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Donna Cicotte

The woman who actually sewed the Star Spangled Banner was not Betsy Ross, and Donna Cicotte wrote the post that explains who she was. That instinct for correcting a story people repeat without checking runs through the whole blog, and it is what separates this one from its neighbours.

The marketing writing is properly targeted. She insists you name your avatar before you write a word, breaks viral content into steps you can follow, and analyses competitors' paid ads rather than guessing at your own. Her piece on telephone prospecting is the most honest thing here, because it treats the dread as real instead of coaching you past it.

Around that she profiles a novelist nobody remembers, a guitarist making his debut at an age when most people have stopped, and the permissions a phone app quietly asks for.

There are tamales, made properly, with the reason given for each step.

Read the avatar post before your next campaign. Read the Betsy Ross piece for the pleasure of it.

Perseverance: Do or Do Not – There Is No Try

May 26, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
One of the most important skills that you will ever learn – and maybe it’s less a skill than it is a discipline – is to persevere.   No one who has…
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Mary Young Pickersgill, “The Star Spangled Banner,” and The Betsy Ross Myth

May 18, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
Funny how you can spend your life thinking a thing is so…and never question whether what you think is true or not. If it’s a commonly held belief, you believe it…lock, stock…
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71-Y.O. Guitarist Harry Taussig Debuts This Week At Austin’s SXSW

May 16, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
At 71 years young, Harry Taussig debuts this week at Austin’s SXSW It’s Never Too Late To Start! The new Pope, Francis I, is 76 years old. And Arthur Taussig, 71, is…
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6 Steps To Viral Content

May 15, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
When “Viral” is associated with “Content,” online marketers take notice. Why? Because viral content spreads faster than wildfire on a drought-stricken prairie, and it can build backlinks in a very short amount…
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Targeted Marketing – Know Your Avatar

May 14, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
Last weekend I was at a marketing mastermind, learning from one of the greats in our industry, Aaron Rashkin. One of the things that Aaron talked about was knowing who your customer…
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10 Tips For Better Open, Opt-In, And Click Thru Rates In Your Email Marketing

May 7, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
Studies have shown that 24% of all emails are opened within one hour of delivery. This means that if you’re an email marketer, you’ve got to pay attention to the time of…
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Write Better Email Campaigns With These 4 Tips

May 7, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
Email marketing is essential to any marketing strategy, and for online marketers, it is the life blood of their business.  It is through a good email campaign that marketers communicate with their…
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Billy Joel – Michael Pollack – New York State Of Mind

Mar 13, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
If this doesn’t give you goosebumps…you got no heart.  Get outta here!   Below is a video clip of Vanderbilt University Student, Michael Pollack, accompanying Billy Joel in January, 2013. Pollack said…
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Come Back When Your Cup Is Empty

Mar 12, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a marketing mastermind at the home of Aaron and Sophia Rashkin.  My son and I and 18 other kickass marketers gathered around a large conference…
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5 Tips For Successfully Starting Your Home Business

Mar 4, 2013 · Donna Cicotte
Congratulations on your decision to start a home business! You’re in good company!  According to “Forbes Magazine,” 79 million North Americans are expected to start their own home business in the next…
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