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“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.

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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.

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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. ©

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Not all benefits are created equal. Knowing which ones to use when can make a big difference in the credibility — and success — of your marketing campaigns.

There are three basic levels of benefit to any product or service. The first is just one step away from a feature, and is generally called a “Product Benefit” (because it is still centered on the product). Peanut Butter is made with natural ingredients and contains healthy proteins and monounsaturated fats.

The second level is stronger. It’s called the “Consumer Benefit,” because it focuses on (you guessed it!) the consumer, and the positive result she gets from the product benefit. My children get extra nutrition that tastes good — so they’ll eat it.

The strongest level is called “Values.” It’s the internal reward that comes from the Consumer Benefit. I’m a good mother because I serve healthy Peanut Butter to my children.

So if Values are the strongest level of benefit, you should always use them, right? Not necessarily.

The problem with selling to Values is that it’s easy to sound like you’re full of hype. Not only that, but coming right out and saying, “You’ll be a good mother if you serve Peanut Butter,” is downright insulting.

That’s why it’s best to hint at Value Benefits. “Choosy Moms Choose Jif.” See how the benefit is implied, rather than overtly stated? And isn’t it much more effective than, “Be A Good Mother! Choose Jif,” would be?

Marketing is all about getting the benefits across to your prospect. Unfortunately, there’s no single answer to which level to use when. It all depends on the product or service, and who it’s being sold to. But knowing more about them can help you choose the right one — or mixture of several — that’s just right for your situation.

Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer delivers persuasive, targeted copywriting that dramatically increases your business. Unleash the power of words on behalf of your business by visiting http://www.dramatic-copy.com today.

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