What I Loved About Mr. Whipple
On November 19th, actor Dick Wilson, who portrayed Mr. Whipple in the long-running Charmin TV commercials, died at the age of 91. Wilson appeared in more than 500 commercials as Mr. Whipple from 1964...
View ArticleWhat’s wrong with tweaking?
I don’t know – maybe I shouldn’t be complaining – but I’ve never understood why businesses spend so much time and money creating brand new marketing campaigns instead of just tweaking their existing...
View ArticleWhy should we believe you?
People have come to be very skeptical about the advertising and direct mail they read. No matter who you are or how hard you try, there are always a certain percentage of people who just won’t believe...
View ArticleWill a photograph improve your response?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Now I don’t know who’s doing the counting but sometimes a picture is worth a whole lot more than that – and sometimes, it isn’t worth a syllable....
View ArticleSorry, but your price is too low
My price is too low? When did that become a problem? Of all the complaints you might get from a prospective customer, “your price is too low” has to be at the bottom of the list – right? Actually, it...
View ArticleDo you have a Direct Response Mindset?
Chances are you don’t. Not yet anyway. It’s more likely you have a Branding Mindset … because that’s the popular view. A Branding Mindset sees advertising as an exercise in exposure – getting your...
View ArticleHow to generate web traffic and sales leads from blog and article writing
Setting up your new blog seemed like a pretty good start. You knew that writing consistent content was going to be a challenge, but you were willing to make a commitment to publishing new posts on a...
View ArticleWhy you don’t want to close a sales letter with “For a free consultation …”
Three ways to get better results from your sales letter copywriting. If you have ever written a sales letter for any type of service business, chances are you finished your letter with a closing...
View ArticleDirect Mail vs. Email
On the surface, this seems like a no-brainer. Email is faster, easier and cheaper than direct mail. End of story. Right? Well, not so fast. It’s more complicated than that. Let’s take a closer...
View Article9 Common Excuses for NOT Testing
Testing is one of the most-preached and least-practiced activities in marketing. What is your excuse for not testing? Everyone pays lip service to testing, but how many actually do it? Very few, in...
View Article‘Snakes on a Plane’ and the power of compelling headlines
Headlines and titles serve on the front lines of marketing communications. If they don’t do their job, nothing else matters. I know. I know. “Snakes on a Plane” gives me the creeps too. Remember...
View ArticleNever Fall in Love with a Mailer Format
As marketers, it’s so easy to fall in love with a direct mail format. A nicely designed mailer comes across your desk and you like what you see – and you think, “This could work for me to.” Well, it...
View ArticleCopywriters: Choosing the right words
All copywriters struggle with word choice. Sometimes it’s trying to find the right word or phrase to precisely and concisely convey a specific point. Other times, it’s trying to choose from a variety...
View ArticleBuild your message platform with the “persuasion hurdle”
When marketers and copywriters get together to develop a marketing promotion, it’s a good idea to start with a message platform. Whether it’s a formal document or just a discussion, a message platform...
View ArticleHow to create website content without a blog
I have a blog (you’re reading it). I find it to be a good platform for writing articles like this one. Having a blog also serves as a built-in reminder that it’s time (or past time) to produce a new...
View ArticleCopywriting – Do you edit while you write?
I do. I’m ashamed to admit it. It’s a terrible habit for any copywriter. I’ve tried to kick the habit. I really have. At times, I’m successful. I go through periods when I can discipline myself to...
View ArticleAre you using lead magnets?
It almost goes without saying … If you want to generate sales leads, you need to give people a reason to respond to your marketing promotions. And one very good way to do that is through the use of...
View ArticleSometimes I forget I’m a copywriter
Every year around this time as we approach the holiday season, I begin to assess my business direction for the past year to see what worked and how I might better invest time moving forward. Almost...
View ArticleWhat I don’t understand about this failed email campaign
I just finished reading an article in B2B Online that provided insight on a failed email campaign by Level 3 Communications, a multi-national telecommunications company. Over a five-month period at the...
View ArticleGetting started with Content Marketing
Content marketing can be very intimidating. It’s such a broad topic that covers a range of activities like web content, blog content, gated content, search engine optimization, keywords, lead capture,...
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