I am signed up to receive emails from one of my favorite restaurants. I signed their email list because they send me a free appetizer coupon on my birthday. Because of this I'm willing to let them send me other emails throughout the year. I have often thought about how they are wasting this opportunity. This is because they never send me emails that interest me.
This restaurant is practicing direct mail marketing. They have access to my email, and so they have access to me. They send me letters trying to tempt me to go get food from them. What they aren't doing is sending me information that interests me.
Article marketing has to potential to link businesses and consumers in a very unique way. A successful article will interest the reader. The restaurant that sends me emails could be sending me articles that I'd be interested in. If they did that I would anxiously open their emails rather than just delete them without reading them.
It's not easy to figure out what is going to interest a customer. If a business is sending them direct mail then they are trying to reach them on a somewhat personal level. Article marketing also attempts this fictional one-on-one relationship. Really, direct mail marketing and article marketing go hand in hand with each other, and benefit greatly from one another.
It wouldn't take much to get me to open an email from the restaurant. For instance, if I received an email from them telling me all about a farm that they get their food from, I'd probably read it. I'd read the entire article, and the whole time I'd be getting more and more hungry for their food. I might go to their restaurant that night.
A well written article is a powerful tool. If a business has the power to get an article to a potential client, then they should do it. In today's world interest is everything. If you can captivate, then you can sell.
Article marketing works well during a slow economy. People think they have no money, but they do. They go out searching for something free. An article sent to their home is free. If it looks interesting then they'll read it. If it interests them then you've got them. They will give you what money they have.
The restaurant I receive emails from will ever rise to their potential. It doesn't matter much, because they're pretty crowded every night anyway. Other businesses cannot afford to be so sloppy with their resources. How often do company's email things that aren't going to interest the receiver? Why email it in the first place?
The key to successful direct mail marketing is to interest the person receiving the mail. Article marketing works under the assumption that you can interest people. If used together both modes of advertising can reach greater heights.
So the next time you're putting together your direct mail package, think about putting an article in there geared toward your client. It just might do the trick.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Market Prospecting
I've heard a lot of debate about the whole "Warm Market" thing. Traditional network marketing guru's seem to have a strong opinion that warm market prospecting is the only effective method, while the new marketers of the digital age think they're crazy and can't imagine going to their "friends and family" when they can access over a billion people online.
Here are the top five myths I've heard, and my take on each one:
1. You can only build a network marketing business in your warm market.
This one should simply be re-phrased to, "I can only build a network marketing business in MY warm market." Because this is only said by traditionalists who don't know any other way. There are just too many success stories in the online network marketing arena to back up that claim.
2. Nobody has built a big team online or with leads.
Again, this statement should simply be re-phrased to, "I don't know anybody who builds online who's successful." Well, this is simply a matter of you not educating yourself on the current marketplace. They're out there, but you haven't met them yet.
3. Home meetings are the best way to build your business
This one is purely subjective. Have home meetings built massive teams? Absolutely. And if you love home meetings, go for it. But that doesn't make it the best method for everybody, it just makes it the best for you. For me, home meetings are the WORST way to build my business. I'm a family man, and when I'm home I'm home. I love time with my wife and kids, and I'm busy with their sports, singing, church activities etc, and I want to keep it that way. Because I build my business online, my home remains a home, and my online systems work for me 24/7, building my business automatically.
4. Weekly hotel meetings are essential for network marketing growth.
This is another very subjective thing. According to Randy Gage, weekly meetings are only effective in the start up phase of a business. After that they become a hang out for "professional meeting attenders," and the meeting numbers stay fairly flat while core people meet weekly to show off their new clothes and cars to each other. But the ratio of guests to distributors is terrible.
So if you love a weekly meeting, go for it! But to assume it's essential for growth is simply not true.
5. It's a relationship business.
Now here's where I'm going to get in some hot water. What if that statement isn't true? It's one of the core beliefs of traditional network marketers, but let's analyze it for a minute.
Why is network marketing considered a relationship business? I mean, all network marketing is is a network of distributors recommending products or services to others, who then do the same. In the end, will these people buy the products or services because of a relationship, or because of the merits of the products themselves? Remember, every company out there believes their product or service is strong enough to stand up in the marketplace regardless of whether there's a compensation plan attached or not, right? So it stands to reason that people will continue to use a good product even if they DISLIKE the person who told them about it.
So the fact is that the person who actually will make the most money isn't the one who builds the most relationships, but the person who has the most volume in their organization. It's a brutal reality, but there it is.
But before you go screaming that Dave Sherwin is some heartless marketing monster, I'm really not. I love people. I just choose to build my business online. And the fascinating paradox of this warm market vs. online marketing debate, is that my "warm market" is bigger than it's ever been! I have friends all over the WORLD! I have distributors in countries I haven't even visited! After all is said and done, I have more relationships than ever before because of online network marketing.
So if you are fascinated by the world of online network marketing, go for it! It works, it's fun, it's rewarding, and it can be VERY profitable.
Dave Sherwin is a Network Marketer who won the "Rookie of the Year"award in a large international network marketing company, building a team of over 700 people his first 6 months.
Here are the top five myths I've heard, and my take on each one:
1. You can only build a network marketing business in your warm market.
This one should simply be re-phrased to, "I can only build a network marketing business in MY warm market." Because this is only said by traditionalists who don't know any other way. There are just too many success stories in the online network marketing arena to back up that claim.
2. Nobody has built a big team online or with leads.
Again, this statement should simply be re-phrased to, "I don't know anybody who builds online who's successful." Well, this is simply a matter of you not educating yourself on the current marketplace. They're out there, but you haven't met them yet.
3. Home meetings are the best way to build your business
This one is purely subjective. Have home meetings built massive teams? Absolutely. And if you love home meetings, go for it. But that doesn't make it the best method for everybody, it just makes it the best for you. For me, home meetings are the WORST way to build my business. I'm a family man, and when I'm home I'm home. I love time with my wife and kids, and I'm busy with their sports, singing, church activities etc, and I want to keep it that way. Because I build my business online, my home remains a home, and my online systems work for me 24/7, building my business automatically.
4. Weekly hotel meetings are essential for network marketing growth.
This is another very subjective thing. According to Randy Gage, weekly meetings are only effective in the start up phase of a business. After that they become a hang out for "professional meeting attenders," and the meeting numbers stay fairly flat while core people meet weekly to show off their new clothes and cars to each other. But the ratio of guests to distributors is terrible.
So if you love a weekly meeting, go for it! But to assume it's essential for growth is simply not true.
5. It's a relationship business.
Now here's where I'm going to get in some hot water. What if that statement isn't true? It's one of the core beliefs of traditional network marketers, but let's analyze it for a minute.
Why is network marketing considered a relationship business? I mean, all network marketing is is a network of distributors recommending products or services to others, who then do the same. In the end, will these people buy the products or services because of a relationship, or because of the merits of the products themselves? Remember, every company out there believes their product or service is strong enough to stand up in the marketplace regardless of whether there's a compensation plan attached or not, right? So it stands to reason that people will continue to use a good product even if they DISLIKE the person who told them about it.
So the fact is that the person who actually will make the most money isn't the one who builds the most relationships, but the person who has the most volume in their organization. It's a brutal reality, but there it is.
But before you go screaming that Dave Sherwin is some heartless marketing monster, I'm really not. I love people. I just choose to build my business online. And the fascinating paradox of this warm market vs. online marketing debate, is that my "warm market" is bigger than it's ever been! I have friends all over the WORLD! I have distributors in countries I haven't even visited! After all is said and done, I have more relationships than ever before because of online network marketing.
So if you are fascinated by the world of online network marketing, go for it! It works, it's fun, it's rewarding, and it can be VERY profitable.
Dave Sherwin is a Network Marketer who won the "Rookie of the Year"award in a large international network marketing company, building a team of over 700 people his first 6 months.
Effective Brochure
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. A brochure can range in size and page count so there is a great deal of flexibility. However, remember that an effective layout is crucial to ensure that the information or message is effectively communicated and read. Here are some brochure layout tips.
Decide on the size and brochure style. Will it be 8.5x 11" or 11x 17"? How many pages? Do you want to make it booklet form? There are many options and you need to look at each one carefully to decide which best suits your particular situation or project.
Make sure you design the layout for the page size you intend to use. In other words if you designed the brochure for a 6x9" format but then used letter sized paper, the end result would be disappointing. It may seem obvious, but these types of errors happen more often than you might think. It's best to give a lot of forethought into the overall design.
Allow for bleed. If you intend to use graphic elements which will go to the edge of the paper, remember that most printers cannot print all the way to the edge so you typically use over-sized paper and then trim it to size.
Make sure the images you use are high resolution. Many images on the Internet are about 75 to 90 dpi. This is sufficient for viewing on a web page. However, if you cut and pasted this type of image to use on a brochure, it would print poorly.
In general make certain that all pictures and graphics you use are at least of a 300 dpi resolution. This will ensure that they will print out clearly and add to the overall effectiveness and attractiveness of your brochure.
Choice of fonts can make a huge difference - Times Roman and Helvetica are very popular fonts. However, experiment with other font styles and allow for creativity to seep into your overall design. Check out what your competitors might be doing or what fonts are used in brochures you find attractive. You may find other font styles which greatly enhance the look of your brochure.
A good balance of text and graphics is key to a successful brochure. Your audience does not simply want to read only text nor can you expect them to get a clear message with only images. A suitable balance of strong headlines, effective graphics, and clear, precise text is key to getting your message across in the best possible manner.
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. And the brochure layout is the most important aspect of putting a brochure plan into action. For all of your Detroit brochure needs, visit Detroit Print Shop in Detroit, Michigan.
Decide on the size and brochure style. Will it be 8.5x 11" or 11x 17"? How many pages? Do you want to make it booklet form? There are many options and you need to look at each one carefully to decide which best suits your particular situation or project.
Make sure you design the layout for the page size you intend to use. In other words if you designed the brochure for a 6x9" format but then used letter sized paper, the end result would be disappointing. It may seem obvious, but these types of errors happen more often than you might think. It's best to give a lot of forethought into the overall design.
Allow for bleed. If you intend to use graphic elements which will go to the edge of the paper, remember that most printers cannot print all the way to the edge so you typically use over-sized paper and then trim it to size.
Make sure the images you use are high resolution. Many images on the Internet are about 75 to 90 dpi. This is sufficient for viewing on a web page. However, if you cut and pasted this type of image to use on a brochure, it would print poorly.
In general make certain that all pictures and graphics you use are at least of a 300 dpi resolution. This will ensure that they will print out clearly and add to the overall effectiveness and attractiveness of your brochure.
Choice of fonts can make a huge difference - Times Roman and Helvetica are very popular fonts. However, experiment with other font styles and allow for creativity to seep into your overall design. Check out what your competitors might be doing or what fonts are used in brochures you find attractive. You may find other font styles which greatly enhance the look of your brochure.
A good balance of text and graphics is key to a successful brochure. Your audience does not simply want to read only text nor can you expect them to get a clear message with only images. A suitable balance of strong headlines, effective graphics, and clear, precise text is key to getting your message across in the best possible manner.
A brochure is your best opportunity to provide your readers with enough information to establish clear communication about products or services. And the brochure layout is the most important aspect of putting a brochure plan into action. For all of your Detroit brochure needs, visit Detroit Print Shop in Detroit, Michigan.
Stories Sell
Stories are one of the easiest ways to sell...
In copy, in person, it doesn't matter. But before you go out and tell stories for the sake of telling a story, it's smart to take a minute to understand why they work so well.
It starts with grabbing and holding attention.
It's easy to suck in a reader with a good story.
Once you have a reader hooked, if it's a good story, they're going to read all the way through to the end. We're hard wired to see stories through until the end. It's why you tune into your favorite shows every week or sit through a 3 hour movie.
Stories are very emotional. It's a lot easier to make a point through telling a story than it is to come right out with the lesson...
People are going to relate to a story about an underdog who fought the odds and came out a winner - That's going to resonate with people a lot more than if you just come out and say "you can fight the odds and be successful!"
A story allows your copy to do all of the stuff good copy needs to do...
It's going to suck the reader in.
It's going to spark curiosity and keep people reading...
Done right, they can change beliefs, shift mindsets and compel people to take action.
One of the most successful ads of all time was called "A Tale Of Two Brothers", a famous ad written for The Wall Street Journal.
It told a story of two brothers, one brother worked for the company, the other owned the company.
The only difference, the successful brother read The Wall Street Journal.
The story allowed them to illustrate their point, as opposed to saying "if you read our paper you can become rich and successful".
If you dig deep enough, you can almost always find a good story you can use to illustrate a point for you.
No ninja-NLP-guru copy tactics here...
In copy, in person, it doesn't matter. But before you go out and tell stories for the sake of telling a story, it's smart to take a minute to understand why they work so well.
It starts with grabbing and holding attention.
It's easy to suck in a reader with a good story.
Once you have a reader hooked, if it's a good story, they're going to read all the way through to the end. We're hard wired to see stories through until the end. It's why you tune into your favorite shows every week or sit through a 3 hour movie.
Stories are very emotional. It's a lot easier to make a point through telling a story than it is to come right out with the lesson...
People are going to relate to a story about an underdog who fought the odds and came out a winner - That's going to resonate with people a lot more than if you just come out and say "you can fight the odds and be successful!"
A story allows your copy to do all of the stuff good copy needs to do...
It's going to suck the reader in.
It's going to spark curiosity and keep people reading...
Done right, they can change beliefs, shift mindsets and compel people to take action.
One of the most successful ads of all time was called "A Tale Of Two Brothers", a famous ad written for The Wall Street Journal.
It told a story of two brothers, one brother worked for the company, the other owned the company.
The only difference, the successful brother read The Wall Street Journal.
The story allowed them to illustrate their point, as opposed to saying "if you read our paper you can become rich and successful".
If you dig deep enough, you can almost always find a good story you can use to illustrate a point for you.
No ninja-NLP-guru copy tactics here...
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