Some people will express it with zest and happiness. Some will say it with dread and anxiety. And they’ll all be talking about the same thing…”the holidays”. I prefer to think of it as Thanksgiving & Christmas, but being a Christian it’s only natural for me to do that.

OK…what makes the same time of year so different for different people? I think the biggest factor is money. Either having enough or not having enough. It’s unfortunate, but this time of year has become so commercialized that millions of people believe they have to go out and get everybody a gift. And in some cases I mean everybody. From the family to the boss to the mailman to the check out clerk at the grocery store. Then the worst part is they buy so many of these “gifts” on credit cards. Then, the following year at “that time of year again” they’re right back to the funnel of dread and anxiety.

This year seems particularly difficult to many struggling families. So my suggestion to you business owners and marketers is this…have a little compassion. Remember who you’re talking to when you begin your “holiday” advertising. Sure you need to make money, too, and that’s only fair. But remember to show how much you care about the people you’re selling to.

They’ll thank you for it with repeat business, customer loyalty, and the coveted word-of-mouth advertising your business needs.

Enough of my soapbox speech. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

A friend drops by and starts talking about his or her trip to a clothing store. They go on and on about the sale, the clothes, the new styles. This goes on for about 5 minutes, and then they say…”well anyway…to make a long story short” yada yada yada.

In the first place you were right in the middle of your favorite show on TV or listening to your favorite tunes on your pod. Secondly, you don’t even like that store, their clothes, or their styles. And finally…if you hear this friend say “to make a long story short” even one more time, you’re gonna explode.

You’re not the only one who feels this way.

I think we’re all so bombarded with messages everyday we sometimes even tune out our friends when they start to ramble too much. It’s a healthy brain function. Filter in the key words. Filter out the noise. If you were asked to give a number of how many marketing messages you saw, read, or heard today, I’ll bet the number would surprise you. And if you were asked to recall one in particular, your mind would immediately go to the short one with the memorable sound-byte or punch line.

Why should it be any other way? After all, the cool stuff today will have a cooler version next week, or next month, or next year. Remember the model name and watch for the upgrades. Simple.

Then your long term memory can focus on the ultimately more important things like:

• Anniversary dates
• Birthdays
• Names to go with faces

So…I’m gonna make the case for why I believe short is the wave of the future when it comes to marketing and creative copy.

Stay tuned,

I know you’ve stopped at an off-ramp in a big city and seen someone with a sign that says “will work for food”.

Actually; you used to see this. Now they don’t mention the work part so much. That’s beside the point. You should put up your own sign that says “will blog for money”. I don’t mean an actual sign…just put up the blog and let it do the talking for you. (you have to tell it what to say)

More and more businesses are finding out what a great marketing tool a blog can be. It’s not automatic; though, because it still needs rich, relevant content told to the right target audience. The main thing is this…
you can get in the same game as the “big boys” when it comes to business online. And you don’t have to spend millions of dollars in advertising to get there.

When I was a kid we called a cola bottle (they were all glass back then) the “great equalizer“. That’s because if a bully was gonna pick on you and you could find a “coke bottle” you could even up the odds in the fight. The internet is kind of like that. Instead of investing millions or hundreds of thousands or even multiple thousands you can invest a few hundred and have a cool, dynamic blog platform to sell your goods and services online.

I’ve converted all but one of my websites to the blog platform, and they’ve all begun to perform better in the search engines. Of course I write regularly and post daily if possible. And that’s creating vibrant, dynamic content to keep the “spiders” happy and busy. It also keeps up my writing “chops”.

If you’d like to get a blog and a store all in one, and you’d like to sell your goods and services online by tomorrow, I can help you with that. The upfront-out-of-pocket cost is surprisingly low. Blog for money isn’t just a writer’s way to profit. It’s something you should be doing to create an internet presence that can do more than simple “chat” and “commercials” can.

Talk to me about it…whether you agree or disagree. I’m interested to hear any stories you might have of success or setbacks.

Here’s to profitable ‘net talk...

Have you had a bad day?

Let me suggest you haven’t really had a bad day. And just be glad you can throw your hands up in the air. When you think you’ve “had it” with the world…watch this video. You’ll realize your brain is wonderfully made.

A Haunting Halloween Poem

One bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other…
Drew their swords and shot each other.
A deaf policeman heard the noise,
And came and shot the two dead boys.
If you don’t believe this lie is true…
Ask the blind man…he saw it too.

Enjoy life’s little treats,

The Fed lowered the interest rate to 1%. That’s real close to nothing at all.

So what. Does it mean anything at all to your personal economy? It doesn’t mean much if you still aren’t making enough to make the monthly budget. And you probably won’t see the effect of it in the interest rates on your credit cards. Funny how that happens.

However; since the Fed did lower the interest rate, and it is changing rates banks use to loan money, it does mean your marketing dollars could go a little further. The fact that gas has gone back to somewhere in the $65 per barrel range also affords you more to spend on advertising your business. So…what that all means is you can now afford to hire me to write some storyselling marketing words to increase your sales.

“A-ha!”, you say. “I knew there was a catch.”

Well, hey…I’m not in this for my good looks. (that sure ain’t workin’) And you can hire someone else. It’s OK.

Seriously, though, right now’s a great time to boost your business and get more exposure…online or off. Don’t let the doomsayers scare you into standing still. That only makes matters worse. Remember what they say in investing…buy low and sell high. Hello…it’s low right now. Get ready for when it’s high.

And get ready to step out in front of the crowd,

If so, do you only use it socially? Or do you use it for marketing yourself, your service, or your products? You can see my “Twitter feed” right below. Follow me and look for marketing ideas. If you use Twitter, let me know where I can “follow” you.

OK…your baseball team is tied up with the World Champion Boston Red Sox 3 games to 3. And you’re in the bottom of the eighth inning. Your pitcher’s facing an ace hitter with the bases loaded and the Sox are only 2 runs down.

You make the call to bring in your 23 year old reliever. Talk about pressure cooker. Then you put your arm around his shoulders and give him some seasoned, coaching advice.

“Alright, kid. I know you can do this. We only need one out. Remember…just one out. Nothing else matters. Just get the one out, and we go to the ninth inning ahead 2 runs. Don’t sweat it. You’ve been working your whole life for this moment, and here it is. You can do it. Just one thing…no pitching!”

What?!

You can’t strike out anybody if you don’t pitch the ball. And you certainly can’t win the game. Pitching is the very essence of baseball. Without it there’s no game. No strategy. No winning.

You Need A “Reliever” Too

As chance would have it, though, marketing (especially online) doesn’t rely on “pitching” anymore. You know what I mean. At one time “pitching” your product or service was so vital to a business we even had the term “pitch men”. These were the ace sales guys…the guys who could come into the “game” when the odds were against ‘em and get the “score”…the win, the account, the business.

Nowadays; however, with access to personal computers and the internet, a so-called “average” consumer is armed with way too much information to be “pitched” to. And when he/she starts to feel “pitched”, they simply “click”, and they’re gone. Probably for good.

Good news is: you don’t need “pitching” to win. But you do need to build a relationship with the reader or viewer or listener. There’s a ton of effective ways to do this online. Social media sites are everywhere. Social networking is easy, free, and growing in leaps and bounds. You need to get involved with these “groups”. Find out how and where you can contribute answers and information and even “freebies” in your niche.

Now, You’re The Ace

Once you’re seen as someone who wants to help…someone who genuinely cares about the success of others, they decide for themselves about you and your product. It’s implicit marketing rather than explicit. Suddenly you’ve allowed them to “pitch” themselves. And you didn’t have to coerce, beg, or negotiate.

When you have the attitude of a “getter” it’s much harder to get anyone to give. But when you have the attitude of a “giver”, you often get what you hoped for. Think in terms of how much you can benefit someone else. Not like a what’s-in-it-for-me hard core business tycoon. When someone’s thirsty, you give them a glass of water. You don’t think of ten different ways to sell ‘em the glass.

Not if you care about your future at all.

Get in touch with your market. Use the full potential of the internet to find out what they want, need, and desire…

…then you can win without pitching.

Here’s to staying in the game,

In marketing, whether it’s online or off, they say one of the best techniques for selling is the tried-and-true “limited time only” offer.

I’d have to agree. If you think this “deal” you’re looking over might not be around tomorrow, you’re much more likely to buy it today. Or if you think the price may go up after today, you might just buy today.

The “Limited Time Only” offer applies to you, too

You’re a little bit like real estate. There’s a very limited supply of you. And you’re only offered for a very short time. On average…a man’s offer may only be into his middle to late seventies, and a woman into her eighties. So how do you position yourself…knowing that your supply AND time are limited? My suggestion is position yourself for the NOW.

Now is the time you live and breathe in…work in…thrive or dive in.

Now is the time you can give of yourself…not just exist.

Now is the time you can jump for joy or fall for lies.

You Won’t Be Around Here Forever

If you concern yourself with conserving resources like water, air, and food, shouldn’t you be even more concerned with your mortality? Market yourself as the valuable commodity you are. Use all the tools at your disposal to create the USP that is uniquely YOU. Then state it with authority, boldness, and courage. Know which part of you is the real person and which is the shadow…and never walk in your own shadow.

Now…go make it a great day, and thank God for life.

Would you invest $125 to save hundreds over the next few years?

Could you benefit from a tea that improves digestion?

Wanna know where you can really kick back and relax?…and have the confidence of knowing it’s all “green” with no harsh chemicals…only essential oils and herbs.

Look…saving the planet is a great idea. (although I don’t think we’re strong enough to destroy it)

But what good is saving the planet if none of us are even here to enjoy it. We’ve got to “save” us, too. And some of the best ways to do this are through the use of “green” ideas. I’m not an environmental extremist. I do like to keep things basic and pure; though. And you can find some great tips on how to get more “green” into your life at IdealBite.com I’m not an affiliate, so I don’t make any money if you visit their website. I just think they have a nice approach to this whole “green” thing. Check it out for yourself.

Learn some quick tips…who knows? Maybe you’re greener than you think you are.

To your great health,