Write On ~ Creative Writing Services

By: Lisa Manyon www.lisamanyon.com

I? am the first to admit that I’m a bit technologically challenged. In fact, I like to say I know just enough to be dangerous. Luckily I have fabulous friends, colleagues and team members who are techno geeks (and I say this most affectionately).

Recently I traveled to Minnesota to visit Digital Buddha Studios live and in person. Digital Buddha Studios is the brainchild of my friend and colleague Viki Viertel. She specializes in digital movies to promote your business online. Anyway, the purpose of the trip was three-fold.

1. I really wanted to see the corporate headquarters of Digital Buddha Studios since I’m one of the script writing team~
2. I scheduled sound stage time to capture footage for my upcoming viral drip campaign~
3. I’d never been to Minnesota and I really wanted to connect with savvy, like-minded women who were heading that way too~

Plus, viral video is HOT. It’s one of the quickest ways to connect emotionally online (if you’ve got a good script that is…).

Subscribers to my ezine love the video blast from Simple Truths that I send from time to time. In fact, I get more response from those blasts than anything else– even free stuff.

With those results in mind, I knew it was time to record and produce a viral video campaign of my own. My suspicions were confirmed as I was on the plane catching up on my reading.

I was thumbing through the special video and broadcast issue of O’Dwyer’s PR Report. Several points in the issue were really sticky and supported what I already suspected.

• It’s become cliche’ not to overproduce web video but you don’t want to underproduce it either. This really hit home because cheesy, poorly recorded videos are a pet peeve of mine. They simply don’t represent businesses in a manner I deem acceptable –at least not for MY business.
• It’s not necessary to spend $30K on animation or effects but it is important to work with an expert storyteller when creating your script.
• Viral video campaigns are not limited to blogs or You Tube. There are actually many other avenues to distribute your planned viral drip campaign.
• It’s relatively easy to measure views of viral campaigns to help track return on investment.
  Websites with video generate increased stickiness. We all want to be sticky, don’t we?
• There is significant documented evidence that click-thrus and calls to action increase with video.

After devouring the entire issue of O’Dwyer’s PR Report I’m even more confident than before about video and the effectiveness of integrating online video into the marketing mix.

Stay tuned for updates and you’ll see me in cyberspace soon. Are you using video to market your business? If so, what are you up to? How’s it working for you? Feel free to post your thoughts. ? I’d love to hear from?  you.

[tags] Viki Viertel, Digital Buddha Studios, Video, viral marketing, movies, scripts, script writing, Lisa Manyon, www.lisamanyon.com, www.writeoncreative.com, Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC., O’Dwyer’s PR Report, Simple Truths [/tags]

By Lisa Manyon, www.lisamanyon.com

The New Rules of PR & Marketing

My copy of this book is flagged with sticky notes. There are at least a dozen techniques I plan to implement in my own marketing. In fact, this book seriously opens the eyes of businesses relying solely on traditional marketing methods.

Coming from a traditional ad agency background, over the past several years, I’ve had a learning curve when it comes to, what has been called, unconventional marketing methods. I’ve embraced the trends and know how important it is to continually stay up to date on the ever-evolving, online marketing methods available. I’m also quite certain many ad agencies who haven’t embraced online marketing, won’t want you to read this book. This is simply because the return on investment for online marketing, when executed properly can far outweigh the ROI of traditional media for a much smaller budget.

Gone are the days where a pretty brochure website is all the online presence needed to succeed.

David Meerman Scott skillfully illustrates this, beginning with demonstrating how the Web has changed marketing and public relations rules. According to him, before the Web, businesses had two main choices to attract clients.

1) Purchasing expensive adverting

2) Getting third-party exposure from the media

The Web changed this and savvy marketers know this medium is one of the most effective ways to develop direct relationships with consumers. Consumers who get to know and trust you and eventually choose to do business with you.

This book is perfect for businesses who want to leverage online presence to succeed. Tips, techniques and the new rules of marketing and public relations are shared in relationship to including online marketing in your overall plan to reach buyers directly.

You’ll specifically learn:

?· How blogs help you and others share your story online to gain more exposure

?· Why news releases have evolved to work more effectively on the Web

?· About online forums, communities and Wikis

?· How Web content influences buying decisions

?· Tips on creating an effective online media room

?· Podcasting and viral video strategies that work

?· The importance of social networking sites

This is just the tip of iceberg when it comes to the valuable information shared in the book. If you want your business to succeed online, it’s important to educate yourself on the new rules of marketing and PR. You can get started today by grabbing a copy of this book.

[tags] copy, copywriter, www.lisamanyon.com, book review, copywriting, www.writeoncreative.com, marketing, PR, press releases, David Meerman Scott, viral marketing, copy writing [/tags]

By: Lisa Manyon www.lisamanyon.com

Word choice is a vital component of the copy for your marketing, advertising and promotional materials. In fact, your copy can make or break your sales efforts. I always say “copy counts and actually your sales count on your copy.”

The best illustration of how important copy really is was shared by my good friend and mentor Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She explains that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. I have to agree.

Imagine stripping all of your marketing materials of words. How well would your website, brochure, print ads, sales letters, press releases or broadcast scripts work without words?

Although it’s been said a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture alone isn’t going to sell your products or services as effectively as when pictures are accompanied by clever copy.

Let’s take the importance of copy a step further and discuss word choice. It’s best to use words people will readily understand in your copy. After all, your copy should connect with your customers by speaking their language to move them towards the sale.

Not only is it important to use words people understand. It’s equally important to choose your words wisely. Words have different meanings to different people. That’s exactly why it’s vital to consider your choice of words carefully.

Here’s an example:

Would you rather do business with the oldest garage door company in town or the most experienced garage door company in town?

“Old” can seem less desirable, even behind the times.

“Experienced” positions a business as an authority.

Would you rather work with a Realtor who wants to sell you a “house” or help you find your dream “home”?

“House” is a word that can seem generic.

The word “home” is warmer and connotes a much friendlier feel. Notice how using the term “dream home” increases the warm and fuzzy feeling even more.

As you can see, words definitely have different meanings to different people. Plus, the way you arrange words can impact your results, too.

Here’s another example:

Consider using the word “bonus” instead of “step” when it comes to referring to blended families. Bonus mom or bonus child each have a much more appealing ring than stepmom or stepchild (remember Snow White?).

Take Action Challenge:

Consider your industry, products and services and most importantly the people who are interested in what you have to offer. What words do you use to describe your offerings? Could you use an alternate word or synonym to make your marketing materials more effective and really connect with your clients?