Copywriters: 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 of words that seem to say the same thing. For the latter, it may...
Is your marketing automated yet?
One of the major advantages we have today is that so much of your marketing can be automated. The idea of setting up a system once and then putting it on auto-pilot is very appealing. And the good news is you don't need an expensive marketing automation system to do...
Market Segmentation: Different customers may need different strategies
Many marketing executives like to keep things simple: Find a marketing strategy that works – and repeat. I subscribe to this approach myself - for the most part. But I also recognize the importance of market segmentation - and that not all customers have the same...
Never 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 might work for you - but it might not too. It depends on your...
My new Kindle ebook on mailing list research
Now available on Amazon Kindle ... FINDING CUSTOMERS A Beginner's Guide to Direct Mail & Email List Research Download it for FREE - until tomorrow (Friday, May 17) We all know the list is the most important part of any direct mail and email campaign. But how...
Print Advertising vs. Online Advertising
If you’ve been running traditional offline print advertising – in local newspapers, magazines or trade journals – chances are you’ve been subject to your share of sales pitches asking you to move some or all of your advertising online. Often these pitches come from...
‘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 when this movie came out? It was 2005 and as soon as it was...
9 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 my opinion. The only marketers who actually use testing on a...
Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing
Are you trying to decide between inbound and outbound marketing? You don't have to decide. You can have both. You should have both. This is a debate that should not be taking place – not if you believe in taking a comprehensive and integrated approach to your...
Direct Mail vs. Email
On the surface, direct mail vs. email 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 look. ----------------- I should confess to a...