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Mar
16

Marketing questions from readers

By | Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing on the web, Success

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I love good questions from readers of this blog and my newsletter.

It allows me to see where people are at in the marketing world, and it allows me the opportunity to share new ideas with them.

Some recent ones that I wanted to share:

Question: “….in the last few years I’m losing money on internet businesses as I also found out, it’s probably NOT for me. I’m really sick-and-tired of failures…and my Daughter need some help too, so I have to be successful again. We talked to my Friend about home-made cooking-business, I love to cook and He said many single guys would be open to the idea to get home-made cooking 3-4 times a week. I can use His kitchen. Any idea about this???”


My response: “Hi Agnes. Nice to meet you.

Making money with an internet business can be a lot of work and hassle for sure.

So can an offline business :O)

Your idea is sound… but I would look into what others are doing in that area.

Are there other companies doing this in Calgary?  How much do they
charge? How do they market and position themselves?

The best way for you to make this work would be a very specific niche.

Recently Divorced Men.
Missing Moms Cooking.
College Students.
Fitness Finatics.

Figure out a specific group of people that you could target and it
will be much easier.

Anything ring a bell?

Troy”

{NOTE: selling the exact same product as you do now, but to a narrowly defined niche or target market, is a GREAT way to stand out from the clutter. I tell the story often about the realtor in Calgary who markets herself as “The Pet Lovers Realtor”… which I think is brilliant! Most realtors I talk to don’t though. “That won’t work for me… I want to sell to evvvvvvveryone”. Wrong.

When you target everyone you sell to few. When you target a very specific niche and market in their language… you can capture the market. Many realtors don’t get this… which is exactly why most of them struggle… and why realtors like my friend Al Z. is thriving!”}

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Question: “Hi Troy,

Here’s a digital copy of the letter I sent out. I’d appreciate your feedback and any suggestions you may have.

Also, let me know if you have any interest in attending the information session tomorrow. It’ll cover a subject not many people know much about, but I’m doing my best to bring it to the attention of more people.

Have a great day,
Dan”

My answer: “Hi Dan, some thoughts.

1) I would cut out some of the ‘fluff’ at the beginning and start the letter off with “Money doesn’t disappear…it just transfers.”  Something like that.

2) then I would lead in to a story about yourself or someone else who thought they lost, then realized it went somewhere else or to someone else they know.

3) Talk about what you are doing and why this letter (different than what you used to do – tell more of the story why)

4) Make a compelling “bribe” to get them more interested.  Attached is an example.

5) Give them the option to attend a webinar, phone call or live training event.

6) tell one last story to close it off about wealth transfers and what is happening.

7) Lay all this out in blocks.  Even cut out pieces and try reorganizing them on a table to see how things change when the flow of the letter and stories change.

8) Test it.  To those who you already mailed to. To new people.  See what works and with who.

9) Missing the MOST important piece… a headline.  Make it at the top of the letter (left justified) in one font size bigger.

10) Use subheadlines to break it up more – bold and a font size bigger.  Every second or thir paragraph should use a subhead.

Hope this helps. Troy”

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Question: “Hello Troy

I recently upgraded my subscription to your daily newsletters from the infrequent ones.

Today’s was a good indication that I made a wise decision, I enjoyed both the video of John Paul Dejoria and your comments on wealth. We need more free thinking, independence loving marketers like yourself to spread the word and counter the propaganda about “income inequality” that is being spread by most of the mainstream media. Not to mention the political correctness that is in danger of crippling and emasculating our great country.

Thanks again for good newsletters.

Just a point, you asked for comments but did not specify by email or on your website, hope this finds you.

Regards,

Peter”

My answer: “Thank you Peter.  It does mean a lot to me – so thank you.

It is a very dangerous trend I see out there now that the motivated entrepreneurs who create the jobs and abundance North Americans have grown to ‘demand’, are the same ones being punished for doing so.  Stealing from the rich and motivated and giving to the poor has never worked, and never will work. The time when there is nothing in it for those of us who love to create and build, will be the time we stop sharing what we create.

Read Atlas Shrugged before?

SCARY how close that book is to what is happening in reality right now.

Ayn Rand was a beautiful person and writer – and that book is like a vision of the present – and the future.

Sad to say, but this self-entitlement generation is going to destroy everything that they are presently enjoying.

Anyhow,  my continuing rant on this subject :O)

Troy”

Hope you enjoyed these.

Have a great day.

Troy

Feb
21

One million subscribers and daily emails sent

By | Direct Marketing, Marketing Plan, Wacky marketing ideas

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What do restaurants, beauty products and coffee all have in common?

Rabid fans and buyers!

And the 3 companies I wanted to share with you today have tapped into their respective communities and built stellar businesses from them.

The important thing for you and I to note?

Each one of them does it a little bit different, but the basics of what they are doing and how they are doing it are the same.

First, the find a market – and hungry market that either has too many other options to choose from, or no good options to choose from.

Second, they target a very specific type of person.  They DON’T try and sell to everyone.

Third, they monetize their relationship.  Either with a free newsletter that makes its money from paid advertising, or with a paid membership model

Both work great.

Last, there is something in here for you… no matter WHAT business or industry you are in.

There is ALWAYS a way to customize these ideas and make them your own.

Example #1: Tasting Table

They have built a healthy database of one MILLION newsletter subscribers in just a few years!

Here’s a great overview and video…
http://mashable.com/2012/01/10/video-tasting-table/?WT.mc_id=obinsite

Great signup box text from their site:

Free daily email for adventurous eaters everywhere.  Hungry? Sign up:
(simple, to the point, targeted, call to action)

Example #2: Birchbox

They discovered that some of the biggest pain points for customers included the overwhelming selection of beauty products and the inability to get a hands-on experience before buying.  The answer? For a fee, they mail women a box containing four to five deluxe beauty products every month.

More details…

http://mashable.com/2012/01/31/birchbox-video/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

Example #3:  Kopi Coffees

Again, for a fee, they send subscribers a different gourmet coffee each month, hand-picked by a team of experts that includes some of Europe’s most respected green bean coffee traders.

Full details…

http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/single-estate-coffees-curated-delivered-monthly-door/

The reason I wanted to share these with you is to open your eyes and ears to the potential with these 3 ideas.

There IS a way to make it fit your business.

Will you try?  That’s the real question!

If you need help coming up with a way on how, invest in the Story Selling Home Study Course http://www.storysellingtips.com and I will gladly give you some email feedback and ideas.

To your membership and niche marketing success!

Troy

Feb
17

Turning Your Leads Into Sales

By | Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Direct response

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NOTE: If you missed Step #1, it can be found here

Step #2: Turning Your Leads Into Sales

No matter how great your leads are, unless you have a solid follow up system in place, you won’t convert nearly as many as you could.  Once the follow up letters are written, tested and improved – you can send these out as often as possible and you will know that you can make $xx,xxx every single month as long as you are sending out a certain number of letters.

If your letter #1 converts 10% of your prospects into buyers, letter #2 converts 5%, and letter 3 converts 3% – you have 18% of your prospects that you can convert to paid clients – without a single meeting or phone call – the letters can do ALL the work.  

{insert video, email, autoresponder, etc in place of letter – the system is the same for all}

So remember, the goal of all these exercises is to build you a business system that makes you money month in and month out.  Something you can repeat, grow, or shrink, depending on how much business you need or don’t need.

The most powerful way to do your follow up is through direct mail, email, audio or video.  

Until now, they have put up their hand to say they are interested in your offer.  You have taken down their contact information and sent them the gift offered.  Now you need to get them to buy into your products and services.   And a 3 step follow up campaign is the most powerful way to close the deal.

I don’t have enough room here to properly show you how to create follow up campaigns that work.  But I can give you a formula to use throughout.

Have a look at www.smalldisplayads.com – notice the letter there.  It sells a $20 special report which converts very well.  The formula that I used there is the same one you should be using:

Attention – get them to read it right off the bat. The headline you use is KEY and will make or break your success with the follow up.  Some of the best formulas for headlines will be found in… you ready?… The national Enquirer and Cosmopolitan Magazine.  Those have some of the best headline writers in the world, and you had BETTER pay attention to how their write their cover headlines (email me if you want a list of the 100 most effective headlines ever written – email address at end of this chapter).  Right under the headline you need to continue with the same thought you were on in the headline.  Leading to…

Interest – You got them to stop and read your letter.  Now you need to build up their interest and show them you have something that they will want (if you have done your research, targeted the right person, and gotten them to put up their hand for more information… you know they are interested).  Now you have to build on that interest and further the reason for them to keep reading…

Desire – This is where you introduce to them an incredible offer that they have ever seen before.  I like to bundle numerous products or services together and offer them a fabulous deal on the bundle (call the bundle something different so they can never compare apples to apples with your competitors).  Offer them an incredible guarantee.  A price plan.  Testimonials from happy clients.  Proof that you deliver on your promises. And then…

Action – The most important (yet neglected) step in the entire marketing system.  Ask them to take action NOW.  Give them reasons and incentives to visit or buy right now.  Give them every reason in the book to trust you.  And make sure they understand what will happen if they don’t take action NOW.

Not exactly rocket science – but it certainly makes money on demand.

Step #3: Measuring And Testing

As mentioned previously, you need to track EVERYTHING.  Noting what works, what didn’t, how well it works or didn’t, exactly what you did, etc. The easiest way to do this is keep a simple excel spreadsheet (or something similar) detailing everything that has happened. Then it is time to rank the results you got.

Rank it:

1 – stellar success and either brought in a ton of sales, new leads, or positive comments from your customers and prospects.

2 – marginally successful – broke even on profits (or small profit), got a few new leads or positive comments

3 – not good results at all – lost money or time for nothing, no new leads or sales, no one even noticed you during your attempt

4 – disgustingly bad – big loser, negative feedback and comments, complete waste of time for your business

Rank everything you have done in your marketing campaigns – from 1 through 4.

Then separate them into 1’s and 2’s (the winners) – then another group of 3’s and 4’s (the losers). The 1’s and 2’s you are going to do again… the rest you will hold off for now and revisit them in 6 months or so (things change – what didn’t work now may work exceptionally well in 6 months – the internet and society is on warp drive right now – never throw out your test results).

You can even go further into detail and give your honest thoughts on why some things worked and didn’t. These notes you make could be worth a fortune to you in 6 or 12 months.  Rather than reinventing the wheel – you may find you tested it already but forgot it didn’t work – or did work.

Now write out how you can make them better, more fun, more exciting, more profitable, more enticing, more powerful, more appealing to the emotions… anything you can think of to make it better – write it down.

Post these types of results on a regular basis.

Keep in marketing results binder – review monthly – or whenever you need new promotion ideas.

With the above example – you would definitely want to run ALL the 1’s at least one more time a year, test the 2’s again – and don’t bother running the 3’s.

THINGS TO TEST
(only test one thing at a time or test is invalid, test must be run to exact same list or publication as initial control)

Put in columns
Free samples
Quantity discounts
Method of payments (cash, check, ccard, multiple credit card options, purchase orders, extended payments)
Method of response: phone, mail, email, web, fax, in-store
Regular envelop vs larger
Live stamps vs pre-printed
Teaser copy on envelope vs none
Window envelope vs regular
Signature in blue ink vs black
Different headlines
Handwriting in margins or spread throughout
1 page letter vs multiple page
Opening paragraph
Change the PS
Color vs black and white
Font size
Different font
Bonus bundles
Deadlines vs no deadlines
Write as if from you vs write as if from someone else (staff, spouse, client, supplier)

[NOTE: Do NOT ask your friends, family, or co-workers for their impressions on your marketing! They are the worst ones to ask.  Either hire a professional, use the templates here as a foundation, or test your campaign to see the real results.  I can’t count how many times a spouse or employee has completely destroyed the effectiveness of a campaign with their “thoughts about it”.  Stick with the formula here – it works in the real world.  Your best friends advice doesn’t work in the real world... guaranteed]

Once you have a campaign that works for you–keep using it! 

Don’t stop just because you are tired of it.  Send it out to every new lead that comes in the door. If it works once – it will work again.  That is the beauty of this kind of marketing.  You write a direct response campaign using the principles laid out here, you test the results, you try variations of, find a winner, and keep using the winner as many times, and as often as humanly possible.

That is how fortunes are made and how small businesses become big businesses (or at least very profitable businesses, for those who want to keep it small).

A CHALLENGE TO YOU…

Don’t just read this post, take action on it.

NOTHING good comes from inaction.

…especially in marketing and sales.

Troy

PS: Note something on the sales system here… real success in this type of marketing is based on using stories.  Stories are proven (Carnegie Mellon study) to outsell facts based promotions by 180%.

Don’t fight the desire to crawl under a rock when asked to share your story… DO IT.  The more stories of your past and present experiences… the more people will like and buy form you.

The simple addition of more of your back story is the simplest way to generate a following of prospects and buyers.

DON’T HIDE IT!

Most entrepreneurs seem to be scared or embarrassed about their beginnings.  Yet, to those who pay you for products and services, it is one of the MOST important things about you.

Don’t kid yourself…

…you have competition out there… LOTS of them.

Your buyers could choose you or one of a handful of others.

So product isn’t how you differentiate yourself (and trying to win in the long run on price is a losing battle)

Your STORY is how you win them over.  TELL IT!

Starting with this step-by-step home study program to get it out there http://www.storysellingtips.com

Adding the story in helped one company go from $500 a month in online sales to $15,000 a month!  Just by adding a single page on their site that shared their story in a compelling way.
What could it do for YOUR site?   http://www.storysellingtips.com

Feb
15

Don’t forget some of your greatest marketing assets

By | Direct Marketing, Entrepreneur, Story Selling

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After 10 years in this crazy business, I sometimes forget what incredible assets I have created over the years.

Maybe you do too?

Audios…videos…reports…winning campaigns…print books…ebooks…courses…webinars.

Yeesh, there is a lot there.

Some of them better than others, of course.

The best thing you can do is create an inventory list of any and ALL things you have built in the past years for growing your business.

Marketing materials.

Reports

FAQ lists.

Email follow ups.

Etc.

Then start repurposing them!

It is a GREAT way to get more things done faster.

One of the favorite things I did over the past few years was interview Jonathan Sexton of the J Peterman company.

J Peterman is a real live guy who was a fictional character on the Seinfeld show.

…he is also the same guy who created a cult with his catalog.

Here is what I wrote about him before
http://blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/the-catalog-that-started-a-cult/

And here is a fantastic interview I did with Jonathan.
http://www.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/jpetermancall//jpcall.mp3

TONS of great marketing ideas here.

Pay VERY close attention to this…

…in their prime, the J Peterman catalog was read by all kinds of celebrities, politicians, millionaires, billionaires, and stay-at-home moms.

A CULT FOLLOWING FOR A CATALOG!

They did something right and it is revealed here.

It is something we should ALL aspire to…

…I know I do.

Enjoy,

Troy

PS: One of the greatest things I personally did to help myself make the necessary changes at a faster pace was to start writing more.

There is a therapeutic quality to writing that can propel your business forward at breakneck speed.

But again, it takes guts to do and motivation to start.

If you want to start now… get the Story Selling Home Study and I will also give you my 31k club training series.  For the next 31 days I will fire you up and get you writing more often, with greater profits as your goal. http://www.storysellingtips.com

The 31k club has transformed many lives of those who went through the Story Selling Coaching.  Now you get it free with the Story Selling Home Study course! http://www.storysellingtips.com

Feb
03

Makes the postman blush (and grown men cry)

By | advertising, Affluent buyers, Direct Marketing, Main Content, Success, Viral marketing

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Hope you are having a GREAT week!

Nothing has helped me more from a therapeutic and marketing standpoint than writing daily emails.

I know it may seem like work…

…but nothing good every comes without some work.

And it isn’t hard work at all.

In fact… there are so many INCREDIBLE examples to share with you, its more difficult deciding what to share.

Today, 2 fine, fine examples of great marketing ideas.

First… the blushing postman.

Look how she starts this video for Panty by Post

Panty by Post

Great marketing ideas galore here!

 

…with a story about one of her great loves… the French… and French Panties.

Not only is the video simply divine (simple, and selling)., it grabs your attention and would compel you to watch (man or woman).

These days anyone and everyone with a simply little handheld HD camera can do this (even me!).

Then add in some of the great editing software out there these days and voila… you have a video to use on Youtube, on your blog, on your site, on Facebook shares… and so on, and so on.

The second thing I LOVE about this video is the unusual membership piece. You have hopefully read my Million Dollar Lobster report (if not – here is the direct download link  http://www.milliondollarlobster.com/MillionDollarLobster.pdf).

Unusual membership programs like this are powerful ways to draw attention, publicity and experience buyers.

A membership is an experience.

It is something you get to interact with on an ongoing basis.

Vs a one-time purchase.

Is there any way at all you can take frequently bought items and turn them into a membership concept?

I have seen near everything sold via membership…

…panties, shows, jewelry, honey, steaks, baked goods, fresh goods, lobsters, shoes, dive-bar tshirts, kids gifts, art and paintings, travel, cars, motorcycles, boats, to name a small sample of what is now available.

Can YOU be the first in your city, or industry, that brings out a membership program?

Think it through – it’d be awesome to inspire you to create this.

The second example for today you may have already seen on Facebook.

Budweiser NAILED IT with this viral video.

What a beautiful idea and concept here.

…and Bud is winning over more fans than EVER with this.

It evokes emotion… and may even bring a tear to your eye.

If you have ever felt like you love and activity so much, but know you will never be in the big leagues (due to age, skill level, whatever) then this video will get that emotion factor revved up.

I LOVE my martial arts.  Been doing it for 12 years or so off an on, the past 6 years in Tae Kwon Do (training for second degree Black Belt right now)… but I know that my age and size are a factor in competition.  Maybe it is more fear than anything, but I haven’t been in one with my TKD.  There is a chance coming up this summer… we will see.

But I GET this video.

I would love to be in a competition and feel like a superstar (despite not being close to one).

THAT is the feel Bud gets going with this video.

…and it does 2 things I want to point out: It shares some intimate emotions with their prospects and clients, and it shows them doing something that gives back to the community.

Both of which you and I could be doing.

My blog post this week talks about emotion and the powerful force behind it in your marketing… you should read it if you haven’t.
http://blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/the-true-power-of-raw-emotions-in-your-writing/

Anyhow, hope you have a GREAT day/week/weekend.

Troy

PS: The Story Selling Home Study Coaching program http://www.storysellingtips.com is ready and is an incredible way to introduce your clients and prospects to your backstories… where your real money will be made.

 

Feb
02

Bizarre yet delicious magnets to attract buyers

By | Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, Success

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By now, you know my love for a great story.

My marketing assistant Casino - always on the job looking for bizarre marketing ideas

My marketing assistant Casino - always on the job looking for bizarre marketing ideas

You also know I am constantly on the lookout for unusual marketing ideas that you and I can modify for our own.

It is the EASIEST way to find breakthroughs in your own business.

Find something that works in another industry…

…modify it to suit your own.

Hence the problem.

“It doesn’t apply to me [insert nasally whining noise here]….” or “my business is different [whining voice]” or “my customers are far too sophisticated for this nonsense ” [snide comment and whining voice all in one]”

If you have ever found yourself making those excuses…

…you have a choice.

Continue making up excuses (and you should probably stop reading because nothing I would share with you is good enough for you…).

…or you can start taking this idea seriously.

REAL breakthroughs come from taking something that worked elsewhere, and finding a new or un-thought-of application for it.

For example, here are a bunch of weird, whacky, and wonderfully delicious ideas for you consider:

1) YOGA anyone?  How do Yoga and Airports fit together?  They don’t would be the excuse of the excuse-makers.  But this airport not only found a use for it… they found a fan-base for it (and the key to marketing is to build a fan-base and let THEM help you spread the word
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/us-fitness-yoga-airport-idUSTRE80T1MY20120130?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=935

2) Mystery brown-paper packages, physical books (gasp! not an ebook?) and a wonderful mailing list to be on.  Some years ago there was a company in the city I am in that sold a gift membership for kids. Each month they child got a purple present in the mail – always a surprise – and always a wonderful treat for someone who thrives on imagination and fun.  Hint, hint – so do your clients! (how can you make surprise gifts or membership ideas for your clients?)
http://www.springwise.com/lifestyle_leisure/slovenian-library-creates-surprise-book-packs-based-genre/

3) Palm readers and Chinese school children.  Yes – they DO go together and parents have “flocked to palm readers” for the test.
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/01/31/chinese-tots-subjected-to-palm-reading

4) Tampons and customized marketing messages, with a little bit of song and dance. This was sent to me by a fellow reader of this newsletter (thanks Kim Small!).  Fill in your name and watch what happens…truly awweesome and easily replicatable for all businesses.
http://www.obtampons.ca/apology

5) Neiman Marcus and $1 million dollar fountains.  These guys get it!  Yes, their clients are affluent… but the attention they draw brings in people from all walks of life. And then they offer those people something from EVERY price point imaginable. (HINT).

Long time read, subscriber and friend Xenia Stanford shared this:

“Checked Christmas Catalog from Neiman Marcus. The his and hers gift were matching dancing fountains for a mere 1 milion. There is only one such item (exclusivity) and the company comes to the estate of the buyer or gift recipient to install them. Another one time gift was the opportunity to be the maestro of aquatic ceremonies at the Fountain of Bellagio. The price tag only 1/2 million. There was also an edible gingerbread house large enough for children (maybe adults too) to fit in. The size of a large playhouse I think. Not sure of price tag. Catalog is still up at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/category.jsp?itemId=cat41900753 – also search on the site for fantasy gifts.

Not quite Pando poop but the idea is still there – something to talk about and bring attention to the company.”

So… have I lost you?

Or inspired you?

The list is unusual… and all over the map.

Which is EXACTLY my point.

If you took this list of ideas – studied each of them – and got the trusty old pad of paper out to jot down ideas…

…you may just find something BIG for your marketing, for your product offering, or for free media attention.

Not a bad trade for an hour or two of your time.

So, more excuses…or bigger and better ideas?

The choice is yours.

Hope this gets that brain moving today.

Chow for now,

Troy

PS: The Story Selling Home Study Coaching program http://www.storysellingtips.com should be ready by Friday and is an incredible way to introduce your clients and prospects to your backstories… where your real money will be made.

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