What to do when it’s time to update your marketing and the creative juices aren’t flowing.
You haven’t sent out an e-mail to your database in months. You need to post content on your blog page. You’ve been asked to submit an article for your local newspaper.
And then it happens - you get writer's block. You sit there, staring at the blank pages and don’t have a clue as to what to say.
Never be at a loss for words if you use my six-and-a-half triggers on creating awesome opening paragraphs - so that your readers will actually want to read what you have to say.
1. Ask a question: "Did you know that when it comes to refinancing, it’s better to pay a little higher interest rate and the lowest closing costs possible? Why you might be asking yourself?" Then proceed to answer it for them.
2. Start with a story: "Let me tell you a story about how I saved a client over $300 per month - money they are now using to pay off their credit cards." Proceed with the details of how you accomplished this.
3. Start with a testimonial: "I can’t begin to tell you how you helped me increase my monthly cash flow by refinancing my mortgage. Best of all, you made it seem easy." - Mary Smith, homeowner. Be sure to get their permission to use the testimonial. Then proceed to talk about others you have helped.
4. Begin with a quote by a well-known person: "Suze Orman said (in a recent Money magazine article) that interest rates tend to rise more quickly than they fall. It’s especially true when it comes to mortgage interest rates." Then give your opinion on what’s happening to rates these days.
5. Get personal: It’s OK to talk about yourself, your experiences, what you did last week. However, it’s important to circle the conversation back to your business. For example, let’s say that you just got back from your annual fishing trip. Talk about the bait you used, the fish that you caught, the people that you met. Then relate it back to how this parallels with client marketing tactics - the bait might be blogging ideas, direct mail postcards. The clients might be first-time homebuyers, short sales, reverse mortgages. This type of marketing works best when blogging or e-mails to real estate agents, builders and affiliates.
6. Make a Bold Statement: "I can save you big money by refinancing now." Back it up with the facts as to the reasons why.
6.5 Use a combination of Numbers 5 and 6: "I can save you big money by refinancing now (your bold statement) so let me tell you a story of how I save a client over $300 per month - money they are now using to pay off the credit cards faster.”
Mix it up. Don’t start every single one of your blogs or e-mails by telling a story.
And oh, for that writer’s block issue, start collecting content that you can refer to later, such as:
- Cutting out newspaper/magazine articles.
- Moving e-news to folders in your e-mail system.
- Keeping a personal journal of ideas you might want to talk about.
- Sharing what you learned by attending seminars (online and offline).
- Share what you learned from reading a book, e-zine or manual.
If you are in the mood to write, don’t hesitate to write two or three of them at a time. It’s an efficient use of your time plus it will save you when it comes time to send an e-mail or post on your blog site; you’ll never have to worry about writer’s block again.
