I discovered Copyblogger today. Wow. If you’re interested in copywriting for online marketing, this blog by Brian Clark is a fabulous resource. Be sure to read The Best of Copyblogger in 2007.

Thanks goes to Andrew Daum of Riffs and Rants on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for pointing out Copyblogger. Andrew’s blog is another great find this morning. Too good to keep to myself!

I discovered Dr. Tom Sant and the Sant Corporation several years ago when I was heavily involved in proposal writing. Dr. Sant is a leader and innovator in the proposal writing field and the author of Persuasive Business Proposals.

I highly recommend this book, as well as Sant’s amazing proposal generation software (ProposalMaster) that helps you create persuasive proposals. Working with Microsoft Word, the software guides you through a series of screens where you select relevant content to easily build your document.

Do you know the most important elements of an effective proposal? See if you can pick the top three from the following list:

1. Accuracy of the content
2. Addressing the customer’s needs and objectives
3. Addressing the requirements of the RFP
4. Case studies / success stories
5. Clarity of the writing
6. Completeness
7. Compliance
8. Conciseness
9. Cost justification / ROI / Life cycle cost analysis
10. Facilities section
11. Graphics
12. Management plan
13. Pricing
14. Prior experience
15. Project plan
16. References
17. Resumes
18. Technical innovation
19. Technical plan
20. Vendor’s history / capabilities / experience

According to Sant, the three that seem to matter the most are:

• Addressing the customer’s needs

• Addressing the requirements of the RFP

• Cost justification / ROI /Life cycle cost analysis

“People want to know that they’re getting what they need, that you’re going to deliver it in a way that conforms to their expectations and technical requirements and that will offer good business value. The other stuff? Background support. Substantiation. Sometimes a reason to eliminate a vendor. But ultimately not as important.” (from What Matters the Most in Winning, Sant’s Messages That Matter blog).

Learn more about the Sant Corporation

Be sure to sign up for their free e-newsletter. It always contains practical advice you can use immediately to write winning proposals.

Taking advantage of the power of video technology and one-on-one communication, Page Gravy is an innovative way to introduce products and services on a Web site — video ads using professional actors.

A video actor will “pop” into a company’s website to talk about whatever a client wants. And, it’s memorable. Studies indicate that people have better recall and retention if they see and hear about a product.

“We have good concepts with reasonable costs to help you sell your product,” said Hank Kozub co-founder of Page Gravy. “We represent value and innovation.”

A 30-second video costs $399, while a 60-second video costs $499. And the client is in the driver’s seat.

Go to the website, click on How to Order, and you’re on your way. The client can choose from dozens of Page Gravy actors, ranging in all ages, and can specify what they say, do, and wear. The client makes the choice, sends in the script or uses the company’s scriptwriting service, and then sits back and relaxes. Page Gravy films and edits the video, and provides the client with instructions on how to put the ad up.

One-on-one communication is the most effective way for a business to make a true connection with their clientele and maintain that relationship in the long-term.

Do you know the difference between marketing and sales? If not, read on. Knowing it (and acting on it) may mean the difference between success and failure. This tip comes from coach and success strategist Philip Humbert.

Many people have pointed out the distinction between marketing (making people aware of you and your business) and sales (closing the deal). It’s always critical to know which is which, and to use skills appropriate for the situation.

Recently, I’ve seen business people using far too many marketing strategies and impatiently wondering why they weren’t creating instant results. I recently consulted with one local business that has tried 9 different marketing strategies in the past year, “but none of them worked.” No wonder they and their potential customers are confused!

My coaching was that all of the strategies seemed viable, and any of them might work well IF they picked one and used it consistently over time. The owner’s problem is that (1) he doesn’t want to choose because he fears he’ll choose the wrong one, and (2) he’s eager for his marketing to produce rapid sales, which is a mistake.

Marketing is primarily intended to create brand recognition and give you the opportunity to make sales in the future. Sales is the art of helping a qualified prospect (who is already interested) to buy right now. They are different processes and they require different skills.

Be clear about your marketing strategy. Pick one or two strategies that come naturally for you, and that you enjoy. Use it over time — months, years, even decades! — to give yourself the opportunity to make sales down the road.

Then, know and use appropriate SALES techniques when the time comes. When a qualified prospect inquires about your goods or services, know how to close the deal, but don’t expect that every MARKETING conversation will lead to immediate sales. Knowing the difference is a key to long-term financial success.

Copyright 2007, All rights reserved. Philip Humbert.

Contact him at www.philiphumbert.com or Coach@philiphumbert.com. Sign up for his free TIPS e-newsletter.

Now you can add Google maps to your Web site or blog in just three easy steps! No need for fancy programming. Just copy and paste a snippet of HTML.

Find out how.

Here is a map of our business address:

View Larger Map

Introducing AnthemAZRestaurants.com — a new directory featuring restaurants and others places to eat, drink, snack and dine in Anthem, Arizona.

All eateries get a free basic listing. An Enhanced Listing subscription, which includes an optional Menu page and Specials page that subscribers can update anytime, can be purchased for 6-month and 12-month contracts — for about the same price as running a classified ad in a newspaper. This is a sizzlin’ deal!

The Web site uses a Content Management System (CMS) from Interspire, a wonderful company Down Under. If you’re looking for a full-featured, easy-to-use CMS, check out ArticleLive.

Let us know what you think of the new directory!

A client who hosted his Web site at Netfirms asked me to redesign his Web site using WordPress. Netfirms, like most hosting companies, offers easy WordPress installation through Fantastico.

Big mistake.

They installed an older version of WordPress! So I had to spend precious time doing a manual upgrade. Then I discovered that the Permalinks feature didn’t work. I tried in vain to get tech support to understand the problem and my questions (I even pointed the tech to the appropriate articles in their knowledgebase).

Due to the poor tech support, we ended up moving to another hosting service, where the Permalinks feature works just fine.

WordPress Permalinks allow for blog post and page URLs to include the post or page title, for instance, instead of a string of numbers. This is very important for making your blog or site friendly for visitors and search engines.

Talking Feather Communications recently launched a site dedicated to spreading the word about Free IQ. Visit www.freeiq-revolution.com. We welcome any comments or suggestions!

The new site uses WordPress blog technology, taking advantage of the power of the blogosphere for visibility and search-engine ranking. Blogs are also extremely easy to use and maintain.

Need a blog? We offer WordPress installation, setup, customization and user training services. Feel free to contact us if interested.

Jerry Bader of MRPwebmedia in his article “Ten Stories That Can Sell Anything” reminds us that effective advertising is about telling stories about universal truths and primal needs.

There are only so many stories you can tell and the art of advertising, or corporate storytelling, is the ability to present that story in fresh new ways. … There are some disagreements as to what these seven stories are, and if there are really only seven. This magic number seven is interesting as it coincides with noted psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Maslow identified seven basic human motivations that guide peoples’ conduct: physical needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, and self-actualization needs. Develop a marketing campaign consisting of stories that satisfy one of these motivational triggers and you have a campaign that your audience will respond to and consider relevant. …

Not everyone limits the number of prime stories to seven, Blake Snyder, professional screenwriter and author of “Save The Cat,” says there are ten. Snyder approaches the problem with a more flamboyant flair than Maslow, but still based on fundamental emotional and psychological criteria.

Snyder’s ten basic story scenarios are: Monster In the House, Dude With a Problem, Fool Triumphant, Superhero, Buddy Love, Out Of a Bottle, Institution, Golden Fleece, Rights-of-Passage, and Whydunit. This is all very interesting but does it help you develop an advertising campaign that delivers your marketing message?

Read the entire article here or here (reader-friendly and printer-friendly version!)

Inc.com reports that new USPS rates effective May 14 could save businesses money. The cost of mailing a letter will go up by two cents, but rates for other categories will drop.

Letters weighing up to two ounces will drop to 58 cents — five cents less than the 63 cents they currently cost. Businesses that reduce the frequency of their mailers by combining them stand to gain. A small business mailing 5,000 such letters would save $250 more than what it would have saved before the rate drop.

Read the full article