First thought on the passing of Steve Jobs

“Because a professional athlete’s only motivated by a paycheck.”

Bobby Knight said something like that when he was asked why he had no desire to coach in the NBA.

Right now, everyone at Apple likely feels motivated to continue to buy into what was Steve’s dream. In time, these people will likely cash in to finance their own. As powerful as Steve’s words were, and as powerful as words are, they’ll fade. Money talks, and Apple’s best will walk–run–to anyone with the money to pay them more than they’re worth. And who can blame them? Life is for the living. Apple was Steve’s baby, but his baby’s now in the hands of those with their own children.

Final thought on the passing of Steve Jobs

“Somewhere, right now, there’s another Kurt Cobain practicing guitar in his garage. We just haven’t heard him yet.”

Krist Novoselic, Nirvana’s bassist, said something like that following his friend’s death. So far, that kid’s yet to emerge from his garage. We wanted another Kurt. We got Nickelback and .38 Special II aka Foo Fighters.

Sure, someday, there’ll be another person who’ll be Steve-like and another person who’ll be Kurt-like. Someday. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Likely, not in this lifetime.

Hopefully, a lasting thought on life

Never take life or anyone in yours for granted. And say ‘thank you.’ It won’t kill you.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you, Kurt.

Thank you.

Last week, Susan Guibert asked if I could help her with some writing. Along with Brendan O’Shaughnessy, Susan is coauthor of the children’s book Clashmore Mike Comes Home, as well as a coworker here in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC). So, of course I was willing to help.

She asked if I could come up with a subject line for a news story on research conducted here at Notre Dame that found that learning and memory are linked to holding material in the hands. Although the study is fascinating and the results could have implications for education, except for a few blogs, the story wasn’t picked up by the mainstream press.

Anyway, a subject line?

“Something that would grab the attention of a busy reporter scanning his or her email for an interesting story,” she said. Oh, a headline. (In Los Angeles, I specialized in writing taglines/headlines for movie posters.)

A few minutes later, I provided her with five options, one of which she used:

Learning by heart linked to the hands.

A few days later, Susan informed me that she had used the new subject line to pitch the story to the same news outlets as before. The result? The story was immediately picked up by UPI, USA Today, and MSNBC.com.

Earlier today, Shannon Chapla, another coworker here in OPAC, asked for my help in writing a new subject line for another story on Notre Dame research that had been ignored by the mainstream press. This particular story was about how Google’s public search data can be used to predict the stock market.

Again, I provide a handful of options, one of which Shannon used:

Buy, sell, or hold? Google it, Notre Dame study reveals.

And again, the story was immediately picked up, this time, by Freakonomics.

The power of words. Or, as Susan said, “A testament to the power of a great subject line.”

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”
—Joseph Heller (former copywriter and author of Catch-22)

What to write about in this, my 11th post here at The Copywriting Irish? Hmm, let’s see … what to write, what … to … oh, I know! Umm, no.

Write already!

All right already.

(Nothing.)

“A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
—Thomas Mann

If you don’t have anything to write, write something … anything. For instance:

Remember the television show In Search Of …? Airing weekly from the late 1970s through the early 1980s, it conducted investigations into everything from questionable sightings of UFOs and Bigfoot to the mysterious disappearances of Amelia Earhart and D.B. Cooper. During its six seasons, while the show and its host Leonard Nimoy covered (and uncovered the truth about) extraterrestrials, magic and witchcraft, missing persons, myths and monsters, lost civilizations, and strange phenomena, it never went in search of the greatest mystery known to man—at least, this man—and that’s … writer’s block.

WHAT IS WRITER’S BLOCK?

“Writers aren’t exactly people … they’re a whole lot of people trying to be one person.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (former copywriter and author of … seriously, I don’t have to tell you, right?)

Simply put, writer’s block is the temporary—or not—inability for a writer to write. Put another way (by someone else), “Writer’s block—when your imaginary friends stop talking to you.” For me, that’s what it feels like. Actually, that’s what it sounds like—silence. It’s frustrating as hell, because you never know either its cause or how long it will last. It could last an hour, a day, or, as some have suggested was the case with J.D. Salinger, a half a lifetime. Or, if you’re Stephen King, it could last for as long as an excruciating one or two minutes.

IS WRITER’S BLOCK ALL IN YOUR HEAD?

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block.
That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.”
—Sir Terry Pratchett
(author of the Discworld series of novels)

There are some, writers included, who say that writer’s block doesn’t exist; you just aren’t a writer, if you experience a block. A search of “writer’s block” on Bing [I don't Google] suggests otherwise. In fact, as of this writing, 141,000,000 results were returned for “writer’s block.” That’s more than “brain hemorrhage” [1,950,000], “stroke” [62,500,000], “schizophrenia” [6,210,000], and “Notre Dame football [63,500,000] combined! And, also about how many damn taglines I wrote for the Mr. Deeds movie poster. At least, it felt that way at the time. And it felt good.

WHAT CAUSES WRITER’S BLOCK?

When it comes to the possible causes of writer’s block, my personal favorite comes from Stephen King who said, “Some writers in the throes of writer’s block think their muses have died, but I don’t think that happens often; I think what happens is that the writers themselves sow the edges of their clearing with poison bate to keep their muses away, often without knowing they are doing it.”

At work, as in life, there are those times you just want … need to be alone. The same holds true for writers; there are those times we just want to stop “trying to be a whole lot people trying to be one person,” when we need to silence our “imaginary friends.” But, here’s the rub:

If, like me, you work in advertising, the poison that keeps away our muses only attracts our clients, and, sometimes even, our coworkers. This is because, the reality at most agencies is, you’re expected to be consistently creative (read: constantly creative). In fact, you’ll likely be required to prove so by breaking down and logging in your daily eight hours of writing into 15 minute increments. But, as Burton Rascoe wrote, “What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he’s staring out of the window.” Ha! Trying billing that time! Eugene Ionesco wrote, “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer’s life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” Don’t I know it, brother.

No doubt, we writers spend a lot of time—most of our time—thinking about writing; it’s what allows us to write. But, there are times when writers need to “sow the edges of their clearing with poison bait to keep the muses away.” It’s going to happen. So, what can you do?

HOW TO OVERCOME WRITER’S BLOCK.

“Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.”
—Lawrence Kasdan

(former copywriter and screenwriter of Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Writers recommend eliminating writer’s block by:

• Establishing a consistent writing schedule. You know, like Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00.
• Juggling more than one project at a time. And people wonder why most advertising sucks nowadays. This is like asking an Account Executive to talk on the phone to three different clients at the same time. Yes, it can be done, but how good is the result?
• Changing your surroundings. For instance, rearrange your office. Wait, there’s no time for that, so, maybe, just move your phone from the left side of your computer to the right. Feel the creativity!
• Having a drink. Because, you know, it worked so well for F. Scott and Hemingway. Note: you’re not F. Scott or Hemingway (and neither am I).
• Going for a walk. Just make sure it’s on your time.
• Telling yourself it doesn’t exist. I wonder if this works for death, as well (which, by the way, is how writer’s block feels)?

And my person favorite:

• Just get used to it, guy. I think Bobby Knight offered that suggestion.

Here’s what I suggest (it should sound familiar, as I opened this post with it):

Write something … anything. It’s what you do, and I’d love to read it.

Whether you’re a writer or a copywriter, should you experience writer’s block, I hope this post helps. Mostly, I hope it helps you to know that you’re not alone. Please keep the following in mind:

“The fact that you have completed a work of fiction of which you are proud, which you made as good as you could, makes you as close a blood relative as my brother Bernard. The best thing about our family, our profession, is that its members are not competitive. I was with the great Nadine Gordimer recently, and a reporter encouraged us to speak badly of a writer who made one hell of a lot more money than we did, Stephen King. Gordimer and I defended him. We thought he was awfully damn good at what he did. Long ago, I knocked the schlock novelist Jacqueline Suzanne off the top of the Best Seller List where she had been for a year or more. She was a sweet, tough, utterly sincere lady, and, as I say, a blood relative. She sent me a note saying, “As long as it had to be somebody, I’m glad it was you.” For what it is worth: It now seems morally important to me to do without minor characters in a story. Any character who appears, however briefly, deserves to have his or her life story fully respected and told.”

Fraternally,
Brother Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, of course. By the way, Kurt was a former copywriter.

Anyway, at over 1,200 words, I’ve totally disregarded what I was taught (and what I’ve taught) about writing blog posts. So, please also keep this in mind, my brother (or sister):

Write.

Write something.

Write anything.

Write.

Your clients deserve to have their stories told. And in writing them, you’re not only doing what you do best, but you’re also telling us a piece of your story. And it’s great. Tell us more. And should you experience a block, know that while it’s very real, you’re not alone. Most of all, know you are a writer, otherwise you wouldn’t be having the block.

Last spring, I worked with Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns and Multimedia Services, a division of the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, to produce the video, “Reconnecting a Community Displaced by War.”

Late spring, I would invite campus communicators to join me in writing taglines for BOSCO-Uganda, the Non-Governmental Operation featured in the video. BOSCO-Uganda provides an innovative Information and Communication (ICT) solution to foster social and economic development, as well as peace building, in rural communities in war-torn northern Uganda.

As a copywriter, taglines and headlines are my specialty; I’ve written close to 5,000 for films like 102 Dalmatians, The Santa Clause 2, The Village, Joe Dirt, Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Drowning Mona, as well as for TV shows and specials such as Property Virgins and Ellen DeGeneres’ The Beginning. I wrote almost 500 taglines just for Adam Sandler’s Mr. Deeds! Seriously.

At Notre Dame, there’s not a lot of demand for just taglines or headlines. So, I was pretty happy when, on May 17th, I received the following:

Hi Mike,
Good evening, my name is Tom Marentette, and I work in the OIT here at ND. I also serve on the board of directors of BOSCO. Don Schindler suggested that you, or other writers you might know, may be able to assist us in developing some effective tagline options for BOSCO to use in our marketing plan. If you are interested, or know of someone who may be, we’d love to meet.

I was very interested, and on May 23rd, I met with both Tom and Thomas Loughran, who also serves on the BOSCO board, in addition to working as a Professional Specialist in Notre Dame’s Department of Physics. I was also pretty sure I could interest others in assisting BOSCO. I was right.

On May 25th, two days after meeting with Tom and Thomas, I presented a seminar on “Creativity” to about 30 campus communicators; the presentation focused on the tools—mind mapping (thinking visually/connecting the dots), psychological distance, opposites, neurobics, turning off the self-censoring part of the brain—I’ve used to write all of those taglines and headlines. To close the seminar, I showed the video that opened this post, and invited my colleagues from the University’s various colleges, departments, centers, and institutes to use what they’d hopefully learned from the presentation to come up with taglines for BOSCO. Just two days later, I received some great feedback from Matt Simpson, Business Manager for the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, as well as from Sara Kassen, Stewardship’s Senior Writer and Editor. More importantly, both Matt and Sara also provided some great taglines they’d written.

Now, here’s what’s truly great …

During the seminar, I’d mentioned something I’d read in my favorite book on creativity, James Webb Young’s A Technique for Producing Ideas:

In the final stage in the idea-producing process, you have to take your little newborn idea out into the world of reality. And when you do, you usually find that it is not quite the marvelous child it seemed when you first gave birth to it. Do not make the mistake of holding your idea close to your chest. Submit it to the criticism of the judicious. When you do, a surprising thing will happen. You will find that a good idea has, as it were, self-expanding qualities. It stimulates those who see it to add to it. Thus, possibilities in it which you have overlooked will come to light.

Indeed, Matt and Sara’s ideas not only inspired me, but also brought to light some things I hadn’t considered. Then, when I presented BOSCO with 36 taglines, they proved to have self-expanding qualities, as the BOSCO board took one and made it even better. And, ultimately, various taglines made their way into BOSCO’s Vision Statement, as well.

BOSCO’s (and Notre Dame’s) Tom and Thomas thanked Matt, Sara, and I for our efforts. It felt good to help. It also feels good to work in an environment that allows me to share what I’ve learned, as well as to also learn from others. Most of all, Tom, Thomas, Matt, Sara, and I have come to know each other better. So, BOSCO’s not only building community in Uganda; they’re building it right here on campus. Another thing to be thankful for, especially considering that as I was preparing to post this, I came across the Miss USA Pageant just in time to hear them talking about the “Pleasure Pit at the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel in Las Vegas.” Historically, I would’ve asked myself what the world’s coming to. Tonight, though, I’m hopeful for, maybe, where it’s going thanks to organizations like BOSCO-Uganda.

My first post here at the Copywriting Irish was about how “simple and clear expression is usually the difference between a sizzle and a fizzle” (Wilfred J. Funk). Two nights ago, I was reminded of that post while reading Language Power (Random House, 1982), specifically Chapter 4: The Baffling World of Jargon.

The chapter opens with a New Yorker cartoon by William Hamilton. The cartoon shows a man and woman holding hands across a table at what appears to be a very upscale restaurant. The caption has the man saying, “My life was nothing, Ann, until you impacted on it.”

Why is the elementary business of human communication hung about with Spanish moss?

James J. Kilpatrick asked that question in his article “The Highfalutin and the Mighty,” reproduced in Chapter 4. In the article, he describes jargon as mumbo-jumbo used by those who are either incapable of speaking or writing clearly or who intend to conceal the miserable truth, otherwise plainly evident, that they have nothing worth saying or writing.

He refers to jargon as:

• Plastic syntax
• Goldenrod prose
• Flummery
• Windbag rhetoric

Kilpatrick goes on to say that when one decks out the most ordinary ideas in party clothes—referring to a library as an “instructional materials center” or saying “instructional system component” instead of classroom—the words no longer convey thought but, rather, muffle it. Lastly, he states that while jargon does not altogether conceal, it softens, disguises, and blurs.

In the same chapter, Henry A. Barnes writes that jargon is used to cover up inadequacies, while impressing outsiders. Barnes states that about 50 percent of what’s said by those in business and government consists of variations of:

Keep your eye on the girl with the pretty legs while I prepare to pull another rabbit out of the hat.

Yep.

… are today’s readers too easily distracted from reading anything of length, or are today’s writers too often restricted from writing anything worth reading? Or, as a writer, are you simply … boring? (I know you’re not.)

Back at February’s Brown Bag, I had the opportunity to speak to campus communicators about the value, personally and professionally, of maintaining a blog. While answering a question about writing for the Web—specifically, the optimal word count for a Web page/post—I said something that caused the traditional, long-form, print writers (journalists) in attendance to shake their heads in disbelief … and disgust.

Word count should be kept to between 300 and 750 words. Anything less than 300 words, and the search engines view it as unlikely of being of any real value to searchers and, thus, the page isn’t likely to rank well in search results. Anything more than 750 words, and the search engines don’t think anyone will read it. It was the latter that caused these very smart and creative people to feel the Internet is requiring them to dumb down their writing.

Yes, there are rules for writing for the Web, as well as for SEO (search engine optimization.). And, yes, the two—writing for the Web and writing SEO copy—are different. But, rules are meant to be broken, right? Depends.

I used to have a large library of vintage books by copywriters from the early twentieth century (like most books I enjoy, I passed them onto someone else to enjoy). Most of these books contained samples of ads the wordslingers had written. The one thing that stood out about the ads was word count.

Yesterday, this was ad copy. Today, it’s microfiction.

Obviously, the vintage print ad shown in this post is … lengthy. But, along with most ads from the early twentieth century, it did something most marketers in the early twenty-first century like to talk a lot about: it told a story. It also did something else: it required an investment of time on the reader’s part. In doing so, the reader got to know both about the product and about the company offering it. The reader’s investment in time translated into feeling an investment both in the product and in the company behind it.

Before I get to the point of this post, a couple of personal thoughts on modern marketing and advertising.

1. Most marketing and ad campaigns, today, are “due yesterday.” Although not impossible, it’s more difficult to move a reader when cranking something out is given priority over creating something that will actually—and, rightfully—alter a reader’s thinking, causing them to take action.

2. When marketing/advertising is composed of just a headline, a few bullets, and a couple sentences of body copy because, “people are two easily distracted these days” or “people don’t read anymore,” are we making it too easy for them to flip the page, toss the brochure, or delete the email simply because we’ve failed to take the time or use the number of words—however many that might be—to tell a compelling story? Does our obvious lack of investment cause them to view the ad as a waste of their time?

The point of this post.

“Don’t admit that no one will read anything of length; rather, admit you don’t know how to be interesting.”

A copywriter wrote that in one of the aforementioned vintage ad books. He’s dead, but his words live on in me. You’re alive. Can you write something that’s interesting? If not, then, yes, keep your word count on a Web page or a post to between 300 and 750 words. But, you know you have something interesting to say. I know you have something interesting to say. Say it. Hopefully, you’ll be given the time and the creative freedom to do so.

***

The next Brown Bag, presented by Chas Grundy, AgencyND’s Director of Interactive Marketing, will be on Wednesday, April 27th, noon – 1:00. The topic will be: Web Analytics—What You Don’t Know Can’t Help You. RSVP to Cynthia at cmaciejc@nd.edu. Hope to see you there.

“I really like your style of writing. It’s concise. Every word conveys meaning; every word is valuable. No fluff.”

For the past week or so, I’ve had the pleasure of writing several articles for the Spring 2011 issue of Notre Dame Science magazine. On Monday, Marissa Gebhard—Agency^ND’s contact at the College of Science, and the first person with whom I met when I returned to Notre Dame after almost 15 years of writing copy in Los Angeles—responded to one of the articles I’d written over the weekend with the quote that opened this post.

This writer’s pretty fond of Marissa’s writing, as well. And like all good writing, her words inspired me [to write this post]. They also reminded me of something Guernsey Van Riper said:

“Words are fascinating. In their infinite variety and power to influence the human mind, they deserve every writer’s best, most careful and thoughtful effort.”

When he wrote that, Guernsey Van Riper was Chairman of the Board at Caldwell, Larkin & Sidener-Van Riper, Inc., an Indianapolis-based advertising agency known today simply as Caldwell VanRiper. He was also at the age in which a person looks back at his or her life and career.

It should be noted that Caldwell VanRiper was one of the founding members of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. In 2010, the agency celebrated its 100^th year in business, making it the 5^th oldest ad agency in the United States.

In addition to co-founding the agency in 1910 and serving as its chairman, Guernsey was also a copywriter, as well as the author of more than 10 children’s books, including Knute Rockne: Young Athlete. But, it’s another book that he wrote that I’d like to talk about today. It’s one of two books I consistently revisit that both inform me as a writer and inspire me as a person. Guernsey’s book is 1956’s Words at Work In Advertising. In it, he lists Three “Musts” for Successful Advertising Copy:

The copy …

— must look interesting,

— must be interesting, and

— must look easy to read.

He also includes Copywriting Dos and Don’ts, such as:

— DO strive for sincerity and simplicity, and

— DON’T use an exclamation point unless it is clearly justified … it evidences a state of excitement, seldom warranted, or intended. It thus defeats credibility.

Then, there’s this …

“Know to whom you are writing, and exactly what your ‘copy’ should accomplish. Somewhere in your planned message, there is a ‘key’ thought … a ‘key’ word. First, the idea; then the words. Aim to make your ‘copy’ short … then revise … revise … revise. Eliminate … add … consolidate. Say only what needs to be said … then quit.”

My copy of Words at Work In Advertising—a limited edition, privately printed for the agency’s staff, clients, and other business and personal friends—opens with an inscription from Guernsey.

“With ever-lasting love for you and yours, with my deep admiration.”

Then, he signed and dated it, adding …

“(I can’t write well any more.)”

That last line always makes me pause to reflect upon how good I’ve (still) got it. Of course, he’s referring to his handwriting. Still, it’s sad to read a writer state that he or she is approaching the end of the story.

He closes the book with the following.

A Pleasant Task Is Here Complete

“Now, in the twilight of the years, to the gifted and friendly men and women with whom I have worked through the long and happy past … to those with whom I am now at work … to my family and personal friends … these pages are offered ­… in the hope that they may be of interest and, for those in the profession of writing ‘copy,’ have some qualities of enduring value.”

—G.V.R., Indianapolis, Indiana, February, 1956

Indeed, those pages possessed qualities of enduring value, at least, to this writer. I hope what little you’ve read will have some enduring value to you, as well.

I’ll close this post with the following. And I promise to keep it short. Then, I’ll quit.

Thanks, Marissa.

—M.B.R., Notre Dame, Indiana, March 2011

*****

A day after complimenting me on the copy I’d written, Marissa, again, took the time to send a nice note, this time, complimenting another writer (Rachel) on what she’d written for Notre Dame Science. Again, thank you, Marissa.

“… there are known knowns, things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But, there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don’t know.”

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that back in 2002. In 2004, I concepted and wrote four TV spots for the original Hellboy movie, one of which opened with a clip of Mr. Rumsfeld delivering a line from his quote.

While the quote received quite a bit of press—good and bad—it’s stuck with me through the years for this one simple reason: it’s the truth. And it’s truthful whether we’re talking about military combat, marketing communications, or life.

There are things we know that we know.

There are things we know that we don’t know.

There are things we don’t know that we don’t know.

Do you know who your target market is?

Do you know their age? Gender? Income level? Where they live? If they have kids?

Is your target market a known known? If so, then you’re very likely to have a good idea of what would be the most appropriate and, ultimately, effective method for marketing to them, of both the “look” and the language that will attract their attention and elicit action. But, if you know that you don’t know who your target market is, then you’re likely to go with your gut. And here’s the thing:

A study authored by Barnaby Dunn of the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge found that our “gut feelings” can either be useful or they can lead to costly and dangerous errors in judgement. Ultimately, the study reveals, intuition appears to be influenced by what’s happening physically in our bodies and how aware we are of what’s happening. Basically, those who had useful gut feelings were more aware of their own heartbeat. (Source: Trust Your Gut… but Only Sometimes, ScienceDaily).

Recently, an Adweek Media/Harris Poll surveyed 2,098 Americans as to which of the following images was most likely to elicit a reaction—to pull heart strings—when shown in a commercial: a puppy, a baby, a sweet old lady, or a sweet old man. What’s your gut say? If you answered “a puppy,” you’re correct (41% responded to “a puppy” versus 34% for “a baby”). But, here’s the important thing to keep in mind (and it should be obvious): responses varied by both gender and age.

When planning a marketing campaign, you have two options:

• Get to know your target market, or
• Be very tuned into your own body, specifically your heart.

Actually, there’s a third option: hope. Of course, hope is not a very effective strategy, whether in military combat or marketing communications. Life? Well, it’s sometimes the only option.

Look over here! No, look here! Wait, no, here! Here, here, here, here...

My first post here at The Copywriting Irish blog was called A word to the wise when writing marketing and advertising copy (and that word is “simple”). It was about how people don’t have time to wonder what you’re trying to say, so keep your marketing message simple and you’ll increase the likelihood that it’ll be read, understood, and acted upon.

Easy, right? Well…

While filling up my car this past Saturday at the University Marathon station just north of campus on U.S. 31, I found myself thinking about my inaugural post, specifically about two things:

• How it presupposes that you know what you want to say with a piece of marketing. Do you? If you don’t, then it’s best to not say anything (it’s also a heck of a lot cheaper).
• How even if you know what you want to say and you say it well, there’s still no guarantee that the person will take action.

You can increase the odds that your message will be acted upon by telling the person what you would like them to do. But, as you can see in the above photo (click to enlarge), there’s a danger in doing so. For instance, when you look at that gas pump, what’s the one thing Marathon wanted me to do? One thing? They wanted me to do:

A lot.

Everything.

Anything.

And what did they get for their time, energy, and money?

Nothing.

Not. One. Thing.

Well, that’s not completely true, as they got an annoyed customer.

A marketing piece, especially a website or a page on a website, needs to be about one thing. It also needs to end with one thing: a call to action. And that call to action needs to invite the reader to do, that’s right, just one thing.

Does that page on your website serve an educational purpose? If so, give the reader the option to “Learn more.”

Does the page exist to tell people why they ought to apply? Then give the reader the opportunity to “Apply now.”

Does every single page on your website exist to get people to sign up for a newsletter? If so, at the end of each and every page, provide them with a consistent call to action in the form of a  link to “Subscribe to our newsletter.”

All I wanted when I noticed Marathon’s “marketing” all over the gas pump was the pump’s number. You see, ironically, while the outside of the pump was covered in paper, the pump itself was out it. So, I needed the number so I could go inside and ask for a receipt. What was supposed to be a quick stop had quickly and regrettably turned into work.

What’s the one thing you want a visitor to your website to do?

Tell them.

Then, make it easy for them to do it.

“Everything we’re doing today will be in a landfill in three months.”