by Steven Weisenburger
I wanted to answer another marketing and advertising question that came in from one of the members of our elite little band of CopyLab marketing students.
Christine had an experience that I see surface often, so I felt it beneficial to expose you all to my response to her because it can make the difference between success or failure.
"... I did some research and according to a guy at "MediaStar Company" (pseudo name used to avoid an legal ramifacations!) , my "product" is one that is so saturated, he insinuated it's not worth pursuing unless you have lots of money to throw at it.
Given that, should I change my product and try to come up with something
else?
I was disheartened, to say the least."
My Rant... er... I mean My Answer:
OK, I didn't know who "MediaStar" was. So I went to their website and checked them out. They have one of those very impressive website, sporting clients like DKNY, Playboy, Countrywide, eBay etc... a lot of big name corporate companies. Plus, they have been written up by the media and won some awards because they are growing so fast. Wooowhoo! Impressive... to some.
Well here are my thoughts...
Know this, when anyone says something to you, you must understand they have their own motivations, experiences and prejudices in play. So you best consider this long and hard when you ask a persons advice on any matter. I don't care what you say -- you are NOT going to get an objective opinion... from anyone... we are not machines, we are after all, human beings.
And I'll be the first to tell you that I'm that way. So you best figure out what my motivations, experience and prejudices are when weighing my answer. For example...
I loathe companies like "MediaStar"...
Why? -- Because I have a prejudice against most of corporate America marketing and that is clearly the market served by "MediaStar." Right or wrong I think corporate America has their heads stuck way up there collective corporate asses (Opps, I mean, "up a donkeys rear end") when it comes to marketing.
But hey what the hell do I know about it? I'm just a lowly small businessman--well I'm gonna tell you what I know about it in a minute, so make sure you read the end of this post...
When Things Strike You As Odd
It struck me as odd that Christine, a startup entrepreneur, sought advise from those serving the corporate niche. Not that they don't have anything of value to learn but as an entrepreneur, I'm certianly not willing to adopt the philosophy of an organization that has snuffed out every particle of entreprenuership out of its culture. Hey, that's how corporate America got to be corporate America! At least that's my experience.
And I wonder who the "a guy at "MediaStar" is that Christine spoke to? I would imagine he's a lowly hourly wage earning employee that has owned a business or even had an ecommerce website of his own for that matter? I know she didn't talk to the owner of "MediaStar" or she would have remembered his name.
And what's the basis for "a guy's" answer? He told her the debt elimination/reduction market was "saturated and not worth pursuing." Wow, I guess he would know... or would he?
It strikes me as odd that the company he works for doesn't see the Insurance industry as saturated, but hey sure have them as clients. Hell, I can't throw a rock around here without hitting someone that sells insurance -- that's pretty saturated if you ask me.
It also strikes me as odd that his company, who serves clothing clients, doesn't think the clothing market is saturated -- good grief when I go shopping with my wife the sea of clothing stores is infinite (meaning without end).
And of course they love their client Playboy, because the porn market has in no way reached it's saturation point has it?
What are "a guy's" Motivations?
So what are "a guy's" motivations? Who does his company want as a client? Sure they may give lip service to serving the small guy but, who brings in the majority of the companies revenue?
In my "objective opinion" they like corporate clients because they have lots of money to throw at web marketing to solve their problems. Their corporate clients don't have a clue which end is up when it comes to search engine marketing, affiliate marketing or any of the other internet marketing strategies. So it's pretty easy for "MediaStar" to help out corporate America -- at least that's my opinion.
I would be willing to bet that "a guy" and his company have never even attempted to penetrate the debt market. It would be a foreign animal to them. It would be hard... they want to stick to what they know -- they want the easy stufff -- I don't fault them for that.
I've written copy for John Cummuta, the Transform your Debt Into Wealth Guru. He wasn't the first into the highly competitive debt reduction/elimination market, as a matter of fact he got into this highly competitive industry just a few years ago, and today he has become a mulit-millionaire. And continues to rake in the gold.
Look, the debt elimination industry is notoriously full or scammy, slimy operators. And that may be what "a guy" was really saying, but John Cummuta's program was clean and he is a breath of fresh air.
Listen, the debt industry is only going to get bigger... I believe we at the beginning of a whole new debt growth curve... think about what's going on in the economy right now... it doesn't take a genius to realize our tanking economy is taking its toll and it's just the beginning of some very dark days for record breaking numbers of people fighting crushing debt.
I personally think there is room for another breath of fresh clean air in this burgeoning industry. But you're going to have to articulate it in a compelling way so people can see the difference. John found his unique purchase appeal and you'll need to find yours.
... what do I know about competing in a saturated market against Fortune 500 companies? Now for the rest of the story.
When I started my yellow pages publishing business I chose markets that were, at the time, saturated with yellow pages telephone books published by Corporate Giants like GTE and the like.
I went up against these mega buck giants with a measly $50 to my name and, a Unique Purchase Appeal. And with my direct response marketing methods beat them senseless. I mean I chewed them up and spit them out -- they were like a rag doll at the mercy of a pitbull. They had no idea where I had come from or what to do to stop me -- so finally two of them got into a bidding war and according to my accountant, bought me out for 5 times my companies real value.
The thought of a saturated market never entered my mind because I had something different to offer. I gave the customer a "reason why" they should buy from me, and they did.
I guess if I had let my mind dwell on the fact that these mega million dollar giants had saturated the market I may have become discouraged, right...nah... no freaking way... I was on a mission to succeed and obstacles were there to be overcome and discouragment was something I choose to do without. I could see no useful purpose for it. I was excited and full of purpose and everyday was fun.
Don't you think it's time you had some fun too, regardless of what anyone else says about it?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Copywriters Greatest Secrets --3 Tips for Filling Your Swipe File with Ads that Sell
by Steven Weisenburger
I wanted to answer a question that has come in from one of the members of our elite little band of Internet marketers.
Maggi and Ken from the UK had a good question:
"You mentioned in your CopyLab webinar that one of the best ways to
learn about copy is to collect a swipe file of good copy. But, how do you know what is good copy, and what has been successful?"
Answer:
Once you graduate from the CopyLab, not only will you be writing advertising copy that sells, but you'll also recognize good copy when you see it. Plus, I am going to give you a couple of hundred ads from my personal swipe file to get you started. And to top that off, you'll also receive some of the pieces I've written that were winners.
3 quick tips for finding great ads to include in your swipe file.
First: Direct mail that you receive via snail mail (US Postal Service here in the USA or the UK Post Office) and see more than once is going to be someone’s control piece. You see in the direct response world, it doesn't get sent out again if it didn't work the first time.
Second: Long copy format ads or ads that require the reader to take action that you find in publications like the Wall Street Journal, USA Today or even The National Enquirer and other publications, that you see over and over again are someone's controls. When I see these repeated ads I snatch them up faster than a paparazzi can snap a shot of Paris Hilton.
Just in case you're new to the Direct Response world, a "control" piece means the ad works for someone. They have measured the response and tested it against other copy and it has won the day and makes money for the company sending it.
Third: However, I have tons of ads in my swipe file that are most definitely NOT controls. The reasons for adding them to my swipe file are many. For example, if its got an attention grabbing headline then I want it in my file -- I keep my eyes peel for interesting and unusual offers -- perhaps a unique way of saying something caught my eye -- or the ad triggered an idea for me.
So the ads that end up in your swipe file will come from many sources for many personal reasons.
Then, when it comes time for you to write a winning promotional advertising piece, you well have at your finger tips a wealth of resources to draw on to make your job a lot easier and to ensure you have advertising that really works.
I wanted to answer a question that has come in from one of the members of our elite little band of Internet marketers.
Maggi and Ken from the UK had a good question:
"You mentioned in your CopyLab webinar that one of the best ways to
learn about copy is to collect a swipe file of good copy. But, how do you know what is good copy, and what has been successful?"
Answer:
Once you graduate from the CopyLab, not only will you be writing advertising copy that sells, but you'll also recognize good copy when you see it. Plus, I am going to give you a couple of hundred ads from my personal swipe file to get you started. And to top that off, you'll also receive some of the pieces I've written that were winners.
3 quick tips for finding great ads to include in your swipe file.
First: Direct mail that you receive via snail mail (US Postal Service here in the USA or the UK Post Office) and see more than once is going to be someone’s control piece. You see in the direct response world, it doesn't get sent out again if it didn't work the first time.
Second: Long copy format ads or ads that require the reader to take action that you find in publications like the Wall Street Journal, USA Today or even The National Enquirer and other publications, that you see over and over again are someone's controls. When I see these repeated ads I snatch them up faster than a paparazzi can snap a shot of Paris Hilton.
Just in case you're new to the Direct Response world, a "control" piece means the ad works for someone. They have measured the response and tested it against other copy and it has won the day and makes money for the company sending it.
Third: However, I have tons of ads in my swipe file that are most definitely NOT controls. The reasons for adding them to my swipe file are many. For example, if its got an attention grabbing headline then I want it in my file -- I keep my eyes peel for interesting and unusual offers -- perhaps a unique way of saying something caught my eye -- or the ad triggered an idea for me.
So the ads that end up in your swipe file will come from many sources for many personal reasons.
Then, when it comes time for you to write a winning promotional advertising piece, you well have at your finger tips a wealth of resources to draw on to make your job a lot easier and to ensure you have advertising that really works.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Kick Your Competitors to The Curb With This Marketing Principle
by Steven Weisenburger
Regardless of the industry you're in, the battle for sales is fierce. With competitors around every corner, lying in wait to steal your customers, take your profits and bury you as deep as they can with superior advertising and marketing tactics. What's your battle plan to defeat the enemy?
h Alexander the Great was never defeated in battle, that's why they called him Great. The rest of us should be so lucky, but I don't know anyone that hasn't lost a few battles in the marketing war.
So what was Alexanders secret to success and can that secret be used today?
Let's take a brief look at Alexanders life and some of legendary feats he accomplished.
First off, it's important to give Alexander's dad, King Phillip II of Macedon, some credit. When Alexander was 13 years old his dad hired Aristotle as his sons teacher. Aristotle hung out with Socrates and Plato and was noted as one of the greatest young minds of his time.
Obviously, his father knew the importance of exercising the mind as well as the body, because Aristotle became the headmaster of the military school Alexanders father built for his son, along with some of his son's buddies, to attend.
After hanging out with Aristotle, Alexander became a pretty sharp guy himself. Aristotle taught Alexander how to think. It's been said that thinking is the hardest act we can ever do -- so true.
So being well prepared, his dad put him in charge of the Army and turned him loose. His conquests were of epic proportion - he essentially went out and conquered the then known world.
One of the earliest examples revealing Alexanders ability to think was the story of how he won his horse, Bucephalus, when he was just 12. No one could mount the horse, but Alexander noticed that the horse feared his own shadow. When Alexander turned the horse into the sun so he could not see his shadow, he became docile and to the wonderment of all let Alexander mount him.
The fortress of Tyre was on an island, and thus, unapproachable by infantry since they can't walk on water. Tyre had indeed proven itself invincible. As Alexander approached this problem he had to do some pretty heavy thinking. How do you defeat an invincible city if your solders cannot march upon it?
Since Tyre was and island, the obvious tactic was to put a blockade thus cutting off vital supply lines. After a seven month blockade yielded no results, and having plenty of time on his hands to think, Alexander decided to change the rules -- he altered the geography by building a causeway from the mainland to Tyre. He marched his soldiers right over and battered down the gate and the fortress fell, and the causeway is still there today.
In another incident, an Indian noble had a castle on a mountain, and Alexander wanted him to submit. The noble said, "Unless you have men with wings, you'll never take this fortress!" Alexander sent some mountaineers up the mountain at night (about 90 percent survived) with orders to wave white cloths from the top. He then told the noble, "There are your winged men!" The man was so overcome with surprise that he gave in, although it is doubtful that Alexander could have beaten him.
pan·o·ply [pan-uh-plee]
Regardless of the industry you're in, the battle for sales is fierce. With competitors around every corner, lying in wait to steal your customers, take your profits and bury you as deep as they can with superior advertising and marketing tactics. What's your battle plan to defeat the enemy?
h Alexander the Great was never defeated in battle, that's why they called him Great. The rest of us should be so lucky, but I don't know anyone that hasn't lost a few battles in the marketing war.
So what was Alexanders secret to success and can that secret be used today?
Let's take a brief look at Alexanders life and some of legendary feats he accomplished.
First off, it's important to give Alexander's dad, King Phillip II of Macedon, some credit. When Alexander was 13 years old his dad hired Aristotle as his sons teacher. Aristotle hung out with Socrates and Plato and was noted as one of the greatest young minds of his time.
Obviously, his father knew the importance of exercising the mind as well as the body, because Aristotle became the headmaster of the military school Alexanders father built for his son, along with some of his son's buddies, to attend.
After hanging out with Aristotle, Alexander became a pretty sharp guy himself. Aristotle taught Alexander how to think. It's been said that thinking is the hardest act we can ever do -- so true.
So being well prepared, his dad put him in charge of the Army and turned him loose. His conquests were of epic proportion - he essentially went out and conquered the then known world.
One of the earliest examples revealing Alexanders ability to think was the story of how he won his horse, Bucephalus, when he was just 12. No one could mount the horse, but Alexander noticed that the horse feared his own shadow. When Alexander turned the horse into the sun so he could not see his shadow, he became docile and to the wonderment of all let Alexander mount him.
The fortress of Tyre was on an island, and thus, unapproachable by infantry since they can't walk on water. Tyre had indeed proven itself invincible. As Alexander approached this problem he had to do some pretty heavy thinking. How do you defeat an invincible city if your solders cannot march upon it?
Since Tyre was and island, the obvious tactic was to put a blockade thus cutting off vital supply lines. After a seven month blockade yielded no results, and having plenty of time on his hands to think, Alexander decided to change the rules -- he altered the geography by building a causeway from the mainland to Tyre. He marched his soldiers right over and battered down the gate and the fortress fell, and the causeway is still there today.
In another incident, an Indian noble had a castle on a mountain, and Alexander wanted him to submit. The noble said, "Unless you have men with wings, you'll never take this fortress!" Alexander sent some mountaineers up the mountain at night (about 90 percent survived) with orders to wave white cloths from the top. He then told the noble, "There are your winged men!" The man was so overcome with surprise that he gave in, although it is doubtful that Alexander could have beaten him.
pan·o·ply [pan-uh-plee]
ə| 1. | a wide-ranging and impressive array or display: the dazzling panoply of the maharaja's procession; the panoply of European history. |
| 2. | a complete suit of armor. |
Sunday, April 13, 2008
2 Sales Secrets That Can Improve Your Personal Life
By Katie Yeakle
If you could spend a day in the offices of today’s most successful businesspeople, you’d find that they rely on a few surprisingly simple secrets to make more sales than their competition. And you can use the same techniques yourself - not only, as you would expect, to grow your own business, but also to gain prestige, increased respect from family and friends, and lots more of the things you want out of life.
Today, I’m going to show you how.
When we learn techniques that help us become better marketers, most of us don’t think about using them outside the realm of "work." But consider this…
When you want to talk a friend into eating at your favorite restaurant, your spouse into seeing the movie you want to see, or even a neighbor into pitching in on trimming the trees on your property line, you want that person to see things your way. Right? It’s a lot like the challenge a salesperson faces when trying to convince you to buy whatever it is that he’s selling, don’t you think? Well, just like a salesperson, when you use proven marketing techniques to persuade people to accept your ideas, you’ll hear that wonderful word "yes" far more frequently.
For example, Shawn M.’s neighborhood school marching band was invited to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National Memorial Day parade. As you can imagine, the kids, parents, and teachers were excited. After all, they were the only school in the whole state that got an invitation. But there was one big problem. Sending the band would cost $60,000 - and the school wasn’t about to foot the whole bill. Neither were most of the parents. It looked like the trip might not happen… until Shawn stepped in.
She knew that local corporations often sponsor community events and have a budget just for that purpose. So she decided she was going to get some of those funds for the band. While she could have just asked several companies for the money - and probably would have gotten some donations - she used two powerful marketing secrets and was far more successful.
Secret #1: Talk to the Heart, Not the Head
Every great marketer knows that people buy things for emotional rather than logical reasons. Most of the decisions people make are emotional too - including whether or not they will buy into someone else’s ideas. When you can tug at their heartstrings by figuring out how doing what you want them to do will make them feel good, they’ll follow you just about anywhere… and oftentimes give you exactly what you want.
In the letter Shawn wrote to solicit money for the trip, she didn’t say much about the National Memorial Day parade. Instead, she talked about the kids in the band. She wrote about their hard work. All the long hours they’d spent practicing just to win that coveted invitation. She also reminded the companies of the great publicity they’d get just for helping.
And thousands of dollars in corporate sponsorships came pouring in!
While Shawn won accolades from the band members, their parents, and staffers at the school, the companies that contributed money for the trip were just as thrilled with their decision to help out. They not only felt like heroes, they also enjoyed plenty of free publicity.
That’s another bonus of using this secret when you’re trying to convince someone to do something. Considering their point of view not only helps you get the "yes" you’re looking for - they get something out of giving you that "yes" Which means that everyone involved is happy.
Give this technique a try, and you’ll see how effective it is. Whether you’re talking to the other person or writing a letter, just remember to speak to the heart, not the head. Simply ask yourself three questions to get started:
1. What emotions is this person feeling about this topic?
2. What are this person’s emotional wants and needs?
3. How can I satisfy them?
Secret #2: Create a Picture
You probably already know that one of the most important aspects of selling is to show your customer the benefits of your product. And the best way to do that is to paint a dynamic picture for him with words. That’s what today’s leading marketers do all the time. Well, you can also use this technique to convince another person to "see" the benefit of doing something your way.
Let’s say you want to convince your spouse to head to Europe for the summer. To paint your picture, you might describe what it would be like to spend an afternoon sprawled out on a chaise next to the ocean in Cannes… or dining on freshly baked bread and homemade pasta at a candlelit dinner in a vineyard in Tuscany. Just like an artist, you would add layer after layer of colorful details.
Shawn did something similar in her letter. For example, instead of just saying, "Hey, you’ll get some super publicity if you sponsor the school’s band trip to Washington," she showed the companies all the publicity they’d get. She described how, while the band marched on national television, they would be carrying a banner with the company’s name on it… for millions to see. And how, when the local newspaper reported the story, they would mention that it was the company’s generous sponsorship that made the experience possible for the kids.
Getting the - pardon the pun - picture?
Whether you’re writing a letter to a business or talking to a friend, neighbor, or relative, use the secret of creating a picture to show them - literally - what’s in it for them if they do what you want them to do. Start by asking yourself two questions:
1. What’s the benefit (or benefits) to this person of giving me what I’m asking for?
2. How can I best illustrate this in a verbal picture?
When you use both secrets together - talking to the heart and creating a picture - you’ll see how easy it is to motivate people to take the actions you want them to take… to accept your ideas… and, like Shawn, to support causes that are important to you.
[Ed. Note: Katie Yeakle is Executive Director of American Writers & Artists Inc. Shawn M. is one of thousands of AWAI members who have learned these persuasion techniques (and more) through AWAI’s step-by-step program to help entrepreneurs work with their copywriters to improve response rates. ]
This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.
If you could spend a day in the offices of today’s most successful businesspeople, you’d find that they rely on a few surprisingly simple secrets to make more sales than their competition. And you can use the same techniques yourself - not only, as you would expect, to grow your own business, but also to gain prestige, increased respect from family and friends, and lots more of the things you want out of life.
Today, I’m going to show you how.
When we learn techniques that help us become better marketers, most of us don’t think about using them outside the realm of "work." But consider this…
When you want to talk a friend into eating at your favorite restaurant, your spouse into seeing the movie you want to see, or even a neighbor into pitching in on trimming the trees on your property line, you want that person to see things your way. Right? It’s a lot like the challenge a salesperson faces when trying to convince you to buy whatever it is that he’s selling, don’t you think? Well, just like a salesperson, when you use proven marketing techniques to persuade people to accept your ideas, you’ll hear that wonderful word "yes" far more frequently.
For example, Shawn M.’s neighborhood school marching band was invited to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National Memorial Day parade. As you can imagine, the kids, parents, and teachers were excited. After all, they were the only school in the whole state that got an invitation. But there was one big problem. Sending the band would cost $60,000 - and the school wasn’t about to foot the whole bill. Neither were most of the parents. It looked like the trip might not happen… until Shawn stepped in.
She knew that local corporations often sponsor community events and have a budget just for that purpose. So she decided she was going to get some of those funds for the band. While she could have just asked several companies for the money - and probably would have gotten some donations - she used two powerful marketing secrets and was far more successful.
Secret #1: Talk to the Heart, Not the Head
Every great marketer knows that people buy things for emotional rather than logical reasons. Most of the decisions people make are emotional too - including whether or not they will buy into someone else’s ideas. When you can tug at their heartstrings by figuring out how doing what you want them to do will make them feel good, they’ll follow you just about anywhere… and oftentimes give you exactly what you want.
In the letter Shawn wrote to solicit money for the trip, she didn’t say much about the National Memorial Day parade. Instead, she talked about the kids in the band. She wrote about their hard work. All the long hours they’d spent practicing just to win that coveted invitation. She also reminded the companies of the great publicity they’d get just for helping.
And thousands of dollars in corporate sponsorships came pouring in!
While Shawn won accolades from the band members, their parents, and staffers at the school, the companies that contributed money for the trip were just as thrilled with their decision to help out. They not only felt like heroes, they also enjoyed plenty of free publicity.
That’s another bonus of using this secret when you’re trying to convince someone to do something. Considering their point of view not only helps you get the "yes" you’re looking for - they get something out of giving you that "yes" Which means that everyone involved is happy.
Give this technique a try, and you’ll see how effective it is. Whether you’re talking to the other person or writing a letter, just remember to speak to the heart, not the head. Simply ask yourself three questions to get started:
1. What emotions is this person feeling about this topic?
2. What are this person’s emotional wants and needs?
3. How can I satisfy them?
Secret #2: Create a Picture
You probably already know that one of the most important aspects of selling is to show your customer the benefits of your product. And the best way to do that is to paint a dynamic picture for him with words. That’s what today’s leading marketers do all the time. Well, you can also use this technique to convince another person to "see" the benefit of doing something your way.
Let’s say you want to convince your spouse to head to Europe for the summer. To paint your picture, you might describe what it would be like to spend an afternoon sprawled out on a chaise next to the ocean in Cannes… or dining on freshly baked bread and homemade pasta at a candlelit dinner in a vineyard in Tuscany. Just like an artist, you would add layer after layer of colorful details.
Shawn did something similar in her letter. For example, instead of just saying, "Hey, you’ll get some super publicity if you sponsor the school’s band trip to Washington," she showed the companies all the publicity they’d get. She described how, while the band marched on national television, they would be carrying a banner with the company’s name on it… for millions to see. And how, when the local newspaper reported the story, they would mention that it was the company’s generous sponsorship that made the experience possible for the kids.
Getting the - pardon the pun - picture?
Whether you’re writing a letter to a business or talking to a friend, neighbor, or relative, use the secret of creating a picture to show them - literally - what’s in it for them if they do what you want them to do. Start by asking yourself two questions:
1. What’s the benefit (or benefits) to this person of giving me what I’m asking for?
2. How can I best illustrate this in a verbal picture?
When you use both secrets together - talking to the heart and creating a picture - you’ll see how easy it is to motivate people to take the actions you want them to take… to accept your ideas… and, like Shawn, to support causes that are important to you.
[Ed. Note: Katie Yeakle is Executive Director of American Writers & Artists Inc. Shawn M. is one of thousands of AWAI members who have learned these persuasion techniques (and more) through AWAI’s step-by-step program to help entrepreneurs work with their copywriters to improve response rates. ]
This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
How to Build a Subscriber List Quickly and Inexpensively With Safelists
by Steven Weisenburger
"The money is in the list."
In one of my online coaching sessions I was telling my students about a webinar I had attended. The presentation was conducted by mega success Agora Publishing. In just 7 years they’ve mushroomed into a $400+ million dollar a year Internet marketing giant. So, I guess you can say it's Christmas everyday for them!
In that webinar they revealed the seeds to their miraculous success. One seed was building a database of opt-in subscribers to their free Early-to-Rise newsletter.
They started out very small database of their own and built it up to 20,000+ names and it took off from there. And now they have hundreds of thousands of email address they send to on a daily basis -- and what's really amazing is that their subscribers, like little kids anticipating Santa, they can hardly wait until tomorrow to get the next one.
Well, with visions of dollar signs dancing in their heads like sugarplums, several of the students eagerly asked me, “How do you quickly build up your own database/subscriber list to market to?”
There are many ways of building your own database/subscriber list, however, I’m going to show you ONE technique in this article. I selected it because one marketer I know of used this method to take his subscriber base of 2,000 to over 60,000 names in just 6 weeks.
How did he accomplish such a feat? Safelists.
A Safelist is a form of e-mail marketing and advertising where the members have agreed to receive each other’s messages. Types of safelists include paid, credit based, and free. Thus, as everyone has opted -in, it is “safe” to send promotional material to each other.
Anyone can join and market their products and service with email advertising -- there is no “good old boys” network you have to be connected with to get in the door.
Some Safelists are free to advertise to and others require a fee. But the fee is a pint-sized fraction of what companies charge to mail to traditional rented opt-in e-lists -- which can run $200 to $400 per thousand.
What works in promotions targeted to Safelists?
If your marketing mindset is wrapped around “lead generation” then smartlists are going to work best for you. Free offers tend to pull well in Safelists.
So by offering a free report or some other "gift" in your marketing promotion, you establish credibility with the Safelist subscribers and encourage them to investigate the source of the ad -- which is you of course -- not Santa!
Some Safelists permit only text ads; others allow either text or HTML. Some experts claim HTML ads pull better on Safelists. As always, I default to the tried and true marketing principle of testing all your marketing efforts -- its the only way to know for certain.
Where does one finds Safelists?
When you google it, you'll find 444,000 results. But let me save you a little time.
There are several online directories that contain Safelist listings, including www.mailpro-network.com, www.megasubmitters.com, which require a small fee to join, plus FREE list sites such as www.101-websitetraffic.com and www.businessworldlist.com .
Quantity vs Quality
Like anything else, there are pro’s and cons to Safelists.
The Pros are:
The Çon is:
pulls the best response. As you
"The money is in the list."
In one of my online coaching sessions I was telling my students about a webinar I had attended. The presentation was conducted by mega success Agora Publishing. In just 7 years they’ve mushroomed into a $400+ million dollar a year Internet marketing giant. So, I guess you can say it's Christmas everyday for them!
In that webinar they revealed the seeds to their miraculous success. One seed was building a database of opt-in subscribers to their free Early-to-Rise newsletter.
They started out very small database of their own and built it up to 20,000+ names and it took off from there. And now they have hundreds of thousands of email address they send to on a daily basis -- and what's really amazing is that their subscribers, like little kids anticipating Santa, they can hardly wait until tomorrow to get the next one.
Well, with visions of dollar signs dancing in their heads like sugarplums, several of the students eagerly asked me, “How do you quickly build up your own database/subscriber list to market to?”
There are many ways of building your own database/subscriber list, however, I’m going to show you ONE technique in this article. I selected it because one marketer I know of used this method to take his subscriber base of 2,000 to over 60,000 names in just 6 weeks.
How did he accomplish such a feat? Safelists.
A Safelist is a form of e-mail marketing and advertising where the members have agreed to receive each other’s messages. Types of safelists include paid, credit based, and free. Thus, as everyone has opted -in, it is “safe” to send promotional material to each other.
Anyone can join and market their products and service with email advertising -- there is no “good old boys” network you have to be connected with to get in the door.
Some Safelists are free to advertise to and others require a fee. But the fee is a pint-sized fraction of what companies charge to mail to traditional rented opt-in e-lists -- which can run $200 to $400 per thousand.
What works in promotions targeted to Safelists?
If your marketing mindset is wrapped around “lead generation” then smartlists are going to work best for you. Free offers tend to pull well in Safelists.
So by offering a free report or some other "gift" in your marketing promotion, you establish credibility with the Safelist subscribers and encourage them to investigate the source of the ad -- which is you of course -- not Santa!
Some Safelists permit only text ads; others allow either text or HTML. Some experts claim HTML ads pull better on Safelists. As always, I default to the tried and true marketing principle of testing all your marketing efforts -- its the only way to know for certain.
Where does one finds Safelists?
When you google it, you'll find 444,000 results. But let me save you a little time.
There are several online directories that contain Safelist listings, including www.mailpro-network.com, www.megasubmitters.com, which require a small fee to join, plus FREE list sites such as www.101-websitetraffic.com and www.businessworldlist.com .
Quantity vs Quality
Like anything else, there are pro’s and cons to Safelists.
The Pros are:
- you can generate a large list rather quickly and at a very low cost.
- no fear of being penalized for spamming
- you know the results of your ad immediately – a great way to test and tweak for success
- email to thousands – for free or small amount – even a 1% -2% response can be profitable
The Çon is:
- the unsubscribe rate for Safelist-aquired names is going to be many times higher than people who subscribe to your free report or ezine because they a.) either know you b.) signed up from an article submission c.) found you via a search engine search or d.) came to your internet site -- www.yoursite.com.
- Select a targeted list – if you are targeting Internet Marketers, then don’t subscribe to lists that are contain pet owners. The more niched the list, the higher response rate you’re going to get.
- Use a benefit-laden headline in your ad – you’ve got to reach out and grab the reader by the throat in the first 3 seconds or they vanish into thin air.
- Use a follow-up strategy – direct customers from your ad to your website or use a sequential autoresponder. It often takes up to 6 -7 times for users to see your ad before they respond to your offer. A newbie Internet marketer will cease their marketing efforts after one attempt – huge mistake. Follow up every few days with a variation of your offer. This will dramatically increase your chances of making the sale.
- Tracking and Testing – the number one marketing mistake you can make is the failure to test and track. Test multiple ads and track the response rate -- one will most assuredly out pull the rest. You can then test which headline pulls the best. After a one-month subscription, you will have some idea if the safelist is worth staying with -- if not, unsubscribe!
If you are getting a good response from the free lists, then pay the monthly subscription fee, so you can send your ad more often. You will also benefit from all the features they provide. - Use several safe lists – subscribe as a free member to several paid lists. Test which safelist gives you the best resonse. As you can imagine, paid safelists are of higher quality than the ones that are free.
pulls the best response. As you
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Second Most Widely Committed Sin In Advertising
by Steven Weisenburger
Failure to "sell the benefits" is the second most widely committed sin in advertising. Almost everyone focuses on the features of their product or service, rather than the benefits. And it’s the benefit that give your prospect the reason to buy.
What's the difference? Simple. Features are what you like about your product. Benefits are what your customer likes about your product.
Another way to say this is that a feature is “attached” to your product. It exists as part of or an attribute of the product, regardless of whether the product is ever sold, or used by a customer. Example, “The car is red”.
A benefit, on the other hand, is “attached” to the customer. It is not inherent in the product, it is inherent in people. It is the result of the product’s use by somebody. A benefit doesn’t “happen,” then, until somebody takes the product or service home and uses it. Example, “I look sexy, in my new red car.”
Can you tell the difference between a feature & benefit? Here's a quiz.
• "push-button controls," is a… ______________.
• "ease of use," is a… ______________.
• "21 Investment strategies," is a… ______________.
• "get rich 21 ways," is a… ______________.
• " wool suit coat," is a ... ______________.
• " the suit is warm," is a... ______________.
WIIFM (What’s In It For Me)
That’s what benefits are all about. Customers always want to know “What’s in it for me?” Why should I do business with you?” “What do I get out of this deal?” A feature simply does not answer this question for your customer.
So as you develop your advertising, you should always be thinking, “What’s in it for you, dear prospect?”
People buy to satisfy their needs. They may not always be cognizant of their needs, but needs motivate their buying behaviors just the same. Their need may be pleasure-based (I want that) or pain-based (I want to avoid that). Either way their needs drive their buying choices.
Ultimately, you’ve got to be able to trace your advertising statements back through the advertising motivation to the need it fulfills. Even though the prospect may not be able to do this, you must. That’s because you must understand what it is about your advertising or marketing copy that will compel your prospect to buy.
If you don’t understand these things, your marketing efforts will always be hit and miss. That’s okay when you’re testing everything, but it makes the testing process longer and more expensive. When you understand the buyer’s motivations and can write copy that appeals to those motivations, you can come up with the right combinations more quickly and you are more likely to hit winners faster.
The five basic needs are...
1. Survival -- We have a basic need to survive. We need food, shelter, clothing, transportation and a job. Once these things are covered, our need to survive takes a back seat to the other needs. But it is, none the less, always there. We may be motivated by security issues that are related to survival. And, of course, if ever our life or health is threatened, by either outside forces or illness, our need to survive quickly rises back to the top of the list.
2. To love and to be loved -- Not a lot of explanation needed on this one. As you know, both men and women have attempted to move heaven and earth; they have done things they would never have considered doing, if not for the motivation to love and be loved. Love is perhaps the strongest of all human needs, and it can have an incredible impact on our buying decisions.
3. To feel important -- Akin to our need for love is our need to feel important. Why do you think golfers try to get better at the game. (No, it’s not just to save money on lost golf balls.) It’s because they want the admiration of their golfing buddies, or at least they want to avoid being joked about by their golfing buddies. This need to feel important is close in weight to the need to be loved for most people. Indeed, many people value respect above love. This is a huge human need that demands fulfillment and motivates many buying decisions.
4. Variety -- True, we are creatures of habit, but we don’t like thinking of ourselves that way, or having others think of us that way. That’s why “variety is the spice of life.” It really is. It is reflected in our tastes and our choices, the clothes we wear, the things we do, our likes and dislikes. Our need to be different motivates our buying decisions.
5. The LAZ Factor -- We all want our lives to be easier. We don’t want hassle, trouble or even inconvenience. Especially given the fast pace of today’s society, we’re all looking for ways to simplify our lives. This isn’t bad. We may be lazy, but the LAZ Factor is responsible for every technological advance ever invented. And while not all of them worked out the way originally envisioned, making life easier is the aim. It is particularly important in the fast-paced lives we live today. Make life easier or more simple for your prospects, and they’ll buy what you have to offer.
Benefits can be stated in either Pleasure or Pain contexts.
• "Take strokes off your game"(2 &/or 3)
• "Never again be the target of everybody's golf humor" (2 or 3)
Don’t hesitate to use the pain context in your feature/benefit statements. Many times people will act more quickly to avoid a negative than to acquire a positive.
Features are statements of product attributes. They may be seen as desirable only if they are connected to a benefit, either by the ad or the customer himself.
• "This car has a 2.3 liter engine" (Pure feature.)
• "This car's 2.3 liter engine is the most powerful in its class" (This is a typical attempt to
put a feature in benefit language.)
• "Feel the exhilaration of acceleration behind the class's most powerful 2.3 liter engine"
(Appeals first to the need (4) then backs the promise up with the feature.)
• "Feel like the 'King of the Road' behind a 2.3 liter powerhouse that leads the class"
(Appeals to more than one need --3 &4, maybe even 1 & 2.)
Benefits vs. Compelling Benefits;
Features vs. Compelling Features
There are all kinds of features and benefits. But the ones that count are the compelling features and benefits -- the ones that make people want to buy.
Not all benefits will motivate the prospect to make a decision now. Not that all benefits don’t contribute to that decision, but in most cases, there is one, or several key benefits that touch the primary buying motivation, and several others that may act to “seal the deal.”
Features work the same way. Some are “big deal” features. Others may be nice “icing on the cake” things that people like and that help them take the final steps toward deciding to buy.
Your job is to determine which are the compelling features and benefits and focus your attention on them, without ignoring the less compelling features and benefits.
Remember, people buy with their hearts, they buy with their guts -- those are the benefits. But once they make the emotional decision, they need the features to justify the decision with their heads.
Develop a list of all the features of your product or service, then develop a list of all the benefits.
As you develop your feature and benefit lists, you will find that you can immediately think of a few of each. Those are the easy ones, but they may not be the most compelling. Once you get past the easy list, begin to dig. Look at the details. Really search for what’s important about your product or service. This is worth the time investment because it will enable you to write more powerful advertising and marketing materials.
Be exhaustive with these lists. Think of all the features and benefits you can.
There are three ways to generate your feature and benefits lists.
1. Simply brainstorm all the features and benefits you can think of
2. Think of a single feature and then think of all the benefits it might generate
3. Think of a single benefit and then think of all the features that cause that result
Combine your features and benefits into powerful advertising statements
Once you have a comprehensive list of features and benefits. (And every feature should be linked with at least one benefit.) The next step is to combine features and benefits into advertising statements.
Your tendency will probably be to write the feature and then tell what the feature does for the prospect… the benefit. That’s fine for your first draft. But then take many of those feature/benefit statements and reverse them, so the benefit leads off, followed by the feature that delivers it.
Examples:
• This lawnmower has power steering, so you can easily maneuver around trees
and other obstacles in your yard.
• You’ll maneuver easily around trees and other obstacles in the yard, with this
lawnmower’s power steering feature.
• This course contains over 52 turn-key video store promotions, so you’ll always
have a fresh sales-building program to choose from.
• You’ll never have to worry about coming up with a new sales-building video store
promotion, since this course has 52 of them ready to go, for you to instantly choose from.
Finally, list your advertising statements in as compelling language as possible. It’s one thing to talk about ease of use, but it’s far more compelling to say “this is the computer for the rest of us!”
Failure to "sell the benefits" is the second most widely committed sin in advertising. Almost everyone focuses on the features of their product or service, rather than the benefits. And it’s the benefit that give your prospect the reason to buy.
What's the difference? Simple. Features are what you like about your product. Benefits are what your customer likes about your product.
Another way to say this is that a feature is “attached” to your product. It exists as part of or an attribute of the product, regardless of whether the product is ever sold, or used by a customer. Example, “The car is red”.
A benefit, on the other hand, is “attached” to the customer. It is not inherent in the product, it is inherent in people. It is the result of the product’s use by somebody. A benefit doesn’t “happen,” then, until somebody takes the product or service home and uses it. Example, “I look sexy, in my new red car.”
Can you tell the difference between a feature & benefit? Here's a quiz.
• "push-button controls," is a… ______________.
• "ease of use," is a… ______________.
• "21 Investment strategies," is a… ______________.
• "get rich 21 ways," is a… ______________.
• " wool suit coat," is a ... ______________.
• " the suit is warm," is a... ______________.
WIIFM (What’s In It For Me)
That’s what benefits are all about. Customers always want to know “What’s in it for me?” Why should I do business with you?” “What do I get out of this deal?” A feature simply does not answer this question for your customer.
So as you develop your advertising, you should always be thinking, “What’s in it for you, dear prospect?”
People buy to satisfy their needs. They may not always be cognizant of their needs, but needs motivate their buying behaviors just the same. Their need may be pleasure-based (I want that) or pain-based (I want to avoid that). Either way their needs drive their buying choices.
Ultimately, you’ve got to be able to trace your advertising statements back through the advertising motivation to the need it fulfills. Even though the prospect may not be able to do this, you must. That’s because you must understand what it is about your advertising or marketing copy that will compel your prospect to buy.
If you don’t understand these things, your marketing efforts will always be hit and miss. That’s okay when you’re testing everything, but it makes the testing process longer and more expensive. When you understand the buyer’s motivations and can write copy that appeals to those motivations, you can come up with the right combinations more quickly and you are more likely to hit winners faster.
The five basic needs are...
1. Survival -- We have a basic need to survive. We need food, shelter, clothing, transportation and a job. Once these things are covered, our need to survive takes a back seat to the other needs. But it is, none the less, always there. We may be motivated by security issues that are related to survival. And, of course, if ever our life or health is threatened, by either outside forces or illness, our need to survive quickly rises back to the top of the list.
2. To love and to be loved -- Not a lot of explanation needed on this one. As you know, both men and women have attempted to move heaven and earth; they have done things they would never have considered doing, if not for the motivation to love and be loved. Love is perhaps the strongest of all human needs, and it can have an incredible impact on our buying decisions.
3. To feel important -- Akin to our need for love is our need to feel important. Why do you think golfers try to get better at the game. (No, it’s not just to save money on lost golf balls.) It’s because they want the admiration of their golfing buddies, or at least they want to avoid being joked about by their golfing buddies. This need to feel important is close in weight to the need to be loved for most people. Indeed, many people value respect above love. This is a huge human need that demands fulfillment and motivates many buying decisions.
4. Variety -- True, we are creatures of habit, but we don’t like thinking of ourselves that way, or having others think of us that way. That’s why “variety is the spice of life.” It really is. It is reflected in our tastes and our choices, the clothes we wear, the things we do, our likes and dislikes. Our need to be different motivates our buying decisions.
5. The LAZ Factor -- We all want our lives to be easier. We don’t want hassle, trouble or even inconvenience. Especially given the fast pace of today’s society, we’re all looking for ways to simplify our lives. This isn’t bad. We may be lazy, but the LAZ Factor is responsible for every technological advance ever invented. And while not all of them worked out the way originally envisioned, making life easier is the aim. It is particularly important in the fast-paced lives we live today. Make life easier or more simple for your prospects, and they’ll buy what you have to offer.
Benefits can be stated in either Pleasure or Pain contexts.
• "Take strokes off your game"(2 &/or 3)
• "Never again be the target of everybody's golf humor" (2 or 3)
Don’t hesitate to use the pain context in your feature/benefit statements. Many times people will act more quickly to avoid a negative than to acquire a positive.
Features are statements of product attributes. They may be seen as desirable only if they are connected to a benefit, either by the ad or the customer himself.
• "This car has a 2.3 liter engine" (Pure feature.)
• "This car's 2.3 liter engine is the most powerful in its class" (This is a typical attempt to
put a feature in benefit language.)
• "Feel the exhilaration of acceleration behind the class's most powerful 2.3 liter engine"
(Appeals first to the need (4) then backs the promise up with the feature.)
• "Feel like the 'King of the Road' behind a 2.3 liter powerhouse that leads the class"
(Appeals to more than one need --3 &4, maybe even 1 & 2.)
Benefits vs. Compelling Benefits;
Features vs. Compelling Features
There are all kinds of features and benefits. But the ones that count are the compelling features and benefits -- the ones that make people want to buy.
Not all benefits will motivate the prospect to make a decision now. Not that all benefits don’t contribute to that decision, but in most cases, there is one, or several key benefits that touch the primary buying motivation, and several others that may act to “seal the deal.”
Features work the same way. Some are “big deal” features. Others may be nice “icing on the cake” things that people like and that help them take the final steps toward deciding to buy.
Your job is to determine which are the compelling features and benefits and focus your attention on them, without ignoring the less compelling features and benefits.
Remember, people buy with their hearts, they buy with their guts -- those are the benefits. But once they make the emotional decision, they need the features to justify the decision with their heads.
Develop a list of all the features of your product or service, then develop a list of all the benefits.
As you develop your feature and benefit lists, you will find that you can immediately think of a few of each. Those are the easy ones, but they may not be the most compelling. Once you get past the easy list, begin to dig. Look at the details. Really search for what’s important about your product or service. This is worth the time investment because it will enable you to write more powerful advertising and marketing materials.
Be exhaustive with these lists. Think of all the features and benefits you can.
There are three ways to generate your feature and benefits lists.
1. Simply brainstorm all the features and benefits you can think of
2. Think of a single feature and then think of all the benefits it might generate
3. Think of a single benefit and then think of all the features that cause that result
Combine your features and benefits into powerful advertising statements
Once you have a comprehensive list of features and benefits. (And every feature should be linked with at least one benefit.) The next step is to combine features and benefits into advertising statements.
Your tendency will probably be to write the feature and then tell what the feature does for the prospect… the benefit. That’s fine for your first draft. But then take many of those feature/benefit statements and reverse them, so the benefit leads off, followed by the feature that delivers it.
Examples:
• This lawnmower has power steering, so you can easily maneuver around trees
and other obstacles in your yard.
• You’ll maneuver easily around trees and other obstacles in the yard, with this
lawnmower’s power steering feature.
• This course contains over 52 turn-key video store promotions, so you’ll always
have a fresh sales-building program to choose from.
• You’ll never have to worry about coming up with a new sales-building video store
promotion, since this course has 52 of them ready to go, for you to instantly choose from.
Finally, list your advertising statements in as compelling language as possible. It’s one thing to talk about ease of use, but it’s far more compelling to say “this is the computer for the rest of us!”
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Don't Let the Radio Advertising Grizzly Bear Eat You Alive
By Steven Weisenburger
"Radio advertising doesn't work."
If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that from an entrepreneur who has sunk a small fortune into radio advertising only to come up empty handed, I'd have Donald Trump looking over his shoulder.
An advertising campaign that falls flat can leave you feeling a bit naked, kinda like The Emperor's New Clothes, but it's not your clothes that's vanished it's your money. It's a weird union of emotions -- you're both mad and embarrassed at the same time. You can't decide whether to lead a SWAT assault on the station or secretly call Revenge Unlimited and let them do their thing.
But wait! Before you do anything rash, you deserve to know that other entrepreneurs are making a small fortune with radio advertising. You may ask, "Hey you numskull, what the freak does that have to do with me?"
Good question. To quote my favorite billionaire, Charles Morse, "What one man can do so can another." And you gotta believe Charles because he kills a grizzly bear with his bare hands and a pointy stick in the movie, The Edge.
Let's Kill the Radio Advertising Grizzly Bear
So go find a pointy stick and let's kill the radio advertising grizzly bear once and for all.
Listen, when it comes to buying any advertising you’re in a fight. And when it comes to buying radio advertising, you’re up against a ferocious grizzly bear. A grizzly is eight feet tall, weighs 950+ lbs, massive paws with four inch claws, can smell its prey up to ten miles away and teeth so powerful it can bite through a deers leg. And to make matters worse if you wander into his habitat you're easy game because you're in unfamiliar territory.
The trouble starts when the attractive account rep from the radio station stops by with an attractive promotion package for a highly attractive upcoming event. (I don't know why, but all radio sales reps are very attractive -- I've never seen an ugly one.)
It's a scientific fact that we're all attracted by attractive things -- it's better stated if we say we are distracted by attractive things. Because of this little psychological fact we are already at a disadvantage and so far they've only walked in the door!
But this is only the tip of the psychological iceberg that your account representative is going to bring to bear on you.
As an entrepreneur, a desire for more business is programmed into your DNA. You naturally believe all of the radio stations listeners should become your loyal customers – it’s in your psyche. So, they have something you want, they know it and are willing to use it against you – they plan to.
The second psychological weapon is the attractive upcoming event, like say an art festival. You were there last year along with the thousands of other that people showed up. You don’t even know it but now your ego kicks in – there is a lot of satisfaction and pleasure to be gained by being part of something thousands of people think is cool.
The third weapon is a very attractive offer, yes even an irresistible offer. They have valued this package at $20,000 and it’s all yours for the once in a lifetime low promo price of $6,000! WOW!
This attractive package is not only packed with radio spots, but it has -- banners with your name on them -- your company logo in the festival program, the newspaper ads and posters -- there's a special luncheon honoring all the sponsors, the Mayor is going to be there, not to mention the homecoming queen, and a couple of local sports celebrities, plus all of the most prominent business owners in town -- and you're now rubbing elbow with the upper echelon! Man this is so cool!
How could you possibly resist? Just imagine of all the new customers flocking into your business, wallets out, buying everything in sight! You're greed glands are on hyper drive, man you're gonna be rich!
Do you see all of the psychological factors at play behind the scene? The massive paw of the radio advertising grizzly has just swatted you to the ground with a devastating blow -- now you're wounded, vulnerable, and in shock.
So while you're laying there, bleeding... meaning, all hopped up on the adrenaline, absorbed in your ego, craving to belong, desiring your business to grow... the grizzly smells blood and moves in for the kill... naturally transitioning you into the annual contract. Oh the humanity!
Time to Get Out the Pointy Stick
So how do you defend yourself from an 8 ft, 950 lbs. ravenous beast?
You get out the pointy stick, like my billionaire friend Charles Morse used to kill his grizzly bear in the movie. He took a large heavy stick and carved a point on the end of it, thus turning it into a spear.
What is your pointy stick that will kill this bear? It's called direct response marketing, otherwise known as accountability.
When the radio rep tells you how wonderful his station is, and how great of a "reach" they have in the market, and how the recent ratings have ranked them number one in the market or that time slot, etc. etc. etc.
You let the bear kill itself by using the force of it's own weight to spear himself in the heart as he comes down to devour you.
If you simply write radio commercials that can be measured. Therefore, if no one responds you will know it. For example, you've heard the spots that say send for a free DVD or Free Special Report. This spot is measurable. It has a phone number attached. There is a call center picking up the line and taking orders. You know when the spot runs and you know when the calls come in.
The commercial runs... the phone rings. If the commercial runs and the phone does not ring then something is amiss. You have one of two things that are wrong.
- The first thing to check is your spot. You have to have a tested spot, one that is proven to work for you. So plan on making the investment in this up front. Chances of hitting the right spot on the first try are unlikely. You need to be prepared with at least three diversely different spots during your testing phase. Once you find a spot that works, it should work on any station that has the audience you're targeting.
- The second thing to look at is the stations audience. If your commercial works on one station it will work on another station providing they both have the same audience. Some stations may have the audience you're after only during certain programs, like the Dr. Laura show for example. So if you have a spot makes the phone ring off the hook when Dr. Laura is on then it's unlikely the same audience is going to be listening to the Heavy Death Metal rock station, or visavera applies.
Stay tuned into this blog and you'll learn more about accountable advertising, ie., direct response marketing.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Radio Advertising Myths Exposed
I often talk with entrepreneurs desperate to get out of their annual radio advertising contracts because it's sucking the life out of their bank account and the promised flood of ravenous customers knocking down their door have never materialized.
Look, radio advertising is like a tornado -- if you figure out how to control it, it's like this giant invisible steamroller sweeping across the marketing landscape, rending listening prospect powerless to resist, and sucking all the cash out of their pockets into yours.
However, if you don't know how to control it, it will viciously turn on you, and you'll end up like the cow the tornado sucks off the ground -- legs flailing, bellowing fearfully, and puzzled as to the source of havoc being wreaked upon your life.
Gina, the owner of a greenhouse and nursery, was beside herself because for the last 9 months her radio advertising simply had not worked. But because of her contract she was obliged to pay over $4,000 a month regardless of he results.
Needless to say, she wasn't planning on renewing the contract for next year. She asked if there was anything that could be done over the remaining 3 months to salvage her radio advertising debacle?
Her commercials were appalling 15 and 30 second, so called "funny" quips about her store -- about half of them mentioned a product she carried, but none of them gave a reason why a customer should come in a buy something right now... you know, like a sale, discount or some sort of offer.
But the station had her spots running in a full "rotational" schedule throughout the day and night. You know... a "branding" campaign -- the philosophy being, that if customers hear your name enough times they will eventually choose you over your competitor when the time comes to buy.
Listen, what I'm going to say next is important and can save you thousands of dollars, not to mention sleepless nights and tons of aggravation, so don't doze off.
Here's the shocker... funny doesn't work! At least it's the hardest type of advertising to get results from and it's just not for small independent entrepreneurs. Oh, I know, you'll hear the "experts" say, "funny is money." But usually its the experts that make the money for creating the commercial that say it, not the business owner who's picking up the tab.
At the top of my list of concepts I loathe is the "rotational advertising schedule." It is the biggest pile of smelly, rotting, maggot infested garbage ever devised. It's like going duck hunting and systematically firing into the sky with the hope of putting up enough buckshot that a duck can't help but run into it! Oh yeah, that's a sure thing.
Was I able to provide Gina with a Quick Fix for her radio spots? Let's look.
Listen, there are lots of ways of fixing Gina's problem -- unless you're a radio account rep -- but the solution I came up with was both a quick and easy fix -- you're welcome to use it.
There were three things I wanted her to do immediately.
- I had her begin to think in terms of giving the potential customers a reason why they should come in to her store and buy right now. I wanted her to start making offers.
- I had her drop the 15 and 30 second spots and trade them in for 60's. Sure she gets fewer spots but what did she care, to borrow a phrase from my long departed grandfather, the ads she had were "as useful as teats on a boar."
- I had her throw out the funny sh#%... er... a... I mean funny spots and use the "live radio show host call-in format." These are commercials where you make a live call in to the radio show host and he/she grills you about what's going on down at your store. And even if the station won't let you do it live you still call in and record it with the host as if it were live. And don't worry about making mistakes, it makes you more personal and believable.
It might go something like this...
Radio Host: We have Gina on the line today, she owns Gina's Greenhouse and Nursery down on Main Street. Tell us Gina, what's going on down there today?
Gina: Well, Dick, as we speak my guys are unloading a semi truck load of Royal Empress Tress, the fastest growing tree in North America.
Radio Host: The fastest growing tree Gina? Just how fast do they grow?
Gina: The Royal Empress grows 10 to 15 feet a year and are 40 to 50 feet tall within three years. Plus, it has a gorgeous and fragrant purple bloom.
Radio Host: So Gina, you said you had truck load of them?
Gina: Yes, I do Dick. I found 175 of them at a nursery that was going out of business so I bought the whole lot. And best of all Dick, I got them for pennies on the dollar and am passing on the savings to my customers that come in this week. So they can save over 50% while giving their home curb appeal. Yada. Yada. Yada.
Anyway, you get the point.
Did the Quick Fix work for Gina?
All I know is that Gina renewed her radio advertising contract for the next year.
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