9 Things You Can Learn From A Smoking Gun
Can a cartoon inspire a blog post? Well, this one did:
It’s an oldie– check out that ancient computer monitor! And yes, I went thru a “big noses” phase. The less said about that, the better… : (
I’m having some fun here, but the cartoon (and this post) do serve up some important reminders. Here they are:
1. It’s important to have a niche and know your target audience. The guy at the desk understands that.
2. It pays to have an elevator pitch. “Provoked to violence? Let us help, etc.” tells potential clients what they need to know.
3. The woman here has done something… rash. It’s important to remember that everything you do reflects on your brand.
4. When a brand makes a mistake, it needs a damage control plan. And it needs to respond immediately.
5. A brand can’t afford to cast itself as a victim and make excuses. Admitting mistakes
and apologizing says great things about a brand.
6. Visuals get people engaged. So does humor. If you’ve read this far, it’s probably because you liked the cartoon.
7. Blog post titles are important. Deceiving the reader is a sin. Making the reader curious and then delivering a good read, is excellent.
8. Fun fact: People are more apt to click on blog post titles that contain odd numbers. Hence the “9” in the title above.
9. If you persist at something, you will get better. My earlier pen line (see detail below) was stiff and brittle. I got better.
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Thoughts? I’d appreciate your feedback.
You might also enjoy this post about what we can learn from performance art.
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About Mark: I’m an illustrator specializing in humor, branding, social media, and content marketing. I create images that get content seen and shared.
You can view my portfolio, and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Questions? Send me an email.
Mark Armstrong Illustration Specializing In Content Marketing Advertising Editorial Infographics Animation Videos and Social Media 
A little voice in the back of my mind says that you wrote this after seeing my last couple of blog posts!! Ack!
“4. When a brand makes a mistake, it needs a damage control plan. And it needs to respond immediately.”
I’ve just been through a mess with a book cover. It shouldn’t have mattered so much, but I was waffling over which color to use on a cover that I wasn’t 100% happy with. I hate that my new release has books out there with a cover that I don’t like. Oh well. I had changes made yet again (for the third time) late last night and uploaded the changes right away. The cover as it stands now actually needs to be “brightened,” but at least it finally fits my brand, and I’m not unhappy to have it out there.
Love all your points in this post, Mark! I persisted at that writing thing, and I think I’m getting better. 🙂 And your “earlier pen line” was still better than most!
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Nay, nay, you did not inspire this post, altho I’m always rootin’ for your books to be smokin’ as they ka-CHING! their way past the Amazon cash register… : )
I can sympathize with you re the book cover: I’ve made a complete hash of some color schemes. Sometimes it takes forever to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. I won’t get into those cases where you have to jettison the whole thing and start over– too painful!!– too much smoke from the self-inflicted gunshot wound!! 😩🔫
As for persisting, you, my dear Maddie, personify the most essential lesson for any writer, artist, creative: just get it in gear, and do it. You’ve gotta jump in, and that old adage about there never being a perfect time, is absolutely true. Talent withers if it’s not applied, and it blooms when it is applied– so take a bow, Maddie Cochere, and accept the grateful thanks of creative wannabes everywhere!! : )
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