If you’ve ever taken a writing class, you’ve likely heard the instructor rail against clichés.

Why is that? If everyone is familiar with a phrase, then using this tried-and-true language will ensure we communicate our point.

Except it doesn’t work that way.

Using clichés tells your reader that you didn’t want to take the time to express yourself in an original way, so you took a shortcut.

Marketing clichés are just as bad. Pepper your marketing materials with them, and you sound like everyone else. If you’re like everyone else, why should someone work with you?

No doubt, your company excels at its core business, and you’re a really swell person. To help convey that information, strike the following words (or variations) from your website and marketing pieces and emphasize what makes you stand out

• Industry leader. Really? According to whom? If J.D. Power and Associates or some other recognized authority attests to your excellence, then share those props. If you’re saying it because it sounds good and no one can confirm otherwise, drop it.
• Value added. What does this mean? You’re delivering value in exchange for your customers’ patronage? Duh. Isn’t some value implied in a commercial transaction? Perhaps you mean that you provide greater value than the competition, which brings us to…
• Exceeding expectations. Uh huh. I don’t know about you, but my personal expectations tend to be high. Delivering what you said you would when you said you would doesn’t exceed expectations; it fulfills the minimum requirements of acceptability. If you truly exceed expectations, prove it.
• Unique. Yes, we all like to think that we’re special, that we, like a certain rose to a tiny prince, are one of a kind. But our products and services probably aren’t radical enough to qualify as unique. If, however, you do have a proprietary process or some other secret formula, let the world know. Be specific.
• Next level. Who else is sick of hearing entrepreneurs, athletes, you name it, talking about attaining the next level? What, pray tell, does that level look like? Most people don’t bother visualizing that level of success, which is why they rarely reach it. And marketers have seized this generic catchphrase and beaten it past resurrection. Enough.

Sure. These are a few of my personal pet peeves. But see how many you find the next time you’re forced to read someone’s collateral material, and then purge them from your own.

Excuse me. I’d better take another look at our marketing messages.

Don’t see your favorite marketing cliché in this list? Please share with us – both the cliché and the reason it irritates you.

Remember the famous quote about not being able to please all of the people all of the time?

It’s true. You can’t do it, so why do so many people try?

You see these sad attempts to please “everyone” on many company websites. Pick a sector, any sector. Accountants. Law firms. Real estate brokers. IT providers.

Most of them say the same darn thing.

An online search for accounting firms yields several companies that boast “committed financial professionals who specialize in building long-term, client-focused relationships, tailored to meet your unique needs.” (Feel free to see how many of the above buzzwords you spot on the home page of a dozen random firms.)

To be fair, accountants aren’t known for their winsome personalities and sparkling wit.

So if you saw a website for an accounting firm with a glimmer of personality, you might do a double-take. Heck, some people might even pick up the phone, thinking they’d rather discuss their tax planning with someone who didn’’t channel Ben Stein’s character from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

But some people would click away, because they feel more comfortable working with a buttoned-up chap in a starched white shirt, yellow or blue tie, and pinstriped suit.

That’s fine. On several fronts. Fighting the desire to be all things to all people yields the following benefits:

• You stand out. Whether the brand is an individual or a company, it should be unique. Embrace and communicate what makes you special. Otherwise, you’re wasting your resources—and your visitors’ time—looking and sounding like everyone else.
• You attract the right audience. When someone says, “I work with anyone,” he’s admitting a certain desperation. Most businesses serve a specific clientele. While a commercial printer can work with someone who needs 500 business cards, that job doesn’t make sense if the presses are already running 24/7 on larger projects.
• You create stronger connections. Connecting with the right people is a two-way street. If you have a quirky sense of humor or a love of punk music and prefer working with similar souls, showing your true colors will attract like-minded people, which sets the stage for stronger relationships.

Seriously, you don’t have to be vanilla in your marketing. In fact, it’s better not to be. Besides, some people despise vanilla. So why not be yourself?

What’s your top tip for standing out in a crowded competitive field?

Guest post by: Tej Shah

Direct Mail is dying. That’s the assessment from a 2009 study by Borrell Associates, which found that advertising revenue from direct mail will plunge by a whopping 39% by the end of 2013. Anyone whistling through the nearly empty hallways of the local post office (if it’s still open) can see the effect that email and the Internet has had on the mail industry. But marketers shouldn’t abandon a tool that still remains king among upstarts. That’s because you can resurrect your direct mail marketing campaigns and get great results with some simple, but successful tactics.

1. Get Beyond Paper. Most people get those direct mail cards and file them away in the trash. But how do you throw away an orange? We sent oranges, along with some marketing collateral, to our prospects as a way to show off our marketing creative to potential clients. It was a hit. Our prospects couldn’t stop talking when our sales folks called them. The campaign showcased our ingenuity.
2. Show Your Integrity. Online marketing agencies are fond of letting everyone know about the environmental hazards associated with direct mail. But one company flipped the environmental script with its “Pass it On!” campaign. Green Tomatoes, an English taxi service, sent out a mailer about their company but only mailed one per street. The single-sheet card asks residents to write down the taxi company’s phone and information and pass the card to their neighbors. The result: An 11% boost in taxi bookings and a company staying true to its environmental roots. Now that’s good ROI from word of mouth!
3. Build Curiosity. Recently one of my vendors sent me a prepaid cell phone in the mail. There was a note included that the phone would ring exactly at 9 a.m. on a certain date. I knew it would be a sales call but the tactic appealed to the James Bond in me and I answered the call anyway. I mean who’s not going to answer a phone that rings when you’ve been told about it in advance?
4. Raise Your Schwag. A couple of years ago, Denny’s Restaurant launched its “All Night Menu”, with a direct mail campaign featuring a pillow. Yep, the restaurant wrote its entire menu on pillow cases and sent it to college students. Brilliant. Now young kids are dreaming about the new Denny’s menu!
5. Inject Some Fun. No one wants to open junk mail, but if you wrap your mailer in games, puzzles or something that gets them intrigued, like mailers shaped like Rubik’s cubes or intricate fold-out cards that rival the Da Vinci Code, they just might. Objects, music, the use of different tactical surfaces, all are unique ways to dress up your mailers. Do whatever, but whatever you do don’t be boring.
6. Show Don’t Tell. Sometimes a mailer works better with more than just words. The nonprofit group Food for the Hungry once sent empty rice bags labeled “50 pounds” to residents showing them what their donation would provide.
7. Don’t Forget the Basics. In the race against oblivion, direct mail managers will try just about anything to stay relevant. But don’t forget the basic goal of all campaigns – showcase your product or services, give a good offer, and make it easy to respond.

Keeping your direct marketing fresh is a challenge, but you can do it! And if you have any great DM creative ideas, share them here.

Tej Shah is the VP of Marketing and E-commerce at Blue Soda Promo, an online promotional products company. BSP imprints logos on items like sunglasses, tote bags, stress balls, koozies and stress balls at ridiculously low prices. We make your brand POP!

Would you like to guest post on Market it Write’s blog? Please see our Guest Posting Guidelines.

Guest post by: Rachel Hyun Kim

Email marketing is an efficient way to reach out to a large audience, giving marketers the means to send messages to hundreds or thousands of leads. When done properly, an email campaign can inform of upcoming products, events or updates about the company. But if handled poorly, an email marketing campaign can have a negative impact on the business.

Common Best Practices of Email Marketing

Devising the perfect email marketing campaign is a long process, one that involves a number of different factors. The audience, message, and even the time the email is sent all play a role in response and open rates. However, the following tips can help marketers create a successful email campaign:

Do Be Mobile Friendly

With the advent of smartphones, more and more business professionals are checking email with their mobile devices. To increase the response rate of your emails, make sure they are optimized for smartphones. Check to see if pictures appear on mobile phones, and whether these pictures include alt descriptions (text that displays if images are turned off).

Do Be Short and Concise

Most business professionals simply don’t have the time to sift through every single email. They are unlikely to even skim a long, drawn-out message. Such emails are destined for the trash bin. To increase the likelihood that recipients read your email, keep your messages short and concise.

Do Use Compelling Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing the recipient sees. Descriptive, short and enticing subject lines are more likely to be successful than those that are too general, too wordy, or just plain boring. In short, give your lead a reason to open the email and see what is inside.

What to Avoid in Email Marketing

While creating an email campaign, it may be tempting to cut corners. However, some tactics can lead to dire consequences for any B2B company:

Don’t Leave Out Opt-Out

Without an opt-out link, emails are most likely to get sent straight to the spam filter. The lack of an unsubscribe link not only gives your emails a suspicious quality, the CAN-SPAM act makes it illegal. Always remember to include an unsubscribe option in your emails.

Don’t Over-Promote or Advertise

Leads are extremely sensitive towards shameless promotion and advertising and are likely to ignore emails that focus on overselling. While planning a campaign, keep your audience in mind. For B2B companies, that usually means upper-level management and C-level executives. To convince and nurture leads, B2B marketers must concentrate on providing useful, valuable content. Offers for white papers, case studies, and webinars are usually seen as valuable email content that can keep B2B leads interested.

Don’t Forget: One Size Doesn’t Always Fit All

One of the dangers of email marketing is the sheer amount of leads that B2B marketers often handle. With lists that may contain thousands of leads, it may be tempting to forget that your list consists of people with different interests. The more tailored your email is to the interests of the audience, the more likely it is to be successful. Therefore, make an effort to segment your list. While blasts to your entire lists are sometimes appropriate, targeted emails result in higher click-through and open rates.

Summary

Email campaigns need to constantly evolve to increase their effectiveness. B2B marketers are always on the lookout for new techniques and tricks to boost conversions. In the end, following best practices and knowing what to avoid can dramatically improve your results without engaging in practices that could end up harming your business.

Rachel Hyun Kim is a writer on topics ranging from phone systems to medical billing software. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including lead generation for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.

Would you like to guest post on Market it Write’s blog? Please see our Guest Posting Guidelines.

If you haven’t jumped into the crazy world of social media yet, or if you just don’t think you’re getting it quite right, it can pay to take a look at your goals.

While the major players have changed slightly, social media marketing is still in a growth stage. As part of an overall marketing strategy, social media can help build on what you’re doing to make your online presence even stronger with greater reach.

This post gives you a summary of 17 things about social media marketing that can help get you on track.

17 Crucial Things You Must Know for Social Media Success

Recent statistics show that more than 14 billion searches are conducted every day.

That’s why it’s not a stretch to see how effective search engine marketing can play a very large role in the amount of traffic coming to your website or blog.

Traffic may come to your site in two different ways through search:

1. Paid search (pay-per-click advertising)
2. Organic search results

While you shouldn’t rely on search traffic alone to build your site traffic, search marketing can be a great tool to include in your online marketing mix.

Here’s a look at both types of search engine marketing – paid and organic – as part of our Back to Basics Friday series:

Website Traffic and Search Engines

Online marketing has really blossomed into something of a behemoth over the past few years. Recognized as perhaps the most cost effective marketing channel on the planet with the greatest reach, everyone wants to jump into the pool. The real problem is many who do so don’t give their online marketing efforts enough thought. Instead, they see the latest fashionable outlet, put a stake in the ground, and wait for customers to beat down the door.

As part of our Back to Basics Friday series, here’s a look at how you might sharpen your online marketing focus to rise to greater heights. Consider it a stepping stone intended only to stimulate thought.

4 Ways to Sharpen Your Online Marketing

As the year draws to a close, most business owners start thinking about how they can grow in the year ahead. One great way to do that is to look at your marketing efforts over the past year to see what worked and what didn’t.

Were your marketing efforts spot on for 2011 or not? Can your results be improved by revisiting the basics of effective marketing? Are you considering rolling out a new product or service in the year ahead?

Here are 10 basic tips that can help get your marketing on track and help you start planning for the year ahead.

10 Things Every Business Owner Should Know about Marketing

Keyword research is an important foundation for a number of marketing channels, not just search engine marketing. Knowing which keywords to target is important for content marketing and social media marketing as well.

Unfortunately, too many marketers and D-I-Yers either overlook keyword research altogether or do an inadequate job of researching keywords.

Planning, writing and publishing content that’s based on inadequate research is a recipe for failure and ‘do-overs.’ This post looks at how effective keyword research can boost your brand’s visibility online.

Keyword Research, Search and Content Marketing

Direct marketing campaigns are still effective – especially when used with other marketing tools as part of an integrated, multi-channel marketing strategy.

There are some basics to getting the most out of a direct marketing campaign. Without them, you’re probably just going to waste time and money, and you run the risk of turning off your prospects.

This post will give you some ideas on the critical elements that must be included in direct marketing campaigns to make them successful.

7 Critical Elements in Direct Marketing Campaigns