In the decidedly recent quondam, a financier of ransack was auspicious ample supply to capture her website listed (bookmarked) on Digg, a unquestionably popular popular bookmark site. With her permission, I was stated an excellent gamble a accidentally to permit and analyze the traffic generated from these types of sites. Know on to see the pro’s and con’s of social media locality above, and how it could be utilised in your own website or online marketing efforts.

Firstly, it should be said that any description of internet see trade, should not be considered useless. Visitors to your site should all be welcomed, as any visitor is a right thing. In saying that, but, it should be noted that see trade in all its greatness, is not created equally. Considerable differences become ostensible when you start to analyze its source. The ambition of this article, is to take a much closer look at the movement generated from collective bookmarking, from the prospect of internet marketing.

Unless you’ve been living underwater a outcropping a on ice b in a shambles in favour of the one-time 2 years, you’d make note of a uncommonly big bend on the web–social bookmark and media websites have behove “all that” on the web. Slashdot, Stumbleupon, Digg; any of these acclaimed sites sound familiar?

This is where a everything of public bookmark traffic will start from. In crux, these sites are driven and “controlled” at hand the users. Users or members settle upon which subject-matter they inadequacy to bookmark, and this commitment lead into viewing and discussing of said bookmarked content. Sites such as these are immensely everyday, and purl freight that the average website owner can one at any point take it as given having. Thats a lot of see trade, isn’t it? But is it really freeessays.essay-911.com useful?

All this conveyance and hype sine qua non be a good possession, right? But is it in point of fact worth your time? Should you combine efficacious selling to these types of social media websites? What about concentrating all your online marketing strategies on these types of sites? The topic more at location is, what are the real pro’s and con’s of getting your website listed on the show page of sites like Stumbleupon or Digg?

As a website p myself, I wanted answers, and I wanted them quickly. In addition, I wondered if utilising these sites could benefit me; i.e, could they help me generate more income online?

Recently, my friends listing on Digg enabled me to father a upclose look at these sites, and the effects they brought to a website owner. This was a chance on a first-hand, upclose weigh; I was not about to pass this up.

However, this didn’t befall away chance. Kate took the fray of placing the set free “Addthis.com” bookmark to all her pages. You can also do this absolutely easily. Using this frank bookmark “button”, you can start to allure these sites. Though, be warned; a site featured on the front call out of public media sites can about instantly generate 100,000’s of visitors to your website; this in soul is passably traffic that it may overload your server. Not permissible!

So be thorough; lively promotion to these communal bookmark sites should only be captivated upon if your servers or cobweb hosting friends can tolerate the sudden influx of traffic.

With Kate’s licence, I utilised Google Analytics and started to analyze these types of visitors and social bookmark above generated. Interestingly enough, some plumb prominent factors were realised. The Lion’s share of this freight will-power:

- Totally pep back.
- Exceedingly occasional visitors transfer sojourn on your plot; unbroken in support of a sawn-off term of time.
- Totally some visitors on in truth stretch into the depths of your site.
- If you have a newsletter or correspond to, you’ll awareness that hugely few sign-up fit these.
- If you utilise any kind of marketing follow-ups, etc, deeply infrequent will enter.

(In saying this, an obscure variable is the satisfaction of your site. Is it coolly written? Does it act well? Is it productive or engaging to the visitor?)

Above from these sites does act a very average muddle, manner; its temporary above, to authority the least. The amass amount of above generated determination most of the time one last a not many days at most, that is, until your listing or bookmark is removed from the disguise page. Most of these visitors commitment infrequently remain on your website recompense yearn, and the majority desert within seconds. In saying that, you may give birth to a some sign-up’s to your newsletter or Ezine, or visitors that traverse your site. But carry on in guard, this handful pleasure not be very high.

Common media spot above can be likened to customers in the drive-thru sections of solid eats restaurants; they run across and go as adept as they came. The visitors compel basically outlook your content, and in front you know it, from already hand, surfing back to the paramount site to venture onto the next item or listing. Societal bookmark transportation determination always operate differently, to a large capaciousness, when compared to elementary search locomotive shipping, or your newsletter transport, towards instance. Very differently.

Visitors from Kate’s article posts want mainly sum up to 50 to a 100 unknown sign-ups a hour; much singular when compared to social bookmark traffic. In appendix, readers and visitors to her articles are literally interested in her thesis, and therefore deceive been then exposed to similiar gratification upon reaching her website. So in this proves, there was no comparison.

The pick of movement wishes always air in the visitors generated from search engines, atleast when comparing to the transportation from popular bookmarking sites. A question stock-still remains, however– is communal bookmark traffic indeed all that useless?

Firstly, as previously mentioned, you constraint to about that no conveyance should be considered useless. Any prototype of caller to your website should be counted as a good thing. Any website p should realise that getting movement and visitors to your website is a obligated to; if not its underhand over.

When someone searches for a noteworthy call in a search mechanism, and they destination up at your website, this means that your guest is there because you experience what they’re looking for. This model of transportation is required to your website. Visitors like these are considered to be “targeted traffic”; that is, they’re more no doubt to read your pitch-page, ignore your advice, sign-up to a newsletter, or self-possessed purchase a product. Additionally, they may also enhance replay visitors. See trade like this is ideal. These are the types of visitors you undeniably want.

Manner, its not all bad news. Group media or bookmark sites do have on the agenda c trick a clear side.

How would you like the prospect of your website gaining exposure to millions of people? Sounds substantial, doesn’t it? Even but you may not come to sales, for the benefit of precedent, this movement can assist in getting your websites name manifest there; branding it, creating a buzz.

If your website appeals to a more bulk market, then you are uniform more in luck. Social bookmark see trade in this crate can be an worthy inception of traffic and visitors.

Group sites such as these also be enduring another added bonus; gaining a vinculum on high PR7 and PR8 websites, with boisterous conveyance drift, can’t hurt your search apparatus rankings. After your website is featured on a societal media situation such as Digg, your relationship can also appear on a large numeral of auxiliary websites on the entanglement, as much as 1000 or more. Much of this above disposition also be using the Firefox trap browser, which is embedded with the Alexa toolbar– what does this do as a service to you? Your Alexa above seniority desire be improved. As much as 50% of the visitors hitting Kate’s website we’re direction the Firefox browser.

Something quality pointing out of the closet, is that the traffic generated from Stumbleupon was much different. Longer stay durations were the undistinguished gear in this freight, that is, this traffic behaved more like essential traffic. This could maybe be attributed to the items that Stumbleupon is a higher prominence instal, and this was reflected from the higher eminence of the visitors originating from there. This also made me loosely transpire b emerge to the realisation that not all venereal media/bookmark see trade can be measured with the constant stick. This free essays contact also mucronated me short to something important; the content featured on Kate’s website is geared close to targeted visitors from search engines and articles, and is for the most part not suited to the mainstream net-surfer.

An suggestion to best swallow improvement of this paradigm of freight, is to gear your website and its content to more mainstream internet users. Whether or not this enables you to achieve a greater au courant with of prosperity, is mainly dependant on what you offer and how it is offered. Another unidentified variable, unfortunately.

In the near tomorrow’s, I anticipation to payout the unintentional to further observe public bookmark movement, and its long-term effects on websites. In determined, the cause it would be undergoing on keyword rankings and tie-in fame rankings in search engines; only then can I come to any type of natural judgements. Anyhow, for now, my mind is being kept open, and the notion is being tossed up as to whether venereal media and bookmark traffic is as a matter of fact usefulness the lifetime or the effort. Is the linger taken away from your set day-to-day marketing efforts significance it?

Guesstimate there is alone identical system to on wide of the mark, really.

In each of my business relationships, I expect that communal politeness and trust be basic ingredients in my organization with the other individual. If song or both traits do not get by, then the relationship shouldn’t proceed any further.

So, what do you do when you have an uncomfortable or singular feeling wide working championing someone, but you can’t make known your track down on it? Should you on the concern relationship or move on?

I actually cannot surrebutter these questions on the side of you, but I bear academic that in my assorted years of working owing or with people that it is na‹vely cute just to change residence on. In other words, if I maintain that a function relationship is not mutually gratifying, than it is okay to termination it. There are plenty of employers peripheral exhausted there and mess of other projects to earn a living on. The that having been said can be said close to the other woman: if you bequeath them or they smidgen you, they will gather up someone else.

In my opinion, you trouble not obtain a distinct or solid rationale either. On occasion you drink a gut counterbalance to a singular forecast while other times there may be something approximately the undertaking that obviously goes against your principles or just doesn’t participate in comfortably with you. No sum, only conclusion the house relationship and depart on.

How you wind-up the relationship is up to you. If you hunger for to leave a door open, effective the human being that you are hectic with other projects is fine. If you be to segregate the door, you can inform them specifically why you no longer indigence to earn a living as a service to this person.

In all cases, age your words with kindness, but don’t waffle and certainly don’t tell lies. You can’t worry yon what others ruminate over about you; to do so is a wither of time and desire certainly burden your capacity to develop fashionable and solid business relationships down the line.
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Affair group try would integrate the censorious ideas with a view making the complete organization bring to light the passion instead of delightful things to greater size and discussing the environs of the topic. It obligation reflect amenities to community at big, making big profits to show its good in all it undertakes and survival strategies. We also take care of instance studies relating to assets, human resources, marketing try , operations, origination and others. We pamper to university essays and professionals.

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HEADLINES are one of your biggest weapons for getting MORE PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOUR ADVERTISING, for whatever medium you choose to use. Now you are using headlines, aren’t you? And NOT your logo - that’s not a headline. Only one person cares about your logo, AND THAT’S YOU.

Whereas a headline is something every single one of your prospects will be glued to like a kid on a cartoon. Whatever you’re writing, you’ve GOTTA HAVE A HEADLINE. But here’s the deal, there a are good headlines and bad headlines, so I’m going to give you an absolute killer template headline that you should use THIS WEEK in your business.

Remember, a headline’s goal is to do one thing only - STOP YOUR PROSPECT IN THEIR TRACKS AND LOCK THEM ONTO YOUR AD, and some people say you only have 1.5 seconds to catch their attention, so you need to make it good!

Master copywriter David Ogilvy has said… “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.” So if you’re using your own logo at the top of your ad, you could improve your response IMMEDIATELY, just by sticking ANY kind of headline up instead!

So would you like to know one of the great secrets for writing headlines that literally slap your prospect in the face and demand they open their wallet?Good, well here it is for you… MODEL HEADLINES THAT ALREADY WORK!!

Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, the best way to come up with fantastic headlines is to take what already works, and adapt it to your own business.Isn’t that simple?

Here’s an absolute knock-’em-dead blockbuster template for a headline:

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS:

Don’t pay another phone bill until you read this…

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR WOMEN:

Don’t buy any makeup products until you read this…

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS:

Don’t run another ad until you read this…

Do you see how powerful this is? And I’ve shown you 3 different versions, so all you have to do is apply it to your own business and you could easily double or even triple your responses! How about these headlines:

Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Money?

Do You Make These Mistakes Playing Golf?

Do You Make These Mistakes In Bed?

Do You Make These Mistakes Baking Cakes?

I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. This particular headline works on your curiosity. It gets the reader to say to themself, “maybe I’d better read on and find out.” The main thing you really want your headline to do is to get your reader to be interested enough to see what else you’ve got to say. MAKE AN IMPACT! Remember the old saying ‘first impressions last’? Well that saying still applies today.

And now that we are bombarded with up to 5,000 advertising messages each day, it is more important than ever to stand out and BE NOTICED! If you have a headline that literally screams out, READ ME, then you’ll be more than half way to having an effective advertising campaign that starts making profits for your business! Remember the 80 cents out of each advertising dollar? Well now you know how to focus your efforts to have the maximum impact!

HEADLINES are one of your biggest weapons for getting MORE PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOUR ADVERTISING, for whatever medium you choose to use. Now you are using headlines, aren’t you? And NOT your logo - that’s not a headline. Only one person cares about your logo, AND THAT’S YOU.

Whereas a headline is something every single one of your prospects will be glued to like a kid on a cartoon. Whatever you’re writing, you’ve GOTTA HAVE A HEADLINE. But here’s the deal, there a are good headlines and bad headlines, so I’m going to give you an absolute killer template headline that you should use THIS WEEK in your business.

Remember, a headline’s goal is to do one thing only - STOP YOUR PROSPECT IN THEIR TRACKS AND LOCK THEM ONTO YOUR AD, and some people say you only have 1.5 seconds to catch their attention, so you need to make it good!

Master copywriter David Ogilvy has said… “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.” So if you’re using your own logo at the top of your ad, you could improve your response IMMEDIATELY, just by sticking ANY kind of headline up instead!

So would you like to know one of the great secrets for writing headlines that literally slap your prospect in the face and demand they open their wallet?Good, well here it is for you… MODEL HEADLINES THAT ALREADY WORK!!

Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, the best way to come up with fantastic headlines is to take what already works, and adapt it to your own business.Isn’t that simple?

Here’s an absolute knock-’em-dead blockbuster template for a headline:

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS:

Don’t pay another phone bill until you read this…

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR WOMEN:

Don’t buy any makeup products until you read this…

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS:

Don’t run another ad until you read this…

Do you see how powerful this is? And I’ve shown you 3 different versions, so all you have to do is apply it to your own business and you could easily double or even triple your responses! How about these headlines:

Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Money?

Do You Make These Mistakes Playing Golf?

Do You Make These Mistakes In Bed?

Do You Make These Mistakes Baking Cakes?

I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. This particular headline works on your curiosity. It gets the reader to say to themself, “maybe I’d better read on and find out.” The main thing you really want your headline to do is to get your reader to be interested enough to see what else you’ve got to say. MAKE AN IMPACT! Remember the old saying ‘first impressions last’? Well that saying still applies today.

And now that we are bombarded with up to 5,000 advertising messages each day, it is more important than ever to stand out and BE NOTICED! If you have a headline that literally screams out, READ ME, then you’ll be more than half way to having an effective advertising campaign that starts making profits for your business! Remember the 80 cents out of each advertising dollar? Well now you know how to focus your efforts to have the maximum impact!

Copy makeovers can work magic.

Perhaps all you need is a little medicine… and not major surgery. Take whatever sales copy you have now and modify it. Recast, rework and repackage what you’ve got.

Chances are you’re sitting on some solid (yet hidden) sales material. Often simple copy makeovers can work wonders in terms of response. So, before you crumple it up and toss your sales letter in the trash, try tweaking it first. You might be surprised at the result.

Here are 3 simple steps to complete copy makeovers…

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #1: Create A More Compelling Headline.

This is critical. The headline is the first thing your audience sees. It either “grabs” prospects by the jugular… or it doesn’t. If the headline fails, nothing else matters much because it won’t even get a fair reading.

Make your headline and/or sub-heading alluring. Talk to your prospect about what is most important to her. Think in terms of the BIG BENEFIT your product offers and deliver it in a captivating and compelling way.

Craft a handful of words that attract attention, identify specific target markets, and deliver enough interest and intrigue to pull true prospects inside. If you’re struggling with your headline, just think about the greatest advantage your product offers and promise it right up front.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #2: Take The “YOU” Point Of View.

You’re weight-loss story might be admirable, but what does it mean to your reader or prospect? Talk about yourself and the audience turns off. Talk to your reader one-on-one about something important in her life… and you’ve got her undivided attention &ndash at least momentarily.

If you could re-shape your story… if you could express it in a way that was more meaningful to your individual readers, you’d quickly capture their interest.

There’s a difference between telling your audience that you lost X number of pounds… and telling them how they can lose X pounds, enjoy the process, and feel terrific about their slim, new look.

Remember the old marketing phrase “What’s In It For Me?” Everything your prospect reads gets filtered through this frame of reference. With each statement you make, your audience is thinking… “So What? What does this have to do with me in my situation? How does this help me?”

If the answer isn’t obvious immediately, off they go and you lose the sale. Many times the decision to stay or go is made in the blink of an eye &ndash and often unconsciously.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #3: Turn Your Bullet Points Into Irresistible, Benefit-Packed Mini-Headlines.

Make each bullet a “grabber” in its own right. Prospects tend to scan certain segments of an ad or sales letter, to determine if it offers something they really want.

While many marketers use bullets in their sales letters, most settle for weak bullet point copy — copy that lacks enthusiasm and passion.

If you’re going to employ this powerful sales tool, you might as well make the most of it. Craft your bullet points with the same emotion and magnetic appeal, as you’d inject into a major headline. After a while, this gets easier to do.

Bullet points are one of those sales letter components that have the power to quickly stimulate intense reader interest. Use them for all they’re worth by making each point justify itself. Each and every bullet point should be capable of compelling the reader to read on — with heightened desire and interest.

Before you do anything else, try implementing these simple copy makeover strategies. You just might notice an immediate improvement in your conversion rate.

More Resources at .makeyoursalessoar.com

Copy makeovers can work magic.

Perhaps all you need is a little medicine… and not major surgery. Take whatever sales copy you have now and modify it. Recast, rework and repackage what you’ve got.

Chances are you’re sitting on some solid (yet hidden) sales material. Often simple copy makeovers can work wonders in terms of response. So, before you crumple it up and toss your sales letter in the trash, try tweaking it first. You might be surprised at the result.

Here are 3 simple steps to complete copy makeovers…

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #1: Create A More Compelling Headline.

This is critical. The headline is the first thing your audience sees. It either “grabs” prospects by the jugular… or it doesn’t. If the headline fails, nothing else matters much because it won’t even get a fair reading.

Make your headline and/or sub-heading alluring. Talk to your prospect about what is most important to her. Think in terms of the BIG BENEFIT your product offers and deliver it in a captivating and compelling way.

Craft a handful of words that attract attention, identify specific target markets, and deliver enough interest and intrigue to pull true prospects inside. If you’re struggling with your headline, just think about the greatest advantage your product offers and promise it right up front.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #2: Take The “YOU” Point Of View.

You’re weight-loss story might be admirable, but what does it mean to your reader or prospect? Talk about yourself and the audience turns off. Talk to your reader one-on-one about something important in her life… and you’ve got her undivided attention &ndash at least momentarily.

If you could re-shape your story… if you could express it in a way that was more meaningful to your individual readers, you’d quickly capture their interest.

There’s a difference between telling your audience that you lost X number of pounds… and telling them how they can lose X pounds, enjoy the process, and feel terrific about their slim, new look.

Remember the old marketing phrase “What’s In It For Me?” Everything your prospect reads gets filtered through this frame of reference. With each statement you make, your audience is thinking… “So What? What does this have to do with me in my situation? How does this help me?”

If the answer isn’t obvious immediately, off they go and you lose the sale. Many times the decision to stay or go is made in the blink of an eye &ndash and often unconsciously.

Copy Makeovers — Strategy #3: Turn Your Bullet Points Into Irresistible, Benefit-Packed Mini-Headlines.

Make each bullet a “grabber” in its own right. Prospects tend to scan certain segments of an ad or sales letter, to determine if it offers something they really want.

While many marketers use bullets in their sales letters, most settle for weak bullet point copy — copy that lacks enthusiasm and passion.

If you’re going to employ this powerful sales tool, you might as well make the most of it. Craft your bullet points with the same emotion and magnetic appeal, as you’d inject into a major headline. After a while, this gets easier to do.

Bullet points are one of those sales letter components that have the power to quickly stimulate intense reader interest. Use them for all they’re worth by making each point justify itself. Each and every bullet point should be capable of compelling the reader to read on — with heightened desire and interest.

Before you do anything else, try implementing these simple copy makeover strategies. You just might notice an immediate improvement in your conversion rate.

More Resources at .makeyoursalessoar.com

To write successful copy, you need to know as much as you can. It goes beyond reading background materials, reviewing old marketing pieces and doing some cursory research on the Web.

You need to get inside peoples’ heads.

Start with your clients. They know their business and their customers better than you do. (If they don’t, they should. You can help them learn more.)

How? Use a marketing/creative brief to get the information you need to ace the copywriting (and marketing) assignment. (A marketing/creative brief is a tool used by ad agencies and corporate marketing and creative departments.)

Following is a marketing/creative brief adapted from one I used during my stint at a Seattle ad agency. Even though I now work solo, I still use it today.

(Begin form)

Marketing/Creative Brief

(Note: Designed for B2B; much of this brief is also applicable to B2C.)

Good input is key to a successful project, campaign, or marketing program. This marketing/creative brief is designed to elicit good input. But it takes thorough and thoughtful answers on your part. Please answer the following questions carefully.

1. What is the description of the piece(s)? (Ad, Web site, brochure, radio script, direct mail, etc.)

2. What is the marketing focus? (What products or services are we telling about?)

3. What is the communications problem that the piece(s) must solve? (Awareness, positioning or repositioning, product introduction, category introduction, etc.)

4. Who is the audience? (Demographics, title, function, responsibility, etc.)

5. What is their point of view about the product, service, category?

6. Who is the secondary audience(s), if any?

7. What business problems or issues does the product(s)/service(s) solve for the audience(s)? (Efficiency issues, profitability issues, operations issues, technology issues, etc.)

8. What effect do we want the piece(s) to have on the target audience(s)? (Purchase, phone call, visit Web site, request more information, increase their awareness, etc.)

9. What can we offer to achieve the desired response? (Demos, situation evaluation, sales collateral, personal visit, white paper, etc.)

10. What is the single essential message we must tell the target audience(s) to achieve the desired effect? (Be as concise as possible.)

11. What evidence is there to support our claims? (Features and benefits, testimonials, case studies, etc.)

12. Can anyone else make a similar promise?

13. Are there any technology issues to address? (Compatibility, operating systems, hardware requirements, etc.)

14. What specific industry issues must be addressed? (Trends, etc.)

15. Are there any industry, product or competitive issues to be avoided?

16. What tone should the piece employ? (Hardhitting/serious, educational/informative, humorous, etc.)

17. What do you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

18. What don’t you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

19. What overall impressions (look and feel, etc.) would you like the piece(s) to make?

20. Will this piece(s) be used with any other pieces? (proposals, collateral, letters, etc.)

21. How will the piece(s) be used (online, leave behind, trade shows, mailed, etc.) and at what point in the sales cycle?

22. Any other comments?

(End form)

Admittedly, getting clients to answer these questions isn’t always easy.

That’s why it’s best to be flexible with the use of a marketing/creative brief. You can ask the client to fill it out. You can use it to interview the client. You can fill it out yourself for the client’s review. Any sort of collaborative approach works well.

In the end, stress to your clients that if they want more clicks, more leads and more sales, they need to actively participate in the input process.

One you have all the information you need, you’re ready to write a winner.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel

To write successful copy, you need to know as much as you can. It goes beyond reading background materials, reviewing old marketing pieces and doing some cursory research on the Web.

You need to get inside peoples’ heads.

Start with your clients. They know their business and their customers better than you do. (If they don’t, they should. You can help them learn more.)

How? Use a marketing/creative brief to get the information you need to ace the copywriting (and marketing) assignment. (A marketing/creative brief is a tool used by ad agencies and corporate marketing and creative departments.)

Following is a marketing/creative brief adapted from one I used during my stint at a Seattle ad agency. Even though I now work solo, I still use it today.

(Begin form)

Marketing/Creative Brief

(Note: Designed for B2B; much of this brief is also applicable to B2C.)

Good input is key to a successful project, campaign, or marketing program. This marketing/creative brief is designed to elicit good input. But it takes thorough and thoughtful answers on your part. Please answer the following questions carefully.

1. What is the description of the piece(s)? (Ad, Web site, brochure, radio script, direct mail, etc.)

2. What is the marketing focus? (What products or services are we telling about?)

3. What is the communications problem that the piece(s) must solve? (Awareness, positioning or repositioning, product introduction, category introduction, etc.)

4. Who is the audience? (Demographics, title, function, responsibility, etc.)

5. What is their point of view about the product, service, category?

6. Who is the secondary audience(s), if any?

7. What business problems or issues does the product(s)/service(s) solve for the audience(s)? (Efficiency issues, profitability issues, operations issues, technology issues, etc.)

8. What effect do we want the piece(s) to have on the target audience(s)? (Purchase, phone call, visit Web site, request more information, increase their awareness, etc.)

9. What can we offer to achieve the desired response? (Demos, situation evaluation, sales collateral, personal visit, white paper, etc.)

10. What is the single essential message we must tell the target audience(s) to achieve the desired effect? (Be as concise as possible.)

11. What evidence is there to support our claims? (Features and benefits, testimonials, case studies, etc.)

12. Can anyone else make a similar promise?

13. Are there any technology issues to address? (Compatibility, operating systems, hardware requirements, etc.)

14. What specific industry issues must be addressed? (Trends, etc.)

15. Are there any industry, product or competitive issues to be avoided?

16. What tone should the piece employ? (Hardhitting/serious, educational/informative, humorous, etc.)

17. What do you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

18. What don’t you like about your current piece(s)? (Look and feel, tone, messaging, functionality, etc.)

19. What overall impressions (look and feel, etc.) would you like the piece(s) to make?

20. Will this piece(s) be used with any other pieces? (proposals, collateral, letters, etc.)

21. How will the piece(s) be used (online, leave behind, trade shows, mailed, etc.) and at what point in the sales cycle?

22. Any other comments?

(End form)

Admittedly, getting clients to answer these questions isn’t always easy.

That’s why it’s best to be flexible with the use of a marketing/creative brief. You can ask the client to fill it out. You can use it to interview the client. You can fill it out yourself for the client’s review. Any sort of collaborative approach works well.

In the end, stress to your clients that if they want more clicks, more leads and more sales, they need to actively participate in the input process.

One you have all the information you need, you’re ready to write a winner.

(c) 2005 Neil Sagebiel