Tom Ruwitch

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A Cautionary Tale About a Marketer’s Trust-busting Email…ļæ¼

By Tom Ruwitch

I got an eye-roll-inducing email yesterday from a marketer named Stephanie. I signed up for her list a few months ago. So technically, this wasn’t SPAM… …but it sure felt like it.  Here’s what it said:  Hi there Tom, I wanted to send you a special note, but I don’t have your mailing address šŸ™‚…

You’re Invited (Today)…

By Tom Ruwitch

If you’re free today at 3 p.m. CENTRAL, here’s an idea… Be my guest as I reveal… 9 secrets to write client-attracting, story-powered content (the Joe Sugarman way). Here’s what you’ll learn… Eight ā€œmagicā€ words that transform readers from tuned-out do-nothings to turned-on buyers The single, most important thing your copy needs to keep prospects’…

Monday Mash-Up ~ 2022.03.28

By Tom Ruwitch

Joe+Joe — Polish Interviews Sugarman + You’re Invited… + The Implied Trade-Off with Loyalty Programs + Is Persuasion Legal? Ethical? Where Do You Draw the Line + The Medicine Man by Keb’ Mo’ + Tom Peters Says “Think Small!”

The story-powered Ad That Launched an Eyeglasses Empire

By Tom Ruwitch

We lost a legend this week — Joe Sugarman, a copywriting great, who taught me (and countless others) tons about marketing. He wrote many great books, including The Adweek Copywriting Handbook. I pulled that book from my shelf yesterday and flung it open to the place I dog-eared long ago: Page 178. The section about storytelling.…

Ben Franklin’s Wily Way to Turn Foes to Friends

By Tom Ruwitch

Want to turn an enemy into an ally? Here’s a story I got from chapter 18 of ā€œYes!ā€ by Robert Cialdini – this month’s selection in theĀ Mastermind Book ClubĀ (more on that below).Ā  Back in colonial times, long before he graced the $100-bill, Benjamin Franklin was running for reelection as an officer for a literary and…

I Missed the Holiday. Here’s a Pot o’ Gold to Make up For It…

By Tom Ruwitch

Happy Belated World Storytelling Day. The big day was Sunday. I can’t believe I missed it. šŸ™ I usually round up a bunch of my storytelling pals, head down to the corner tavern, and get drunk on green beer… …um…check that… Different holiday.  World Storytelling Day? I don’t have any special alcohol-soaked traditions.  In fact, I…

How my Client Overcame a Dreaded, Business-Crushing Disease

By Tom Ruwitch

ā€œI don’t have an interesting story,ā€ Elizabeth said. Her shoulders slumped. She stared at her shoes.  Elizabeth was a client. We’d discussed how storytelling captivates prospects and inspires them to act. She understood and agreed. But then she told me she didn’t have what it takes.  ā€œThere’s nothing about me worth telling. My story is…

Monday Mash-Up ~ 2022.-03.21

By Tom Ruwitch

How to Make Your Business Grow Without Being a Braggy, Bigshot Bro + How Content Marketing Has Evolved + Is Persuasion Legal? + 9 Strategies To Make Content Creation Effective And Enjoyable + Prepare for the BEST

The Great Peanut Fiasco and What it Reveals for Your Business

By Tom Ruwitch

All I wanted was a friggin’ bag of peanuts! Last night, at the NHL hockey game between (my beloved) St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins, I had a hankering for some salt and crunch. Peanuts in the shell. Some water to wash ā€˜em down.  It was between the first and second periods so the…

How to Turn “Yawns” to “Yeses” When You Ask for Email Signups

By Tom Ruwitch

Want to know one of the best ways to inspire more qualified prospects to join your email list? Sell them on the idea of subscribing.  Seems kind of obvious, doesn’t it?  Yet so many business people undersell their emails.  They put a little form on their site with a headline ā€œJoin our email listā€ (or…