excess voice: nick usborne's blog

In every Email, Give More than You Ask For.

Each email you send, whatever its purpose, gives you a chance to build on the relationship you have with your readers.

Ideally, after reading each new email, people on your list will feel a little more loyal to you.

They will feel you provide them with products, services or information they really need.

They will feel that you write to them in a tone that is respectful of their time and attention.

They will look forward to the next email you send them.

How do you achieve this? You have to earn it.

You earn it by being respectful. And you earn it by giving more than you ask for.

Think about that last point for a moment...

While it is likely that you want something from your subscribers...your business likely depends on it...you should also look out for opportunities to give something back.

For instance, if you want your readers to visit one of your sales pages, reward them for their time with a free download, discount or bonus of some kind.

Or if you want them to read some sales text in your email, balance things out with a free tip or article.

If you want them to register for a new service, newsletters or membership...give them something extra...as a genuine sign of your appreciation.

All too often emails and newsletters are used to “milk” the lists to which they are sent.

Marketers look for ways to maximize revenues from every email sent.

This approach may work for a while. But you are slowly killing the golden goose.

Far better to grow your list, and grow the loyalty, interest and attention of your readers over the long term.

Spoil them. Pamper them. Give them more than they would ever expect from you.

It will be well worth it in the end.

More web and email copywriting tips...

Just one voice. Why blogging works...

The quality of blogs is mixed, to say the least. And a good proportion of the worst blogs are those published by companies. Many company blogs are simply thinly veiled promotional devices and self-seeded “link farms”.

This is a shame, as a good blog with an authentic voice can have a dramatic impact on how your customers and prospects perceive you. A blog can do things you will find much harder to achieve on your web site and in printed materials.

A blog gives you the chance to reveal a much more personal voice. You can put aside the corporate posturing and shrug off the burden of your daily marketing “voice”.

Instead, you can write in a way that is much closer to “one-on-one”.

Here is the best example I have seen in a very long time...the Aldo Coffee Company blog.

Granted, it’s for a small company. It’s just one coffee store. But if you browse through their posts you will see how their writing transforms Aldo Coffee from being a “company” to being a place where interesting, enthusiastic people enjoy their work.

By reading the posts you get a sense of getting to know the owners of the store. You get to peek inside their lives, feel their sense of humor and appreciate their enthusiasm for their store.

Imagine following their blog for a while, and then making a point of going to their coffee store. You would walk in with a smile on your face, feeling as if you already knew the people behind the counter. Even before buying anything, you would perhaps blurt out, “I read your blog!”

Try achieving that with a web site or a brochure.

Can big companies do exactly the same? Not quite to that degree. But they can get close. Just look at what Robert Scoble has done for Microsoft with his Scobleizer blog.

His is just one voice. But arguably he has done more to create a human face for the company than all their marketing groups combined.

Give Your Web Page Headlines some Space to Breathe

Web pages are often cluttered, with too many elements crammed into a single screen or page.

Density of information can be a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with delivering a powerful, linear message with plenty of text, images, charts or whatever else supports your message.

However...

Give your key copy lines some space.

The headline on any web page has the power to dramatically increase readership and conversion rates. The headline is your key message. It will attract, engage and hold attention. (Assuming it is well written, of course!)

But even the best headline will under-perform if it is crowded out by other elements.

Having a strong image close to a headline can dilute attention. The same goes for other graphics and secondary headings.

Put simply, make sure you leave some clear space around the headline. Allow it room to dominate the top of the page. Design the page so that the eye is drawn to the headline first, without any other distracting elements competing for the eye’s attention.

More web copywriting tips here...