Author: Dan Morris

My wife brought home giant marshmallows this past weekend. Seriously, they’re giant – the size of 4 marshmallows  perhaps. When my kids saw those  – all I heard from them for the next 2 days was  “can we make s’mores?”  I don’t know when marshmallows were invented, but for at least the last 25 years there’s been 2 sizes: regular and hot chocolate size. That’s it.

Of course, during that time the marshmallow people have experimented with colors, shapes and flavors and even miniatures, but to my knowledge – “jumbo” was like 2% bigger. The folks at the marshmallow company could have spent hours and days and weeks coming up with a brand new product – and perhaps they did, but someone there had the job of adding value to marshmallows. And from my kids’ point of view Giant Marshmallows are way better.

Continue reading “Adding Value with Giant Marshmallows”

Business schools just don’t understand the value of content in your marketing efforts. Rarely do I run across a business owner who truly appreciates the term “content”. And we’ve found even those who do, don’t have time to create it because “they’re too busy marketing and finding new customers”.

The bottom line is this, if you don’t understand that the internet has changed the game – then content will never make sense. For most people marketing classes were about the three P’s and “location, location, location”, and branding. And in all of those cases, the examples in the book were billboards, product packaging and sales letters.

That’s it!

To expect Master’s degree wielding marketers to grasp the Shift from post cards to websites is maybe too much to ask. But in the same breath, aren’t those same people the ones who shop, research and buy online?

Somehow, it still baffles me when I can’t make the connection between the content on the sites they’re currently buying products from – and their inability to translate that to marketing analysis.

Building the bridge between yesterday’s marketing classes and today’s marketing environment is the key, for sure. I find once business owners fully understand how the web works, what Google’s role is and how consumers find goods – the light bulb will have gone off. I’m not yet sure if it’s the mechanics of Google or the mechanics of the internet – but one of them solves the other.

Words. It comes down to words. When you search for “Honda 355 Motorcycle 600 cc Nashville”, Google’s job is to find something to return to the person searching that matches their query. And the ONLY thing they have to go on, is words.

I heard you screaming in the back. Yep, you’re trying to tell me that links are just as important. Well, you have the right idea – but you’re not using the right “words” to convey it. A link is code someone types onto their website that references yours. No matter what, that link is made of words – even if it’s a picture.

Together, the words used to link one page to the next, the paragraphs of text on web pages, the names of the photos you’ve loaded up to the web pages, the title of web page and the words people use when they comment on your posts – that is content.

Content + Search Engines = Marketing

If you’ve got great, structurally correct content – then you’ve got a marketing plan any professor would be proud of. (Even if that means you have to show them how many units you sold first).

This week, at my MeetUp group, to which the topic was “Laser Target Your Customers”, I met a guy who sells solar panels as a commissioned salesman. He’s really pretty inspiring being that he got the job so he could learn more about solar panels so he could create a better website.

I found out right away that he’s been aggressively marketing his solar panels – doing all the right things you would assume a solar panel salesman is doing. He’s got business cards, he goes door to door, he did a mailing, he’s got

websites set up to send prospects where they can learn more about solar panels, he’s trying to capture e-mail addresses, he’s met with Realtors to learn if they improve home value and he’s met with home builders about installing them in new homes. . . I’d say he’s better than your average salesman when it comes to productivity.

BUT he’s making no sales.

The problem is he hadn’t figured out what the true benefit of solar panels are, and thus he had no message and without a message there’s no one to target. So, that’s what we did and now he’ll have no trouble “laser targeting his customers” going forward.

Messaging

After all the talk about the benefits of solar panels, I asked him one question: “When do you make your money back”? Solar panels reduce utility bills but you’ve got to pay for equipment and installation up front. His answer was “10 years and at that point you’ll have no utility bills”

PRESTO! That’s the answer in a nutshell.

The benefit of solar panels is that you’ll have no utility bills in 10 years. That’s an easy-to-understand, straight forward benefit. And from that we can contrive a very smartly put together target market. Of all the people on the planet, who would most appreciate no utility bills? 

Yep, you guessed it: Fixed Income Seniors!

Now we’re getting somewhere. So . . . if you retire to a fixed income, utility bills are one of the few fluctuating bills remaining. If it takes 10 years to get to that benefit, wouldn’t it behoove Mr. Solar Panel salesman to target 55 year old homeowners? How about 55 yr. old homeowners, within his sales territory, who can afford the upfront cash outlay? Now there’s a market we can laser target.

Laser Targeting Methods

Here’s where you come in.  How can a solar panel salesman market solar panels to 55 year olds? I’ll get the ball rolling, and then I want to hear your ideas:

1. Joint Venture with a Financial Services guy to put together a seminar about “Getting rid of utility bills when you retire”.
2. Use Facebook Ads demographics to reach only people in his territory who are 55 right now with an ad that says “Retiring in 10 Years? How about reducing your utility bills to nothing?”
3. Guest blog on “planning to retire” websites with articles about the value of getting rid of your utility bills.”
4. Start his own local radio show (or become a guest on one) that’s about Saving Money for Retirement.
5. Partner with the power company and get featured in their events about selling power back to the utility company.

So that’s enough to get your thinking cap on. How can Mr. Solar Panels further laser target this very clear niche?

Aileen Bennett’s newest masterpiece, Using People,  is in print. Now if you know Aileen you’ll understand the significance of “newest masterpiece” – because she pumps out spectacular speaking engagements, masterful PR campaigns and engaging social media exploits all the time. This go ’round, her genius is on paper.

I should disclose that Aileen and I sit in a Mastermind together and thus this “recomendation” could be construed as somewhat expected of me, as a friend. But until I got through the first 16 pages, I had no idea how well presented, informative and necessary this information is for us, as marketers and business makers.  To quell any thoughts that this recommendation is biased, I’m prepared to give you some concrete reasons why Using People should be your next purchase.

So let’s cut to the chase and talk about “Lie to Yourself”, one of the great chapters in the first half of the book. We already do lie to ourselves – every day – that’s one of the points Aileen makes in “Using People”. We make assumptions all the time all the time about the way people are going to react to our proposals, about the way people feel about us and about what people are already expecting of us. Then we do everything we can to notice evidence to support these lies.

 The point is we’ve got to learn to recognize that these assumptions and untruths exist. Since they aren’t real, and aren’t the real truth – planning and taking action with these assumptions leads to failed purposes. Aileen says emphatically, “. . . our assumptions say more about us then they do other people.”  This is a lesson you can’t learn too soon.

In “Flip a coin”, Aileen uses a familiar coin toss trick to teach you that indecision is really just procrastination.  I personally use the “regret approach” (which will I regret least?) to help make these indecisive moments clearer – but I fear my technique could be much improved with the simple coin toss. Aileen suggests when you lack clarity on a decision, “flip a coin”. When you flip a coin and vow to go with the result, you inevitably reap the mental sigh of relief when the coin lands on the side you really want and instant regret when it asks you to follow a plan you really didn’t want to do. This instant regret may have been hidden – but becomes clear with the toss. Use the tool – then do what’s right.

The short section titled “Never Forget a Name” had me writing this review before I was even finished. I was not only caught off guard in her insight, but it forever changed the way I’ll introduce myself and be introduced at functions and events. Her bottom line is this. . . many of us have problems remembering people’s names. So we’ve all heard of the many pneumonic devices and tricks to assist in remembering names . . . but when have you ever gotten this advice?

You need to go into every meeting knowing that the other person may have a hard time remembering your name. Not only that, but you can use that to your advantage. Unlike others around you, help new acquaintances remember your name using a few great “Using People” techniques.  Wouldn’t it be great if your name is the only one people remembered from the event? Personally, I think paying that much attention to someone in an attempt to help them remember my name will inversely make it easier to remember theirs.

[stextbox id=”grey”](If that’s not enough reasons, then I should mention that the most beautiful woman I think I’ve ever seen is pictured on page 98. )  :)[/stextbox]

Now, that’s just 3 great reasons to read this book. If you found any of these ideas worthwhile – then know that there are atleast 12 more that are going to improve your business and bottom line. So if you like to wait before you get things, then got to Amazon and get this book right now. No one from Amazon is going to rush out and bring this book to you today, so ordering it today will insure that it will be in your mail box before you finally get around to “getting it”.

Oh yeah, I’m not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but my name is Dan Morris.  I author Lettersfromdan.com 🙂

Strangely, this week has been the week of piggyback marketing discussions. I have no idea why because I’ve spent little time on the subject in the past. But it has been tremendously appropriate this week.

On Monday,  I met with a gentlemen who is selling an incredibly useful and revenue producing service. But no one knows it exists, and the few that do aren’t properly incentified to delve further and learn more about it.

And then on Saturday, I spoke to a friend who’s selling a product that isn’t highly sought after by her target market. That sounds odd doesn’t it?  Why would you have a product that your target market isn’t looking for? Despite them not looking for it, most who could use it would end up with happier and more fulfilling marriages.  Not every product has a built-in audience, unfortunately.

So how do you market products and services like this?

We market an antioxidant supplement that’s different than any other supplement on the market. The problem is no one knows to ask for the benefit we offer. Even though lots of folks know what antioxidants are – and millions are searching for them, we know it’s not worth the effort to get to the top of Google for our keywords. (That’s like battling giants). Thus, have decided on a piggybacking strategy instead.

We use infomercials. How are they piggybacking, you ask? Well, we didn’t create our own television station, nor did we invent a new kind of TV.  Instead, we’re advertising on TV stations and Radio stations that already have a built-in audience. Unlike SEO, we’re not reaching them at the exact moment they’re looking for us – but we’re reaching them and creating awareness and identity.

Piggyback marketing is the art of identifying businesses with an audience similar to your target market -and then offering your services to their market. Often times companies will do this as a service to their customers, while other times an affiliate arrangement has to be negotiated.

So how do you start a piggyback marketing strategy?

The one and only important thing to know is who your target audience is. That’s it. If you know who they are, you can begin step 2 which is figuring out where they are. Once you figure out who and where they are, all you need to do is meet the people who are already serving them.

Erica Douglass of Erica.biz has long held the belief that guest post blogging is a fantastic way to build a relationship with your target audience. In fact, she wrote a book and teaches about guest post blogging. If you can make a name for yourself, with solid guest posts, you’ll begin to receive attention and will be able to market products and services. This is especially helpful if your product or benefit would be sought after IF your audience knew it existed.

[stextbox id=”warning”]If you really want to know the details of exactly how to do that, get Guest Post Secrets and learn from the master. [/stextbox]

Another way to hop onto traffic that someone else has created is by uploading an e-book to Clickbank.  That’s a passive way of getting your product onto websites who are serving a similar audience.  In a similar story, I recently learned of a self-published author who got her books on the counters of book and gift stores – and ended up selling hundreds of thousands of them. She understood that the bookstores she chose were catering to her audience already.

And if you’re really good, like the people at MARS, Inc., get your product mentioned in next summer’s cinema Blockbuster. Product placement, though a separate strategy, is piggybacking on the efforts of others. Remember when E.T. enjoyed munching on Reese’s Pieces? That’s marketing genius there.

Just like SEO, piggyback marketing is the art of standing in front of the traffic (wherever that may be).  However, SEO requires your audience to be looking for you. Piggybacking gives you the opportunity to send out your message to an audience that will be receptive to it.

Tonite I got a chance to hear an accomplished, best selling author speak to us “social media folks” in Nashville. Scott Stratten, the author, owner and thinker of the ideas in UnMarketing, has a pretty strong grasp on what it means to be “present and authentic” in your own universe.

He spoke a bit about viral marketing, a bit about handling hecklers and even more about the perception and reality of your “image” across electronic wires. Despite all that good stuff, the one thing that struck me was his insight into “going viral”.  His experience tells him that throughout the history of time, the only things that have gone viral have been the things that struck an emotional chord.

Now here’s the crazy thing about that. Besides retweeting his great quotes (like “engagement is unscalable on an authentic level”), the thing that struck an emotional chord with me was a story he told us. After an unsettling discovery on Twitter, Scott sat on the sidelines for a couple days wondering how to handle the situation.

After words from a friend, do you know what got him back in the game?   Music.

Yep. Scott’s got a playlist that gets him pumped up and ready to go.  What a silly thing for me to connect with, eh? I mean you see football players and athlete’s like Lance Armstrong sporting the iPod earbuds all the time. Perhaps it’s because Scott’s not a professional athlete, or because we weren’t talking about sports. I honestly don’t know.

But I can tell you I have a playlist, too.  And the idea that his playlist brought him “back to life” mirrors the value I place in mine. Whether it was new schools growing up, the trepidation that comes just before a cross-country race or just low times, I’ve relied on my playlist to get me pumped up and back in the game, too.

Keep in mind that I went to hear Scott Stratten speak about UnMarketing, but what I walked away with was an appreciation for his humanity.  Scott was a great speaker, but just as he said in his “viral” insight, people pass on what they have an emotional tie to. While Scott spoke about the need to engage at the business, social and entertainment level – his anecdote about his playlist has me “spreading the word” now.

So be yourself, because it’s sometimes the little things that connect us – and keep us engaged.

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MY GET PUMPED PLAYLIST:

Go For It! – Joey B Ellis
Come Baby Come – K7
Boom Boom (Shake the Room) – Will Smith
Lose Yourself – Eminem (to which I really dig into these lyrics):

“So here I go, this is my shot.
Feet fail me not cause this may be the only opportunity that I got
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo”

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When I meet with potential clients for the first time, they often ask how to get customers to their website.  I’ve come to realize it’s just not common knowledge for business owners. When you’re thinking about how to get paying customers in the front door – sending them somewhere else just isn’t typical.

But it should be!

So, ask yourself this “why do you want to know?”. That’s the first question. And the answer is ‘because . . . ”  Now, replace the elipsis with your reason. You want your customers to go to your website because. . . . what?   let’s brainstorm some ideas:

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a. you want them to buy more products there

b. you think they’ll use you more if they read your bio

c. you want them to get on your e-mail list

d.  you paid money for a website and you want someone to see it.

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This is the first step in figuring out how to get your customers to your website. Without a reason, a goal or a purpose in mind – what is your return going to be from that traffic? And without a reason that benefits the customer – who’s going to take the time?

The key from moving them from the chairs in your restaurant to the pages of your website lies entirely on the benefit they are going to receive by doing so.  So let’s brainstorm some good reasons why you want customers to your site:

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a. they’ll save money when they receive discounts and special offers unavailable elsewhere

b. they’ll save time not waiting in line when they receive “inside information” about upcoming offers before the general public knows.

c. they’ll be able to win free somethings by partaking in the fun contests

d. they’ll get questions answered sooner because of the active forum of employees, customers and fans

e. their next visit will be more enjoyable because of the good response and implementation rate the “web suggestion box” gets.

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This list is entirely different from the first list because these are some possible benefits your customers will receive when they get there. The first list, and the one I hear most, is really more about you – not them. Now that your thinking cap is spinning around because this opens up so many ideas, here’s the nitty gritty ways to get it done.

First you now have a message, correct? Let’s start getting the word out about our message. How about adding the language to the bottom of the cash register receipt?  Perhaps a business card fish bowl (virtual or real) so you can reply to them with the message? Table Tents? The back of your business card? Billboards? Printed on your check-out bags?

Now that you have a message, do you think it will be hard to interject that into conversation? Add it as your e-mail footer? Put it on your answering machine? Is this message simple enough to send it via postcard? Direct phone calls? On the invoice itself?

What we do with the traffic once it gets to the website – well, that’s another post.  And now that you have a message – what we do with the traffic has just become the most important question.

The question of “how do we get our customers to our website”. . . I hope you feel the same way I do – that’s for novices. With a good message your customers appreciate,  you’ll be hard-pressed to stop coming up with ideas.

You know what’s interesting about a career in internet marketing? I don’t know anyone who is doing it and is unemployed. Nope, not a single person.

You may have to answer this question for me, because I just don’t know the answer, but back in the late 1980’s were there any C++ programmers who didn’t have jobs? Fortran? Basic? Like internet marketing now, I think there were more jobs open than people looking.

I believe there will be a day when internet marketing is no longer a career, but something as fundamental as knowing how to use QuickBooks, or how to do payroll. It will eventually become a necessity of doing business, successfully.

Despite some notable celebrities declaring the internet to be dead, it’s in fact in its infancy. I believe the iPad is the first application that is taking the internet to a new level. Perhaps that could be said about the iPod – but that was just a new application for your phone.  If you know anyone with an iPad, they’ll tell you that they do use the internet differently now.

Some day the internet and your TV will be one thing. You’ll be able to click on Regis Philbin’s tie and buy it directly from the company website that made it. You’ll be able to download Rachel Ray’s recipes directly to your stove top computer. And you’ll be able to access your fridge from the grocery store to make sure you actually do need milk.

The part that really makes internet marketing a good career choice is its ability to create income when you’re not employed. Affiliate marketing, pay per click ads, electronic products and even physical product sales are always at your fingertips.

Since companies hire internet marketing gurus to help increase their sales, the end of those consulting contracts means you just have more time to dedicate to your own websites, products and direct income. It’s a marketable skill you can use for others or yourself.

I don’t think “doing just to do” is the best way to learn the trade however. You can spend a lot of time learning lessons many have learned before you. Teaching yourself how to write effective copy, install autoresponders, build squeeze pages, create affiliate links and read html is a bit daunting.  I’d recommend you take a course that teaches you how to do “everything” with one site, so that you can take those lessons and use it for any site.

The one I recommend is the e-Learning course SBI puts out. It does take a little focus and some time, but do you really think you’re going to absorb it all in 3 days anyway? The best part about the e-Learning course is that it includes:

• The internet marketing course that is taught at Universities
• A Wordtracker Pro Keyword research account
• Keyword analysis tools
• A domain name of your own
• Hosting for your website
• Newsletter software
• Customer contact capture autoresponder software
• Complete integration with Social Marketing tools like Facebook
• Forums for in-depth question, case studies and learning
• A complete series of how-to’s, like how to make money from your site
• And more. . .all in video, audio and written format

It doesn’t get much better. So if you’re looking to make internet marketing a career, a second income or a way to escape your current job . . . PLEASE check out SBI’s e-Learning Course now by clicking this link:

SBI e-Learning Course

You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll learn more of what works in this short course than in two years training yourself.  If you’ve taken the course, please leave a comment and share your experience – otherwise, ask me about it and I’ll tell you more.