When adults speak to babies, their vocabulary and tone is noticeably different than when they speak to a judge in court. So when you get ready to speak to your audience, what voice do you use? And what difference does it make? A key to effective communication is to know your audience and to speak to them in a manner that seems natural and unforced. We’re in the midst of a series of 15 critical marketing tips for Internet and direct marketers. And #8 is to Write as you speak. Don’t dumb … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#7): PROOFREAD – IT’S APOSTROPHE VS. APOSTATE
April 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
How important is punctuation? For some in England, an apostrophe is as good as being apostate. And for you, it can be even more important than that! Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that a conflict has erupted in Mid Devon, UK over whether or not to put apostrophe’s on new road signs. While not the first group to struggle with this decision, it has raised the hackles of this local government district of 78,000. As one former member of the district council commented that while it is … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#6): DON’T SPEAK WITHOUT SOMETHING TO SAY.
March 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Quality or quantity? Without a doubt it’s quality. When you earn your living with words, write when you have something to say rather than column inches to fill. Nothing turns readers off faster than hollow blog posts. Or direct mail pieces without an offer. You can stuff the copy full of buzzwords like free, new, improved, etc., but without a substantial offer or significant point to make, it’s just noise. The New York Times sets the standard – “All the news that’s fit to print”, … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#5): KEEP TRYING.
March 21, 2013 by 2 Comments
Everyone has an off day. Kobe Bryant misses the shot. Clayton Kershaw gives up a game winning home run. Even Johnny Carson had a monologue go flat once in awhile. You prepare, you rehearse, you plan and still it just doesn’t work. But some people keep on trying. And that’s where you find success. A few years ago, Nike ran a commercial featuring Michael Jordan, who was shown shooting baskets and voicing: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#4): DON’T TRY – REALLY BE CLEVER
March 18, 2013 by 1 Comment
A near miss can be exciting for you, but deadly dull for everyone else. Almost is one of the saddest words in the English language – not quite, just a little short. In the creation of content, don’t just try to be clever – be clever. As Yoda admonished young Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back, “Do or do not…there is no try.” We’re in the midst of a series of 15 critical marketing tips for Internet and direct marketers. And #4 is Be Clever. When you write, whether for a … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#3): BE HUMAN
March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you care deeply about my business, why am I stuck on endless hold alternating between an annoying, repeating music sound bite and a friendly recording expressing a commitment to me? I find myself wondering, does the boss ever call your help line? Would things be different if she or he did? As a human being, I want to do business with other humans, not a drive full of MP3s awaiting my selection of the appropriate key. We’re in the midst of a series of 15 critical marketing tips for … [Read more...]
THE 15 GUIDELINES (#2): TALK TO ME LIKE AN EQUAL
March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Do you want to do business with idiots? You know, the ones on TV who scream that they are such bad business people that they ordered too many cars, forgot to pay their rent or just have too much stuff, so they are willing to let you get the deal of the century. “Please come do business with me” the ads scream, “because I need you to save me from my stupidity.” Really? It’s the lifetime value of a customer that is important to a successful business, so build a lifetime customer … [Read more...]
THE POST PC ERA
March 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Are you a PC-osarurus? The question lead off the USA Today’s business section, citing data that mobile device shipments have dwarfed traditional PCs. Even ignoring the smartphone, Canalys reports 2012 tablet shipments worldwide of 113.5M units, compared to only 36.6M PCs. And to channel that old favorite of the Who Goin’ Mobile, about 80% of the PCs that shipped were laptops. So what does it mean to you? Well, assuming you are not a part of the private equity takeout of Dell, really … [Read more...]
CoolHandle’s Complete Solution in Internet Marketing Needs
March 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been searching the Internet for years trying to find a one-stop shop for all my Internet marketing needs. I’m tired of constantly having several vendors for multiple projects. It’s confusing, time consuming, frustrating and expensive. Finally, after multiple headaches, I found out where to get all my needs met - Concierge by CoolHandle. At it’s core, CoolHandle is a web hosting company, but apparently they have been working with Internet marketers and Affiliates for years … [Read more...]
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