The Thing About Hiring A Marketing Agency

The Thing About Hiring a Agency: There’s a very low barrier to entry in marketing. It’s not like hiring an engineering firm, where people have legitimate credentials. And it’s certainly not like medicine, with actual doctors who spent years in school. In fact…

Professionals With Marketing Degrees Might Actually Be WORSE-OFF!

And that’s because they’ve learned “creative marketing strategies,” from academic professors, who failed to earn their chops in the real world. Because had these professors been successful in the real world, they would still be out there… Making Millions! Right?! So trust me when I say this, the only real teacher is the market (and how much money you make, d’uh).

So What Does That Mean When You’re Hiring A Marketing Agency?

A Marketing Agency can be a huge help to growing your business. But you need to pick the best one! So how do you pick the bets marketing agency? Trust me, it’s not that hard. You just need to look for… how the marketing agency…

Determines Success!

It’s rather simple. Here’s what I mean…

If the marketing agency you are looking to hire is pre-occupied with showing you creative designs… and… the freshest new ideas… don’t walk, run away! Because that’s not what you’re looking for.

“I Know It Might Sound Counter-Intuitive…

But you don’t want to pick a marketing agency that’s only focused on the creative! In fact, there’s actually one simple questions you can ask any marketing agency you are looking to hire… and… instantly know… if… they’re the best agency you can hire!

So What’s The One Question You Should Ask Any Marketing Agency BEFORE Hiring?

Here it is this. This question is a beauty, “How Much Did You Increase Sales on Your Last 3 Client Projects?

Now I know it’s not particularly sexy but, trust me. This question will shut down ANY slacker marketing agencies who are looking to rip you off… or… looking to take your money so they can practice being “Creative!”. So listen up…

Because if you’re in business, then you need to be focused on one thing: Money!… and… how to make more of it! As fast as freaking possible! Right?!

So…

That’s why you should forget about being so creative. Start using direct response. Because while the highest-impact direct response marketing isn’t exactly “drop dead sexy,” it sure makes the most money! And once again, (I really shouldn’t have to tell you this), business is about making money!

So simply use the one easy question above, and you can hire a marketing agency that will actually turn your expensive into the highest yielding investment you could make. And that’s why you need to hire the right marketing agency.

A Mini-Rant On The Value of Copywriting:

It’s simple. Well… that’s what THEY think, anyways. But can you blame them?

YES! Yes you absolutely can blame them. Puh-lease!

And yet…

As a student of human behavior (ever since first reading The Prince, many years ago), I shouldn’t be so surprised. Do you know why? Because…

People do tend to under-value things they don’t understand… or… things that APPEAR simple on the surface. Yup…

It’s true.

But do you know how much complex thought can go into making something APPEAR simple? Can you fathom the notion that it takes some control to eliminate excess? Did you ever contemplate THAT for even a hot second? Yeah, that’s what I thought…

Of course you didn’t.

So go on. Write your verbose, impersonal, boring, irrelevant and confusing letter. Let me know what kind of a response you get, will ya? (I won’t hold my breath).

And I’ll try to bite my sick twisted smile, when you waltz back down the hallway towards me, waiving hard copy in hand, saying “Jeff can you please give this a quick proof-read?”

Like menial words don’t mean a single, god forsaken thing.

Because though you have no problem spending thousands on graphic designers, I know you don’t value what I do, until you desperately need a deal closed, a contract signed or sales prospects to bite.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing – (Marketing Book Review)

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Ries and Trout

22 Immutable Laws of - by Al Ries and Jack Trout

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing – By Al Ries and Jack Trout asks, “There are laws of nature, so why shouldn’t there be laws of marketing?

Good question! So that’s why (if you care about marketing at all) you simply must read The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing… and… discover… what these fundamental rules mean for the growth of your business!

It’s a sweet story of sales…

But Fair Warning: This is only my personal review of the classic marketing text. To see the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing For Yourself, Click Here.

Summary of The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is a very quick read. Ries and Trout have managed to pack all the wisdom of the marketing ages into a quick 133 (excluding a 10 page index).

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is suitable for managers, owners and chief marketing officers in business-to-consumers and business-to-business enterprises.

Since the book is focused exclusively on the most fundamental aspects of marketing, the short simple lessons can be applied to any business. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is filled with examples and case-studies of companies that . This is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of other marketers. That means, by investing only $10 (less than the price of a large burrito), The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing could save you hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars in marketing expenses (not to mention lost sales!)

Table of Contents: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

  • Introduction
  • The Law of Leadership: It’s better to be first than it is to be better
  • The Law of Category: If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in
  • The Law of The Mind: It’s better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace
  • The Law of Perception: Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.
  • The Law of Focus: The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind
  • The Law of Exclusivity: Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind
  • The Law of the Ladder: The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder
  • The Law of Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race
  • The Law of the Opposite: If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader
  • The Law of Division: Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories
  • The Law of Perspective: Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time
  • The Law of Line Extension: There’s an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.
  • The Law of Sacrifice: You have to give something up in order to get something
  • The Law of Attributes: For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute
  • The Law of Candor: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive
  • The Law of Singularity: In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results
  • The Law of Unpredictability: Unless you write your competitors’ plans, you can’t predict the future
  • The Law of Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure
  • The Law of Failure: Failure is to be expected and accepted
  • The Law of Hype: The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press
  • The Law of Acceleration: Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends
  • The Law of Resources: Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground
  • WARNING

Now, you’ll be happy to hear that for each of marketing’s immutable laws, Ries and Trout provide tons of great examples, case studies and lessons learned. You can see exactly how other companies violated the laws and failed… or… leveraged the laws to become worldwide leaders! You”ll quickly get a very sound understanding of all the laws in action and what they mean for marketers everywhere.

Now I know it feels like I’ve already shared the ENTIRE book with you. But don’t be fooled. If you are serious about using the fundamental laws of marketing as your springboard to success… well… you simply cannot afford to miss reading The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing… so… Pick it up on Amazon

UPS Ad Review 2012 (The Economist)

2012 has been a good year. And I’m not just talking about myself. Nope. The world of B2B Advertising – particularly in The Economist! – seems to have improved. What proof of successful Economist advertising can I offer you today? Well I’m glad you asked…

UPS Economist Ad 2012

UPS Economist Ad 2012

Now from a technical perspective, there’s a lot that this ad does well. Let’s recap…

Why The 2012 UPS Economist Ad Campaign Works Well

  • The banner is refreshing and eye-catching. It’s also very relevant. And indicates that logistics are in fact a complicated business process. My only critique of this element is… why no caption? Seems like a lost opportunity to drive home the point UPS is trying to make.
  • The headline is very clear. And very compelling. Notice how it’s incredibly focused on delivering a benefit. There’s no mention of UPS
  • The sub-heading is used well, too. Arguably, UPS is mentioned a little bit early. It would be less-threatening to potential leads if they re-phrased the sentence to focus on the facts first, and then finish with how UPS can take advantage of the opportunity they describe.
  • The body copy clearly delivers on the benefit promised in the headline. Textbook. The bold numbering of the bullet points is best practice in action. This is great stuff. And we don’t see it nearly often enough.
  • There’s a strong attempt to reinforce the benefits that UPS provides at the end of the copy.
  • My biggest qualm with this ad is the call to action isn’t very specific. From the URL, it looks like UPS is promoting a new guide to logistics (or something). Why then, don’t they specifically call that out in the text. A call to action featuring a free logistics guide (or something like that) would go a long way to make the call to action less vanilla. As it stands, it’s really not clear WHY I should take the time to look up the URL (or snap the QR code). Do you see what I mean? This could have been really high-impact. But it comes up a little short.
  • I think my favorite aspect of this UPS Economist advertisement is the fact that the UPS logo isn’t even mentioned until the bottom of the post. This is in stark contrast to most ads we see, with huge company-centric banner adorning the page.

And that’s how it’s done, folks. So congratulations to the ad agency and team at UPS. Great job.

Economist Accenture Ad Review 2012 – Part 2

Accenture Economist Ad - March 2012

They’ve done it! Accenture (in their latest Economist Advertisement) have put a punchy, pithy first sentence in the body copy.

THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!

I’ve been begging them to do this for MONTHS… and… MONTHS!

Congratulations, my consulting, outsourcing and technology friends. You’ve really made me proud with your . Although I don’t LOVE the double use of “performers” in the headline, I’ll let it slide… so… Now I just have one last minor gripe before your ad copy will be pristine…

And it actually doesn’t really have to do with ad copy at all…

So let me explain. I totally get the white headline. It’s not THAT ideal. But I see why you did it. HOWEVER: The body text is ridiculous!! I mean let’s be honest, how is any CEO going to read THAT, from more than 5.3” away?? Exactly.

So Accenture advertising team and agency, while I commend you on the copy upgrade, I’m really not feeling the small white text on clouds. How can you honestly be into that?

Anyway, I’m not sure what the answer is, try reversing the type/logo colors? Or just write the small copy in black? You’ll have to figure that one out on your own. But I look forward to your next attempt…

Economist Accenture Ad Review – 2012

Accenture Economist Ad 2012

Accenture Economist Ad 2012

They’ve done it again! It’s another Accenture Economist Ad. And you might not have noticed, but Accenture.com even has the same banners. The good folks at Accenture must be very proud of those case studies. And why not!? They sound compelling. But it’s downhill from there.

Once again, the main body paragraph of the ad lacks a punchy first sentence. Now don’t get me wrong, I think this Accenture advertisement has a lot of strong elements. But the bland, elongated introductory sentence is punishment to the impatient reader.

Why can’t they just add a short sentence that grabs attention. Something that reflects the general sentiment of the ad (mobile enabled technology is omnipresent and powerful). Do you know what I mean?

It’s pretty simple. A crisp statement that pulls the reader in by stoking their curiosity would go a long way. I’m just freestyle now, but something suitable might be, “We’re everywhere” or “Online is everywhere” or “It’s not about location.”

But wait. That’s not all. So…

What else irks me about this Accenture advertisement? Well…

The lights in the background are a little bright. It hurts my eyes. But only a little. So I guess that’s not a total black mark against it. More importantly…

The small white font against the underside of the concrete highway is brutal. It’s like writing this blog post in YELLOW.  I have to squint to read it. Whoever okay’d that should be fired.

Just sayin.

Oh yeah, a call to action or specific offer would be nice too. But that’s almost too common an error to call out. God forbid some demand be generated from your advertising. Sheesh.

 

Back to Copywriting Basics

Okay, I’m not saying this post about Curiosity (from Copyblogger.com) is ENTIRELY wrong. Not at all. But…

I do think they’re complicating things.  And beyond that, Amy Harrison is forgetting something VERY important.

So…

Let me explain…

Why Curiosity Alone Does NOT Work In Headlines:

In her recent post, Amy writes about 3 elements of curiosity that can help you increase how compelling your copy is. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But…

It could be made a lot easier. And here’s how…

Instead of clouding your brain with complicated rules of 3, just remember what the great John Caples wrote in his classic, Tested Advertising Methods…

“Headline appeals work best if they combine curiosity with self-interest.”

It’s the same fundamental concept, in one easy line. Stop confusing yourself with technical tactics.

And sure, you can make your headline in a “news”, or “how-to” style. But none of that matters.

Unless…

You can tap into your readers’ self-interest! That’s right. you need to unlock their burning to desire to break through the current wall of pain, frustration and overwhelming helplessness. So…

If you don’t have an idea of who your reader is, and what they’re trying to accomplish, it doesn’t matter how much curiosity you spark.

Nope…

Because even if they do read your first sentence (in order to satiate their burning desire to KNOW MORE) they’ll quickly abandon the article, ad or blog post as soon as they realize it’s not the answer to their secret prayers for help. You see…

None of those advanced technical writing tactics matter… unless… you stay absolutely zeroed in on who your reader is. So let’s wrap this up…

While curiosity can certainly help catalyze readers to consume your article – if it’s not aligned with reader self-interest, none of it matters.

And that’s tested advertising best practice. It’s simple (not super sexy).

But it works.

Technical Writing Tips: Brackets

Let’s talk about brackets. They’re important. Use brackets gingerly.

Brackets  provide a ton of “eye relief.” And eye relief makes it easier to read.  It breaks things up. It changes the monotony of lines and lines of text. It gives you a little bit of a break.

But where should you use brackets to make your writing easier to read?

Well, I’m glad you asked. Let me share a general rule of thumb: Whenever you use a comma or a dash, simply ask yourself if brackets make sense instead. You might have to go back and re-read to see where they fit (especially if you’re just getting started!)

The Best Place For Brackets:

Have you ever seen those sentences, you know the ones, with a clause inserted between two commas?  (see how I just did it there: “you know the ones”)

If you’re a grammar nut, you’ll know I’m talking about an apposition. But don’t get intimidated by grammar terms. It’s easy. So…

Instead of using “appositive commas” (as they’re known), just stick some brackets in instead! (It makes all the difference)

Brackets will make your writing easier to read, more natural and more enjoyable. So give it a try!

Well, that’s all for today (more to come soon).

FORGET about traffic…

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over $1,000 a day for 739 days in a ROW!

Best of all? He’s got LIVE VIDEO PROOF.

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his $400k a year clickbank account)

Honestly – This has blown me away.

It requires no traffic, no investment and
absolutely NO experience.

And after finding out what the system is…
I can confidently say it works, too.

Don’t miss out on this goldmine.

Talk soon,
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P.S. BANANAS…!

What?

Yep. That’s how I’d describe the whole
“internet community” right now.

The forums are on fire. It’s all over facebook…

In fact, the number of emails about this I’ve
received ALONE is pretty ridiculous…

(and the fact that copies are VERY limited)

Means you’re going to want to jump on this fast.

Before it’s too late.

http://www.b2bseocopywriting.com/go/google-sniper

Ad Review – Living Assistance Services (Toronto)

Let me cut to the chase: This Living Assistance Services Ad is genius. As you know, I’m always on the lookout for top performing ads. So thank you www.LAServices.ca – because…

This Globe and Mail ad is a winner!

Talk about an attention grabbing advertisement! Well done, Living Assistance Services

 

http://www.laservices.ca/

Attention Grabbing Done Right