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+ Marketing Writing Case Study Tabitha Martin Write Start Business Consulting LLC

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Marketing Writing

Case StudyTabitha Martin

Write Start Business Consulting LLC

+

Things to consider

when writing to sell

to your customers

Writing for

marketing

purposes

+Writing & Purpose

The purpose of your writing is what has to

drive the decisions about what to write and

how to write it.

Purpose & audience dictate things like:

Word choice

Structure

Length

+

People are

Busy! They want to know what your

point is right away!

+Writing for Marketing Purposes

Even if you consider your customers your friends

and family, writing to get them to spend their money

calls for a different way of writing than just writing a

letter.

You are competing with every other attention-

grabber in your customers’ lives, which means that

every word has to work hard

You can’t assume that your customers know as

much as you do about your area of expertise, or that

they share your beliefs about everything

+

+

Examples Before and After

+Original copy from client

I am enclosing 2 water/sewer bills from the City of Akron. These are from 2 properties I

own and pay the utility bills. Notice the “Capital Improvements” and “EPA Mandate”

charges added to the sewer portion of the bill. 79% of the sewer bill is due to EPA

mandates!!

Understand that your basic sewer charge is based on water usage. The amount of water

that you use which goes down the sewer is what determines the basic sewer bill.

The City of Akron Water Department will now allow residential customers to add a 2nd water

meter to handle all outside hose faucets. This eliminates a sewer charge on that meter for

water usage to sprinkle the lawn or wash the cars, for example.

The cost to build a new meter manifold, add the second meter and run lines to the outside

faucets has been averaging $750.00-$1,000.00. This all depends on the job

circumstances. Totally unfinished basements with full access to piping are the least

expensive. The number of outside faucets also affects the cost. Finished basements are

the most expensive and may not be worth the investment.

It is a long term pay off. Sewer rates are going to continue to rise. It may be worth

considering for your home. If you would like me to look at your home, please call and I can

schedule an estimate for you.

+Although it is well-written, it’s not

great marketing copy. Here’s why:

And maybe I’m

happy that I’m

supporting EPA

mandates

Par. 1:

I am enclosing 2 water/sewer bills from the

City of Akron. These are from 2 properties

I own and pay the utility bills.

Notice the “Capital Improvements” and

“EPA Mandate” charges added to the

sewer portion of the bill. 79% of the

sewer bill is due to EPA mandates!!

WHY are you

sending me water

bills??

Reader is thinking:

+Original copy with comments

Par. 2:

Understand that your basic sewer

charge is based on water usage.

The amount of water that you use

which goes down the sewer is what

determines the basic sewer bill.

You still haven’t

told me why I

should care about

how my sewer bill

is determined

After two paragraphs

without finding out the

WHY, this is in the

trash.

+Original copy with comments

Par. 3:

The City of Akron Water

Department will now allow

residential customers to

add a 2nd water meter to

handle all outside hose

faucets. This eliminates a

sewer charge on that meter

for water usage to sprinkle

the lawn or wash the cars,

for example.

You’ve FINALLY told me

about the reason for this

letter—in the THIRD

paragraph!

Even people who may

actually be interested in

finding about how a second

meter will save them money

have STOPPED READING.

+Original copy with comments

Par. 4:

The cost to build a new meter manifold, add the second meter and run lines to the outside faucets has been averaging $750.00-$1,000.00. This all depends on the job circumstances. Totally unfinished basements with full access to piping are the least expensive. The number of outside faucets also affects the cost. Finished basements are the most expensive and may not be worth the investment.

These numbers

might be put me off,

because I can’t be

bothered to do the

math right now.

And if it depends on

the circumstances

anyway, why even

say a number?

+One Solution

Par. 3:

The City of Akron Water Department will now allow

residential customers to add a 2nd water meter to

handle all outside hose faucets. This eliminates a

sewer charge on that meter for water usage to sprinkle

the lawn or wash the cars, for example.

This at least puts the most important

information FIRST, where it’s more

likely to catch your reader’s attention

+In Practice

The City of Akron water department will now allow residential

customers to add a second water meter to handle all outside

hose faucets. This eliminates a sewer charge on that second

meter for water usage to sprinkle the lawn or wash the car.

Consequently, your bill for your main meter will be less and your

second meter will not have a sewer charge.

The cost to build a new meter manifold, add the second meter

and run lines to the outside faucets has been averaging $750-

$1000. This all depends on the job circumstances.

This is what Solution #1 looks like (revised):

+

Another

SolutionUse Marketing writing

techniques to engage

and speak

conversationally with

your reader

Talk TO us,

not AT us!

+In Practice

Is your water bill looking high lately?

To reduce their water bill as sewer rates continue to climb, some of our customers have found that installing a second water meter is a good investment.

By installing a second meter, you lower your sewer bill by reducing the amount of water that runs through your main meter (which carries the sewer charge). And your second meter doesn’t have a sewer charge.

If your outside water usage is high in the warmer months, from washing cars or sprinkling the lawn for instance, then the investment of installing a second meter will more than pay for itself over time.

This is what Solution #2 might look like:

+Why it Works

Is your water bill looking high lately?

To reduce their water bill as sewer rates continue to climb, some of our customers have found that installing a second water meter is a good investment.

By installing a second meter, you lower your sewer bill by reducing the amount of water that runs through your main meter (which carries the sewer charge). And your second meter doesn’t have a sewer charge.

If your outside water usage is high in the warmer months, from washing cars or sprinkling the lawn for instance, then the investment of installing a second meter will more than pay for itself over time.

By giving a specific instance of how

the investment will be worthwhile, I

eliminate talking to people who won’t

be served by this solution

Writing directly to the reader, by

using “You” as the subject, engages

readers and makes them feel

comfortable (instead of being “sold

to”)

People want to know how other

people have solved the same problem

Questions catch readers’

attention and gain buy-in quickly

+Quick Recap

1. Catch your reader’s attention

with the MAIN IDEA first thing

Use a question that they can

relate to

3. Tell me SIMPLY how you will propose to solve my problem (not too many details yet, please)

What’s in it for Me?

2. Tell me how other people have

solved this problem

Other customers got relief

like this…

4. “Speak” directly to ME, your

reader, like I am a person;

don’t give me a sales pitch

Don’t talk about yourself!

+

Just ask! www.WriteStartConsulting.com

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