When Great Subject Lines Fail to Deliver

Today I received an email with the subject, “I would like to take you to lunch.” Quick and to the point, it got my attention and made me open it. The problem was once I got inside there was a form letter from a man I do not know trying to sell me something that I could not immediately identify. So I deleted it. Writing great subject lines, like headlines, is a skill. Remember, these are the attention getters that make…  (Read on)

Perhaps it is time for 5 Guys to invest in new content?

As I left Starbuck’s this morning (with a tall cup of scalding Awake tea in hand), I noticed the graphics in the window of 5 Guys Burgers next door broadcasting recognition they had received from magazines and newspapers in 1998 and 1999. I did a double take it first. I mean, it is 2010. These awards were from two decades ago! Awards certainly lend credibility to a business but when your latest recognition is from 11 years ago it leaves…  (Read on)

What Makes a Good Testimonial?

We regularly capture content for clients that is fashioned into a press release or case study but one of the things I see clients struggling with is capturing really good testimonials. All too often clients will want to post testimonials on their website or in their newsletter from favored and happy clients. The problem is that most of these unsolicited testimonies are pretty weak and usually pay compliment to an individual on your staff and not to your organization as…  (Read on)

In Honor of National Punctuaion Day: The Proper Use of an Ellipsis

Sometime earlier this year I came across a reference to today being National Punctuation Day and quickly put a reminder in my calendar. It kind of sounds like National Underwater Basket Weaving Day or some other nonsensical holiday but for the amount of time I spend answering questions about proper use of punctuation, I decided it was a prime opportunity to share. For the un-indoctrinated, an ellipsis is those three dots you see in punctuation and not the oval you…  (Read on)

SunTrust Advertising Implies They are Immune to M&A; Is that a Safe Bet?

Call me picky if you like, but I actually listen to the words in the radio and TV commercials and read the ad copy in magazines and on direct mail pieces. My family refers to it as an obsession, but I consider it professional research. In the car this weekend I listened to a SunTrust ad about a new customer who after finding that his bank had been recently acquired and the new staff had no idea how that would…  (Read on)