March, 2010
A Few Tips About Tips
Building trust is important, if not mission critical. Prospects want to be sure
that you know that what you’re doing and that your expertise can help
them solve their problem. So, how do you build trust and demonstrate your knowledge
and value?
Easy. Share some tips.
Tips are handy. They’re quick. They’re digestible. They’re
useful.
Tips sheets are usually a list of five to 12, or so, solutions to
common problems. They’re the “8 Ways to Whatever,” short
articles you see in publications and on the Web. But, they have a
lot of other uses.
What about tip topics? Odds are, you hear the same problems and challenges
facing your clients and prospects. Start writing them down to use
as topics for your tip sheets.
5 Tips for Writing Tips
1. Try to keep them to a single page.
They’re called a tip sheet, not tip sheets. Be succinct. Your
readers are busy. Respect that.
2. Tips should be active, so start each tip with a verb.
Verbs add some punch and motivation to your tips. They help to get
your readers moving.
3. Use a number in the headline.
It’s enticing and also clues the reader that it’s a quick
read.
4. Don’t directly promote yourself.
It’s just bad form. So, avoid things like, “9 Reasons
To Buy Stuff From Me.” Actually, it’s more than bad form
and being a bit self-indulgent. Like all things marketing, it’s
not about you, it’s about
your audience. They want to know what’s in it for them. Focus
on value and benefits.
5. Offer tips that provide value and are of genuine help.
It’s not going to help to position you as an expert if your content
is wrong or not helpful. Take the time needed to research the topic
and gain a solid understanding.
6 Tips To Put Tip Sheets Into Action
Once you have a tip sheet or three, start implementing them as marketing
tool. Here are a few ideas:
1. A download on your site
Make your tip sheet into a pdf and offer it as a free download on
your site. Better yet, offer it as an incentive to sign up for your
e-newsletter to help build your list. Be sure to include your contact
info on the tip sheet.
2. Use tips in your e-marketing efforts
Tips make handy content for e-newsletters. They’re quick to produce
and you don’t need to be a budding Hemmingway. You might also
consider using them in an autoresponder campaign. For example, provide
one tip each day for five days after a prospect becomes an e-newsletter
subscriber.
3. A leave behind after a meeting
Offer a printout to prospect at the end of an initial meeting. Ideally,
these can be targeted to niche audiences and their specific problems.
4. Include them in your press kit
Editors, reporters and writers love tips sheets. It’s pre-made
content to add to stories or, better yet, interviews about you and
your business.
5. Use them as press releases
If you’ve written a great tip sheet, add a dateline, intro and
closing, some info about your business to wrap around your tips. Voila!
6. Use them as brochure content
Strapped for brochure copy or need something to separate you from
the pack? Tips make excellent copy for a brochure that will be kept
and referred to, instead of filed or worse ... tossed.
At the end of the day, tips sheets are easy to create and implement.
If you’re not using them, consider adding them as a low cost
took in your marketing toolbox.
Until next month ...
All the best,
Neil
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