the content to the holiday in question.

Websites

Even in an integrated marketing instrument such as a website, a certain amount of repetition can make sense -- not within individual pages, but across the site as a whole. As with blogs, you can't know for certain which page a potential customer may call up through a Google search. That person might pull up your homepage, your "About Us" page, or a product/service page. Sure, your readers might feel compelled to explore the rest of your site, but in the meantime you need to make sure that page offers some key points about who you are, what you do, and why you're the answer to their needs. You also need to make sure each page concludes with a call to action, just in case they're ready to respond right then and there.

Don't forget that your company blog page is part of your company website. Repetition of key topics inevitably means repeating keywords and key phrases. As you gradually create a critical mass of these words and phrases, your website builds a larger online footprint while gaining authenticity and relevance in the eyes of Google. This does great things for your online rankings without forcing you to build the world's largest site.

As you can see, repetition can help your marketing content instead of hurting it, but only if you go at it strategically. If you struggle to find fresh angles on the same subjects, or if you worry about repeating yourself where you shouldn't, you may benefit from the skills, insights, and creativity of a professional freelance copywriter. I know I've said it many times before, but -- contact me today!

Smart Ways to Streamline Your Marketing Content

You have so much to say about your business! After all, you're passionate about what you do, you've been doing it a long time, and you offer such a wide range of products or services that you can hardly wrap your head around them all. Or maybe those products and services are inherently complex, unusual, or hard to explain to Joe Q. Public. So you end up practically writing a book instead of producing tight, concise marketing content that people might actually want to read and absorb. It's a natural error -- but also a potentially costly one.

Have you ever had the devil's own time trying to machete your way through thousands of words of web or print marketing content? How many minutes (or seconds) did you struggle before simply giving and moving on to a competing company's easier-to-follow material? If your own marketing writing doesn't immediately grab your audience and then ease them into the basic concepts of what you're all about, you might as well just leave that "lorem ipsum" placeholder text on your site instead of creating any content at all. At the same time, however, you've got a lot of information to get across. So let's look at some smart ways to finesse this challenge.

Use more pages or panels. Maybe that five-page website, single-sided onesheet, or trifold brochure doesn't suit the scope of your marketing message. Instead of shoehorning tons of text into a few pages or panels, consider going with a different format. Spread your content out over more web pages, or go with a booklet or media kit instead of a brochure. You may spend more money, but what's the point of investing even a penny in marketing pieces that don't generate business?

Break "mega-blogs into blog series." In my networking group, each member delivers a little 30-second spiel every week about some aspect of their business. Nobody could describe everything they do or want in 30 seconds -- so we don't even try. We're encouraged to share "LCDs," or Little Chunks of Data, during these moments. For instance, one week I might mention my blog writing ser4vice, while the next week I might talk about press release writing. Over time, we slowly educate each other on one chunk of our work after another until we end up with a comprehensive understanding. Well, this technique works for blogging as well. Take that massive topic you were about to tackle in one enormous post and break it down into a series. You'll not only have a more readable result, but you'll have several posts instead of one.

Declutter your vocabulary. All those five-dollar words in your marketing content might make you sound knowledgeable, but they add to the overall length and "weight" of the writing in a way that bog your message down. Make like Hemingway and opt for the simplest, shortest words wherever you reasonably can. Your content won't just feel shorter -- it may actually take up less room on the page or screen. You may even find the content creation process faster and easier.

If you're going to go to the time and trouble of creating marketing content for your business, you might as well do it right. Break down and simplify your content, and you'll probably reap noticeably better results from all that work. Of course, you always have the option of simply handing that work over to a seasoned freelance copywriter like Yours Truly -- so contact me, and let me make the process even simpler for you!

3 Underrated Topics That Can Enhance and Empower Your Blog

Here we go again, encountering that most dreaded of nemeses: the blank screen. If you maintain a blog, you probably face this recurring battle about as enthusiastically as your next root canal appointment. We bloggers are always on the hunt for varied, entertaining, valuable subject matter we can share with our target audiences. But it can be all too easy to fall into a rut where you rehash the same handful of topics over and over, boring both yourself and your readers in the process. Additionally, it's just plain hard to find a hundred ways to spin the same article. Maybe it's time to start thinking out of the box by tapping some other kinds of blog posts -- posts that mix things up while still offering genuine interest and marketing value. Take a look at three powerful contenders that business owners often underrate or neglect.

Underrated Topic #1: The Employee Spotlight

Many company blogs spend most or all of their time addressing customer questions, needs, and concerns -- rightly so, since Google searches on these topics can lead directly to helpful blog posts on these subjects. You definitely want to keep creating a steady stream of such posts, but you should also take a little time to remind your audience of just how well-equipped your team is to tackle those challenges. So why not post a "Team Member of the Month" or "Meet Our Newest Team Member" article every once in a while? Introduce one of your specialists and mention that person's position, functions, background, credentials, industry experience, hobbies, et cetera. It's an easy write; after all, you've got their resumes on file, and you can email a simple questionnaire to get any other details that would enliven the article. Plus it helps your customers feel that they know you.

Underrated Topic #2: The Industry Update

You might be thinking, "Oh, none of my customers care about the ups and down of my industry." Think again! Changes in techniques, strategies, economic factors, cultural preferences, and other dynamics have a direct impact on your business -- which in turn can have a direct impact on how you serve your target market. This means that you can, how has the evolving EV market affected what kinds of cars people are buying? If you're in the electronics industry, what do your customers need to understand about the impact of supply-chain disruptions? It might feel like you're trading marketing for journalism, but you can spin these facts and figures back to the bottom line: why you're the knowledgeable expert your customers should continue to trust.

Underrated Topic #3: The Hearty Laugh

Enough of the serious stuff -- sometimes people just want and need a lighthearted break in their day. Believe it or not, you can make a big impact just by giving your target audience a laugh or two. Now, unless you're in the comedy business, you obviously don't want to devote your blog to nothing but yucks. However, an occasional humor-oriented piece does no harm, and it may in fact do your brand a world of good. You're not just a company; you're a team of witty, charming humans worth listening to, laughing with, and ultimately buying from. I throw out the odd "comedy" piece from time to time, such as my annual October post in which I relate common marketing challenges to Halloween horrors. It's fun for my audience, it's fun for me, and it still lets me address genuine marketing issues.

Give these three kinds of blog topics a try. I think you and your readers will appreciate the fresh dose of variety and vitality that results. I'm always happy to help you dream up and write these articles, so don't hesitate to reach out!

Best Practices for Assembling Your Own Marketing Team

Are you ready to put together a regular marketing team to promote your brand? Maybe you're launching a new business from scratch, or maybe you'd rather have your own go-to gang than rely on(and pay for) a big-time marketing agency. Whatever your reasons for assembling your own crew, you'll want to go about it as efficiently, effectively, and painlessly as possible. So here are some tips and considerations worth keeping in mind as you proceed.

Outsource that talent. Sure, it's great to have the "always-on" available and consistency that you can get from an in-house marketing department. But with those advantages come the disadvantages of having to offer insurance, paid vacation, and other benefits employees expect in today's workplace. Outsourcing different marketing tasks to freelancers with the necessary skill and experience in their assigned areas can yield the same high-quality results as long as everyone communicates well. (More on that in a bit.) It also lets you pay for services on an as-needed basis instead of having to dole out full salaries to people who might spend the quieter days twiddling their thumbs.

Make sure each team member fits. The most brilliant portfolio or resume in the world can't tell you everything you need to know about a prospective marketing team member. How reliably do they produce a high standard of work? How consistently do they meet deadlines? How favorably do previous clients or employees rank the experience of working with that individual? Ask for referrals and testimonials, interview candidates personally to determine whether you can deal with them comfortably on a regular basis, and ask other marketing team members to recommend some of their favorite past colleagues.

Engage multiple pros for each function. I once had a client who depended desperately on my availability any and every time he needed copywriting. I had to urge him to get acquainted with at least one other copywriter, and preferably a small bullpen of copywriters, in case I got run over by a steamroller or something. Don't put all your creative eggs in one basket -- have two or more writers, designers, and other marketing specialists in your contact list at all times. You'll not only ensure a steady stream of marketing content production, but you'll have the option of cherry-picking the best mix of individuals for this or that project.

Make the hierarchy clear and simple. The last thing you want to deal with in a complex marketing campaign is a confused mish-mash of ideas and execution from a bunch of individuals who are each following the beat of a different drum. Hire a full-time marketing coordinator who can serve as a point person for the entire team. Have this person create a clear long-term marketing strategy, complete with a detailed editorial calendar. Your marketing coordinator can then consolidate all communications, drafts, notes, and revisions from all hands via a collaborative work platform such as Basecamp or Asana.

Best of luck in assembling your marketing team -- and remember, if you're looking for a freelance marketing copywriter, I'm just a click away!

A Professional's Tips for a Better Professional Bio

Who are you? That may seem like a simple question, but think about it. Most of us present different personae in different situations or to different people. So if you're posting a professional bio to your website, a professional directory, or a popular social media platform such as LinkedIn, you'd better customize the way you present yourself for optimal results. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Imagine your audience. Would you use the same approach to ask for a date that you would to ask for a job? (I'm assuming that asking for dates isn't your job, of course.) Business owners or representatives need to introduce themselves, not to the general public, but to their public, the specific target audience they aim to cultivate. Think hard about the ideal reader of your bio blurb. What do you want that reader to do? Offer you a job? Check out your products or services? Recommend you to an associate? Focus on telling that person exactly what they'll want to hear so you can get the desired response.

Match the bio to its surroundings. I've been called in to rewrite employee bios that stuck out like broken teeth on the client's website because they simply didn't match the style and tone of other bios on the same page (or of the site in general). There's always one guy who insists on providing 500 words when everyone else has made do with 100 or less (or vice versa), or whose bio uses first-person address in a sea of surrounding third-person entries. Some bios may seem overly friendly in contrast to the rest of the page, while others may seem relatively dry and stiff. If your bio will be added to a general bio page, read the existing entries carefully and try to match their characteristics. The exception to this rule occurs when your bio will sit alongside those of your competitors on a directory page. On those occasions you definitely want to stand out as much as possible, as long as you stand out in a good way!)

Keep things clear and readable. A bio isn't a resume. Your goal is not to include every single detail of your professional/academic/personal life; it's to get the reader interested in who you are and what you offer, period. Ever looked at the author bio on a book jacket? In most cases, you get the least you need to know to make you think, "Wow, this author has some impressive credentials. I think I'll give this book a shot." Feel free to write a long draft, but be willing to go back and cut (and cut, and cut). As for word choices, go for clarity above all else. Impress the reader, not with the size of your vocabulary, but with the high points of your skills and experience.

Good luck telling your story -- and if you need any professional help, just let me know!

Is It Time to Change How You Market Yourself?

We can all relate to the old saying, "Times change." Of course, anyone who's ever heard of Einstein can tell you that time itself is a relative thing that runs faster or slower for us depending how fast we're moving through space, et cetera. But what really matters in the marketing world is how we change. Our businesses, our brands. and our audiences evolve and remodel themselves constantly in response to other changes, from economic pressures to new technologies. And as these changes come about, you have to adjust your marketing approach accordingly. Let's look at some of the reasons you may need to change how you market yourself and what forms those changes might take.

New Offerings

Did your business pivot in a different direction at some point in 2023, or is it poised to make that pivot now? Did you retire some products and services while introducing others? Did your industry undergo a major shift that compelled you to shift along with it? I know that many of us professional writers had to figure out our relationship with AI, for instance. In my case, I actually added an "AI-generated content repair" service because so many clients were sending me bland, generic, awkward content and asking if I could energize and personalize it for them -- and of course that meant creating a new page on my website to promote the new service. Make sure your current marketing content still relates to what you actually do before you wade any farther into 2024.

New Channels

I recently asked a guy I know in the home services field about any changes to his marketing strategy for the new year. He mentioned that his company was taking a break from terrestrial radio. After many years of running radio spots on the same station, they felt that they'd kind of hit a wall, so he's now shifting his company's strategies more toward digital marketing. He'll find no shortage of fresh fields there, and as long as he chooses online channels and pursues them diligently, I'm sure his business will get a welcome boost. What social media platforms and other media channels do you currently use -- and how are they working out for you? Maybe you need to review the ROI of each channel you maintain, with an eye toward switching channels as needed. Or maybe you need to fill those channels with different content more likely to attract each channel's key demographics. New topics or a new tone could mean new profits.

New Audiences

Your brand identity and messaging worked great on your established target audience for X number of years, so why does it seem so ineffective now? Like I said, times change -- and so do people's needs, roles, challenges, and expectations. Sure, you can keep marketing to the same folks as always -- but those folks are getting older. So you may need to alter your brand to appeal to that older demographic, or you may want to freshen your brand so it can appeal to a whole new generation of buyers. You've seen countless brands reinvent themselves over the years by adopting flashy new slogans, aiming their ads at a different crowd, or redesigning their facilities to bring them up to date with the latest trends. Maybe you need to start putting out new, different marketing content to capture a contemporary audience or seize new sales opportunities.

Successful organizations separate themselves from the also-rans by adopting new strategies and tactics i. an ever-changing world. As we move forward through this new year, ask yourself whether your marketing content still serves your image, your solutions, and your audience. A freelance marketing copywriter can help you re-craft your content to accommodate the changing times. Contact me today so you can get a head start on creating a brighter tomorrow for your business!

Want Better Results From Your Marketing Content? Personalize It!

Okay, folks, here we are in a brand-new year! You may have all kinds of dreams and goals for your business in 2024, while your customers probably have their own to-do lists to take care of, both at home and in the workplace. So how do you and your audience connect more powerfully (and profitably) than ever? A lot of your success will depend on what sorts of marketing content you create, what techniques you use to make it as relevant as possible, and how you target that message to your ideal demographic. Take the following tips to heart as you start churning out those blog posts, email articles, direct mail pieces, and other critical marketing messages.

Drop the Shotgun

I got an email just this morning from a marketing company I'd never heard of or communicated with. Normally, I'm more than happy to hear from marketing agencies, web developers and so on because we can share insights and collaborate on projects. In this case, however, I ended up unsubscribing and dumping the email in the trash almost immediately. What did this marketer do wrong? They sent me a general message that basically said, "Since it's a new year, I'm going to start sending you a series of emails on how to make the most of your social media in 2024." Um, thanks, but who asked you to? When did I ever indicate that I wanted or needed this "free" help? Do you even know who I am? Come to think of it, who are you?

You can see why this approach flopped with me. The marketer was obviously shooting out cold email blasts at anyone and everyone associated with the keyword "marketing." If you take this kind of shotgun approach, don't be too surprised when your emails wind up in the circular file as well. We've all got too much junk mail in our everyday lives as it is. Instead, target your previous contacts and current clients, sending them personalized messages that ask for their input, include an exciting offer, or request a fresh meeting to get up to date on their needs. When writing emails aimed at future prospects, keep it short and sweet, focusing on a basic introduction to what you do and inviting them to inquire further. 

Communicate Like Your Target Audience

Once you've found your target audience, either on your own or with the help of a skilled marketing strategist, you're ready to start aiming specific messages at them. But where do they hang out? Which social media channels do your customers prefer to frequent? Do they shop local, or are they more likely  to place orders online? Do they belong to a demographic that prefers snail mail to email? These and other pointed questions can help you figure out where you should place that marketing content and how often your audience might need to see it.

How does your target audience communicate? If your content adopts the wrong style or speaks on a different educational level than your target market, you'll just turn off those prospective buyers. You must also ask yourself what tone your audience most wants to hear in relation to your products or services. Do they want something from you that makes them feel warm and fuzzy, or do they want to feel impressed by the power of your professionalism? Whatever tone they're expecting, don't disappoint them.

Show That You Understand

As you may already know, I'm a big fan of the empathy statement as an effective way to open a marketing message. Your readers/viewers want to know that you feel their pain and can provide the remedy for it. But don't fall into the trap of making big blanket statements like, "We understand your frustration when it comes to bugs (or house cleaning, or lost sales, or whatever)." Instead, throw out specific examples that will hit various targets dead center: "You can't invite your loved ones over for the holidays with cockroaches running rampant." "You work hard all day, only to come home to a messy house. Don't you wish that mess could just disappear?" "You sell the world's greatest (whatever their industry sells), so why is your competition beating you?"

Empathy works on both emotional and practical levels. Your customers want to seek answers from someone who cares and understands. At the same time, they want to know that you've anticipated their challenges well enough to come up with the ideal solutions. This is your chance to be a hero -- so make sure your marketing content sends that message loud and clear.

Send the Right Message at the Right Time

One of the most useful aspects of email campaigns is their ability to address recipients' reactions (or lack thereof). I once got hired to redo an email campaign for a business broker who was getting lackluster results after the initial message. That first email did a great job of exciting people about the idea of buying a business, with positive requests for more information pouring in. But then the broker sent a second email with a mountain of business documentation attached -- which promptly turned the interaction cold as a carp. I helped to resolve this breakdown, and others, by writing a series of emails that swatted away each and every possible rebuttal a buyer might have. For instance, I started with a piece that basically said, "Don't be intimidated by that paperwork we sent you last time -- it's just part of the process, and we're happy to guide you through it every step of the way."

Another tip: Take care not to put the cart in front of the horse when writing a series of marketing emails. Start as I mentioned above, with a brief introduction and an offer to discuss the matter further. As you send additional cold emails, acknowledge that the prospect is a busy person and you don't mean to bother them. Save the detailed sales pitches, product descriptions, and case studies for your pile of warm emails. Once your prospects respond to a cold email, move them to the warm pile and start feeding them the information they now clearly welcome.

Do you need help creating more personalized marketing content that individuals will respond to with, "Wow, how did these guys know exactly what I need?" Well, that's what an experienced freelance marketing copywriter is for -- so contact me today, and let's start hitting your customers where they live!

4 Quick, Easy Ways to Improve Your Marketing Content Writing

I totally understand why many business owners hate writing their own marketing content. You spend hours bashing away at a web page, blog entry, or sales letter only to get a disappointing reaction from your target audience -- time and effort you could've spent on other crucial areas of your business. But many folks shoot themselves in the foot by committing small acts of self-sabotage without realizing it. The difference between so-so content and good content, or between good content and great content, can hinge on some tiny, subtle choices. Take a look at some little changes you can make that will vastly improve your marketing content's effectiveness.

Switch From Passive to Active Voice

Some people fall back on passive voice in an effort, I think, to sound more formal and elegant. Passive voice does indeed create a distancing effect -- but you don't usually want that when you need to make an emotional impact. Compare the statement "Gourmet cookies and cakes will be served at the event" to "You'll enjoy gourmet cookies and cakes at the event." I've shifted the subject from the cookies and cakes to the reader, where it belongs, while replacing the lame verb phrase "will be served" with "You'll enjoy." You can use passive voice once in a while for variety's sake, but don't let it suck all the vitality out of your writing. If you see multiple passive phrases in your text, look for ways to make some of them active.

Use "You" Instead of "We"

I've covered this problem before, especially in relation to "About Us" web pages. You're proud of your business and your brand, and of course your audience wants to hear you talk about your features and benefits. But ask yourself how many times you see the word "we" in your content. If you're going "we we we all the way home" like the Three Little Pigs, you can turn your audience off unintentionally. Readers don't want a lengthy list of what you do, they want to know how they benefit from what you do. So instead of constantly saying things like, "We offer x, y, and z services," look for ways to say "Here's how you'll benefit from our x, y, and z services."

Compress Your Phrases

Just as people sometimes use passive voice to make their content sound more "important," they also stuff extra words into their phrases to round out and complicate them. Don't do this. Extra words bloat a phrase while diluting its punching power. Consider one of the most common offenders, "in order to." Why not just say "to?" The more compact your phrases, the more power they contain. Go through your drafts with a red pen (or its digital equivalent) and look for words that can go.

Keep the Structure Simple

Wouldn't you love to make your marketing content both easier to follow and easier to create? You can achieve both goals at one stroke by simplifying your content's structure. Start by deciding on that structure before you start writing. The most straightforward structure in most marketing content involves an initial pain statement ("Don't you hate this problem?") followed by a solution statement (Well, here's how we come to your rescue!") and finishing with a call to action ("Contact us today!"). You can start writing at the beginning, middle or end without wandering down a rabbit hole because you already have your road map for the entire journey. Better yet, your audience will appreciate the clarity and flow of the final result!

These tips should make marketing content creation less strenuous while boosting the power of the content itself. But if you'd like even more surefire results without investing any effort at all, reach out to me for professional copywriting help. How's that for a quick and easy solution?

How to Leverage the Holidays in Your Marketing Efforts

As we head into the Thanksgiving weekend, many of us are bracing ourselves for the combination of madness and magic known as the holiday season. In my quarter-century as a business owner and operator, I've seen some companies do gangbuster business over the holidays while others seem to disappear completely until early next year, like Punxatawney Phil contemplating his next move. If you want your brand to stay visible and your profits to keep rolling in through the end of 2023, you can't afford to hibernate. Fortunately, some smart marketing content strategies can help you end the year in style while preparing you for a more lucrative 2024. Take a look at some ways you can leverage the holidays in your marketing efforts.

Evoke the Holiday Spirit

This one sounds like low-hanging fruit -- but what's wrong with low-hanging fruit? People typically find themselves in a special mood once the holiday season arrives. Their thoughts drift to childhood experiences, previous family get-togethers, and some of their favorite holiday sights and sounds. They think about what they can do to make others' holidays brighter by giving the perfect present or making a much-appreciated donation. In short, emotions run high -- and as a marketer, you want to use those emotions to maximum effect.

What kinds of messaging would make a big impact on you personally this holiday season? Obviously you're not your target market, but ponder the question anyway. If you associate the holidays with warmth, peace, and joy (as so many do), how can you style your marketing content to tug on those heartstrings? Consider what kinds of statements you make right now that will trigger a deep emotional response in your audience -- and then make those statements.

Offer Relief From Holiday Stress

The holiday season often brings as much pain and agony as it does happiness, especially where seasonal stress is concerned. From the collective nightmare of Black Friday to the pressures of hosting houseguests, shopping for presents, sending cards, and hanging decorations, you could easily be forgiven the extra egg nog or three. Well, we're all in the same boat -- which makes us an especially easy target for the right marketing content.

What thorns do you take out of your customers' paws? If your products or services make people's lives easier, there's no better time to trumpet those benefits than right now, when everyone could use whatever stress relief they can get their hands on. Offer your audience solutions that lead to easier holiday preparations, more successful gatherings, or more of that precious relaxation time. In other words, market your company as a stress-busting Santa!

Get People Thinking About Next Year

As we turn to the last page in the calendar, many folks take up Charlie Brown's immortal catchphrase, "Just wait till next year!" However well or badly 2023 went for them, they want to make 2024 a better experience personally and/or professionally. Some of them will go so far as to make New Year's resolutions to that effect. Do your products or services align with their goals and aspirations? Of course they do, in one way or another -- so start getting them excited about next year before that calendar gets replaced.

B2B companies may find this strategy particularly successful as one business year officially ends and another begins. Books must be balanced, taxes prepared, new marketing campaigns launched, new products and services introduced -- the list goes on and on. But no intelligent, experienced business owner will wait until January to start putting those pieces into play -- they need to take action now. And that means you must do the same by offering them a brighter New Year. Play that angle, and your fortunes should grow correspondingly brighter.

Believe it or not, you still have time to create the marketing content necessary to make full use of these seasonal strategies. Freelance copywriters work all year round, so contact me today and let's add some rocket fuel to your reindeer team!

Fourth-Quarter Holiday Marketing Strategies Worth Considering

If you're a football fan, you love this time of year. From televised Thanksgiving classics to postseason nail-biters, the final months of the year offer ample opportunity to follow your favorite teams in their quest for greatness. And you probably know how dramatically fortunates can turn in that all-important fourth quarter. Well, now we're in the fourth quarter of the business year, what's the "score" in your own quest for profitability and visibility? You still have time to put some points on the board before the clock runs out, so let's look at some powerful marketing strategies for making the most of 2023.

Engage in Experiential Marketing

If you want to make a big splash in the most public manner possible, there's nothing like experiential marketing tactics to put you quite literally in front of your target audience. Experiential marketing includes all those events that allow you to interact directly with the public, with the holiday season serving as the ideal backdrop. The type of experiential marketing you engage in will depend partly on what kinds of products and services you offer. If you're in the food or dining industry, for instance,  you may want to offer samples of your wares or even full-blown cooking demonstrations in a grocery or home goods store. If you're in the tech industry, maybe you should put up a kiosk at a local community event, raffling off big-ticket electronics or discounts for future purchases. The point is: Get out there!

Host (or at Least Attend) Holiday Networking Events

For many businesses, "getting out there" also means networking. Now, I know that not everyone belongs to a year-round networking organization or enjoys attending constant chamber events. But the final months of the year open up numerous seasonal networking opportunities in the form of company parties and open houses in support of various causes. Do you have a brick-and-mortar facility that can accommodate lots of foot traffic? If so, why not host such an event so your favorite clients and business partners can invite and mingle with first-time visitors? If you can't host such an event yourself, make sure to attend a few of them so you can make new connections both inside and outside your industry.

Send Thank-You Notes and Gifts

People love to be recognized -- and the final quarter of the year serves as a natural summing-up time in which to express your appreciation for your vendor partners, employees, and customers. You'd be amazed at the power of a simple thank-you note, especially when it displays both eloquence and personalization. A skilled copywriter can provide the fomer, while handwritten text (or a properly convincing script-style font) can help convey the latter. If you want to grab the attention of your VIP clients, it's time to turn to the actual gifts. seek out a promotional products company that can provide extra-special gifts that include your brand name and logo. Your VIPs will definitely think of you going into next year, and who knows what that extra awareneness could do for your revenue?

Appeal to End-of-Year Customer Needs

People often need more help than usual as they prepare for seasonal activities, from making sure their plumbing can accommodate a houseful of guests to figuring out how to hang holiday decorations safely or get their business's books in order. These folks will naturally be Googling for solutions; the question is, will your brand pop up in their line of vision when they do? Now is the time to pump out those timely blog articles addressing the needs, and topics in question. It's also the time to make sure your online presence is optimized for local and mobile searches. Many of your ideal customers are out and about doing their shopping, after all -- so when they search for the nearest solution to their problem, you want to appear at the top of those search results.

Take these strategies to heart, and your fourth quarter may turn out to be a big winner for your brand. Meanwhile, if you need some quick, efficient professional assistance in putting some of that fourth-quarter marketing content together, you know who to call!

Does Your Halloween Marketing Content Need an Exorcist? Common Demons Worth Banishing

 No matter how old you are, you probably remember going trick-or-treating on Halloween. You might even remember that it wasn't always about receiving candy. Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon for tricks to rival treats as a seasonal tradition, from papering trees to egging houses. Yes, Halloween can get ugly -- and if you allow the following evil spirits to sneak into your marketing content, you may find that the fourth quarter of the business year yields the equivalent of Charlie Brown receiving a rock in his treat bag instead of candy. So let's look at some of the worst demons you want to eliminate from your marketing efforts.

The Ghostly Audience

In movies and literature, ghosts are usually depicted as vague, translucent beings that shimmer in and out of existence, resisting all attempts to photograph them or get specific details about them. If you don't have a clear image of your target audience, how can you hope to direct your marketing content toward mere vapor? It's time to draw up a comprehensive buyer persona that aggregates all the available data on your ideal customer's demographics, hopes, fears, frustrations, income, and purchasing habits. After all, if you were a medium performing a seance, you wouldn't call out for just anybody, would you?

Frankenstein Messaging

If you're like many business owners putting together your own marketing content, you may have assembled that content piece by piece over a lengthy period, pulling from this or that source as you went. But just as dr, Frankenstein eventually found himself appalled by his creature, you may shudder when you see the hodge-podge of messaging inconsistencies you've stitched together. Do you perceive differences in tone and style among your web pages, blog posts, brochures, sales letters, and other marketing pieces? If so, hire an experienced copywriter to smooth out those jarring inconsistencies and bring all your content in line with your brand.

Mechanical Gremlins

This creeping menace doesn't just sabotage your marketing -- it also embarrasses you in the process. Elementary errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax can worm their way into your writing with surprising ease, leaving you with egg on your face just as surely as if you'd been looking out your window on Halloween night after denying candy to juvenile delinquents. Even if you manage to avoid the most cringe-inducing mistakes, your content may harbor more subtle imperfections that impair its effectiveness. When in doubt, ask a professional to proofread and edit instead of just throwing that gremlin-ridden content out there for the whole world to see.

This Halloween, banish the tricks from your marketing content so you can reap the treats of greater success. Consider me your copywriting exorcist -- and summon me to do your bidding!

How to Have More Fun With Your Marketing Content

Does content writing feel like a joy or a slog to you? I've worked with countless clients who used to stare at a bank screen and growl, "God, not more of this!" So if you'd rather do anything else in the universe than draft that blog post, email campaign article, or promotional piece, you're hardly alone. But you can turn that frown upside down by making your marketing content creation more fun, both for yourself and for your target audience. The following tips should help.

Amuse Yourself

 If you follow this blog, you know that I've spilled my share of virtual ink about how you must write for your audience, not for yourself. After all, you're probably not your own target market; your personal likes, dislikes, needs, concerns, and shopping habits may not intersect at all with those of your customers. But I honestly believe that when you enjoy creating your marketing content, that enjoyment shines through by lending the content more sparkle and vitality. So by entertaining yourself in the content creation process, you can energize your audience by osmosis. 

Think of some of the funniest things that have occurred to you in your business or personal life. While you're giggling over that, ask yourself how you can leverage that into a story -- a story that you can then relate to your audience's experiences and struggles.

Lead With a Joke

You've probably seen or heard this approach used by all kinds of narrators, from preachers and teachers to journalists and keynote speakers. It's a powerful way to break the ice and get your audience on your side from the beginning. A humorous anecdote or elaborate joke can set the stage for a lighthearted romp, grabbing audiences' attention, tickling their emotions, and encouraging them to read on. If you enjoy the story as much as your audience, you'll be that much more eager to keep producing more of the same.

Get the Reader in on the Act

What's more fun and interesting -- being talked at, or having a two-way conversation where your thought, insights, and opinions matter? Yeah, that's what I thought -- and I guarantee that your readers feel the same way. That's why you should add entertaining interactive options to your marketing content wherever possible.

Simply asking leading questions throughout the body of the content can do wonders to create that interactive feel. Then when you get to the end of your blog post, email, podcast, or video, reach out for direct input in your call to action. Add a quiz, ask for feedback on a particular point, or provide a link for readers to enter a contest. You can even challenge your readers to send in their own short videos or stories as part of the fun!

I understand, of course, that even fun can occasionally be hard work, especially when you're not in the happiest of moods. (As Steve Martin famously said, "Comedy is not pretty.") There are times when you could use an influx of outside ideas, energy, and creativity to keep the good times rolling. But you're in luck, because I enjoy giving business's marketing content that extra kick in the pants. So contact me today -- and start having more fun with this essential element of your success!

Creating a Onesheet? Read This First

If you want a great promotional "leave-behind" for those sales calls, networking meetings, and promotional events, then you want a onesheet. Even if you've never created one for yourself before, you've probably seen plenty of them in your everyday business dealings. These handy one-page print pieces (also referred to as one sheets, one-sheets or one-pagers) can market both yourself and your brand at a glance by showing off your company colors and logo, talking about how people benefit from what you do, and including a bio spotlight for yourself or any member of your team. 

But just as a professional-quality onesheet makes the impression you want to make, a sub-par onesheet can shoot you in the foot -- especially if it gets passed around from one cringing viewer to the next. Yes, there is such a thing as bad publicity! So, how do you produce the kind of onesheet that grabs attention and gets results? First, take heed of these important tips.

Decide on the Scope of Your Onesheet

A onesheet can vary widely in the scope of its messaging. You might want a comprehensive document that devotes one side of the page to your brand's UVP and includes a detailed professional biography or "About Me" statement on the reverse side. This kind of onesheet makes a useful all-round introduction piece. Or you might only need to promote one specific product, service, or event, in which case you can probably get away with a single-sided sheet. I generally recommend the double-sided approach wherever it makes sense, if only because once that sheet gets placed face-down, it just looks like a blank piece of paper not worth flipping over. Oops! But whichever format you choose, don't try to shove a manifesto down your audience's throat. A successfully-written onesheet includes enough empty space to maximize readability and give the images a chance to shine.

Make It All Flow

An experienced graphic designer can create an intuitive visual architecture for your onesheet -- one that leads the eye naturally from one key point or element to the next. But at the same, time you need to make sure your written content does the same. The most natural progression of ideas in most marketing pieces involves three sections: (1) a pain or empathy statement that expresses your target audience's need, (2) a solution statement where you describe how you can help, and (3) a call to action that urges the reader to respond. On the bio side of your onesheet, you might start with an arresting introductory statement and then backtrack to give a brief history of your work. Along the way, sprinkle in your motivations for doing what you do. Finally, invite your reader to connect with you and learn more.

Go Out Strong

With any luck, your onesheet's beautiful design and compelling content have hooked your audience from the top left of Side 1 to the bottom right of Side 2. At this point, the worst mistake you can make is to go out with a whimper instead of a bang. Always add a call to action, whether you want the reader to contact you, place an order, visit your website or whatever. Include your contact information in the footer on both sides, just in case your readers either forget to flip the page or feel ready to act after reading only Side 1. Better yet, use your onesheet as a giant coupon delivery device. Build a barcode or tear-away section that the reader can use to redeem some extra perk or discount.

If you want a onesheet that will deliver your message and sell your products or services, you may want to leave both the content writing and the graphic design to the professionals instead of laboring over them yourself. I've written content for countless onesheets over the years, and I can hook you up with a brilliant graphic designer if you don't have one already. Contact me to learn more and get started!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Smart Ways to Repurpose Your Blog Content

Let's face it, blogging is hard work. Not only do you need to craft relevant, entertaining content that compels your target audience to action, but you have to do it again and again, cranking out posts like clockwork, to reap the full benefits of this form of content marketing. If you're going to put that much effort into the task, you might as well get as much out of your labor as possible -- and that means finding lucrative ways to repurpose that content. Take a look at a few smart ways to make your blog the gift that keeps on giving.

Compile Your Blog Posts Into a Book (or Speech)

One of the simplest and most popular ways to repurpose blog content involves dropping them together into one longer manuscript, "massaging" them until you have an honest-to-goodness eBook or printed book. Go back through your previous posts and look for an overall theme that might lend itself to this treatment. You can even blog with this end goal in mind, posting a series of related articles that naturally come together to convey a single major point. Are looking to put together a speech you can deliver to groups and associations? Look no further than your blog for source material -- or sell your blog-derived book at your presentation.

Turn Your Blog Posts Into a Course

Do you regularly dispense guidance, advice, or educational content in your blog posts? If so, you just might have the bones of an online course that you can upload to one of the major online education platforms. This strategy doesn't just open up a new potential income stream for you; it also reinforces your reputation as a problem-solver and an expert in your field. You can expand on the source material as much as you like to turn it into a series of valuable lessons.

Turn Blog Posts Into Videos

Everybody's consuming online video on a massive scale these days, with youTube serving as the most obvious example. Uploading useful, entertaining videos to your company's YouTube channel can boost your online footprint, reputation, and visibility. Since that's also the goal of regular blogging, why not use one to produce the other? Simply read your blog text into a microphone, add that audio to some relevant images, and presto -- you just made a Youtube video that's just as meaningful to your target audience as the original blog post. Why bother with this kind of redundancy? because some people are primarily readers, while others are primarily viewers. You want to grab the attention of both camps, right?

Of course, you have to have the original blog content before you can morph it into something else. If writing those original posts still stands in your way as a bottleneck to successful marketing, why not enlist the aid of a skilled freelance copywriter? Contact me today to get the creative ball rolling -- and then watch where it takes your business!

How to Make Your Blog Posts More Interesting

You may already understand that blogging can boost your business in many ways, from increasing your online authority and raising brand visibility to directing potential customers toward your website. So you have every right to feel frustrated when the hours of work you put into blog content creation yields nothing but the sound of crickets chirping. What went wrong? Sometimes you can trace the lack of interest to an erratic posting schedule, faulty SEO practices, or other strategic goofs. But you must also consider another possibility: blog content that simply doesn't grab your intended readers. If you think your blog articles lack that special something, take a look at some things you can to spiff them up.

Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself

You might be thinking, "I don't get why my audience doesn't love this blog content. i wrote it myself, and I think it's fascinating!" That's great, but you're forgetting one crucial fact: You're not your target audience. Your blog posts might convey compelling or even brilliant information that you and your peers would gladly lap up, but your customer base probably doesn't care about the specific technologies you employ, trends affecting your industry, or detailed explanations of how your products work. They may not even understand the buzzwords you're using, leaving them feeling bored, confused, or feeling like you're talking to somebody else -- which you are, unfortunately. Always ask yourself what your readers want to read and need to know before writing Word One of anything.

Let the Readers Into Your World

Even if your target audience doesn't care that much about the particulars of your industry, they can (and should) still feel a bond with you through the blog content you create. Look for exciting inside news that might spark their interest and build a blog post around it. Have you hired a brilliant new team member who has a lot to offer your customers? Write a post focused on that person. Did you recently solve a huge problem for a client? Create a little case history that explains how you came to the rescue, implying (of course) that you can do the same for the reader. Are you poised to release an amazing new product or service? Release a series of teaser posts that spark public interest and get your audience ready to buy. Do you need to address a recent challenge that potentially damages your image? Blog about it openly, stating your plan for correcting course and regaining trust.

Leverage Hot Topics

These days it seems like everybody in the world has their eyes glued to a favorite news feed, faithfully following the latest breaking headlines on everything from politics to fashion. You might find it all but impossible to compete against those hot topics. Luckily, you don't have to. Ever hear the saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" Hop on the bandwagon by thinking up ways to bring those topics into your blog posts, either as a passing reference that segues into your real topic or as a subject that directly affects your audience's need for what you do. When you consider the immense flood of breaking news that seems to surround us every day, you can see how your potential for grabbing your audience's interest is equally endless.

Give Advice

Many of the individuals who land on a blog page may have done so as the result of Googling a specific concern or question, a problem that they need to figure out pronto. Since they clearly have a strong, immediate interest in that subject, you want their query to lead them to your blog post on that very subject, right? Think about what kinds of challenges your target market faces regularly and what kinds of advice you commonly dispense. Then create blog posts offering simple explanations and helpful tips for one challenge after another -- not neglecting to include your own products or services as one potential solution. Once you've built up a formidable arsenal of such posts, they should continue to pay off for weeks, months, or years to come by directing a stream of new and repeat traffic to your business.

Now that you know how to make your blog posts more interesting, you're ready to start dreaming up those compelling topics. Would you like some help from a creative professional with decades of blogging and marketing content creation experience? Contact me today so I can help you light that fire under your audience!

How Is Content Creation Like Moving?

I'm in the process of picking up and relocating -- a process you've almost certainly dealt with at least once in your life. You know the drill: purchasing boxes, loading some items, discarding others, figuring out where everything will go and how to get it there, scheduling utility connections et cetera. While moving can seem tiring, boring, or annoying, it can also prove illuminating in some respects. In fact, as I was going through all these steps, I couldn't help but notice some striking similarities between the moving process and the content creation process. Take a look at some of the things these two activities have in common.

They Both Require Planning

Sure, you might throw everything you own into a van at random and set off for your new digs -- that is, if you don't mind opening the van to see a pile of jumbled boxes and broken valuables. Smart moving requires smart planning, from what order those boxes should be loaded and unloaded to what they should contain and what packing materials you'll need to ensure those items' safety. You also need to know that the electricity will be on when you arrive, your mail will go to the right place, and that you haven't left anything critical behind. 

Marketing content creation also requires planning, and not just in terms of organizing text and images. Ideally, you want to create an editorial calendar to coordinate and schedule your stream of content throughout the year. You must also select and nurture the right mix of social media channels to host that content and direct it at your target audience.

They Both Reward Efficiency

I've moved several times over the years, and every time I do, I manage to perform the move that much more efficiently. A move that once took several stages now only takes one or two. That's partly because I discovered the value of throwing stuff out. Where I used to simply pack up everything I owned without a second thought, I now start by asking myself, "How much of this do I need, and how much of it can I lose to streamline this project?" In the process, I've come to embrace a simpler, more minimalist lifestyle. 

Of course, that choice won't work for everyone -- but its equivalent in the world of content creation will. I'm talking about scrutinizing each and every line of copy you write. Are you using two words where one would do, or a four-syllable word where one syllable would make the point? the "slimmer" your content, the more powerful and readable it becomes. Less is more!

They Both Benefit From Outsourcing

Do you recall how you felt during and after your last move? It wasn't exactly a picnic, was it? Now matter how carefully you plan it and how efficiently you execute it, a move requires time and effort. The more of the work you do yourself, the harder it gets. (I've moved myself entirely without aid enough times to know.) At some point, you realize that you can save a lot of sweat, pain, and exhaustion by hiring a moving company for at least some of the labor involved. 

Well, you can take the same approach to content creation. Brainstorming ideas and polishing them into little jewels of persuasion can eat up a ton of time, keeping you from other necessary work while leaving you with double vision and a headache. A freelance copywriter can produce much of the content you need at a professional skill level. You know where I'm going with this, right? If you want to enjoy a speedier, less stressful, more successful marketing campaign, contact me today and move that content creation burden in my direction!

How to Get the Best Results From Your Freelance Copywriter

So you've finally decided to outsource your marketing content creation headaches to a freelance copywriter. Maybe you don't feel confident in your own skills in this area, or maybe you'd rather focus on what you do best in your business. Whatever the reason, you'll probably be glad you offloaded this time-consuming, brain-draining, expertise-requiring task. But you can't assume that simply engaging a copywriter's services will guarantee satisfaction with the final result, regardless of the writer's skill, experience, and reputation. Let's look at some important steps you can take to put yourself and your freelance talent on the same page, so to speak.

Make Sure Your Copywriter Understands Your Brand

The most brilliant marketing content in. the world may not suit your brand, like a stunning dress that simply can't be made to fit you properly. Your content needs to speak in a particular voice that matches your brand voice. What should your brand voice sound like? You and your marketing strategy team need to figure that out before you ask a writer to produce content. If you've already got a firm grip on your brand persona, you must communicate that persona to your writer during those initial conversations. Don't assume that your writer possesses some magical telepathic ability to convey your brand voice. Even the content you currently use for your marketing materials may not fit that voice all that well, potentially sending your writer down the wrong road as a reference source. The two of you need to discuss your brand, audience, style, and tone to eliminate any potential for confusion.

Take Advantage of Your Copywriter's Insights

Despite my 26 years as a professional writer, I occasionally land a client who wants to treat me as a glorified stenographer. They know exactly what they want and how they want it, with little interest in listening to outside opinions or insights. This is a mistake. When you hire an experienced copywriter, you're buying a lot more than just words -- you're also paying for that individual's industry knowledge, original ideas, and creative suggestions.  Hiring a copywriting veteran and then simply dictating to that expert is like engaging Wolfgang Puck and then forcing him to cook your own recipes. If you're buying expertise, make as much use of it as you can if you want value for money. Exchange ideas with your copywriter, be open to recommendations, and rely on that specialist's knowledge wherever possible.

Let Your Copywriter Start From Scratch

I once had a client who hired me for website content but not for blog content because "our web development company includes free blogging services." A couple of months later, this client sent me a pile of incomprehensible word salad from the company in question -- article after article that made little sense or had little to do with the client's business. The client asked me whether at least some of this junk could be salvaged, and if so, how much it would cost me to fix it. I replied that I could indeed save some of it, and it would cost him exactly as much for me to fix it as it would've cost to pay me for perfect content right out of the chute.

In many cases, editing disastrous content takes more time and effort than drafting fresh content from scratch. As a result, even if your writer charges less for editing than original writing, you may still end up with a higher bill than if you'd simply let your writer start over. The only exception to this rule applies to re-concepting, of course. If you tell your writer, "This content is fine but I've decided to make this post about something completely different," you'll pay the second full fee because you're requesting a second original article. but you can avoid that frustration by making sure you know what you want before you ask for it.

Once you've taken these suggestions to heart, you should enjoy a happier, more productive working relationship with your chosen copywriter. If you haven't chosen a copywriter yet, look no further. Contact me today so we can build your company's success as a team!

Struggling to Write That Marketing Content? Try These Productivity Joggers

Writing is hard -- and I say that as a professional writer with a quarter-century's experience under my belt. Some of the world's greatest wordsmiths have found themselves paralyzed by writer's block or otherwise unable to produce the material they need in a timely manner. Why do we struggle with this particular problem? I mean, you don't hear about people experiencing accountant's block or insurance agent's block. (Plumbers, of course, must deal with blocks of a different nature.) I think it's a combination of intimidation and time management trouble. Writing requires focused creativity for a specific period. If you don't do it regularly and efficiently, you may feel overwhelmed by its demands while also falling behind in your marketing content production quota, which only increases the perceived burden.

Fortunately, you can employ a variety of clever tricks to get yourself pumping out that materials for your website, blog, newsletter, or email marketing campaign. You don't have to resort to the drastic antics of a Friedrich Schiller, who kept stinky rotten apples in his desk drawer to inspire his creative mind. you may benefit from the following smart strategies to turbocharge your productivity.

Optimize Your Workspace

A cluttered desk area is like a cluttered mind: It makes finding specific things impossible. Those bills and tax forms only distract you from the job at hand, while constant incoming emails and online news updates help to ensure that your word processor screen remains blank. Clear all that paperwork away until you've completed your writing session. Look into "minimalist" writing apps that fill the whole screen, banishing all other electronic distractions.

Give Yourself 25 Minutes

Don't beat yourself up if you can't create for hour after hour. Research indicates that most of us can only focus on concentrated mental efforts for about 25 minutes at a time before we run out of steam. Franscesco Cirillo responded to this challenge by creating the Pomodoro technique, named after the tomato-shaped timer he sells as part of his online productivity program. But you can try a basic version of this technique using any handy timer that will alert you at the 25-minute mark. Set the timer, think and work as hard as you can for 25 minutes, and then stop and take a break when the alarm goes off. You'll keep your mind refreshed and feel less intimidated by that next session.

Set Yourself Free

Many writers and non-writers alike feel as if every sentence they set down must be a shining jewel. But if you've ever seen gems in the natural form, they're pretty rough; they need plenty of cutting and polishing before they make their way into fine jewelry. if you insist on creating a perfect phrase before you can move on to the next phrase, you'll probably just get stuck. So stop worrying about spelling, grammar, or flow. Just bang out a draft that you can polish later so at least you'll have something to polish. (Ray Bradbury famously posted a note above his typewriter that read DON'T THINK.) If the beginning of that blog post stumps you, then don't start at the beginning -- write any part of the article that you've got rattling around in your head. That bit will help you figure out the earlier and later bits, and before you know it you'll be done.

I hope these tips prove useful for you. If you still can't muster the time, energy, or creativity to produce a steady stream of marketing content on your own, you can always enlist my services. Contact me today so we can get started!