Dental Copywriting Archives - Page 12 of 15

Dental Copywriting

June 2, 2011 Dental Business, Dental case studies, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Dental industry case studies, Dental marketing strategies, Dental product case studies, Social Media No Comments

How to be known as an “industry expert”

“What do I really have to offer the industry or more specifically – the niche – I work in?” It’s an important question that forces me to inventory the benefits I deliver.

This week I’ve been writing and editing a report that I’ll deliver FREE to my prospective client list. There’s an important reason I’m doing this…and why you might consider doing the same on a routine basis.

Why a special report…case study…or white paper is an important tool in your marketing toolbox:

>It encourages “expert” status.

Not everyone and certainly not even a large number of people know what you know. And if even if they do -who’s taking the time to put it in writing.

Frankly, writing scares most people. Or the few who do take a shot at it, start a document in their word processor perhaps never to return to it.

When you put your insight, knowledge, and skills out there you set yourself up as a go-to service provider. When an issue or challenge arises that your content addresses – in even a remote way – guess who comes to mind.

Thinking yourself and your services as “expert” isn’t arrogant. In fact, it’s more self-centered to hold on to your knowledge base – think about it!

>It puts you on the solution-side of the marketplace.

Talking-heads in today’s media numb us to the real issue – “how do we fix this?” If as much time were given to solutions as is given to pointing out the problems mainstream media would lose a substantial amount of “voice” and many bloated pontificators would be speechless.

It’s easier to focus on problems…on what needs fixing than it is to dig in, roll up your sleeves and do the work.

A steady stream of information that you publish – full of solutions to common market and industry problems – will give you “voice!”

Get to know the problems, issues, and challenges facing your particular niche/industry. Follow the social media feeds within your industry. Subscribe to industry blogs. Read comments. Engage others via your comments.

Create an idea file of common and current problems you discover. Do some extra-mile research and write some tips for solving the issues at hand.

Your opinion and insights count just as much as anyone’s. And putting your thoughts out there gives you a stake in helping solve some issues for your constituents.

>It gives you content to repurpose again and again.

Social media is about content delivery. Throughout the day I send tweets and Facebook posts to my Evernote account. I’ve developed a reference library that I can tap into any time and any place. And the reason is due to the content others unashamedly publish on a consistent basis through social media.

Again, being a solution-content source is a top reason to be a consistent info publisher. Once you’ve produced even one 10 to 20 page report-like document you can repurpose it a piece at a time and have months of content to send out via Twitter and your Facebook page.

What keeps many from jumping into the social media zone (or thinking it’s a waste of time and energy) is lack of shareable, useful content.

Having a report, white paper, or case study densely packed with beneficial content in your marketing repertoire gives you a well of information to share with others. And contrary to what you might believe – people really do hunger for information especially the brand that provides solutions to their problems.

Give yourself some credit for what you know. And get it in writing.

Special reports, case studies, white papers, social media content, blog posts, enewsletter articles are among my copywriting expertise. Don’t keep your expertise under-wraps. Contact me today to write yours!

May 31, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental case studies, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Dental email autoresponders, Dental email promotions, Dental marketing strategies, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

How to Clean-up Your Copywriting for More Profitable Marketing

My wife gets the urge, on occasion, to have a garage sale. So we teamed up with a couple of neighbors on either side of us (one of them did the advertising so it was a nice way to piggy-back on their efforts) to unload some of our stuff.

For those in other cultures, or perhaps the unfamiliar – a garage sale isn’t a literal selling of one’s garage. On scale, a garage sale is typically much smaller than the commonly understood estate sale. And (if I could go so far as saying it) is a bit more sophisticated than a yard sale.

Aside from the few dollars of “fun-money” you earn (one summer we actually paid for all of our vacation road meals for our family of four with our earnings) a garage sale provides a good excuse to clean and sort.

It’s important to get rid of the clutter.

How cluttered is the copywriting used to market your products and services? A thorough cleaning before you unleash it to your niche market will sharpen its impact. And that translates into more earnings!

Here’s a 3-step “copy-cleaning” process I use and recommend:

1) Read your promotion aloud.

You get a feel for the voice, tone, and emotional connect-ability when you actually hear it read. And here’s the deal with reading it aloud…

If your writing doesn’t sound like you’re talking to a friend, it’s NOT good copy! Copy that connects – whether it’s a sales letter, web copy, an email promotion or autoresponder, a case study, or a social media feed like a Twitter, Facebook page, or blog post – needs a conversational voice.

2) Let others read it.

A fresh or different set of eyes and ears is an effective copywriting test-drive. It helps too when you allow someone (if possible) in your content’s target/niche market to read it.

For example, if the marketing content is targeting the baby-boomer market niche, find a reliable baby-boomer aged person to read it. If it’s targeted to a female audience, by all means have a female read it.

The extra eyes and ears can sharpen the focus and sound of your copywriting.

3) Proofread every sentence of your promotion – from the bottom up!

Yes, you read that right. The bottom-up approach helps spot misspellings and unnecessary words easier than merely reading it top-down.

You’ll miss a few here and there. But the bottom-to-top idea gives you a less routine and even more efficient way to proof the copywriting before it hits your market.

Clean copywriting helps increase the crystal clarity of your marketing approaches. And I’m close to certain you’ll earn more in the process than just a little extra fun-money when you get rid of the clutter!

May 27, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental Business, Dental case studies, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Dental email autoresponders, Dental email marketing, Dental email promotions, Dental industry case studies, Dental marketing strategies, Dental product case studies, Dental promotion ideas, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

Why saying “trust me” destroys trust in marketing

A close family member recently experienced a salesperson’s attempt to close-the-deal by shoving a contract across his desk with the words, something to the effect of, “Come on…sign the (expletive) papers and let’s get this done…!”

Had this been a multi-million dollar deal, built on months of negotiations, with significant upside potential, I’d understand the context. And I’d probably take the expletive emphasis as bold, banter between two soon-to-be business partners one of whom was probably attempting to prove he had a “pair!”

It wasn’t that at all…

The close family member is a young, nervous-as-one-would-expect, first time car buyer. The salesperson (obviously trying to prove he had a “pair”) couldn’t be further from earning the trust he needed to secure the deal.

Would the salesperson have made a better impression saying what’s commonly said in such deal-making scenarios – “Trust me!”

You hear or read those words all the time in advertising.

“Trust me, ‘X’ the single best product on the market for…”

“You can count on us…the most trusted source of…”

“Trust us to deliver the most effective…”

Do you instill trust by merely asking someone to trust you or saying your product/service is the most trusted?

I’ll let you make up your own mind. But I’ll go on record saying, trust is earned.

And a primary way to develop trust is through a relationship not merely telling someone to “trust you.”

Trust emerges on a solid track record of credible engagement.

The problem with many sales approaches (such as the above mentioned car deal) is the forced timing that many salespeople deploy. It’s why I prefer writing marketing copy and why businesses benefit from solid, credible copywriting in it’s various forms – a story-based email promotion, a series of autoresponder emails, a long-form sales letter, engaging blog posts, Twitter feeds, and Facebook page posts, case studies, etc.

Write these effectively and trust rises to the top much quicker than forced, “trust me,” manipulation. And with it comes credibility your prospects will return to again and again!

Master copywriter and trainer, Will Newman shares these five easy-to-implement strategies to help build credibility on a foundation of trust:

1–“Avoid hype.”

Saying you’re “the world’s greatest…” works in infomercials for a variety of reasons but is that your medium? Calm, authoritative approaches do more to establish trusting clients/customers.

2–“Avoid vague or unsubstantiated claims.”

Backing up your comments with substantial data shows you’ve done your “homework” – adding credibility. Instead of proclaiming, “The world’s greatest…,” describe how your product/service/etc. is proven to accomplish this or that by a certain percentage, etc.

3–“Give your prospect a reason to believe.”

Claims of effectiveness, etc. backed by proof and endorsement within your marketing content adds to your believability. And it builds credibility.

4–“Speak to (prospects) as an equal.”

Know-it-alls are seldom listened to. A friendly, realistic, conversational tone establishes a connection.

5–“Respect your prospect and their needs.”

This is a core trust builder. Respect follows trust.

Build trust in your marketing with clear, compelling copywriting.

May 23, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental case studies, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Dental email marketing, Dental email promotions, Dental industry case studies, Dental internet marketing, Dental marketing strategies, Dental product case studies, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

Put super-power ability to work in your marketing

I’m often asked about my copywriting. When someone asks me if I write this-or-that kind of copy I hesitate.

It’s not a hesitancy that results from questioning my ability to write a particular kind of copy. It’s more a matter of thinking how best to answer the question on-task.

“On-task?”

For example, when someone says they’re “on-task” they’re implying that they’re in the process of doing a particular thing. It could also define focus and diligence.

It’s a way of saying – “I’m working on it!” “Consider it done!”

I’m an on-task copywriter. I know how to write content that leads a prospect to a response. Most often that’s a sale.

The word, response, could refer to the intended obvious – the bottom line transaction that involves dollars being exchanged for goods or services.

Response could also describe…

…a “click” through on an email promotion I write that leads one to a more lengthy, descriptive online sales or landing page.

…the process of selling someone on your products’/services’ unique ability to solve a problem through a well-crafted case study.

…a series of tweets (on Twitter), Facebook page posts, or blog posts uniquely designed to engage prospects in a social media dialogue about your products and services.

And yes, it’s intentional!

Copywriting must be intentional. It mustn’t be unfocused, manipulative or merely creative wording.

I’m all for creative copy (I dislike manipulative copy). Especially if words can be creatively organized to promote an otherwise run-of-the-mill, one-among-a-thousand products or services in a way that leads to a measurable response.

A super-power ability.

Dan Kennedy says, “The ability to organize words that motivate people to buy is a super-power.” That’s an excellent description!

In essence, effective marketing and the copywriting that drives it has to do with the ability to organize words to ignite a response.

I’m intentional to provide copywriting that creates a sales response! I’m super-powerful that way not because of any innate ability or physical stature.

No, I don’t carry a big-thunderous hammer like Thor. And I don’t have Green Lantern super-powers.

But I do understand that words work. And I’m on-task to organize them for that purpose.

So yes, I can write your this-or-that copy.

Should we be talking…?

May 18, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental Business, Dental Copywriting, Dental Industry, Dental internet marketing, Dental marketing strategies, Dental promotion ideas, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

How to give your products & services “blockbuster” status

The summer movie season is almost here. Has me thinking about what most blockbuster movies have in common.

And it’s the same reason excellent marketing and outstanding copywriting draws you in.

I’m talking about the plot or story-line that keeps you riveted as the story unfolds. A well-crafted story-line drifts (ever so slightly) back and forth. Just when you’re feeling carried to another seemingly disconnected place…the plot reappears…drawing you back into the story once again.

Marketing copy compares to the story you’re telling about your business, product, or service. How well you keep your target audience engaged, buying, and doing business with you tells whether they’re riveted as your story unfolds.

Keep ‘em compelled and first-time, front-end clients or customers will become repeat, back-end ones time and again.

This is traceable to a significant element of your marketing-story. Like the plot or story-line of great cinema this is a key within your marketing copy.

It’s your USP…

I’m talking about the Unique Selling Proposition of your business, service, or product.

(Back to the movie analogy) Ever sat through *flick* and thought – this plot seems a lot like… (the movie you saw last year). What’s missing or vague is the UNIQUE story-line that would earn it top box-office.

What I enjoy and am challenged by as a copywriter is exploring deep beneath the surface of my client’s services and discovering their USP. What is it about *Product/Service A* that reeeeeally makes it unique…unlike all the rest in the same or similar industry?

Distinguishing yourself from the crowd sends bigger waves of opportunity flowing your way. Otherwise, you’re merely creating ads, promotions, website content, etc. and all the blah-blah-blah that goes with it. And remember people don’t invest time or money for “blah.”

Here’s how to develop your U-nique story-line – do this and exploit it within your marketing copy.

1>Spotlight your Feature Presentation

Sit down to write about your business, product, or service and you’ll naturally and reflexively begin with features. Feature focus is easy because we’re accustomed to spotlighting them.

After all, you see yourself as the newest…biggest…brightest…sexiest…boldest…fastest…and any other *est* that applies. The problem with stopping there (please don’t) and spinning out your promotional copy based mostly on features is that there are others convinced their *est* is better than your *est*.

If you really want to command attention…

2>Promote your edge-of-the-seat Benefits

Here’s where the plot thickens. Telling your market about your features – mostly – stops short of the real juicy details that’ll compel them to do business with you, use your services, or buy your products.

Remember you’re unique. So…list all the benefits you can think of. If you’ve developed the fastest this-or-that (feature) get to the core of what you’ll promote (benefits) by asking and answering the question *which means…?* for every feature you spotlight.

Try this. Fill in the following blank with your business, product, or service – “We provide the fastest (or other feature oriented word) ______ which means… (how does providing the *fastest, etc.* lead to a benefit for your client or customer?). Do this for enough listed features and you’ll arrive at your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)…then promote the heck out of it!

And you’ll potentially…

3>Secure Repeat status

Not all great movie story-lines have a sequel in them. In fact some excellent box-office films took a nosedive when their sequel was released.

On the other hand, businesses thrive on sequel after sequel. I’m talking about *repeat business or sales*.

Every new or re-purposed product secures its repeat status when its USP is promoted to the hilt. And it’s a process worth repeating – spotlight features…promote benefits (USP)…position yourself for repeat business.

Bottom line: when the credits roll how’s your business story being told?

May 17, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Dental Industry, Dental marketing strategies, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

The Voice and your copywriting tone

The Voice is an NBC prime time television series that features musical superstars Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine (of Maroon Five) as judges. Each selected their team of vocalists from a parade of vocal talent. The catch – they initially listened to them sing with their backs turned to them, only focusing on the contestant’s voice.

Think about it, we listen to radio, a download, or an album in much the same way. We hear the voice without seeing the singer.

I admit, sometimes when I’m watching American Idol I’ll close my eyes as the competitor sings. Focusing on their voice instead of their presentation reveals something about their talent.

Voice connects. And it’s the starting point for effective copywriting.

Voice is the tone, attitude, or style chosen to communicate the message. It’s how you focus and evaluate your marketing content.

Is your voice clear to your target audience? Can readers hear your voice over the noise of other competitors? Does the presentation/packaging hide your voice?

And such an evaluation begs the deeper question – what IS my voice and how do I choose IT? I’ll make it easy by suggesting one voice that works.

Direct response copywriter, Paul Hollingshead, suggests…

“Imagine the person you’re writing to. Picture him or her as a friend.”

Writing to a friend is entirely different than keeping it strictly business. The error many make in the first sentence is taking on a formal…corporate voice.

Here’s how to use a friend-to-friend copywriting voice:

Be conversational.

Write like you talk. People appreciate and relate best to everyday language.

Keep it casual.

The goal of marketing is the sale. But keep in mind that people don’t like the idea of being sold. Copywriting should engage emotions.

And speaking of emotions…

Connect emotionally.

One of the fundamental rules of selling, according to Michael Masterson, is “people buy for emotional not rational reasons.” As a dental supplier…dental marketer that means people are more interested in the emotional benefits of the latest teeth whitening product than they are the “latest…greatest” features you’re promoting!

Find your voice and your market will listen!

May 16, 2011 Dental B2B, Dental Business, Dental Copywriting, Dental email promotions, Dental Industry, Dental internet marketing, Dental marketing strategies, Marketing dental services, Marketing dental supplies, Marketing to dentists No Comments

A marketing secret you may be missing

Words make or break your marketing message. As much as power-packed words add to the mix, there’s another key – credibility. It’s the personal element behind those words.

I’m an insatiable reader. I read for mentoring, to sharpen my skills, to gain and keep my professional and personal-performance edge. Occasionally I’ll escape the daily routine through good fiction or thought provoking essays.

I subscribe to nearly a dozen e-zines. Their content occasionally prompts me to part with my money to purchase a resource or two. That’s the power of well-written copy.

I’m reminded of an experience I had with the writer/publisher of resources I frequently read. He taught me something of vital importance about marketing.

RB is among the top professionals in his field. He’s well paid for his expertise – approaching 30 years of experience. I consider him a mentor via his printed resources.

I was facing an interview with a potential client. I needed some insight in order to do the assigned work. I believed RB – with his resume of experience – could help. I sent him a brief email, hopeful he’d reply (in a a day or two) with direction to one of his relevant resources.

Not 5 minutes after clicking –send- my phone rang – “Hello…” “Hi, Eddie this is RB…listen I’ve got a resource you might be interested in…” The conversation continued for a couple of minutes. It led to an offer of assistance (on his part – no charge) and my agreement to reciprocate with some assistance of my own and I soon found a very helpful resource arriving in my in-box.

What’s most valuable about that experience? That I received needed help…promptly? Certainly! But more than that – I’ll unpack it in a moment.

I’ve read countless chapters of RB’s resources. As I said, his words mentor me in my craft as a professional copywriter. Now his words have even greater impact because they’ve moved from the printed page to another level.

Here’s my point…

Say what you will about *customer service* and its effect on your marketing. Sometimes the simplest approaches leave the most lasting impression. I’m a raving fan of RB and his resources. His recent actions increased my sense that I’m a valued “customer,” even though I’m an industry colleague as well.

His actions go beyond mere customer service to what I call *relational-capital*.

Relationships matter! Face to face, in print, online, or through the phone – it matters that you establish them. Diligently work to maintain them and they’ll serve you – even pay you – repeatedly!

Here’s how to improve your relational-capital:

–>Maximize your marketing moments

Well-worded resources are the base-line of moment to moment marketing. You’ve created a brochure…launched a website…invested in advertising space in a trade journal…or increased your PPC (pay-per-click) or Google ad-word budget. Those are good, measurable uses of your time and marketing resources.

Remember you earn a massive amount of credibility when you increase your relational-capital in the process. Moments – even methods – come and go – relationships last!

Social media has raised the marketing game to new levels. You can engage your clients and potential ones in the moment via a tweet, a like, page post, blog post, etc. If you’re not using social media, you’re leaving tons of relational-capital to those who recognize it’s value for building relationships with their market. Start engaging!

–>Activate an act now approach

A client or potential client requests information about a product or service you provide. Whether they leave a voice mail or send an email, develop the habit of responding via the most relational action (again, social media is free and available).

99.9% of the time it’s the personal touch that makes the greatest impression (face-to-face or phone). Use social media, e-mail, and text-messaging…just don’t hide behind them.

–>Favor frequent follow-up

Marketing coach, Ali Brown, says, “The fortune is in the follow-up.” Simply put. Be vigilant about staying on the radar of your clients and prospects. Pick up the phone…make the call…send a brief email…use social media…mail a postcard or another form of direct mail. Frequent follow-up builds the relationship.

Learn from and be inspired by my experience. In marketing as in life…relationships pay! And relational-capital can increase your profits!