Comments on: Don’t Try This on Your Website!

By: Content Marketing Today » Top 10 Content Marketing Posts in 2007

Content Marketing Today » Top 10 Content Marketing Posts in 2007 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:35:13 +0000

[...] If you are in the business of getting people to buy things from you…or even if you are a non-profit that depends on contributions to survive, you’d better take a different online approach than the now defunct Southwest Florida advertising firm, Devious Designs. Read more to learn what not to do with your website. [...]

By: Newt Barrett

Newt Barrett — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:20:29 +0000

Brett,
G’day right back at ‘ya. Perhaps you could grab the Aussie franchise for ‘So What?’ caps.
Thanks very much for the positive feedback. I really struck a nerve with this post, that’s for sure.

By: Brett Gilbertson

Brett Gilbertson — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:26:47 +0000

G’day Newt,
“So What?” caps! That’s great… maybe we should get some of those made up…
Great article, great content and great comments from your readers too!

By: Newt Barrett

Newt Barrett — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:48:54 +0000

Sal,
Thanks for the comment. I think that it’s especially critical to be content-driven on the web, because your visitors have already found you. You don’t need to shock them. They are looking for help and want to belief that they can trust you to provide it.
As to excellence, if you were perfect no one could afford you.
Newt

By: Sal Dickinson

Sal Dickinson — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:09:10 +0000

Excellence. See! One should PROOF, even when blogging…

By: Sal Dickinson

Sal Dickinson — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:06:40 +0000

I’m with John on this one…me-centric versus customer-centric marketing. Almost anyone can do nice work but is it on strategy, does it convey a benefit, et all. No, no one is perfect and while we strive for perfection at D&A, I’m first to admit we don’t always deliver (we do settle for execellence). One last comment with regard to Devious…certainly talented folks but guilty of drinking too much of their own Kool Aid. Their unfortunate outcome didn’t surprise me, and is almost “straight out of central casting/scripting” as to why many folks don’t respect those of us in this profession (THE oldest because before the first trick was the first to market)

By: John Sprecher

John Sprecher — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:43:52 +0000

Newt: I like that. I’ll have to remember that tomorrow when we present to a prospective client.

By: Newt Barrett

Newt Barrett — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:18:31 +0000

John,
Of course, we’re all excited about our own offerings. Sometimes it’s hard to take the customer’s point of view instead of our own. I try to imagine that when I communicating with my customers/prospects/readers that they are all wearing baseball caps with a big “So What?” on the front.

By: Newt Barrett

Newt Barrett — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:15:37 +0000

Bill, you’re right on the money with the last point you make in your 2nd comment–a home page with a giant graphic and a tiny(literally) bit of text is not search engine friendly–or especially persuavive.

By: John Sprecher

John Sprecher — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:56:02 +0000

Newt: I’m always very hesitant to criticize competitors, existing or no longer, for a lot of obvious reasons of politics and class. That said: it’s a classic example of me-centric versus customer-centric marketing, which misses lesson number one in Advertising 101: Don’t talk features, talk benefits.