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The little word that makes a big difference
Want people to read what you write? Of course you do.
Then talk to them directly. You may not know their name, but they all have one thing in common: they’re all called ‘you’.
Recently, I saw this sign at a local supermarket. It stopped me in my tracks. I’ve probably seen thousands of fire-exit signs in my life, but I’ve never given them much attention.
Until now.
This one made me pull out my phone-that’s-really-a-camera and take a picture.
One day, I thought, it might be me trapped inside that burning building, scrambling to get past a woman with a trolley filled with Coke and thick-crust pizzas, and a man arguing about money-off coupons while thick, acrid smoke billowed around us.
You. It’s such an obvious tactic to use, that we often overlook it.
At my gym, there’s a list of 10 ‘rules and regulations’ (what’s the difference, exactly?).
One says: the male members shall wear a training top.
Quite apart from the unintended innuendo, there’s the imperious use of ‘shall’. I’m tempted to strip off just to see what happens.
The notice is signed (inevitably) ‘The Management’.
And here’s the thing: never once does it say you. So the tone is cold, distant, and bossy. I’m likely to make a note of the rules simply to remember to break them as often as possible.
If you want people to take notice, try these three things:
- Keep it simple.
- Be direct.
- Use ‘you’.
By order,
The Management
…or they might end up doing nothing
 I went to see an exhibition in London last weekend at the Mall Galleries – the Photographer of the Year, run by Digital Camera Magazine.
There were some wonderful images of people, architecture and animals. Beatifully framed and expertly lit – just the sort of thing my friend S would like.
Unfortunately, the exhibition finished the day I was there. So I sent her the link to the website. She could browse at her leisure, and tell me what she thought.
Except she couldn’t.
“I need to register to access anything,” she wrote in an email.
Registration? What registration? All she had to do was click the black and white portrait of the girl and she’d be through to the galleries.
But she didn’t. Instead of hovering and seeing the giveaway hand cursor, she looked around, saw boxes marked Username and Password – and promptly gave up.
All it would have taken is a simple sign saying Click here next to the girl.
So much for point and press.
OOBE or not OOBE
The takeaway is clear: what’s obvious to you is not always obvious to them.
I came to the site with years of web experience. S, on the other hand, is a cyber novice, and likes to see nice neat pointers that tell her what to do.
If it’s signposted, she’s OK. If it’s not, she gives up.
That’s why as a copywriter, marketer, or just about anyone else who’s putting messages out there, you should indulge in a little out-of-body experience every time you put virtual pen to paper.
It’s not just a call to action you need. It’s a call to action that’s obvious to your reader.
Any colour – as long as it’s black
It’s also about not giving people too many choices.
Just recently, I was on a site that shouted BUY NOW! A little way across the page, there was DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE! And out of the corner of my eye, I saw FIND OUT MORE!
Now the thing is, I really wanted to do something. But bombarded by choice, I took the path of least resistance. I simply closed down my browser, and resolved to go back later (I didn’t).
Admit one (idiot)
As I left the exhibition, I saw a sign that said Photographer of the Year – Free Entry. So why had I paid £2.50?
And then I realised. Two exhibitions were sharing the gallery space, with no boundaries between them. I’d come to see the photography show, but paid to see the print show.
I’d walked in, seen the sign on the counter, and only three words had registered.
Admission. Adult. £2.50.
They told me what to do. I did it.
But don’t tell S.
Find out more:
When trust is everything online, why hide your identity?
 Some months back, an author friend of mine was asked by his publisher to contribute to their blog.
It was the perfect opportunity, they said, to reach a wider audience, show a different side of himself and open up a debate. The exposure would be invaluable.
He said no.
It’s not surprising. Writers are often solitary people, and being thrown into a virtual lions’ den can be a terrifying prospect.
But that wasn’t what put off my friend. It was the fact that he’d be himself, and the others would be – well who exactly would they be?
Jezza55 and supertramp, avidreader07 and im_not_all_there. Anonymous people who could say whatever they liked, and feel not a twinge of regret or remorse.
Catch me if you can
According to Silicon Valley veteran Andrew Keen, the cult of anonymity is to blame for the ‘uncivil world’ of the internet.
(You may remember that Keen’s book The Cult of the Amateur ruffled blogger feathers last year by suggesting that much of their discussion was inane and pointless.)
“The most corrosive thing of today’s internet is anonymity,” said Keen in an interview. “Much of the most uncivil conversation, much of the unpleasantness of the Internet is carried out by people who won’t reveal who they are.”
I am what I am
So here’s your secret weapon: you.
When so much of the content out there hides behind the mask of anonymity, putting your head above the parapet, waving a virtual flag and saying ‘This is me’ sets you apart from the crowd.
I often speak to people who desperately want to hide fact that they’re a one-person band. Or a small operation. Why? They want to appear bigger, more corporate, more… faceless?
And this, at the very time that big corporates are trying to lose the big-corporate image, and give themselves a human face.
Why? Because people want to connect with people. They want to see who you are, where you operate from and maybe even what you (or your people) look like.
And then they’ll do business with you.
Meanwhile, my author friend is still tussling with his publisher over the blog. His latest message to them said “I’ll show them mine if they show me theirs.”
He’s still waiting for a reply.
Find out more:
You’ll be surprised – and so will they
 Just the other day, this leaflet dropped through the letter box. The local council is thinking about installing these gizmos at bus stops around the county.
So while you’re waiting in the rain with a dozen other bedraggled people, you can see that the number 52 is still 15 minutes away.
To help pass the time, you could press the yellow circle to get community information. Or catch up on the latest police notices, the leaflet tells me. How calming.
The important point here is that they’re asking me what I think before they launch the scheme.
Don’t keep it to yourself
It’s very tempting to wait until you’ve got every angle worked out before presenting an idea to your clients.
Why? Because if you don’t, maybe they’ll think you don’t know what you’re doing. Or worse, that you’re making it up as you go along.
But wait – you are making it up as you go along. With their input.
Many years ago, when I worked for a large software company, we launched a reseller incentive. If salespeople sold X, they got £Y.
But in our enthusiasm, we forgot to consult the resellers on the exact details. And it turned out that our incentive scheme clashed with their internal commission structure and the distributor incentive schemes.
It wasn’t a success.
So the next time round, we brought them all together and got their help to design a scheme that worked for everybody.
Open kimono
Involving clients in important decisions and getting their feedback on your future plans is a great way to make them feel valued. And it saves you the head-scratching frustration of wondering whether you’ve got it right.
But if you are going to ask, make sure you’re doing it for that right reasons – and that you’re approaching it with an open mind.
Somehow, I think the council has already made its mind up about the bus signs. The clue is on the reverse side, where the languge is relentlessly positive:
“Constantly striving to improve…brand-new…always current and up to date…wide variety…match all bus users’ needs…”
After all that, who would dare to tick the ‘No’ box?
Apart from me, that is.
Recently, this flyer landed on my mat. It’s for a local gym (I’ve removed their name to avoid embarrassment).
My first reaction? It’s a bit tasteless. But even worse, it’s probably likely to alienate half its readership. Don’t think so? You’re probably male. Imagine a tanned male bottom in a pair of tight briefs. Now would you feel as comfortable?
So I didn’t join, right? Yes and no.
You see, I was already a member. But If I’d got this back when I was looking for a gym, I’d have wondered if it was really the one for me.
It’s crucial when you’re writing to keep your audience in mind. It’s one of my Top 10 tips. Also, remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them (that’s another one of my tips).
What this ad is really trying to say is that you can get into great shape at the gym. So why now have somebody who’s smiling, happy and obviously healthy, looking straight at the viewer? Better still, why not have a man and a woman to cover all bases?
Whoever designed this probably thought:
- women would think they’d get a desirable bottom by working out at the gym
- men would would get to see lots of those desirable bottoms while they worked out
But it’s more likely that:
- women felt insulted and wondered if they’d really feel comfortable at the gym
- while some men felt attracted, others were deterred by the sexual overtones
Not forgetting gay men, who probably didn’t react at all to the picture.
So what were the gym marketing gurus thinking?
Easy. They saw a sexy picture with a tanned, svelte woman against an azure sky and thought it would say ‘get ready for summer’. Then, all they had to do was think up a really bad pun. And voilà, the mailshot was ready. They probably even joked about the campaign improving their bottom line.
Take it from someone who’s been there: if you find yourself smiling at the thought of how clever you’ve been, and want to pat yourself on the back, think again. The only smile that matters is the reader’s. If it doesn’t strike the right note for your audience, stop and go back to the drawing board.
You won’t regret it.
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