Do you treat different customers differently?

Seth Godin brought up this thought-provoking question in a blog post. My answer? Yes, I treat different customers differently. I treat all customers with respect and in a professional manner. But the customers who take responsibility for their marketing and who are willing to be a partner with me in the process — those are the ones who get top priority.

By the way, those customers are not always the ones who spend the most money with me either. When it comes to working with people, I’m like a blood hound. I NEED to see the customer succeed — it’s more than just a want. In order for that to happen, though, the customer needs to be a part of the process, at least for the type of work I do. This is why those customers get top priority.

How ’bout you? Do you treat different customers differently?

A vs. An: The Pesky Rule Meant to Confuse

OK, Copy Bitch, I’ve got one for you: Is it proper to use “a” or “an” before the acronym LGBT? I am a firm believer that “an” should only be used before vowels, so “a” should be used prior to LGBT.  But everywhere I look, people are writing “an LGBT.” What say you?

–Rob F, NYC

It’s the vowel or consonant sound that’s critical, not necessarily what the actual letter is itself. So, because you’d say “el” for the letter “L” (which is a vowel sound), “an” is appropriate.

Grammar Girl explains it quite well in this post.

Hope this helps!

The Best from 2010

It’s that time of the year again when you can’t escape “best of” lists. I actually enjoy looking through these types of lists and reliving moments from the last 12 months or catching up on something I might have missed. So, below, I’m sharing some of my top posts from 2010. I’m including ones that received the most traffic/comments and also ones that are my faves because I feel they provide the most help.

Enjoy, happy new year, and see you in 2011!

• Why Scott Brown Really Won (and how to leverage the lesson)

• 15 Status Update Ideas for Your Company Page on Facebook

• 8 Fresh Ideas for Email Newsletters

• 13 Ways to Use Testimonials

• The Anatomy of a Great Offer

• Business Anniversaries – 5 Celebratory Ideas

• How to Use a Semicolon – Just Two Rules

• Joint Possession (we’re not talking pot laws)

• Apples, Peaches, and George Clooney Naked

• Why I’m Giving Away Free Advice on This Blog

Don’t Dismiss the Nobody

I got an interesting note from a client the other day:

I just got an email from Awesome Propsect that they went with another vendor. I’ve asked for feedback but suspect I won’t get much but if I do I’ll send to you.  I do know that the other two vendors I had never heard of before so it wasn’t a major competitor they went with.

Here’s the thing to keep in mind: Just because you’ve never heard of the person or company you’re losing business to doesn’t mean the person or company isn’t a major competitor. Heck, there was a time when most people had never heard of Google (yes, really). Anybody you lose business to is someone to watch, to consider, and to see what they’re doing right.

Don’t dismiss. Pay attention.

Gratitude. It’s What’s For Dinner.

While it’s important to show gratitude every day of the year, it seems fitting that the month of November is devoted to giving thanks.

I don’t think it’s just because of Thanksgiving, either. There’s something about this month in particular — the increasing darkness, the grayer days, the quiet. It’s a time for reflection, a time to pause, and a time to look around and say, “Thank you.”

Which brings me to this blog post (and also the subject of my November newsletter): The Gratitude Edition. I’d like to personally thank you for reading this blog. I’d like to thank my clients (many of whom are devoted readers) for trusting me with their passions, dreams, and desires. I’d like to thank my colleagues for providing encouragement, support, and sympathetic ears during rough moments. And last, but not least, I’d like to call out three organizations that are important to me. They do great work every day of the year, and I applaud them for it.

Heifer’s approach is to help people obtain a sustainable source of food and income. According to its website, “Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of poverty and hunger to self-reliance through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and extensive training, which provide a multiplying source of food and income.” Give a sheep, a llama, chickens, bees — the gift catalog is extensive and will likely fit most budgets. One Christmas about five or six years ago, I gave gifts in the names of my (then) 12 nieces and nephews. This organization has helped more than 12 million families in more than 125 countries since 1944.

Did you know that it takes only $250 to surgically fix a cleft lip/palate, which gives a kid a chance at a normal life? And did you know that over 4 million kids in developing countries are afflicted by clefts, and most are too poor to afford the surgery on their own? Enter Smile Train, which was founded in 1999. According to its websites, Smile Train is “an international charity that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery to children in need, as well as providing cleft-related training to doctors. If you’re not familiar with Smile Train, check out the site. The organization is also featured in the Oscar-winning documentary short Smile Pinki.


The holiday season can be a tough time of year for many people. Luckily, the Samaritans is an organization that’s available year round. According to its website, “Samaritans’ purpose is to alleviate despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community, 24 hours a day; to educate the public about suicide prevention; and to reduce the stigma associated with suicide. We accomplish this through services that emphasize confidential, nonjudgmental, and compassionate listening.” Sometimes all it takes is a compassionate ear. If you or someone you know needs that, keep this worthy organization in mind.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Email Marketing Tip Quickie

I’ve been writing email newsletters since I’ve been in business. But for some reason, I’ve overlooked this obvious and easy email marketing tip. So I thought I’d share.

Send your email newsletter TWICE in one month. The first time should be to your regular list during your regular ship date. But then schedule it to send on the last day of the month to only those who’ve subscribed since your last newsletter went out.

Constant Contact makes it super easy to do this (and I’m sure the other major vendors, like MailChimp, do as well). In Constant Contact, simply do the following:

1. Select your email campaign.
2. Click on “Resend Options.”
3. Select “New contacts since email was last sent.”

Done!

Two things to keep in mind: to make it easier, do any data entry of email addresses to your “Contacts” list before you go through this process. And if your newsletter is dated in any way (e.g. you wish people a Happy Thanksgiving), you’ll need to copy your email campaign, remove dated references, and schedule a send to yourself only. Then, you should copy the list of new email addresses and then follow steps 1 and 2 above. For step #3, you’ll select “Enter email addresses Info” and paste the list of new email addresses.

13 Ways to Use Testimonials

The other day, I received a lovely testimonial from a client, Lise Stahl Brown of Networks Etc. Here’s what she said (commence horn tooting):

“Robyn developed the written content for the launch of our website. We’re a technology company that works with small businesses – we wanted to communicate our technical expertise without engaging in ‘geek-speak.’ Robyn artfully blended the authenticity and approachability we wanted to convey with a professional tone. We finally have a solid website that can grow as we do.”

As I sent it off to my Wonderful Web Dudes for posting on my site, I got to thinking about all the different ways I should be using testimonials like this one. Because the truth is (as I’m sure it is for many of you), I’m fortunate to receive cheerful comments from clients (either in writing or verbally), but I often fail to leverage these testimonials to their fullest potential.

So here at 13 ways that you can use testimonials. You don’t necessarily need to implement every single one of these ideas (although the right business very well could). But be sure you’re using your testimonials thoughtfully (as Project Runway’s Tim Gunn would say).

Oh, and be sure to follow this simple strategy for soliciting testimonials:

• Ask (be clear how you’re going to use it and ask if you can use the person’s relevant info, like name and company).
• Receive (always in writing — keep these permissions on file).
• Show gratitude. A heartfelt thank you is always appreciated. And pay it forward by offering to write a testimonial for someone else who does a great job for you.

1. On your website. Here are some ideas:

• Home page
• As scrolling text (scrolling testimonials) on the header graphic of your website
• On specific service or industry pages
• In a “Testimonials” or “Happy Customers” section

2. On the back of your business card. Don’t waste this valuable space — use it!

3. On press/speaking materials.

4. On a “Testimonials” or “Review” section on Facebook. Here’s a link to a great app you should add to your FB page.

5. As the inspiration for a blog post or newsletter topic. Pick an idea or theme from one of your testimonials and write a blog post around it. For example, in the testimonial Lise gave me above, she mentions my ability to turn “geek speak” into approachable copy. Well, “5 Tips for De-Geeking Copy” would make a fun blog post or newsletter article.

6. On email signatures. Call it “Happy Customer Quote” or “Fan Mail” and put it after your signature and use a new one every month. Opt for short, punchy, even funny ones, or testimonials that are super, super specific and talk about the type of business you want to get more of. Different people in your company can use different testimonials specific to their jobs and talents.

7. On LinkedIn. This involves an extra step of asking your client, provided you’re connected to him or her, to write the testimonial on LinkedIn. But most people are happy to do so.

8. On invoices.

9. In newsletters (electronic or print). They make great sidebar items.

10. In brochures.They work well as call-outs in the body copy, especially if they’re reinforcing a particular message.

11. On packaging.

12. On auto responder emails. For example, think of the welcome letter people receive when they subscribe to your newsletter through Constant Contact (or some other email vendor like Mail Chimp).

13. In advertising. Again, used as a call out, it can help reinforce the message.

What other ways do you use testimonials? I’d love to hear about them. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Business Anniversaries – 5 Celebratory Ideas

It always amazes me when companies overlook the simple things, like their own birthdays. Marking major milestones, like 10 years in business, is a great way to engage customers, reinforce credibility, and garner press. If you or one of your clients has a significant birthday coming up in 2011, here are five celebratory ideas to weave into the marketing plan.

1. Note it on your website. I’m not talking words, but rather some sort of a visual that appears on every page. (Yes, you’ll want to note it in words as well — a blurb on your home page and a press release in your media section will work.)

2. Create a promotion around the number. For example, if you’re celebrating 10 years in business and you’re an acupuncturist, have a contest where you’ll give one lucky winner 10 FREE treatments. You can get a lot of mileage out of a contest like this, since you can promote it through your website, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, email signatures, etc. To enter, people can fill out a form and write a brief statement (250 words or less) as to why they should be the winner and what they’d use the treatments for.

3. Expand your “About Us” section on your website. Add  “Through the Years” or a “Time Line” (or both) on your site where you visually walk people through some of your major milestones. For ideas, check out these cool time lines from Green Giant and Wrangler.

4. Throw a party. Seems obvious, right? But I mean throw a party for your employees, customers, and vendors. No, not everyone will be able to come, but a party mid-year (late June is a good time) is always a great way to thank people for their involvement in your success. Here in Massachusetts, a cool, fun place to hold a corporate event in Kimball Farm (great ice cream!) in Westford, Mass. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin has been holding events there for the last several years.

5. Give gifts. Identify your top tier clients and send them a gift that signifies your business milestone. Use the traditional/modern themes for anniversaries as a starting point, but then let your imagination run wild. For example, if you’re celebrating 20 years in business, consider sending an arrangement of day lilies to your top clients with a heartfelt thank you note (the day lily is the flower associated with 20th anniversaries).

Have some other ideas? I’d love to hear them. Leave ‘em in the comments.

Penalized for Proper Behavior? A Marketing Don’t.

Got my car insurance invoice in the mail the other day. If I pay the bill in full right now, I’ll receive a 10 percent discount. So far, so good. I like being rewarded for good behavior.

The invoice goes on to explain that if I’m late with a payment, I’ll be charged a $25 late fee. That’s fair and makes sense. No problem there.

The invoice finally explains that if I make my monthly minimum payment on time – they call it an installment plan — a $6 “installment charge” will be added to each invoice.

Here’s my question: should customers be penalized for making payments on time? (I imagine you know what my answer is.) I’m sure, if asked, the insurance company would make an argument as to why the installment charge is necessary. I don’t need to hear it to offer my counterargument, which is this: think of your customers first. How does penalizing them for proper behavior help them? It doesn’t help them, and despite what you think, it doesn’t help your company in the long run.

Think about your own business and ask yourself if you’re penalizing your customers somewhere along the way for simply doing what they’re supposed to do. If you are, rethink that strategy.

8 Fresh Ideas for Email Newsletters

Many of my clients are working on their 2011 marketing plans, which means they’re likely thinking of their e-newsletter editorial calendars as well.

Need some fresh ideas for newsletter articles and sidebar items? Check these out.

1. Private Sale/Private Offering. Construct a newsletter around a special sale or offering that will be available to subscribers only. Promote this fact on Twitter and Facebook and grow your list while you’re at it. I recently worked on this concept for one of my retail clients, and we got a good number of sales out of it as a result.

2. Inside Views. I don’t know about you, but I love learning about the real people in companies, especially those I do business with. In a time when corporate “spin” is in our faces more than ever thanks to the Internet, it’s refreshing to hear real thoughts and real views from real people. Do a “Q&A” feature with some of the people in your company. Ask questions that invite real answers — in other words, answers that provide insight into who these people are as human beings (e.g. favorite movie, favorite book, three songs queued on their iPods).

3. Highlight Charitable Giving. I’m not suggesting that you toot your own horn, but what you can do is provide real exposure to some of the charities and nonprofit organizations that you and your employees support. (Always a crowd pleaser in November.)

4. Blog Roundup. Sure, we want to believe our clients and prospects are flocking to our blogs and hanging on every word we write, but the truth is, life happens. Even when you consistently post great articles, not everyone will see them the first time around. So do a newsletter article where you recap those key articles: ones that garnered the most comments, ones that provoked controversy, and ones you feel are important “can’t miss” articles. This strategy can work well when you’re tight on time and can’t bang out a complete article or when you’re coming off the holidays or summer, since people might have missed some key blog posts due to travels and general craziness.

5. In their own words. Ever thought of giving one of your clients the pulpit? Somewhere between a customer story and a customer testimonial, a customer letter “in his or her own words” could be refreshing. DO NOT EDIT CONTENT. Simply fix glaring punctuation/spelling errors and anything that’s factually inaccurate.

6. How’d we do that? You take what you do for granted, but chances are you have some readers who might be really curious about a certain aspect of your business. For example, if you’re an online retailer, you could provide insight on how you choose the lines you carry. If you’re a custom cabinetmaker, you could do a before and after “refurbishing” series, complete with images or video. You get the idea.

7. Do the opposite of what you normally do. Do you usually focus on customer stories? Offer some how-to articles instead. Do you normally write long articles? Find one great image — like a cartoon — that gets your point across and then attach it to an offer. People find value in any number of things. Mixing it up is a great way to keep your audience engaged.

8. Did You Know? Chances are your customers — even your best customers — don’t know everything that you do or every product you offer. Take a hard look at service offerings or products that you think should be resulting in more business. Then highlight two or three in a “Did You Know We Offer This” sort of article.

Need help organizing your company’s editorial calendar? That would be a perfect activity for my Rent My Noggin program.