Newsflash: what’s in your head is never in anybody else’s. So you can’t assume your customers will automatically understand your marketing messages. In fact, you should assume they won’t. That’s why you need to go out of your way to communicate clearly. Here’s how: Remove all traces of ambiguity from your marketing Find simple ways to [...]
Want to get better at social media content marketing? Then do these five things every time you post: Share information your audience finds interesting, relevant and helpful Be concise Use simple language Use 1-3 relevant hashtags Attach a photo, chart or graph If you follow those five tips, your social media posts will attract more eyeballs [...]
Years ago, when I worked at a pub, I quickly learned that regulars would get upset if I didn't remember their order. At the time, I didn't understand why, but now I realise it's because I was sending the message that they were just another customer to me. Conversely, when I did remember a customer's order, [...]
You’ve probably heard that people don’t like to be sold to, but they do like to buy. That’s all about control and timetables. Customers want to feel like they’re in control of the buying process, not the vendor. And they want to act on their timetable, not the vendor’s timetable. That’s why you need to build [...]
Here’s a surefire way to differentiate yourself from your rivals and impress your customers – write a book. Because only trusted authority figures have books. Writing a book isn’t easy – but it might be easier than you think. You don’t have to write it all at once. You can write it one page at a [...]
The best way to understand something is to call it by its proper name. When you don’t, you obscure the meaning. Sometimes, people want to be unclear. For example, bosses don’t fire people; they let them go. Armies don’t kill civilians; they inflict collateral damage. Often, though, people unintentionally cause confusion. If you want customers to [...]
Before customers spend money with you, they're going to visit your website. If they like what they see, they might pull out their wallet. If they don't, they won't. So how do you impress customers? By doing two things. First, you need to use the word "you" a lot – not "I", "we", "us" or "our". [...]
When I was young, and I would hear that a swimwear label had released a new range of bikinis, I would be baffled. “How could there possibly be anything new to do with bikinis?” I would wonder. Eventually, I realised that the new bikinis weren’t new. They weren’t using new colours and designs – just colours [...]
You know how it’s too late to start doing social media marketing because every business is already posting on social media? Well, it’s not too late, because only about 1% of businesses are posting on social media. The reason it seems like everyone is posting all the time is because your social media feed only shows [...]
Businesses make five main mistakes with their copywriting: They use corporate language They don’t get to the point They use too many words They focus on themselves They focus on the features of their products So if your small business wants to do effective writing, you need to do these five things: Use simple, everyday language [...]
