Cautionary Tales
It 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…
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A 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…
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I 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…
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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 theĀ video clip… Audiences enjoy love at first sight stories. (This clip — which is one of many on YouTube showing this scene…
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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 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,…
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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. …
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Raise 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…
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I 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. …
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I 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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I usually send my emails first thing in the morning. But not today. Iāve been busyā¦ ā¦building an arky, arky andā¦ ā¦helping the animals come in by twosies, twosies. Actually, it’s too late for that. Itās raining here in St. Louis, MO, USA. Big rain. Record-setting rain. Biblical rain. Nine inches and counting ā in…
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