Newsletter No. 6, June 2010

Added Value Communication's Newsletter no. 6, June 2010

How do you get started in marketing?
You do not write what you write, you write what is being read
Quite Simple - marketing and communications in a box
Meet the Entrepreneurs
Delicious links

1. How do you get started in marketing?

In many small businesses it is a challenge to get marketing activities started and get a grip on who to communicate with, what to communicate and through which channels.

Do not despair any longer - help is on its way!

In a new concept Quite Simple (retenkelt.dk) along with the firm Cave Company I offer a starting package of communications and marketing. Read more below.

Another challenge for both large and small companies is to formulate written messages to recipients in a manner they find understandable and relevant.

I have just held a training course for employees at the IT Department in one of Denmark's major retail chains. I bring some of the advice I gave the department's IT supporters under the heading "You do write not what you write. You write what is being read."

Best wishes for a good summer.

Best regards,

Christian Pedersen

2. You do not write what you write, you write what is being read

Here are some quick tips on how to write an accurate and precise text. The clearer the text is worded, the easier yo get your message across to your recipients.

1. Write short

Make the text as short as possible without impairing the substance.

2. Remove unnecessary technical terms and foreign words

Avoid technical terms that requires a special expertise from the recipient.

3. Avoid long word

Long words are put together of several words, act as a disincentive to readers. Avoid such words - split them up.

4. Write as concretely as possible

Write as concretely and visible as the academic content and context allows.

5. Use active verbs

Make sure your text is always written in an active language. Passive verbs and phrases kill the language and the understanding of it.

6. Write in the way you will say it

Do not try to write you text in an academic style when it is not nescessary - and it seldom is!

7. Make the text easy to navigate in

To make the text easy to navigate in, you can divide it up into sections with small headlines.

3. Quite Simple - marketing and communications in a box

Quite Simple - is the name of the package of marketing and communications, which Added Value Communication in collaboration with Cave Company has just released.

Many companies are reluctant when it comes to hiring outside support for a marketing campaign. Several business leaders have learned that it often requires a major effort to brief external consultants on what the company stands for and wishes.

This difficult approach to communication and marketing the team behind a new concept - Quite Simple (in Danish "ret enkelt") - would like to change.

- Our goal is to help companies to quickly get their messages out to make them visible to their customers and not least their future customers at a reasonable price, says Thomas Nymann Nederland and Christian Pedersen from Quite Simple.

- We do not make things more difficult than they need to be: We hold a planning meeting with the client, then we go home and prepare a set of campaign materials and a press effort to ensure the company's media attention. This effort does not have been a major project. It can actually be quite simple and it works, say the two consultants.

The package consists of three parts: A plan for marketing and press efforts, campaign materials in the form of a sales letter and a sales folder and press material in the form of a press release.

Behind the collaboration are two consultants, each with their own agencies: Thomas Nymann Nederland, Naestved, is Cave Manager in Cave Company, working with marketing and business development. Christian Pedersen is Communication Adviser in Added Value Communication.

Get more information in Danish on retenkelt.dk or contact us here.

4. Meet the Entrepreneurs

Come and experience Ringsted's entrepreneur environment.

There is really gaining momentum in Ringsted's entrepreneur environment. Learn for yourself and show up for an afternoon with focus on entrepreneurship and creative ideas.

The event takes place on on Thursday 10 June from at 13-16 in The Creative House, Garnisonen 38, DK-4100 Ringsted.

Residents in Ringsted's Entrepreneur House offers suggestions on what it means to embark on the life as an independent entrepreneur.

Get more on information at http://www.denkreativematrikel.dk/ - in Danish unfortunately.

See you!