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Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

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September 3, 2014 By CathyG Leave a Comment

Copywriting Is Like Basketball

handwbasketballWriting copy often makes me think of playing basketball, something I’d like to do in my next incarnation, when I’ll also be six feet tall and coordinated.

Many of us begin by thinking we should write our copy from beginning to end. Begin with a killer opening to draw in the reader. Add bullets. Insert call to action. Create brilliant sub-head. More bullets. Another call to action.

But it’s easy to get stuck writing the sales letter opening. We know it’s important, so we keep polishing. And the harder we work, the more frustrated we become. At least I do, anyway.

So how do we break the cycle? Take the pressure off. Don’t write just one sales opening! Write 2 or 3 in dramatically different styles, to see what happens. [Read more…] about Copywriting Is Like Basketball

Filed Under: Copywriting Tips

May 23, 2014 By CathyG Leave a Comment

Guest Post from Jeanette Cates: Should I Buy This Product?

cates-headshotToday’s Guest Post is especially valuable now because we’ll be seeing a lot of Memorial Day specials targeted to customers celebrating US Memorial Day. Guest Posts are presented by invitation only. 

leftquotemarks-small Should I Buy This Product? 5 Questions To Save You Money And Reduce Information Overload
By Jeanette Cates.

One of the exciting things about doing business online is the rapidly changing landscape. There are new technologies, new tactics, and new products coming onto the market daily. It’s a constant parade of new offers.

But do you need the latest and greatest offering? Or will it just become “shelfware?”

Here are five questions to ask yourself before you purchase the next product that arrives in your inbox.

1. Does this fit my business model? If your primary business model is split between consulting and selling your own info products, you may not need the “hot” new Private Label Rights product. Regardless of how easy it sounds, how much passive revenue you can earn or how few copies are left, if it doesn’t fit into your business model – skip it. [Read more…] about Guest Post from Jeanette Cates: Should I Buy This Product?

Filed Under: Professional Services Marketing Tagged With: Professional Services Marketing

May 9, 2014 By CathyG Leave a Comment

Video: Copywriting To Generate Leads on Linked In

Slide01Like many people who are active on LinkedIn, I get many messages from my contacts – and sometimes from people with whom I have no connection.

Often these messages are helpful and enjoyable – the “good.” The senders become new connections and sometimes clients.

Others invite me to sample some complimentary ebooks, videos, or programs. Those are “okay,” if they’re not overdone and if you’re in the target market.

And every so often I get a message that’s an outright sales letter. It’s bad enough if someone’s doing a hard sell on LinkedIn, but they sometimes add insult to injury with sloppy, lazy copywriting.

This video explains the three types of messages – and how to transform the “ugly” to the “good.” Please reply to this message to let me know what you think!

Filed Under: Copywriting Tips Tagged With: Social Marketing: Blogs

February 20, 2014 By CathyG 2 Comments

Video: Finding Time For Social Media Marketing

socialmediasticky“OK, I’ve got a website. Where can I find time for social media marketing?”

Several people raised this question recently so I created this video. Please leave comments here or on the YouTube site.

Filed Under: Social Marketing: Blogs, Tweets, Facebook & more Tagged With: Social Marketing: Blogs

December 29, 2013 By CathyG 4 Comments

Guest Post: A rant about lazy marketing

smblankpagephrasesAs you know, I rarely accept guest posts in this blog. But Ian Brodie said some things I’ve been wanting to say myself. Lazy marketing is … well, just that. We grab the same cliched phrases everybody else uses. I’ve caught myself doing this myself.

As Ian says, we tend to reach for these phrases when we aren’t sure of what to say – when we’re not clear on the benefits we’re offering or what the target market really wants. So if you insist, “I’m not lazy,” you’re probably right. I find I tend to reach for these low-hanging easy phrases when I’ve been trying too hard to come up with words when I really needed to go deeper into the underlying strategy.   

 

leftquotemarks-smallLAZY MARKETING by Ian Brodie

I hate lazy marketing . 

How many times in the last couple of weeks have you heard about new products, services or even books that are apparently “game changers”?

Or “innovative”? Or “leading edge”?

How many websites have you been to where they promise to teach you “how to quickly and easily…” do something or other? (of course, it’s never quick or easy). Or tell you you’ll soon be “crushing it” or whatever the latest in-phrase is.

Now, the first time you hear these phrases they have impact. Maybe even the third or fourth time too.

But over time, you start to ignore them, or just not believe them. If everything is “game changing” then nothing is.

How about this one: “Learn how to harness the power of referrals to get a flood of new clients for your business”.

Sadly, that’s one of mine. Written a few years ago when I released my first ebook on how to get more referrals.

Now I’m still very proud of the content of the ebook – it stands up well today and is a great guide for professionals who want to get more referrals.

But “harness the power” and “a flood of new clients”? What was I thinking?

Lazy marketing comes from two sources.

Sometimes, the marketer really is lazy. They can’t be bothered writing decent copy or coming up with a decent idea for how to promote their servicea. So they copy what everyone else is using.

Unfortunately, that means what they write becomes invisible. If everything looks and sounds the same, it disappears into the background. Especially true if we’re talking about something like Google Adwords where 8 ads are shown next to each other. Next time you do a search for something read the ads and see just how similar they often look.

More often though, it happens because the marketer hasn’t really understood their target client. They haven’t gone beyond the surface to understand what motivates them and why they might want what you have to offer.

As a result, they’re forced to use generic descriptions and hype to say how good it is – rather than being able to state precisely the benefit their client actually wants.

In my case, I got as far as knowing that professionals are interested in referrals because they want more clients. But I didn’t go deeper than that so I had to use hype like “power” and “flood of clients”.

What I should have done was ask why they wanted more referrals and more clients.

Perhaps their business was struggling and they were in financial difficulties? Or perhaps they were looking to bring in more clients to get promoted to partner? Or maybe the real motivation was because they felt uncomfortable with cold calling and networking and wanted a method they could use that didn’t make them cringe?

There’s usually no “one right answer”. When you dig a little deeper you often find that different people want your services for different reasons. And that’s OK – it means you should market to those different people in different ways.

Perhaps, for example, I could have done a Google Adwords ad asking “Hate Cold Calling? Get More Clients Through Referrals Instead” or similar.

It wouldn’t have hooked everyone. But for those in that situation it’s a lot more compelling than the myriad of unbelievable ads offering a “flood of new clients”.

Have you been lazy with your marketing?

Take a look at your website, your brochures, your online and offiline advertising.

Is it filled with generic phrases, hype and platitudes?

rightquotemarks-smallIf so, your first step is to think more deeply about your clients and what they really want. Keep asking yourself (or even better, them) the question “why?” until you get to the underlying reason – often a feeling or an emotion.Focusing on that will get you much more attention than the generic copycat marketing we so often see.

Learn more about Ian Brodie here. 

And … what phrases do you think are over-used? Besides the ones in Ian’s article, I vote for “6-figures” and, as Ian says elsewhere, “next level.”

   

Filed Under: Copywriting Tips

December 8, 2013 By CathyG Leave a Comment

How NOT to make connections on LinkedIn

2speechbubblessmallHere’s a message exchange from LinkedIn that began promisingly. A fellow group member politely offers to help with referrals.

However, as I reject each suggestion, he responds with a request for a bigger commitment. If you’ve read Influence by Robert Cialdini (one of the classics of marketing psychology), you know that’s backwards. Research shows that when people turn down a big request, they’re more likely to comply with a small one….but not vice versa!

First, he wants to know how he can help me. That’s very nice. But then he wants to phone or skype, and I just don’t have time for those “how can we help each other” calls.

Then he suggests we do strategy sessions for each other. Again, I am just too busy with paid sessions. And I notice his website isn’t up and running.

So after talking about a co-branding program, it turns out he doesn’t even have a brand or a website.

Yes, he could use my help. No, I don’t want him as a client. He’d be a “pain in the arse,” as my friends across the pond would say.

Naturally his name and company have been changed and I edited the dialogue.

MARTIN: I’m Martin and I wanted to introduce myself as a fellow coach and member of the [group].  In this group and on LinkedIn we are here to help each other with ideas and referrals. If there is anything I can do to help create customers, sales or referrals for you please let me know. I’ve been in business for a while now and my company has its own certification and co-branding program so I could be of some help!

Love your website! Especially the cartoon of you 🙂

ME: Thanks, Martin! I mainly work FOR coaches to help with marketing and communication. So if your fellow coaches need a website, sales letter, strategic consulting or any copywriting, I’d be a good resource for them

MARTIN: Cathy, I’m keen to hear more about what you do and who your ideal referral is so I can pass them along when I come across them. How about we get together for a quick skype chat?

ME: Thanks, Martin. My ideal referral is a veteran service business owner (coach, designer, lawyer…usually a solo-preneur) . They want to get more clients from online marketing – often they need a website makeover or a sales letter. I rarely do introductory “get acquainted” calls. My best clients are action-oriented and all the info is on my site. Our first step is a strategy session. I’m actually pretty busy.

MARTIN: Cathy I believe we might be able to help each other out here. I am a big believer in getting video testimonials because it creates a deeper connection to potential clients. So what I’m proposing is that we both take each other through a strategy session in return for a video testimonial. We are both in sales/marketing for coaches so we could learn some great stuff from each other too.

ME: Thanks, Martin! I’m pretty busy with paid strategy sessions and I don’t recommend exchanges. Finally, I’m not sure I’m in the market for what you offer. I looked at “goldcoaching” and found it’s under construction – not a website strategy I’d recommend.

MARTIN: I know it’s not a good look to have the website as it is. I’m in the process of re-branding and didn’t want to confuse people with my previous content. My LinkedIn profile gives a good overview of how I help potential clients however this might make it more clear:

My company assists coaches to charge 5x to 10x more for their services … Unlike the typical expert model, the greatest advantage of this new credibility system is its ability to create a subconscious trust that has your clients closing themselves into your 5k to 50k programs and services.

So Cathy, if you’re interested in how you can position yourself at the forefront of the multi-billion dollar coaching industry with your own Coaching Certification program …

ME: Delete, delete, delete …

copywriting tip for the new year

So, what do you think? Have you had a dialogue like this on FB, LI or ordinary email?

Filed Under: Social Marketing: Blogs, Tweets, Facebook & more Tagged With: social marketing

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