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