Does your value proposition appeal to customers?

Articulating the value proposition for a marketing campaign is more than just wordplay. It tell customers why they should buy from you, and it only works if you hit a hot button.

MarketingExperiments defines a value proposition this way:

"Essentially, your value proposition is the answer to a single question in the mind of every visitor that lands on your website: If I am your ideal prospect, why should I buy from you rather than your competitors?"

In the new issue of the Marketing Experiments Quarterly Research Journal, Dr. Flint McGlaughlin and his intrepid researchers test five things customers value:

• Price
• Savings
• Support
• Product Design
• Benefits (e.g., business growth, ease of use, etc.)

An ingenious test using pay-per-click ads measured what customers value most by the number of clicks each ad got. This is a pretty simple technique that anyone can use to test and refine a value proposition.

Dr. McG. concludes: "[A] value proposition is not something you dictate; it is something that you discover."

A story about parrots

In the infamous Monty Python "Dead Parrot" sketch, a pet-shop clerk ignores the customer's claim that the Norwegian Blue parrot purchased just 30 minutes earlier is now undeniably dead.

It's safe to say that the parrot did not fulfill its brand promise.

What is your brand promise, and is it being fulfilled? Spin your story in a way that guarantees happy endings for your customers. Know your value proposition and deliver on it every day.

And if your parrot dies, stuff it, mount it and tell a story about it to anyone who will listen -- an Everyman's morality tale about righteousness ... and never letting another parrot pass away on your watch.

v.2 Update your status!

After a few days away, I revisited my new microsite and postcard design and found them wanting. They wanted color and space and clarity. So I took another look at the TypePad templates and found one with circles -- tying into my homepage design -- and bright colors. The layout is more airy, with a deeper banner.

In an ideal world, I'd hire a top-notch graphic designer to create a new template for Status Update, then spin off the postcards, business card, email template and other collateral. But I think the alternative is pretty OK for now. Let me know what you think!

Here's the v1 banner:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the v2 banner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next challenge: Think of a clever play on words about parrots ... and stories ... and branding. Hmmm.

Introducing Status Update

Nearly three years after moving to South Florida, I am finally networking in the local business community. To help target my pitch, I've created a campaign that promotes my services in brand messaging and content copywriting for integrated marketing campaigns.

My new microsite, Status Update, anchors the campaign. Building the site using the TypePad was easy. I created a page for the front and used categories to navigate the sub-pages (brand messaging, content copywriting, integrated marketing). Then I made multiple blog posts to the copywriting samples category. Using modules in the design template, I added buttons for a bio, contact info and my full website. With a nod to local search marketing, I put my location in the footer.

The campaign postcard uses a tip list as a teaser and a QR code to drive traffic to the microsite. (If that's too hi-tech, there's a tinyurl with my phone number as part of the address.) A matching business card will feature a campaign promo on one side.

Creating these materials has been an excellent exercise in the very services I'm promoting -- articulating my brand promise and writing compelling copy for each piece. Now to execute by getting out there and marketing!

HubSpot's Website Grader

My CC-T Unlimited website scored better than 69% of the 3.5+ milling websited ranked to date, according to HubSpot's Website Grade. Now, this sounds a little unlikely to me, but according to the SEO tool, my site does a few things right.

On the upside, it has a blog. On the downside, few people read it (you do -- thanks!). And, none of my recent posts have been reTweeted.

Another plus: 54 pages have been indexed and stored by search engines. But, apprently you need at least a high school education to read them.

Also, there is metadata -- the tags that tell search engines what the site is about -- but there are no heading or image summaries, or description tags on each page.

Finally, 18 other sites link to my site. But the sum total of their authority or popularity ranks just 3.7 out of 10.

There's more. But, frankly, it's a little overwhelming. I have work to do. 

And this is why I am skeptical about that ranking. To see how your site stacks up, just go to websitegrader.com and plug in your URL. It's free.

10 SEO Tips from Local Pro

SEO Expert Bruce Cadle itemized the top 10 search engine optimization mistakes he sees at FPRA's Treasure Coast Media Conference. Cadle works with the full-service web design company, PD-go! Web Solutions of Stuart, Florida, to optimize sites so they naturally rise to the top of search results.

Here are his tips for getting the most visibility in Google, Yahoo!, Bing and other search engines:

1. Use keywords first in page titles, as well as company location for local searches.
2. Write a unique page title for every page in the site using relevant keywords.
3. Find out what keywords people search on with Google AdWords and other tools.
4. Create internal links connecting keyword phrases on one page to another page in the site.
5. Get high-ranking sites to link to your site -- such as directories or membership lists.
6. Register with local search engines such as Google Places, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Manta.
7. Make every website unique for franchises, chapters, distributors, etc.
8. Update pages often so web crawlers have a reason to visit.
9. Put contact info on every page, including company, address and city.
10. User footers for contact info as well as keywords.

journalism or churnalism?

How do you know if what you are reading in the newspaper is objective journalism or recycled press releases? Just plug the suspect content into the churnalism.com "churn engine" to see if it is original.

According to Media Standards Trust, an independent charity that aims to foster high standards in news media on behalf of the public:

The term ‘churnalism’ was popularised by Nick Davies in Flat Earth News, and refers to articles which are essentially press releases without much added. [Churnalism.com's] ‘churn engine’ allows you to compare press releases with articles published by national newspaper websites, and BBC News and Sky News online, to see if they might be ‘churn’.

Apparently, mass layoffs that began awhile back have left reporters scrambling to generate print column inches and online exclusive content. Using the work product of PR pros has become an accepted solution.

Good for PR. Bad for journalism.

With no relief in sight, will the bad habit called churnalism become industry-standard practice?

hashtags

I have remained resolute in my resolve not to use Twitter, but I just learned about a truly useful tool -- the hashtag. The Twitter Help Center offers this explanation:

Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

What's cool about hashtags is that you can search Twitter for #keyword, and tap into the current conversation on the topic.

For example, I'm a huge fan of SYTYCD. So when I searched Twitter, I found a reference to a NY Post article featuring the top 7 partnerships of previous seasons, with links to their duets. Some of my favs!

PR pros use hashtags to search for trending topics in their industries, according to Beverly Bevis Jones of BB Jones Communications. Then, they can participate in the conversation or lead it in a new direction.

Thanks, Beverly, for sharing this tip at the FPRA's 2011 Media Conference!

 

Social media moxie

"The mission of Moffitt Cancer Center is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer."

From the cleaning crew to the CEO, if you're employed by Moffitt, you remember this mission and tell it to anyone who asks, according to Michelle Foley, public relations and marketing. It's probably the simplest and most memorable message in center's multimedia newsroom.

Foley gave the keynote address at the Treasure Coast Media Conference, where social media were a frequent topic of conversation. Moffitt's Facebook page is not just full of news and info posted by PR. The Comments by patients and families are mini testimonials like, "Moffitt is one of the greatest! They treat you with so much love, compassion and concern."

People who "like" the page (3,179 at this posting) also share their personal stories and give thanks to the cancer care teams that changed their lives. With updates posted at least every two days, and 15+ admins assigned to monitor and respond to comments, the content stays fresh. It also ties in to content on Moffitt's more user-friendly consumer site.

In addition to Facebook fans, Moffitt has 1,352 followers on Twitter and 4,910 channel views on YouTube. The numbers may not be big, but the positive branding makes the center's foray into social media more than worthwhile. It gives Moffitt's patients and families a voice.

White Paper Pundit's Rule of 3

No more than three subject matter experts (SMEs) should be engaged in the white paper draft review cycle, according to Jonathan Kantor, principal and founder of The Appum Group ("The White Paper Company"). Kantor cautions that interviewing multiple sources is often the best way to get in-depth information, but it can also delay delivery.

In "Too Many Cooks Can Spoil the White Paper," he notes:

"The greater the number of SMEs, the more people that must review subsequent white paper drafts. The diverse number of opinions and the resulting number of edits can result in the white paper going in a hundred different directions, and it also extends the amount of time necessary to compile all the SME opinions, and send the reviewed draft back to the writer for final completion.

"I have seen white paper projects take as much as six months to a year because of an excessive number of SMEs."

I have experienced firsthand the difficulties and delays that happen when in-house experts disagree on the focus and content of a paper. Having everyone sign off on a detailed outline before writing the first draft helps, but there will still be one or more holdouts who want their take on the subject to take precedence.

Kantor offers a sound piece of advice for freelancers: Insist that the client task a designated project manager with collecting and consolidating reviewer feedback for you. I've found that this works well--but I also suggest that your contract stipulate payment for the first draft (balance due upon approval of the final draft). That way, if the paper gets stuck in review, you won't have to wait months to get paid.