Cautionary Tales
Here’s a cautionary tale about LinkedIn… …and why you must power-up your profile… …even if you rarely spend time on the platform. Yesterday, I met a guy named Bill who’s trying to ramp up his tutoring business. He struggles to generate leads and land clients. And he described those struggles while sitting on the “hot…
It began as a shoulder ache. Now I have a headache. And it’s all because of process automation gone wrong. I woke Monday morning – after a restless, painful night – with a sore shoulder. The pain had spread down my forearm, to my hand. I knew these symptoms. I’d had them before – 15…
A VIP member of my Content Transformation Academy asked me last week: What’s the ideal length for a subject line? “Provocative question,” I replied. My answer: “Size doesn’t matter.” The VIP shot back: “I read ‘shorter is better.’” “Yeah,” I replied, “Some say short. Some say long.” I Googled “what’s the proper length for a…
I spoke yesterday to a business owner who doesn’t like getting emails… …so she doesn’t want to send them. “I’ll be honest about email lists or subscriptions,” she said. “I don’t really like being on them. because I always feel like I’m being bombarded by emails…So I’m only intending to send (email) out once a…
Last week, I re-watched Romeo + Juliet — the 1996 version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. I love the scene where the star-crossed lovers meet. Love at first sight around a tropical fish tank. Here’s the video clip… Audiences enjoy love at first sight stories. (This clip — which is one of many on YouTube showing this scene…
A quiet morning in St. Louis, MO, USA. Your friendly neighborhood storytelling expert sits at his desk, peacefully interacting with some new connections on LinkedIn when… …the alarm sounds… …The Lingo Alarm. Here’s the LinkedIn post that triggers it… (Our company) delivers expertise, market experience and a proven track record in bio-based composite manufacturing (masterbatch,…
A sequel to the email I sent yesterday re: Dan Kennedy and direct response marketing (archived here in case you missed it) I worked in the newspaper industry for most of the 1990s. By 1996, I was working on the online side. Most newspaper display advertising was (and still is) paid brand awareness. No calls-to-action. No tracking. …
Raise your hand if you feel an emotional connection with Amazon because you’re drawn to founder Jeff Bezos’s origin story. (Me neither) Why do I ask? Because I read yet another article about storytelling in one of those big-time business magazines that dished out rotten advice. The article said… “Online shopping behemoth Amazon is another…
I spoke the other day with a business owner who said, “I’m too busy serving my clients to spend time marketing my business.” I hear that occasionally. Maybe you’ve thought that yourself. I responded by citing the great Dan Kennedy who taught me long ago: All who run a business are in the marketing business. …
I read an article this morning in one of those big-time business magazines about “how to create an unforgettable origin story.” It was kinda forgettable. It contained lots of dos and don’ts… …be honest… …don’t just list a chronology of events… …include specific details… …describe a vivid moment… …and so on, and so forth. But…