Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

That’s the headline from today’s NYT. Whoa! No, I’m not going to talk politics or drag you down into the “conservative versus liberal” quagmire.

My point is this: The headline GRABS us. We HAVE to read more (regardless of our political beliefs.) Which is exactly what headlines should do. Think about that next time you’re writing an e-mail, placing an ad, or putting together a brochure. (or even your biz cards). In marketing, you’ve got to get people’s interest, hit their emotions - both of which this headline does for me on many levels….which brings me to the last point in this example. Make sure you’re hitting the right emotions. Otherwise, people will shut down and not hear another thing you say, even if it’s true. (I admit, I had to take a deep, calming breath and force my way through this article after reading the first quote by Ms. Brown, “In the heyday of liberal democracy, all roads lead to slavery.”)