Blog - Page 31 of 59 - Bob Cargill

27Jan 2013 by Bob Cargill

A Few Words with Myles Bristowe about Marketing, Social Media and More

Blogging, Business, Marketing, Social Media

[caption id="attachment_4016" align="alignright" width="300"] Myles Bristowe[/caption] If you work in the Boston area in the marketing or social media space and haven't heard of Myles Bristowe, I’d be surprised. After all, as a blogger, he’s about as prolific and popular as they come, writing what he’s dubbed Today's Marketing Cookie almost daily since April of last year. And that's just one of his many impressive feats. The Chief Marketing Officer at Commonwealth Creative, a marketing agency in Framingham, MA, Myles writes each of his Marketing Cookies based on an actual fortune from a fortune cookie sent to him by a friend, follower or fan. Not too long ago, I was honored to have Myles write a Marketing Cookie dedicated to me. As one of his 60,000+ followers on Twitter, I…

12Jan 2013 by Bob Cargill

I’m Running the 2013 Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising

I’ve done it before and I’m doing it again. I’m running the Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven. On April 15, 2013, I’ll be making another historic, heralded 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston on behalf of the Boston-based nonprofit organization that bills itself as “a home for kids when cancer hits home.” The first time I ran the Boston Marathon for charity was in 1996, when I went the distance as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. Altogether, I’ve run Boston 10 times so far, seven times for charity and three times as an unofficial entrant without a number. I’ve always loved running, ever since I was a kid. Over the years, I’ve run hundreds of road races, including 13 marathons, 10 half marathons, the Falmouth Road Race…

26Dec 2012 by Bob Cargill

Do You Guarantee Your Performance on the Job?

Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media

What’s not to like about a guarantee? Anyone in marketing knows how good a guarantee can be for business. A strong guarantee goes a long way toward removing any skepticism among your constituency and helps convert leads to sales. From a consumer's point of view, it’s reassuring to know that a company believes so highly in its products and services that it’s willing to stand behind them, even if it means having to dole out a refund to anyone who claims dissatisfaction. A guarantee not only shows confidence in what you have to offer, it’s a powerful demonstration of good faith, a great way of telling those on the other side of the table that there's no way you'll be happy unless they're more than happy with their purchase. Do…

16Dec 2012 by Bob Cargill

The Picture of New Marketing — The Tablet Computer

Business, Marketing, Social Media

I did it. I got a tablet. I had been thinking of getting one of these small, mobile, touchscreen computing devices for a long time until I finally bought one last month -- on Black Friday, of course -- at Best Buy in Marlborough, MA. I have to admit I haven't exactly broken it in yet. I've only used it a couple dozen times or so, mostly for keeping up with the news on Boston.com and checking my email, not nearly enough to have developed a comfortable, regular routine on it. I have big plans for my Kindle Fire HD, though. I see myself using it for social media consulting over coffee, lunch and dinner with clients as well as for reading eBooks, listening to music, watching movies, shopping and other…

25Nov 2012 by Bob Cargill

If We’re Talking about Social Media, We’re Talking about a Revolution

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

Thanks to the crazy amount of time I spend talking to others about blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the like, I've had plenty of opportunities to hear practically every reason in the book why some people still haven't jumped on the social media bandwagon. Many of these folks claim there aren't enough hours in the day for them to be spending any more time online, while others say they just don't understand how to use these new digital tools and technologies. My own personal theory is that a good percentage of these laggards and stragglers are more concerned about their privacy than they care to admit, afraid of revealing themselves so openly and publicly across the social web. But to all of these people, I don't know what to say…

26Oct 2012 by Bob Cargill

Presentation: 10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter from Bob Cargill My first job out of graduate school many years ago was as a copywriter for RCA Direct Marketing in New York City. And the rest, as they say, has been history. Since that first gig writing about popular records (yes, vinyl) and tapes (cassettes and eight-tracks, to be specific), I've written about an incalculable number of other products and services, from business cards to books, healthcare to software, magazines to music, travel to tuxedos and more. I've also written direct response fundraising copy for dozens of charitable organizations -- which, by the way, has been some of the most satisfying work I've done over the course of my career so far. I may have worked for a number of different companies, developed new…

12Oct 2012 by Bob Cargill

A Few Words with Victoria Smith about Music, Social Media and More

Facebook, Music, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

[caption id="attachment_3429" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Victoria Smith"][/caption] She’s a prolific songwriter and an incredibly passionate vocalist, a self-proclaimed “rock chick” with a warm, hungry heart. She’s as bold as she is sensitive, as rugged as she is tender. She’s Victoria Smith, a smart, sassy musician who makes it no secret that she plans to take the music world by storm. That’s what I wrote about my good friend and former colleague, Victoria Smith, for her official bio on her website. But you’re about to learn a lot more about her here on my blog. I’ve worked with Vickie, so I can vouch for her industriousness and ambition. She's a go-getter. I’ve seen her perform live, so I can tell you she’s a fantastic singer with a fabulous future ahead of her.…

30Sep 2012 by Bob Cargill

Presentation: 10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media

Business, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

I've said it before and I'll say it again... Social media isn’t rocket science, but it is a big departure for businesses, nonprofit organizations, brands and institutions that have been historically dependent on traditional methods of communicating with their constituents. So to help educate those who are new to using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the like for marketing, advertising, PR, publishing and networking purposes, here's a new presentation of mine based on a list of 10 ways to succeed in social media that I originally wrote and published as a series of blog posts. I invite you to view, download and share this presentation with your friends, colleagues and industry peers. And if you know anyone who might be interested in learning more about social media, I'm always…

12Sep 2012 by Bob Cargill

The Picture of New Marketing — Dunkin’ Donuts

Apps, Branding, Business, Marketing

Their bakery sandwiches, especially the Chicken Salad on a Croissant or the Texas Toast Grilled Cheese, are very tasty. And truth be told, I just love their Caramel Swirl Latte. Their coffee is the best ever. I really like their bagels. And their donuts are always a nice treat. As if those aren't enough reasons for me to be such a big fan of Dunkin’ Donuts, I now enjoy doing business with them even more. That's because I recently downloaded their new mobile app, which makes it possible for me to use my Dunkin' Donuts card to pay for my order with my Android smartphone. What also impresses me about this app is that customers can use it to reward their friends with a virtual DD card – via text,…