03.30.08
Posted in General at 9:14 pm by Livvie
We hear it all the time, “Stop and smell the roses”, but until the roses bloom, stop and take the time to enjoy the beautiful flowering trees and shrubs. In our area the Cherry trees and the Azelea’s are blooming and they are gorgeous.
Here in the South, Azelea’s can be found from small, about 18″ tall to the “tree” Azelea, which can stand 6 feet tall and come in an array of colors.
One of the most interesting events featuring Azelea’s is approaching. The 61st Annual North Carolina Azelea Festival will be held April 9-13, 2008 in the greater Wilmington, NC area.
To quote the official site:
For more than 50 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you’re invited! There’s something for everyone among our community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture. Come join us!
More Festival pictures can be seen here Enjoy the Azaleas, the Festival, and the pictures of the Southern Belle’s.
The Cherry trees are also in full bloom and with the wind we’ve had recently it almost looks as though it’s snowing when the pedals are falling. Hopefully the cold snap we are experiencing will not keep the Cherry trees or the Azalea’s from blooming their full cycle.
So until the roses bloom for you to stop and smell….enjoy the beauty of the Cherry trees and the Azalea’s. It’s a sight worth seeing!
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03.10.08
Posted in General at 1:35 pm by Livvie
Today, we’ll discuss the second element in the five Critical Elements in Effective Copywriting for the Internet:
1) Know the Product
2) Know the Customer/Audience (Your Target)
3) Stress Benefits
4) Determine the Copy Objective
5) Build Relationships/Trust
Getting to know the customer/audience (your target) is paramount to writing (effective) content in any marketing material expecially the Internet. Hereafter, we will refer to the customer as the (target) Audience .
Studies have shown when a viewer enters your web site, you have about 4 seconds to grab their attention. With that time frame in mind, knowing who your target is and what they want to know is critical to keeping them on your web site.
Just as you asked questions as discussed in (Part 1) Knowing your Product, you must ask questions for understanding your (target) audience.
Who is the Audience (target) for this information? (Who will buy it? Who are you specifically selling to?)
What are their interests, background, experience, knowledge and education?
What do they have in common with each other?
What is their main concern? (Is it the Price, performance, how reliable is it, how is it delivered, quality-service)
What information do you have relative to addressing their concerns?
How can you solve their problem?
What motivates the buyer–”What’s in it for me”? (What benefit will they reap?)
How is this going to make a difference in their life? (How can you make their life easier?)
What are their “hot buttons”?
What does the Audience expect and can you meet those expections?
What is the single most important message you want the Audience to leave with?
In other words, zero in on your specific (customer) audience. Now hold on, I can hear you saying “My product or service is good for everybody!…I’m not interested in limiting myself or my product. Sell, Sell, Sell…that’s what I want to do”.
Targeting your market doesn’t stop or limit you from selling to people outside your target. Anyone who sees your product or who is interested in your product will have the opportunity to purchase your product.
What target maketing does is guarantees you a customer base that is interested (qualifed ) in what you are selling. These people are actually looking for you! Zeroing in on your target market is the beginning of your “niche” (small, specialized) market.
People love solutions to their problems. Let them know you can solve their problems and you can solve them quick! They have a question, problem, or need…YOU have their solution. Better yet, you ARE their solution. You want to be their source of information.
As mentioned before, you have about 4 seconds to grab your viewers attention. The more specific your questions/answers, the more “targeted” your customer.
Don’t misunderstand here, your content written for the Internet MUST be of quality and of interest to the reader, but if you don’t pique your viewers interest in the beginning, you most likely will have lost your viewer/customer.
Remember, your Major is in Copywriting, but your Minor is in Mining…digging for details. Keep asking questions.
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter providing creative writing services to large and small businesses. Whether it’s printed marketing materials or web site content, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message in a voice your customers trust and a style they understand. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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02.13.08
Posted in General at 12:08 pm by Livvie
Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing two the five critical elements in effective copywriting for the Internet. Of the five critical elements listed below, we’ll be discussing Know the Product and Know the Customer/Audience (Your Target).
1) Know the Product
2) Know the Customer/Audience (Your Target)
3) Stress Benefits
4) Determine the Copy Objective
5) Build Relationships/Trust
Knowing the product is the foundation of effectively writing content for the Internet. In Real Estate it’s all about Location, Location, Location. In writing (effective) content it’s all about Questions, Questions, Questions.
Ask the right questions and keep asking them. The more you know about the product, the more strategic and targeted information you can write.
What IS the product? (What’s being offered)
What’s the purpose of the product?
What are the products benefits and features?
(Benefits = Solve clients/customers problems — Features = what the product does)
Which benefit is the products biggest selling point?
Who will use the product?
Who is the major competitor?
Who has bought the product -are there testimonials?
How is the product different from the competition?
How does the product work?
How quickly is the product delivered?
Where does the product stand in the marketplace?
What service/support is offered on the product?
Is there a guarantee on the product?
These questions start you in the direction needed to knowing the product. Preparing your list of questions leads to sub catagories within the questions asked, leading even deeper into the product.
Gather all existing and/or previously published material on the product. As you study the previously printed material and review the answers to your questions, you should be well on your way to the material needed for knowing the product.
Again, the more you know about the product, the more strategic and targeted information you can write.
Next time we’ll discuss Know the Customer/Audience (Your Target). Until then…Remember, your Major is in Copywriting, but your Minor is in Mining…digging for details. Keep asking questions.
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Livvie Matthews is an Internet and off-line professional freelance copywriter providing creative writing services to large and small businesses. Whether it’s printed marketing materials or web site content, Livvie can meet your challenges and communicate your strategic message in a voice your customers trust and a style they understand. Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net or livvie@writebusiness.net
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12.27.07
Posted in General at 4:00 pm by Livvie
This time of year, with the Christmas season behind us and looking ahead to a new year, brings about new energy. Yes, we’ve all shopped till we dropped and have exhausted ourselves getting ready for Christmas, but yet there is a renewed kind of energy just thinking about starting a new year.
Whether it’s personal, business, or both, take some time to reflect on what you would like to accomplish this year and the steps needed to get you there.
I always have such good intentions the first of the year, full of energy, and thinking of project after project to accomplish. But through the years, I’ve also discovered something about myself…I do better if I narrow down the “projects” to just a couple. I will be more inclined to accompolish a couple. Then if time permits, I can move on to something else.
Is there something you have wanted to do for some time but yet put it off for one reason or another. Maybe it’s going into business for yourself, but you just keep putting it off. Maybe it’s taking another step towards growing your business, but you just keep putting that off. Maybe it’s asking for that promotion at work.
Whatever it is, take some time to really find the reason for not going forward. Is it fear…fear you won’t succeed? Fear you won’t accompolish what you set out to do? Fear you might be turned down? Even fear that you might just be successul?
Discover then breakdown your fear and see if you can take some steps to move you closer to the goals you really want to meet for 2008. You are the one in control, not your emotions. You are the one who can move yourself forward.
Now it’s almost the countdown for the New Year. As you countdown from 2007, start up to 2008 with your steps in place and be ready for an absolutely… Happy New Year!!!
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09.22.07
Posted in General at 6:01 pm by Livvie
September is a busy time! End of summer, last vacations, back to school shopping, and back to school.
For a short time, our normal schedules are put on the back burner. Then when things began to return to normal, it’s time to get back “into the groove”.
This time of year is the perfect time for goal setting. The fall is coming, the air is crisp, colors are magnificant, and inspiration is everywhere!
During this three month time period before the beginning of a new year, it’s time to look at what you want to accomplish in the next year and time to put down the steps you need to take to get you there.
It’s like the saying…money is not the end, but the MEANS TO the end. In other words, it’s not just money you want, but what the money will allow you to do or accopmlish.
So, we can have our goals, but unless we put into steps what’s needed to get us TO the goals, we’re just spinning our wheels.
Start with where you are right now. What did you accomplish to this point this year towards your goal? Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for accomplishing these items…good job! If there are some things you didn’t finish/accomplish, then start right there.
Write down what you need to do or not do to get these items completed along your journey to you goals.
As we are writing our goals, we should have some short term goals (3 mos, 6 mos, 12 mos) and some long term goals. 1 year, 3 years, 5 years. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, a year could be short term (beginning of a 5 year goal) or long term (ending to goal).
Each goal we put down needs to have some steps to get us there and these steps within themselves should have time limits for accomlishing. Trying to accomplish something without a time limit…a dead line, does not set it up as as priority to be done and makes it seem further and further into the future.
From time to time, re-evaluate your steps and goals. An unrealistic step or goal is an automatic set up for failure. If a step is too difficult, then break it down into some smaller steps. If a big goal is set too soon, then put it out a little longer.
Reward yourself as you reach each one of the little “step” goals along your journey and celebrate your big goal accomplishments!
Remember…time is going to pass. As it passes, next year you can either be on your way to your goals, OR you can still be where you are right now. The choice is yours!
It’s time to set some goals. Are YOU ready? On your mark…get set…GO!
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12.31.06
Posted in General at 6:02 pm by Livvie
It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. So many things you wanted to accomplish but didn’t, and the many things you were able to accomplish.
This year was special for our family and an exciting time. Our youngest daughter had bought and moved into her very first townhome in January 2006. When she knew it was hers, she stated she would be hosting Christmas 2006 in her new home!
What an exciting time it was. How she decorated, prepared the meal and entertained us all. To see her grow into an independent woman this year has been amazing. As I watched our other daughters and their husbands, I just was so filled with thanks and the fact of how richly blessed I have been to have such a wonderful family.
To me the new year is always an exciting time. A time for a new beginning. In my article A New Year, A New Beginning I compare the new year to a new page. It’s fresh, clean, crisp and it’s up to you what you write on your new page!
As a writer, comparing a new year to a page comes natural. As we go through the months, each month becomes a new paragraph we print on the page.
What are some of the things you want to “write” about this year? Maybe it’s a new business, expanding or downsizing an existing business, or maybe just better business techniques.
Maybe there are personal items you need to “write” about. A change in your career, more time spent with family and friends, or maybe you want to develop more relationships.
Whatever you begin “writing” about this new year don’t lose sight of balance. Remember to keep all the “pages” in perspective. From time to time you will need to turn the “pages” down, walk away and take time to enjoy life and everything that goes with it.
So, what do you want to “write” on your new page this year? It’s all up to you! Just get your “keyboard” going, “write” one word after another and then–press enter!!! After all it’s….. A New Year and A New Beginning!
Hope all of you have a wonderful and prosperous New Year - 2007!!
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11.11.06
Posted in General at 10:45 am by Livvie
Thank you, Veterans, Thank you!!!
Many years ago and even today our troops fought, gave lives and gave limbs to give us the wonderful freedoms we have today. They endured and are enduring situations and circumstances we can’t even imagine, yet still they honor their country and honor us by serving and protecting.
I wholeheartedly support our troops and what they are doing. Yes, I would rather there not be the need for them to be on foreign soil or certainly not in harm’s way, but the need is there and because of their unselfish acts, we are free in this country to enjoy freedoms that most countries only dream of.
So as this day goes by, if you see a past veteran or even active duty personnel, let that person know, you care, you appreciate them and most of all…Thank you dear Veteran…Thank you!!!
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11.05.06
Posted in General at 4:16 pm by Livvie
Follow up contacts are by far much easier to initiate than cold calling due to the fact the people you are contacting already know or have heard about you from the initial contacts made. This means:
1) You aren’t having to spend as much time to initiate the contact
2) You already are known by the business/person you are contacting
3) Your name is in front of them again if they need you
4) Each contact is another step in building and strengthening your relationship with the person you are reaching
Make sure when you are making either initial or follow up contact that if someone asks you to follow up at a certain time, you make a note on your calendar, in MS Outlook , or wherever you keep your appoitnments, especially if these people ask you to “touch back with them in a couple of months” if you hadn’t heard from them. Then make sure you contact them at the appointed time. I’ve had contacts that actually thanked me for remembering to contact them!
Key lession to learn: Initial contacts are needed obviously, however follow up contacts can offer even greater rewards!
Keep up the contacts!
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09.11.06
Posted in General at 12:15 am by Livvie
September 11, 2006 marks the 5 year anniversary since September 11, 2001. We all have memories that come rushing back to that eventful day and that exact moment, myself included.
My daughter, Stacey, and a friend of hers were in NYC that day. It was her first trip to NY, she had been there 5 days and was to board the airplane at 6:30 the evening of September 11 returning home to Charlotte, NC. It didn’t happen that way.
Stacey was only 30 blocks away from the WTC when all this took place but didn’t know anything had happened! Although she heard sirens, she said that wasn’t anything unusual in NYC, but what she couldn’t understand was why her cell phone wasn’t working…indoors or outdoors, as she tried to retrieve the message she had on the phone.
The message she was trying to retrieve was the message I had left, trying desperately to locate her and make sure she was all right. I knew in Charlotte, NC before she knew, 30 blocks away from the WTC….what had happened!
From Tuesday morning until Friday morning, when she and her friend rented a car and left NY in the wee hours of the morning were very difficult hours.
Stacey and her friend who lives in Florida, arrived home Friday evening around 6:30 PM, their lives changed forever.
Time has passed and now 5 years later much healing has occurred. Stacey still has a problem at times when she sees low flying airplaines and has a special place in her heart for the people who’s lives were forever changed that day.
God, who is the Great Physician and Healer, in His infinite wisdom has allowed time to heal.
We are so blessed! Our loved one returned unharmed, for the most part, from the eventful day 5 years ago, but many families and friends were not as fortunate.
As we view the memorial programs and read the articles related to September 11, 2001, please take a few moments and remember those families and individuals whose lives were forever changed by…… A Moment In Time.
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08.11.06
Posted in General at 3:03 pm by Livvie
Even though cold calling sends shivers down some spines and cause some to break out into cold sweats, it really does work.
In Peter Bowerman’s Well Fed Writer: Back For Seconds cold calling is a subject he endorses extensively due to it’s “law of averages” for success.
Granted you must be making, as Bowerman puts it, “….a TON” of calls for the averages to work, but the point is, it works!
The beauty part of it is you are just saying a 20 second message and it’s amazing how receptive the prospects can be to receiving the calls. The more you call, state your message and move on to the next call, the more proficient you become in delivering your message.
Now how about it? Go ahead–pick up that phone and see how many people are glad you took the time to contact them! How will you know??? YOUR phone will be ringing with inquiries in no time.
Happy Calling!
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