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Strategic Thinking on the
Go!
Newsletter
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September
2010 |
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Dear
Colleagues,
This month we are learning about the things you don't want to do
and things you do want to do. Everyone needs to know the do's and
don'ts!!!
First, is a terrific article, The 10 Biggest
Mistakes to Avoid on Your Website, about mistakes you don't
want to be guilty of making on your Web site. We all put up Web
sites so that our prospects and clients will be able to gather
information and/or purchase our products. But what should we be
careful with on these sites? Ten things you need to be aware
of.
Businesses thrive or die based on customer service. So why is it
that so many businesses treat their customers like the enemy? If
you need to keep more customers-and who doesn't-you will want to
read 10 Things
You Can Do to Keep a Customer Today.
Many of you are writing Blogs to keep your customers and prospects
informed-me too. The article, 4 Tips for Writing
SEO-Friendly Blog Posts, can help us all understand the best
ways to get those pesky search engines to find our blog posts.
It's important that readers be able to find you and what you are
saying.
I've included information regarding The 12 Most Powerful
(Copy) Words in the English Language. If you or someone you
know is responsible for any of your businesses' advertising, you
should read this. It could help you change the results of your
next marketing campaign.
There are lots of exciting things going on right now. I'm
attending a social media university, of sorts. At the end of the
sessions, approximately 20 hours of study, I will be more
knowledgeable in advanced social media strategy and tactics. As we
move on through the rest of this year, I will be able to help you
understand the importance of social media and some of the how to's
that make it successful.
Till next time,
Happy Marketing!
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The 10 Biggest Mistakes to
Avoid on Your
Website
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Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week, and 365 days a year, your website is presenting your
company's image and message to prospective clients all over the
world. With this phenomenal reach, you want to make sure your best
image and best message are coming across.
Perhaps your website is not generating the interest you'd like it
to and you'd like to find out why. Maybe you're just getting
started in your new business and know you need a website, but don't
know where to start. Possibly your website is doing great, and
you'd simply like to take it to the next level.
10Mistakes
Whether creating a new site or updating
your existing site, here are some common pitfalls to avoid.
1. Unprofessional writing.
It's easy to get so wrapped up in the web design portion of a
website and forget about the words that go on the pages. Maybe the
web designer does the design but not the writing. You might even
find yourself writing the content at the last minute. Good writing
is far more important than bling, and great copy from a
professional copywriter will get your phone ringing.
2. Looking like all the other
sites out there. Your business has something unique and
different to offer its customers. Is that evident on your website?
If not, you could
be attracting the wrong Click here for the rest.
Written by
Sandi Smith and published by Manta.
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10 Things You Can Do to
Keep a Customer
Today
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Where are you spending more time; getting new customers or growing
and expanding your relationship with the customers you already
have?
If you're like most companies, you're probably spending more time
and money looking for and wooing new customers than finding new
opportunities within the customers you already have.
When the economy gets tough, everyone tends to go into survival
mode and think that they don't have enough customers, or that they
need new customers to replace the business that they lost. But
the truth is that focusing on the customers you already have is
your highest value
strategy when times are tough.
If you're afraid of losing a customer or just want to keep the
customers you have loyal, here are some easy, low-cost strategies
that will help
you keep a customer today.
Calculate your customer net worth. The best way to inspire
increase
sales to existing customers is to see how much these customers have
already contributed to your bottom line. The formula is actually
simple: Take the total profit of your ideal customer over the
lifetime of your relationship. Subtract all Click here for the rest.
Written by Ivana Taylor for AE Open Forum.
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4 Tips for Writing
SEO-Friendly Blog Posts
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In
addition to writing for their human readers, web writers and
bloggers have to consider the digital web crawlers employed by
search engines like Google. Your business can't skip the
task.
Since most would-be readers use search engines to find blog posts,
you need to make sure that Google ranks your site highly when those
readers search for terms related to your business and the content
you're writing.
You could spend thousands of dollars to have a search marketing
firm optimize your business's blog for search engines, but chances
are that you can learn a lot of the fundamentals yourself, saving
yourself a lot of money as long as you have the interest and the
time. Here's a basic primer on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for
your company's blog.
1. Always Include Search Terms In Your Post's Title
When Google reads a website to index it, it reads the code
directly, not the snazzy presentation that humans see. The way most
blogging platforms are built, the headline or title of your blog
post is among the first things Google sees, and Google generally
assumes the words that appear earliest are the most important.
That's why the title is the most important part of your blog post
when it comes to SEO.
Think about who you want to reach with this blog post, and what
that person might be searching for when looking for your business's
goods or services, then include critical words from that
hypothetical search in the title. The most important terms should
appear as quickly as you can reasonably fit them in. Just be
careful not to make the title unreadable or awkward to human
readers - that SEO effort will have been for naught if the reader
is immediately turned off by the content once he or she finds
it.
Here's a pro tip: You're not likely to win strong ranking for more
than one or two search terms at once, so minimalism is a virtue
here. Don't get Click here for rest.
Written by Samuel Axon for AE Open Forum.
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Success is Easy When
You Choose
Proven Professionals
Marketing Pathways provides professional marketing services that
dazzle and perform. You will be pleased with the results. Let's
increase your company's sales together!
Sincerely,
Cindy Neky
Contact Me.
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The 12 Most Powerful (Copy)Words in
the English Language
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As a
copywriter, there are times when I am asked by clients why I use
certain words when writing an advertisement. Whether it is for an
ad in a publication, online, a direct mail piece or even a radio
ad, they don't always understand what words or groups of words work
best when marketing a product or service.
Let me explain. Copywriting isn't like other writing. You won't
find good copy in a newspaper article. Hopefully, you will find
great writing known as journalism. Writing copy is based on
getting the reader's attention as quickly as possible and stating
your case for purchase of your product or service as clearly as you
can.
With ads of any type, you have less than 2 seconds to grab the
attention of whoever is reading or watching your advertisement.
Not much time to state all the positives of your product or
service. That's why a good headline is important in a print ad. Or
why the first second or two of a television commercial is
critical. (Does anyone still watch them now that the commercials
almost outlast the show? Plenty of time to get that snack, do the
laundry or take that much needed bathroom break.) Or why a
billboard advertisement needs to state its case in a short, but
impactful way.
There are specific ways to write effective copy. Some words draw
the reader's attention to your offer more than others do. At
times, the writing that will create the most impact with the reader
isn't proper or a correct use of the English language. Copywriting
isn't the English your elementary teacher taught you. It isn't for
those who are compelled to strictly stick with only correct
grammar. In fact, quite often the words for a great ad aren't
correct or proper at all.
There are also those words that are more powerful to use than
others are. These are the most profit producing words you can use
in any marketing campaign. Copywriters know about them, but few
others know how commanding these words really are. When used
effectively, they can increase the results of your marketing.
The twelve words below aren't going to surprise you because you see
them in ads all the time. Now you know why. They are the most
powerful words used in copywriting.
1. You
2. Save
3. Money
4. Easy
5. Guarantee
6. Health
7. Results
8. New
9. Love
10. Discovery
11. Proven
12. Safety
These words have been studied and have shown they elicit the
strongest response by people seeing or reading an ad. If you
combine them, such as " You Save Money", they become even more
powerful. Don't be afraid to use them multiple times in your
advertising.
You may wonder why the word "Free" isn't included in this list.
When used correctly, it can be even more effective than the twelve
words listed above. The word "Free" has been overused though,
especially on the internet. Some of its benefit has been eroded
because of this.
Keep these twelve words in mind when you (or someone on your
behalf) write an advertisement. They could drastically improve the
response to your direct mail piece, online blog, newspaper ad or
whatever marketing vehicle you are using.
Let me know what you think or if you have questions about these
words and writing effective copy.
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Marketing
Pathways
Services
Do You Want Your Marketing to be Easy? Call us today, and it will
be.
Marketing Strategy
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Much More
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Contact
Marketing Pathways for help
marketing your business. Our expertise in strategy, PR, marketing
plans, research, brochures, the web and advertising will deliver
the results you want. We have the capabilities to effectively
create and deliver the brand you want the world to see.
Call today to schedule a meeting to discuss
how we can create sizzle (and results) in your marketing!
724-941-9292
Strategic Thinking. Creative Ideas. Results.
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