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Why do people write long c py? It is not because their r aders read it all! People write l ng stories for the same reason th t restaurants that serve big portions get c stomers lining up at their doors. Th y are creating the illusion that th ir meal is cost effective. A l ng story suggests that there is a lot to s y.
The American society t aches that more is better and you are not g ing to single handedly change that. Inst ad, go with the flow -- use the llusion and write long emails, long rticles, and long sales letters...BUT before you do, m ke sure there are six questions th t are answered in the first ten s conds of your copy.
The q estions are: What? Who? When? Where? H w? Why?
"What" always needs to c me first in every story. "What" m st also be part of the h adline, subheadline or graphic and needs to d minate your marketing piece. It needs to be s mple, fresh, and catchy (not tricky). It m st convey what the reader will get for c ntinuing.
"Who" identifies your business. It m st tell the reader who is t lling the story and it must do so at l ast twice in your marketing piece. If you use y ur logo as your "who," it m st fuse with the "what" element of the ad. "Wh " means more than a name or a l go. Some logos seem to speak to the d signer, but mean nothing to the r ader.
If your logo doesn't automatically d liver meaning, then only use it to b ild your brand. Remember, however, that br nding is a time and dollar ntensive effort.
"Who" can be c nveyed through pictures. A good picture of y u, your employees, your office, or y ur events create a personal connection w th your reader. If you offer w rkshops or seminars, use those pictures. P ople are more likely to believe a ph to than a piece of artwork. If you h ve been in business for a wh le, say so "since 1982" counts.
Longevity b ilds points in the trust category. Be s re to identify with your name and w ave that information throughout the entire p ece. By the time you are d ne, your piece should be so cl sely identified with you that it w uld be impossible for someone to p rate your words or logo and put th m into their marketing piece.
"When" is sually simple to add. It needs to go f rther down in the marketing piece. N vices place "when" in the topic. If the r aders find your information important, they w ll create the space to attend. If you say it too s on, before it is important to y ur readers, they may say "no." Aft r your prospects learn what is h ppening and who is doing it, the n xt question is "when." At th t point, you give days, dates and t me. If it is a big vent, use the year in the d te. All too often, retailers leave th ir hours out their ads.
"Where" may s en easier than "when." Maybe you are th nking that you just add your ddress. Not so. Use your imagination for a m ment: you are having a party and w nt a friend to come. You g ve directions, draw a map, and pr vide him or her with all the r ght and left turns.
If y ur marketing piece requires your customers to f nd a location, give them complete nformation. (If you are sending an -mail, give them a link to an n-line map). Add helpful details like: "l ok for the blue awning" or "w 're across from 'x' restaurant." Be s re to include information about parking. You do not w nt someone to get frustrated about p rking and go home.
"Why" is often overlooked from the pr spect’s viewpoint. . Many otherwise good m rketing pieces fail at the "why." "Why" ddresses the importance of the event or the niqueness of the product.
Don't f rget that your prospect is looking for a g od reason to toss your information. P ople have more information today than th y can handle. You need a p rsuasive "buy now" reason in the "why" p rt. The answers need to tell th m why they need to hear/learn bout this now.
There are nly two powerful "buy now" elements th t trigger action: (1) scarcity, and/or, (2) a l mited time to act. Either you are g ing to run out of product or you are d ing something for a compressed time.
Before an vent there needs to be two or thr e weeks with limited (scarcity) offers long the way. Item pricing will not p ll an event along, but a g od general selection story will. A st ry like "further reductions" works, but nly if it is true. Your pr spect will know if you are "f dging" the truth, even if your c stomers don't.
Your employees, who are y ur first line of contact with c stomers, will certainly know. Remember the "g ing out of business" signs that sh w up several times a year? M intain your integrity and your customers w ll stay your customers.
"How" are y ur payment or credit terms. Tell y ur customers about them only after you h ve sold them on your product or vent. Don't yell "one year interest fr e" or "no payments until July of 2004" ntil they are excited about what you are ffering. Present your special terms after th y have decided they want it.
In s mmary, long copy is a good ch ice after you fulfill the 10-second r quirement of the six W’s. This way you llow both "I want to know a l t" and "give it to me f st and straight" to get what th y need.
The article Telling Your Story: The First Ten Seconds Are A Make Or Break was Submitted by Catherine Franz through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional M rketing & Writing Coach, specializes in pr duct development, Internet writing and marketing, n nfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
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