That may seem like a strange headline for a blog that’s supposed to be about small business marketing, search engine optimization, online marketing and copywriting. Believe it or not, it has everything to do with all of these things.

This was the headline for a marketing postcard we received from Surdyk’s Liquor & Cheese Shop. It had a picture of a housewife circa maybe 1958, with a glass of champagne. We liked it so much we put it on the refrigerator.

The sub-heading at the bottom of the postcard read:

To learn more about the benefits of wine visit our Heart Healthy Wine Sale, Sept. 4-6.

The postcard is cute, it’s funny, and as I said, we got such a kick out of it we put it on the ‘fridge.

Then the wind caught it and blew it onto the floor. As I picked it up, I saw on the other side a small box that mentioned all the wine in the store was 20-40% off. Suddenly the marketing postcard stopped being cute and got real interesting.

However, if this marketing postcard hadn’t blown off the ‘fridge, I probably would never have known what a great deal I could get at Surdyks.

That’s what happens when your marketing people get so focused on funny or entertaining that they forget the purpose of the card is to sell wine. If the card had shown up with big bold white letters on a black background saying…

ALL WINE AT SURDYKS 20-40% OFF FOR THREE DAYS ONLY!

…I bet it wouldn’t have wound up on the ‘fridge. I would have raced to my computer and entered it into my Outlook with an 18 hour reminder so I didn’t miss it.

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2008-08-31 20:25:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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