How to Create Effective Marketing Headlines

Author: Robert Johnston

It doesn’t matter if your marketing brochures have the best, most effective copy. It doesn’t matter if your business brochures have been designed by a world-renowned artist. What matters most is the words you use in your headlines. Headlines are what hook potential customers and draw them in to read the rest of your copy.

I’ve read that headlines do 90 percent of the work when it comes to sales copy. I believe that’s true. People skim before they read, and headlines are their guiding posts for what to slow down to read more about. Read on for tips on how to create headlines that are sure to get people’s attention.

Tout your benefits. Your headlines should be benefit statements. Tell the potential customer what she will get from using your product or service. Your headline shouldn’t be too long, but it’s okay to make it a phrase that will clearly explain what benefit the reader will gain from your product. If you’re using brochure printing as a marketing method, try not to make your headline longer than two lines for space and brevity.

People have a fear of losing. People in general have a much higher fear of losing something they already have than gaining something they don’t presently have. I’ve read an analogy that clearly shows this:

Imagine your friend calls you up at 2 am and says, “Hey I know how we can both make an extra $500 today! Get up!” Your friend is pretty likely to not be your friend for much longer right now. But, what if your friend calls you at 2 am and says “Someone is stealing the hubcaps off your car!” You’ll probably get up and chase off the thief. All for the sake of losing $300 worth of hubcaps, even though it’s less than what the first scenario had you gaining. It’s human nature – we don’t want to lose something we already have. It’s tangible. What we don’t have we can’t miss because we don’t have it.

Use this principle in your headline by saying something like “Avoid This Mistake that Cost Joe Schmoe $5000.” This works well in business brochures—it catches people’s attention and makes them want to read more.

Use words that have proven to be attention grabbers. For instance, “how to” do anything works extremely well. This phrase appeals to people because people want to know how to do things, how to make things happen. Certain words and phrases are naturally connecting and can be used in almost any headline. Some examples include: How To, How, Why, Who Else, Which of These, Here’s.

Look for ways to incorporate these words into the headlines of your marketing brochures. For example, you could simply say “Grow a Rose Garden.” But if you put “How to” in front of it: “How to Grow a Rose Garden” then all of a sudden it seems more inviting and more authoritative because it’s implied that the reader doesn’t know how to do it and the text that follows your headline will teach him how.

Use “you.” Talk directly to the reader. People are mostly concerned about themselves and they’re only reading your brochure to see what you can do for them.

Use these tactics in your brochure printing, Web sites and any other printed materials and you’ll hook potential customers who will read more about you and your product. More reading equals more sales!

Are You Using Postcards?

Author: Robert Johnston

No company should be without a strong postcard marketing approach. This style of marketing is such a proven and effective form of advertisement that any company bypassing it is failing to capitalize on a great approach.

The first great thing about postcard printing is that it can apply to any business. It doesn’t matter what you sell or what industry you’re in, you can still effectively use postcards to market yourself.

The next reason to use it is because of the cheap costs. Few strategies are capable of generating such strong results with such little money spent. The smaller your marketing budget is the better the reason to take a hard look at adding postcard marketing to your list of tactics. As an added bonus, the postage rate for sending postcards is lower than a normal envelope, which adds a nice additional touch to your savings.

Postcards are also one of the easiest kinds of marketing to design. Even flyers require you to fill up an entire page, and something like a brochure will require extensive writing to make it work. Now think about the size of a postcard and you could probably come up with a few ideas right now for what you’d like to put on it. That means you can set up, design, and send out your postcards in a short period of time when compared to other marketing strategies.

You can also use your postcards in relation with other strategies. If you have a website you’d like to direct people to then send out a postcard with the web address prominently displayed. The same is true for upcoming sales or other discounts you want to focus on.

Plus, postcards give you an almost complete guarantee that they’ll be seen. A white envelope doesn’t hide them, and if you have a colorful enough design, they’ll draw the eye in a pile of plain mail most people receive. This makes them work even better with sales promotions because you know people will see your offer in big letters across the front of your postcards.

Be aware too that postcards can be aimed at a very specific audience. You know you’re sending these right into specific people’s homes, so shape your mailing list around one target group, and then gear your postcard printing specifically for them. This way you know that you’ll have a better chance of gaining their interest.

And, best of all, the success rate of postcard marketing can be traced like no other marketing strategy can boast. Because you know exactly how many people you’re sending them out to you can figure out how much sales you’re generating from them.

I could go on for longer about the benefits of postcards, but I have a feeling you can get the point by now. If you haven’t already, I’d take a very hard look at what strategies you’re using, and then look at the benefits of postcards. I think you’ll realize that no matter what company you run, postcard marketing is the way to go.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Marketing Benefit from Your Business Cards

Author: Veronica Robbins

Business cards are among the least expensive marketing tools a business person has at his disposal, yet they are typically very poorly used, if they are used at all. Here are some tips for maximizing the marketing power or your business cards.

1. Carry your business cards with you at all times. This sounds obvious, I know, but you would be amazed how often a business person doesn't have business cards on hand when they are needed. Even if you manage your contacts through your PDA and you love to "beam" your contact information to others, still keep those business cards in your wallet, business card holder, pocket, briefcase, and car.

2. Make sure your employees, spouse and close associates also carry your business cards with them. I have picked up more than one client who learned about me through a conversation with my husband, who reached into his wallet and handed over a business card.

3. Hand out a business card as you introduce yourself at meetings and networking events. Not only do people appreciate seeing the name they just heard, but putting a business card in someone's hand as you introduce yourself engages three senses while you have their attention (hearing, sight, and touch). The more they are engaged, the more likely they will remember you, which is the point, remember?

4. Consider having your photo printed on your business card. People like to see who they are working with. Seeing your picture later will help them remember you. Also, it has been documented that seeing a photo on a business card and a website tends to help people develop trust faster than when they don't see a picture. If you are concerned about your appearance, do something about it or get over it. Touch up your rough edges with some photo editing software if you must, but get your face out there!

5. Be creative with your business cards. Of course, you want to make sure that your name and contact information are legible, but you should use the opportunity to express a bit of who you are with your business card. Maybe you can do that through a creative use of color or your logo. Perhaps you will want to add a unique slogan. Consider a double-sided card design. I saw a card recently with contact information on both sides. I saw another with a web address on the back. The back is also a good place for a catchy slogan.

6. Leave cards behind when you call on someone who is not there. Write individual notes on these cards to make them more memorable and personal. Be sure to use the other person's name in your handwritten note.

7. Hand a card to the secretary when you arrive for an appointment. This will help her get your name right when she notifies her boss that you are there. It also makes sure your contact information is in the hand of the person who will probably be entering it into the data system. By the way, business cards are the business descendent of calling cards, small cards with the visitor's name on them, which were used to announce the visitor to the person being visited. Presenting a card when you arrive for an appointment demonstrates a little class and etiquette.

8. Include a business card in greeting cards you send to customers or prospects. Especially if your business card has your photo on it, this will help them remember who you are, and remind them of your contact information. If they misplaced your card, this is a way to get it to them again without forcing them to ask for it. Also include your card with gifts you give to clients.

9. Look for opportunities and appropriate places to leave your cards behind for others. The right places for this will depend on your business and target market. You can ask business owners to allow you to leave cards in a holder on their counters. This is particularly appropriate if you have a complementary (but not competing) business. Also, don't be afraid to leave one or two laying around here and there (on bulletin boards, near ATMs, etc.). It's a good place if it is somewhere where your clients or prospects will be.

10. Use your business card for ads in newsletters and local publications. The term "business card size" is a common term for one of the sizes of ads available in most publications. You don't have to use your business card for the ad copy, but if you have a good business card (photo, nicely designed, easy to read), why not?

There are many ways you can use business cards to help market your business. Don't be stingy with your cards. Hand them out freely. Personalize them with notes. Don't assume that just because you gave someone your card in the past that they still have it, or that they transferred the contact information before misplacing the card. You will undoubtedly see a rapid return on your investment as you begin to use your business cards more.

About the Author:
Veronica Robbins is a successful entrepreneur who has started and operated several successful businesses. She now shares her success by helping others start their own businesses. Read the many tips she has for new business owners at http://www.your-small-business-guide.com/.