Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

Copywriting Tips

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Lessons from Comedy: Skip the Cheap Shots

microphoneAfter taking improv classes for most of the last 3 years, I’m now taking a class in stand-up comedy. I did my first open mic at a small club here (and yes – it was so successful I floated around for two days afterward). Making people laugh is a high. Frankly, after being a college professor for 20+ years, I found this audience much more receptive, even though I appeared late and drinks had been flowing freely.

One reason I’d avoided stand-up is that all too many would-be comedians rely on cheap shots. They drop a few Tony Soprano phrases or discuss their body parts in more detail than a medical textbook (and far more graphically). The problem isn’t the language or the topics. In the comedy of the top pros (such as Joan Rivers or Lisa Lampanelli), I can appreciate what’s they’re doing even if I don’t always resonate with their material or personalities. 

Copywriting works the same way.  

Recently I posed a question in a forum to see what people thought of some titles I’m considering for my next featured freebie. Some of these titles have already been created and all are almost there,but I want to choose one to feature on my home page and business card.  

In case you’re wondering, the titles are

5 Steps For A Hassle-Free Website Makeover (last weel’s call – still available)
Your 5-Point Website Profitability Checklist 
3 4-Letter Words To Get More Clients Online (a cal I’ve done before)
5 Simple Web Design Tweaks To Get More Clients (available as an ebook)

Most people liked #1 and someone suggested combining the first two for 
Your 5-Point Website Makeover Checklist

Of course, I’d love to know what you think. But what inspired this post was a comment suggesting that these titles were not especially original. When I’ve developed unusual titles, the commenter said, she’s clicked through “even though I wasn’t in the target market.

That comment gave me pause, as comments are supposed to do. 

On the one hand, it is important to rouse your readers’ curiosity, especially for an email or blog post. But if you’ve got a problem, you respond to the words that describe the problem. Currently, since I’m doing a lot of screen capture videos, I’m quick to click on titles that promise to help me develop better videos. Similarly, people who commented on the post said things like, “I’m doing a ewbsite makeover, so I liked the first title.”  

Of course if you can combine a clever turn of phrase with a clear identification of a problem, you’ve got the best of both worlds: you neatly capture a problem with a captivating phrase. For instance, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero coined the phrase “Conscious Copywriting Formula,” which is much more clever than something like “Copywriting For The Conscious Entrepreneur Who Wants To Sell Without Being Sleazy.”  

But just being clever doesn’t work. In fact, nobody liked the most original titles I proposed – “3 4-letter words to help you get more clients.”  I’ve used it for an online free class but it’s strictly for curiosity and I wouldn’t use it again.  

Stating a need isn’t the same as trotting out a cliche that’s usually manages to be vague as well as ho-hum. “Take it to the next level.” “Six figures.”  “Everybody has a coach.” 

Just as it’s hard to be funny when you rely on story and situation than on a few commonly used words, it’s hard to write copy that appeals to curiosity as well as need. If you start noticing the top copywriters, you’ll notice they usually tend to emphasize clarity.  And, just like comedy, good copywriting tends to win when you skip the gimmicks and target the emotions of your audience.  

 

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Marketing Tips From A Dating Service Veteran

keyboardlove

Data analyst Amy Webb was looking for a mate. A Jewish husband, to be precise. She was searching JDate and Match.com, but as she writes “What followed was a series of bad dates worthy of a romantic comedy.”

Enough was enough! Amy decided to apply her data analysis skills. In other words, she began thinking like a professional marketer. She analyzed the most popular profiles which are easy to identify because they come up earlier in the search. Here are some of her conclusions:

copywriting with Lorrie Morgan-FerreroPopular women don’t wait to be asked. They reach out with informal short messages: “Hey, there …”

copywriting with Lorrie Morgan-FerreroLead with your hobbies – but skip the black belt in aikido and others that are hard to explain.

copywriting with Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero Being funny can backfire. You can come off sounding sarcastic and obnoxious.

copywriting with Lorrie Morgan-FerreroMost revealing were the tips on writing profiles. Shorter is better – about 500 words. The most popular profiles are “easygoing, youthful and spontaneous.”

While some advice doesn’t translate readily (curly-haired women are at a disadvantage), and some would be ill-advised to follow (lie about your height), I found some surprising similarities with writing copy, especially “About” pages.

copywriting with Lorrie Morgan-FerreroA surprisingly wide range of people like an informal, breezy style of communication. Amy calls the style “youthful,” which will make some of us want to hurl the newspaper across the room. I would prefer to say “energetic,” “lively,” and “fresh rather than jaded.”

What can we take away from Amy’s story?

arrow8Professionals like me have a hard time getting used to being informal. As Amy noticed, she had become “too stuffy and professional.” Today the word “professional” doesn’t mean stuffy, aloof or impersonal.

arrow8Reaching out to your market via social media can be very effective when you’re looking for clients and jv partners.

arrow8Instead of using “resume-speak,” paint word pictures. Amy describes herself as “an outgoing and social world traveler, who’s eqully comfortable in blue jeans and little black dresses.”

What impressed me most was Amy’s ability to recognize the importance of writing to sell. Many people recoil at the word “marketing,” yet we engage in these activities in so many areas of our lives. It’s refreshing to get a perspective on writing promotional copy from an entirely new and (for some of us) unexpected source.

Marketing works! Amy’s photo shows her with her husband, Brian. Success!

By the way, if you’re ready to get serious about promoting yourself to your ideal target market, I’d suggest you consider an Espresso consultation –

 

 

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Guest Post: Spiders or Peeps? Why Writing for SEO Can Hurt Your Website Rankings

internet connection concept - modern backgroundGuest Post from MichelePW: Here’s yet another indication that there’s no reason to spend hundreds (let alone thousands) of dollars on SEO specialists. In fact, these SEO experts can actually harm your rankings.

beginguestpostIn my copywriting trainings, this topic invariably comes up. And usually it’s because I’m questioning my students’ choice of words on their websites or other online promotional copy.

“I chose that word because it’s a good SEO keyword,” they say.

Ah. It may be a good SEO keyword but it’s certainly not a good people word.

But before I get too far down this path, let me give you all a little background info. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. What that means is you make your website and other online copy “search-engine friendly” so the search engines will rank you high for your chosen keywords. (Like on the first page when someone does a search for that keyword.) [Read more…] about Guest Post: Spiders or Peeps? Why Writing for SEO Can Hurt Your Website Rankings

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7-Step Guide To Writing A Case Study

Have you thought about adding case studies to your marketing mix?

The truth is, case studies give you a strong credibility advantage over your competitors, when you do them the right way.


People view case studies as editorial, not promotional, content.  That means they pay more attention and are more likely to believe you.

Case studies allow you to answer several objections from your prospects in just one narrative. You’ll demonstrate how you work, what makes your approach unique, and how you make complex challenges seem easy.


Case studies don’t have to be huge projects that take over your life. You can DIY your case study or take just a few steps to save substantially if you hire a writer.

Several business owners have shared concerns like:

“Aren’t case studies just for academics and big businesses?”
“I have absolutely no idea where to start.”
“Are they worth the effort?”

The truth is, case studies give you a strong credibility advantage over your competitors, when you do them the right way.

Case studies allow you to answer several objections from your prospects in just one narrative. You’ll demonstrate how you work, what makes your approach unique, and how you make complex challenges seem easy.

Case studies don’t have to be huge projects that take over your life. You can DIY your case study or take just a few steps to save substantially if you hire a writer.

Case studies happen to be just about my favorite thing to write, too! I wrote some when I was an academic – so I’m very clear on how marketing cases are similar and different. I’ve written for clients in the US and Western Europe.

What is a case study?

A case study is a special version of a client success story. You write about a client who faced a critical challenge. The problem should be something central to their business, with significant threats to the company’s bottom line if they don’t solve the problem.

Maybe they’ve tried other solutions. Maybe they’ve been living with the problem way too long and they’re already seeing cracks in the surface.

First and foremost, your case study is your client’s story, not yours. It’s told in third person, through the voice of a key executive or owner of the client company. The company’s representative becomes the hero. You and your company play a supporting role.

Case studies begin with the struggle. I’ve seen case studies that begin with the client company’s history, but you need to hook your reader very early in the process. Which is better:

“Mary had founded her consulting company ten years earlier, after finishing her MBA at University of North Carolina and serving time with McKinsey as a project leader. She had a vision for a boutique company that specialized in project management for startups, based in her home town of Raleigh.”

That’s not bad. It’s the way many academic case studies begin. But for a marketing case study, let’s cut to the chase.

“Mary was still at her desk at midnight, trying to find a miracle in the accounting spreadsheets. The spreadsheets stubbornly reported the same numbers, over and over. Mary’s company had just lost three of their biggest clients. She knew she might have to close her doors if she didn’t find a way to build new revenue streams in the next 30 days. Her staff had, one by one, tiptoed nervously into her office to let her know they were considering other opportunities.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to know how Mary turned things around.

By the end of a case study, your reader should identify with Mary. They should saying to themselves “I want the same kind of outcome as Mary.” They’re imagining you coming to their offices, or conferencing remotely, to work together on solving their problem.

So how do we get a case study that meets these requirements? I’ve outlined the process in 7 steps.

1 – Begin with your purpose.

 Why will a case study be particularly beneficial to your clients? Do you want to
…walk them through the way you solve complex challenges
…demonstrate your unique system (which you normally introduce through a diagram that just confuses people)
…demonstrate your knowledge of a particular industry (which can be anything from life coaching to dog walking to bitcoin consulting)

For example:

Example: Jane is a financial consultant. She wants to demonstrate how she helps clients find new sources of funds for growth. She could have case studies to show how she….

            …works with a client who didn’t have the usual criteria to attract lenders

          …works with a client whose company is so unusual it scares off lenders

2 – Choose the client and the problem for your case study.

            You’ll need a big problem that has

…. a big impact on bottom line.

            … enough complexity to generate a story

            … a clear outcome that’s directly associated with your service (no coincidences or fairy godmothers allowed) 

If you’ve never done this before, a professional copywriter can help you define the problem and make sure your case study has all the needed elements.

 3 – Get the client on board

            Make sure you’ve completed Step 2. Is this client’s story a good candidate for your case study?

Spell out all the benefits they’ll get (they’ll be surprised).

Get the client’s permission in writing. It might be as casual as an email or as formal as a notarized document, depending on how you use the case and the client’s concerns.

            Have a list of things they’ll need to provide. For example, you might want to use photos or logos.

             Make an appointment for the first interview. Explain to the client that you may need to add or subtract people from the interview list.

4 – Write the interview questions

            Reverse engineer your questions from the final case study.

Use open-ended questions – but never ask “why.”

            This one’s important: Don’t stick to your question list fanatically. Build in ways to respond to surprising insights and developments.

            If you work with a copywriter who will write up the case for you, make sure you show the questions to the copywriter before you conduct the interviews. You’ll avoid asking unnecessary questions, so you save time, and you’ll get the information you need early in the process.

5 – Conduct the interviews – the most critical step. As a copywriter, I’ve been handed transcripts of interviews with no content, or with content that’s irrelevant. You (and your copywriter) can’t create a case study out of air! An experienced case writer can save you from many pitfalls, especially if this is your first case.

            Record the interviews. This should be non-negotiable.

            Have a list of essential questions as well as some extras.

Make sure the interviewee feels comfortable. Avoid scheduling the interview just before they have to leave for a meeting.

            Advise every interviewee, “We may have follow-up questions later.”

6 – Write the first draft.

            If you’ve done steps 1-5 this will be easy.

            Use a story format, beginning with the protagonist in trouble. Keep the past fast.

            3 essentials:

                        Emphasize the importance of the problem.

                        Don’t make the story about you.

Emphasize a realistic outcome that’s clearly the result of your contribution. You shouldn’t have to spell the connetcion directly.

7 – Package the case study with an appealing title, landing page or blurb.

Choose a title that clearly shows the story line. The format should be, “How X Company Used X To Solve Their Big Problem (Without A, B or C)”

In our first example, Mary could be the subject of a case study titled, “How the Smith Consulting Company Tripled Their Cash Flow (Without Adding More Clients).” The answer might be related to new educational and speaking programs.

We could do much better with a longer time frame.

Next Steps

We’ve covered the basics but barely scratched the surface. For your first case study, you may save time and create a knock-your-socks-off case study when you get some support from someone who’s been there.

I’m Cathy Goodwin. I wrote, published and taught many case studies as an academic. As a marketing strategist, I’ve written case studies for my business and for my clients in the US and overseas.

I’m happy to write your case and/or coach you through writing DIY.
Go to https://cathygoodwin.com/contact to send me a message.

I also am starting a new course that will soon be available (or may be available by the time you get this). You will get detailed step-by-step guidance for each of the steps, plus templates you can use as a guide. Go to this link to see the sales letter and get a special rate.