Since putting up my Web site, www.bly.com, in April 1998, I’ve received a ton of unsolicited e-mails, faxes, and phone calls—from casual Internet surfers as well as Web professionals—with all sorts of advice on how to make my Web site … Continue reading →

Direct mail, in the hands of a knowledgeable pro, can be a powerful promotion that builds both traffic, targets key prospects, generates sales leads, fills conference rooms, creates an awareness of an event and your participation in it.  Or gets … Continue reading →

Subscriber WE asks, “If you were a somewhat green freelancer, how would you approach the client mentality of ‘I can get this for $5 somewhere.’ “Would you try and convince them otherwise or simply look elsewhere? And if you tried … Continue reading →

In a recent issue of his online newsletter, marketing expert ER wrote: “I marvel at the business people who patiently spent tens of thousands of dollars on direct mail for years to develop a customer base, but who give up … Continue reading →

I was recently irritated by two UK copywriters, NH and MF, who lurk on a LinkedIn copywriting forum and spend a lot of time bashing what I do, which is direct marketing (DM) — often also called direct response (DR). … Continue reading →

The late, great speaker Dottie Walters once praised me by writing, “Bob Bly is a magnificent idea man.” But that actually made me uncomfortable … because I do not think of myself as an idea man. I am something that, … Continue reading →

As an info marketer with thousands of customers worldwide, I have delightful correspondence with hundreds of my buyers. But from time to time, I also get some off-the-wall complaints. Perhaps the most idiotic in recent memory comes from ST. She … Continue reading →

My friend, DK, is a soft-spoken gentleman who makes a modest living as a freelance writer and editor, as most freelancers do, but wants to follow me into the much more lucrative field of information marketing. Every time I announce … Continue reading →

When the Winter Olympics were on, my wife watched it devotedly. But she also did social media and e-mail on her laptop at the same time. “You’re going to miss the performance,” I said while figure skating was on. “I … Continue reading →

Kindle has been heralded as the next great opportunity for self-publishing. Unfortunately, its value and potential have been vastly overstated. To establish my Kindle credentials, thin as they may be: a number of my books with traditional publishing houses are … Continue reading →