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Life After Print - You Can Write
Marketing Copy For The Web Aren’t you always amazed at how “experts” on a subject complicate what
they do so just they can sell you their services? And when you do understand
what they’re about, you see just how much is common sense. The same is true
for direct marketing writers who write for the web. There are a lot of
“techie” terms and ideas that ought to be ignored in favor of
straightforward direct response common sense. So if you’re a marketing writer,
here are some ideas about applying what you already know. YOU ALREADY KNOW to visualize your audience and write with a specific
individual in mind. But with the web, you need to know if this person has ever heard of you, your
company or its products, or is he or she someone you already have a relationship
with. Will this individual come to your site as someone already interested or is
this offer going to a cold purchased list? According to a Business 2.0 article, over 75% of unsolicited e-mail offers
are deleted without even a look. Your
prospect may never see it if his spam filters are active and you include phrases
such as “FREE, SAVE $$$” and similar words - whether uppercase or not. With
these odds, consider carefully what you’re going to say, especially on the
first screen. THE PITCH - if this is a first contact - should have a different
approach than a typical direct marketing campaign. In print, you go for the
order, and then worry about developing a continuing relationship. In web
marketing, the reverse is essential. Offer
this individual worthwhile information - perhaps an e-zine or articles - and ask
them for permission to continue communicating. Even if this person comes to your
site for a one-time sale, you should still focus on a permission marketing
relationship so you can offer your products and services on a repeat basis
without the problem of.... CREDIBILITY. Spam, sleaze and plain dishonesty on the web have made credibility
one of the most important factors in web marketing. If this is your first
contact with the prospect, you had better establish strong bona fides in
your message, or your offer will be in the recycle bin. If the prospect comes to you through searching, or linking from a related
site, you’ll be better off, but still need to prove you can be trusted. Testimonials and guarantees are good ways to do this. Equally crucial are the
issues of privacy and security, which, unlike print, where they are secondary
items, need to be emphasized and given prominence. READABILITY is another major factor. When your prospect opens an
envelope with letter, brochure(s) and everything else, your total package and
offer is easily visible. Not so on the web -
bear in mind that many people scan, not read, so you must interest
your prospect immediately. Use
short paragraphs, heads, colors, bold and italic to get your main points across
in the most succinct way. Links, scrolling and other pages require action from
your prospect, so they must also be compelling. Even if you send your offer to someone who knows you, you’ll face the same
readability problem. The only difference is that you’ll have somewhat more
time to communicate. And unless you’re certain your long copy is exciting, compelling and filled
with information your prospect won’t be able to stop reading, use just the
words you need to accomplish your purpose. To summarize - get to the point
fast and cut, cut, cut your copy. THE ORDER - what you’re offering and how you do so is also
different. In print, your prospect fills out a form or makes a telephone call
without much thought given to security; on the web when you ask for personal
information, including credit card details, rightly or wrongly your prospect
presumes that data is liable to be
stolen or shared with others. You must emphasize your order process is
secure, you don’t sell or share customers’ names, and insure that message
gets across. Because ordering may take several steps, the process must be completely
clear, or you’ll lose your prospect after all your other work. Asking for
too much information will also kill the order if what you ask is
perceived as prying. Skip the niceties, such as birthdays, hobbies,
marital status and similar questions unless you can demonstrate their relevance.
You can also allow your purchaser to skip specific questions. Finally, an order
confirmation helps cement a professional and trustworthy identity. DON’T FORGET TO TEST. Bear in mind that with the tracking abilities
available for the web, you’ll also have the ability to get better and faster
feedback. Since you can change copy overnight,
you can and should test as needed until you find what works best.
IS THERE A LESSON TO ALL THIS? Certainly. There is the same challenge as in every marketing campaign, starting with the
market and the offer. So consider your audience, the circumstances under which
they’re likely to read your promotion, and tailor what you say and how you say
it to an individual, just as you would for print. And don’t forget to test,
test, test. You don’t need to be a “techie” to
do be successful doing that. Ben Whitney has over 20 years experience writing and marketing for all types of businesses and would like to put his skills to work for you. For information or a specific proposal, e-mail bwhitny@attglobal.net or tel/fax 619-374-2957. |
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