Sophisticated Marketing Solutions

07/07/2016

12/03/2016

Let Your Copywriting Seduce, Don’t Sell.

An important component of successful content marketing as well as copywriting, seduction works much better than hard selling. That’s because seduction is flattering and draws us in, while hard selling raises our hackles and alerts everyone’s inner BS detector.

In fact, one of the biggest mistakes content marketers can make is the exact opposite of seduction--talk only about themselves.

To seduce, your copy has to be all about your audience. Clayton Makepeace lists the 5 things you must do to create seductive copy:

First, convince prospects to give you their attention with a headline that capitalizes on their driving emotions--their desires, frustrations, or fears.

Second, convince them to read your message. Be interesting and offer value if they’ll give you just a few minutes of their time.

Next, convince them your offer will meet their needs. Show them it will satisfy their desires or assuage their frustrations or fears.

Fourth, convince your prospects that the price is fair or a bargain by demonstrating the value of your offer.

Finally, convince them to take action immediately by making it easy to do so.

To successfully do those 5 things, you have to be completely focused on the prospect. That means using “you” way more often than “I” or “we” or your brand name. Follow these 6 rules for writing seductive copy to entice your prospects.

11/03/2016

Get a solid foundation in copywriting.

There are lots of copywriting tips and tricks you can use to strengthen your writing. But without a strong foundational knowledge of the basics of effective copywriting, these tips and tricks can’t turn mediocre copy into brilliantly successful sales pieces.

One of the highest paid copywriters in the world--he consistently makes over a million dollars every year--Clayton Makepeace says the secret of professional copywriters is this solid foundation. To write like the pros, you have to thoroughly understand the principles of persuasion and direct-response copywriting.

09/03/2016

Think about the brands you support the most. You likely do that because they seem like they truly care about the people involved in their work, their customers, and the world at large.

Tesla, for example, is trying to create environment-friendly technology to help the world, not just to make a quick buck.

You can create a similar image of your business in the minds of your customers.

It starts with giving more than you take.

Be mindful of what your sales pitches look like: Just about every smart marketer these days does the majority of their selling through email marketing.

When promoting a product you sell through email, you’ll typically create some sort of a sales sequence.

This is a series of emails that give details about your product, provide case studies, and tackle any concerns your subscribers might have about the product.

The problem is that it often turns into a pitch fest:

A business will aggressively send emails with the intent to sell the product (offer emails).

During this cycle, which can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, a marketer might send an average of an email a day.

By the end of it, some percentage of subscribers will buy the product.

But what happens to the emails? They stop.

At the very least, they don’t come nearly as often.

Here’s what the new customer sees:

-They’re sending me lots of emails about how this product can ---solve my problem

-They make a good case

-Okay, it seems like they’re really interested in helping me out, so I’ll buy it

- …(2 weeks later and zero communication or one email)

- Oh…they just wanted my money

And that’s how you instantly lose a customer for life.

If you’re sending a lot of emails right before someone buys something and then go quiet, your customer will feel used.

Instead, continue to send them emails that offer free solutions to other problems they might have.

This is, in essence, content marketing.

08/03/2016

When a customer comes to you or anyone on your team with a complaint, they should be met with the following:

- Listening - Don’t try to fix anything before the customer has been able to vent and explain the problem. Give them as much time as they need.

- Empathy - Always try to find ways to relate and connect with the customer. It turns the situation into an “us vs the problem” situation instead of the original “you vs the customer” situation.

- Apologizing - You need to try to give every customer the best experience you can. If something goes wrong, a simple apology goes a long way. People can be pretty understanding when you sound like a person and not a corporation.

- Solving - First, ask the customer how they’d like the problem to be solved. Or offer your own solutions for them to choose from. Go above and beyond here to maximize your chances of retaining that customer.

Call your own process whatever you like, but it should contain those four elements at the very least (in a similar order).

The two best ways to encourage customers to speak up: Here’s something that might surprise you. The average business only hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers.