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Brochures are not dead

In the age of digital media, it may seem that brochures are dead or dying. However, the truth is that brochures or print marketing is still very much alive and relevant. They provide a great opportunity for you to showcase your business and are worth that investment. Here are the three reasons why.

People love visuals

Think of the Ikea Annual Catalogue. Doesn’t it make you want to buy something or redecorate your house? Face it: We love visuals. We shop, we eat and we buy with our eyes. Having a great brochure for customers to look at will certainly attract them and give them some stimulus to try out your services and/or products.

The silent salesperson

Brochures remain even if a salesperson leaves your company. They are a constant reminder of your services and/or products. Also, think of your brochure as a travelling salesperson.  When your customers are happy with what you offer because they had a positive experience or they like what you are able to offer them based on the information on the brochures, they may even pass them on to their family, friends and other contacts.

Brochures are always dependable

There are times when brochures can save the day. In times where Internet access is not available or unreliable, good old hardcopy brochures enable you to present your services and/or products to customers.

Printed brochures remain good marketing tools because they give something to customers to hold in their hands or keep in their pockets/bags. They serve as longer lasting reminders of your company as compared to digital marketing which can be easily dismissed as spam. So for sure, brochures are certainly not dead!

Tips for Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are a great way to communicate with your clients. They are inexpensive and effective as a public relations tool for drawing attention to your business. The allow you to build trust and relationships and if the newsletter includes promotional content, they will also help to generate and grow revenue. Here are some tips for writing an email newsletter that customers will open, read and act on.

Relevant subject lines

With so many emails to filter, people find excuses to trash those with irrelevant content. It is critical that your subject lines make people want to read on. Instead of simply writing “Our Latest News for the Month of July”, use lines that grab attention, such as “Venture Capitalists Share Secrets on Getting Funded” or “For Your Eyes Only: An Exclusive Sneak Preview of our Yet-to-be-Released Products”.

Create valuable content

A successful email newsletter is consistent in appealing to customers with valuable content. With many offers and competition around, it is vital that what your content communicated is relevant and adds value to your customers’ needs.

Length and frequency

If your email newsletters are released once every few months, it would make sense to have one that is about 5 to 7 pages. However, if you plan on frequent email newsletters, it is advisable that they are kept brief. Remember, short and sweet is sometimes, or if not, more powerful and impactful on the reader.

Go easy on the eyes

Ensure that your content is visually appealing. Apart from including pictures or even video clips, it helps to have a minimum font size of at least 10 point for your texts. Colours and other images that allow your customers to associate them with your company and brand will certainly help.

Tone and attitude

Email newsletters tend not to be as formal as print newsletters. Make your email newsletter’s tone casual and personal. This way, it will allow your customers to see the human side of your business and in turn, respond better to you.

When email newsletters are done right, they provide a much better return than other marketing strategies. Remember that you are talking to your customers and meeting their needs. So remember to focus on them in the email newsletters and they will remember who they can turn to when they need what your business offers.

 

Writing: A Skill and an Art

Writing is enjoyable to some while others find it a chore. In a globalised environment where writing is such an essential part of communication, regardless of its medium, it is a skill and an art. Here’s why.

One of the first things we learn as children is writing. We first begin with writing alphabets and numbers and move on to stringing sentences to convey meaning and intent. This is where we are taught skills – the appropriate usage of grammar, spelling and punctuation. So technically, anyone taught those skills can write.

It is an art because writing creates ideas and allows readers to step into a different world, just like how a painter or musician does through their respective art. So is a writer an artist too?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘artist’ as one who professes an imaginative art, or a person skilled in the fine arts while the Oxford dictionary defines an artist as someone skilled at a particular task or occupation. So given the definitions, it can be said that art altogether is being skilled at something.

Authors such as J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown are apt in their writing skills because of the way they bring another different world and communicate ideas to their readers. When they make readers feel the emotions of their characters that is when writing is an art.

So in truth, anyone can write but for those who can perfect that skill, it becomes an art. What do you think? Let us know if you think writing is an art, a skill or both.

SEO

SEO and how it helps your website’s visibility

Search engine optimisation (SEO) refers to the process of improving the position of your website when it appears in the results by search engines such as Google. Sites that appear higher on the search results get more traffic to their page and potentially, more business. If you are patient and follow a few basic principles, your website stands a chance of getting listed, at least, on the first page of the search results.

Ensure the use of key words in your content

Search engines such as Google and Bing (Microsoft) make use of tools known as “spiders”, a software that crawls the web in a certain structured manner. They browse websites to identify key words and phrases, which in turn determines the relevance of your website. As such, you need to consider the search habits of your customers and ensure that the key words are used to search for your business. Ensure that these key words are found both in the heading and body of the website.

Stay fresh

How frequently you change the content of your website will determine the rate which the search engine “spiders” crawl your site. This means that you have to ensure that your text, images or pages are regularly updated to allow optimisation of the search on your website.

Be up-to-date with SEO

The system and processes used by major search engines are the result of constant tweaks and improvements. This will ensure that search engines yield the most up-to-date and accurate results in their listings. It certainly pays to be aware of current developments in SEO to ensure that your website uses the latest technology. That being said, the basics of SEO are not going to change as they are the key elements that will provide your website’s ranking.

Getting to the top of online search results is not the main objective nor does it happen overnight. Just by following some of these simple points, you are taking small but important steps each day to optimising your website’s presence on the Internet.

Tips for better e-mail writing

The fact that e-mail is everywhere means that anyone in business, whether the CEO or technicians who work the machines, needs to write intelligently. By using language that is clear, simple and precise, as well as following some basic rules, you can become a better communicator.

Think before you write

Never send e-mails in haste. Make sure you know the purpose of your e-mail and the expected outcome of the communication. This will help you ensure the clarity of your message especially when you organise your thoughts before you write the e-mail.

 K.I.S.S.

An earlier article discussed the value of being brief. Writing too much can cause your reader to lose focus and eventually, miss the objective of the e-mail. By keeping your e-mail short and sweet, it doesn’t mean that there is simplicity in your ideas. It just means that you make your point clear and move on.

Avoid using jargon

Since an e-mail is supposed to be simple and straight to the point, you should avoid using foreign phrases, scientific word or any sort of business jargon. While using such may make you sound important and intelligent, chances are that you express yourself clearly and much better using plain language.

Curb your enthusiasm

It is indeed important to show that you are eager to get work done and things going. However, do not be too lavish with your choice of words or grammar. No matter how happy or friendly you feel, avoid overusing exclamation marks.  When ending the e-mail, it is best to choose professional sign offs such as ‘Best regards’ over inappropriate ones such as ‘xoxo’ or ‘Talk soon’.

Proofread your e-mail

Re-read what you have written before you click ‘Send’. Ensure that you have used correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. It helps to read the e-mail out loud to yourself to help you pick out any mistakes or awkward writing that you might otherwise miss.

At the end of the day, you want your e-mail to be read and not be sent to ‘Spam’. Your e-mail is your image in business so it certainly pays to spend a bit of time ensuring that you project the right impression to your associates.

Ways to deliver an impactful presentation

Presentations can be a cause of stress for many people. Not many people like standing in front of an audience to speak, particularly to present facts and ideas in a work situation. However, there are ways to make an impactful presentation so here are some rules to note.

The 10/20/30 rule

Keep the number of slides you use to a maximum of 10 slides. The audience have a limited attention span so spend no more than 20 minutes on the presentation. The font size on slides has to be at least 30 pt. That means not having too many words on one slide, which leads on to the next rule…

Visualise your speech

Use images to represent your words. This will save you the effort of memorising your content word for word. Don’t underestimate the use and power of visuals during a presentation. It is not so much of what you say but what your audience can see that matters as they create visual anecdotes of your speech.

Focus on your audience

Don’t focus so much on what you have to say. Instead, put yourself in the audience’s perspective and ask yourself: What is the message I want to get across? By doing so, you allow your audience to connect to you and your content without losing their attention.

Don’t go off topic

There is a chance that this may happen when someone in the audience asks a question or when you get excited about the topic and ramble on. Ensure that your content stays relevant throughout and it supports the goal of your presentation.

Know your equipment

Very often, presenters assume that the equipment will work or will be operated by someone during the presentation. Technical issues could distract your focus and derail the presentation. It helps to spend some time familiarising yourself with the equipment you will be using during the presentation to save yourself from wasting time and being embarrassed.

Presentations need not be the nightmare they are thought to be. Just remember to stay focused and remember that your audience have limited attention span and time, and you will be able to deliver an impactful presentation.

Common mistakes in a business blog

Blogging is an excellent way to communicate with your customers and demonstrate your company’s value. It enables present customers and potential ones to recognise you. It also allows your business to increase your chances of generating sales. However, going about blogging the wrong way could mean a waste of time and resources if it is not effective. Here are some of the common mistakes in a business blog and how they should be avoided.

Irrelevant content

Instead of writing about content that is helpful and relevant to customers, some business owners miss the point. They ramble on about their latest products or the industry award they received recently. The key thing to remember is this: Why are customers looking your business up on the Internet? Your blog content must provide solutions to customers’ needs and give them a means to connect to you as a provider of services or products that they will benefit from.

To keep customers coming back to your blog, teach or show them something that is useful.

Irregular posting

In order to create a following for your blog, it is necessary to publish fresh content regularly. This is so that with something to look forward to, your customers will keep coming back to your blog. It will be difficult to maintain a loyal customer or fan base if there is hardly any content posted regularly on the blog.

It’s okay if the blog is not about writing. It can be a video, audio or a series of images – they can be as effective as written words. The main thing it to ensure that the content is useful and posted on a regular basis.

Not enough publicity for the blog

There is a high chance that some businesses fail to tell people that they have a blog that exists, which explains why no one reads it. With the various social media platforms available, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, make use of them to get the word out about your blog. Include a link to your blog in your emails and don’t forget to let your existing customers know about your blog.

Remember that your online presence can create an impact on your business. Allow people to see your business and be known so spread the word now!

Why Soft Sell Advertising is Effective

There is a famous saying about advertising that it is salesmanship in print.  If we put this classic definition of advertising in the present context, we can say it is the extension of your selling skills in the form of content.  This content could be multimedia, graphics, pictures or simply words – but it is the words that make the real impact in advertising.  You can write two types of copies to promote your product or service – a matter-of-fact rational description or a quirky and emotional proposal.  Interestingly, it is the latter approach that fetches you more results.

Let us delve a bit deeper to find out why a soft sell copy can be more effective than the hard sell.

The difference lies between intellect and emotion

In a hard sell copy, you say the fact as it is or at the most compare the features of a product to others available in the marketplace.  This approach appeals to the intellect of your target audience.  However, it is a known fact that people buy a product when they are emotionally charged.  Therefore, it is the soft sell copy that works for most the products and services.  The reason behind this fact is very simple – in soft sell advertising you do not create demand rationally, rather you use humour, emotion and creativity.

Soft sell advertising does not create a pressure to buy

Unlike hard-sell advertising that gives tight timelines to avail an offer, soft sell copies create lucrative opportunities.  In a soft-sell advertisement, you connect with the potential customer on an emotional level and give them ample avenues to go for your product or service.

Humour and subtleness elicit more responses

 While hard sell advertising directly gives the reasons to buy a product or service, the soft sell copy is more subtle and humorous.  Due to this, more and more people get intrigued and want to know more about what you are offering.  If you are able to create curiosity in the mind of your target audience, half the selling is done.  Another benefit of the soft sell technique is that you get more responses per advertisement.  You can actively convert these responses and increase your sales figures to the desired level.

Though both soft sell and hard sell advertising copies have their own significance, it is the soft sell technique that fetches more results when it comes to overall performance.

Writing a Good Report

Report-writing is a skill that many people tend to overlook. It is part of communication skills at work especially when many occasions require the presentation of facts and data effectively. Remembering some of the following points will help you in writing a good report without too much pain.

Know your audience and purpose

You need to address your reader by providing the relevant information required. It is no point writing a report, however long or well-researched, if it does not give the answers your reader wants. This is where you need to have clear objectives as to why you are writing the report and ensure that you deliver on that.

Write briefly to communicate your ideas

Consider using bullet points, charts and graphs to present your information. They can quickly and effectively present details to your reader. However, remember to label your diagrams and give suitable headings or sections or what you are presenting may not make sense to the reader.

 Be objective and factual

You do not have to dazzle your reader with technical jargon or fanciful vocabulary. Instead, be objective, succinct, avoid emotions and most importantly, be factual.

Consider the undertones in each of the following sentences:

Subjective and emotive writing: “The factory staff are such slackers that they do not deserve their jobs.”
→ This sounds like there is anger and animosity between the writer and the factory staff.

Objective and unbiased writing: “The staff at the operational level who did not meet their goals were willing to negotiate and make changes.”
→ This sentence does not place any judgement on the staff and even suggests that they are keen to improve.

Allow facts to inform and persuade, not loaded words that may be partial to situations.

Ask for help

Unless the subject matter of the report is highly confidential, asking for help will make the task of producing a report less painful. You may want to consider asking a co-worker to review your draft and ask him/her for opinions: Is the writing clear? Are you able to identify two or three important points? (Note: These points have to be the same as yours or else it means that your report is not clear.)

Writing a good report can be challenging but by ensuring that you are clear about what it needs to convey, you should be able to produce a decent piece that will, hopefully, deliver your ideas and persuade your reader.

Writing Captions for Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words. It is worth more when it is accompanied by a good caption. Photo captions are the most read body type in any publication especially when they often capture readers’ attention. This is so if the caption provides a context and background that will interest readers. Let’s take a look at a few pointers on writing captions for pictures that will engage your readers.

Be concise

Captions should be short and to the point. They are the words that deliver a punch to images. Having too many words in a caption will lose the impact it is supposed to have on readers. Instead, write clear crisp sentences that reflect the image.

Intrigue your readers

As a general rule, readers look at pictures first then the captions and back to the pictures again as they become interested and then proceed to read the story or article. A caption should intrigue readers in a way that it gives them information that they don’t otherwise know. When readers look back at the picture, they should be able to associate new ideas and facts with it. When the picture and caption is able to create an impact on readers, it will make them want to read on.

Use words to complete the picture

There are things which a picture is able to tell readers and some things which it cannot. A good caption helps to extend the basic story which the picture is trying to tell. The caption will provide the context such as dates, places, names and the significance of event, action or people within the picture. Even if the image is great but without a good caption, the effect is lost on the reader.

Capturing your readers’ attention with images and powerful words will help them to also form better memories of your content. So remember those tips to help you the next time you are writing captions for pictures!