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wingsofanillyrian · 3 years

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Lights Over Monaco: Chapter 1

ITS HERE! I plan on updating this weekly/biweekly, based on how busy I am. Let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list!

Special thank you to my new F1 friend for inspiring this fic as well as being my beta reader, @acourtofcouture ! F1 fans out there, her fics are AMAZING

Chapter Masterlist

F1 Glossary

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Nesta Archeron discovered Formula 1 when she was 9 years old. She woke before the sun one Sunday morning, quietly excited to have the television all to herself and watch whatever cartoons she wanted. But she couldn’t remember what channel they were on, instead flipping through the programs. She had almost given up when she stumbled across a race.

The moment she had seen the brightly colored open-wheeled cars flash across the screen, she paused. For whatever reason, the high pitched wasp-like scream of the twelve cylinder engines and the astonishing speed that the drivers were travelling enthralled young Nesta. She didn’t look away once for the rest of the race, or even for the post-race interviews and wrap up that most adults skipped. Something about it had her adrenaline pumping.

Nesta traded her dolls for matchbox cars, and when she grew older, picked up racing magazines instead of teen ones. Ever since that day, Formula 1 consumed her. No matter how the other kids or her two younger sisters teased her for it, her love for the sport never tarnished.

She spent years getting up at 2 am to watch live races that were being held halfway around the world. Instead of going to her senior prom, Nesta stayed home and layed out her predictions for the season’s drivers and constructors championships. She didn’t know how to do anything half-ass. She poured her whole heart into the sport and devoted her life to it.

**********

Nesta spent her 24th birthday working. It wasn’t like she could request the day off, not that it mattered. The racetrack at Monaco was exactly where she would have been anyway, working or not.

A press pass got her through the first security checkpoint. The team tents loomed ahead as she waited for personnel to cross the unstriped asphalt, inching her car carefully through the throngs of people. She rolled her window down, soaking in the sound of air tools and snippets of conversations.

Street tracks like Monaco were her favorite. They required drivers to push themselves with plenty of technical corners and dramatic incidents. There was less room for error, as the tracks themselves were not as wide. Drivers had to know their limits and follow the racing line closely.

Race tracks were Nesta’s comfort zone. She knew each track on the calendar like the back of her hand. Every turn was permanently etched in her mind like words on a tombstone. Race weekends followed a set schedule, something that she could appreciate. Friday: practice laps. Saturday: more practice, followed by qualifying, where each driver got the chance to set the fastest lap and secure a spot in the starting line up for the main event on Sunday.

Before she had graduated college, Nesta had managed to fully entrench herself in the world of Formula 1. Securing an internship at ESPN her sophomore year, she had made herself indispensable to the crusty old man that had been the senior track side reporter for decades. She studied everything he did and the questions he asked each driver, noting what changes she would have made. Somehow, he came to admire her spirit and taught her the tricks of the trade.

When he retired the year after Nesta graduated, he went to the board of directors and personally recommended her to fill his spot. She waited two agonizing days for their decision.

Using whatever means necessary, Nesta had clawed her way to the top and cemented her reputation as the most cutthroat reporter in the industry. Her goal had been for everyone in motorsport to know her name, and in only two years, she had done so. Better yet, she had caught the eye of one of the fastest drivers on the grid.

Her phone rang just as she pulled into the press parking area. She answered, not bothering to check the caller ID. “Hello?”

Tomas’ velvety voice thundered through the speakers of her Civic. “Hey baby. You here yet?”

“Just pulled in,” She replied, touching up her makeup in the rearview.

“Right on time for a quickie. Meet me at my trailer in five.”

Tomas had already hung up before she had the chance to protest. Both their reputations hinged on their relationship staying secret. If the press caught wind that she was fucking a driver, her credibility would go out the window, and Tomas would be the laughing stock of the grid. So sneaking into his trailer wasn’t exactly the type of discreet she was aiming for.

Tomas Mandray had been racing for Red Bull for two years when she had scored her first exclusive interview with him. He had just been awarded pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, and Nesta had sweet talked her way into the paddock. It had taken minutes for his charming blue eyes to enchant her. He had won that race, and taken her to bed straight after.

The sex was great, but that’s all it ever was. Their relationship was purely based on the physical; nothing emotional on either end. They had agreed on that from the start. Just sex.

Unfortunately for Nesta, somewhere along the way it had become something more.

Sighing, she put on her oversized sunglasses and hid her tawny hair under a gauzy scarf. The fashion wouldn’t stand out at all amongst the celebrities that frequented the Monaco Grand Prix. Going over the top here was expected; Monaco was known for its money. Due to the lack of income tax, Monaco was a haven for white collar delinquents and royalty alike. Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s were commonplace, and women wore rings that could set a jewel thief up for life.

No one bothered her as she strode towards the pit checkpoint, flashing her press badge to get by. She fell into her usual cadence, exuding an air of importance and invincibility. Seemingly without realizing, people moved out of her way when they saw her coming. The navy, red, and yellow of the Redbull tent came into view, and Nesta inserted herself into the crowd of mechanics and VIPs to get past security. Press wasn’t allowed in the area until after the race.

Nesta broke away once inside, heading down a back corridor. She knew the layout by heart, having walked the path many times. The door at the end of the hall led outside to Tomas’ private trailer. She didn’t bother to knock before entering. Tomas would already be waiting for her.

He set down his phone as she entered. “Finally,” He said with a savage grin. “We only have a few minutes.”

****************

Tomas left as soon as he finished, donning his jumpsuit without so much as a kiss goodbye. Utterly used to the behavior, Nesta straightened her clothes and again touched up her makeup before heading back out.

She was scheduled to conduct a pre-race interview with Cassian Valle in the Mercedes tent in twenty minutes. Redbull and Mercedes were at opposite ends of the pit, giving her plenty of time to think.

Truthfully, Nesta was dreading the interaction. Cassian was an arrogant ass. She couldn’t stand interviewing him; all he did was skirt around questions and try to flirt, which made it incredibly difficult to get any headline-worthy tidbits from him.

Azriel Sainz, Cassian’s teammate at Mercedes, was much more amiable. He was mostly forgettable and quiet, but always gave her something to work with and was sometimes downright pleasant to talk to. She could understand why the public loved him, but not why they were so enamored with Cassian. Sure, he was a three time world champion, and that earned him plenty of fans, but he was just so… dreadful.

She made it to the Mercedes pit just minutes before the scheduled time, immediately spotting her tense cameraman, Jacob. Slim built, he was average looking, nothing special. He was sweet though, if not a bit of a pushover.

“Where the hell have you been?” He hissed, chocolate brown eyes wide. “Valle is waiting.”

Nesta rolled her eyes, handing Jacob her sunglasses and the scarf. “I’m here now, aren’t I? Not my fault if he was early.” Nesta accepted her microphone and rolled her shoulders. “Let’s get this over with then.”

“Happy birthday by the way,” Jacob added. Yes, there was the pushover side shining through.

Nesta threw a grin at him over her shoulder. “Thanks.”

Cassian’s back was to her as she approached, his white Mercedes jumpsuit half on, the arms of it cinched around his waist. The crisp gray shirt he wore left little to the imagination, hugging his sculpted form. Good; at least that would capture the attention of any women that might be watching. As would the deep brown curl that fell in his face when he turned to her.

“If it isn’t my very favorite reporter,” He crooned, a grin plastered on his face. “Took you long enough to get here. I also hear it’s your birthday.” Nesta glared at Jacob. He shrank under her steely look, an apology stumbling from his lips.

“I would give you a birthday kiss, but I think you’d knock me out if I offered.”

Nesta pointedly ignored him, “Let’s just get on with it,” She said, motioning to Jacob to start recording. Once he signaled he was ready, Nesta breathed deep, the sweet scent of high octane fuel assaulting her senses. It steadied her, and she slipped into her professional mask before turning to the camera.

“As we all know, the Monaco Grand Prix offers drivers a unique set of challenges. The two-mile street course has 19 technical corners with little room for error. It is in Monaco that we get to see who has what it takes to be a Formula 1 champion.” She turned to Cassian, gave him a professional smile and continued.

“Last year, you had a puncture at turn seven when you ran over some debris. Coupled with the fumble the pit crew had with not having your tires ready when you came into the pit, you finished a disappointing 12th place, winning you no points in the driver’s championship. Do you expect that this year will be better, or will you stick to your usual aggressive driving style?”

Cassian laughed, running a hand through his unbound curls. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be changing anything. You can expect to see me on the podium, sweetheart. Most likely in first.”

Nesta grit her teeth. She couldn’t air that, and he knew it. “How about you answer the question without trying to piss me off?”

“It’s too easy,” Cassian said, that devilish grin returning. Nesta cut him a glare that simmered with violence. “Alright fine,” He relented, putting his hands up. “Go again.”

She repeated her question, and this time he answered, “I don’t really see any need to change my driving style, what happened last year was a fluke. I went wide on the turn and didn’t notice Vanserra's front wing until the last second and wasn’t able to change course.” Nesta nodded, encouraging him to go on. “I don't see myself making any mistakes like that this year. You can expect to see me on the podium, most likely in first.”

“Thank you for that Cassian. Good luck on the track today.”

“Thank you,” He said, waving at the camera. He paused before adding, “Though I won’t need luck.”

Nesta rolled her eyes and signaled for Jacob to cut the recording. At least that last bit could be edited out. “You are absolutely insufferable, you know that?”

Cassian shrugged, undoing the arms of his fire suit and slipping into them. “I do my best.” He winked at her before zipping up his suit, opening his mouth to say something else when the Mercedes team principal, Rhysand, barked at him to get his ass in gear. He gave Nesta a wordless salute before jogging off.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Jacob said, packing up his camera. “That guy has balls.”

“He’s a Formula 1 driver,” Nesta said simply, putting her sunglasses back on. “Of course he does.”

**********

Nesta watched the 78 lap race from the press box, silently cheering Tomas on. Each time the pack of cars passed, the windows rattled, doing little to muffle the engine noise. She chatted with the others as necessary, keeping one eye on the tarmac below. Tomas had started from pole position, and held onto first place until the final 10 laps. He had attempted to lap an AlphaTauri driver when the driver had failed to yield, violating FIA regulations. The two had bumped tires in what was ruled a racing incident, but Nesta knew better. Tomas had lost his cool and nudged the other driver on purpose, nearly sending him into the wall.

It was a bad call on Tomas’ part, as the comfortable four second lead he had held over second place shattered. Nesta swore under her breath as Cassian overtook Tomas, her heart dropping when the other Mercedes driver, Azriel, did the same. Tomas would not be happy about that.

When the checkered flag waved, Cassian was first, Azriel second, and Tomas third. The winners parked before the podium, anger radiating from Tomas as he tore his helmet off. Tamlin, the Redbull team principal, said something to Tomas that had his cheeks burning red.

Nesta grabbed Jacob and headed for the press room. They had a half hour tops before the post-race interviews started, and Nesta had to make sure she was front row. Though it didn’t matter where she sat; she always made sure her questions were answered.

It was more so for Tomas. She wanted him to see her, to see the understanding on her face and know she supported him even when he didn't win.

They were first to the press room, and Nesta had ample time to prepare questions. She couldn’t question Tomas, or she risked uncapping his rage. Instead, she jotted down a question she knew would shift the focus from Tomas to the Mercedes drivers.

Reporters began filing in, vying for the perfect spot and debating the race results with one another. Nesta remained in her seat, determined to maintain her composure as her stomach churned. Tomas finally entered, jaw set as he took his place on the stage. Nesta tried to subtly catch his eye, but he pointedly avoided looking at her.

Cassian and Azriel entered, laughing and congratulating each other. Nesta noted the slight change in Tomas’ posture, the only hint of the blood boiling beneath his skin. Cameras flashed, reporters shouted, but still Nesta remained seated. Cassian, at least, sought her out in the crowd, and flashed her an ‘I-told-you-so’ grin when he found her. Once the clamor had died down, Nesta stood. The room quieted further, the others having learned not to talk over her if they valued their jobs. Nesta had a knack for digging up dirt on anyone she pleased.

Her eyes were still locked on Cassian as the moderator indicated she could ask her question.

“Azriel,” She started, turning to the dark haired man, “You were lucky you were able to take second in this race, after the incident in turn twelve on lap 27 when you sustained heavy damage to your front wing, thanks to the actions of your teammate. Does it ever get under your skin that Valle’s overly-aggressive driving threatens your own position in the championship?”

The room was silent. Tomas hid his grin behind a well-manicured hand. Cassian’s eyes narrowed, a muscle in his jaw fluttering. Good; she had hit a nerve. Azriel shrugged, crossing his arms.

“It was a racing incident. Could have happened to anyone. I don’t think the blame lays entirely with Cassian; I could have given him more room on the corner.”

And that was that. Nesta didn’t ask any more questions, but she could feel Cassian glaring at her throughout. At the end of the interview, all three drivers thanked everyone before leaving.

As Nesta made her way back to her car, she texted Tomas.

You okay?

Her heart pounded as she waited for the reply. Her phone buzzed minutes later.

I’ll be home late. Party at the Redbull house.

Oh. Okay. See you later then.

“Happy birthday to me,” She muttered, stuffing the phone in her pocket.

Nesta wasn’t sure why his reply stung, but it cut deep. She had hoped that he would want to see her instead of going to another party and spend time with her on her birthday. Instead, he would probably stick his tongue down another woman’s throat like usual. She couldn’t really blame him. Their relationship had to remain secret and to do so, Tomas had to maintain his playboy aura. It wasn’t really cheating if she had agreed to it.

But if that were true, why did it hurt so fucking bad when he did?

Some of her tension eased when she finally spied her car in the lot. The Blue Bullet, she had nicknamed it, due to the strikingly bright paint. It was the first purchase she had made upon being promoted, and it had since become her pride and joy. She had chosen it because it set lap records left and right when it had hit the market a few years back, and she had craved speed her whole life. On city streets, this car was the closest she could get to experiencing Formula 1 without completely breaking the bank.

“How about you don’t ask stupid fucking questions next time your prettyboy loses?”

Nesta’s breath hitched. Your prettyboy. The accusation was clear. Her hand slipped from the door handle, turning towards the voice. If he knew… If he knew about her and Tomas, they were done for. She willed her voice into solid steel.

“Cassian. I would advise you to choose your next words wisely.”

He placed a hand on her Civic, getting in her face. “Racing means you have racing incidents. I don’t expect you to understand, seeing as you’ve never been behind the wheel of a real race car.” He sneered at her car, the insult striking home.

Fear faded, replaced by a rising wave of scarlett rage. Nesta’s gaze stuck to where his hand lay on the bright blue paint, utterly vexed by the infringement. She bared her teeth at him, rising to the challenge in Cassian’s flaming hazel eyes.

“Get. Off.”

Cassian started at the command in her tone and obeyed. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “Understanding the nuances of Formula 1 is my job description. I asked about that incident because I knew it would piss you off. Looks like I was right huh?” Her temper was getting the better of her. “And by the way, would it kill you to give me a decent quote once in a while, instead of always trying to get in my pants?”

“I do not-”

“Oh go fuck yourself,” Nesta scoffed, yanking the door open.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward as she slammed the car door. “I was already planning on it.”

Those parting words haunted her drive home, even as she took the long way in hopes of blowing off steam. She shifted through the gears, throwing the Civic around corners much faster than was probably safe. Nesta didn’t care; her head was a mess. At least he hadn’t mentioned anything more about Tomas. Maybe Cassian had just thought she had a crush, based on the way she had been looking at him during the conference. Gods, she couldn’t get Cassian out of her head.

His grin followed her up the stairs to her apartment, where she snapped the curtains shut. She couldn’t bear to look out over the track any longer today.

Those words echoed in her head as she brushed her teeth and crawled into bed alone. Swam through her thoughts of Tomas, as she struggled to keep her eyes open when the clock showed 1 am. As she finally gave in, they were her last thought.

I was already planning on it.

@aphoeni @planet-faerie @nina-zcnik @linsimin @that-little-red-head @teagoddess99 @enpointe10 @electronicstrawberrystrawberry @awesomelena555 @iptneus @weesablackbeak @wonderland--memories @nessian-trash-heap @magicalwaterfall @perfectlyimpxrfect @cassians-wings @valkyrie-archeron @acourtofcouture @nesemryn @chloepereyra @illyrianshadowhunter

#Lights over monaco #nessian #nessian au #nessian fanfiction #acotar #acomaf #acowar #a court of thorns and roses #a court of mist and fury #a court of war and ruin #a court of frost and starlight #acotar fanfiction #my writing #nesta archeron #cassian #lucien vanserra

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betweentheracks · 3 years

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Updates//Recent Inactivity

Hello all! This is me finally taking some time to sit down and offer up a rundown on how life is currently going as a means of explaining my inactivity. This is a personal post that is guaranteed to be both rambling and emotional so if that is not your cup of tea, I understand and happily advise you just skip over this post as it is not relevant to the actual content this blog was intended for.

EDITED: After reading this back I now realize this is really just me spilling the tea on my own life and is laughably dishy in details which is extremely not my usual stance on my personal privacy. But idk, it was cathartic so I'm leaving it as is despite the urge to redact 70% of what I say.

I'll start with the good news that I am officially out of lockdown and have remained COVID-19 free since my return home from the hospital. This also means my son finally was allowed to come home to me which is dazzling and exciting and also a little terrible too. He's at a precocious age where tantrums are the cool way to communicate and having been gone for so long completely thrashing his established routine has caused friction. He came home and his parent was not the same as when he left; is much weaker and less energetic than before, paler and shaky - but also there's the addition of my best friend having moved in to assist and take care of me/him while we all do our best to muddle through.

The readjustment has been rough and a lot of this week has made me incredibly thankful to have practically zero memory of how I was as a child. There have been injuries: I have been whacked in the face with the metal cover for a floor vent while dozing on the sofa instead of paying rapt attention to whatever silliness he was showing off to me, there was his complete dismissal of me asking him to stay back and away from the hot oven as I pulled lunch from it's fiery jaws only to then be faced with a toddler quickly approaching with his hand raised to touch so I naturally made a move to block him and in the process I let go of the oven door which slammed upward and clamped my arm tightly between it and the inside cavern of the oven while it was set to a roasty 400 degrees Fahrenheit - earning me a mangled arm with burns of varying degrees, and then we also had that fit where it seemed like a much more grand idea to scale the babygate cordoning the stairs and I had to rush up them to stop him from tumbling face first down two flights and of course did the falling all on my own and did it backwards then slammed painfully into the wall of the landing. This all happened within a 48hr time frame and makes me wonder why I am so catastrophically inclined.

I have bruises that range the majority of my spine courtesy of the wall and stairs, two minor first degree burns on my forearm that are in the shape of an equals and quite large despite the lack of actual pain I feel from them, and the underside of my forearm was instantly blistered then popped then melted down into a horrid glob of skin mush and sticky red-orange and is a second degree burn that I have been assured is no real cause for concern as long as I tend it with care. In all, I managed to escape my momjuries relatively unscathed and with a child that was scared senseless at having hurt his momma and is quick to listen and never stops cuddling me in the time since. Here's hoping he isn't significantly traumatized from this since exactly none of this is especially his fault and is due to my clumsy, accident-prone status in life.

So yes, The Toddler has returned home to me and after some happenings we have settled and are happy. However, his blast from the past father has suddenly just decided to reemerge after more than a year of radio silence and static and has slapped me with a custody petition. Hooray. While I have no worries on this matter due to my mother working for one of the top custody lawyers in the state and snagging him as my representation, and the utter lack of competency on my estranged baby daddy's end clearly being displayed in literally anything and everything the idiot does/says, I do have to now go through the overhaul of a custody case and that is just so weak and exhaustive. Not to mention the basis of his claims that I am not fit to raise a child are founded in my health concerns and the crazy work schedule I keep; ironically, my health is making it so that I have much less insane hours and makes this fairly moot but to each their own I guess. Also worth noting on this matter is that he only did this now because he was recently placed under penalty for child support back pay and nothing in this world matters to him like his money and this is his special way of getting one over on me for tampering with his meager earnings. (He's a wannabe musician - the soundcloud rapper sort, just so we are all on the same page here). If I thought for even a second this was a genuine desire to be an active and stable parent I would be a lot less pressed to act in favor of making it legally binding that he can only see him under a supervisory condition and share time evenly, but it just is not believable in the slightest.

So the thing is - my health is actually quite dismal presently. I'm due in for open heart surgery on the 8th of April and until then I have been doing my utmost to mind all the nagging I get from doctors, PT specialists, the surgeons that will be slicing and dicing me, and my in-family medical practitioner that sometimes remembers he is also my brother and not just an MD. But like, you guys, this surgery is terrifying and technically is two surgeries rolled into one. They'll be cracking my chest open and then stopping my heart while they lift it from where it sits sweetly unhinged and lopsided in my body and very finely shave away some of the excess muscle that has built up around the wall of my heart as well as some unfriendly scar tissue that has lingered since my last surgery years ago. Granted there is no accidental slip that nicks my ugly gargantuan heart and renders me as good as dead, once this first part is finished the other surgeon will need to be deft and very quick to place this ventricular assisting piece in the valve that has all but given up on functioning altogether and do so in the time remaining before the time limit for my heart being essentially unplugged from by body is up, which would also feasibly mean my death. Lots of exciting and terrible sounding consequences, am I right?

Well let's bear it in mind that I am just below 30 in age and therefore not duly experienced in the realm of facing down my own mortality via making all necessary legal arrangements and managing my affairs and assets so that, in event of my untimely death, the custody case still doesn't stand a chance of snatching my son away to the sad misfortune of being raised by a man that has stated openly he only has interest in his kids so far as what they can do for him/get for him in terms of benefit and that he would be unwilling to be hypocritical and never deter his children from drugs and a lifestyle of extremely questionable moral integrity and hygiene alike. Eugh. But I also have had to make sure there is a DNR in place just in case things go wrong during the operation, my will has also been finalized and notarized, all my savings and financial/material assets have been squared away to come into my child's inheritance when he is of age and, most importantly, a document that states clear and direct instructions for him to be placed in care of my mother or, if she is unwilling or incapable, he will be under custodial order and guardianship of my best friend whom he has always viewed as a pseudo-dad anyway. Legally binding and even in light of the paternity petition this document supersedes parental right by way of the provided evidence I have submitted to prove a lack of parental credibility. That's right, I spent days lowkey stalking and sleuthing about to capture what I needed to show this man for what he actually is and I have precisely zero guilt or shame for doing it; this is my child on the line and that means momma doesn't have to play by the rules of snitches getting stitches or whatever other scary street rules he tosses at me as idle threats. (He's done this routinely for all the years I have known him, and it is somehow both pathetic and hilarious because he knows for a fact that, if I wanted, I could throttle him in less time than it would take for him to form a rational thought between his drug soaked braincells - I was also a person of less than savory character not too long ago and can handle myself very well. But I digress because I am losing my track of thought.

After the surgery I will have so damn much PT and rehab, all of which will be specific to varying parts of my body that will need to be reworked and strengthened. Weeks, months of it really. This surgery is major and hits heavy enough that I will be in the hospital for at least 10-14 days just recovering from it without taking into consideration any number of complications that could pop up. Hell, if they get in there and find a situation worse than they currently have an understanding of in the limited capacity of cardiology tech can provide of such a gnarled beastly heart and realize they can't really do anything with it after all, I'll be added to the transplant list. I think this is more daunting to consider than the surgery, honestly.

In that way that doctors have about them, I was "comforted" by being informed that this was an inevitability and I would have been faced with this in a matter of years - less than a handful actually - but the way COVID-19 chewed through me sped it up. I'm sure my years of substance issues were also very helpful in this endeavor, but either way I still am unsure whether I feel better knowing this or not? Mostly I think I feel conflicted and hopeful tempered with the caution of life being super shady in the ways it has often brought me to the doorsteps of dying in situations that seem like odd chance. I also am gifted with being so capable in jinxing myself that I brought myself to COVID-19 ("The way life is going I'll probably square up with Rona next week or some bullshit." Positive test flagged within the following week) and also into labor ("Watch me go into labor on Labor Day since that would be the sort of universal pun that would strike my bad penny having ass." Indeed hatched my youngling on Labor Day of that year) by saying some things within the scope of my bad humor that instantly manifested as reality so I'm not taking any risks here lol.

The gist is that life is really stirring up the winds over here and so I haven't been online and posting anything that would make my blog valid in a fat minute. I do apologize for this and also for the fact that this post took me nearly a week to type up, but when things calm a little I will be back in full. For the time being I will be sporadic and do what I can when I can!

Thanks to anyone that read this mess all the way here! And a big thank you to all of you still supporting me!

#racks chats #entirely too long and too personal

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may8344 · 4 years

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The Journey of a Forgotten Soldier (Levi x OC)

Finally, I’ll now be caught up with this fanfiction on Tumblr, Wattpad, and AO3. Updates are still going (try) to be on Thursday at 6pm CT.

Relationships:

Alana Frey (OC)Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)Levi Ackerman/Alana FreyFurlan Church/Original Character(s)Furlan Church/Alana Frey

Characters:

Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)Furlan ChurchIsabel MagnoliaAlana Frey (OC) - CharacterErwin SmithHange ZoëPetra RalGunther SchultzEld JinnOluo BozadoKeith ShadisSpecial Operations Squad | Squad Levi

Additional Tags:

Graphic Description of CorpsesBlood and InjuryViolenceMurder

Summary:

Alana Frey, a girl born in the Underground City, longed to see the true sunlight every morning that she would wake up. Alongside her comrades: Furlan Church, Isabel Magnolia, and Levi, Alana’s life as a thug continued with no way around it; until the sudden day she and her companions were offered the deal of a lifetime.

“Once you complete this job, not only will you be generously compensated for your work,

but you will also earn the right to live above ground.”

Word Count: 2.2k

CHAPTER 5: The Survey Corps

A couple of weeks prior to the quartet’s capturing, an important meeting had taken place. Erwin Smith was accompanied by the Commander of the Survey Corps, Keith Shadies, and the Supreme Commander of the three military branches, Darius Zackly, who sat at his desk.

“I cannot accept that!” Kieth yelled in disagreement at Zackly. However, he paused, discouraged by the look he earned from the Supreme Commander. “Sir, have you looked at the proposal I sent you? If it’s put into practice, we should be able to drastically reduce the number of Survey Corps deaths outside the Walls.”

In a low, grumbling voice, Zackly lightly touched the packet of papers that sat on the wooden desk in front of him. The papers had contained a whole new proposition for the regiment. “Commander… Keith Shadis. Of course I’ve reviewed your request.” His gaze made its way to the younger blond who stood further back. “This ‘long distance enemy scouting formation.’ I hear you developed it, Erwin.”

“Yes sir.”

“It’s ingenious. I mean that sincerely.” He put a hand to his chin in thought, his finger’s ruffling his gray beard. “On previous expeditions, the corps focused entirely on how to defeat the Titans it encountered. But your proposal puts greater emphasis on how to reduce the number of Titan encounters. This totally original thinking is most admirable.”

“I am honored that you would say so, sir.”

Humanity lived inside of three fifty meter tall, concentric, stone walls: Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. On the outside of their protection, monsters known as Titan’s roamed around, eating any human in sight. They ranged from three to fifteen meters tall and mostly resemble humans but with... deformities. Most walk on two feet, and some on all fours.

Three Regiments were created in order to keep humanity alive. The Garrison Regiment is the group that maintains and patrols the Walls. If there were to be any emergency, they would help evacuate the citizens to a safer area. Their badge bore two red roses.

The second is the Military Police Regiment. They keep order within the Walls and dedicate themselves to protect the King or Queen. Only the top ten training cadets get the option to join them. Despite having the best recruits, they are often known as corrupt and incompentent due to them staying deep within the Walls and far from the dangerous Titans.

Finally, there is the Scouting Regiment. This division is tasked with reclaiming the treacherous land beyond their outer wall, Wall Maria. Despite being very well trained, they suffer many losses and poor results in their reclamation. More often than not, they are under the constant threat of being disbanded by the government.

“If we use conventional formations together with this new formation… we should be able to embark on even further-ranging expeditions with fewer casualties.”

The brown haired Commander spoke once more, “General. If you understand it, then why…”

“I can’t get approval of the council.” He replied bluntly. “For a long time, many members have opposed continuing the expeditions beyond the Walls. In the past, I’ve managed to persuade them to provide funding. But now, even the public doesn’t particularly believe in sending you beyond the Walls.”

“Of course. We know that.”

“Now I have Councilman Lovof demanding the outright dissolution of the Corps. He has great influence even in the house of peers, and has a lot of cronies who sympathize with him.”

Commander Shadis began to raise his voice. “But, sir! If we stop here, all of our sacrifices up till now will be in vain! If we use Erwin’s formation, we’re sure to-”

“Keith. Please understand.”

Erwin spoke out, his voice calm and collected, “Have they already decided to suspend our activities?”

Zackly sighed as he stood from his chair. Peering outside of the window, he responded quietly. “The council won’t vote on it for another five days, but… there’s probably no way to stop it.”

“Understood, sir.”

Commander Shadis and Erwin retreated from Zackly’s office and into the horse-drawn carriage awaiting them outside. The men sat across from each other on the nicely cushioned seats. Light clomping from horses could be heard from the outside as they began moving towards their next destination.

After a bit of silence, Erwin spoke up, “It was just as you suspected, Commander.”

“...Yes. So the leader of the dissolution faction really is Nicholas Lovof...”

“According to the information I’ve gathered, Lovof has connections to the Lang Company which is delivering goods to the Military Police Brigade. He must be hoping to redirect the funds that will be freed up by suspending our expeditions.”

“Is your information reliable?” Commander Shadis questioned, shocked by the details.

“Lovof sent someone to infiltrate the Survey Corps and report on it from the inside. That spy is our source. I believe the information is highly credible.”

“And if that’s true, what do we do about it? Do we appeal to the Commander in Chief? I think that, to some extent, General Zackly is already aware of it.”

“It’s likely that there are circumstances preventing him from going public.”

Their driver slowed the horses to a stop as he hopped off of his seat and made his way to the door of the vehicle. Disrupting the two soldiers’ conversation, he opened the door and notified them that they had reached their destination. “We’ve arrived, sirs.”

Commander Shadis gave him a nod, but sighed at Erwin. “I see. I’m useless with these political intrigues.” He began to step out of the carriage, but stopped as the blond called out to him.

“Sir, would you leave this matter to me?”

“What’ll you do?” Commander Shadis turned his head over his shoulder, intrigued by the sudden request.

“I have a few ideas.”

“Ideas?” Shadis continued to walk out of the carriage.

“Even if you did have contacts in the nobility, they’re not the type to be convinced by words alone.”

“You can’t mean… Lovof himself?”

“Sir. Please don’t ask me any more than that. All of these decisions must be mine alone.”

“Erwin… you’re planning to use some shady method to force Lovof to change his position, aren’t you? Even if it is for the sake of the expeditions beyond the Walls, for a young man like you to…,” He paused, worried thoughts filling his mind for his subordinate, “The palace is a bed of vipers. Do you have a way to get out in one piece?”

“Sir.” Erwin stood up, standing in the doorway of the carriage. One of his hands held onto the side and his foot rested on the small running board. His face was stern and determined. “When I entered the Survey Corps and fought the Titans face-to-face, I learned exactly how perilous humanity’s situation really is. Wealth, authority, lofty ideals. If the Titans make it inside of the Walls, all of them will disappear in an instant.” His voice suddenly rose, “And that is why… no matter what four means we must use, we can never abandon our efforts to take this world back from the Titans. Come what may!”

The commander stared at Erwin in shock and his thoughts were scattered. It took him a moment to decide what would be the best course of action. “...very well. I will leave it all to you. No matter what, we must hold onto our hope for the future.”

“Yes, sir. And at the council meeting five days from now, we will lose the first arrow in that fight.”

Days later, both Keith Shadies and Erwin Smith were called to Darius Zackly’s office once again. The older Supreme Commander readjusted his round glasses as his eyes focused on Shadis. “It passed. I never would have imagined that Councilman Lovof would change his mind. Keith, do you have any idea why he did?”

“No, sir, not personally.”

Zackly eyed him with suspicion before turning towards Erwin. “I see. There are still many voices calling for dissolution. This time, you got the go-ahead, but I can’t guarantee there will be a next time. You’ll have to produce significant results this term if you want to change the situation.”

“Yes, sir! We’ll do our utmost!” Both Scouts declared.

“General,” Erwin added, “what about the matter we asked about the other day?”

“Hm? Oh. You mean the plan for the underground operation? I passed it along to the Military Police.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“But, Erwin, no matter how good they may be with Omni-Directional Maneuvering Gear, are you sure street thugs will be of any use outside the Walls?”

“Sir, I happened to see them with my own eyes recently. I believe their skill cannot be overestimated. The man who seems to be their leader, in particular, is on a level beyond even that of even a Survey Corps veteran.”

“Is that so? Remarkable.”

“I intend to make use of anyone who has even the smallest potential during this expedition. But first while I’m close by, I plan to make contact.”

[~]

“This is humiliating, plain and simple!” A voice boomed as his fist slammed against a table.

Deep within the capital city of Mitras, securely within Wall Sina, an important meeting was held. Five figures sat at the wooden table inside an older, rundown building shaped like a castle. Each person wore a military uniform with the Survey Corps' badge attached to both shoulders and the front left pocket of their brown jacket. Both Erwin Smith and Keith Shadies were in attendance.

The angered Captain continued his ranting as he turned to Commander Shadis. “Are you honestly telling us to accept criminals into our fold when we’ve always held dutifulness in the highest regard!? The morale of the men will plummet if we allow those bottom feeders to join the ranks!”

“I agree with Flagon,” another admitted. “And to suggest we take these criminals with us on the next reconnaissance mission…”

“I understand your concerns. But I can personally vouch for their ODM Gear skills,” Erwin said, staying calm and collected as always.

Their Commander was the one who had the final decision on the matter. He was a man in his later years, amber eyes sunken in, with wrinkles and a receding hairline. He was positioned at the end of the table with his arms strongly crossed. “The new formation that Erwin has been working on is ground-breaking. It takes the emphasis away from how best to kill Titans, and places it firmly on how best to avoid them. I believe it’ll greatly reduce the number of casualties we sustain.”

Continuing his argument, Erwin spoke up, “This formation is likely to become accepted as the norm for our forces.”

“What those cretins lack are discipline and manners. It shouldn’t take too long to drill it into their skulls. They seem to have brains in their heads. Right, Erwin?”

“Correct.”

Coming to a conclusion, Commander Shadis stood from his chair. “Meeting adjourned.”

[~]

“Attention!”

The clattering of boots rang through the air in response. About fifty military soldiers were each lined up in an orderly fashion of rows awaiting commands.

Commander Shadis’ deep, authoritative voice rose as he continued. “Starting today, these four will be fighting alongside all of you! Introduce yourselves!”

Isabel, Levi, Furlan, and Alana each were dressed in a military uniform as they stood in front of the soldiers on a pedestal type area. However, Levi wore a white cravat around his neck.

“Name’s Levi.” Levi had his arms crossed and spoke with complete indifference. He wanted absolutely nothing to do being here, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. This act caught the eyes of almost every soldier and they stared in disbelief at his disrespect.

“Levi, the first thing you need to learn is some goddamn discipline.” Shadis responded in annoyance. “Next!”

Isabel proudly stepped up, head held high. With a solid voice and her thumb pointing towards her, she spoke, “I’m Isabel Magnolia! Nice to meet ya!”

“My name is Furlan Church.” Furlan introduced himself with a saluted fist on his chest, palm facing down. His eager smile lined his face, and then he turned to Alana who was beside him.

Unlike her friends, Alana lowered her chin as she cowered away and her left hand gripped onto the charm on her necklace. Strangely enough, the girl was afraid of the crowd. With a soft, welcoming nudge from the blond, she mumbled. “Alana… Frey.”

“Speak up, soldier!”

She raised her voice and repeated herself. “I’m Alana Frey!”

“Flagon, these three will be assigned to your squad. Look after them.”

“M-My squad, sir?” Flagon, the dirty blond haired captain, looked up to his superior in shock. Just earlier that day, he had been arguing the idea of having them here in the first place.

“Any objections?

“N-No… But shouldn’t Erwin…”

Shadis cut him off immediately. “Erwin is tasked with overseeing all the soldiers. The new recruits will be your responsibility. Is that understood?”

Flagon quickly saluted his commander; right fist on his chest, palm upwards, and the other behind his back. It was the sign of ‘devoting your hearts’. “Yes, sir! Understood!” Even with his words, it was clear that he was uneasy about all of this.

Especially under Levi’s glare.

---

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

#shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #levi #levi ackerman #fanfic #levi x oc #OC #attack on titan fanfiction #levi ackerman x oc #furlan church #isabel magnolia #alana frey

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oliviavane-blog · 4 years

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How to Produce Merchandise and Sell Them on Your Blog

A tale of two buskers

A whilst back my household and I were enjoying a beach trip up in the northern components of Australia. A single night, even though we were enjoying a refreshing ice cream, we came across two street performers (or ‘buskers’ as we call them right here in Australia).

The initially one particular was playing a guitar and singing, he had his guitar case open in front of him to gather loose modify from passers-by. Our little ones nagged us to cease and listen (they’re fascinated by street performers), and so we did. He was a excellent singer and a good guitar player, and we left a couple of dollars in alter just before moving on.

A little additional down the road we came across another performer collecting loose modify with his guitar case. With his honky-tonk guitar, harmonica, bells on one foot and a home-created kick drum on the other, this guy was a bit of a one-man band. But efficiency-sensible he was similar to the performer to the initial performer we’d encountered, and just as superior.

But I’m guessing that second performer would have been earning at least 10 times as significantly as the 1st.

Why? Because he also had two CDs for sale – $15 for either one, or $25 for them both. And in the 15 minutes we were listening to him I saw eight individuals invest in at least 1 CD. And we ended up getting both of them.

So getting a solution to sell was obviously assisting him make a lot more funds. But what I identified intriguing is that people seemed to be taking him extra seriously than the other guy. I overheard a couple of persons commenting about how the CD’s meant he must be severe about his music. Having a product gave him credibility (as properly as a thing to talk about with his listeners).

These CDs also gave him a further advantage – it helped individuals bear in mind him. They could re-reside his overall performance whenever and wherever they liked just by playing his CD. And for the reason that they now knew his name they could propose him to other folks, and possibly even check out his web page and connect with him on social media.

(When I tucked my boys into bed that night, my three-year-old insisted on sleeping with one of these CDs – the ultimate testament to having a product to sell.)

Heavy traffic ahead

Launching a new item can also build a spike in your site’s targeted traffic, no matter if it’s from:

Whenever we launch a item we know we’ll be obtaining a lot of targeted traffic that month, which creates other ongoing added benefits for our site.

Stop dreaming, and get started doing

Most bloggers agree that developing and selling merchandise is a great notion. But ask them about essentially generating those items and you will hear a selection of excuses as to why now is not the appropriate time for them.

And I can say that mainly because I’m one of those individuals.

When I began Digital Photography School in 2007, I dreamed monetizing that blog with an ebook. And possessing promoted other people’s ebooks on that blog I had a fairly fantastic notion about the topics I wanted to cover.

But I also had a lengthy list of excuses as to why I couldn’t write it.

And those excuses held me back for two years.

In 2009, having decided I needed to either kill the idea or act on it, I started spending 15 minutes every day on it. 1st came the arranging, and then the writing and editing. When it was performed I began searching for a designer when researching buying carts. And towards the end I spent those 15 minutes writing marketing and advertising copy, sales pages, and sales emails.

Three and a half months later every thing was ready, and I sent the launch e-mail out to my readers.

About ten minutes later I received an email telling me I’d created my first $15 sale. And ten or so minutes just after that a further e mail came in. I’d created $30, and I was excited. Admittedly it wasn’t a wonderful return for three months’ work, but I was still proud of myself.

Eight minutes later the next sale came in. 5 minutes after that, the next sale came in. They began coming in each three minutes, then every two minutes, and then each minute. Quickly they were coming in each and every 30 seconds, and then each and every ten seconds. I can nevertheless recall waking up my wife at 3am and saying, “You wouldn’t believe what’s going on in my inbox”.

It went on to make US$72,000 in 10 days.

Yes, it was wonderful to be making that sort of dollars. But it was also great to know my readers would buy one thing I developed. And it was terrific recognizing I had the capabilities and the capacity to get it done.

Since then we’ve made some thing like 40 items. In some strategies creating new items becomes less complicated due to the fact you have much more capabilities and more confidence in yourself. But in other techniques it becomes much more tricky since you commence considering, I don’t really need to have to make anything else simply because I already have merchandise that are selling pretty well.

But need to have to fight against that complacency and keep generating goods. For the reason that a single of these solutions could be just what your readers have been waiting for.

#market research #business #merchend #blog

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bffhreprise · 4 years

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Entry 317

Shaking my head, I knew this would be another open-and-shut case that would be attributed to me, despite everyone knowing how little I needed to do here. Getting credit I didn’t earn irked me. Yes, I probably could have closed many of the cases without assistance, but I hadn’t. Everyone knew it. Luckily, most of them understood my feelings on the matter.

These cases were attributed to me due to politics. The force couldn’t openly acknowledge a vigilante’s aid, even one so well-liked as this one. Since the arrival of Calamity in our city, crime rates had plummeted. Convictions, on the other hand, had skyrocketed. There was an abundance of evidence waiting for us wherever Calamity appeared with detailed instructions on how to corroborate the more questionable parts. Learning how she managed to get so much information would be invaluable for police work worldwide, but sitting still for a chat wasn’t her style. Of course, we were officially tasked with arresting her, though there was no pressure to try.

Catching sight of someone out-of-place, I smiled and made my way over to him. James Michael Somerset III was very likely to be behind our vigilante. He was wealthy and incredibly well-connected for someone so young. Weirder yet, I never found even a trace of dirty dealings involving his company, save for one report where a drug runner had attempted to use him as a patsy. One run-in with James had led the man to confess everything, but that was months before Calamity came to town.

“James Michael Somerset III. Were you here for this one?” I questioned after he noticed me walking toward him.

“No. I just finished helping Mrs. Coleman with her painting back that way.” he replied, pointing back to where he had come from.

“Hear anything new about Calamity?” I questioned with a smile, certain he had.

“Calamity?” he asked, looking perfectly confused.

I didn’t buy it. Nodding, I said, “Oh yeah. The city apparently has a vigilante using that as her name. Strange choice if you ask me.”

“I agree. Sounds ominous.” he smoothly replied.

“It does. It does. This is the second… no, third time you just happened to be walking by a crime scene after she appeared.” I pointed out, certain he could work out how strange that was. Most police officers hadn’t even seen her that much.

“She? I thought this umm… Calamity, was it?” he asked, waiting for my nod. “Was a he.”

“No. Calamity is definitely a she. Hard to miss in that new suit she has. White hair from what we’ve been told.” I explained, watching for any sign of the truth.

“White hair? Not a wig?” he asked, still sounding uncertain.

I laughed and said, “Would you believe people claim to have seen part of her head shot off? Well, not recently. Lately, they’ve claimed she’s bulletproof. Whatever the case, she has to have some expensive tech to survive some of the things she’s supposedly been through.”

“I bet she would.” he acknowledged, looking as if he was considering the idea thoroughly. Was he adding up the cost?

“I also noticed that you have an employee with white hair. Portentia, I believe her name was. Unusual name. Your website says she’s deaf though.” I prodded.

“She was born deaf from what I was told. Very friendly girl. Would you like to meet her?” he offered.

“I would. I really would, but I’m afraid I can’t. People might believe I’m investigating your business.” I explained, still wishing I knew what had transpired to make the brass so careful around James.

“That might look bad if my business was associated with criminal activity, but I’ll gladly help law enforcement where I can.” he sincerely insisted.

Letting the irony of the statement show on my face, I said, “Funny. Would you believe I was called immediately by my boss’ boss right after I ran your plates that day we met? He directly ordered me not to investigate you and informed me that investigating your business was considered investigating you.”

“You’re a detective now, aren’t you? Sorry. I had been wondering why you weren’t in uniform. Congratulations on the promotion.” he told me, sounding perfectly sincere again.

“Thank you.” I told him, wondering if he had arranged that as well. I felt I was on the verge of promotion before I had met James, but a word from him might’ve sealed the deal. If that word had been given, why? What would he gain?

“Though I find what you just told me somewhat surprising, I can’t claim any knowledge as to why he would tell you that.” he assured me, interrupting my thoughts. “Perhaps there could be some sort of international problem considering that a foreign dignitary resides in my home.”

“Your fiancée.” I replied. “Congratulations.”

He didn’t seem remotely surprised that I knew, but he said, “Thank you. For someone who isn’t investigating me, you’re very well informed.”

I shrugged and reminded him “Your wedding is a big event. I heard that the mayor and even the governor are going to be attending.”

“I honestly haven’t seen the guest list, but I would imagine it’s quite extensive.” he admitted.

“You obviously don’t have to answer, but do you know sign language, James?” I asked, unable to resist poking this bear.

“Yes. Several forms, actually. With someone who is deaf working for me, I felt obligated to learn. If you ever run into Portentia, don’t worry. She can read lips just fine. Make sure she’s facing you when you’re speaking though. She has a tendency to turn her head when you’re saying something she doesn’t want to hear.” he explained, sounding amused at his employee’s antics.

Nodding and holding out my hand, I said, “Sorry if I’m keeping you from anything, but I appreciate your time, Mr. Somerset.” She was probably a great actress, capable of mimicking deafness perfectly. There was no one who would back having a deaf girl tested for deafness, and Portentia’s life was a mystery, with almost no presence since she entered this country as an infant.

He shook my hand with a smile. “No trouble. With an hour between jobs, I thought a nice walk would be a good way to kill some time. I might have to call a taxi if I take too much longer.”

“Would you want a ride? I don’t have a DB5 like yours, but my car still runs.” I told him, knowing what was sitting on my passenger seat..

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” he replied.

“No trouble, not after I took up your time. I’m the green one just up the street.” I insisted as I showed him the way.

He followed, jokingly saying, “There are green taxis around.”

I humored him with a smile, knocking loose some of the papers as I moved the folder. “Let me get that out of your way.”

No reaction at all, though I was certain he saw the picture of his employee in costume at a recent convention. He simply explained where we were going, commenting on how he wished his client was more forthcoming about what he was to be doing.

As we sat in silence, I reconsidered my approach. I was certain James knew what his employee was doing, just as I was certain Portentia was Calamity. I needed his help if I was going to get information on her investigative process. Finally, I said, “Sorry if I might have seemed a little suspicious of your employee, James. The Calamity thing is a bit of a thorn in our side. She’s a criminal, breaking the law, we’re required to catch her, but she’s also busted a large number of cases open for us. The amount of evidence left for us at some of the crime scenes is staggering. Full videos of crimes in action on microSD cards sitting on top of pictures. There are even printed reports at times connecting the dots easily enough for kindergarteners.”

“That sounds incredible. I’m a little concerned though. If you do pin her down eventually, how are you supposed to bring her in if she’s capable of taking on large groups who don’t play by a rulebook?” he asked, the picture of concern.

“Can I get your word that you won’t mention this?” I questioned, feeling confident that I could trust his given word. Despite the strangeness of his connections and his incredible poker face, James was a good man.

“Of course. Confidentiality is in my contract.” he replied as if prepared to show me the contract.

I laughed and said, “I can imagine, given the people you rub shoulders with. No one even organizes the evidence we have on her. It’s just a bunch of reports from witnesses. She’s officially a myth, since few of the reports sound remotely credible.”

“Even though she’s been seen multiple times?” he questioned in surprise. “That sounds hard to believe.”

“Fighting crime is tough. Even the people we protect are against us half the time. Having someone actually working to help us doesn’t make any of us too inclined to bring her in.” I confided.

“So what are you after?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged, deciding what to tell him. Going for the straightforward route, I said, “I’d like to meet her and understand how she does it. Collecting the evidence as she does might revolutionize police work.”

He nodded, but didn’t comment. Hopefully, he was considering what he could share.

When we arrived without further exchange, I said, “Here we are. I’ve got a new card if you want one, just in case you hear something.”

“Sure. Thanks for the ride!” he replied, taking the card. Stepping out of the car, he pulled out his phone, probably checking for an update on his job. Then he sighed, seeming annoyed by something.

“Is something wrong?” I questioned, leaning down to look up at him through the passenger door.

“Just looks like my day is going to be even busier. Thanks again.” he replied with a wave. After quickly looking around, he stepped over to an open area where he could plainly be seen. Seconds passed. He glanced up, and I could hear the faint sound of a plane, which quickly grew to a loud roar.

The last I saw of James, he looked annoyed as a giant cylinder closed around him. Marvelous Max was in the city again, kidnapping one of our most esteemed residents. Had James known she was coming? Was this way he seemed annoyed? What was the connection between them? She was infamous, but mainly acted farther West. Should I call this in? I knew there would be consequences, since I was seen giving James a lift, but...

A blur of red streaked by, jumping over my vehicle. Calamity was already in pursuit just seconds after her boss was abducted. I had no clue how she’d catch that flying mech of “Marvelous” Max, but I was less inclined to call this in. Marvelous Max was known for casualties and collateral damage. If my fellow officers attempted to support Calamity, we’d probably just be in the way. Our helicopters weren’t equipped to deal with the type of firepower that mech used.

#Best Friend For Hire Reprise #Best #Friend #For #Hire #Reprise #Jovial #Times #Jovial Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story

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chiseler · 6 years

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TIN PAN ALIAS

They're no longer the household names they once were. In fact their names were not really their names. But between them Harry and Albert Von Tilzer were two of the more successful and prolific songwriters and publishers on Tin Pan Alley, and many of their songs are familiar today as icons of the so-called Gay Nineties and early 1900s. One of them still gets played every day there's a baseball game.

Harry and his brothers were not born Von Tilzers. Harry was born Aaron Gumbinsky or Gummblinsky to Polish Jewish immigrants in Detroit in 1872. He grew up in Indianapolis, where the brothers were all born. The family shortened the name to Gumm, leading to the often-repeated misinformation that Frances Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, was Harry's niece. In fact, her father Frank Gumm was not one of the Gumbinsky/Gumm/Von Tilzer brothers, but a cracker from Tennessee (and predominantly homosexual, interesting when you consider Garland's complex personal and professional relationships with gay men later, not to mention Liza's).

At fourteen Harry Gumm ran away to join the Cole Brothers Circus. He played piano and wrote songs for a traveling theater troupe and changed his name on the road, taking his mother's maiden name and adding the Von for a touch of class. His brothers, all of whom went into the music business after him, followed suit. Making for more confusion, in 1929 a Helen Von Tilzer would marry one of the Marx Brothers -- Gummo, of course. Because of that preposterous-seeming coincidence she's often written up as Harry's sister, but in fact she was born Helen Theaman in New York. Von Tilzer was her first husband's name, and he seems to have been a real Von Tilzer, also not related to Harry and the fake Von Tilzer clan.

Harry worked in burlesque, with medicine shows and in vaudeville, specializing, naturally, in "Dutch" (German) routines. In 1892 he arrived in New York City by train as a groom for a carload of horses. He had one dollar and sixty-five cents in his pocket. For the next six years he struggled, playing saloon piano and writing songs that Tony Pastor and others bought from him at two bucks each.

According to David A. Jansen's Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song, Harry wrote his first hit under some duress. He and lyricist Andrew B. Sterling were sharing a furnished room on East Fifteenth Street in 1898 and were "three weeks behind on their rent. When a final bill was slipped under their door, they used the paper to write a chorus and then a verse of what turned out to be their first successful publication, 'My Old New Hampshire Home.'" It was classic barbershop quartet treacle. William Dunn of the Orphean Music publishing company paid them fifteen dollars for it -- a week's rent on the room -- and proceeded to sell more than a million copies in sheet music.

Then Dunn was bought out by Louis Bernstein and Maurice Shapiro, founders of one of Tin Pan Alley's longest-lived hit factories -- it still exists as Shapiro Bernstein & Co., with a catalogue that includes "Ring of Fire," "Yes! We Have No Bananas," "Walk on the Wild Side" (the original, not Lou Reed's song) and the immortal "Wolverton Mountain." They paid Von Tilzer four thousand dollars, a considerable sum in those days, to join them as a partner in the firm. A few years later he would leave them and start his own publishing company.

In 1900 he was relaxing in a whorehouse (or just at a party, depending on the source), noodling on the piano to some lyrics handed him by the British lyricist Arthur Lamb. When Harry saw the girls around him crying, he figured he'd noodled up a smash hit. It was. "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" sold more than two million copies of sheet music, and was one of the most popular weepers of the age, a song we still associate more than maybe any other with late Victorian mawkishness. This time Harry earned far more than fifteen bucks.

He and Lamb collaborated on two more tearjerkers in 1902, "The Banquet in Misery Hall" and the equally lugubrious "The Mansion of Aching Hearts," which a few singers made into hit recordings. That same year a scrawny Jewish kid from the Lower East Side went busking in the saloons on the Bowery, belting out "Mansion" in a raspy tenor to the pie-eyed sailors and hookers who tossed pennies at him. That kid, Izzy Baline, went up to Tin Pan Alley on Twenty-Eighth Street to meet Von Tilzer, who hired him as a song plugger and "boomer." A boomer was a plant in the audience at the music hall or vaudeville house whose job was to cheer and shout "Encore!" when the publisher's new song was performed. Von Tilzer, who was an expert plugger and boomer himself, showed Izzy the ropes. Izzy, who would invent his own German-sounding professional name, Irving Berlin, went on to eclipse his mentor's fame.

But Von Tilzer was no slouch. "Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie," "I Want a Girl (Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad)," "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" and "I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid!" were all major hits, and he wrote thousands more. That was not unusual. In the crowded Tin Pan Alley milieu, where publishing companies were stacked four and five stories high door-to-door, the competition was brutal, the pace ferocious and the ruling business model crudely simple: Throw as many songs at the public as you can possibly churn out, and hope one sticks once in a while. The lists of songs published on Tin Pan Alley in its glory years, roughly the 1880s through the 1920s, are stupefyingly long -- tens of thousands of songs, hurled at the public in live performances, as sheet music and piano rolls, on recorded wax cylinders, in early versions of coin-operated jukeboxes, on phonograph discs after the introduction of the affordable Victrola in 1906, and eventually on radio. Almost all of those tens of thousands of songs are forgotten now. In fact the vast majority barely made an impression when they were new. You just kept cranking them out, praying for a hit now and again.

Von Tilzer was out there pitching with the best of them. Like all serious Tin Pan Alley composers he jumped on every band wagon that rolled down Twenty-Eighth Street. He wrote Irish and "Dutch" numbers when they were fads, beer-drinking songs when they came into fashion (including one called "Under the Anheuser Busch"), schmaltzy kiddie songs, and songs capitalizing on every new dance craze, from the bunny hug to the turkey trot to the hesitation waltz. He threw three of them together in one song, "You Can Tango You Can Trot Dear but Be Sure and Hesitate." He wrote novelty songs like "The Ragtime Goblin Man" and topical ones like "Old King Tut," a hit for Sophie Tucker the year after Tut's tomb was discovered in 1922.

He also wrote several hit coon songs. Coon songs spun off from minstrel shows in the 1880s. In the 1890s and 1900s hundreds and hundreds of songs with "coon" in the title were published, usually sung to ragtime tunes. They often replaced the Old Plantation nostalgia of the traditional minstrel song with ruder, more overtly racist stereotypes. They were hugely popular, and Von Tilzer wrote his share, songs like "Alexander" (familiar to audiences then as a hifalutin' name for a blackface minstrel character), "Mammy's Kinky-Headed Coon," "My Lady Hottentot" and "Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown." Performers of old-timey music still record that one, though it may be best known for the 1970 funk version by the great Rufus ("Do the Funky Chicken") Thomas. In 1911, Berlin would upstage Von Tilzer's "Alexander" with his own ragtime-y coon song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band." Any similarity to his mentor's hit was purely intentional.

By the middle of the 1920s Von Tilzer had composed something like two thousand published songs, including a dozen million-sellers and as many as a hundred that sold half a million. His output slowed down in the later 1920s and 1930s, but he still credibly claimed to have written some eight thousand tunes. Like many Tin Pan Alley greats, including Berlin, he did it without ever learning to read or write a note of music.

Time and tastes moved on. Harry quietly lived out his last years in the Hotel Woodward, a Broadway establishment favored by show folk, and died there in 1946.

Meanwhile, Harry had brought Albert and the other brothers to New York. Jules worked for Harry. Will started a song publishing company, and Albert and Jack partnered in another. Albert was also a songwriter. He and vaudevillian Jack Norworth collaborated on the giant "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in 1908; according to an unconfirmed but persistent legend, Albert never actually saw a ball game until the late 1920s. Some of Albert's other hits include "Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey," "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time," the minstrel song "Down Where the Swanee River Flows" (a hit for Al Jolson in blackface), the Prohibition lament "The Alcoholic Blues" ("No more beer my heart to cheer/ Goodbye whiskey, you used to make me frisky/ So long highball, so long gin/ Oh, tell me when you comin' back agin"), the Hawaiian-themed ragtime hit "Oh, How She Could Yacki Hacki Wicki Wacki Woo," and another novelty hit, the zany bum-diddy-bum jungle number "Oh By Jingo!" with lyrics by Lew Brown. ("We will build for you a hut/ You will be our favorite nut/ We will have a lot of Oh By Gollies/ And we'll put them in the Follies.") Born Louis Brownstein in Odessa, Brown had fled the pogroms with his family and settled in the Bronx. In a long career he collaborated with many Tin Pan Alley and Broadway composers on classics like "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries," "You're the Cream in My Coffee," "Sunny Side Up" and "That Old Feeling." It was guys like Brown, the Von Tilzers and Berlin whom the rabid anti-Semite Henry Ford had in mind when he ranted, "The people are fed from day to day on the moron suggestiveness that flows in a slimy flood out of 'Tin Pan Alley,' the head factory of filth in New York which is populated by the 'Abies,' the 'Izzies,' and the 'Moes'..." Ignoring him, lots of people recorded the moron suggestiveness of "Oh By Jingo!" -- Danny Kaye, Spike Jones, Stephane Grappelli and Chet Atkins among them.

Following the addition of sound to commercial movies, the studios lured more and more of the music business out to Hollywood in the 1930s. After all, the first hit talkie, The Jazz Singer, was really a singie. Albert went too. He worked in film and tv, mostly contributing to soundtracks of now obscure pictures. He died in L.A. in 1956. By that point much of the Von Tilzer catalogue, especially the older and mushier songs, had faded away, except at ball games. Then in 1958 Lawrence Welk, than whom no one loved old-fashioned schmaltz more, bought the catalogue and engineered a Von Tilzer revival. When the Songwriters Hall of Fame began in 1969, Harry and Albert were among the first voted in.

by John Strausbaugh

#John Strausbaugh #The Chiseler #Harry von Tilzer #Tin Pan Alias #I want a Girl Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear old Dad

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lindarifenews · 4 years

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How to Create Products and Sell Them on Your Blog

The post How to Create Products and Sell Them on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.

This post is based on episode 67 of the ProBlogger podcast.

This week I want to talk about creating a product for your blog.

Last month I talked about my various profit streams, and how nearly a third of my profits come from product sales. And that’s obviously one good reason to create and sell products – it’s a great way to monetize your blog.

But there’s another reason you should do it that goes beyond money. But before I get into that I want to tell you a little story.

A tale of two buskers

A while back my family and I were enjoying a beach vacation up in the northern parts of Australia. One night, while we were enjoying a refreshing ice cream, we came across two street performers (or ‘buskers’ as we call them here in Australia).

The first one was playing a guitar and singing, he had his guitar case open in front of him to collect loose change from passers-by. Our kids nagged us to stop and listen (they’re fascinated by street performers), and so we did. He was a good singer and a great guitar player, and we left a couple of dollars in change before moving on.

A little further down the road we came across another performer collecting loose change with his guitar case. With his honky-tonk guitar, harmonica, bells on one foot and a home-made kick drum on the other, this guy was a bit of a one-man band. But performance-wise he was similar to the performer to the first performer we’d encountered, and just as good.

But I’m guessing that second performer would have been earning at least 10 times as much as the first.

Why? Because he also had two CDs for sale – $15 for either one, or $25 for them both. And in the 15 minutes we were listening to him I saw eight people buy at least one CD. And we ended up buying both of them.

So having a product to sell was obviously helping him make more money. But what I found interesting is that people seemed to be taking him more seriously than the other guy. I overheard a couple of people commenting about how the CD’s meant he must be serious about his music. Having a product gave him credibility (as well as something to talk about with his listeners).

Those CDs also gave him another advantage – it helped people remember him. They could re-live his performance whenever and wherever they liked simply by playing his CD. And because they now knew his name they could recommend him to others, and perhaps even check out his web page and connect with him on social media.

(When I tucked my boys into bed that night, my three-year-old insisted on sleeping with one of those CDs – the ultimate testament to having a product to sell.)

Busking on your blog

When people start monetizing their blog, many of them try putting up ads. But sometimes I wonder if that’s the blogging equivalent of busking for tips. (And yes, I’ve fallen into this trap myself.)

In my experience, having a product to sell really takes things to the next level. And like our CD-selling performer, creating my own products and selling them my blogs has been rewarding in more ways than one.

The most obvious benefit is money. Whether you’re selling a book, an ebook, a membership or simply your knowledge and expertise, you can potentially make a profit (and perhaps even a living) from it.

That’s incredible!

But having a product to sell can also give you credibility. Just as people took our second busker more seriously because he had CDs to sell, people started taking me more seriously when I started selling products on my two sites.

And that credibility can lead to all kinds of opportunities. Within 24 hours of releasing my first ebook I was approach by a publisher who wanted to publish it. And while the content of the ebook obviously helped attract their attention, I believe the credibility and authority I gained from creating it in the first place also influenced their decision to approach me. (I honestly don’t think it would have happened otherwise.)

It can also lead to deeper relationships with your readers. As people worked through my 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook they often sent me emails and tweets along the way, creating an ongoing relationship. And that kind of thing can lengthen and deepen the relationship you have with your readers.

Heavy traffic ahead

Launching a new product can also create a spike in your site’s traffic, whether it’s from:

the emails you sent

affiliates promoting your product

word of mouth.

Whenever we launch a product we know we’ll be getting a lot of traffic that month, which creates other ongoing benefits for our site.

Other benefits

Here are two more quick benefits of creating your own products:

You’ll probably learn a new skill or two along the way simply because you’re going beyond what you’d normally do. And learning new skills is always a good thing.

You’ll start thinking about your topic in a way you perhaps haven’t thought about it before. When I was approached by the publisher to write the first ProBlogger book I’d already been blogging about blogging for a while. But having to write an entire book about it forced me to think about it in a deeper, ‘big picture’ way.

Stop dreaming, and start doing

Most bloggers agree that creating and selling products is a great idea. But ask them about actually creating those products and you’ll hear a variety of excuses as to why now isn’t the right time for them.

And I can say that because I’m one of those people.

When I started Digital Photography School in 2007, I dreamed monetizing that blog with an ebook. And having promoted other people’s ebooks on that blog I had a pretty good idea about the topics I wanted to cover.

But I also had a long list of excuses as to why I couldn’t write it.

We had a newborn baby in the house, and so I had no spare time.

I was also sleep deprived, and so I wasn’t thinking clearly enough.

I didn’t know how to write, edit or design an ebook.

I didn’t know which shopping cart to use.

I didn’t know what marketing tactics to use.

No-one would buy it because I wasn’t a professional photographer.

And those excuses held me back for two years.

In 2009, having decided I needed to either kill the idea or act on it, I started spending 15 minutes each day on it. First came the planning, and then the writing and editing. When it was done I started looking for a designer while researching shopping carts. And towards the end I spent those 15 minutes writing marketing copy, sales pages, and sales emails.

Three and a half months later everything was ready, and I sent the launch email out to my readers.

Around ten minutes later I received an email telling me I’d made my first $15 sale. And ten or so minutes after that another email came in. I’d made $30, and I was excited. Admittedly it wasn’t a great return for three months’ work, but I was still proud of myself.

Eight minutes later the next sale came in. Five minutes after that, the next sale came in. They started coming in every three minutes, then every two minutes, and then every minute. Soon they were coming in every 30 seconds, and then every 10 seconds. I can still remember waking up my wife at 3am and saying, “You wouldn’t believe what’s going on in my inbox”.

It went on to make US$72,000 in 10 days.

Yes, it was great to be making that kind of money. But it was also great to know my readers would buy something I created. And it was great knowing I had the skills and the ability to get it done.

Since then we’ve created something like 40 products. In some ways creating new products becomes easier because you have more skills and more confidence in yourself. But in other ways it becomes more difficult because you start thinking, I don’t actually need to create anything else because I already have products that are selling quite well.

But need to fight against that complacency and keep creating products. Because one of those products could be just what your readers have been waiting for.

Your first product

Some of you might be thinking, I’d love to create a product I can sell on my blog. But I have no idea what it could be. So here are some tips to help you create your first product.

Solve a problem. What are the top three problems your readers are having? What kind of help do they need? Creating a product that solves those problems and provides that help could be a great place to start.

Build on content you already have. Creating a new product from scratch can be quite overwhelming. So why not reduce your workload by basing it on content you’ve already created? cut down the work?

Now this may sound like cheating. But as long as you’re upfront with your readers, and include new content along with the content you’ve already published, it can be a great way to start the ball rolling with your first product.

Test your idea on your blog. Got an idea for a product, but aren’t sure people will be interested? Write a few blog posts on the idea and see what the reaction is like. If people seem interested, you can then use those posts as the cornerstone of your new product.

See what others in your niche are doing. Check out what products other people in your niche are selling. This will give help you decide what types of products are worth creating, along with what topics they should cover.

Become an affiliate for other people’s products. Promoting your competitors’ products might sound a little strange. But signing up as an affiliate means you can earn a little extra money while learn:

whether your readers will respond to that type of product

the ideal price point to target

how to best promote a product for sale.

Start small. What product would be the quickest and easiest for you to create? It could be a small ebook, a short course, or even a quick guide people can print out and keep on their desk. You may not make a fortune from each sale. But you will pick up some new skills (and a lot of confidence), and get your readers used to the idea of buying things from your blog.

Take it one step at a time. The thought of creating an entire product can be overwhelming. So break it down into lots of small tasks you can tackle one at a time. When I wrote my first book, I broke the process down into a series of steps: planning, writing, editing, design, research, and so on.

Creating small tasks made them easier to complete. (I only had 15 minutes a day to work on them.) It also meant I could tick them off as I went, and make it feel like I was making real progress.

Make the time. While breaking the process up into small tasks is a great idea, you still need to make the time to complete them. It might be 15 minutes a day, or one full day each weekend. Whatever you decide, try to maintain a schedule so you keep making progress. It will be worth it in the end.

As I mentioned earlier, we now have 40 products available on the two blogs. And since 2009 we’ve probably sold half a million products. But none of it would have happened if I hadn’t pushed myself to create that first ebook.

What product will you be creating for your blog? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash

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allianceinternational-blog · 5 years

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Pharmaceutical Staffing Agencies - 5 Traits To Examine In Pharmacy Recruitment Agencies

Author Name :Yogita Yadav

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Mobile No:+918980018741

Recruitment training comes in all sizes and heights depending on the stage of development of your own recruitment agency. If you are a sole owner working out of your back bedroom or an entrepreneurial recruitment business Click This owner who wants offices across the globe, purchasing your own development is vital.

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Pharmacy Recruitment Agencies - Using Job Agencies To Locate A Job - An Useful Review Guide

The solution to surviving upbeat is to fall back on your network of acquaintances. Enable world recognize that you are free of charge and trying to find exciting offers. Send an email to all of one's friends, former colleagues, and relatives. They're able to often like a helpful supportive network that immediately swing into action to assist you in a regarding ways.

You can recruit without spending an a lot of money. Before you run into the arms of a automotive recruitment, as well as compare notes with another local boss. Has anyone found a really good, loyal firm? If so, grab them! Lots of companies use employment agencies to carry out the work for them, with varying solutions. They can charge a month's salary for procuring the employee, once they sell them with you they can be ready to tempt out with your next vacancy - and there's often nothing you can carry out about this approach!

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Pharmaceutical Consulting Companies - Pharmaceutical Recruitment Agencies – Pharma Consulting Companies

First, your phone doesn't go off until 7:00 p.m. When you're 35 or younger, yourrrre still earning your work/life balances. We complain that 9-5 is too much, but 8-7 buys vacations in Mexico.

Many people choose as a measure to find work without the help of a recruitment agent, but this is without question a foolish option. Recruitment agencies are available to help and they will get you the best job viable. The higher paid you are, the cash they will make, money . certainly in their interest you transortation an great position from an staff.

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Imagine you're a time pressed employer sifting through a stack of CV's, reading the initial lines and making an useful decision within "yes" pile and the "no" container. You pick up a functional CV and cannot make head or tail of where this body's now, what they're doing or when they did it. You haven't got time to place the words in front of you into any context so in the bin it is going.

If you have never worked in recruitment before I would respectfully suggest you acquire a job as a recruiter. Now you may have stacks money and only want to manage a team. That is OK nevertheless my experience is that the really successful recruitment entrepreneurs have all worked website or another as a recruiter. Possibly next?

The five best approaches to keep customers coming back are: Be Reliable, be Credible, be Attractive, be Responsive and Empathetic. "Reliable care" keeps customers heading back.

Think of all what exactly you can do since you have internet. The possibilities are endless. If you located in the UK your recruitment agency website can reach people on the inside UK and all just about. Imagine all the possibilities all around the world and you don't have to leave home or workplace to get it. A recruitment agency website is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a 7 days.

As a businessman it is usually an lonely life, especially as the business starts to grow instantly. No matter how good are generally or just how many hours you go without sleep you still need support.

So. What should I would recommend to an individual who is searching for employment? First off. if may had trouble recently finding a job, an employment automotive recruitment will likely not a person. It means your job is likely low in demand, that has a job automotive recruitment can realize their desire to a huge difference . or not help of which. So.my suggestion is to utilise self a job opportunity. You might think that sounds maybe a lot of work. But I assure you, it can certainly be really easy.

Do not deal with any who is no authorized associated with a licensed agency - Make sure the person you are dealing with is an authorized agent. Do not be misled by those fixers or people approaching upon the street, or as well as dead in coffee shops, driving a bus and other instances. They are real agents but they can be too. So it is better to check their authenticity. When gave their contact numbers, try to call the unit numbers or visit the given address without allowing them to know. Ask around if other applicant knows the name of the agency or the agent by his own.

Do they've got a good reputation within the market? If you already work in the profession, then chances are that you'll already know who superior recruitment firms are. If not, organization need to speak with people that do work on the inside law industry and request their guidelines. Equally, check out how many years the agency has been running meant for. Longevity is obviously an useful indicator of achieving your goal.

Visit Here : Alliance Recruitment Agency

Conclusion:So a person you find the right distinct person? Just be practical - put a small ad inside right advertising medium: often one of your local forms. But also offer it on the local Jobcentre, and tell all your employees that the actual is throw open. There's no reason not to interview someone i know or relative of footwear member of staff, these people meet terrible job expectations. Are there some other free outlets to advertise the opportunity? Set a closing date and interview date(s) when you advertise. This lets the applicant know once they might be asked to an interview, and often will save far more of in time dealing with enquiries.

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fitono · 5 years

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How to Raise Your Profile in the Industry

This article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of Fitness Marketing Monthly, our print newsletter. It’s available by subscription only, with no digital version. Subscribe by midnight Eastern on the 26th of the month for your only opportunity to see exclusive content like this.

Imagine that you’re looking to hire a financial coach. And let’s say, through some amazing bit of luck, you get a chance to work with the top investment advisor in your area, the closest thing your city has to Warren Buffett.

The price is steep, but when the only other choice is a random dude with “certified financial planner” on his business card, you’re willing to pay extra. Why? Because the top guy has been around for years, he’s highly respected by his peers, and most important, he creates tangible results for his clients.

Now, think about the client who’s looking for a personal trainer, or a new gym to work out in. What reason does she have to see you as the obvious, number-one choice, regardless of cost, distance, or any other obstacle? What elevates you above dozens or hundreds or maybe thousands of competitors in your niche?

If the answer isn’t obvious, it’s time to raise your profile—locally, nationally, or even globally.

The following four strategies increase your status as an expert. Master three of them, and you’re well on your way to becoming the obvious choice for your ideal clients.

READ ALSO: How to Build an Online Following from Scratch

1. Stack up earned media credentials

There are three types of media:

Owned media is your own platform—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube—where you control the content. There’s almost unlimited potential for building an audience, but limited prestige. Nobody ever followed “As seen on …” with “Instagram.” (Not even Jen Selter, who has more than 12 million followers.)

Paid media is, obviously, the exposure you pay for. It includes everything from ads to infomercials. While it can be effective, most of us do everything we can to ignore it, from flipping past the ad pages in a magazine, to clicking off or scrolling past online ads, to using a DVR for our favorite shows so we can fast forward through commercials.

Earned media is the biggest prize for most of us. It means someone else decided we’re important enough to feature in an article or on TV.

That’s why the websites of well-known fitness pros have an array of “As Seen In …” logos to highlight their media appearances and editorial coverage.

For example, if you go to Natalie Jill’s website, you’ll see a banner that includes magazines, TV networks, and websites. Same with Eric Cressey, John Rusin, Kellie Hart, and countless others.

Earned media matters because it means you didn’t choose to put yourself there. The editors and producers who make those decisions chose to make you the content, and there’s no benefit to choosing some nobody off the street. Once you become media-endorsed, you are, by definition, somebody.

READ ALSO: The Ancient Secret to Writing Powerful Sales Copy

2. Become an award-winning brand

For some things, consumers will automatically choose the cheapest, easiest, or fastest. But when it comes to their personal health and fitness, they want the best.

How do they know who that is? How do they tell the difference between #10 and #1? That’s where awards come in.

When I worked for a company that specialized in women-only bootcamps, we set out to collect as many awards as we could. It was a key marketing strategy for us, and we won them year after year in both fitness and business categories, including awards for best gym and best small or medium employer. We also got listed among hot new growth companies and top companies run by women.

The impact was huge. In just a few years we went from 30 locations across Canada to more than 100. Our annual revenues increased tenfold to $4 million. We regularly sold out sessions weeks in advance, while other bootcamps targeting our female audience struggled to reach 50 percent of their capacity.

Once we were the undisputed best operation in our category, we didn’t need to make extraordinary efforts to attract clients to us. The recognition we received from credible third parties spoke for itself.

Applying for these awards is relatively inexpensive, if it costs anything at all beyond your time. Sometimes, as I explained in the August issue, you can even ask the host to create a new category—one where you’d have an obvious advantage.

READ ALSO: I Hate Hacks

4. Create credible content

That’s why I always say this to my private and mastermind clients: Create the content you want to be known for.

Before they give you what you want—status and prestige that sets you apart from your peers—they need to know if you have what they want.

READ ALSO: Lessons from a First-Time Fitness Book Author

Final Thoughts

It’s safe to assume your clients already consider you an expert.

Don’t Miss Out on Fitness Marketing Insights Like This!

Ready to take your fitness career to the next level?

SUBSCRIBE TODAY –> theptdc.com/fmm/

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sandralmuller · 6 years

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Cobbler's kids: how to unwittingly hurt your writing business

Early on in the late-90s action movie “The Negotiator”, police negotiating expert Chris Sabian remarks:

“I once talked a guy out of blowing up the Sears Tower but I can’t talk my wife out of the bedroom or my kid off the phone.”

It’s a modern twist of the timeless proverb ‘the cobbler’s children have no shoes’. If you haven’t come across the term before, it refers to someone who, while perfectly capable in their profession, is unable or unwilling to help their family with whatever skill they’ve mastered (in this case, the cobbler can’t even give his own kids shoes).

And it’s a phrase that’s been kicking around my head for the past few months.

Why?

Because recently, I took the plunge into solopreneurship.

Little did I know…

I tripped up. A lot. Surprisingly, the things I stumbled over weren’t what I expected. Sure, finances are a drag, but easy to keep on top of if you spend the time. Replying to potential clients pronto and having the right process — two of the ‘professional basics’ — were both things I picked up super-fast.

But the things that I helped clients with as a copywriter, and got great feedback and response almost every time? No problem… except when it came to my own business.

So, what were these ‘cobbler kid’ mistakes leaving my business high and dry? The list is a long one, but these were a few that particularly stung.

1. Not optimising for SEO

What went wrong

You’re probably asking, “How the heck does a copywriter not optimise their own site for SEO?”

And that’s a good question!

Simply put, I didn’t appreciate the value or importance of SEO. My introduction to the industry and priority for the last several years was direct response copywriting. SEO barely rates a mention in this field, as the focus is squarely on how to craft effective, persuasive messaging.

SEO is its own speciality and one that I only recently started to explore. And yes, I’m discovering some hard lessons.

Getting back on track

The first step to getting half-decent at any skill is to get a clue from a credible source.

The next stages involve a lot more elbow-grease. Slowly revisiting my web pages to optimise them for SEO is a painful but necessary task, but building off-site SEO with things like guest posting (with the help of lovely people like Sandra!) and directory links have been the #1 priority over the past month.

2. Under-pricing your services

What went wrong

Any business who doesn’t charge enough is at worst going out of business and at best checking in for a long stay in Struggle Town. And it’s not just a matter of profit and loss. Cheap prices can be a red flag to many customers and earn you a reputation as a budget service provider.

And yet, from my very first jobs in copywriting — where I wrote blog posts for $10/hr — to even earlier this year, price has been a big problem for me.

Imposter syndrome and lack of self-confidence certainly played a major part in that. Getting much of my early work on an online freelance platform, where low-cost bidding is prevalent, also had a role. Plus, the simple fact was that I didn’t know industry rates for a lot of things I did… a very basic thing I needed to address.

via GIPHY

Getting back on track

To be honest, I sometimes still struggle to charge a fair rate. Being in a Facebook community where others encourage you to charge what you’re worth has been one big way to put the Under-charging Monster back in its box.

Sick of the wild ‘I guess it’ll be $70 for a web page’ guesses, I also followed the SEO example and read up. Being a bit of a Kate Toon fan (if you haven’t noticed), I took her pricing course, which created a lot of clarity to what I charge these days.

3. Not doing enough marketing

What went wrong

If you’re a copywriter, you’ve probably done jobs where it’s been as much about the marketing as it is the copy. Even if I’m not giving marketing advice, I almost always talk to clients about how they’re going about marketing their business.

Oh, how I wish I could have had that conversation to myself twelve months ago (without appearing like a complete crazy to the world).

In my earliest days, I was completely oblivious to the marketing side of things. And while I’ve learnt a lot over the years, it wasn’t until I’d been running my business for some months that the need for marketing became painfully apparent.

Captain Obvious GIF

Getting back on track

I’ve found marketing as much an organisational challenge as anything else. Carving time out of every week to spend just on marketing has started the wheels to slowly turn.

Experimenting with things like social media and pay-per-click ads has also been educational. There have been mistakes (like setting up a landing page but disabling the opt-in button, then spending a few hundred dollars driving traffic to a useless page) but the lessons have been valuable most times.

Content marketing — in which blogs play a big part — also rears its head. On top of being super for SEO, it’s a powerful marketing tool for many businesses and sits at the top of my marketing to-do list these days.

4. Spending too much time with prospects

What went wrong

I’m an introvert but can spend hours talking to almost anyone about a subject I’m a fan of (like marketing, copywriting, or AFL). It’s a weird paradox.

So, when businesses approach me, I’m always happy to have a chat.

The problems started when I took 1, 2 or even more hours out of my workday to talk to prospects. Regardless of whether I ended up with work, it quickly became an inefficient way of scoping a project.

Getting back on track

Today, I try to be more ruthless and protective of my time.

I’ll always be happy to help people out, but the investment is more carefully controlled. 60-minute chats can be cut in half (or more). The pre-work I used to do is now sidelined until a project is green lit.

Finally, to finish on a more personal note…

5. Getting snared in the distraction trap

What went wrong

When you’ve got writing to do, it seems like the perfect time to jump on Facebook. Check out LinkedIn. Re-tweet a few blog posts.

That’s never been my problem, luckily. When it comes time to write, the siren song of social media is one I can happily sail past. But… email is a different proposition, even though the problem is the same (as Sandra points out here).

The little dopamine hit you get when a new email lands in the inbox is all it takes to keep me checking email throughout the day, even though 95% of it is non-urgent, irrelevant of flat-out crap.

While it’s not a serious time sink, it does break your concentration. That momentum kill is enough to hinder your productivity for the next couple of minutes. Add that up enough times over the day, and you’ve just lost a big chunk to the nefarious inbox.

Getting back on track

Using an app like Freedom to block access during my writing time was an obvious first step (which reminds me, I’ve been slipping lately!).

The second thing was to give myself permission to let my inbox blow out a bit throughout the week. “Inbox Zero” is a tempting target to strive for, but it becomes more a distracting annoyance than liberating. Cleaning out emails once every week or two is more than enough, just to make sure it doesn’t get to this…

via GIPHY

How about you? Are you selling your shoes in the market while your kids (AKA your business) run barefoot in the back streets? And if so, what can you do to bring the love back into your own ‘home’?

About the author

Owner of the imaginatively-titled Dean Mackenzie Copywriting, Dean is a freelance copywriter trained in direct response methods, with most of his work centring on landing pages, emails, websites and sales pages.

He also enjoys speaking about himself in the third person and a good cup of tea.

Pin it to read later

Cobbler’s kids: how to unwittingly hurt your writing business was originally published on The Smarter Writer

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mannyscarwashseo · 7 years

Text

Marketing is Social Media

Within the past few months, I am seeing an entirely new method of gaining people’s interest. I think the changes are occurring before our eyes.

People are tired of sifting through articles to find value

People’s attention spans are getting to be shorter and shorter

Bottom-line: People are putting a greater value on their time since they have previously.

Individuals are individual and their tastes are greater than they have been previously.

Consequently, I am focusing on marketing initiatives that may permeate this civilization that is fast changing. It is not an easy assignment, but I am starting to see. Too much emphasis these days is on media marketing. Yes media websites are popular, but now the information recorded is quality. Add to this that the more content is submitted than previously and now you have a place that is more difficult and more difficult to have noticed.

This season, I came to this realization. I cut back to the material I was generating because it was just that, “articles”. Content does not result in more results. Times have changed, although it did a few decades back. Rather, I have redirected my energies.

Here are some areas I am focusing on.

Public Relations: I think people still connect with recognizable brands. The terrific brands are finding ways to stay relevant, although Amazon is trying to close down business brands now. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal are just two examples. I think Starbucks and Kohl’s are currently continuing to search for ways to grow brands that are stronger. Amazon is the leader here. Look at all of the initiatives that are communicated in leading industry journals.

Brief Videos: I am seriously looking at the prospect of creating concise videos that focus on one particular “value” topic.

Recommended for You

Moving More for Persons: It is time to really become directors and look in developing a manufacturing company that resonates with people. Folks need more and we will need to spend more time planning rather than reacting.

Putting Social Media Where it Belongs: ” I really struggled with this one, but it has made all the difference. Without a strong PR presencewebsites isn’t quite as successful. Social networking is a great communication channel to share content that has been supported with a credible source, famous individual, a rising star, a developing business, a well known business leader, etc.. Just being on a societal media site does not earn info plausible.

Looking for strategies to Make Disruptive: Today, the chances are right in front of us. Amazon is the pioneer in this area and I’ve learned from their approach over the past calendar year. It is but one of those reasons, they continue to grow their customer base. With looking at companies outside of your own industry, being disruptive really starts.

Developing a Stronger Personal Brand: This is going to be important for business leaders to become understood increasingly more in their various industries as well as their communities. This area is always likely to be a work in process daily.

Marketing is shifting and it’s getting more difficult to get noticed in a noisy world. People are processing information nowadays and they are for adding value to their lives on the search. Ten decades back, Amazon was selling novels and has been becoming a pioneer in that business. With the debut of the smartphone and innovative technologies, people saw a demand for maximizing their time and getting them delivered to their own houses. Currently, Amazon isn’t only known for novels but can also be known for computer system support, clothes and food and online streaming shows and films. The marketing landscape can change and those companies prepared to create changes will endure. Marketing is 1 part of this equation. Process improvement and progress are needed.

from Affordable Search Engine Optimisation From Mannys http://www.mannyscarwash.com/marketing-is-social-media/

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dianesaddler · 7 years

Text

The Power of Direct Mail in the Digital Age

For digital marketers, it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. There are serious challenges inherent to the digital landscape that nobody is talking about.

Not long ago, advertisements were the end result of days, weeks, or even months of painstaking research and creative work. Ingenious ads from Coca-Cola, Kodak, McDonald’s, and even Marlboro cigarettes, for better or for worse, cemented many iconic brands into our country’s DNA.

Back then, most advertisements were smart enough to appeal to the masses, but targeted enough to drive sales within key demographics. And importantly, the advertisers considered the medium as a key player in each campaign’s success.

If an advertisement ran in Time magazine, or rolled out on a hit radio program, it gained instant credibility. The distribution channel provided inimitable authority – and it was worth the price.

More Ads, Less Authority and Impact

Today, the advertising landscape has fundamentally changed. Advertisements now flash before our eyes at blazing speeds. Each time we search, stream, watch, read, scroll, click, or swipe, we are bombarded by advertisements. And on social media, where the average person spends nearly two hours per day, ads are everywhere.

According to recent reports, the average American consumer is exposed to thousands of advertisements per day. In fact, it’s not unusual for the average consumer to see more than three hundred advertisements, of various sorts, within the first waking hour each day.

And while digital marketing experts can’t seem to agree on the exact number of ad exposures per day, it doesn’t really matter. This is because, in order to maintain our sanity, consumers have developed an autonomous mental screening process to ignore advertisements. As a general rule of thumb, about two percent of advertisements garner our valued attention each day. In other words, only about 100 out of every 5,000 ad exposures have any meaningful impact on consumers.

In the digital age, trust and authority, once a staple of each advertising medium, is fleeting at best. The primary channels we use to consume media, whether mainstream or social, have been so ravished by clickbait headlines and disinformation that consumers no longer inherently trust them. Gone are the days when the news was the news.

On the web, anyone (or company) with controversial content, marketing chops, and even a small marketing budget, can claw their way into the mix and make a profit. The money flows at the expense of credibility, performance, and ultimately, the advertisers behind it all.

Many digital marketers ignore these inherent issues because the data flow generated by digital campaigns allows for campaign optimization and deep analysis. While true, even with analytics, which are the lifeblood of digital marketers, the effectiveness of digital advertising has been called into question.

Serious Trust Issues

Digital advertising in today’s landscape is perilous because of two key factors: Quality and Saturation.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, Facebook Inc. announced that it had overestimated by up to 80% the average time people spent watching video ads on its platform (for two years!) – sending shockwaves through the media and marketing world. You can imagine how devastating that information was to some of the biggest advertisers in the world, who allocated countless millions of marketing dollars towards video content and promotion.

Secondly, there is a major increase in the sheer volume of low-quality content, most embedded with advertisements, saturating the digital landscape. In essence, the collective cache of content continues to grow, while ROI declines.

If quality drops, or an advertising channel becomes saturated with content of questionable authority, advertisers become concerned. A key consideration for any marketing campaign is the vehicle by which the message is communicated to an audience. In many cases, advertisers do not consider channels that don’t have built-in or credible reputations. The big agencies also prioritize authority and credibility.

As the digital universe, rife with uncertainty and struggling to find maturity, continues to evolve, advertisers are turning back to a timeless, if unlikely savior, in direct mail.

Yes, the great-smelling, world-building, and blissfully quiet printed medium that we all secretly love.

Mailbox > Inbox

I first started to notice the shift to direct mail when I received a Christmas catalog from Toys R’ Us in 2015. I have a two year old toddler at home, undoubtedly a data point in their system, which triggered them to send me a magazine-style catalog at the dawn of Q4. I vividly recall saying to myself, “This is cool, I remember looking for Nintendo games in these things when I was a kid.” I ended up purchasing his tractor toys for Christmas from them.

Shortly thereafter, my wife received a massive, yellow-pages-sized catalog from Restoration Hardware, a purveyor of home furnishings, décor, and other textiles. It must have weighed five pounds. Imagine if Amazon printed out their entire website, and you’ll get an idea of just how substantial it was. And consequently, she wanted just about everything they had to offer.

It wasn’t just catalogs either. I received, and redeemed, a plastic gift card offer for a free pizza at a new chain that opened up in town. When I got to the restaurant, I saw several other patrons holding the same offer in line.

On another occasion, our grocery store sent us a customized booklet of coupons. They sent us only the coupons that they knew would get us back in the store, based on our purchase history (so that’s what those rewards cards are really for).

It worked, we used them in-store that Saturday morning.

We also found our “window guy” from direct mail. Undoubtedly, that small business made a few grand from the forty-cent postcard they sent.

We joined a local gym too, because they mailed us an invite to try their built-in daycare service. Parents love that type of stuff.

Then, in November, my doctor reminded me to get a flu shot through a direct mail newsletter. I acted quickly, and stopped by his office before my flight to the INBOUND marketing conference in Boston.

Notice a trend here?

It is my actual mailbox, not my inbox, which has been the catalyst for a dizzying amount of spending.

People: Wired for Print

Local and national organizations, who advertise through direct mail, are much more likely to convince consumers to part ways with their hard-earned cash.

But why is this the case?

Let’s start with raw, scientific data generated by folks much smarter than myself.

Last year, a Canadian neuromarketing firm conducted a sweeping study for Canada Post that compared the effects of paper marketing (direct mail pieces, in this case) to digital media (email and display ads).

The firm used advanced eye-tracking and high-resolution EEG brain wave measurement tools, along with conventional methods such as questionnaires, to gather data.

The study produced two major results:

Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable.

Overall effectiveness, referred to as the motivation-to-cognitive load ratio within the study, showed that direct mail scored an average 1.31 compared to 0.87 for all digital channels. This is significant because, in this type of test, values greater than 1.0 are indicative of broad in-market success.

Further, consumers who received direct mail offers were able to recall the brand 75% of the time. For consumers who received digital-only versions, the brand was remembered only 44% of the time.

According to the Forbes evaluation of this scientific research, “Science clearly shows paper can be more impactful and memorable than digital.”

The Direct Marketing Association has also published research in support of direct mail. In fact, the latest edition of the DMA Response Rate Report states that direct mail offers “strong return on marketing investment,” with an average ROI of 15% to 17%. They also note that oversized mailers, such as postcards, have the best response rates, at up to 4.25%, with a targeted mailing list.

Those are the types of numbers that marketers dream about.

The Importance of Targeting

Marketing is about effective, persuasive communication, and direct mail is no exception.

Success is based on a fundamental rule: Reach the right prospects, at the right time, with the right offer.

Competitive research, along with an analysis of existing customer and prospect databases, can yield valuable insight, and help advertisers build a persona for the ideal prospect.

The lift provided through targeting the right prospects, or through using similar audiences, can be substantial. As per the 2015 DMA Response Rate Report, the average response rate using a house list is 3.7%, while the average for a prospect list is 1.0%. A highly relevant offer, sent to the right audience, will typically drive up rates.

Here are three examples of direct mail offers, which were targeted to me, and motivated me to transact.

Blaze Pizza – FREE Pizza Offer

A new pizza chain, Blaze Pizza, recently opened in a shopping center located directly outside of our busy suburban neighborhood. To welcome new customers and make a good first impression, they sent local residents a postcard, targeted strictly by geography. It was the best offer of all-time — FREE PIZZA! After work, while flipping through the mail, I stuck it on the refrigerator. That weekend, I redeemed the offer and purchased additional items for my family who happened to be out with me. By the way, the pizza was really good. They definitely won me over.

Target – Baby & Toddler Coupons

Is it just me, or does Target know everything about everybody? They are marketing masters. Last month, they sent out postcards to new parents that contained $10 off coupons for diapers and other essentials. Although I didn’t personally use the offer, I gave it to my wife (Target-obsessed) who used it in combination with the Cartwheel app. I love the design of this piece because it is so simple. It has a picture of a baby and a Target logo. Without a single word, recipients know exactly what to expect and who it’s from. Sometimes less is more. And as far as targeting goes, this is a perfect example of how businesses can apply data from existing customers to drive future purchases.

Francisco Farms – Existing Customer Christmas Tree Deal

So this one is very close to my heart. As far back as I can remember, my parents took our family to Francisco Farms to pick out our Christmas tree. It was always a special day and it created beautiful memories that I will cherish forever. Now I’m a father, and I take my family to Francisco Farms to pick out our tree. Each year, they upload their database of customers and send out a simplistic, but effective postcard to each of their customers. Like clockwork, I use it to get a reduced rate on our annual purchase. Even the smallest of businesses can put targeted marketing to work for them. This is a great example of using good timing to influence purchases.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a national brand or a small business. Direct mail provides opportunity for all advertisers.

No Distractions

Here’s my take on why direct mail so easily parts us, as consumers, from our hard-earned money.

Direct mail advertisements give people time to think. They provide new ideas with the space to grow into the things we didn’t know we wanted. These ideas morph into our must-have purchases.

With print advertisements, we’re not anticipating the next click.

There is no I-stared-at-a-screen-all-day eye strain. We’re not worried about battery-life. We’re not bombarded with competing ads from half a dozen alternatives who bid for our attention via algorithms.

We’re not interrupted by social media updates, text messages, and in-app notifications.

It’s quiet.

Perhaps most importantly, we are “forced” to consider each and every direct mail offer. It doesn’t matter whether we throw it into the trash or quickly make a purchase. We look at the offer and decide what to do with it.

The advertiser, much more easily, gets past our “mental wall”.

As a result, most people can tell you the names of dozens of local businesses that one day they will rely on to choose a new restaurant, fix a plumbing leak, or bring their dead lawn back to life.

That’s the power of direct mail in a digital world.

Did you know? With Kissmetrics, you can track the effectiveness of your online and offline advertising. Optimize your marketing by knowing which campaigns perform and which don’t. Check out our blog post to learn more.

About the Author: Chris Barr is the director of marketing for Taradel LLC, an Inc. 5000 marketing company. He loves working with small business owners, creating web content, and playing the drums. Connect with him on LinkedIn or at the Taradel blog.

The Power of Direct Mail in the Digital Age posted first on Kissmetrics Blog

from Blogger http://scottmcateerblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-power-of-direct-mail-in-digital-age.html

from Scott McAteer https://scottmcateer.wordpress.com/2017/01/19/the-power-of-direct-mail-in-the-digital-age/

from WordPress https://dianesaddler.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/the-power-of-direct-mail-in-the-digital-age/

#Uncategorized #Scott McAteer

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marie85marketing · 7 years

Text

The Power of Direct Mail in the Digital Age

For digital marketers, it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. There are serious challenges inherent to the digital landscape that nobody is talking about.

If an advertisement ran in Time magazine, or rolled out on a hit radio program, it gained instant credibility. The distribution channel provided inimitable authority – and it was worth the price.

More Ads, Less Authority and Impact

Serious Trust Issues

Digital advertising in today’s landscape is perilous because of two key factors: Quality and Saturation.

As the digital universe, rife with uncertainty and struggling to find maturity, continues to evolve, advertisers are turning back to a timeless, if unlikely savior, in direct mail.

Yes, the great-smelling, world-building, and blissfully quiet printed medium that we all secretly love.

Mailbox > Inbox

It worked, we used them in-store that Saturday morning.

We also found our “window guy” from direct mail. Undoubtedly, that small business made a few grand from the forty-cent postcard they sent.

We joined a local gym too, because they mailed us an invite to try their built-in daycare service. Parents love that type of stuff.

Then, in November, my doctor reminded me to get a flu shot through a direct mail newsletter. I acted quickly, and stopped by his office before my flight to the INBOUND marketing conference in Boston.

Notice a trend here?

It is my actual mailbox, not my inbox, which has been the catalyst for a dizzying amount of spending.

People: Wired for Print

Local and national organizations, who advertise through direct mail, are much more likely to convince consumers to part ways with their hard-earned cash.

But why is this the case?

Let’s start with raw, scientific data generated by folks much smarter than myself.

The firm used advanced eye-tracking and high-resolution EEG brain wave measurement tools, along with conventional methods such as questionnaires, to gather data.

The study produced two major results:

Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable.

Further, consumers who received direct mail offers were able to recall the brand 75% of the time. For consumers who received digital-only versions, the brand was remembered only 44% of the time.

According to the Forbes evaluation of this scientific research, “Science clearly shows paper can be more impactful and memorable than digital.”

Those are the types of numbers that marketers dream about.

The Importance of Targeting

Marketing is about effective, persuasive communication, and direct mail is no exception.

Success is based on a fundamental rule: Reach the right prospects, at the right time, with the right offer.

Competitive research, along with an analysis of existing customer and prospect databases, can yield valuable insight, and help advertisers build a persona for the ideal prospect.

Here are three examples of direct mail offers, which were targeted to me, and motivated me to transact.

Blaze Pizza – FREE Pizza Offer

Target – Baby & Toddler Coupons

Francisco Farms – Existing Customer Christmas Tree Deal

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a national brand or a small business. Direct mail provides opportunity for all advertisers.

No Distractions

Here’s my take on why direct mail so easily parts us, as consumers, from our hard-earned money.

Direct mail advertisements give people time to think. They provide new ideas with the space to grow into the things we didn’t know we wanted. These ideas morph into our must-have purchases.

With print advertisements, we’re not anticipating the next click.

We’re not interrupted by social media updates, text messages, and in-app notifications.

It’s quiet.

The advertiser, much more easily, gets past our “mental wall”.

As a result, most people can tell you the names of dozens of local businesses that one day they will rely on to choose a new restaurant, fix a plumbing leak, or bring their dead lawn back to life.

That’s the power of direct mail in a digital world.

0 notes

samiam03x · 7 years

Text

The Power of Direct Mail in the Digital Age

For digital marketers, it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. There are serious challenges inherent to the digital landscape that nobody is talking about.

If an advertisement ran in Time magazine, or rolled out on a hit radio program, it gained instant credibility. The distribution channel provided inimitable authority – and it was worth the price.

More Ads, Less Authority and Impact

Serious Trust Issues

Digital advertising in today’s landscape is perilous because of two key factors: Quality and Saturation.

As the digital universe, rife with uncertainty and struggling to find maturity, continues to evolve, advertisers are turning back to a timeless, if unlikely savior, in direct mail.

Yes, the great-smelling, world-building, and blissfully quiet printed medium that we all secretly love.

Mailbox > Inbox

It worked, we used them in-store that Saturday morning.

We also found our “window guy” from direct mail. Undoubtedly, that small business made a few grand from the forty-cent postcard they sent.

We joined a local gym too, because they mailed us an invite to try their built-in daycare service. Parents love that type of stuff.

Then, in November, my doctor reminded me to get a flu shot through a direct mail newsletter. I acted quickly, and stopped by his office before my flight to the INBOUND marketing conference in Boston.

Notice a trend here?

It is my actual mailbox, not my inbox, which has been the catalyst for a dizzying amount of spending.

People: Wired for Print

Local and national organizations, who advertise through direct mail, are much more likely to convince consumers to part ways with their hard-earned cash.

But why is this the case?

Let’s start with raw, scientific data generated by folks much smarter than myself.

The firm used advanced eye-tracking and high-resolution EEG brain wave measurement tools, along with conventional methods such as questionnaires, to gather data.

The study produced two major results:

Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media, suggesting that it is both easier to understand and more memorable.

Further, consumers who received direct mail offers were able to recall the brand 75% of the time. For consumers who received digital-only versions, the brand was remembered only 44% of the time.

According to the Forbes evaluation of this scientific research, “Science clearly shows paper can be more impactful and memorable than digital.”

Those are the types of numbers that marketers dream about.

The Importance of Targeting

Marketing is about effective, persuasive communication, and direct mail is no exception.

Success is based on a fundamental rule: Reach the right prospects, at the right time, with the right offer.

Competitive research, along with an analysis of existing customer and prospect databases, can yield valuable insight, and help advertisers build a persona for the ideal prospect.

Here are three examples of direct mail offers, which were targeted to me, and motivated me to transact.

Blaze Pizza – FREE Pizza Offer

Target – Baby & Toddler Coupons

Francisco Farms – Existing Customer Christmas Tree Deal

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a national brand or a small business. Direct mail provides opportunity for all advertisers.

No Distractions

Here’s my take on why direct mail so easily parts us, as consumers, from our hard-earned money.

Direct mail advertisements give people time to think. They provide new ideas with the space to grow into the things we didn’t know we wanted. These ideas morph into our must-have purchases.

With print advertisements, we’re not anticipating the next click.

We’re not interrupted by social media updates, text messages, and in-app notifications.

It’s quiet.

The advertiser, much more easily, gets past our “mental wall”.

As a result, most people can tell you the names of dozens of local businesses that one day they will rely on to choose a new restaurant, fix a plumbing leak, or bring their dead lawn back to life.

That’s the power of direct mail in a digital world.

http://ift.tt/2iPYQo3 from MarketingRSS http://ift.tt/2iYpePV via Youtube

#MarketingRSS

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