Three Ways to Fulfill The Great Expectations of Your Customers

April 3, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

For content marketers, the phrase “Know, Like and Trust” is a common objective. Companies and brands wants to achieve this goal by establishing a benchmark of familiarity with their audience, based on common values and reliability.

And it’s paying off.

These days, more people who see ads believe the ads are honest, according to this survey. In other words, 11% more people are likely to trust an ad they see today than the percentage of people in a similar survey just a few years ago.

What’s going on here? Everyone knows that advertisers try to get your attention in order to sell you something, and people don’t like to be sold to, right?

Not necessarily. Consumers don’t want to be “sold to,” but they do like to buy, especially when they’re confident they have all the information they need to make a decision.

Consumers expect nothing less than to know, like, and trust the brands they buy and the companies they do business with; and advertisers are rising to the occasion to meet consumers when and where they they’re needed. They’re also placing ads where viewers expect, tolerate, and maybe even welcome them.

Most importantly, advertisers are supporting those ads with appropriate content.

I believe this is a testament to the efforts of content creators and marketers to provide their readers with valuable content. Since useful content builds trust, the payoff multiplies for companies that run ads in conjunction with good content. They earn their customers’ trust and trust in their brand grows over time.

Ironically, institutions that used to enjoy the benefits of blind trust have fallen from grace in the eyes of the average person. Is it any surprise that the three top losers in this poll — those whose perceived honesty plummeted — are government, which doesn’t advertise except in the case of isolated and, ideally, nonpartisan public service announcements; religion, an entrenched institution whose reputation precedes advertising; and the media, which is undergoing the most disastrous fall from grace since the public’s mainstream addiction to it.

Now it’s not institutions, but rather companies and organizations that people hold to higher trust standards. People go online for an experience that quickly validates and satisfies their expectations.

Because your audience’s expectations are high, you too must send messages that complement and seamlessly integrate with your short-term goals, your users’ or customers’ engagement levels, and your overall brand objectives.

How do you satisfy your audience’s expectations of honesty in advertising? Let’s look at some companies and organizations that place ads that cultivate familiarity, likability and trust, and find out what they have in common. People EXPECT their favorite brands and people to do the following.

Send a consistent message.

Make an effort to keep your content coffers full and on schedule with the help of a content calendar like CoSchedule. If you blog, set a schedule with content topics that predict and speak to your audience’s inquiries. If you host podcasts, roundtables, or Twitter Chats, make sure you keep to a set schedule and format. Make use of the online tools available and fold them into your routine.
Consistency is actually easier to achieve when you allow your content themes to breathe. Some people fear they’ll lose their main audience if they stray from their core topic, but I prefer to think of content as an opportunity to play variations on a theme, like a jazz orchestra might take turns noodling around a tune. A diverse variety of messages within a theme enables you to connect with people in different ways, which goes a long way toward growing a diverse audience with a common interest.
Speaking of diversity, remember that people prefer to consume content in different forms. Your audience is comprised of readers, listeners, and viewers. Consistency doesn’t mean static. Try to provide content that satisfies all the ways people learn: auditory, visual, and sensory. Advertisers that offer a range of content in the form of images, videos, podcast, and blogs reach more eyeballs.
Invite others to weigh in. The voices of fellow experts, loyal partners, users, fans and influencers can make for pretty awesome content. A content manager at Blackbaud, Madeline Turner, asks nonprofit experts to chime in on using technology to further their mission, and pulls off a useful and interesting article for the company’s community of software users. It’s also a great opportunity to ask for their input, too.

Understand your audience.

Data and analytics: The topic of privacy is on many advertisers’ and marketers’ minds this week as old FCC privacy rules are likely to stay in effect for the time being. For some, this means that that it’s possible to cross over from trying to understand an audience to almost (ok, literally) spying on them. Internet service providers with access to consumers’ browsing habits will be able to sell that data to advertisers. That’s edging in on creepy (albeit inevitable) if you ask me, but it’s not what I’m talking about here. For many marketers, a worthy goal is attracting the right people, re-engaging current customers and staying relevant in their eyes.
- One way to transparently keep your finger on your customer’s pulse is to have an opt-in process in place and a reason to monitor and engage with your audience’s actions. Willing participation translates into natural trust. If your community already knows that you operate above a certain self-imposed level, then there are no surprises when they see your ads. Simply asking for permission reaps great returns in trust.
- Another increasingly common trust building practice is to notify your audience of how your collect data. Most websites use cookies and hidden pixels to track where their readers have been and what they are looking for on your website. Some sites go the extra mile to notify their visitors. You’ve seen the bar across the bottom a your screen telling you ‘This site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience,” or similar verbiage. That company cares about transparency and values your trust.

Feedback: Getting and giving feedback is difficult. At least it doesn’t come naturally for most of us who were taught to “be nice,” says Kim Scott, author of the book Radical Candor. If processing personal feedback is confusing, how much more so for a large company with multiple products, services and features! Making sense of hundreds of incoming opinions and questions can overwhelm a service team and muddy their efforts to deliver a great experience. In Evernote’s Taking Note podcast, Gerald Hastie shares how the company manages feedback from its community of users. Practices include surveys, user groups, and community questions and answers. All that information is useless if you don’t use it to improve your users’ experience. Asking is better than guessing when your goal is to fulfill the expectations of your customers. Trust grows when you ask and follow through with knowledge gleaned from hard-earned feedback.

Accessibility: Sometimes the best content is happening right now. If you’re not around, you’ll miss it completely. You’re able now to have real time conversations on social media. Anyone with a phone can host a get together. Storytelling on Facebook Live, Instagram, and SnapChat allows you to meet your audience and instantly harvest feedback on topics your audience favors. Watch a couple minutes of Mari Smith and a roomful of Social Media Marketing world attendees geeking out on Facebook Live with Facebook training. Then imagine how you (or someone in your group who’s a natural like Mari!) could put this easy-to-use technology to work for your company or organization.

Be human.

Effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human.

~ Brian Solis

If you want humans to engage with you, then you have to act like a human. Some say the quickest way to gain trust is through vulnerability. While you don’t have to spill your coffee on yourself to show you’re human, you might share where you’ve learned a lesson, let people know you have a life outside of work, or even act a little goofy sometimes.

Authenticity sets you apart. Don’t try to be something you’re not. One of my favorite cartoons shows a dog in 1994 telling another dog, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.” The next frame show the same dog, many years later saying, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, everyone knows you’re a dog.” You can fool some people some of the time, but if you neglect the first two trust builders (and the great expectations of your audience), you’re sure not going to fool them for long!

Own up to mistakes. The sad truth is that eventually you are going to trip up. Most of us humans fail in a less public way, but the shame we feel is huge. Maybe you’ll never release a sucky version of your software (Windows XP), hand someone the wrong envelope (Price Waterhouse), or make too-thin yoga pants and charge $98 for them (Lululemon). But a mistake you’re personally invested in probably feels just as buzzworthy.

Coming back from failures, even really dismal ones, feeds the fertile ground of growth. It actually makes us strong and brave.

In your personal AND professional life, there are times — and it may feel like years — when you’re facing into a strong wind. Remember that everyone gets their share of trouble. In the world of content marketing, braving mistakes is a great way to build connections with your best, most loyal fans.

If you’re taking chances and developing just outside of your comfort zone, then criticism is inevitable. How you handle your critics makes you memorable in the eyes of your audience (because they’re all watching, you know). Jay Baer is a proponent of “embracing your haters to keep your customers.” A bad experience shared online can unravel years of positive work and appreciation. Publicly setting things right with calm, humor, and even a degree of urgency, you’ll probably rebound with integrity and resilience; possibly even winning increased loyalty from your customers. Most people want to cheer a comeback than watch a house of cards fall.

Share your wins and strengths as well as your challenges. Even in good times, the head-spinning immediacy and publicity of social media may make you want to sit out for a spell. But your audience expects your presence.

Try to stay in the moment, and don’t overthink transparency. The sooner you deal with reality the better. A fortress is a dangerous place. When all eyes are on you and you’re advocating for yourself or your company, avoid telling your version of the story. Focus instead on what you learned. Never forget that while people may be curious about how a blunder went down, your customer mainly wants to find out what’s in it for him.

Relax. Breathe. Shake it out. Lose the uppity voice, the jargon, and inclination to pontificate. Not that you’re guilty of any of that, of course!

One easy way to develop a natural, human voice in your content is to read your content out loud, preferably to another human. (Dogs don’t count.)

It’s a process, but it’s one you can easily get good at, if you strive to know, like and trust your customers the same way you want them to know, like and trust you.

Remember your objective. To earn your customer’s trust and fulfill their expectations, you first have to be there, with consistency and an understanding of their needs and desires.

In the end, content marketing is a two-way street.

Seven Simple Writing Techniques To Keep People Reading To The Bottom Of The Page

January 6, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

The famous copywriter Joe Sugarman says “the purpose of the first sentence is to get the reader to read the second sentence.” Effective writing is all about flow and purpose.

Your goal is to get the reader to consume your entire page; to get to the end of the text, if not to actually read every single word.

How do you do that, and how do you know when you’ve achieved that? Well, the best way to test the readability of your copy is to use the Flesch Reading Ease Score.

Do people read your emails down to the bottom of the page? After you’ve picked your topic, outlined its main points, and decided what you want your reader to take away or do; the writing should be easy, right?

Well, it’s not always that easy. Even if you’re speaking in your natural voice, and you’re sharing the true and meaning-packed morsels of wisdom you were put on this earth to say; even if your headline is riveting and your layout inviting — your JOB is to get your email (or article, blog post, or press release) actually read by human eyes and minds.

As Sonia Simone declares so earnestly, “You have a voice that’s irreplaceable. It can’t be turned into a clever algorithm. It can’t be duplicated and it can’t be churned out for a penny a word.”

With such a message to deliver, your writing must be readable.

If the point of “good copy” is to get your reader’s eyes moving down the page, and even instigate action on the part of your beloved reader, then it pays to know some basic copywriting tips.

When your reader answers your call to action, you’ll know your copy is readable. In that case, there are also probably a lot of other things going on that are working well together – strong graphics, a desirable offer, good credibility – but your writing plays the critical role.

Before testing your writing on your reader, why not test it yourself? Did you know you could even do that?

I’m going to show you how to score the readability of your page, and then how to accomplish your readability goals.

The Flesch Reading Ease Score and the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level both measure your writing’s readability. Developed to ensure standards in military technical training manuals, the scores can be used to easily gauge the readability of your writing too. You’ll find them within the spelling tool in Microsoft Word.

For more in-depth understanding of your score, you can also copy and paste your text into the space provided on this handy and informative website. It’s actually kind of fun to play around with your sentence structure and word choices on this site. Try it and let me know how it goes.

Now here’s the kicker about reading ease: Did you know that the average person reads and comprehends — and hits the sweet spot of persuasion — at about the 6th and 7th grade reading level?

If you can consistently write copy that falls somewhere around the 60 – 70 score (the reading ability of an average 13 – 15 year old student) then you will reach, satisfy, convince and convert the most people.

Reading comprehension varies based on education level and experience (the lower the Flesch Reading Ease score, the more difficult to understand) but even college grads and other “smart” people respond most readily to writing that is within the 60 – 70 range.

word magic? — Working your magic through words…

Working Magic Through Words

Are there tricks to this? Is there some magic formula for achieving this score when you write? While the Flesch scores take into account sentence length and word length, here are some practical ways to squeeze the most juice out of your writing, while keeping it clear and simple.

Use short, punchy words. Don’t neglect the juicy descriptive words; just remember to jab with words that can take the place of long phrases every now and then. Remember, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Use meaty words to interest and engage people. If you are stranded in realms of possibility, or spend too much time in thoughtful rumination — verbal navel gazing — you can lose your reader really fast. Ground yourself in the real world. Think red meat, not pie in the sky. That means…

Employ action words to sweep the reader along. Stay away from “be” “is” and “are.” These words form passive sentences that bore readers to sleep. Use them only when you absolutely must. Compare the following sentences:
- It was decided that the gymnasium be locked after the institution’s operating hours in an effort to thwart the local vandals’ destruction. (Flesch Reading Ease 38.3; Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level 12.0)
- To stop the vandalism at the gym, Mr. Brown decided to keep it locked after school. (Flesch Reading Ease 82.2; Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level 5.7)

Grab your reader with descriptive verbs and adjectives. “She says.” could be “She squeals.” or “She drones.” Each sentence would contribute about the same to the reading ease score because of structure and word length…but what differences between them!

Take another example: a purple paint color chosen for an office could be either “sickly” or “soothing” — simple descriptions that powerfully alter the reader’s perception and emotion.

Vary your sentence lengths. Sentence lengths should both sizzle and pop, almost like the rhythm of an exciting tennis match. Long volleys back and forth are satisfying to watch and more leisurely — but can last forever. Rapid rallies at the net add excitement – but they don’t last as long.

You should be able to write in both styles, just as a pro tennis player can play at the net and the baseline with equal efficiency. Go back and forth between short and long sentence lengths to keep your paragraphs balanced and your cadence natural.

Don’t be afraid to utilize white space. Certain copywriters who write in one-sentence paragraphs create some of the best emails I’ve read. The physical space between each thought works as hard as the actual text to pull the reader along. Of course in this case the writing must be spectacular.

One of the best methods you can use to find your most powerful voice as a writer — and to keep people reading — is to write without self-editing. Write like a banshee. Force yourself to say it like it is, any way you can, and just the way you want to. Forget about spelling and grammar. Set a timer for only two minutes (if you have to) and write like mad.

Before you go back and cut your writing to the bone, you’ll find kernels of richness in there, as well as a lot of garbage. Don’t leave the chaff for your reader to remove; he won’t. Only after you have thrown it all up on the page (sorry for that graphic description) should you edit yourself.

That’s right, I didn’t forget the editing part. Take all of the above writing techniques into account and then…

The Final Step… Edit Your Work.

Be ruthless. See if you can cut the length in half. That could have (and probably should have) been technique number eight, but editing is a whole new topic, IMHO. Editing’s just as important to getting people to read to the end, but not exactly in the gooey pond of connective content I’m talking about today.

I was talking yesterday with a friend (and one of the smartest women I know), a Wharton MBA and a big mucky-muck at a computer company that rhymes with “Spell.” She told me how she goes through her emails and trades big words for smaller ones, scratches everything that isn’t absolutely crucial to her main point, and then goes back again and cuts the entire email down to a third of the original. She sighed, “It’s so sad…” and I countered, “It’s wonderful; that’s good writing.”

While practice is the best way to improve your writing, you can sharpen your writing style with these tips. As your copy grows stronger, your Flesch Ease Score will reveal how readers will receive it.

If I’ve missed any tips for making your copy more readable, why not let me know in the comments below. Thanks, and if you’d like more writing tips in an easy video format, login and get these 21 quick and easy videos. Click here for access.

*This post has been updated from an earlier post dated Jan.12, 2012.

18 Content Writing Jobs To Make More Money As A Freelancer

September 19, 2016 by Elizabeth 2 Comments

Did you know that writers can make over $50,000 a year? If you are considering a freelance writing career, then this is a great time to start. There is a massive need for content and incredible, high-quality writers are needed, even more, to craft them.

People often think freelance writing is primarily about blogging, article writing, or writing corporate blogs. New freelancers tend to box themselves in these stereotypical content writing jobs. It’s time to think out of the box and get more out of your freelance writing career.

Commonly Applied-for Content Writing Jobs

Blog Writer

Blogs needn’t be for personal information. Blogs that people find useful and relevant are shared more often. Companies with a successful content marketing campaign will have at least 3-5 blog posts a month. General info, tips and how-to’s related to health, travel, fashion, education, beauty, wedding, photography, music blogs, entertainment blogs, etc. A beginner may earn anywhere between $20 to $30 per blog post.

Article Writer

Do you know that blog post and article writing are two different things? Before writing a print or web article, know the do’s and don’ts and make sure you’re thoroughly acquainted with the magazine’s current content and tone. There are many websites and companies that need high quality article writers who have a good command over the language and a more sophisticated writing style. Do your homework; send queries or finished, well-researched articles to magazines and potentially earn over $500 per article!

SEO Copywriter

Content writers who know rudimentary SEO and CMS skills can pursue these jobs. These jobs typically pay higher than regular blogs and articles.

Ghost Writer

Busy CEO’s, executives, leaders, celebrities who don’t have the time (or the skill) hire ghostwriters to write their blogs or books. Reflect whether you’d be OK to give credit to someone else for a job you did. If you don’t mind that then you could easily take up this job for experience and learn from the criticism and feedback. Ghostwriting is a lucrative niche.

The problem with these common content writing jobs:

Writers often struggle to find well-paying blog sites, and articles… but really, you can make a lot more by just specialising in content writing jobs other than blogs or articles.

There is more to content writing than blogging!

Different content writing jobs exist. These are outside of writing articles, blogs or even ebooks. Sometimes you find what you like because of the skills required. Other times, you may stumble upon these new opportunities. If you do, make sure you grab them, each time! Here is a quick list of other content writing jobs that you can explore and earn more while you’re at it.

Why we love these 14 other content writing jobs (and you will too!)

Email Marketing

You need copywriting skills, jammed with analytical skills, marketing, and research to ensure consistent email quality. If you have these skills, then consider venturing into this thriving market. If you want to know how to become an email marketer, then here is a great article by Career Lancer.

Writing Bios and About Pages

Writing about oneself or one’s business can be difficult. Trying to find the right balance between being informative and not sounding arrogant can be even harder for some. Writing bios and about pages is the perfect job for an unbiased content writer. You may want to read this informative article by Heather Hummel on HuffPost for more on bios.

Resume Writing

As long as there are jobs, there will be the need to create, design, and edit resumes. If you have a knack for interviewing people or have superb editing skills that people envy, put a price on it. There are plenty of opportunities online. The pay depends on the type of resumes; for instance, an entry-level resume can earn you up to $400!

Social Media Coordinator

You need to be a writer to write engaging content, implement changes in the media platforms, market products and services, facilitate conversation and share information, besides analyzing the best route to meet customers’ needs through social media. A social media manager earns between $34k to $56k a year! Here’s a handy infographic guide to get social media jobs, created by The Daily Muse.

White Papers

If you enjoy doing research and are able to intelligently piece critical information together, then writing white papers can be a very rewarding alternative to blogging. Instead of doing a one-off white paper, Gordon Graham says you can focus entirely on this niche. Since white papers take up plenty of time and effort, firms readily outsource this work to content writers. A beginner can make up to $3000 per white paper, if the finished product is polished and well-researched.

Presentations

There are a number of businesses like insurance companies, startups and sales teams that need effective presentations. They need to drive the message and engage their potential customers, not bore them away with heavily worded technical jargon. A content writer can help streamline their message for the presentations, and help them relay it in a way that’s meaningful to their audience. Content fees for PowerPoint jobs typically range upwards of between $70/hour – $125 per presentation, depending on length.

In-Person Event Writer

People are hard pressed for time these days. When time is a constraint, the in-person event writer is asked to attend meetings, seminars etc. then collate information, and/or deliver the content through social media or email.

Videos

Vlogs or Video blogging are on the rise. In fact, Variety conducted a survey in the US that shows teenagers like vloggers better than mainstream celebrities. Vloggers connect with audiences through Youtube, Instagram, and other sources. Because YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, content writers are required to fulfill the SEO need to write meta titles, meta tags and keyword based descriptions. These are just as relevant for YouTube as they are for websites. Integrate SEO skills and you’ll position yourself as an even more valuable contributor.

Podcasts

A podcast writer needs to be clear and concise. The delivery should not sound like a speech, but spontaneous and natural. Use of simple, conversational language is important here. Moreover, podcasts need a short write-up to describe each session. Show notes, as they are called, need to be enough to arouse curiosity, while not revealing so much that the audio is ignored. It’s tricky, and that’s why a content writer may get paid well here.

Print and e-Newsletters

To expand their reach, businesses send out mass print or e-newsletters to subscribers. Writers in this huge niche are involved in research, design, content writing, calls to action, testing, and tracking responses. Knowledge of HTML and analytical skills add to a writer’s value to clients in this field.

Webinars/ Webcast

People want to learn new skills quickly, and during hours that fit their personal schedules. These days, seminars, lectures, presentations, training events, or workshops are conducted over the internet to meet the preferences and convenience of users. More than 60% of marketers use webinars as part of their content marketing campaigns. Content writers are needed in this niche more than ever before.

Brochures

Writing a brochure requires some unique skill. A brochure writer must engage, create a rapport, then convince a customer to either buy the product or request more information. Often working closely with a graphic designer, a brochure writer can easily charge $100 – $150 per assignment.

Bid Writers

A bid writer works on documents that help companies win contracts to provide their services. Good communication, excellent research and writing skill is required from a content writer here. A beginner can earn from $60 and $150 per hour. Note that experience adds even more value to the bid writer, since the more understanding a writer has of a company’s services, the more likely the company will win a signed contract or purchase order.

Medical Writer

A medical writer works closely with doctors and scientists. Writers need to understand and create clear and effective documents relating to research, drugs, diagnoses, treatments, and other related medical information. In addition, the document created by the medical writer must have a proper structure and format. The pay depends on many factors, and usually requires experience within the healthcare industry.

The Best Part About Finding Your Niche

The best part about exploring all these other content writing jobs and what we love about them, is that, you can:

Narrow down your potential clients.
Serve the right ones better.
Do what you love!

Freelance content writing is one of the best emerging options for those who want to ditch the cubicles and the rigid working hours.

Explore your possibilities and you’re sure to find your specialty.

As a newbie freelance writer or even an established one, start paying more attention to other content writing jobs, and not just blogs or articles. Take some time to reflect on your skills and interests. Specialize in a couple of niches, based on your strengths. Hone those skills to attract new and better clients in those specific areas.

Finally, don’t forget that you can always approach media and marketing agencies that service specific industries or genres, such as the technology, fashion, travel, religious, or professional sectors; for content writing jobs other than just general blog or article writing. If you have a keen interest in a subject, or experience within one particular industry, you may carve out your niche as the go-to writer.

There is always room for growth – if you let yourself think outside of the box.

So what are the other content writing jobs that you know about? Comment below!

Elizabeth Alex is a freelance content writer for hire. Follow her on her website, Honestliz.com, Facebook and Twitter.

How To Make The Clearest Landing Page Ever

September 9, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Freelancers need to market their business just like everyone else.

One of the best ways to increase your traffic and get interested clients to take notice is to bring them on board as email subscribers, or through the purchase of a small product or downloadable freebie.

Even if you never create a landing page for yourself, as a freelance copywriter or graphic designer, you should know how to make one for a customer.

I’m going to show you the top four considerations that will help you make the clearest landing page ever, and convert your best clients.

The most important thing you can do for your customer or visitor to your website is to NOT confuse them.

Seems so easy, right? But it’s a tall order unless you know what you want your customer to do. You need to have that planned out, not only for the landing page, but for the steps before and after. The customer’s journey is personal. Your job is to make sure your visitor knows that they’re in the right place. When your page opens, it will make sense based on where they’ve been and what they’ve been reading or searching for…

The second is to make sure that there’s no confusion as to what they’re supposed to do next.

This 60-second video below shows how to simplify the landing page so that your customer only has one thing to think about when they land on it. It’s simple, really, provide one —just ONE — call to action. Watch…

I like the golf analogy, don’t you? Landing pages are valuable to your content marketing mix because they allow you, the business owner, to distill down to one important thing that will move your business forward. I’ve seen company websites that have dozens of landing pages and I’ve seen some that have one. The ones that have a lot are more successful because it’s like have many different doors through which your customers can find you.

Some say the cardinal rule of asking for business is being very specific. I was in a BNI networking/referral group once where you had to make a specific request when you asked for a referral. You had to pay a dollar if you stood up and said you were looking for “anyone who…” It wasn’t allowed.

Well, in the same way, a landing page lets you be very specific. But don’t let it limit you.

The clearest landing page has only one call to action, but that doesn’t mean you can only have one landing page. You can have dozens of landing pages, each geared to a different person, to promote a different product, or to inspire a different course of action… just limit your request to one per page.

Besides one clear call to action, what else should you consider?

1. De-clutter your page.

Make sure the page has plenty of white space. Even the text should be somewhat sparse. Copywriters will tell you that you should use as many words as is required to make your point, but in a landing page, you should shoot for minimalism. If you take the golf green idea a step further, that little cup needs to be visible, not hidden by hazards. The example above, a Leadpages template, makes good use of white space.

2. Make the call-to-action button stand out.

The user’s eyes should fall right on the CTA button.

Don’t make your reader find a line of text, use a visually eye-catching color, and a nice, clear font. You might consider using a color that contrasts with the rest of the page in order to make it stand out.

One of my favorite online tools is a simple button maker for quick, call-to-action buttons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used this in a jiffy to create the perfect button.

3. Remember, people click for themselves.

It has to be all about them, not you. People click to do themselves a favor, not you.

Never forget who you’re creating the landing page for in the first place. If you don’t know your customer, this one’s going to be tricky. Businesses may think they’re just like everyone else, or they may believe they are wildly different from their competition. But there are specific reasons why you’re the perfect fit for that specific person.

When you know that person, and what they’re dealing with right now, you can easily list bullet points that speak their language, show them you understand their pain points, and relate to whatever trips their trigger.

4. Reverse engineer the content for incoming sources.

This is truly one of the most important factors in your landing page’s success, but it’s not often talked about. You’re going to be driving people to your landing page via PPC ads, banners, affiliate links, and social media posts. Whatever fonts, text, CTA or images you use in the landing page, should mirror the landing page content.

The example above illustrates this concept. A promoted tweet by Connexity asks the marketer to download the ebook with text as to its content. When the user clicks, the landing page contains the same colorful graphic on a darker background. It also uses the same or similar words: “balance marketing channels” and “attribution.”

There’s no confusion as to whether the visitor in the right place or not, and the landing page goes a little deeper into the reason why someone might want to download the paper. (It could have gone even deeper into its benefits, but you get the idea.)

With landing pages, you’re going for “Hell yeah” or “Hell no.” There is no in-between.

One final reminder about landing pages: To rivet your audience and cause people take an action, you must force a decision. That means no sidebars or navigation bars. You want your visitor to answer either yes or no. Yes, they fill in the form. No, they close the page. Yes, some people will bookmark it or simply open a new window. Then you have another shot when they happen to come back by. Make use of these five tips, and they’ll be more likely to either pounce or decline.

Can we help you create an offer, or a landing page that earns your business a “Hell yeah” click? Contact me, and let’s talk about your project.

How Just One Tweak Helps You stand Out In A Vanilla World

August 11, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan 2 Comments

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Wait, let me guess…. um, vanilla!

How did I know that? Because most people prefer vanilla over any other flavor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re boring.Vanilla’s just popular.

Let’s say you’re in the vanilla ice cream business. You’re the entrepreneur of ice creamy goodness. The brains behind the bean. Congratulations, you have a large share of the market!

Except it’s too large. And there are so many other purveyors of vanilla ice cream. How do you corner your particular niche of your vanilla-loving market? How do you market your product so you stand out in a vanilla world?

Close your eyes and be your customer for a moment. What do they remember about you vs. your competition? Which juicy part of their senses or psyche do you nudge?

You’ve got to add something to stand out.

Or, whittle it down to bare bones and stand out.

No matter what business you’re in, chances are, there’s someone selling something similar (say that five times fast), so you have to stand out to get people to notice what you do.

You’ll also have more fun marketing if you distinguish yourself from everyone else.

For example, if it’s vanilla ice cream you’re serving…

Serve it quickest.
Serve it coldest.
Serve it softest.
Serve it hardest.
Pump up the fat content.
Make it ulta-convenient.
Make it low cal.
Serve it in an unusual container.
Serve it with a smile or it’s free.
Serve it with guarantee.
Serve it with a thought-for-the-day.
Serve it with a compliment.
Serve it with pie (and I’ll be there).
Serve it upside down.
Serve it some way, somehow, with something, anything, to earn a special place in your customer’s heart.

You’ll sell a lot of ice cream cones if you’re not “just” vanilla… but that special brand of vanilla.

Now think about your business and scoop out a niche for yourself. Go ahead and serve up something really cool and different.

Do you practice your craft in a weird way?

Hold opinions that swerve from the mainstream?

Devote more ___ to your ____?

OK, let’s say it differently: Anything quirky about your methods, your experience, or your customers?

That’s what you want to tell your readers and potential customers all about! With all the choices in the market, you want your customers to know you for something unique; something jaw-droppingly, crazily unique.

Then, make sure your copywriting and content reflects that.

Avoid just sending news about your latest launch or release. Even coupons, discounts and invitations get old unless you intersperse them with valuable content no one else is sharing. Think of your copy and content like just like serving up another scoop of your best vanilla ice cream. In a world full of content, your customers are the ones who value yours and give you their business — even though they can get vanilla anywhere!

Your scoop of content melts into that visceral corner of their brain where emotions stir… people get hooked and come back for more.

Need a hand identifying how you are “YOU-nique”?

If you’re having trouble discovering what it is that makes you stand out, download this branding self-assessment that will help you figure it out. (By the way, I ask these questions of all my new clients so I can write better content and copy for them. Use them and see for yourself.)

You’ll also gain access to ebooks, videos and other free marketing resources for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses.