STOP WASTING YOUR MONEY ON MARKETING MESSAGES

A lot of small businesses owners write their own advertisements, blogs, webpages, and newsletters without any training.?Many don’t believe they need any.?

I’m going to share with you the BIGGEST BLOOPER that most people make in online marketing.??It’s something that top, professional writers know and take pains to avoid.??It’s something that DIY content writers should know, too - even if they DID score an A in English at school (if that's you, nice work!).

So, hold off flexing your frisky fingers over that 'publish' button.?Put your next social media post on pause, grab a cuppa and read on!???

THE NO.1 WRITING BLOOPER THAT BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE

If your marketing experts are sure that you’re targeting your market correctly with your ad placements, social media schedules, and blog links and you’re seeing no return, then there’s really only one thing left …?

Your message is weak.?

You can throw as much money at an advertising schedule as you like, but if your message isn’t strong enough, you won’t get the results you want.?

The most common blooper rookie writers make is to cram too much information into a single piece of writing.?

You need to deliver ONE message per missive.?

Just ONE.?

One tweet, post, blog, or even article is only long enough for ONE important message.?Not five.?Or four with three different calls to action.?

Otherwise, your message ends up as a splat of jumbled noise and a missed opportunity to say what you mean.

Write for ONE target person, giving them ONE thing they need to do and just ONE truly compelling reason why they should do it.

YOUR WORDS REPRESENT YOU AND YOUR BRAND

You might have the most beautiful website in the world.?You might have the funniest advert on the radio.?You might have the most expensive advertising agency handling your tv and print campaigns.?

?If you’re not making a return on your marketing investment, though, something’s wrong.?

And it’s not simply about where you hang out online and where you post.?

It’s about WHAT you say.??The strength of your message.

It makes no sense to spend money on marketing if your message misses the mark.

WRITE FIRST, MARKET SECOND

Where to spend your time and money on marketing should make you dither.?There are still all the traditional media outlets – newspapers, radio, television (if you have the budget) - but these days, social media and the infinite internet options make your choice overwhelming.?

What’s worse, your competition seems to have it waxed.?

They all use social media like experts.?Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn – you name it, they all know better than you and seem to be posting updates regularly.?

When did they get to be so darned clever, and why are you so far behind?

The truth is, you’re not.?Most people feel as though they’re not making the most of their marketing opportunities - just like you.?What’s more, many of them are wasting time and money doing it because the message they’re pushing is impotent.?

Concentrate on getting your message right first before you worry about marketing it.?Then, if you’re in doubt, hire a professional writer.

Remember - Step One:?write a killer message.?Step Two:?market your killer message.

Not the other way around.

Nip over to the AMP website to find tips, tricks, and offers to help you write more effectively and find details of the next AMP “Writing in Colour” training course for busy business owners.??After all, as Douglas Adams says,?"It takes an awful lot of time to not write a book."