When you deal with agency guys and design people and even media people trying to be marketing people, they always talk about being creative and trying to come up with the next great creative idea.

Effective marketing is NOT about creative ideas!

In fact, it is our belief that most creative types would be better off drinking a latte in some dimly lit coffee bar downtown or painting a picture on a sidewalk somewhere.

Thinking a ton about creativity just gets you in trouble, costs extra money and takes longer to get the results you need. Creativity, branding and image all go together and it's a bottomless pit waiting for you to throw you money in.

A creative ad with a poor strategy WILL NOT work PERIOD.

This goes for all the cute little postcards all these chiselers try to sell you with a cool stock photo on the front and some asinine, try-too-hard-to-be-clever one-liners on it.

You know the type.

The postcard with the picture of the guy pulling his hair out and the line that says, Pulling Your Hair Out Looking For A ___________?

That's a bunch of hooey!!!

Don't let cuteness interrupt your sales process you discuss features and benefits, let them sample show them value and go for the close.

Your marketing must do the same thing.

You can add creativity and big ideas to increase effectiveness and get more business, BUT it takes a savvy response orientated marketer to put a campaign like that together. You must first learn the basics master them and then move to the advanced stuff.

We teach you the basics and fast track you to becoming an advanced marketing master.

How would you like to learn how to make your best sales pitch your best ad? It's an interesting idea and we'll tell you all about it in the eighth Law of Gravitational Marketing for Small Businesses.