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Less Pitching, More Empathy

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Less Pitching, More Empathy

“The art of effective copywriting is not to convince people of something they should know, but to ensure them that what they do know matters to you.”

— Me. I wrote that.

By this, I mean to say: Too many fall into the trap of expecting their marketing copy to convince an audience to buy from them, based on features and not on outcomes. The website messaging pitches the features…without connecting to benefits. The brochure brags about speed. Storage capacity. A variety of colors and finishes.

What if none of that matters to the prospective client or customer? What if, instead, the prospect cares first and foremost about their own pain, challenges or aspirations? Rule of thumb: If you’re leading with product features in your marketing copy, you’re talking right bast the client or customer.

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Ideas, Not Words

Ideas, Not Words

People Don’t Need More Words; They Need Better Ideas

Your job as a thought leader is not to create content; it’s to deal in intellectual property.

So says Jay Acunzo, author of Break the Wheel and a brand messaging strategist.

People can get words from anywhere these days. Thanks in part to AI, we are no shortage of content. But what the world will continue to seek out is expertise. Fresh ideas. New approaches to solving problems.

And if the content you’re publishing isn’t delivering on those needs, it might as well just be words on a page. In fact, it is.

The Complete Guide to 2025 Marketing Strategy Planning

The Complete Guide to 2025 Marketing Strategy Planning

Looking to Craft a Killer Marketing Strategy for 2025?

Curtis and I kicked off Season 2 of the Bullhorns and Bullseyes podcast by going live (originally airing December 18, 2024), during which we covered a range of topics with both curiosity and analysis alike.

Appropriately, we opened the show talking about the importance of authenticity when it comes to branding and marketing. (You know...like, going live and in-person in real time?)

We did our best to cover the relevant bases, fielded some live questions, and tried to tee listeners up to hit a home run when developing their 2025 marketing plans!

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Don't Be a Hero

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Don't Be a Hero

Who Is the Hero In Your Story?

If I told you my life story, would you care?

What if I asked you tell me your life story?

Eugene M. Schwartz’s The Brilliance Breakthrough: How to Talk and Write So That People Will Never Forget You should be (and often is) considered to be the “bible” of effective copywriting and storytelling. One of the many tenets Schwartz embraces is the notion of making the reader (or the customer) the hero of the story you’re trying to tell.

Too often, we put the capes on our own backs. And that’s where the writing falls short.