Comments on: Web Marketing Standardization, Incest, and the Dilution of Client Value

By: Philippines Outsourcing

Philippines Outsourcing — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:37:00 +0000

This is complicated.. I don’t know because i think that in any relationship communication is the key.. But when it comes to client and marketer it’s hard to tell.. Well first of all we have the principle that customer is always right but on the other hand as a marketer you’ll know exactly what needs to be done to get the job done.. One thing i’m sure of is that we should do what we thing is right and also listen if there’s any ideas that can help us..

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:20:00 +0000

The bottom of all this is that the principles of marketing change much less often if necessary. But I hope we do not need a bureaucracy to tell us that these principles are much less how to communicate to our customers. If so, maybe not ready for this business anyway;) SEO Company India | SEO Services India

By: Karri

Karri — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:15:11 +0000

PS: The subtext of all this is that the PRINCIPLES of marketing change much less often if at all. But I would hope we do not need a bureaucracy to tell us what those principles are much less how to communicate those to our clients. If so, perhaps one isn’t ready for this biz anyway

By: Karri

Karri — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:03:39 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Glenn! Like you, I’ve many clients who feel as if they’re “at sea” with their website marketing. It’s very overwhelming for anyone who doesn’t spend a better part of his/her day online like we do

That we copywriters and marketers can just HAVE ongoing dialog about these topics is the main thing. And when the client demonstrates a clear need for deeper understanding, it’s our job to step up to the plate and facilitate that.

Do the thoughts, writings and opinions of my colleagues and folks in the industry at large inform what I tell my clients? Absolutely! Staying current is part of my job. But I tend to customize and adapt the information to the individual client. An “industry standard” for marketing-related activities somehow feels stifling, presents opportunity for even more confusion, and may in fact hamper our ability to remain nimble and think outside the box. Those are the very things my clients value the most.

Thank you again, Glenn, for opening up the conversation (even if you didn’t mean to!). You are indeed a thought leader in marketing in your own right. Please keep doing what you’re doing … for clients and for your colleagues!!

By: Glenn Murray

Glenn Murray — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:15:43 +0000

Hey Karri. Glad to hear the post got you thinking. Actually, the funny thing is, it was a really off-the-cuff sort of post. Almost ‘the post you’re writing when you’re not writing a post’. Turns out it’s been one of my most contentious. Maybe I should think less about all my posts!

I agree that many clients won’t give two hoots about our disagreements on definitions. However, I do think there’s value in the definitions themselves. Even if we provide them only for those clients who DO give a hoot. In my experience, many clients who approach a copywriter directly are owners of small businesses who are trying to get their first website up. These clients are completely at sea, when it comes to understanding who and what are involved. I always end up offering them quite a bit of advice outside of pure copywriting, so I know they appreciate whatever help they can get.

The definitions don’t need to be a focal point. They might even be just some supporting material in our proposals and on our websites. There for those who find them useful, ignored by those who don’t.

Also, I can see how the argument over copywriter versus content writer would be very important for someone with “Content Writer” in their business name…

Cheers big ears.