Be- engagingAs a small business owner, you may have figured out the perfect solution for a common problem held by many people in your target audience. However, if your marketing copy  does not attract and keep your prospects’ attention, any promotional material used after that is pointless. The goal for effective on-line content is to engage the prospect and grab their attention.
Here are three ways to ensure that your on- line content is engaging and prospects are attracted to your business and respond to your marketing materials.
 
1. Understand that it’s not about you.

If you study most small business marketing copy, you may notice a lot of talk about the people who work there. However, beyond the “about” section most prospects are not interested in reading copy that is dominated with the frequent uses of the words “we,” “our” or the company name repeatedly.
The problem with this type of language is that it doesn’t appeal to prospects because it comes across as self serving rather than concentrating on what the prospect stands to gain from becoming a client or customer of the company.  After all, your prospects are only concerned about their own needs and desires and how well your product or services produces results.  A great strategy for incorporating prospects into your marketing message is writing copy that reads more conversational and less like an  essay. The usage of words such as: “you,” “your” and “you’re” will personalize your message and make it reader friendly.

2.   Address a common problem and/or  need held by the average prospect in your target group.

Certainly you must identify the common problems or challenges held by your prospects (in your target group) before writing any effective copy to market to them. If you don’t know your prospects’ problems, you’ll have a difficult time writing content that gets their attention. Before you attempt to write promotional copy, make certain that you have accurately identified the primary challenges and concerns that your prospects have. Here are a few questions to consider: What keeps your prospects awake at night? What would they pay anything to have? What are your prospect’s biggest business challenges?  If they could wave a magic wand, what one thing would they want for their business?
Once you have this information, you can create copy that speaks directly to your prospects. Your copy will then be more relevant and engaging to them.
If you’re interested in learning about your prospects’ thoughts, needs and challenges one very effective way to obtain answers is to survey them. If you’re actively building a mailing list, simply ask your subscribers about their most pressing issues related to your product or service. Once you have a targeted list of prospects, you can then adjust your marketing efforts to cater to the primary needs held by that group of people.

3.  Provide education-based content, high value and results.

The best way to engage your prospects is to educate them. You have the ability to become an invaluable and trusted resource to your prospects by giving them educational information that helps address their problems related to your product or service. Therefore sharing your knowledge will create value in your prospects mind for your content and your services. If you share your knowledge, both in your marketing materials and face-to-face occasions, you will move a lot faster in the know-like-trust barometer. Each time you offer expertise, give insight or answer a basic question, you further establish yourself as an expert in your field or niche. And don’t you agree that most people prefer working with experts they know, like and trust?
Of course many consultants and coaches are very hesitant about offering free advice or educational content because they fear that their prospects will become window shoppers or ‘do-it-themselves’ types and never pay for their coaching services. Don’t worry about this scenario.  The prospects who want and need your services will value your information, educational content and are more likely to hire you at some point down the road once you have demonstrated your knowledge, expertise and value. Finally, demonstrate “social proof” of people who have used your advice and obtained positive results for their business. Once you have shown results that you have been able to help others achieve, your expert status has been verified.

© 2012 Quality Media Consultant Group, LLC – All Rights Reserved

This article is written by Lori A. Manns. Want to use this article for your website, blog or newsletter? No problem. Here’s what you must include: Lori A. Manns, CEO of Quality Media Consultant Group your marketing and sales success mentor, and founder of Marketing For Trailblazers System;TM  that shows you how to get more clients, more visibility and increase your income, guaranteed. To purchase consulting  services on marketing, advertising or sales and, learn how to increase your revenue and grow your business; please visit www.qualitymediaconsultants.com.