5 Ways To Create Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines

If your e-marketing subject line doesn't grab attention, your customers and prospects will simply hit "delete" without even bothering to read what's inside. So how do you create subject lines that help ensure click-ins?

1. Keep it short and punchy: In its 2007 Email Benchmark Guide, MarketingSherpa concludes, "When it comes to subject lines, shorter is better." Our digital attention span is short and your "teaser" line should be, too.

2. Use the recipient's name: People are more inclined to open an email if you address them personally. For example: "Matthew, here is your affordable IT solution."

3. Avoid the spam monsters: Make sure your subject line doesn't trigger spam filters. Use SPAM content checker and send it to your own email address to test.

4. Make sure you're using the right words: Certain words trigger responses better than others. Check out Google Analytics to see which words are often searched; it's likely that those same words will motivate prospects.

5. Don't get sloppy: Take an extra couple of minutes to use spell checker, proofread yourself, and then ask someone else to proofread as well. The last thing you want is to appear unprofessional.

Marketing Communications With Added Value

I specialize in web content writing and marketing communications, pure and simple. But these days, no one stands alone. I'm often asked, "Who should I use for design?" Or: "What about search engine optimization?" Or, "Can you give me the name of a good lettershop?"

As a result, I've put together a list of services you should bookmark. Here are just a few:

Search engine optimization: Thad Thompson at www.optimizemyroi.com. He's great.

Designers: Leslie Harrold at lthworld.com. Julie Nykiel at jnykiel@ameritech.net.

Lettershop: Steve Ross at sbr@compuletter.com.

Twitter: Grow your network with http://topfollowed.com. Or http://tweetpenguin.com

I'm here to make your web content writing and brochure writing jobs a little easier. I serve as the hub of a virtual network so you can just hand off the job...and I'll do the rest.

Do More With Less With Your Marketing Communications

In an economy like this one, all too many companies try to do less with less. They dig in and cut back, while their competition steams ahead. They put that great idea on hold. And when the recession ends -- as it always inevitably does -- they are behind the eight-ball.

Someone once said, "There are no challenges, just opportunities." That doesn't mean that the opportunities can't be merged with the realities of today's market. It just means that just because times are lean, you don't need to sacrifice your hard-earned market share. Here's how:

1. Work with an established freelancer instead of a full-fledged ad agency: In an economic downturn like this, many writers are new to the freelance market and haven't proven themselves quite yet. So the key word is "established". A freelancer can cost far less than a Madison Avenue shop. FAR less.

2. Get social: It's time to get involved in the online conversation. Register your company on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Del.i.cious and others and gain visibility.

3. Stand out in the industry: Don't rely on the same old elevator noise -- "results, quality, service." Ask yourself what your key differentiators are. What makes you better than your competitors? Why do clients and customers keep coming back to you? How would you sell yourself if you were sitting across from a client? Make sure this is communicated throughout your marketing communications.

4. Above all else, don't give up on your marketing goals because resources are scarcer: Many writers, designers, and other professionals will work with you to accommodate your budget, with the expectation of building a relationship. Be sure to ask if prices are negotiable. Within reason, they usually are.

The five biggest mistakes of creating web content

Your website design and formatting is of crucial importance, of course. Done correctly, you'll get maximum click-throughs. But what about converting visitors to enthusiastic customers? That's where website content comes in.

All too often, though, companies will spend a fortune on design and then make major mistakes when it comes to content. Here are five of the most common mistakes...

1. Write long, tedious paragraphs: The human eye can only take in six lines at a time. Web copy must be short and compelling. The fact is, no one has the time to read your long tome.

2. Talk about yourself, not your customer: It's almost like a salesperson who instantly touts all the great things about his or her product, without bothering to see if the customer has a need. If you identify with the customer's challenges, he or she is more likely to see your company as a solution.

3. Use generic words like "quality, service, results": Your company is not the only company that believes it offers great quality and service. But how do you prove it? The more specific you are, the more likely the customer is to believe you.

4. Rely on a lot of jargon: It's been proven: B2B sites are far more likely to get clicks if the customer loses the jargon and uses a more accessible tone. That doesn't mean promotional; it DOES mean clear, communicative, and to-the-point.

5. Forget that web content is a science, not just an art: Search engines send out little spiders, to scan the content on the page and index that content based on keywords they find. A successful web content writer must leverage that science to increase visibility.

By sidestepping these mistakes -- and hiring a professional writer -- who knows what she's doing -- you can build responses and business.