Almost all of us are selling something. Whether we want people to buy our products or services, give to our charity or sign up for our programs, many of us spend our days thinking of ways to convince people to get on board.

Often, that involves writing something we call marketing copy, also known as words designed to get people to see things your way. That website, advertisement or poster? That's marketing copy. That letter, speech or brochure? That's marketing copy. That internal memo designed to get your boss to agree with you, or that sign in the coffee room asking people to clean up after themselves? Yup, that's marketing copy, too.

If you want your marketing copy to be truly effective, here are five questions you should ask yourself before you hit the keyboard.

1. Who are you talking to?
   
   Think about your target market. Think about one person in that target market and then write as if you are speaking directly to him or her. 
    
2. What is your objective?
   
   I know, I know. The objective is to get more leads, sell more products, get more business or donations, or get more people to sign up for your program. That's the ultimate goal. But what do you want your potential client to do right now? Call you? Visit your website? Come into your store? Download a document? Figure out what you want your reader to do the minute they finish reading and then make sure your copy reflects that with a strong call to action: Call or click now!
      
3. What benefits are you offering to that person?
   
   The important thing to remember about benefits is this: It's not about you, it's about them. In other words, it's not about your company or organization and its products, services or programs, it's about what those things do for your potential client. Will you make her life easier, save her money or time, ease some real or imagined pain, make her feel good or look good in front of her colleagues or friends? Make sure you know exactly what benefits you are offering and then tell her about them.  
    
4. Why should she buy from you, or support you, and not someone else?
   
   The choices of what she can do with her time and money are almost limitless. Why should she choose you? Tell her why you are different from all her other choices. 
    
5. How are you going to measure success?
   
   Okay, this is, perhaps, less important if you are writing a sign for the coffee room (although it is, to some degree, worth thinking about). But most of the time, this is a critical question, and it's one that gets overlooked by a lot of marketing people. Find a way to build a yardstick into your copy so you can measure whether this particular marketing piece worked. Then you'll know what to do--or not do--next time.