Channel the Saran Wrap

The only problem with it is that it’s not environmentally friendly, so don’t channel that part of the Saran Wrap™, but grab hold of everything else and apply it to your writing, online, blogging and social media efforts.

Saran Wrap™ is:

1. Transparent. If you aren’t transparent, you’re hiding something, which makes you untrustworthy…people want to connect with people, not businesses, NOT smoke screens.Transparency is about being really genuine - don’t just be a car salesman, be a car salesman who loves sandwiches, tennis, his kids and the novel you’ve been writing for the last year.

2. Clear. Be clear about your mission, your goals, your industry, your philosophy, your blog topic, the scope of what you do. Clarity is about your own personal understanding and connection to your professional life and plan. If you aren’t clear, you’re confused, disorganized and ineffective - things that will negatively effect your productivity, overall business, relationships, etc.

3. Sticky. If folks just breeze on through your blog, website, store - you haven’t really gotten anywhere. You want to stick to them, you want them to stick to you, you want them to subscribe, bookmark, buy, sign-up, return, remember you. The point is to build a long relationship and have it expand over time.

4. Connected. Ever notice how it’s very difficult to get just a little bit of Saran Wrap™ off the roll? The wrap is so connected to itself, like brothers in arms, a VERY tight network. Use this in two ways: 1) build your own network via your blog and your social networks and, 2) encourage this network to tell their own networks about you as well.

5. Become ‘the’ word to the extent that people think your name represents the entire industry - think Kleenex™ here. Saran Wrap™ is a registered trademark brand name, the product is actually plastic wrap. Word of mouth and a good product has made them the industry leader, standard and mascot.

6. Tools. One box, all you need. Saran Wrap™ has the container, the wrap, the cardboard tube that keeps the wrap in check, the metal teeth to cut the wrap. Have all of the tools people need at the ready. Make it easy for them to contact you, purchase your product or service, use your product or service, tell their friends about their contact or service, etc.

Top 7 reasons NOT to stop marketing during a recession

1. Because your competitors will. The knee jerk reaction to the recession is to cut advertising. The classic example from the Great Depression is Ford and Chevrolet. Ford was outselling Chevrolet considerably at the outset of the Depression. Ford reduced advertising when the economy plunged while Chevrolet moved along with an aggressive marketing plan - and they virtually switched positions within the marketplace.

2. Because a market presence is essential. Companies that disappear from the public eye realize a negative outcome with current customers - it’s a sign to the customer that the company is weak and unstable. The absence breeds fear and distrust in their minds. Many businesses pull funding from ‘non-essential’ expenses and make the mistake that marketing is one of them. But, if you aren’t being ’seen’ by potential customers, where is the business going to come from? How will it grow? What does it say about the state of your business?

3. Recession does not equal complete business failure or dissolution. People still spent money during the Great Depression (and through every economic recession this country has experienced). How will they know to spend money with you? As we all know from Marketing 101, people buy products because, among other reasons, they like the image and message behind a product - and marketing is your mouthpiece.

The businesses that boomed during the 1930’s did so for one reason and one reason only: the did not reduce, and many expanded, their advertising efforts. Proctor & Gamble is a great example of a company that increased ad spending throughout the Great Depression, and every recession since, and has seen consistent revenue increases as a result.

4. During an economic downturn, people are desperately looking for security, safety, savings, deals, good things, distractions. Figure out how your company, services, products and your message can communicate and deliver these things. Be part of the solution - this is an opportunity.

Look at the movie industry. The last few weeks have brought record numbers for big screen openings; people are spending money at the movies. Consider the reasons why. Connect to those reasons with your marketing message.

5. Think about another scenario when a business might not have a lot of money but needs to build the business. During the beginning or start-up phase of any business - when funds are likely low - marketing and promotion is key. No one can hire you or use your goods and services if they don’t know who or why you exist.

6. The recession will end. And the best place for you to be at that point is still in the game. Still working, having been creative, having learned - and still operating and visible. Imagine the message you’ll send to customers as we pull out of the downturn.

7. You have your own mind. Apparently, the companies that fared the best during the Great Depression are those that paid absolutely no mind to it. They charged ahead, believing in their product, understanding that their customers still needed them. Fake it till you make it? Perhaps. I prefer to think it’s a matter of attitude, optimism and fortitude.

now that’s smart marketing: BOB strollers

As you know, when I find something good, I sing like a canary. I simply can’t hold back. This is a twofer, a 2 in 1; hits my professional and my personal side. Drumroll…it’s a stroller.

I love when people do it RIGHT.

Inspired Marketing

The BOB company has a brilliant tagline: Built by BOB. Powered by Mom. But taglines are easy (when you have a good copywriter), it’s what you do with them that counts. BOB is doing many good things including a full embrace of social media:

1. They have a blog that they update on a regular basis with news, company info, product info, contests, customer feedback…
2. The current contest promises a stroller for the best giggling baby video - culling customer communication and web traffic.
3. You can ‘Join the Conversation’ - giving you access to your BOB community.
4. BOB made a fantastically hysterical and viral video about their strollers that they have on their website and on YouTube.
5. The quality and user-interface (UI) of their website is top-level.
6. The writing throughout the site is simply superb - it has personality, good information and makes you want to get up and yell, ‘Yes! I want to be a part of this!’ without sounding cheesey.
7. Besides the YouTube vid, they have several high quality, information-laden videos (so it’s not all talk, they actually show you why their strollers are so good).
8. BOB is building more than strollers - this is a life-style and they’re proving it with sections on health and partnerships with Stroller Strides and Ironman.
9. They (practically) gave me a stroller to review in exchange for my thoughts on this blog, Twitter, Facebook and my other social media networks - understanding the strength of the mommy blogger is smart, smart business.

…and they have the goods to stand on

If you haven’t heard, I have 2 toddlers. I love them more than life, but I’m sick of carrying them around. Most recently, we survived by pushing them in a double stroller by Baby Jogger. To be honest, we never liked it. Hard to manage, hugely awkward to fold and put in our car, made our backs hurt, the seats were huge for the kids (leaving them to flop around especially on the trails)…I could go on and on.

Then, two weeks ago, the metal frame of the stroller snapped. In half. Just like that, no big event or cause, just snapped. We tried to get our money back, but alas we didn’t have proof of purchase (hmmm, well, we bought it 2 kids and 1 house ago - you do the math!). We were left with no alternative, so we went searching for our next stroller. Our dream stroller.

We found it fast at BOB’s. Of course, because I’m me, I was taken by the marketing show I just listed above…but it’s not just good looking fluff, there is real information that made us say, ‘I want that one!’

Now, we’ve had our duallie Sport Utility Stroller for a week…and it’s amazing.

1. I think it’s jet propelled. It used to be that the person walking the dogs went ahead of the person pushing the stroller because the old stroller was so big and awkward you had to go slow. Now the person with the stroller has to go first because it is so darn fast and efficient. I’m not kidding - I got left behind yesterday because I was going too slow.

2. My back doesn’t hurt. Somehow, they designed this stroller so that when you hold and push it, you’re in the correct ergonomic position.

3. When you fold it up, lift it and unfold it, it does NOT hit you in the shins. Yes, the Baby Jogger did. Every time.

4. Our kids fit in their seats. They aren’t sliding around like they did in the old stroller.

5. Safety. BOB put a feature in that actually holds the seat of the stroller down. So if you go over a bump, the kid and the seat don’t pitch forward.

6. No words. I don’t know how to explain this in a word or two: the stroller is just so ‘tight’. With our old stroller, we felt like we were driving a big old 1960’s station wagon that could come unglued at any moment. The BOB stroller is so compact, everything moves and works together - which makes it feel light and totally easy to manage (like my Subaru Imprezza).

7. Shocks. This Sport Utility Stroller has shocks creating a smooth ride for the kids - we off-road over rocks, roots and other natural paraphernalia.

8. Thinner. I’m talking width - this double stroller fits through our front door. Now, that is amazing.

9. It’s beautiful, of course.

10. Everytime we use it, we discover something else that we love.

11. Our kids love it…and who wants to deal with screaming kids in a stroller? Here’s a picture of them playing in the stroller in the house (they aren’t strapped for safety, just for fun - fyi). Silas, the dog, had to be in the picture and wants you all to know that because this stroller is more compact than the other one, he can get around it with his log-sized sticks, and for that, he gives thanks…as do we.

anniversaries: evaluate and move forward

Coincidentally, the beginning of October marks 3 major anniversaries for me: my wedding, our move to Martha’s Vineyard & the launch of my copywriting & marketing business, Writing Roads. My overwhelming reaction to all three of these milestones is: I’m married to the right person, I live in the best place, I can’t get enough of my work (people, I’m an addict).

Anniversaries make me think about the past, via evaluation, and the future, via ‘what’s next?’ I’m going to go ahead and guess that you don’t want the run downs on the marriage and the Vineyard, so let’s talk business.

I’ve created some lists, huge surprise. I take my own mini-audit because I have to know where I’ve been in order to move forward and grow. I even, gulp, go through this process with a trusted colleague or mentor - keeps me honest and on track.

The Evaluation

1. What did I do well this year?
2. What did I do not quite as well? (Listen, there’s no need to be mean…)
3. What did I learn from the mistakes I made?
4. What did I learn to do?
5. What did I learn not to do?
6. Any surprises?
7. What was my favorite event, lesson, client, project?

What’s Next? (and, yes, this is a blatant nod to The West Wing)
The goal here is to use the evaluation to move forward, of course.

1. How can I ensure that the things I did right last year become an inherent part of my business?
2. How can I make sure I don’t make the same mistakes again?
3. Where and how can I put all that I’ve learned into practice?
4. Goals: short term, long term, easily reached, pie-in-the-sky?
5. What is my vision for my business over the next year.

I post my ‘What’s Next?’ list where I can see it…and I use it at the following year’s anniversary as an evaluation measurement tool. This is actually a really gratifying process because it allows me to see all that I’ve accomplished, and it let’s me really think about what I want. If I ate sugar, I would also have cake present during these proceedings, because after all, every year completed is a cause for celebration. I’ll settle for a party hat and some applause.

What is your evaluation and projection plan, schedule, process? We’d all love to hear…

choosing a business name? try it out LOUD

I’m working with a wonderful new client named Julie Biondi - we’re building her blog as we speak, so I can’t post a link just yet, but I will. Julie helps people get dressed…hmmm, how can I best explain what she does? Oh, yeah, I wrote a blurb for her for a mini-mag…

Is there anything worse than that dress (that you spent so much money on and have never worn) mocking you from its hanger? Perhaps the shouts of ‘I have nothing to wear!’ as you shove the doors closed on your overstuffed closet? Sometimes things just aren’t right - the style, the fit, the way the clothes make you feel - no matter how great they looked on the hanger. Julie Biondi empowers you to get rid of what doesn’t work and helps you build your own look - the one that fits.

Starting with a full closet edit and your personal budget, Julie teaches you how to identify and create the image that you want the world to see. Wardrobes are tremendously personal; you wouldn’t let just anyone into your closet or into the dressing room…and Julie’s your go-to girl. If you’re successful everywhere in your life, but your wardrobe is the one place that feels unfinished, she’s the one that can take the weight off your shoulders (and replace it with the perfect sweater). Ideal for every day, special occasions, men and women. For more information, contact Julie Biondi, 917.620.2760

But this post isn’t really just an ad for Julie, even though she is fabulous. She also reminded me this morning of a tried and true copywriting tool.

We were working on business names for her company, and she said, ‘I was lying in bed last night with the list of possible names and I imagined telling an interested stranger the name of my business. I was testing out how each of them felt to me as I said it out loud.’

Brilliant! You know that I believe in reading copy out loud as an editing tool, but this takes it to another level. When you’re choosing the name of your business, you must love it, it must work for you and you have to feel great about saying it. If you mumble and dribble your name all over your shirt with the cheese dip, it’s not a good sign.

What are your testing techniques???

a tale of 2 books, a tale of great marketing

One, a slanderous attack filled with lies and smut from the conservative right. The other, a fact-based, realistic, inspirational book from a fantastic author.

The video also showcases some brilliant marketing- and the authors and publishers are asking us to join in the fight. Why? Because they aren’t using church groups and the people’s money to spend millions on ads to make the book a bestseller. Instead, they’re going the Obama way - grassroots, community.

Whether you want to help or just examine some solid marketing via video and the Groundswell, check it out:

FYI: About Chelsea Green Publishing Company (from their website) For more than 20 years, Chelsea Green has been the publishing leader for books on the politics and practice of sustainable living. We are a founding member of the Green Press Initiative and have been printing books on recycled paper since 1985, when our first list of books appeared.

We lead the industry both in terms of content—foundational books on renewable energy, green building, organic agriculture, eco-cuisine, and ethical business—and in terms of environmental practice, printing 95 percent of our books on recycled paper with a minimum 30 percent post-consumer waste and aiming for 100 percent whenever possible. This approach is a perfect example of what is called a ”triple bottom line“ practice, one that benefits people, planet, and profit, and the emerging new model for sustainable business in the 21st century.

Chelsea Green happens to have published a great book by the man that built my house and co-housing community, John Abrams of South Mountain Company and they are about to publish Susan Gibbs’ book about the world’s first natural fiber CSA she started, the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm.

Obama for President

I went to bed last night full of hope, and I woke up even fuller…full to burst.

Obama is Good. He had an intelligent rebuttal to every challenge and cheap shot the Republicans have thrown at him and he delivered with grace, with reality.

He laid out his plan and talked about how he would do it. Rich greedy white men everywhere are going to be pissed…but I say to them, you have been successful with the old regime, get off your ass and figure out a way to be successful with the new one. Don’t become one of the ‘whiners’. If you can’t succeed in a socially and morally responsible way, you don’t deserve your money.

Barak cuts to the chase. He makes sense. He takes responsibility and he urges us to do so as well. He doesn’t say it’s going to be easy, but he knows it all has to happen…and he’s going to lead us through the change - with honesty, vision, guidance, positivity, inspiration and the example of hard work, good morals and solid ethics.

He helps us remember that we can all find common ground. He isn’t one of the privileged few adding a notch to his belt by becoming president. He’s a real person who has always fought for what he believes, for what is right, for common decency.

‘We can not walk alone and we can not turn back.’

You said it, Barack - thank you for your courage and for your fortitude.

If you haven’t heard Barack Obama speak, or if you are undecided or considering voting for McCain, I urge you to watch this video of his acceptance speech at the 2008 DNC.

To read the speech, go here. And, if you have anything to give, please donate here. This is OUR campaign, we make the difference and as a result, Barack is not beholden to anyone but the American people. Not big oil, not corporations, not special interests…but to US.

UPDATE: This just posted by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2008
Shocking Choice by John McCain
WASHINGTON– Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate:  Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.  To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.

“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration.

“This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”
______
The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (www.defendersactionfund.org) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.
PASS IT ON.

i did not post yesterday

And I’m glad to see the world didn’t implode. Life happened: I printed and hung up many millions of posters for a huge event we are having for Bonobo Kids…and then I went to the big Ag Fair on the Vineyard to drop something off and got sucked in to working with my good friend Susan Gibbs of the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm. Then I was a mom for several hours and finally turned on my computer to deal with email around 10pm.

But, I missed my blog and I’m ever so happy to be back! I’m guessing you all survived…

using your blog as your portfolio or case study display, part 1

I recently wrote about the power of using case studies instead of a portfolio of finished work. And, I’ve realized that it’s almost the equivalent of a blog versus a static site. The portfolio pieces are static end products, while the case study is action, progress, collaboration, solution, process. Then Gem from The Lady Programmer dropped by with a comment about not needing to wait until projects were finished in order to display them via case studies. And, this made my mind just spin.

For instance, maybe you don’t need an official portfolio on your static site. In terms of cost (if you have to hire your web designer or master to make changes or if you use an intricate program to make it pretty or flashy), it would be much more effective to just post the finished projects, or better, the work in progress (case study style) on your blog, wouldn’t it?

Why do I feel like I’ve just discovered the electric orange juicer?

• You can instantly upload projects - keeping your readers and the world abreast of your latest and greatest achievements.
• The content, keywords and tags for each project and the industry it represents will bring in a whole new audience to your site.
• You have total control of when you post, including edits and updates.
• You can create a PORTFOLIO place on the blog, so everything is available on one page. This could be a static page on the blog with links out to each post or simply a new category.
• You direct people from your website (if you have a brochure site attached to your blog) to the PORTFOLIO section of your blog with a link and some copy.

Anyone have any good examples of people doing this already??? I’d love to hear about them.
(A little shout out to my tireless, award winning and phenomenal designer, Leslie Tane, who is at this very moment redoing my portfolio page, reading this post and thinking, ‘finally, Julie can handle this herself and is going to stop bothering me!’)

Coming tomorrow: Building a case study portfolio on your blog. How to do it.

how to be a good CLIENT

I was about to publish today’s post when one of my marketing/designer colleagues just told me this story. After she hired me to write some taglines for a client (of her own accord because she wanted to add even greater value to the project), her client said she didn’t like them and from this point forward to only do exactly what she tells her to do. Well!

The client also rejected all five logos that had been presented to her, and the photo images that had been selected for her brochure. Her response to the taglines, logos and photos was, “I’ll just do it myself.” My colleague is left wondering why she was hired.

Now, there are a few things at play here. I haven’t seen the images or the logos, so I can’t attest to their quality…but I wrote the taglines, and I (and my colleague) thought they were very good (still that’s just a bit subjective). And, the client has every right not to like the work - it may just be missing the mark and/or she and my colleague may not be a good match. This happens and it’s totally legitimate…but, still, there are some bigger issues at hand. This client is making quite a leap over to “I’ll do it all myself.” What happened to, “…that doesn’t work for me, can you do this?”

Made me think about (and want to honor) those good clients…what is it they do that makes them so good…even special? Almost across the board, they:

1. Understand that writing, design and marketing in general are processes. That we work on things together, that there is a reason for drafts and revisions, that if it isn’t right the first time - we will get there. Sometimes, even they are just discovering how they really want to present themselves.

2. Communicate their wishes, needs, edits and time requirements, clearly and consistently.

3. Enjoy their work and take great pride in themselves, their companies and their images.

4. Place great value on the importance of marketing; they realize that marketing is a critical tool for the success of their business and that it is an investment.

5. Pay on time and make quality referrals - showing that they truly value me and my hard work.

6. Integrate flexibility for themselves and for me when necessary which goes under the category of just being human.

7. Act nice, kind, considerate, caring, real and professional roughly 97% of the time.

Anything to add? Tell us about your good clients…(please note: I’m encouraging positivity here!)…or if you are one of the good clients (aren’t we all as consumers?), how are you good…and why?