Before diving into the writing and design of a white paper, it’s essential to carefully consider its structure. Unlike a typical brochure that might contain only a few hundred words, white papers generally range from 1,500 to 5,000 words, translating to about 6 to 20 printed pages. Avoid settling on a predetermined length; instead, let … Read more
It’s been years, but I clearly remember the call from my father’s cardiologist’s office. The annoyed voice on the other end pointed out that Dad had missed that day’s appointment. I gently explained that he couldn’t make the appointment because he had died … from heart problems … nearly three months earlier. The same day, … Read more
I’ve seen organizations make a lot of mistakes in marketing communications, but one looms over all of them as the most common with the greatest impact. It’s the mistaken belief that the best way to motivate people to a course of action is to make them think. The most successful marketers and salespeople know better. … Read more
You’ve spent years building your company’s reputation and invested huge sums of money trying to stand out in the marketplace. All too often, that falls apart when one of the folks near the bottom of your org chart opens their mouth. Each contact a customer has with one of your employees shapes their opinion of … Read more
Someday, your company may find itself as the target of a social media storm. It could be something like an accidental spill of a chemical that caused a fish kill, discovery of insects and rodents in your baked goods, or a spokesperson being arrested on a morals charge. As a company leader, you may not … Read more
When designing white papers, it’s crucial to keep their purpose in mind. Many companies and designers are tempted to make them visually striking and colorful, but this approach can backfire by making them look like promotional materials. A white paper is meant to be a serious, non-promotional document, and the most impactful designs are those … Read more
Developments in cloning have been amazing, but unless your customer base is made up of sheep, they haven’t meant much to marketers. That said, there’s a way you can “clone” your best customers, so you can do business with more of them. Really getting to know your current customers is a critical step in finding … Read more
A greeting-card envelope appeared in the afternoon’s mail. No return address, no stamp, just a colorful envelope. Curious, I slit it open and discovered an internet provider’s latest pitch, ingeniously disguised as a greeting card. Was I flattered? Touched? Tickled? Delighted? Impressed by the cleverness? Overwhelmed with good feelings about this witty vendor? No, I … Read more
You’ve just developed a blog or a social post and one sentence is particularly important. You want to make sure nobody misses it. So you should put it in ALL CAPS, RIGHT? Wrong. You probably don’t need to boldface it, either. In fact, if its importance is obvious, you probably don’t have to highlight it … Read more
Companies invest huge sums of money to promote their products and services. But all too often, they overlook the most obvious meanings and messages that would connect with their audiences. They end up wasting their investment and losing the opportunity to make a sale. Consider the remarkably instructive example in a national magazine’s back-cover ad … Read more