Archive for December, 2010

Merry Christmas from Brian

In a final post for the year, I just wanted to wish all my loyal readers a merry christmas and a happy new year, season’s greetings to those who don’t celebrate christmas, and a safe journey to whoever’s with me: travelling on our roads, headed for some much needed R&R.

For us, the new year will bring new breakthroughs, new distinctions, woven like a rich tapestry into the tried and tested copywriting strategies which have served so many, so well, for so many years. You’ll get my take on things right here on this page, so stay tuned.

Here is why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer

It’s politically correct, it seems, to feel sorry for poor people, to give them handouts, to sneer and grumble at the rich for not ‘sharing the wealth’…

Personally I can’t stand this attitude. Just had an enlightening conversation with my sweet about her travels from her native Nepal to Australia. She’s worked hard just about the whole time, sometimes up to 16 hours a day, and most of what she made, she’s sent back home to her family.

Are you throwing away easy money?

Sitting here waiting for my sweet to go in and see the doctor, I’m wondering if we will hear from them again. I mean, it’s our first time here so they had us fill out the “new patient registration form”, so I know for a fact they do have a list.

But are they using it?

I’m not holding my breath of course. I’m not expecting to get a thank you letter or a come back soon postcard or a follow up phone call. I find many small businesses and practices are collecting names and addresses, but only as a matter of procedure, not with a strategic intent to keep customers and patients coming back and spending more

Are you giving your market what they want or just selling what you got?

Walking through one of those large stores, near Salisbury, tons of imported Chinese stuff, couldn’t help but notice the range of pipes and other wacky tobaccy related items under glass at the counter as well as various parts of hydroponic equipment.

Now, if you think this was why I was there I’m not sure how you think I write direct response copy, (but I’m pretty sure I saw several ad agency execs in there…), but it is a good lesson in marketing:

How well do you know your history?

I’m constantly amazed and dismayed at the lack of historical research most entrepreneurs do in their own industries. Are YOU guilty of this?

As a copywriter and copy strategy expert I cannot possibly do enough research into ads, sales letters, websites etc which have worked in the past. Doesn’t matter if it was 10 yrs ago or 100, the same principles make a winning ad now as they always have.