| How
to Cut Costs as You Leverage the Power of Great Copy, Marketing
and Brand Building
by
Dina Giolitto
Like any
budget-conscious business owner, you may feel uneasy about
spending money on marketing. A few hundred here for website
tweaks, a few hundred there for articles... it doesn't take
much to swing the other way, from marketing optimist to doubtful,
stingy, money-hoarding pessimist... does it!
Scrimping
on the marketing, cutting back on the copywriting. Failing
to keep pushing your name out there. Losing the customer advantage
that steady search engine marketing brings.
This
is what happens when you let your Inner Marketing Miser and
Copywriting Curmudgeon get the best of you.
On
the other hand, it feels so good to know that we have online
consultants rooting for us, helping us extend our marketing
reach, offering support and guidance when we need it. You
needed complimentary advice and the copywriter
came through? Great! A friendly designer took the time to
plug you on his blog, for fr^ee? Awesome.
But
as soon as we start talking bank, the friend boundaries grow
blurry and we falter.
Fees and
rates, negotiating project pricing... ah, the dirty words
that lend a squirmy feeling of discomfort to your otherwise
pleasant professional relationships.
What's
a fair rate for the work that you need?
Even
if you really love one copywriter's
samples, should you turn them down in favor of another
one who's maybe a little less impressive, but can offer you
a great deal?
Seems
to me, the real culprit that stands in the way of us getting
our needs met, and not spending an arm and leg to achieve
that, is FEAR.
People
have a real FEAR of asking for what they desire and deserve.
And all that fear results in is getting NONE of what you want,
when you could have gotten SOME of what you needed, if you
had only spoken up.
For
me, and the copywriting and
marketing clients whom I trust, compromise works to overcome
this fear, further cement our bond, and bring us closer to
our respective goals while saving money in the long run.
It's
worth mentioning that budgeting your marketing requires
having a long-term vision about your business goals.
(In
other words: you can't "meet someone half way" if
you're not even sure what road you're traveling, or if you're
on the same path).
So
get a plan, define your objectives, and express that.
Before
you negotiate with your preferred copywriting
or marketing expert, remember this:
Your money
is their time. They set their rates keeping the time in mind
that they will spend thinking and communicating on your behalf.
And also
remember:
Their
time is your money. So if circumstances make it difficult
for them to carry out your request, that takes up more time,
and there goes your money.
(I realize
I just digressed, but it was worth pointing out anyway.)
Let's
say that you work with a copywriter who charges $200 to write
a press release. (Notice I didn't say "submit" a
press release - that takes hours more research, time, and
therefore, money).
You feel
inspired and want to "put it out there." So you
pay the $200. The writer delivers your goods, you send out
the PR, and then sit back and wait for the action to happen.
Not a
lot happens. Maybe you get a few nibbles and a flurry of hits.
And then when the press release peters out, you're back to
where you started, or so it seems.
And now
you're thinking, what next? An article? A blog? I don't know
what to do... but I do know that this marketing stuff is costing
me money, and that hurts!
The problem
here, is that there is no long-term vision. Marketing won't
work if you do it once or twice. Marketing works when people
keep on seeing your company name, news and advice popping
up everywhere. That's the real foundation on which Big Brands
are built.
And
that's why if you DO have a copywriter
or marketing pro whom you trust, it really does pay to
just sit down and have an open discussion about your long-term
goals.
What would
you like to accomplish in a year? How much money are you comfortable
spending on marketing, per month?
How much
effort will it take to extend your scope of influence and
develop mass awareness of your brand?
And finally...
if you're talking about an ongoing relationship with one marketer,
can you reach a compromise, in terms of hours and rates? Because,
like any trust-based relationship... if you can't compromise,
it's simply not going to work.
How long
will it take, each month, to write and submit articles, press
releases, manage a blog, publish an ezine, send out brochures,
or do the things you know you need to increase exposure?
Is it
true that if one copywriter keeps working on your material
on a steady basis, it will take LESS time to draft new marketing
pieces, than it would for someone who's doing it out of the
blue?
(Yes,
that IS true).
So:
how much compromise is it worth to both you and your chosen
copywriter and/or marketer,
to establish an ongoing relationship where you entrust your
monthly marketing needs to them, and they in turn help push
your brand out there and bring you more customers?
If you
propose to a copywriter that you'd like them to come down
on their fees, in exchange for consistent work on a monthly
basis, I guarantee that they will be open to such an arrangement.
(Because
that's the thing that every freelance copywriter wants: steady
work).
And then
you could be looking at a considerable reduction in your marketing
expenses, that you would NEVER have enjoyed had you just kept
doing the "sporatic and impulsive" type of marketing
that "feels" like you're spending less, but really
you're spending MORE.
Commitment
and compromise is what it all boils down to. And when you
enjoy working with somebody, and you admire their talent,
and you can feel that they are happy to communicate on your
behalf, and you know they appreciate the work you do? Well,
those are the best reasons of all to Have No Fear about asking
for what you want in terms of regular advertising and then
getting it.
So:
do I have to come over there and wrestle a long-term marketing
plan out of you?
I've
got copy and you've got product... time's a wastin'.
:)
Copyright
2006 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com
Copywriting and Marketing. All rights reserved.
Contact
Dina@Wordfeeder.com
to get started on your website copy, business branding and
marketing communications campaign today.
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