Tag: Christmas marketing

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What can Santa’s workshop teach you about copywriting?

He's made a list and is checking it twice. What else can Santa's workshop teach you about copywriting?

There’s something magical about the idea of a snow-covered workshop at the North Pole, where Santa supervises his elves as they make toys and get ready to load the sleigh on Christmas Eve. You might not think Santa’s workshop has much to do with copywriting, but I love thinking of ways to add a bit of magic to people’s lives and help them reach their goals. I don’t think Father Christmas would get very far without some hard work and efficient processes.

Here are some things I reckon Santa’s workshop can teach you about copywriting.

Make a list and check it twice

Santa checks his list twice, and I’m betting he double-checks every name label too. Mistakes can happen, but every good copywriter has a system to help avoid them.

I do my best work when I let the words flow without second-guessing myself too much. If I agonise over each word, everything grinds to a halt, and I end up with clunky paragraphs. No one wants that. Instead, I write a first draft, read it back, edit it and run it through my grammar-checking tool. This helps avoid mistakes and cuts out unnecessary fluff.

Wrap your gift perfectly

A beautifully wrapped gift adds to the Christmas excitement by adding some magic when you start opening presents on Christmas morning. You can do the same with your writing by finding ways to make it more visually attractive.

Even if you leave image creation to graphic designers, there are ways to make your words look better and encourage people to keep reading. Giant blocks of text feel daunting, so write short paragraphs and break them up with subheadings and bullet points.

Recruit your elves

Have you ever noticed how we only mention the toymaker elves when we talk about Santa’s workshop? They can’t be the only ones. What about the elves who get the sleigh through its MOT or the ones who feed the reindeer? There must be quality control or gift-wrapping elves somewhere.

Finding the right elves for each job helps you focus on what you do best. Even a relatively simple blog post can be a team effort with a writer, designer and editor. Building a team of people with different strengths helps you get better results.

Get the timing right

I saw a calculation that estimates Santa delivers presents to 526 million households on Christmas Eve, which defies the laws of physics. Getting to all those houses while it’s dark and the children inside are sleeping is quite a feat. The timing has to be spot on.

The same goes for copywriting. Deadlines matter, especially if you’re counting down to an important date like Christmas Day. Some of your products or services might be seasonal, and you want to give your customers plenty of notice to place their orders. A content calendar can help you track important dates and include a countdown to make sure you get everything done.

Spread some Christmas cheer

OK, this one reminds me of ‘Elf’, but I’m not going to sing to you unless you’re standing next to me at a concert. A magical man bringing wonderful gifts to children is a lovely idea. (Let’s overlook the implications of a stranger letting himself into kids’ bedrooms for now.)

Good copywriting doesn’t always evoke joyful feelings but should connect with your customers’ emotions. Using storytelling and emotional words shows people you understand their feelings, which helps them connect with you and become customers.

I never thought I’d have so much in common with Santa! I hope these tips help you find the right words to connect with your customers all year round. If you’d like me on your team, email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call here. I’ll get to know you and your business and write words that sound like the best version of you.

Also, you can just sign up here for helpful writing tips straight to your inbox and the chance to win a free copy makeover in the new year!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

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How to avoid Christmas clichés in your marketing

How do you balance (or avoid) Christmas cliches in your marketing?

Do you want to avoid Christmas clichés in your marketing? You might automatically say yes, but they can have their benefits. People like familiarity because it makes them feel comfortable. At the same time, they can be overly predictable, taking all the wonder out of what’s meant to be a magical celebration. If you use too many Christmas clichés in your marketing, you also run the risk of blending in rather than standing out.

How do you find the right balance? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Share some pop culture

Sharing your favourite Christmas pop culture references is the perfect way to help you find your people. Ask about their favourite Christmas film, song or story and share your own. Start a conversation about whether ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie*. Show your personality and tailor your content to your audience, whether they love Christmas or can’t wait for it to end.

Put a spin on a cliché

You can use Christmas clichés, but give them your own twist. A simple option is to create a new version of ’12 Days of Christmas’. Choose twelve things related to your business or send emails with twelve offers.

Alternatively, share something funny that starts with a Christmas classic but ends somewhere unexpected. Like this:

Deck the halls and not your family.

Think of a new angle

Finding a new angle on Christmas can get your audience thinking and offer something useful. You could talk about avoiding stress, staying active, or making Brussels sprouts edible. If your business has nothing to do with Christmas, think laterally; I saw a great blog post about the most common issues HR professionals have to deal with after the Christmas party.

Be serious if you need to

You don’t have to be jolly just because it’s Christmas. If you’re talking about domestic violence and mental health issues or highlighting how many families are homeless at Christmas, it’s OK to be serious. The idea that some people are struggling as you’re getting ready to celebrate will hit home with your audience and make you stand out.

What does Christmas mean to you?

‘The true meaning of Christmas’ is one of the biggest Christmas clichés going, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid it. Just be honest. Posts like this can start a conversation, and you can even use them to ask for help. If you feel as if you’re trying to meet everyone else’s expectations and have forgotten what you’re doing it for, ask people what they’re looking forward to.

If you have unique family traditions, talk about them. It lets your audience see the person behind the business and could inspire them to try something new.

Do what makes you happy

Ultimately, you don’t have to talk about Christmas unless your business depends on it. By December, I’ll be talking about planning for next year. If you love talking about festive things and making your Christmas images sparkly, do it. If it makes you want to cringe, don’t, and tell your audience why. They might just agree with you.

*Yes, of course it is. You can’t get much more Christmassy than a disastrous work do.

If you want to write engaging content that lets your customers get to know you at Christmas and all year round, I can help.  I’ll write blogs, posts, emails and whatever else you need to engage your audience and encourage them to get in touch. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Or, if you’d prefer to get content writing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, sign up using the form below. I’ll never share your email address with anyone else, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like. Plus, I’m a vegetarian, which means my business and I are 100% spam-free!

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How to talk to your audience at Christmas

How to talk to your audience at Christmas whether they're relaxed or stressed out.
Image by Julie Grant Photography

No matter how you do marketing for the rest of the year, Christmas is a little bit different. The way your audience is feeling will probably change. They might have warm and fuzzy feelings, be completely stressed out, or even a combination of the two. Even if your business has nothing to do with Christmas, the language you use in your marketing may need to shift to reflect that. Whether you’re aiming for Christmas sales or New Year bookings, read on to discover how to talk to your audience at Christmas to make it happen.

Be emotional

There’s no getting away from it; Christmas makes people emotional. That means you get to use emotion in your marketing because it’s more powerful this time of year. Knowing how to talk to your audience at Christmas means understanding how they express emotion. You might have customers who wear their heart on their sleeve, are a bit more reserved or just hate the whole thing.

They might be stressed because they love Christmas but feel the weight of expectation is too heavy. Speak to how your audience is feeling, and your content will resonate.

Keep it short

You can make an exception for blog posts; otherwise, keep your content short and snappy. You’re speaking to people who either have too much to do or can’t be bothered but know they’ll be in trouble if they don’t buy at least a few presents. No one has the brain space for long social media captions.

Write short and snappy tips or gift recommendations, and your audience will be much more likely to read them.

Make your audience smile

Laughing is good for you. It reduces stress and helps you sleep better, so it’s the ideal antidote to Christmas stress. Even if you don’t have a Christmassy business, you can still give your audience a giggle to make them feel better. Even cheesy cracker jokes can help people bond over a collective groan.

Alternatively, post something calm to let them stop and relax for a couple of minutes.

Be direct

Keeping your posts short is great, but it’s also important to be direct. Tell your customers if a product is the perfect gift for their mum or someone who wants to make their garden more environmentally friendly.

A quick tip like “Here’s something you can do in less than 5 minutes to deal with X” will show your audience how helpful you are and win you new fans.

Show your personality

OK, this applies all year round, but it works really well at Christmas. You might be the sort of person who loves everything about Christmas, which probably means you want to attract customers who feel the same. Alternatively, you and your customers might enjoy Christmas but still feel stressed. There’s loads of preparation to do, and even the nice things, like the school carol concert, involve a full-on diary juggle.

Don’t worry about what people expect of you. Be honest about how you’re feeling, and you’ll attract customers who feel the same.

If you want to write engaging content that lets your customers get to know you at Christmas and all year round, I can help.  I’ll write blogs, posts, emails and whatever else you need to engage your audience and encourage them to get in touch. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, for writing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, sign up for my mailing list using the form below. You’ll get a free copy of my eBook ‘Stop hiding your business’ as a thank you from me. I’m also a vegetarian, which means that my business and I are entirely spam-free!

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The building blocks of your Christmas marketing plan

Do you have a Christmas marketing plan yet?

Creating your Christmas marketing plan as early as possible is a good idea, but where do you start? Your festive marketing will work best if it’s consistent with your existing brand, but you may also need to make a few changes. Here’s my guide to the building blocks of your Christmas marketing plan.

Who are you talking to?

Whenever you create new marketing, the people you want to talk to must be at the front of your mind. What do they want or need, and how do you help them? This can shift at Christmas, especially if you sell gifts. Think about how you can attract someone looking for a present for your ideal customer and how you’d describe them.

What does your audience need at Christmas?

It’s fair to say that people get a bit stressed at Christmas. (OK, understatement of the century.) What does that look like for your customers? Are they freaking out because they’ve got their extended family descending and have no idea what to cook for a vegan, or are they doing Christmas shopping between the office party and endless school events? Address their Christmas-specific concerns, and you’ll be onto a winner.

What can you offer existing customers?

If you deliver excellent service at Christmas, you’ll have fans for life. Ask yourself what you can offer your existing customers to thank them for their business during the year. For example, you could offer a discount or free delivery if you sell gifts. If you don’t, consider sending your regular clients a Christmas card or present.

How can you attract new customers before things get busy?

If you want to increase your sales during the golden quarter, consider ways to attract new followers to your business before your Christmas marketing starts in earnest. A lead magnet with valuable hints and tips can be simple to create and encourages people to sign up for your marketing emails.

What products are you focusing on?

When you sell conventional Christmas gifts, you’ll probably focus on your best sellers. However, what if you offer alternative gifts or ways to make Christmas more special, such as a Christmas mini photoshoot to get cute pictures of your kids? It’s a good idea to think laterally. For example, a recipe book or meal kits could be ideal if people are feeding a crowd or want something easy to eat in that netherworld between Christmas and New Year.

What if Christmas isn’t about sales?

Christmas might be the golden quarter for many businesses, but it can be quiet for the rest of us. Your Christmas marketing can help to raise awareness of your business so people get in touch in the new year. For example, I once wrote a blog for a bathroom designer offering advice on sharing your facilities with guests over Christmas, including tips on adding an extra shower room in a small space!

Think about content types and platforms

Adding new social media platforms or marketing channels at Christmas creates a risk of spreading yourself too thin without reaching a new audience. Instead, focus on the platforms and content types that work all year round, but do more of them. Thinking of ways to repurpose your content can help with this.

Make sure you have any new branding across platforms

Christmas branding can make your leaflets, emails, and social media feeds more festive and draw your audience’s attention. It’s vital to keep elements of your existing brand and keep it consistent across all your platforms so your followers will still recognise you.

If your Christmas plan involves creating a lot of new marketing content, I can help. I’ll write blogs, emails and product descriptions and repurpose them to make your content go further. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively if you want some Christmas content inspiration to help you create your own festive marketing campaign, sign up for my email list here. You’ll receive a copy of my eBook ‘Christmas content ideas to fire your imagination’ as a thank you from me, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like!

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Why you need to plan your Christmas marketing in the summer

Woman on a beach thinking about planning her Christmas marketing.

If your thoughts are somewhere on a beach right now, shifting your mindset to crackling log fires and Santa’s Grotto might be a big ask, but I promise it’s worth it. Here’s why it’s a good idea to plan your Christmas marketing in the summer.

You can plan the build-up

Most Christmas marketing campaigns start sometime in November. That might still feel as if you’ve got a long time to sort your Christmas marketing out, but starting early gives you time to plan your build-up. Think about what marketing you want to do and when. If you make products, what are your final order dates going to be?

Drip-feeding your marketing over a longer period works better than bombarding your audience at the start of December. Starting your planning now helps you to think about how that will work.

Get suppliers in place

When you’ve created your plan, you might find that you need help from a writer, graphic designer or gift supplier. If you don’t already have regular suppliers, you’ll need to find some and forward planning lets you do that. If you want your Christmas marketing to include magazine advertising, you’ll need to work to their deadlines, which might be earlier than you expect.

Even if you already have some trusted suppliers on board, working on your Christmas marketing might increase their workload. If you’ve planned ahead, it means they can too.

Schedule your marketing

If Christmas is the busiest time of the year for your business, you’ll need to focus on sales and customer service rather than worrying about your marketing. Get your content written, images created, and everything scheduled ahead of time so that you don’t have to think about it again. Depending on the platforms you use, you can do this with social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Print marketing can also be very effective, so think about how and when you can distribute leaflets or brochures.

Think about platforms

Social media is still a useful marketing tool. Think about the platforms you use and what type of content you’ll create. You might be tempted to add new platforms, but your marketing is more likely to be effective on platforms where you already have a following.

Think about other types of marketing too. Do some Christmas-focused SEO research and update your website. Talk to other businesses that complement yours and see if you can join forces to reach a wider audience. That could be online or by sharing brochures and leaflets.

Attract new followers

I’ve already mentioned planning the build-up for your Christmas marketing. Part of that could include attracting new followers who’ll benefit from what you offer. Consider what you could include to encourage them to follow you on social media or sign up for your email list.

Part of that could be a lead magnet that helps them to solve a Christmas-related challenge, such as gift buying, entertaining or reducing their Christmas stress. I’ll be sharing a few more lead magnet ideas on social media, so come and follow me on Facebook or Instagram for extra inspiration.

If your Christmas plan involves creating a lot of new marketing content, I can help. I’ll write blogs, emails and product descriptions and repurpose them to make your content go further. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively if you want some Christmas content inspiration to help you create your own festive marketing campaign, sign up for my email list using the form below. You’ll receive a copy of my eBook ‘Christmas content ideas to fire your imagination’ as a thank you from me, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like!

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6 tips to make planning your Christmas marketing a breeze

Christmas marketing - the adventure begins!
Photo by Simon Migaj from Pexels

Your Christmas marketing could be all about gifts, but it can also give you the chance to show your customers what you’re about and to have some fun. You can find some ideas for things to talk about in your Christmas marketing here. When it comes to sharing them there’s more to it than social media…

Email your Christmas marketing

You might think that email marketing went out with the dinosaurs, but it’s alive and well, with 99% of email users checking their inbox every day and businesses in the UK reporting an income of £42 for every pound they spend on email marketing. The key is to be helpful, entertaining, or both. Give your subscribers easy-to-buy gift options, helpful tips, discounts or something that will cheer them up.

Gift guides

Gift guides are a brilliant marketing tool because you can use them as a lead magnet to encourage new sign-ups to your email list and send them out to your subscribers.

When you use them in your Christmas marketing you can split your products into different categories and highlight the best gift ideas. Write a short and catchy description of each product, put them into a PDF with a gorgeous image and you’re ready to go.

Put a gift page on your website

Adding a new page on your website might sound like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. It’s just another way of sharing the information you put into your gift guide. That way, if someone doesn’t follow you on social media but finds your website on Google, they can still buy from you. Just make it easy for them to search by category or price so visitors can find exactly what they want.

Social media posts that show behind the scenes

You can help your customers get to know you by showing them what’s happening behind the scenes. If you’re celebrating Christmas jumper day or are supporting a charity, let your audience know. Talk about what Christmas means to you or share a festive joke. You can build engagement by asking your customers to share a picture of their tree or what their favourite Christmas film is. You can get more ideas from this book.

Run a competition

I don’t mean something that everyone and their dog would enter, like ‘win a bottle of fizz’ (unless you’re a wine merchant, then it’s ideal). Offer something that your ideal customer would value. You can use it to attract new email subscribers or social media followers and it’ll help you to create lots of posts as you can talk about the prize itself, the build-up to the prize draw then go live to choose the winner.

Don’t forget about print

When you were a kid, did you ever go through the Argos catalogue circling the stuff you’d love to find in your Christmas stocking? Print works because it cuts through the social media noise. Your customers can keep a gift guide on the kitchen table or pin a leaflet to their noticeboard. You can hand them out at Christmas fairs or put them in the post.

Send your customers a Christmas card and you’ll give them warm and fuzzy feelings and remind them that you’re here when they need you.

Do you need some new ideas for your Christmas marketing? Would you rather just hand it over and get on with running your business? I can help with that. Book a call here and let’s have a chat. You can also get ideas for Christmas posts from 1st December to Christmas Eve by snaffling a copy of my book here.

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My favourite things about Christmas

A picture of one of my favourite things about Christmas - the lights, not the unknown headless woman.
Photo by Valeria Boltneva from Pexels

It’ll soon be time to hang up the ‘closed’ sign and head off for Christmas. (My closed sign is metaphorical – my office is in the garden and I don’t get visitors.) I know that there are lots of things that are traditionally great about Christmas, but it can also be hugely stressful. The conversation at a recent networking event turned towards gratitude and how much it can benefit our mental health. It got me thinking about the things I actually enjoy about Christmas, so I decided to write them down. Here are my 5 favourite things about Christmas…

Time off

I love taking the school holidays off. There’s nothing quite so joyful as turning off the alarm clock until January. I get to visit people I don’t get to see and spend more time with the ones I live with.

My favourite day off is the one I take on my own before school finishes. I know, I’m weird. I spend the day pottering about doing whatever festive thing comes to mind. It might be ‘Muppets Christmas Carol’ (again) or it could be wrapping presents with a mug of mulled wine and a mince pie. Bliss.

Eating

I’m a vegetarian so I’m not talking about turkey (although I do love Paxo). It’s all the other stuff that goes with Christmas. The cheese, the mince pies, opening the Prosecco at breakfast time. It’s the ridiculously huge tubs of Twiglets, Cheeselets and chocolates that you don’t get at any other time of year. I know I could eat pickled onions all year round, but I don’t. It’s all part of the festive feast and I love it.

Christmas lights

If Christmas trees were banned tomorrow, I wouldn’t mind, as long as I could still have my lights. I love wearing jumpers and scarves and the fact that cold weather makes hot chocolate essential. The only thing I struggle with is the lack of light. A lot of my favourite things about Christmas involve lights – the Christmas tree, the candles and the high street displays. When January comes and the Christmas lights go out, the winter always feels just a little bit harder.

Singing

I’m not a religious woman, but I always head to church at Christmas. One of my relatives is a churchwarden and it’s always fun going to Christingle and watching lots of small children handle naked flames. Also, Christmas carols are brilliant, even if you’re not a believer.

There are also loads of good tunes on adverts and in the shops (although I was once a Christmas shop assistant and I know how wearing they get by Christmas Eve). It’s the one time of year that you can sing to your heart’s content and no-one bats an eyelid.

Murder

Don’t worry, I’m not about to start bumping off family members. Christmas is often associated with ghost stories, but I’m a crime writer. ‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’ is a fixture in my festive viewing, along with any new Agatha Christie adaptations that pop up. My husband bought me a copy of ‘The Mistletoe Murder and other stories’ by PD James a few Christmases ago. Since then that bit between Christmas and New Year, when you can’t remember what day it is, finds me curled up on the sofa with a new seasonal crime collection.

What are your favourite things about Christmas? Leave a comment and let me know!

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What do you get a business owner for Christmas?

Business owner with a gorgeous Christmas gift
Photo from freestocks.org via Pexels

I know that when you buy Christmas presents it’s because you love the person you’re giving it to and you want to give them a treat. Buying them a business-related gift can feel a little bit boring. It doesn’t have to be. If you ask most business owners what they want you’ll get something along the lines of more sleep, snacks, alcohol and financial security (that last one applies every year, but especially now). The thing is, you can make their business owning life better and still give them a great Christmas present. Here are my top 5 ideas for great gifts you can buy your favourite business owner this Christmas.

1.      Entertainment

A business owner’s mind is constantly buzzing, so get them a present that helps them switch off. That could be a film to watch at home, or cinema or theatre tickets for a night out together.

If they love reading, a Kindle could be perfect. I resisted one for years until my husband got me one for Christmas. I still love real books, but now I can carry a whole library wherever I go. Alternatively, buy them your favourite book or vouchers to choose their own.

2.      Stationery

Stationery addiction is real and occasionally necessary. I get through notebooks at a ridiculous rate so tend to shop at the budget end of the market. (I’m looking forward to being back at expos where I can snaffle them for free.) One of my favourite gifts was the beautiful pen and pencil set that I use every day. It’s a small thing that makes life better. You could choose lovely pens or a classic Moleskine notebook. You can even get fab digital notebooks if you prefer.

3.      Time saving Christmas gifts

No-one can buy time, but you can buy help.  If you want to outsource to a particular VA/designer/writer but can’t afford it, drop some heavy hints. Share this post on Facebook and say, ‘did you know Kirsty does gift vouchers for her blogging packages (or service of your choice)?’

If that feels weird, choose something fun that will save time in other areas of their life. A nifty gadget, meal subscription or some chloroform to help them get the kids to bed. (Joke. I hope that was obvious.)

4.      Lovely things for their office

A lovely office space became more important during lockdown, when we couldn’t easily go out for a change of scenery. I have a miniature chimp and a couple of plants on my desk, it’s very cheerful. A good Christmas gift could be a plant or a beautiful print.

You could also choose a gadget that makes their office a more pleasant place to be. Would they like to work to music but don’t have the kit? Could an office water bottle help them stay hydrated?

5.      Things to eat and drink

Yes, I know, this is a gift you could buy for almost anyone. The truth is, I’ve never known so many snack addicts since I started hanging out with other business owners. Buy one of us a snack basket with biscuits, crisps and chocolates and you’ll have a friend for life. Tea and coffee will also be gratefully received.

It probably goes without saying that alcohol is always a win. I know a few freelancers who don’t drink, but not many.

What do you want to ask for this Christmas? Leave a comment and let me (or your family) know!

If you’d like to treat a business owner to my services this Christmas, visit my shop to find out more! (Or if you just want to treat yourself to some high quality content in 2022, let’s have a chat.)

Alternatively, why not start the New Year with regular content writing hints and tips straight to your inbox? I hate spam (I’m a vegetarian), I won’t share your details with anyone else and you can unsubscribe any time. I promise I won’t cry. Much.

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How you can use product descriptions in your marketing

Using product descriptions in your marketing helps you to make more sales.
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

If you already write brilliant product descriptions (and if you’re not sure where to start, read this.) you might think that they’ll just sit on your website until your customers find them. Not necessarily. They can be incredibly time consuming to create, so why not share them further afield? Here are 5 easy ways to use your product descriptions in your marketing.

Create social media posts

If you’ve written engaging product descriptions that go beyond the technical details, you can share them as a post. Just read them through to make sure they’ll make sense on a different platform. This is really useful at Christmas or during other festivals, as you can make gift buying easier for your customers. Just add a sentence like ‘these are vegan and gluten free as well as being easy to wrap’ (or whatever fits your product). Add an image and it’s ready to go.

Use product descriptions in your blog

You could probably write a whole handful of blog posts talking about gifts for different occasions. Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday, Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas… you get the idea. A blog post that’s tailored to gifts for different people will help you to turn up in Google searches, particularly if you serve a niche audience. Just write a preamble introducing your topic and use your product descriptions in each section. You don’t have to limit yourself to gifts either – you can use this method to introduce new products that solve a particular problem.

Create a gift guide

This is one of my favourite time saving tricks for product-based businesses. Put your product descriptions into a gift guide so your customers don’t have to search your website. Organise them by section and create a PDF that you can email to your subscribers and share on your website. If you have the budget you can also create a print version. More and more local shops are supporting other businesses by sharing leaflets and brochures, so it’s worth investigating.

Make a video

You already know how much Facebook and Instagram love video. You could do a live talking about one or two products using your product description as the basis for your script. If you can condense your descriptions down to bullet points you can use them in a reel. You probably don’t want to use a full product description in your stories, but you can share part of your description to highlight an interesting feature.

Share the little details

Your customers are surprisingly good at finding reasons not to buy from you. You can start handling those objections in your product descriptions and social media posts. Say, for example, you send out every order in gorgeous handmade packaging. That’s the kind of detail that will sell your products to customers who care about quality or who hate wrapping presents. If you talk about sustainability in your product descriptions, share those sections in your posts too. If it’s important to your customers, you can use those tiny snippets of your product descriptions in your marketing.

If you’d rather save your time and energy for everything else you need to do in your business, I can write (or update) your product descriptions for you. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

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How you can start writing brilliant product descriptions

Brilliant product descriptions help your customers to buy the perfect gift.
Photo by Pixabay via Pexels.com

If you have a business that sells anything remotely Christmas related, here’s a statistic for you. 38% of people start their Christmas shopping sometime in October. I know, I was surprised too. The question is, are you ready? Online shopping has rocketed over the past 18 months (by 46% – sorry, I’ll stop with the stats now). The question is, how do you encourage your customers to buy when they’ve only got pictures and a product description to go on? The answer’s pretty obvious when you think about it – you create amazing visuals and descriptions that let them imagine they’ve bought from you already. How do you do that? Read on…

Tell people what they’re buying

This might seem a bit obvious if you’re selling a t-shirt but include a caption that tells people exactly what they’re getting. It just offers an extra bit of reassurance that they haven’t misinterpreted the picture. It also makes your products more accessible to customers who use screen readers. On the other hand, if your product is something out of the ordinary you can use your product description to educate people.

Include technical details

Technical information rarely makes for a scintillating read, so it’s a good idea to put it in bullet point form. Even if it’s a bit dull it’s still important. You don’t want to miss a sale because your potential buyer can’t work out whether that piece of furniture will fit into their house. Tell me that I can chuck that kids’ t-shirt in the washing machine or I’m not buying. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and you won’t go far wrong.

Show them the benefits

This is the bit where you can start to engage your customers’ emotions. Ask yourself what they care about and how you help with that, then include it in your product descriptions. This could mean showing a ‘before and after’. Focus on the result they want and explain how your product can get them there. You can also speak to people’s values. If you sell baby clothes, talking about fabrics that are gentle on delicate skin shows new parents that you understand them.

Product descriptions with all the feels

Photos and video are great for showing a product in action. One of the downsides of shopping online is that you’ve only got a visual to go on, so use your product descriptions to engage people’s senses and fill in the blanks. Talk about scent if it’s relevant. Describe the feeling of wrapping that soft scarf around their neck or tell them that those earrings would be perfect with their little black dress. Letting people imagine using the product brings them closer to buying it.

Show people the process

This might seem like I’m stating the bleeding obvious, but if you want people to buy you need to make it easy. I know that most of you will have a nice big ‘buy now’ or ‘add to basket’ button and an accessible checkout. What if your products are bespoke or can be personalised? Is there a place for them to add extra details or to send you a message? Is delivery included? The easier you make it, the more likely people are to buy.

One final thing. Remember the gift buyers, especially in the run up to Christmas. If something would make the perfect gift for a particular person, tell them. You’ll make their life a whole lot easier and you might just have a new fan.

If you’d rather save your time and energy for everything else you need to do in your business, I can write (or update) your product descriptions for you. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.