AdvertisingSolution.info

“We don’t have any competition. We’re a truly a one-of-a-kind company.” I’ve heard that line from clients for years. I wish it were true, but it’s simply not. In fact, it wouldn’t matter if you held a monopoly on your particular product or service; you’d still have competition. How? Because your competition doesn’t come from a singular source.

There may be no other businesses that sell the product or service you sell, but you still have competition. Once that’s understood you have a greater advantage when it comes to copywriting. You can recognize the other options your customers have before them and can position yourself as the only logical choice.

Know Who Your Competition Is

Competition comes from a variety of sources. Yes, there are those who sell the same things you sell, but there competition comes in other forms, too.

The Same But Different

Charitable organizations are a good example of “same but different.” Your group may be the only one raising funds to save the purple spotted toad of northern Antarctica but that doesn’t mean you’ll receive a flood of contributions from everyone you call. Why? Because there are a million and a half other charitable organizations out there all vying for the same money from the same people.

None of these other groups is trying to raise funds to save the purple spotted toad of northern Antarctica, but they are trying to get individuals to donate to their causes. That makes them all your competition.

How do you get around this problem? Assuming your traffic generating efforts or your mailing list is highly targeted, you’ll want to make a strong case for this little toad. In your copy, let the readers know why the purple spotted toad is important to the environment (he’s the only toad in existence that carries antibodies that can cure cancer). Tell them why the world would be a much sadder place without our bouncing little friend. (In addition to being the only purple toad in the world, this guy is the only food the frosty wilder beast will eat so he’s vital to the food chain).

Just like with any other type of copywriting, list the benefits of the purple spotted toad. Why is he important to nature, how will the ecology suffer with his demise and what will happen to the rest of Antarctica if he becomes extinct? All of these are vital to convincing your audience that they should favor you with their contributions instead of some other organization.

Everyone In the Search Results

Go to your favorite search engine and type in “copywriting course” (without the quotes). What do you see? There are a lot of options listed on the search results page. Are all these products the same? By all means no!

Some are live workshops, others are e-courses, some focus strictly on one type of copywriting leaving all others by the wayside, some are correspondence courses while others are downloadable. But because they all appear in response to the query “copywriting course,” they all have the potential to take sales away. Even if your site falls into the coveted #1 position, the others on the page could potentially grab some of your sales.

So how do you get surfers to click on your site’s listing? Your title and description have to be first rate.

If your copywriting course has a specialty (sales letters, search engines, catalogs, etc.) say so. Choose the most powerful benefit and a way to set yourself apart (your USP) and use those in the tags for your search results along with your keyphrases. Simply having keywords in your title and description might get you ranked with the engine but it sure won’t entice anybody to click to your site.

Other Options

There are options and substitutes for practically everything in the world. If people don’t want to pay for a computer and Internet access so they can send email, they can write letters or call their friends and family. If customers decide the cost of groceries is out of control, they can plant a garden and eat a vegetarian diet. There are even alternatives to cars: taking a cab (as most do in New York), bicycling (very popular in London) or walking (great exercise). All of these alternatives can be competition for you.

To overcome the pull of other options, when you write copy be sure emphasize why those other options really aren’t viable. The sheer act of writing letters takes time in and of itself. Then you have to mail the letter and wait. If the person wants to respond, they have to get motivated enough to sit down and write a reply and mail it. Then you wait again. The phone? Yes, people could use the phone to talk like they always have, but what about when you want to show the person you’re talking with something? A picture of your new grandchild or your new car can’t be shown over the phone. You get the idea.

Drop the egotistical viewpoint that you have no competition and take a good, hard look around. Once you’ve realized that there is always an alternative to buying what you offer, you’ll be in a better mindset to write copy that outlines why yours is the only option the prospect should consider.

© 2005 http://www.learn-copywriting.com

Tired of endlessly searching the ‘Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques? Need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting? Visit http://www.learn-copywriting.com today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.

IF PUBLISHING ON A WEBSITE, USE THIS RESOURCE BOX:

Tired of endlessly searching the ‘Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques? Need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting? Visit Learn Copywriting today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.

Share This

Word choice can change the perception and value of your business communications. Each piece of correspondence, promotional, marketing and advertising material your company produces is an investment in your success. Are you investing wisely?

Think about the words “old” and “experienced”. They have similar meanings. However if you advertised that you are the most “experienced” business as opposed to the “oldest” you’d probably receive a better response.

Let’s look at the definitions.

Old by definition means one of specified age or from an earlier time.

Experienced by definition means made skillful or wise through experience (also practiced).

By definition the words are similar and can be interchanged, yet what do you visualize when you think of each word?

Would you rather do business with an “old” or “experienced” business? It depends on personal perception and you need to know the perceptions of your customers.

This is only one example of why what you say is just as important as how you say it. When considering word choice, think about what motivates and what will move your customers closer to the desired action.

Surprisingly, many businesses fail to recognize the importance of strong content for marketing, advertising, promotional materials and even basic business correspondence.

Often design or format of such materials is given first consideration. It’s true that a visually pleasing layout helps form image and is an important part of the branding process. However, content is king and your materials will be more effective with a balanced marriage of content and design.

Here’s why.

Copy (that’s the written part of documents) should move your customers through a process. A well designed brochure may catch the eye but if the content doesn’t pique interest, clearly describe the “what’s in it for me” factor, answer commonly asked questions or ask for action, customers won’t respond as favorably as they could. Plus, your return on investment will be not be as strong as it should be.

Your customers should do more than merely glance at your materials because they look good. You want your customers to be engaged and interested in what you have to say about your product or service. Most importantly, you want them to take action. What are your marketing and advertising materials saying? Are you getting the response you desire?

This article may be reproduced in its entirety with the following inclusion: Lisa Manyon is a writer and consultant specializing in POWERFULLY communicating business messages to get results. Her work has been featured by the National Association of Women Writers and her experience positioned her to create a series of training seminars for the Idaho Small Business Development Center to help small businesses avoid costly marketing startup mistakes. She specializes in copywriting and strategic marketing plans. To learn more visit http://www.writeoncreative.com Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. ©

Share This

The marketing field is flooded with sources and experts. How does a business owner weed through these sources - and all their advice - to find someone who can help grow businesses effectively and affordably? Smart business owners always advertise with two things in mind: 1. The Ten Commandments of Marketing; 2. The Ten Commandments of the Bible.

The Ten Commandments of Marketing

1. Get a marketing plan. Even the simplest of plans can help business owners avoid wasting literally thousands of dollars and sometimes years of lost business growth.
2. A business owner’s main focus should be on growing business. Hire consultants to handle accounting, taxes, marketing or any other tasks that may distract from growing business.
3. Business owners should know their customers. Their customer is not they or their spouse or their best friend. They should constantly talk to real customers and test their message on them.
4. Pick a niche. No one is going to believe that one business or product is the best, the fastest and the cheapest. Pick one. And stick with it.
5. Advertise products’ benefits - not their features. Customers don’t care about the 786-megawatt superconductor. They just want to know how it’s going to save them time, make them money or improve their image.
6. Specialized products should be advertised through direct media channels. Products offering something for everyone should be advertised through mass media channels.
7, Keep words to a minimum. Enough said.
8. Generally, prospects need to hear or see a message at least nine times. Generally, prospects need to hear or see a message at least nine times. Generally…
9. Stay ahead of customers. Stick with what works, but watch sales trends.
If trends start changing, products and/or marketing mix may need a change.
10. Free advertising is the best kind. If something is really newsworthy, let the media know.

The Ten Commandments of the Bible

Being aware of the Ten Commandments of the Bible will help business owners select a good marketing specialist. Most marketing specialists probably can’t recite the Commandments. But they should know they frown on stealing, lying, cheating, and a few other things.

A good marketing specialist will ask a lot of questions; they’ll give some free advice; they’ll provide a very close estimate and guarantee to work within the estimated boundaries. In short, they don’t lie, cheat or steal.

Smart business owners listen to their gut instincts to find a good marketing consultant. A good one will ask a lot of questions about the specific business, its history, its successes and failures. They’ll ask where the owner thinks the business should go; they’ll give some free advice; they’ll provide a very close estimate for the work they recommend; they’ll guarantee to work within the estimated boundaries. In short, they’ll care about the Client. If they don’t, move on. This sounds like simple advice, but it’s surprising how many business owners throw out these rules and don’t listen to their gut instincts.

By following the Ten Commandments of Marketing and the Ten Commandments of the Holy Bible, success will come easier. All business owners seem to do a lot of praying when it comes to the state of their business anyway, so it just seems fitting to tie the two together.

Holly George, Award-Winning Advertising Expert & Marketing Spitfire, shows small business owners how to blast their business to the next level of success. Find out more at http://www.boostyourbottomline.com

Share This