acoem presentation nov 12 2009

How to Write Marketing Copy that Sells

Presented bySheri Jacobs, CAE, President + Chief Strategist

Avenue M Group, LLC

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

November 12, 2009

Name something you’ve recently bought that you

really love.

Why do you love it?

I love my camera!

What do I love about my camera?• Fits in my pocket.

• I can take great pictures from anywhere.

• It is so easy to use; I actually appear in pictures from family vacations.

Lumix Panasonic with mega OIS image stabilizer.

Another approach…

Nikon D40. Campaign used real people, real pictures and real words.

Nikon ad copy• Benefit: Simple to use.

• Proof: Large sample audience (200 residents).

• Technology: Nikon used a microsite called Picturetown.

• People: Seven stories of people’s lives and experiences with examples.

Outcome/Results• Nikon became the brand most likely to purchase.

• Changed perception from 'for professionals only' to 'easy to use' cameras 'for everyone.’

• Web site engaged visitors with 9.5 million pictures viewed.

• Increased market share by 30%.

People don’t read ads.

They read what interests

them and sometimes that

happens to be an ad.

It’s easy to market when this is your product.

That’s great. But I’m selling membership,

conferences or advocacy!

Your challenges…• Being heard. Getting my message read.• Numerous audiences – creating a segmentation

strategy• Reaching new customers and prospects within

current audience segments• Reaching new audience segments• High product costs – downturn economy• Achieving diversity

What do youhope to learn

today?

• How to get emails opened and read• How to clarify your message• How to determine your unique selling points• How to develop marketing that stands out on a

limited budget• How to make minor and major changes to

improve your current marketing efforts• What else?

http://www.wordle.net

Our world today…• Total saturation• New technologies• Many competing forces• A recession• Budget cuts, doing more with less• In short…a period of radical change

Marketing is about 3 things…

1. Unique value to the audience.

2. Identifying the most trusted sources/channels.

3. The right words to connect with customers.

Know everything you can about who you are selling to.

Know everything you can about what you are selling.

Know everything you can about your competition. Know everything you can about the best channels

to reach your customers. Know everything you can about what motivates

your customers.

To sell anything you must…

It all starts with understanding your

prospects and what you are offering.

Do you know?• How prospects find you?

• Why do they join, register or purchase?

• What other organizations they belong to?

• What they need based on their size, location, business or other factors?

• What is keeping them up at night?

Don’t know…ask!

www.wordle.net

How do your members behave online?

Ask a few simple questions.How often do you…

• Maintain a blog, read a blog, comment on a blog.

• Write reviews, read reviews.

• Maintain a facebook page, comment on a facebook page.

• Post a twitter comment, follow others on twitter.

Listening + Engagement Campaign• How do members describe the services they use?

• How do members describe the problems they are facing?

• What types of solutions are they looking for in specific terms?

• What suggestions are other members offering to help solve their problems?

5 Steps to Engagement• INVOLVE - listen to, live the social web, understand it, this

cannot be faked• CREATE - make relevant content for communities of

interest• DISCUSS - no conversation around it, then the content

may as well not exist• PROMOTE - actively, respectfully, promote the content

with the networks• MEASURE - monitor, interatively develop and respond or

be damned!

How well do you know what you

are trying to sell?

Conduct an Asset Audit

Conduct a Benefit Analysis• Advantages: Describe what distinguishes the feature as

unique or special. What makes this attribute special?• Motives: Motives describe what the features satisfy as a

result of buying and using your “product.”• Benefits: What favorable or desired experience will the

customer derive as a result of the feature and advantage? How will the member/prospect avoid pain or gain happiness?

• Evidence: What anecdotal and actual data do we have to back up our claim?

Create a Marketing Brief• What differentiates your product

• How to stand out in the marketplace

• How to make it relevant

• How to make it believable

• How to make a connection.

How well do you know your

competition?

How do you compare?What do prospects see when they look at other medical societies?• Marketing and promotions

• Segments served• Pricing and discounts• Online presence (Google search)

• Product line• Brand strength and recognition• Strengths and weaknesses (resources, staff size)

Let’s Take a Break.

Capturing the prospect’s attention.

Know the triggers

95% of the reasons a prospect buys involve a subconscious decision!

Source: Triggers by Joe Sugarman

Proof of Value

Should I spend $1000 for a laptop?

Price: $3,848.00 Ouch!

Price: $989.00 Yes!

Proof of Value

All the features I need in a laptop.

$3,848+ vs. $989

Proof of valueWhen you justify the price of your product or service, you add value to your offer and give the prospect one more logical reason to buy.

Show two pricing options, one being considerably more expensive.

• Premium membership and regular membership• Your organization vs. competitor• Regular fee vs. special offer fee

ToneWhat is the nature of what you are selling? Is it Serious? Fun? Luxurious? Inexpensive? What words match your product?• Free, freebies

• Exclusive, Invitation only

• Prestigious

• Serious

EmotionWhat emotional needs will your product solve?• Staying afloat during the recession•Sorting through an avalanche of information•Communicating the value of the profession•Budget constraints – no money to travel and attend conferences•A decline in residency programs and the specialty

How Do You Handle Objections?Raise the objections and then resolve them. Don’t ignore objections.

If cost is an issue, talk about it. • Membership is less than $2/day• Offer freebies to offset the cost to attend a meeting

If lack of time is a concern…• Tell how attendees can stay connected at the conference

MarketingProfs Business-to-Business Forum 2009

What you get with the cost of registration:1. Free copy of B2B Marketing in 2009: Trends in Strategies

and Spending 2. A free Premium Plus membership for Basic and Non-

members. 3. Free one-to-one expert advice4. Free ongoing private (exclusive) networking with fellow

attendees on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.5. Free meals throughout the entire conference

Involvement & OwnershipA good involvement device in direct response advertising has doubled and even tripled response rates.

“Write down 3 issues you want to address when you come back from the Coding and Classification for the Occupational Medicine Office.

Storytelling

A good story should capture a person’s attention, relate the

product or service to the sales message, and help you bond

with the prospect.

Actual Copy

WSAE holds eight 1/2 day educational programs each year presenting some of the best national and state speakers discussing

cutting edge solutions to the challenges faced by association executives.

Another way to say it:

WSAE offers educational programs “that are worth getting up at 5:00 am and driving halfway across the state to attend.”

Authority and Credibility

Credibility Examples

“Join more than 352,000 members”

“Top-rated service 3 years in a row”

“Selected as one of Chicago's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For by the National Association of Business Resources”

LogicIn today’s economy, people need to justify the purchase – membership, attendance, advertising, sponsorships.• Recognition – you deserve it• Savings

Remember two main points about logic as a trigger: (1) You buy on emotion and justify the purchase with logic. (2) View logic as the answer to the unspoken objection, “Why should I buy this thing?”

Emotion: BMW. The Ultimate Driving Machine!

Logic: Ultimate efficiency. Well equipped. No-cost maintenance. No-cost BMW Assist Safety Plan.

Satisfaction GuaranteeUnconditional, no-hassle, money back guarantee

• Membership: We will refund your money if you are not satisfied - up until the very last day of your membership.

• Meetings: We will refund your money and let you keep the course materials if you are not completely satisfied.

What type of guarantee could you offer?

Sense of Urgency• Introductory price/offer

• Limited quantity – only the first 20 people who register will receive a free white paper

• Pricing based on number of seats sold

• First 10 seats sell for $49

• Second 10 sell seats for $99

• Third 10 seats sell for $149

Exclusivity• Create a sense of exclusivity

by setting limitations on who can buy, join or register.

• Offer other exclusive products to prospects have participated, joined or attended a session.

KISS – Keep it Stupid and Simple

Make it so easy to register, join or buy that all the customer needs to do is pick up a pen and sign on the dotted line.

Unless you are going for exclusivity!

Be SpecificDon’t say “Top rated educational program”Say…

People are skeptical about advertising. Make it believable. By being specific you sound like an expert.

“95% of past attendees of the Occupational Medicine Board Review rate this course as one of the most important moves in advancing their career.”

Create a Must-Read Headline

The entire purpose of the headline/subject line is to get the prospect to read the next line.

The entire purpose of the next line is to get the prospect to read on. And so on.

This should continue until the prospect takes the action you desire.

10 Online mistakes that can get you fired

Use How to or a Number in your Title• How to recognize the adverse effects of chronic lead exposure• How to apply the low back guidelines to clinical practice

situations• How to prepare your practice for the changer over from ICD-9 to

ICD-10

• 11 Emerging Trends in Waterborne Disease• 9 Legal Issues you should know about Social Networking• 5 Ways to Evaluate Financial Policies and Rate Impacts.

Use the word “Because”People are skeptical. If you are offering something too good to be true, they may not respond. Explain why you are giving something away for free or at a steep discount.

Tell people what’s in it for them and what’s in it for you.

Cut your copy in half!Use short simple sentences. Avoid complex jargon.

Provided that - - IfIn order to - - ToThe majority of - - MostAccordingly - - SoFacilitate - - HelpFrequently - - OftenCommence - - StartNonetheless - - But

Use Curiosity to Get Them InterestedProgram: Physicians and health care reform

50% of Physicians Report Health Care Reform Worsened Conditions for their Practice

In this session, you will understand the key implications of health reform legislation impacting OEM physicians. The session will cover health and productivity strategies, how to market your services, and the key conditions that are driving up cost.

Be Authentic.Show your personality.

People are drawn to real people, not brands, companies or organizations. Forget the talking points and encourage your volunteers and staff to speak with authenticity.

Don’t filter their comments. Attribute comments to their owners.

Complete the worksheet.

Marketing with Direct Mail.

15 Ways to Get People to Act Now

1) End your price with a 7 or a 9.

There is a psychological price point – a dues amount that ends with a dollar amount of a “7” or “9.” For example, an acquisition price of $139 will typically generate more revenue and members than a price of $150.


2) Build your campaign around a metaphor:• Survey• Certificate• Temporary membership card• Gift card• Invitation

Make them stop and think.


3) Use the P.S.

•Remind buyers of a special gift they will receive if they respond. •Emphasize the guarantee•Repeat the key benefit•Provide contact information


4) Personalize communications

• Segment messages

• “Dear Sheri Jacobs” out pulls “Dear Prospect” by 30%

• Use Variable Data Printing


5) Leave out the brochure!

• Change the process from a “sales effort” to a personal communication

• Test with a brochure and without


6) Tell customers what will happen if they buy, register or join now

End your copy by telling people what will happen – use your most powerful benefit.


7) Tell people what will happen if they don’t buy, register or join!

Use a problem that they won’t be able to solve without it.


8) End your copy with a question people will always say yes to.

• Do you need to stay up-to-date on xyz?• Are you looking for ways to cut costs yet still

deliver great service?• Do you want to know how other nurses

handle the stress of the job?


9) Add a powerful guarantee

Give them a lifetime or a triple your money back guarantee.


10) Add a FREE bonus to your offer

When you give a free bonus it increases the product’s perceived value. Free is also viral.


11) Create a no-risk offer

Remove any risk of joining your organization. Offer a 30-day or 60-day free trial of membership. To ensure the prospect has the chance to fully utilize the free trial, create an instant membership if they apply online.


12) Offer installments to lower the perceived price.

If your members are resistant to paying $599 to attend your educational conference, try offering it for three installments of $199


13) Avoid all capital letters, all italics or all bold words

These formatting features should only be used to highlight one or two words. All three techniques, when used for more than one word, make it difficult to read.


14) Keep your envelope blank

An envelope with no writing has to be opened to see what’s inside.


15) Add a Q & A to your Marketing Materials

Question and Answer sections are like Cliff Notes. Readers have grown accustomed to thinking that most of their questions will be answered quickly and succinctly in a Q & A section. Add a Q & A section to every communication device sent to members or prospects from your organization.

Plus, use these 5 important words

1. Free (shipping, downloads, reports)2. Sign up3. Buy4. Now5. Thank you

Sign up NOW and receive a FREE report on [whatever]. Thank you!

Marketing in theage of Web 2.0.

10 Ways to Ensure They Open Your Email1) Spend time writing a great subject line.2) Use the “from” line to brand your email.3) Give away something free. Free helps things go viral.4) Send it on a Tuesday or Thursday. 5) Focus on what is seen in the preview pane.6) Add urgency to your email with a deadline. Offer something free but

with a deadline. (Free shipping, 3 free months of membership)7) Avoid capital letters and fancy fonts.8) Make sure your email is readable when the pictures aren’t downloaded.9) Use bullets and keep your copy short. No long paragraphs.10) Test one variable at a time such as day, offer, copy.

5 Ways To Use Social Media To Spread Your Message

1) Sign up for an account at AddThis.com or ShareThis. Both offer a free social sharing tool that helps organizations, bloggers, and publishers spread their content across the web.

2) Find out where and how your members access emails. If they access them from their mobile phone consider using text-only rather than HTML.

3) Use PR Newswire to monitor the conversation about your organization and your industry

5 Ways To Use Social Media To Spread Your Message

4) Bring your copy to life using YouTube. Create a video and put it on YouTube.

5) Every three to six months, research what keywords are most applicable to what you are selling. Incorporating the right key words will increase the likelihood that your prospects will find you when they conduct an online search.

One final thought…

If we mixed up

your marketing

collateral with

another

association would

anyone notice?

Q & ADo you still have questions? Contact me.

Sheri Jacobs, CAE, President + Chief StrategistAvenue M Group, LLC

[email protected]. 847.849.3396

acoem presentation nov 12 2009

Technology

marketing copy

new customers

marketing brief

current audience segments

real people

current marketing efforts

unique selling points

outcomeresults nikon