High Quality Perceptions Start With Truthful Expressions And A Well-Conceived Messaging Strategy
Topics: copywriting, copywriter, marketing, advertising, branding, messaging, website, brochure, newsletter
Why do you make the decision to buy what you do?
Is it the promise of a desired result? Maybe someone’s recommendation? Or, perhaps you just “feel right” about it. Like buying this product or service is an extension or an expression of who you are?
Good reasons, all. But certainly not conclusive.
If any one human being had the definitive answer to this question and somehow was able to apply it in a profit-making venture, no doubt he or she would be quite wealthy. But you and I both know there’s no one answer. Instead, we have theories. Maybe we can lump all those theories together and we can begin to formulate a complete answer. That could work, but then we create another problem: leveraging this All-Powerful Marketing Answer into an actionable plan our creative minds can work though and execute.
Why? Because much of The All-Powerful Marketing Answer is based on perception–an exceedingly difficult thing to manage.
Often, perceptions aren’t even based in reality. They’re the derivative of opinions based on other opinions, which are based on other opinions. Facts get lost, and whether positive or negative, the truth becomes irrelevant.
Unless, of course, we’re able to identify the core truths of the brand we’re offering a market and be disciplined enough to build our entire branding, marketing and advertising strategy on that foundation of truth. NO MATTER HOW RISKY OR RENEGADE THAT STRATEGY MAY BE.
“Good theory, Barone,” you say. “Where’s the evidence it holds any water?” you ask.
Hopefully, in your financial portfolios.
A recent four-year study of 33 publicly-traded companies showed that perception (according to the EquiTrend method) had positive effects on the return on investment into those companies’ stocks. In other words, the better the perception was about a company, the more money it typically made. And when you wipe away all the fluff and bubbles, isn’t making money the ultimate black and white, clear as day, irrefutable measure of a successful branding, marketing and advertising strategy?
As a copywriter, my point in presenting you this idea of creating a perception based on truth is that it is, in large part, a task accomplished by what you say to your market and how you say it.
And if I may offer a little insight into the matter: many businesses don’t get that or practice it. They may know that having a well-designed professional image is important, but often times, the messaging takes a strategic backseat and is often relegated to the person who has a little extra time to whip something up. In larger companies, it may not be as simple as having “Bob in the back cube” come up with something. However, there could be a disconnect between the best, most strategic way to verbally engage your customers and what you’re doing in your marketing collateral, on your website, in your advertising or in your retail environments.
In other words, creating a positive perception isn’t the work of “afterthinking.” It requires deep thinking, hard research and deliberate execution by your entire marketing, branding and advertising team.
Something to think about, anyway.
Adam Barone is a freelance copywriter for such clients as The Timberland Company, Bank One, Sprint, and others. Subscribe his e-newsletter, CopyTHINK at adambarone.com. (c)Adam Barone 2006.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
How To Increase Link Popularity (1)
This will equate to 100% free advertising to your website. Each forum you belong to will give you an opportunity to enter a link to your website in the signature of your post.
Website Copywriting: A Recipe For Hard-Hitting Words In Lean Portions (2)
Add a personal touch to complement the facts A website is nothing more than a computerized, interactive introduction (e-commerce not withstanding) to who you are as a company and what you do.
Integrated Talents - Creating Compelling Digital Marketing (3)
You wouldn't expect an art director who didn't understand the writing process or be able to contribute to it to be worth much. Equally, art directors now need to forge similarly close partnerships with technologists.
Turning Your Direct Mail Campaign Into An Online Lead Generating Machine (4)
He's been a pretty hard sell, but I've finally managed to convince him. So, what was it that got him to step out of the Stone Age and into the 21st Century?
Cash And Pay-Per-Click Affiliate Programs (5)
Other than the money you get from your website clicks, you will also get a percentage of what your affiliate generates. Some companies give 30 percent to a soaring 50 percent commission on all referral sales.
Backing A Business With A Quality Online Storefront (6)
Though many promise great deals, it is imperative to remember cheapest is not always best. Going with a service strictly based on price can result in inferior, boring storefronts that use less than reliable checkout software.
Your Online Shopping Cart: Portal To Profits (7)
Other carts are barely there, lacking clear navigation and the sale is killed before it gets a chance to start. You could have the best product in the world, but if you can't get your customers to buy, it's worthless.
The Best Source For Email Marketing (8)
If your subscribers enjoy your articles, they will go to your site by clicking the links that you will be putting on your newsletter to read some more. You can provide articles that can connect to many people.
Article Writing: How It Can Impact Your Wallet! (9)
There are two main ways that writing articles can grow your business. Both work in bringing traffic to your website, which will give you customers to sell your product or service.
Some Super Simple Software For The Busy Web Designer (10)
9. 1-4a Rename. A batch file renamer. If you have three hundred files with the wrong extension, this is the program to fix that. Very full-featured and an intuitive interface.
Make Money Online With 80% Of The Work (11)
Will some of those chapters make the difference in the overall quality or sales? What if you cut it down to 9 or 10 chapters - maybe the other chapters can wait for the next ebook.
Studio Method Vs. Field Production (12)
Then, all that footage is editing together to simulate the effect you would have gotten had the action been captured simultaneously by multiple cameras, just like what happens in a studio.
Blogs And Content: The Oil That Lubes The Machine (13)
The potential is there and limitless, however, to make a killing through this medium of communication. Where else can you publically market, sell, ship and deliver your wares to a world-wide market for virtually no overhead?
Useful Internet Affiliate Marketing Tips And Thoughts (14)
Look around and see what other successful affiliate marketers are doing. Most affiliate companies will give you ideas as well. There are so many ways to market online that it can get confusing.
Internet Marketing: What Webmaster's Must Master (15)
When you get web surfers excited about your site, you have accomplished a great feat. Carry this one step further: encourage your visitors to 'spread the word' about your site and business for you.
How Can You Avoid Affiliate Scams? (16)
You should have a rough understanding on the massive search volumes on Google everyday and there is a good chance for your website to be visited by your target audience if you adopt the Google Adwords program.
Do You Want To Create Multiple Streams Of Income? (17)
As a matter of fact people love lists of some kind. As a consequence you can create some lists in your website. Again, taking the idea of weight loss as an example, you can have lists such as top 10 keep fit tips or top 10 healthy fruit and people would love that.
Affiliate Marketing, A Business With Zero Hassles? (18)
Once you have a operational web site, you need to come up with a list of companies that will pay you to link to them. Many major websites like Amazon have an affiliate program that you can join and then get paid for merely linking to their website.
Screening Process Prevents A Worldwide Brands Scam (19)
While Worldwide Brands is one of the leaders in the wholesale industry, some have concluded that it is simply too expensive. You can, however, get in at a cheaper price.
Building A Web Site For Your Business (20)
Topics: business, internet, marketing, web design, html, hosting, domain name, website, web address, url Over the past 10 years, the internet has gone from being something only computer geeks use to being used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
10 Commandments To Maximizing Your Time In Forum Participation (1)
This applies to the universal law of "Give before you can receive". 3) Promote your product or other products with your affiliate links when you recommend solutions. 4) Create a sense of trust and bonding among fellow marketers in which real friendship can be establish over time (a sense of belonging).
Brochure Copywriting: Strategy For Making A Piece Of Paper Resonate With People (2)
You can literally identify the problem. Whatever you choose to do, the right brochure copywriting strategy is one that steers clear of the "marketing speak" trap and speaks to your market directly in a language that it easily understands and appreciates.
Placing Search Engines At The Heart Of Web Development And Strategy (3)
Make sure any existing links from their pages to yours contain core search term keywords and not 'click here' or 'visit the website'. Then try the free listing business directories.
How To Create A Business Profitability Goal (4)
Review and adjust on a regular basis. Stay focused and disciplined to achieve all you desire. Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas with you. Hunting everywhere for a life worth living?
Do You Believe In "Step-By-Step" Systems? (5)
They contain the exact historical accounts of what successful Internet Marketers did that gave them the 'big break'. If you just follow and copy what they did, you will be successful...
Article Writting: A Brief Guide, Can Articles Grow My Business? (6)
Yet, at the same time, you get traffic from your link on the bottom. But not just one webmaster puts your article on his website but if it is really good then soon you may have many links to your website on many different websites.
Ecommerce Storefront - Comparing The Products (7)
An ecommerce storefront that's spectacular for selling women's shoes may be completely wrong for selling automobile sound systems. There are many different kinds of software programs you can buy to support selling products on a website.
Guide To Website Hosting Plans (8)
Power users of these hosting plans get a highly polished site with room for large amounts of data. Also, optimum levels of service, usage and control come with these site hosting plans.
Profiting From An Internet Home-Based Business (9)
Residual income allows you to profit from something that you have already accomplished in the past, such as when an author receives royalties on a book that he has written, even if that book was written twenty-five years ago.
Affiliate Marketing - Business That You Do Not Have To Spend Money On (10)
Besides, there are tons of FREE programs for you to do the basic design of the website, even if you are a newbie in the field of web design. It will only take you one day to set up the website and then you can concentrate on searching for affiliate marketing programs to join.
How To Create An Abundant Flow Of Perfect Customers (11)
The number one reason those small business owners cited for not having a referral strategy was that they didn't know how to create one. Action Item - Write down a list of the traits that you like and/or admire in your favorite clients or customers.
Don't Be Afraid To Be Original (12)
You also have an idea of how you are different from the other sites out there like yours. If your site is unique, you have a perfect opportunity to tell the world about your business.
Why Use SEO Search Engine Optimization ? (13)
However, what is important is that whatever your site is about, the content actually needs to be unique and specific so that it will appeal to people. Moreover, it in fact needs to be particularly appealing to those people looking for information or who want to find your site.
Web Tools Add Character To An Online Business (14)
Decorating an online retail site is very easy with the designer tools that come from many web hosting services and any business that resides on the vast internet framework is likely to have lots of logos that will soon be recognized around the world because the internet spans the globe.
The Little Extras That Come With Domain Registration (15)
Most business people think that the domain registration process is complicated. In all actuality, registering a domain name is a very simple process and is one business expense that is very affordable.
What Kind Of Banner Advertisements Is Right For My Site? (16)
You also want to choose a site that does not house too many other banners on the same page as yours or that there is no competitor links on the same page.
Promote Your New Business With Article Distribution (17)
I launched my website and created content for it regularly. Back then, I thought traffic would just start flowing in and my sales would go through the roof. Sales for my new business did pick up a bit in the beginning and then it leveled off.
When It Is Time To Move From Shared Hosting To Dedicated Server (18)
Even though a shared hosting environment is less expensive, if reliability is needed the individual will be better off moving to a dedicated server. Moving from shared hosting to a dedicated server will also allow the individual to install software and hardware that would otherwise be restricted by the shared hosting site due to concerns about security and additional hosting costs.
What Do Pints Make? Prizes (19)
The point of any company's mystery shopper program is to assess how customers are served and to assess their establishments on many different aspects. Firstly the mystery shopper would look at the appearance of the place, both the exterior and interior and mark it on how efficient the advertising is and how eye pleasing the decorations are.
How To Play The Game Of Paid URL Inclusion (20)
The largest search engines, Google, Yahoo, and AOL, do not offer paid URL inclusion. That means that the search engines you choose to pay an inclusion fee will amount to a small fraction of the traffic to your site on a daily basis.