Copywriter on Content. Part 2. What's Important to Your Targets?

Where to Start

Before writing, before shooting a video, before recording a podcast, before publishing that book—ditch the computer, shut the smart phone down and find a quiet spot where you can answer this question:

"What’s really, really important to the people I’m trying to reach?"

This next vital step is difficult. You have to kick out what’s really important to you and focus on what’s really important to your customers/clients.

Who Cares about Tomatoes?

I remember reading an article a few years ago by a restaurant owner/chef. He spent two pages obsessing about tomatoes. Specifically how he didn’t refrigerate his tomatoes. Now, to the chef, not refrigerating a plump Roma tomato might be really important but to me, the person looking at the restaurant, I’m more interested in having a good meal with friends in a spot where it's relatively quiet.

In 1992, I started to publish one of three successful magazines. I quickly discovered what was important to readers.

“Micro” news about the area: anything from Eagle Scout awards to a new manager at a local restaurant. I also wrote frequently about education and included long interviews with important and well-known people in the area.

I’d throw in some recipes, some directory copy, plus an aerial photograph, mix it altogether and I’d shift upwards of 40,000 magazines off the racks each quarter.

Something I discovered early: when people are genuinely interested in what you have to offer, you cannot provide them with enough information.

For example, I can’t get enough information about direct response copywriting and direct marketing. If I didn’t have to write, I’d spend all day every day reading about copywriting. So when Bob Bly’s emails arrive in my email box (and he sends about three a week), I stop everything and read.

Bob Bly is a copywriter who has published close to 80 books and sells his own information. He’s been extremely successful and I’m more than just a little interested in what he has to say—his content hits my ‘sweet spot’ every time.

Content Checklist

Here’s a short checklist to help you determine what’s important to your targets.

1. What motivates your clients? Money? Fear? Ease? Spiritual fulfillment?
2. What’s important now?
3. What’s the one piece of information your clients would pay for?
4. Who are the ‘rock stars’ of the business and can you include them in your content?
5. Ask for some testimonials—you’ll find out what's important to your customers.
6. Ask your current clients what’s especially important to them. The answers will surprise you.

Once you know what’s especially important to your current and prospective clients, you can start to build your content.

If you have any questions about the content that will appeal to your target market, leave a comment and I’ll answer.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a direct response copywriting quote.

Copywriter on Content. Part 1. Content is King.

With this blog, I'm beginning a series about content—primarily content for the marketing environment.

Bill Gates wrote "Content is King" in early 1996. From the article...

Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting. Those who succeed will propel the Internet forward as a marketplace of ideas, experiences, and products—a marketplace of content.

If you're a radio executive, your content comprises disk jockeys, announcers, the music, and the shows. If you're in the news business, content comprises stories, photos, columnists.

In marketing, content is just as vital but many marketers pay little, if any, attention to content. In marketing, content provides the following benefits.

• You build trust with prospects.
• You generate repeat visits to your website.
• You keep visitors on your site longer and they go deeper into your website.
• SEO improves.
• Conversion improves.
• You generate highly qualified leads.
• Augment your brand.

YOU MAKE MORE MONEY!

There's a massive opportunity in marketing for companies who start generating quality content. And bigger companies are starting to allocate resources to content creation. I know at least two big companies in the Charlotte area that are hiring content creators.

These companies micro analyze their results and they wouldn't be investing in content if content wasn't a good investment.

I'm in the market for a new furnace and I've been cruising around some websites. It's astonishing to me how many companies are failing to provide me with information about what's going to be an important purchase. I'm hungry for furnace information yet none of the websites I'm visiting are feeding me.

Of course, any company of any size can invest in content. In the direct marketing environment content can be: 

• White papers/special reports
• Video
• Podcasts
• Books
• Blogs
• Autoresponders
• Webinars/seminars

While landing pages and squeeze pages are the 'moment of truth' in marketing, content is the 'soft sell' and is proof that direct marketing doesn't have to be obnoxious or INSANE or really loud.

You can sell content or you can use it to build your database—or both.

In the past year, I've worked on several websites that use a simple but astoundingly effective technique: build a database of leads by providing a free special report or white paper. The report will include information that's important to website visitors. 

For example, if a furnace supply company would offer me a special report titled "10 Tips for Buying a Furnace" I would be inclined to hand over my name and email address and provide a furnace company with a lead.

In this series, now that I've introduced a couple of concepts, I'm going to:

• Detail how to create compelling content.
• Provide examples of superb content.
• Go through the various types of content you might use.
• Totally unsolicited advice for companies I've chosen at random.
• Detail the dangers of 'user generated' content.
• And more...

Send me some great examples of content in the comments.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a direct response copywriting quote.

Are you direct response?

I met with a local business owner about a month ago. I know the business well and I was there to talk about some direct marketing and direct response copywriting. During that initial meeting, the owner was all about branding and image advertising in local publications. He had never heard of Dan Kennedy and direct marketing. So I gave him a brief introduction and handed him a couple of books.

Now, just a month later, we're about to start a direct marketing campaign PLUS we're going to measure everything through the POS system. He read the books and voraciously digested the information.

Sadly, this type of fast conversion from branding maven to direct response devotee is rare: people think that Dan Kennedy is nuts and that direct marketing is obnoxious and will destroy the brand. And the LAST thing a branding agency wants you to do is measure and track.

So I'm really looking forward to working with the local business...the owner gets it. And he's going to get some superb results using proven direct response techniques.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a direct response copywriting quote.

Copywriter reviews proofreaders...and laments

All the pages are in for my new website. I'm a terrible proofreader so I've used a proofreader in the past for most projects. So, with my site ready to go, I went to Elance to find a professional proofreader. In 12 hours I had 31 applications/proposals. Now, the way Elance works, you can see all the proposals on one page; you review the proposals and, at first, it's triage...you scan the first few lines of each proposal. All the proofreaders made the mistake of telling me what's important to them and not working out what's important to me. I detailed what I was looking for in my assignment request...I'm looking for a serious, professional proofreader. From some of the proposals.

My name is XXX, and I'm a former broadcast journalist who now works as a copywriter and editor. This sounds like a simple project for someone with my experience, and I'd be happy to do it for you.

How does being a broadcast journalist make you a professional proofreader? Here's a curious one...

I am an arts administrator and media relations coordinator with ten years of experience in press release writing, event coordination, and fundraising for the largest resident theater company in America.

Great experience but how does that help me get my website free of typos? I think it's best if a proposal from a proofreader does NOT include typographical errors...

I would love to help. I have edited multiple websites for spelling, grammar and content. I have an Education degree in English, as well as a Master's degree. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

...especially if you say you have a Masters degree...in English.

Introduction: My name is Rishan C. Paul Pillai,33, from Sri Lanka.I am a new provider in the elance.com community.

Again...it's NOT good when the proofreader can't proof his own work. And age is totally irrelevant. AND THE WINNER...

I am XXXX, business owner of XXX and I provide copyediting, proofreading, and website content editing and testing services. I am a professionally qualified proofreader and copyeditor and I have 16 years IT experience including software testing.

Came across as a professional...even though the software testing isn't something I need.

I rarely bid on Elance work but it was useful and educational to get on the other side of the fence.

The lessons here...

• Get straight to the point in 'quick' copy.
• Be relevant.
• Read what the client wants.

Next up...a series about the creation of compelling content in the direct marketing environment. * I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment--for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a quote.

Copywriter admires a solid USP

Saw this sign in the neighborhood. Note the value proposition/USP: One-day bath remodeling.

It's a superb USP and a classic example of the speed approach to developing a solid unique selling proposition. It's a clear USP and it's achievable and realistic. The sign also includes the magic word, FREE.

The sign has a clear web address and upon further inspection, it's a solid website. Take a look. The USP is in the headline but could be a little more front and center. There's solid content. The copy is a bit SEO-ish but that's understandable.

Is your USP as clear as the one from Bath Fitter?

A direct response copywriter should have USP development and writing in his arsenal. I do. Contact me here to discuss yours.

On another note: I've added some additional pages to my website. One of the pages details the copywriter problems I solve and how I solve them. All feedback appreciated.

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I'm a direct response copywriter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in providing copy and content for the direct marketing environment--for clients around the world. Enter your info to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or contact me here for a quote.