How to Start Writing a Book or EBook

You have a great idea for a book, but aren’t sure how to start?  These 3 steps from a seasoned ghostwriter will get you over the initial humps that all writers face:

STEP 1:   Decide on the main truth you want to share.  In a way, this is like a mission statement.  Write a sentence that describes what you are trying to accomplish with your book.  Do you want it to change your readers’ minds?  Do you want to touch their hearts?  Are you trying to teach or demonstrate how to build or fix something?  Are you sharing a meaningful experience in your life?  Are you writing about someone who has impacted the world?  Write a sentence or two that expresses the purpose of your book.

STEP 2:   Make a list of all the points you want to make in your book.  Brainstorm a bit and write them down as soon as you think of them–day or night.  They do not have to be in any special order.  You will organize them later.   If you are planning to write a biography, for example, your list could be all the key events in that person’s life.  For a self-help book or a “How to” book, your list can be the steps you want to teach or demonstrate.  Then make a second list of any personal realizations that you have had as a result of the points or events you are listing.  An author needs to be honestly connected with what he or she is writing about.  By listing your own personal reactions to what you are writing, you will be able to integrate genuine emotions that your readers will respond to.

STEP 3:   Organize your list by topic, chronologically or for impact.  Your Table of Contents will emerge from this step.  The question you have to ask yourself is, “What approach do I want to take?  If you are writing a “How to” book, you will most likely take your reader logically through the steps.  If you are writing about your life or someone else’s, you may want to start at birth and go forward.  Or, to create impact and interest in the first chapter, you could start with an exciting or emotional event and then flash back to the beginning in the second chapter.  If you are writing a business or self-help book, you may want to have each chapter cover a different topic.

Once you have completed these three steps, you need to decide whether you want to write this book all by yourself or whether you think you’d like some help.

If you are a strong writer, you can just take it from here.

If, on the other hand, you think you might struggle with one of the three steps, or feel overwhelmed because writing is not your forte, you may want to enlist an experienced writer to help you.  Here are a couple of options open to you:

1. A Writing Coach may be all you need. 

Like a sports coach, a writing coach can help you focus, explain what you need to do next, give you perspective on your book and keep you on course.  Moreover, he/she will be your most enthusiastic cheerleader, keeping you from getting discouraged.  You still do the writing, but a writing coach will give you as much or as little help as you want, like getting you started, getting you past writer’s block, or offering ideas and ways of wording your thoughts that enhance what you are writing.  You can also ask your writing coach to critique your work as you go along, so that it clearly and awesomely expresses your message.

2. A Ghostwriter is the perfect fit for anyone who wants to write a book, but is short on time or whose expertise is in a field other than writing. 

A ghostwriter can take your notes and ideas and express them creatively so that they captivate your readers.  Good ghostwriters will take the time to get to know your perspective on life, your speaking style, and your passion for the topic you are writing about.  They then blend that with what you are trying to say in your book.  They are able to word your book so that it sounds like it is coming from you—AND IT IS!  These are YOUR thoughts, YOUR ideas touching the minds and hearts of your readers.  This is YOUR book.  The ghostwriter gets no credit for writing it.  Having a ghostwriter write parts or all of your book is the easiest and fastest way to get your book into the hands of your readers.

Get started with the above 3 STEPS.  If you decide that you want some help, browse through this website and then contact me at hi.impactghostwriting@gmail.com 

This is your chance to make a real impact.  Go for it!

Jinni Bradfield

► Email me anytime at: hi.impactghostwriting@gmail.com and let me know what you want to write about.   We can decide together whether a Writing Coach or a Ghostwriter will work better for you!

2 Great Tips for Writing your Book

Writing a book is a massive undertaking.  Even writing an eBook demands commitment, time and determination.  Here are two tips that can help you get started:

  1. Keep a pad of paper or your cell phone beside your bed. As soon as an idea or important point for your book pops into your mind, write it down.  If you don’t, it could be MIA by the time you wake up.  Actually, the best time to come up with creative ideas is as you are falling to sleep and while you are groggily waking up.  During this time your brain produces Theta waves.  These brain waves allow your mind to think creatively.  If you brainstorm about your book while falling asleep or waking up, the Theta waves in your brain “connect the dots” between bits of information that your brain has been collecting all day or sorting through at night.

In effect, Theta waves string together logic strands that may have been evading you while you have been trying to write.  You may suddenly know exactly how to say what you were trying to say.  Or you may discover a whole new line of thought.  Grab that pad of paper or open the Notepad on your smart phone and write it down!

Don’t assume that you will remember your “eureka” inspiration by the time you wake up.  If you don’t bother writing it down, most likely you will have missed your window of opportunity.  Creating memories is not automatic during theta wave production.  Rather than remembering, your brain will swiftly move on to another thought and your creative idea could be lost to you forever.  So, write it down as soon as you think of it!

The same goes for during the day while you are busy doing everyday activities.  As soon as you get an idea related to your book, capture it by jotting it down.

  1. Organize your overall book idea. This means breaking it down into smaller points and then putting them into a logical progression.  This is not always easy, but you cannot skip this part of the process.  Writing a book involves persuading your future readers to see things from your perspective.  This is true whether you are writing your memoirs or explaining how to do a project.  It’s just as critical if you are writing a self-help book.  Your audience must identify with you and come to trust you as the expert on your book’s main idea.

You have to build credibility with your readers.  Thus, it is crucial that the supporting points for your book idea are organized logically.  You are making a persuasive argument—similar to being in a debate.  If you skip a point or put it in the wrong order, the argument will not make sense and you will lose the attention of your readers.

Your main persuasive points will probably become chapters in your book.  The easiest way to lay out your book is to first create an outline.  Assign each main point a chapter number.  Under each chapter title, briefly describe what you want to say about that point and how it fits into your entire argument.

Your persuasive “argument” does not have to be hard-hitting or “in your face.”  Rather you are creating a narrative, telling your story.  It can be very low key and relaxed.  Or it can be enthusiastic and full of life.  It all depends on what your book idea is and what you are trying to accomplish.

For more book-writing tips, see my next blog.  If you feel you need help with parts of the book-writing process, enlist the expertise of a Writing Coach.  Or you can have a Ghostwriter write specific sections or the entire book. –Jinni Bradfield

“How to Get Inside your Client’s Head”

 

What makes a man tick?

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a writer, marketer or contractor, is not knowing what your client is thinking.  I am not talking about being a mind-reader.  I am talking about the most essential part of working with a client—getting to the root of what they want done. 

We are called in to fix a problem or improve a situation for our client.  As a business copywriter, it’s my job to express my client’s ideas in a way that boosts that business, sells a product or otherwise makes my client’s company stand out from the crowd.  Too often the client has difficulty explaining exactly what he (or she) wants.  He may have a vague idea or may want to imitate what another company is doing, but not realize that it doesn’t quite fit the needs of his own business.  The result is a lot of back and forth, wasted time and frustration on both our parts. This is true whether you are a contractor, investor, marketer or any kind of business offering a service.  

The problem is that you need to, as they say, “get inside the head” of your client in order to fully comprehend his hopes for the project, his expectations of you, and for you to be able to explain what you can and cannot do for him.

As you may have guessed, hypnosis is out, as well as brain surgery.  So, how DO you get inside your client’s head to understand his goals and objectives? 

Here are some tried and true suggestions:

  1. Ask probing questions.  Make up a list of questions that you will ask your client to help him clearly express what he is hoping to accomplish.  You can do this with a brief written survey.  After he (preferably with his team) fills it out, go through it with him to sharpen the focus of his ideas.
  2. Hold a brainstorming session with the client and his key decision-makers, complete with white board for writing ideas down.  The goal is to start with words and phrases that describe what they want to accomplish with this project and then narrow it down by ranking or discarding the ideas that are too broad or distracting.  Once your client has a clear picture of what this project is supposed to achieve for the company, you can start suggesting strategies from your perspective and expertise as to how you can help him get there.
  3. Do a Power Point presentation that shows different solutions and how well they work in specific situations.  As the client watches, he will figure out for himself which models match his company best and will be ready to discuss exploring those routes.
  4. Case Studies are powerful tools for motivating clients to make the right decisions.  If you know of any business owners who have made the types of errors that your client is about to make (or has made), see if you can bring them in to share their experiences in person.   Hearing it from the horse’s mouth will prompt most business owners to want to avoid the mistakes they are hearing and seek a better solution.   If no one is available, do a little research online and find businesses that were where your client is now.  Join a business or marketing forum or chat room and post questions.  Then use the responses that you get as mini-case studies with your client.

Once you have narrowed down the goals and expectations for the project, you can more easily see what you need to do next to get the project moving.  By urging your client to verbalize both his objectives and his expectations of you, your job has become a lot easier:  Now you can do what you were hired to do, your client will be able to envision how the project will go, and you will have a good shot at completing the job to his satisfaction.

Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate

ID-10039770Delegating tasks to your employees can be a bit unnerving.  Certain projects and responsibilities you reserve for yourself because you know that you are the best person to handle them.  All the other tasks? You might want to consider putting them on someone else’s plate for a change.

Although you’d love to keep your fingers in all those pies, if you are honest with yourself, you know that they are just bogging you down–maybe to the point where you are less effective in the things that are critical for your business. Trying to directly control every aspect of your company or department will inevitably stretch you too thin.

There may be a reason why you have trouble letting go:  If you are older than Generation X, you may be plagued with a mindset that resists giving up control and makes you want to do it all by yourself.  The Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers share this tendency.  Believe it or not, even Millennials have this stubborn streak—but not for the same reasons.

Our Greatest Generation, the ones who stood up to Hitler and the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, believed that every person had the right to live free and make decisions for him or herself.  They knew deep in their hearts that no barrier was too high or too strong to overcome.

So they faced life’s challenges with persistence and resourcefulness and came out on the other side as business owners, entrepreneurs and self-confident farmers, factory workers and parents.

ID-10070422Image courtesy of njaj/freedigitalphotos.net

Their motto was, “If you put your mind to it, you can do it.”

Baby Boomers internalized that motto growing up, but after going through Woodstock, Civil Rights and the Feminist Movement, transformed it into a personal mission to leave their mark on the world—“to make a difference.”  They took more chances, often risking stability to win others over to their cause.  As they matured into adults with their own families, they each adapted their calling to their changing lifestyles and became committed to their jobs, working hard to achieve the most they could while instilling hope for the future into their children.

Today’s Millennials are often branded as selfish and immature, but unfairly so.  These late teens, twenties and early thirties have a strange blend of “what’s in it for me” and wild creativity.  They embrace the newest technology and immediately use it to try to “build a better mousetrap.”

Their ingenuity has blessed modern life with young CEOs who have accomplished more with their new companies than many of their parents could during their entire careers.  They know how to build upon what they have been given.

While it is comforting to know that our desire to accomplish everything on our own is rooted in our heritage, it can become a serious stumbling block to reaching our goals in life.   If we try to do everything ourselves, we end up being excellent at nothing, or in other words, as the saying goes, “Jack of all trades; master of none.”  What good is that?

Delegate for Efficiency

So, in order to achieve our goals for our business, our passions and even our life, we have to “figure out what we are best at and delegate the rest.”  This allows us to make the most of our time and energy.  By delegating, we also maximize our resources, both business and personal.   As a result, we will accomplish more and achieve a higher level of exceptionalism—without exhausting ourselves in the process.

So much of our business success relies on communicating clearly, but that takes time and effort.  Where are you going to find the time to revamp a marketing piece that isn’t worded right?  Do you have the right skill set to revise your website so that it engages visitors better?

You don’t have to be an expert at everything.  It is time to stop trying to control every inch of your business.  Look at the people around you and size up their talents and experience.  Surely you can find the right individuals to handle quite a few of the tasks that are weighing you down and sapping your energy.

Delegate to make yourself and your company more efficient and effective.  When it comes to reworking and rewriting your marketing and web content, for example, free yourself up by outsourcing to a ghostwriter.  That way, you can concentrate on the aspects of your business that you are best at.

Delegate for Effectiveness

Deciding to delegate does not mean that you have failed or are somehow inadequate.  Rather, it means that you value the skills and abilities of others and know how to focus their assets to achieve your business goals.  This is the sign of a wise leader and a true entrepreneur.

Delegating also becomes a team effort, taking the pressure off you.  You may have to consciously change your own self-image from being the “go-to” guy or gal who has all the answers to the person who knows who has the answers.

We have previous generations to thank for inspiring us to wholeheartedly go after our dreams, but let’s allow ourselves the flexibility to make smart moves by delegating in order to reach them.

To explore ways to delegate some of your marketing for your company, check the tabs at the top of this page.

How to Be Effective at Your Next Networking Event

If you just finished reading my article, “Making Networking ‘Work’ for You,” you know that business networking events get their inspiration from the kinds of nets used by fishermen.  The way a fish net functions gives us insight into how to make networking work for our company.

ID-10046884Photo Credit: www.theasbc.org

When you attend a local networking event, the approach you take when interacting with other business reps will significantly affect what you get out of the event.  Pushing your company’s product or service is exactly the wrong approach.  Rather, as you zigzag your way through the room, introducing yourself and your company, concentrate on isolating the priorities of these participants to see how well they match up with your own.

What is the best approach to take when networking?  Be strategic.

  1. Arrive early and select your first few potential networking partners before the room gets too crowded.
  2. Walk over to one of them and ask an open-ended question like, “So, what brings you here today?”
  3. Keep the conversation going by asking questions about what the company does and the rep’s own specialty and background.
  4. Answer their questions about yourself and your company without elaborating, which eats up precious time.  Your goal is to efficiently find out as much as possible about each business while sharing details about your company that might spark their interest in building a relationship.  Then politely break away and move on to your next target.
  5. Find common ground.  See where you can relate to what this person/company does.  You are trying to find connections that will help BOTH of your companies.
  6. Exchange business cards, and let him or her know how much you enjoyed talking.  Ask if the rep knows of any companies that they work with that could use your services and request a referral.
  7. Look around and locate another of your pre-selected networking partners.  Don’t be intimidated by the fact that this person is talking with other people.  Just walk over and join yourself to the group.
  8. Join in the conversation by listening first and inserting a comment and/or introducing yourself at an appropriate time.
  9. Aim to eventually talk at least briefly with every participant.  The very last person you network with may end up becoming an ideal connection, so don’t lose your enthusiasm and momentum before the event is over.
  10. Don’t forget to follow up.  As soon as you leave the event, scan the business cards you collected into your phone, tablet or computer and set up a file so that you can contact these businesses fairly soon.  Prioritize them by how well they fit with your company’s needs and objectives. Jot down as much as you can remember about your conversations with each rep so that, when you talk to them again, you can pick up the conversation where you left off.  When you email or call, let them know how much you enjoyed meeting them, ask them what they felt they got out of the event, and see if you can get an appointment to keep building the relationship.

When you view networking through the perspective of how a net functions, this unique approach makes sense.  These events are not designed to trap a group of people in one room so that you can hard sell your product or service to them.  Instead, like a net, which separates fish from their environment and gathers them together, networking takes people out of their individual work environments and brings them together in an equalizing setting.  Moreover, it gives them a shared purpose—to start building relationships with each other.

Just as what affects one portion of a net affects the entire net to some degree, the connections made here enable participants to choose to become trusting and loyal support systems for each other.  This way, their businesses all have a better chance at thriving.

How can you be effective at your next networking experience?  Search for networking events in your target market areas.  Use the same approach in building business relationships as you would in making friends—in other words, look for common interests and passions.  Come up with creative ways to be supportive of their business objectives, and they will respond in kind.

As you honestly connect with these companies, they will see the value of having an ongoing relationship with your business—and with you.  Networking often opens the doors for new customers, new vendors, and qualified referrals.  Moreover, as both of your companies interact over time, you can each be there for the other to give a helping hand when needed.

 

Jinni Bradfield is a freelance business ghostwriter whose background in both education and advertising sales enables her to showcase a company’s mission, products and services, enhancing customer appeal. Over the past five years, she has written ad copy, articles, blogs and books for more than 100 happy clients. 

Explore the option of having your projects and marketing ghostwritten by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page.  


 

Making Networking “Work” for You

Photo Credit: www.roberthalf.com

Does participating in networking events work for your business, or does it seem like a big waste of time?

Most of us recognize that networking is considered a key component of any successful business.  Business reps who regularly network claim that this tool is a great way to boost their company’s exposure and potential profits.  So, how do you make it “work” for you?

The concept of “networking” adapts the purpose of nets used in the fishing trade to the business world.

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Photo Credit: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Stroonn

 

 

 

By observing how a fish net functions, we can draw some surprising parallels that can benefit companies of all sizes—maybe even yours….

Except for the materials with which they are constructed, today’s fish nets are basically unchanged from those used for centuries on the seas.  Modern fish nets are comprised of multiple pieces of rope or threads, usually a nylon or strong composite material, knotted together into a device that can snag fish, clams, etc., while allowing water and debris to flow out.  Thinking of networking as a kind of net and noting how nets function will enable us to make these events work for our own company:

  • A shared purpose.  The net’s ropes and knots share a common purpose–to catch fish; similarly, the shared purpose of the various components of networking is to “snag” the attention of other businesses and to begin forming mutually beneficial relationships with them.
  • Lots of moving parts.  Just as a fish net is made up of numerous pieces of rope that form a flexible, interactive membrane, networking is comprised of numerous individuals and businesses that interact within a relaxed social setting.
  • The moving parts are connected.  The pieces of rope in a net are tied together for mutual support.  In a similar way, during networking events, business reps find ways to connect with each other that will boost the bottom line for both companies.
  • This device acts like a sieve.  Just as the fish remain in the net after the debris flows out, networking enables you to collect company contacts that meet your specific criteria while those that don’t move on to interact with other reps.
  • What affects one part affects the parts around it.  Have you ever noticed that when one part of a net has a heavy load, the rest of the net stretches to accommodate it?  In the same way, once businesses connect with other companies through networking and become long-term support systems for each other, they are willing to go out of their way to help their networking partners succeed.

By understanding how networking is meant to function, you can make it work for your own company.  The objectives of networking are to initiate relationships with other businesses through casual conversation by:  asking the reps about their business, seeking common priorities, and getting contact information and referrals.  The company you happen to be talking with may not be a perfect fit, but that rep may know of a colleague or vendor that might be very interested in what your company offers.  Get that referral.

In essence, you are taking the first step in building a mutually-beneficial support system for your company.  Your business may need some of the products or services that a company you connect with provides.  In return, your purchase of those resources boosts their profits.  As both companies come to trust and rely on each other, you will be able to find more even ways to benefit both businesses, such as discounts and customer referrals.

You will notice that networking is not a forum for direct sales or marketing.  Networking is an indirect way of promoting your business.  Participants that try to push their products and services onto other reps soon realize that no one wants to talk to them.  Being pushy backfires.

This does not mean that selling and marketing never occur at these networking events.  It just means that these efforts take a back seat to relationship-building.  As you connect with businesses and discover practical ways to build relationships with them, you will pave the way for sales down the road.

For more specifics on making Networking work for you, read our follow-up article:  “How to Be Effective at Your Next Networking Event.”  See the post on the sidebar.

Jinni Bradfield is a freelance business ghostwriter whose background in both education and advertising sales enables her to showcase a company’s mission, products and services, enhancing customer appeal. Over the past five years, she has written ad copy, articles, blogs and books for more than 100 happy clients. 

Explore the option of having your projects and marketing ghostwritten by clicking on the tabs at the top of this page.

 

 

Business Owners: What Kind of Footprints Are You Leaving?

Footprint in soil

Although most businesses try not to leave much of a “carbon” footprint, there are types of “footprints” that you as a business owner should WANT to leave.

Like a parent, you should want to leave a memorable footprint.  Most children imitate their parents, copying mannerisms and ways of responding to situations.  As parents walk through life, they leave footprints that express the qualities they value for their children to follow.

Businesses work much the same way.  If you have taken over a family business or have purchased an already established company, you immediately step into the footprints of the former owners.   Although you eventually want to put your own stamp on the company, it might be smart to keep some of its clients, traditions and protocols at least for a while.  By doing so, you honor the people who invested their lives into the company.  By following their footprints, you recognize that you have been given a “step up” by standing on what they have already accomplished.

From the moment you set up your business, whether it is new or purchased, you start leaving your own footprints.  These will be followed by your employees.  Understanding how crucial footprints are to a business will make the difference as to how successful you are:

  • Footprints—obviously—leave an impression.  When you walk on soft ground or crunch into three inches of snow, your feet leave a clear impression.  The way you run your business should leave a clear impression, too.  It should make a recognizable mark on the world.  Your integrity, grit Blue Footprints in the Snowand aspirations should make others stop and admire what you are accomplishing.  The impression you leave should even inspire them to reach further for their own dreams.
  • Footprints should be followed.  Life is pitted with dangers and potential disasters.  No one knows this better than soldiers who have to pick their way through a minefield.  The leader painstakingly tests the ground for mines.  Those who follow must step in the exact footprints of the person in front.  Your expertise has enabled you to be that kind of leader.  You test the ground for your company.  You lead the way for all your employees.  If you consistently demonstrate your expertise in a way that both challenges and motivates them, they will trust you and will follow in your exact footprints.
  • Footprints are proof that you have been there, done that.  By walking forward and leaving footprints, you are leaving behind a permanent record of your accomplishments.  This allows you to confidently claim experience over the ground where you have walked.  This proof of experience will enable you to be a powerful example for your employees and to effectively teach them the ins and outs of your business.
  • Footprints show where you have made course corrections.  No one is perfect.  We all have had times when we started in one direction, and then realized that we are heading the wrong way.  We stop, backtrack, and then move toward a different heading.  Our footprints act as a diary of where we have been, including the course corrections.   A good business leader is not afraid to admit that he or she has made a mistake.  Backing up and setting off in a new direction is a sign of resilience, not failure.  Failure is stubbornly continuing in the wrong direction or stopping and giving up altogether.  The pattern of your footprints is a testimony to the kind of person and business leader you are.
  • Footprints are distinctive.  Just like fingerprints, footprints can be used by forensic scientists to track down criminals.  The business footprints that you leave are just as unique.  They are permanently tied to you and your business.  They are recognizable and distinguish your company from the rest of the pack.  If you capitalize on making your business’s footprints unique, they can help to brand your company in a positive and memorable way.

Turn around and take an honest look at the kind of footprints that you yourself and your business are leaving.  Do they express the values that you want your employees to internalize?  Have your footprints made a clear impression?  Do they keep your employees focused on a shared purpose?  Do they demonstrate both your experience and your ability to make course corrections?  Are your footprints expressive of what you want your company to stand for?

If so, then you can be assured that your business is making a positive impact on the world.  If not, then maybe it is time to pause and re-evaluate both your company’s priorities and your own.

The Secret to Making an Impact

ID-100104496(1)Most of us want to leave our impression on the world, whether it is for a humanitarian cause or to get customers to purchase our company’s products or services.

In order to make an impact, we have to get others excited about the same things that excite us. In today’s fast-moving, in-your-face environment, this is not easy to do.

 

What is the secret to making an impact?

Passing our own passion on to others.  Our passion has an emotional energy all of its own. When we share it with others, it can prompt them to become as committed as we are to our passion.

This may sound like a simple process, but there are a number of barriers to getting our message across.

ID-100185968The first barrier is Clutter. The Internet, TV and radio, as well as our personal computers and smartphones are cluttered with information, most of which people can do without. Our potential customers are being bombarded 24/7 with ads, emails, YouTube videos, music, sports and news, leaving them with information overload.

Image courtesy of twobee/freedigitalphotos.net        

Our marketing has to cut through that clutter in such a way that we make a lasting impression.

Numbness is the second barrier that we have to overcome when getting our message across. Consumers eventually become numb to the attempts of salespeople trying to grab their attention to convince them to buy products that they really don’t want or even need.

Out of sheer self-preservation, customers block out the majority of sales pitches, and only open up to the ones that engage them personally within the first few micro-seconds. It is critical that we find a way to infuse our marketing with our passion. Without that emotional connection, we will miss that tiny window of opportunity to engage our prospective customers or donors.

Fear is the third barrier to making an impact. Most people have been burned numerous times by shoddy products and false advertising. They are more than a little hesitant to commit to a purchase, even when they find our marketing appealing. To overcome this barrier, we need to find a way to prove our trustworthiness. We have to demonstrate that what we are promoting will do what we claim it will, and that we back it up with our company. Testimonies from happy customers and a bullet-proof, money-back guarantee go a long way toward reassuring potential customers.

Whether we are promoting a service, product, or cause, or are starting up a website or selling our book, the barriers are the same. By cutting through the clutter, emotionally engaging numb prospects and building trust to overcome their fears, we will stand out from the competition and elicit a positive response from our prospects.

How Can We Accomplish This?

It’s not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. The way you word your marketing and how you lay it out visually for your prospects determine whether or not you can overcome the barriers of Clutter, Numbness, and Fear. Approaching your potential customers with the old “Hard Sell” will probably send them running in the other direction. Today, high-pressure “Hard Sell” has morphed into the pop-up ads that annoy consumers as they surf the Net. This type of ad tends to create the impression that the company is either a scam or a false advertiser.

Today’s customers are savvy and well-informed. They have the entire Internet at their fingertips and can research a product with a few clicks. They check out the online reviews, so building your credibility and trustworthiness is paramount. It will separate you early on from your competitors.

Wording is the Key

Your marketing has to be worded to solve the problem that prompted your prospects to start shopping or searching in the first place. They may be looking for clothing, appliances, computers, contractors, medical or health advice, encouragement, or a cause to connect to. Your marketing must identify that need and immediately demonstrate how your company, product, book or website will meet that need. How you word your marketing must accomplish three objectives:

  • Make you stand out from the crowd (cut through the clutter)
  • Engage the prospect emotionally and logically (overcome the numbness)
  • Prove that you are trustworthy (dispel the fear)

Too many businesses fail to clear one or more of these hurdles. If you want to write effective marketing, you need more than sales talk. You must also be able to word it so that it inspires people. They have to catch your passion! The goal is to make them see how what you are promoting will enhance their lives.

If you are struggling to get the wording just right, a solution could be to bring in a ghostwriter. Your ideas and vision coupled with a ghostwriter’s unique skills can infuse your marketing with exactly what you need to make that impact.

Have an Appealing Layout

Your potential customers want to be able to quickly scan your marketing or webpage and see if you are answering their questions. They don’t want to be forced to sift through pages of print.

Lay out your message in a clean, uncluttered way. Include eye-catching pictures and intriguing videos that enable customers to experience your passion more deeply. This will visually attract potential customers to your product or cause. Keep paragraphs short and insert bullets with key points whenever appropriate. Use sizes and styles of fonts that are comfortable to read. Intersperse some color and emphasize with bold lettering and underlines. For websites, you can use website creation software or WordPress to do this on your own, or hire a web designer. For printed brochures, go with a print shop or online printing service.

If you want to make an impact…

Your marketing needs to overcome clutter, numbness and fear. These barriers keep your customers from purchasing your product or committing to your humanitarian mission. By simply tweaking how you word and present your message, you can make that impact on the hearts and minds of the people you are trying to reach.

 

 

 

How to Make your Online Video WOW Customers

ID-100185968Image courtesy of twobee/freedigitalphotos.net

Whenever we surf the Internet, we are assaulted by thousands of YouTube videos begging for our attention.  Unfortunately too many of them have been literally thrown together—and consequently are painful to watch.   The self-made “producers” of these disasters hope to get their 15 seconds of fame, but if you are promoting your business, you want your company’s first impression to last a lot longer than that.

Your goal is to brand your company name.  You want to strategically promote your products and services to bring in long-term, loyal customers.  Slapping together a quick video just won’t cut it.  You have to be sure that the way you come across in your video reflects your company’s integrity and mission, as well as the value of your products and services.  If you whip up a video out of thin air, you risk this backfiring and leaving a bad taste in the viewers’ mouth.

Effective podcasts, online videos, webinars and even YouTube videos, start with a solid script that catches viewers’ attention by presenting a very specific need that potential customers may have.  It then demonstrates how your company can solve that problem with your product or service.   Your video needs to become an interactive ad that draws in the potential customer and engages him or her both logically and emotionally.

Every word of your script counts.  If you are too wordy, you will lose your viewer’s attention a few seconds into the video.  Your script has to be concise and, at the same time, have a personalized impact on your potential client.

How do you come up with a script that can accomplish this?  The key is to visually and verbally present a situation that the viewer can identify with.  If your company does accounting services, show a scene where a person is overwhelmed trying to sort bills.  If you are a contractor, portray a ID-1001268homeowner trying to decide on which countertop to put in his kitchen.

 

By presenting a problem and solving it in your video, you enable your potential customers to perceive your company as the one that can get them out of their dilemma.

Image Courtesy of James Barker/freedigitalphotos.net

The information you share in your video must be genuinely useful and practical—whether or not the prospect goes with your company.  This way, you start to create trust in your company.  People appreciate being given free helpful tips.  Some of these viewers will come back later and do business with you because of this generous gesture.

Use dialogue in your video script to set the scene for the problem that needs solving.  On-screen conversation brings your video alive and makes it believable.  Moreover, it holds attention longer than merely having someone stand in the middle of the screen doing a monologue.  Use narration to bridge the moments you want viewers to remember with the key points you are trying to make.  Casually integrate how your company can help the client with his predicament.  Close the video by personally reminding your potential customers that you are dedicated to making their lives easier.  Include a valuable offer or special along with your website URL.  Also place a live link to your website under the video so that interested prospects can get to your website with a quick click.

If you prefer a more low-key approach, create three or four videos with each portraying a different problem that your company can solve, and only insert your sales pitch into the final one.  Link the videos together into a set so that prospective customers get several practical tips from you before being prompted to buy.  Having a set of videos enables you to let them know the range of services or products you offer, and there will be a greater likelihood that one or more of these will match what the prospect needs.  This increases the chances that the viewer will buy from you.

If writing a video script is a little outside your comfort zone, or you are worried that it might be too time-consuming, consider jotting down your ideas and having a ghostwriter write the script for you.   You would oversee the script.  All you would need to do is lay out the overall concept and key points of the video, podcast or webinar.  The ghostwriter would take care of making the script flow and encourage prospects to buy from your company.

Having a video on your Facebook page, Twitter feed or other Social Media can make all the difference in attracting new customers to your business.  Static advertising can’t compete with YouTube videos, podcasts and webinars in today’s sales environment.  “Wow” your potential customers by taking advantage of this powerful interactive tool.

Info is the New “Hard Sell” in Today’s Advertising

image courtesy of kangshutters / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

image courtesy of kangshutters / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A critical shift has occurred in today’s advertising away from the traditional “Hard Sell.”  

Unless businesses sit up and take notice, they will be left behind in the dust wondering why their ads aren’t working anymore.

We have entered the Information Age, intricately linked to the Internet and mobile devices.  

Most businesses have adapted by adding their own websites and connecting with potential customers through Social Media, but many still tend to have the “Hard Sell” mindset.

This old-school way of reaching customers was to be “in their face.”  This meant having a large unique logo that dominated the ad, a catchy phrase and a hard push to buy now or else miss out on what everyone else is enjoying.  The ad would be repeated ad nauseum day after day, until the prospect assumed it must be a good product because he has seen it so many times.  There is a place for this type of advertising, but it should not be the only kind of marketing businesses do—especially with the new expectations customers have.

Potential customers today expect more from companies.  Because the Internet has placed an almost infinite amount of knowledge right at the fingertips of everyone who owns a computer, smart phone or mobile device, customers now approach every product and service with serious question marks.  They want to know everything they can about the product before considering buying—its specs, how well it compares to similar products, what can possibly go wrong with it, and whether it does the job.  They question every service a business might offer, wanting to know whether they can trust the contractors coming into their homes, mechanics working on their cars, and estate lawyers handling their affairs.   They are as wary as wild animals and can be scared off just as easily.  A simple “hard sell” ad is just not going to convince them.

Moving Away from Hard Sell

How does a business start shifting away from less effective advertising?  What’s the secret to building credibility and gaining the level of trust that turns leads and prospects into loyal customers?  By offering useful information to them related to the kinds of choices they must make when deciding on products or services.  A contractor can share a step by step “How to” on how to fix a leaky faucet or a guide for selecting cabinet finishes.  An auto mechanic could explain why certain cars need premium or plus gas instead of regular.  An estate lawyer could offer a checklist for setting up a trust.

Vehicles for getting this information into the hands of customers range from blogs to direct-mail postcards and brochures, from videos to emailed newsletters and white papers.   Their purpose is to first freely provide useful information that the prospect can immediately benefit from—whether or not he or she ever becomes a customer.  The company logo, call to action and contact information should be on or in the marketing piece, visible, but not overpowering.  By providing information first and leaving the ego and hard sell out, the prospective customers can recognize the company’s expertise and begin to trust it.  Without the hard sell, and with facts and practical suggestions that actually work, today’s businesses can draw in new customers and keep them. 

A Handy Resource

Because putting out a steady stream of useful information is time consuming, many businesses take advantage of ghostwriters to crank out the blogs and write the copy for these information-based marketing pieces.   This is actually a smart way to go.  Hiring a ghostwriter frees up your people to do their own work.  Plus, most ghostwriters can work via email to create professional copy that immediately appeals to potential customers.

 

Do you think that information-based marketing might boost YOUR business?   Add your comments below.