My monthly e-zine, The Direct Response Letter (go to www.bly.com to subscribe or view back issues), is not the most successful or widely read e-zine on the planet. Far from it. But marketing results and comments from subscribers tell me … Continue reading →

With direct mail response rates continuing to decline, telemarketing impeded by the Do Not Call list, and CAN-SPAM controlling e-mail marketing, direct marketers are constantly exploring channels to find the magic formula that will work for them. In e-mail marketing, … Continue reading →

How do you drive traffic to your Web site without burning through your available cash in a couple of weeks? Here are 8 cost-effective ways to get hits to your site: 1. Google. The world’s largest search engine, Google facilitates … Continue reading →

After a quarter of a century in business-to-business marketing, I think I’ve finally figured out an accurate, authoritative answer to the question, “What’s the difference between business-to-business marketing and business-to-consumer marketing?” The answer, in my opinion, is this: The business … Continue reading →

The best way to get ideas for headlines when you are stuck is to keep a swipe file of successful headlines, and consult it for inspiration when you sit down to write a new ad or mailing. As a shortcut, … Continue reading →

During my quarter century as a copywriter, I have observed that business owners and managers fall into one of four categories as far as their competence and skill in marketing is concerned. By recognizing which category you are in and … Continue reading →

“What’s the most effective length for a business-to-business sales letter?” a reader asked me the other day. Let me see if I can give some sensible guidelines to answer this common question. To begin with, most of my colleagues in … Continue reading →

A while back I got an e-mail from Matthew Budman, who is the Managing Editor of Across the Board – a magazine published by the Conference Board for senior-level executives at large corporations. Mr. Budman asked me to comment on … Continue reading →

“Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement,” wrote Samuel Johnson. Today we know he was right: to break through the clutter and generate a profitable response, direct marketing must make a big promise. Some examples of big promises … Continue reading →

I recently read an article in a marketing magazine that advised repeating keywords on your site as often as possible, and in multiple places, so search engine “spiders” can find them. But my friend and fellow copywriter Nick Usborne says … Continue reading →