19. August 2010 by Frank Goad.

A friend of mine admitted today that he needs help with his advertising copy. It took courage to admit that. The sad thing is, there are so many people who won’t admit it (or their ego says that they’re good), and then they wonder why their ad doesn’t “pull” or their brochures are met with jaw-breaking yawns. I’m amazed at how many people are convinced that they can write good ad copy despite having no experience or training. Getting A’s in college English is not a good measure of your ability nor is having a neighbor say, “Wow, you oughta be a writer.”

For instance (and I’ve seen similar examples dozens of times), someone writes, “and best of all, it’s free!” If being free (or low cost or inexpensive or … ) is the best thing about your product, then you don’t have much to offer. The sentence degrades the product or service and psychologically pushes them away from you.

A local direct mail piece came to me the other day with this sentence:”You will have more enjoyment from this (product) than you will expect to have!” That is one of the weakest sentences ever written, besides being a mish-mash. Despite sounding like the text on many foreign websites, it was sent by a Lexington company. That’s an extreme example, but lesser offenses push people away from you, too.

Local P.R. guru Douglas Alexander and I have often discussed the differences in our writing styles. We have somewhat settled on this difference (and this is not hard and fast): P.R. is more reactive in nature and marketing is more proactive. He often writes in response to something (like a pending piece of legislation), and I often write to cause something (like getting someone to be my client’s customer). My writing often carries more “force” because it has a CTA (call to action) that is designed to compel the reader to do something.

Neither is better than the other and our discussions center on why one style fits a situation better than another. We have different roles and have shaped our writing skills over decades of experience to adopt the best tone and style based on the target audience, publication it’s published in and the product/service/issue/etc.

If you need a video, you don’t hire the neighbor’s fourteen-year-old son … well, I hope you don’t. Likewise, if you want to tell the world why they should come see you, get someone who knows best how to do that. So, unless you write for publication or advertising for outside interests, get some help. Whether you hire me or someone else, work with a professional writer.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, writing, training, Frank, PR, Public relations, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

19. August 2010 by Frank Goad.

This week’s webisode features Barry Bronson, part II. Barry is a career veteran of public relations, marketing and journalism. Much of his work has centered on the automotive industry and its suppliers. He was P.R. director at Valvoline and ran their racing sponsorship program for NASCAR, drag racing and other racing segments. He’s colorful and knowledgeable. See him here: “Avoid P.R. pitfalls – think it through.” Once you’ve seen it, please leave a comment.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Branding, Public relations, Advertising, Frank, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

12. August 2010 by Frank Goad.

I’m the last person on Earth that should be talking to everyone about balance, which is precisely why I’m doing it. In a little over three weeks, I’ve worked on three benefits, one of which was the Almira Fawn Benefit concert at the Kentucky Theatre, August 3rd. (By the way, it was an amazing two hours of music by some who are legends - or nearly so around here - and by some who are legends-in-the-making.) I’m proud of the work I’ve done, but now I have to finish it. It’s 2:00AM, and I’m bug-eyed at everything that’s piled up.

Part of it is timing, meaning summer is when a lot of benefits happen. The trouble is, by doing so many in such a short time (I’m trying to wade through around 1,200 pictures alone and edit a two-hour video) has put me behind in everything, paying clients included. So, what’s my point?

Most of us have a benevolent streak in us and, whether we’re trying to help a family member, our church, a civic organization, a club, old folks, whatever, when we over-commit ourselves, we’re cheating everyone. This came home to roost in a harsh way with me this week, so this blog post is a bit of a cautionary tale. I was so distracted, I forgot something critical and caused my wife some genuine anguish. How? I was very tired and trying to keep way too many balls in the air, and I wasn’t doing anything well.

So, let my harsh experience be your wake-up call. Stop and look at how you’re scheduling yourself. That we in this country over-schedule ourselves is no secret; that we accept it is the problem. In our mad rush to be successful or respected or popular or simply feel that we’ve accomplished something, it’s easy to forget that we can try too hard and act without first reconciling the costs with the benefits. Again, I’m pointing the finger squarely at Frank.

What to do? Simply this: Schedule some time off for yourself. Of all the things we have in this life, time is the one commodity that cannot be replenished. Use it wisely. Use it with friends and family because their happiness and love are the only things that really matter.

Posted in balance, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, time, "The Frankifesto", blessings, Frank, FedEx, responsibilities | Print | No Comments »