Dental care

Just back from the dentist. On the wall of the office was a sign that said something like: “Our aim is to give the very best of care to your teeth so that you keep as many of your own teeth as possible for the rest of your life.” A good sign, I thought. A…

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6 words that get people reading

Journalists are taught to answer some simple questions when they write a news story: who? what? why? where? when? and how? Then they get all the facts. Those 6 words are also great as headlines for your newsletter. Why? Because they promise an answer. An answer that will be revealed only if you read the…

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How lists provide quick, easy and powerful content

Lists are one of the easiest ways to provide interesting content for your newsletter. You know the kind of thing: 10 things you must do in your yard this November 5 ways to wash red wine off the rug 99 secrets to buying a used car They’re easy to write because you don’t have to…

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How to use your newsletter to get referrals

Referrals are a great way to grow your business. They’re also hard to get. As Seth Godin says in this post today, there’s an element of risk involved on the part of your client if they refer you to a friend (what if you screw up?) and some products and services, due to their nature,…

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Marketing doesn’t stop when they come in the door

A new restaurant a block away was offering 2 for 1 lunch combos to get people in the door. Smart marketing – it overcomes resistance to trying something new by giving people an irresistible offer. It increases the restaurant’s gravity. It worked for me – I went! But sometimes marketing isn’t enough – if the…

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Pump up your gravity

Every business has gravity. Some businesses, like Wal-Mart, Google or Starbucks, have lots of it. Others, like the restaurant around the corner or the commoditized printing company, have very little. When a business has a lot of gravity, customers stay in orbit around it. When a business has little gravity, customers fly away into Space.…

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There’s nothing as valuable as…

… an existing client! Listen to this: a friend wrote to his cellphone provider in the Netherlands to cancel his contract (he’s moved from there and doesn’t need a phone anymore). The company writes back, saying stay with us please, and as a carrot offering a year’s contract including 90 minutes of free calls a…

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Printing money?

I like Vistaprint. They’ve done some very nice postcards for me – great for small runs. They also have a smart marketing machine. 1) They encourage you to sign up to get emails from them with the bait of special discounts2) They mail frequently – once every few days3) They put great offers in these…

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Just keep showing up

There’s nothing like persistence to get a job done – especially when most people give up after just one or two efforts. It’s particularly important in marketing for 2 reasons: 1) When there’s such a noise coming from advertising in general, it often takes more than one appearance to get noticed 2) If you keep…

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Here’s a job for you

Take a look at this paragraph from a job ad recently posted in Canada: The successful applicant will provide support in the elaboration of traditional and interactive communication plans, and carry out marketing analysis for diverse customers that are related to the Internet. In addition, you will identify the possibilities of new mandates with actual…

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It’s all about the stories

Years ago, when I was a newspaper journalist, there was nothing that sent a buzz around the newsroom more than when a good story popped up. And even later, when I was working with the website Expatica.com, we lived for stories. Something new. Something you didn’t know. Something that reveals something unusual, provocative…even shocking. Stuff…

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13 Newsletter Sins

Boring them to death. If they fall asleep, they’re not going to read…and they’re not going to take action. Writing just about yourself or your company. Your mother will be interested but your customers won’t. They’re all tuned to WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). So make it about them…not you. Publishing only when you…

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Secrets of a successful newsletter

The content should be about your clients, not about you. Many businesses think all they need to do is say how great they are and people will come rushing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case; it will seem like bragging and you won’t engage the reader. Instead, the content should be about topics that interest the…

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