About Jodi Kaplan

Tuesday Travels: How to Apologize

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Jodi Kaplan

Sorry on Australia Day-sky writing (Photo credit: butupa)

We all screw up. We don’t like it, but it happens. Sometimes though, we can learn from the mistake. Here are some lessons on the right (and wrong) way to do it.

First, the screw-up that got worse and worse.
Bad Taste Tweet About Aurora – A fashion company saw a hashtag trending on twitter (and didn’t bother to check why). They eventually apologized, but not very well (the explanation was outsourcing).

Here’s a better example:
Sorry I made a mistake – John Jantsch messed up his memorial day sale…but had the sense (and the guts) to recognize it, and apologize.

Then, there’s recovery from someone else’s error (and being kind, rather than nasty in a legal situation):
Jack Daniels cease and desist – This is probably the nicest cease and desist letter ever written. While there may be a fair use case, this is better. Smart too, because it’s undoubtedly cheaper, and gets them lots of goodwill (like this link, and the articles about the letter).

Turn a Nightmare into Great PR – Here’s how Ford did it right (recalling brand-new cars with a problem), and Chick-fil-a completely fell on their faces.

Friday Fun: Great Artists Ship

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Jodi Kaplan

This is a rare film of Renoir at work. You can see his hands are horribly deformed by rheumatoid arthritis.

Hard to look at, but also inspiring. He was in pain, but he still kept painting (“shipping”) anyway. The music, by the way is Chopin’s PIano Concerto No. 2, second movement (thanks to commenter John Lyons on OpenCulture for pointing this out).

How to Start Your Sales Letter With a Bang

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Jodi Kaplan

If you’re writing a marketing letter (or an email) the most important thing is to get the reader to open the envelope or the email.

But how do you start your sales letter? What do you do to make sure your headline grabs attention and your letter gets read, instead of being tossed in the trash?

Read on to find out.

Speak directly to your readers

Words like “you” and “your” send the message that you’re addressing the reader’s problems and concerns, rather than talking at them. It creates the feeling that you’re having a conversation, unlike “I” (which is more like a speech).

Keep the sentences and paragraphs short, so they’re easy to read and digest. Use that first sentence to introduce the conversation you’d like to have, and explain why the reader should keep reading.

Ignite curiosity

20 Ways to Market Your Business For Free

“Free” is a powerful attractor. Nearly everyone likes to get something without paying for it, especially something valuable. In this case, the only way to find out how to get the valuable information (free ways to market your business) is to keep reading.

Ask a question that you know your readers will agree with

Are you tired of spending money on IT support that leaves your wallet empty and your computer full of viruses?

Many people, and companies, have spent money on IT consultants who were unreliable, or left their systems in worse shape than they were when they started (I know this personally, since my brother is an IT consultant who frequently has to swoop in and clean up other IT guys’ messes).

Malfunctioning computers can make it nearly impossible for your business to run properly, so your readers will be eager to learn what they can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to them again.

Start with “because”

Because you’ve been a cardmember for 10 years, we’d like to reward you with a free gift.

“Free” is great, but sometimes people are skeptical. They wonder why you are offering them something, out of the blue. Using a word like “because” gives them a reason for your generosity. You want to reward their loyalty and their business with a gift. They will keep reading because they want to find out what the gift is, and how to get one.

Address skepticism about your product

f you’re selling something that people may have negative feelings about (such as email marketing), often the best approach is to address the issue head on. Admit up front that there is a problem. Then, agree with the problem (which your readers won’t expect).

Email marketing is just junk and a waste of time. The truth is, I agree with you. The problem with most marketing is……What makes this different is…..

If most email marketing products are hard to use, explain why yours is easy. If other SEOs rely on underhanded “black hat” tricks to get links, show how your methods are completely above-board (and loved by Google).

Use memories and imagination

Conjure up a picture in the reader’s mind and tell a story:

It was 1945, the war was over and my dad, Ed Cushman, had just opened a small store and fruit packaging plant here in West Palm Beach. One night (a night never to be forgotten by anyone in our family), everyone was waiting for a truck load of grapefruit. When it finally arrived, my dad took one look and said, “What the devil is this?”

[They were Honeybell oranges; and when I tasted my first one, I said pretty much the same thing…what was that??!. It was sweet, juicy, and unlike any other orange I ever ate!].

To sum up:

Speak to your readers directly

Give reasons why you’re making the offer.

Address any bad feelings your readers may have about your service

Tell an interesting story.

Photo: mandj98

Tuesday Travels: What You Need to Know About Copyright Rules

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Jodi Kaplan

There’s a big brouhaha over on Google+ right now. Someone created a post (including an image with a watermark) and a quote from The Matrix. Another person took the image (and words), removed the watermark, and shared it again (without credit). The post went to the top of the “what’s hot” list.

It’s all blowing up.

So, in light of that, here are a few handy tips about copyright rules:

1. You don’t have to specifically “copyright” something. You own the rights to anything you write, photograph, or video yourself.

2. This does not mean you can freely use others’ trademarks or intellectual property. So, you cannot create your own drawings of Donald Duck and sell them without Disney’s permission.

3. You can often ask copyright owners for permission to use their work. If you do receive it, make that clear in your post, book, article, photograph, or video.

4. You may quote small sections of something (such as an article or book) without asking first. A few lines is fine. Longer sections or an entire work (such as a poem) require permission. This is called “fair use.” You may also use others’ work if you are creating a parody (think The Daily Show, reporting for a news organization, or writing a review).

5. Sometimes, artists or writers will grant a creative commons license to reuse or share their works in specific ways. Or, they can release it into the public domain (for free use by anyone). Many (but not all) works produced by the government are also public domain.

These links should help:

US Government Copyright page – Frequently asked questions about copyright rules

Note the rules for Elvis sightings (no, I didn’t make that up).

Fair use – Rules for “fair use” explained

Public Domain – Older works become public domain after a set period of time (unless the copyright is renewed). Rules differ by country, the link is to US copyright rules.

Creative Commons licenses – A link that explains the various types of creative commons licenses.

What a Rude Doctor and a Fictional Detective Can Teach You About Getting More Customers

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Jodi Kaplan

Cover of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You’ve probably heard of Sherlock Holmes. He was Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous fictional creation. But there’s something you may not know.

Sherlock Holmes may have been based on a real person. When Conan Doyle was at school, he had a friend named George Budd.

George, like Sherlock, was very intelligent, and not much of a “touchy-feely” people person. However, he did manage to become a very successful doctor.

And, his methods, were, to say the least, rather unusual.

Behaving badly to get more business

First, he treated his patients rather poorly. He’d keep them waiting for hours. Then, when he did see them, he’d frequently yell at them.

Sometimes he pushed them. Or refused to see them at all.

One more thing.

Visits were free. This might explain why people put up with his rude behavior, but how could he possibly support himself by being unpleasant and not charging a fee?

The exams were free. No charge. But, everyone got a prescription, and the pills and potions were for sale down the hall from his office.

Why did people buy them? There was no requirement to do so.

The reciprocity principle

It worked because George also knew something about human psychology. When someone helps us or gives us something, we feel obliged to return the favor.

It’s called the reciprocity principle. Think about it for a minute.

If someone compliments you on your slick new Iron Man Macbook decal, you feel almost compelled to tell them you like something they have. When someone invites you to dinner, you later feel obligated to invite them back to your own home.

Reciprocity is wired into our psyches

It’s part of every society, regardless of where you live. It even happens when it may not seem to make much sense. Back in 1985, Ethiopia was suffering from starvation, drought, and an economy in terrible condition. Yet, they donated $5,000 to Mexico to help with earthquake relief.

The reverse would make sense, but why would Ethiopia, a country that could hardly feed its own people, send money to Mexico. It turns out that Mexico had sent a donation to Ethiopia in 1935, when Ethiopia had been invaded by Italy. Ethiopia was simply reciprocating and returning the favor.

Free samples boost sales

Giving things away is a good way to make money. We’ve all gotten free pens, stickers, samples of conditioner and all manner of things sent to us by large corporations, direct marketers, and non-profits. You get the free address labels from Charity X, along with a letter asking for a donation. Or, a hair care company sends you a sample of shampoo.

Now that you’ve gotten that “free gift,” you’ll be more likely to make that donation or switch brands of shampoo. And it works too.

I’m not saying you should give away everything for free. Or that you should be rude to your customers as Dr. Budd was. Treat them well (they’ll be more likely to treat you well too).