Cautionary Tales
Hereās a cautionary tale about LinkedInā¦ ā¦and why you must power-up your profileā¦ ā¦even if you rarely spend time on the platform. Yesterday, I met a guy named Bill whoās trying to ramp up his tutoring business.Ā He struggles to generate leads and land clients. And he described those struggles while sitting on the āhot…
Read MoreIt began as a shoulder ache. Now I have a headache. And itās all because of process automation gone wrong. I woke Monday morning ā after a restless, painful night ā with a sore shoulder. The pain had spread down my forearm, to my hand. I knew these symptoms. Iād had them before ā 15…
Read MoreA VIP member of my Content Transformation Academy asked me last week: Whatās the ideal length for a subject line? āProvocative question,ā I replied. My answer: āSize doesnāt matter.ā The VIP shot back: āI read āshorter is better.āā āYeah,ā I replied, āSome say short. Some say long.ā I Googled āwhat’s the proper length for a…
Read MoreI spoke yesterday to a business owner who doesnāt like getting emailsā¦ ā¦so she doesnāt want to send them. āI’ll be honest about email lists or subscriptions,ā she said. āI don’t really like being on them. because I always feel like I’m being bombarded by emailsā¦So I’m only intending to send (email) out once a…
Read MoreLast 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 theĀ video clip… Audiences enjoy love at first sight stories. (This clip — which is one of many on YouTube showing this scene…
Read MoreA quiet morning in St. Louis, MO, USA. Your friendly neighborhood storytelling expert sits at his desk, peacefully interacting with some new connections on LinkedIn whenā¦ ā¦the alarm soundsā¦ ā¦The Lingo Alarm. Hereās the LinkedIn post that triggers itā¦ (Our company) delivers expertise, market experience and a proven track record in bio-based composite manufacturing (masterbatch,…
Read MoreA 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. …
Read MoreRaise your hand if you feel an emotional connection with Amazon because youāre drawn to founder Jeff Bezosās 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 saidā¦ āOnline shopping behemoth Amazon is another…
Read MoreI spoke the other day with a business owner who said, āIām too busy serving my clients to spend time marketing my business.ā I hear that occasionally. Maybe youāve 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. …
Read MoreI read an article this morning in one of those big-time business magazines about āhow to create an unforgettable origin story.ā It was kinda forgettable. It contained lots of dos and donātsā¦ ā¦be honestā¦ ā¦donāt just list a chronology of eventsā¦ ā¦include specific detailsā¦ ā¦describe a vivid momentā¦ ā¦and so on, and so forth. But…
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