Category Archives: Advertising

Make Sure Your Sell Sheets Sell

While filing material I picked up at a trade show the other day, I had the opportunity to scan many sell sheets back to back. Only a couple really sold, for a whole variety of reasons. Here are a few pointers to make sure yours do some heavy lifting:

Creating Compelling Copy

When you have to write copy, or give direction to someone else who will, where do you start? Here’s my system. (Click on the headline for more…)

A New Way to Reach Targeted Prospects Online

Last week, I mentioned StumbleUpon in a post. I subsequently realized that many of you may not know what Stumble Upon is — or if are, you may not be aware of its advertising capabilities. (Click on the healdine for more…)

Lessons From the Hardware Show

I just returned from a productive trip to the Hardware Show in Las Vegas. I knew from the barrage of “discounted rooms still available” emails leading up to the show that it would be smaller than previous years. But — perhaps because most of our clients are doing so well — I wasn’t prepared for it being down by roughly half.

Nearly all the exhibitors I spoke with reported a profitable year – even those who aren’t riding the vegetable gardening boom. While many were unsettled because their sales haven’t followed a typical pattern this year, their numbers were nevertheless up. Two things seemed to be primarily responsible for their success. (Click on the headline for more…)

Roll Out the Welcome Mat for New Customers

A hat tip to Stephen Lett of Lett Direct for this suggestion mentioned in one of his old Catalog Success columns: Include a special “new buyer” welcome in every package sent to first-time buyers. What better way to make newcomers feel appreciated, and for a tiny cost, too.

Paid Search Powers Ahead

Internet Retailer always does some interesting surveys, and this month’s one on search marketing is no exception. Some of the highlights: (Click on the headline for more…)

An Important Difference in Business-to-Business Advertising

Many of our clients have both a wholesale and retail component to their business. When creating their business-to-business advertising, there’s always one extra wrinkle that usually takes some finesse. (Click on headline for more…)

Tips for Successful Postcard Mailings

Every blog post or newsletter article I publish about postcard mailings seems to generate a lot of interest. Clearly, many companies are turning to postcards as a way to reach more customers and prospects at a lower cost. Unfortunately, I see lots of postcards that either try to do too much or that miss key components. For best results, here are a few tips: (Click on the headline for more…)

The Most Important Design Rule to Maximize Sales

Helping people process information quickly is a critical component of maximizing sales. Whether you’re developing a web page, a catalog page or a print ad, creating an effective visual hierarchy is crucial. (Click on headline for more…)

Make Your Postcard Mailings Work Harder

More and more companies are turning to postcards as a way to keep marketing on a reduced budget. Yet time and again, I see the non-address side of the card do all the heavy lifting, while the address side is almost always an afterthought.

But consider this: (Click on headline for more…)