| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
Turning The Casual Scanner Into A Buyer
The world is full of scanners. Most people simply scan the page to see if anything piques their interest, rather than reading the ads, sales letters, or web copy. That's why you should ensure that your copy is scanner friendly. That means placing headlines, subheads, and other devices throughout your copy that's compelling enough to sell your customers on your business.
How can you turn the casual scanner into an active reader? More importantly, how can we turn a scanner into a buyer? First, ensure that your headlines can stand alone, without the support of other sentences. For most, that means getting rid of those one-word headlines. Headlines should include the benefit of your offering, evoke curiosity, or compel the scanner to read the main copy.
Don't forget the subheads. They also should be compelling, preferably complementing the headline, giving enough power to nudge your reader from scanning to reading mode. Keep in mind good subheads support the main promise of your copy. If your headline, for example, promises to help your customers lose weight, your subheads could briefly explain that your product is clinically proven or has a secret ingredient. Subheads are also a great place to introduce your offers.
Another way to be a scanner's friend is to use short paragraphs. Rule of thumb: Keep paragraphs between 3 to 5 sentences. If you must use a long sentence, place a short snappy paragraph after it.
The most popular way to generate interest: Use underlines, boldface, highlights, and italics throughout your copy, carefully. Too much can leave your customers overwhelmed and likely to stop scanning and move on. When using these tools remember, the purpose is to emphasize certain points.
Some ideas on what you should highlight in your copy: * Call-to-actions phrases, like buy now, subscribe here, or receive your special offer today. * Contact information, including toll-free numbers, emails, and web-sites. * Major benefits supporting the promise of your copy * Your rates and fees and how they compete * Your business or product's name.
Adding a second color to your copy boosts retention and readability. Especially, when using a medium that's typically black and white like newspapers. What colors are best? Typically, the most used and most effective colors are red and blue. Try placing offers or premiums in different colors to emphasize and pull your customers in.
P.S. Don't forget the P.S. An important aspect, most readers read the end, first. It's a great spot to recap your offer and restate your benefits. This may also be a good spot to add a bonus, premium, or guarantee Vanessa Selene Williams is an independent writer who writes for businesses. To learn more about her and her services visit her online at http://corp.vswilliams.com or email her at info@vswilliams.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
12 Lessons I Picked Up from Attending Seminars So you just dropped a tidy sum to attend a seminar or some other three-day event. Now it's over and you're exhausted. The Secret to Adding Credibility to Your Business - Testimonials! You may not realize it, but you already have a gold mine ofendorsements waiting to be created. Everyone who is seriousabout building a business and creating credibility uses thisidea. Color Part 2: Formats and Systems There are several color formats and systems available for mixing and specifying colors. Here, we explain three of the most common systems: RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors. Knowing When To Charge More and To Charge Less More And MoreIt was notable that when I started my business twenty years ago, I came up with a certain "minimum" profit I wanted to make. Within a very short time I didn't feel that profit was enough and I gingerly started to charge more. Getting Your Services Used Every day I talk with professional service providers who do great work, have a valuable service that really helps people?and struggle to get their services used as much as they'd like.They get a lukewarm response after an initial conversation while networking, the referrals come in but don't convert to real business as often as they'd like, and they can't seem to get prospects to see them as that much better than other professionals offering similar services. The Future of Marketing Part 1 It used to be if you were a small business, you were at a distinct disadvantage with your marketing compared to the bigger companies.No more. Ten Deadly Proposal Preparation Pitfalls Let's face it, the name "proposal" is a great misnomer, but since many businesspeople take it literally, they often paint themselves into a corner of chasing buyers, many of whom requested the proposal to collect idea for in-house implementation. Yes, it is a scumbag approach to drag honest folks arounf by their noses, but apparently there are many scumbags who practise this dishonest technique knowingly, and some innocent folks who believe this is normal and have fallen into the trap. Direct Mail Postcard Rules It's a fact that your customers are your best leads. This means that the most likely people to purchase your products and/or services are the ones who have paid for them before. E-commerce : The Bottom of Pyramid Approach For centuries and most of the decades in the 20th century (i.e when computer was invented) access and communication was the tool of rich and ultra rich people, prohibitively expansive to 'not so rich' and 'not at all rich' people. Marketing The Real You I often wonder how the practice began of pretending to be someone else in order to market your business. You know what I'm talking about -- it's the marketing face, the selling voice, that you often put on in order to attend a networking event or make a sales call. Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing 12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters of all consumer product research is initiated through a generic search term, such as "televisions" or "Adoption Services". The report goes on to say that in subsequent research efforts consumers tend to re-initiate the search with generic search terms. Marketing Strategy and Template for Independent Professionals Having a marketing strategy and marketing approach is very important. Thus, instead of recreating the wheel, here is a short, sweet, easy-to-understand marketing strategy template to help you place your ducks are in a row in designing your marketing strategy. Step by Step Guide to an SMS Campaign SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy? Cost effective personalised communication? Ongoing 1 to 1 relationships? Automated data capture and compliance? Direct revenue and uplift opportunitiesBasic Rules for SMSIn addition to permission, there are five key elements that differentiate SMS marketing from traditional marketing. These are also the key success factors for its use. Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed When marketing your practice, as well as designing yourbrochure, web site, business card, flier, advertisement, orother marketing effort, we recommend investing the time andeffort needed to effectively address all these tips. Notone of them can be omitted. Ready, Aim, Fire...Oops...Wheres The Target? Everywhere you go on the Internet you find the words, "target market." What do they mean? What does it have to do with you? Well it has everything to do with your success in sales. How To Market A Seminar Have you ever left a seminar thinking: "I could have done a better job than that!" Before you start signing up attendees, take a few minutes to think about what you are getting into. Putting on a seminar involves planning, time, and money. 10 steps to promote your business 1) Word of mouth is the most cost-effective, powerful form of promotion. Write a list of 50 people you know but don't see regularly - relatives, friends, ex-colleagues etc. Did Jesus Get Killed for Practicing Interruption Marketing? I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up the difference between Interruption Marketing and Permission Marketing.Interruption Marketing is when you interrupt people from what they are doing in order to ask them to pay attention to something else. Make Your Prospects Say Yes! 6 Secrets to Stellar Sales PresentationsEvery sale is won or lost in the presentation. Regardless of product, industry, or market every sale has the same basic components: A prospect who wants a product, a product, and a sales person who will or will not help that customer buy. Rising Postal Rates? Don't Cut Down the Direct Mail The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates. Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay in business, like the weather and government in general, it's something you have to live with.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
Comment by George C. Leef, Director of Research