By John Houle If you're reading this article, then you validate my first point: EVERYTHING IS IN THE HEADLINE. In articles, press releases, and ads, people are enticed by the headline and will then decide to continue on if the…
by John Houle I was watching my favorite TV show on DVR, when I was captivated by a commercial, which struck me even more than the fantastical melodrama about the world of advertising I’m so drawn to. Instead of fast forwarding,…
How your business can become better involved in social media By John Houle First, understand what social media actually is. Social media is a system of online networks where registered users create content and communicate with each other. It is a…
That Really Is the Question, Today By now you have probably read in a trade publication or heard in a seminar about why you should be more engaged in social media. I’m going to assume that you already see the…
By John Houle ‘You’ is the most powerful word to include in your marketing. Not only should the actual word be written and heard in all print, radio, television and Internet marketing, it needs to be the true focus of…
by John Houle I once was asked to design the “killer ad.” I informed my client that there was no such thing; however, I explained how I could develop an effective advertisement utilizing proven techniques. There is not an exact…
What Has Your Website Done For You Lately? By John Houle A decade ago, you heard that you needed a website, so you went in the same direction where many other businesses turned. You basically took your brochure, and had…
Top 5 Marketing Mistakes and the Top 5 Marketing Solutions By John Houle In my years of advising businesses and associations on marketing, I have seen good advertising, bad branding, and really ugly communications. But, if I were to nail…
By John Houle We all know that we are living in one of the worst economic periods in our lifetime, but you do not need to remind people about it in your marketing. So, all headlines for ads or sentences…
10. Don’t use knocked out text – While the graphic designers will cry afoul, the marketer and writer in me knows how difficult it is to read white text on a dark background in brochures and especially in newspaper ads…