A “feature” is something you offer, a “benefit” is what your clients get if they hire you. Guess which one has the biggest impact on your clients? Benefits can be tangible or intangible. Example: Goodyear doesn’t sell “tires,” they’re selling safe transportation for those you love.

Here’s another example: Let’s say I sell widgets. If someone asks me what makes my widgets better than my competitors, I’d probably answer by listing the features of my widgets:

My widgets are the best produced widgets.

• We use only the finest ingredients in our widgets.
• My employees take great pride in the making of our widgets.

Does my potential customer care about any of that? Well, not exactly. Here’s what probably matters to the customer:

• How much does it cost?
• Will it work properly?
• What if it doesn’t?
• How many available colors are there?
• How long will these widgets last?

Now, I’m a good widget business owner, and I know the answer to all those questions, too; it’s just not the first thing I think of when I’m talking about my business.

But it can be! The “trick,” as it were, is to change your focus to concentrate on answering the questions that matter to your customer. Meeting the needs of your customers, both spoken and unspoken, is the hallmark of good customer service. Oh, and it’s good for business, too!

Why is this so darn important? Well, because if you don’t define your market, how can you write to your prospective clients about the things that matter to them? And if you don’t write about what matters to them, you won’t touch them in ways that make them want to take action - buy your product, or hire you, for example?

2. Features versus benefits.
Put yourself in the mind of your prospective client and view your product or service from their point of view. Most business owners can tell you about the “features” they offer, but not always about how those features “benefit” the customer. And since the customer is - by definition - the person purchasing your goods or services, doesn’t it make sense to focus on the benefits to them?

Good example: I don’t remember which tire company ran a commercial with an infant floating inside a tire on a pool of water. The baby looked warm and dry and safe. The official “feature” was the good traction the tires provide in wet conditions, but the “benefit” being sold was you providing safety for your family. See the difference?

3. Do some competitive research, and use that research to enhance your marketing materials.
The Internet offers you great opportunities to see how others in your field are marketing themselves. You might find approaches that you can adapt to your own business.

Other things to do: (a) Get pricing information on goods and services similar to yours. (b) Use a keyword research tool like Overture to see what search terms people are using to find products like yours.

4. There are few things worse than a blank piece of paper!
I saw a Spongebob Squarepants episode recently in which Spongebob had to write a 500 word essay. He had about eight hours to do it, and by the end of 7 hours, all he had to show was a series of false starts, crossed out words, and a title.

This is certainly my experience as well. Don’t go for “perfect” the first time through. What works better, I’ve found, is to just write and write and write until all your thoughts are out on paper. Don’t worry about style or grammar, just get the words out. Afterwards, you can go back and revise, edit, and polish.

5. Write like you talk.
I read somewhere recently (probably in some of my own competitive research) that although people sometimes think a “formal” writing style sounds “professional,” it isn’t the most effective way to communicate. I agree wholeheartedly.

And while it may be an oversimplification for me to suggest you write exactly like you talk, here are the basics: a) Go for a conversational style. You’re building a relationship with prospective customers, so it’s okay to let your personality shine through. b) Talk directly to the recipient of your letter or email; you want to tell them why they’re hiring “you.” c) Don’t refer to yourself in the third person. Although this is appropriate for press releases and professional bios, it’s not effective in direct communication with a prospective client or customer.

This article focuses on how to send out a good press release. (Question: What’s a “good” press release? Answer: One that gets used by the media!)

There are two secrets to writing a good press release - 1) remember that the information must be news, not advertising, and 2) write in “inverted pyramid” style.

What is a press release (or news release) anyway? It’s a document you send to media outlets (newspapers, TV and radio stations, web sites) to announce a new product, a seminar you’re offering, a new partnership, the move to a new location, or any other newsworthy item. The press release must also be timely (something is happening now or in the near future).

And on to the first secret: A press release is first and foremost news for your community, and NOT free advertising for your business.

Remember that the media outlets to whom you’re sending your press release depend on advertising for profitability. Advertising is “paid” publicity for your business. A press release must be “newsworthy” first and foremost. You’re essentially asking for “free” publicity, but you’ll only get it if you’re offering something of interest to the media’s readers, viewers, or listeners. If you send out a news release which looks like advertising, it will most likely be tossed out.

The second step is to write in an inverted pyramid, or journalistic, style. This basically means that the first paragraph contains all the pertinent information - everything the reader needs to get the gist of the story.
Each additional paragraph expands upon the first one, with more details added, quotes from participants, etc. BTW, this style of writing is called an “inverted pyramid” because it takes the traditional pyramid style of exposition (start with a problem, give the background, talk about options, make recommendations, state conclusions) and turns it upside down. In inverted pyramid style, your story starts with the end result!

So for example, a press release which I wrote recently for a client started like this:

“LOCAL NON-PROFIT SUPPORT GROUP REBUILDS AFTER FIRE; REGULAR MEETINGS RESUME

Move Ahead Positively, Inc. resumed its weekly support group meetings this week for people who are suffering the loss of a loved one, due to separation, divorce, break-up, or death. The meetings, held on Tuesdays at 6:30pm at 501 Temple Street, were suspended last fall after the non-profit’s building was damaged by fire.”

That’s the first paragraph - it has all the main elements a reader needs to know. For this press release, the next paragraph talks about how the group met in a temporary location for a while, and the third paragraph tells more about the support group leader. The fourth, and concluding paragraph, gives contact information for the group.

Keep it simple and short - 250-350 words.

I’ve seen some research recently which suggests that close to 75% of the stories that end up in newspapers get there via press releases. So the best press releases are “win-win” - newsworthy content for the media, and some publicity for you.

Once your press release is finished, what’s the next step? Well, you have a couple of choices. When I first started sending out press releases for myself and my clients, I did some research and made lists of media outlets I wanted to reach. I created a database with contact names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses. This first list was based in West Virginia, since that’s my geographical location. (And if you don’t want to do the research yourself, check out www.gebbieinc.com.)

However, if your product is for a nationwide audience, you might want to consider PR Newswire.com; they will send news releases out for you - neighborhood, nationwide, international, or any combination of the above.

Bottom line: the next time you have a newsworthy item to report, don’t hesitate to send it to the media - if you do it right, they’ll be happy to hear from you!

So what do you do? Well, some businesses write the new content themselves; others outsource their marketing needs to professional copywriters. Copywriting, or business writing, is any kind of writing that sells your product or service. Sales letters, newsletters, brochures, billboards, TV/radio commercials - all are examples of copywriting. But the Internet has grown to such a huge force in marketing and sales that it’s created a whole new sub-specialty in copywriting: web copywriting, or sales copy written specifically for the Internet.

Hmm, you may think, isn’t copywriting copywriting? Well, all copywriting has some common elements: there is a product or service to sell, a specific audience is being targeted; a good headline and strong lead-in are critical.

But there are some key differences as well. The Internet is its own arena and you can use that to your advantage if you know how. Whether you write your own words, or hire someone else, keep these key points in mind as you create your web pages.

The medium is still the message. Writing for the Internet is different from writing for print because people reading web copy “scan” the page rather than read every word. It’s estimated that you need 50% fewer words on the Internet than you do if you send the same material out via a direct-mail campaign. Of course, you still need enough copy to cover the pros and cons. A higher-priced item will need more copy than a lower-priced one, and even a free offer needs some copy supporting it.

“What’s in it for me?” Your reader always thinks this, so be aware of the frame-of-mind of your potential customer—what do they want that you can provide? You may be too close to your product to see what its benefits are. A good web copywriter will ask enough questions and get to know your business well enough so that he or she can communicate to your customer the wonderful, exclusive, and “I-have-to-have-this” aspects of your product.

Stop-’em-dead-in-their-tracks-headline. You need a riveting headline. Copywriters in general are trained to write headlines that encapsulate the value of your product or service, but this is especially important on the Internet, where it is so easy to “click away.” The tone of the headline should not be sales-like but have an editorial feel. You may craft 30-50 test headlines, let them sit for a day or two and then look at them again. Is it the best one to meet your objective? Reach your target audience?

Don’t write “at”—chat! Remember, the Internet is a folksy place, not a corporate conference room. Most copywriters are trained to write “at” their audience, thinking of the audience as “them.” Web copywriters think of talking “to” one person at a time in a friendly, informal way. Whenever possible, use “I” instead of “we” or “our.”

The formatting is different. It’s hard to read one huge block of text on the Internet; most people just don’t bother unless they find something interesting that catches their eye. Use blank spaces, short paragraphs, headings (and sub-headings) to divide your copy into manageable chunks. Use boxes and bullets to highlight important points and try easy-to-read san-serif fonts like Verdana or Arial.

Develop relationships with your customers. Did you know that most people who bookmark a site never return to it? A good web copywriter helps you develop relationships with your customers by 1) inserting devices to capture contact information on your web site and 2) writing follow-up emails that build rapport!

Looking for information? People go to the web looking for information, not a sales pitch. Some businesses approach the Internet as a giant shopping channel, which it’s not. Your web site should be free of hype. What you are providing is that is of value to your visitors.

Know the prime real estate. A web copywriter knows that the first eyeful of your web site is the most important piece of real estate you own online, so he or she will not suggest you fill it up with fancy graphics or the logo for your company. As nice as those elements are, they shouldn’t take up the whole top of the screen.

Use the “links” feature. One of the great things about a web page is the way it can link to a number of other sources, all of which contain information to help your prospect make up his or her mind. Use this to your advantage in linking to, for example, a testimonials page about your products.

Even if you have a great product or service to offer, you may get lots of “clicks,” but not customers. Remember, your web copy is the primary tool you have to convert your web site traffic into customers. Whether you decide to hire a pro or go it alone, use the tips above to make your copy the best it can be!

Establishing quick rapport can mean the difference between conversion to a repeat customer and a visitor who clicks away for good. So what’s the most important factor?

In a study conducted at UCLA, Dr. Albert Mehrabian found that when live, verbal, vocal and visual signals are inconsistent, content counts for a mere 7% of the overall message. In such situations, 55% of the message is transmitted by facial expression and body language; and 38% comes from voice quality—pitch, tone, volume, and inflection.

How does this apply to your website?

Consider these three ways to use audio to boost your website conversion rates:

1. Add a simple audio message to your home page that welcomes visitors and asks them to take a specific action, sign up for your ezine, for example.
2. Add a talking avatar to blend in a visual with your welcome message; more senses engaged means more total engagement! In November 2007, an online company, Small Business Trends, reported that using a talking avatar of its CEO increased newsletter signups by 144%.
3. Offer a subscription to a podcast with valuable content for your potential clients. With the market for mp3 players predicted to grow to over 280 million by the year 2010, offering a downloadable monthly audio, or podcast, can now reach and impact a wider audience.

The bottom line: Most business owners can attract more leads, build the “know, like, and trust” factor with prospects, and increase bottom line results dramatically by adding a higher level of “voice persuasion” to the marketing mix. With a little planning and the aid of some user-friendly technology, you can be up and running in minutes