The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers DirectlyThe New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers DirectlyDavid Meerman Scotts marketing bible has become a modern day business classic.

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Posts Tagged ‘direct marketing’

Copywriting Toronto- Finding the Right Toronto Web Copywriter

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

In order to provide the right marketing and advertising strategies for your business, copywriting Toronto services are an important aspect. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for website content, brochures, or even PR material, the right Toronto web copywriter can help you with their creative abilities. Unfortunately, if you can’t find a good writer it’s possible your marketing and advertising will suffer dramatically. This is why you need the best person for the job, which means they better have a proven track record.

Consider your Options

Depending on the amount of content that you need, you may want to consider the hiring the services of a Toronto web copywriter or working with a large content creation company. Regardless of the option that you choose, ensure that you make your decision after meticulously checking the previous work of your chosen provider.

Let’s take a look at what it would cost if you hire a bad copywriting Toronto service or freelancer.

Bad Copywriting Equals Bad Business

Content creation for a company is nothing but multiplied salesmanship; through copywriting, you simply put your sales approach and tactics in words. Good content creation takes the cumulative efforts put into a sales pitch; nothing is spared from showmanship to blatant use of psychology. Your content is what will persuade people to buy your products. If you can imagine the impact of a mediocre or even a poor salesman on your sales figures, multiply this several times to calculate the cost of bad copywriting because content reaches a wider audience than a salesman.

Don’t forget that the poor content is going to reflect on your company negatively. Potential buyers who feel like they’re being misled will go elsewhere for their copywriting needs.

So it’s no surprise that this results in missed sales. It’s also possible that your quality of leads will diminish as well.

Content issues can also damage the brand reputation of your business; most consumers will see through the half hearted effort and regards it as the company’s callousness in handling their marketing campaign.

Finally, even if bad content; in the form of poorly made brochures, web content, sales material, white papers, videos, direct sales letters etc, fails to yield the desired results, you will still have to pay for the services. So, not only will you waste valuable time and man power but also money if the content provided is not up to par.

How to choose a Good and Reliable Copywriting Toronto Company

The goal is to find a Toronto web copywriter that offers plenty of experience in your niche. Individuals and companies that can provide content that is perfect for you company will definitely offer you the most impressive copy possible.

Take the time to look at their portfolios and find a copywriting Toronto company that has a few years under their belt. This is especially true if you need brochures, white papers, press releases or anything else outside of website content.

Another good idea is checking reviews on the individual or company. Most of the past customers out there want to provide you with details if you ask. They will share their overall experience and whether or not it could be a good or bad fit for you.

Good content is a crucial factor that will have a direct bearing on the perception that your consumers have about your business. So it is vital to choose a copywriting Toronto company that is willing to invest the time, creativity and effort to create fabulous content for you.

Before you hired a Copywriting Toronto take a look to my great samples and see the results

Toronto Copywriting

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

When one needs writing done, then a professional that can do great Toronto copywriting is needed. However, one has to be careful about who they choose. There are many repercussions when you use a service that doesn’t give you professional Toronto copywriting. Here are some things one might find true, and this could be very unsettling for those who find this. Some of them are quite extreme while others are a loss, but a loss that can be prevented.

This could happen to anyone…so keep your eyes open:

* Loss of Business: A good Toronto copywriting service will provide material that is professionally written, well researched, accurate and completely free of grammatical errors. These documents will be nicely formatted and written in the appropriate tone for your intended use. When all of these things don’t happen and you are delivered poorly written material that is difficult to read or downright boring, you can’t use it or you will lose business. Sloppy work makes your business look sloppy and you will likely be unable to use it and unable to get your money back.

* Lawsuits: Lawsuits, fines, cease and desist letters, and other punishments could be in your near future if your Toronto copywriting service decides to cut corners and plagiarize rather than writing something original for your use. You may not know that you are stealing someone else’s material until the big lawsuit or cease and desist letter hits your desk, but you will be the one held criminally liable for the mishap. You have to make sure the copywriting service is writing their own material or citing sources as required by law.

* Loss of Money Generated: If they do look at your work and buy it and find that it’s not what they really ordered, one might learn that they will ask you to redo the work if they are even that nice. Most of the time, they will just send it back or deny the work and request a refund of the money that they paid you. What you might find is that the money they gave you, you might have given to the Toronto copywriting company that you hired to do the work for you.

Hiring a Toronto copywriting service is not something you can take lightly. The mistakes can obviously be very costly and it can take awhile to recover from some of the devastating consequences of using poorly written material. You don’t want to be the next one sued because a Toronto copywriting service plagiarized material or the next one losing business because the material written by a Toronto copywriting service is so poor no one wants to do business with you. If you are hiring a Toronto copywriting service do your research and make sure you hire someone who knows what they are doing and who takes pride in their work. The consequences to making this decision too quick could be devastating to your business.

Before you hired a Toronto Copywriting take a look to my great samples and see the results

How To Find A Good Writer And The Consequences Of Hiring A Bad Toronto Web Copywriter

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Increasing profits is something most business owners plan to make happen in the near future. This is done by converting more visitors to customers. One of the best ways to do this is by using a Toronto web copywriter. He or she will be able to write sales copy that is much better than your current version. Granted, this isn’t the easiest task, but it’s definitely possible.

The cost for your Toronto web copywriter will depend on their ability to turn words into sales. We definitely recommend not hiring one simply to save money on your expenses. After all, bad copywriters only offer you wasted time, lost money, and plenty of resources. Here are a few things to consider before hiring your new copywriter:

During your initial testing phase you will spend a lot of money. It’s important to remember that online advertising is cheaper than offline methods, but it could still consume hundreds or thousands of dollars to test a new ad. Plus if things didn’t work out with your first copywriter you will have paid them, and then have to find another Toronto web copywriter. We don’t know anyone who likes paying double the money for something.

Plus, you’re going to be spending tons of money on your initial testing. Obviously online advertising is cheaper than offline options, but you can still end up spending thousands of dollars on a new ad. Then of course you have to find another copywriter, even after paying for the services you used from the first one.

The only thing you have to do in order to find a good Toronto web copywriter is check portfolios, any clients they’ve worked with, and basically how they start the product. Winning sales letters will be important to find, so make sure they’ve written some of these and half enough experience surrounding your project.

Don’t be afraid to ask your potential Toronto web copywriter for referrals either. This will let you in on whether or not he/she has satisfied clients. After all, those copywriters who are serious about their writing will want to provide these for you. They know that past success leads to new clients in the future.

Finally, you need to make sure the copywriter will be on track with you through the whole project to make sure it is successful. Make sure that he will test different ads, research your industry, show you a rough draft of the ads before completion, and more. All of this should be discussed during the initial consultation.

Before you hired a Toronto Web Copywriter take a look to my great samples and see the results.

Love Is A Two Way Street

Friday, November 5th, 2010

If your customers “fall in love” with your business you will possess the ability to keep them forever. But you can’t just expect love when you’re giving nothing in return. That is why, you must “fall in love” with your clients, too.

The act of “falling in love” could be an intense connection, a similar way of viewing life, or a need or want that can alter a person’s life. A sense of emotional, physical and mental passion emerges when such an awesome connection is made. Intense love-filled feelings will later wear off, but that initial bond continues to last, holding everything together through all of life’s challenges.

If you look at this in a business sense, it’s important to take a moment and focus on each of your customers, individually. Think about what the person’s real need is in his or her relationship with you.

Most businesses don’t think of their customer relationships this way. You are not only providing a good or service to your clients. You are effecting their everyday lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s personal or business related, maybe you’re easing their stress, reducing their fears or helping them achieve a goal, you are doing more for your customers than you’d often expect.

Once your connection with your customers is determined, you have a better grasp on how to impact their lives and you eventually will become a more and more important resource to them.

When your passion and enthusiasm in helping your clients is based on this deeper connection and not simply focused on selling your product or service, you are connecting with your customer in a more respectful and compassionate way thereby “falling in love” with them and building the bond for a long-lasting relationship.

Kathy Jiamboi has over 13 years experience in Relationship and Direct Response Marketing and is President of Creativedge Marketing and Ready2Go Client Contact, in Cleveland, Ohio. Ready2Go Client Contact, a done for you program allows her customers to simply and smoothly boost client relationships. She offers FREE expert marketing tips to anyone looking to get more customers.

categories: Marketing,Relationship Marketing,Direct Marketing,Get Customers Now,Customer Relationships,Building Customers,Building Relationships,Business,Marketing,Customers,Advertising,Business

Toronto Copywriting – What You Need To Know Before Hiring A Copywriter

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

A good sales letter can transform your sales and profits and allow you to grow your business at a faster pace. When it comes to finding Toronto copywriting talent, you need to make sure that the copywriter is competent and can deliver results. This also applies if you’re looking for a Toronto SEO copywriter as well. SEO copywriting is different but the fundamentals will still apply.

What Are the Consequences of Hiring a Bad Copywriter?

It’s not rare for business owners to realize they need a copywriter and simply choose the first one they think can do the job or go with the cheapest option. However, choosing a copywriter in this fashion can cost you a significant amount of money and time for your business.

Another problem with hiring a bad Toronto copywriting service is if you spend the money and don’t see results. This will also cause the business to lose money, and possibly delay any further campaigns from occurring. Oh, and you had to pay the copywriter for this disappointing event. Unfortunately there will be other issues as well like delays, especially if there are several revisions that need to be done.

What Qualities Should You Look For in a Copywriter?

In order to find the best Toronto copywriting service you have to see how well they understand direct response. Often time’s copywriters are too creative and end up fluffing articles instead of convincing possible prospects to act.

Remember that the whole point of copywriting is to get results. If not, you probably would’ve opted for a branding campaign. To see if the copywriter is competent, you must take a look at his samples and see if the ads are well written. You should take some time and look at examples of good direct response ads as a reference.

You should also ask the copywriter for references. This applies even if you’re trying to hire a Toronto SEO copywriter. You want to see that the copywriter has produced great results for past clients. This shouldn’t be a problem as most good copywriters depend on past clients to help them bring in more business.

How Do You Work With a Copywriter?

Once you find your Toronto copywriting talent, it’s important to let them in on everything they need to know about your company. This will also include the target audience, as well as the industry as a whole. The copywriter will have an easier time creating an ad for you, and even though you might want to add a little input, utilize his or her expertise to produce a strong sales letter.

There may be some adjustments that you can request but it should be small. The copywriter has studied the art and science of copywriting and understands the fundamentals that make an ad work. You can always ask for the unpolished version of the ad before it is cleaned up to see if there’s something you may want to revise.

In conclusion, it’s important that you avoid working with just any copywriter. A bad copywriter can cost you a lot of lost time and money. It’s a better decision to invest your budget into a copywriter that has proven himself with his work and past clients.

Before you hired a Toronto Copywriter Review my writing samples

categories: sales,marketing,advertising,direct marketing,direct advertising

Need The Best Copywriter Toronto? Here’s What You Must Know

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Finding an excellent copywriter will help you create the ad that will rocket your business endeavors to a brand new level. Once you have a hard hitting ad you can begin to accelerate the marketing of your products and services. Whenever you need to search for a copywriter Toronto entrepreneurs can depend upon you should keep your eyes open and pay attention to a few specific details. Right now we can look at reasons that show why the right kind of adverting and marketing talent is so important.

Can Hiring a Bad Copywriter Can Cost You a Small Fortune?

As you know, hiring a copywriter is not a cheap expense. Copywriters can charge anywhere from $3000 to $10000 depending on the project. This is because a well written ad can yield much more than what the business owner had spent to hire the copywriter.

Making a crucial error by hiring a copywriter who lacks the skills to compose ads that generate sales means you can lose a great deal of money. This is not the only problem you will encounter. You will also be losing money when you test the ad and you will have lost valuable time because you have been “on hold” during the writing process. An unsatisfactory ad campaign can doom your marketing efforts and will definitely slow your business progress.

What to Consider when Hiring a Copywriter

To get a good copywriter Toronto business experts suggest that you review these important details. At the beginning you should check the resume of the copywriter and look at his prior efforts. This will help you discover if the writer knows how to create direct response copy that brings results. What you want to avoid is copywriting that fall flat when trying to be clever and ads that are imitating the ones that your competition has already produced. What you do need are those ads that are able to capture the attention of your audience, intrigue your readers, stirs interest and then ends with a compelling call to action.

The second thing to do is check work references to determine if other business owners have had a successful work relationship with the writer in question. Any copywriter who is worth their salt will happily supply you with business references for this kind of background check. Copywriters know that their money is based on the quality and results of the ads they create.

Finally, you want to make sure that the copywriter is familiar with your product/service, target market, and industry. If the copywriter is skilled but not particularly knowledgeable about your business and industry, you will want to work with the copywriter to explain that they need to know.

These are the Benefits of Hiring Skilled Copywriters

A good copywriter really can positively impact your business. By launching a marketing campaign around a strong ad, you can quickly increase your company’s revenue and profit. The front end sale or lead also can set up for backend offers, joint ventures, and upsells. This will all lead to exponential growth for your business.

Taking the time to search for the right traits means you have a better chance of getting the kind of copywriter Toronto businesses need. If you hurry the process and hire the wrong individual for the job you will just find that you have lost time and money and your progress can even experience a major setback.

Before you hired a Copywriter Toronto take a look to my great samples and see the results

How To Gain Lasting Customers With Your Employees

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Let’s face it. We’ve all been victims of bad customer service. For me, there are businesses I no longer patronize because of the poor service I received. How about you? Are there places you no longer patronize? Usually though the reason to stop going isn’t because of a one-time nightmarish customer service incident but because of several occurrences that culminate in finally saying, “Uncle, I give. I just can’t spend any more of my money here.”

It’s not always the individual employee’s fault; there is often more than the fact that that person doesn’t understand how to handle clients. How can you be sure to keep your employees from driving away business?

The first step is selecting the right people for the right position. Anyone you have in a customer service role (and there are not many positions that in some way or another don’t interact with the customer) needs to have extremely competent interpersonal skills besides the functional and technical skills to get the job done. Consider this when hiring. You can always teach the “how to” part of the job but it is very difficult to teach the “attitude.” Sometimes it’s difficult to know if a candidate has the right attitude.

To help you figure it out:

Not just looking at the technical aspect–but stating the most essential functions that relate directly to the customer is critical

Formulate interview questions from real life customer service situations the candidate might encounter.

Enlist several people to help with the interview process to get an objective view.

Have all serious candidates (after you weed out those that don’t qualify) take some sort of personality assessment. You can find some online for free. There are also other more in depth tests such as Kolbe for a fee.

The next step, after you have found the perfect person for the job, is working with and motivating your employees. Believe it or not, this can be the hardest step. This step takes time and effort to manage, and many businesses don’t put in that effort here. The second step is all about communicating the right way and being absolutely positive those employees are representing the business correctly, and that takes time.

In order to create a customer relationship centric environment, it is paramount to:

Provide step-by-step procedures on everything you do on a regular basis in your business

Hold regular meetings to offer training and coaching in customer service and procedures

Be sure to collect analytical data on how everyone is performing

Offer a reward system for stellar performance, and be sure to tailor the reward to something that individual is interested in (vacation time, awards, money, etc)

Following this two-step process will help create the perfect customer relationship setting, and you will be sure to both receive more business from your customers and also improve retention rate of them. This will give you a leg-up in the competitive marketplace.

Kathy Jiamboi, CEO of Creativedge Marketing and Ready2Go Client Contact, Cleveland, Ohio has over 13 years expertise in Relationship and Direct Response Marketing. Ready2Go Client Contact is a done for you service that allows customers to easily and effortlessly build client affinity. She offers FREE expert marketing tips to those wanting to gain more customers.

Great Customer Relationships=Customers For Life

Monday, October 4th, 2010

First a quote from Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”

Isn’t that the truth? We all want love and appreciation. Showing customer appreciation can certainly go a long way in establishing trust and building that everlasting bond we want with our customers.

More dollars are typcially spent to obtain new customers than to retain the ones the currently have. An organizations most sizable asset is its client database. Expending funds on present customers or patients is an intelligent strategy for better returns.

Develop an appreciation program for your existing customers. Reward your finest clients with a gift of gratitude. Thank them for each order they place with you. Give gift cards when they refer a new client to you. Send notes for weddings, births, birthdays and other major events. Rarely do these things occur in business nowadays. Can you recall the last time a salesperson or company did any of this for you? Putting this into your marketing strategy is bound to have a positive outcome.

Here are some suggestions for beginning your own client recognition program.

Make use of Holidays.

For Valentine’s Day, a card that says, We Love Our Customers, along with some treat.

Deliver a basket of good tidings at Christmas.

Send baskets with candy at Easter.

Don a costume and drop off special treats for Halloween.

On Memorial Day or 4th of July, give something with a USA theme.

Use the Seasons.

An ice cream treat is great for the summer months.

When the leaves begin to fall, deliver pumpkins or apple cider.

On a cold and snowy day deliver warm donuts and coffee.

Send out flowering seed packets in the spring.

Make use of your vendors and resources.

Offer discounts you work out with your vendors especially for your clients.

Offer educational forums from your vendors.

Who has mastered a skill that would be of interest to your customers?

Education is a great resource.

Send books you think might be helpful to your clients’ business or book on a subject you know your customer has an interest in.

Use Invitations.

Invite your customers to lunch.

Invite them to interesting events.

Use Events.

Throw an annual client appreciation bash. Let them invite a friend (maybe a new client for you). Here are some ideas:

Have a Cinema Party-give out popcorn, candy and beverages, show a classic film. Thank your customers with your own movie before the feature film.

Hold a Halloween costume picture day. Who doesn’t love pictures? This could be a great chance for an area photographer to get in front of your customers and give you a discount too.

Throw a party at a water park.

Hold an event at a popular local attraction. Be sure to take pictures and follow up with a thank you note and their picture in a special frame.

After all is said and done, our existing customers are all any business has. Make sure you a treating them as valuable as they are to your business.

Kathy Jiamboi has 13+ years experience in Relationship and Direct Response Marketing and is President of Creativedge Marketing and Ready2Go Client Contact, in Cleveland, Ohio. Ready2Go Client Contact, a done for you program allows her customers to simply and quickly build client relationships. She offers FREE expert marketing advice to those looking to attract more customers.

Direct Mail Advertising – What Are The Implications Of The Do Not Mail Registry?

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Direct mail (DM) marketers and providers are on full alert since the Senate Consumer Protection and Housing Committee addressed the Do Not Mail registry bill. However, an in-depth understanding of the bill and its implications should allay direct marketer’s fear of reduced business and low response rates.

The introduction of Do Not Mail registries has been legislated in twelve states of United States including Washington, Texas, Maryland, Colorado and Michigan. If direct marketers violate the law, they are liable to pay $2,000 as fine. This is the charge per violation. If the bill is passed, these states will maintain a database of residents that have opted out of receiving DMs.

The Do Not Mail registry will, in fact, save costs for direct marketers, as long as they avoid violations. The following points should help direct marketers take an objective view of the Do Not Mail bill.

Targeted mailings boost sales

Direct mails are effective only if they reach the right hands. Though the Do Not Mail registry reduces the number of DM recipients, it also brings the interested audience into greater focus. The ratio of the number of direct mails to actual sale leads will increase. This is a positive indication for the business.

More relevant direct mails to appropriate customers

The Do Not Mail bill boosts response rates, as customers will receive DM they are interested in as opposed to irrelevant advertisements. This is again good for the marketers as more of the mailers are reaching the appropriate audience and converting into sale leads. This saves the cost of wasted direct mails.

Avoiding inadvertent infractions

Direct marketers need to use advanced screening services to have a mailing list that does not include any name on the Do Not Mail registry. The information on the list should be complete, accurate and current. The list should also be able to accommodate supplementary information to drive variable elements. Direct marketers need to be extremely vigilant that they do not send a mailer to a citizen included in the Do Not Mail registry. The fine will prove devastating with repeated violations. Mailings should be extremely targeted and sent only to a select few.

Use VDP to make mailings more receptive

Variable Data Printing (VDP) is a modern DM technology that allows personalization of direct mail. Customers receive personalized mailers more favorably than general advertisements. Relevance and personalization increase the effectiveness of DM by almost 500%. Personalization also assures that the business does not lose out on a customer for whom the DM is actually meant, and also assures the customer will check out DMs from the company in the future too.

Direct mails are still popular among people

Contrary to expectations, DMs are still the most popular form of advertising amongst citizens. Even if the direct mail is irrelevant to recipients, they have a choice to not read it or throw it away. This is unlike unwanted calls where there is no way out. The Do Not Call registry is similar to the Do Not Mail registry as both intend to curb marketers. However, DM is not as intrusive or pervasive as telemarketing and spam emails. That is why DMs are still the most effective marketing tool.

If the marketing industry puts in more effort to ensure they target the right audience and send only relevant mails, many people may opt to have their name removed from the Do Not Mail registry. It is in the hands of direct marketers to stem further legislation by improving their own services and efficacy. This way, customers get only the information they want and direct marketers see increased return on investment (ROI).

Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. Read Direct Mail advertising advice. Direct mail marketing quotes.

Marketing On A Smaller Budget

Friday, September 10th, 2010

When times get tough, marketing budgets seem to be the first thing to be impacted. This is generally the case because upper management doesn’t see a direct return for the dollars being spent. This is unfortunate but the fact of the matter is that many marketing professionals have not done a good job of measuring the effectiveness of their marketing results. And as a result, their marketing dollars are seen as unnecessary.

The good news is that as the economy struggles, advertising, direct marketing, and other forms of promotion can be negotiated. Long gone are the days of $20 CPM’s. Keep in mind that everyone is struggling and as a result, you can often get a better price on what you’ve been purchasing.

If you want to begin the process of making your marketing budget stretch, then start with a complete review of your previous year’s marketing spend. You need to account for each campaign and each component within the campaign. For example, if you take a direct marketing piece that you may have sent to a target group, what was involved? Printing? Paper? Distribution? Are you using a single vendor or multiple vendors? If you were to do the same campaign today, which vendors would be willing to lower their prices? Map out your campaigns and resources then begin the negotiation process.

The next step is to focus on your Internet marketing budget. We all know that online marketing is a fantastic way to measure results and control marketing spend. Review your campaigns and determine where you can eliminate wasteful spend. Do you have campaigns that have been running forever that are just breaking even? Forgo the revenue in exchange for a larger spend on profitable campaigns. Review your metrics and make wise decisions. If you do not have tracking software in place, invest in some. It will make your ROI easier to comprehend and give you specific information on where to invest in the future.

After a thorough review of your marketing expenses, your are in a much better position for determining how you can group promotions to lower costs and improve sell through. Consider how you might take advantage of your current campaigns. Do you ask customers to forward a promotion to a friend? Are you communicating to your mailing list on a regular basis? Are you collecting information about your consumers that can help you customize your campaigns and improve conversion rates? Think through each touch point and how you might improve your sales.

To be effective with a smaller budget, you really need to consider how you can reduce costs while improving the effectiveness of your marketing. Reducing costs can seem a bit frightening at first but assume that you can still improve your results with less marketing. In essence, you are focusing on enhancing the results of your campaigns while purging what hasn’t worked.

There are a number of ways to impact your marketing success regardless of budget size. Improving your results requires an in-depth review of your previous marketing efforts and a full understanding of what has worked for you in the past and what is likely to work for you in the future. Focus on leveraging your existing campaigns by asking for referrals and marketing in a viral way. By doing so, you can have others market for you. This eliminates significant costs and can certainly help you grow your business. Improving results with a smaller marketing budget is more than possible. Just give it some thought, apply what you know works and eliminate the rest.

Find additional information at the Marketing Forum where you can access expert information and advice. The Internet Marketing Forum covers all aspects of online marketing including PPC, SEO, and much more.

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