Reverse Camouflage Advertising
Sharply define the edges between you and the alternatives. Not only with content, but with style as well. If everyone else is doing a “yell and sell,” talk intimately with the audience.
Offering Something Great? What’s In It For You?
People believe in social proof and social signaling, making price an almost-fail-safe guide to quality. So if your price is out of line with your claims, people distrust the claims.
Give Your Salespeople The Advantage With This One Tip
It’s the benefits that someone buys, not the features, right?! WRONG! Wait, what? Let’s explore for a moment…
The Viewmaster Guide to 3-D Testimonials
3 common mistakes from testimonials and examples of what a 3-D Testimonial sounds like as a finished product. Here’s how most people screw it up, and how you can make sure you get it right.
Are You Making This Relationship Destroying Mistake with Customers?
You paid an extraordinary amount of money to bring that phone call in. Don’t screw it up by being selfish with your language.
The 2 Most Common And USELESS Pieces of Marketing Advice Given to Home Service Companies
Unique Selling Propositions are counter-productive.
Never Let a Committee Make Strategic Marketing Decisions
"If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock." - Arthur Goldberg. A committee in small business can be a group of employees or a loose bunch of well-meaning family and friends.
Reverse Psychology and Advertising Strategy
It’s called “reactance.” When someone tries to tell you what to think or do — that automatic resistance you feel is called reactance by psychologists. And for advertisers, there are plenty of work-arounds for reactance.
Good Spiderwebs
Too often, a company uses their marketing to push their features and benefits - ‘Best location, Best Product, Best Service, Best Employees’ - but these are not clingy and sticky. Features and benefits are slippery and rarely remembered.
Change the Name, Change the Results
If you’re selling a commodity and that commodity is called the same thing at every business, give yours a better name. I can get a “large coffee” anyplace. I can get a Grande only at Starbucks.
The 7 Most Common Ways to Fail When Making Your Ads “Creative”
Creativity is the second most important factor in advertising effectiveness, according to over 50 years of quantitative data.
Why The Road Runner’s Style Guide Kicks Your Style Guide’s A$$
When done right, THIS is the stuff that creates a distinct voice and personality. I’ve seen a few scores of them over the years, and 95% have been utterly worthless.
Turn Your Business into a Loveable Money-Making Machine (Part 2/2)
Businesses that grow BIG and profitable use the five-step Relational Systematic Marketing process. Bond. Guide. Satisfy. Nurture. Delight.
The Most Powerful Words Are Unspoken
When you say it in your ad, the audience is as likely to dismiss it as accept it. When you cause the audience to say it in their heads, it’s automatically, unquestionably accepted.
Turn Your Business into a Loveable Money-Making Machine (Part 1/2)
Most businesses practice Transactional Reactive Marketing to varying degrees. It’s why most marketing disappoints or fails.