[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] Sometimes just changing the way you share, phrase, or position content and ideas can make all the difference. How a few [...]
Tag Archives: copywriting
The best place to tell your story
Every single customer walks away with a receipt. Most look at it. Many save it. It’s a rare opportunity to tell them something. It’s your chance to get the last word. Here’s a great example from Trader Joe’s. What thought are you going to leave them with? Fine print from your lawyers … or a [...]
What does your motto say about you?
Hopefully, more than nothing. Nucor is a great turn-around story in the steel industry. But their mission statement tells us nothing. They want to take care of their customers, while being the safest, highest quality, lowest cost and post profitable — while taking care of the environment and their community. Admirable, but it violates two [...]
Have a personality
Show that you’re human. Share a little humor. Your customers will love you for it. Bonus: Competitive advantage. Most companies are completely unable to stop the corporate speak or keep their lawyers out of the communications. You win if you’re the company that your customers can relate to.
A rose by any other name … might be a more successful sales pitch
Saks is offering a free gift card based on how much you spend. Sounds great, and I bet people are talking about it. But when you think about it, it’s just a 5%-15% discount. How you phrase an offer makes all the difference in how people respond. Free money sounds exciting. But a discount is [...]
How to turn a negative into a positive
Trying to sell something that isn’t as good as the competition? Flip it around. Take your worst attribute or the thing you’re lacking — and make it the feature. You’ll stand out. And you’ll quickly discover that not every customer wants the same thing that everyone else is trying to sell.
How to get busy/important people to call you back
If you want some famous author, CEO, or celebrity to return your call/email/LinkedIn message, here are a few tips: Say exactly what you want in the first sentence of the first message. Be specific. Say what you want them to do. Explain your connection to the person. Provide 1-2 sentences that establish your credibility. Include [...]
When lawyers edit your advertising
From a major bank’s website: Lesson: If you can’t make a great, strong claim — you shouldn’t be advertising it. If you can’t write reasonable ad copy without someone watering it down, then you need to fight the internal battle to give you the freedom to do it right.
Amazing Sex Mirror
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with PERSONALITY! Here’s a recent Craigslist ad that I wrote. It got a great response. Don’t miss opportunities like this to practice great marketing and compelling writing. You’ll find all of your creative marketing is a little sharper. Amazing Sex Mirror (NW Austin) Date: 2011-07-30, 6:13PM CDT Reply [...]
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