Hi all!

My name is Michelle Nightengale and I need a little help with a title/concept...

I need to write a tip sheet/report about how to set up and use a short-term savings account. It's called a Freedom Account and is a budgeting tool designed to help consumers cover irregular and unexpected expenses (auto repairs, insurance (all types), vacations) without going into debt for it.

The goal of the tip sheet is show them how a Freedom Account can benefit them, how to set up and use it, and ultimately, to get them to open a checking or savings account for the purpose with their local bank.

The tip sheet will be completely free and offered as a downloadable PDF document. It's DESIGNED to be passed on --- a viral marketing tool.

Such a tool is vital to financial health and a tremendous boost to staying out of debt. It fits right in with books/concepts like "The Richest Man in Babylon", "Automatic Millionaire" and what personal finance guru Suze Orman teaches.

I'm having a problem with the title/concept though. Obviously, I can't title my report "Automatic Millionaire" or I'm liable to get served with "Cease and Desist" papers from David Bach's lawyers -- if I'm lucky. Same thing for "Lazy Man's Way to Riches", etc.

So does anyone have a good title/concept? I need something that will be a publicity magnet. I intend to promote this mainly through free publicity and I need a catchy concept for the media.

Lesley Fountain of Scams 101 - Learn to Recognize Work At Home Scams, Internet Scams, Email Scams at Friends In Business has a site titled Weight Loss for Wimps. Her approach and writing are personal and charming and it's a great concept. (It implies: "No Work!") I want to get the same message (It's no work at all!) across, but I'm not sure that "Financial Freedom for Wimps" or "Savings for Wimps" has the same pizzazz. Doesn't seem to harmonize with a "serious" topic like personal finance/savings. Then again, the people over at the Motley Fool are making a living out of making personal finance fun...

Any and all help is desperately needed and much appreciated!

Thanks so much!

Sincerely,
Michelle Nightengale

Michelle,

You need to do some serious and wideranging brainstorming. It may take a while to find the right name for this. Here is a free tool I created to show people how to come up with creative and unexpected names:

http://www.yudkin.com/generate.htm

Good luck!

Marcia Yudkin
Head Stork, Named At Last, a naming company
www.namedatlast.com

Thanks for the reply Marcia! I've seen the tool on your Web site before. Think I'll do some brainstorming...

Michelle

Hi Michelle,
The secret to any book title, is the Dynamic Duo:

What's the DD of book titles?

1. Problem
2. Solution


Here's an example using your tip sheet concept:
(just one idea)

Problems:
always short of cash, more month left at the end of the money, not budgeting

Solutions:
better management of funds, emergency money always available, moe money left at the end of the month, fun money

TITLE: Subtitle

MORE MONEY THAN MONTH: How a Simple Savings Account Can Make It Possible!

Brainstorm all possible problems your target audience might experience.
Then list the solutions to those problems. Play with them. Make them sing!
Then work on a title.

Also, make sure your introductory pararagraph calls your target reader by name. You might have one tip sheet aimed at twenty-somethings in their first apratment and another geared toward elderly readers who still stuff their mattress with green stuff!

Different audiences have different names. Call each by name.

Good Luck,
Barry

Okay Michelle, let's take this one step at a time.

People who fall victim to "irregular and unexpected expenses" either don't make enough money to put a little aside for emergencies, or more likely, they lack the necessary discipline. It's too hard for them, if you catch my drift.

So the first element of your title would be ease of use ... uncomplicated and painless. So choose a word like "tips" because tips are a quick read and easy to understand. Boom - boom - boom. You're done.

People also love a good mystery or more correctly, want to know something they're not usually privileged to know. "Secrets" is a great word, as in secrets of the rich or secrets of the wealthy. Adding "rich" and "wealthy" further enhances the value of the secrets where money is concerned. You could use "smart" or "savvy" just as well.

Quantify it. Seven secrets. Ten tips. Whatever.

Add a little emphasis to gain the reader's attention and begin the process of assuaging any concerns about having to work at it or whether it'll work at all. Seven easy tips. Ten surefire secrets. A dozen tips guaranteed to ....

Maybe add a little immediacy. "You can use right now."

Now what will these tips do for the reader? They'll either make something good happen or prevent something bad from happening. The latter may be more appealing. Chances are your prospects have been in a situation where they've needed emergency cash. Are you old enough to remember the old American Express "Don't Leave Home Without It" commercials? Perfect example. A little fear is a great inducement.

So here we go ...

To ensure you always have cash for any emergency. To prevent an embarrassing situation. To keep from having to ....

The next step is critical. We're back to "no pain" again. Now you've got to convince your readers the sacrifice of saving money will have a minimal impact on their current lifestyle. So think about what they want to avoid, both short-term and long-term.

And still have play money for the weekend. Without jeopardizing your kids' college education. Without having to dip into your retirement fund. Without having to break into your kid's piggy bank.

Now you condense everything, throw out what you don't need and move the furniture around a little so the title just glides off your reader's tongue and entices them to say "tell me more."

Let us know how you do.

Warm regards,
Roger

Thanks for the ideas guys! I appreciate it.

Michelle