Transcript writing - Guidance Communications, Inc.

Can You Help Us
$ell It?
A Crash Course in Marketing Writing
for Technical Communicators
Presented by Jack Massa
Guidance Communications Inc.
2002 STC Annual Conference
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Target Audience
• Technical Communicators who are new to
marketing writing
• Not intended for marcom pros.
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Our Focus
• The writing in marketing writing
• Marketing writing for technology.
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Our Approach
• How do you teach an entire profession in 90
minutes or less?
• High-level view of the territory. Zoom
down to view a few of the details.
• Adult learning: read, study, analyze,
practice.
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Why Marketing Writing?
• Add to our skill sets/marketability
• Do something different
• Work more creatively
• Make more money
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Hence the Title...
“Anyone who can help sell
something can usually make
more money.”
• True in 1988.
• Still true today.
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Marketing Writing vs.
Technical Writing
Different Purposes
Different Strategies
and Writing Styles
Different
Cycles
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Purpose...
Technical Writing
Marketing Writing
• inform
• teach
• impart information
can be those, plus...
• attract attention
• excite interest
• persuade
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Strategies and Writing Styles
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Grab attention
Appeal to emotions
Use vivid, sensory, concrete language
Write in a conversational tone
End with a clear call to action
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Key Strategy
Grabbing Attention
• Convince me to keep reading
• Key challenge for marketing writing: cut
through the clutter
• Study real world examples...
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Key Strategy
Appealing to Emotion
• Rational appeal vs. Emotional appeal: Both
Work!
• What does your audience really want?
• Use emotional appeal especially for ads or
other writing that must attract attention or
introduce something new.
• Study real world examples...
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Key Strategy
Vivid, Concrete, Sensory Language
• Evoke the physical world and senses (works
in technical writing too!)
• Even more important in marketing writing
• Picture the moment the buyer is buying
• Study real world examples...
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Key Strategy
Write with a Conversational Tone
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Short sentences and sentence fragments
Write clearly and to the point
Jargon is okay, if it’s the right jargon
Avoid fluff; shun hype
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Key Strategy
End with a Clear Call to Action
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The something you want the reader to do
Immediately, if not sooner
Take the next step in the sales process
Emphasize the reason to act
Study real world examples...
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To Repeat...
Strategies and Writing Styles
•
•
•
•
•
Grab attention
Appeal to emotions
Use vivid, sensory, concrete language
Write in a conversational tone
End with a clear call to action
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Another Take...
7 Building Blocks for
Marketing Documents
1. Attractor
2. Purpose Statement
3. Features and Benefits List
4. Supporting Facts
5. Specifications
6. Testimonials
...See Jack’s article in
7. Call to Action
February intercom
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Another Take...
For Successful Marcom
(and Any Business Concept)
1. Overt Benefit - What’s in it for the customer?
2. Real Reason to Believe - What’s the evidence
that it’s true?
3. Dramatic Difference - How is it different from
the competition?
...See Doug Hall’s
Jump Start Your Business Brain
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Some Types of Marketing Documents
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Direct mail, promotional letters and e-mails
Newsletters and e-zines
Press releases/news releases
Brochures (Print)
Brochures (Web)
FAQs
Spec sheets, data sheets, product slicks
Customer success stories, case studies
White papers
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Direct Mail, Promotional
Letters and e-mails
• Huge volume, both paper and e-mail
• Purpose is to generate business by
delivering an offer.
• The offer may be a new product or service,
an upgrade, or a special pricing promotion
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Newsletters and e-Zines
• Exploded with the rise of e-mail, because
the cost is near zero.
• Purpose is to promote a business by
fostering an ongoing awareness of it.
• Constant need for Fresh Content
• News, customer success stories, how to tips,
company announcements, etc.
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Press Releases/News Releases
• Primary purpose is to generate news
coverage by communicating with media
• Today, every company puts them on the
Web for all to see.
• Many in the technology fields are awful
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Brochures (Print)
• Purpose is to introduce a company, product,
or service the reader knows nothing about.
• Importance of layout and design: the writer
normally works with a designer.
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Brochures (Web)
• “Brochureware” has its place
• Most companies need pages that identify
who they are and what they do: i.e.,
establish their “brand”
• Writer works as part of a team
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
FAQs
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On web pages or in brochures
Real purpose, often, is to sell
Raise and dispose of buyer objections
For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Spec Sheets/Slicks
• One page “brochure” often produced for
technology products
• Describe the product and provide its specs
• Features and Benefits
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
Success Stories/Case Studies
• Short “articles”, posted to Web and
delivered as printed documents
• Purpose is to demonstrate how the
technology has helped real customers
• Often have a standard format
• Importance of telling the story
• For example...
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What Marketing Writers Write...
White Papers
• Substantial documents with technical or
industry-specific content
• Purpose is to share information and to
demonstrate the author’s expertise
• Raise problems and show solutions
• For example...
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Different Development Cycles
Technical Writing
Marketing Writing
• 1-6 months
• Some time for audience
analysis (maybe)
• May have multiple
reviewers and reviews
• Content often changes,
info is delayed
• 1-6 days
• Less time for audience
analysis, but still critical
• Draft - Review - Revise
- Done!
• Whole projects often
change, are delayed,
cancelled, restarted in a
new form
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Call to Action: Try This at Home
• Marketing Writing Challenge at the back of
your handouts
• Think about it, brainstorm it, write it
• Submit solutions to [email protected]
• I’ll post at www.guidancecom.com so
everyone can review
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Questions and Comments...
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My Contact Info...
Jack Massa
Guidance Communications Inc.
[email protected]
www.guidancecom.com
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