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Bob Bly
Bob Bly is an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, and direct marketing. There are so many copywriters out there today; it isn't hard to find one. The real challenge is finding one who has the know-how needed to "get it" when it comes to direct response copy — especially for writing landing pages, emails, white papers, direct mail, and other long-copy assignments.
For a free, no-obligation cost estimate, call Bob at (201) 385-1220 or visit him online at Bly.com.
Articles by this Author
The Naked Truth About Naked Conversation
- By Bob Bly
- 11/19/2009 - 2:30pm
- Marketing , People Management
Social media evangelists are in love with Twitter, Facebook, and their
ilk because these networks enable continuous “naked” conversations. Robert Scoble, I believe, has stated that his goal is to have at least one naked conversation a day.
Now, if you are a new copywriter … or new to financial subscription promotion … you might think this is a good headline. But to anyone with experience, it’s fairly lame.
One possible future for magazines is to make them more like the Web — in particular, like social media and other Web 2.0 sites.
A radio spot for Web site developer American Eagle tells how the company created a successful Web site for a “business entrepreneur.” Business entrepeneur? As opposed to all those entrepreneurs who have nothing to do with business?
Critics often accuse direct marketing copywriters of hype and puffery, but I think the real B.S. artists in marketing today are wine and beer writers.
“Ugly works” in direct mail design, writes my colleague Denny Hatch in his latest column in Target Marketing (7/08, p. 50). His premise: direct mail should be intentionally designed to look ugly and junky, because it will increase response.
When I began my corporate career in the late 70s, corporations spent huge amounts of time and money perfecting their “mission statements,” which they proudly posted on placards in the lobby. Multi-channel marketing guru Don Libey thinks most mission statements are for the most part banal and of limited value.
New media gurus these days rave about getting tens of thousands — or millions — of page views on MySpace and YouTube. But any idiot can put up a video that gets a ton of traffic. The easiest way: just use sex.
My colleague Denny Hatch is one of the most respected of the “old school” direct marketing copywriters and publishers operating today. He says the reason so many Internet marketers get it wrong is that they fail to apply DM selling techniques online.
It has been observed many times that blogging, Web 2.0, and social media are effective because today’s consumers are more intersted in the opinions and recommendations of their peers than those of professional reviewers, critics, and experts. Certainly the success of the reader reviews on Amazon.com is a great example of this. But the dominance of Citizen Journalism over professional journalists is not universal.
Starbucks mission statement, according to their Web site, is to “develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.” If that’s so, can anyone answer me why none of the Starbucks in my area can give me a slice of lemon with my iced tea?
Are You Addicted to Your BlackBerry?
- By Bob Bly
- 10/13/2009 - 2:30pm
- Career Management
Not me, because I don’t carry a BlackBerry, BlueTooth, wireless laptop, or even a cell phone — no PDA, no beeper, no mobile technology of any kind. But that’s because I’m not mobile; I’m here at this PC 12 hours a day, and at home the rest of the time. I don’t travel. But I’m in the minority ...
JJ, a marketing consultant who is an advocate of social media, confided in me that to get significant results takes 10 to 15 hours of participation a week — EVERY week. For most of us, that’s time we don’t have to spare. So I’m wondering: do you think a company or solopreneur can PAY someone to handle all of their social networking for them?
Last night I saw a Burger King TV commercial in which two guys dressed
in hamburger costumes go to Wendy’s to order hamburgers, only to
conclude that Wendy’s doesn’t offer burgers as good as BK.
Normally, by the time you read about a new idea in marketing, it’s too
late for you to stand out as an early adopter, because the early
adopters are all already using it. But online video is a growing trend, and it’s NOT too late for you to boost your online conversions, sales, and traffic with it!
When the ad’s intent is to generate a response, copy trumps art, says marketing consultant Ruth Stevens, writing in Direct (12/08, p. 16). In a visual society, why is copy more important than graphics?
I always feel awkward when I have a bad meal in a restaurant and the server asks, “How’s everything?” I get the feeling that the question is no more sincere than the telemarketer who asks “How are you today?”
If you are an Internet information marketer or aspire to be one, here
are some rules that can help you maximize your online revenues this year.
Whenever there is a recession, all the ad magazines run articles extolling to their readers the importance of continuing to advertise in a recession. Since these articles are usually contributed by ad agency owners and marketing consultants, one could make an argument that they are self-serving.
5 Steps to Greater Financial Security … AND a Better Life!
- By Bob Bly
- 9/15/2009 - 2:30pm
- Career Management , Marketing
No one expects bad things – and by bad, I mean catastrophically bad – to happen to them. Yet terrible tragedies happen to people who didn’t expect them every day of the year. You can’t take a vaccine to immunize yourself against ill fortune. But you can prepare for disasters before they happen.
Want to get into information marketing, but are intimidated by the idea of having to create a product?
6 Simple Steps to Wealth, Power, and Success
- By Bob Bly
- 9/8/2009 - 2:30pm
- Leadership Skills , Marketing
As I see it, there are 6 factors responsible for any individual’s
success or lack thereof, especially in business and wealth building.
I just heard a radio spot for Tony Robbins offering an interesting twist on using the web for fulfillment.
What online marketing technique generates the highest ROI for customer acquisition?
New Survey Reveals Social Networking is Too Time-Consuming
- By Bob Bly
- 8/27/2009 - 2:30pm
- Office Technology , Marketing
I have always contended that social networking is not a cost-effective use of the solopreneur’s time. Now data from a new survey by Michael Stelzner confirm it.
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