Really good direct marketing copywriters know that their copy must be "in dialog" with the reader. The copy has to gain credibility in the reader's mind, and thereafter bring up salient points and concerns precisely when and in the order the reader is apt to raise them. >> Click to continue
Every year at this time, we devote an entire issue to the best ecommerce sites worth your attention and maybe even your business.
This year's selections are emblematic of two undeniable trends emerging in this online space. Mobile apps for comparison shopping
in brick-and-mortar stores are one big trend. The other is the promotion of deals through Social Media channels. >> Click to continue
We're all watching the stuffings getting kicked out of ecommerce and online marketing stocks lately. Many are below $1 and fear being delisted from the NASDAQ. Some are doing the reverse wussy stock split so as to get above a dollar and prevent such a fate. Before it's all over, many big brand names we've seen marketing online and off will go the way of the proverbial buffalo. Remember, there used to be a few hundred car companies a hundred years ago too. >> Click to continue
The subject header of an email can have the best come-on in the world and mean nothing if the 'From' field is from no one you've ever heard of. This bit of home-spun advice seems obvious to me, yet I frequently get offers from info@Company-I've-Never-Heard-of.com
>> Click to continue
This whitepaper discusses the factors behind the decline in traditional marketing and shows the reasons why marketing professionals are investing in interactive marketing efforts.
What's next? Do you see things getting better in the Internet space or the economy as a whole? Try to write headlines for the economy and your vertical segment for six months to a year out. I do this exercise with attendees in my seminars. It forces one to imagine what lies just ahead and to possibly prepare for it. >> Click to continue
Imagine having a "Go-To Guy" for everything in your life. You could ask this one person about marketing, economics, politics, literature, manufacturing - you name it. Your "Go-To Guy" would draw on his vast experience, intellect and compassion and come up with the right answer. Not the answer you may be fishing for, but the right answer as proven in the fullness of time. This is who Mac Ross was to me. >> Click to continue
Let me make a suggestion to you. Get offline. That's right. Make a commitment to spend significant amounts of time away from any sort of connection -- email, Web, cellular and beeper. You may experience withdrawal symptoms, but it'll be worth it for the perspective you gain in the long run. We've become so inert, and in some cases so isolated, due to all the online knowledge work we do. I decided to push back from the desktop and help restore a ship in NYC's South Street Seaport. >> Click to continue
That's what Mac Ross (The DM Fox) says most ads blurt out; he's right, of course. Whether it's online or off, an ad has to command attention. It must scratch an itch or strike a nerve, or stimulate anxiety, or joy, or what have you. In short, you must be in dialog with your audience or else they will ignore you, which is, of course, the biggest "dis" of all. >> Click to continue
Hot air advertising is commercial messages with bad breath. When I see ads online and offline that proclaim they're the "undisputed leaders" or their product will "revolutionize," it turns my stomach. >> Click to continue
This free tool measures the marketing effectiveness of your website. Based on traffic, SEO, social popularity and technical factors receive a score and improvement advice.