Edan Gelt - Digital Communication Strategist

Unleashing the Power of Persuasive Copywriting: Expert Tips

Crafting compelling copy is more than just stringing words together; it's an art form that can elevate your brand above the noise. In the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication, effective copywriting becomes a strategic necessity.

In today's fast-paced world, where attention spans are dwindling, your message must be concise, impactful, and memorable. Copywriting, when done right, can be the game-changer in your quest for brand dominance. Let's dive into some key insights:

The Copywriting Advantage:

Copywriting is not merely about words on a page; it's about driving your bottom line, creating brand awareness, and ensuring a robust return on investment. With the onslaught of ads bombarding consumers daily—estimated between 6,000 to 10,000 messages—the need for standout copy is more critical than ever.

The Art of Selling with Words:

Compelling headlines are the linchpin of successful campaigns. A headline that grabs attention or triggers an emotional response can significantly stretch your budget and enhance the effectiveness of your call to action. The key is to make your audience want to read that next sentence and, in turn, keep them engaged throughout.

Immediate Attention Capture:

Consider the impact of these two headlines:

Headline: Get rewarded when you shop at XX Retailer?

Headline: Receive a $100 Gift Card – FREE!

The second headline, with its clear value proposition, immediately stands out and invites further exploration.

Copy and the Bottom Line:

Effective copy not only grabs attention but holds it, ensuring your call to action is well communicated. It's not just about resonating; it's about prompting action, whether it's boosting sales, driving traffic, or fostering brand loyalty.

Keep it Simple:

In a world overloaded with information, simplicity is key. Think of your copy as a brief conversation with your audience. Short, visually appealing paragraphs work wonders in holding attention.

So, there you have it—unleash the power of persuasive copywriting, and remember to keep it conversational and engaging. Stay tuned for more insights on effective communication in our next chat or blog! 🚀✨

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Edan Gelt Minute of Marketing - Episode 14 - Person-to-Person Marketing Tactics

Edan Gelt Minute of Marketing - Episode 13 - Copywriting to Crush the Competition

In today’s environment, budgets are tight and you have to get the biggest bang out of every dollar spent. You know you have to brand but now is not the time to hire out, you can barely cover payroll. 

Don’t lose hope, here are a few simple things you can do without breaking the bank.

Why Brand?

Let’s start with the basics – the “why”.  The point of branding is to showcase what makes you different from your competitors.  Marketing conveys your unique value and consistency increases the power of your brand.

Stick to it

Identify your strategy, value and messaging at the get go. Get it right, right away.  That’s not saying you can’t make small changes along the way or as you grow but know who you are and stay the course.

Laser Focus

Identify who you are trying to reach.  You can’t be everything to everyone or you will wind up being nothing to no one.  

Network

This is the easiest and most effective way to market on a dime.  Learn how to mix and mingle at work events, conferences, virtual calls, lines at a coffee shop even your kid’s school functions.  

Engage

It is no longer enough to just have a social media page and presence; you need to jump into your customers’ conversations and understand what they value and give it to them.

Lead by Example

Testimonials on Google, Yelp and Facebook lend credibility to your brand.  Ask your existing clients to write a review and share their experiences. Even better than written testimonials are those done in video format and shared to your Google page. 

Partner

Double your reach and budget by partnering with another complementary brand that targets a similar audience.  If you engage with a brand that already has established trust with your clients, they are more likely to trust your brand. 

Be a Guest

Appearing on someone else’s platform, such as a podcast or blog, exhibits your initiative and your intelligence. Podcasts and blogs are all the rage and being featured on one gives you the opportunity to get in front of new clients.  It also positions you as an industry expert. 

Learn more about other free and affordable marketing strategies HERE.

Copywriting is key to articulating your message. Writing words and copywriting are not the same.  The goal of copywriting is to increase your bottom line, create brand awareness and/or deliver a strong ROI. 

Our consumers are bombarded with ads and have less time than ever to absorb what you are trying to say.  Although there are no official figures, it is estimated the average person consumes between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day!   

Copywriting is Key to Selling

Headlines can make or break your campaign. Words hold a lot of power. A headline compels a viewer to read more by grabbing their attention or eliciting an emotional reaction. You are going to spend less of your budget to reach more people and be more effective in getting your desired response.

Capture Attention - Immediately with Copywriting

Which headline compels you to read more?

Headline: Get rewarded when you shop at XX Retailer?

Subhead: Dress your best and get a free gift, it’s as simple as 1-2-3!

-OR-

Headline: Receive a $100 Gift Card – FREE!

Subhead: When you spend $500 at XX retailer November 1 – 10.

Copy and the Bottom Line to Articulating your Message

By holding the audience’s attention, good copy ensures that your call to action is well communicated to the audience. Also, that the audience gets to hear your story. Good copy does not just resonate; it gets people to take action. Copywriting is meant to boost sales, traffic and/or brand loyalty. 

Keep it Simple

Wordy descriptions, heavy jargon and communicating in platitudes does not work. Lengthy paragraphs and complicated ideas are not effective in holding the attention of your reader. The best content is scannable, meaning when someone glances quickly at your ad they should get an idea of what it is about.  Think of a billboard and imagine you have a split second to capture attention, that is your headline.   

Good copywriting is not about using overthought words and improving your punctuation skills.  It is about understanding what your customers value and creating a value proposition that fulfills that need – from first glance. Copywriting is key to articulating your message, use it wisely!

There is no doubt about it, 2020 is perhaps the most difficult year any of us has had to face. This year is also challenging for many of the world’s top brands. Top brands are now being forced to rethink their communication strategies. These leading brand strategies are now focused on communicating in trust, taking responsibility, having direct interaction and effectively communicating to consumers all while remaining empathic and positive. 

The last thing anyone wants to see right now is an advertisement full of smiling revelers having the holiday of a lifetime. While the rest of us are stuck at home worrying about our health, jobs and when we will get to see families and friends next.

Communicating in Trust During the Pandemic

Leading brands and companies are now placing less emphasis on selling by the quality of their product and more on building a trusting relationship with their consumers. For example: 

Southwest:  Announced leaving the middle seat open at the start of the pandemic and has stayed true to this commitment through November 30.

Tesla: The electric car manufacturer switched some of its production lines to build ventilators, which they subsequently donated.

Anheuser-Busch: Converted some manufacturing lines to produce sanitizer during the shortage.

Taking Responsibility of Branding During the Pandemic

Successful communication strategies tell the consumer about a brands responsible approach to the current situation. A classic example of this occurred early in the pandemic when a toilet paper manufacturer began a campaign designed to dissuade consumers to stop panic buying. 

It is this understanding of the situation, the ‘we’re all in this together,’ ethos that brands are increasingly turning to. 

Direct Interaction and Conversation in Brand Strategy

Directly communicating with their consumers, mainly through Social Media, is a tactic companies are increasingly resorting to during the pandemic. This brand communication strategy was in place before the pandemic struck. But with more of us being forced to use Social Media as our main form of communication with friends and loved ones, it has become increasingly important for brands as well. 

Many other brands are establishing similar communication approaches. Some online platforms offer free-for-all courses and restaurants publish their famous recipes for consumers to cook at home. 

Overall, there is a movement away for brands being admired for products to now brands being admired for trustworthiness and empathy. This new movement seems to be working. In a recent consumer survey, it is shown that during the pandemic, consumer trust in larger brands is increasing. 

Branding Looking Forward - After the Pandemic

These are seismic changes to the ways large brands communicate with consumers. Brands with foresight are switching more toward a communication strategy that involves building trust with consumers. These new efforts open more direct communication channels. 

It is a drive toward consumer centricity that is unlikely to change even after the pandemic eases. It was a world that was on the verge of major change anyway. The global pandemic is pushing many of these changes upon us without letting them ‘evolve’ naturally. 

Stay up to date and continue to see how the trends are changing due to Covid-19 by following my next VLOG or blog.

Did you know that 90% of consumers research online and rely on review sites before making a purchase? Google reviews make it or break it for your business.

We live in a world where everybody Googles everything, and ratings can make or break your business. Just a half star increase in your rating is equivalent to a 9% increase in revenue per Harvard Business Review. 

If your business was a restaurant, Berkley economists found that a half star improvement makes it 30-49% more likely that a restaurant will sell out during peak hours. 

Let’s compare the data above to a home seller looking for a lawyer or real estate agent.  

Starting at the top of the sales funnel – you send out emails, advertise on Facebook, sponsor local events, hand out a card at Starbucks, or a potential client got your name from a friend of a friend. What’s the next step? It is highly likely they will search your name on Google. What happens next is up to you.

For those in the real estate industry – Google, Redfin and sometimes Yelp are the keys to your future. Let’s start with Google.

Creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing is the first and most important step to local search success. GMB offers the strongest brand impact for businesses or individuals seeking exposure locally. In fact, approximately 90% of organic searches come from Google and it complements a brand’s existing website, shows in search results and maps, and communicates with third-party platforms using Google Maps API.

You need to either create a listing or ensure you have a Google business page setup. If your business is established (usually founded several years ago), it’s likely Google already has a GMB listing and you just need to claim it.

Ensure your listing clearly includes what your business does, where it is, and how consumers can quickly and efficiently acquire the goods and/or services you offer.

KEYWORDS

Similar to traditional SEO for websites, Google uses bots to serve search results. It is important to include keywords like “Chicago Real Estate Attorney,” “Orland Park Real Estate attorney,” “5013C Attorney,” etc. to your business listing is key – especially since your direct business website will be listed within your GMB page.

Use these in the business description and each time you post a Local Post to your audience.

PHOTOS

Posting photos to your GMB is extremely important – in fact, businesses that have photos receive 35% more click-throughs to their website than those without photos and 42% more requests for directions from Google Maps.

GETTING REVIEWS & INTERACTING

There are several ways to effectively ask your clients to give you reviews. You can politely ask by weaving it into your closing. Adding links in your email signature to sites you wish to have reviews on is effective and professional. You can ask in all correspondence and on social media by sharing a link set up in GMB.

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS MESSAGING

Turn on the message app in GMB – it may be painful to answer sometimes, but this is a great way to capture leads. By engaging in messaging this gives you the power to talk to your audience in real time. These conversations are what can help your business stand out because it shows you are a real person rather than a bot or a corporate conglomerate company, that personal touch goes a long way. 

LOCAL POSTS

GMB gives you the opportunity to publish offers, events, services and your product line to your listing and maps. This lets you engage with your searching audience in almost real-time. These local posts give you the power to engage with your customers in real time. 

ANALYZE YOUR REVIEWS

This will give you valuable information on how to craft your local posts, where your customers are searching and how, which will help you with any digital marketing needs. Tracking how your business is reaching customers and potential customers is important because by analyzing this data it will give you the tools you need to maximize your reach by the data. 

Also, by analyzing your company’s data, this gives you the ability to see if your links are working. If you notice your phone number has been clicked on a high number of times but don’t feel like your phone is actually ringing as much as it says, you can click it yourself to see where it’s taking you. This gives you the ability to triple check to make sure what you input is accurate and working effectively. 

We know customer reviews are important for your business's reputation and your businesses visibility. You have the power to maximize your business profile at your fingertips. Promote your business, don’t be afraid to ask for reviews and have that real time engagement with your customers. They hold the power to increase your company’s awareness and increase your business. 

For more social media and brand communication tips follow my blog series.

After nearly two decades of marketing and branding businesses, I needed to shift and use my experience to brand individuals for a new career path.  I quickly came to realize it is much more challenging branding a person than a company.  I now have much admiration for influencers and other individuals who have excelled in doing just that.

For starters, companies spend big money on branding. They hire outside agencies, have decent budgets and many have spent years building a strong go-to-market identity.

I’m hoping my blogs and Minute of Marketing YouTube series offers value in helping you lose all inhibitions to create your own personal brand and campaign.  The process is entirely egocentric and at times uncomfortable, but you’ve got to flaunt what you’ve got.  Let’s get started!

DEFINE YOURSELF BY BRANDING

Who are you and what value do you bring to your profession or lifestyle?  Don’t dig too deep on this one but seriously, what are you good at?  If you’re a real estate agent, are you a location expert because you’ve grown up in an area?  If you’re a lawyer, what area of law do you specialize in? Are you a consultant or specialist, what is your niche – where do you excel? What makes you, you?  Pretty much, what are you good at and why does that deliver value? Most importantly, what is your unique selling proposition?

Keep in mind that your competition may deliver the same service as you do. Don’t think of it as WHAT you do but HOW you do it.  It’s your client’s experience they have with you that sets you apart, keeps them coming back for more and referring you to others. You should be able to provide the answer to what results you deliver and how that sets you apart.  How do your clients feel after working with you?  

ESTABLISH THE IDEAL CONSUMER

Who is Your Target Market?  

This is more difficult to answer. “I want to target women who make more than $100K per year”, is not enough.  You need to clearly define what your audience looks like.   Is your target customer an entrepreneur? Do they have a family with kids? Do they work for a small or large business? Are they younger or are they older?  Where can you reach them?  Are they online, are their noses buried behind magazine covers? Where do they work? Are they in stores, on social media?  Most importantly, are they empowered to make decisions?

What are they looking for? What do they need?  Are they looking for a real estate agent, lawyer, mortgage, a logo, campaign, a new hairstyle?  Write a narrative about what they look like and look for so you can target them.

Also, who is your target consumer going to now for the service they desire and why would they use you?  What makes you special (from your defining exercise above) and why would they switch?  What conversation would you have with them if you were sitting across from them? 

For me, I was looking for small business owners with a business offering I could relate to.  I knew from years of helping dentists or accountants, that was not the direction I wanted to go.  I wanted a relatable field – fitness, fashion, entertainment, food or retail.  Because I pride myself on becoming the expert in whatever I market, I want to understand all sides of my task and it must be something I enjoy.  

I also focused on business size - I wanted a large enough business to have a decent budget to work with but not a huge entity that I couldn’t manage on my own without hiring a crew.   

LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE THROUGH YOUR BRANDING

Your brand should be authentically you.  Be relatable!  Remember your customers are real people and they want to identify with you as a person.

Show off how compelling and interesting you can be and why you are the expert in what you do.  Be multi-dimensional and do not edit your personality out of your writing or videos.  Your personality is a big part of what will make you a brand.

Combine your value with who you are targeting and wrap it up with your unique personality as part of the brand building process. Mix in your recreational hobbies, sports, strengths, weaknesses – anything that defines you and creates a bond.  Make your story personal and authentic.

In my last blog “Marketing and the Power of Free” and subsequent vlog, I wrote about the impact of giving away products and/or free services.  By sampling or giving your product away at no cost builds brand awareness, increases sales and enhances your budget.  But how does it work and why?

Have you ever been to Costco and enjoyed the free samples?   How often did you buy what you tried because you really enjoyed it?  And if you didn’t buy the product, did you feel guilty?  Maybe you even put the product in your cart and unloaded it a few aisles down. 

That’s just a sample of the Law of Reciprocity.  The law of reciprocity says that when you offer something first for free and it is valued, people feel a sense of indebtedness toward you, thus in turn you then wanting to return the favor.

The law of reciprocity is one way marketers use psychology to entice or influence people to buy products or services.  It’s an innate reaction that if used correctly could result in an unprecedented ROI.

Imagine you’re out to dinner with your friend and she grabs the bill, a small argument ensues, she wins, and you feel indebted and want to do something in return immediately.  The result may be a lot of thanking, but you know quite certainly that you will be picking up the next tab. That is the psychology of reciprocity.

So how do you use reciprocity to increase business?

Free is one of the most powerful tools available for customer acquisition if done correctly.

By offering a free sample, businesses get customers to try a product without putting up a price barrier, while the customer gets a ‘free’ item while not having to gamble a portion of their budget on a product they may not even like. Knowing this, brands should happily eat the costs associated with free.

For more social media and brand communication tips - follow Communication Strategist Edan Gelt and her recent blog series - edangelt.com/blog.

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