Years ago I was fortunate to be able to work with one of the true gurus in the field of direct marketing copywriting—Herschell Gordon Lewis. A marketing genius, a horror-film writer! (he’s actually known for creating the “splatter film” sub-genre of horror, according to Wikipedia)— (more…)
Archive for the ‘Content Marketing’ Category
What Is Verisimilitude?
Tuesday, May 31st, 2022How Can You Find the Right Focus For Your Marketing Messages?
Friday, May 13th, 2022
A prospective client contacted us recently wanting to produce a white paper to serve as a promotional tool. The white paper needed to include: a focus on the new national campaign theme, a focus on the new local campaign theme, a focus on the areas served, a focus on the organization’s new direction for the coming year, a focus on…OK, hopefully, you get the point.
If you focus on everything, you’re focused on nothing!
It’s tough to focus. Any organization has multiple objectives and messages that need to be conveyed and there can be a tendency to try to “do it all” in one message. The trouble with that, though, is (more…)
What Are the Best Tips for Writing Great Copy?
Monday, May 9th, 2022
Whether you’re writing a brochure, copy for a newspaper ad, a script for a radio announcement, or a page or blog for your website, there are some tried and true techniques that can help you make sure that your copy gets the results you’re looking for.
Think about writing copy as making a sales pitch to a customer. Your goal is to persuade that customer to do something – most likely to purchase your product or service. Here’s how: (more…)
Best Practices for Hiring Agencies, Contractors, and Freelancers
Wednesday, May 4th, 2022
There comes a point in the life cycle of many businesses when advertising needs outgrow the “homespun” and it’s time to call upon the services of a professional agency or consultant. Even small businesses can benefit from the third-party perspective and marketing savvy that experts can offer. There’s a misconception that agencies are too expensive for small companies. That’s not necessarily true. What you want, though, is to find an agency that focuses specifically on your needs.
Here are some practical considerations that you should take into account when looking for an agency or individual to help you with your advertising and marketing needs. (more…)
What You Should Be Looking For When Hiring Freelance Talent
Thursday, February 24th, 2022
Throughout my career, I have both been a freelancer, and have worked with various freelancers, initially in my role as director of corporate communications/marketing in the education, energy and healthcare industries and, since 2008, as owner of my own content marketing firm, Strategic Communications. I have also researched and written a few blog posts on the topic, including input from other sources who have worked with freelancers:
How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels to Target Your Ideal Audience
Monday, February 21st, 2022
17877227 – social media
These days it’s probably safe to say that most businesses have a presence on at least one social media channel. In fact, according to a 2021 Entrepreneur article, 97% of Fortune 500 companies rely on social media. The number is probably less for smaller companies, but it shouldn’t be. Social media can be a very cost effective way to raise awareness, generate leads, and build business.
There are a lot of channels out there, though, and not every channel is right for every business – or audience. Just because a channel is getting a lot of attention – take TikTok, for example – doesn’t mean that it makes sense for your business.
Go-To Online Tools for Business Owners and Freelancers
Friday, February 18th, 2022
Strategic Communications is an entirely remote company and has been since 2008, long before the pandemic emerged. Over those years we’ve been able to leverage a number of digital tools and apps to help us do our work more efficiently. We often learn about these tools through our clients. Each new client tends to bring along at least one new tool we haven’t used before. Some of our favorites: (more…)
The Power of Traditional Print Advertising
Tuesday, February 15th, 2022
Over the past several years, the use of traditional advertising, including print advertising, has declined sharply as digital marketing has taken off. This has been even more true during the pandemic as many traditional brick and mortar businesses were literally forced to adopt a digital business model or close their doors.
But does traditional print advertising still hold value for marketers? (more…)
Strategy Matters – Here’s Why
Tuesday, January 18th, 2022
Our company is named Strategic Communications to emphasize our belief that to be effective, communication must be strategic. Too often, marketing initiatives are focused more on tactics (let’s get on TikTok! let’s put up a billboard!), rather than strategy. That’s probably one of the biggest mistakes that marketers can make. Why? Because unless you just “get lucky,” and you might, simply picking tactics may result in doing the wrong things, wasting time, effort, and money.Must-Have Skills for Today’s Marketers to Excel
Tuesday, January 11th, 2022
The field of marketing is vastly different today than it was even three to five years ago. While the basic principles and concepts of effective marketing, from an academic standpoint, really haven’t changed much, what has changed is the ways marketers do their work and the kind of work they do.
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