Content marketing has turned traditional marketing on its head.

Old-school methods don’t cut it anymore in the age of ad blockers and heightened consumer ad fatigue.

Marketers are constantly honing new techniques to engage with their target customers and provide them with something of value.

You know I’m all about content marketing.

Content marketing is not just about sexy brands creating viral videos. You can create high-value content for any type of industry.

All of that doesn’t mean, however, that everything that traditional marketing relies on is dead.

Far from it.

Some of the foundations of traditional advertising are still super relevant today and can help you achieve your marketing goals.

Take the practice of creating customer personas.

In this article, I’m going to show what a marketing persona is, how to create an accurate one, and how creating marketing personas can help you achieve your marketing objectives. [click to continue …]

Selling is sometimes closer to a science than an art.

I’ve talked a lot before about consumer psychology, both on my blog and elsewhere.

That’s because I love the idea that the brain plays such a vital role in selling (and buying).

For example, the color of your CTA button or the pictures you use on your landing pages can all impact conversions.

The brain is ultimately designed to process certain information in specific ways, and it will react accordingly to certain triggers.

If you can optimize your site to include those triggers, you can boost your sales.

But it’s not always as simple as using certain colors. Psychology, like people, can be complicated.

While there is never a 100% guarantee that certain psychological tactics will work, there are a few brain-based strategies you can use that will get results.

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Have you ever wondered if direct mail is worth your time?

In our world of all things digital, direct mail seems old and boring.

You wouldn’t drive a horse-drawn carriage to work or use a pager to contact your friends, would you?

Of course not.

It’s for similar reasons that direct mail feels outdated.

But direct mail is still a great way to reach your audience, grab their attention, and connect with them on a personal level.

In 2016, The Data & Marketing Association reported that the direct mail customer response rate increased by 43%. Even better, the prospect response rate increased by 190% compared to 2015.

Many marketers are in shock.

But the data is undeniable.

Direct mail is still effective and using it is a game changer for any serious marketer.

Here are 13 reasons why direct mail still isn’t dead. [click to continue …]

Most of the questions people ask me are about SEO. Getting the #1 spot in Google is “sexy” in the marketing world.

I get it. I love seeing my domain in the top spot as well.

But SEO tactics have drowned out an extremely important part of selling online: copywriting.

According to Copyblogger, “copywriting is the art and science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action.”

Let’s go even deeper.

What is your end goal of getting someone to take action?

You’re trying to make a sale.

To put it bluntly: You’re using words to persuade someone to take money out of their pocket and put it in yours. [click to continue …]

When building a company, most founders first think about their product and making money.

But your product isn’t the only thing that’s important when building your company.

What about your brand? How do your customers think about your brand and company?

Your customer’s perception is an incredibly important part of the equation for creating a successful company.

Do your customers think of your brand as modern, eco-friendly, customer-centric? Or maybe they don’t find your brand particularly trustworthy.

That’s not a good place to be.

You want your brand to be associated with positive qualities and traits. Some of the most important traits your customers should associate with your brand are honesty and trustworthiness.

Presenting a brand that’s honest and trustworthy can make it easier to gain and retain your customers.

That’s why I’ve put together my 18 best tips for creating a brand that’s honest and trustworthy. [click to continue …]