Two Sides Of Marketing - Understand the Difference Or Waste Time And Money

Whenever I do marketing workshops, I always ask folks to “tell me something about your marketing”.  Here’s a sample of the responses I get. ·         “We do radio spots on WXYZ” ·         “I send postcards to 5000 homes in my area ·         “We place brochures at the Chamber of Commerce” ·         “I go to lots of networking events” ·         “We do pay-per-click and e-mail campaigns” Here’s the problem.  All of these are TACTICS.  Almost nobody thought to tell me about their STRATEGY!  And there is a difference. TACTICAL...

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The Mousetrap Claptrap

“Build A Better Mousetrap And The World Will Beat A Path To Your Door.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson Now, old RW was a super-wonderful intellect, essayist and poet, but in this case, he was just wrong, wrong, wrong!  What if you invent a world-changing technology and keep it a secret?  Or put up a great website and don’t do any SEO?  Or write a brilliant book but never contact a publisher?  Why would the world beat a path to the door of someone they don’t know exists to obtain something they’ve never even heard of?  It’s a ridiculous proposition! Marketing Was Invented To Tell Your Story It informs people what’s new and wonderful, what’s tried and true, and all about the products and services that can...

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What Professional Copywriters Do At Least A Dozen Times For Each Piece That Non-Pros Hardly Ever Do At All!

I was a new copywriter trainee.  I had confidence I hadn’t earned and talent I had yet to develop.  But I was exceptionally lucky to have mentors/bosses who demanded a lot of me from my first day on the job.  And gave a lot in return. The Best 10-Second Lesson I Ever Got I wrote my first one-pager and submitted it with high hopes.   My boss asked, “Did you read this?” “I wrote it” I replied. “Of course I read it”. “Out loud?” “Why?” “Because copywriting is more than just words; it should have a rhythm, a flow, a tempo.  And you can only hear that when you read it aloud – as if you were recording it.  Then you will understand what the reader hears in his head and you’ll know when you’ve done...

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Copywriter’s Secret: The AIDA Code

No matter how or where you’re marketing your business, to be effective your message must contain Four Essential Elements copywriters have known about forever!  We call it the AIDA Code – Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Attention There’s a ton of clutter out there so you really do need to grab people’s attention quickly – in about 3 to 5 seconds.  Or else they’re off to another page, another website, or simply tune you out. Grab their attention with your first words and images –the headline! Interest To get attention is one thing, to keep it is another.  The copywriter accomplishes this with sub-headlines or an interesting first paragraph.  The goal is to interest the reader or listenerso they want to learn...

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The Copywriter’sThree C’s Of Effective Communication

You won’t succeed in marketing if your message can’t be easily read and understood.  Follow the example of the great communicators and craft your messages using these three C’s of Effective Communication. Why Do People Communicate? Simply put, it’s to convey their thoughts to others and achieve a certain result.  So why do so many make a hash of it all?  Perhaps because no one ever told them how easy it is to do it correctly. Have you read the writings of Thomas Jefferson?  Listened to speeches by FDR, Churchill and Reagan?  Have you heard Jack Welch or Lee Iacocca speak?  They are confident, direct and easy to understand. They don’t lead you through a hazy maze and challenge you to find the meaning.  The same is true when you...

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“Why Your Website Doesn’t Produce” …and how to fix it

Almost every business knows that a website is their most important marketing tool. It is the place people go when they are considering doing business with you. Your website should be as attention grabbing, well written, informative, and motivational as you can possibly make it. Here’s the problem. More than seven out of ten websites fall woefully short of these goals. They talk about themselves, not the needs of their customers. They miss – often spectacularly – one or more of the Four Key Elements of successful website marketing. It’s almost like the idea of “getting a website up” is more important than “getting a website right”! The Four Key Elements Of A Great Website 1. The First Few Seconds:  Grab and keep the readers’...

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