The Secret to Writing Memorable Sales Copy

Want to know the secret to creating MEMORABLE promotional copy? Sales copy that actually stays with your customers long after they've finished reading it?

Then master the art of using words to create pictures in your customers' heads.

If you can describe your products or services in such a way that it forms images in your customers' heads, well, then you've just created something that will last long after the marketing is over.

Why else do novels stay with us for so long? Those 'pictures' we see draw us into the world of the novel, and those pictures stay with us long after we've closed the book. If you can create that kind of staying power with your marketing materials, think about how much ahead of your competition you'll be.

So, how do you get started? Below are three tips. (Note how all three tips have the word 'specific' in common. Be specific whenever you can. We don't think in generalities, we think in details. The more specific you are, the stronger the pictures.)

1. Use specific nouns. Quick - what springs to mind when I say the word 'bird'? Now erase that image. What pops into your head when I say 'cardinal'?

When I said bird, you could have pictured any number of bird species or maybe even some sort of generic bird (something brown with wings and feathers). When I said cardinal, I bet you saw a bright red bird with that distinctive triangle head.

See the difference? Cardinal is specific and it brings a specific picture to mind. Bird is generic, and it brings a generic picture to mind.

Whenever possible, use the most specific noun you can. (However, if the most specific noun is something most people wouldn't know, say some rare exotic insect only found in the Amazon jungle, then make sure you describe it as well.)

2. Use specific verbs. Verbs breathe life into your copy. They're the difference between words lying flat and comatose on the page or jumping up and dancing a jig.

Verbs bring movement to your copy. They tell your readers if someone is walking, jogging, sauntering, skipping or crawling. Or maybe that someone is exhausted and has decided to lie down for a bit.

Now, when I say verbs, what I'm NOT talking about are verbs - am, is, are, was, were, etc. Those verbs don't paint a picture. Not like hug, skate, sail, run, fall, spin, flip, etc. See the difference?

While 'be' verbs are necessary, the idea is to use them as little as possible. In fact, I have a fiction-writing friend who has a 'was/were' rule. Only three 'wases/weres' per page.

Yep, you heard me right. Per page.

Yes, it can be done. I didn't think I could do it either in my novels. And let me tell you, when you start pruning those 'wases/weres' out of your prose, it's amazing how strong your writing becomes.

3. Describe specific situations. Compare:

'Our bookkeeping service is the best in the area. We can take care of all your bookkeeping needs, from invoices to paying bills to reconciling your bank statements.'

To this:

'Do your invoices go out late because you can't stand the idea of sitting down to do them? Does your cash flow suffer droughts each month because no checks arrive in the mail (because your invoices went out late)? How much hair have you pulled out over the years because of accounting mistakes? Never fear, those days are over when you hire us to do your bookkeeping.'

The first example is generic (take care of bookkeeping needs). The second example shows you HOW the business does it. (In fiction we call it how, don't tell.) Good advice, even for copywriters.) You can actually 'feel' those business problems -late invoices, cash flow droughts, loss of hair. It's the difference between something cold and impersonal that really has nothing to do with you and something that wakes you up with a spark of recognition ('Hey, that's me. I need that.')

Creativity Exercises -See what others are doing

Pick a piece of copy. Something with meat - at least 300 words or so. No, it doesn't have to be something you wrote either. In fact, this exercise might be easier if it isn't yours.

Now analyze it. Look at the nouns. Are they specific? Or are they a bit too generic? What about the verbs? Could they be stronger? And does it describe a specific situation, something that you can actually feel and touch?

Try this with a variety of writings - novels, nonfiction books, newspaper articles, Web sites, sales letters, etc. Look at both 'good' and 'bad' examples. (Although good and bad are somewhat subjective, follow your gut.) See what trends you discover.

By analyzing what others are doing, you're better able to see the strengths and weaknesses in your own writing.

Author: MichelePW

About the author:
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com. Copyright 2008 Michele Pariza Wacek


Article source: Free Small Business Articles.

Where Does All That Money Come From?

The federal government is spending several billion dollars a month in Iraq and has been doing so for a number of years now. The titans of Wall Street recently realized that they had managed to run some of the world's largest and probably most respected financial institutions into the ground, and came to Washington with their hats in hand begging for a $700 billion bailout. Of course there were many reasons why this needed to happen, so the government gave them the money and is presently thinking about giving them some more. The Big Three American auto manufacturers, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, have finally realized that their business practices and marketing strategies have been insufficient to retain adequate market share. The companies have found themselves behind the times in terms of product offerings and management strategies, and have also flown to Washington in their multi-million dollar jets, to beg for $50 billion themselves. It looks like the government is going to grant this request as well.

The pressing question that arises is where does this money come from? Is it realistic to assume that the United States government has a bank account somewhere with well over $1 trillion in it that they can simply distribute when necessary? The answer to that is obviously no. The federal government borrows this money and surprisingly enough, one of the biggest lenders is the largest communist country in the world--China. Needless to say, this is a risky proposition, because China could pull the plug at any time.

But when it comes to high finance such as this, how does it really affect the ordinary individual? Most people have a tendency to think that these are things far beyond their realm of concern or consideration and that this type of financial struggle has little to do with the ordinary Joe on the street. Nothing could be further from the truth. We're now facing a recession that could easily become as severe as the Great Depression of the 1930s. The effects will be felt by everyone, and are projected to get a lot worse before they get any better.

Rather than ask where the federal money comes from, a better question today might be where's your money going to? During these times, a sound and secure financial strategy is essential for wealth preservation and long-term financial security. If you don't have such a plan in place time to get one is now. You owe it to yourself and to your family to understand what's really going on here and how to secure your own financial future.

Author: Michael Snyder

About the author:

Michael Snyder is a business coach and mentor based out of Fremont, OH, that assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. Michael and his team have assisted hundreds of people, from doctors and lawyers to high-school drop-outs and single parents in generating profits that exceed $250K or more in their first year. For more information and to contact Michael, visit:
http://www.WealthDirectNow.com

Article source: Free Small Business Articles.

What Goes Behind Your Credit Score?

A credit score is primarily based on credit report information, typically from one of the three major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Since lenders or banks lend only against your creditworthiness, it does makes sense for you to know what factors determine your credit score.

What Is A Credit Score?
Based on the snapshots of your credit report, credit score is the number arrived to summarize your credit risk. It ranges from 300 to 850 and helps a lender to determine the risk level. Or we can put it like this, 'if I give this person a loan, how likely is it that I will get paid on time?'

There are different methods of calculating credit scores. FICO is one of the most popular credit scores developed by Fair Isaac & Co. The higher is the FICO score the lower is the risk for lender.

What Affects Credit Score?
Your credit reports contains many pieces of information that reveals certain important aspects of your borrowing activities mainly focusing on:

- Late payments
- The amount of time credit has been established
- The amount of credit used versus the amount of credit available
- Length of time at present residence
- Negative credit information such as bankruptcies, charge-offs, collections, etc.

Bad Credit Small Business Loans
Seeking loans with low or bad credit score can drive you up the wall. The mainline lenders may simply reject your loan application while the others from subprime market may charge you extortionate rate of interest on your bad credit small business loan.

In case you are an entrepreneur and need new business loan for growth or expansion, bad credit can put you in pickles. In such a scenario, it's better to go for cash advance option that is provided irrespective of you credit history. Such cash advance is given against your future credit and debit card sales.

What Is Cash Advance Option?
Cash advance is a small business loan approved against the monthly amount you process through credit card sales. Cash advance lenders do not ask you for your credit rating and can pre-approve your loan within 24 hours. A mutually agreed upon percentage from your daily sales through credit card processing goes to the lender automatically as repayment of the loan.

How To Increase Your Credit Score?
Your credit score cannot be improved in short run but a few steps can help you improving your credit rating over a period of time. Here are a few tips:

- Pay your bills on time. Late payments and collections can have a serious impact on your score.
- Do not apply for credit frequently. Having a large number of inquiries on your credit report can worsen your score.
- Reduce your credit-card balances. If you are 'maxed' out on your credit cards, this will affect your credit score negatively.
- If you have limited credit, obtain additional credit. Not having sufficient credit can negatively impact your score.

Article source: Free Small Business Articles.

Importance of bookkeeping and accounting services

Bookkeeping and accounting is an important task for small to large size financial business. Now a day's most of businesses are being web based and online and that's why the need of online accounting and book keeping increased speedily. If you want online book keeping and accounting services provider for your business then you can find lots of services provider with various offers and competitive rates. These services include bookkeeping and accounting services, financial services, taxation services, ratio analysis and payroll services.

Bookkeeping services are related to financial data of your business and it also includes accounting work and record keeping function. For each and every organization perfect bookkeeping department is required and it should be best in managing the data. One should have enough knowledge to do proper accounting work and that's why most of companies are selecting outsourcing option for these types of services. Outsourcing firms are expert in this type of work with their experienced staff. They have the ability to deliver cost-effective services faster and better.

If you are choosing online services provider then you can get,
� Precise data
� High quality work
� Well planned records
� Cost efficiency
� Complete accuracy
� You can save your valuable time and money
� Highly qualified accountants
� You can maintain proper order and file system for all records
� You can focus to grow your business

So, if you want to save time for main processes of your business then outsource your accounting and bookkeeping services is the best option. After outsourcing these services, you can also focus on other important processes of your business without any tension. So, now you just have to choose the best service provider who can serve you the accurate services.

Author: Nelson Maben

About the author:
Online bookkeeping service is a one of the most experience bookkeeping firms of this kind in outsourcing. For more info please visit at: http://www.outsourcingbookkeepingservice.com or contact us at: info@outsourcingbookkeepingservice.com

Article source: Free Small Business Articles.