Thoughts, ideas, musings and other interesting ruminations on the topic of B2B marketing
What, you ask, is a Flying Stink-o-Potamus (also known as a Lying Stink-o-Potamus)? According to Steve Kayser in his article The Seven New Rules of Business Presentations, it’s a bad presentation.
I ran across this article randomly, but found it pretty engaging. (more…)
AdWeek just wrote an article about a disturbing new trend taking place in the online world, on sites like Deadspin and Thrillist. It seems that editors are now writing ad content for advertisers and weaving the ad into the page content. Imagine reading your favorite sports column and then suddenly seeing an article for Wendy’s hot and juicy burgers. Talk about interruption marketing!
Advertisers love it because they are no longer relegated to the oft-overlooked side bar. Online sites argue that their editors know their readers best, so who better to write the copy. Even if this is seems like a marriage of the long-divorced church and state, I argue that both advertisers and sites are missing the point. There is a reason why TiVo exists, why print ads are dwindling in number and why social media is gaining steam – consumers don’t want to be interrupted.
Well, do you? Anyone can write. After all, we are taught to write in school. Some people excel at it, and some people don’t. But putting words on paper is something almost anyone can do. Right?
Not exactly.
When people ask me whether I am a copywriter or a marketer, I always answer the same way – I am both. Why? Because the two professions are intrinsically connected.
Here’s an example of what I mean: Executives at an early stage company want the company to have more visibility in the market. Their idea is to run ads, reach out to editors, do direct mail, re-design the web site, and other tactics – all of which can be effective tools for raising awareness and driving leads.
Web sites have become a necessity in today’s business world. These seven tips can help companies get the most out of the words they put on each page.
1. Know your Audience. Before one word is put on a site, it is critical to understand your audience and what motivates them to act. Without that key information, you run the risk of producing rambling, ineffectual copy and organizing it in such a way that does not motivate your customers to contact you.
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Recently, I’ve noticed more and more requests for uncompensated press release writing. After all… a press release is only a page or so in length, right? How long can it take?
The truth is…press release writing contains many rules that add time and energy to the task. Here are just a few of those rules:
Headline – Creating a headline is not only about making it interesting enough to grab someone’s attention in a newsworthy fashion. Writers must also consider words that can drive visibility on search engines, such as the company’s name and industry-specific terminology.
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