Stop treating your marketing copy like it's a thesis.
Most people scan brochures, mailers and websites. For those that have the time or attention span to actually read your copy, give them some incentives to do so. Make your headline resonate with them, not you. Leave mini treats on a trail for readers to want to continue on. Remember E.T. and the Reese's Pieces?
Stop thinking of marketing as a formal presentation.
Good marketing presents itself as a friendly handshake, not a lecture. Facts alone rarely sell, but facts woven with a smart, emotive approach works wonders. It should feel like Mom's cooking, even if the content is serious stuff. Believe me, you will have to give your audience incentive to part with their cash. The stodgy, formal technique might have worked as recent as a decade ago, but not in today's Purple Cow pasture. I see many clients struggle over 'this word or that' in a paragraph. If you're using a magnifying glass, chances are you're doing it wrong.
Stop overdoing it.
Quality always beats quantity. Give your audience a reason to listen, call, visit, or click through with one marketing piece, not five. Spend more time brainstorming, listening and studying great ideas and less on banging out content. Further, you must appear comfortable in your messaging. If you blast people with too much information, too many mailers, or e-mails - it feels desperate.
Stop the smoke and mirrors.
Your audience is smart. They know you're a business. They see your motivations. It pays to acknowledge that. You really can't 'trick' someone, because at some point they'll have to reach into their wallet. They know why you're talking to them. Assume that much.
Stop stamp-branding.
Start thinking of branding as emotional assocation only. Throw away the rules and the manufactured stamper. Great brands stand for one or more positive associations for their audience. Do you think that they care if your only attribute is formulaic consistency? They don't. They will feel like a number and that's the worst thing you can do.
Stop underestimating the power of photography, video or icons.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Rinse and repeat.
Stop marketing. Start communicating.
