Keep it Simple Stupid (The KISS Lesson)

Did you know…
8 out of 10 people read a headline, and not one word more.
Is that enough?

Only if the phone rings…online orders increase…you make more money.

Is the headline that all-powerful? Yes! Think of your own reading behavior: How often do you read a headline…and not one word more?

Here’s 1 trick to crafting a keep ‘em reading header:
Deliver a complete message – in 15 words or less.

6 ways to make it happen:

1. Write a mini sentence, complete with subject, verb, object.

2. Use vibrant nouns and verbs, skip adjectives, adverbs and lowly modifiers.

3. Engage our senses, write so we can see, taste, feel, hear and smell.

4. Build a sense of urgency. Push our “now or never” button.

5. State the benefit – how we’ll feel better, get a problem solved – if we take action now.

6. Skip “and” “a” “the” — we’ll still know what you mean.

What’s the job of a headline?
To get you to read the first sentence.
That’s it, there’s no punch line, because it’s not a joke: If you don’t write a good headline, no one will read your first sentence. If you can’t get them to read your first sentence, you’re not going to sell your product.

How do you write a good headline?
First, know your target market: Who they are, what their problem is, how you can help.

Second, write the headline first…and write as many as you can. Why?

1. It helps you clarify the gist of your offer

2. Creative headlines take time to evolve

3. You’ll spend less time writing your article

4. The extra headlines can be great ideas for future content (be sure to save them!)

3 headline styles that work best

1. A numbered list – 10 Tips to Financial Security – is descriptive and the benefit to the reader is clear.

2. A question – Is your partner leading a double life? – captures the imagination, because it hits a common fear: After the Tiger Woods scandal, NBC news reported that many marriages hit the rocks when wives (mostly) began suspecting their husbands of cheating. Choose a question that feeds on the “need to know” hook.

3. How to – We strive for mastery. Tell us how to cook, clean, build, drive, walk…and we’ll keep reading.

Remember, you only have a few seconds to capture attention. Write a powerful headline, and you’ve taken the first step towards your next sale.

The Best Day to send an Email Campaign

I have found that the only legitimate way to find out what the best day is for your business is to conduct an A/B split test of your own. By taking a "control" email and testing it against other days, you'll be able to test your way into a good sense of the best day to send out your emails.

So the question is, "That's fine, but where do I start? Aren't there a few days of the week that work better than others and can't I start by testing those?"

Well, yes, there are some days that work better than others and you could start by testing those days. With that in mind, here's how I broke out that information:

Monday
Positive: Office work has not filled inboxes yet
Negative: Consumers are in “work mode” and won’t be focused on non-work tasks
Best Practice: Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes

Tuesday
Positive: People have organized their week, and can find personal time for emails
Negative: Emails poised for a weekend response may be too early
Best Practice: Use Tuesday for emails that request action during the workweek

Wednesday/Thursday
Positive: Consumers are planning their weekends and gearing up for personal time
Negative: Time during the workweek is running short, and requested action may be pushed back to the following week, or even forgotten about
Best Practice: Focus leisure and weekend notifications during these key weekend planning days

Friday
Positive: Studies indicate fewer total emails sent compared to the rest of the week, increasing visibility among the myriad of other messages
Negative: Consumers hurry to leave the office early, and may not take time to view non-work related emails
Best Practice: Send emails early in the day to give consumers more time to take action. An unopened email from Friday will sort to the bottom of an inbox on Monday, and is often discarded

Weekends
Positive: People check emails on weekends, too, so weekends may have untapped potential
Negative: A weekend email may seem overly-intrusive to some people
Best Practice: If possible, try to avoid Sundays and focus on Saturdays, which may have a better response rate

And always have an offer in your email, always!
Plus if you do a "Click and Print Coupon" make sure you make the actual print coupon black and white. People are more likely to print a B&W coupon (save on ink!)

Sell the Hole, not the Drill Bit.

Well...I love tools and love to talk about marketing so this will work out great!
1000 people go to the hardware store everyday to buy a 1/4" drill bit, however they DO NOT want to 1/4" drill bit, they want a 1/4" hole.

Nobody wants a hearing aid, people want to enjoy spending time with their family.
Nobody wants a new furnace, people want to have their children warm in their home.
Are you selling the hole, or the bit? Remember in Sales 101, the acronym FAB....meaning Feature, Advantage, and Benefit. Always remember to advertise the benefit to your customer.
Break down what you are promoting into the Feature, the Advantage of that, and then the end benefit to the customer!

I however need the drill bits, the saw, the router, the hammer, the wood, the screwdriver, and every other tool! Just ask my wife, she will tell you I "think" I need every tool! (I love you Nicole)