How to be ‘the’ expert
Seth Godin tells us about an article in the Times which refers to “Jun Kaneko, the ceramic artist” — not ‘a ceramic artist’. He says it’s much better to be a ‘the’ than an ‘a’. I agree. Isn’t it better to be ‘the landscape gardener’ in your neighborhood or ‘the cosmetic dentist’? An expert, not…
The one cent difference
Here’s a nice marketing idea. Postal rates are going up a penny here next week. Boo Hiss. But every cloud has a silver lining, if you’ve got your marketing head on. A real estate agent who farms the area I’m currently staying in (farming is the real estate agent term for nurturing a list of…
Accountants who get it
Karin over at The Kiss Business Too blog points us in the direction of her accountants’ website. Before you yawn, it’s got a lot of interesting stuff worth checking out. Lots of things they do right. As Karin points out, they have a regularly updated news page (which would be even better if it had…
The problem with those compact fluorescent bulbs
Everyone should be using compact fluorescent bulbs. Except we’re not — and that’s despite these bulbs saving electricity and preserving the thing that really matters: the environment. This is the thing: saving the planet is still a hard sell, even though it shouldn’t be. And so is saving money on power. Why? Because, as Seth…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 9 – The Title
This is the ninth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 9. The Title Many people spend hours thinking about what to call their newsletter. I’m here to say that, really, it doesn’t matter all that much. The most important thing about your newsletter is not the title, it’s the…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 8 – Headlines
This is the eighth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 8. Headlines In a minute, I’m going to give you a way to write great headlines for your newsletter that is as easy as painting by numbers. But first… Several years ago, I worked as an editor on a…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 7 – Pictures
This is the seventh in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 7. Pictures While a picture may say a thousand words, the pictures you see in some newsletters — unfortunately — say a thousand words of gibberish. Why are so many pictures not up to scratch? First, it’s difficult to…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 6 – Writing Style
This is the sixth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 6. Writing Style Your main task as a newsletter writer is to get your newsletter read. Period. So that means your writing should not get in the way of what you are trying to say. What do I mean…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 5 – The Design
This is the fifth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 5. The Design This is an overview of newsletter design. I’ll go into more detail in later posts. There are 2 key things to remember: 1) Your design should make your newsletter easy to read 2) Your design should…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 4 – Offers
This is the fourth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 4. Offers If your newsletter is going to work for you — in other words, if it’s going to increase your income — you’ve got to find a way to encourage people to buy something from you. It’s all…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 3 – Personality
This is the third in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 3. Personality For the most part, people buy from people and not from companies. That’s something many salespeople (and many people who don’t consider themselves salespeople but nevertheless run a business) already know. After all, isn’t it true that…
What is a Loyal Customer?
Just found a post on the Human Being Curious blog, called What is a Loyal Customer. It defines a loyal customer as having the following characteristics: A loyal customer will buy what you’re currently selling, and whatever else you come up with. A loyal customer feels more like a partner than a transactional buyer. Loyal…
Great Resource: Online document conversion
I just tried out Zamzar.com, which converts documents of one type into an other. You just upload your document, select what format you want to convert it to and then wait. The site emails you back with a link you can use to download your document. It took about 30 minutes to receive a 4-page…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 2 – The Content
This is the second in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 2. The Content You’ll remember from my first post in this series that I said it was very important to focus on what interests the reader rather than what interests you. Then you’ll make it more likely your client…
Elements of a successful newsletter: 1 – The Reader
This is the first in a serious of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 1. The Reader. Probably the most common mistake novice company newsletter publishers make is this: writing about the wrong person. What do I mean by that? Simply, that it’s not enough (and it’s not effective) to write about you,…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…