And yes, it appears that oDesk actually visited the blogs in question instead of simply crafting another linkbait list. Kudos to them.

I’m touched. Yet I refuse to gush like Sally Fields gushed in her 1985 Oscar speech.

It’s always gratifying to receive the recognition of your peers – people who write and market for a living.

In addition to finally finding the time to update my site, I rediscovered a simple truth: Teaching is simply learning from the front of the room.

The student reviews were excellent, which has dangerously inflated my ego, though that’s tempered by the fact they asked some difficult questions.

That’s the learning moment for the teacher; the world isn’t always oriented the way we think, and an innocent question from a student can turn your closely held perceptions on their ear.

The most significant accomplishment was dynamiting the students’ concept that online marketing involved building a Web site and standing back while the money poured in.

Dynamic Web sites, content management systems, content marketing, engagement marketing and online CRM were all fodder for discussion – as was the concept of internal capacity.

That’s the amount of time a small business owner can reasonably pour into online marketing. Accordingly, the boot camp focused on leveraging content across multiple media channels.

With business trying to feed Web sites, blogs, email, twitter and other channels, leveraging content offers a ray of hope for those who don’t generate words or pictures for a living.

It’s the kind of structure I suggest to my consulting clients – the kind of system I just created for a new client, who built a Web site more than a decade ago and hadn’t done much since.

Web site, blog, and email are all singing the same song, and the focus is on leveraging quality content across all three.

The open rate on our first e-newsletter is three times the industry average – only two days after it dropped – is still climbing.

We’re doing something right.

A lot, it turns out.

Our first class (which begins Monday, February 23) filled up almost immediately. The waiting list grew quickly, and suddenly, we were faced with adding two more class sessions.

Overwhelming demand is a gratifying thing, though we can attribute the success of this class to something larger: An increasingly complex online marketing universe is forcing businesses and nonprofits to look for help.

They want to navigate the Internet’s confusing array of media channels, which seem to appear on almost an hourly basis. And yes, yesterday’s Web developer/graphics person may have precious little experience with blogs, social media – or concepts like engagement marketing, online CRM, or Return on Time (ROT).

We’re focused on making sense of the Internet, and doing so in these key areas:

• Web sites (static vs CMS)
• email/e-newsletter programs (still the ROI kings)
• Blogs (notably integration with sites and email programs)
• Social Media (a fast-growing category

With the online marketing world growing more complex every hour, it’s clear that consumers have more choices than ever – making connection (and engagement marketing) even more potent (and necessary) tools.

I previously taught blogging and email marketing seminars for this organization (both excellent engagement marketing media channels). Yet businesses today need access to the bigger picture – they need the ability to create an integrated online presence that engages customers and prospects across multiple media channels.

In other words, a simple Web site – static and without reach – simply won’t cut it any more. Instead, the Online Marketing Bootcamp offers an A-to-Z look relevant Web technologies, including:

• Web sites
• Blogs
• Email/Enewsletters
• Social media
• Mobile technologies

Working as a group, we’re going to decide which media channels are right for which businesses, help them select technologies, craft content strategies, and create meaningful metrics to track their progress.

Internet marketing technologies are evolving too quickly for the average business to keep up; Online Marketing Boot Camp clears away the hype and misconceptions, leaving attendees with a solid, effective online marketing presence.

It’s always nice to receive recognition from your peers. Especially when you’re being recognized for the quality of your writing.

In this case, I spoke to the power of the parenthetical statement. English teachers largely hate it. But – used properly – it creates a sense of intimacy with the reader.

From my article:

In skilled hands, a parenthetical statement will help bridge the gap between writer and reader, puncturing the invisible barrier between the two. (See what I mean?)

They give you the ability to step out of the copy and into the reader’s space. You can even share what feels like a private joke (just don’t tell anyone else!), transforming your reader from skeptic to confidant.

Today’s marketing evironment demands more from a writer than an ability to neatly arrange vowels and consonants. Audiences are bombarded with messages, and marketing is fast becoming a game of engagement, not manipulation or interruption.

A copywriter capable of selling generates sales.

A copywriter capable of selling and engaging customers generates steady, long-term revenues.

copywriting, writing, new writers handbook

To help their rural, small-business entrepreneurs access global markets and compete with bigger – and more centrally located – organizations, JEDI is looking to Internet marketing. Accordingly, they asked me to teach segments in online marketing to a class of entrepreneurs, and also wanted a workshop on interactive Web 2.0 marketing.

The workshop was a sellout (we’re scheduling a second to meet demand), and working with the entrepreneurs was gratifying.

My message was simple: small businesses can out-compete bigger organizations online — especially when using interactive “engagement” methods. Engaging with customers and prospects via shared values and passions is much easier for smaller companies, who — due to smaller customer acquisition budgets — need to do a better job retaining customers.

Engagement marketing techniques are a natural for entrepreneurs looking to compete and win in tough online markets, and JEDI’s entrepreneurs immediately grasped that thinking.

As technology recedes, and values-driven content comes to the fore, the technology advantage enjoyed by larger businesses will erode. It’s a good time to be an entrepreneur.

That’s why BrandWeek sought me out when they wrote a story about the growing practice of deceptive mailers. While they quoted me several times, this quote received prominent play:

“What I don’t understand is why organizations allow deceptive practices to undermine their carefully [and expensively] cultivated brand images in the first place,” said Chandler. “I recently received a series of envelopes from a large credit-card bank where I held an account. All shared the same alarmist stamp that “Important Information” about his account was enclosed. “Of course, it wasn’t important information,” Chandler said. “It was a series of cross-selling pitches. After a month or two, I canceled my account.”

Rather than deceive, why not delight recipients?

Heady stuff indeed — and proof that good content offers even the tiniest of businesses a “thought leadership” role.

Here’s the entire list of winners:

1. Copyblogger, by Brian Clark: Holding the number-one spot for the second year running, this site excels at teaching the art of writing.
2. Freelance Writing Jobs, by Deborah Ng: For writers seeking new work, this site is your sole destination and maintains a top spot in our contest from last year.
3. The Renegade Writer, by Linda Formichelli and Dianna Burell: Are you a freelance journalist looking for inspiration? Look no further.
4. Web Content Writer Tips, by James Chartrand and Harrison McLeod: With a focus on making more money as a writer, this blog is full of helpful how-to articles.
5. Web Writing Info, by Courtney Ramirez: This excellent blog looks at social networking and emerging web-based opportunities for writers.
6. The Golden Pencil, by Anne Wayman: Wayman, a second-year winner, examines how to go for the gold as a freelance writer.
7. Catalystblogger, by Jennifer Williamson: Williamson writes about the pains and trials writers face.
8. Freelance Parent, by Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry: Two moms provide excellent perspective on writing with a dash of parenting.
9. Write from Home, by Amy Derby: Derby provides fresh commentary and advice on writing.
10. Copywriter Underground, by Tom Chandler: This site, a second-year winner, provides regular doses of inspiration for copywriters.

Some call it linkbaiting — the practice of deliberately baiting readers to respond with controversial posts — but the term carries a negative connotation that isn’t accurate in this instance. The Britannica blog proves there’s nothing wrong with challenging content, and Britannica clearly isn’t trying to simply irritate readers with obnoxious posts.

Whether they’ve accomplished their traffic goals isn’t yet clear, but what they have accomplished is simple; they’ve drawn attention to their new blog, done so in a way guaranteed to attract visitors.

You can read my entire Chief Marketer article here.

There’s no shortage of gatekeepers and roadblocks between you and your quarry, and executive buyers are often deeply jaded to traditional advertising messages. What’s your route to success?

The Campaign

My client was introducing intelligent eMerchandising software that increased the per-cart sales average of large online stores. We rolled out a wide-ranging campaign (involving offline and online elements like print ads, online advertising, e-newsletter sponsorship, email blasts, etc), and the basic campaign concept played out in the visual for our print ad:

The first run of the print ad offered a white paper, and the ad generated far more leads than expected. Time to breathe a sigh of relief.

After all the other elements hit the market, we confronted the problem of getting our sales reps into the offices of 80 highly qualified targets. How could we do that?

Birth of a Lumpy Mailer

I’m a fan of lumpy mailers — three dimensional objects (often with a humorous slant) shipped to small, carefully targeted lists. Because they’re clearly not junk mail and carry an aura of value, lumpy mailers blow right through barriers and onto desks.

The ready-to-ship cart shorn of some of the accompanying elements.

In this case, I located a source for footlong miniature shopping carts costing less than $7 each. We shipped them in large white boxes, and each cart carried a foamcore-mounted piece promising the executive they’d never see another empty online shopping cart.

Also included was a handwritten note from a sales rep promising to get in touch. This was critical — lumpy mailers can be tailored to generate response, but when you send them to high-value targets, the mailer often paves the way for a near-term contact.

The thinking is simple; cold calling a VP’s office earns you a one-way trip to voice mail. But calling an office that just received a fun, three-dimensional goodie (neatly aligned with your product benefits) lands your sales rep a spot on the VP’s appointment calendar.

Results?

Early reports from sales reps were highly favorable, but because my contact is on maternity leave, I don’t have any numbers (and it’s likely too soon, given the long sales cycle). The client’s happy, so I’m not sweating it (copywriters always sweat over new campaigns – until the numbers are good).

The moral? Much of the marketing world’s attention is focused online, yet the there’s no reason to ignore traditional techniques like lumpy mailers. They work.