Welcome back to HOW TO WIN CUSTOMERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE: Marketing tips, ideas, insights, reviews and rants. As always, the focus is on winning new customers-and bringing back old ones-through persuasive writing.
In this issue:
1. MORTY RIDES AGAIN
2. BLOG PR WITHOUT A BLOG
3. COPYWRITING CHECKLIST
4. MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH...
NOTE: Special thanks to Shel Horowitz who alerted readers of his newsletter that "too many web links (URLs) cause certain spam filters to kick in." So I'm following Shel's lead and just giving one link to a special blog site I set up for the newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/59ldn5. On that page, you'll find all the other links I removed.
1. MORTY RIDES AGAIN
From out of the past.... the daring and resourceful marketing rider of the mails once again leads the fight to get the order!... Return with us now to the thrilling adventures of the Marketing Man.... Hi Yo Schiller! Morty rides again!
All right. Enough of that. I'm back. And I'm here to help you make more money. So here's the long awaited issue of my newsletter of compelling ideas for copywriting, marketing, PR and more, to improve your bottom line.
You're getting this newsletter because you either subscribed from my website or blog. Or you might have been added to the invitation list because you are a client, colleague, prospect or friend.
I know. I know.... With all the spam and junk glutting your mailbox these days, the last thing you need is a subscription you don't want! So if you've had enough of newsletters, even this one, here's your chance to leave the wagon train. You can simply unsubscribe below. Don't worry I'll get over it.
If you got this newsletter from a friend and want your own subscription, I am honored. Just go to the Subscribe link below, click and smile.
2. BLOG PR WITHOUT A BLOG
You don't need your own blog to make use blogs for PR. I was part of a panel at PMA University on Advanced PR techniques with Steve O'Keefe of Patron Saint Productions and Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts. The session focused on author tours and blogging. I spoke on Blog PR for books, specifically about my blog campaign with Steve for Alan Dershowitz's book "The Case for Peace," the sequel to his New York Times bestseller "The Case for Israel."
To promote the book, I contacted Jewish-interest blogs and commented on relevant posts. Where I thought it was unwise to intrude with a comment, I sent a letter to the blogmaster offering a free review copy. You can see some of the results if you google "dershowitz peace mordechai schiller."
Nice postscript: The recordings of the PMA University sessions have been released and our session was listed as
***TOP SELLER*** 4A. Advanced Internet Publicity: Online Author Tours
You can order the CD at AVMG Media Store. (Disclosure: I don't get any commission. Just makes me feel good.)
3. COPYWRITING CHECKLIST
Preparing for a copywriting assignment? Whether you write your own copy or hire a copywriter, the first step is gathering information. Email me for a free "Copywriting Checklist" with guidelines to help you write selling copy. (It's not a formal questionnaire, though some of my clients have used it that way. Think of it as seeding the clouds for brainstorming.)
4. MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH: Morty in the News
Jason Alba, author of "I'm on LinkedIn - Now What???" and CEO - JibberJobber.com, declared "Personal Branding Winner of the Month for May 2008 - Morty Schiller!" He had some other nice things to say too. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/6bfk3d
Business to Business and SEO marketing expert Dianna Huff published a case study about a viral video campaign I did for CYBRA Corporation:
B2B MarCom Writer Blog: "CYBRA’s “MarkMagic” Videos Deliver Humor Plus Product Benefits"
http://marcom-writer-blog.com/?p=240
and
Dianna Huff's MarCom Strategist: "CYBRA Uses Humor and Video to Sell the Sizzle of Bar Code Software" http://www.dhcommunications.com/free/mcn060608.htm
(Glossary:MarCom is short for Marketing Communications. Business to Business or B2B is what used to be called "industrial marketing" or marketing products and services from one business to another business, as distinct from the more familiar Business to Consumer marketing.)
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE....
If you enjoy How to Win Customers and Influence People, please forward it to your friends and colleagues. Want to know more? Want to be the next one to profit from my copywriting? Don't wait: Call today: (718) 253-1043 or email me: mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com.
Just want some more useful tips and ideas? Check out the articles at MortySchiller.com. I promise you no dancing bears or tinny music. Just more marketing smarts.
To your success!
All the best,
Morty
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Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
HOW TO WIN CUSTOMERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE Issue 3
In this issue:
1. Yom Kippur
2. Do you need a blog?
3. Viral Marketing
4. TinyURL
1. As we go into Yom Kippur, let me wish you a sweet
year of health, happiness, peace and prosperity and
nachas http://tinyurl.com/72fpd
Jewish or not, New Yorkers know about Yom Kippur, or as
Mickey Mantle once called it, "Yom Koufax." Public
schools are closed. The centers of commerce and finance
wind down to a halt. There's a sense of new hopes and
beginnings.... and even a certain spirituality in
the air.
Some 250 years ago, a little boy in Medzhybizh, Ukraine
learned about Yom Kippur in a most unusual way. For the
full story, see my article in Jewish World Review:
"Whistling at N'eila" at http://jewishworldreview.com/1005/schiller_neilah.php3
2. Do you need a blog?
Most people have no idea what a blog is, let alone
think they need one.
In simple terms, a blog is an online journal. Short for
web logs, blogs started with Internet geeks
http://tinyurl.com/akbun logging web pages with their
own annotations. As the process became simpler with new
blogging software, it spread widely: from teenagers
going public with their diaries, to kitchen table
journalists... to CEO's blogging about company news.
Blogs have become popular with marketers as more and
more of their email marketing gets trapped in spam
filters. One of the main advantages of a blog is having
an ongoing "conversation" with your public. Unlike
formal websites, blogs are by nature immediate and
"transparent" (open and candid). Or, at least they
should be. They are also interactive--inviting comments
from readers--and viral (see next item)--inviting
readers to forward blog posts to friends. Many are
about specialized areas of interest. My own blog
focuses on copywriting and marketing. See a sample at
http://tinyurl.com/qx8gm
and http://tinyurl.com/m6e2s
Want to start your own company blog? For starters, get
Seth Godin's free ebook "Who's There?":
http://tinyurl.com/ajffb and subscribe to blog expert Debbie
Weil's newsletter to get her free ebook "Top 7 Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog": http://www.wordbiz.com/signup.php
Need help? I've added blog writing and management to my
list of services. Call or write me for more info.
3. Viral Marketing
If you've read any business publications in the last
eight years, you've heard of "Viral Marketing." If not,
start here: http://www.ideavirus.com.
Like most buzz words, popularity has watered down its
meaning. It's closely related to (and often used
interchangeably with) "buzz" and word-of-mouth
marketing. For scholarly Jewish publisher Yashar Books,
we launched the "Open Access Project" (see
http://www.yasharbooks.com/pressrelease0atp.html
and
http://www.yasharbooks.com/Open/).
"Lamed" news blog on Jewish education
http://tinyurl.com/6f8bf wrote:
"Yashar Books is doing something bold.... They're
giving books away for free online. Their 'Open Access'
project just uploaded the entire text of a new
biography, 'Rabbi Israel Salanter: Religious-Ethical
Thinker.' Check it out.".
Within two weeks, more copies were downloaded than were
originally printed of the book. As Yashar president,
Gil Student wrote, "Are we crazy for doing this? Quite
possibly. But we are convinced that people who like
this book will want to buy a copy for their library so
they can enjoy it for years to come. We want people to
share the ideas. We are convinced that an open give and
take of ideas will create the right atmosphere for more
learning... and more book buying."
Can Viral Marketing help spread the word about your
business? Call or write me to discuss it.
4. What are all those "tinyurl" links?
If you've ever tried to cut and paste a web link that
runs two or three lines long, you know why I use
TinyURL. Just plug in the long link and out pops a
short one! You can also download a button to
do it on the fly in Firefox or Internet Explorer. Get
it from http://tinyurl.com/
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE....
Want to know more? Want to be the next one to profit
from my copywriting? Check out my website: http://www.mortyschiller.com and
Wordrider blog: http://wordrider.blogspot.com.
Then call (718) 253-1043 or click here:
mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com.
To your success!
All the best,
Morty
1. Yom Kippur
2. Do you need a blog?
3. Viral Marketing
4. TinyURL
1. As we go into Yom Kippur, let me wish you a sweet
year of health, happiness, peace and prosperity and
nachas http://tinyurl.com/72fpd
Jewish or not, New Yorkers know about Yom Kippur, or as
Mickey Mantle once called it, "Yom Koufax." Public
schools are closed. The centers of commerce and finance
wind down to a halt. There's a sense of new hopes and
beginnings.... and even a certain spirituality in
the air.
Some 250 years ago, a little boy in Medzhybizh, Ukraine
learned about Yom Kippur in a most unusual way. For the
full story, see my article in Jewish World Review:
"Whistling at N'eila" at http://jewishworldreview.com/1005/schiller_neilah.php3
2. Do you need a blog?
Most people have no idea what a blog is, let alone
think they need one.
In simple terms, a blog is an online journal. Short for
web logs, blogs started with Internet geeks
http://tinyurl.com/akbun logging web pages with their
own annotations. As the process became simpler with new
blogging software, it spread widely: from teenagers
going public with their diaries, to kitchen table
journalists... to CEO's blogging about company news.
Blogs have become popular with marketers as more and
more of their email marketing gets trapped in spam
filters. One of the main advantages of a blog is having
an ongoing "conversation" with your public. Unlike
formal websites, blogs are by nature immediate and
"transparent" (open and candid). Or, at least they
should be. They are also interactive--inviting comments
from readers--and viral (see next item)--inviting
readers to forward blog posts to friends. Many are
about specialized areas of interest. My own blog
focuses on copywriting and marketing. See a sample at
http://tinyurl.com/qx8gm
and http://tinyurl.com/m6e2s
Want to start your own company blog? For starters, get
Seth Godin's free ebook "Who's There?":
http://tinyurl.com/ajffb and subscribe to blog expert Debbie
Weil's newsletter to get her free ebook "Top 7 Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog": http://www.wordbiz.com/signup.php
Need help? I've added blog writing and management to my
list of services. Call or write me for more info.
3. Viral Marketing
If you've read any business publications in the last
eight years, you've heard of "Viral Marketing." If not,
start here: http://www.ideavirus.com.
Like most buzz words, popularity has watered down its
meaning. It's closely related to (and often used
interchangeably with) "buzz" and word-of-mouth
marketing. For scholarly Jewish publisher Yashar Books,
we launched the "Open Access Project" (see
http://www.yasharbooks.com/pressrelease0atp.html
and
http://www.yasharbooks.com/Open/).
"Lamed" news blog on Jewish education
http://tinyurl.com/6f8bf wrote:
"Yashar Books is doing something bold.... They're
giving books away for free online. Their 'Open Access'
project just uploaded the entire text of a new
biography, 'Rabbi Israel Salanter: Religious-Ethical
Thinker.' Check it out.".
Within two weeks, more copies were downloaded than were
originally printed of the book. As Yashar president,
Gil Student wrote, "Are we crazy for doing this? Quite
possibly. But we are convinced that people who like
this book will want to buy a copy for their library so
they can enjoy it for years to come. We want people to
share the ideas. We are convinced that an open give and
take of ideas will create the right atmosphere for more
learning... and more book buying."
Can Viral Marketing help spread the word about your
business? Call or write me to discuss it.
4. What are all those "tinyurl" links?
If you've ever tried to cut and paste a web link that
runs two or three lines long, you know why I use
TinyURL. Just plug in the long link and out pops a
short one! You can also download a button to
do it on the fly in Firefox or Internet Explorer. Get
it from http://tinyurl.com/
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE....
Want to know more? Want to be the next one to profit
from my copywriting? Check out my website: http://www.mortyschiller.com and
Wordrider blog: http://wordrider.blogspot.com.
Then call (718) 253-1043 or click here:
mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com.
To your success!
All the best,
Morty
HOW TO WIN CUSTOMERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE Issue 2
Welcome back to HOW TO WIN CUSTOMERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE: An occasional grab bag of marketing tips, ideas, insights, reviews and rants. As always, the focus is on winning new customers--and bringing back old ones--through persuasion.
You were subscribed because you are a friend, client, colleague or prospect. Don’t want another newsletter in your mailbox? You can easily unsubscribe below.
Got this newsletter from a friend and want your own subscription? Just subscribe below.
BRANDING WITH YOUR CATALOG:
What does your catalog say about you and your business? If you’re selling upscale merchandise, it shouldn’t shout “Tell you what I’m gonna do!” It should whisper a song of romance.
You have to move up from SALES to MARKETING. It’s all about branding--impressing your name and image into the minds of your customers. Your brand is your promise to your customers. And your brand image is the sum total of everything your customers associate with you.
“What Does Your Catalog Say About You?” is a new handbook I wrote on branding. It was produced by The Goldmark Group, a studio specializing in quality print work. The handbook is designed to look like an elegant catalog. But it doesn't sell products. It shows by example how to produce catalogs that build clientele. To get a free copy and a free consultation, send your old catalog to Joe Goldbrenner, The Goldmark Group, 1155 Bloomfield Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012. Or call (800) 632-9632 and ask for Joe.
PROOFREAD EVERYTHING!
Don’t EVER let a printed or online promotion out of your hands until you’ve proofread it three times, given it to someone else to read, then proofread it again the next day. The mistakes can sometimes be embarrassing, sometimes devastating. And sometimes hilarious. As in this old item from the photo archive of the Apalachicola Times:
ARISTOTLE ON DIRECT MARKETING
Aristotle was one of the great minds of all time. He is best known for his works on philosophy and science. But he also wrote a small book (“The Poetics”) that is still the prime manual on story writing. In it, he outlines the six elements of drama:
Simply put, plot is the pattern or structure of the story, without the trappings of style (song), design (spectacle), etc. And a plot has to build. Just a series of “this happened, then that happened....” isn’t a plot. Each step of a plot must be “caused” by the step before it. And each step has to be more and more intense and exciting. That’s what keeps the reader involved... right up to the end.
Aristotle would tell you it’s smart to make sure your next letter grabs the reader from the first sentence, then keeps on building... right to the order!
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
Want to know more? Want to profit from my copywriting? Then call today: 718-252-1043 or click here: mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com. Or check out www.mortyschiller.com. I promise you no dancing bears or tinny music. Just a way to sell more--with words.
You were subscribed because you are a friend, client, colleague or prospect. Don’t want another newsletter in your mailbox? You can easily unsubscribe below.
Got this newsletter from a friend and want your own subscription? Just subscribe below.
BRANDING WITH YOUR CATALOG:
What does your catalog say about you and your business? If you’re selling upscale merchandise, it shouldn’t shout “Tell you what I’m gonna do!” It should whisper a song of romance.
You have to move up from SALES to MARKETING. It’s all about branding--impressing your name and image into the minds of your customers. Your brand is your promise to your customers. And your brand image is the sum total of everything your customers associate with you.
“What Does Your Catalog Say About You?” is a new handbook I wrote on branding. It was produced by The Goldmark Group, a studio specializing in quality print work. The handbook is designed to look like an elegant catalog. But it doesn't sell products. It shows by example how to produce catalogs that build clientele. To get a free copy and a free consultation, send your old catalog to Joe Goldbrenner, The Goldmark Group, 1155 Bloomfield Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012. Or call (800) 632-9632 and ask for Joe.
PROOFREAD EVERYTHING!
Don’t EVER let a printed or online promotion out of your hands until you’ve proofread it three times, given it to someone else to read, then proofread it again the next day. The mistakes can sometimes be embarrassing, sometimes devastating. And sometimes hilarious. As in this old item from the photo archive of the Apalachicola Times:
“NOBODY'S PERFCET!”During the repaving of the Apalachicola downtown area, road workers left this small traffic instruction (5 feet tall!) (See http://tinyurl.com/4stuhw) at the main intersection on Highway 98. It remained for several days before being corrected.
ARISTOTLE ON DIRECT MARKETING
Aristotle was one of the great minds of all time. He is best known for his works on philosophy and science. But he also wrote a small book (“The Poetics”) that is still the prime manual on story writing. In it, he outlines the six elements of drama:
spectacleThe most important element, Aristotle says, is plot. This is true of a play, a novel... and a direct mail letter. What does “plot” have to do with a letter? I’m glad you asked that question.
song
diction
thought
character
and plot.
Simply put, plot is the pattern or structure of the story, without the trappings of style (song), design (spectacle), etc. And a plot has to build. Just a series of “this happened, then that happened....” isn’t a plot. Each step of a plot must be “caused” by the step before it. And each step has to be more and more intense and exciting. That’s what keeps the reader involved... right up to the end.
Aristotle would tell you it’s smart to make sure your next letter grabs the reader from the first sentence, then keeps on building... right to the order!
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
Want to know more? Want to profit from my copywriting? Then call today: 718-252-1043 or click here: mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com. Or check out www.mortyschiller.com. I promise you no dancing bears or tinny music. Just a way to sell more--with words.
All the best,
Morty
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
HOW TO WIN CUSTOMERS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE Issue 1
Welcome to the first issue of my newsletter. Up ahead, you can expect a medley of marketing tips, techniques and insights. The main focus? How you can win new customers--and bring back old ones--through the written word.
A NOVEL APPROACH
As a copywriter, I am first and foremost a salesman. Copywriting is much more than simply putting words on a page. When you pick a copywriter, look for a strategist, marketer and merchant--first. And a wordsmith second.
Ok, so what am I? A salesman or a writer?
Yes!
But copywriters aren't the only hybrids. Sol Stein is a best-selling novelist. And a top-notch editor and writing teacher. He is also a master promoter. From the first page of his books on writing he sells himself, his books and his writing programs. And his advice to writers includes some things every advertiser should think about.
You've been told to focus on benefits, not features. Advertising is motivation, not education. Stein’s advice to novelists takes this to a new level:
“What is it that the reader wants? The reader of fiction may welcome insight and information, yes, but is primarily seeking an experience different from and greater than his or her everyday experiences in life.... Writers ignore the needs and desires of the reader at their own peril.”
As Sig Rosenblum says, “Spell out benefits in terms your readers understand. In terms of what they actually do, feel, want, dislike. Make sure you have authentic appeals. And lots of them. However well you handle words, you can't write a sales letter unless you select selling ideas.” And David Ogilvy said, “You can't bore people into buying.”
You owe it to your readers to dramatize the enjoyment--to make them see, taste and feel the pleasure of what you’re advertising.
It boils down to this: Don't sell products. Sell fantasies!
RECESSION-PROOFING
Today’s economy requires special marketing techniques. For some good ideas, read “Fool-Proof Marketing,” by Bob Bly. You can order it at 30% off list price by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/63eeqd
Years ago, a brilliant takeoff on mail order advertising appeared in the New Yorker: “Rolled in Rare Bohemian Onyx, Then Vulcanized by Hand” by Bruce McCall. It popped up recently on the Net. If you’re an aficionado of mail order advertising and offbeat humor, you'll love it: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/humor/fionavar/new_yorker
Want to know more? Want to profit from my copywriting? Then call today: 718-252-1043 or click here: mailto:morty@mortyschiller.com. Or check out www.mortyschiller.com. I promise you no dancing bears or tinny music. Just a way to sell more--with words.
All the best,
Morty
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