Charlie Creative Blog

Honest Marketing Advice on The Wilder Zone

Howell — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:44:18 +0000

There’s an insightful blog post on Lisa Wilder’s The Wilder Zone. In it, Lisa nicely sums up the truth about marketing. Take a look! While you’re there, browse around Lisa’s other categories for small business owners. She’s done a bang up job covering many of the essential aspects of entrepreneurial micro-business.

Simpleology Online Blogging Course Review

Howell — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:27:36 +0000

The Simpleology online blog course is very good. Clear, accessible lessons explain blogging, why it’s valuable to small businesses, and how to succeed with your own blog. The lesson titles are telling:

What is a Blog?
Essential Parts of a Blog
Creating Your Blog
Choosing A Theme For Your Blog
General Writing Tips
3 Ways To Attract Traffic Part 1: Improving Your Posts
3 Ways To Attract Traffic Part 2: Search Engine Optimization
3 Ways To Attract Traffic Part 3: Linking With Other Blogs
More Strategies for Attracting Traffic
6 Ways To Make Money From Your Blog
Advertising
Affiliate Programs
Getting Paid For Blogging
Why Small Business Owners Should Have A Blog

You also get a series of bonuses including writing tips and interviews with successful bloggers. To increase retention, the course presents the content in multiple forms: Animation, audio, quizzes, memory joggers, a workbook and interval lessons. If you’re thinking of blogging, this online course will get you started and inspire you to keep going.

A Great Teacher Explores Blogs

Howell — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:54:04 +0000

I’m evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they’re letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it’s still free.

People Buy Emotions, Enthusiasm and Trust

Howell — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:08:43 +0000

Marketing is about helping others make a smart choice for their own benefit.

When you doff your marketing halo a great question to ask is, “What can I give to my audience that truly helps them with their goals and aspirations?”

Start with what you can give–rather than what you can get–and you’re well on your way to more effective marketing.

Another good question is, “What will connect me to my audience?” How can you be so totally honest, open and authentic with your potential clients that they will love you for it?

Answer that question with your next campaign and see what happens.

Personalized Marketing Builds Trust

Howell — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:33:49 +0000

Generation X, Y and female boomers are especially web savvy and highly intrigued by personalized products and services. Marketing that also offers personalization is aligned with their desires.

For instance, Mindjot, a recent client, is focusing on marketing relevance, control and privacy by enabling people to track the products and services that intrigue them via cell phone or handheld device.

This sort of forward thinking shapes the way companies like yours can build relationships of trust with potential clients.

Can you create custom marketing experiences for your audience?

Should You Add Audio or Video to Your Website?

Howell — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:50:23 +0000

Most websites are text based, but many now also include audio—and video keeps popping up all over the Internet. So what’s the right media for your website? Let’s take a look: If formatted properly, text is easy to scan and print. You can’t do that with audio or video; so a little text is right for most sites. Audio conveys the tone of your voice and therefore can clarify your message. If you work on the phone as a consultant or lead teleseminars, a sample audio could show off your skills nicely. Video is not essential—yet. Just the same, if you’re a professional speaker or teach martial arts, video might bring your message alive. Could a mix of audio, video and text bring you closer to your goal? Start with this question, “What do I want my website to do?” Then ask, “What do my visitors want? Will adding audio, video or both help them get it?”

The Rebirth of the Online Salesletter

Howell — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:22:31 +0000

Master copywriter Michel Fortin wrote a report called The Death of the Salesletter. Despite his title, Fortin says salesletters are not outdated. Instead, he reminds us that shoppers resist ugly, confusing letters. Read: under researched, unedited and poorly designed. Fortin clarifies his point on his blog.

The opportunity of course is to follow the tenets of useful copy…

Thoroughly research the audience and subject

Devise a sales strategy for the chosen market

Write freely to generate enthusiasm

Edit to strengthen your essential message

Edit for human understanding

Edit for efficiency

Among other things, Fortin’s report touches on the…

Need to understand marketing and human behavior

Growing popularity of audio and video in salesletters

Power of shorter–but not short–salesletters

Check out his full report. It’s a feet on the ground, eyes forward walk through the future of good website copywriting.

Get-Out-of-the-Office Branding

Howell — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:39:24 +0000

As a crazy-busy entrepreneur you run the risk of seeing nothing but your business for days on end. But consider this: There’s a rich conversation perking just outside your office door. It’s the pulse and chatter that shapes your market’s current views on everything from dog food to caviar. Part of keeping your business solvent is keeping up a lively conversation with your ideal clients. That means reading what they read and going where they go. So for your brand’s sake and for your sanity get out of the office and go knock on the minds of your market. Ask them what they’re reading; what are their resolutions for the New Year, what keeps them up at night and what makes them smile? Who knows, you might learn more about your business by leaving the office.

Copywriting Templates

Howell — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 04:06:50 +0000

There are scads of question-driven copywriting templates available. In fact, you can study the best of these to learn the basic elements of a sales letter. But fill-in-the-blank copywriting is like a dance where everyone’s wearing the same suit. It’s our differences that make us appealing. Effective copywriting highlights these differences and presents them to a specific audience. Finding the essence of your subject takes hard work, long hours and careful conversation. Your copywriting is vital to your success. Be sure to cover the proven elements of the sales process. Then, allow the right message to evolve from ensuing research, discussion and reflection. If you just fill in the blanks your prospects might go home with the wrong product.

How to Write an Effective Tag Line

Howell — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:23:15 +0000

The purpose of a tag line is to clarify and enhance your business message. Though tag lines seem like details, they play an important role in marketing. A good tag line can evoke an emotion and even induce your audience to buy from you. But be careful. Countless tag lines attempt cleverness and end up muddling the message. Some of the most functional tag lines answer the following questions:

1. What do you do?
2. Who do you do it for?

If you have a non-descript company name (like Charlie Creative) answering those two questions in your tag line shows your value. Keep your tag line short and specific, but if you have room add in a benefit. This way, your potential clients will know what you do, whom you do it for, and why it matters. Pretty good for an eight-word sentence.