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In this issue:
• Marketing Article: Postcard Marketing Success Tips
• Marketing Article: Five Ways to Improve Your Writing and Strengthen Your Online Presence

Postcard Marketing Success Tips
by Bob Leduc © 2007

Postcards may not be the most popular marketing tool in our modern high-tech business world. That's too bad because they can be a very cost-effective way to generate website traffic and sales leads ...if you do it right.

Here are 5 proven tips that will help you create powerful marketing postcards guaranteed to produce a big response.

1. Make a Big First Impression

People like getting postcards from friends and relatives. They don't like getting advertising mail. Make your postcard look at first glance like a message from a friend instead of like an advertising announcement. It creates a warm friendly reception for your postcard.

For example, use the same typestyle and layout you would use to send a postcard to a friend. Use a date at the top ...even if it is something like "Monday, 11:15 AM". And include a real "from" name at the bottom ...even if it's not handwritten.

2. Get Right to the Point

Postcards get delivered in a format that's ready to read. Take advantage of this by making the biggest benefit you offer the first thing the reader sees. This will make them want to read the rest of your postcard.

For example, state your biggest benefit as a headline at the top of your postcard ...or make it the first item on a bulleted list of benefits ...or highlight it in bold type if it's in the body of your postcard.

3. Sell the Right Thing

Marketing postcards are most effective when they are used to generate website traffic or sales leads. They are less effective for closing sales because they don't provide enough space for a detailed sales message.

Design your message to sell the reader on seeking more information instead of trying to close sales.

For example, don't include much (if any) actual information about the product or service you are selling on your postcard. Instead, promote the major benefit (or benefits) they provide. Then persuade the reader to visit your website or to take some other action to get more information from a source where you can close sales.

4. Be Clear and Direct

You have only a few seconds to get the reader's attention and to persuade them to take the action you want. So keep your message brief and make sure the reader can clearly understand it with just a quick glance.

For example, limit your postcard to just a few short sentences with blank lines between them. Reduce several sentences to a short bulleted list to save space and reading time.

Always end your postcard by telling the reader exactly what to do to get more details - and include a reason to do it immediately.

5. Stimulate Fast Action

Just telling your reader how to get more information is not enough. You have to give them a reason to respond NOW or many will put your postcard aside to do later ...then get involved with other things and forget it.

For example, offer them a discounted price, a special bonus or some other benefit if they reply to your postcard by a deadline.

Postcards are not new or high-tech. But that's not a reason to ignore them. They can generate a lot of website traffic and sales leads for a very low-cost.

Follow these 5 proven tips and you will discover how to create powerful marketing postcards guaranteed to produce a big response.

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Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com

Five Ways to Improve Your Writing and Strengthen Your Online Presence
by Laurie Dart © 2007

Writing is more than just taking a pen to paper or tapping away on the keyboard. A good writer has a working knowledge of basic grammar, spelling, pronunciation, and vocabulary. You may be thinking you could never be a writer because your grammar and spelling skills are terrible. That’s simply not true. You can improve your grammar, your spelling, your vocabulary and ultimately your writing. It takes dedication and hard work, but it is possible. Start with these five tips.

1. Less is more with so many things in life, writing is no exception. Keep your writing concise. Say what you mean. Don’t go on and on and on. Your readers will get lost and become confused and eventually give up. Audiences appreciate writers who get to the point.

2. Don’t add a bunch of flowery words. You may think they make you sound interesting or more intelligent, but again, you run the risk of confusing your readers and eventually losing them. Save the flowery words for your poetry. Anything you’re writing for a client should be clear.

3. Keep your use of “that” to a minimum. Many of us use “that” when we write and it is as irritating as listening to someone say “uh’ or “like” when they talk. When you’re finished writing, do a search for “that” and see how many you can delete. You’ll be amazed at the difference just this one tip will make in your writing.

4. Make sure you use the correct words. If you have any question as to whether or not you should use compliment or complement or except or accept – make sure to look it up! A few seconds of research could save you from an error that lives forever in print. We’ve all seen it. Nothing kills your credibility faster.

5. Proofread, proofread, and proofread. And then when you’re done, proofread some more. Don’t rely on spell check and make sure to have someone else read your piece. When you’re checking for spelling errors – read the piece backwards. It forces you to look at each word and it’s harder for the brain to compensate and hide the errors.

Oh, and one last thing – spacing! I learned in high school to put two spaces after the punctuation at the end of a sentence. Of course I also learned to type on a manual typewriter! I’ve since had to break that habit because the only reason that two spaces were used after a period during the 'typewriter' age was because original typewriters had monospaced fonts -- the extra space was needed for the eye to pick up on the beginning of a new sentence. That’s not necessary on the computer as software expands or contracts depending upon the available space. So get in the habit of using one space. It really does look much more professional.

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Laurie Dart, author of the Everyday Guide to Writing Wisely, provides writing and editing services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Everyday Guide to Writing Wisely can help you avoid some of the common mistakes writers make as well as help you brush up on some grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary basics. Visit http://www.writingwisely.com/everydayguidespecials.htm.