Friday, 20 June 2008
Affiliates, technology and systems
| If you have read my blog for any period of time, you know I love technology as a means to boost productivity. Technology can streamline your systems and make communicating with your clients a breeze. When it all works you save hours ... when it doesn't life can be hell! Today I spent the day working on installing new affiliate software that integrates into Clickbank the company we use to drive our affiliate program. The software itself is brilliant - but the manual that comes with it was "challenging". It was obviously not edited by a freelance copywriter or written by someone with technical writing skills. It was therefore extremely difficult to follow and meant many wasted hours of trial and error before finally making everything work. The lesson from this is many businesses write instructions for their products or services, or instructions for their clients. If these instructions are not professionally edited or checked with "real" customers you may be causing your clients endless frustration and potentially lose customers. My tip if you are writing instruction manuals or sheets is to always have someone who knows nothing about your business to read it through and then follow the instructions. It is enlightening when you watch someone totally botch up what you thought was perfectly clear! As an aside, if you are interested in promoting our Instant HR Policies and Procedures Manual or Employee Performance Reviews: Tips, Templates and Tactics, then check out our affiliate program where you can earn up to 50% commission on each sale. Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Putting your business into words Labels: affiliate programs, copywriting, freelance copywriter |
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Looking for writers ...
| One of the job markets that is really crying out for people is copywriting. People need people who can write great words ... words that get attention, generate action and help websites get found in the massive e-marketplace. I have been speaking with a number of my colleagues lately and we are all in the same boat. We would love to be able to subcontract out some of our work if we could find the right writers. Some of my colleagues specialise in writing short articles for the web, others in editing brochures, some ghost-write and then there are people like me who love "long copy" websites as well as all other web copy and corporate writing. If you currently write and are interested in subcontracting ... drop me an email, and with your consent I will pass on your details to my colleagues (or keep you to myself!). If you have thought about writing I can also refer you to some great courses to polish up your skills. Drop me a line and I will send you a link to some sites. Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Putting your business into words Labels: copywriting |
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Getting repeat business
| Another great article from AlternativeHealthPractice.com - this time about how to get repeat appointments for your clients. Many businesses miss out on repeat business because they simply forget to ask for it (or ask for it in the wrong way). Some of the key points I wanted to share from the post - Strike While The Iron’s Hot Tell, Don’t Ask
Small difference in words. Big difference in outcome. Leverage Our Love of Routine
If you can’t offer the same time, offer the same time of day: “We can get you in again on Wednesday morning next week.” Narrow the Options
I also don’t like to book too far out because I’m afraid I’ll forget. Reassure your patients by giving them an appointment card, and by telling them you’ll call a few days before the appointment to remind them. These appointment strategies also work for other things for your business such as writing copy to get a sale from your brochures or website.
Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony Labels: appointment strategies, copywriting, marketing tips |
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Marketing tips - Personal style in copy
| Personal preferences flow into copy. People who reflect and think a lot can tend to the verbose and fluffy side with their copy. They want to make sure they have dotted every i and crossed every t. Reading copy that is overly padded can feel like being punched around the head with a feather pillow. It can smother and people want to get away rather than stay and read it all. But ... long copy statistically outperforms short copy. So what do you do? Keep each sentence short, to the point and build to a climax. Read each sentence out loud. If you run out of breath before the sentence is done ... it's too long! And if you know you have a tendency to use 40 words when 5 will do - hire an editor or copywriter to take to your copy with a pruning saw. Until next time warm regards Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au Business development through copywriting Labels: copywriting, marketing tips |
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Marketing Tip - Guarantees
| Many consumers are reluctant to purchase products without a guarantee. Many businesses I see are reluctant to offer guarantees because they are worried they will be inundated by people taking advantage of them. This is particularly true of service businesses - they don't consider their services are appropriate to offer guarantees. However, offering a solid guarantee is one of the most powerful ways of removing objections to purchase. Think of IGA's 200% meat tenderness guarantee - they replace the meat as well as refund your money. Avon has a 100% happiness guarantee - like it or you get a full refund. Both companies get great sales as a result. But it isn't just for the "big players". Small business also should consider guarantees. I offer a money back guarantee with my Instant HR Policies Manual. Even with copywriting I offer a 100% refund guarantee - if I can't get your copy the way you want it on your second draft, I refund your commencement deposit and you pay nothing. If I don't meet our agreed deadlines and the brief didn't change after we set the deadlines - you are only up for your commencement deposit. Link your guarantee to the most common objections people have about services like yours - with copywriting it is people not meeting deadlines and the copy not up to standard. So ... have I been inundated by people demanding their money back. No. I have only had one person in all the time I have worked where I couldn't reflect their direction in their copy and I was happy to not charge them. What could your guarantee be? Think outside the square to find your guarantee. Make it real - make it big - make it believable. Until next time Ingrid Cliff Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au Business Development for small to medium businesses ... through marketing and copywriting Labels: avon guarantee, copywriting, copywriting guarantees, guarantees, IGA guarantee, marketing tips |