| | | |
>>
HOW TO WRITE A SEXY TEASER
5
tips plus 2 examples
Sex
and money are all that people care about. That's what
my favorite journalism professor told me (way back)
when he explained how to craft the lead paragraph
of a news story. Here's a news lead that falls flat:
"The fire engine raced to the fire." Well,
obviously. That's what fire trucks do. A rewrite with
more oomph:
Show me the money
"A fire that raced through a five-story apartment
building yesterday caused $1 million in damages."
Use principles of good journalism
How does this relate to writing a teaser to get readers
to click through to the full text of your article?
Successful teasers draw on the basic principles of
good journalism as well as direct response marketing.
Good teasers are both art and science
Crafting those first words or sentences that entice
readers to click is both an art and a science.
Here
are two examples that show you what works and why,
along with 5 tips. Hint: reveal a choice tidbit or
two in those first 50 to 100 words.[Yes, you will
click through to the full article.]
[MORE] |
10 key tips to launch a lead-generating e-newsletter
22-page PDF report walks you through 10 key variables to consider before launching your e-newsletter: - 3 things that should be part of your content formula
- designing an HTML template
- what to put in your Welcome letter
Includes 5 tips to improve the open rate of your e-newsletter plus the full text of three of Debbie Weil's most popular articles on e-newsletters. Download your copy instantly.
|
|
|
| | | | >> PUBLISHER'S NOTE | Don't mess with your readers
That's the message I got from several irate readers last time who complained I had played a dirty trick. I wrote a short intro for "how to write an article teaser." When you clicked through it said, "Gotcha! April Fool's! There's no article - just the teaser."
Good joke or bad joke?
It seemed pretty humorous at the time
in my slaphappy, sleep-deprived state.
I had worked around the clock for two
days to re-launch the WordBiz site. I
went on to explain that of course I wouldn't
really do that... and the full article
would be posted later. Not good enough,
said the disappointed few.
If you've earned their trust
The full article appears in this issue and I hope you'll find it useful. If you're publishing an e-newsletter as a way to build a relationship with potential prospects and current customers, beware of abusing their trust. My apologies to those I offended. And thanks to those who appreciated a bit of last minute humor.
Enough about Debbie... tell me about yourself
If WordBiz Report is to remain free, gentle reader, I need to know more about you. What kind of company or organization do you work for? What is your role? What pushes your buttons? What's your biggest problem? It's my role as publisher to help advertisers closely target their messages and special offers so they resonate with you. The ads in this newsletter are not just window dressing.
Please
scroll to the bottom of this message
to Click here
to update your profile. It
will take you to a page where you can
enter your name,
title, company and geographic address.
Rest assured that your information is
secure and completely private in the WordBiz
database.
Book Winners
Finally, congrats to the five lucky winners
of a copy of Andrew Chak's Submit
Now: Designing Persuasive Web Sites.
- Magali
Benitez, Poliedric.com, Barcelona, SPAIN
- David Renkert, Landpool Administrators,
Seattle, Washington USA
- Susan Arbing, Cyberplex, Halifax, Nova
Scotia, CANADA
- Steve Boutelle, Volunteer Staffing,
Jamestown, Tennessee, USA
- Bonnie Gardner, NEA.org, Washington
DC
Yours in the business of words online,
Publisher,
WordBiz Report
+1 202.333.2022
|
|
| | | | | | | >> DOES YOUR CORE MARKETING MESSAGE NEED AN AUDIT? | | | First, identify the problem (not your solution) |
Sean
D'Souza is an Auckland, New Zealand marketing
consultant (by way of India) who speaks, write and
consults on psychological marketing tactics that get
sales results. You might remember him as the creator
of the quirky
Santas I've promoted as free downloads. You
may also recognize his name as a frequent contributor
to MarketingProfs.com.
I spoke with him recently by phone about his e-book,
The Brain Audit. I
was a bit skeptical. What could this guy teach me?
Was this pop psychology or sound business reasoning?
It may be a bit of both. It doesn't matter.
Step through D'Souza's formula (he calls it a "journey
of the mind, answering all the questions that a customer
might have") to craft your core marketing message
and you'll come up with a much stronger statement.
His
key point is subtle but perceptive: forget about conveying
benefits. Yes, you've been told repeatedly to stress
benefits over features. Instead, D'Souza asserts,
try to isolate the problem your customers are facing.
Make that the centerpiece of your marketing message.
He gives as an example: "Take the messiness out
of computer networking." Much stronger, he points
out, than "Speedy service from your favorite
computer consultants."
I've tried to do this with the e-newsletter workshop
I'm offering next month. Rather than title it, "How
to launch a killer e-newsletter," I'm calling
it, an E-newsletter
Headache Workshop. That's still not sexy enough.
If you've got a better idea for a "problem-oriented"
statement, drop
me a line!
Useful Links
More
about Sean D'Souza and PsychoTactics
More
about The Brain Audit
| | |
Secrets
of Smarter Web Surfing Webinar
When: Thursday,
April 10, 2003 4 - 5:30 PM
(U.S. EST); 9 PM UTC
What: Get specific tips to improve
your online research skills from Sree
Sreenivasan who's taught investigative
reporters from The New York Times,
Wall Street Journal and 60 minutes
how to (quickly) find accurate, reliable
information online.
- how to find reliable stats fast
- how to track trends on the Web
- fast ways to locate an expert
How: Only USD $27. Register
now
|
|
|
| | | | | | >> IS IT 'WEB SITE' OR 'WEBSITE'? | |
Over
150 readers responded to this question when they
entered last issue's book giveaway to win a copy
of Andrew Chak's Submit Now: Designing Persuasive
Web Sites. Can you guess what the response was?
Find out plus read provocative comments on how this common phrase/word should be spelled. It's not too late to cast your vote...
[MORE] | |
| |
|
|
37
Email Tips
Every Marketer Should Read Before
Pressing Send
There's
a lot to remember when you're doing email
marketing. To help you keep track of it,
we've prepared a free tip sheet. Our advice
comes from providing email technology
and services to more than 120 clients,
from Olympus America to Columbia University
to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Download
"37 Tips" at:
http://www.targetx.com/37ax
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
DATE:
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
TIME: 8 AM - 11:30 AM
LOCATION: The Tower Club
at Tyson's Corner, Virginia
Is launching or regularly
publishing an e-newsletter giving
you a huge headache? In this half-day
workshop, award-winning WordBiz
Report publisher Debbie Weil
will reveal her successful newsletter
formula. Discover:
- low cost ways to
grow your opt-in list
- how to develop a winning content
formula
- how to design an HTML template
that appeals to readers
- how to generate leads or sales
- how to write killer subject lines
- how to manage the nitty gritty
of publishing month after month...
after month
SIGN
UP BEFORE APRIL 15TH
for USD $199 plus get a free
bound copy of Turning
Clicks Into Customers (value
$59). After April 15 rate is $249.
MORE
INFO + REGISTER for this
hands-on workshop packed with tips
you can execute immediately.
Click
here if you can't get to Washington
DC and would prefer to attend a
Webinar or audio seminar.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Enter
the giveaway to win one of 5 PDF copies
of Sean D'Souza's intriguing e-book The
Brain Audit.
It's a quick read. It may take you
longer to work through his method for
identifying the problem you're solving.
It's a seven step process.
At
the same time, you can help WordBiz by
suggesting keywords or keyword phrases
that will help optimize our new Web site
for search engines. Just follow the book
giveaway link to enter your suggestions.
Your input is invaluable.
Huge
thanks - DW
Recommend
keywords for WordBiz site plus enter giveaway
|
|
|
|
| >> FINE PRINT | Advertise in WordBiz Report
Reach an audience of nearly 12,000 information-hungry marketing executives and small business owners. Get info about demographics, sponsor positions & two-line text ads in our online media kit.
Contact Us
+1 202.333.2022 land reaches publisher Debbie Weil (U.S., Eastern) or hit ReplyAbout WordBiz Report
WBR focuses on the business of words online. Namely, improving sales conversion on the Web or through email with killer copy & content. WBR is the winner of The Newsletter on Newsletter's 2002 Gold Award for Online Subscription Newsletter.
Do
you need a home page audit?
Do the design, copy and content on your home page
combine to convert
visitors to customers, registrants or whatever
business goals you've set? I'll give you a no-holds-barred
review of your home page. This audit is especially
useful if you've been working with a Web design firm
for weeks or months and need fresh eyes to review
your site. Email me at debbie.weil@gmail.com
and mention the April 9th issue of WordBiz Report
to get 10 percent off.
More
about WordBiz
Explore our newly re-launched
site at www.debbieweil.com
|
|
|
|
Feature
packed email marketing ASP priced for
small business. Free trial: