Entries tagged as copywriting

Is Marketing to B2C and B2B the Same?

Written by John W. Furst, has got 3 Comments.

Let me clear up some confusion here. Two recent posts expressed a different point of view about marketing for B2B companies. Sally Ormond asked the question whether B2B and B2C copywriting is any different and came to the conclusion:

“There is no difference.”

However, Bob Bly came up with a list of 7 key differences between B2B and B2C marketing and writes:

“Yes, of course there are huge differences.”

Who is right?

In fact, the question is a bit unfair, because both articles are not directly comparable.

When it comes to the marketing aspect of it, of course, Bob is correct. He points out that B2B customers are more sophisticated and shares other characteristics usually not found in B2C customers.

So to speak the customer avatars are different, and, therefore, need to be addressed according to their specific background and situation.

Overall you are marketing and selling to a people. Even in business-2-business sales a person makes the decision and closes the deal with you. I think, that's the main point of Sally's article that you are dealing with living people not with dead entities.

Conclusion

In any case B2C or B2B one is marketing and selling to humans who have certain backgrounds, needs, and wants.
Your marketing must reflect the particular circumstances of the people in the market. That's where a customer avatar come in quite handy.

Yours

John W. Furst

Posted by John W. Furst in Advertising, Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Sunday, February 4, 2018 has got 3 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: b2b, b2c, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, copywriting, marketing

Business buyers are looking for personal benefits

Written by Robert W. Bly, has got 5 Comments.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑) at [www.bly.com]. Robert “Bob” Bly is author of 90+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls “America’s top copywriter.”

In a column titled “The 7 Key Differences Between Business-To-Business And Consumer Marketing,” I described the six key factors that set business-to-business marketing apart from consumer marketing. They are:

The business buyer wants to buy.
The business buyer is sophisticated.
The business buyer is an information seeker who will read a lot of copy.
Business-to-business marketing involves a multistep buying process.
The buying decision is frequently made by a committee and not by an individual.
Business products are generally more complex than consumer products. Recently, I have formulated a seventh principle which I would like to add to the list.
The business buyer buys for his company’s benefit - and his own. There are two parts to this principle. Let’s take them one at a time.

Business buyers are sophisticated but B2B doesn't have to be dead serious either.

The Business Buyer Buys For His Company’s Benefit

The business buyer must acquire products and services that benefit his company. This means the product or service saves the company time or money, makes money, improves productivity, increases efficiency or solves problems.

Let’s say, for example, that you sell a telecommunications network and your primary advantage over the competition is that your system reduces monthly operating expenses by 50 percent. If a prospect is spending $40,000 a month for your competitor’s network, you can replace it and provide his company with the same level of service for only $20,000 a month.

The company benefits because it saves $240,000 a year in communications costs - more than $1 million in a five-year period.

Yet, despite this tremendous benefit, you find that prospects are not buying. They seem interested, and you get a lot of inquiries. But few sales are closed.

Why? Because in addition to buying for his company’s benefit, the prospect also buys for himself.

The Business Buyer Buys For His Own Benefit

The second part of principle #7 is that, while the buyer is looking to do right by his company, he has an equal (if not greater) concern for his own well-being and selfish interests.

Although the idea of saving $240,000 a year with your telecommunications system is appealing to your prospect, his thought process is as follows:

“Right now I have an AT&T system. Your system sounds good but I don’t know you or your company. If I switch and something goes wrong, I will be blamed. I may even get fired. My boss will say, ‘You shouldn’t have gambled on an unproven product from an unknown vendor - why didn’t you stick with good ole reliable AT&T?’ He will say this even though he approved my decision. So to be safe, I will stick with my current system...even though it costs my company an extra $240,000 a year. After all, I’d rather see them spend an extra $240,000 a year than me lose my $60,000-a-year-job!”

This play-it-safe mentality is only natural, and it affects buying decisions daily in corporations throughout the country. Data processing professionals are fond of saying, “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.” Buying IBM ensures the prospect that no one can criticize his decision, even if brand X is the better choice from a business and technical point of view.

A corporate pension fund manager, writing in Money magazine, noted that no money manager ever got fired for losing money invested in a blue-chip stock. A different example, but the principle remains the same.

The Business Buyer Is For Himself

Concern for making the safe, acceptable decision is a primary motivation of business buyers, but it is not the only reason why business buyers choose products, services and suppliers that are not necessarily the best business solution to their company’s problem.

Avoiding stress or hardship is a big concern among prospects. For example, a consultant might offer a new system for increasing productivity, but it means more paperwork for the shipping department...and especially for the head of the shipping department. If he has anything to say about it, and thinks no one will criticize him for it, the head of shipping will, in this case, work to sway the committee against engaging the consultant or using his system...even though the current procedures are not efficient. The department head, already overworked, wants to avoid something he perceives as a hassle and a headache, despite its contribution to the greater good of the organization.

Fear of the unknown is also a powerful motivator. A middle manager, for example, might vote against acquiring desktop publishing and putting a terminal on every manager’s desk because he himself has computer phobia. Even though he recognizes the benefit such technology can bring to his department, he wants to avoid the pain of learning something he perceives to be difficult and frightening. Again, personal benefit outweighs corporate benefit in this situation.

Fear of loss is another powerful motivator. An advertising manager in a company that has handled its advertising in-house for the past decade may resist his president’s suggestion that they retain an outside advertising agency to handle the company’s rapidly expanding marketing campaign. Even if he respects the ad agency and believes they will do a good job, the ad manager may campaign against them, fearing that bringing in outside experts will diminish his own status within the company.

In these and many other instances, the business buyer is for himself first; and his company, second. To be successful, your copy must not only promise the benefits the prospect desires for his company; it should also speak to the prospect’s personal agenda, as well.

If you liked this article also get Bob's new free e-Book in which he reveals 35+ years of tested B2B marketing secrets at http://www.bly.com/b2bhandbook/ (↑)

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑).

___________
Image Credit: rawpixel (↑)

Posted by Robert W. Bly in Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Friday, January 26, 2018 has got 5 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, b2b, copywriting, marketing, tips

The 7 Key Differences Between business-to-business and consumer marketing

Written by Robert W. Bly, has got 2 Comments.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑) at [www.bly.com]. Robert “Bob” Bly is author of 90+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls “America’s top copywriter.”

When asked if he could write an effective direct mail package on a complex electronic control system, a well-known direct response copywriter replied, “No problem. It doesn’t matter what the product is. You are selling to people. And people are pretty much the same.”

He’s wrong.

Image credit: “Copywriting Conference 2015” (↑) by ProCopywriters (↑) is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (↑)

Yes, there are similarities. But there are also differences in selling to business and professional buyers vs. the general public. In fact, here are six key factors that set business-to-business marketing apart from consumer marketing:

1. The business buyer wants to buy. Most consumer advertising offers people products they might enjoy but don’t really need. How many subscription promotions, for example, sell publications that the reader truly could not live without? If we subscribe, we do so for pleasure - not because the information offered is essential to our day-to-day activity.

But in business-to-business marketing, the situation is different. The business buyer wants to buy. Indeed, all business enterprises must routinely buy products and services that help them stay profitable, competitive, and successful. The proof of his is the existence of the purchasing agent, whose sole function is to purchase things.

2. The business buyer is sophisticated. Business-to-business copy talks to a sophisticated audience. Your typical reader has a high interest in - and understanding of - your product (or at least of the problem it solves).

Importantly, the reader usually knows more about the product and its use than you do. It would be folly, for example, to believe that a few days spent reading about mainframe computers will educate you to the level of your target prospect - a systems analyst with six or seven years experience. (This realization makes business-to-business writers somewhat more humble than their consumer counterparts.)

The sophistication of the reader requires the business-to-business copywriter to do a tremendous amount of research and digging into the market, the product, and its application. The business audience does not respond well to slogans or oversimplification.

3. The business buyer will read a lot of copy. The business buyer is an information-seeker, constantly on the lookout for information and advice that can help the buyer do the job better, increase profits, or advance his career.

“Our prospects are turned off by colorful, advertising-type sales brochures,” says the marketing manager of a company selling complex ‘systems’ software products to large IBM data centers. “They are hungry for information and respond better to letters and bulletins that explain, in fairly technical terms, what our product is and how it solves a particular data-center problem.”

Don’t be afraid to write long copy in mailers, ads, and fulfillment brochures. Prospects will read your message - if it is interesting, important, and relevant to their needs. And don’t hesitate to use informational pieces as response hooks for ads and mailers. The offer of a free booklet, report, or technical guide can still pull well - despite the glut of reading matter clogging the prospect’s in-basket.

4. A multistep buying process. In consumer direct response, copywriters’ fees are geared toward producing the “package” - an elaborate mailing that does the bulk of the selling job for a publication, insurance policy, or other mail order product.

But in business-to-business direct marketing, the concept of package or control is virtually non-existent. Why? Because the purchase of most business products is a multistep buying process. A vice president of manufacturing doesn’t clip a coupon and order a $35,000 machine by mail. First he asks for a brochure. Then a sales meeting. Then a demonstration. Then a 30-day trial. Then a proposal or contract.

Thus, it is not a single piece of copy that wins the contract award. Rather, it takes a series of letters, brochures, presentations, ads, and mailers - combined with the efforts of salespeople - to turn a cold lead into a paying customer.

5. Multiple buying influences. You don’t usually consult with a team of experts when you want to buy a fast-food hamburger, a soda, bottle of shampoo, or a pair of shoes, do you? In most consumer selling situations, the purchase decision is made by an individual. But a business purchase is usually a team effort, with many players involved.

For this reason, a business purchase is rarely an “impulse” buy. Many people influence the decision - from the purchasing agent and company president, to technical professionals and end-users. Each of these audiences has different concerns and criteria by which they judge you. To be successful, your copy must address the needs of all parties involved with the decision. In many cases, this requires separate mailings to many different people within an organization.

6. Business products are more complex. Most business products - and their applications - are more complex than consumer products. (For example, clients I now serve include a commercial bank, a manufacturer of elevator control systems, a data processing training firm, a database marketing company, a mailing list broker, a general contractor, and a semiconductor manufacturer.)

Business-to-business copy cannot be superficial. Clarity is essential. You cannot sell by “fooling” the prospect or hiding the identity of your product. Half the battle is explaining, quickly and simply, what your product is, what it does, and why the reader should be interested in it. “In high-tech direct mail, the key is to educate the prospect,” say Mark Toner, who manages the advertising program for Amano, a manufacturer of computerized time-clock systems. “With a product like ours, most customers don’t even know of its existence.”

In short, in business-to-business marketing, the rules are different. In the months to come, we’ll explore ways to increase response and profits in this exciting and challenging marketplace.

Bob Bly wrote a follow up article as well: Business buyers are looking for personal benefits

If you liked this article also get Bob's new free e-Book in which he reveals 35+ years of tested B2B marketing secrets at http://www.bly.com/b2bhandbook/ (↑)

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter (↑).

Posted by Robert W. Bly in Business Strategy, Marketing, Top Posts on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 has got 2 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, b2b, copywriting, marketing, tips

Is B2B Copywriting Different to B2C Copywriting?

Written by Guest Author,

Content is content, right?

It doesn't matter who your audience is, you just tell them to buy from you, and that's it, isn't it?

Oh dear, you've come to the right place.

The role of a copywriter is a varied one.

One day I can be writing about risk and the financial markets and the next recruitment, IT and travel.

The question I get asked the most is what B2B (business to business) writing experience I have, which always brings a smile to my face.

Why?

Well, in my humble opinion, B2B and B2C (business to consumer) copywriting is the same.

B2B and B2C are the same

The whole point of copywriting, whether it's B2B or B2C, is to sell.

Plus, regardless of whom your audience is, you are selling to a person. Yes, even if you sell B2B and here's why:

A company can't physically buy from you
A company can't meet you for a coffee to talk about business
A company can't sign a contract

In other words, the copy has to convince a person within the business that your product or service is the one they need. That's why your copy is essentially the same whether you're writing for a B2B or B2C audience.

Naturally, the benefits you'll be highlighting will be orientated to what's in it for the business rather than the individual. Mind you, on the presumption that what you're offering will make the company more profitable, the person you are addressing may well have a vested interest as it could result in a nice fat bonus for them.

Therefore, just as if you were writing for a consumer audience, your copy should be:

Brief - because we're all time limited and therefore want concise information quickly
Human - people make the decisions, so tap into reason and emotion for the best results
Benefits driven - shout them from the rooftops because you'll save them time, increase their profits, reduce staff turnover, boost productivity, cut costs, etc.
Jargon free - it's tedious and boring to read, so don't use it
Plain and simple - plain language will win far more customers than convoluted hyperbole

It is that simple.

The biggest mistake people make when writing for a corporate audience is to adopt a pompous, dry and starchy approach because they think that's what the business world wants.

They don't.

As I mentioned earlier, a person makes the buying decision, so provided you've shown them how you're going to make their business more profitable, streamlined or famous, they're going to sit up and take notice. Plus, a company that simply tells them how it is in plain English will stand out.

If you keep an image of the person, you're trying to convince you won't go too far wrong.

Sally Ormond (↑), Briar Copywriting, is a professional copywriter with extensive experience in both B2B and B2C markets.

To have a chat about how she can help you send an email to sally@briarcopywriting.com or call +44(0)1449 779605.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com (↑)
Written by Sally Ormond

Posted by Guest Author in Advertising, Marketing, Social Media on Thursday, January 18, 2018

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, b2b, b2c, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, copywriting, marketing

PS I Love You

Written by Guest Author, has got 5 Comments.

Most people think of the postscript as a place to tuck cute or mushy messages at the end of a note to a loved one. In reality, postscripts can be a surprisingly powerful tool for marketers.

I include a postscript (a sentence or two preceded by "P.S.") in nearly every marketing letter or email message I write for my clients. Interestingly, nine out of ten new clients will request the postscript's removal the first time they encounter one. "It's silly to add a P.S." some suggest. "This information belongs in the body of the letter," others insist. "Nobody's going to read that," still others claim.

But they're all wrong. A thoughtfully written postscript adds powerful impact to a letter and can dramatically improve its success rate. Why? Because of how people actually read letters.

You see, a common misconception is that people read letters in a linear fashion -- starting at the top and working their way to the bottom, line by line. Decades of direct marketing research proves that isn't really what happens. The vast majority of people first glance at the salutation to see who the letter is intended for (even though the envelope was presumably addressed to the reader), so the first thing your recipient sees is "Dear Bob," "Dear Mr. Smith," "Dear Customer," or whatever you've chosen. (That makes the choice more important than you may realize, by the way. The more personal the salutation, the greater the reader's immediate interest.)

The second place people look is the bottom of the letter, to see who it's from. If there is a postscript, that's where their eyes travel next. Most will read the entire postscript before deciding whether the letter is worth their time. If the message in the postscript is engaging, compelling, or intriguing, they're more likely to go back and read the entire letter -- and when they finish, they'll read the postscript again.

In other words, the postscript provides the first impression of what you're trying to sell, promote, or communicate, as well as the last impression the reader will have of your message. That's why it's generally a good idea to include one, and why you should approach it thoughtfully instead of treating it like a throwaway line.

How should you use a postscript? There are several ways that are especially effective. First, you can restate or re-present your offer or main message, as in "P.S. Remember -- we're offering our top-of-the-line veeblefetzer for 40 percent off through June 1." You can use the postscript to emphasize a key benefit of what you're offering, such as "P.S. Our veeblefetzers make you more productive by coring radishes in half the time of our competitors' models."

If your offer includes something that eliminates or reduces risk, use the postscript to say that, as in "P.S. You can put our veeblefetzer to the test for 30 days at no cost" or "P.S. We offer the only veeblefetzer with a two-year parts and labor warranty!" You can also use a postscript to share a positive testimonial, such as "P.S. Bob Smith of Veggiworks credits our veeblefetzer with increasing his radish production by 62 percent last year!" Another common tactic is suggesting that failing to act is foolish: "P.S. I don't know why anyone would pass up this offer, because there's absolutely no risk or obligation."

Pay attention to the marketing letters and emails you receive over the next month, and see how many of the most effective and compelling ones include that trusty tool. Start incorporating them in to your own correspondence, and see what effect they have.

Still not convinced? If you regularly send some kind of sales letters, perform what's known as a "split test." Divide your mailing list in half. Send one group the letter with the postscript, and the other group the letter without it. Then compare the results.

P.S. They're definitely worth the effort!

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. To learn more, visit sfwriting.com (↑), or read his blog at sfwriting.com/scotts-blog/ (↑) ©2017 Scott Flood All rights reserved.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com (↑)
Written by Scott Flood

Posted by Guest Author in Advertising, Email Marketing Tips, Marketing on Sunday, January 7, 2018 has got 5 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, copywriting, direct mail, newsletter, tips

Freelancing Generalists vs Freelancing Specialists: Smackdown!

Written by Tom Bentley, has got 3 Comments.

I’ve always enjoyed the wide variety of writing/editing I do, but sometimes I fear there’s a haphazard, slapdash aspect to the servings in my copywriter’s restaurant: can you trust a place to make great Chinese if they are advertising pizza too? And though I do OK with the incoming dough, it’s not like I can buy a wheelbarrow of Google stock. Is there a fair fight between freelance generalists vs specialists?

Can it be that my “one-size-writes-all” writing biz is too many things: flowers, trees, sky above, dirt below and atomic particles in between? You see, I write web copy, press releases, marketing collateral, ads, case studies, direct mail, and occasionally tech content too. Toss in fiction and essays to this goulash. And I edit all of the aforementioned, and more. In fact, a while back I finished editing a small book on how to play any chord on the banjo. Though twangy, it was quite technical.

Let’s look further at the pigeonholing that can take place when writers are sorting out how to best make a living. Copywriters that have a clearly defined niche—“I write sales letters for mid-tier businesses selling nuclear-powered rabbits”—are both constrained by their choices and freed by them. They are constrained in that they may have always dreamed of writing sales letters for nuclear-powered goat companies, but instead they are known as the rabbit guy, and thus they don’t want to dilute their focused offering, and potentially blur the boundaries of their defined space.

The Casual Garden of Generalists

However, they are freed from casting their “I-need-new-work” lines in the thistle-tangled fields of businesses small, medium and large, who might peddle soap made from recycled comic books, or tongue scrapers for denture wearers. Generalist copywriters tend to a casual work garden of mingled stalks, colors and scents, while the specialist might have a sturdy monocrop of clients and deadline dates. Generalists vs specialists: never to agree?

I’ve thought about trying to restrain my 360-degree rotating Exorcist head of writing endeavors, but it’s just not my nature. While I can admire the ferocity of focus some copywriters employ, I can’t join their ranks—I don’t think I could breathe. And, genial bigot that I am, I have to sing the praises of the generalist’s keys, because polymath writing pursuits are inherently interesting for their variety.

Building Expertise, by the Paragraph and by the Project

Now, I have varying degrees of expertise in the areas I listed above, but having written and edited nonfiction books, having written question-and-response dialog for software products, having written three novels and a book of short stories, having written and won awards for many travel pieces, having written many brochures, ads, blog posts—heck, having written lots of grocery lists, I’m confident I can deliver what each organization needs, granting the many iterations of review and rewrite that some projects necessitate. For many writers like me, once you write website copy for a company, they may call you later to write headlines for an ad.

You might not have written headlines for ads before, but the good generalist will always pipe up with a merry “Yes!” when asked about their ability to write a heady headline. Many fundamental writing skills translate across boundaries—cross-writing is often more comfortable than cross-dressing. (High-heeled pumps just don’t work well with my size 13s.) So, if you are breaking in to the copywriter’s fold, and you’re thinking that you could write sales letters not only for the nuked goats and rabbits, but perhaps for radium-isotope gerbils too—go for it. Next thing you know, you’re a reptiles-with-battery packs specialist too.

To Niche or Not

However, you’ll find a lot of declarations online from successful creatives that having a niche is key. Every time I read one—because the arguments are sound—I try to reassess my position. My trouble is that as mentioned, I truly love the variety of writing a writer can do, and dabble in so many of its forms. And, well, there are bills to pay, so I don’t make the time to really hone a focus and tune my marketing that way. On the generalists vs specialists clash, Google seems to favor the specialists.

Many people who argue for a niche list among their arguments that the greenbacks are greener for the specialist. John Soares, the owner of Productive Writers, is a niche advocate. As his post explains (↑), specialists become known as experts, do projects faster and with less research, and pocket more cash. Not bad arguments.

Forbes spent some words (↑) trying to convince me that expertise in one area means you can dig deeper than a generalist, and that your unique selling point becomes more precise, plus that your marketing can be tailored to that specialty. And this piece (↑) also has some persuasion about more nickels coming your way with a niche.

But what about love? One of the reasons my sweetheart angled to meet me, those many years ago, was because she wanted to meet someone who wrote the back-side descriptions for the photographs on pretty notecards. Guilty. But at the time I, for that successful photographer, I was writing product descriptions, letters to photographic editors and cataloguing images as well. Kept me more intrigued than postcard poetry alone.

Peeling Twain’s Onion

Yes, I do think there is some danger in the dilution of dilettantism. But my hero, Mark Twain, wrote plays (badly), essays, poems, short stories, novels, advocacy pieces, travel articles, satire, straight journalism, handbills, speeches, jokes—and if you dip your toes into a wide reading pond, you’ll be convinced that he must have sat down and decided to write an entire book of quotations.

Some fiction-only writers wrinkle their noses at the taint of the commercial writer, their thought stained by a salesperson’s strain to wiggle widgets at uninterested passersby. Some pedal-floored copywriters breezily dismiss the fevered character/plot/conflict workings of the fiction writer as the strivings of gossamer dreams, without chance for publication or pennies to follow.

Both commercial and creative writing can pull from deep sources, draw on emotional layers, and provoke rich thought. And dubbing one “creative” and one not isn’t really accurate. Both can be creative. Or not.

We all move through our days, trying to figure out what to do if we have a surgeon’s hands and a troubadour’s heart. (I have neither, but I do have those impressively large feet.)

Tom Bentley

Tom Bentley is a business writer and editor, an essayist, and a fiction writer. (He does not play banjo.) He’s had hundreds of freelance pieces published—ranging from first-person essays to travel pieces to more journalistic subjects—in newspapers, magazines, and online. His self-published book on finding and cultivating your writer’s voice, Think Like a Writer: How to Write the Stories You See was published in June of 2015. He would like you to pour him a Manhattan right at five. You can see his lurid website confessions at www.tombentley.com (↑)

Posted by Tom Bentley in Business Strategy, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Top Posts on Thursday, December 7, 2017 has got 3 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: copywriting, freelance, tips

How to Create Advertising that Sells and Why

Written by John W. Furst,

Good question, isn't it.

David Ogilvy (↑) is said to be the father of modern advertising in the early '60s who answered that exact question in an acclaimed full page house ad for his own advertising agency. Needless to say that the ad worked very well and established Ogilvy & Mather as the leading advertising agency for industrial advertising.

One of David Ogilvy's many tips for creating successful ads is: “Don’t Get Distracted from Making the Sale”

It sounds bizarre but many agencies with or without the help of their clients screw this up big time. Almost if selling were a bad thing. And whoever is ultimately held accountable for advertising that does not work in the short run has tons of logical reasons why this is actually good thing.

You might have heard these before: Advertising is supposed to build awareness, to establish brand identity, to create a community, …, etc. or in other words: The big sales will come sooner (or later) because of all those effects.

Of course advertising should not be treated as one dimensional exercise but making sales today ranks pretty high on my personal and on my client's lists of priorities.

In order to discuss latest trends as well as evergreen strategies I traveled to London, U.K. to the Biz Fest 2015 conference two weeks ago.

John W Furst Advertising Marketing Seminar London 2015

John W. Furst at Biz Fest 2015 in London, U.K.

Stay tuned for more tips about advertising that sells and related topicss. I'll be back soon. Just rearranging a lot what I am doing right now.

Exciting times are about to start.

Yours

John W. Furst

Posted by John W. Furst in Advertising, Business Strategy, Marketing on Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, copywriting, marketing

How Bacon, Kim Kardashian and a Screaming Customer in the Men's Room Can Amp up Your Advertising

Written by John W. Furst, has got 5 Comments.

Update 2017-05-03: The book is almost finished. But Phil needs your help to get it off the ground. Please go to his indiegogo campaign (↑) and make a donation and he’ll send you a signed copy the day he picks up the books from the printer.

First things first:

It has been a long while since I have written a blog post for the E-Biz Booster Blog here. So let's start with saying, “Hello, again!” And since it is this special time of the year I am adding a friendly, “Hope You Had Great Easter Holidays!”

But who cares? Do you?

Maybe you are only on this pages, because you wanted to read some gossip about Kim Kardashian. Look closely at the photo below - No Kim there. Sorry for that. I hope you are not too disappointed.

You can leave now or you can read on below and eventually learn something about advertising.

Happy Easter 2015 - No Kim Kardashian here (Sorry)

Using a celebrity name as link bait on the web is certainly not a new strategy and it wears out quickly.

However, my friend Phil Wrzesinski, a successful retailer in the USA, has many more proven tips and tricks in his tool bag.

Check out his post in which he explains a nice little twist that works even without any celebrity: I need your help for my new book

And as you can guess from the link title, Phil is ready to share much more but he needs our help.

This is your chance to be in the book and to receive a free copy if you are picked.

But do not only click on the link above if you are a retailer. Advertising works for other types of businesses, too. And it's never wrong to look for new ideas outside your of industry. While you are on Phil's page make sure you also download his PDF guide on how to make your ads memorable (The link is in his post: ‘memorable’)

Enjoy Phil's article.

You'll have fun I promise.

Yours Truly

John W. Furst

Update 2017-05-03: New post “Upcoming Book: Most Ads Suck - But Yours Won't”

Posted by John W. Furst in Advertising, Marketing, Top Posts on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 has got 5 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: advertising, copywriting

Email Marketing Tips - Edition 27

Written by John W. Furst, has got 3 Comments.

Update on Feb. 8, 2013: Deleted all entries with outdated tips or broken links.

Update on April 12, 2015 We have discontinued this blog carnival.

Welcome to the 27th edition of email marketing tips on October 27th, 2010.

As in the previous edition of this blog carnival I have exclusively handpicked the entries.

general tips - editor’s pick

Jordie van Rijn presents What is the marketing value of an “out of office” reply? posted at The Email Guide, saying, “Most of us filter them from the ‘real’ replies as soon as they come in. Or we even block the replies altogether. But that doesn’t do justice to the nature of that automated reply message. So what is the value of an out-of-office reply?”

John’s comment: The takeaway is, “Even out of office replies can provide valuable data and an opportunity to score points with your subscribers if you think outside the box.”

Ricardas Montvila presents Behavioural Targeting, meet the Audience. Audience, meet Behavioural Targeting. posted at Email Marketing News, saying, “Behavioural targeting email marketing has been in the headlines for some time now and there is a good reason for that. It works!”

John’s comment: A case study and practical tips included.

The E-Marketer Blog How Effective Is Sharing via Email vs. Social Media? posted at The E-Marketer Blog, saying, “In a statistic that has been backed up by other studies, including the August one by CMB, SocialTwist reported email was the most common channel used to share content.”

John’s comment: Reveals different patterns in social media and emails.

That concludes this edition of email marketing tips. Past posts and future hosts can be found on my email marketing tips blog carnival home page.

I have resumed the blog carnival in 2013. Now you can continue and read Edition #28 of my Email Marketing Tips.

Yours
John W. Furst

P.S.: If you like this edition, check out the previous email marketing tips - edition 26, too.

Contact me to host an edition of this carnival on your Internet marketing related blog.

Get your blog more exposure!
It’s easier than you might think.

Also submit your articles to this carnival.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Technorati tags: email marketing tips, blog carnival

Posted by John W. Furst in Blog Carnival, Email Marketing Tips, Marketing, Social Media on Thursday, October 28, 2010 has got 3 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: copywriting, email marketing, marketing, social media, tips

Email Marketing Tips - Edition 25

Written by John W. Furst, has got 2 Comments.

Update on Feb. 8, 2013: Deleted all entries with outdated tips or broken links.

Update on April 12, 2015 We have discontinued this blog carnival.

Welcome to the 25th edition of email marketing tips on September 30th, 2010.

Oops, I am publishing this edition a bit late. However, I do and I will try to be more on time in the future. Thanks for all of your contributions.

Here we go.

general tips

Joe Revod presents Unusual Or Weird (Email Marketing Tricks)? posted at Internet Business Make Money Online With Welly Mulia.

Ian Lurie presents An 8-step E-mail marketing refresher posted at Conversation Marketing: Internet Marketing with a Twist of Lemon.

tools and services

Beth Ziesenis presents Paperless Post: Classy emails for thank yous and invitations posted at Cheapskate Freelancer, saying, “Thumbnail Review of Paperless Post. If you want your email to be noticed with the mass amount being sent out everyday, you have to do something different. Give Paperless Post a try. Sign up for an account and you get 25 free stamps that allow you to send a cool, attention-getting email as an invitation, announcement or thank you. Your recipient receives an elegant email with an envelope they click to open.”

Andy Hayes presents Email Marketing Jargon Explained posted at Travel Online Partners (TOP), saying, “It's not as complicated as it seems.”

That concludes this edition of email marketing tips. Past posts and future hosts can be found on my email marketing tips blog carnival home page.

The next issue is already online, you can read it here: Email Marketing Tips - Edition 26.

Yours
John W. Furst

P.S.: If you like this edition, check out the previous email marketing tips - edition 24, too.

Contact me to host an edition of this carnival on your Internet marketing related blog.

Get your blog more exposure!
It’s easier than you might think.

Also submit your articles to this carnival.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Technorati tags: email marketing tips, blog carnival

Posted by John W. Furst in Blog Carnival, Business Strategy, Email Marketing Tips, Marketing on Thursday, September 30, 2010 has got 2 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: copywriting, email marketing, internet business

Email Marketing Tips - Edition 23

Written by John W. Furst, has got 7 Comments.

Update on Feb. 8, 2013: Deleted all entries with outdated tips or broken links.

Update on April 12, 2015 We have discontinued this blog carnival.

Welcome to the 23rd edition of email marketing tips on June 6th, 2010.

The carnival is back after having had some wild turbulence including this blog getting hacked three times during the last six weeks. I am traveling and the last thing I needed was someone taking out my blog. The guys from Blogcarnival.com lost patience with me and simply deleted the 21st edition which I had almost prepared for being posted. Shame on them.

Luckily a friend stepped in. Thanks to Pat Doyle, who hosted the 22nd edition of email marketing tips on her blog. Update in Feb. 2013: Unfortunately the blog has disappeared. So that edition is lost forever.

Now let’ start with today’s content.

editors pick

John Jantsch wrote The Right Way to Buy an Email List posted at Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing saying, "I’m am not talking about buying or renting so called opt-in lists from list brokers. I’m talking about offering something of value as a way to motivate someone to willingly exchange their email address with you in order to receive your offers and additional contact."

Nick Moore wrote Better Email Newsletter Sharing on Facebook and Twitter posted at Inbox Ideas: Email Marketing Tips saying, "Social media is a big part of the marketing world these days. Most net-savvy businesses have a presence on Facebook and Twitter. That being the case, we’ve found that people are always looking for ways to make their social media and email marketing campaigns work together."

Chris Brogan wrote Stop Adding Me to Your Email Newsletter posted at chrisbrogan.com — Learn How Human Business Works – Beyond Social Media saying, "According to sources, it’s not illegal to add my name to your email newsletter list if you’ve done some kind of business with me in the past. Evidently, this means that it’s perfectly fine to add me to your list if you’ve sent me an email. Ever. Because I’ve gotta tell you: I’m subscribed to a LOT of email newsletters that I didn’t sign up for, and I’m not very pleased with it. To me, it’s spam, whether or not that’s the legal definition."

Carol Ellison wrote 8 Email Marketing Tips posted at destinationCRM.com - The leading resource for Customer Relationship Management - from the editors of CRM magazine saying, "Experts provide commonsense advice about ‘one of the most powerful and yet one of the most dangerous mediums of communication.’"

general tips

GreatManagement presents Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Internet Scamming posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, "Anyone who surfs the web on a regular basis can probably remember the very first time they fell victim to an attempted scam."

Sheryl Owen presents Top 10 Reasons to Use Snail Mail posted at Change of Address.

That concludes this edition of email marketing tips. Past posts and future hosts can be found on my email marketing tips page.

Continue reading the next email marketing tips - edition 24.

Yours
John W. Furst

P.S.: If you like this edition, check out the preceding email marketing tips - edition 20, too. Note: Edition 22 got deleted from the web. It was on a guest blog. Edition 21 was canceled.

Contact me to host an edition of this carnival on your Internet marketing related blog.

Get your blog more exposure!
It’s easier than you might think.

Also submit your articles to this carnival.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.

Technorati tags: email marketing tips, blog carnival

Posted by John W. Furst in Blog Carnival, Email Marketing Tips, Social Media on Saturday, June 5, 2010 has got 7 Comments.

Defined tags for this entry: copywriting, email marketing, internet, marketing, tip

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EMAIL MARKETING TIPS

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