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Posts Tagged ‘Negative Comments’

Just got this in and wanted to share – as many people I talk to have the exact same question.

Question:

‘Is there a formula (or some pointers) for measure results that is more appealing to women? For me personally, as well as many women that I have spoken to (both internet marketers and clients) have commented on how much they do not like long sales copy. It seems like most of the sales copy (that I have seen) is more geared to a formula that calls male buyers to action. Any insights on sales copy that is more appealing to the female market?’

My response:

‘Hi Marlo, Happy New Year!

It is interesting that most people (not just women) say they hate long copy sales letters.

But the fact show different.

Not the first time I’ve heard this.

The facts show that the majority of direct mail orders are from women (infomercials, long copy sales letters, space ads – etc). 85% of people say they hate long copy ads – YET – 85% of the population has bought from a direct marketing style piece.

So what people say – and what they do – are usually very different things.

With that in mind – women want lots of proof that you deliver. They want to know more about you as a person than men do. They are more interested in the long term relationships you build with them than the one-off sales.

They want to feel part of a group – or in an accepted click. When I write to a women’s market I ask lots of questions – I look through the reader comments on Amazon (a goldmine of information for marketers)… I find buzz words they use – I find out the negative comments and what they dislike – and from the positive comments – what they like.

Again, I think it is more about writing a sales campaign that addresses their concerns, dreams, fears and wishes – and focusing less on ‘how long the letter is’.

It all comes back to what people DO – not what they SAY. Interestingly, they are rarely the same.

And a last thing to test – is try both long letters and short letters. You may find that for certain markets short does work better.

With Kari’s site (www.uniquethemeweddings.com) – we tested both short copy and long. Long always outperformed.

Test both – measure results (traffic of unique visitors versus sales)… then make your decision on how women buy.

One thing to look at (on the subject of do vs. say)…

Have you seen the ‘Better Than Botox?’ advertisement yet? It’s in almost every women’s magazine out there. Tons of tiny, tiny text – the perfect long copy style advertisement – and it is making some people multi-multi-millionaires. And the ONLY people buying from those ads are women. So again, they are doing the opposite of what they say.

Test both – and let me know the results.’

Sales Copy

When you look at your statistics, you’re always looking to see how many unique visitors you have to your website development. You need to be sure that these numbers are increasing each month and will need a way to attract new readers. This method should also ensure that current readers return. So, how do you do this?

Readers visit your website each day. They are looking for information to begin with. They may return because they like what they see, they believe that you are charming or witty, or they want to get to know you more before they buy anything from you. You could help this process by letting them know you are a real person and visiting their site as well.

Everyone is a REAL person but not everyone comes off like they are. Business owners who appear to be “above” their readers are likely to get a hostile response and negative comments. They are like royalty in ivory towers – high and unreachable.

You are one part of the online business development equation. Your readers (potential customers) are the other part. If you don’t have traffic, how can you make a sale? You need to build a solid relationship with your visitors, or why should they be loyal to you, at all?

Do they know who you are?

Every person wants to know that they matter to others. They must matter to friends, families and also the people that they engage in business with. Think why hair salons and barber shops are so popular. These places have to provide a good product, but also build a great relationship.

As an online business owner, your readers want to know that their presence matters. They have come to you looking for something. Again, what is it?

It would be naïve to think that each person that visits your website or blog is there because of you. They may not have known your name before they clicked on your link in the search results. After they leave your site, they many never remember your name again unless you do something to change that.

What is it that you want?

You have interests. You started your online business because of an interest or a passion for something. Your readers also have passions. The informative content that you supply could be the final link to someone realising the dream of entrepreneurship, home ownership or even buying a new car. You’re more likely to find out about your readers and what they want, if you take an interest in their needs and desires. If you need some support to get it all done fast, consider hiring expert virtual assistants!

Now, your website is about the business that you are building, but knowing something about the people who are getting you there can help your business to evolve. For instance, you may provide information about how to stay organised in business and in life, but the majority of your readers are interested is personal coaching. Starting a personal coaching line of products will meet their needs in a new and more focused way because you took the time to find out about their interests.

How do I help you?

These are some of the ways that you can find out about your readers interests:

• Through surveys
• By offering contests through guest blogs
• Create a “reader spotlight” or a “customer spotlight” on your website
• Send out feedback emails with purchases

Readers have interests too and they are important for you to know. Now that you know who your readers are and how you can help them, use those tools to find out what they want. All you need to do then is to give this to them! You will certainly see more readers, new customers and increased sales, just because you made the effort to really find out about them, what they wanted and then provided it to them.