Is Your Content a Platform for Selling or Negotiating?

June 4, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

Buyers are paid to negotiate the best deal for their companies. Sales people want to sell, not negotiate. What role does the content that leads the buyer to the seller play?

When done right, company content can support sales efforts and divert many of the tactics used by buyers to negotiate. Below are some popular negotiating tactics buyers use and ways content can act as a platform for selling, not negotiating.

Your price is too high or Your competition is cheaper. Content should explain your unique selling proposition – all that makes you different from your competitors. Perhaps it is a customized solution, materials used, or area of expertise. When you know who you are, what you offer, and why your audience is looking to buy don’t discount, differentiate.

I’m Not the Decision Maker. Address the decision maker in your content. For instance, if you are selling trucking logistics in the entertainment industry speak to the tour production manager in the copy, not the entertainer. Content should reflect their concerns and a solution.

Add this and we have a deal. The ability to do so may not be within your company’s capability. Be explicit about your areas of expertise in your content and let buyers know it is a lack of ability, not desire, which keeps you from fulfilling their request. When you are able but not inclined to add something review your content then ask them for something in exchange.

This is my best & final offer. Make it clear in your content that you are not for everyone. Companies that pretend to be the answer for everyone, every time are not credible. Know when to walk away. It makes the audience remaining feel select.

Silence. This kind of stonewalling can intimidate companies that are uncertain and desperate. The best response may be a friendly and confident sounding email that lists why you think you’ve lost touch. A closing line may read something like this: “ Let me know if the problem is one of these or something I haven’t mentioned.”

Sweeten the pot. Mention in your content that you provide added value through extended warranties, guarantees, training, superior quality materials or whatever. This way you change the standard. The tone of your content can reflect your company’s position. Context is important to fend off overly high expectations. If you offer exclusives, say so.

We will start small then do lots more business with you… Separate the projects. Putting prices on your website gives everyone a place to start. Charge the amount on the site for the small project. When advantageous, assess possibilities for future business and be flexible.

Website copy, white papers, case studies, blog posts, social media and more are forms of content that lead a buyer to you and support your team throughout the sales cycle.

Google Places Out, Google+Local In

May 31, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

Google announced the launch of Google+local this week — a move which effectively converted more than 80 million Google Places pages into Google+local pages. So, if you didn’t get around to creating a Google+ page yet, you can thank Google for getting you started.

Local information integrated across Google

Of course, there’s a reason for all this, not the least of which is to gain more traction for Google+. Users can now click on the new “Local” tab on the bottom left-hand side of Google+ to search for specific places or browse for locations. If you click on a restaurant, or a place, you’ll be taken to a local Google+ page that includes photos, Zagat scores and summaries, reviews from people you know and trust, and other useful information like address and opening hours.

As part of the move, Google replaced its five-star review system with the Zagat 30-point rating scale. Google has also added depth to the reviews by adding ratings on service, atmosphere and the like. Individual scores will be rated on a zero to 3 point scale, averaged and then multiplied by 10 to create an average score where 26-30 is near perfection and 0-9 is poor to fair.

26-30	Extraordinary to perfection
21-25	Very good to excellent
16-20	Good to very good
10-15	Fair to good
0-9	Poor to fair

What’s a business to do?

For now, according to the Google and Your Business Blog, businesses should continue to update their company info via their Google Places page, but eventually this will be phased out. If you already had a Google+ business page, you might check to be sure you don’t have two.

“If you are a business owner, you should continue to manage your information in Google Places for Business,”said Jen Fitzpatrick, VP Engineering, in the Google and Your Business Blog. “You’ll still be able to verify your basic listing data, make updates, and respond to reviews. For those who use AdWords Express, your ads will operate as normal as they’ll automatically redirect people to the destination you selected, or your current listing,”

Implications for local search

There is good news for savvy marketers who have already mastered Google+ because now these pages will be indexed and available across across all Google properties including search, maps and mobile. If you haven’t yet started on Google+, now is a great time to start. But like it or not, your low maintenance Google Places page is now a full blown social media site that needs your attention. Its time to expand your social circles, encourage reviews and engage your followers with great content. Google+ is flexing its local muscle.

Chicago Builder of LIFEhouse Project Generates More Than Publicity

May 28, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

It’s Memorial Day, 2012. This time next year an able but physically disabled veteran wounded in action during the Iraq or Afghanistan war will have a safe, comfortable and beautiful home to live in. The LIFEhouse™ is the second of its kind being built at Newport Cove near Antioch, Illinois. The original house was built in collaboration with the IDEA Center at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York, known for its design work in accessibility.

After walking through a model of the home located on Bluff Lake, an anonymous donor asked builder Susanne Tauke, president of New American Homes, to build one for a wounded vet. She named the project LIFEhouse for a Hero.

Tauke solicited help from several organizations and suppliers who stepped up to donate time and materials and help plan events. The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, Operation Finally Home, the Chicago NFL Players Association and suppliers including LP Building Products, Wausau Supply, Andersen Windows and lots of local trades people: plumbers, surveyors, and carpenters were ready to lend their support.

A press release sent out for an event in April announced that former NFL players would be helping put up siding on the house. Vets showed up at the event too, some from the Vietnam War. “Same blood, different mud,” one said about why he had come. The event generated news stories online, in radio, TV and print.

Newspaper Looks at Relevance Over Immediacy for LIFEhouse Hero Story

While most media published the story on the day of the event, one newspaper, the Northwest Herald, released the LIFEhouse for a Hero story on Memorial Day weekend. Timing is important with news coverage, but this shows you needn’t always be first. Relevance can trump immediacy. Someone at the newspaper held the story until Memorial Day weekend, a timely fit for readers. Review your own editorial calendar or topic list and see what is best to publish and when.

What’s special about the LIFEhouse is more than how it originated. The ranch style layout features coastal architecture, has a large finished basement, wide doorways and hallways, hard wood flooring and no-step entrances. Based on universal design principles, this house is for everyone, and someone special – a wounded vet with mobility challenges. Targeting services or products for someone in particular can increase its appeal because there is a story to tell.

Tauke is candid about how the slow economy has impacted builders. “I’m truly grateful for all the people who have helped with this project. I know times are hard.” Then she says out loud what she’s been thinking all along. “I consider what the veterans of war have gone through and decide I am in a privileged position to orchestrate something positive – a house that will become a home for a wounded veteran and family.”

Website Copywriting Services Rescue Overworked B2B Marketing Managers

May 25, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

Your boss expects you to do everything: manage social media, write advertising copy and blog posts, put together the email newsletter, get a press release out, and help write proposals. Last but not least on your list is writing new copy for the website.

It’s hard. Between meetings, emails and pressing deadlines, website copy can get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. It’s no surprise. Copywriting requires concentration and uninterrupted time. You need time to research, formulate thoughts, write, edit and refine. You know the copy needs to be optimized for the web. That means delving into hundreds of potential keywords before you can even get started.

Should you hire a website copywriting service? Maybe you are afraid it would be more trouble than it’s worth. Perhaps you had a bad experience once. Maybe you don’t know anyone. It takes work to find someone. Maybe you are afraid of what your boss will think? Or afraid to admit you don’t know everything there is to know about website copywriting? So you keep on doing what you’re doing … putting out fires while your website stays stuck in the past.

The importance of search to B2B marketers can’t be overestimated. According to Marketo, “93% of B2B buyers begin their buying process using Internet search.” Your website copy is simply too important to not hire a professional website copywriting service. Things have probably changed considerably since the last time you revised the copy for your website. Competition has increased and marketers are getting more aggressive with their online initiatives.

Some website copywriters will churn out copy without a comprehensive plan for using keywords. If that’s what’s proposed, run the other way, unless you are willing to do it yourself. Selection of keywords requires a focused effort and a writer who understand its importance.

Hiring a Website Copywriter Doesn’t Mean Losing Control
Sometimes I think marketing managers worry about the consequences of letting go of something they used to do themselves. But I believe freeing yourself of the website copywriting responsibility produces better results. Instead of jumping in to write the copy, take time to focus on website objectives, content strategy and tone. Work hand-in-hand with the writer to brainstorm ideas, without having to be burdened with the details. And finally, continue to exercise control and accept accolades for a usable website that gets results.

Take small steps. Consider starting with an optimized press release, then move on to a single website page. Be clear about your objectives and deadlines. The right writer will come to your rescue by delivering great copy when you need it. Find the right website copywriting service and you become the hero.

Ad Blockers: Another Reason to Focus on Content

May 21, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

If you rely on display ads rather than content to generate leads online the growing use of ad blockers may cause you to reconsider. With one click, free ad blocker add-ons are available for every popular web browser. They do what they say they will do – block ads from appearing on all web pages including Facebook and YouTube.

It seems many website visitors are annoyed by a certain kind of advertising. Pop ups, moving animation, and use of audio are among the most annoying. Ads that cover up content irritate visitors too. Google has banned this kind of advertising on its pages. They require static ads and prefer text only without images. They also have rules for ad placement (can’t obscure content). They believe targeted ads enhance the user experience. The default filter on the Mozilla Firefox add-on takes a similar approach. But, the user can choose to block all ads by simply changing the default.

The use of ad blockers is growing. ClarityRay, a company that offers ad block alternatives, reports that 9.26% of ad impressions are blocked in the U.S. and Europe. Some solutions to soothe the ad-intolerant include paying for an ad-free experience as a subscriber. This can help worthy sites that rely on ad revenue stay in business.

Sponsor Content, Feature Content

If you want to generate leads, don’t rely solely on ads. Start generating leads and building social connections through content. Support high quality content as a sponsor, lead online conversations or include feature content on your company website.

Sponsored content is much less offensive to visitors than flashy ads. Food Management magazine has a page on its site for sponsored content including videos and recipes from food companies. Many newspapers online now dedicate a page to sponsored content. Johnson & Johnson’s partnership with the Huffington Post helped create the Post’s Global Motherhood section. The page makes it transparent that J&J is a sponsor.

On the site Johnson & Johnson has an ad as well as their twitter feed. Some sites are ridding themselves of banner ads and replacing them with discussion platforms. The primary commenter is required to monitor the conversation. This is a good way to learn what your audience cares about. Feature content on your site may include white papers and case studies. Share original content and connect with customers.

The use of ad blockers is predicted to double in the next 20 months according to ClarityRay’s research. People are looking for content, not flashy ads. They don’t want gimmicks that interrupt their experience on the site. Becoming a sponsor of quality content or creating your own feature content will position your company well. Ad blockers are one more reason to focus your attention on content.

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