You are here: Home / Archives for Marketing
Feb
01

One month down…11 to go

By | Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirits

Leave a Comment

We are already one month into the year and time is of the essence to kick it off with a BANG.

2011 jolted past us kicking and screaming along the way.

Riots happened.
Occupiers happened.

People spoke out about what was troubling them.

…and little was done to fix any of it.

So will 2012 be yet another year like 2011 where there is lots of wanting, wishing and screaming…

…or will you get something useful done this year?

Something grandiose.

That BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL of yours… finally comes to fruition.

Yes, now is time for reflection of what went right and wrong in the prior 12 months…

…it is also the time to STOP looking backwards and start planning your new course of action.

2012 is the year of taking MASSIVE action.

Your chance to rewrite history.

Your chance to make some heads turn.

Maybe its that book you’ve always wanted to bring out.

…or that new product you’ve always wanted to get out there.

…or taking the plunge from part time to full time entrepreneur.

Whatever your goals are… make THEM BHAGs!

2012 marks my 10th year in business (March is officially my 10 year anniversary so we will do some fun things leading up to the  date).

My goals for this year are bigger, bolder, and more audacious than every before.

I have a new team member in place whose sole purpose is to help me stay focused on writing, and to help me make them time to help as many people as I can through their marketing (hi Tracie! everyone, meet Tracie – the awesomest VA out there!).

One new book is launching in Beruary 2012, a collaboration with 13 other entrepreneurs…

…Entrepreneurial Spirit Sauce: Proven recipes for success that feed your ideal business lifestyle.

2 more will come in this year.

Including more videos from me.

More chances to learn from the same masters I credit with my own decade-long success story.

More help cutting through all the BS out there and helping you zone in on what DOES work online and offline.

More ways for you to make a bigger impact with less work.

2012 is about more opportunities, greater opportunities, and MASSIVE implementation of everything needed to take advantage of the opportunities at hand.

I would love to hear your comments on 2012.

What you want to accomplish.

What you missed out on this past year, that you refuse to let pass you by again.

Some of my goals for the year:
- 3 books released
- 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
- Triple my business revenues
- Triple the number of people I help through my posts, articles and products/services
- More time helping my daughters in school
- More time off on the beach

What’s your BIG GOALS?

Think big…

…and act fast!

We are already 8.3% through the year – time cannot be a wasted here!

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.

Jan
30

The true power of raw emotions in your writing

By | Copywriting, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirits, Writing

1 Comment

The past couple weeks have been rough for me.

Some very personal things happening that I won’t get into right now.

But what I do want to talk about is emotion.

Pure emotions that strip you down to the core.

The kinds guys don’t like to talk about…

…but girls typically freely share.

Ya, those ones.

Those are the ones I have been going through lately.

They drain me.

But the inspire me too.

Some of my best writing happens when I am in that raw emotional state that I love to hide from others.

Words flow through me unlike any other time.

I don’t know where those words come from… but they sure feel good to put down on the paper.

Tapping into those emotions is one of those secrets of the best marketing campaigns in the world.

When you can feel the tears well up when you read “In Memory of Blue” on the Saddleback Leather Site
(http://www.sbackleather.com).

That memoir he wrote on his dog blue is THE MOST DISCUSSED PAGE on his blog.  He gets DOZENS of comments, emails, and Facebook posts about that page.

Much like my “Ode to Entrepreneurs” article I sent out last week
http://blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/an-ode-to-entrepreneurs-3/…

              …I wrote that in a raw emotional state that truly made me blank out the actual writing of that article.

When I was finished, I shook my head and realized I had just written something without thinking.

It came from the heart.

…and people are commenting on it daily.

YOU need to tap into those emotions.

Find something, anything, to get yourself fired up and in that unprotected state.

Then pour your words onto the screen or pad of paper.

Magic happens there.

Miracles too.

Find it, nurture it, and feed it.

Emotions are the KEY to fantastic marketing.

Dig yours out and let them free.

…as tough as that is for guys like me.

Try it, please.

Troy

PS: Telling a great story is an excellent way to start re-discovering your emotions.  Finding the stories that make you cry, or laugh hysterically, is a learnable art and craft.  It makes your emails shine and your website magnetic.

The home study version of the Story Selling Coaching Class is ready this week…  Get yours through this link

https://responsivedm.infusionsoft.com/app/manageCart/addProduct?productId=274

(for full details of everything you get – minus the actual live coaching – go to http://www.storysellingtips.com)

Jan
24

Ok, let’s talk about what makes you weird

By | Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirits, Story Selling, Success

Leave a Comment

Let’s talk about your….

Eccentricities.

Quirks.

Bizarre behaviours.

Unusual beginnings and family ties.

The first step is admitting we all have them.

The second step is to get them out there!

Leveraging your personal stories in business is a touch-and-go thing. You can’t get too caught up in it.  You can’t share some things far too intimate that you wouldn’t share with your best friend.

But you need to seriously get some eccentricities built into your marketing.

It’s why people read and love Harry Potter books (each character in the story line has certain things about them that make them off-the-wall and unusual).

It’s why people watch Regis every day, and have done so for decades (his opening monologue is full of his daily life-doings and mishaps).

It’s why people watched and were hooked on Oprah’s show.  Who doesn’t know about her problems with relationships (including the present one that has been front and center for a long time… I had lunch with Stedman 7 years ago… seemed like a very nice guy :O)

It’s why reality shows are all the rage!

These so-called reality stars are usually a bunch of yee haws with more quirks than personality.

They have jaded histories.

They have tempers.

They have drinking problems.

They have serious people issues.

Whatever their issue is… people love it and watch just for that.

Weaving stories about your own quicks and traits into your marketing will be the best darned thing you could EVER do.

Think about the things (and write them down) that have made you who you are today.

- hobbies
- passions
- eccentricities
- secrets
- quirks
- dare devil tendencies
- self-destructive tendencies
- unusual past jobs
- present day friends or family with unusual stories or family members

Each and every one of these is a GREAT starting point for your story-based marketing campaign.

But you have to get your list down, PICK ONE, and write about it.  Find a way to tie it into your business and or promotion.

And just see what happens.

The more you do it, the more people will love you for it.

Do it on a regular basis and they become a raving fan, and a Regis-like watcher that sticks with you through thick and thin.

Try it.

Please!

Troy

PS: If you are interested in the Story Selling Coaching system, but aren’t willing to invest $495 in the one-on-one coaching program, I have another option for you.  I am just getting the transcripts done of the past coaching class and am willing to give you a VERY SPECIAL Powerful Personalities special.

You get the 31k Club series of writing lessons as well as the audios and transcripts of the last 6-session coaching series.  For only $99.

If you want in, either Paypal me the $99 (US or CDN – they are almost the same right now), or you can reply back and I will send you a private link.  This has never been offered again and may never be again – I will see if you like the idea or not.  The material is gold when used – worth many, many times the investment.

Let me know your thoughts (paypal to this same email troy@smallbusinesscopywriter.com)

Jan
17

Thick skinned marketing approaches

By | advertising, Copywriting, Direct response, Entrepreneur, Main Content

Leave a Comment

Yet again, I truly do wonder why I bother doing what I do.

The strangest phenomenon in my business is client resistance to trying something, anything, new.

For 10 years now I have been selling products online, writing copy for myself and for others, and have built up a solid reputation.

…I’m not perfect and have messed up along the way.

But I have stuck to my ground on using direct response copy and marketing…to avoid promoting the scam artists online…to avoid preaching the get-rich-overnight-bs…and to always test small and roll out big.

There were many distractions along the way that I could have followed, or recommended…

…but I didn’t.

And I CANNOT FIGURE FOR THE LIFE OF ME, why people would hire a copywriter or marketing consultant for help…and COMPLETELY ignore the help given.

It happens all the time.

“Well that’s not the way we do it”

“I’m not comfortable trying it that way”

“It is just too far off from what we are used to doing”

…the excuses are varied.

Marketing and copywriting fears erased here daily

Press the delete button on your marketing and copywriting fears and try something new for a change!

But the problem is the same: thin skin.

I personally am willing to try all kinds of new approaches in my marketing – because I have seen time and time again the breakthroughs that happen there (I just test a weird approach with some Facebook ads the other day on one of my own products and found a wickedly good response).

I also understand that most marketing and copy tests fail.

It’s a fact of life!

Ask any marketing or copy veteran who’s been doing this for a decade or more.

More tests fail than succeed.

But the ones that succeed do so in a big way and MORE than make up for the failures.

…failure IS how you discover success.

So don’t be yet another one of those thin-skinned-entrepreneurs.

Thicken your skin real quick now, ok?

The best way is through testing new approaches and failing.

Try all kinds of things to see what works and doesn’t.

Accept that you WILL get complaints along the way (hint: that’s because you are actually communicating with prospects and clients… you never got complaints before because they NEVER heard from you!)

And when you hire a marketer or copywriter, test out their approaches before cutting them down.

One of those approaches just might dig you out of that massive hole you put yourself in by not communicating with your clients.

Try it… you might like seeing your sales grow faster than ever before.

Ok?

Troy

PS: The quickest way to get thick skin while trying all kinds of new approaches is with my 2012 Cash Flow Calendar http://www.cashflowcalendars.com

Packed with daily, weekly, and monthly marketing ideas – crammed with copy-and-paste postcards, letters, emails and sales campaigns you can send to your own list. This is a gem for those who want to succeed in a BIG way this year.

Try it… you might like it.

Dec
19

Random Marketing Miracles

By | Client retention, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirits, Main Content, Marketing Calendar, Marketing Plan, Viral marketing, Wacky marketing ideas

5 Comments

   

     People LOVE unexpected surprises.

Sometimes, unexpected surprises can be the launching pad for exceptional results in your marketing.

2 top of mind ones that I really like…

…Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga

 

Johnny Depp, to me, is one of the greatest actors of our times.  He is also an incredible unexpected hero to 9 year old Beatrice and her classmates.

Beatrice wrote Johnny a letter asking for him to come to their school assembly…

…hoping he would… but probably not planning on it.

But he did – in full Jack Sparrow get up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11498980

He was filming his newest Pirates of the Carribean movie and brought come decked out crew members with him – all in full Pirates outfit and character.

What a way to make an impression!

I think Johnny just added a whole new legion of fans, and a significant pay raise for all his future movies.

Lady Gaga… loves making her fans scream with delight.

I wrote an article about her some time ago http://blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/how-to-monetize-your-little-monsters/

Some people didn’t like it – saying all she had going for her was skin and breasts.

Sex sells, they battled back. 

She is nothing without boobs, says another. 

While I am not one to disagree that sex does sell and showing some skin definitely attracts a certain type of person…

…Lady Gaga IS a masterful marketer.

And she doesn’t rely on her looks exclusively to warm over her fans (her customers).

She likes to pick up the phone and call one of her fans –completely out of the blue and unexpectedly.

Now THAT is a way to win the hearts of your fans!

Imagine the buzz that both of these unexpected surprises have given their customers.

Imagine what you could do if, just once a month, you did something unexpected for your clients and prospects.

A few unexpected surprises you could start using every month.  Alternate them – or stick with the ones that get the biggest shock-value from them:

-       Call a new client out of the blue – heck, call them all.  Say hi – have no ulterior motive – and just say thank you. (in the day and age of emails everywhere – the actual phone has become a VERY powerful tool for touching base.  I saw it this past week when I called a new customer how shocked he was, I am making it a new practice in my business!)

 

-       Send a handwritten card.  While I love services like send out cards for keeping in touch, a real handwritten card is unmistakable and will win them over much faster.

 

-       Send one random customer a present every month or week. Make the present something of value – and don’t always use your own products – use other people’s products as the central theme here.  This is not self promotion – it’s selfless promotion.

 

-       Pick a customer of the month and put their picture (with approval of course) on your site, your blog, in your store.

 

-       Do a write up on your customer of the month.  This would be especially powerful if you are dealing business to business.  Use your writing prowess and do an editorial on them – send it out to all your other clients. Send it to the press. Send it in a newsletter.  Plaster the write up everywhere.  And frame it and send it to the customer your profiled so they can hand it up in their office.

 

-       Give someone cash, for no rhyme or reason.  I had this happen to me a few weeks ago and it was an incredible feeling.  The amount doesn’t have to break the bank – the thought is what matters.

 

-       Gift them something sweet.  I have written enough about Kinjo Sushi here, but one of his secret weapons is his chocolates he gives out.  Only to the ladies and children… but it is a practice that makes him a mint (pun intended). He knows down to the penny what each free box of chocolate brings him back in business.

 

-       Use the product launch strategy of giving away one of your high end products.  But don’t build it into a launch – just do it without expectation of future sales (you can and should do a write up on the gift recipient though).

 

-       Use part of your profits to do a random donation to a good cause.

 

-       And yes, you can monetize these ideas – not only with the great karma and word of mouth, but with the immense pr potential when you do this consistently. Don’t do it once and call yourself a hero, expecting the press to crawl all over you.  Do it consistently for a year – and you won’t have to tell the press – your customers will do that for you.

 

I am making it part of my business (should have done it sooner – doh!).  I hope you do as well.

To your success.

Troy

Your 2012 Marketing Plan and Calendar (complete with thousands of marketing ideas, blog post ideas, promotional campaigns, etc)

PS: If you want off-the-wall marketing ideas… the 2012 Cash Flow Calendar is ready to roll… http://www.cashflowcalendars.com
…done-for-you, copy and paste marketing campaigns that make 2012 your best year yet!

 

If you need help with your marketing and promotional plan for the next 12 months…

…this is an exceptional way to plan out all your campaigns, with simple formulas and copy/paste templates.

 

We executed the September promotion and received over
$1000.00 worth of sales from it in one day! 
Fabulous I say.” – Fran Agar – Ballymoon Beauty

Dec
02

Biker babes and bad-ass story success

By | Autoresponders, Copywriting, Email Marketing, Writing

Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of Sons of Anarchy.

Hadn’t even heard of it until recently, when a friend gave me seasons 1 through 3 on dvd.

Spellbound and a major time vampire.

Sons of Anarchy has turned out to be one of the best series I have ever seen with some of the most powerful, emotion wrenching storylines I’ve experienced.

The best part is that they use some of the same principles I unexpected have been teaching through my emails and in my Story Selling Coaching calls.

A very basic tool that keeps your prospects interested in hearing from you.

…one that grows your business by leaps and bounds over the years if you use it.

Guess what it is?

If you guessed a fantastic story line (something everyone, yes… you too, can create in their marketing), you are correct.

But there is something else other than the main story line that keeps people craving more and addicted to the characters.

Cliffhangers.

Everywhere.

The amazing writers behind this series are masters at creating tension through cliffhangers.

“Will Jax kill him?”

“Will she tell SAMCRO the one thing that will rip the entire club apart at the seams?”

“Will the Doctor be able to save her career… or be subjected to years as a ‘biker-babe’?”

Each episode leaves more unanswered questions in the viewers mind.

Unbelievably addictive…

…and I am not much for watching a lot of tv.

Get this though:

5.8 million viewers per episode

Highest-rated basic cable drama in the US

Emmy nominated

2011 Golden Globe Winner (Katey Sagal… THE best character I think… and a big surprise Peg Bundy could end up to be such an amazing actress. She was also nominated for numerous other acting awards for her role)

 

…much of it through the incredible use of hooks and cliffhangers.

Something you should be working on in your marketing campaigns.

It’s works like gangbusters and isn’t that hard to do when you practice it a wee bit.

I’ve used it for myself and for many different clients over the years.

 …and the clients and prospects LOVE IT.

A great story, mixed into your marketing and personality-driven communication with your clients/prospects… sprinkled with a dash of cliffhanger and BAM, you have a winning campaign.

One they will want more of.

One they will continue to open, read, and act on.

And you know what?

I’m teaching this in the January Story Selling Coaching Club. (and every Story Selling Coaching member gets free access to ALL future classes and new content).

This January I will be showing new examples of cliffhangers and incredible marketing-based story selling campaigns.

But you need to get signed up now.

Plus, you automatically get entered into the 31k club that automatically starts helping you improve your writing over the next 31 days…even before we start the Coaching program in January.

To find out the full details and to reserve yourself a spot, go to:

http://www.storysellingtips.com

 

Troy White

« Older Posts