Laura’s and my friend, Mary DeMuth, owns a private e-mail loop for advanced writers. Last Thursday she invited all members of the loop to submit their Web sites for critique.
Some of the sites were excellent. Others needed a significant overhaul.
I learned a ton from the comments. My guess is most of us did.
If you’re a [...]
We kicked off our blog in April, 2008 with a 10-part series, “10 Marketing Lessons From a 12-year-old Entrepreneur” (http://heblogssheblogs.com/10marketinglessons/).
Check out our other popular marketing columns (feel free to post the links on your own site):
Business Card Marketing
http://heblogssheblogs.com/businesscardmarketing/
Cows Falling from the Sky & Other Innovative Marketing Ideas
http://heblogssheblogs.com/innovative-marketing-ideas/
Yellow Page Advertising: Waste? Or Essential Marketing?
http://heblogssheblogs.com/yellow-page-advertising-waste-or-found-wanting/
McDonald’s ‘Four Bucks [...]
These ads–from the February issue of Writer’s Digest magazine–bother me.
First burr in my backside? The line, “Where all authors are published.” Really? Wouldn’t it be more honest to say “We’ll take $$$ from absolutely anyone.”?
The line is tantalizing to beginning authors. They read it with emotion, not logic and don’t consider that not everyone is [...]
People like to buy from people.
Is this too obvious to state? If it is, then why don’t more companies apply it to their marketing?
Quick quiz: Think ice cream for a moment.
Whose image do you like better? Haagen-Dazs’ or Ben & Jerry’s? Ninety-nine percent of the time people will say, “Gimmie Ben & Jerry!”
Why? We can [...]
My husband just stomped in the door and announced, “I’m never going to McDonald’s again.”
My mouth dropped open. Robert loves McDonald’s. His first job was at McDonald’s. His dad was a bigwig in McDonald’s-he was even acquainted with McDonald’s founder, Ray Kroc. We own every Happy Meal toy that exists.
“Why?” I responded, dumbfounded.
“I just drove [...]
Sales trainers across America tell their audience, “Get to the decision maker! That’s how you move forward and close the sale.”
Wrong.
Marketing gurus spout, “Your message must be targeted to the person who makes the choice to buy.”
Really?
I disrespectfully disagree.
A quick story to illustrate why:
On the way to my first writing conference I rode in the [...]
Jim asked: “What’s the best piece of copy you’ve seen lately?”
The one I’m about to show you–from the world-famous Herbfarm in Woodinville, WA–arrived in the mail several months ago. I kept it because it’s so intriguing and well-written. Here’s the first page of the 2-page letter (my comments will follow):
Laura’s comments:
First of all, if you’re [...]
I get paid to write ad copy: Radio spots, TV spots, Web sites, brochures, one sheets, etc.
So do you. (Get paid to write copy.)
You think if you’re not in advertising you don’t write copy? And don’t get paid for it? Sorry. EVERYTHING you write is copy.
Whether it’s an e-mail, a letter, a proposal, a note to [...]
In previous posts, Jim argued that advertising in the yellow pages is a waste of money.
Yellow Page Advertising: Waste? Or Essential Marketing?
Yellow Pages, Revisited
Seems that a growing number of hotel chains agree; they’re eliminating phone books (both white and yellow pages) from their hotel rooms.
You’ll no longer find a phone book in [...]
So you’re selling some of your product, there’s finally a little coin of the realm leftover, what should you spend it on? Yes, of course! That big screen TV you’ve … wait, that’s wrong.
You’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs make the mistake of going on a spending spree the first time they pay for the [...]