Advertising costs money – so why is it that so many people waste their money by creating ads that are ineffective, boring, and don’t have any focus? Before agreeing to advertise, whether it’s in a publication, online or in the broadcast media, think carefully about what you want the ad to do for you. If you don’t have focus, neither will your ad!

Here is a selection of tips that will help you to sharpen your focus:

1. Every ad needs an attention grabbing statement whether written or broadcast. It’s the ‘headline’ that tells people it’s worth exploring further.

2. What do you want people to do when they’ve read or listened to your ad? What do they need to know to want to do it? Don’t put unnecessary information in – make sure that every word and picture earns its space.

3. How influential is your brand? If you’re not a nationally known name, it might not need to be very big. If you have a well-known brand it may influence people to read more or even to buy, if you’re not known, your brand won’t help you and takes up valuable (and expensive) space.

4. It may seem ridiculous to say this, but don’t forget to include a means of contacting you and your web address. It’s surprising how many people forget to add a phone/email contact. The web address on its own just means people have to work harder than necessary to get in touch; they may not bother.

5. People will sometimes want to check you out so, if you want people to be impressed when they visit your website, make sure that the image is consistent with what is in the ad. Also make sure that the site is sticky and engages people when they get there. It’s no good investing all that money in an ad when people get to your website and don’t understand what you’re trying to tell them – or can’t see anything useful. They’ll just leave.

6. If you’ve got pictures in your ad, put them to the right and the copy to the left. We read from left to right and generally scan pictures from top to bottom, so pictures that have a message on their right often prevent people from reading it, they just scan down and carry on underneath the picture. Getting the layout right improves your chances of the ad being read.

7. When including testimonials ONLY use the power statement, not the whole thing. The power statement is the bit that tells people what the customer got that made a difference, the information about how nice and friendly your team were doesn’t work anywhere near as well.
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I’ve been banging on about headlines a lot lately – so I might as well continue the trend here!

Most people think a headline is something found in a newspaper or magazine – but headlines should be on every written communication you create. That includes:

The job of the headline is to engage the reader – it should shout ‘read me’! It gets attention and creates interest. Here are 7 things to think about when you’re writing headlines.

1. Where does your headline sit? Is it right where your reader is looking? It should be prominent and where the eye connects.

2. Who does your headline target? Are they ‘we’ or ‘you’ focused? Banish the word ‘we’ from headlines!

3. Do they tell your reader ‘you need to read this’? They need to target your readers’ emotional triggers.

4. Do you know why people buy you? Find out and use that HUGE lever to get others to want what you’ve got too!

5. Are your headlines F, A or B oriented? F=features; A=advantages; B=benefits. Know your Bs and use them well.

6. Do your headlines address AIDA? A=attention; I=interest; D=desire; A=action. D is really important – make people want it.

7. How long does it take you to write a headline? Sales writer, Ted Nicholas, says you should spend 80% of your time getting the headline right! Invest in it; if people don’t connect with the headline, they won’t read any more.

Think about how you want people to feel and put that into your headlines and you’ll be on the way to writing powerful, compelling messages.
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You can also find us at Lesleywriter or call us on +44 (0) 1245 473296

I make no apologies for revisiting this subject – it’s important!

I keep visiting websites that start their home page with ‘We are … a family company/expert carpet fitters/a long established company/dedicated to our customers/etc. etc. What’s wrong with that?

I don’t want to know that!

We’re all proud of our background and expertise, but if someone has just found your website they are probably looking for something – you need to tell them that they’ve found the right place. If they already know you – they probably know all that already!

Why have you got a website? Is it simply because everyone else has one? I hope not. If you’ve invested in having one designed and created, then you need to make it work for you – and pay your investment back, then start making a profit. Why would you do something that doesn’t help you to make a profit?

Understanding what you want the website to do is the first step. Understanding what people are looking for when they arrive there is the second step.

Know what their issues/problems/challenges are – and make sure that the message they get right away (that’s your headline) tells them there’s a good chance your website will deliver what they want!

If you think they’re going to read their way through your website to find out what they want to know – you’ll be disappointed. When you’re looking for information online, how long do you hang about if you can’t see something relevant right away?

I rest my case! Decide what you want it to do and then make every word work towards that end.
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A couple of posts ago I promised more about how people read different kinds of document. Here it is!

On screen people scan in an F shape with the top bar of the F starting about 2/5 of the way down the screen. On paper the scan pattern changes, depending on the document.

On a flat piece of paper most people scan in a Z pattern. This means that they get the headline, then their eyes run diagonally from top right to low on the left hand side. Anything on the right hand side is pretty much ignored and, to get attention on the left you’ll need to use devices such as subheaders and bullet point lists. Contact details across the bottom or in the bottom right corner work well. Bear in mind that a low percentage of people actually turn an A4/letter size sheet over – so think carefully whether you need a message on the back!

A trifold – an A4/letter sized sheet folded in on both sides to a standard envelope sized document. This is where you can use both sides very effectively, if you get the information in the right places. This is what needs to go where:

A postcard is a small area so don’t stuff it with information, however, use the front for attracting attention – a bright visual and a strong bold headline. The back can carry a few ‘what you get’ bullets and your contact information with a strong call to action, people do turn postcards over as we’re conditioned to expect a message on the reverse.

There are many more documents – the secret of success is to watch people handling them and see where they stop and read – then use that information to put your key messages in the right places.
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This isn’t about web copy – but it is about readability and it uses some of the same ‘rules’.

There are many different varieties of flyer; there’s the letter/A4 sized sheet, the A5 (half letter size), the trifold, the DL (compliments slip size); the postcard – and many others. Today I’m going to talk about content – and tomorrow about where the content needs to go.

Finally, when you’ve assembled those pieces of information – don’t be tempted to fill space with additional information! Stop right there!

Read the next blog to find out how to assemble the various types of flyer so the key information is in the right places.
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I watched most of this series of the Apprentice – and I like Sir Alan Sugar’s irascible approach; it’s definitely good TV. I always wonder about the candidates though, they seem to be lacking in one area – and one that I think is critical – customer service.

Yes, they go for the sales – but at the expense of good quality and an interest in the long term customer relationship. I was surprised that cutting corners, serving up sub-standard food, chocolate that tasted bad and selling cheap and cheerful, but quality-free, items seemed to be the order of the day throughout.

If I wrote websites that way, I would never get a referral or recommendation – and certainly no testimonials.

Sales is a process of communication and relationship management – a quick sale is a one-off. People won’t buy again if they think you’ve flogged them sub-standard goods.

The statistics have proven again and again that it costs far less to keep an existing customer than it does to find a new one – so the profit margins in one-off sales will need to be high to compensate for all that effort.

I know it’s a TV programme and it IS a one-off – but if I’d been on the receiving end of that approach I would have been less than happy.

I’d rather keep the customers I’ve got and let them bring me their associates, suppliers and their customers because they know they get good quality and good service, than keep finding new customers again and again.
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When you create a website you are usually hoping that people will be interested in your products or services and, eventually, part with their money to buy what you’ve got.

So, who are the people that you want to make those purchases?

Please don’t tell me ‘everybody’!

If you deliver a specific item or service you should know what your target market is. For instance, if you sell left-handed scissors, you’re not interested in selling them to right-handed people. If I’m hearing all you left-handed people saying “My Mum/husband/daughter could buy me a pair as a present,” I know that – but your target market is left-handed people – and those people who are present-buying will know to look at places where there are items for left-handed people.

So, what you need to present is the information that your specific target group will be looking for.

If your product or service is suitable for lots of people in many different niches – pick one niche and write for them. When you’ve got that cracked, choose another niche; create another ‘home’ page for that niche and you’ll find that you can bring people to your website based on their specific set of needs and wants.

Trying to write one page that targets financial advisors, horse racing aficionados and computer programmers is impossible – but they all buy products in common (office supplies, computer hardware) and, potentially, they could all be in the market for the same service (coaching, VA services) you just wouldn’t present those products and services in the same way.

Get focused, aim and then fire – your chances of hitting the target are much greater when you can see it!
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It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a book, a letter, a website, or a marketing email – there is one thing they all have in common – a plan!

I know of writers who suffer from ‘writer’s block’ – and they claim that they need inspiration to write. I don’t buy that!

Even for fiction – where creativity might be said to be rated higher (although I don’t agree with that either) – a plan makes writing easier.

If you know what the purpose of your written document is and brainstorm all the key elements that must be included:

and so on, then organise all the information into a logical order – you’ve got your plan!

Of course, part of the issue will be about length – how much information do people want to read on this issue? There will be items of information that are essential and some that are desirable, and some that are purely an ego trip for you. Time to do some weeding!

Now you have all the essential information and information that helps people to get your message in the right order, writing it should be really straightforward.
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1. Forget all about what you want to tell everyone about your business! Find out what your clients and potential clients biggest problems are and write about those – in terms of how your product or service can solve them, of course.

2. Don’t waffle! Keep sentences and paragraphs short – I was always taught one thought per sentence and one idea per paragraph.

3. Use carrot dangling techniques! Tell your reader how good life will be for them with your product or service in place. Get them to imagine already having it.

4. People buy on emotional triggers; the ‘what’s in it for me’ element of your products/services. So, yes, tell them what it is; and also tell them what it does (briefly), but major on how they’ll feel.

5. Don’t expect them to work hard to find out more – or to work out what to do next. Tell them what action to take next and make it easy for them – so put the phone number right after ‘call us now’, make the instruction a hyperlink to the page you want them to go to.
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When you’re writing web copy it’s easy to let your keyboard run away with you! The first step is to have a structure to write within; I always mind-map my websites and then each page.

This is the structure I use:

1. Subject matter of the page
2. Purpose of the copy – i.e. what do I want people to do when they’ve read it.
3. What problems are the readers suffering from? What is their pain?
4. What would their life be like when they’ve got what I’m offering?
5. What are the key points of what I want to tell them? (notice that this comes LAST).

Use No. 3 to construct the headline and opening paragraph, sometimes using 4 as a contrast (or a carrot).

Use 3 and 4 to write about 5.

No 2 gives you the material for the call to action for the final paragraph.

No 1 gives you the button title – but NOT the page title!

The word count should not exceed 250-300 words, ideally less.
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