<p>What if you could sit down with top-notch writers and hear their best advice on how you can grow your small business?</p> <p>In the Biznik spirit of "collaboration not competition," I hit up my fellow writers for a single sentence on their best marketing idea, since every company--most importantly, yours--requires putting down words. From website content, catalogs and brochures to press releases, product copy and fact sheets, solid promo content is a gotta-have if you're going to grow.</p> <p>It's not easy, even for writers. I've been at this business for eons, yet I still break out in a sweat when creating high-impact marketing pieces. There's identifying the perfect angle to grab customers' attention, nailing the right tone of voice to keep them reading and sleuthing the most persuasive words to move them from browsing to buying. Even small errors in judgment have big sway when it comes to how well marketing campaigns work.  </p> <p>Biznikers to the rescue. </p><p>In this article, you'll find some bits of advice on hiring a writer; others will tell you how to write your own marketing pieces more effectively. Tip #2 is as quick as a click on your keyboard while tip #10 asks you to delve into your customer's unconscious mind (careful in there!) Each word of advice is as distinctive as its author but all are written with one purpose: to help you build your business through better writing.</p><ol><li>It's all about the headline; if you're going to budget four hours to write your ad, spend 3 hours and 45 minutes on the headline and make sure it's a bold promise that appeals to your niche. -Mike Schwagler</li><li>A single word: SPELLCHECK. -Brian M. Wise<br></li><li>Customers are the heart of your business-good writing connects you with them productively and profitably. -Jeffrey Lemkin<br></li><li>Write like you talk. -Chris Haddad<br></li><li>Proofread, proofread, proofread; spelling and grammar errors are the visible-viruses, the flies in the ointment, the red flags that shout out 'AMATEUR!' and lay waste to all that cash you've forked over to web designers, business consultants and branding experts. -Terance Pagard<span style="font-size: 13px; "></span></li><li>Deliver your message plainly in the language of your audience. -Molly Dee Anderson</li><li>Communicating what sets your business apart with clear, compelling web content is the service a writer can bring to small companies. -Russell Smith<br></li><li>When you're writing your marketing materials, you're really just having a conversation with one other person; so write in the first person and use the word "you" wherever possible to make a deeper, one-on-one connection. -Stacy Karacostas<br></li><li>Approach your marketing copy with the same energy, integrity and sincerity as you would with a close friend. -Allison Ellis<br></li><li>Know what motivates your customers: It's not your gadget, sorry to say, but something more instinctual--the desire to be noticed (think Tiffany's diamonds), to be cool (Apple's iPhones), to be special (Nordstrom's customer service) or to be thrifty (Wal-Mart's everything). Address that unconscious need, and the sale is yours. -Lynn Baldwin-Rhoades<br></li></ol><p>And yes, in tip #10 I blathered on for more than a sentence. Just because I could.<br></p> 2008-11-05T16:50:40Z 2008-11-09T16:14:35Z -15.0175 2304 2146 true 15 18119 10-tips-to-writing-better-marketing-materials 49 2008-11-09T16:14:31Z 2008-11-09T16:14:31Z

The best way to build your business is to amp up the impact of your marketing. Ten Biznik writers tell you how.

0 2009-02-24T09:46:57Z