A Marketing Lesson from Hazel Wheeler’s 67-Year Diary
Hazel Wheeler found a diary at the age of 14. She went on to write entries in that diary every day for the next 67 years. That fact, while astonishing, isn't the most interesting thing to be found in Hazel's diary, however. Instead, it's the nature of the entries. For example: “John Lennon of The…
Forget the Pulitzer. Does Your Newsletter Pass the Bathroom Jury?
This post contains a concept some readers might find distasteful. Reader discretion is advised. Frankly, I don’t care how many awards your newsletter might win for its design or its writing. This is the thing: there’s one criterion that is far more important: is it bathroomable? Do you customers take your newsletter into the bathroom?…
Book Review: The Contrarian Effect (and how to get some free copies!)
I read a lot of books, but I don’t review many on this blog. Just the ones I think are particularly relevant to my readers – and ones I believe you should take a look at. The Contrarian Effect, by Michael Port (he of Book Yourself Solid) and Elizabeth Marshall, is one such book. It’s…
Is Price and Choice all People Want?
It's very easy to buy things cheaply (see Wal-Mart). It's also easy to have a huge choice (see Amazon). But is that all people want? And if you decide they want more, what can you do about it? Think about this: You want to grow your business, and the way to do that is by…
A Useful List of Newsletter Topics
Your newsletter doesn’t just have to be about what you do. If you’re an accountant, don’t just write about tax. Include info that helps people run a business. If you’re a real estate agent, don’t just write about real estate, include other consumer info that people will find interesting. If you’re a plumber, don’t just…
How to Sign Up People for Your Newsletter on Your Website
I was asked yesterday for instructions about how to sign up people for your newsletter using your website. So I figured it would be a good idea to share them on this blog. Why You Need to Sign Up People on Your Website I’m continually surprised by how few people, even those who use my…
Are You Nice Enough?
Niceness is much underrated, especially in business. After all, it's difficult to put a dollar value on a smile. But you know what? Niceness pays. I'm choosing between two satellite TV providers right now. One is my current supplier – and I really like their customer service. The people on the phone are friendly. They're…
What Links Dell, Your Business, Blogs and Newsletters?
Dell has launched a content-rich website called Digital Nomads. It’s aimed at people who, thanks to technology, can work and play wherever they like – people who aren’t tied to an office location. Here’s why Dell is being so smart. Dell is creating a community based upon a common passion. It’s serving that community on…
How Newsletters Benefit Companies in the Business-to-Business Market
I was asked by an accountant the other day about how he should create a newsletter program. Most of the newsletters I’ve created to far have been aimed at consumers – for example real estate newsletters that Realtors can use to send to their clients, mortgage newsletters for mortgage brokers’ clients, etc. But really, there’s…
Why Hibernating in Tough Times is a Bad Strategy
Thankfully, it’s summer right now. But winters here in Ontario can be frigid. It’s no wonder the bears go to sleep and wait it out. Unlike the chickadees, which are busy hunting for food, even in blood-freezing temperatures. I’m here to tell you this: during tough times, be a chickadee, not a bear. This isn’t…
Be Gently in their Face
I wasn’t going to write today, but I was inspired by Seth Godin’s post, “My tooth doesn’t hurt.” It’s about how a marketer can build a solid business, even when they think their target market doesn’t need them right now (like a dentist who is badly needed when a person has a toothache, but easily…
What Not to Put in a Newsletter
Ding! Here arrives a new email. Ooh, a newsletter! I like those! It’s from a software company – A Letter from the CEO, no less. And that’s where things start to go wrong. Let me give you some quotes: “A New Corporate Strategy” “We have established a new corporate strategy designed to meet the continuously…
Why Customer Service Beats Low Prices
If you wanted any more evidence that now – despite the rough economy – is not the time to go cutting price, look at the results of the latest poll published by Marketing Sherpa (see chart at end of this post). It shows that while vendors believe price is the most important factor in customer…
Printed Newsletters and the Internet: Friends or Foes?
The other day I heard someone say, “Printed newsletters? That’s so 90s.” Let’s face it, when you compare them to email and blogs, printed newsletters do have – shall we say – a vintage feel. Dead trees and ink are hardly sexy in green-tinged, e-everything 2008. But this is the thing (actually, several things): 1) …
Shock: Some Good News about US Real Estate
If you watch enough CNN, you’ll be convinced that the American housing market – and the entire economy – is doomed. No hope. Just give up and wait. I’m not saying that things aren’t bad – that a lot of people are suffering, losing their homes and their jobs. The economy has changed and got…
Customer Newsletters: The 7 Deadly Sins
If you’re about to create your newsletter or are having someone else do it for you (perhaps using a writer/designer or a newsletter company) check out the following mistakes you’ll want to avoid. 1) From Corporate HQ: Your newsletter doesn’t need to look like it was created by the design department of a Fortune 500…
Why it’s Okay if Your Newsletter is Rough Around the Edges
One of the great things about newsletters as a marketing tool is that they can cut through the noise of advertising that bombards your clients. They do this by providing useful content – being of service rather than simply selling. They also help create a personal connection between you and your clients. And it’s for…
Use Coupons to Boost Your Company Newsletter Response
A subscriber to my newsletter for mortgage brokers sent me her version of the newsletter today. She’d customized it to include a coupon that gives $100 off closing costs to any clients that conclude financing with her. Great idea. Not only do coupons make it more likely your client will keep the newsletter but they…
Is Your Newsletter “Wall-able?”
You want your clients and prospects to keep your newsletter because the longer they keep it, the stronger your relationship. The best way to encourage them to keep your newsletter, of course, is to fill it with great content; articles that are aimed at your readers’ interests – content that makes their lives better. Jeff…
A Clever, Timely Hook for an Offer in a Newsletter
Taking something that’s in the news and putting your own twist on it to make an offer to your customers is a great way to stand out from the crowd. By attaching your offer to something in the news you give the impression of immediacy, timeliness and relevance to your offer. Here’s an example I…