It is up to you: Is your ad getting the readers attention?

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of businesses that waste their money on poorly written ads. This does not only encompass properly written ads, but ads that actually represent your business and stand out to the reader. If you are advertising in a magazine for example, it is paramout for you to keep in mind that the readers did not pay for you to be in their magazine. YOU paid to run an ad in the magazine, so it is up to you to have an ad written well. Your ad should properly represent your business and get the readers attention.

Realizing that noone buys a magazine to read the ads is very important. Guaranteed, the objective every reader has is to view the contents. Often times a reader will purchase a magazine based on an article that appeals to them, or based on something they have seen on the front cover. It is NOT about reading advertisements!

You are an univited guest in the readers experience. A side dish or added notion, so if your ad is not getting read, and it is not creating a response from the reader, then you are not going to get the leads you need or make any money.

Poorly written websites?: Don't waste your money

As a professional writer, I am more aware of syntax, poor grammar and punctuation issues than the average Joe or Josephine. In fact, it almost seems like there are increasing issues as our technology continues to rapidly develop. With the imploding invasion of the ability to text message on cell phones, tweet ourselves silly, or leave moment by moment updates in just about every social network site on the planet, we are facing a new type of functional illiteracy. While I have always been an avid user of the dictionary, I find myself continuously at a loss with many of the text messages, instant messages and/or emails that I receive. It is concerning when I read written messages conveyed by people and I cannot even begin to decipher what they are trying to say. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. It is like being served chopped liver, and we need a new dictionary to help digest and process what many people are trying to say!

I am not sure whether I would be so sensitive to this situation if it were not for the fact that work as a writing professional. I have friends who are English professors that have admitted that this is becoming unbearable for them as well.

This problem is everywhere, to include the business world. Sloppy resumes with misspelled words, or websites advertising products and representing companies with the companies names misspelled (yes, I have seen it all)! Websites that are filled with incorrect spelling, bad vocabulary and atrocious grammar. You don't have to go far to find this. With the click of your mouse, you can find a wide array of sites filled with menus that are a regurgitation of what used to be proper English.

Perhaps I am wrong, but if a website or ad is not written to an acceptable and intelligent standard, it might cost you business. Having award-winning images and stellar graphics are worthless if the content is not right. In fact, it is a waste of money!

It is certainly something to consider...

Is Good Marketing Really Necessary?

Is good marketing really necessary? There is absolutely no way a business is going to thrive on word of mouth alone. Every business must find its niche, and within that niche, you need to be assertive and create interest in your product/business. There are so many facets to good marketing. Tools like:

* Networking

* Press Releases

* Websites

* Blog-marketing

* Utilizing the Internet: Facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc. There are a number of excellent ways to network your business via the web.

* Create a marketing calendar

* Develop a marketing strategy

Advertising Hints: Stating the Benefits

While advertising is important, it is more important to state the benefits of your product or service in all of your advertising, whether that is on your website, in brochures or any other promotional materials Stating the benefits is paramount to every single successful advertising campaign ever created. It is a wonderful advertising tool. Benefits are those things that offer value and directly benefit your customer. Benefits are not to be confused with features. A feature is merely a component of your service or product, but a benefit highlights what the user/buyer of your product or services will receive.

Three Important Ingredients in Advertising Copy

There are three important ingredients that must be included in your advertising copy:

a) Psychology (being able to persuade and convince the reader)

b) Sound reasoning (well-crafted, logical sentence structure that engages and stimulates a reader)

c) Creativity (clever, unique and distinguishable from other ads... it stands out!)

If an ad is written using those elements, then it will accomplish the desire result. It will make an impression and it will SELL!

Word Power

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” ~ Rudyard Kipling

There isn't a public speaker that does not know the power of words. Words have the power to inspire, entice, motivate and sell. If the words are chosen wisely, they can motivate and persuade people into a specific course of action. Experienced marketing professionals know the value of choosing the right words to influence readers.

Think about your words

Think about influencing

Think about selling

Advertising Copy: Every Word Counts

There is nothing worse than opening up a brochure or logging onto a business website, and viewing poorly written copy. A poorly written ad will detour potential clients, but a well-written, clear, concise ad will be a positive reflection on your business, and increase your companies clientele.

The famed author Mark Twain stated it so perfectly: "The difference between the almost-right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning!"

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