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More Big Writing No-No’s That Make Marketing Ineffective

(Part 2 of 2) Click here for Part 1

Many business people worry about their marketing strategies, when fine-tuning the words in their marketing material could make a greater difference.

They worry about what they’re doing, rather than about how they’re doing it — or more to the point, how it reads or sounds.

In Part 1 I discussed the part writing plays as a key to effective marketing and listed four key measures you can apply to your own material. Here’s five more factors to add to that list:

5. Your Writing is Not 100% Believable

Marketing has a bad reputation. Many marketers have chosen to push the envelope a little too far. They exaggerate the truth until it's not the truth anymore. The funny thing is that they think they can get away with it. They can't. Just saying that everything is better than the best doesn't make it that way. Everyone has a built-in BS detector.

6. Your Writing Lacks Passion and Conviction

Some people mistake passion and conviction for exaggeration. And to avoid coming across as a BS-er, your writing becomes dry and tepid. You CAN be excited about your topic. In fact, you must. After all, you can't bore someone into buying from you. At the heart of every business or service is something exciting. Find that excitement and ride the wave.

7. Your Testimonials are Non-Existent or Weak

You say your products and services have value, that they'll address the prospect's needs, that they'll make a difference. But why should people believe you? I'll bet you have lots of satisfied customers who would gladly chime in with their experience of your services. If you’re seeking testimonials make sure they include three things:

1. How it was like before they used your services;

2. What you did for them and what is was like working with you, and;

3. The specific results they got from using your services.

8. Your Offer is Not 100% Crystal Clear

Even if people know who you're selling to and what you're selling, and even if you're conversational, believable and passionate, you still won't get a response if the offer isn't clear. People are begging to be led. They would happily make a choice, if only you would point them in the right direction and tell them exactly what they should do next.

9. Your Value-Build is Ineffective

After people have all but made a decision, you let them down by failing to "sweeten the pot." Your arguments, conviction and proof are sound. Other people agree that your services are the best.

But when it comes time to ask for action, you let them down. There's no guarantee, no free bonuses, no reason to act now.

So they don’t.

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