In a recent entry, I mentioned the value of a good swipe file for newsletter development. Another very handy tool is what are known as “evergreen” articles.
What’s an evergreen article? It’s simply a story that provides general information, will always be appropriate for the audience, and isn’t time-sensitive.
Don’t you love when the discount-store cashier turns to you and mumbles, “haveaniceday”? There’s not much sincerity in her delivery of that familiar line, but you cut her some slack. After all, you reason, the poor woman has probably said that line 150 times today.
Doesn’t matter. You see, you’re hearing it from her for the first time today, and she should deliver it with that in mind. There’s a lesson in there for companies, organizations, and anyone who has to market the same thing day in and day out. No matter how many times you may hear yourself saying the same thing, it’s the first time your audience has heard it.
I’ve noticed that many companies exhibit an unusual paranoia about repetition. Once they mention something in an ad, a brochure, or on a website, they don’t think they should mention it again. I’ll often hear them react to a recommendation by saying “we promoted that already” or “we already told our customers that.”
The same thing often happens when they’re reviewing copy for a website. “We’ve already mention this on another page, so we shouldn’t repeat it here.” Okay, why not? “Because we don’t want to repeat something we’ve already said.” Again, why not?
One of the many lessons I learned during my ad agency days was the importance of a good “swipe” file. Never heard the term? It’s simply a file (or box) where you threw ads, articles, brochures – anything you liked or thought was particularly effective. When you were given a tough assignment, you’d sift through the swipe file, and often, what you saw would trigger a new idea or a new direction.
I continue to use a couple types of swipe files. If your organization published a newsletter, one of them can help you ensure that you have a steady stream of content.
Looking for a new way to promote your organization and build credibility among your audiences? Perhaps you need to find a ghost. No, I’m not suggesting you tag along with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to a creepy island (besides, we know that the caretaker did it). Instead, consider the marketing value of ghostwritten stories.
Are you wasting precious time in ads, direct mail, and brochures telling prospects what they already know?
Instead, tell them what matters. Talk about benefits, not features. Don’t say your product uses a three-handled veeblefetzer unless you can explain what that will do for them. “The three-handled veeblefetzer lets you core twice as many radishes in the same time.”
I’ve been working with companies for nearly three decades. I’ve seen a lot of marketing programs succeed, and I’ve seen a lot crash and burn. Many different factors play roles in that success or failure, but you might be surprised at the one element that always seems to be part of successful efforts.
It’s organization. Something as simple as a rigid schedule often spells the difference between success and failure. Whether it’s trying to sustain a monthly newsletter, produce an annual report, or stretch a marketing budget across a full year, the discipline of some sort of schedule is critical.
What is a brochure? An ad? A radio commercial? A website? You get 5 points if you said they’re all marketing communications channels. But they’re also something more.
You can’t be everywhere, and that includes everywhere your prospective customers are. So you develop materials such as ads and brochures to stand in for you. In essence, they’re actually salespeople for your organization, conveying messages when you can’t be there to do it.
Are typos a big deal? True typographical errors, misspellings, incorrect homonyms and the like all get lumped together under the rubric of “typos” these days. Many people seem to accept them the way we’ve come to accept a certain percentage of rodent parts in the processed food we buy. (You do realize that the government allows a certain amount of pest contamination in food, don’t you? There are actually acceptable levels of rodent “excreta” and insect parts in what you’ll have for lunch. Bon appétit!)
Those pesky typos have a more insidious side. While we might brush them off at a conscious level, they send a message to the subconscious that controls our beliefs and attitudes.
I once received an assignment to rescue a doomed newsletter for companies providing towing services to a motor club’s members. The motor club didn’t understand why it was failing. So we conducted a random survey of towing operators.