Author Finds that Sometimes Publicity is Just Serendipity
I foolishly knocked my carriage clock off the mantle while cleaning one day recently and was heartbroken to see its shattered condition on the marble hearth. So I picked up the pieces and took the remains to a local clock shop.
The news wasn’t good. My clock was so badly broken that all that could be salvaged was the Seth Thomas brass face. A customer standing in line behind me, carrying his own broken mantle clock witnessed this transaction and commented on how beautiful my bright clock face was. He thought, in fact, it might fit into his own clock, which had a tired, faded face.
We held the face up and it seemed to be a perfect size match. He purchased it from me on the spot.
You Never Know Who’s Listening
While he was waiting for the clerk to research his problem, we struck up a conversation. It turns out he’s an author and has just published his second book: Titanic’s Resurrected Secret–HEW.
Having done a lot of reading about the Titanic and its survivors, I was interested–not only in the book, but in this fascinating man and his stories. Continue reading →
“Drive” People to Their Destination Through Your Landing Page
I came across a great infographic that shares the biggest landing page goofs business owners can make. It compares the experience of visiting your landing page (or home page) to that of a cross-country road trip.
You want to make the trip a smooth journey for your visitors, taking them from where they are now to their final destination. And you get to decide that destination.
Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter, click the “buy now” button during a special sale, or call you for a price quote or free consultation? Pick one and give them the directions that will lead them directly to the end of the line without confusion or roadblocks. Continue reading →
Your Website is Sooooo Out of Date
It’s time for a website audit.
I can’t believe how many websites I see that are just plain awful.
- Their copy is out of date.
- They have only bulleted lists on each page.
- They haven’t used keywords or internal links.
- They have typos or bad grammar.
- Their pages only have pictures, without even having captions.
- They are even lacking copy altogether.
- Worst of all, they have the dreaded “Under Construction” on their pages or their entire site.
Egads! Are people turning away from your site because they get a bad impression from it?
When’s the last time you changed or updated your copy? One year? Two years? Ten years? Continue reading →
6 Tips for Writing More Effective Twitter Headlines | All the Buzz | Writing Tips
At All the Buzz, we’ve been asked lately, “How do I get people to read my Twitter post?” Writing for Twitter is like writing for anything else. You have to capture the reader’s attention right off the bat. And what’s the best way to do that? Write a great headline.
The 80/20 Rule applies
You won’t get everyone to read your Tweet, no matter how great your headline is. Your headline has to capture the interest of that specific reader at that specific time. The 80/20 rule applies here: 8 out of 10 people will read your headline and only 2 out of 10 will read on. People scan, and if your headline doesn’t capture their interest in a second or two, they move on to the next shiny object. Here are some tips, however, that can help you write more effective Twitter headlines and increase your readership: Continue reading →
Working with the Media: How to Get a Story in Front of Editors | All the Buzz | PR Tips
Bring your story to the media
Working with clients, in many varied industries as we at All the Buzz do, it’s interesting how we come across the same questions over and over again. One I’ve heard most often is, “How do I work with the media? I have a story I think needs to be told.”
I must admit, even I had a fear of the media when I was an executive. Since I’ve been (and still am) a member of the media for over 30 years now, I want you to know that we’re just people. And anything you can do to make our jobs easier is always welcome.
Here’s how you can help us: Continue reading →
“The Art of Closing the Sale” Teleseminar
On Thursday, April 16, 2015 Linda Barrett led a teleseminar on “The Art of Closing the Sale,” for the members of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI).
Tips and Techniques to Closing the Sale
In the seminar, Linda gave tips and techniques to closing the sale, covering topics including:
- What to bring with you and how to present your offer
- Why listening is more important than talking
- How to tell when the prospect is ready to buy
- Why you should never discount
- How to upsell and create packages
- Major mistakes salespeople make and how to avoid them
- Overcoming fear of rejection
- How to get your prospect to practically talk themselves into the sale
One-on-One Sales Coaching
Linda Barrett offers one-on-one and group sales coaching designed to help business owners and salespeople overcome their fears of selling or rejection, set systems into place, increase their sale price, and close more business. Contact All the Buzz for more information or for a copy of our tips sheet titled, “The Art of Closing the Sale: 22 Big Mistakes Salespeople Make.”
How to Write Headlines that Make People Read Your Copy | All the Buzz | Writing Tips
According to advertising icon David Ogilvy, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eight cents out of your dollar.”
Writing headlines may be the most difficult part of creating a piece, whether it is a magazine article, an advertisement or a corporate white paper. And it can be the most important element. Headlines are the promise of what’s to come, and the enticement to read on; they offer the lure of benefits, news or secrets.
Some schools of thought ask you to write your headline first and include in it a promise to your readers. Writing for All the Buzz, I often find Continue reading →
Direct Mail Isn’t Dead | All the Buzz | Marketing Tips
Business owners may say that they aren’t using direct mail any more, but statistics show that customers want to receive it. Direct mail isn’t dead after all. Following email as the first choice in receiving business communications, direct mail showed a very strong presence.
Customer Communication Preferences
Survey Results
In a recent study released by MarketingSherpa, 2,057 adults were asked how they would prefer companies to communicate with them. Their top two responses were:
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- Email – 72%
- Postal Mail – 48%
The Best Ways to Earn ROI on Marketing Efforts | All the Buzz | Marketing Tips
Many business owners struggle with the question of where to put their marketing efforts. One day they hear content marketing is the best; the next day it’s social media platforms. What’s an owner to do?
In 2014, Econsultancy did a survey to ask business owners just where they got their best return on their time and money investments for marketing. We’ll talk about their findings here. Continue reading →
How to Develop Blog Ideas through Microtopics
Are you running out of things to blog about? You’re not alone. Most people try to blog about too much in their posts. They want to cover every aspect of a subject at one time.
We suggest trying this new approach: Blog Microtopics
It’s much easier to come up with ideas to post about–and to generate great SEO results–when you take your general topics and funnel them down to specifics.
Blog Microtopic example:
Let’s look at an example of a blog microtopic and how to develop a list of them:
Step 1:
Let’s say your company sells pet products. First, list all the different types of pet products you sell. They can include food, bedding, health care, clothing, and accessories. Continue reading →
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