** Please add internetbasedmoms.com to your white list so that you can receive this newsletter regularly **

Community & Networking

As promised, Sarah is back with some great tips on getting yourself in front of influential leaders. I know they work because I've actually used a few myself before. If you're trying to get your name out to your local community leaders, these tips are a must read. http://experts.internetbasedmoms.com/sarah

Aurelia discusses a topic near and dear to my heart this week, Procrastination. I live with a houseful of procrastinators and they drive me crazy. They always have good intentions but never seem to follow through. If you have a tendency to procrastinate, check out Aurelia's tips on how to overcome it.  http://experts.internetbasedmoms.com/aurelia

Staff Blog
Linda brings up a very good question. How useful are "complaint" sites? You know the ones where you can tell the whole world that you had a bad experience with a company. What do you think? Are they useful? Have you ever used one and did it do any good? http://internetbasedmoms.com/blog/

Forums
Here are a few hot topics from this past week:

-  What's the best kind of website design software for newbie's
-  Staying positive during the holidays
-  How many computers do you own
-  Were you home schooled as a child

Stop by to share your thoughts and join the fun today:
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/bb

3 Copywriting Strategies You May Not Have Heard Of   
By Mila Sidman
 
Copywriting is full of rules, tips, strategies, and advice. Everyone is either an expert or they’re looking for an expert and we all have something to learn about copywriting and it is always the customer that teaches us. Here are three copywriting strategies I’ve learned along the way.
 
Make it personal. Sales letters, emails, and web pages are often full of facts, statistics, and of course the all important benefits. These are critical elements of copy, however what is often left out of many sales pieces is personality. Business owners are striving so hard for that high conversion rate that they’re forgetting that people still want to connect on some level with their retailer or service provider. With online business, this is even more important because we don’t often have the opportunity to personally interact with our customers.
 
There are several elements to make your copy personal. The easiest is to use the word “you” in your copy. Make your reader feel as if you are speaking to them directly and not to their demographic. Also use examples in your copy that relate specifically to your target audience. Good copy is all about your customer and not about you, however if you can include a personal story while demonstrating a benefit, that helps your reader connect with you as a person that truly understands their needs.
 
Think about it this way, are you more likely to buy a car from a car salesperson who drives the exact same model you’re looking at or from a sales person that is driving a different make and model? You’re going to trust the salesperson that is driving the same car, right? The same holds true for your customers.
 
Be specific. The more specific you are with your benefits and promises, the better results you’ll see. For example, “Make money traveling” is a nice headline, however “Make $100,000 this year writing travel copy,” is significantly more powerful and compelling. Now your job is to back it up with specifics! 

Keep it lively. Active words sell much better than passive words and skip the adverbs please. Why say, “she walked quietly” when “she tiptoed” is so much more descriptive and active? Adverbs don’t often pop up in sales copy however when they do, they’re a stumbling block for your reader. Rather than say “save money quickly,” say “save money today.” 

Was, will be, and has or have been are all passive. Instead use active verbs. For example, “our customer service team will be available 24/7.” A more active version reads like this, “Our Customer Service team is available 24/7.”  

If you want to learn to write good sales copy that doesn't feel or sound hypey yet produces excellent results, I recommend Maria Veloso's Web Copywriting University course. This lady has influenced my writing style greatly and she's also extremely nice and helpful. In summary, her course rocks - Go to http://www.webcopywritingschool.com  for more info.

Mila Sidman is the owner and editor of the popular website Internet Based Moms. She's a copywriter, marketer and mom with a passion for helping women succeed in business. Get personal business advice and daily job leads over at the Internet Based Moms Forums - http://www.Internetbasedmoms.com/bb 

Site Build It! is a little more than a website builder, it's a complete marketing education and business all rolled up into one...

What can SBI! do for work at home moms? The opportunity to do something where you get to use your creative talents, writing skills and job experiences, as well as passions Quality time away from the day-to-day responsibilities to kids, husband, home The satisfaction of doing something for yourself that provides fun, a feeling of accomplishment and income for your family A flexible job that can be done anytime from home (or anywhere) without a schedule, bosses, or even customers A real online business that requires only basic computer skills and provides a comprehensive support/training system to help you succeed Control of your own finances (you are not dependent on spouse's income) And most of all... the chance to be there for the kids when they need mom (or dad). SBI! Can do all that for you and more - Click here a free course that will show you how to really work from home