By Tess Wittler

This furniture store is well known for its hand-crafted Amish furniture and has customers who not only live locally, but also up and down the East Coast.

The Predicament: Even though the store has a loyal following of customers, the client was unable to find the right method of promoting its semi-annual sales to customers living outside the area. Local radio and newspaper advertising certainly wasn’t reaching those customers. The client didn’t want to spend a lot of additional money, but he knew that there were sales lost because he wasn’t reaching out to his past customers.

The Solution: Knowing there was an existing and accurate database of loyal customers made it easy to see that the solution was direct mail marketing. TWWS worked with the client to develop an eye-catching, oversized postcard that was mailed to these “preferred customers”; the postcard announced the upcoming storewide sale. The client saved money by mailing a postcard instead of a letter and also reaped the rewards from those sales made by reminding these loyal customers of the event.

The primary concept is that online marketing works best when you email people who already know you. Therefore, successful online marketers build their "house file" or "e-list" (lists of prospects and their email addresses) using the process outlined below, and then sell to those people via email marketing.

Here’s how it works.

1. Build a website that positions you or your company as an expert, guru, or leader in your field or industry. This is the "base of operations" for your online marketing campaign.

2. This website should include a home page, an "About the Company" page and a page with brief descriptions of your products and services (each product or service description can link to a longer document on the individual item).

3. You should also have an "Articles" page where you can post articles you have published on your industry or area of specialty, and where visitors can read and download these articles for free (e.g., a home improvement contractor would have tips for small do-it-yourself home improvement projects).

4. Write a short special report or white paper relating to the problem your product or service addresses, and make this available to people who visit your site. They can download it for free, but in exchange, they have to register and give you their email address (and any other information you want to capture).

5. Consider also offering a monthly online newsletter, or "e-zine." People who visit your site can subscribe free if they register and give you their email address. You may want to give the visitor the option of checking a box that reads: "I give you permission to send me email about products, services, news and offers that may be of interest to me."

6. The more content (useful information) on your site, the better. More people will be attracted to your site, and they will spend more time on it. They will also tell others about your site.

7. The model is to drive traffic to your site where you get them to sign up for either your free report or free e-zine. Once they register, you have their email address and can now market to them via email as often as you like at no extra cost.

8. The bulk of your online leads, sales, and profits will come from repeat email marketing to this "house" list of prospects. Therefore, your goal is to build a large e-list of qualified prospects as quickly and inexpensively as you can.

9. There are a number of online marketing options that you can use to drive traffic to your site. These include social media marketing (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and blogs), free publicity, email marketing, banner advertising, affiliate marketing, search engine optimization, and direct mail.

The key to success is this: try many different tactics in small and inexpensive tests, throwing out the ones that don’t work and doing more of those that are effective.

Source: This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter.

By Tess Wittler

In the last few years, blogs have become an indispensable tool for many businesses – including home builders, remodelers, subcontractors and even suppliers. When done smartly, blogs incorporate well into a company’s overall advertising and marketing plan.

Good Business Blogs Mean Good Business

Yes, good business blogs can definitely increase your business value by bringing you the most loyal of customers; at the same time, blogs can help you build trust among potential customers. A blog can play an integral part in garnering visibility for your business, keeping your website “fresh” with new, useful information. Plus, over time, they can be an important aspect of positioning you as an “expert” in your industry.

It is important to understand, however, that a blog will only bring value and desired benefits to any business if done in a strategic manner. Conversely, if blogs are not nurtured, they can actually be destructive to your business. Here are a few helpful tips to consider when setting up a blog for your business.

Take Good Care of Your Customers

Take care of your readers as if they are old and loyal customers. How do you do this? Make it a point to reply to every comment and email promptly and courteously. Furthermore, if you have to do some research to answer your readers satisfactorily, do so. This will ensure you create a blogging environment that is personable, customer oriented … and trusted.

Edit Before Posting

In the construction world, the term goes, “Measure twice; cut once.” Make sure you apply this to the blogging world, too – edit twice; post once. Before you post what you wrote onto your blog, make sure that you’ve edited it for grammar, spelling and readability. This way, you will appear sharp and knowledgeable to your potential customers – which will surely reap the benefits of credibility and loyalty in the future.

Clear and Concise is Critical

Blog readers don’t want to read a novel, so don’t turn your blog into long, drawn-out posts of information. You have less than a minute to capture readers’ attention and convince them that your blog post is worth their time reading.

So how do you do this?

• Keep your sentences short and sweet.
• Break paragraphs frequently (this makes your post easier to skim and ultimately read).
• Use bullet points.
• Use bold and/or italics to draw the eye to key elements in your post.
• Use illustrations, photos and graphs to help demonstrate points in the post.

By keeping these points in mind, your blog will come across as professional and will allow busy customers to skim through and get the general idea of your posts without having to read the entire post.

Be Personal and Yet Not Too Personal

Storytelling is very helpful in capturing readers’ attention. It makes your blog funny and interesting, and one that projects your friendly and cheerful spirit. Be sure to pick a story that is appropriate to your blog’s topic.

Additionally, infuse bit of yourself into your writing to establish a personal relationship with your customers. In doing so, you will be able to build a sense of trust between you as the business owner and your clients; this will eventually translate to good business.

With regards to adding your own personality to your blog posts, advice will range the entire spectrum. Personally, I write my blog posts in a conversational fashion – as if I was speaking to you in person – yet, I try to keep my posts and points short and sweet. It took a bit of work to perfect my point of view, but over time, you’ll find your voice as well (see post on this subject).

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

By Tess Wittler

Every day, millions of people turn to the Internet to gather data. They are looking for information on everything from sports scores to what’s happening in news, to doing research on new products and services.

With the multitudes of information available, it can be tricky for people to find YOU in cyberspace. Furthermore, once you are found, it can be especially difficult for people to develop a trust with your company. A blog can help build that trust among potential customers.

What is a Blog?

A blog, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.

When integrated into your overall marketing plan, a blog can be essential in gaining visibility for your business, keeping your website “fresh” with new, useful information. Plus, over time, it can be an important aspect of positioning you as an “expert” in your industry.

Blogging for Builders

Builders can use blogs to promote new neighborhoods or highlight a particular spec house on the market. In doing so, you’ll generate more web traffic to showcase your products and services and ultimately attract more customers.

Same goes for blogging for remodelers. Remodelers can take past projects and “tell a story,” breaking up the larger remodeling project into smaller blog posts. This has the potential for weeks of information that visitors will want to “tune in” for.

Both builders and remodelers have a real opportunity here to not just write content, but also “show and tell” by posting photos of their homes and then describing what’s seen in each photo.

Contractors, on the other hand, can use a blog as an avenue to educate others in the field, by instantly informing existing or prospective customers on any new product features or developments in the business. These continued updates will enhance your reputation as a reliable supplier or a stable business partner.

No matter your expertise, a blog is a great forum to discuss decorating trends and green building practices, to name just a few. The possibilities truly are endless!

How to Increase Traffic and Improve SEO Rankings

The challenge for bloggers is to be able to increase the ranking of their blogs. Many social scientists have observed that the period we are in is no longer the “information age”; it is labeled the “age of attention.”

To survive in this new age, you must ensure that you develop high-quality content that will capture people’s attention. And with millions of pieces of information bombarding readers every day, it’s crucial that your blog tops the search engine optimization (SEO) rankings.

Consider these methods to increase traffic to your blog and improve your blog’s credibility:

• Post new content regularly. Your content should be interesting, relevant and informative. Remember, content is the meat that will make your readers come back for more.
• Connect your blog to an RSS Feed, which automatically “notifies” other sites and individual subscribers that new content is now available.
• Participate in relevant and related forums. Leave interesting comments to engage readers and solicit their reactions. When you do, there’s a great chance that they will link to your blog site – which drives new viewers in your direction.
• Read other blogs and post comments. By commenting, you are also exposing yourself to others (i.e., potential customers). This will help you generate more followers of your own blog.

Blogging will definitely increase your products’ exposure, attract new buyers, and sustain the interest and trust of your existing customers. If you want a better edge over your competitors, blogging is a great option.

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You get what you pay for,” right? And for the most part, this phrase is true. It comes back to haunt us when we’ve made a bad purchase- sending us into a spiral of buyer’s remorse (or at least a fit of grumblings).

I was reminded of the “you get what you pay for” principle last month when I purchased dishwasher detergent. Like my mom, I have been a Cascade user for years, but I had a coupon for a cheaper product, so I picked it up – not really thinking about it.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I noticed a white, gritty film on my dishes. The dishes appeared to be coming out of the dishwasher dirtier than when I’d put them in. It was actually quite gross, and I ended up doing most of the dishes (again) by hand. My husband and I started to assume that our dishwasher was dying.

We dreaded the thought of forking over the money right now for a new dishwasher; it just wasn’t in the plan. So before we went shopping for a new appliance, we decided to go back to the tried-n-true brand, Cascade. It is more expense than the other stuff, and I didn’t have a coupon, but we needed to try this alternative first. And guess what? It worked! No more lipstick marks on my coffee mugs or crusty, caked-on mysterious “things” on my plates. My glasses now look and feel clean. All is right again.

Trying a cheaper product was a small error and minor inconvenience that only cost us a few dollars.

But business is different. Business purchases – whether products or services – cost much more. And in this economy, you may be tempted to cut corners. Perhaps you used to outsource the development of your newsletter (print or electronic), and now you’ve internalized the process.

I ask you: Is that move really saving you money … long term? Think about it and ask these questions:

• How much is your time worth? How much time are you spending on marketing these days? It takes time to write, edit, design and distribute your newsletter? Calculate those hours with your hourly rate and determine if this really makes sense.
• Are you now writing your copy to include keywords (aka triggers) to truly get your marketing message out there? Or are you simply slapping a few points together and calling your newsletter “good enough”?
• Is your newsletter being edited, or is it being distributed with spelling and grammatical errors?
• How does the newsletter design look? And how frustrated are you (or your staff) in laying out the newsletter and making sure it all fits?
• Is your newsletter being printed by your trusted printer? Or did you decide to turn to the cheapest printer or just run color copies at the local office supply store (or worse, on your desktop printer!)?

I can’t make this stuff up. These are all “solutions” I’ve heard over the last few months as a response to the economy.

Although the economy is recovering, but it is also still tough; I get that. But in this tough economy, you also need to consider that this probably isn’t the image you want to portray to your potential customers. You don’t want them to think that you are cheap, unpolished, and unprofessional, do you?

You may think you are saving money by no longer outsourcing, but even if the frustration of extra hours in completing the task doesn’t get to you, you may find that long term, your new image may not pay dividends.

Remember, skimping on your image will only make your potential customers think twice about turning to you when they are ready to buy.

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

I recently attended a networking luncheon for the first time. The format was pretty simple: spend 30 minutes networking, and then as you eat lunch, everyone in attendance gets one minute to stand up and introduce themselves to the room.

Given that this was my first time attending, I was easily spotted as “fresh meat” for many of the long-time attendees. For the most part, everyone seemed to have a genuine interest in making sure I felt welcome and learning about who I am and what I do for a living.

However, there was one woman in the crowd who made a beeline towards me. She stuck out her hand, asked my name and immediately launched into her 30-second commercial (which felt more like two minutes). Talking as fast as she could, she told me she earned money by shopping online for products she uses everyday (such as dog food and energy drinks). She continued by saying that she thought that I would be an excellent candidate to join her business network and also earn money while shopping – under her umbrella (naturally).

Hmm … she figured all that out from my name?

There are several things this woman did to completely turn me off, so even if I was a frequent online shopper (which I am not), and even if I had the desire to earn a kickback while spending money (which I don’t), there is no way I’d be doing so under her umbrella.

And it is easy to understand why, right? Because the entire time she’s rattling off information about her business, I’m thinking, “You don’t even know me … or my needs, lady.” Those two minutes were completely about her. In fact, she was so into herself that she didn’t even fake interest in me and ask what I do for a living. The one-sided conversation ended with her handing me her card and telling me I should give her a call (and no, she didn’t ask for my card – and I wasn’t handing it over anyway).

This incident is a great example of what NOT to do – whether at a networking event or when you are building relationships through your newsletter.

One reason newsletters are so attractive to businesses and readers alike is that they aren’t perceived as “junk mail” - which is often the case with other direct mail pieces such as fliers and postcards. If done correctly, a newsletter is seen as a welcomed guest, full of useful information, just like other periodicals your customers and prospects receive. Newsletters are a great relationship-building tool!

All great newsletters have a secret formula (that really isn’t all that secret – we’re not talking Bush’s Baked Beans here). The secret to a great newsletter is where your focus lies. If you focus on just your company and promoting how great you are, your newsletter will fail miserable. It will be seen as a piece of junk mail (if mailed) or be reported as spam (if emailed), and instead of building relationships with potential new clients, you’ve effectively turned them away from you – possibly forever.

However, if you focus on what the reader wants to know and keep your newsletter educational, then you are building the foundation for a newsletter that is welcomed, and read, issue after issue. And a newsletter that is read is one that helps build trust and credibility between you and your potential clients.

Remember, the key to a great newsletter is to focus on developing copy that is useful and interesting to your reader, not on promoting your company. With that formula, you’re sure to cultivate trust and build lasting relationships.

Do you want to get started on a newsletter but don’t have the time or know-how to do it on your own? Contact me. Together, we can get one up and running for you in no time!

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

By Tess Wittler

One of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to stay in front of your prospects and customers is with an email newsletter. Email newsletters allow you to reach out and say "Hello" to your database. They also serve as a gentle reminder that, yes, you are still doing business.

Affordable. One of the reasons why email newsletters are so attractive to businesses is: they are affordable. You don’t have the cost of printing and postage associated with hard-copy newsletters (though hard-copy newsletters do certainly have a place in your marketing strategy, at times).

Informal. Email newsletters are also less formal than a regular newsletter. Because they are usually only one or two short articles, a well-written email newsletter is conversational ― meaning reading some email newsletters is like chatting with an associate over a beer.

Easy to Read. Since an email newsletter is almost always read while sitting at a computer, a well-crafted email newsletter is also written with scan-ability in mind. Short paragraphs help keep the information flowing. The use of bold fonts, colors and bullets will position important information in front of a hurried reader. Often times, the person scanning your email newsletter will actually stop and read the information because of a well-placed bolded word or phrase.

The 3 S’s

You must keep in mind three critical elements when developing your email newsletter: SPAM, SALES and SCHEDULE. The best-written email newsletter will quickly tank if you don’t take all three into consideration.

SPAM. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 says that unsolicited email campaigns need to have several items in place in order for the message not to be labeled as spam. Additionally, if you try to go "el-cheapo" and use Outlook instead of using an email newsletter service, sooner or later you’ll be flagged by your Internet provider as a SPAMMER and have a whole host of other issues to deal with. There are many email newsletter services out there (I use Constant Contact) that are affordable and help you comply with the CAN-SPAM law.

SALES. Simply put: Don’t. The most effective use of an email newsletter is to offer your readers something of value by educating them ― not by trying to sell them something. If you sell homes, don’t simply cut and paste your spec homes into an email newsletter template and hit send. Leave that job to your Realtor®. Instead, pick out a feature of your homes ― perhaps that they are built to Energy Star® specifications ― and talk about the comfort of living in an Energy Star-certified home. That’s how you build relationships with your readers.

Let me be clear. I do not condone special offers included in your email newsletter. From time to time you see them in mine. But treat them as that ― an advertisement within your email newsletter. Don’t try to "disguise" them; your readers are smart and will see right through you.

SCHEDULE. Email your newsletter at least once a month. Any less and your email schedule looks hap-hazard and your prospects forget about you. Think of your email newsletter as a subscription service ― just like a newspaper or magazine subscription. When you are consistent, your subscribers will begin to anticipate receiving your next email newsletter and, in fact, will look forward to it.

By keeping these tips in mind, over time you will see consistent results from your email newsletter.

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

By Tess Wittler

Success stories (sometimes called case studies) show impact on people ― something positive that’s occurred as a result of purchasing your products or services. The goal of success stories is to impact your prospect’s buying decisions.

Success stories merge two influential marketing techniques: testimonials and storytelling. This powerful combination builds a memorable picture for your prospects.

1. Success stories create credibility. When people read a customer success story, they automatically view the information as more credible because it involves one of your customers. It is obvious that you provided a solution to their problem, and they are happy customers who want to share their experience with others.

2. Success stories tell a tale. They engage the reader while painting the picture of a challenge one of your customers faced and how you helped them overcome it.

3. Success stories share the benefits. Success stories aren’t about a list of features or services you provide; they are about showing how choosing you can impact their life. Success stories answer the questions: "Why should I care?" and "What’s in it for me?"

4. Success stories educate. Through hearing the story, the reader learns more about the process, the product or service ― in a subtle, yet effective fashion.

5. Success stories create a connection. Readers empathize with the problem or challenge that your client faced which starts the bond between the reader, your client, and yes, your company.

You may be thinking, why not just create a glossy company brochure? Glossy brochures do have their spot in your marketing plan; however, a glossy brochure is and always will be viewed as a marketing piece. When someone reads a brochure, they know the information is biased towards your company. When they read a success story, the human element comes into play. The reader starts to relate to the customer and, ultimately, relates to the solutions you can provide.

Nothing sounds sweeter than a happy customer singing your praises, so take the first step by identifying customers that you can feature as success stories!

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Giving Your Visions A Voice

For more tips and updates, please connect with me: Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter

By Tess Wittler

Every PC user knows that spell-checkers in  word processing programs are lousy at catching words out of context. For instance, a major accounting firm recently sent a proposal to a Fortune 500 client. On the cover they identified themselves as: “Certified Pubic Accountants.” Oops!

So how do you find an effective way to proofread so you can spot errors that spell-checkers miss?

The secret is to proofread the document backwards. You’ll catch many typos you’d otherwise miss – especially if this is not the first time you are reading the document.

Why this works: When you proofread backwards, you focus on each word individually. Also, the copy has no meaning when read backwards, so your attention is on the individual words and their spelling, and not on the overall message. You won’t get caught up in the content.

Thank you for reading the Built Write blog!

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Dedicated to giving your visions a voice.

By Tess Wittler

Did you catch this Facebook news last week? Facebook’s famous “like” button is now available for anyone to use on their web site (as you can see, I’ve already added it to my blog).

According to this article from Advertising Age:

“Facebook’s new tools, including the like button … are designed to embed Facebook functionality on outside websites. With like buttons on 75 sites, including publishers such as CNN and the New York Times, from day one, Facebook expects to serve more than 1 billion buttons in the first 24 hours. Once a user likes a page, the publisher gets a link on the user’s page, and means to later publish to that user’s newsfeed.”

Undoubtedly, Facebook is creating a “data goldmine” where they can understand their users much more. But what does this mean for you?

The short answer is this: by adding the “Like” button to your website, you are increasing your chances of gaining visibility on Facebook – for every time someone clicks the “like” button on your blog and/or web site, that person is also sharing that blog post/web site page with all of their Facebook friends.

How to add the Facebook like button to your website. If you have a WordPress blog/web site, here’s how to add it.

Do me a favor and try it out … click on the “like” button connected to this post.

Thank you for reading the Built Write blog!

Tess Wittler Writing Services • Dedicated to giving your visions a voice.