How To Uniquely Position Yourself In Your Market To Outsell Better-Funded And More Experienced Competitors… Even If You’re The New Kid On The Block.”

You can always tell who the charlatans are in the information business. If you seek wisdom from someone about writing ads, and they tell you to create a killer “USP”… but neglect to tell you how to do it… then you can bet you’re dealing with a guy who learned this stuff from books, and not from the real world.

The term USP has been around since art deco. Originally, it stood for “unique selling proposition”.

To better fit the needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners, I have re-defined it to mean “Positioning yourself, uniquely in your market, in order to sell.” This has helped marketers envision how crafting their own USP means setting their offering apart from the competition, with an emphasis on grabbing the sales that otherwise might slip away.

The key word is… “unique”. Basically your USP is what sets you apart from your competition, or what makes your product or service a “must have” item.

Writing a USP is not brain surgery, but it does take some effort and practice. It’s the first thing you need to work on, before even starting to write your letter or ad.

Here are the basics of creating your own USP:

1. Your goal is to condense all of the vast details of your product or service or offer into one pithy sentence (two at the most) that is clear, concise, and has the force of salesmanship fused into every word.

2. You do not write your USP so it “reads well”, but rather so it creates tension, desire and urgency in the reader’s mind.

Here is the first test: If what you write can be adopted by any other business without change, then what you have is a meaningless slogan.

Thus… “Simply the best in town” is not even close as a USP. It’s just useless bragging, and could be stolen by any other business in the world. (Not that stealing it would do them any good. (Slogans don’t sell. They just take up space.)

3. Let’s deconstruct the USP step by step. Two simple phrases to get your started are “fast, cheap and good” and “simple, easy and lucrative”. Actually, you seldom need to go beyond these kinds of pithy, explanatory phrases.

Think in terms of what your business does for the human being using what you offer. Your customer doesn’t care that you’ve been around for fifty years, unless you explain why that’s important. Same with being family owned, or local, or having fifty billion dollars in reserve. These are features, and may mean a lot to you…but they do not mean squat to the prospect.

4. Your USP should be what comes to your customer’s mind when he thinks about you. Or when he’s explaining to his skeptical brother-in-law why he bought from you, and not the other company in town.

Example: You have guaranteed lowest prices? That’s a start. If you can back it up. (”We will beat your competitor’s lowest price by $10, or you get it free.”)

5. Once you get your USP down, your ads will practically write themselves. You can use it as your headline, much of the time. And simply go deeper in your ad on each point.

I’ve now written about 100 ads for golf instructional videos. At first glance, every single video was pretty much identical to the ones before it, and the ones after it. I’ve had to dig pretty deep in my bag of tricks to come up with fresh slants for each ad. I think it’s safe to say most writers would have shot themselves by the fifth ad. I’m just lucky I have a deeper bag than most.

But this has also taught me an important lesson about USPs: There is always something unique about a new product.

Sometimes it’s in the product itself. “A unique swing that will instantly force you to look like a pro golfer.”

Sometimes it’s in the offer. “You can learn this simple tactic in just three swings at the practice range.”

And sometimes it’s in the guarantee. “If you don’t drop 10 strokes the first round you use this new swing, I’ll send you double your money back.”

6. The best USP’s are so tight, you cannot remove or change a single word. Each syllable earns its keep, and pushes the sales pitch forward.

You may get away with something like “A fast, easy way to bring in more customers and raise profits cost-effectively.” To me, though, that’s just a first attempt. The next few changes will bring home the bacon.

How fast? Three days? Two hours? One minute?

Why is it easy? No previous skills necessary? Is it a short-cut learning process? Is it an ethical way to cheat?

If the competition is not well-known, you need to appeal directly to your prospect’s needs.

Take carpet cleaners, or dentists, or restaurants, or any other service where you’re just another name in the phone book. Most ads for these services make dumb assumptions about what the prospect is looking for. The copy is generic: “We love kids.” “Bonded”. “Serving Cleveland for 21 years.”

If there’s a reason why you’re different than all the rest, then say so.

If you’re not different, then become different.

Have a stronger guarantee, longer hours, better prices, specific services no one else offers.

Tell your story. “We clean the governor’s home carpets for state functions because we’re professionally thorough, experienced in all types of stain-removal, finish all work on-time (even in emergencies), stay out of his way, and guarantee complete satisfaction or a complete refund. Plus we’re priced less than anyone else in town. And guess what? You can get the same service as the governor, at the same low price, with the same money-back guarantee!”

The last line there is the USP. In one pithy sentence, you get credibility, bargain, implied excellent service and a guarantee.

In theory, your USP is simple to explain. Why should I do business with you, and not the other guy?

For more profitable tips visit www.MarketingRebel.net

Do you know what’s the most common mistakes are in ads, web pages, sales letters and brochures?

A staggering 99% of companies make this fatal error. And it cost a business thousands of pounds in lost income - often the difference between profit and loss.

Using a headline.

Yes really. It’s that simple. You need to attract attention.

Your ad needs to be the one piece of information your customer reads today.

You see the trouble is we’re living in the age where people are constantly bombarded with information. They don’t want to read your advertising material - they need to get on with there very busy lives.

Using a attention grabbing headline does this for you.

But what should you say in your headline? Good question.

You communicate a powerful benefit to them. So you drag your reader into reading your copy.

By having compelling copy written for you. Always have copy that shows your potential client or customer ‘what is in it for them’. After all really aren’t that interested in you - just what you can do for them.

Just by changing your headline you can increase your responds by 1700%!

When you read a magazine or newspaper - do you read every story? The chances are that you read the stories whose headline interests you. If it doesn’t you skip the story.

Initially you’ll pull the reader into your marketing material with a interesting headline and opening - make sure your marketing material is relevent to your potential market or they will lose interest very quickly.

A Great Headline

The secret to a powerful headline is that they need to be specific to the customers that you’re trying to sell to. It needs to be compelling. It needs to tell them what’s in it for them. It needs to show them that you are the best person to buy it from.

You’ll probably look at headlines in a totally different way.

How do I write an intriguing headline?

You must target the right prospect for your product or services. Then speak directly to that person. You laser in on a particular group of people you’re trying to attract. Their wants, beliefs and desires. What keeps them awake ’til 4am.

Your headlines should give your clients a BOLD PROMISE that your business or product can do for them.

“Try the ‘product’ for FREE for 60 days.”

Show the customer ‘what is in it for them’ and your business will become the market leader.

Using the right marketing for your business will make your business surpass your competitors.

Write an interesting headline using these steps:

* What are your products advantages?

* How is your product different from your competitor?

* Is your product/service exclusively available?

Use powerful headlines to attract more customers.

Writing is a job where the goal is to create a excellent item that promotes a particular thought, point of view or company. Worthwhile business writing will work to demonstrate the reader the superiority of the products or idea and why it is perfect for them. Examples of where business writing is used and how to write are for TV commercials, newsletters, web sites, billboards and any written material used in promotional spheres.

A writer works in conjunction with an art director to create a multimedia work that employers words, colours and visuals to endorse the merchandise and promote to the audience. The business writer has accountability for how to write the written substance of the piece and the art director has accountability for the pictorial content of the piece, as well as overlooking the finished job itself. The most impressive material is created when the copywriting and art teams work together and communicate in agreement.

Writing is an central component of the advertising industry as it is responsible for the sayings that stay with us, showing us why an thought is important to listen to, why a product would be important to us. Copywriting is in charge of the content and, in this regard, is similar to a technical writer although a copywriter tries to endorse products or thoughts and not only to inform the readers of it.

With the advent of the web, new opportunities have occurred for people who know how to write as they strive to endorse webpages, new merchandise, new services and new opinions through the internet. The web has also made it simpler for writers to find and get in contact with businesses that require their skills and to make a living from freelance copywriting. There are many web-pages that are now dedicated to matching copywriters with companies who need to know how to write.

The internet has also meant that writers have been required to learn new abilities, such as SEO. Search engine optimization allows for a business writer to ensure that their goods can be promoted effectively through the web. Using how to write skills such as strategic word placement and the repetition of certain keywords helps the goods to be ranked highly by a search engine, an important copywriting know-how in today’s net-savvy world.

To be a great copywriter, it is essential to have superb communication skills and know how to write. All business writers should have a have a varied vocabulary and superb word, spelling and grammar skills. It is also important to have some education in copywriting and there are many institutions and businesses that specialize in educating you to be a copywriting professional. Many of these institutions and businesses offer online courses and there are many written materials that also offer guidance.

As a writer, you will find your skills in demand across the country and across thousands of industries. Not just with publicizing agencies, business writers are in demand for all companies that have a product, service or idea to publicize. TV networks, radio shows, start-up companies, e-companies, small businesses, multinational businesses and everything in between have a want for the promotion of their business and their goods. Many in the copywriting business now work freelance for themselves and are employed on a contractual basis, allowing them to choose the projects they work on and the businesses they work for, all at times suitable to them.

Copywriters are behind some of the most respected promotional campaigns in the world. It was famous copywriter David Ogilvy that created the famous Dove soap slogan “only Dove is one-quarter moisturizing cream” and William Bernbach was a copywriter who came up with the “think small” ad campaign for Volkswagen Beetle, a campaign known as one of the top promotional campaigns of the 20th century. Therefore copywriting has the ability to not only show how to write the readers but to create a lasting impression on the world through the impact of their abilities.

Writing is a profession where the goal is to create a excellent item that promotes a particular thought, opinion or company. Great writing will aim to demonstrate the audience the superiority of the products or idea and why it is excellent for them. Examples of where copyrighting is used and how to write are for TV advertisements, newsletters, world wide web sites, billboards and any written material used in promotional media.

A writer works in conjunction with an art team to produce a multimedia work that uses words, colours and visuals to enhance the merchandise and promote to the audience. The business writer has the responsibility for how to write the written gist of the work and the art director has the responsibility for the art content of the work, as well as directing the complete work itself. The best material is created when the business writing and art groups work together and collaborate in harmony.

Copywriting is an important component of the advertising world as it is accountable for the jingles that stay with us, showing us how an opinion is important to hear, how a piece of merchandise would be important to us. Knowing how to write is accountable for the content and, in this way, is comparable to a technical writer although a copywriter tries to endorse products or thoughts and not simply to inform the reader of it.

With the arrival of the world wide web, new opportunities have happened for business writers as they endeavour to endorse webpages, new products, new services and new thoughts through the net. The world wide web has also made it simpler for writers to find and get in contact with potential employers that require their services and to earn a wage from freelance business writing. There are many web-pages that are now dedicated to keeping in touch copywriters with businesses who need to know how to write.

The world wide web has also meant that people who know who to write have needed to learn new abilities, such as SEO. Search engine optimization allows for a writer to ensure that their work can be publicized competently through the world wide web. Using how to write strategies such as strategic word placement and the repetition of certain keywords helps the product to be ranked highly by a search engine, an integral copywriting talent in today’s web-savvy world.

To be a brilliant copywriter, it is important to have excellent communication skills and know how to write. All business writers should have a have a excellent vocabulary and excellent word, spelling and grammar skills. It is also helpful to have some education in copywriting and there are many institutions and businesses that specialize in educating you to be a copywriting professional. Many of these institutions and businesses offer online courses and there are many written materials that also offer help.

As a business writer, you will find your skills in demand across the globe and across thousands of industries. Not just with promotional agencies, business writers are in demand for all businesses that have goods, service or thought to promote. Television networks, radio shows, start-up businesses, e-companies, small businesses, multinational corporations and everything in between have a desire for the advertising of their company and their product. Many in the business writing business now work freelance for themselves and are employed on a contractual basis, allowing them to choose the jobs they work on and the businesses they work for, all at hours suitable to them.

Business writers are behind some of the most respected advertising campaigns in the world. It was famous business writer David Ogilvy that created the famous Dove soap slogan “only Dove is one-quarter moisturizing cream” and William Bernbach was a business writer who came up with the “think small” ad campaign for Volkswagen Beetle, a campaign known as one of the top advertising campaigns of the 20th century. Therefore business writing has the power to not only reach the reader but to create a lasting impression on the world through the impact of their abilities.

Do you increasingly have trouble finding documents at work? Are your records or the files of your business a mess? Learning and applying document management skills can help clear up the disorder of papers and documents that are gone astray or just not filed correctly. Document management does countless things. in due course it controls how documents are produced, published, reviewed and disposed of.

There are a number of business that can profit from document management procedures. Medical offices need to keep their records in order and in a safe way so that they act in accordance with HIPPA regulations. Some financial companies need to prove that their records haven’t been changed in anyway. Any department in a business that uses a lot of paper, such as the human resource department or accounting department, are great departments to establish a document management system if there isn’t one previously in place.

Document Management can help get a company structured so they will save time and money during their days in the office. There are quite a few key things that a document management system should have in place in order to be effective. Knowing what sort of documents that are produced in the company is part of an effective document management system.

Also knowing if there is a outline for a particular document is a key thing. Another important factor is figuring out to accumulate documents at any stage of their progress and knowing what policies that relate to particular documents is tremendously important in case there is ever an review or a particular document needs to be found

Do a little research before implementing a document management system. Here are a only some items to remember in your preparation process. Identify what role the documents in your company plays. Figure out how your papers are used within your company. Pick a way to organize your documents. How are your papers going to shift from person to person? Last but not least, make sure you have policies in place that cover all the papers that your business uses.

Writing is a occupation where the aim is to produce a worthwhile item that supports a particular thought, point of view or business. Great copywriting will start to explain to the audience the merit of the products or idea and why it is ideal for them. Examples of where business writing is used are for television commercials, brochures, internet pages, billboards and any written material used in advertising media.

A writer works in conjunction with an art team to create a multimedia work that uses words, colours and visuals to endorse the merchandise and promote to the reader. The writer has accountability for the written substance of the work and the art director has accountability for the visual content of the piece, as well as overlooking the final work itself. The greatest material is created when the copywriting and art parties work together and work in agreement.

Business writing is an central part of the promotional world as it is accountable for the slogans that stay with us, showing us how an issue is vital to listen to, how a piece of merchandise would be necessary for us. Copywriting is accountable for the content and, in this way, is alike to a technical writer although a business writer works to promote merchandise or thoughts and not only to educate the reader of it.

With the advent of the internet, new chances have happened for writers as they strive to promote web pages, new merchandise, new services and new thoughts through the internet. The internet has also made it simpler for copywriters to find and get in contact with potential employers that desire their services and to earn a wage from freelance business writing. There are many websites that are now concerned with connecting business writers with employers.

The web has also meant that writers have been required to learn new abilities, such as SEO. Search engine optimization allows for a copywriter to ensure that their goods can be promoted effectively through the net. Using strategies such as strategic word placement and the repetition of certain keywords helps the work to be ranked highly by a search engine, an integral copywriting talent in today’s web-savvy world.

To be an excellent business writer, it is essential to have exceptional communication skills. All business writers should have a have a excellent vocabulary and exceptional word, spelling and grammar skills. It is also helpful to have some training in copywriting and there are many academies and companies that specialize in training you to be a copywriting professional. Many of these academies and businesses offer online courses and there are many guides that also offer advice.

As a someone who knows how to write, you will find your abilities in demand across the globe and across thousands of industries. Not only with promotional agencies, business writers are in demand for all companies that have a product, service or idea to publicize. Television networks, radio shows, start-up companies, e-companies, small businesses, multinational businesses and everything in between have a desire for the publicity of their company and their goods. Many in the copywriting business now work freelance for themselves and are hired on a contractual basis, allowing them to choose the jobs they work on and the businesses they work for, all at hours suitable to them.

Business writers are behind some of the most well-known advertising campaigns in the world. It was famous business writer David Ogilvy that created the famous Dove soap slogan “only Dove is one-quarter moisturizing cream” and William Bernbach was a business writer who came up with the “think small” ad campaign for Volkswagen Beetle, a campaign respected as one of the top publicity campaigns of the 20th century. Therefore copywriting has the power to not only touch the readers but to create a lasting impression on the world through the impact of their abilities.

If you’re a business owner with a website, you know that you need to get traffic to your website.

What is website traffic? Website traffic is actual people browsing your site. Many people have spent good money for the nicest-looking site with all the latest bells and whistles, but lack the visitors that actually generate cash from that site. This is just like building a Walmart, with all the items in stock and employees on staff, and placing in the middle of the Sahara desert.

There are numerous methods for getting traffic to your site. If you are in a hurry, the two methods I explain below should get your special attention.

The first basic fast-traffic method is to borrow the traffic. This may or may not work for your industry, but try and get creative and adapt it to your business because it can be very effective. What is done is to convince another website owner with a list of prospects and customers that would be interested in your product or service, and encourage them to recommend your products or services. In most cases, you will have to give them an affiliate or referral commission in order to encourage the referral.

This procedure gets results for these two reasons. First, the other website owner has already invested the time and money required to collect the names and contact information of interested individuals, sparing you from doing the same. Second, this method allows you to get “credit” for the credibility of the other website owner. Think about your own experience. Do you normally seek out self-serving, traditional advertisements, or do you rely more upon the advice of friends and trusted acquaintances when making a buying decision? The answer is obvious.

Borrowing traffic usually will not cost you out of pocket cash, although normally you should be prepared to pay out of your proceeds.

Next, consider paid advertising. Your options for paid advertising are many, and at the top of your list should be pay-per-click advertising. Google and their Adwords program is where you should begin, and before long, take a look at Yahoo and MSN. The largest benefit to pay-per-click advertising is it allows you to restrict who sees your ads; in this case, only those people who type specific words into the search engine will see the ad.

Pay-per-click advertising is effective for many reasons. One reason is that you can match exactly what people are searching for. Additionally, pay-per-click advertising can be tracked. As an example, Google can identify which keywords generated the most “clicks” and using their conversion tracker, you can also determine which specific keywords led to a sales conversion.

The “pay-per-click” model does require a cash outlay, though Google generally won’t bill your credit card until the end of the month. At first, you will want to monitor your Adwords account frequently to ensure you are not spending more than you intend, although once you have your ads and website optimized, you will likely want (and happily buy) all the traffic Google can send you, because you know it will be profitable.

We have only covered two methods of generating traffic to your site. In future articles, we will cover many more.

Some may be rather confused by the word “copywriting”. After all, what does copying have to do with writing?

Here’s perhaps the simplest way to answer the question. All writers borrow; no one starts just from scratch. Copywriters are merely more upfront about it.

It makes more sense if you consider the purpose of advertising itself, which is to trigger certain emotional responses and move people to make a certain action. If the desired action is made then the writings purpose has been accomplished.

Copywriters recognize that human beings are complex. Exactly what motivates us to take action is often unclear.

So, you start with an advertising piece that you know is effective, and borrow elements from it. Every aspect of a sales letter is modeled after other, earlier, successful writings, beginning with the headline.

A classic headline from the previous century went like this: “They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Began To Play…”. This particular headline has been the basis of hundreds of later headlines. Why is it effective? There are at least two emotionally charged ideas present, and probably more. The skilled writer knows what tool is required to achieve a certain effect, and moreover knows how to use it.

There are certain elements usually present in well-written headlines.

Numbers can be an effective means of drawing the reader in. Consider headlines like, “The Five Steps You Must Take…” or the “Seven Tricks…”. The mind sometimes loves specific numbers.

Another well-known technique is the word “secrets” or some variation. This idea is used in at least two senses. Firstly, people love the idea of obtaining secret information that will give them an upper hand. On the flip side, no one likes the idea of other people gaining this secret knowledge and keeping an advantage over themselves.

The final widely-copied element I’ll mention today is the use of a story in a headline. Yes, you can tell a “story”, or hint at one, with just a few words. One of the most famous (and effective) is the “One Legged Golfer” headline. It’s an absolutely true story, and I’ll point out that the best stories are often stories from real life.

With these elements together, we could come up with a headline like this:

“Blind Welfare Mother of Three Discovers the 5 Hidden Secrets To Opening a Checking Account, Even If You’re On ChexSystems ‘Black List’ “.

I hope this article has helped you see that when copywriters “copy”, they are merely borrowing ideas, not the actual words of other writers.

Okay, now I’m going to tell you something about hooks that you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

You likely know about using a hook in salescopy… that’s one of the ways we GET prospects to read.

And since the more our prospects read… the more often they buy… you need to KEEP them reading. One way is using “micro-hooks”.

Since humans are a curious lot… leaving things temoprarily incomplete is a secret weapon I use to keep them engaged with my copy.

Curiosity will keep people digging to find answers… that means they will read more of your salescopy.

Sure… it’s pretty basic psychology, but it’s a great weapon in your copywriting arsenal.

Mark Joyner talkes about this phenomena in his book Mind Control Marketing. It’s called the Zeigarnik Effect.

When I wrote his copy for the 7 Day Business Turnaround… I used this technique a lot.

Wany an example?

In one section of copy, I needed to write about the precise 4 steps for a turnaround.

and after that I wrote:

“That’s it. Pretty simple… at least on the outside. With that strategy alone, you could engineer a turnaround. If you know the tactics to accomplish each step, my work is done here. Go forth and execute. If you don’t… keep reading to uncover your answer. Okay, seems pretty simple doesn’t it?”

But I didn’t give them all the details… but enough to give some real information.

I told them if they didn’t know the strategies… they would be revealed in the letter.

Do you think that made people uncomfortable?

You bet it did, because if they were in need of a business turnaround, they HAD TO KNOW THE ANSWER.

Here’s one more example.

Later, I showed the mechanism that made turnarounds work.

So I wrote:

“That’s the process for your 7 Day Turnaround. It’s the same thing a Fortune 500 would do, just made so bloody simple a 2nd grade teacher could do it (more about that in a minute)”

Heh heh heh…

How in the world could anyone resist something that simple?

And the words “more on that in a minute” literally hooked them into reading until they found out!

That leter is a clinic on “micro-hooks”.

It’s a fantastic lesson on keeping people engaged in your advertising.

Oh yeah. One more thing worth noting.

If you’re utilizing this tactic, you need to make certain you CLOSE THE LOOP.

If you make people too uncomfortable, they will leave. So make sure you fulfill the promise for more… or you are just another “lying marketer”.

If the loop remains open, not only will they view you as a liar… you’ve ruined the buying climate.

But don’t give readers ALL the answers in your copy… or they won’t buy your product.

If you do business online, then you know that your sales copy can mean the difference between making a ton of money and just breaking even.

While some business owners choose to learn the ins and outs of writing effective sales copy themselves, most of them would rather just pay someone else to do it.

But finding the right freelance copywriter can sometimes be much harder than you’d think.

So what do you need to know to make sure you’re making the right choice when it comes to hiring a freelance copywriter?

Here are just a few important tips:

1. Don’t Ignore the First Impression

You’ll find a long list of different personality types in the copywriting world. Some are meek and mild and some think that you owe them 50% of your business just for taking your call.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind, “How they do anything is how they do everything.”

So if you get some clue or feeling not to move forward with someone on your list of potential freelance copywriters, don’t ignore it.

2. Who Cares Who You Hire if They’re Making You Millions?

When you’re looking for a good freelance copywriter, you want to find out about the successes they’ve helped their clients create.

But most sales letters don’t bring in the millions… at least not right away. Testing and tweaking are often required. And it’s during those times that the quality of your freelance copywriter will make a huge difference.

If your freelance copywriter chooses to blame your or your business for the results, rather than the writing… that’s something that can really get you frustrated. And it won’t make you any money at all.

So when you’re interviewing your list of freelance copywriters, don’t forget to ask what happens when a promotion creates less than stellar results.

The answer to that question will help you make a smart hiring decision.

3. Results Guarantees: the Sign of a Crazy Freelance Copywriter

No freelance copywriter can guarantee you a certain level of results. If that’s what you’re looking for, the only takers you’ll find are writers so desperate, they’ll say anything to get your business.

If a potential freelance copywriter showers you with promises of big results, run the other way. They either don’t know the nature of the business or they’re just saying whatever they have to to get your business.