Cheap sausages and ads that bump

Back in the year 2000, when I was in charge of the editorial of an online magazine, I demanded that my boss change my job title. I did not want to be named Content Director anymore. Call me Editorial Director instead, I stomped. Now, that might sound to you like I was being oh-so fancy.…

Continue Reading →

More questions answered

The email and phone lines have been a-buzzin’ recently with questions about our newsletter service. So let’s push through a few now. Here comes the first one. Does the newsletter come complete with articles, or do we choose them from a library each month? Both! Ha! Yes, the newsletter comes complete with articles, so you can use…

Continue Reading →

Last person standing

The day the power button broke on my smartphone was the day I needed to purchase a new one. Shame it took another four months to hold a replacement gadget in my sweaty little hand. You see…I had my eye on a particular phone, but it was so popular that it was always sold out.…

Continue Reading →

It’s not all bad news in Portland

Last week I tried to find some good news about Portland, Oregon, to put in a client’s newsletter. But I had a hard time unearthing anything positive. That’s not to say Portland is a negative, miserable place where nothing good happens. Not a bit of it. Never been, but I hear it’s very nice. It’s…

Continue Reading →

The shellfish on the tennis ball

I was walking along a beach one afternoon. The tide was coming in, and in the surf I saw a tennis ball. I’ve always fancied myself as an English Rafael Nadal, so I stopped to pick it up. …and saw it was covered with tiny little shellfish. They were very much alive…moving around, poking out of their…

Continue Reading →

Water into rock

When I was about 10, I went on a school trip to see some caves. Wet and damp, they were. But I found them fascinating. (Except the time when the guide turned off all the lights – I was plunged into a darkness so dark that it smothered me.) The best bit was learning about…

Continue Reading →

She hands over the chickens, two by two

Chicken day is the busiest at the farm. That’s because once a month, poultry is ready for collection. It feels like the entire county descends on the farm for fresh chickens. It’s not my farm, of course, but a local couple who rear pigs, cattle, sheep…and chickens. Now, this post isn’t suitable for vegetarians. So…

Continue Reading →

When Halloween is in February and today is yesterday

Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you’re the editor of a glossy magazine, such as Cosmopolitan. This idea could either fill you with joy or horror, depending on your thoughts about the width of pants or the height of hair. But one thing you would be grappling with is a screwed-up calendar. Because…

Continue Reading →

Newsletter questions answered

Let’s dig deep into my inbox to answer more of your questions about newsletters. Here comes the first one. How often should I send a newsletter? Is quarterly enough? This is the #1 question I get.  The best answer is that you should send it as often as you can. A small newsletter, more often,…

Continue Reading →

Are you ashamed?

Brrrrnnng! There’s the phone at Ready to Go Towers. It’s someone asking about our newsletter service. Indeed, it is a former client who quit a couple of years ago and went to use another newsletter. The scoundrel! He found someone younger and prettier…and now he’s back with his tail between his legs. There other guys…

Continue Reading →

You can’t make Stilton in Stilton

The European Union is famous for its rules. Some of its diktats make sense. But many others are simply crazy. In order to protect the local heritage of some foods, such as Champagne, Parma ham and a Spanish chili pepper called Asado del Bierzo, the European Union says they can only be called Champagne, Parma…

Continue Reading →

Dead leaves, clean sweeps and flossing

Fall comes early to my part of the world. The leaves have already changed color (boy, it was spectacular this year) and now they’re mostly dead on the ground. The firewood is delivered and stacked. The outdoor furniture secured from frost. The deck swept clean. …just as I do every year. It’s the rhythm of…

Continue Reading →

Heading westwards for a thousand reasons

I watched a movie called The Way the other day. It stars Martin Sheen and is directed by his “other” son, Emilio Estevez. The movie itself is OK. But the scenery is stunning. It’s about the El Camino de Santiago, an ancient route of pilgrimage that windswestwards from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, in…

Continue Reading →

Are You Better than CNN?

Once upon a time, I used to be in the news business. Newspapers, magazines (and even now I consult at a small town newspaper and help out at a community radio station). So why I am I telling you to ignore the news? Here’s the thing. If you were to listen any of the TV…

Continue Reading →

7 Ways to Boost Response to Your Newsletter

I know from experience one of your biggest questions is likely to be: How do I squeeze more out of my newsletter? How can I get more response? The good news is, there’s lots you can do. Just doing one extra thing will help. So here we go: 1. The personal paragraph. I’ve written about…

Continue Reading →

Are You Wasting Your Website Visitors?

Here’s a bold claim: You could double your income if you stopped wasting the visitors who come to your website. How can I claim this? The thing is, people don’t necessarily contact you or, much less buy from you, the first time they visit your website. Indeed, it takes at least five “touches” with you…

Continue Reading →

Why Some Businesses Succeed and Some Don’t

A bit of a rant this morning. Here’s the thing. There are no doubt lots of businesses sitting around complaining right now. The economy’s bad, customers are gone – and when customers do call, all they want is the cheapest price. And then there are others that are doing just fine. What’s the difference? Hear…

Continue Reading →

The trouble with ‘newsletters’

I hate it when people ask me the question: So what is it you do? A cocktail of adrenaline and tears rushes through my veins. Do I give my pitch speech? “I help businesses build profitable, long-term relationships with their clients.” That often works only in an elevator. Or do I just come out and…

Continue Reading →

Why Even Funeral Homes Need a Customer Newsletter

Every business needs a newsletter. Even funeral homes. There are always eyebrows raised when I say that. What, for heaven's sake, can a funeral home put in a newsletter? Why would they need one? Imagine this: In town there are two funeral homes. Let's call them Dyer and Co. and Restinpeez Brothers. They're both as…

Continue Reading →

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…

Continue Reading →