Mike Jaquish is a Realtor® in Cary, NC (full disclosure - Mike’s also our client). Recently, Mike wrote about “Free Bonus Space? Buyers Beware!” in his blog:

Lately I have bumped into a couple of Cary homes with unpermitted, sub-code finished living areas. When it is mentioned, the Listing Agents’ responses have been, “Since it isn’t counted in the square footage, the Sellers consider it ‘free bonus space.”

It is NOT “free…” More often it is ”unaffordable.”

• Does that “free bonus space” carry any guarantees on the homeowners’ electrical work, uninspected and possibly performed with a buddy and a beer or two on some forgotten weekend?
• Is there a guarantee that the HVAC unit that was tapped to heat and cool that “free” area is properly sized for the additional burden? Or will the unit struggle, fail to keep the house comfortable and fail early?
• Will the unacceptably steep stairs, without a handrail, be “free” of easily avoidable hazards that are addressed in the North Carolina Residential Building Code and in Town of Cary Inspections?
• And will the new owners be “free” of liability if some aspect of the goofy work creates personal injury? Will a homeowners’ insurance policy always cover unpermitted space issues?
• What will it cost to bring the “free bonus space” up to code, to be permitted in arrears? How much of the home will need to be torn up to satisfy Cary Permits and Inspections?
• If your Seller can’t legitimize their home, why should a Buyer take on that “free” responsibility?

The list of “free” questions goes on.

But without a doubt, that space is not “free.” Nor is it a “bonus.” It’s what can ”freely” be accepted as a “potentially devastating liability risk.”

Mike illustrates the 2 Rules of Effective Business Blogging:

1. GIVE SOMETHING OF VALUE - Mike gives expert information without asking any quid pro quo from the reader.
2. GOOD WRITING - Mike’s taken the time to craft his post into a lively, informative read.

Bonus points for brevity. Read more from Mike’s blog here.

What’s the best new show on television? It’s Mad Men on AMC.

The story is set in a Madison Avenue ad shop, circa 1960. Here’s a few reasons why Mad Men is destined to sweep the Emmy Awards:

• Totally original - It’s not another derivative rip-off of Desperate Housewives, Survivor or American Idol
• Brilliant Writing - Mad Men nails the glib, smart patter of Madison Avenue. No surprise really since the creator and Executive Producer is Matthew Weiner, best known for his work as the force behind the Sopranos.
• Spot-on Art Direction - the costumes, props, set design and production work is flat out perfect. Mad Men is produced within an inch of it’s life, evoking film noir, cool jazz and the beat generation.
• Social Commentary - Every episode is a riveting drama with layers of stories and an undercurrent of social commentary. From the cynicism of movie classic “The Hucksters” to a persistent thread that prefigures the feminist movement, Mad Men is a show for adults.

Advertising is such an important part of American culture. Jack Bowen of Benton & Bowles used to say that there is no mass-market economy without advertising (he had a great example of primitive brand loyalty in the old Soviet Union).

For those of us who were lucky enough to work on Madison Avenue before corporate consolidations made advertising a commodity, Mad Men reminds us that great ideas come from inspired risk-takers, not focus groups.

Che Guevara’s ass splintered and raw from rolling over in his grave

The scathingly hilarious post opines the continuing irony of exploliting Che’s image for capitalist purposes. Read it all here.

Why does this headline work?

• It’s original
• It’s provacative
• It makes you want to read more

How do we know it worked? Out over several hundred new posts in our collection of feeds on Bloglines, this one stood out from the pack.

I Stole Your Crutches

[Viewer warning - some of the links may use adult language. Don’t click if you are offended by that kind of stuff.]

It’s instructive to peruse the Best of Craigslist from time to time. These are posts that have been flagged by viewers as worthy of sharing with everyone.

The best of the Best share two qualities:

• Headline that promises something (entertainment, enlightenment, a 1973 Strat for $400)
• Body copy that pays off or exceeds the promise

The same principles apply to email campaigns, websites, landing pages and even your own personal correspondence. Could you be writing stronger headlines for your emails? Think about it. And consider these headlines and posts that made it to Best of:

Bad News About the Screeching Bird on Rossmore…

from your pizza delivery girl

Wanted: STONER BOYFRIEND

I stole your crutches

Wow! Who wouldn’t want a free breakfast? (Of course, I stay at an economical Fairfield Inn that already has free breakfast.) But how about $1oo? What’s that about?

Yes, I opened.

This subject line is good in so many ways. It promises personal information (”Your account”) plus gives an incentive to open (”Free Breakfast + $100 Bonus”). It even includes a specific dollar amount which is proven to lift open rates.

Note that the word “Free” managed to pass through the spam filter. Note also that the writer resisted the urge to use an exclamation point.

The subject line is the most important component of an email. This line answers the call. Tip of the old chapeau to the anonymous scribe!

We’re longtime Lexicographic Irregulars, but this column seems particularly important for copywriters. Not sure why, just a vague alarm bell going off somwhere that usually signals an impending trip to the couch with a blanket and pillow.

Safire’s always been a troublemaker.

Check out this article (printed in Saturday’s News & Observer) in which he handicaps the presidential contenders in the voice of sports announcer Dick Vitale.