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THE ART OF STARTING A CONVERSATION
| Guest post by: Billy Sharma |
Article Overview: How to converse when it comes to the different media.
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Free Download - WHEN ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS OR DONORS MOST RECEPTIVE? By Billy Sharma |
THE ART OF STARTING A CONVERSATION
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Although at the heart of direct
marketing is its ability to create a one-on-one relationship where a letter is
seen as coming from a real individual to another, it is really in online
marketing that you have a much better chance of starting a real conversation.
This is best witnessed by the
popularity of social marketing where not only friends speak to each another,
but a third person can join in the conversation.
All we need to do is look at how we
normally talk to each other to understand how to start a conversation more
efficiently:
WE START INFORMALLY
As friends we are less formal with
friends in emails than in direct mail. While a direct mail letter usually
starts with a formal salutation like, “Dear Mr. Doe,“ the language in emails is
more colloquial, cryptic and casual.
For example, “Hi Joe,“ or “Hello
Joe,“ are the ways we normally address friends
WE ALSO USUALLY USE AN INFORMAL
TONE IN CONVERSATION
In conversation we frequently use
contractions or even start a sentence with an “and” or a “but”, a “plus” or
“what’s more”.
These ways are all perfectly
acceptable because that’s how we talk to each other.
The same thing is true when we
express our thoughts in fragments or short sentences.
And even ending a sentence with a
preposition is fine too, as long as it sounds right.
WE ALWAYS TRY AND ENGAGE THE
OTHER PERSON BECAUSE A CONVERSATION IS A DIALOGUE NOT A MONOLOGUE
Even though your email may
technically be a one-way conversation, you can engage the reader in a number of
ways.
You can ask a question like “Did you
know” or ask “Don’t you agree?”
Or you can even start the sentence in
mid-conversation. For example, “So why is it so hard to attend this party?”
Additionally, you can use phrases
like “you probably know” or “as you may have heard” even right in the middle of
your story.
TO BE HEARD WE NEED TO MAKE OUR
CONVERSATIONS INTERESTING, TIMELY AND/OR RELEVANT
“Copy that reflects current news and
events usually out-pulls copy that is not written with references to current
affairs," says Bob Bly author of The Copywriter's Handbook.
. He adds that incorporating news into copy is even more important in email
marketing than it is in direct mail.
FINALLY SINCE CONVERSING IS
TALKING ALOUD, I RECOMMEND READING YOUR COPY OUT LOUD BEFORE YOU SEND IT.
That way you can check the rhythm and
cadence, which is a critical part of a conversation.
Another tip: Repeating a word string works by adding an
interesting singsong quality - “It was a cold, cold winter” or “It is a far,
far better thing that I do.”
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Article Tags: better chance, cambria, contractions, conve, dear mr, direct mail, direct marketing, ending a sentence with a preposition, fragments, how to start a conversation, informal tone, mail letter, mr doe, popularity, rsquo, salutation, sentences, social marketing, third person, times new roman
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