As a small business owner, your marketing budget is often rather limited, so you need to make every dollar count. Following are some helpful tips to stretch your marketing dollar further:

1. Tell ‘em and tell ‘em again – Today’s consumers are overwhelmed with marketing messages, so unless your message specifically addresses a problem they have, it will go unnoticed. Sadly, a one-off advertisement or flyer just won’t cut it. This is why you need to keep marketing your product or service on a regular basis, as your potential customers often need to hear your message several times before they will respond.
2. Get noticed with a punchy headline – Asking a question which addresses the need of your target customer is a very effective method.  For example, ’Does your lawn need mowing, but you just don’t have the time?’ or ‘Isyour book-keeping driving you mad?’ or ‘Want better value for money on your insurance?’.
3. Who ARE you? NEVER put your business name at the top of your advertisement unless the name of your business solves a problem. Basically, the person reading the flyer doesn’t care who you are until you tell them how you’re going to help solve their problem.
4. Less is more – Don’t try to cram too much information into the ad – just a few important points are enough.
5. Happy clients help sell your message – Having said that, it’s great to use a brief testimonial from a happy client (with a photo) if you can, i.e. ‘this is how they solved my problem…’, which shows how effective your product or service can be. A third party is always more convincing at selling your product or service than you are.
6. Will it work?  It’s a great idea to test your ad copy out on a few people first – preferably someone who will give you open and constructive feedback.
7. Devil in the details - Make it easy for people to contact you. Ensure your phone number, street address and/or website address is prominently displayed. Make sure you double-check for mistakes too – one wrong digit in your phone number or web address can be a disaster! Ensure your staff know about the marketing campaign and that they greet all customers in a welcoming manner. It costs too much to get them ‘in the door’ – you don’t want to lose them before they buy!!

Remember, consistency counts… so keep sending that message out to your clients and potential clients on a regular basis. Best wishes with your marketing efforts.

Whether you realise it or not, your About page isn’t really about you, it’s about your customers, and getting them to know, like and trust you. If you want to capture their attention, and their business, you first need to tell them how you can solve their problem, then back it up with the reasons why you can do this.

Following are my 5 top tips to write a winning About page for your site:

1.  Before you start writing, consider your customer – Think about:

• Who is my customer?
• What problem do I/can I solve for them?
• What does the customer want to know about our company/me?
• What voice or style do they respond to? i.e. formal or more friendly/casual?

If you’re unsure of the answers to these questions, ask your customers.

2.  Tell them HOW you help solve their problem – Make a clear and concise statement about what you do for your customers. This gets their interest and provides motivation to read on.

3.  Tell them WHY you are the best choice – Here’s your opportunity to make them want to deal with you by expressing your personality, being informative and entertaining, as well as conveying your company’s culture and values. This enables you to engage them with your personal and/or company’s story and to build trust.

You can then include the qualifications and experience you have to back up your claims. Highlight your expertise – accomplishments, awards, volunteer or charity work, associations, education, passion, links to media/press articles you’ve features in, tell them why you do what you do so well.

4.  Express your point of difference – Remember your reader is most likely looking your competitor’s sites as well, so it’s important to clearly state your UVP (Unique Value Proposition – or what makes you stand out from your competitors) on your About page. Research your competitor’s sites to ensure yours stands out.

Simply expressing your story and humanising your organisation can be your point of difference too. People want to know who you are, what you stand for and why they should trust you. It’s important to be honest, authentic and real in order to be trustworthy.

5.  Show your face – Personally, I much prefer to deal with an organisation where I can see photos or video on the Home page or About page. Displaying a photo or video provides a further opportunity for people to get to know, like and trust you. Whether you use individual shots or a team picture, it is essential that you include pictures.

One more tip – Invite them to connect with you on social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+. That way, they have the opportunity to get to know you before they give you their business.

Should you be feeling a little overwhelmed about writing your About page (or any other web page), engaging the services of a Professional Writer can often save you time, money and heartache. Feel free to email me to discuss your project – I’d be happy to assist.

If you’d like to receive more writing tips, please connect with me on Facebook or sign up to the newsletter on my Professional Writer website.

And lastly … I’d love to know – what do you think makes a great About Us page?  Please comment below.

According to John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing, ‘People buy on emotion and then rationalise their purchase with facts.’

When promoting themselves, what most businesses focus on is the facts. What we really need to do is tap into that emotion, to form a connection with that person and get to know our ideal customer. Stories can help do this.

Following are 5 ways we can use stories to shape our brand and make an emotional connection:

1. Stories help to simplify and explain – Stories are a great way to explain how your product or service works or how it can be used. This is especially helpful for complex issues. Video stories can be very useful here;
2. Stories  help customers relate – Success stories and case studies about how a customer used your product or service to solve a particular problem can help others to relate  and connect. People like to copy other people’s success;
3. Stories paint a picture of why you do what you do – Stories can help customers understand your passion for your business, and explain a little more about you as an individual. People relate to other people rather than a company and they like to deal with the person behind the business;
4. Use stories to build trust and authority – Stories and in particular, testimonials, help establish trust and can demonstrate how you/your business is an authority in your particular area;
5. Stories give people something to repeat – Stories assist happy customers to spread that all-important word-of-mouth and to give referrals. However, your story must be powerful enough to resonate with the customer in order for them to repeat it.

Once you’ve made that emotional connection, you’re well on the way to getting your customers to buy more from you.

What’s your story? If you’re looking for some help to get your story heard, email me - I’ll be happy to help!

• Good customer SERVICE and…
• VALUE for money, not just a low price.

It’s the combination of the service and value you provide to the customer which make up your Unique Value Proposition(UVP).  If you want to set yourself apart from your competition and win more business, it’s important to identify your UVP and then use it to streamline your marketing and increase sales.

Firstly, you need to be familiar with your target market, in particular, you need to identify who your ‘ideal customer’ is. Knowing your ideal customer and how you can address their specific needs and problems allows you to target your marketing, and provides a much greater chance of getting noticed by the people who will help increase your sales.

So, how do you identify your UVP?  Consider the following questions:-

1.  WIIFM – What’s in it for me? What is the biggest benefit of your product or service, i.e. how does it solve your ideal customer’s problem/s, address a need, or improve their life?

2.  What’s unique - What do you offer your customers that is difficult to replicate? This might be the way you treat customers, your follow-up and customer contact system, your key people, the fact that you actually fulfil your promises, home delivery, etc…

3.  Strengths – What are the strengths of your business?

4.  Competitive edge – Why would a customer buy from you rather than the competition?

5.  ASK - If you’re not sure of the answers to these questions, ASK your customers!

Let’s face it, the ultimate aim is for your business be your customer’s ONLY real choice. It’s helpful to answer the above questions for your own business, then do the same exercise on your competition.

Once you’ve established your UVP, you need to tell (or remind) all your current customers how you can address their needs or solve their problems, as they may not be familiar with your full range of your products or services. Reinforce this with a couple of strong testimonials that demonstrate how your product or service has helped overcome the customers’ problem.

It’s important to demonstrate HOW you can help customers, rather than simply telling them, ‘We also sell XYZ’.  You’ll find it’s more cost-effective and easier to sell an additional product or service to an existing customer than it is to attract a new one.

Feel free to let me know what your UVP is … perhaps I can feature you and your UVP in a future article. Drop me an email here. I look forward to hearing from you.

When you have the tags printed, your name needs to be in large bold type, so it’s easy to see. The tag should also include your business name, logo and/or corporate colours. Customised name tags are available at most specialty stationery shops.

2.   Uniforms – Similar to name tags, a uniform can convey your corporate image through colour and style. They can make you look more professional and also make you more memorable to customers, as well as portray a sense of unity and pride amongst your team.

Do your research and find a uniform which suits your business and personality. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Check with your accountant regarding the rules for tax deductibility on uniforms.

3.  Car stickers – Your own mobile billboard. You can choose to cover the entire vehicle in your branding, use the rear window as an advertisement, or print bumper stickers to share amongst your family, friends and customers. All are an excellent opportunity to grab the attention of potential customers and remind your existing customers to return.

4.   Brochures – Ask complementary businesses whether you can do a brochure swap, i.e. you display their brochures and they display yours. A brochure provides more information than a business card, and when written well, can influence your prospect to pick up the phone and call you!

5.   Business card with photo – Having your photo on your card helps people to remember you. A professional photo helps you look approachable too.

Got something you’d like to add to the list? If there’s a branding tip that’s worked for you, please let us know in the comments section below.

Robyn said wanted the words to come from her clients, but wasn’t sure how to ask them without offending them.  I made the following suggestions…

• State it upfront. When you’re romancing a new client, tell them your business is based on referrals from happy clients and that you will be asking him/her for a brief testimonial on completion of the sale or service. This puts them on notice that your service better be good because you’ll obviously be looking for a positive testimonial
• Deliver great service – under promise and over deliver – be deserving of a great testimonial
• Invite them to be part of your tribe. Everyone likes to belong and feel accepted as part of a group or tribe. Create a client club and/or invite them to a client function. Ask them if you can keep them updated with regular discount/special offers – make it sound enticing. That way, you’re more likely to get their repeat business.
• Make them feel valued. Remind them that you value their feedback and ask them to be completely honest
• Important guidelines. Develop a list of questions to guide the client when writing the testimonial, e.g. What objections (if any) did you need to overcome before you bought this product? i.e. price, delivery, etc. (tailor this to your product/service), What problem did the product/service solve for you?  What benefits did you find after using this product/service? You’re happy to recommend it because…
• Why the list? The most convincing testimonials demonstrate how the client’s objection was overcome or how your product/service solved their problem. Future prospects relate best to this type of statement
• Offer a helping hand. If your client is happy to provide a testimonial but is unsure what to write, offer to write it for them. No, this is not dishonest – you must use THEIR words. Ask them some questions about the problem/s you solved for them and record their comments, then use this as your testimonial. HOWEVER, before displaying the testimonial, you MUST send it to the client and give them the opportunity to edit it as much as they like.  You may also consider asking them to sign off on the final copy and keep it on file, just to cover yourself.
• Don’t wait. On completion of the transaction, ask them for the testimonial. Don’t wait. Ask while the product or service is fresh in your client’s mind. Did I mention, don’t wait??
• Make them feel valued. Yes, I’m repeating this heading – because it’s so important if you want to receive a RED HOT testimonial. Try telling them, ‘We’d love to feature your testimonial on our blog!’… then they reallybecome  part of your tribe.

I’ll be checking back with Robyn to see how many RED HOT testimonials she’s received.

Why not try this out yourself – and please email me with your success stories – I LOVE good news!!

A powerful story:

• creates intimacy
• establishes relationships
• creates a shared experience
• provides a sense of connection
• communicates your values

A poweful story can motivate, persuade and inspire your prospects, turning them into customers – and increasing your bottom line. If you wish to influence others, you must have a good story.

What particular chapter of your own personal story will your target market best relate to?

For example, if you’re a property marketer targeting first-time investors, you might tell your own personal story of how you bought your first property and how you went on to build a portfolio of dozens of investment properties.

Shaping your story

In order to shape your story, you need to be clear on who you are and what your purpose is.

• What are you passionate about?
• Why did you go into business?
• What are your core values?
• What do you specialise in?
• What do you, personally, and/or your business stand for?
• Are you connected with any charity work?
• What common interest do you have with your customers?

You don’t have to be able to answer every one of the above questions, but answering at least some of them will give you an idea of your own unique story. If you’re unsure, you may need to work with a friend or coach to discover some answers

Whether you produce your newsletter weekly, monthly, quarterly or occasionally, the most common complaint amongst newsletter compilers is finding inspiration or knowing what to ‘fill it up with’.

Are you guilty of simply grabbing whatever you can find at the last minute, throwing it together and just sending the newsletter out?Unfortunately, this often results in boring your customers with meaningless drivel, or worse still, with customers seeing your newsletter as irrelevant and not even reading it – which is probably not the outcome you were hoping for!

Don’t despair! There’s one secret weapon most professionals use to ensure they always have a choice of quality information ready to use in each and every newsletter….

it’s… THE SWIPE FILE!

What’s a swipe file, I hear you ask? Well, it can be an actual folder or a folder on your computer, where you keep copies of articles from magazines, newspapers and website,s as well as story ideas, pictures or any information which may inspire a future article for your newsletter.

Naturally, it goes without saying that if you wish to reproduce another person’s writing, you need to check on copyright issues. You’ll find most people are happy to have their work reproduced if you include their name, a bio/snippet of info about them (often found at the base of their original article) and a link back to their site or the location of the original article.

If you’re confident in your own writing ability, you might prefer to take one aspect of the snipped article and expand upon that point in your own article. You can quote from the first article to reinforce your point.

Providing quality articles which are of interest to your customers helps to establish trust and builds your profile in their eyes.

Make Writer’s Block a thing of the past… Start your swipe file today - I’m confident it will be a big help when you compile your next newsletter.

If you’re already using a swipe file – share your tips and hints with us by leaving a reply in the comment box below.

According to John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing, ‘People  buy on emotion and then rationalise their purchase with facts.’ Most businesses focus on the facts, but we need to firstly tap into that emotion, to form a connection with that person, to know our ideal customer. Stories can help us do this.

Following are 5 ways we can use stories to shape our brand and make an emotional connection:

• Stories help to simplify and explain – Stories are a great way to explain how your product or service works or how it can be used. This is especially helpful for complex issues. Video stories can be very useful here;
• Stories  help customers relate – Success stories and case studies about how a customer used your product or service to solve a particular problem can help others to relate  and connect. People like to copy other people’s success;
• Stories paint a picture of why you do what you do – Stories can help customers understand your passion for your business, and explain a little more about you as an individual. People relate to other people rather than a company and they like to deal with the person behind the business;
• Use stories to build trust and authority – Stories and in particular, testimonials, help establish trust and can demonstrate how you/your business is an authority in your particular area;
• Stories give people something to repeat – Stories assist happy customers to spread that all-important word-of-mouth and to give referrals.

Once you’ve made that emotional connection, you’re well on the way to getting your customers to buy more from you.

Following are 5 quick tips to help you write an article the editor will love… and want to publish!

1 – Who’s your target market?

Let’s say you’re a freelance make-up artist. Your target market might be teenage girls who want professional makeup for their formal /graduation or young women who are potential brides, as well as their mothers.  

If you coach kids after school, you’d target working parents who need help with getting their kids’ homework done or parents looking to improve their children’s academic results.

 2 – Where is your article being published?

Your story needs to capture the attention of this specific target audience. What type of publications or online media is your target market reading?  Approach these publications first.

If you’re really struggling to find an angle which fits your business, your target audience and the publication, you may need to approach a different publication.

3 – What does your audience want to know?

Consider what type of information your audience is looking for. What can you say that will elevate you to the level of expert in your field and influence them to call/email you to make an appointment or purchase your products? Think about the questions you frequently answer for your customers. Offer helpful information in your article –  they’ll want more.

4 – Keep it simple

Choose one angle per story. If your first story is of interest, there’s most likely going to be opportunities for further articles in the future, so save the other topics for later – or another publication.

5 – What’s your best angle?

Consider these potential angles as a starting point -

• Is your business innovative or the first of its type in your community?
• What specific problem do you solve for your clients?
• How does your product/service help enhance client’s lives?
• Do your products/services help clients save or make money?
• Have you recently been nominated for, or preferably WON an award?
• What’s your personal story/background – what led you to start the business?
• Can you tie your business into something which is a current media issue?
• What’s your point of difference? What’s your Unique Selling Proposition?
• Listen to your current customers – why have they come to you and how have you helped them – Incorporate testimonials from your current and/or past clients to reinforce the point you are making. Testimonials are very powerful, but you must seek permission to publish the name and suburb of each person providing them.