Archives for 2011

Turning Marketing Trash Into Cash

Guest post from my good mate Pete Godfrey…

…with some killer marketing tips on making the most of those old leads you might have hanging around.

One tip of my own, from painful marketing experience, is that if you haven’t contacted these old leads for while…

..warm them up with a little relationship building, ideally some good free stuff, BEFORE you pitch them!

Over to Pete…

*****

Have You Ever Thrown a $100 Bill in the Trash?

At a recent $4,995 Consulting day, I listed out a detailed plan for a client that could easily make him an extra hundred to two hundred grand a year. In this month’s article, I’ll show you exactly what I gave him and how, with a little work and perseverance, you can instantly plug this strategy into your business. So let’s get busy.

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Copywriting Lessons From The Salvation Army

Another reminder that Christmas is on the way in my mailbox today…

…in the form of the Christmas Appeal letter from the Salvation Army.

And I found a couple of useful little reminders of copywriting techniques in there.

I’m a regular supporter, so normally it’s a question of fill in the boxes and return.

However, the letter caught my eye because…

…it had a story to tell.

Here’s the core of the story…

“Many young people who arrive on our doorstep have had horrific childhoods. Sophie, who’s now 18 was ignored by her stepmother and her father used violence to solve problems.

Sophie had never experienced the kind of Christmas Day that most of us take for granted. A special family day with no violence, no shouting and lots of laughter, love and joy.

In fact, Sophie was so unhappy that at just 15, she decided that fending for herself on the streets was better than living at home.”

The story has a happy ending, of course, when a Salvo Officer invited “Sophie” (the story is real but the names are changed) to spend Christmas with her and her family.

There was a little more to the story than that, but not too much.

And it’s a simple story in 3 basic acts (Setup – Complications – Resolution).

So, nothing fancy.

But it…

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Are You Guilty Of Any Of These Marketing Sins?

No apologies for posting another great marketing cartoon from Tom Fishburne…

Read the original post at…

“7 deadly sins of marketing”

…for the inspiration behind the cartoon and an interesting case study about a small and spunky fashion company called Betabrand.

My list of 7 marketing mistakes that I tend to see in the cases that come across my desk…

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Steve Jobs – Marketing And Business Giant

UPDATE (12 October 2011):

Just added a great cartoon (above) from Tom Fishburne.

Original and post at…

“tribute to steve jobs”.

Here are my original comments…

***

Like many people, I guess, I was shocked when I heard of the death of Steve Jobs on October 5.

Sure, I knew he had health problems but I’d expected that he’d be around for while yet.

Now, I confess, I’m not a great Apple fan.

I’m quite happy to use Windows.

No iPhone, iPod or iPad.

However, I do have the utmost regard for Steve Jobs as a businessman who…

…has built one of the most valuable companies in the world…

…and as a visionary who knew exactly what he wanted to do.

And yes, even non-Apple people like me have benefited from his genius.

I doubt very much if Microsoft would have improved Windows so much without the competition from Apple.

Here are three pieces reflecting on Steve Jobs and his legacy.

They each have something of a marketing slant to them…

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Direct Response Meerkating – Latest

I’ve commented before about the zany, but highly effective, marketing campaign featuring superstar meerkat “Aleksandr Orlov” and his “Compare The Meerkat” site…

“Emotional Direct Response Meerkating?!?”

So I was interested in this recent article…

“Comparethemarket warns Google to play fair”

…and decided to take a look at the what’s been happening with the campaign.

The results of the campaign continue to be impressive…

According to the company, Comparethemarket has a market share “north of 30 percent”.

Sales at the parent company were up 19% although profits looked to be flat.

But, I’m wondering if they might be getting a little off track.

In an earlier post I discussed some potential problems…

“Is Direct Response Meerkating Dangerous?”

The latest development involves a line of cute meerkat cuddly toys that customers get as a gift when they purchase insurance…

…as we see here…