by Paul Simister
on May 30, 2013
Many business owners want to improve their marketing:
- They want to attract more qualified leads.
- Convert more leads into paying customers.
- Resell to existing and old customers
A fundamental way to improve any activity is by using the Stop Start More Less Process
I have already looked at how this can be applied to how you can improve the way you manage your time to get more achieved.
>>> The Stop Start More Less Matrix For Time Management
The same principles also apply to differentiating your products and services cost effectively.
>> The Stop Start More Less Process For Differentiation Of Products And Services
And in this article, I explain how the process can improve your marketing results.
What Is The Stop Start More Less Process And How Does It Apply To Marketing? [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 28, 2013
Sending your direct mail letter to the right people is even more important than the quality of the copywriting and even the offer in the sales letter.
The wrong people don’t want or need what you sell.
What Should You Look For When Buying A Mailing List?
Here are a few questions to ask.
- How is the mailing list refreshed and how often? People move, die etc.
- What is done to check the accuracy of the data on the list?
- What extra information do they hold? Sadly very little information needs to be filed at Companies House by small companies.
- Are there any guarantees on the data?
- How often can use the data on the direct mailing list? Some lists are sold for one-off use.
- How is the data is delivered? You want the information to be ready in digital form.
- How consistent is the format of the information so that it is ready to use? I’ve seen too many lists that are obviously compiled by disinterested college kids on a lowly paid holiday job with no regard to common practice. Names and addresses all in capitals. Addresses combined on to one line or split across multiple lines inappropriately.
Can You Put Your Own Mailing List Together?
The most responsive mailing lists are likely to come from your own contacts:
- current customers
- past customers who have stopped buying – data needs to be checked in case they have moved away
- prospects who enquired but didn’t convert – again the data needs to be checked
by Paul Simister
on May 23, 2013
When putting together a marketing campaign, you need to be clear on how many steps you expect to take to create a customer.
In the Seven Step Guerrilla Marketing Plan, I emphasis the importance of knowing what you want customers to do so that you can make your marketing more intentional.
>>> The Guerrilla Marketing Plan – 7 Sentences To Marketing Clarity
There are three main lead generation and conversion techniques:
- One step lead generation – sell at the first contact
- Two step lead generation – offer something free to get interested people to raise their hands and admit their interest and then convert them into paying customers.
- Three step lead generation – use the two step process but with a low price purchase to weed out the buyers from the browsers.
One Step Systems To Create Sales
Here your aim is to create a lead (a person interested in buying) and convert that person into a customer in one go.
This is classic mail order territory although the marketing message can be delivered by direct mail, space advertising in newsletters and magazines or TV commercials. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 22, 2013
This is the sixth marketing tip in a series based on
>>> Being Good At Marketing Isn’t A Nice-If But A Must Have
Marketing Tip 6 – Network and Find People Who Can Help You And You Can Help
You may not be a networking natural but it’s important to get out and about and mix with different people.
Partly that’s because running a business can be lonely. You may be on your own for many hours at a time so it’s good to build up a support system.
by Paul Simister
on May 22, 2013
The Brain Audit : Why Customers Buy
(And Why They Don’t) by Sean D’Souza
Book Review rating – 5 Stars
The Brain Audit by Sean D’Souza is an excellent book about creating a compelling sales message that appeals to your buyers brains without resorting to sleazy tactics.
The Red Bags Metaphor
At the beginning of the book, Sean sets up his copywriting system with a powerful metaphor.
Imagine going to the airport with seven bags and checking them in. You get on the flight and land. After passport control you make your way to the luggage carousel or conveyor belt.
Sean’s question is…
“When do you walk away?” [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 21, 2013
Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
Book Review Review – 5 Stars
Tested Advertising Methods : Fifth Edition by John Caples and revised by Fred E. Hahn is considered to be a direct response marketing classic.
John Caples was a naval engineer turned advertising man, and like all engineers, he thrived on feedback and analysis.
The only thing that interested him was advertising that sold and he systematically tested small changes to see if he could find things that worked even better.
The great thing about testing when it’s done properly is that, whatever the results, there are lessons to be learnt. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 20, 2013
This is the fifth marketing tip in a series based on
>>> Being Good At Marketing Isn’t A Nice-If But A Must Have
Marketing Tip 5 – Outreach Marketing – Reach Out To Your Target Customers
If you have done your market research,
>>> Understand The Customers In Your Market And Find Unexploited Opportunities
you should be in a good position to start a proactive outreach marketing campaign to contact your target customers.
The two main direct response methods that small businesses can easily use are:
[continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 19, 2013
Before you dive into buying particular marketing media, it’s well worth thinking about where your target customers can see and hear your marketing message.
Your message will usually be some kind of direct response offer but can be brand name exposure or even something creative like a competition or survey.
You want:
- Relevance – to get your marketing message in front of the right people.
- Reach – to get it in front of as many of your target audience as possible.
- Impact – to deliver your message in a way that’s hard for people with the specific problem, want or need that you satisfy, to ignore.
- Cost and effectiveness – you want a big bang for your buck.
[continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 18, 2013
This is the fourth marketing tip in a series based on
>>> Being Good At Marketing Isn’t A Nice-If But A Must Have
Marketing Tip 4 – Search Marketing – How To Help Your Prospective Customers Find Your Business
Ask yourself where prospective customers will look to find out more about their problem, potential solutions and possible suppliers.
How can you encourage them to call you and not your competitors?
You’ll find out when you read the rest of the article.
Will Your Prospective Customers Look In The Yellow Pages?
How can you make your advert stand out and encourage a prospect to call you? Your advert is surrounded by all your competitors, all shouting for attention so it has to connect with what your customers want. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 17, 2013
Marketing Planning can be broken down into two stages:
- What you want to achieve and how you intend to make it happen.
- What marketing activities will you do when.
The first stage is covered very well in a short, powerful marketing plan.
>>> The Guerrilla Marketing Plan – 7 Sentences To Marketing Clarity
The second stage is when you get specific about what you will do in your Marketing Calendar.
