I spent a couple of days at the Paris Air Show last month. And as I usually do at such events, I picked up a bunch of product brochures to take home and study. Reviewing them, one thing jumped out at me. I saw the same costly mistake being repeated ...
Some “Alternative” Lead Generation Strategies
May 14, 2009 by johnLeave a comment
As many of you know, I spent a couple of days at the Aerospace 09 Expo in Munich last month. And I came away with an observation I want to share with you today.
On the first day, it seemed obvious that the global recession had had an effect on ...
5 Deadly Lead Generation Mistakes… and How to Avoid Them
April 8, 2009 by johnLeave a comment
In February, I participated in a seminar on writing and marketing with white papers hosted by white paper specialist Michael Stelzner. In one presentation he gave us, Michael discussed 5 mistakes that many businesses make when they use white papers, special reports and other free information products (or “bait pieces”, ...
12 Tips for More Effective White Papers – Part 2
March 3, 2009 by johnLeave a comment
Do you sell products that are cutting-edge, complex or expensive?
Do you want to generate quality leads? Grow your email list? Establish or enhance your company’s reputation as a leading innovator in your market?
Is your sales team asking for stronger “leave behind” materials? Are you looking for content that ...
12 Tips for More Effective White Papers – Part 1
February 10, 2009 by johnLeave a comment
In tough economic times, business buyers – like the rest of us – are generally resistant to spending money without good reason. Their anti-advertising defenses are at full alert.
So I thought this might be a good time to pass on a few tips about a tool that is specially ...
How to Write Powerful Headlines
January 7, 2009 by john5 comments
You’ve just drafted a handful of benefit-driven headlines for your next space ad. You’ve picked out two or three that look fairly promising.
But each…just seems to lack something.
You’re wondering to yourself, “Will any of these really work? Can I be sure? How could I make them better?”
Well, ...
Published in Direct Marketing, Lead Generation, B2B Copywriting, Headlines & subheads, Advertisements
Always Use a Benefit Headline
December 9, 2008 by john3 comments
A couple of months ago, a client showed me the trade magazine in which an article I’d written for her had been published. She seemed pleased.
I felt sick.
Unbeknownst to me, and to my client, the magazine’s editor had replaced the headline I’d written with a much shorter one ...
The Motivating Sequence
November 5, 2008 by johnLeave a comment
When you sit down to write a new promotion for your company, one of the most important decisions you have to make – really a whole set of decisions – is how to organize the material. Because how you present it greatly affects how people react to it. And that ...
Don’t Start Off Talking About Your Company
Among the corporate brochures I’ve picked up this year, the travesty we looked at last month wasn’t the only bad apple I found.
Another started with a long spiel on the company’s history. Then came a paragraph on investments made in the past 10 years... experience gained…a mention of involvement ...
Published in B2B Copywriting, Sales Brochures
Use Specifics to Beef Up your Corporate Brochure
Does your company brochure leave readers asking, “Where’s the beef?”
I attended several trade shows this spring, which allowed me to pick up quite a number of corporate capabilities brochures. I was hoping to find some good ideas I could use in my own practice. Unfortunately, most of what I ...
Published in B2B Copywriting, Corporate Brochures
