Late yesterday, I got a frantic call to proof two brochures. With a team of proofreaders on stand-by, all I had to was forward a file. That’s not what happened. . . .

Because I started asking questions like what:
Do you want us to look for – proof-reading, style or marketing content?
Action do you want the reader to take?
Distribution routes – mail, in person – do you use?
Kinds of emotions and decisions do you want to prompt?

. . . we went for a fast rewrite.

Checking the content’s dates of origin, we found the files dated to 2001 and 2002. Since this blog covers online PR and marketing, I checked the company’s site to see how the content there fared. Same thing. 

The company is in the business of saving lives – literally. To me, as a marketer and a human being, it’s critical that a piece like this works to inform, persuade and sell without hesitation.

No matter what business you’re in – blogging, speaking, ironing hair, or fixing cars – your marketing needs to be fresh, vibrant and active.

Ways to keep marketing alive:

Schedule refresh revisions every quarter – at least
Images – stay current and show people with your product
Headlines – use them to tell your story
Stats – must be the most recent available
Address – use a street, never a P.O. Box
Call to action – buy a domain name that says it for you
Toll-free number – get a vanity number
Use testimonials
Tell stories – ask your customers to do this for you
Send your marketing out for a second opinion

What would you add?