Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon. ~Bertolt Brecht

The SEO keyword grab is on and the main course right now: ‘The Hunger Games‘, what else!? Whatever you write about, whatever your platform, whatever you want people to read right now, put ‘The Hunger Games’ in there somewhere and your chances of getting some clicks increase exponentially.

A lot happens on the train in 'The Hunger Games'

Case(s) in point:

Money:
Forbes, Five Economic Lessons Of The Hunger Games

Religion:
[All in] Christianity Today, Jesus in ‘The Hunger Games’
[All out] Star Tribune, ‘Hunger Games’ snubs religion

Fitness:
Fitness Magazine, Eat for Survival in ‘The Hunger Games’

Travel:
Visit North Carolina, 12 places to experience ‘The Hunger Games’

Politics:
Politico, Mitt Romney: I liked ‘The Hunger Games’
Note: this is more of a headline grab by Romney, Politico is just reporting on it
The Washington Times, “Welcome to Obamaville” is Rick Santorum’s “Hunger Games”

Home Decor:
She Knows: Home and Garden,  Gothic, dramatic, District 12 decor

And one of my personal favorites, a stab at dieting, exercise, commercialism and more plus a brilliant use of some of the hottest trending keywords online combined with humor, sarcasm, and satire:

Here Are Some Tips to Get You Hunger Games Skinny

It’s called smart marketing– organic SEO and understanding trends to promote a product or brand. Not a bad idea really. And in my own small way, I just did it, too.

For better or worse, richer or poorer, in voyeuristic sickness or lightening fast health, Google is my business partner. I use a Gmail address, a Google Voice Phone, know more about the rules of SEO and Bots on Google than other search engines, and log-in via Chrome every day.

(Firefox backs me up on a few non-Chrome-friendly sites.)

But what about my clients (current and potential)? What browsers and search engines do they use? Can they find me where they want to look? What I am about to say is anecdotal and in no way meant to say there are no exceptions. Observations, however, about history might tell me something about how my client uses the web.

An extensive exploration of the history of Internet and email history can be found at Internet History Resource.

I am going to speak to my own historical experience…

…in 1994 my college boyfriend said, “This email thing is really going to catch on in business.” I said, “Pfft, no way. Who wants to sit at a computer all day and not write letters?”
…in 1996 I got my @utexas.edu email address and used it my last semester of college, through my employment at the University, and until my Alumni Membership lapsed.
…I was assigned an email @myemployer.org.
…somehow I skipped @hotmail and another generation were acquiring @aol.com, @sbcglobal.net, @earthlink.net.
…I moved to an @yahoo.com address circa 2003.
…I went to @gmail.com in 2006 and never looked back.

What does my email history say about me demographically? What about my choice of search engines? Remember AskJeeves.com, one of the first ‘real language’ search engines? It still exists: Ask.com. I never use it.

But if my client learned how to use the Internet in 1997 and gained proficiency on AskJeeves.com, who is to say he or she isn’t still using it, or Bing or Yahoo or Dogpile on browsers like Safari, or Firefox, or Explorer or … (there are more browsers out there.)

If I only know how to cater to me and mine as I write copy, consult for SEO, or support a budding blogger wanting to learn how this all works, where does that leave my business and potential client base?

Search Engine History is fascinating. Especially since a portion of it happened before I was even born.

Yes, I meant to say  ’FALLETH’, not fall. ~CCW

It’s a stupid mistake, really. No, not my word choice (though you may have your opinions about that, too.) My mistake in 2011 was to give consulting advice that works but not write and work by my own advice.

Blog. Blog. Blog. Or else,

I tell people ALL THE TIME: blog, blog, blog. You cannot have static content and expect to have decent search engine ratings. Search engines need to know who you are, what you are about, and most importantly, be able to ‘answer’ a few essential questions about you and the services you offer: are you active, interesting, fluid, current? I give a free consultation about this and clients tell me it makes a huge difference in their visibility and, if all the other complexity of factors fall into place, their rankings improve as well.

A year ago, for certain keywords like “copywriter in Austin”, “copywriter Austin TX”, “freelance copywriter Austin TX”, I had a first page ranking. In some cases I was top 4. It wasn’t rocket science or a paid campaign. It was plain old, back to the basics, SEO literate writing, blogging, and attention to content.

Rankings brought clients, clients meant I got busy, busy meant I got too distracted to blog…and now I have  FALLETH. Fallen. Page 2, or worse, is unacceptable. Page 2, without heeding my own advice, is  unavoidable.

“…now there’s something leaner.”~ 1985

“Leggo my Eggo” ~1972

“My bologna has a first name, it’s O.S.C.A.R…” ~1973

“It’s Shake N’ Bake … and we helped.” ~1973

“Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon? But of course.” ~1985

Happy New Year!

“New potato skins got baked potato appeal because they’re made with potatoes and skins that are real.” ~1987

“Zack. Zack. He’s the Lego maniac.” ~circa 1980

“Fall into the Gap” ~1981

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” ~circa 1980

“Cha-ching!” ~1992

“Diet Coke break.” ~circa 1990

“Waz up?” ~1999-2000

“Move over…Generation Next!” ~1997

“Thanks Easter Bunny, Bawk Bawk!” ~circa 2000

Some of these are jingles…some of them are slogans…and some of them are just good lines written by great writers delivered by just the right actor!

Happy New Year!

“I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.” ~Roy Croft

Ok, ok, I used a love quote. Consumers experience what might be considered ‘love’, right? They love the stuff they buy, for awhile. Until another ad convinces them to buy something else. A good advertiser will get you to think, “I will be better in some way if I buy this product.”

There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the essence of marketing. It may sound crass and no one wants to believe that they are going to buy it, but we all do.

Back to the Cloud.
I over heard this phrase from a recent ad campaign said in a casual way as in, “Get to the car,” and came out “To the cloud!” instead. That’s exactly what they want to happen. They want you to think of their product or idea automatically, naturally, subconsciously.

Owning the product RIGHT NOW is the end goal but the way to get there is through the brain first. Not a bad strategy. Advertisers brand brand brand brand our brains with their concepts and eventually, when it comes time to buy, we are – - for good or for bad – - influenced by this information.

To my cloud go the advertisers

I confess, I mulled over a new phone for awhile, a new platform, and one day I just went out and bought it, changed carriers, set it all up and was relieved to have finally made the switch to “that phone.” Now I will be more organized and in-touch with my clients and family, I will be a better me. It’s not that much better than any other phone, really. It was the essence of what the advertisers sold me that drew me in. Fair game. They won this time: I’ve had some real issues from changing carriers and some of the features that I thought came standard on the phone cost extra.

“They” made me do it.
Whose fault is that? Mine? or theirs? It is my responsibility as the consumer. Even so, I don’t think as highly of the company now (they cannot help me resolve some of my issues because I bought the phone from a partner store not corporate store, never mind that the stores look almost identical and no other brand of phone was sold at the location where I handled my transaction). I don’t speak very highly of the company. Without having to crusade against them openly I still take the chance when someone says, oooh – - cool phone, to say – - yea, it’s not all that great.

My testimonial is the aftershock of their good campaign. They can handle my disappointment because for every me there are hundreds of thousands of would-be customers still imagining that life will be better with one of their devices.

If you are a big name company perhaps you can absorb this disillusionment. If you are a small business or depend on referrals you absolutely cannot get away with promising one thing and delivering a product that is less than the stellar version of what you sold in your ads.

Write the truth. Point out any surprises. Always remember that sales turn into referrals or regrets, there is no in between.

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark.  You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.  ~Steuart Henderson Britt

The history of the toothpick is fascinating.

After visiting the Union Oyster House in Boston, I became aware of the distinguished ascent of this little tiny bit of wood. Names and dates and events are chronicled above (see link). What I was struck by is the marketing genius.

A man wants to sell people a stick that they can use to clean food out of their teeth. People already knew how to use these sticks because they could whittle them themselves. So the master of marketing did a few critical things:

• Got a streamlined product
• And got people taking about it

Magnificent Marketing

A Harvard man’s word…
It took some time for toothpicks to catch on and for a new business owner they weren’t catching on fast enough. So he hired some Harvard students to dine at the Union Oyster House and then as the legends of history go, ‘loudly ask for toothpicks’ after the meal was through.

Soon it became a matter of saving face for ‘America’s Oldest Restaurant’ to provide toothpicks to the patrons.

Brilliant? Or icky?
It depends on how you define success. We still use commercial, mass-produced toothpicks to this day. They have become a part of our common collection of artifacts. They work, they endured, it wasn’t a snake oil, and no one forced people to buy them.

Generating buzz is part of successful marketing. Having a viable product to back it up is essential. Our methods for creating buzz abound but all point back to the same source: the INTERNET. Companies want consumers to say, send, and post good things about their products on all online outlets. They send products to consumers for review. The provide forums and comments sections and online chats right alongside their ordering platforms. Ratings systems and recommendation avenues are meant to give us a sense of security: other people buy this product, use it, and recommend it, I can too.

Just like the Harvard guys!

Did the Harvard guys believe in the product? Who knows? Does everyone who posts a comment, good or bad, on a website, blog, community forum or social media platform mean what they say (or were they hired for their opinion?)

We can’t know for sure. What you CAN know is this:  if you are the business owner, the product seller, the keynote speaker, the online advertiser, or the next-greatest-invention provider, YOU KNOW IF YOU have integrity and truth in your sales and marketing strategies.

Real buzz is better buzz. Today’s consumers can see strait through anything else.

“He touched the bu-utt.”~ Finding Nemo

On the contrary.
“But” negates everything that was said or written right before the “but”, my client told me. “So take it out of any copy you write for me~” This little tidbit of awareness has opened up a whole new world for me. I went back and scanned (almost) all of my old blog posts for the word “But” (and its sneaky cousin “Yet”). It took a long time and I had used them, a lot!

Once I saw it, I saw it in everything,

On TV: “I love you and I want this to work out, but ….” ~Insert your favorite soap opera/reality TV show/ Talk show
In music: “I’m Superman with the wind at his back | She’s Lois Lane but … (when it’s bad, it’s awful.) ~Love the Way You Lie, Eminem/Rihanna
In the blogosphere: “You see, white people like the idea of getting smarter quickly, but they don’t like the idea of people thinking that they are lazy.” ~From, Stuff White People Like
In my email correspondence: “We were going to try and come over tonight, but…”

This last one has a double whammy in it: “But” AND “Try.”

Who dunnit?

When I changed the “but”s to “and”s and the “try”s to “will”s, my writing took on a new tone of certainty. The experience before AND after the but may be important and if they send different messages it warrants another look.

Contrary messages confuse readers, negate the positive, and whittle away at the credibility of the message. It’s time to drop the “but”.

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you. ~William Arthur Ward

Ahh the client testimonial, every good website/LinkedIn/marketing collateral has them. People think you’re great and you want others to hear what they are saying about you.

Small reality check.
Everyone knows that you would never, ever pick any testimonial that isn’t completely flattering to you. That doesn’t make testimonials invalid – hey, I’m the writer – it makes my job easier to read and incorporate your testimonials into the copy I write for you. People DO want to see themselves in your testimonials, “I want that result. Therefore, I will hire you to help me achieve it.”

Are client testimonials actually hurting your business?

A few tips to keep the use of testimonials in check and get the most out of what OTHER people say about you:

Select testimonials carefully. Each testimonial should reflect a specific skill or trait that you brought to a project. The testimonial should display how you changed something for someone. “I was stuck in a rewrite for my website, CCW Freelance helped me organize and pinpoint my ideas.” Don’t waste your time (or precious space) on well-meaning comments like, “I love Courtney! She is great!” (even though I really am and my clients tell me so.)

Beware the inadvertent Testimonial. Find out what others are really saying about you. Do you search your name on google or find your listings on trade sites related to your chosen field? If someone has said something negative or even neutral about you, it may be worth your time to go and try to do some damage control. Ask if there is anything you can do to rectify the situation. If you turn a bad comment into a happy customer perhaps their new testimonial will highlight your conflict resolution skills. If the bad comment comes from a competitor, you have another issue on your hands (not covered here!)

Speak kindly of yourself. Your own quotes can have as much impact as a client testimonial. A few words about what motivates you or how you feel about what you do can let clients see a glimpse of your personality and passion. This connection with YOU could make all the difference when clients browse your materials. And of course, let your business-sense and personality shine though and leave self-serving pride at the door.

And the obvious: never, ever make your testimonials up. That’s cheesy and you know it!

Those three words.
What you want to hear from a client are three gratifying words: I love it!

Good Job ~ Well Done ~ Way to Go ~ WoHoo ~ Kudos ~ I love it!

When I have a new client we talk preliminaries over email, I give them a worksheet to generate discussion, then we have a free 30-minute Skype consult. After we hang up I go to work – with pen and paper in hand – and I usually come up with 3-4 concepts to present to my clients.

I want them to see the different angles I could take and let them know that I can change to fit their needs and voice. I am a creative copywriter after all! Three options let them know that they can choose something that fits their project. (Note: Four is sometimes too many since they are so dang good! HaHa!).

I usually have one that I am drawn to – one that came out all in one sitting. Clients don’t always pick that one. It’s fun when they do.

These concepts are often part of the landing page of a website or introductory materials of a marketing project and the rest of the content is based on this foundation. The client has to like it and find a connection with it. The need to LOVE IT!

So recently I had a client who

• assigned me a long-term project
• thinks way outside the box and needed me to clarify her thoughts
• is brilliant at what she does
• has chosen a field that is brilliant
• also happens to be a close family member

Did I want to impress and wow her?

Yes I did.

Did I feel apprehension when I sent my three ideas to the same person who used to French braid my hair for me, fight over clothes with me, and taught me how to put on make-up?

Yes I did.

So you can imagine my thrill, delight, and relief when she wrote back mere MOMENTS later and said, “Concept #1: I love it!”

Some people are less decisive – - and that’s ok. As a professional copywriter, it sure is nice to hear someone say those three words. When I can bring the same quality services to my family that I bring to my professional clients it brings me great satisfaction and joy.

The ego is not master in its own house. ~Freud

Cream puffs are good, in moderation. They make you feel so good – until they make you feel bad.

Every business owner, especially those who deal mainly in online lead generation, clientele and delivery, needs to feel confident about who they are, what service the provide, and their skill set. The anonymity of the world wide web may tempt some to over-inflate what they can do for clients or how successful they are at what they do.

Recently I was talking to a beloved family member who was asking about my freelance work. I began to speak in such a way that it sounded like I was just so busy all the time with all the freelance projects on my plate. I have been busy and steady but I also spent 30 days in June developing a personal project that had been on the back burner for awhile.

I had been writing like a maniac day and night and so it felt like I was working a lot. During that time I ended two small projects for clients and started a new, ongoing project with a long-term client that I was excited about. Somehow the simple truth of that got away from me and I was inflated before I knew it.

Say what are and be it!

Back to Earth.
Words and promises will come across empty if you can’t back them up. Have you seen someone else do something that you know works, so you ‘add’ it to your skill set and hope you will get by when someone hires you to do it? Do you ask a writer to develop the copy to back you up?

I’ll sell you the copy, you still have to sell yourself.

Ending on a positive note.
I once had a client who was developing new content for a skill he was very good at and wanted to expand. After our consultation I was so excited to write this copy for him. I wrote what I considered to be a spot-on, glowing report of a person who I respected. His skills would be unmatched in his field! He could woo thousands!

So when he called me back unhappy with the copy I was a little shocked. I will never forget what he said,

“Courtney, this is great copy…But I can’t do all that. I think you oversold me! I must’ve been overinflated when we spoke. I can’t deliver what you say I can deliver!”

We changed his copy quickly to bring him back down to a local level. It had nothing to do with his skill or self-esteem, he simply saw that  he ‘is what he is’, no more, no less.

He taught me a great lesson that day and for that I am thankful. And [thankful] for the fact that he paid for that inflated copy and gave me a chance to rewrite it to his specifications.