OK so we’re almost half way through the alphabet… I think it’s time for me to share something really personal. Something not many people know. Something I don’t want many people to know! But here I go anyway…

Every now and then… If I’m feeling out of sorts, I blast Dancing Queen (loud) while cleaning the kitchen and it always catapults me to a happier place. Okay okay, no, that’s not the whole truth… I may or may not also enjoy sitting back with a good mag as Fernando plays in the background… I feel so naked!!

But anyway, enough of my nakedness and closet cheesy music confessions… ABBA is more than just addictive tunes, tight pants (and my goodness, weren’t they tight?!), big hair and sequins.

Their music has taught me a lot about email marketing too. Really? I hear you exclaiming. Yes, really. Hear me out!

1. Take a Chance on Me

Isn’t that essentially what all SMEs are asking their (potential) customers to do?

All SMEs face the tough challenge of making themselves known to their target market. But it doesn’t just stop at awareness. There’s the even tougher task of getting potential customers to try out your product or service. And from there, turning that customer into a loyal one.

And so ABBA’s clarion call to take a chance on me is very apt for the SME experience. And any SME that puts the following advice to practice would surely do well:

Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie

If you put me to the test, if you let me try

So make sure your email newsletter content doesn’t just ask customers to give you a chance, but that it also explains why they should, and what they will gain from it. And if you can make your content writing fun and quirky, just like ABBA’s fabulous outfits and stay-in-your-head lyrics (“Waterloo” anyone?), then you just may have on your hands a winning email!

2. Voulez Vous?

This is the ultimate call-to-action song. I’m not suggesting you drop a cheesy pick-up line to your customers, but hey, it wouldn’t hurt to end off your email marketing newsletters with a direct question or proposition once in a while. The key is to mix-up your content and your style, to avoid repetition and coming across as formulaic.

So have a think about what two or three questions you most want to ask your database. For example, if you are a yoga instructor, you might want to ask “Do you want 2013 to be the year you feel more energised and happy?” or if you run a business consultancy, the question to potential clients could be “How can you double your outreach and increase sales?”

3. I Have a Dream

While ABBA is the undisputed champion of catchy dance tunes, what they also did exceptionally well was the inspiring ballad. Remember “Thank You for the Music”? Such a gorgeous tribute to music, song, and the arts.

My favourite though, is “I Have a Dream”. I particularly love the version from the movie Mamma Mia, sung by Amanda Seyfried. In fact, it’s no wonder that the movie opened and closed with these two inspiring tunes. I remember walking out of the cinema feeling incredibly happy, and a little renewed.

And that’s what you want to leave your customers with, a sense of wellbeing and inspiration. That their lives are better off with whatever product or service you provide.

So why don’t you put on some ABBA or whatever music that lifts and empowers you, and start thinking of your next marketing campaign. Having a soundtrack to your thoughts can really help!

And if that STILL doesn’t help… Contact me :)

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

One of my favourite authors Neil Gaiman recently talked about some of the best advice he’d ever received. The advice was given to him by fellow writer Clive Barker (remember him from the 1980s horror series Hellraiser and Candyman? Shudder…) following a very loud conversation they’d had in a noisy London bar.

“If you get loud, everyone else gets louder to top you. And then everyone’s shouting and nobody’s listening. If you want everyone to listen to you, get quieter. People will listen.”

Fabulous, wise words, especially in our noisy world of new media and online content.

So how can you, an SME, get yourself heard (and loved) by your potential customers amidst this din?

1. Keep your voice down, and speak from the heart.

Extending the pub conversation metaphor to the world of email marketing, one of the most powerful things any business can do is figure out what it is about your product or service that you feel most passionate about and communicate that to your audience. And if you care about something deeply, the words will flow. No need for exclamation marks or garish red text in your email newsletter and other communications, just plain, simple words that will connect with your customers.

2. Find your true voice, and stick with it.

I think I’ve watched enough reality music TV (yes, I’m talking about you, American Idol and X-Factor!) to know that the contestants who hold on to their quirks, to what makes them unique, always do the best in the long run. They may not end up winning the title, but they do end up with genuine music careers. Remember the year Kris Allen won but Adam Lambert was the real star? Needless to say, Adam’s the one playing to sell out concerts around the world now!

Same goes for SMEs. Embrace your individuality and you will stand out and be remembered.

3. Choose your drink and stick with it

So you’re in the open bar of new media, with a dizzying array of online tools to choose from… (Forgive me, I’m having too much fun with this pub metaphor!) My advice is to choose your drink wisely and stick with it for a while, if not, I don’t envy you the hangover you’re going to have!

As an SME, you’re probably strapped for resources. So focus on one or two things and do them well. If you’re thinking of starting a Facebook Page, then go for it, but make sure you have sufficient time and content to sustain it. If you’re planning on Twitter, then be prepared to have to monitor 24/7! And of course, if you’re thinking of an email marketing campaign, then make sure you commit to it for a good length of time to see the results.

If you’d like to make sure your next email marketing campaign is heard above the constant white noise that is our lives contact me.

I’m interested to hear what online tools work for your business? What cocktail have you mixed for yourself? And why do I hear the familiar strains of The Beach Boys’ Kokomo right now? Do leave a comment! I’ll respond once I’m back with my margarita :)

Superman had a lump of kryptonite, Achilles had his heel, and the Death Star had its one weak point. A spot, that when hit, would lead to complete destruction.

And so it goes with any email marketing campaign.

Here are five things you can do to steer clear from the fatal flaws of email marketing:

 1. Plan, plan, plan!

I’ve written previously about how the best email marketing campaigns are planned before hand. I think this is really crucial for success. So, ask yourself what you want to achieve with your campaign, what sort of relationship you want to have with your customers, and how best to convey your message to them.

But of course, if new developments or information emerge (for example, a product arriving earlier than expected, you’ve shifted location, or you’ve secured a really cool tie-up with a partner), then you can send additional emails that weren’t originally planned for.

What you want is a good balance of a well-thought out plan that allows you to be flexible when needed.

 2. Deliver “Catch of the day” headlines

Make sure your email headline or subject is as catchy as that blue cod you’re having for lunch.

For example, which email are you more likely to click on? One whose subject line reads “Latest news in education!” or the one that says “A 5-year old shows his MP why school lunches are important”. I’d go with the latter. Because it immediately gives you a character, a specific scenario, and a human-interest element. Alas, all too often, the emails that appear in my inbox (or spam box, haha!) are more like the former.

For a real-life example, check out how mission-driven media company Upworthy phrases their headlines. One of my favourites that just got emailed to me reads “Jennifer Lawrence Summarizes Everything That’s Wrong With Our Culture Today In 1 Sentence”. Did I click on the link? You bet on it!

There are heaps of headline tools available as well, some of them are even free.

3. Have fun

If you’re enjoying the process of developing your email content, chances are, your customer will enjoy reading it too. And it’s in the moments of light-heartedness, say, in a quirky subject header, that your personality comes across.

Need inspiration? Look no further than Google, where the ever-changing logo on their home page offers hints of a wonderful charm and sense of humour.

4. Write pithy content

Aim for targeted, interesting content that is easy-to-read. One thing I come across frequently is email newsletters that contain way too much information.

George Orwell, in his fantastic 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language” said, “A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”

So aim for snappy content that can fit in one page. If your reader has to scroll down several screens to finish reading the email newsletter, then it’s time to get Orwellian and exercise economy in what you choose to include in your content.

5. Thoroughly proofread

Writing a good email is a lot like being a good driver. How so? Good drivers always check that the road is clear and safe before moving off. They always check their blind spots.

Same goes for your email newsletter. Error-free, well-written content immediately gives you an edge over shoddier pieces of work. Make sure you thoroughly proofread your email before clicking ‘send’. Better still, have a colleague or friend cast a fresh pair of eyes over the content. Or use proofreading software like Grammarly to help spot typos.

What’s your kryptonite? Have you spotted any other email fatal flaws that we should know about?

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

Here’s why you should avoid jargon in your email newsletters like the plague. Because your readers will think your company is filled with people like him.

Yes, him. David Brent.

Remember him from The Office? That hilarious but painful-to-watch BBC series with Ricky Gervais?

Righto.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are my top five types of jargon that you should avoid using…

1. Avoid acronyms of any sort

It has been said that acronyms save the writer time, but not the reader. Some acronyms may be almost universally known, like say, the USA or the UN. But not many other terms can boast of that. You may use PMEBs in your strategy documents, but to the layperson, PMEB may not intuitively be understood as professionals, managers, executives and businessmen. Include acronyms in your communications, and you may force some of your readers to Google to find out what they mean.

Worse still, the many new social media short forms like IMHO, FTW, ICYMI and even the commonly-used LOL, may not mean the same thing to everyone. Not convinced? Watch this hilarious clip showing parents confused about what their kids are texting and see for yourself!

2. Never, ever, invent your own acronyms

What’s even worse than peppering your email content with acronyms? Littering them with your own made-up acronyms! For example, an email I recently got from a training company read “come find out more about how our SPARK framework can help you A.C.H.I.E.V.E!”.

Two made-up acronyms in one sentence. A double-death knell in the world of email marketing.

3. Why use difficult words when simple will do?

I am on the mailing list of a popular advocacy group for social causes, and an email I got recently talked about helping “socially marginalised and economically disadvantaged” people.

Hmm, though I usually love their content, this time their email fell flat. Why didn’t they just say, “come help the isolated and the poor in your community”? It’s so much easier to understand, and I think allows the reader to connect with those in need much more. I’d much rather help a lonely elderly person in my town than a “socially marginalised” one!

4. Hyperbole, begone!

So I checked my spam folder the other day, as you do. I opened an email from a software company claiming that their “unique, first-of-its-kind” business management tool in the cloud was the “best-of-breed”.

OK, unless you are a breeder of pedigree dogs, I’d avoid mixing metaphors too much. Telling me your product is “best-in-breed” when I do not know anything about  your company, or haven’t seen the programme in action, is a little bit, presumptuous. Not to mention all I can see is a poodle in the room.

So when writing email copy, use simple, accessible, plain English. Staying away from over-used words like “iconic”, “grand”, “one-of-a-kind” and “newest innovation” will go a long way to easing your reader into what you have to say.

5. Cutting way cliches  

When drafting email content, try your best to stay away from cliches. Phrases like “allow me to introduce myself”, or “do more with less” or even “make it happen”, serve to distance your reader from you. They do nothing to make you memorable and distinctive.

Well, I hope I’ve walked the talk and avoided using jargon in this post. What other phrases annoy you? Or do you think there ever is a case for jargon to be used in an email? Share your thoughts below!

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

I grew up in a time of snail mail, where people wrote letters to each other on lined paper with an actual pen. When having a pen pal was a cool thing, and making someone a mix tape with a carefully curated playlist of songs was the ultimate romantic gesture.

And I’m sure some of you reading this did as well!

So nothing irks me more than receiving emails from companies that claim to care about me as a stakeholder, but whose actions do not demonstrate that apparent sense of caring.

Case in point, I opened an email yesterday that read:

Dear media friend,

We’d like to invite you to experience a one-of-a-kind dining concept right in the heart of downtown Melbourne. Be inspired, feel invigorated and receive the ultimate pampering experience with us. Keen to find out more? Contact us at abc@genericprcompany.com.au

Was I annoyed? You bet I was. Not only did I not want to contact the PR company after reading the contents of the email, I was tempted to write to them to ask them to remove me from their database! Maybe I am just a stroppy over-reactor, but even a mild-mannered person isn’t going to be having an email epiphany over this type of approach.

So taking a leaf from this example, how could the PR company have handled this email differently to make it less generic, more personal and in so doing stand out like a punk-rock chick in a sea of bland suits?

1. Get Personal

Firstly, dear PR company, I am not your “media friend”. I don’t know you, nor have I exchanged pleasantries with you. Secondly, if you consider me your friend, why wouldn’t you bother to learn my first name at least?

So the number one rule is, spend a little time making sure your database is accurate and you have the basic information of your customers listed in an orderly way. You’d want at least their first and last names, age, gender, email addresses, contact number, and physical address.

Oh, and the funny thing is, if they’d bothered to do a little research, they would know which of their friends lived in Melbourne (not me), and which lived further afield (that would be me). And they could have adapted their emails just a little for the different groups. Which brings me to…

 2. Segmenting by Stakeholder Group

In my Utopian world where PR companies truly care, and (to cut them some slack) where there are enough hours in the day, the PR company should have their database segmented into several stakeholder groups. An example could be under the general description of “media”, they could further segment into mainstream media and new media, and then further into types of bloggers (e.g. business and marketing bloggers, food bloggers, mum bloggers and so on).

In terms of small business, think of the different groups of people you serve, and come up with categories that work for you. Your aim should be to send regular emails to your different stakeholder groups, with customised content for each group. And just like that mixed tape of yore, carefully selecting the information you present to each group will go a long way to making them feel appreciated.

3. Add a Little Human Touch

And by that I mean, let’s infuse our emails with a little spirit of snail mail. Let’s not click the “send” button too fast, but pause and ask ourselves how we can make our emails to partners just a little bit special.

In the case of the PR company, sending an unsolicited email to me, then asking me to contact them if I was interested, just seemed a tad callous. It would probably have been better if they had indicated that someone would be following up with a call in a day or two.

With that out of my system, I’m interested to hear from you. What email faux pas annoy you? And what makes you feel special as a customer? Comment away!

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

Chocolate. It seems like every store I walk into these days has some kind of display selling gorgeous, fancy chocolate.

Maybe it’s the fact that Easter has just passed and Mother’s Day is round the corner, but there really is a box of chocolate to suit every occasion.Same product, different packaging to suit the season – red for Valentine’s Day, bunny-shaped for Easter, snowy and white for Christmas. I’ve even seen chocolate gold ingots for Chinese New Year!

So as I was walking home the other day from the supermarket, the world of chocolate and the world of email marketing converged in my head (a serendipitous moment after a long day, I might add), and voila, this blog post emerged!

If you haven’t yet put in place a plan to reach out to your customers and database during key holidays and celebration days, then now is the time. If you have already got a plan in place, now is the time to review it and make sure you’re hitting the right milestones. For example, don’t just think of the obvious calendar days like Christmas and New Year’s, take a look at more unusual off-beat calendars, and you may just find something that will resonate with your target audience!

For example, did you know that today, 16 April, is Eggs Benedict Day?

Good news if you are a personal trainer (your email subject line could read “Happy Eggs Benedict Day! Now, about that workout…”) or a cafe owner (“Come Celebrate Eggs Benedict Day at Laura’s Cafe!”).

So here are a few tips to properly plan an email marketing campaign that ties in with holidays and celebration dates:

1. Get a calendar, or two, or three.

Then start identifying the dates that resonate with your target audience. Look at traditional holidays and quirky celebration days that may help segue to your product or service.

 2. Same product, different holiday packaging.

Whether you are marketing a water filtration device or your services as a mortgage broker, make full use of your email to re-jig your offerings in the context of the holiday or observance day. For example, you could use Father’s Day to email your database about buying Dad the gift of pure life and good health. Or use International Women’s Day to email your segmented base to urge them to achieve greater financial freedom by re-financing their homes at a lower interest rate.

3. Just like Mark Darcy’s dreaded Christmas jumper, don’t overdo it.

Unless you’re a massive online store with a range of products to justify emails every three days, handpicking a couple of milestone days that hit the spot customer-wise is much more effective.

So I’m turning it over to you now. What holidays and celebration days are most important to your business?

1. Christmas
2. New Year’s
3. Australia Day
4. Valentine’s Day
5. Labour Day
6. Easter Sunday
7. Mother’s Day
8. Father’s Day
9. Or something else? …Details please!

Need an annual email marketing plan that creatively utilises holidays and boosts your sales? Click here.

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

I’m sure you’ve heard Gotye’s catchy number one hit, Somebody That I Used To Know by now. If you haven’t, then go listen to it right now.

Gotye went from relative obscurity to receiving an award from Prince himself, the very man he used to idolise and who inspired him to make music.  And to think that he recorded most of his Grammy-winning album in his parents’ barn in Melbourne!

The journey from Melbourne barn to glitzy Grammys is pretty amazing. His song came out in Australia and New Zealand in 2011, and over the course of one year, went from small beginnings to become a huge viral hit, earning covers from a cappella darlings Pentatonix, to YouTube sensations Walk Off the Earth, and to media juggernaut Glee.

Both he and his collaborator, New Zealand singer Kimbra, looked genuinely surprised when their names were called, which made it just that more touching. But their winning wasn’t all that surprising. Because the song is just simply, fantastic. It’s weird, original, catchy, stays in your head for days after you hear it for the first time.

It brought it home to me that when something is genuinely, authentically good (yes, I know that’s subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that…), then people will start to care about it, and tell their friends about it.

And it further brought home to me that Gotye’s song was the little-song-that-could. It didn’t have the huge marketing dollars behind some of its competitors (I’m looking at you Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson!), and it certainly didn’t have the slick, overly-produced feel that a lot of contemporary pop hits have today.

So just what made it so popular?

I guess that’s like the dreaded question every marketer hopes never to hear again, “what makes something go viral?”

The honest answer is, nobody knows. (Anyone saying they do should be viewed at with the very least, a tiny grain of salt). But one thing most of us can say with some degree of conviction is that for something to go viral, it has to resonate with a large crowd. It needs some kind of universal appeal, that cuts across language, culture, gender.

In Gotye’s case, it was that unmistakable riff and the weirdly compelling video. And of course the pain and angst in the song, which anyone who has suffered a bad break-up can identify with.

So what’s the takeaway here?

I think the one big point is that any one of you here reading this may just be the next big thing; the next little-business-that-could. Like Gotye, you may be working out of the (figurative or literal) garden shed, but don’t give up. Stay true to your self and your brand, and don’t be afraid to celebrate your quirks. As a small business, think of your size as an advantage in terms of marketing. You can be nimble and adjust your marketing plan as you go, reacting quickly to feedback from your customers.

With the multiplier effect of social media, connecting your product or service with a wider customer base is within your reach. You just need a great idea, and a Gotye-type element that people will identify with. Good luck brainstorming, and I hope that 2013 is your breakthrough year!

So, tell me, what’s your favourite viral marketing clip? Another I love (and shared) is this one from My Yoga Online!

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

What does a 10 year-old boy and his fig stand have to teach us about marketing? Pretty much everything, as it turns out…

I recently came across the story of Evan Sweitzer when he was featured on The Ellen Show. Watch his full interview below for some of the most inspiring five minutes you’ll ever spend:

Evan is a cat-lover. Every year, he donates his saved allowance money to his adopted charity, Philadelphia-based City Kitties. Not only that, he fundraises by selling figs (from his garden) in the summer months. Last year, Evan raised $110 for the non-profit, and sent the donation along with his annual letter.

When Ellen DeGeneres, herself an animal lover, heard about his story, she had to have him on her show. And there, she surprised the amazing boy with a $20,000 cheque from pet food company Fancy Feast to donate to City Kitties!

This got me to thinking about what SMEs can learn from Evan and his fig stand.

1.You can’t beat passion.

When you are as passionate about your products or your customers the way Evan is about figs and cats, you’re on to a good thing. People gravitate towards authenticity, and on the flip side, steer away from the fake. You just can’t help but like Evan and want to see him succeed. Same goes for your business, if you are yourself and don’t go into corporate speak when marketing yourself, people are more likely to respond to you.

2. Find the figs in your business.

In the fruit world, figs are kind of unusual. And so they stand out. If Evan had fundraised by setting up a lemonade stand, the story just wouldn’t have been as interesting. So take a look at your business to spot the figs – the unusual elements – in your day-to-day operations that might be interesting to others.

3.Small fig, big returns.

Evan had no idea when he set out on his philanthropic journey that his modest donation would turn into a mega $20,000 cheque to rescue cats in West Philadelphia! So I guess the lesson here is to dream big – you never know what is round the corner, and when that piece of marketing you did – whether it be an email newsletter or a Facebook post – could go viral.

4. Find avocados… I mean advocates!

I bet City Kitties thanks their lucky stars every day for having Evan’s support. His big-hearted act not only put him in the spotlight, but it also highlighted City Kitties’ mission and the plight of stray cats in the United States. If you know of a customer who is particularly passionate about your product, or have come across someone whom you think would be a great ambassador for your product (they don’t have to celebrities, whether A-list or C-list), talk to them, and cultivate that relationship now! At the end of the day, the most powerful form of marketing is through word-of-mouth. Nothing quite beats a friend recommending a friend.

On that note, I’m feeling a bit peckish and might just break into that fig and honey ice cream calling out to me from the fridge!

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

There’s something elegant about a long-stemmed, rich wood pepper grinder. More so if it is churning out jagged little flakes of black pepper on a steaming hot plate of pasta.

A few years ago, I went in search of the perfect pepper grinder. I tried out various artisan kitchen stores, and found a gorgeous one in dark mahogany. It cost me a tidy sum but I thought it money well spent at the time.

Until I brought it home, and found that it didn’t grind the peppercorns that well. Frustrated, I took it back, and managed to convince the sales assistant to let me exchange it for another model.

Nope, that didn’t work well either. And there started a three-year on and off again quest to find the Holy Grail of pepper grinders. Which ended with the one I use today. From IKEA. Yup, you heard me right. I traded in my $100 posh mahogany grinder for one that cost $10.

What that taught me, is that effective doesn’t always mean expensive.

Bringing it back to email marketing, many businesses that are contemplating spending hard-won money on marketing and promotions may think that the humble email is the poorer cousin to snazzier social media or mobile marketing.

I disagree. If you have great content that is interesting and relevant to the needs of your target audience, then you have a very cost-effective tool on hand. How so?

1. Emails go straight to your recipient’s inbox.

It’s a direct inroad to your audience. As opposed to being lost in a sea of status updates, ads or websites… Now you just need to make sure your content is fresh, interesting and relevant.

2. You can time emails to suit your audience.

Many different “experts” will tell you there is a good and bad time to send emails out. My view is, anytime is a good time, as long as you know that’s when you customers are receptive. And the only way you find that out is through trial and error, and fine-tuning as you go. Emails allow you to do that in an affordable way.

3. Email newsletters can showcase your personality.

Some of the most successful email newsletter campaigns have distinctive, quirky voices. From retail to social causes, try subscribing to a few newsletters to get a feel for what works, and what doesn’t. In general, content that is littered with jargon and marketing speak won’t get you anywhere. And neither will constant self-promotion!

4. The only cost is time and creativity.

There are many free tools available to help you send out to your list, so you can put your resources into creating great content.

So if you are on a journey to find the Holy Grail of marketing tools for your business, look no further than the humble email. Remember, Indiana Jones chose the humblest looking cup, and it turned out to be the right one!

If you’d like help with your email marketing click here.

What are some great email lists that you subscribe to? What is it that keeps you subscribed?

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.

I was reading Women’s Weekly the other day (in the supermarket aisle of course) catching up on all the Oscars fashion (the red carpet winner is Jessica Chastain if you ask me), when it struck me that a lot of relationship advice doled out in magazines applies to business.

So in no particular order, I present five tips from your love life that will help market your business!

1. Maintain Some Mystery…

Open any women’s magazine and I’m pretty sure you’ll see articles like “Keep Him Guessing!” or “How to Stay Intriguing”. All good tips for any marketing campaign. An excellent example of mystery at work is Cartier’s 2012 Destinee campaign, where teaser film trailers were placed all over YouTube for a few weeks, culminating in the actual short film depicting the very romantic reunion of lost love.

2. But Share the Important Stuff.

While being enigmatic can be a good thing, some fundamental things need to be shared 100%. Decide what these are for your business, and make it your priority to ensure your customers know what these are.

For example, if you are a massage therapist and your key selling point is the safe practice of traditional Chinese massage, then make sure that point is emphasised in all your communications.

3. Reliability and Passion = Long Term Success

So you’ve reached the end of the Mills & Boon novel and the couple live happily ever after… After lots of bodice-ripping tension.

Right? Well, in some cases, yes!

The happy ending is achievable. Who says you can’t have passion in a long-term relationship? The key element is stability.

Any relationship – no matter how passionate – gets old fast when one or both parties don’t return calls, keep appointments or do what they say they’ll do. But throw in some accountability and reliability and trust will develop.

Same goes for your business. Make sure you deliver on what you have promised, and you will keep the customer who first fell in love with your product or service passionately engaged ;)

4. Look Out For The Little Things.

In my experience, some of the worst arguments and break-ups stem from the tiniest things. Don’t lose your customers because of something minor that can be fixed pretty quickly. For example, if you want to send out a promotional email to your customer, why not include their name in the email? Or generate a monthly list of customers whose birthdays fall in that month and send them a special greeting?

5. Listen and Communicate

Those of you who have heard Simon & Garfunkel’s quietly tragic song about broken relationships, The Dangling Conversation, will know what I mean when I say that communication is key to keeping any relationship alive. You don’t want to end up like the two people in the song, who are indifferent to one another…

And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore.
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
The borders of our lives.

So make sure you keep the conversation going. Actively listen to what your customers are saying. If you get feedback, acknowledge it and act on it. Then get your message across to them, using different platforms like websites, blogs, and email newsletters.

So with these tips in mind, here’s wishing you some sizzle in both your love and business lives!

Like advice creating a structured plan to achieve all of the above in your business… With ease and clarity? Click here to fill in a quick questionnaire that will show me whether or not I can be of service.

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LEONIE ORTON is a professional writer and
marketing communications expert. She connects
companies with the customers they can make a
difference to… with words and strategies
that captivate, connect and convert. Find out
more about her here. Connect with her on
Facebook & Twitter.