It's normal to ask for feedback when you've written a piece for your marketing.

Whether it's a website home page, a postcard or an email, someone else's perspective can be very helpful. It can even point out blind spots you don't see yourself because you're too involved in your words to be objective.

That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Even though I'm a writer by profession, it happens to me too.

Yet the feedback doesn't always give you the type of response you're looking for. Often this is because of how you phrase your question.

When you ask someone "what do you think of this?" they're likely to come back with what I call "editorial comments." By that I mean things like "I don't like that word" or "this sentence could be shorter" or "there's a typo in the second line."

Those may be valid comments but don't really help you understand whether your words are effective or not.

I've found that a better question to ask is along the lines of "does this get your attention?" or "would this encourage you to want to find out more?"

This addresses the bigger picture and the impact of your words, rather than the nitty-gritty of grammar. Not that that's not important. It is. But first the content has to work and have impact on the people you want it to appeal to.

Try changing your question next time you need input and see if it makes a difference.

And of course, you can always contact me if you'd like feedback on your words.

Email me at Maggie@MyMarketingMessage.com or call me at 805 965 9173 and let's talk.

Copyright 2018 Maggie Dennison

"Story" is a huge buzzword in marketing right now.

We're given advice like:

"Tell your story. People like stories."
"Put yourself into your marketing."
"Let people know who you really are."
"Show the real person behind the business."

Those are all good points to be aware of.

What can happen is that you ask yourself: "Will people really get to know me?" because after all the point of a personal story is to reveal yourself to your reader or listener. But that question may not serve your marketing.

Instead, ask yourself do people relate to your story? Is your story relevant to your business and your audience? Will they resonate with it?

If you can answer "yes" to those questions, you're well on the way to presenting your story in a way that engages your prospects and supports your business.

Many years ago, the Wall Street Journal sent out a letter aimed at getting new subscribers. In that letter, they tell the story of two students who graduated at the same time, and met again for their 25th reunion. One was President of a large company while the other one had got stuck in a lower level position. The difference was the knowledge the successful one gained from reading the WSJ.

The story was highly relevant to the readership of the WSJ and their interests. It was so successful in generating subscriptions that the WSJ ran it for almost 30 years.

That was a story that worked.

How are you using your story to connect with your potential clients? Contact me for help in defining what parts of your story will get the attention of your audience.

Copyright 2018 Maggie Dennison