web 2.0 is a two-way street

August 13th, 2008

So, I have this friend…and this is how our conversations usually go:

Me: Hi! How are you?

Him: Great, things are really good. I just got a new client, the kids are growing fast, built a new playset in our backyard.

(pause)

Me: Sounds excellent. What did you do for the holidays?

Him: Oh, it was awesome – we went to the Bahamas. Jill’s parents rented a house for everyone, we stayed for 1o days.

(pause)

Me: Wow! Fantastic. You said the kids are well? Little Oscar’s going into kindergarten just like my Sophie this year, right? Are you all ready for the big step?

Him: Yeah…we’ve been reading him books about school and walking the route to school, met his teachers. I think he’ll do great!

(Pause)

…and on and on…every single conversation.

Hopefully, you picked up on what’s missing here. These conversations are 100% one-sided. Never does he ask me about me or my life – even when I prod him a bit. And, honestly, I don’t have time for it. Not in my live social life and not online.

If you want to succeed in either arena, I suggest you join the conversation. Participate. Don’t be just a taker, ewww. It doesn’t feel good on the other side. It’s a big devaluing gust that no one wants.

Talk to your followers, friends, connections, other lenses, favorites – however you connect. Just a simple thanks, tell me who you are and what you do is a great way to start a conversation that can end up just about anywhere, but it’s usually somewhere good. You’re building your team, your network, your audience – plug in to them, they won’t forget. At least I never do.

how to craft your marketing message

August 4th, 2008

Whether you’re creating your website, blog, ads or a print brochure, you have to decide on a message, a personality, an identity for your business or company. And, this will be communicated to your audience via your design and the WORDS you choose. Here are some things to think about as you begin to formulate your message (or reformulate for those of you in a makeover situation) and the feeling you would like to evoke:

1. Writing and Design must be united. Imagine a site where the words sound like they were penned by the Queen, while the design looks like it was composed by Austin Powers. OY. If it’s possible, find a writer and a designer that have a solid relationship and thrive on working together on projects. The words must support the design. The design must support the words.

2. Ask yourself some serious questions. What makes you different from everyone else in your industry? What is your background and how does it influence your work? How do you want people to feel when they see and read your marketing materials? A good copywriter and a good designer will ask you these questions…and many more.

3. What does your audience want? Don’t make it all about you – because it isn’t. Your clients/customers are the most important factor in this equation. Listen to them by reading blogs and/or joining online communities that discuss your company, product, service or industry. People are talking, so find out what they’re saying.

4. Make it personal. People identify with brands that don’t feel like gimmicks. If you haven’t noticed this lately, many companies are putting the personal spin on their brand – either by telling personal stories (Visa), making their CEO’s real people (Dave from Wendy’s), giving their company a relatable, familiar spokesperson (the Verizon guy) or even making their product into a real person (Mac vs. PC ads).

5. Be true, be you. There may be many CPA’s but there is only one you. Show your personality, reveal yourself and you will attract people. You will also repel people, but I think this is a good thing as it filters out those that won’t appreciate you ahead of time.

6. Test it out. The internet has made it possible to test products, messages, etc. online for relatively low costs via ad words, social bookmarking & networking sites and blogs. Use these tools to market effectively.

P.S. I love my Mac.

Filed under How To, Marketing | Tags: Blogging, blogs, copywriter, effective copy, graphic design, how to brand, Julie Roads, marketing message, marketing writer, relationship marketing, social bookmarking, Social Media, social networking, Writing Roads | Comment (0)

julie roads: total geek

July 28th, 2008

This post is an open invitation for you to jeer, throw tomatoes, laugh, ridicule….or join me. This weekend I had three separate opportunities to tell people I was just meeting about my business and this industry of marketing, social media, copywriting and blogging.

I start by saying that I’m a writer. That I write for a diverse range of clients and that I specialize in blogging, blog marketing, social media participation – both production and consulting. And as I say the word marketing, I see the tangible attitude shift. The wonder inspired by of the word ‘writer’ fades, and the ‘ewww, a sleazy salesman’ judgement falls like a red velvet curtain – heavy and fast.

But, I don’t let it stop me, not even for a second. I start talking about permission and relationship marketing – and their power. About the fact that I’ve made a commitment to myself and my clients that I will never send spam, buy a list or force a product or service on the people. About the amazing things that happen because of my social media participation. About how my client’s have grown through their blogs. About the fact that I can’t wait to see what happens every day.

And here comes the geek part. Every time this happened, every single time, I got massive goose bumps. It’s like my whole self lights up like a Christmas tree. My work makes me so happy.

Go ahead, take your best shot…