There are many reasons to love Allstate’s hilarious mayhem campaign. Here's a few things that make this campaign especially memorable in a world where insurance companies dominate on-air advertising.
It’s funny – people remember things that make them laugh.
The pitch is simple – other insurance might not cover any accident you might have.
It’s consistent – in each spot, Allstate uses its Mayhem Guy character to demonstrate accidents that may not be covered by GEICO, (“that 15-minute insurance”), its primary competitor.
The call to action is clear – call or click Allstate today to make sure you’re covered, no matter what happens to your car, home, or motorcycle.
Watch below for a montage of Allstate’s Mayhem commercials.
PS – If the actor who plays the Mayhem Guy looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen him before. Dean Winters has been on several episodes of 30 Rock, as well as CSI: Miami, Oz Rescue Me (where he played Tommy’s younger brother), and Law and Order.
What are you doing to stand out from fierce competition? Drop me a line and let me know.
Showing posts with label marketing that works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing that works. Show all posts
Thoughts for the End of 2011
If you can't quite recall everything that happened in this action-packed year, here's the condensed version, courtesy of JibJab.
Now's a good time to reflect on your own goals for 2011 - how did you do?
I set a number of goals for 2011 - maybe too many...
There were a couple of big ones for me - starting this blog, and also finding a new gig for my main source of income, both of which I did. This enabled me to meet some other financial goals I'd set for this year.
There were others (for health and wellness), where I made strides but didn't get where I wanted to be, and still others (for continuing education) that I just couldn't get to.
So, what's the lesson here?
First, it's important to congratulate yourself on what you did get done. I'm really proud of my new client relationships and I feel like getting my own blog and Twitter feed this year were key in supporting those.
Second, it's healthy to acknowledge where I made progress - I am exercising more and eating more healthfully, but there are continued improvements I need to make.
Third, examine what you couldn't get done this year and why - I didn't make time to take any classes, but I did get a lot of other things done. I had to deprioritize this goal because finding new sources of income and working on my health and wellness were more important.
So what about the coming year? What are your goals for 2012, for yourself and for your business? Here are some of mine...
For 2012, I'd like to work on growing my online audience and doing some more in-person idea sharing and networking. I want to continue the strides I've made in the health and wellness department, and also make a more conscious effort to pursue educational activities in whatever form I can find. If I can't take a semester-long class, webinars and one-off lectures can also work. I got a theramin for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to learning to play it as well.
If you're a bit stuck on setting workable goals, here's a very useful article from Washingtonian about setting resolutions you can keep. Try not to set too many goals at once, and make sure they specific and measurable.
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading! Wishing you all a successful 2012!
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| Goal.From Flickr user Opopodopo. |
I set a number of goals for 2011 - maybe too many...
There were a couple of big ones for me - starting this blog, and also finding a new gig for my main source of income, both of which I did. This enabled me to meet some other financial goals I'd set for this year.
There were others (for health and wellness), where I made strides but didn't get where I wanted to be, and still others (for continuing education) that I just couldn't get to.
So, what's the lesson here?
First, it's important to congratulate yourself on what you did get done. I'm really proud of my new client relationships and I feel like getting my own blog and Twitter feed this year were key in supporting those.
Second, it's healthy to acknowledge where I made progress - I am exercising more and eating more healthfully, but there are continued improvements I need to make.
Third, examine what you couldn't get done this year and why - I didn't make time to take any classes, but I did get a lot of other things done. I had to deprioritize this goal because finding new sources of income and working on my health and wellness were more important.
So what about the coming year? What are your goals for 2012, for yourself and for your business? Here are some of mine...
For 2012, I'd like to work on growing my online audience and doing some more in-person idea sharing and networking. I want to continue the strides I've made in the health and wellness department, and also make a more conscious effort to pursue educational activities in whatever form I can find. If I can't take a semester-long class, webinars and one-off lectures can also work. I got a theramin for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to learning to play it as well.
If you're a bit stuck on setting workable goals, here's a very useful article from Washingtonian about setting resolutions you can keep. Try not to set too many goals at once, and make sure they specific and measurable.
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading! Wishing you all a successful 2012!
Your Customer Referral Program
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| Friends. Flickr user Glennharper. |
The one you should have already.
The one you need to start this week. Here's why:
- 90% of customers seek others' opinions before making a purchase - using online customer reviews, Facebook, forums, and other tools to validate their purchasing decision. When we read online reviews and forum posts, we don't know who is putting forward their opinion, and it's sometimes hard to know whether or not to trust those opinions, and...
- People naturally trust the opinions of people they know over people they don't know, and it's vital that you make it easy for your most satisfied customers to tell everyone they know how great you are.
Simple enough, right?
How do you get started? Here are some ideas:
- On your web site, add a "tell a friend" button, where your customers can send your home page to others - on email and via social networks. Even better? Go one step further and let people share specific products with one another.
- Once a customer has made their purchase - add a "tell a friend what you just bought" button to the purchase confirmation page.
- Make sure customers are able to share product reviews - their own or other people's - on email and via social networks.
- Add a page to allow customers to request catalogs for a friend, or a copy of your latest enewsletter.
- Reward referrals with discounts on future purchases. Give customers points or dollars towards their next order when they refer a new customers.
Why All Marketing is Local
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| Local businesses. Flickr user RachelVorhees. |
2) You'll be able to make face-to-face connections. This is especially important if your customers are other businesses. You can call on new and prospective clients in person, sharing local stories, and building long-term connections. Your customers won't need to wait for you to fly into town to see you - you'll be able to stop by anytime. If you sell to consumers, you'll also be able to invite them to your store or call on them much more easily.
3) You'll have a much better understanding of the market than your non-local competition. Since you'll be selling to people who live and work in the same community as you do, you'll have an intrinsic understanding of the needs, environment, and conditions of that community. Knowing your local market inside and out will put you one rung above your non-local competition.
How do you access that local network? Simple is best - use your local papers (web and print properties), local events, local chambers of commerce and business groups, and local groups on LinkedIn to connect. Facebook also allows you to advertise by location, so you can find local customers there as well. Don't forget other networks that focus on local business reviews - like Yelp, ServiceMagic, and MerchantCircle.
What are you doing to strengthen your connection to your local community? Please share in the comments.
Are you local to the DC area? Drop me a line or let's connect on Twitter or LinkedIn.
It's Monday. Three Ways to Drive Sales Today
It's Monday morning. You're still waiting for that coffee to kick in.
Meanwhile, you're reviewing last week's sales. And they're not where they need to be.
What can you do?
photo © 2006 Pete Barr-Watson | more info (via: Wylio)
1. Beef up your customer loyalty program.
What are you doing to thank your most loyal customers? Are there any sales you have going on right now that they might want to know about? Make sure that 1) you're thanking them, and 2) you're asking for a sale.
2. Push your most profitable product.
Which one of your products has the best margin right now? Shouldn't you be selling more of it? Put it in your stores' front windows, advertise it front and center on your web site, and promote it on your social media channels. The more you sell, the more efficiently you're making money.
3. Try a new channel.
Today is the day it's finally time to stop procrastinating and start your Facebook page. You can let fans know about your latest specials, events and promotions, and new products.
So, what are you waiting for?
Make Monday work for you. Need help? Ask me how.
Meanwhile, you're reviewing last week's sales. And they're not where they need to be.
What can you do?
photo © 2006 Pete Barr-Watson | more info (via: Wylio)1. Beef up your customer loyalty program.
What are you doing to thank your most loyal customers? Are there any sales you have going on right now that they might want to know about? Make sure that 1) you're thanking them, and 2) you're asking for a sale.
2. Push your most profitable product.
Which one of your products has the best margin right now? Shouldn't you be selling more of it? Put it in your stores' front windows, advertise it front and center on your web site, and promote it on your social media channels. The more you sell, the more efficiently you're making money.
3. Try a new channel.
Today is the day it's finally time to stop procrastinating and start your Facebook page. You can let fans know about your latest specials, events and promotions, and new products.
So, what are you waiting for?
Make Monday work for you. Need help? Ask me how.
Don't Rickroll Your Audience - Try this Instead
For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, getting rickrolled means that you've clicked on a link to content that interests you, only to get Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video.
Why am I talking about this now? Rickrolling is so 2008.
Because thousands of businesses rickroll potential customers every day.
How?
1. Say you really need to move some polka-dot sweaters this week, so you advertise a great deal on them. Unfortunately, you send users to your home page, where the sweaters aren't promoted. Users have to use your menus to get to apparel, then women's, then sweaters, then polka-dot. Congratulations, you've just annoyed the crap out of your customers, and most have given up.
Don't rickroll - link directly to your deal!
2. Say you've just discovered that your product, baby powder, repels ants like nothing you've ever seen. So you do some promotions targeted to people interested in beating their ant problem. Unfortunately, you send these folks to your regular baby powder page, which is all about beating diaper rash. Is this the same stuff that makes ants go away? Your customers don't know. They leave empty-handed, feeling confused.
Don't rickroll - match your audience to your content with tailored landing pages.
3. Say you've created a great new diet solution. You place an online ad that says "Avoid these five foods, and lose weight today!" Lots of people click on this ad, but these five dastardly foods are nowhere to be seen. Instead, there's a video of indeterminate length (Are the five foods in there? Do I have time to watch this now?) and a exhortation to join your paid diet plan web site.
Don't rickroll - provide the content you've promised and people will want more.
Need help matching your deals, your content, and your audience? Let me know.
Why am I talking about this now? Rickrolling is so 2008.
Because thousands of businesses rickroll potential customers every day.
How?
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| Rick Astley. Flickr user chinnian |
Don't rickroll - link directly to your deal!
2. Say you've just discovered that your product, baby powder, repels ants like nothing you've ever seen. So you do some promotions targeted to people interested in beating their ant problem. Unfortunately, you send these folks to your regular baby powder page, which is all about beating diaper rash. Is this the same stuff that makes ants go away? Your customers don't know. They leave empty-handed, feeling confused.
Don't rickroll - match your audience to your content with tailored landing pages.
3. Say you've created a great new diet solution. You place an online ad that says "Avoid these five foods, and lose weight today!" Lots of people click on this ad, but these five dastardly foods are nowhere to be seen. Instead, there's a video of indeterminate length (Are the five foods in there? Do I have time to watch this now?) and a exhortation to join your paid diet plan web site.
Don't rickroll - provide the content you've promised and people will want more.
Need help matching your deals, your content, and your audience? Let me know.
Four Ways to Lose the Sale
There is nothing better than a great salesperson. I mean it. I’m not being facetious.
There’s nothing so amazing as a person who knows their product, is passionate about it, knows why you need it, and can communicate all of that with a great story.
Recently, I sent out a request for expertise and ended up talking to 14 different vendors about a service I need. Some of you lost the sale, though, and here’s why.
1) You didn’t even take three minutes to find out what I do, and it showed. Please have at least some idea what my business is. Do a little research. If you're not sure, ask. Unfortunately, some of these same people DID NOT LISTEN to my answer, and I had to repeat myself. This was REALLY annoying!
photo © 2011 Michael Whay | more info (via: Wylio)
2) Please don’t OVER-respond. Some of you sent an entire suite of possibilities to me that had nothing to do with my inquiry. I need to know how you will address the problem I have now before I hear about the rest of your offerings. Don’t bury the actual answer to my question.
3) You called me when I asked you to e-mail me. I asked you to e-mail me because that is how I prefer to get information. Aren’t you paying attention? How much attention will you put into the service you’re providing if you can’t follow simple instructions?
4) Please don’t use jargon. You don’t have to say, “Do you have an internal strategic framework around that process?” when you mean, “Do you handle this in-house right now?” I felt like I was being fed a line, and I felt like you were talking down to me. Of course I want an expert to help me. But trying to make me feel stupid doesn't automatically turn you into an expert.
That said, some of the people responding to my inquiry did a fantastic job.
Here’s what you did:
1) Clearly answered my exact question, and asked for additional information to follow up.
2) Researched my business a bit, and it showed.
3) Respected my request to be contacted via e-mail.
4) Sent me useful information and asked for next steps.
5) Showed some enthusiasm for what I’m trying to achieve.
First impressions mean a lot. If you’re in charge of a sales team, does your sales process help them to avoid these pitfalls? How?
Need help? I'm happy to take a look at your sales process, and boy am I opinionated.
There’s nothing so amazing as a person who knows their product, is passionate about it, knows why you need it, and can communicate all of that with a great story.
Recently, I sent out a request for expertise and ended up talking to 14 different vendors about a service I need. Some of you lost the sale, though, and here’s why.
1) You didn’t even take three minutes to find out what I do, and it showed. Please have at least some idea what my business is. Do a little research. If you're not sure, ask. Unfortunately, some of these same people DID NOT LISTEN to my answer, and I had to repeat myself. This was REALLY annoying!
photo © 2011 Michael Whay | more info (via: Wylio)2) Please don’t OVER-respond. Some of you sent an entire suite of possibilities to me that had nothing to do with my inquiry. I need to know how you will address the problem I have now before I hear about the rest of your offerings. Don’t bury the actual answer to my question.
3) You called me when I asked you to e-mail me. I asked you to e-mail me because that is how I prefer to get information. Aren’t you paying attention? How much attention will you put into the service you’re providing if you can’t follow simple instructions?
4) Please don’t use jargon. You don’t have to say, “Do you have an internal strategic framework around that process?” when you mean, “Do you handle this in-house right now?” I felt like I was being fed a line, and I felt like you were talking down to me. Of course I want an expert to help me. But trying to make me feel stupid doesn't automatically turn you into an expert.
That said, some of the people responding to my inquiry did a fantastic job.
Here’s what you did:
1) Clearly answered my exact question, and asked for additional information to follow up.
2) Researched my business a bit, and it showed.
3) Respected my request to be contacted via e-mail.
4) Sent me useful information and asked for next steps.
5) Showed some enthusiasm for what I’m trying to achieve.
First impressions mean a lot. If you’re in charge of a sales team, does your sales process help them to avoid these pitfalls? How?
Need help? I'm happy to take a look at your sales process, and boy am I opinionated.
Another Marketing Lesson from the Un-Rapture
Lots of bloggers have already written about marketing lessons from the apocalypse that didn't happen on Saturday.
If you want to read them, click here for a list.
Fortunately for everyone but Harold Camping, the rapture didn't happen on Saturday. We're all still here, hopefully enjoying our lives.
When questioned about the fact that the end times didn't begin on May 21st, Camping said that God had decided to spare the people five months of tribulation, and that the apocalypse was now scheduled for October 21, 2011. His last rapture prediction, in 1994, also didn't come true.
This reminded me of something a lot of marketers do, which is to extend their sales again, again, and again. I see this in my inbox all the time. The first promotion says:
photo © 2010 Forest Wander | more info (via: Wylio)
Sale Ends Friday!
Then, I get a:
Sale Extended through Sunday. Act Now!
and then, I get a:
Sale Now Extended through Tuesday. Don't Miss!
At this point, I think you're probably just going to extend your sale again, and your message loses both relevance and credibility. I'll just wait to buy - you'll just do another sale, right?
Don't be like Harold Camping. If you still have inventory to sell, create a new promotion. If your current sale isn't meeting your goals, instead of extending it, why not try a new approach to see if that drives better results? It's always a good idea to put something new in front of your customers. Need help? Let me know.
If you want to read them, click here for a list.
Fortunately for everyone but Harold Camping, the rapture didn't happen on Saturday. We're all still here, hopefully enjoying our lives.
When questioned about the fact that the end times didn't begin on May 21st, Camping said that God had decided to spare the people five months of tribulation, and that the apocalypse was now scheduled for October 21, 2011. His last rapture prediction, in 1994, also didn't come true.
This reminded me of something a lot of marketers do, which is to extend their sales again, again, and again. I see this in my inbox all the time. The first promotion says:
photo © 2010 Forest Wander | more info (via: Wylio)Sale Ends Friday!
Then, I get a:
Sale Extended through Sunday. Act Now!
and then, I get a:
Sale Now Extended through Tuesday. Don't Miss!
At this point, I think you're probably just going to extend your sale again, and your message loses both relevance and credibility. I'll just wait to buy - you'll just do another sale, right?
Don't be like Harold Camping. If you still have inventory to sell, create a new promotion. If your current sale isn't meeting your goals, instead of extending it, why not try a new approach to see if that drives better results? It's always a good idea to put something new in front of your customers. Need help? Let me know.
Three Things you can do Today to Drive Sales
It's Monday morning.
You're tired. That second cup of coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet.
You're looking at last week's numbers, and they aren't good. You need to do something today to get those numbers up.
So now what?
photo © 2009 Cliff | more info (via: Wylio)
Should you put a guy on the street with one of those big arrow signs leading to your store? Hire an Elvis impersonator? Get some of those car show models?
All of those are creative ideas, but here are three ideas that will really get things going:
1. Identify a small group of loyal customers.
Create a sale just for them. Call or e-mail them and say thank you. Extend this offer to them. It doesn't have to be much. You can even use a discount you're already doing. What's important is 1) you're thanking them, and 2) you're asking for a sale.
2. Identify the product or service that's selling best right now.
Send our an e-blast promoting that product. If you've got brick-and-mortar locations, put it in the front window. If you're a service, rather than product, business, put that service front-and-center on your web page, your blog, your twitter feed, your LinkedIn page, and anyplace else you can think of.
3. If you have a Facebook page, do a Facebook-only sale.
This is another great way to thank your fans. It also provides value to people for being your Facebook fan. Third, it's a great way to get more fans on Facebook - be sure to put a note on your e-blast and your web site that says "Follow us on Facebook for Facebook only sales." If you don't have a Facebook page, and you're a business-to-consumer (B-to-C) operation, consider starting one today.
So, what are you waiting for?
Get started driving sales now and start your week off right. Need help? Let me know.
You're tired. That second cup of coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet.
You're looking at last week's numbers, and they aren't good. You need to do something today to get those numbers up.
So now what?
photo © 2009 Cliff | more info (via: Wylio)Should you put a guy on the street with one of those big arrow signs leading to your store? Hire an Elvis impersonator? Get some of those car show models?
All of those are creative ideas, but here are three ideas that will really get things going:
1. Identify a small group of loyal customers.
Create a sale just for them. Call or e-mail them and say thank you. Extend this offer to them. It doesn't have to be much. You can even use a discount you're already doing. What's important is 1) you're thanking them, and 2) you're asking for a sale.
2. Identify the product or service that's selling best right now.
Send our an e-blast promoting that product. If you've got brick-and-mortar locations, put it in the front window. If you're a service, rather than product, business, put that service front-and-center on your web page, your blog, your twitter feed, your LinkedIn page, and anyplace else you can think of.
3. If you have a Facebook page, do a Facebook-only sale.
This is another great way to thank your fans. It also provides value to people for being your Facebook fan. Third, it's a great way to get more fans on Facebook - be sure to put a note on your e-blast and your web site that says "Follow us on Facebook for Facebook only sales." If you don't have a Facebook page, and you're a business-to-consumer (B-to-C) operation, consider starting one today.
So, what are you waiting for?
Get started driving sales now and start your week off right. Need help? Let me know.
Secret Trade Secrets on Defining Your Audience
So who's buying your product anyway?
The more you know about your customers, the better you can serve them and develop new products and services that fit their lives.
Who the heck are these people?
What kind of people visit your retail stores, purchase from your print catalogs, buy on your web site, or on their mobile phones?
How are marketers targeting people by income, age, house value, hobbies, magazine subscriptions, etc., etc., etc?
Let me tell you about the data overlay.
photo © 2010 Emilian Robert Vicol | more info (via: Wylio)
That's right. If you want to spend a little money (there's usually a fee per thousand records) and you have valid street addresses on your customer file, you can buy hundreds (even thousands) of data points on your customers. What kind of cars do they drive? How many children do they have? What type of home do they live in? How educated are they?
Understanding some key data points about your customers will help you to group them into buying segments.
Having all of this data enables you to profile people who behave in a certain way. Maybe most of your catalog customers are married men over the age of 55, and most of your mobile customers are single women aged 18 - 27. Perhaps the people who spend the most money with you per order are married female online customers aged 30 - 45 with a household income of $60,000 per year or more and a college education. Perhaps gardening hobbyists are attracted to your brand.
There are lots and lots of data points. What should you buy?
I recommend the following for most products:
Age
Gender
Household Income
Net Worth
Education
Presence of Children
Ages of Children
Then, it depends. If you're selling housewares, you'll want to know what types of homes people live in. After all, you don't want to send your outdoor furniture catalog to people who live in apartments. If you're selling pet-related products, then you'll want to buy data on pet ownership. Ditto for cars. If your product is related to a specific hobby (say gardening or travel), then you'll want to make sure you get your records flagged for customers with those interests.
How does it help?
Knowing more about your customers' basic demographic makeup helps you to craft products and messages that are tailored to their stage of life. It also helps you create groups of customer clones. In the example above, I mentioned that your most profitable customers might be educated, high-income, married females age 30 -45. Since you know that this type of person has potential to be extremely profitable for you, now you can start looking for places to find more people like this. By cultivating people who are a lot like your best customers, you're raising your chances of getting more good customers.
Where does this data come from?
There are several organizations that collect this data, most notably the three major credit agencies. They get it from warranty cards, survey responses, loan/purchasing behavior, and a number of other sources. If this gives you the heebie-jeebies, you can contact the Direct Marketing Association or sign up for OptOutPreScreen to protect your privacy.
Now what?
You can contact any one of several vendors who provide data overlay services, or contact me and I'll help you get started.
The more you know about your customers, the better you can serve them and develop new products and services that fit their lives.
Who the heck are these people?
What kind of people visit your retail stores, purchase from your print catalogs, buy on your web site, or on their mobile phones?
How are marketers targeting people by income, age, house value, hobbies, magazine subscriptions, etc., etc., etc?
Let me tell you about the data overlay.
photo © 2010 Emilian Robert Vicol | more info (via: Wylio)That's right. If you want to spend a little money (there's usually a fee per thousand records) and you have valid street addresses on your customer file, you can buy hundreds (even thousands) of data points on your customers. What kind of cars do they drive? How many children do they have? What type of home do they live in? How educated are they?
Understanding some key data points about your customers will help you to group them into buying segments.
Having all of this data enables you to profile people who behave in a certain way. Maybe most of your catalog customers are married men over the age of 55, and most of your mobile customers are single women aged 18 - 27. Perhaps the people who spend the most money with you per order are married female online customers aged 30 - 45 with a household income of $60,000 per year or more and a college education. Perhaps gardening hobbyists are attracted to your brand.
There are lots and lots of data points. What should you buy?
I recommend the following for most products:
Age
Gender
Household Income
Net Worth
Education
Presence of Children
Ages of Children
Then, it depends. If you're selling housewares, you'll want to know what types of homes people live in. After all, you don't want to send your outdoor furniture catalog to people who live in apartments. If you're selling pet-related products, then you'll want to buy data on pet ownership. Ditto for cars. If your product is related to a specific hobby (say gardening or travel), then you'll want to make sure you get your records flagged for customers with those interests.
How does it help?
Knowing more about your customers' basic demographic makeup helps you to craft products and messages that are tailored to their stage of life. It also helps you create groups of customer clones. In the example above, I mentioned that your most profitable customers might be educated, high-income, married females age 30 -45. Since you know that this type of person has potential to be extremely profitable for you, now you can start looking for places to find more people like this. By cultivating people who are a lot like your best customers, you're raising your chances of getting more good customers.
Where does this data come from?
There are several organizations that collect this data, most notably the three major credit agencies. They get it from warranty cards, survey responses, loan/purchasing behavior, and a number of other sources. If this gives you the heebie-jeebies, you can contact the Direct Marketing Association or sign up for OptOutPreScreen to protect your privacy.
Now what?
You can contact any one of several vendors who provide data overlay services, or contact me and I'll help you get started.
Sometimes, the Best Answer is "More!"
My neighbor recently wrote and published a book about better leadership for people in charge of Boy Scout Troops. He's sold half his first print run (hooray!), but he still has half to go. He asked me for some marketing advice. Here's what I asked him...
photo © 2010 Jorel Pi | more info (via: Wylio)
Where is your book for sale?
It's selling on Amazon and he's set up a web site where folks can buy it too. So far, so good.
Is it visible to search engines?
Yes - it's one of the top few results if people search on "scout leadership." Even better.
How are you promoting it?
On his Facebook profile, which is also good. I suggested he look into a Facebook ad. He can set up the ad to target people who have "Boy Scouts" as an interest, and target by age range and geography if he wants, too.
What about the press?
He's been interviewed about the book, and the person who interviewed him recorded it as a podcast, which is fantastic. In fact, many of his sales are coming from people who listened to the podcast.
This is key.
We now know a that a primary motivator for sales is this podcast, so we need to find ways to get this content to more people. He's got a link to it on his web site. I suggested he add it to Facebook too, and ask others to link to it, which brings me to my next point....
What about the blogosphere?
There are blogs about everything, including Boy Scout leadership. My neighbor has had some positive reviews from bloggers, which is also great. He needs to reach out to more of them and ask them to review his book and link to the podcast. I also advised him to offer to guest blog for these folks - bloggers are always looking for content and a guest blogger can provide a blocked or busy writer with a much-needed break.
So, what's the lesson here?
My neighbor has been doing a great job marketing his book through multiple channels, and to sell the second half of his print run, he needs to just do more of the same - more interviews, more blogs, more links. My advice to him - just do more.
What about you?
Which of your marketing channels seems to bring in the most sales? Is most of your sales traffic from a radio ad? A coupon? Your blog? Your Facebook page? Whatever channel leads to the most sales is the one you want to try and drive more traffic to.
Not so sure what's working or how to measure it? I can help. Drop me a line.
photo © 2010 Jorel Pi | more info (via: Wylio)Where is your book for sale?
It's selling on Amazon and he's set up a web site where folks can buy it too. So far, so good.
Is it visible to search engines?
Yes - it's one of the top few results if people search on "scout leadership." Even better.
How are you promoting it?
On his Facebook profile, which is also good. I suggested he look into a Facebook ad. He can set up the ad to target people who have "Boy Scouts" as an interest, and target by age range and geography if he wants, too.
What about the press?
He's been interviewed about the book, and the person who interviewed him recorded it as a podcast, which is fantastic. In fact, many of his sales are coming from people who listened to the podcast.
This is key.
We now know a that a primary motivator for sales is this podcast, so we need to find ways to get this content to more people. He's got a link to it on his web site. I suggested he add it to Facebook too, and ask others to link to it, which brings me to my next point....
What about the blogosphere?
There are blogs about everything, including Boy Scout leadership. My neighbor has had some positive reviews from bloggers, which is also great. He needs to reach out to more of them and ask them to review his book and link to the podcast. I also advised him to offer to guest blog for these folks - bloggers are always looking for content and a guest blogger can provide a blocked or busy writer with a much-needed break.
So, what's the lesson here?
My neighbor has been doing a great job marketing his book through multiple channels, and to sell the second half of his print run, he needs to just do more of the same - more interviews, more blogs, more links. My advice to him - just do more.
What about you?
Which of your marketing channels seems to bring in the most sales? Is most of your sales traffic from a radio ad? A coupon? Your blog? Your Facebook page? Whatever channel leads to the most sales is the one you want to try and drive more traffic to.
Not so sure what's working or how to measure it? I can help. Drop me a line.
Take Note: My Bank Wowed Me!
That's right, I must be one of the 0.00001% of Americans who were actually wowed by their bank's customer service. Yes, this actually happened to me last week.
I walked into my bank branch to close one account and add the money in that account to another account that we have. Simplifying our finances is one of our goals this year.*
photo © 2009 Alan Cleaver | more info (via: Wylio)
Not only was the bank manager happy to make the change, he invited me into his office to sit comfortably while he was doing that for me. On top of that, he noticed that we had a pretty low-interest savings account and asked me if I wanted one with better terms, but no additional service fees.
Of course I did!
I was delighted that he was willing to proactively make a change for me, and within minutes, I not only had gotten what I came for, I'd also gotten more than I expected.
Where do I bank? Do you want to know? Should I name companies who provide me with great service, like I did in my Discover card post the other week, or leave them anonymous? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
* If you want help clarifying goals, one way to get there is to try Sonja Lyubomirsky's "Best Possible Selves" exercise.
What companies have wowed you lately?
I walked into my bank branch to close one account and add the money in that account to another account that we have. Simplifying our finances is one of our goals this year.*
photo © 2009 Alan Cleaver | more info (via: Wylio)Not only was the bank manager happy to make the change, he invited me into his office to sit comfortably while he was doing that for me. On top of that, he noticed that we had a pretty low-interest savings account and asked me if I wanted one with better terms, but no additional service fees.
Of course I did!
I was delighted that he was willing to proactively make a change for me, and within minutes, I not only had gotten what I came for, I'd also gotten more than I expected.
Where do I bank? Do you want to know? Should I name companies who provide me with great service, like I did in my Discover card post the other week, or leave them anonymous? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
* If you want help clarifying goals, one way to get there is to try Sonja Lyubomirsky's "Best Possible Selves" exercise.
What companies have wowed you lately?
Profiting from Off-Label Uses for Your Product
Are there off-label uses for your products?
You know, like the use of hormone injections for weight loss or coffee to relieve headaches?
Now is a great time to think about other ways your own customers might be using your product.
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| Tito has some great alternative uses for your extra tuna. Photo: J. Ibraheem |
Are people reheating their leftover pizza with your waffle irons?
Are they using your spreadsheet software to plan their weddings?
Or using your kitty litter to prevent odors in the fridge?
There are huge opportunities to sell, keep, save, and serve your customers if you can figure out other purposes for your products:
Sell – people might not need your product for its primary use, but they badly need a solution for one of its alternative uses. Are you letting them know about other uses in your promotions?
Keep and Save – your current customers might no longer have the problem your product was originally meant to solve. No worries- they can still use it. Just make sure to let them know how.
Serve – Customers who love your product for its original use will be delighted to find out it’s so versatile. Make sure to let them know how useful it is!
Not sure how your product is being used by your customers?
Ask them! On your blog, your Facebook page, your Twitter feed, in your stores, in your e-blasts, on your web site. Your customers are your best source of information. Ask them all kinds of questions, and ask frequently!
Ask them! On your blog, your Facebook page, your Twitter feed, in your stores, in your e-blasts, on your web site. Your customers are your best source of information. Ask them all kinds of questions, and ask frequently!
Not sure if your product can protect your hands, reheat pizza, prevent fridge odors, or help with wedding plans? Send me a note and I’ll be happy to help.
How are people using your product off-label? Please share.
What Were Your Marketing New Year's Resolutions?
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| House with snow. Photo: L. Ibraheem |
Have you:
Lost Weight? It's a great time to get rid of vendors you don't need, products you shouldn't offer, and relationships that aren't working.
Made the Most of What You Have? Your marketing channels should be synched up so that they work together and support one another. Invest in efficiency and you make the most of what you've already got.
Tried New Things? It's always a good exercise to explore a new marketing channel or enhance one where your presence is minimal. Does Twitter now make sense for you when it didn't before? Is it time to beef up your Facebook presence? Or are all your customers hanging out on LinkedIn?
One thing I've been working on this year is SEO marketing. I've been learning how to edit web copy and keywords to be more search engine friendly. It's tricky, but very interesting, to see how people actually use search engines to find the information they want. It's also helping to drive more traffic to the web sites I work on and informing how we write e-blast, web, blog, press release, and facebook copy.
How have you enhanced your operations this year? I'd love to hear from you. If you need help getting it all done, just let me know.
A Tale of Two Credit Cards - Why Customer Service is Marketing, Too
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| These guys were totally frightened by my credit card rates. Photo: Leah Ibraheem |
Earlier tonight, I called my main credit card company to ask them to lower my rate. I'd read a number of scripts for this conversation and planned to tell them all about how I had received better offers from other companies, that my rate was too high, that I have excellent credit, and they should help me out.
The first person I talked to said that I already had the best rate and that she would not be making any changes. I said, "I guess you'll just need to cancel my card, then."
I'd read in all the scripts that you should do that.
She said, "OK."
Wow.
So I was transferred to a supervisor and she couldn't lower my rate either. After several minutes of negotiations, she offered me two months of interest payments back, which was nice. I was not happy that they wouldn't lower my rate, but this was better than nothing. Feeling empowered, I called my other credit card company, which happens to be Discover.
The woman at Discover was the nicest woman ever. She even told me where she was located (Portland, Oregon) and thanked me for my eleven-year, six-month relationship with Discover. She asked me how she could help, and was interested and enthusiastic.
Well, let me tell you this -
Not only had Discover recently evaluated my situation and taken the initiative to lower my existing rate by five points (which I didn't know since this happened after my last statement), they readily agreed to offer me a 6-month promotional rate that was another eight (eight!) points lower than the new rate they'd already extended to me. That's 13 points!
After that, my customer service rep let me know about some additional discounts I could get for travel and a special cash-back bonus on home improvement items that begins this month. She never rushed me and she kept thinking of more and more ways she could help me.
Her goal: to make sure that my Discover card was my primary card, which it hasn't been - I hardly ever use it.
But that's about to change. Why? Because Discover's marketing, sales, and customer service are integrated to effectively save, keep, sell, and serve me, all at the same time. How does that work?
- They were actually working proactively to save me by assessing my account and lowering my rate before I even called.
- They were ready to keep me with an additional offer to make their card even more of a value.
- They had several product suggestions ready to sell me - products that would save me further on things I'm already buying, deals which are useful to me specifically.
- They emphasized how much they wanted to serve me by identifying the length of our relationship, thanking me for it, and offering numerous ways to help.
Maybe it's time to take another look at your customer service operation - does it work to save, keep, sell, and serve your customers? How can your marketing department help your customer service reps with the right things to say, great offers, and the power to use tools like special promotions, savings clubs, and new products to keep your customers happy?
I'd love to hear about what you're doing to save, keep, sell, and serve. Please tell me in the comments, or send me a note.
So, which credit card just moved from my desk drawer to my wallet? Three guesses, and the first two don't count.
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