For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. - Marketing Brevity Explored

by Jack Duncan

Posted: 14 years ago 89 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

This "short story", written in just 6 words, Hemingway called his best work:

For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.

It sure packs a punch.

Back in 2006, Wired Magazine ran a little experiment based on Hemingway's story. You can find the details here: Wired 14.11: Very Short Stories

It's quite interesting to see the submissions from different fields in that article.

So...

If you had to give your absolute best marketing advice, and could only use 6 words, what would they be?

#baby #brevity #explored #internet marketing #make money online #marketing #online marketing #sale #shoes #worn

R Hagel 14 years ago

Sell things that people really want.
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- Matt.Lake 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by R Hagel
  
  Sell things that people really want.
  
  LOL... Becky, you must of been writing that at that same time I was.
  
  They say great minds think alike.
  
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- SeanyG 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by R Hagel
  
  Sell things that people really want.
  
  I agree 100%!
  
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Matt.Lake 14 years ago

Sell what people want. A Lot.

LOL... not great but the first thing that popped into my mind!
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DogScout 14 years ago

The Spice must flow. Cascade ceases .
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ZaraK 14 years ago

Good business is customer centric.
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King Shiloh Banned 14 years ago

Be as good as your product.
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admin Administrator 14 years ago

Test Test Test And Test Again.
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- Martin Avis 14 years ago
  
  Never give up. Never, never, never.
  
  [With apologies to Sir Winston].
  
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  JohnMcCabe 14 years ago
  
  Sell the want, not the need.
  
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RebelConsultant 14 years ago

Learn to write very, very well.
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Steven Carl Kelly 14 years ago

Overdeliver. Create value. Keep your promises.
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Michael Oksa 14 years ago

Listen to anything Allen Says says.
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"Ich bin en fuego!"
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The Copy Nazi Banned 14 years ago

You CAN make that horse drink.
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Alfred Shelver 14 years ago

Always take action when buying ebooks
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- DrewClement 14 years ago
  
  Great Marketing Breeds Desire…..And Debt.
  
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  Frank Donovan 14 years ago
  
  Passionate market? Existing, reachable buyers? Action!
  
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K. Rondo 14 years ago

Follow Me If You Wanna Succeed
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Michael Oksa 14 years ago

Be enthusiastic! Always tell the truth.
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"Ich bin en fuego!"
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- affilcrazy 14 years ago
  
  You're Dreaming - Until You Take Action!
  
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Zabrina 14 years ago

Old-fashioned work ethics pay off online.
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Luke McCormack 14 years ago

Delivering quality wins every single time
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Nathan Alexander 14 years ago

Reverse engineer and copy the successful.
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- Jill Carpenter 14 years ago
  
  Fortune cookie won't give you money.
  
  (this can double as a message in a fortune cookie too)
  
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  "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"
  
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  Ken 14 years ago
  
  Get Out of the Way!
  
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  Ken 14 years ago
  
  It Ain't About You!
  
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  R Hagel 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by avenuegirl
  
  Fortune cookie won't give you money.
  
  Unless you are selling fortune cookies.
  
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  Jim Hallmark 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by R Hagel
  
  Unless you are selling fortune cookies.
  
  "Always put URL inside fortune cookie"
  
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  jpaissa27 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Jim Hallmark
  
  "Always put URL inside fortune cookie"
  
  haha I had to reply to this =] .. very funny!
  
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Talinn 14 years ago

Stick With Your Plan, Don't Giveupaplanthatyouknowhasworkedforotherpeople (that's an obscure verb)
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TelZilla 14 years ago

Live, Love, and Work With Passion
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Don't get so wrapped up in making money that you forget the important things in life.
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Ron Douglas 14 years ago

keep it simple, traffic and conversion
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DrewClement 14 years ago

Work Like You Don't Need Money
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WhamSoft 14 years ago

Learn, Try, Again, Test, Revise, Repeat,
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- LynnM 14 years ago
  
  The time for action is now.
  
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- DomainZaar 14 years ago
  
  Find What People Really, Really Need.
  
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good2go4 14 years ago

Helping others makes you money

Wow only five words - now my clients will think I under-deliver, lol
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Ron Douglas 14 years ago

Help others get what they want
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Mohsin Rasool 14 years ago

Keep It Simple & Just Do It.
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Michael Oksa 14 years ago

.

Convince people their wants are needs.

.
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"Ich bin en fuego!"
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- Bill Farnham 14 years ago
  
  Stop blaming Gurus for your failures.
  
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jedediahd

14 years ago

Best Advice? Pay attention to the OP

Thanks
1 reply

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Michael Oksa

14 years ago

Originally Posted by jedediahd

I think there are people missing why it is so powerful. For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.

What is the first thing I thought of? Why were they never worn?! Whats the story here? It certainly intrigued me.

I think most of us got it. However, it was just the premise to switch it over to a discussion about marketing.

That being said, based on DogScout's response, I'm not so sure everybody "got" the deeper meaning of the six word story.

All the best,
Michael

p.s. I have another entry...

Always follow other peoples instructions to the letter.

Thanks

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"Ich bin en fuego!"

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DogScout 14 years ago

The baby died?
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Nick Brighton 14 years ago

Don't create markets... market creatively.

Or...

Stop being so damn boring.
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Tinkerbell 14 years ago

It's not about YOU. Serve THEM.
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Mike Murphy 14 years ago

Action Conquers Fear Every Single Time
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- Martin Avis 14 years ago
  
  Sell the sizzle, not the sausage.
  
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  Nick Brighton 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Martin.Avis
  
  Sell the sizzle, not the sausage.
  
  Unless you're a butcher
  
  Thanks
  
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  DaveHughes 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Nick Brighton
  
  Unless you're a butcher
  
  ESPECIALLY when you're a butcher.
  
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Janice Sperry 14 years ago

Find people's problems and solve them.
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- Brock Henry 14 years ago
  
  Never settle for the quick buck.
  
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- jpaissa27 14 years ago
  
  its easier to have a product that people are searching for in demand than creating one.
  
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J. Barry Mandel 14 years ago

Sell today or don't eat tomorrow.
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Maddi 14 years ago

Learn. Devise. Adapt. Move. Risk. Conquer
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- Tom Ryan 14 years ago
  
  Sell What They Are Already Buying
  
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joscarff 14 years ago

For Sale: Everything. Very Good Price.

(best said in the manner of any shop owner anywhere in south east asia)
(please pardon this gross over-generalisation)
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Maddi 14 years ago

Me so lovely Me so Lovely?
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CDarklock 14 years ago

You really bought that thing? Why?
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seotrafficcrew 14 years ago

Be a Purple Cow, Innovative, Kind.
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theory expert Banned 14 years ago

Sell people what they want period.
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Jesus Perez 14 years ago

Email blasting sucks. Build relationships instead.
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Brad Gosse 14 years ago

Sell lots of shiny new things ;0
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Gene Pimentel 14 years ago

Fail fast. Fail forward. Success inevitable.

.
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InternetSuccess001 14 years ago

Idea. Develop. Test. Sell. Affiliates. Repeat.
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George Wright 14 years ago

Give Headaches, Sell Aspirins.
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Will Edwards 14 years ago

Well, not exactly advice, as such, but more a warning that action is the important key:

For Sale: web site, never used.

Will
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dagaul101 14 years ago

"See it as the customer would" would be mine
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BrettQ 14 years ago

Discover dreams, develop decisions, direct actions.

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Join the Warrior Forum. Right now.
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Randy Daugherty 14 years ago

On SALE: Affordable items for babies...hope this suggestion can help you! good luck choose the best for you.
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- Bill Farnham 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Randy Daugherty
  
  On SALE: Affordable items for babies...hope this suggestion can help you! good luck choose the best for you.
  
  Oh yea. Read first. Type later.
  
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Gene Pimentel 14 years ago

Speed attracts money. Perfection repels it.
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Lee Wilson 14 years ago

When something works, figure out why?
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xohaibx 14 years ago

Get traffic; get leads; get sales.
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drmani 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Jack Duncan

If you had to give your absolute best marketing advice, and could only use 6 words, what would they be?

Be Passionate. Have Purpose. Persist.

(Hmm... one word left!)

All success
Dr.Mani
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Matthew Shane Roe 14 years ago

think, research, website, seo, monetize, action!
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KevinFranz 14 years ago

Your problem - and solution - is you.
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mikemcmillan 14 years ago

He who hesitates is lost.
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R Hagel 14 years ago

Wow, look at all the people in this thread trying to boost their post-count with one liners. Sheesh.

Becky

p.s. Treat your business like a business.
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Michael Oksa 14 years ago

Ignore Becky. Make posts one line.
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"Ich bin en fuego!"
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KarlWarren 14 years ago

I prefer 5 words:

- Haiku contests make best posts
- Make copy short as needed
- Give more value than price
- Do what works, nothing else
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Barry Unruh 14 years ago

Click Here To Find Out Why
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- Jill Carpenter 14 years ago
  
  When you are prepared, luck arrives.
  
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Letitia 14 years ago

Why sell never worn baby shoes?
Miscarriage?
bought in anticipation and never got pregnant?
death of a child?
Hemingway is using one of the greatest "pains" a person can experience.
All to me equals: For Sale.My Dream.Never used.
Implied you still have a dream, hope and a future. If not why else would you want baby shoes?
Maybe if I were going to use the same idea of brevity it would come out:

For Sale: Avoid Pain. Achieve dream.
or Maybe
For Sale: My Pain. Your gain.

Just thinking out loud so to speak (write). Its like writing Haiku's.
something that certainly engages me.
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TelZilla 14 years ago

Life Is A Box Of Chocolates
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Don't get so wrapped up in making money that you forget the important things in life.
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Jacob Martus 14 years ago

Click here to buy it now.
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Janice Sperry 14 years ago

Follow the leader unless they're wrong.
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