Power in Print
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by Claire BonEnfant, Defining Moments
Do you have big marketing ideas - but a small budget? Do you often admire an expensive brochure and wish you had more dollars to invest in your printed piece?
- Take ownership of the message
It's your business - so make it your business to control the message that you are ultimately responsible for. Don't put it in the hands of strangers until you know that you have something important to say; important to your prospects, not just to you. And don't be intimidated by the process of writing. Words are tools - play with them, mold them. Put your ideas in your own words first, then get a writing coach to hone your message if that's what you need.
- Be professional
You consider yourself to be professional in the way that you conduct yourself with clients and associates. You need printed pieces that speak for you with the same high standards in terms of accuracy and literacy. If the people around you spell as badly as you do, don't ask them to do the final proofreading. Taking short cuts because the printer's on deadline is going to cost you in the long run. Don't let mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation tarnish an otherwise strong statement.
- Be direct
Talk to your readers in everyday language that is friendly, honest and straightforward. Don't fall into the embellishment trap - thinking that if your budget is bigger, your words should be, too. Being in print is no excuse for pontificating. Imagine what you would say to a customer face to face. And don't make promises you can't keep: your words in print should have equal impact and integrity.
- Be concise
Words can be weighty. If your brochure is a burden to read, it's probably because you've crammed too much information into too little space. People generally have a negative response to long solid blocks of copy. We tend to think that if the visuals are dense, so is the message. (And the messenger?) If it's buried in endless paragraphs, we can't be bothered to dig between the lines to find it. The less-is-more philosophy works if you make every word count. Be selective and emphasize the essential points.
- Be confident
The more knowledgeable you are - the more confident you are in your subject - the easier it is to write about it. Don't be tentative if you want to be taken seriously. A strong voice tells the reader that you speak with authority. If you have credibility in print, you're one step closer to doing business in person - and turning an interested reader into a satisfied customer.
- Be creative
It seems reasonable to assume that more money in the budget should fuel, not stifle, creativity. In some cases, however, the opposite is true. The same people who pride themselves on being risk-takers suddenly become cautious and inflexible when a new brochure is in the works. They play it safe - read boring - and the outcome is a mediocre marketing tool that's not only staid and predictable, but also looks a lot like the competition's. Don't resist the urge to be bold, regardless of your budget. Show your competitive edge by using a fresh approach. You don't want a humdrum message that gets lost in publication purgatory. You want a lively and literate message that gives you power in print - one that's worthy of your business and your readers.
You need to take a closer look. These slick promotion pieces may be more costly than you think. The reason? Literacy has again taken a back seat to technology. The glossy stock, bold colors and eye-catching graphics can't distract from the mangled message or the condescending language - not to mention the spelling and grammatical errors that run rampant throughout the text.
What does it say about a company when it can spend thousands of dollars to produce a brochure, but can't spot the typo on the front cover? Some would say that in these competitive times, it's all about packaging - the right look will attract. But that first quick look is often the last. When a business makes packaging a priority, instead of the message, are they hoping that consumers will be so smitten with the pretty pictures that they'll overlook copy that's poorly conceived? In our crowded marketplace, it's all about screening. If employers screen out resumes on the basis of spelling errors, why wouldn't consumers reject a message that's confusing, repetitive, or just plain boring?
If you think that words are there to fill space, that they're just details - you're right. Words are details. The decisive details. We ought to know by now that the content between the covers is what really counts with savvy consumers. If that content reveals carelessness - in pompous prose, faulty grammar or misspelled words - the reader comes away with a message alright. But it's not likely to be the one you want.
A bigger budget is irrelevant if you're not willing to invest time and effort in good writing. Your words send a powerful message. What message are you sending?
- Follow these principles to ensure that you have power in print:
© Claire BonEnfant. All rights reserved.
As a diversified writer and trainer, Claire BonEnfant at Defining Moments uses words that inspire and instruct to help individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations to send a clear and powerful message. Her writing credits are extensive: numerous business profiles and human interest features for newspapers and magazines; articles for web sites such as Workopolis and Canoe Lifewise; marketing materials that include ads, brochures, newsletters and a commemorative book; a children's novel published by Nelson/Thomson Learning; scripts for film and theatre; and an opening skit for a 40+ Job Conference. Her credits as a trainer and coach focus on the design and delivery of workshops on topics such as English upgrading, research, print marketing, goal setting, resume writing and job search, for a wide range of audiences including youth at risk, sole support parents on social assistance, and health care entrepreneurs.
