CleverNews October 2008
What’s News at CleverLink
Clever Schools Go With CleverLink
We are proud to welcome two high schools into our Client Network this month!
Both Elizabeth Macarthur High School located at Narellan NSW and Macquarie Fields High School located at Campbelltown NSW engaged CleverLink to redevelop their Web sites and give their image a good "push". CleverLink is certainly proud to be associated with both schools and believe thousands of students and their teachers will have a much better experience browsing their future schools' websites. We will publish the new sites on our portfolio after the launch.
CleverLink Staff Share Their Skills With Little Athletics Wollongong City
CleverLink staff share their skills with Little Athletics Wollongong City Our own Rachel Flannery, whose two young sons are now members of the club, put her hand up for the job and is now a proud contributor to a great local sporting club. She brings her experience as a copywriter to help the club with some of their PR, which means she will be publishing the newsletter and keeping an eye out for any opportunity to promote the club.
Marketing your way to success
CleverLink has successfully conducted a marketing workshop on 25 September 2008 and here is what one of the attendees says :
"I found it most enjoyable and informative. It all made great sense and of course was a good opportunity to learn more in a pleasant atmosphere with interesting and interested people. I enjoyed meeting your CleverLink team and was impressed by the whole presentation" Glyn Gardner. You can buy this marketing notes to guide you in to achieve your marketing goals. Click here to access the materials.
Get on board to swing a ‘hole’ lot of success your way
CleverLink is pleased to announce the signing of a three-year Sponsorship Master Deal with the historic and well-loved Wollongong Golf Club (WGC). This means, together with the WGC, we provide leading businesses in the Illawarra, national and international a chance to associate with WGC members and community through various sponsorship packages.
CleverLink will help the WGC re-brand their corporate image and re-develop its website as well as assisting the club to better service its members and customers. We are going to achieve this through both traditional marketing and the use of digital media such as newsletters, members area, etc.
Click here to read the news release and
contact CleverLink if you are interested in being part of this project.
Client Spot Light
Before Cleverlinks Redsign: 
After Cleverlilnks Redesign: 
Australian Family Homestays places overseas students with Australian Families while they study. Most of the time their staff spends is in face-to-face meetings and follow-ups so they required a system which could ease their administrative load.
Our client’s existing website simply provided information and a contact point, but that was all. Our brief was to create a ‘shop front’ to give information in a way that helps clients feel comfortable and reflects our client’s sunny personality and professionalism. We also employed functions such as an easy-to-use database so information can be pulled up in a just a few clicks and clients are kept informed via automated emails - significantly reducing the time spent on admin.
If you would like to talk to us about your Website needs, Contact Us to discuss our Web Design & Marketing Service.
Up Coming Events
Upcoming events:
CleverLink will host 2 seminars in the next few months:
- Seminar 1: 25th November 2008: Digital Marketing
- Seminar 2: 17th Feb 2009: Be Seen on Search Engines. Especially Google!
Places are limited, so if you are interested in attending, please Contact Us or register through our website http://www.cleverlink.com.au
If you are interested in booking Camtu Pham to speak at your next event, please Contact Us today!
Power Words
Making Sure Your Message is Clear: the long & the short of it
You probably know by now that people’s ‘buy’ impulse stems from one of their basic emotions; even when buying a pencil, there is emotion at the root of it! So, how can you your copy appeal to this core sense? There are many ways – let’s look at sentence length:
Be aware that the length of your sentences set the pace and affect the ‘drama’ of your text, which influences your reader’s emotional reaction to your words. Long sentences tend to give the copy a slow pace where short sentences create speed.
While a ‘long winded’ sentence can be tedious, a long sentence that’s clear and to the point will relax your reader with its rhythmic tempo. And when your reader is relaxed, they are in the perfect state to remember and respond to your business message. As long as your message has value for them, of course.
Short sentences are fast. They give a rapid pace to your message and can create a sense of drama. With a balance of short, medium and long sentences you can make you’re writing engaging, which is exactly what it needs to be to stimulate your reader to take action and either call you, email you or ‘click here’ (whatever your ‘call to action’ is).
Examples:
Fast: “Act Fast” “Buy now before they disappear” “And what about the kids?”(Remember, copywriting is not about grammar, it’s about talking directly to your reader –so, it’s okay to start sentences with And & But and use punctuation to your advantage in order to give pace to your copy).
Medium: “The fact that you are reading this page means that you want to take your business to the next level.”
Long:“If you’re like me, you are always looking for new ways to increase your marketing response but there’s just so much information out there - have you ever wondered just what you can do to improve your business, now? “ (Notice the use of a dash, instead of a full-stop - to break up a long sentence but keep the flow?)
Layout
While you are jotting down ideas for your content, consider what it will look like on the page. Be aware that until your reader is interested in what you are telling them, they will only skim a few sentences and pick out keywords. Even if they have clicked through to other pages on your site, most people will have only read 20% of it.
Next time you look at a new website, notice where your eyes are drawn. You might find they scan the page, landing on things like images, heading and words that take your interest. It’s not until you discover something that tells you this site has the solution you’ve been looking for, that you will read more, call them up or email for information.
Summary: 5 things that will keep your readers interested
- Use headings that tell the reader exactly what they can expect from your message: Unless you are a journalist, there’s no need to be afraid of using long headings. Short ones are fine too, if they give information, but tricky headings that don’t inform will only annoy your reader
- Use subheadings to ‘chunk’ your information to give your reader ‘steps’ so they can get from one lot of information to the next easily, while they look for exactly what appeals to them
- Use images to enhance your message – they say more than you could ever fit on a web page or brochure
- Vary your sentence lengths & your paragraph lengths to give it rhythm and keep it interesting
If you would like help writing content that engages your reader Contact Us to discuss our Professional Writing Service Contact Us to discuss our Professional Writing Service
Traditional Marketing
Does your product annoy your customers?
We came across an excellent article this week from Harvard Business Publishing. The article looks at if customers’ experiences can be improved by taking away negatives of your product. If you have bought a new car or a new computer recently you can probably relate to this. Most new cars these days are crammed full of electronic gadgets which all want to make some kind of noise. New computers are full of software that you probably will never use however nobody dares to delete these programs just in case it interferes with something else. The Wall St journal even has a term for this “bloat ware”. One entrepreneur saw this opportunity and now offers a service with new computers where for an extra $30 they will remove all un-needed software prior to delivery giving you a new computer which runs at faster speeds, boots up faster and encounters fewer problems.
Give some thought to how you implement any product changes and if these ultimately benefit your customer. If they don’t it could be worthwhile not adding in new features as customers may over time become frustrated with your offering and turn to your competitors instead.
If you would like some independent advice on product development, please Contact Us today!
Everyone in small business knows how tough it can be to grow your business…
A new book titled “The Free Agent Formula” identifies 5 basic mistakes that many small business operators commit. For your convenience, we have reproduced a summary of these below.
Creating a business that follows money instead of your strengths. Without a passion for your product or service, you're already at a disadvantage. If you're unhappy or out of sync with your natural strengths, you may be diluting your main marketing tool.
Matching your competitors instead of differentiating and finding your niche. In so many industries, all the competitors are bobbing in a sea of sameness. Get out of the dogfight by serving unmet needs."
Working one revenue stream instead of creating multi-faceted revenue models.
this means operating like a larger company in which your entire income is not derived from the hours you work and the fee you charge.
Packaging products from your perspective, not that of your customers. Today's savvy consumers tune out spin and interruption. They're looking for something that adds tangible value to their lives, so focus on real solutions.
Waiting for established media to cover you instead of creating your own.
Publishing is the new PR.Whether you create articles, checklists, resource guides, blogs, podcasts, video clips or quizzes, there's a content strategy to fit your communication style and business goals.
The Point: Identify the pitfalls before you begin, and your business will stand a much better chance of finding success.
If you would like someone else to bounce your marketing strategy off please contact us today.
The success of videos posted at your Web site or YouTube will depend largely on the quality of the execution…
Videos made in-house are most vulnerable to amateurish production values.
Below are some tips from Catie Foertsch (Hubspotblog) on how best to utilise this medium.
Start with a script. Don’t improvise. This is for a very good reason. You'll turn on the camera and find yourself tongue-tied as you try to think of what to say. Use succinct bullet points that won't overwhelm your audience with too much information, and an accessible story arc that follows the familiar pattern of beginning, middle and end.
Be authentic. Most of us prefer doing business with those we know, like and trust—you'll only alienate your viewers if they catch on to the fact that you're trying to be something you're not.
Don't use a camera's built-in microphone. Buy a wireless microphone and clip it on your lapel. Also, check that it has the right connections for your camera.
Pay attention to lighting. Pointing a light source directly at your face will counteract the dark shadows around the eyes caused by direct overhead light.
Get up close and personal. Think in YouTube dimensions—lots of long shots mean viewers don't get a good look at your face. A well-framed head-and-shoulders shot without too much empty space above your head will do the trick.
The Point: Communication-wise, video is the sharpest tool in your toolbox, and making good video isn't hard.
Contact us as to discuss how you can best incorporate video into your web site.
Digital Marketing & SEO
Online Advertising Continues To Rise
Australian businesses continue to transfer their marketing dollars from traditional media to online - and why wouldn't they? More and more people are spending time on the Internet than they do watching TV or reading the newspaper, so focusing your advertising dollar to where your target is, must be a good move!
3 Easy Steps To Drive Traffic To Your Site
Even though the Internet is a relatively new marketing medium, the fundamental principles are based on the same marketing principles used for the more traditional mediums.
Step One: Traffic
All online businesses rely on traffic in one way or another. I always love to see how others innovate when it comes to driving traffic to their websites. However there are some main sources for traffic from which the majority of your customers will come.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Before I continue, I should explain PPC is advertising that is charged on a per click basis. PPC advertising can be seen on the right hand side of a Google search results page.
Many companies offer this service, but the most famous, and generally regarded as the most effective, is Google Adwords. This is by far the fastest way to get traffic to your website. However while this form of advertising can be extremely unforgiving; if you get it right it can produce a significant payoff.
While it may look like a straight forward process, it is actually a very technical one. Google actually rewards ads that have high conversion rates, meaning an ad placed at number 2 with high conversion rates could be paying less than an ad placed at number 5 with low conversion rates.
Search Engine Optimisation
This is the process of optimising a website for the search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Live etc. Sounds simple enough, although it is often the small technical problems that stop a site being ranked high in a search engine.
In long term marketing strategies, SEO is the most effective for return on investment. Again, Google is the biggest player in this industry. A business which leverages this form of marketing can be rewarded with free traffic for years to come.
Affiliate Marketing
This is the most under utilised form of marketing mainly because many small businesses do not understand the process or do not have the technical expertise to undergo such a task. For those who are unfamiliar with affiliate marketing, it is basically the process of marketers referring traffic they have generated, to a product or service of yours. The best part is that you only pay those affiliates to whom you send your paying customers. No risk involved! Affiliate marketers know how to drive converting traffic to a website, so why not leverage this?
Of course many other forms of marketing your online business exist, but look into the marketing campaigns of most successful businesses and you will find one of the three above techniques being a major source.
If you would like to learn more about what SEO can do for your online business, Contact Us today to discuss our Search Engine Optimisation service.
Food for My Brain
Food For My Brain: How to achieve your goals
- Visualise yourself as having already achieved your goal and hold the joyful feelings in your head until the real result comes true.
- Take action toward your goals.
- See yourself doing the things you’ll be doing when you’ve reached your goal.
- Imagine the sounds and emotions associated with your goal.
- Use your time wisely. Remember that not all goals require money but all goals require time!
Go to Food For my Brain Web site to explore brain food! If you would like to learn more about Camtu’s positive approach to success, take a look at her book, Aim High Fly Fast: Creating a Wonderful World for Yourself and Others
Go to Food For my Brain Web site to explore brain food!
If you would like to learn more about Camtu’s positive approach to success, take a look at her book, Aim High Fly Fast: Creating a Wonderful World for Yourself and Others
Positive Mind
“Don’t measure yourself by what you’ve accomplished,
but rather by what you should have accomplished with your abilities.”
John Wooden
Clever Tool Box
STOP Allowing Current Situations to BLOCK Your SUCCESS!
Does your current Website generate good leads for you and make you feel proud? It should at least do both! Here are some common situations and their solutions
- “We already have a Website.” Great! Measure its success by quantifying the number of good leads and visits. If you are not happy with the results then take action now, because the cost of lost opportunities easily outweighs the cost of a good website.
- “We are not computer-literate so we thought we should settle for a simple website.” Who says so? Do you have to be a mechanic to drive a good car? Let the Web ‘mechanics’ (better known as Web Developers!) help you out with tuning up one of your most important business marketing vehicles - your Website!
My son is doing an Internet course and I thought I’d give him some experience by letting him do my business website” This can be a rewarding experience for both parties but if your web site ends up looking and functioning like a “work experience” site – your clients will assume your service will be of similar quality.
It is also hard to fire anyone unless you hired him/her in the first place. Freebies can cost you big bucks in opportunity costs and it can put you in a sticky situation. We have seen cases where business owners cannot take the job back because they are afraid of hurting the feelings of their loved ones, but end up hurting their business. Glad beginning....sad ending.
Are you allowing a current situation to block your success? Consider taking positive action sooner and put some energy back into your business.
If you have interesting news or topics you would like us to cover, please email us and we will do our best to slot it into the format!
