Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category
Read the latest Subject2 blog post about the most critical factor in forging a lucrative relationship with your copywriter.
The post last week about writing well stirred up so many comments, both pro and con, that I had to write a part 2.
Check it out and please leave a comment . . . is it important to use correct grammar?
I’ve written a new blog post on Subject2 about common mistakes in grammar:
http://subject2.com/2010/02/it-aint-that-hard-to-write-good/
Do you lie in your marketing materials?
Have you ever thought about that?
How many times have you seen a sales letter that made a big promise but the product didn’t deliver? Or how about a blog post whose title said one thing but the post itself said another?
How did you feel when you were done reading? Like you just wasted 5 minutes you’ll never get back.
Make sure you don’t do that. If necessary, have someone else read your marketing materials.
Always test your emails. Send them to yourself and click on the links, reread for clarity, and check the formatting. If your emails look sloppy, you’re going to lose subscribers.
And above all – if you say you’re going to tell your readers how to do something, follow through! And don’t take 50 paragraphs to do it.
Exciting news . . . I’ve recently joined the Subject2 team of bloggers.
The Subject2 site was created by Nick Johnson, a savvy real-estate investor I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Subject2 will be an authority site on real estate and marketing. Even if you aren’t in real estate, the marketing and writing advice there will be valuable to you. I encourage you to check it out.
My first post is about knowing your audience and can be found here.
Back in February of 2009, I wrote this post about a mobile phone marketing company called 2du Media that I thought had a unique, interesting service for businesses and consumers. I used keywords where I could and added links to 2du within the post. I thought it might help them get some publicity for a week or so and that would be it.
Was I wrong.
Today, over 10 months later, I’m still getting hits on that post almost every day. In fact, I’ve had 13 hits so far today. Why?
I’d like to say it was my wonderful writing, but mobile phone marketing (also known as SMS marketing) is big. More companies are getting into it, so people want to know more. A few of these info seekers run across my post.
If you want a post that keeps getting hits long after you write it, mention names, research your keywords and use them judiciously, and link to relevant websites. If you can write about a new or hot trend, all the better. People will be looking for more information and you’ll look like an expert.
If you take the time to read the post, do you see anything else that might be helping it get so many hits?
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and here’s to a happy 2010!
I was reading a post on Clayton Makepeace’s site and one of the comments jumped out at me. Loren Woirhaye mentioned Googling your name and offered ways to get more exposure and make your name “Google-able”. I Googled myself and while there are others out there with my name, I should have been on the first page somewhere because of this site.
Nope. My Twitter was there, but nothing about Grab More Customers.
Know one reason why?
Because until this moment, my blog posts all showed “Melody” as the author. Not “Melody Brooks”. That’s been changed and we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks.
If you want more credibility, make sure you show up on Google. Read Loren’s comment here (go to bottom) for more ideas to make your name “Googleable”.
Clients need your help in getting more customers, especially online. Most of them have no idea where to start – and not only will they pay you handsomely, but they will love you for taking this chore off their hands. These are just a few ideas meant to inspire you to come up with plans personalized for your clients.
1. ASK your clients what they need . . . just because your other beauty shop clients needed help with Craigslist ads, that doesn’t mean this one will too.
2. Closely related to #1 is Don’t assume anything. Your client may have a solid marketing background and just needs to know how to start a WordPress blog. To waltz in and assume he needs your services from A-Z is not only condescending and rude, but you’re going to lose business . . . to people who ASK.
3. What kind of list does the client have now? It may be mailing addresses only, in which case you can start a postcard campaign. It takes time to get this together and see results, so the process should be started right away and running in the background along with #4.
4. Gather contact information consistently, especially email addresses. You can use Aweber or Constant Contact to create a monthly newsletter with coupons and specials. Make sure that newsletter delivers quality content.
5. Create a blog or website. If nothing else, a Blogger site will do. The client may want to update the blog or website in-house but want you to train the staff who will be doing it. Or he may want you to take it over.
6. Don’t forget old clients. You may need to send them a “sorry we haven’t touched base” letter or postcard, but reactivating old clients can pay great dividends.
7. JV, JV, JV. Joint ventures are a big piece of the corporate money pie, but most small businesses have never heard of them. In a joint venture, two or more businesses leverage each other’s resources.
For example, a jewelry store that specializes in high-end diamond jewelry might work with a boutique in an upscale part of town. The boutique could send out a letter to its clients recommending the jewelry store, with an introductory special of 20% off for anyone who brings in the letter. The boutique gets 35% of the profit from the campaign.
All it cost the boutique was a little time mailing the letters, and the actual costs to put together the campaign could be taken off the top of the proceeds. The jewelry store has new customers they wouldn’t have had otherwise, and the customers got a great deal on jewelry.
A win-win-win situation for everyone.
Most business owners are so busy running their businesses (especially in this economy) that they don’t have time to learn how to market, much less to do it. Anything you can help them with will be much appreciated . . . remember, they are already used to paying for marketing and advertising.
Listen in Tuesday, December 8th from 2-3 pm EST as Michelle Salater of Sumer, LLC interviews Larry Feil, president of Precision Analytics Group.
On this call, you’ll learn some great ideas and info like . . .
* How to attract prospects with a landing page.
* The 7elements of a successful landing page.
* How to create an irresistible offer that will convert prospects every time.
* Best practices for using a landing page.
* How to track your success.
Sign up here. Did I already mention it’s free?
The call will be recorded…see you there!
Last week, I posted a link to an interview Jim Edwards did with an official at the FTC. Here is the link to the transcript of that interview:
http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/ftc-interview/
Please…take a few minutes to read this and know exactly how these new rules will affect your business.
