I’ve worked on many businesses and in collaboration with brilliant marketing teams. However, I conceived and launched Trysweettalk.com by myself, from start to finish. I’ve also recently rebranded it to Online Profile Writer.
As such, it’s an unadulterated example of what my entrepreneurial savvy and digital marketing abilities can do for you. Though just a hobby business, it’s gained the attention of US media, landing me on NPR and King 5 TV. It’s even making a small profit.
SUMMARY Trysweettalk was one of the first writing services in North America to craft online dating profiles using marketing techniques. As a result, clients can achieve personal and professional goals no matter how competitive the atmosphere. Initially launched as an online dating profile writing service, it now includes LinkedIn profiles. The following describes its first stages into the online dating category.
POSITIONING Initially, the positioning was “Why be one of many when you can be the one?”. Though a striking line that leverages a critical and emotional consumer insight, the message wasn’t fast enough for digital. I replaced it with “Ad writing that makes your online profile stand out”. The mistake that many traditional copywriters make is in thinking (as I did) that all the same principles apply to digital. That first positioning line is now used as strong motivational copy.
MARKET AND CHALLENGES Millions of members join dating sites worldwide. Each member has to craft an online dating profile that summarizes keys aspects of their character and interests.
Challenge 1 There were other online dating profile writing services out there presenting themselves in the form of established corporations selling the services of writers.
Solution 1 To distinguish Trysweettalk from competitors who were “businesses”, I headed up with a real person, Kate Houston. After all, the online market – whether eHarmony or LinkedIn – is about developing personal relationships. In addition, attributes such as trustworthiness and compassion are more often associated to women than men. This is important given all the personal information collected by Trysweettalk.
Another differentiator is that Kate Houston is an ad writer versus a writer. As such, she’s trained to get you noticed. It’s believable message and fully explained in a section that compares writing to ad writing, thus further entrenching the USP.
Challenge 2 Given the popularity of online dating, you’d think that a profile writing service would have endless clients. However, the key challenge is the issue of honesty. Most people don’t feel honest hiring a ghostwriter.
Solution 2 The landing page, the dating profile page, as well as all the blogs, reinforce the fact that I ask many questions. In doing so, I gather enough good content to use a clients own words, expressions and anecdotes to craft a profile that’s truly representational.
Challenge 3 A newly-launched online business caters to the entire world but has no known address. Without spending a large amount of advertising dollars, I wanted to get its name on the map. My self-imposed challenge was to do that solely through social media. Otherwise, how was I to learn?
Solution 3 The moment Trysweettalk launched, every conceivable social media site was leveraged – from Facebook and Twitter to little known ones like Jumptags. Initially, I began the initiatives with by blogging about online dating. Every blog reinforced my position as an ad writer and leveraged my USP while providing real value to readers.Concurrently, I created a Twitter account and began engaging various related members of the community. Rather than focus on my business, I spent promoted the material of others. It paid off. Eventually I began to get followers. My blogs were regularly shared, as were my tweets. This is a work in progress of course. If only I had the time to dedicate full days to it!
CREATING A DYNAMIC SITE The landing page copy manages to address all the challenges in little more than 100 words. All pages use small blocks of copy to deliver key messages without proving too daunting for the reader (n accordance to industry guidelines). To establish credibility immediately, videos of TV appearances appear on the landing page, as well as two other key pages. Visitors to the site are lured into using the service through an ego-enticing “personality” quiz. Approximately 88% of first-time visitors visit and, at least partially, fill out the quiz.
Contrary to all web wisdom, I didn’t simply fill metatags with terms such as “profile writer”. Instead, I added “North America’s best” because it’s one more opportunity for self-promotion. To even the savviest users, seeing “North America’s best” in a search is more eye-catching than “profile writer” (which is what competitors are using).
ACHIEVEMENTS Solely through social media, Trysweettalk went from having no presence to having first-page Google ranking in its category.Since its inception three years ago, it has grown to include LinkedIn and adoption profiles. It’s gained the attention of US media where I’ve appeared on various radio to TV shows (such as NPR and King 5 TV) as an expert of branding yourself online. It even has some impressive Twitter followers: Actor and author, MacKenzie Phillips; comedian John Fugelsang; Executive Producer of Curb your Enthusiasm, Tim Gibbons; singer, radio personality, John Tesh; and singer Michael Franti.
REBRANDING
Digital experts know that to optimize your online efforts, you have to continually evolve. Trysweettalk has done just that and is now called Online Profile Writer. I learned over time that the best urls are very self-explanatory. Hence, the change. Moreover, while trysweettalk was a gentle and welcoming name that worked in the online dating industry, it was just not solid enough to incorporate my expansion into corporate profiles.
This new name establishes my expertise in a more serious way and, as such, allows me to charge top dollar.
The site was also slimmed down so that the sell was concise and led straight to the sell button. The online questionnaire was removed so that there would be no stumbling blocks to conversion.
The site now has all the main top conversion elements:
1) Strong headline and benefit
2) Clear product/service offer
3) Credibility through the video, an About Kate page that outlines my credentials, as well as option for refund
4) Calls to action
5) Concise copy and bullet points in rates and services section that appeals to both methodical purchasers as well as impulse buyers.
The site also pushes its newsletter subscriptions by offering a free piece of advice, as well as content not available through the blog.