Never Hit “Send” Without Self-editing Recently my mail brought a promotion for would-be copywriters. It was all about teaching you to write copy that sells, and how to run a successful copywriting business. The whole thing was “formulatic.” It had the scarcity – only 20 spots, so act now. It attempted to make you want […]
Marketing Grammar – Don’t Let the Pronouns Get You Down
Confused by subject and object pronouns? Although I live in a community where poor grammar is the norm rather than the exception, I can’t recall ever hearing anyone over about the age of 2 saying something like “Me want a cookie,” or “Give she a cookie,” or even “Give myself a cookie.” If you are […]
Why Effective Sales Letters Never Begin With “I”
Good sales letters never begin with “I” or “We,” and there’s a very good reason why. It isn’t because it sounds a bit rude and self centered, although it does. It’s because of a fact which many of us would rather not believe. That fact is that our readers really don’t care about us. What […]
Will anyone read your marketing message?
Yes – if you begin with an interesting headline and an opening that grabs their attention. Usually that means writing something about the reader or one of his or her concerns. BUT… that’s not all. You also have to make the message EASY to read. I probably sound like a broken record because I nag about […]
Good real estate marketing messages are like conversations
Good Marketing Messages are Like Conversations You want people to read your marketing messages, right? Then let your copy be a conversation… Not a lecture, not a demand, not even a blatant advertisement. Before you sit down to write, think about the people you want to reach. Then narrow that down to just one of […]
When you write real estate marketing copy, avoid these 2 mistakes
Do you write your own real estate marketing copy? Many do, for reasons ranging from budget constraints to not having experienced the value that professionally written copy can bring to their business. And that’s fine. You can learn how to do an acceptable job if you spend some time studying the psychology of advertising, read […]
Do you think you “Should” be able to write your own marketing copy?
Plenty of people, in real estate and in other businesses, think they should be able to write their own marketing copy. They feel that since they know their business better than anyone else, they should be able to write about it and promote it better than anyone else could. What they forget is that different […]
Question from a client: Can You “Clean Up” The Real Estate Copy I Wrote?
Q & A – Can You “Clean Up” The Real Estate Copy I Wrote? “I wrote my own bio, and it says what I wanted to say, but doesn’t say it very well. Would you be willing to fix it?” Every now and then this question comes up regarding bios, letters, articles, and even web […]
Real Estate Marketing Grammar Gaffes that Can Make You Look Unprofessional
When you write blog posts, prospecting letters, property fliers, emails, and web pages, are you careful about your grammar? You should be, because poor grammar can knock you completely out of the running with some clients. They’ll simply decide that you’re not a professional and will pass you by. Some agents think it doesn’t matter. […]
Want Your Writing to Attract Prospects? Let Your Personality Show
Whether you’re writing a blog post, a web page, or an email to a prospect, one of the first things you need to do is get rid of the notion that your high school or college composition teacher is going to critique your work. They might, but since they probably aren’t your prospects, their opinion […]