If you’re looking for a better way to get the attention of customers and prospects in this technology-saturated environment, it’s worth taking a look at a channel that was developed in the early 20th century. Many of today’s marketers may dismiss direct mail as a quaint relic, but it remains surprisingly powerful even in an … Read more
This week’s mail brought a pastel greeting-card envelope with no return address or stamp. Was it a surprise confession from a secret admirer? A warm thought from a dear friend? I rushed to slit it open. And there I found an internet provider’s latest pitch, ingeniously disguised as a greeting card. Was I amused? Touched? … Read more
As I pointed to a clunky phrase, the client waved me off. “Don’t worry about the language. It’s a proposal, not a marketing piece.” She saw my confusion and explained, “We don’t need to waste our time making the language flowery or sales-y sounding. This is just so we can get all the details together … Read more
What do you want people to do? If your marketing communications materials fail to tell them, how are they supposed to know? The standard term for those instructions … whatever they may be … is the “call to action.” A call to action tells the reader, viewer, or listener what action you want them to … Read more
A well-known consumer marketer emailed what they thought was an irresistible offer. Using my address, they deduced that I must be a St. Louis Cardinals fan and presented me with a great deal on some Cards memorabilia. Bad move. My lifelong allegiance lies with a team that plays at the intersection of Clark and Addison … Read more
One of the most common mistakes in advertising and marketing materials — one that’s even made by professionals who should know better — is forgetting to include a call to action. In simple terms, a call to action is the instructions you’re giving the reader or viewer, so they know what you want them to … Read more
No matter how much technology a company uses in its marketing, its chances of success or failure are likely to come down to the organization’s ability to build relationships. That’s usually what effective sales and marketing efforts are all about. You want to build some sort of positive relationship with the prospect or customer, so … Read more
Technology’s impact on the marketing world has been growing exponentially. Each year sees amazing new platforms that give marketers more power and greater opportunities. However, they also create a dangerous temptation to completely eliminate the human role … and with it, do away with common sense. I’ve written about this in the past, pointing to Staples … Read more
One of the most common marketing mistakes made by today’s companies is regarding social media as a strategy. It isn’t. Social media is a channel, like the many other channels that are available to your business. Now, how you use social media and those other channels — that’s where the strategy comes in. I’ve seen … Read more
I often point to flawed marketing efforts by well-known companies. It isn’t that I have something against big business; it’s that those big players tend to make some of the biggest, most amateurish mistakes in their marketing efforts. Usually, the underlying concept is sound. The execution is where it falls flat. Take the email I … Read more