MarketingMoment

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, your purse (or wallet) is almost certainly feeling a little bit lighter, what with all the festivities and shopping…

So, to help you out and give your purse/wallet some holiday relief — as well as to THANK YOU for all your business and support throughout 2008 — I have an early holiday gift for my newsletter and blog readers:

Save 20-50% on every digital download, from now until 19th December 2008…

While many game-boards last just for Christmas and this year’s toys are next year’s throwaways, the residual on a learning system or one of my products will last a lifetime. 

 The way it works is simple. Buy one PDF digital download (including all my ebooks and TeleMasterClass transcripts) and get a 20% discount. Buy two and get a 35% discount. Buy three or more and get a whopping 50% off the price. 

But here’s the catch:

So if you’ve thought about buying one of these informative, easy-to-follow-and-implement guides before, now is your chance! Start here (But do NOT order from there! You need to email the code “HOLIDAYS 08″ along with your choice of products and preferred method of payment to me first.)

BONUS #1: But that’s not all! For every order over £100, I’m going to include *complimentary*email support and mentoring (limited to four email consults per order) to help you get the most out of your new business assets.

What better time to re-commit yourself to making your dreams of taking your business to the next level a reality than now, with the New Year just around the corner?

I recommend: 

“I’d like to say what a refreshing change from all the hype out there it is. I found it to be very well written and accessible, with an easy to follow plan. I’ve already applied what I’ve learnt and its already transforming my business.”
– Aaron Beads, Homeopath

The lead article in the latest issue of MediaMinister’s Communiqué for Success shows you how to capitalise on a fast, easy and economical way to promote just about ANY business.

To read the full article and gain *hidden links* to recent CfS newsletter editions, you’ll have to become a subscriber. (That’s a good, by the way!) As well as being FREE, you’ll receive a business-building report and audio CD that can dramatically improve sales simply for signing up and trying it out.

Subscribe here.

Recent CfS newsletter issues cover:

• Be Profitable in a Slow Economy
• Why People Don’t Buy
• Can the X Factor Help Your Business?
• Be a Client Magnet
• Recession-Proof Your Business
• Stand Apart from ‘Me-Too’ Competitors
• Stop! Don’t Post that Letter!
• Common Mistakes that Can Kill Business
• How to Bolster Trust on Your Website
• Just How Believable Are You?
• …and much, much more that you really can’t afford to miss out on if you are serious about making it in business.

Subscribe here. 

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I was critiquing a client’s press release the other day. Nothing unusual in that. While it was in essence a good base for a successful PR campaign, the release itself was full of “This is why I am so good” details about the author of the piece. Nothing unusual in that, either . . . unfortunately.

You see, a news release should NEVER be used as an opportunity to toot your own horn or blatantly sell products. Rather, it should be about the reporter. Her audience and their needs, to be precise. And it should read like news, not an ad.

Your release should provide newsworthy fodder that is important or valuable in some way, so that it makes the publication’s editor think, “This looks exactly the sort of thing my readers should know about.”

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One of the largest and most efffective forms of marketing on the planet. That is what direct marketing is. And it works. Boy, does it ever. Just spend a little time Googling the term with the word “success” or “results” and you’ll see what I mean.It has many advantages over advertising and most conventional forms of marketing, including:

1. Direct marketing is trackable. And, of course, by being able to account for every pound or dollar spent, there will never be a question mark over what works – and what doesn’t.
2. It has publicity value. It lets your prospective customers and clients know that you exist in the first place. While they might not act immediately on your offer, there is no telling when a prospect might pull your direct-mail piece out and get in touch.
3. It’s perfect for small businesses and entrepreneurs because of its simplicity. It doesn’t take much –  in terms of time, cost and effort – to product an effective direct-mail package.

So whether business is slow right now, or you need to test a new product, you owe it to yourself to at least give direct marketing a go. 

If you want help with your direct mail, join my FREE VIP newsletter for practical tips and strategies on ALL aspects of marketing: http://www.mediaminister.co.uk/marketing_cfs_newsletters.htm

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I’ve been asked by many to put together a few publicity packages that will offer year-round publicity ideas, support and mentoring without the HUGELY steep prices associated with the typical PR agency. 

So I thought, “Why not?” I’ve worked with companies as large as NEC on their big-budget campaigns, as well as entrepreneurs on a one-to-one, more-down-to-earth-budget basis. So why not package that expertise? Especially if it will help small businesses and entrepreneurs leverage the most from F.R.E.E. publicity.

As a special offer to all my clients and CfS subscribers, I am happy to deduct 10% from all the prices you see at this new page:

www.mediaminister.co.uk/PRservices.htm

BUT . . . only until 12.01pm on 9 September.

To take advantage of this offer, email the word “publicity” and your details to me before D Day.

(NB: I will never sell, rent, trade or share your email address with anyone. Plus, I will ONLY email you regarding this offer, unless you tell me otherwise, of course!) 

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Holding a competition is a great marketing tool, giving you:

• brand recognition
• positioning in the marketplace
• goodwill in the community
• publicity
• the ability to fish for product name ideas
• leads
• new customers and/or sales

It needn’t be complicated or costly to set up, either.

If you’re looking to build your customer base, then a simple ’send-in-and-win’ tear-off reply coupon is sufficient. You can do the same via email (”Send the answer to the following question to contest@yourdomain.com”). 

You can also get ideas for a new product or service. For example one of my colleagues is giving away $1,000 (approx £550) for the person to come up with the best title for his forthcoming book. This is all being done via social media. 

If you’re a life coach with a local client base, you can ask your clients and prospects to choose their best restaurant, doctor, supermarket checkout assistant, bus driver, milkman or postman and give away six months of coaching to the winner. 

If you’re a gardener, hold a “name that tree” competition, and then donate a tree or two to the local park in both your names. You can do the same if you’re a carpenter, only donate a bench instead… 

The ideas are endless. You just need to get a bit creative. 

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I heard on the news (BBC) this morning that supermarkets are spending more on advertising and less on branding, in an attempt to lure shoppers and defeat the credit-crunch fallout.

Does this mean that you should follow suit?

Advertising – whether it’s advertising in magazines, newspapers, the trade press or online – CAN be yield a good return on business. But it’s generally more appropriate for larger brands with the advertising budget to match their size.

That said, advertising DOES work, and it can work for you . . . providing you advertise the right things to the right people in the right places and in the right way.  

If you do wish to dip your toe in the advertising arena, then I would suggest spending your budget very carefully to ensure you receive maximum returns for your expenditure.  

My step-by-step, lead-generation system High-Powered Ads that Generate Sales reveals where to place your ad – and where NOT to advertise – as well as how to triple the results of ANY ad you write . . . guaranteed! For more information, point your browser to: http://mediaminister.co.uk/products.htm#HPA 

But back to the question of whether you should ditch your branding efforts. I think not. Branding is crucial to any business – at any time and regardless of the state of the economy.

It can reinforce your image so that you stay in your existing customers mind, as well as grab the curiosity of potential new customers. 

Central to effective branding is the concept of consistency. No matter what you do, you absolutely MUST be consistent with your core marketing message. That’s because you want your business image and brand to be easily recognisable, and you want your prospects to conclude that your company is a confident, credible and stable one.

To really strengthen your brand image, as well as being consistent, you should be educating your potential customers about WHY they should buy your product or service (no one likes to be sold, right?). The use of case studies and testimonials is a great way to achieve this. You’ll find plenty of other ideas in posts here on MarketingMoment.

So what about you? How are you educating your customers to increase sales?

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The lead article in the latest issue of MediaMinister’s Communiqué for Success reveals that far from being the kind of lovely lady who rejoices in handing out cough drops while sipping chamomile tea, Aunty AIDA is more akin to Checkpoint Charlie in character.

AIDA is in fact one of the most useful formulas for keeping your creative thinking on tap. And it has the potential to substitute flagging sales with a roaring trade . . . BUT only if you pay attention.

To read the full article and gain hidden links to recent CfS newsletter editions, you’ll have to become a subscriber. As well as being FREE, you’ll receive a business-building report and audio CD simply for signing up and trying it out. 

Subscribe here.

Recent CfS newsletter issues cover:

• The Most Important Action You Can Take For Your Business This Year 

• Recession-Proof Your Business
• Stand Apart From ‘Me-Too’ Competitors 
• Stop! Don’t Post that Letter!
• Common Mistakes that Can Kill Business
• When Push Comes to Shove
• How to Bolster Trust on Your Website 
• Just How Believable Are You? 

Subscribe here. 

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A readers asks:

Question: “Would you mind answering a quick question for me?  I received an email from XXXXXX (name removed for client confidentiality) earlier this week that they’ve developed a sample media release that members are free to modify and distribute to local media.  My question is, if I was to distribute this via email what do I put in the subject line and covering email?  Do I just say ‘Subject: For immediate release’ and in the email ‘Please find attached a press announcement for immediate release.’ Basically, what’s the code of conduct when sending these things?
 
Not sure if that’s turned out to be a quick question or not so I appreciate your comments.”

Answer: When you send a release via email put the actual heading or title of the release in the subject line. You can also add the fact that it’s a release, like this: “[news release] MediaMinister launches new service for the busy exec.”

Don’t bother putting “For immediate release” – that’s an antiquated tradition that doesn’t mean much. If it isn’t intended for immediate release, you’d say so. Hopefully!

Also, and this is a biggie, do NOT attach any attachment. Instead, simply copy and paste your release into the body of the email. (That said, it might be better to turn off HTML and send your email as a standard ‘text’ message, which could mean that the formatting/line spacing may need to be tweaked).

At the top of your message you might want to state that you have pictures (if true!) and whether the release available as a PDF or Word document. And ask editors to to get back to you should they want either of these or have any questions.

Immediately below this insert an obvious break in – like a solid line, or dotted – and then put line release.
Be sure to put the media contact (whomever will deal with press release enquiries) for editors, and of course their contact details. You’d be surprised how many people omit this vital information.

Hope this helps.

• For specific ideas on tailoring a news release to your business, and how to develop a PR campaign that can help you generate masses of free publicity, for less than the price of dinner, see:

http://freepublicitymadeeasy.mediaminister.co.uk

FREE CONSULTING ALERT: Got a burning question you want answered? Pop it in the ‘comments’ box and I’ll see what I can do. 

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At any given point in time, there are a number of major ‘conversations’ going on inside the heads of your prospective customers. This is partly down to the increasing demands on our time and attention… What’s more, your target market will only be aware of a small portion of this inner talk.

So you can appreciate why trying to sell anything – online, via a classified ad, or a letter, wherever – can be nigh on impossible. Until you find a way to stop all that mind chatter. And it’s your opening, or headline, that gets you noticed.

As well as grabbing that all-important attention, a great headline will help pull your readers into the body copy, so compelling them to read the rest of your message.

Here are three top headline formulas that have, over the years, proven to be winners. Try one or all of them in your own advertising and marketing materials, and see your response rates change for the better.

1. The ‘how-to’ headline

Perhaps the most used (and abused) headline of them all. When done well, the ‘how-to’ headline has the ability to dramatically improve the response. I use this type of headline all the time. What you’re selling here is how to achieve a given result. Some examples of ‘how-to’ headlines include:

• “How To Have a Long and Healthy Life”

• “How a Computer Crash Can Be Good For Business”

• “How to Open Your Own Online Shop in Just 15 Minutes”

• “How to Lose the Bloat (Safely) in Just 10 Days”

2. The question headline

Another winning headline formula I use often is the question headline. This can be a very effective way of using headlines, as the question will (or should) appeal to your prospects’ emotions. It’s a good way of engaging your readers, too. When they read a headline written in the form of a question, they’ll usually answer the question in their mind. Examples include:

• “Are You Making These Five Marketing Mistakes?”

• “Want to Stop Spam Once and For All?”

• “Are You Sick and Tired of the Daily 9-5 Routine?”

•  “Does Your Partner Do Any of These Embarrassing Things”

3. The testimonial headline

This is a very powerful headline technique IF you have specific and exceptional customer testimonials you can use. Examples include:

• “Everyone Keeps Commenting on How Well I Look – and I Feel Years Younger Already…”

• “My Website Traffic Increased by 315% In 31 Days…”

• “I Made £276 Yesterday Alone Using Your Marketing System! I Didn’t Think This Was Possible – Especially As I’m No Marketing Expert Myself.”

• ”Tom Jones’s Consulting Is Magic – My Sales Have Increased by 25% Over the Past Two Months!”

Tip: To appear credible, always include your clients’ full names and their websites or the cities they live in. Oh, and be sure to get permission first!

Your headlines literally have the power of making or breaking your marketing efforts. So, take your time and test the different formulas above to see which works best for you. By testing and refining, you should hopefully see your sales grow considerably.

(C) 2007 T Dooley, All Rights Reserved 
Article first published in the August 2007 of CfS –– a free newsletter aimed at helping entrepreneurs, solo professionals and small businesses: 
 

 gain more customers
 secure more sales
 increase website hits
 and generally be more successful in today’s fierce marketplace.

Want to use this article on your own blog, or website, message board or in an ezine? Not a problem! But please give credit where it’s due. You MUST include the following: 

Tracey Dooley of MediaMinister (www.mediaminister.co.uk) is an experienced copywriter, editor and marketer. She has spent 14 years crafting compelling concepts and copy that successfully sell, inform, educate or entertain. =====>Get a FREE business-building audio CD by signing up for her freebie business-building tips, marketing and publicity pointers: www.mediaminister.co.uk.

***Would you like some help in developing or polishing your headlines? I would be glad to help or act as a facilitator for you and your team… Just let me know.

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