In this dream, I was thinking about the keywords for the post and writing things about potatoes. Then suddenly I thought “What am I doing?” This post isn’t about potatoes!

No, what it was about was customer satisfaction, customer service, and delivering what you promise. It was about consumers being able to have some faith in the quality of the merchandise they buy. Maybe even about integrity in marketing, since those bags of awful potatoes are labeled “#1.” (I don’t want to think what #2 or #3 look like.)

So, when you write a blog post (or any other content) stop and think about the “core idea” of your message.

For instance: You may be writing about a celebration coming up in your community, but what you’re really writing about is the fact that your community is a good place to live. Here you’ll find good things to do, involved citizens, etc.

Whatever your core idea, be sure to include it in your copy – and in your keywords.

Image courtesy of Dreamstine.

Why? She’s brilliant at accounting, and I’m not at all embarrassed to admit I need her help figuring out debits and credits. I’m also not embarrassed to hire a mechanic for my car or a professional to cut my hair. I didn’t study those things and have no talent for them.

So what?

Unfortunately, too many people who think they “should” be able to write go ahead and do it. They write their own sales letters and ad copy – with results that are often detrimental to their success. A poorly written letter can be worse than no letter at all.

Realtors often have a second problem: time.

In addition to thinking they should be able to write, some people suffer from thinking that they should be able to write a good letter on the first draft, or turn out a winning ad in 15 minutes — and they should be able to do it in between other tasks that have their minds spinning seven different directions.

When they’re running from one appointment to the next and trying to take care of client details in between, that might be all the time they have to devote to the task, but it just doesn’t work that way.

The truth is good copywriting takes time, study, and plenty of thought. And after that it takes proofreading. Depending upon the subject matter, one simple sales letter could take all day to write.

One postcard could take several hours. In fact, sometimes the shortest copy can take the most time, because each word is so important. Copywriters spend a lot of time considering words and their impact and trying to choose exactly the right ones to evoke the desired emotions in their readers.

If you’ve been writing your own copy and not getting the results you want, try finding a good copywriter. Do the job you do best — such as selling homes, staying in touch with people, and tending to all the details involved in a closing — and let a professional write the copy that will bring you more customers.

Quit feeling guilty because you’re not a professional copywriter, web designer, auto mechanic, hairdresser, or accountant. Instead, keep on being the best expert you can be in your own field and be thankful that you don’t have to do everyone else’s job in addition to your own.

By the way, that thankfulness is a good trait to practice!

You probably know that the purpose of the headline or subject line is to get readers to read the first sentence. The purpose of the first sentence is to get them to read the second – and on and on.

But sometimes, a brilliant idea for that first sentence just isn’t there.

Here’s good news:

This morning’s email included a Target Marketing message that should help. It offers up a list of 48 “starters” that have been proven effective in marketing over the past many years. Some come from the pre-internet world of direct marketing, but that’s OK – our methods of communicating have changed, but human nature has not.

Readers STILL want an answer to “what’s in it for me” before they read on.

I personally disagree with a couple of the suggestions on this list. A couple would actually make me delete the message immediately. For instance “We’ve missed you.” My mental response is that I don’t care – I left/unsubscribed/quit buying your products because that’s what I wanted to do.

Notice that this irritant begins with the word “we.”

All of these have been proven to work, but to be on the safe side, I believe you should “choose and use” those that are customer-focused and avoid starting any message with “we” or “I.”

Anyway, if you’ve ever been stuck, take a minute to visit Target Marketing and print off their list of 48 “starters.” It just might come in handy one day.

It might be by:

• finally creating their own website
• joining Active Rain and blogging or commenting
• commenting on blogs that allow them to leave their URL
• answering real estate questions on real estate portals
• setting up a business page on Facebook
• joining LinkedIn
• joining Real Estate Marbles
• posting to social sites they already joined but haven’t used

And I issued a challenge: Do 2 new things this week to make yourself more visible, then come here and tell us what you did.

You’re invited to join the challenge, whether or not you read the ezine.

Yes – that means you’ll get a link from here.

When you write your comment, be sure to include your name, your role in the real estate industry, and the city or area you serve.

I see it online. I see in in print ads. And it’s not just real estate people telling it – it’s everyone from our local accountant to garage mechanics to insurance salesmen to building contractors.

It annoys me first because it’s a lie. It annoys me second because it’s a lazy way to advertise your services.

What is this lie?

“I can handle all of your needs.”

I wrote about it in this week’s real estate marketing ezine, but the same principle applies to any business.

Whatever it is that you do, take the time to tell your readers. They know you can’t do it “all,” so don’t make them guess about what you can do.

Before you sit down to write, think about the people you want to reach. Then narrow that down to just one of them. Picture that person in your mind’s eye…

What will they be doing when they get your message? What will they be thinking / worrying / dreaming about? That’s what you want to discuss with them.

Now pretend that you’re sitting across the kitchen table from them, sharing a cup of coffee and perhaps a plate of cookies – and just talk.

The message you write will be much more natural. Your words will flow easier and you won’t be tempted to throw in any “$40 words” for emphasis. (You wouldn’t do that in person, would you?)

The best part – people will enjoy reading what you write, and they’ll respond… What could be better? (The cookies, maybe??)

The rule is: Remember that it isn’t about you.

Your marketing, if it’s to be effective, HAS to be about your prospective customers/clients and what they want or need.

Test each of your marketing messages (including web pages) by checking to see what the first sentence is about. If it says “we” or “I,” rewrite it.

Then count the number of times you say “we” or “I” or any variation thereof. Next, count how many times you use some version of the word “You.”

Unless you’ve used “you” at least 3 or 4 times as often as you’ve used “I,” – rewrite it.

But here’s another way to get more recommendations:

Make the first move – recommend them first.

If you’ve done business with someone whose work pleased you, take the time to write a testimonial for them.

Send it to them with your permission to use it in their marketing materials.

Then, go one step further and find them on LinkedIn, Active Rain, or any other site that allows you to comment. Then write a good, specific recommendation.

You know what will happen? They’ll get an email letting them know – and suggesting that they return the favor.

Would YOU fail to write something nice about someone who recommended you first?

But now… I’m reconsidering that thought.

Why? Because yesterday she wrote a persuasive email introducing her followers to one of her colleagues.

She wrote quite a build-up about this person, then invited us to download a free report guaranteed to contain some of the same kind of good information that she’s been providing.

Well… she was wrong. She was either being deliberately deceptive or she hadn’t read the report herself. Either way, her credibility with me is ruined.

Now I think she was just doing some affiliate marketing to earn an extra buck – and hadn’t even looked at the materials she was promoting.

The report consisted of 30 pages – in about a 24 point type. But the only “information” it contained was several reasons why we needed to buy what the man was selling.

I have nothing against someone trying to sell me what they have to offer. That’s what commerce is all about. But when they promise information and only give an advertisement, then I feel like they stole my time.

So what’s my point?
If you’re going to recommend something – be honest about what the person is offering. And always read it first, just to make sure it delivers on the promise.

Unfortunately, many of them are “shooting themselves in the foot” with the way their messages are presented.

If you’re using these methods to reach and expand your audience, stop and think about how you present your message – you need to pay attention to both the words and the visual appeal.

The headline is important, of course. Without a good headline, no one will click the link to read the message. But that’s not all that matters.

The message has to immediately tell your reader that he or she will get some value from reading. In other words, that first sentence and first paragraph has to be about them and their concerns – not about you.

Never, ever begin your message with “I” or “We.”

Next, Looks Do Count!

So stop and think about how your message looks.

Back in school you learned that you need to start a new paragraph when you start a new thought. But when you’re writing for customers, especially on the Internet, you need to break it down a bit more than that.

If your thought goes on for ten or twenty lines, it’s way too much. It turns into a “wall of words” that simply looks like too much work. As a result, many of the people who might benefit from your message won’t bother to read it.

So find breaking points and split that message up. Make reading it easy for your audience.

Do remember to add a blank line between the paragraphs, and use bold or underlines in some spots for emphasis. And do vary the length. Ten paragraphs all with the same number of lines looks boring – so strive for variety.

In fact, try putting some of your most important points in one-line paragraphs for emphasis.

Add some sub-heads

The other point to consider is that everyone today seems to be in a hurry. They want to quickly see if your message is worth reading, so they skim. Have you ever tried to skim when there are no breaks in the message?

So in addition to breaking up the copy, try to add some sub-heads. They make it easier for your readers to see what your message is about.

If you have several sub-points to your message that will lend themselves to being in a list, use bullet points as well.

Make it easy.

The bottom line is that no matter how important your message is, if you make it difficult to read, it won’t reach your audience.