I’m going to give you the punch line up front and emphatically say, “Yes!” Everyone loves a good story. As a marketing, advertising or PR professional, you know that better than most. That’s why there are companies falling over each other to find copywriters who specialize in these types of writing projects. As one client [...]
A Baker’s Dozen Tips for Cooking Up Winning Direct Mail
2012-03-03 By
Direct mail is a copy-driven medium. Sure, lists and letter design are important, but assuming these things are in order, copy is the final clincher. Too many unseasoned practitioners skip thoughtful, tested copy and go for prettier designs or new formats. That can be a very costly mistake. Here are thirteen quick tips to remember [...]
Why Are Case Studies So Powerful?
2012-02-28 By
Case studies, customer success stories, success story marketing… Whatever name you give them, a testimonial in story form by a satisfied client is probably the most powerful piece of marketing collateral any company can produce. But what actually makes case studies so powerful? “Dollar-for-dollar, case studies are the best marketing investment a company can make,” [...]
Is Your Website Killing Sales?
2012-02-28 By
One of the greats in direct response marketing, Claude Hopkins, once said, “There is one simple way to answer many advertising questions. Ask yourself… ‘Would it help a salesman sell the goods?’ ‘Would it help me sell them if I met a buyer in person?’ A fair answer to those questions avoids countless mistakes.” How [...]
9 Proven Ways To Save Marketing Dollars with a Customer Case Study
2011-11-26 By
Do you sell complex products and services for the B-to-B (B2B) market? Looking for a cost-effective way to advertise? Look no further than the case study. Case studies are one of the most versatile marketing pieces in which you can invest. Everyone loves a great story, so utilize your customers’ success stories in almost any [...]
Cure for Writer’s Block
2011-10-24 By
“The greatest geniuses sometimes accomplish more when they work less.” (Leonardo Da Vinci, Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and writer, 1452-1519) When writer’s block hits (or any creative block to your productivity), do what Leonardo did — take a break. It sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes working less actually helps you accomplish more. When Da Vinci [...]
5 Quick and Easy Writing Tips for Business Owners
2011-10-24 By
“Those were the best rules I ever learned for the business of writing. I’ve never forgotten them.” Words of wisdom from an master marketing copywriter? Not quite. Master storyteller Ernest Hemingway learned the business of writing as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star in 1917, long before he penned “The Old Man and [...]
6 Simple and Proven Techniques to Improve Online Sales and Landing Pages
2011-09-25 By
There are many “gurus” online who will try to get you to use (or worse, buy) their secret knowledge about online sales. Many of these tactics are for the consumer (B2C) market, but I’ve also seen them for the business-to-business (B2B) market. Most of these “secret sales tactics” are counter-productive and unnecessary. When it comes [...]
