Portland Copywriting Blog
Breakfast at the Inn
Posted by Hannah Martine | October 13th, 2011
What does having breakfast at an inn have to do with marketing? Read on …
Recently, some friends and I stayed at a lovely Inn on the Washington coast. The rooms were charming, the staff was friendly, and dinner was absolutely fabulous!
The next morning, we gathered in the dining room to have breakfast together before everyone started the drive home.
Breakfast was included in the rate, and featured fresh, local ingredients. One of my friends chose her preferred dish and asked for a side order of bacon as well.
The waitress stunned the whole table by saying, “Sorry, can’t do that.”
Since bacon was listed in the Side Orders section at the bottom of the menu, we had to ask.
Why couldn’t we have a side order of bacon?
“Because I’d have to charge you extra,” came the answer.
Oh.
Well.
Now that’s a problem.
Not because we would have to pay extra, but because the waitress missed an opportunity to sell us what we really wanted, make more profit for her employer, and probably also get a bigger tip.
What are the lessons here?
- ° Sell customers what they want. Isn’t that why you are in business?
- ° Turn a perceived problem into an opportunity to wow customers.
We did get the bacon and happily paid the extra two bucks. The rest of our stay at the inn was delightful. Hopefully, next time our circle of friends decides to spend the weekend there, the wait staff will be better trained, with some simple customer service skills.
Test, Test, Test
Posted by Hannah Martine | September 29th, 2011
You’ve heard me say it many times. If you want to know what works in marketing, then you must test.
I’d like to introduce you to a great website whose mission is to educate companies on the value of split testing. They don’t do the tests - they are journalists who report on them.
They have close to 150 test Case Studies, featuring Web, email and even direct mail tests from the US and Europe. And each week more are added.
Membership to the website is very inexpensive. Well worth every penny for serious marketers.
Check out their home page at the following link:
WhichTestWon Premium Membership
Another Helpful Tool?
Posted by Hannah Martine | September 27th, 2011
I just listed my copywriting business on Thumtack. Take a look!
I don’t know if it will generate business, but I’ll write a post about it if it does.
The Importance of Grammar
Posted by Hannah Martine | September 22nd, 2011
Recently, a friend asked me to recommend a good book on grammar. I promised to think about it and get back to him.
After searching bookshelf after bookshelf in my personal library, I noticed that I do not own a book on English Grammar (although I do have one on German grammar …). Five books on style, but none on grammar? Hmmm.
Of course, I have a grammar check software program — in addition to Microsoft Word’s spell and grammar check. I happen to prefer a program called Whitesmoke, but there are many other good ones available.
I immediately went to Amazon.com and did a search. Too many options.
Next I logged onto my account at AWAI, where I took my copywriting training. Surely they recommend grammar books to students, and I just missed it?
No.
Although I found a recommendation for books on style.
And then I came across this quote by master ad writer David Ogilvy:
“I don’t know the rules of grammar … If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.” —David Ogilvy
Well, okay, I feel better. But I’ll probably still buy two or three books on English grammar.
Because I love books. And I read books. And I learn from them.
Of course I ran this text through my grammar check. It dings me on incomplete sentences every time. But I’m not changing anything.
3,000 Text Messages Per Month? Really?
Posted by Hannah Martine | September 19th, 2011
The average 18-to-24-year-old US adult sends and receives an average of 109.5 texts per day, or more than 3,200 per month, according to data released by the Pew Research Center in September 2011. This figure dramatically drops about 160% to 41.8 daily texts by the age group with the next-highest average, 25-to-34-year-olds.
The average adult 65 and older sends and receives about 5 messages in any given day.
What does that mean for marketers? The younger crowd is probably open to receiving product and service offers via text messaging. On the other hand, the same strategy may annoy the senior crowd.
That’s one reason why direct mail marketing still works for certain demographics.
What’s the lesson here? Know your customer and how they prefer to receive your offer.
Email me and let me know your thoughts.
Today is Saturday
Posted by Hannah Martine | August 13th, 2011
I’m sitting with some friends and am learning how to program my own website.
The Offer
Posted by Hannah Martine | July 12th, 2011
Why is web content and web copy so important?
Posted by Hannah Martine | May 10th, 2011
There’s no doubt — if you would like to have a profit-generating website, you have to work with a good programmer so you can be found by the people who want what you have.
But all the great programming in the world will not help website visitors make a buying decision. You have to be able to use the right words to convince potential purchasers why they should buy your product or hire you to provide a service. As Seth Godin said, “It’s all about the words, dummy.” Well, maybe that’s a bit strong, but you know Seth …
Competition is fierce. Many of your competitors are out there on the web. Hopefully, you are, too. The one sure way to differentiate yourself from your competition is to fill your website with content that’s relevant, engaging, and accurate.
The worst web writing mistake
Too many websites I’ve reviewed and assessed make this mistake: They either don’t have a headline, or if they do, it doesn’t relate to the rest of the web page copy.
I understand that when small companies or sole practitioners set up their first website, they are not able to hire a professional web writer. That’s why some copywriters offer a website assessment.
As do I.
However, your budget doesn’t allow you to hire a professional to give you feedback on your website content, there is an alternative. With the right tool, you can assess your web copy yourself.
As a matter of fact, you can have my do-it-yourself website assessment guide for very little money. It will guide you through a quick tutorial on the critical components each web page should have, and how to determine if you have them all.
So … if you want to evaluate your own website, send me an email with Assessment Guide in the subject line. I’ll contact you with details.
What’s the magical formula?
Posted by Hannah Martine | May 9th, 2011
I cannot keep a secret.
Here is the magical formula for direct mail success:
Reach the right people at the right time with the right offer.
Can it really be that simple? Sure, as long as you have all three elements in one marketing piece.
Let’s assume you want to mail a postcard. Here are the critical components.
First, you need the right list. Not just any list. You must know who your customer is and rent or purchase a list that fits your specific customer profile.
Then, you need to have a design that clearly demonstrates to the prospective customer how you intend to solve their problem now. The right pictures, colors, message — these are important.
Next, you need the right offer. Announcing that you’re in business and listing your phone number is not enough. Examples of an attractive offer are introductory pricing, a coupon, volume discount, or free consultation or trial. It’s wise to test several offers and evaluate which one gets the highest response.
Magazine and newspaper readership is declining, which means less people see your print ads. Email offers are often deleted without being read. That’s why especially for local, small businesses, postcard marketing can be a successful part of the marketing mix.
Try it.
KISSY
Posted by Hannah Martine | April 20th, 2011
By that I mean Keep It Simple, Silly You!
As a copy writer, I’ve written for many different industries. Every industry seems to have their own vocabulary, and I’ve had great fun learning these various “languages”.
A very common challenge writers face is whether to use sophisticated language to impress the reader or use simple language to get the point across quickly. I highly recommend simple.
Why?
You are lucky to keep a website visitor on your page for more than 15 seconds. If they can’t understand what you are trying to sell to them, you’ve lost a sale.
Don’t misunderstand me. I love language and expanding one’s vocabulary is not only important but also fun. But when you are trying to convince a visitor to stay on your website long enough so you can give them your full sales message, the words better be short and to the point.
A recent study described in this article makes the point clear. Sometimes the topic requires that we use big words. But don’t let it become a habit.
How about your website copy? Are visitors staying long enough so you can get their attention?
Take a few minutes now and go to your own website. Read your existing copy with a fresh point of view - and KISSY.
