Marketing

Dec

2017

The Treasure at the End of the Question Mark

When you’re looking for someone to help with your marketing tasks, you have questions to ask of them. Those questions reflect what you need from the marketing professional.

As important as those answers are, consider the questions your prospective hire asks you. Do they know that every piece of the marketing puzzle must fit within the big picture? Or are they just interested in the piece that they can provide?

When discussing your wants and needs, it’s vital that your copywriter, SEM or SEO specialist, or web designer understands what you’re trying to accomplish with your marketing. If they are willing to take your money without looking at the big picture, they will probably miss the mark.

Golden Questions Reveal the True Nature of Your Prospective Marketer

There are questions your potential copywriter or marketer should ask you. The answers to these questions will define the project and the direction of your marketing.

When a copywriter asks these questions, you’ll know you have someone who truly cares about your business and has your best outcomes as their goal.

What do you want?
- What is this project?
- What are the elements of this package/project?
- What will this finished project look like?
- What do you need done right now?
- What is the most pressing marketing challenge you’re facing now?
- What other projects are facing close deadlines?
- What else do you want to achieve?

What will having that do for you?
- How does this project fit into the growth/development plan of your company?
- What are the goals of this project?
- How will the successful outcome of this project affect the company?
- What caused you to head in this direction?
- Why is this important now?

How will you know when you’ve accomplished it?
- What is a perfect outcome for this project?
- How will we know it’s a success?
- Are there key signs to determine success?
  - If so, what are they?
- What expectations do you have for this project/campaign?
- What would show this project failed?

We’re all looking for answers. Good questions open the door to answers that can make or break a marketing project.

Please feel free to take advantage of my free 20 minute consultation call here.

Oct

2017

How Marketing to Your Niche – with the Right Copy – can Increase Profits

What does selling used RV’s have to do with selling your natural products? Marketing is marketing. Whether we’re selling niche health foods or tiny motorhomes, there are special buyers out there looking for what we have to sell. They are willing to pay a premium price for unique products.

We just bought the tiny 2003 Tiger pictured above. It’s our tenth Tiger purchase. We bought it on ebay.com. We paid less for it than we sold this 2001 model for:
They are basically the same vehicle. The 2003 is in better condition, had one loving owner and has better curb appeal.

So why were we able to get it at a better price? The answer is simple: marketing and sales copy. The owner of the 2003 didn’t even mention that it was a one owner vehicle. There is a strong niche market for these tiny campers, but Craig’s List is a better place to sell them than ebay.com.

What do you need to tell your prospective customers to get them excited to buy your product? To know that, you need to know what problem they need to solve, why your product will solve that problem and how your product will change their buying habits.

What question is your target audience asking themselves? What problem does your product solve? Where are they looking for answers?

Can a healthy granola bar really taste good? Will a low calorie/carb option satisfy hunger? How can vegan options improve health?

Is there really a drug-free option to eliminate joint pain? Is a deteriorating body the price of living longer? Is there anything to do to stay sharp and enjoy life?

When you know the question, you can give your customers the answer they’re looking for. You’ll discover the price they’re willing to pay to ease their pain, get and stay healthy, and enjoy life again.

What questions are your potential customers asking that your natural health product or service can answer?

Oct

2017

Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep

Headlines must make a promise so the reader wants to read your email, web page or blog. The content should fulfill that promise. Your product or service must be true to the content.

If your marketing isn’t true to your company’s values, your customers will distrust your products. There are many choices for every product and service. It’s important to communicate honestly with every marketing message.

Persuasive content can get the customer to buy – the first time. When the first sale is also the last, your customer acquisition costs skyrocket.

Marketing works best when the customer is so happy, she can’t wait to tell her friends about your company.

Sometimes substitutions work just fine. Other times your customers won’t accept a change – even if You think the product is improved.

Horses are large animals. The lessons they teach are larger than we expect.

My horse, Opie, is lazy. Circling on a long line is one of his least favorite things to do. He finds no value in seeing the same scenery over and over again. There are training benefits to having a horse circle. He should not change direction or gait or speed unless asked to. My horse needed something to motivate him to follow my cues.

Opie will work for food. I keep the sessions short and reward the slightest try. I use treats to motivate him to move. He is Insulin Resistant, so he can’t have sweet conventional horse treats. I found that he likes the superfood, spirulina, so I use them as treats.

The only problem was that the soft wafers were messy – and expensive. I found a spirulina tablet that didn’t rub off on my hands. It cost less, too.

I asked Opie to move off to my left. He trotted off nicely and watched me to bring him in. I cued him to come to me. He trotted right to me. As usual, I placed the new spirulina tablet in his mouth. The new taste was not agreeable. He raised his upper lip in disbelief.

I asked him for a right circle. He complied but with a snotty shake of his head. After two rounds I asked him in and rewarded him with the new treat. Again, he raised his lip in disgust.

I backed him to the end of the rope and asked for a circle to the left. He would have none of it. He bucked and reared, but wouldn’t move forward. When I asked again, he stood on his hind legs and walked toward me. I knew this couldn’t continue successfully. I stopped the session and found some treats he liked. I restored his faith in me as a partner.

Be careful with your marketing. Build trust and keep it. Continue to provide the best products and service possible. Your customers won’t be threatening to bash your head in with their hooves – or quietly buying from another company.