…And why most businesses don’t.

(And be sure to read below, “But you don’t understand….”)

May we blog for you? Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

“Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log,” or an online journal. The first bloggers may have been bored teens pouring out their angst in online diaries but blogging has morphed into a powerful communication tool savvy businesses are folding into their marketing mix and corporate communication program.

Communicate or die

Businesses can’t thrive without communicating — externally and internally. Your advertising and publicity communicate with your customers. Your internal memos, meetings, and newsletters communicate with your employees. Savvy businesses have an internal blog, or external blog, or both, to communicate all these thing and more. Here’s why…

Blogging benefits your business by…

• …promoting your brand.
• …putting you in contact with your customers.
• …creating contact with prospective customers.
• …giving you meaningful input from customers and prospects.
• …adding valuable, relevant content to your website.
• …raising your search engine rankings.
• …communicating and advertising at low cost.
• …reinforcing your other forms of communication.
• …giving employees a voice.
• …promoting increased communication among employees.
• …getting information out quickly and efficiently.

You’re swimming in blog-worthy news

What to post to your corporate blog? Just about any newsy item is blog-worthy…and things you take for granted are big news to others. Break your USPs (unique selling points) into bite-size articles and post each one. New product coming soon? Blog it. Promotions? Innovations? Successes? Blog ‘em. Customer letters? Pure gold. Pose questions and read the blogged responses.

“But you don’t understand…”

So, with all these low cost, high value benefits, why don’t more businesses blog? Here are some of the reasons we’ve been given.

“We don’t have time.” “We’re going to start a blog next quarter.” “The girl who was doing our blog left.” “Our customers don’t read blogs.” And the classic, “What’s a blog?”

May we blog for you?

Blogs are the quintessential “delivery system” for online content. EdwardsDirect.net is big on creating content — text, graphics, videos, testimonials, news, articles, e-mails, websites, brochures, mailings, advertising, and much more.

We blog for our business; creating, posting, and delivering content. And we’ll do the same for your corporate blog, too.

Turnkey service — Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

E-mail Steve@EdwardsDirect.net and we’ll begin a discussion about how blogging can benefit your business…and how we can handle every aspect of your business blog on an efficient, cost-effective turnkey basis.

SteveEdwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net

“Anybody can cut price. Real selling power comes from a carefully crafted proposition.”
– Rich Alther, Copy Chief, Precision Marketing Associates

Any marketing pro knows key ingredients to successful selling: right product, right price, right presentation. Used strategically, these elements result in sales because they combine to answer the question in a customer’s mind, “Why should I buy?

“Why buy, and why buy NOW?”

But in direct marketing, buying is not enough. We need customers to buy NOW, in specific response to the promotion. That’s because each direct marketing promotion is held accountable for its own profitability.

The missing ingredient in a surprising number of direct response offers, whether on websites or in the mail, is the proposition — the compelling sales logic that answers customers’ two-fold buying question, “Why should I buy…and why should I buy now?”

A strong proposition weaves together all the above key selling ingredients — product, price, presentation — and adds logic and urgency to build a compelling case for buying…now.

Here’s an example of a strong year-end sales proposition from advertising I did for Smithy Co., direct-marketer of metal machining equipment.

“Dear Machinist, Smithy Co.

I’ve written you in the past with all the facts on Smithy machining equipment and all the reasons why it’ll increase your business income. I’m so certain of its earning power that every Smithy is GUARANTEED to pay for itself or your money back. I’m writing you today to tell you it’s URGENT that you order by December 31. Here’s why:

A Smithy is a capital expense that usually qualifies as a business deduction on your taxes. Order by December 31 and you can take the deduction on this year’s taxes. If you wait to buy – even ’til January 1 — you’ll have to wait a whole year to enjoy the write-off.
Your business success is good for our business, so we want to see you get this tax advantage now. And to make buying NOW irresistible, every Smithy is on sale through December 31. You get big savings, free gifts, and more.”

Let’s dissect this powerful and successful example…

Why buy?

* You’ve let us know you’re interested
* Buying this product will increase your income.
* It’s guaranteed to pay for itself.

Why buy NOW?

* It’s deductible as a business expense thru Dec. 31
* It’s on sale through Dec. 31

And here’s my proposition for you:

E-mail me Steve@EdwardsDirect.net to learn how to put THE POWER OF
THE PROPOSITION to work for you.

Why e-mail me Steve@EdwardsDirect.net ?

* Because you recognize that a POWERFUL PROPOSITION will increase
your selling power and success.

Why e-mail me Steve@EdwardsDirect.net NOW?

* Because, without a strong selling proposition, you are losing sales daily.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net