Making Choices…

Let’s get to the heart of marketing, shall we?

In this technical world, the big rage is mastering social media and 

e-marketing.  We’re now immersed in a new world of mastering placement on search engines and finding the right domain names.  We recognize the value of publicity and building our list. 

But there’s one essential that’s the foundation for EVERYTHING we do… finding the right words.  How do make your words work for you?  How do you write effectively to build your business?  There is a way to do that…

Great writing is what great marketing is all about.  Plain and simple.  (Actually, great writing is the foundation for almost anything.)

Copywriting can be simply factual – as in technical writing – or emotional.  Emotional writing is what I love to do.  Why?  Because writing with emotion creates a bond with your audience.  They feel like you understand them.  (And you do – because you’re putting yourself in their shoes.)  When you create that bond, you’re more likely to sell products or services, and ultimately attract more clients.

Let’s get down to the basics.  What are the most common buying emotions?

They are: greed, fear, flattery, guilt, exclusivity and redemption.  By reviewing the cause behind each emotion, you can learn to slant your copy towards them.  Let’s take a moment to study this list…

EMOTION  ……..  CAUSE …………   RESPONSE

Greed …………… Desire for more…..  Keeping up with neighbors

Fear…………       Lack of stability……..Need guarantee

Flattery…………. High ego…………….Desires compliments

Guilt……………..Lack of justification…..Need for reassurance

Exclusivity………Need to be the best…. Seeks new services

Anger……………Feels abused………….Wants justice

Redemption…….. Faces problems……….Needs the answer

When you decide on the emotional basis for your copy, make sure it relates to your target audience.  What do they desire?

Every person has a different communication style.  Your task is to offer your information in a way that touches the heart of your target audience.

That’s plenty of food for thought…  For now, take a look at your promotional copy.  Does it tie in with an emotion?  Does it relate to your target audience?  How does it make them feel?

To Your Success,

Lynn

Park Avenue Productions

“Multimedia That Makes A Difference”

www.parkaveproductions.com

It’s interesting how influential visual media has become in our daily lives.   Whether it’s television, movies or videos, our eyes are bombarded with images both day and night.  

Yet, equally important is the need to craft that story with effective writing.  Compelling writing can be placed in blogs, in articles, advertising and publicity releases.  Writing is the foundation of how others view our business.

Northwestern professor, Fred Shafer, shared his insights last fall at a writer’s meeting on creating effective writing.  To a packed audience, with my colleagues hanging on his every word, Fred offered his wisdom.  Here’s what he said…

1.  “Good writing is designed for the ear, not eye.  Long before I write stories, I listened for stories… ”

2.  “Narrative writing is all about movement.  Effective and pleasing movement is made possible by variations in sentence length and structure.”

3.  “Longer sentenes can convey an emotional rush.  Words can spill out… they can pull things together that belong together.”

4.  “Shorter sentences slow down the narrative.  They show urgency.  Emphasis.  And how a process is carried out methodically.”

5.  “Long and short sentences work together to create a pleasing movement.”

6.  “What makes writing beautiful?  It’s rhythm… Changes in paragraphs are not as much about subject but about changes in emotion.”

So, the next time you’re sitting across an empty page, imagine how you’d talk to someone about your message.  

Listen to the rhythm of your sentences.  Do they vary in length?  What choice of words are you using?  Do long sentences alternate with short ones?  As you become more conscious of your writing, you’ll be honing your skill in creating a compelling story… even if the story is about you. 

Well, time has been flying by, and thank goodness — it’s SPRING!  Hooray!

“Amelia,” the musical about Amelia Earhart went well, and we had a great crowd… lots of positive feedback too.   Soon, we’ll start the process of revising.  Never realized how much revising goes into creative projects like this…

As an interesting note, due to our publicity in the Pioneer Press, we received a note from an organization named, Zonta, the oldest women’s business association.  Earhart was actually one of their most notable members.  Zonta wants us to perform excerpts from “Amelia” at their benefit on May 21st.  So — Chloe Bolan, Dave Flippo and I — along with Tobi (who played Amelia at Theatre Building Chicago) will be performing for Zonta’s event. 

Besides that — I’m finishing a new children’s non-fiction book about Social Justice…. the idea is about how kids can make a difference in the world.  Through my research, I’ve discovered several inspiring organizations, created by youth, who will be noted in this book.   I’m looking forward to seeing this book come to life!

Please feel free to drop me a note!  Did you see “Amelia?”  What do you think about a book on Social Justice for kids?