We have one shot to make a good first impression . . . or make a sale . . . or earn a fan . . . or lose a potential customer.
You may argue that we can introduce ourselves to readers in hopes they come back later after giving us some thought. Yes, sometimes. But not most of the time. One touch, one tap, one click is more the norm.
What does that mean exactly?
1. Your teeny little Twitter bio needs to be sharp, clear and eye-catching. Leave it blank or tell me that you have 25 interests, and I'm moving on. Put a link in it, for goodness sake, and be clear who you are.
2. Your email signature needs to be sharp, clear and eye-catching as well. If you wrote a book, put the link. If you blog religiously, put the link. If your Facebook is remarkable, put the link. Don't make me hunt for you. I may forget, or get mad that you made me work for it.
3. Link to whatever you mention. If you speak about your column, link it. If you mention your new release, link it. Take me there before I change my mind. There are too many other pieces to read in this world of instant-publishing. The first rule is that it must be easy to get.
4. Don't just link. Be sassy, polished, intriguing, magical when you mention your column, book or blog so that I want to click the link. Just telling me to buy (fill in blank) without courting me is like your mother ordering you to eat your vegetables. It ain't going to happen.
One shot . . . one kill. If you hunt, you understand the concept. If you don't, then it means you better get it right the first time, because the target won't be there for a second try.
Make me love you, hate you, become curious about you . . . the first time I read anything about you. That will impress me and make me your fan.
2 comments:
There's not enough time to work for everything we find while blogging or whatever on the internet.
I agree that it's best to get to the point and not make an interested viewer have to use valuable time to figure out who you are and what you're about. I know I often don't have time for that.
Lee
Tossing It Out
It's all in the details! Every little blurb or link is a chance to represent yourself.
I recently saw an oatmeal box that had, in the spot where the instructions usually are, the heading: How to Make Perfect Oatmeal. Genius! The "Directions" blurb is one we usually gloss over, but it has to be there. They used that one simple line as a way to market their brand, evoking not just oatmeal, but perfect oatmeal, in a space that's usually just wasted.
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