Are you struggling to fit all your copy into your ads and sell sheets? Wondering why you’re putting so much money into marketing and not getting the return on investment that you’d expect? Consider taking these three steps to improve your marketing message.
1) Get clear on the basics:
Before your marketing can be clear, your company’s overall purpose, mission and vision need to be. Marty Neumeier from the Liquid Brand Agency explains it in “Steal this Idea” about the Strategic Pyramid.
2) Boil it down:
Barbara Berkley used it when fighting a road-widening battle with her county government by using what her friend Tony describes as the 27/9/3 approach:
When we looked at him blankly, Tony explained that a 27/9/3 was a way of putting complex thoughts into short form.
“When you knock on a door”, he explained “or give a quote to the press, or talk to someone on the street, you have about 27 seconds of their attention. In this time span, you’ve got to have 9 words that express 3 key concepts. Any more and you’ve lost them. And your 27/9/3 has to be standardized. Every member of the group has to have the same mantra.”
3) Make It a Repeatable Mantra:
Guy Kawasaki echoes the idea that a short and memorable message needs to be repeatable and says “the ultimate test…is if your telephone operators can tell you what it is.”
Does your marketing message focus on our mission and purpose? Does it fit the 27/9/3 rule? Is it repeatable by everyone in your company?
Extra: Which companies had these as their marketing slogans?
A) Where’s the Beef?
B) Just Do It.
C) I’m Loving It.
D) You Deserve a Break Today
E) Absolutely, Positively Overnight.
F) I Can’t believe I ate the Whole Thing
G) The Quicker Picker Upper
Leave a comment below:
Excellent post. I just started out as a freelance copywriter and will surely use your tips. Keep up the good work!
Nicolas:
Best of luck to you in your freelance copywriter! twitter.com/buzzingbees I sent you a tweet as well.
Chris