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Archive | September, 2011

If I’m going to bring my friends, make me look good

The best word of mouth is when your fans bring in a whole group of friends. Look for the people who can bring in large parties — teachers, association staff, club leaders, and anyone who organizes groups of people. Then give them everything you can to make them look good for choosing you. The Chicago […]

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A simple thank you — with friends

A good deed and good marketing can be the same thing. Gold Star Chili offers a free welcome home party for returning troops and their families. Food, cake, decorations — full deal. It’s a genuinely nice gesture. And it’ll create some genuine word of mouth when the party-goers tell their friends. This is the heart […]

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Don’t let your company embarrass you

For some inconceivably stupid reason, my pharmacy (a national chain) is telemarketing current customers with an auto-dialer with a message about “getting ready for allergy season.” It’s an amazingly efficient way to turn happy customers into angry enemies. They’ve called me four times, and four times I called my store to get off the list. […]

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Get the kids, get the parents

I love this simple tactic to welcome kids in the Central Market grocery store: Kids feel special Kids learn about eating right Kids are fed, so they’re better behaved It’s not free, so kids learn the value of money

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How to get busy/important people to call you back

If you want some famous author, CEO, or celebrity to return your call/email/LinkedIn message, here are a few tips: Say exactly what you want in the first sentence of the first message. Be specific. Say what you want them to do. Explain your connection to the person. Provide 1-2 sentences that establish your credibility. Include […]

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When lawyers edit your advertising

From a major bank’s website: Lesson: If you can’t make a great, strong claim — you shouldn’t be advertising it. If you can’t write reasonable ad copy without someone watering it down, then you need to fight the internal battle to give you the freedom to do it right.

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Sears Holdings Corporation’s case study: How we’re building and engaging our fitness community

Come to our upcoming BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media conference in Atlanta to hear UPS, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Solo Cup, Newell Rubbermaid, NCR Corporation, DeVry University, and Georgia-Pacific share 8 great case studies on corporate social media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program […]

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Newsletter #848: The “Lessons from Daily-Deal Retailers” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] There’s been a recent explosion of weekly, daily, and even hourly deal sites popping up (or “flash-sale retailers” as […]

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