Search Our Marketing Resources

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

Sales proposals can be your best branding and sales tool. But too often they are a boilerplate mishmash stitched together seconds before the FedEx pickup. And that's a shame.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Successful teasers draw on the basic principles of direct response marketing as well as good journalism. And they throw in a little sex, to boot!

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

The challenge comes in extracting your knowledge, and turning it into a publication-quality article with the least pain and effort.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

Here's the secret recipe for a case study that packs a punch but is digestible enough to appeal to an online reader.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

In the introduction to "Business: The Ultimate Resource," author Daniel Goleman makes the case for including "business intelligence" among other forms of intelligence that are now studied, ranging from Howard Gardner's breakdown to the work that Goleman furthered in emotional intelligence. How does business intelligence differ from other identified intelligences?

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

A creative brief is like a road map. But most briefs are simply a list of questions. That's not the way to do it. Want some new, better fitting briefs?

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Notoriously private, Warren Buffett doesn't have a lot to say publicly, except for his annual letter to shareholders that usually makes the rounds of the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and other top publications. However, for his marketing programs, and specifically GEICO commercials, Buffett has an open checkbook.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Contextual ads, whether delivered by Google, Yahoo, or any other company, are not standalone ads in the way that a newspaper classified ad is. In fact, your pay-per-click ad is simply the connector between a desired keyword or phrase and a destination landing page. So while you may have some wonderful things to say about your products or services, your PPC ad is not the place to try to cram your latest sales message into 95 characters.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

When potential customers arrive at your website or look over your marketing materials, they immediately want to know what's in it for them. If that's not obvious, chances are they will move on quickly. By using the word "you," you begin to establish a connection with readers because you address their needs. And rather than objectifying your message—placing it on a pedestal, as an object of study—you personalize it. Instead of creating an abstraction, you start to build a relationship.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Writing an effective questionnaire is not a task for novices. At the very least it requires an understanding of four basic issues.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

Site visitors rarely want to view just one page on your site, except in the case of landing pages or single-page sites. If people actually want to get something done on your site, they will generally work through two or three different pages before taking an action. So here is the question of the day: How well do your pages work together? Or to put it another way: How strong is the transition between your pages?

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Everyone has heard the common complaint that America is becoming less literate, but the onus for this alleged circumstance is nearly always placed on the reader (or, rather, non-reader) instead of where it often belongs: the writer. Many professional writers seem to have lost the ability to write clear, comprehensible copy that instantly communicates its point. That's especially worrisome in advertising, which depends on quick communication for its effectiveness.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

The sales playbook captures your company's knowledge about its markets, value propositions, offers, competitors, and best practices. These are the very elements that fall within the marketing organization's domain, which is why marketing plays a strategic role in developing the playbook.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

There are two of the things you need to do with an effective sales page: You need to write a strong sales message, and you need to minimize the perception of risk. In other words, you need to write compelling sales copy, at the same time keeping anxiety levels at a minimum. Here's how.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Warren Buffett is regarded by his peers as one of the brightest and most savvy minds in investment, business strategy, and CEO leadership. Buffett is known for the autonomy he gives to his managers, the ability to think "long term," and unparalleled skill in evaluating talent. He's also a CEO who spends a lot of money on marketing. Here are three lessons you can borrow from Buffett.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

Case studies are like condensed action films—full of characters, plot, and conflict—in which, thanks to your help, the clients get what they want. Part of a case study's persuasive power comes from its energy. It should be exciting to tell and hear. Many of us, though, bore with ours. The reason? We use the standard problem-solution-result formula—and fumble "the solution" part.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Measurement & Analytics

It sounds simple, but writing a good question and collecting reliable answers is harder than it seems—whether you're writing full-fledged survey instruments or quick questions for polls or forms. So here are six sets of expert tips and best-practices.