More Clients - the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert MiddletonIn This Week's Issue: When it comes to communicating about your business, often shorter is better.
Shorter is Better
Sometimes you need to step back from what you're doing and ask: "Is this really working?"
For the past three weeks I've been working on a series of More Clients issues based on the "Seven Most Important Marketing Principles for Independent Professionals" but the response has been lukewarm. I realized that this format is simply not well suited to this eZine, so I'm changing direction.
I'll continue that series in another format later, but for now I'm going to respond to a request that I've heard many, many times:
"Make the eZine shorter so we have time to read it!"
Articles have regularly been exceeding 1,000 words. My new commitment is to keep each article to about 600 words - something you can read in under three minutes.
And my goal is to give you something pithy, something useful, something you can actually apply to your marketing right now.
Ready? Let's talk about this idea of "Shorter is Better."
Since all marketing is about communication, the faster you can get your message across, the better results you'll typically get... but not always.
Shorter messages work better when:
- You want to communicate the essence of what you do- You need to make the complicated simple
- Your prospect doesn't know much about you or your service
- You want someone to just check something out
- You want to get your eZine read :-)
Once a prospect is qualified, shows interest and wants to know more, you can tell them a whole lot. At that point, longer communication is better. (such as a detailed description of a service online).
But the challenge with a short message is getting your idea across with as few words as possible. Here are a few tips:
1. Make sure that the message is targeted to a very specific audience.2. Include either a clear benefit to be gained or a clear problem to be avoided.
3. Gain credibility through an example or short story that creates a picture in the reader's mind.
4. Tell the reader exactly what to do next.
Some places you can use the short message technique:
1. On the home page of your web site: People want to be able to glance at this one page, read a few words and know what you're about. You need to go beyond a few bullet points, but you don't need several long paragraphs outlining every single thing your business offers.
2. In an email that points to more detailed information on a web page: In tests I've done, a message that was only 84 words got 50% more click-throughs than a message that was 284 words.
3. In an Audio Logo: A concise statement in ten words or less saying who you work with and the problems you address will almost always generate more interest than a long-winded description of what you do, who you do it for and how you're different.
4. In a phone message left on voice mail: Saying your name, company name and your phone number will generally get more return calls that a big recorded sales spiel that often convinces your prospect that they definitely don't need your services.
5. In an answer to the question: "Tell me more about your services" it's better to tell a little and then ask a question than it is to give an itemized list of every service you offer.
Your challenge in using short marketing messages effectively is spending the time to think through, write out and then fine tune your message until you get your point across in as few words as possible.
Yes, to make your message shorter it may take you longer!
Marketing Action Groups - Almost Full
We have a few spaces still open in this intensive six-month program. If you are serious about taking your business to the next level, then please check it out at the link below. The upcoming groups start in mid-June and the ones after that don't start until mid-October.
http://www.actionplan.com/actiongroup.html
Do you have the InfoGuru Marketing Manual yet?
Are you a new subscriber but didn't feel you were ready for the manual when you first subscribed?
Have you been thinking of ordering the manual for years but have just been putting it off?
Are you creating a web page and want guidelines for writing powerful web copy?
Do you want to do more networking, speaking, writing but don't know where to start?
Is it time to finally nail down your marketing message once and for all?
Do you want feedback and ideas from your peers on how to market more successfully?
My recommendation: Click on the link below and read about how the InfoGuru Marketing Manual can help you grow your business.
http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html
Until next week, all the best,
Robert Middleton
ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Cracking the Marketing Code for Independent Professionals~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790© 2005 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:
"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."
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