Archives

September 2012 (1)
- 04: 7 Powerful Tactics to Increase Your Sales Letter Response (1)
May 2012 (2)
- 30: 12 fast direct mail tests for cheapskates (0)
- 02: The Importance of Being Trivial (1)
April 2012 (1)
- 03: Getting to “yes”: 4 keys for instant credibility (3)
March 2012 (1)
- 06: Getting to “yes”: the magic rule of authority (1)
February 2012 (1)
- 07: Mastering the almighty advertorial space ad (4)
January 2012 (1)
- 10: 3 little hints for effective limited-time offers (3)
December 2011 (1)
- 13: 9 editing tactics to supercharge your selling copy (5)
November 2011 (2)
- 16: 10+ tips for making the most of your customer testimonials (5)
- 02: The Cedar Plank Salmon Secret of Selling (1)
October 2011 (2)
- 19: 6 secrets for winning pointy plastic creative advertising awards (12)
- 04: Classic advertising quotes from Morris Hite. Huh? Who’s Morris Hite? (3)
September 2011 (2)
- 21: Why good copy goes bad (you’re not dumb, you’re just ignorant) (0)
- 06: Self-mailer secrets and bingo card bombs – your direct mail questions answered (0)
August 2011 (3)
- 23: Does your print ad pass this 9-point success checklist? (4)
- 09: My “3 bucket strategy” to beat your control (1)
- 04: Notice on spam IRS email now circulating (0)
July 2011 (2)
- 26: P.O.W.E.R. Copywriting: Write simple ads in 5 steps (3)
- 12: 5 secrets for reading faster (without a speed reading course) (5)
June 2011 (4)
- 28: How to generate sales leads with white papers (2)
- 21: The selling power of “social proof” (0)
- 07: 3 tricks kids can teach you about getting people to say “yes” to almost anything (9)
- 01: Boost your direct mail response with a lift letter (1)
May 2011 (4)
- 24: Are your direct marketing offers unfair? They should be. (3)
- 18: 3 lessons from the world’s most successful website (1)
- 12: 2 immutable rules for finding a professional copywriter (4)
- 04: The mathematical formula for crazy direct mail ideas (0)
April 2011 (4)
- 26: Official-looking direct mail works better than you think (2)
- 19: The dos and don’ts of marketing to today’s seniors (7)
- 14: The 3 hot buttons of political fundraising letters (0)
- 05: Truth 101: a primer for direct marketing professionals (3)
March 2011 (5)
- 29: Inspiring direct mail envelope samples from my great big stack of stuff (5)
- 22: I wish all catalog copy could be written like this (3)
- 15: How to brainstorm the BIG IDEA step-by-step (1)
- 08: 8 ways to turn your creative staff into idea machines (0)
- 01: 10 easy ways to release the creative genius inside you (1)
February 2011 (4)
- 22: Look out! Here are 16 bad habits that will crush your creativity (0)
- 15: How many of these 11 creative traits do you have? (4)
- 08: The 3 levels of creative mastery in direct marketing (4)
- 01: Great quotes on the wild, weird, and wonderful world of advertising (2)
January 2011 (4)
- 25: 9 direct mail “devices” to quickly boost response (5)
- 18: How to start getting sales leads the easy way (5)
- 11: 14 offers to increase profit and generate sales inquiries (0)
- 04: 13 offers to improve terms and provide services and bribes (0)
December 2010 (4)
- 28: 17 offers to reduce price and increase urgency (0)
- 21: Merry Christmas from the Legal Department (0)
- 14: 14 offers to raise response and lower risk (2)
- 07: B2B vs. consumer marketing: 14 selling tips (2)
November 2010 (5)
- 30: Ugly direct mail works and here’s why (11)
- 23: How to “spurf up” great customer testimonials (3)
- 16: B2B vs. consumer marketing: 5 key differences (3)
- 09: 15 copywriting formulas that sell like gangbusters (6)
- 02: Is it time for a BIG direct mail piece? (4)
October 2010 (4)
- 26: Dazzle your clients with Google search hacks (0)
- 19: Perform a direct mail autopsy in 6 easy steps (4)
- 12: Is it smart to use direct mail for online sales? (11)
- 05: How to use the ingenious “yes/maybe” offer (4)
September 2010 (4)
- 28: Q&A on running good direct marketing tests (5)
- 21: Occam’s Razor: 16 obvious ways to connect with consumers (9)
- 14: Divide and conquer to boost direct mail results (0)
- 07: Garden club sticks to proven direct mail format (0)
August 2010 (5)
- 31: Write direct mail envelopes that get opened (3)
- 24: Stop clowning around: 3 reasons jokes don’t sell (14)
- 17: 3 irrefutable proofs: people-centered ads win (6)
- 10: How to grow a nonprofit website with a simple “traffic portfolio” (4)
- 03: How to use direct mail to drive website traffic (8)
July 2010 (4)
- 27: Defending yourself against the sales lead killers (6)
- 20: Using a coin trick to get your mail opened (8)
- 13: Write the perfect sales letter in 14 proven steps (2)
- 06: Are there simple ways to reduce your direct mail costs? (2)
June 2010 (5)
- 29: Simple direct mail offers can work like crazy (2)
- 22: Why “selective attention” can kill your ads (3)
- 15: Are you a word nerd? Take the test. (5)
- 08: Customer retention: plugging the leaky pool (6)
- 02: Customer defection: the leaky pool nightmare (4)
May 2010 (3)
- 25: How to sell products with direct mail inserts (10)
- 18: Blog security: an interview with John Hoff (1)
- 11: Getting response in a down economy (2)
April 2010 (4)
- 27: 5 bilingual copy mistakes and how to avoid them (2)
- 20: Information Overload: 5 causes and 12 cures (7)
- 13: Long copy vs. short copy. Who is right? (20)
- 06: Advertising lessons from FAIL Blog (5)
March 2010 (5)
- 30: Google TV Ads: upload and run commercials on national TV shows from your laptop (18)
- 23: Which social media are right for you? (2)
- 16: Has “FREE” become cliche? (12)
- 09: How Technology Has Changed Creativity in the Ad Business (0)
- 02: HootSuite: How to do a week of social media marketing in just 20 minutes! (10)
February 2010 (4)
- 23: Wise, witty quotes from the advertising masters (8)
- 16: Do you sell “things” or experiences? (7)
- 09: How to explain what you do for a living (5)
- 02: Copywriting blogs you should be reading today (7)
January 2010 (4)
- 26: 99 old-fangled tips to goose your direct mail (8)
- 19: Free shipping: Does it actually boost sales? (10)
- 12: How to set up a Facebook fan page that works (294)
- 05: Email Marketing Best Practices 101 (11)
December 2009 (5)
- 29: The 25 most popular articles of 2009 (0)
- 22: Santa’s secrets of marketing success (1)
- 15: 1 immutable law of social media marketing (4)
- 08: Quick tips for writing variable direct mail copy (0)
- 01: Tweets and blogs and stuff (0)
November 2009 (4)
- 24: 5 copywriting cheats to write better and faster (1)
- 17: Copywriter Information Center now live! (0)
- 10: Marketing to seniors: Interview with Senior Market Advisor (4)
- 03: 5 simple SEO tips to boost your search traffic (1)
October 2009 (4)
- 27: 7 stupid ways to screw up your direct mail (5)
- 20: FTC cracks down on endorsements and testimonials (0)
- 13: Snap Pack Facts: part deux (2)
- 06: Design and legibility: 7 tips for high ad readership (2)
September 2009 (4)
- 29: Design and legibility: 10 basic principles of reading (5)
- 22: Sales lead call backs: strike while the iron is hot (1)
- 15: Wacky Waiving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man (3)
- 01: Soup, sand, and rancid cheese: The craziest direct mail test in history (9)
August 2009 (4)
- 25: Brainstorming doesn’t work? (0)
- 18: Comic book ads reveal “action” design (0)
- 11: What if a corporation created the STOP sign? (8)
- 04: 4 secrets of DM creative team success (1)
July 2009 (4)
- 28: Direct Marketing Glossary (3)
- 17: FREE Direct Mail White Paper (3)
- 14: Why slogans don’t sell (13)
- 07: Does Twitter drive traffic and sales? (7)
June 2009 (5)
- 30: 21 great headlines from trashy tabloids (52)
- 23: What does “freelance” really mean? (11)
- 16: 23 thoughts to survive any crisis (0)
- 09: 6 secrets of buyer behavior in a recession (6)
- 02: 30 Timeless Direct Marketing Principles (7)
May 2009 (4)
- 26: Generating sales leads with TV ads (2)
- 19: Spam scam copywriting secrets (0)
- 12: Quick online writing resources (7)
- 05: Eye tracking study reveals 12 website tactics (110)
April 2009 (5)
- 28: Why “corporate” ads waste money (4)
- 21: USPS offers direct mail “summer sale” (2)
- 14: Direct marketing extra credit reading list (3)
- 07: How to use “official” envelopes for direct mail (3)
- 01: Semantic noise: the copywriter’s curse (6)
March 2009 (4)
- 24: Huh? Is your e-mail advertising confusing? (4)
- 17: What AC/DC can teach you about advertising (8)
- 10: See how people sort your direct mail (4)
- 03: Snap Pack Facts: An interview with Ted Grigg (6)
February 2009 (4)
- 24: Postcard, postcard, everywhere a postcard (6)
- 18: How to design an ad no one will read (10)
- 10: Do customers see what you see in your ads? (7)
- 03: My direct mail reviewed by Who’s Mailing What (1)
January 2009 (7)
- 27: Sharpen your creative skills. Hug a tree. (7)
- 22: Vince the ShamWow guy is flawless DRTV (24)
- 19: Content theft and other dastardly deeds (7)
- 15: Obama marketing mania means big bucks (3)
- 12: U.S. Postal Service: Holidays by the Numbers (1)
- 06: Fundraising: the “hardwired” formula that works (0)
- 05: 11 appeals that make fundraising letters work (0)
December 2008 (5)
- 30: Can good design be ugly? (6)
- 23: The 6-word copywriting challenge (1)
- 17: How to write the “classic direct mail package” (9)
- 10: 3 predictions for the future of direct marketing (10)
- 03: 4 subject line tricks to boost e-mail open rates (1)
November 2008 (4)
- 25: “Bite the wax tadpole,” said the copywriter. (2)
- 19: AH-HA! Break though creative block in 4 steps (6)
- 12: B2B copywriting vs. B2C copywriting (6)
- 06: $#!* Happens – A dirty story about ad testing (2)
October 2008 (5)
- 29: Get FREE sales and marketing magazines! (1)
- 22: Favorite quotations about advertising (4)
- 16: Learn to write headlines at the grocery store! (1)
- 09: Does negative advertising work? (4)
- 01: 11 freelance tips for earning like a pro (7)
September 2008 (4)
- 25: Are you a versatile freelancer? (3)
- 18: Ad copywriting tip: Tell an interesting story (5)
- 09: Boost response by positioning your offer (3)
- 02: Branding vs. selling: Which is more important? (13)
August 2008 (4)
- 26: The power of color in direct marketing (48)
- 19: Is it junk mail if you say it ain’t so? (9)
- 13: Good direct mail design: let form follow function (6)
- 05: What happens when you mail stinky cheese? (3)
July 2008 (5)
- 29: Service pricing: Hourly rate or fixed fee? (8)
- 22: Deceptive direct mail or clever selling tactic? (9)
- 15: Kaboom! The selling magic of Billy Mays (16)
- 08: 5 ways to kill good copy with bad design (13)
- 01: The direct mail envelope quandary: plain or bold (2)
June 2008 (4)
- 24: Free computer tools for copywriters (6)
- 17: FTC approves new anti-spam rules (0)
- 11: Tweaking your way to copywriting hell (3)
- 03: Interview reveals my mysterious past (6)
May 2008 (4)
- 28: The $64,000 self-promotion letter (0)
- 20: Freelance success begins with mindset (7)
- 13: Be bossy in your copy! (7)
- 05: How to add oomph to your offer (1)
April 2008 (4)
- 28: Yogi Berra: Master Copywriter? (7)
- 21: 5 tips for more creative copywriting (3)
- 14: Duke University offers vintage print ad library (0)
- 07: E-mail marketing tips from the pros (1)
March 2008 (5)
- 31: The great “click here” debate resolved (4)
- 24: How much choice do consumers want? (1)
- 17: Speedwriting: 12 tips for writing faster (3)
- 11: SEO Copywriting: How important is it to you? (10)
- 05: Direct mail resources galore at USPS.com (0)
February 2008 (9)
- 29: Inside the mind of DM guru Steve Slaunwhite (1)
- 26: The e-mail marketing problem you never knew you had (and why you can’t fix it) (4)
- 22: Why pissing people off can be good advertising (8)
- 19: My artless radio ad formula for generating sales, leads, and traffic (7)
- 15: The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the secret for coping with the incompetents around you (18)
- 12: A chat with cranky commentator Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven (7)
- 08: Harlan Ellison rants about writer’s pay and the amateurs who screw things up for the pros (7)
- 05: Links for copywriters and would-be designers (0)
- 01: Lying, cheating, TV ad scamming bastards! (7)
January 2008 (8)
- 28: How to develop a unique writing style in one lifetime or less (6)
- 23: Bob Bly’s secrets of marketing online and offline (4)
- 19: Cheap direct mail ideas can work wonders (7)
- 15: Reports of the death of advertising as we know it are greatly exaggerated (3)
- 11: Is it hypocritical for a professional copywriter to hate the commercialism of Christmas? (6)
- 08: The danger of getting too creative with type (9)
- 03: 10 obvious ideas for spectacular success (6)
- 01: Copywriter Ivan Levison talks about direct mail (8)
December 2007 (9)
- 28: Ram rumps and direct marketing success (4)
- 22: Who is the greatest marketer in history? (4)
- 20: Is the government monopoly on mail a good thing? (6)
- 17: Book Review: The Wizard of Ads (11)
- 13: Call Guinness. Here’s the dumbest Web site design on Earth! (14)
- 10: Eye-tracking studies reveal design secrets (5)
- 07: The history of branding (2)
- 06: Happiness drives consumer behavior (2)
- 04: The future of direct mail and advertising intrusiveness (10)
November 2007 (14)
- 29: Visit the Direct Marketing Article Archive (8)
- 26: Good copywriting often requires “bad” writing! (7)
- 22: Do your research to stop dropping turkeys! (1)
- 21: The brutal truth about how people read mail (4)
- 19: The world’s most powerful selling word isn’t in the dictionary! (5)
- 15: Postcard copywriting and design blunders (6)
- 15: Yogi Berra talks about persuasive copywriting at Copyblogger (0)
- 14: Copywriting news, notes, tips, and warnings (3)
- 12: A hardworking print ad doesn’t try to be clever! (0)
- 09: Coupon myths and the importance of marketing research (0)
- 07: A revolution in advertising design? You decide. (0)
- 06: The secret of great copywriting has nothing to do with writing! (0)
- 03: A hodgepodge of marketing ideas from the Web (0)
- 01: Is SEO copywriting a good idea for direct marketers? (2)
October 2007 (8)
- 31: David Ogilvy on the Power of Direct Response Advertising (0)
- 30: Write clearly, darnit! (2)
- 26: Book Reviews: 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site and The Long Tail (0)
- 26: Direct marketing ethics again in the headlines (0)
- 24: The 3 essential elements of direct marketing (0)
- 23: The Ginsu knife school of irresistible offers (2)
- 22: A quick definition of direct marketing, direct response, and direct mail (0)
- 22: Welcome to the Direct Creative Blog! (1)

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