Where have you been, Copy Bitch? I need a good marketing lesson!

—Amy D, Key West

Well, I haven’t been in Key West, Amy, sipping margaritas with you, that’s for sure. I’ve been surviving the winter from hell with its Polar Vortexes and mile-high snowbanks. I’ve also been busy the last few years getting a fiction career off the ground (ask me how THAT’S going, I dare you).

So you want a marketing lesson? Here’s one that I observed this week after the shocker (spoilers ahead) regarding the hit TV show The Good Wife.

One of the lead actors, Josh Charles, decided he wanted out at the end of his contract last season. The producers and lead actress, Julianna Margulies, convinced him to stay for 15 more episodes so that they could give his character a proper send-off. And by send-off, I mean killed off. Yep, the show pulled a Downton Abbey and killed one of its beloved characters.

The fallout from the send-off has been dominating social media and mainstream media all week. Regardless what you think (if you even think anything) about the decision to kill a main character, there’s a huge marketing lesson here: The Good Wife has been in control of this story since the beginning.

So if you’re going to do something BIG like this in business — change a product or service or (gasp) kill a beloved product or service — be prepared for the backlash and have a plan for handling it and getting the most out of it.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the things the producers and network had lined up before the big reveal last Sunday night:

• Over the last few weeks, the show had been promoting a huge “twist” that would change everything.

• Immediately after the episode aired on the east coast, the producers released a letter they’d written to fans. The letter anticipated people’s understandable reactions and it explained, quite eloquently, the reason behind the decision.

• The PR machine behind The Good Wife lined up promotional appearances for Charles (including an interview on Letterman the day after the big episode) and Margulies (the two actors and the producers were interviewed by Charlie Rose).

• An official video was produced (in advance) that interviewed actors from the show, including Charles, describing the decision, their own reactions, and their thoughts about how the show will move forward. This video was deployed throughout social media right after the show aired, and it helped provide context and allowed fans to get a better understanding of why this happened. (This is a smart strategy and more and more TV shows are doing these videos; I loved the one Jim Parsons did a few weeks ago regarding the big kiss his character had on The Big Bang Theory.)

• There’s been plenty of other stuff (go check out the show’s Facebook page), but those are the highlights.

So what’s the marketing lesson? If you’re going to do something big and potentially disturbing to your customers and fan base, PLAN IT THE HELL OUT. Think of every reaction imaginable and have an answer ready. Have different media (videos, graphics, texts, PDFs) with information that explains the decision, acknowledges people’s disappointment, and so forth. If it’s truly newsworthy beyond your little world, make it an event and see if you can get some press out of it.

But start with the planning. It’s obvious The Good Wife has been planning this since last year…every step they took, every video and interview they shared was perfectly timed. Learn from it.

By the way, those customers are not always the ones who spend the most money with me either. When it comes to working with people, I’m like a blood hound. I NEED to see the customer succeed — it’s more than just a want. In order for that to happen, though, the customer needs to be a part of the process, at least for the type of work I do. This is why those customers get top priority.

How ’bout you? Do you treat different customers differently?

OK, Copy Bitch, I’ve got one for you: Is it proper to use “a” or “an” before the acronym LGBT? I am a firm believer that “an” should only be used before vowels, so “a” should be used prior to LGBT.  But everywhere I look, people are writing “an LGBT.” What say you?

–Rob F, NYC

It’s the vowel or consonant sound that’s critical, not necessarily what the actual letter is itself. So, because you’d say “el” for the letter “L” (which is a vowel sound), “an” is appropriate.

Grammar Girl explains it quite well in this post.

Hope this helps!

Enjoy, happy new year, and see you in 2011!

• Why Scott Brown Really Won (and how to leverage the lesson)

• 15 Status Update Ideas for Your Company Page on Facebook

• 8 Fresh Ideas for Email Newsletters

• 13 Ways to Use Testimonials

• The Anatomy of a Great Offer

• Business Anniversaries – 5 Celebratory Ideas

• How to Use a Semicolon – Just Two Rules

• Joint Possession (we’re not talking pot laws)

• Apples, Peaches, and George Clooney Naked

• Why I’m Giving Away Free Advice on This Blog

I just got an email from Awesome Propsect that they went with another vendor. I’ve asked for feedback but suspect I won’t get much but if I do I’ll send to you.  I do know that the other two vendors I had never heard of before so it wasn’t a major competitor they went with.

Here’s the thing to keep in mind: Just because you’ve never heard of the person or company you’re losing business to doesn’t mean the person or company isn’t a major competitor. Heck, there was a time when most people had never heard of Google (yes, really). Anybody you lose business to is someone to watch, to consider, and to see what they’re doing right.

Don’t dismiss. Pay attention.

I don’t think it’s just because of Thanksgiving, either. There’s something about this month in particular — the increasing darkness, the grayer days, the quiet. It’s a time for reflection, a time to pause, and a time to look around and say, “Thank you.”

Which brings me to this blog post (and also the subject of my November newsletter): The Gratitude Edition. I’d like to personally thank you for reading this blog. I’d like to thank my clients (many of whom are devoted readers) for trusting me with their passions, dreams, and desires. I’d like to thank my colleagues for providing encouragement, support, and sympathetic ears during rough moments. And last, but not least, I’d like to call out three organizations that are important to me. They do great work every day of the year, and I applaud them for it.

Heifer’s approach is to help people obtain a sustainable source of food and income. According to its website, “Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of poverty and hunger to self-reliance through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and extensive training, which provide a multiplying source of food and income.” Give a sheep, a llama, chickens, bees — the gift catalog is extensive and will likely fit most budgets. One Christmas about five or six years ago, I gave gifts in the names of my (then) 12 nieces and nephews. This organization has helped more than 12 million families in more than 125 countries since 1944.

Did you know that it takes only $250 to surgically fix a cleft lip/palate, which gives a kid a chance at a normal life? And did you know that over 4 million kids in developing countries are afflicted by clefts, and most are too poor to afford the surgery on their own? Enter Smile Train, which was founded in 1999. According to its websites, Smile Train is “an international charity that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery to children in need, as well as providing cleft-related training to doctors. If you’re not familiar with Smile Train, check out the site. The organization is also featured in the Oscar-winning documentary short Smile Pinki.


The holiday season can be a tough time of year for many people. Luckily, the Samaritans is an organization that’s available year round. According to its website, “Samaritans’ purpose is to alleviate despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community, 24 hours a day; to educate the public about suicide prevention; and to reduce the stigma associated with suicide. We accomplish this through services that emphasize confidential, nonjudgmental, and compassionate listening.” Sometimes all it takes is a compassionate ear. If you or someone you know needs that, keep this worthy organization in mind.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Send your email newsletter TWICE in one month. The first time should be to your regular list during your regular ship date. But then schedule it to send on the last day of the month to only those who’ve subscribed since your last newsletter went out.

Constant Contact makes it super easy to do this (and I’m sure the other major vendors, like MailChimp, do as well). In Constant Contact, simply do the following:

1. Select your email campaign.
2. Click on “Resend Options.”
3. Select “New contacts since email was last sent.”

Done!

Two things to keep in mind: to make it easier, do any data entry of email addresses to your “Contacts” list before you go through this process. And if your newsletter is dated in any way (e.g. you wish people a Happy Thanksgiving), you’ll need to copy your email campaign, remove dated references, and schedule a send to yourself only. Then, you should copy the list of new email addresses and then follow steps 1 and 2 above. For step #3, you’ll select “Enter email addresses Info” and paste the list of new email addresses.

“Robyn developed the written content for the launch of our website. We’re a technology company that works with small businesses – we wanted to communicate our technical expertise without engaging in ‘geek-speak.’ Robyn artfully blended the authenticity and approachability we wanted to convey with a professional tone. We finally have a solid website that can grow as we do.”

As I sent it off to my Wonderful Web Dudes for posting on my site, I got to thinking about all the different ways I should be using testimonials like this one. Because the truth is (as I’m sure it is for many of you), I’m fortunate to receive cheerful comments from clients (either in writing or verbally), but I often fail to leverage these testimonials to their fullest potential.

So here at 13 ways that you can use testimonials. You don’t necessarily need to implement every single one of these ideas (although the right business very well could). But be sure you’re using your testimonials thoughtfully (as Project Runway’s Tim Gunn would say).

Oh, and be sure to follow this simple strategy for soliciting testimonials:

• Ask (be clear how you’re going to use it and ask if you can use the person’s relevant info, like name and company).
• Receive (always in writing — keep these permissions on file).
• Show gratitude. A heartfelt thank you is always appreciated. And pay it forward by offering to write a testimonial for someone else who does a great job for you.

1. On your website. Here are some ideas:

• Home page
• As scrolling text (scrolling testimonials) on the header graphic of your website
• On specific service or industry pages
• In a “Testimonials” or “Happy Customers” section

2. On the back of your business card. Don’t waste this valuable space — use it!

3. On press/speaking materials.

4. On a “Testimonials” or “Review” section on Facebook. Here’s a link to a great app you should add to your FB page.

5. As the inspiration for a blog post or newsletter topic. Pick an idea or theme from one of your testimonials and write a blog post around it. For example, in the testimonial Lise gave me above, she mentions my ability to turn “geek speak” into approachable copy. Well, “5 Tips for De-Geeking Copy” would make a fun blog post or newsletter article.

6. On email signatures. Call it “Happy Customer Quote” or “Fan Mail” and put it after your signature and use a new one every month. Opt for short, punchy, even funny ones, or testimonials that are super, super specific and talk about the type of business you want to get more of. Different people in your company can use different testimonials specific to their jobs and talents.

7. On LinkedIn. This involves an extra step of asking your client, provided you’re connected to him or her, to write the testimonial on LinkedIn. But most people are happy to do so.

8. On invoices.

9. In newsletters (electronic or print). They make great sidebar items.

10. In brochures.They work well as call-outs in the body copy, especially if they’re reinforcing a particular message.

11. On packaging.

12. On auto responder emails. For example, think of the welcome letter people receive when they subscribe to your newsletter through Constant Contact (or some other email vendor like Mail Chimp).

13. In advertising. Again, used as a call out, it can help reinforce the message.

What other ways do you use testimonials? I’d love to hear about them. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

1. Note it on your website. I’m not talking words, but rather some sort of a visual that appears on every page. (Yes, you’ll want to note it in words as well — a blurb on your home page and a press release in your media section will work.)

2. Create a promotion around the number. For example, if you’re celebrating 10 years in business and you’re an acupuncturist, have a contest where you’ll give one lucky winner 10 FREE treatments. You can get a lot of mileage out of a contest like this, since you can promote it through your website, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, email signatures, etc. To enter, people can fill out a form and write a brief statement (250 words or less) as to why they should be the winner and what they’d use the treatments for.

3. Expand your “About Us” section on your website. Add  “Through the Years” or a “Time Line” (or both) on your site where you visually walk people through some of your major milestones. For ideas, check out these cool time lines from Green Giant and Wrangler.

4. Throw a party. Seems obvious, right? But I mean throw a party for your employees, customers, and vendors. No, not everyone will be able to come, but a party mid-year (late June is a good time) is always a great way to thank people for their involvement in your success. Here in Massachusetts, a cool, fun place to hold a corporate event in Kimball Farm (great ice cream!) in Westford, Mass. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin has been holding events there for the last several years.

5. Give gifts. Identify your top tier clients and send them a gift that signifies your business milestone. Use the traditional/modern themes for anniversaries as a starting point, but then let your imagination run wild. For example, if you’re celebrating 20 years in business, consider sending an arrangement of day lilies to your top clients with a heartfelt thank you note (the day lily is the flower associated with 20th anniversaries).

Have some other ideas? I’d love to hear them. Leave ’em in the comments.

The invoice goes on to explain that if I’m late with a payment, I’ll be charged a $25 late fee. That’s fair and makes sense. No problem there.

The invoice finally explains that if I make my monthly minimum payment on time — they call it an installment plan — a $6 “installment charge” will be added to each invoice.

Here’s my question: should customers be penalized for making payments on time? (I imagine you know what my answer is.) I’m sure, if asked, the insurance company would make an argument as to why the installment charge is necessary. I don’t need to hear it to offer my counterargument, which is this: think of your customers first. How does penalizing them for proper behavior help them? It doesn’t help them, and despite what you think, it doesn’t help your company in the long run.

Think about your own business and ask yourself if you’re penalizing your customers somewhere along the way for simply doing what they’re supposed to do. If you are, rethink that strategy.