Welcome to the Story Bistro blog!

Our most recent posts have been cued up for your enjoyment. This month, our focus is on blooming and deepening our online relationships.

(See the footer at the bottom of this page to browse by category.)

Five Tips for Writing Clear Marketing Copy

There's science to prove it. Studies show that advertising is most effective when it's easy to understand. I know, right? Sounds easy enough. But if you're selling something more complex than soap or beer, you may be having a little trouble getting your message across. Here are five things to look for as you write your own copy: read more

Dinner Conversations: Engage Your Fans Online

Troll the interwebs and you'll find plenty of advice on how to avoid killing your business relationships with email and other technologies. We've all gotten so used to texting, tweeting and tagging each other, that we've forgotten how important it is to actually use our phones. And I'm just as guilty as the rest of you. So how do you bridge the gap? How do you turn an online lead (like a Facebook Fan) into a paying customer? read more

The Golden Triangle of Coffee Joints: A Marketing Parable

Locally-based businesses (as opposed to multi-national corporations) are the life blood of any community. And people are beginning to understand the importance of nurturing local economies. But there are still a few hold outs. While it is clearly to our collective benefit to support local businesses, many people still patronize national chains. And the reasons don't all have to do with pricing. If you are a small, locally-owned business trying to compete with the big guys, you might want to consider the following parable. read more

Lovably Unpopular: An Interview with Erika Napoletano and a Chance to Win Her New Book

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that around here, figuring out your Secret Sauce is a pretty huge deal. That's why I was so excited about the chance to talk with Erika Napoletano (the person behind the persona at RedHeadWriting.com). She's got her own...

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