Marie Alafaci - Clear Copy. Smart Strategy. Lasting Impact.

As a copywriter, I see a lot of About pages. Some are great and some…well, they need work. If you only have time to change ONE think about your ‘About’ page it’s this… Show a glimpse of the ‘real’ you in your copy. It’s the one thing your competitors can’t do. #YouDoYou #AboutPage #WebsiteCopywriting #CopywritingHelp #FreeDownload #CopywriterForHire

It’s March 31st. So many things to celebrate! #PeopleAreFun #SoManyThingsToCelebrate #CopywriterForHire

Had a great conversation at the @VSBN podcast the other day about how to connect with you clients by thinking about psychographics. Link to full video is in the comments. #SmallBusinessMarketingHelp #DigitalMarketing #CopywriterForHire

Something I learnt when I worked in retail was that customers want to feel that they’ve been listened to, even if they know that what they’re asking you to fix is not possible. And a technique I learnt to help in this situation was the ‘Feel, Felt, Found’ technique. The technique goes something like this: Firstly, you acknowledge their feelings by saying something like, ‘I can see how you feel’ or ‘I understand why you might feel that way,’ or ‘I know how you feel.’ Then you show that others (perhaps even yourself) have experienced the same feelings. ‘I felt the same way.’ Then you lead in with your solution that shows the customer there’s another option. A way out of their problem that they might not have considered. So, you say something like, ‘But I found that when I did [this], [something else] happened.’ It's a sure-fire way to calm the situation. I've written a longer article about this on my website with loads of examples, PLUS there’s a great cheat sheet you can download (link in comments, because Linky be a bit prissy). Don’t need another article, but want to take some action to engage your customers now? DM me and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours. It’s as simple as that. #DigitalMarketing #marketing #SocialMedia #CopywriterForHire

Sick of totally unrealistic humble-bragging business coaches on your socials? Feeling a bit lost with all the ‘fail-safe marketing system’ offers? Need to up your marketing game without endless systems and big dollars? Subsribe to my newsletter - it’s one small free and painless step on the path to marketing success. Each month I share simple tips you can use **right now** in your business to bring the right customers racing to your digital door. Next newsletter leaves the hangar on March 26…so get on board. Subscribe now. Link in comments. #MarketingTips #SmallBusinessMarketingHelp #CopywriterForHire

Guess where I’m going this weekend? If you guessed The Digital Picnic’s two-day marketing extravaganza in March - the Comeback Conference organised by the wonderful @CherieClonan, you'd be spot on. Any of my Melbourne LinkedIn family going? DM me so we can catch up over a cuppa or come up and say 'hi'. #AlwaysLearning #MarketingConference #CopywriterForHire

Did you know that as many as 80% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions by March? If that’s you, don’t beat yourself up about it. The good news is that the people who do stick with a change to their behaviour for the entire year (that’s around 8% of those who commit to a New Year’s resolution) have these TWO things in common. They take action, and don’t simply rely on things falling into place. For example, if you want to be more active on LinkedIn, don’t wait until you ‘have time’ or have the ‘perfect’ idea. Block out 15 minutes in your diary to write a post or record a video and no matter how rough it is, just hit post. It won’t be perfect but it will be done! They also connect with others who ‘normalise’ the thing they want to achieve. So, like or comment on my posts, or connect with me and you’ll have me as your personal cheerleader whenever you post or comment on topics that interest you. And here’s an added tip - subsribe to my newsletter - it’s one small (painless) step on that path. I share simple, actionable tips every month as well as subscriber-only offers. Next one leaves the hangar on March 26, so get on board. Link in comments. #PersonalDevelopment #SmallBusinessMarketingHelp #CopywriterForHire

Who would you say was your ideal customer? When I ask clients this question, they often say things like, ‘25-35 year old women with children, a degree, middle to high income and in a professional job’. That sort of information is called ‘demographics’ and it’s great it you’re a government thinking about where to build hospitals and schools, but it’s not nuanced enough in small buisness marketing. For small business marketing it’s better to think about what your customers believe, fear and hope for. These are called ‘psychographics’. Thinking about psychographics helps you get into the mindset of your idea client to find out if what you’re offering will solve their problem or make a positive outcome possible. And that’s the best way to connect with customers. I’ve written a longer article about this on my website. Link is in the comments because Linky be like that. #Marketing #SmallBusinessMarketingHelp #CopywriterForHire

Lots of small businesses are struggling at the moment. Everything is hard and customers are in short supply. But the ones that survive grab whatever they can to keep going. Like this sulphur-crested cockatoo that landed on my deck last week. It had been hot here for days, peaking at 38C (100F). There was no water around, seeds weere falling from the trees as they formed and insects were not budging from their shady nooks. So, there wasn’t much that sustains life for the wild bird population. But this clever cocky found some water that collected on our deck after a brief shower. It may not have filled its belly, but it was likely to stop it from dehydrating. Just like the cocky doesn’t wait for ideal conditions (plentiful water in the local creek) and grabs a mouthful that’s suddenly become available, small businesses during lean times can take a moment to take stock of what they have to hand and use that, rather than waiting for ideal business conditions to return. Maybe you could: ✨ record a quick video message for your best customers talking about your current offers (and in the process reminding them that you’re still around and value their custom) ✨ create a ‘no frills’ offer that requires fewer resources but gives customers a real bang for their buck. ✨find small process changes that reduce costs, eg is there any double handling in your CRM? Are orders still printed out before fulfilment? The puddle on my deck isn't the cocky’s preferred solution, but it made sure it lasted that day. And I know it worked because it was back this morning, drinking from my cats’ water bowl. Similarly, any small changes you make won't necessarily transform your business from struggling to highly successful, but they can provide enough stability so you can survive until the market improves. #TheStruggleIsReal #SmallBusinessHelp #CopywriterForHire

I’ve had a couple of requests, so here’s another snippet from my visit to the Victorian Small Business Network (VSBN) podcast. In this extract, I talk about using social media to get yourself viewed. To view the whole podcast, see link in comments. ✨And if you have a marketing question you’d like me to answer, DM me or pop your question in the comments below and I’ll answer it for you.✨ #DigitalMarketing #socialMedia #SmallBusinessAu #SmallBusinessMarketingHelp #CopywriterForHire