WebMaster Reporter

Get Top Posts and Jobs Weekly via Email:

Subscribe Unsubscribe

206 posts from: Bob Bly

---

The 4 Levels of Marketing Competence

(Indexed 2010-09-02):

During my quarter century as a copywriter, I have observed that business owners and managers fall into one of four categories as far as their competence and skill in marketing is concerned.By recognizing which category you are in and taking the action steps recommended below, you can move up to the next level and significantly [...]

Direct mail: what’s a good response rate?

(Indexed 2010-07-29):

Most people, when discussing direct mail response rates, think interms of percentages.For years, 2% was viewed as an “average” response rate.The problem is that percentages don’t take into account thingslike the cost of the mailing or the price of the product beingsold.A much better measure of direct mail response rates is“break-even.”“Break even” means the sales [...]

The 3-Part Formula for a Winning USP

(Indexed 2010-07-26):

In 1961, Rosser Reeves published his classic book Reality in Advertising in which he introduced the notion of the Unique Selling Proposition, or USP.Today the book is out of print and difficult to get. As a result, most practicing direct marketers dont know the original definition of a USP. Their lack of knowledge often produces [...]

Social Media’s Limitations

(Indexed 2010-07-08):

“The real danger with social media is in marketers expecting too much from it,” says Linda LoRe, President of Frederick’s of Hollywood.According to an article in Deliver magazine, 65% of marketers say they have not increaed reveneue or profited using social media.And more than half of the adult population doesn’t use social media at all.

10 Classic Marketing Books You Should Read

(Indexed 2010-06-28):

1) How to Write a Good Advertisement by Vic Schwab (Wilshire Book Company, 1962). A common-sense course in how to write advertising copy that gets people to buy your product or service, written by a plain-speaking veteran mail order copywriter in 1960.Best part: 100 archetypal headlines that people are still using in various forms today [...]

Mental Opt-Out

(Indexed 2010-06-15):

A recent article in DM News used the term mental opt-out to describe someone who does not unsubscribe from a list but just stops reading or even opening the e-mails.In surveying my list, I discovered a lot of mental opt-outs among my e-zine subscribers: they hadnt unsubscribed yet but they no longer read the messages.Although [...]

Direct Mail Preferred Over E-Mail?

(Indexed 2010-05-04):

In his column in Target Marketing (5/2010, p. 42), Denny Hatch said that a large percentage of the population — 18 to 34 year olds and 62-plus — prefer direct mail to e-mail.If you are in these groups, or outside them, which would you rather receive — e-mail marketing, direct mail, both, or neither?If neither, [...]

The Only 4 Reasons Why People Buy

(Indexed 2010-04-02):

In his Target marketing column (4/10, p. 34), Denny Hatch notes that there are only 4 reasons why people will buy from you:1–Price.2–Service.3–Quality.4–Ex...(truncated)... these, exclusivity is the most enviable position to possess. “If you can move your business into exclusivity, you have no worried about price, service, and competition,” writes Denny.Can you think of any [...]

Lessons from my Colonoscopy

(Indexed 2010-03-27):

I just came back from a colonoscopy.So I’m too zonked out from the general anesthesia to blog coherently on a marketing topic.But I did learn a few things from the procedure:1–Any day you are not at the doctor’s office is a good day.2–Any day you are in good health is a good day.3–I can drink [...]

Web 2.0 Not Living Up to the Hype?

(Indexed 2010-02-04):

New media pundits are fond of pointing out how consumers would much rather get product info from peers than marketers. And on the surface, it makes sense. But in reality, it’s not working out so well: according to a survey by ChoiceStream, nearly 6 out of 10 Internet users are not happy with the product [...]

Are There Too Many Webinars?

(Indexed 2010-01-19):

An article in BtoB (1/18/10, p. 21) says, “Given the plethora of webinars these days, it isn’t altogether surprising that some companies report a decline in attendee registration.”I love webinars as an offer, especially in e-mail marketing. But can BtoB magazine be right? Is the market becoming oversaturated with webinars, just as some people say [...]

Marketing with Content: More than Writing an Article

(Indexed 2010-01-13):

Every guru says that content is the key to effective online marketing.So you write an article or two. Nothing happens. And you wrongly conclude that content marketing doesn’t work.The problem is that marketing with content, deceptively simple on the surface, is a little more involved underneath.You have to know a bunch of things like: [...]

Pepsi Quits Super Bowel

(Indexed 2009-12-20):

After 23 consecutive years of advertising during the Super Bowl, Pepsi has finally said: “Enough!”The cost of running a TV commercial during the Super Bowl last year was $3 million for a 30-second spot.Can you imagine watching your commercial run knowing that each second just cost you another $100,000?According to an article in the Record [...]

Pepsi Quits Super Bowl

(Indexed 2009-12-20):

After 23 consecutive years of advertising during the Super Bowl, Pepsi has finally said: “Enough!”The cost of running a TV commercial during the Super Bowl last year was $3 million for a 30-second spot.Can you imagine watching your commercial run knowing that each second just cost you another $100,000?According to an article in the Record [...]

6 Tips on Marketing With Free Content

(Indexed 2009-12-19):

Its a business revolution: marketing with free content instead of sales pitches.Except this revolution has been going on for decades.And here are some content marketing tricks Ive found to be particularly effective:1–Giving your free report an attractive or compelling title helps boost response rates when offering it as a premium.Example: During the Clinton years, the [...]

In Praise of A/B Split Testing

(Indexed 2009-12-09):

Despite all the sophisticated analytics and multi-variate testing tools at our disposal, sometimes the quickest and clearest way to answer a marketing question is with a good old-fashioned A/B split test.For an online ad to build my online subscriber list, we tested two headlines:A–”Earn $2,000 per week ‘working’ an hour a day”B–”Earn $100,000 a [...]

What stage is your Internet marketing business at?

(Indexed 2009-12-01):

In my view, Internet businesses fall into one of the following 6 levels:** The first level is the getting ready to start phase.This is where you are spending an inordinate amount of time and money buying and studying Internet marketing courses but you arent actually selling anything online yet.** In level 2, you dip [...]

You’re the Greatest? Well, Who Says So?

(Indexed 2009-11-23):

I got an email from a copywriter today who claims he has been called the best copywriter on the Web but he doesnt say who called him that.He also says his course on copywriting has been called the Bible of web copywriting but he doesnt say who called it that.If you are going [...]

Why Are You Self-Employed?

(Indexed 2009-11-18):

According to the Enterprise Council on Small Business (BtoB, 11/16/09, p. 21), entrepreneurs become self-employed for one of 3 reasons:>> 74% want to be able to earn their living through a specific skill or activity they are good at or enjoy; e.g., photography, woodworking, writing, web site design, public speaking.>> 24% are corporate refugees who [...]

Are You a “Marketing Theoretician”?

(Indexed 2009-11-12):

A marketing theoretician is a blogger, author, or speaker who writes and speaks about marketing, but doesn’t actually DO marketing.My advice is to read books and blogs and attend seminars and webinars by people who are marketing practitioners — actually doing marketing in the real world — either planning and writing campaigns, or marketing their [...]

Save Money. Die Better.

(Indexed 2009-11-10):

Walmart’s slogan is “Save Money. Live Better.”Now Walmart can help you die better, too — or at least cheaper: According to an article in Advertising Age (11/9/09, p. 10), the retail giant is now selling caskets and other funeral supplies on its web sites.Costco and Amazon also sell coffins online. Traditionally coffins are sold by [...]

Get Off Your Butt With the 25-25-50 Rule

(Indexed 2009-11-06):

Are you spending too much time studying and reading about Internet marketing or freelancing and not enough time actually doing it and getting your business off the ground? Then apply the 25-25-50 rule.The 25-25-50 rule says that to master a skill or process, and put what you learn into practical action, you must divide [...]

Has Social Media Transformed Your Life?

(Indexed 2009-10-31):

The subtitle of Erik Qualman’s new book “Socialnomics” states that “social media transforms the way we live and do business.”Really?I can’t think of a single way in which social media has transformed my life or my business.Has it transformed yours?Qualman says that social media is the new inbox.For me, my e-mail inbox is the new [...]

False Advertising on Diner Menu

(Indexed 2009-10-18):

My wife and I met another couple at a diner for breakfast this morning.I had eggs and Amy ordered the short stack of French toast.When her order arrived, it was a single piece of French toast on a plate.Merriam-Webster Online defines a stack as “a pile” or “a large quantity or number.”By definition “one” of [...]

How to Measure Social Media Effectiveness

(Indexed 2009-10-16):

An article in SIPA Hotline (10/16/09) suggests that a way to measure the effectiveness of social media is to track certain metrics before, during, and after the social media campaign.The metrics to be measured can include:>> Traffic to web site and blog.>> Number of brand impressions per month.>> Percentage of content clicked through.>> Percantage increase [...]

Small Business Says Social Networking Doesn’t Work

(Indexed 2009-10-15):

According to a new Citibank survey, more than three out of four small business owners have not found social networking sites to be helpful in either generating new business leads or expanding their businesses during the last year.An article in Marketing Charts, sent to me by online media expert Sarah Stambler, reports: “Despite widespread consumer [...]

Don’t Drink Social Media Kool-Aid

(Indexed 2009-10-09):

David Armano is a VP at Edelman Digital, and I never heard of him until today when I read his column in Advertising Age (9/21/09), p. 43.But now, after reading his piece on “separating the social media snake oil from the vinegar,” I’m a fan.His main message: Don’t think social media will save you, because [...]

Are TV Commercials TOO LOUD?

(Indexed 2009-09-28):

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., CA) seems to think so.According to an article in Parade (9/27/09, p. 6), Eshoo recently introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Migitation Act (CALM) — I kid you not.If CALM passes, the FCC would be required to set new limits requiring lower volume on TV commercials.Consumer advocates support CALM, arguing that “Advertisers [...]

And You Think YOUR Job is Tough?

(Indexed 2009-09-28):

I often hear people say — and I often say it myself — that we have it tougher in today’s fast-paced world than workers of earlier generations.But do we really? Here’s a notice a School Board sent to its teachers — in 1872 — as part of their job description:1. Teachers will fill lamps, clean [...]

15 Things That Really Bug Me

(Indexed 2009-09-26):

1People who wear cowboy hats but are not cowboys.2Ad agency executives who brag that their marketing is creative as if being clever and creative is the objective.3Men who smoke a pipe in public and are under 60.4Drivers who play rap or hip-hop on their car sound system at maximum volume with the windows down.5Consultants [...]

Dealing with Anti-Marketing Snobs

(Indexed 2009-09-25):

I was at a party recently where circumstances forced me into small talk with another guest.What do you do? he asked me.I explained that I was a copywriter and wrote sales letters.He snorted: I never read junk mail, he said, smirking.And what do you do? I asked politely.Im a chiropractor, he replied.I snorted: I never [...]

Overcoming Objections

(Indexed 2009-09-24):

A skeptical reader of my e-newsletter recently wrote the following in response to an e-mail I sent him promoting one of my products on starting an Internet business:“Would any of your how-to information work? We tried different marketing programs and there was very little change.”How did I handle this objection?I sent him a 5-word e-mail [...]

Death of an HP Printer

(Indexed 2009-09-23):

After more years of service than I can recall, my beloved HP LaserJet 4si printer has finally given up the ghost.The machine printed 19 black and white pages per second and had two paper trays that, combined, held 1,000 sheets. I loved this feature because it eliminated frequent reloading of paper.Even though it was ultra-reliable, [...]

12 More Undeniable Truths of Business

(Indexed 2009-09-04):

Another dozen inviolate rules of business: Are there any you would quibble with, or others you would add?1If you are a self-employed service provider, you can only bill for about 50% to 60% of your time. The other hours in your day are spent on non-billable tasks, including running your office, self-education, and marketing.*2If you [...]

The Latest Paradigm Shift in Marketing: Transparency

(Indexed 2009-08-26):

An increasingly popular buzzword in online marketing today is transparency.It means the more you reveal about yourself to your prospects, the more they will bond with and hopefully buy from you.Transparency is contrary to the classic copywriting rule stated so eloquently by my old direct mail mentor Sig Rosenblum decades ago:The reader isnt [...]

The 12 Undeniable Truths of Freelance Writing

(Indexed 2009-08-22):

Here are 12 truths governing (as I see it) the state of the freelance writing profession today. Do you agree? Disagree? Are there any you would add to the list?1There is a lot of competition. When there it is a lot of competition in a market, it becomes a buyers market, which puts downward pressure [...]

The $45 Question: What’s Your Online Marketing ROI?

(Indexed 2009-08-20):

What’s the ROI for your favorite online marketing medium?My favorite is e-mail marketing.According to “Taking Names,” a special report from Direct magazine, in 2008 e-mail generated slightly more than $45 in revenues for every dollar spent on e-mail marketing.I believe this number, because I know myself how to measure revenues from e-mail marketing precisely, so [...]

What Sells Best Online: SEO or PPC?

(Indexed 2009-08-17):

According to a new study by Internet Retailer, visitors who arrive on a site from pay-per-click (PPC) advertising are 50% more likely to buy than traffic generated by search engine optimization (SEO).The study found that the average conversion rate from paid search is 2.03% vs. only 1.25% from organic search.Visitors sent to web sites via [...]

What About Bill?

(Indexed 2009-08-15):

What would you do about Bill?Bill B. e-mailed me to say he couldn’t afford my Internet marketing home study course.Now, there are Internet marketing courses out there costing thousands of dollars. Mine sells for less than $100, and the week Bill wrote me, I was offering a special discount, selling it for just $77.So I [...]

Why New Media Evangelists Annoy Me

(Indexed 2009-08-13):

When I became a copywriter in the late 1970s, direct mail wasn’t popular — considered an ugly stepchild of beauiful color magazine ads and funny TV commercials.I never once tried to push direct mail on anyone or argue that it was somehow better than those TV and magazine ads, preferring to write sales letters only [...]

Can You Really “Get Rich Quick” on the Internet?

(Indexed 2009-08-09):

Can you really get rich quick on the Internet without doing a lick of work?Thats what SB, a subscriber, recently asked me.He writes:Bob, whats your take on the standard Internet guru shtick of the 4-hour work week?Hes referring, of course, to all those hyped up, high-price how to get rich quick on the Internet programs [...]

The Twuth About Twitter

(Indexed 2009-08-05):

Twitter is a red hot topic at Internet marketing conferences today — touted as the next big thing in social networking.To me, that’s difficult to reconcile with the fact that, according to a Harris Interactive poll, nearly 7 out of 10 Web users have never even HEARD of Twitter! The poll found that only 8% [...]

The 2 Inviolate Rules of Asking Strangers for Help

(Indexed 2009-07-29):

Virtually every day I get at least one phone call or e-mail from some stranger asking for my help or advice or to answer a question … with 99% of them, of course, not offering to PAY me for my time and trouble.If you want to approach someone you view as an expert or guru [...]

The Meteoric Rise of Social Media

(Indexed 2009-07-21):

Two years ago, only one out of five marketers used social media.According to a survey from the Association of National Advertisers, today two out of three marketers use social media.I have to admit that, while I have accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace, I can muster no personal enthusiasm for social networking.I understand its [...]

When Good Advertising Ideas Derail

(Indexed 2009-07-18):

Oscar Mayer’s great innovation was to create a brand in a product category (hot dogs) in which no brands had previously existed.Other marketing innovators to introduce branded products into categories that previously lacked brands include Frank Perdue (chicken) and Orville Redenbacher (popcorn).Anyway, one of Oscar Mayer’s brand promotions is the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, a car [...]

Web Copywriting: Ted Nicholas vs. Jacob Nielsen

(Indexed 2009-07-08):

Is copywriting the key to Internet marketing success?Master copywriter Ted Nicholas seems to think so.“Mega success on the Internet is all about copy alone,” he writes. “It’s also helpful to know about other things like search engine optimiziation, squeeze pages, twittering, and teleseminars. “But without powerful copy to fuel the marketing engine, you will not [...]

Should You Ban “Serial Returners” from Buying from You?

(Indexed 2009-07-07):

One of my Internet marketing colleagues, GR, hates it when online buyers return his products and request a refund.He hates it so much, that if someone does it more than once, he “bans” them from all his web sites.That means he (1) blocks their IP address from his shopping cart so they cannot place another [...]

Can You Really Get Rich Quick Selling Info Products Online?

(Indexed 2009-06-30):

There are more gurus out there than you can shake a stick at selling courses on how to “get rich quick” selling information products on the Internet.But how many are the real deal?I’ve listed the reputable ones I can think of on the site below:www.internetmarketinghallofame.comHave you had experience with any of these folks and their [...]

Discounts: An Overlooked Internet Marketing Tactic

(Indexed 2009-06-27):

Internet buyers LOVE discounts, yet most info marketers don’t use them nearly enough. A case in point: on 4/9/09, we sent an e-mail to my list offering one of my e-books at the cover price of $79.It generated 32 orders and $2,528 in revenues — not great, not bad.Thursday of this week we sent the [...]

Can Social Networking Help You Reach Executives?

(Indexed 2009-06-26):

Not according to an article published this week in BtoB’s Vertical Insight Guide.The article reports that only 20% of senior executives belong to one or more social networking sites — which would seem to indicate that all the noise about marketing with social media is either misplaced or premature.If you want to reach senior executives [...]

Build your elist fast and affordably with this crafty Internet Loss Leader Strategy

(Indexed 2009-06-25):

For decades, retailers and direct marketers have used loss leaders inexpensive items sold at or below cost to acquire new customers. Now, my new,free special report, The Internet Loss Leader Strategy, shows Internet marketers how to build their email lists using an online variation of the offline loss leader technique. To download the [...]

When Freelancers Piss Off Clients

(Indexed 2009-06-24):

HH, a freelancer I hired to write an e-book for me, sent me the first draft of the manuscript today as an attached Word file with his e-mail.He ends the e-mail: “P.S. I’ll send me [sic] invoice under separate email.”My question: Why, HH?I just got your FIRST draft a minute ago. I haven’t even opened [...]

Will Obama Bail-Out Your Internet Marketing Business?

(Indexed 2009-06-19):

If you sink money into starting an Internet marketing, copywriting, or other small business, and you aren’t successful, will the government write a check to tide you over until you turn a profit? Not on your life.So why should they do it for car manufacturers and banks? The answer, of course, is that they should [...]

Long Copy vs. Short Copy: Round 1,874

(Indexed 2009-06-14):

The debate over long vs. short copy rages on, and a recent Copy Chasers column in BtoB magazine (6/8/09, p. 26) declares that — at least in B2B advertising — short copy is the winner.“In an age when 140-character messages seem to push the limits of the human attention span, it’s best to keep things [...]

What Direct Mail Response Rate Do You Need for Your Campaign to Break Even?

(Indexed 2009-06-12):

“Break-even” is the response rate a direct mail must generate to produce sales revenues equal to the cost of the mailing.But what is that response rate for your mailing? It depends on 5 factors:* Postage.* Printing.* Letter shop charges.* List rental cost.* Price of product being sold.* Cost of goods for product.You can input these [...]

A Shocking Fact About Google

(Indexed 2009-06-11):

Did you know that your web site can actually have different positions in Google — depending on who is searching for them! Several things can account for differences in search engine position results, says my SEO guru Ed Taylor. One factor is the Google server (data center) that is accessed. Google has many data centers [...]

The Mini-Flood Factor in Internet Marketing

(Indexed 2009-06-04):

Here’s a secret working Internet information marketers all know that newbies don’t: you will know within the first 10 minutes whether your e-mail marketing message for that day is going to be a winner or a loser.For instance, let’s say, for your list, your successful e-mails generate, on average, 50 to 100 orders within 48 [...]

Pre-Testing Copy on Your Blog

(Indexed 2009-05-26):

I am not a huge fan of copy pre-testing with focus groups, surveys, or other methods soliciting subjective opinions.It’s not that these opinions aren’t interesting. They are. It’s that what people SAY they like in advertising vs. what they actually respond to are two different things.But let’s try it. Below are 3 possible headlines for [...]

The 3 Biggest Myths About Internet Marketing

(Indexed 2009-05-24):

Myth #1: It’s easy.Reality: It’s a lot easier and more fun than most of the careers and businesses you can do. But it isn’t really easy. To paraphrase Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own, if it was THAT easy, EVERYBODY would be doing it.Myth #2: It’s the lazy man’s way to riches — [...]

Copywriting: Difficult or Easy?

(Indexed 2009-05-19):

On 5/15/09, Susanna K. Hutcheson said on this blog that copywriting is a skill that takes many decades of learning and doing before one is truly a master at it.On the other hand, many of the superstars in Internet marketing — a key skill of which is writing (of both copy and content) — are [...]

Scum of the Internet: AirSoftKing.com

(Indexed 2009-05-08):

AirSoftKing.com — a site that sells pellet guns — has the worst customer service policies of any Internet marketer I’ve seen yet.My son bought an “airsoft gun” (uses a blast of air to shoot little plastic pellets), and when it arrived, it didn’t work.I searched the AirSoftKing.com site for a toll-free number. No luck.Then I [...]

Improving Sales Lead Quality

(Indexed 2009-05-06):

What is a “quality” sales lead?For me, a high quality sales lead is someone who:A–Already knows who I am.B–Is predisposed to hiring me.C–Does not shop for copywriting services looking for the low bid.Of course, not all self-promotion and marketing generates sales leads of equal quality.For my freelance copywriting services, the best sources of quality sales [...]

Who Are You Writing for — Your Prospects or Google?

(Indexed 2009-04-30):

The problem with SEO copywriting is that the mandate to use keywords according to various rules set forth by SEO experts can result in awkward, ineffective, suboptimal copy.“It is essential to attempt to optimize online copy for relevant keywords to achieve a better search engine placement,” writes Don Libey, a multi-channel marketing expert. “However,” LIbey [...]

Don’t ASSume

(Indexed 2009-04-17):

In an episode of the Odd Couple TV show, Felix Unger once said: “When you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME!”I agree wrong assumptions can make you look like an ass … not sure it does that to the other guy.Example: cowardly RT left a voice mail message (but not his phone [...]

Where Will They See Your Commercial — TV or YouTube?

(Indexed 2009-04-15):

The Internet is where it’s at in marketing today, and online video is exploding.But a study from the Council for Research Excellence concludes that “TV is still by far the most popular medium for all consumers, both young and old.”The study found that the average consumer spends only 2 minutes a day watching free TV [...]

B2B Prospects Prefer Print to Online

(Indexed 2009-04-14):

A survey of 741 small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) by Breeding Business Information (BBI) revealed that SMBs prefer print over the Internet as a source of product information.Of the B2B prospects surveyed, 43% said they rely most on magazine articles and direct mail to learn about products.Only 27.8% prefer social networking as a source of [...]

Stop Bloggers from Trashing Your Product

(Indexed 2009-04-08):

As I see it, the potential of blogging as a negative force hurting your product sales is actually greater than its potential as a positive force spurring sales.A case in point: In 2006, Dell determined that 48% of the comments posted about the company online were negative.To combat this bad blogosphere PR, Dell started a [...]

Are You in Marketing Because You Can’t Sell?

(Indexed 2009-03-31):

I saw in e-mail exchange today between a famous sales trainer and a successful information markter and copywriter.In it, the sales trainer arrogantly proclaimed: “Marketing is for people who can’t sell.”I’ve heard this many times before.When I was in the corporate world, the sales force and the marcom department often had an adversarial relationship.It was [...]

Maximize Online Marketing ROI

(Indexed 2009-03-16):

What online marketing technique generates the highest ROI for customer acquisition?According to a survey published in Target Marketing (3/09, p. 37), it’s not online advertising, podcasts, search engine optimization, or webcasts.E-mail marketing was cited by 28% of the marketing professionals ls urveyed as delivering the strongest ROI for customer acquisition online.Search engine optimization came in [...]

Confessions of a Nerdy Bookworm

(Indexed 2009-03-11):

Ive never been happy with who I am. In fact, I feel quite guilty about it.Let me explain.Im a bookworm a bibliophile a bookaholic.I am most content and fulfilled when I am sitting alone in my office, clicking away at the keyboard — writing copy for my clients or my own Internet marketing [...]

Is E-Mail Marketing Dead?

(Indexed 2009-03-09):

New media evangelists have long denigrated e-mail as “interruption marketing” and praised both search and social networking as non-intrusive alternatives.The younger generation (my teenagers) also seems to shy away from e-mail, preferring Facebook and texting as their primary means of online communication.In an article in Direct (3/09, p. 8), Ken Magill notes that e-mail marketing [...]

Lewis Says Social Networking Not a “Meaningful” Online Marketing Tactic

(Indexed 2009-03-05):

In an interview with DM News (3/2/09, p. 10), Kent Lewis, President of Anvil Media, said that current social media platforms and communities do not have much of a chance to become a meaningful part of the overall online markeitng mix.Lewis explains: “Users have demonstrated time and again that they not only ignore advertising in [...]

No One Reads Long Copy, She Says

(Indexed 2009-02-23):

JS, a subscriber to my e-newsletter The Direct Response Letter, writes:“I have been reading a lot of your promos as well as those of many other of the [marketing] columnists and writers. All of them (the promos or letters) are very long. I would think in today’s busy world that people don’t want to take [...]

A New Idea for Radio Advertising in the Internet Age

(Indexed 2009-02-18):

I just heard a radio spot for Tony Robbins offering an interesting twist on using the web for fulfillment.Instead of sending the listener to a URL on the web, the commercial tells you to call toll-free 800-503-3980 and leave your e-mail address on the voice mail.They promise to send an e-mail to your address with [...]

What’s the Most Important Marketing Skill?

(Indexed 2009-02-17):

Let’s say you could become an expert in only ONE marketing discipline. Which of the following would you pick — and why? Which would serve you best either as a business owner, Internet marketer, or marketing professional?A–Search engine marketing.B–Online video.C–Viral marketing.D–Copywriting.E–Graphic design.F–Flash.G–HTML.H–Computer programming.I–Social media.J–Metrics and analytics.K–Branding.L–PR.M–Direc...(truncated)...

How to Create “Instant” Information Products in Just One Hour

(Indexed 2009-02-12):

Want to get into information marketing, but are intimidated by the idea of having to create a product?Start small, with a product that does not require you to do any research or writing.The quickest and easiest product to start with is to produce a 1-hour audio CD.Depending on the topic, you can sell your single [...]

Which Headline Worked Best?

(Indexed 2009-02-09):

I received 2 different mailings, promoting 2 different options trading systems, from 2 different companies. The headlines were:Mailing A–Why Most Trading Systems Don’t Work … and Never Will.Mailing B–Profit from the Only Market Timing System That Has NEVER Failed — and Never Will.Which do you think works best, and why?

What’s Wrong with This Headline?

(Indexed 2009-01-30):

There are several companies selling programs that teach you how to make a little extra money in your spare time by participating in market research surveys or focus groups. I sell such a product myself: www.marketresearchwealth.comOne of these companies sent me an e-mail promoting their program. The subject line read: “Get Paid to Evaluate Products.”The [...]

The Truth About Marketing in a Recession

(Indexed 2009-01-26):

Whenever there is a recession, all the ad magazines run articles extolling to their readers the importance of continuing to advertise in a recession.Since these articles are usually contributed by ad agency owners and marketing consultants, one could make an argument that they are self-serving.After all, the marketing consultants and ad agencies make money only [...]

The 25 Secrets of Meaningful Success

(Indexed 2009-01-14):

The other day, Bill R., a subscriber, wrote me the following e-mail:What advice would you give somebody that is starting out that wants to be a success - as a copywriter or just in life in general? What advice would you give to a son or a nephew graduating high school or college as they [...]

Do You Make This Mistake in Copy Catting?

(Indexed 2009-01-14):

“Copy catting” is a perfectly legal, time-honored, and very effective technique in copywriting.It means you find an existing ad that is making money, and “borrow” the main money-making idea for your own ad.Unfortunately, unskilled marketers usually bungle this: they rip off the words or style of the ad they are copy catting, while totally missing [...]

27 Secrets of Internet Marketing Success

(Indexed 2009-01-07):

If you are an Internet information marketer or aspire to be one, here are some rules that can help you maximize your online revenues this year:1Do not produce information products on widely diverse topics. Instead, pick a narrow niche. Then make sure every information product you produce is related to this niche.2Build a large opt-in [...]

The Department of Redundancy Department

(Indexed 2009-01-06):

A radio news program interviewed an SEC investigator who promised the American public a “swift and prompt” investigation of the Bernard Madoff case.Aren’t journalists supposed to be the guardians of proper English? What does “prompt” add to the meaning of the sentence that “swift” did not convey?The report also mentioned Madoff’s attorney defending his client’s [...]

Should You Avoid “Free” In E-Mail Subject Lines?

(Indexed 2008-12-18):

The frustrating thing about learning Internet marketing is that when you ask gurus for advice, they give different answers.When I asked BJ, a successful information marketer, he was quite firmly against “free” in e-mail subject lines.“We have found it is a no-no to use FREE in the subject line,” says BJ. “FREE is a tremendous [...]

Does It Pay to Complain About Bad Products or Services?

(Indexed 2008-12-17):

I always feel awkward when I have a bad meal in a restaurant and the server asks, “How’s everything?”I get the feeling that the question is no more sincere than the telemarketer who asks “How are you today?”It’s just polite talk. They don’t really want or care about the answer.I never complain, but on a [...]

My Favorite Online List-Building Strategy

(Indexed 2008-12-09):

***My favorite online list-building strategy***In traditional marketing, a loss leader is a product you sell at cost or at a lost to get new customers.Ive adapted this strategy to the Internet, and the first time I used it, I added 946 new customers to my e-list, at zero marketing cost, within one week.And unlike Google [...]

21 Secrets of Freelance Copywriting Success

(Indexed 2008-12-03):

1Work with clients whom you genuinely like or at least have good personal chemistry with.2Your freelance copywriting business exists to serve your clients. Without them, youd starve.3If you want to have the final say on your copy without being told what to say and how to write it, market your own line of products, [...]

What’s More Important: Copy or Design?

(Indexed 2008-12-01):

When the ad’s intent is to generate a response, copy trumps art, says marketing consultant Ruth Stevens, writing in Direct (12/08, p. 16).In a visual society, why is copy more important than graphics?“When the ad’s intent is to motivate a response, it’s about selling, persuasion, and the call to action,” writes Stevens. “These appeals are [...]

Do Social Networks Drive Online Revenues?

(Indexed 2008-11-25):

No, according to an article in DM News (11/24/08, p. 7), which cited a survey in which social networks were the least effective way to educate consumers about online bargains.From most to least effective online selling tool according to the 1,000 adults surveyed: e-mail marketing (45%), friends forwarding a link (16.5%), onsite messages (16%), banner [...]

To Make Money Online, Sell Content — Don’t Give It Away

(Indexed 2008-10-31):

“The only way to bring in real money from your blog or web site is to deal with the ‘c’ word,” says veteran mail order marketer Jim Straw.“Yes, I’m talking about ‘charging’ for your content,” says Jim. Not — as so many new media gurus advocate — giving it away.“Take a look at a few [...]

Bad Times Ahead for Freelance Writers?

(Indexed 2008-10-23):

On one of his web sites, Internet marketer Abel Cheng sells a guide to do-it-yourself content creation.To make the sale, he compares the cost of his product ($17) with the cost of hiring a professional writer.He says (I kid you not) that the going rate to hire a professional ghostwriter to write a 500-word article [...]

Should B2B Copy be Devoid of Emotion and Salesmanship?

(Indexed 2008-10-16):

LT, a veteran B2B marketer, took me to task in an e-mail he sent me, in which he disagreed with my claim that many consumer marketing techniques can be profitably applied to B2B selling.According to LT, good B2B copy meets the following criteria:1–It is completely fact-based — full of numbers, statistics, graphs, tables, charts, data, [...]

It’s Not Too Late to Profit from This Hot Marketing Trend

(Indexed 2008-10-14):

Normally, by the time you read about a new idea in marketing, it’s too late for you to stand out as an early adopter, because the early adopters are all already using it.But online video is a growing trend, and it’s NOT too late for you to boost your online conversions, sales, and traffic with [...]

Madison Avenue Agency Fails Advertising 101

(Indexed 2008-10-09):

Last night I saw a Burger King TV commercial in which two guys dressed in hamburger costumes go to Wendy’s to order hamburgers, only to conclude that Wendy’s doesn’t offer burgers as good as BK.The primary visual displayed on the screen throughout most of the commercial is the giant Wendy’s sign in front of the [...]

Fruit by Mail: Why?

(Indexed 2008-10-02):

When I took his direct marketing course at NYU back in the early 1980s, Milt Piece taught us that “the ideal mail order product is one that is not available in stores.”But the catalog company Harry & David sells mainly fruit (also chocolates and cakes) through mail order … all of which are also [...]

Can You Outsource Social Networking?

(Indexed 2008-09-26):

JJ, a marketing consultant who is an advocate of social media, confided in me that to get significant results takes 10 to 15 hours of participation a week — EVERY week.For most of us, that’s time we don’t have to spare.So I’m wondering: do you think a company or solopreneur can PAY someone to handle [...]

Does “Article Marketing” Work?

(Indexed 2008-09-11):

A popular piece of advice given by Internet marketing gurus is to market yourself by writing and posting articles on article submission sites such as http://www.articlehub.com/The idea is to write a zillion articles, post them all over the Internet, and generate a ton of traffic as people who read your articles click on the link [...]

My Dispute with Angus

(Indexed 2008-09-09):

A few minutes ago I got an e-mail from Angus, one of my e-zine subscribers, who objected to the frequency with which I send e-mail marketing messages to him.“I don’t mind getting your offers, but you are sending too f@#$%ing many,” said Andre (using the F-word). I replied, “There is no need to use abusive [...]

My First Stumbling Block to Getting Started with Social Networking

(Indexed 2008-08-27):

OK. I joined Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace, and already it isn’t working for me.Here’s why: when you join, you get e-mails every day from people saying they have found you on one of these networks … and asking to be added to your list or be allowed to follow you or whatever you call [...]

What the Heck Are We Doing Wrong?

(Indexed 2008-08-12):

According to an article in B-to-B, the average Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) earned $1.5 million last year.Let’s say you are a copywriter or marketing consultant, and you earn $100,000 a year.The average CMO earns 15X more than you do.What do they know about marketing that you and I don’t?What makes the average CMO worth 15X [...]

Meet the God of Copy

(Indexed 2008-08-04):

Is this guy, as he claims, the greatest living copywriter?www.thecopygod.comRead his web site and decide for yourself:www.thecopygod.comHe certainly is good looking!Is there a copywriting lesson we can learn from his site?Is he truly a step above all other copywriters and marketing gurus out there today? Are we mere dust motes beneath the shining light of [...]

“Old School” Direct Marketing on the Internet

(Indexed 2008-07-25):

My colleague Denny Hatch is one of the most respected of the “old school” direct marketing copywriters and publishers operating today.He says the reason so many Internet marketers get it wrong is that they fail to apply DM selling techniques online.“One reason for the dot.com bust was inexperience,” Denny writes. “Quite simply, many of the [...]

Opposing Philosophies on Viral E-Book Marketing

(Indexed 2008-07-22):

I have the greatest respect and admiration for David Meerman Scott.But the advice he gives on his www.webinknow.com blog on viral e-book marketing is diametrically opposed to mine.David advises: “Make the content totally free with no registration requirement at all so people are more likely to download it and share with colleagues.”As a result, his [...]

Does Sex Sell?

(Indexed 2008-07-18):

New media gurus these days rave about getting tens of thousands — or millions — of page views on MySpace and YouTube.But any idiot can put up a video that gets a ton of traffic. The easiest way: just use sex.As Steve Hall writes at www.adgabber.com: “Anytime you stick a stunningly beautiful, hot looking, busty [...]

How Critical is Your Mission Statement?

(Indexed 2008-07-17):

When I began my corporate career in the late 70s, corporations spent huge amounts of time and money perfecting their “mission statements,” which they proudly posted on placards in the lobby.Multi-channel marketing guru Don Libey thinks most mission statements are for the most part banal and of limited value.His advice: “Get rid of the silly [...]

Is “Content is King” a Load of Crap?

(Indexed 2008-07-07):

Gurus like David Meerman Scott say that giving consumers lots of useful content is the key to marketing success — at least in the 21st century.But something Tim Sanders says in his book “The Likeability Factor” (Crown Publishers, 2005) seems to contradict that belief.Says Sanders:Theres too much information in todays world, and our defense mechanism [...]

Should Direct Mail Design be Ugly?

(Indexed 2008-07-01):

“Ugly works” in direct mail design, writes my colleague Denny Hatch in his latest column in Target Marketing (7/08, p. 50).His premise: direct mail should be intentionally designed to look ugly and junky, because it will increase response. The reason (here Denny quotes his former boss Lew Smith): “Neatness rejects involvement. If a thing is [...]

Pure B.S. or Great Copy?

(Indexed 2008-06-30):

Critics often accuse direct marketing copywriters of hype and puffery, but I think the real B.S. artists in marketing today are wine and beer writers.Listen to this description of Route Des Epices beer from the Beer of the Month Club newsletter (vol. 14, no. 12):“On the nose, you can’t miss the influence of black and [...]

The Best Way to Make Money Online

(Indexed 2008-06-18):

A friend, AF, wants to make money in his spare-time on the Internet.He asked me about making money with a blog. I told him: “Forget it.”Instead, I recommended to AF that he do what I do: sell how-to information products online.(The method I used is explained on my site www.theinternetmarketingretirementplan.com.)It has certainly worked out well [...]

How Would You Rate This Headline?

(Indexed 2008-06-12):

I received a mailing today promoting a stock newsletter.In big, bold type, the headline on the outer envelope reads:Inside: Three stocks set to quadruple in price in the next 12 months.Now, if you are a new copywriter … or new to financial subscription promotion … you might think this is a good headline.But to anyone [...]

Overstating the Case for Social Media

(Indexed 2008-06-11):

If you say to me that social media is the most significant marketing development of the 21st century and will become the dominant marketing channel, I can see your argument — though I don’t necessarily agree with it.But in an interview with DM News (6/9/08, p. 47), Saul Colt, VP of FreshBooks Marketing, goes way [...]

The End of Pretension in Advertising?

(Indexed 2008-06-10):

For years, auto makers have been selling used cars under the semi-pretentious label of “pre-owned vehicle.”So I was shocked yesterday when I heard a radio spot for Honda talking about their “certified used cars.”The whole reason the industry switched from “used car” to “pre-owned vehicle” was to avoid the negative image of the used car [...]

Bad Blogging Advice?

(Indexed 2008-06-04):

In an interview with DM News (6/2/08, p. 23), Andrew Trent, director of Web content for Journyx, gives advice on using blogs as a marketing tool that seems — to me, anyway — to be a tad off base.Specifically, he says: “Your blog should provide the same content as any direct marketing pieces you send [...]

What Works Best in B2B: Direct Mail or E-Mail?

(Indexed 2008-05-28):

What works best in b-to-b lead generation — direct mail or e-mail marketing?If you’re like most people, you said “e-mail.”But Russell Kern, CEO of his own direct marketing agency, disagrees.In an article published in BtoB’s 2008 Lead Generation Guide, Kern cites the following results from his campaign data:>> Prospects responding to direct mail are 10% [...]

Facebook is for Kiddies, Right?

(Indexed 2008-05-23):

In another breathless Fast Company column about social media and high-tech toys, Robert Scoble got excited about some gizmo that made it easier for him to access Facebook.I e-mailed him and asked him, in all sincerity, why he — given that he is an adult — or anyone else long out of diapers would care [...]

Dead Meat Marketing

(Indexed 2008-05-21):

The other day I got a direct mail package from Omaha Steaks.A bold teaser on the outer envelope loudly announced they were having a MID-YEAR CLEARANCE SALE!Now maybe it’s just me, but a clearance sale on meat seems to conjure the wrong mental image — a warehouse full of pieces of dusty old unsold meat [...]

Do You Charge So Much Your Customers Complain?

(Indexed 2008-05-06):

An article in Circulation Management (5/08, p. 12) states: “Your subscribers should be complaining about their subscription price. If they’re not, then you’re not charging enough.”I get the logic of this: if your customers accept your pricing too readily, it indicates that they would be willing to pay more — and therefore, you should price [...]

In Direct Marketing, is Ignorance Bliss?

(Indexed 2008-05-05):

In today’s issue of BtoB (5/5/08, p. 24), American Business Media — an association for business publishers — ran a full-page ad with this headline:“In the Harsh Conditions of the Business World, the Neophyte Quickly Learns There is No Camouflage for Lack of Knowledge.”I wish it were true, but it seems to me that in [...]

Are You Influenced by Political Advertising?

(Indexed 2008-04-28):

According to an article in the Daily News (4/28/08, p. 8), the two Democratic front runners have spent a record $110 million on TV commercials — $70 million for Obama and $40 million for Hillary.I know next to nothing about political advertising, but it seems to me these ads can influence voters in 3 different [...]

Interruption vs. Self-Service Marketing

(Indexed 2008-04-22):

In an article in DM News, Tom Rapses, a creative director, divides marketing into two separate categories:1. Old-school response marketing (although Rapsas does not use the term, this is often referred to as “interruption marketing” because it intrudes into other activities such as watching TV or sorting your mail).2. “Self-service” marketing — including word of [...]

Geico’s “False Bonding”

(Indexed 2008-04-21):

“False bonding” refers to advertising that seeks to create a bond with the prospect, but does so in an illogical or insincere — and therefore ineffective — way.A good example is the recent radio spot for Geico offering homeowner’s insurance to people who rent.It begins (and I am paraphrasing): “We think renters are cool! Why? [...]

An Ode to Logic

(Indexed 2008-04-16):

Copy has to make logical sense, so readers may be a bit confused by the direct mail promo I received today from Ode magazine.The order card gives two choices. You can select either “payment enclosed” or “bill me.”But in all-cap red letters, the copy says “DON’T SEND MONEY.”If I am not supposed to send money, [...]

Is Spelling Overrated?

(Indexed 2008-04-09):

“Spelling is overrated,” said a caller to my favorite NYC morning radio show today. “As long as you get the point across, who cares how it’s spelled?”The host replied, “Because the point you get across when you misspell words is that you’re stupid.”One reason for poor spelling is increased reliance on spell-check software, which as [...]

DM Dead? Not by a Longshot.

(Indexed 2008-04-07):

Lots of pompous pseudo-intellectual new media advocates talk almost daily about the rise of YouTube, Facebook, blogging, podcasting, RSS, and other electronic social media — and the demise of what they derisively call “intrusion marketing” — mostly direct mail, commercials, ads, and the like.So to these young geniuses, I pose a question.If social media and [...]

Are Your Clients Ignorant and Arrogant?

(Indexed 2008-03-05):

My late friend, the accomplished Michigan ad man James Alexander, once told me: “I can work with a client who is ignorant. I can work with a client who is arrogant. But I cannot work with one who is both.”A client who is ignorant but not arrogant doesn’t know anything about advertising, cheerfully admits it, [...]

Numbers Reveal Harsh Reality of Ad Results

(Indexed 2008-02-08):

Lord Kelvin, inventor of the Kelvin temperature scale, once said, “When you can measure something in numbers, then you know something about it.”No where does his lesson have more meaning than in advertising.A case in point: a recent column in DM News noted that the Sales Genie ad in the 2007 Superbowl was a success, [...]

The Death of Advertising

(Indexed 2008-02-06):

Many members of the new generation of online marketers — bloggers, SEO specialists, social networkers, viral video producers — loudly and frequently proclaim that old-fashioned advertising … derisively referred to as “disruption marketing” … is dead.Writing in DM News (2/4/08, p. 10), copywriter Dean Rieck disagrees, noting: “The disruption moniker is a pejorative way of [...]

Marketing in a Recession

(Indexed 2008-01-21):

The business editor of our local daily newspaper e-mailed me about a story on marketing during a recession.Economists are divided as to whether we are officially in a recession, but most agree the economy is in a troubled state, to put it mildly.My advice was that, during a recession, companies should be more flexible and [...]

The Death of Copywriting

(Indexed 2007-12-06):

My friend IB, a well-known marketing consultant, says that copywriting may be fading into the sunset.“Copywriting is not as valued as it used to be,” she maintains. The reason: marketers today are gravitating toward other marketing tools.Home-made videos create buzz on YouTube. Blogs are content, not sales copy. Print advertising is in decline. On the [...]

More Sloppy Copy

(Indexed 2007-11-27):

Yet another example of a copywriter not choosing words carefully is the radio commercial I heard today for PC Richards, a local electronics retailer.The offer promoted in this commercial is free high-definition (HD) channels on I/O cable when you buy a new HDTV from PC Richards.The copy suggests that with the money you save getting [...]

Bob Bly on YouTube!

(Indexed 2007-11-19):

“Dad,” my oldest son Alex called from our living room, where we keep one of our family PCs at home. “You’re on YouTube!”And he’s right:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLnD6YyyVD4I didn’t know it, but a conference promoter put video of my speaking at his Internet marketing event on You Tube.My questions is: does this benefit me in any way? How [...]

Who Says Advertising Doesn’t Work?

(Indexed 2007-10-22):

Theres an old joke that goes: the proof that advertising works is that millions of people think yogurt tastes good.I think even better proof is that marketers have conned consumers into spending $15 billion per year on bottled water brands about a third of which already use filtered tap water anyway.Bottled water costs about [...]

How to Lie With Statistics

(Indexed 2007-10-19):

You can manipulate statistics to prove just about any point you want to make in your copy.A case in point: the TV commercial for Senior Lending Network, a company marketing reverse mortgages to senior citizens.It’s a direct response spot with a strong call to action: phone the toll-free number and get a free educational [...]

Satisfaction Guaranteed? Not at Harry’s Orchards.

(Indexed 2007-10-17):

I got in the mail today a catalog from Harry’s Orchards, a company that sells premium fruit by mail.The guarantee on the inside front cover says that the product comes with their “bonded guarantee of your complete satisfaction.”“Bonded guarantee” sounds impressive but lacks specifics. So I called, and it turns out that there is almost [...]

Marketing Blog of the Year

(Indexed 2007-10-09):

What marketing blog is the best? Vote here:Top 10 Marketing Blogs - Seeking Your Nomination

Is E-Mail Creating a Nation of Bad Writers?

(Indexed 2007-09-27):

My theory has long been that the replacement of the telephone and face-to-face meetings by e-mail has increased the average American’s writing skills considerably, especially in business.Reason: in the good old days, managers wrote few letters, because so much labor was involved.Most didn’t keyboard, so they either wrote by hand or dictated.The secretary would type [...]

Michael Vick Goes to the Dogs

(Indexed 2007-08-25):

An editorial on a news program said that Michael Vick, pleading guilty to promoting dog fighting, should be banned from the NFL for life.But it also said the REASON the NFL should take this action is that it should not promote or condone violence.Huh?Professional football IS violence: 300-pound giants trying to flatten one another into [...]

Best and Worst Places Online to Learn Copywriting

(Indexed 2007-08-22):

There are a TON of promoters online today selling how-to programs in both “how to write copy” and “how to make six figures as a freelance copywriter” — two different but related topics.Which ones have you found that are the “real deal” — great content, clear instruction, and a guru who is a genuine expert.Which [...]

The Death of Blogging

(Indexed 2007-08-13):

According to a Forrester Research Report, only 11% of IT decision-makers surveyed said blogging delivers substantial business value.That means nearly 9 out of 10 of those surveyed find little or no value in blogging.Does this new finding finally put to rest the myth, perpetuated mainly by evangelists and consultants on the blogosphere, that blogging is [...]

The Easiest Marketing Job in the World … and the Hardest

(Indexed 2007-08-09):

After nearly 3 decades in marketing, I’ve come to the conclusion that the easiest job in marketing is market research. Here’s why:1. You don’t have to sell anything.2. You don’t have to come up with new ideas; you merely have to ask questions and report the results.3. Anything you create, no matter what the findings, [...]

Hidden Danger in Political Advertising

(Indexed 2007-07-23):

The hidden danger in political advertising centered on a candidate’s ideology is that voters will misinterpret it, disagree with it, or both.A case in point: a local political candidate ran a radio spot today.In it, he asserted that every American has these inalienable rights:1. A good job at a living wage.2. Decent, affordable housing.3. A [...]

A New Twist to “Permission Marketing”

(Indexed 2007-07-18):

For years, the health care industry has run ad campaigns encouraging people to become organ donors.But if lobbyists get their way, those ad campaigns may become obsolete.That’s because legislators in certain nations are considering a change in organ donor laws.Right now, you have to “opt in” by signing an organ donor card giving your consent [...]

How to Stop Getting E-Mail Marketing Messages

(Indexed 2007-07-18):

Are you sick and tired of getting hype-filled e-mail marketing messages from the publishers of all those free e-zines you read?Here’s an easy way to stop them: don’t accept free e-zine subscriptions.“I write my own free e-newsletter and have to desensitive myself to comments from negative readers who think all of us are writing for [...]

Content vs. Branding

(Indexed 2007-06-29):

My colleagues Michael Stelzner and David Scott Meerman are, like me, advocates of marketing with content.But a recent article suggests that our approach is all wrong.The author said that branding is more effective than ever today.Reason: prospects are suffering from information overload. They don’t have time to process product information. And so they make purchase [...]

Do Puns Sell? (Or, “This Makes Me See Red”)

(Indexed 2007-06-21):

The Economist recently sent me a promotion that flies in the face of conventional wisdom for what works in direct mail selling magazine subscriptions:1. It’s a self-mailer.2. The whole thing is white type on red paper stock.3. Even though it’s an oversize mailer, it’s mainly blank space with just a headline and one short paragraph [...]

The Limitations of Content and Conversation

(Indexed 2007-06-06):

It’s trendy today to say that traditional marketing doesn’t work anymore.The “new marketing” gurus tell us that, instead of “marketing speak” (traditional sales materials), we should use one of two things to do our selling.One is giving away valuable free content.The other is Web 2.0, social networking, forums, wikis, and other forms of “conversation.”But … [...]

Bad News for Blogging Evangelists?

(Indexed 2007-05-30):

According to an article in Internet Marketing Report (5/25/07), 52% of U.S. adults never read a blog, and 16% don’t even know what a blog is.The article concludes that investing a lot of your marketing budget in blogging “doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”Do you agree with that conclusion? Disagree? Why?

Is Direct Mail Obsolete?

(Indexed 2007-05-21):

I’ve been raked over the coals by blogging evangelists and branding consultants all over the Internet.They call me a “dinosaur” because I am a direct mail guy — derisively referring to direct marketing as “intrusion marketing,” implying it is old hat and ineffective, and stating that blogging, branding, and the like are what’s in and [...]

What’s Working in B2B Marketing?

(Indexed 2007-05-15):

When I got my first job in business-to-business marketing in 1979, the most important marcom tools were, in this order:A. Product brochures.B. Corporate capabilities brochure.C. Product data sheets.D. Bylined articles in trade journals.E. Application briefs.F. Case studies.G. Ads in trade journals.H. Trade show exhibits.Today, A and B seem to have vanished, but C through F [...]

Should Advertising Claims be Bold or Modest?

(Indexed 2007-04-23):

The school of thought that says advertising claims should be bold agreed with Samuel Johnson, who said “Promise, big promise, is the soul of an advertisement.”But there’s an opposing school of thought that believes advertising claims should be more modest, because then, they will be more credible.For instance, I am writing a book to explain [...]

Why I Want to Hunt Down BB Like a Dog

(Indexed 2007-04-20):

BB, an old ad agency veteran whom I always liked and respected, resurfaced in my life via e-mail … but not in a pleasant way.He starts off nicely enough, asking if I remember him and giving me a nice compliment about my being a smart guy.But then, he says: “But I get annoyed at the [...]

Bob Bly’s Dirty Little Secret

(Indexed 2007-04-12):

My dirty little secret — at least as far as business is concerned — is that I’ve never had a business plan. Not for my copywriting, book writing, corporate training, or Internet marketing business.There. I’ve confessed. May God have mercy on my soul….Most how-to books on small business prattle endlessly about the importance of writing [...]

Free Speech in Advertising?

(Indexed 2007-04-10):

Gail Tomas, a 65-year-old opera singer, saved her life through advertising.According to an article in The Week (4/13/07, p. 16), Ms. Tomas ran a “kidney needed” notice on an organ donor Web site.Paul Wagner, a 40-year-old businessman, responded — giving Gail one of his kidneys and saving her life.Now, Dr. Douglas Hanto, a transplant surgeon, [...]

Telemarketing Secrets from the Grave

(Indexed 2007-04-05):

Just 10 seconds ago, I got a call from a telemarketer identifying himself as “Allen” from “the Garden of Memories.”He was calling to tell me they are building new mausoleums and gauge my interest in a purchase.Although I would not be put off by a cold call from a life insurance salesperson, I was by [...]

Tempur-Pedic’s Confusing Copy

(Indexed 2007-03-28):

Tempur-Pedic, a direct marketer of mattresses and beds, does great direct mail.But the offer in a Tempur-Pedic letter I got today has me a bit confused:“Pay nothing for an entire year — absolutely NO PAYMENTS, and NO INTEREST if you pay for your items in full within 12 months of the date of purchase.”When I [...]

Double the Size of Your E-List This Year

(Indexed 2007-03-27):

My goal is to double the number of subscribers to my e-zine, the Direct Response Letter, this year — from 40,000 to 80,000 subscribers.That way, I can help more people who are interested in the type of advice I publish on writing, freelancing, marketing, and small business.We are also preparing a guide on how to [...]

Reading This Could Save Your Life

(Indexed 2007-03-13):

Recently, I got “spanked” by one of my subscribers, JB, who objected to the subject line on an e-mail I sent to my list.It read: “Reading this e-mail could save your life.”It was literally true, since the e-mail was about preventing a stroke and the 6 early warning signs that you are having a stroke.“This [...]

Do Typos Matter?

(Indexed 2007-02-28):

A local gym recently mailed a postcard to attract new members.It features a stock color photo of an attractive woman working out, with some brief copy, the closing of which read: “Call today. Summer is comming.”When I pointed out to the owner that “coming” is spelled with one m, he shrugged it off.“It doesn’t matter,” [...]

Yours Free — My Gift to You!

(Indexed 2007-02-15):

Alan Shawn Feinstein, one of the deans of mail order in the pre-Internet era, once ran a full-page ad in the New York Times with the headline:“Yours Free — My Gift to You.”But JW, a subscriber to my e-zine The Direct Response Letter, thinks “free gifts” is bad writing.“Free gifts … is there any other [...]

Is the Pope Gay?

(Indexed 2007-02-13):

Just got a direct mail package selling subscriptions to Out magazine, which seems to be for gays.One of the headlines reads: “Is the Pope Gay?”My first reaction: this is really inappropriate and offensive.I mean, unless they have an investigative report proving that the Pope is gay, it’s totally speculation … and maybe libel.Even if they [...]

Should Every Marketer Read the National Enquirer?

(Indexed 2007-02-05):

In today’s issue of AWAI’s e-newsletter, The Golden Thread, my friend Will Newman wrote an article on how to be a better copywriter.One of Will’s pieces of advice was to read the National Enquirer.This is old advice for copywriters: Milt Pierce, from whom I took a copywriting class in 1983, told us: “Read the National [...]

E-Mail Marketing: How Much Is Too Much?

(Indexed 2007-01-27):

A couple of months ago, I joined the opt-in e-list of a semi-obscure entertainer whose CDs I enjoy.By mid-afternoon of that day, I had received three e-mail marketing messages from him.When a fourth arrived around 5pm, I hollered “enough!” — and unsubscribed from his list.That got me thinking about the question: how much e-mail is [...]

Does Ugly Design Sell Best?

(Indexed 2007-01-25):

In his latest column in Target Marketing (1/07, p. 58), Denny Hatch repeats the old advice that in direct marketing, ugly sells.He quotes Bob Hacker, who states “ugly works,” and Lew Smith, who says, “Neatness rejects involvement.”But is the idea that “ugly sells” still on target?Or is today’s more sophisticated consumer … in an age [...]

Revenge of the Online Marketers

(Indexed 2007-01-23):

Internet users who don’t like online marketing let us online marketers know it — in loud, often abusive, profanity filled e-mails — when they don’t like our promotions.I never really understood this: I mean, how much are you really being harmed getting an e-mail you don’t want?Now, a recent article in Time may cause some [...]

The Awful Truth About Innovation

(Indexed 2007-01-18):

Branding and online marketing types, as a rule, get enthused by creativity, innovation, originality, and new ideas.We direct marketers don’t.What excites us is making the cash register ring … not being original or “creative.”If we can knock off a winning promo and make it work for our product — we’re as happy as a [...]

The More Things Change

(Indexed 2007-01-16):

Of 1,472 managers surveyed by the American Management Association, 70% said their organizations experienced disruptive change within the last year.And more than 80% said that the pace of change is speeding up all over the world.That’s especially true in marketing.Every time I look around, there’s some new-fangled thing I have to learn to stay current:Podcasting [...]

Which Headline Writing Style is Best?

(Indexed 2007-01-11):

Here are headlines from two different promotions for two different products in the same category: prostate supplements designed to reduce prostate swelling and eliminate urination problems:A. Male urination problems?B. Pee like a firehose.Which approach do you think works better … and why?

Eggplant Cures Cancer!

(Indexed 2007-01-08):

Nutrition & Healing, a consumer health newsletter, sent a mailing, which I received today, to sell subscriptions.The headline: “Cure Cancer With Eggplant?!”If you think they’re joking, the subhead sets you straight: “That’s C-U-R-E, not just improve–one of today’s most common and scariest cancers … usually in under 3 months!”I had an immediate reaction upon reading [...]

LinkedIn: Another Big Waste of Time Online?

(Indexed 2007-01-02):

I increasingly get e-mails from people asking me to join something called their “LinkedIn” network.And always, I politely decline.I don’t know about you, but I am busy enough as it is.If I have your e- mail address, and you have mine, and we know each other — we are already connected.Asking someone to take any [...]

What, Me Worry About Spam Filters?

(Indexed 2006-12-18):

In the 1960s, Mad Magazine spokesperson Alfred E. Neumann made famous the saying: “What, me worry?”In the 21st century, one of the things e-marketers worry about is e-mail deliverability.Some e-mail marketers devote large amounts of time, attention, and money to making sure there e-mail marketing messages are not blocked by spam filters and other mechanisms [...]

Print Dead? Not Yet!

(Indexed 2006-11-27):

The worst thing about the catalog business is the cost of printing and mailing all those catalogs.So you’d think that catalog companies would drive all their sales online, and cut back on or eliminate print catalogs altogether.Not happening.According to the Associated Press (11/26/06), L.L. Bean expects to mail a staggering quarter of a billion catalogs [...]

What is a Domain name worth?

(Indexed 2006-11-14):

The owner of the domain name www.hell.com recently offered it for sale with a minimum price of $1 million.No takers. Not surprising. After all, who wants to tell their prospects, “Go to hell”?The owner of www.sex.com was a little more successful in selling his domain name.Care to guess what such a domain is worth in [...]

Why SEO Copywriting Doesn’t Work for Direct Marketers

(Indexed 2006-11-09):

SEO copywriting doesn’t work for many direct marketers who sell products on the Web. Here’s why….The most effective format for selling products directly on the Internet is not the traditional multi-page Web site, which is what SEO copywriting works best for. Instead, online direct marketing works beset with a long-copy landing page, which is essentially [...]

Is Selling Products from the Platform Sleazy?

(Indexed 2006-11-06):

Whenever I attend an Internet marketing conference or marketing boot camp, the speakers increasingly end their presentations with a 10-minute (or longer) sales pitch for their products.These products are usually a combination of reports, e-books, CDs, DVDs, and coaching, ranging in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.The speakers invariably hand out a [...]

What the Market Will Bear

(Indexed 2006-11-01):

In the old Peanuts comic strip, Lucy had a lemonade stand.But instead of selling lemonade, she offered psychotherapy.The sign over the stand read “The Psychiatrist is In — 5 Cents Please.”“Why do you charge five cents?” Charlie Brown asked her one day.“It’s what the market will bear,” Lucy replied.But is “what the market will bear” [...]

What Works Best in E-Mail Marketing: Text or HTML?

(Indexed 2006-10-25):

Is HTML e-mail on its way out?Michael Della Penna, chief marketing officer of Epsilon Interactive, seems to think we may be headed that way.In an interview with Direct magazine (10/15/06, p. 9), Penna said that retailers who still use all-HTML e-mail are in for a “horrendous” online holiday shopping season.He cites a study by [...]

Will Toyota’s Honesty Be Rewarded?

(Indexed 2006-10-15):

For several years, car manufacturers have been proactively marketing sales of used vehicles with ads touting “certified pre-owned vehicles.”These are used cars that have been thoroughly inspected and come with a warranty equivalent (or close to it) to that of a new car.I heard a radio commercial today for Toyota, who has jumped into this [...]

Are You in Danger of Becoming Obsolete at Work?

(Indexed 2006-10-12):

Two key factors can threaten your future job security:1. Your job can be outsourced to India (e.g., programming, call centers).2. Your job can be done by a computer or other machine.Journalism hasn’t made a top 10 list of “hot careers” for years.And now reason #2 above puts journalists in even greater danger of becoming obsolete.My [...]

Why Branding Doesn’t Work in B2B

(Indexed 2006-09-26):

My colleague Gordon Graham, a B2B copywriter specializing in marketing software to IT professionals, is not a fan of traditional Madison Avenue branding. He says:“Certainly ‘branding’ has SOME value in terms of positioning and making any company look like a together, prosperous firm. But real, solid branding has to be earned, not just claimed. [...]

Do You Sell Things You Don’t Believe In?

(Indexed 2006-09-21):

RS, a professional ghostwriter, writes:“I’ve run into a situation. I got a feeler for a non-fiction book about aliens living in America underground — under Salt Lake City.I don’t for a moment believe there are extraterrestrials on Earth. I’ve set the standard for myself that I won’t write things I consider to be [...]

Is This the End of Branding?

(Indexed 2006-09-18):

According to a survey by Third Deep Marketing, the two biggest challenges U.S. marketers say they are facing are (1) knowing that there’s a payback for marketing dollars spent and (2) generating profitable lead flow for sales.I submit that direct response meets both of these challenges — and branding contributes not at all to the [...]

Tell Us About Your “Nightmare Client”

(Indexed 2006-08-30):

Every copywriter, graphic artist, Web designer, and service professional has had at least one “nightmare client.”My friend Jim Alexander, founder of Alexander Marketing — a great B2B ad agency in Michigan — once told me: “I can handle a client who is ignorant. I can handle a client who is arrogant. But not a client [...]

Are You a Commodity?

(Indexed 2006-08-28):

Has your service become a commodity?If so, you will have an increasingly difficult time selling your service — and competition will force your prices so low it becomes tough for you to make a decent living.For instance, an aggressive self-promoter recently e-mailed me that he was the greatest proofreader on the planet and that I [...]

Sex in Advertising

(Indexed 2006-08-16):

A marketing manager for a management consulting firm (NOT a client of mine, by the way) e-mailed me a couple of photos of his firm’s consultants at a client engagement along with a simple question: which photo should they use in their new capabilities brochure?The two photos were:(a) An average looking, middle-aged male consultant giving [...]

What’s Hot in Marketing and Advertising Today?

(Indexed 2006-08-10):

A colleague recently asked me, “What’s hot in advertising and marketing today … what’s the latest and greatest?”He gave “buzz marketing” as an example — but I told him that was already old news. Still relevant and real, but not the flavor of the week.We also rejected “integrated marketing” (big in corporate marcom) as too [...]

Is B2B Different Than B2C?

(Indexed 2006-08-08):

In a recent post on this blog, JS proclaimed that there is “no difference” between business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing … noting that both are just “business to people” marketing.But is that really true? Is selling a Happy Meal really the same as selling enterprise software to a Fortune 500 UNIX data center manager?If JS is [...]

Do B2B Customers Buy With Their Head or Their Heart?

(Indexed 2006-07-25):

A car commercial I heard on the radio this morning said: “Buy with your head, drive with your heart.”This is an old debate: do people buy based on logic or on emotion?Most marketers agree that consumer purchases are heart driven.But what about B2B?Isn’t the purchase of, say, valves for a chemical plant an intellectual rather [...]

Are Magazines Obsolete?

(Indexed 2006-07-05):

Are magazines — and magazine advertising — dying a slow death?In the movie “In Good Company,” Dennis Quaid single-handedly saves his publishing company’s fading sports magazine by convincing the owner of an auto manufacturer to make a huge ad buy.When Topher Grace congratulates Quaid on saving the mag, Quaid tells him he also did it [...]

Do Braggarts Turn You Off?

(Indexed 2006-06-26):

Have you ever noticed that many people feel the need to build themselves up by tearing others down?At a party, I was introduced by the host to another guest.“What do you do?” he asked me — a good way to start a conversation.“I am a direct mail writer,” I replied.Immediately he frowned, as if smelling [...]

What’s Important to B2B Marketers?

(Indexed 2006-06-20):

DH, a B2B copywriter, shocked me by saying in a recent e-mail: “My clients aren’t looking for results — my clients are looking to make their jobs easier … I often write simply to take the stress load off my client.“One client says to me all the time, ‘Thank you. You make me look [...]

“Can I Get Your E-Zine Without Your Ads?”

(Indexed 2006-06-18):

RS, one of my e-newsletter subscribers, recently sent me a note that said: “You dont give people a way to unsubscribe from just promos, so it’s either get everything or nothing. ”RS would prefer that I give two options to my e-zine subscribers: (a) e-newsletter only or (b) e-newsletter plus promotional e-mails.Should I offer [...]

More Angry Internet People

(Indexed 2006-06-09):

Here’s another example of (to me) inappropriate rage caused by Internet marketing:“I am ANGRY,” said LE in a voice mail he left me. “I ordered your World’s Best-Kept Copywriting Secrets, but instead of getting a BOOK, I get some computer file I have to download.“I don’t want to read your book on the computer screen. [...]

Can You Get People to Buy by Insulting Them?

(Indexed 2006-06-07):

AN, a Web designer, seems to think so.The other day he sent me an e-mail saying he enjoys my books — but that my Web site, www.bly.com, is crappy and poorly designed.He never bothers to ask first whether the Web site is working — or how much money it is making for me — [...]

Does the Internet Make People Ruder?

(Indexed 2006-06-02):

I’m not a spammer: I don’t send e-mails promoting my products unless people opt into my list.Occasionally, though, people think I am spamming them: they either didn’t opt into the list and somehow got my e-mail by accident (how I have no idea) — or more likely opted into my list but forgot they did [...]

Does Enclosing a CD Work Well in Direct Mail?

(Indexed 2006-05-30):

JC, a reader of this blog, writes: “I’m putting together some direct marketing materials and I want to include a mini-CDROM. I’m targeting computer professionals, so I think they’ll be inclined to pop in the CD, even if they don’t read the rest of the material.“I’m curious if other people have done this, and [...]

Are You a Know-It-All?

(Indexed 2006-05-23):

To me, a Know-It-All is someone who feels compelled to tell you his opinion — except he states it as fact.Example: I recently sent an e-mail to my list announcing a tele-seminar I was leading.TB, a reader, quickly e-mailed me back to let me know his displeasure with my choice of a tele-seminar as a [...]

Is Internet Marketing Sleazy?

(Indexed 2006-05-17):

JF seems to think so.He was one of the people on my list who received my e-mail with the subject line: “Do you know these response-boosting secrets?”The e-mail linked to a page where I was selling an audio learning program titled “Ultimate Direct Response Secrets.”“When I was starting out, you were one of the [...]

A Marketing Lesson from Dilbert?

(Indexed 2006-05-12):

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, says: “For companies to survive, they will have to become experts at confusing the public into thinking their generic products are better than their competitors’ generic products.”In this statement, Adams implies that (1) the goal of advertising is obfuscation rather than education and (2) your product is really no better [...]

Boot Camp Mania

(Indexed 2006-04-17):

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that yet another of the new crop of self-styled marketing gurus is announcing yet another “Marketing Boot Camp” just about every other week?How many of these do you attend per year? Do you think there are too many?And of the ones you attend, how [...]

Does Hard Sell Work on the Web?

(Indexed 2006-04-03):

A Web designer sent me an email the other day criticizing a long-copy promo I sent to my list.“Some authors have not really grasped onto The Hard Sell Will Not Work on the Intenet,” she scolded me.But wait a minute. Take a look at the money-making sites on the Internet. They are a broad mix: [...]

What Works Best in Direct Mail: Sales Letters or Postcards?

(Indexed 2006-03-08):

In his latest e-newsletter, copywriter Alan Sharpe says: “In business-to-business direct mail lead generation, letters invariable outpull self-mailers, including postcards.”Yet many b-to-b marketers I talk to favor postcards. They note that postcards eliminate the need to convince someone to open an envelope’ the sales message is right in plain sight.What works best for generating [...]

The Great Madison Avenue Branding Rip-Off: Part II

(Indexed 2006-02-14):

In an earlier post, I quoted top copywriter Richard Armstrong as saying that branding is just one of MANY credibility factors that go into an advertisement you CANT build your whole marketing campaign around it.Richard continues: The fact is that brand loyalty, which is the Holy Grail of Madison Avenue, is really a mile [...]

Should All Information Be Free?

(Indexed 2006-01-27):

Theres a growing movement among some folks to make all information in the world available to everyone on the planet at no charge.But if information is free to consumers, that means the salaries of the subject matter experts, writers, and editors whose job it is to produce content must all be paid by advertising, rather [...]

Censorship and Sponge Bobs Evil Empire

(Indexed 2006-01-23):

According to an article in the Daily News (1/19/06), the Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing both Nickelodeon and Kellogs for advertising Frosted Flakes on the cartoon TV show Sponge Bob Square Pants.They contend that its immoral and harmful to use a popular cartoon character to convince kids to eat junk food.What [...]

Would You Encourage Your Kids to Take Your Job?

(Indexed 2006-01-12):

An article from CareerBuilder.com lists the “25 top jobs for 2006.”They include some careers I’d expect or wasn’t surprised to see on the list — software engineer, sales, nursing — and some that struck me as odd choices, including waiter and janitor.Notably absent from the list: marketing manager, advertising manager, writer, copywriter, editor, publisher, journalist, [...]

Is Madison Avenue Advertising a Total Fraud?

(Indexed 2005-12-05):

There are certain industries with inherent flaws that make them, at best, marginally effective.Traditional book publishing, with too much product (almost 200,000 new books published each year) and returns from bookstores to publishers in the 30% to 50% range, is one of them.I believe that the ad agency business as practiced today also has a [...]

All posts and opinions are the property of their respective Sources. The rest copyright (c) 2006 WebMaster Reporter.

Images have been removed from posts, and some posts have been modified for display purposes.

Jobs indexed from indeed.com.